Jeremy Yeo's web diary

A different perspective..

2009-09-06T17:29:00.011+08:00

Not going to narrate anything in this post. I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

DIY - interior paint

2009-09-05T18:12:00.008+08:00

Finally, 1st official weekend spent away from work after almost 2 months. Can't resist temptation to fiddle around with my ride. The idea to repaint the interior just popped into my mind. Probably getting a little bored with black and brown.

Off i went to the local hardware shop to grab all the required hardware to "making it happen". FYI, that's MLNG official tagline. Some how it just , again, popped into my mind..

To spray paint on plastic surface, you'll require plastic primer, to ensure that base coat adhere to the surface.
I chose flat white as the base coat and clear paint as top coat. The reason i chose white as the base coat to create contrast between air con panel and the whole interior in particular. If this works out, i'll probably start coating other components, such as the glove box to white. I just love white colored car, very VIP like after proper detailing.

Firstly, dismantle the components from the dash.

Kinda tedious work in disassembling the dash making sure i don't break fragile clips during the process. It'll be a pain in the ass if i did.

ADIOS matte black air con panel..

Since it was my first time stripping this babe, it took me 1 hour or so.

Thoroughly wash the component using dish washing detergent and sponge. Washing detergent is perfect in removing grease plus it's gentle on hands..he he.. Left it to dry under sun..

meanwhile..

Notice the standing fan, it was actually at full blast. In picture looked stationery due to high shutter speed on auto mode.

Borrowed my GF's hairdryer to quicken the drying process..he he..

Wear proper personal protective equipment before attempting to proceed with spray paint job. In this case, a dust mask should be sufficient. All works were performed at open environment, very well ventilated.

Proceed with Primer coating.

i applied three coatings of primer to ensure even distribution. After every coat, i use the hairdryer to quicken the drying process.

For base coat, i applied a few thin coatings. Key word here is thin coatings, which give better result than one thick coat. Coatings were applied until every inch of the plastic surface is completely sealed. Hair blower was used after every coating.

Finally, applied clear coat to give glossy and metallic finishing.

When completely dry, the process of assembling the bits and pieces was much much easier compared to stripping it down.

When the final screw finally attached, i just stared at it, took some getting used too, i tell you. The entire panel just stood out totally compared to basically everything else. It somehow made the brown duller.. I like the contrast in color between the air con vent and panels though.

But somehow, view from exterior is somehow nice. the interior and exterior coloration blends well.

My very first DIY interior paint turned out successful.
Ahh, the whole process finished in time for dinner. Nasi goreng prepared by lovely lady chef to compliment my personal 'achievement'.

car maintenance - front strut bar

2009-08-31T21:56:00.005+08:00

OH my gawd, I am so caught up with work, i hardly have time for personal activities other than work, not to mention updating my blog. Back to back plant shutdowns proved too taxing on inspection engineers like me.

Oh well, first year of my work life just went by.. yupe.. i am now into my second. Definitely still tonnes of learning, reading to pump up my experience. In fact, it's a never ending. Nevertheless, life goes on.

Just to update some maintenance on my precious Corolla..

OH right, RON 95 is already in the market. Does not affect my baby much because manual recommends RON 95 for her..

Got this recond. stabilizer bar few months back. Left it in my Boot ever since, until today when i found time to install it. It is a 2 point bar with 3 mounts. 2 ends bolt on to the absorber mounting and another to the engine firewall.

The hardest part was to dismantle the two wipers and the plastic enclosure between the front mirror and the engine firewall.
After that i had to fit my fingers into very very limited space to bolt on mounting using M8 sized bolts and nuts.

The view of my engine. Its internal properly lubricated with top spec Syntium full synthetic 5W40. 5 points grounding wire to ensure smooth current flow not forgetting latest addition, the bar.

Compared to my previous ah Beng sunny which focuses more on performance with bolt-on race carburators and humongous 2" tail pipe, this ride is the total opposite.
Reliability and comfort is top priority.

A quick visit to the mechanic today to change front brake pads and a pair of rear tires. i opted for continental comfort contact-1 to substitute my old NCT5.
CC1 in the front, Michelin XM1 at the rear. Both are of almost equal class ( just like comparing civic to altis, or camry to accord). i could probably do a personal review after a year or so.. stay tune.

car maintenance - top absorber mounting

2009-04-08T20:41:00.006+08:00

My original top absorber mounting had given way after 80000km of very loyal service.

Just look at the sludge that completely killed the ball bearings. No wonder, "thud thud " sound could be heard whenever i go over uneven surface at slow speed.

4 months ago, i opted for a non original mounting which costed 1/4 the price of original mounting which i totally regretted.
It served my for only 4 months before the irritating sound returned.

The slightest of unusual sound emitted from any part of my car is quickly picked up by my ears, quickly prompting my brain to take charge and rectify the problem ASAP. And so, i opted for genuine Toyota mounting which cost ~rm200 per piece. That really hurt my wallet.

Look at the clear coloured grease and the Japan wording engraved on the bearing.

A quick physical comparison between my old mounting on the right and the new mounting on the left.

lesson learnt: TAK NAK PIRATED GOODS.

in support of earth hour

2009-03-28T22:19:00.004+08:00

In support of earth hour, i switched off the light bulbs in my room, turned off my PC. Even went over to my house mate's room to turn off every single light bulb, fan while he's in a game of DOTA.

It could be the uncomfortable glare from the screen, or the heat ( fans off), or my constant nag that finally made him quit from his game and ultimately switching off the last energy consuming appliance in the house. oh wait.. the fridge was not turned off.oopss.

The 1 hour passed effortlessly while we chatted away outside the house.

defensive driving course

2009-03-22T20:59:00.006+08:00

I attended a defensive driving course conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). It is a 2 days course consisting of pure lecture on the 1st day and a practical course on the 2nd day.

This course is mandatory for MLNG staff who drives in the plant area just like me.The management enforced this regulation to minimize the number of traffic accidents in the plant.

Second day practical course was held at the Old Bintulu airport. There were 3 assessments to it. First assessment was casual driving around town area, adhering to speed limits, proper usage of signal, ability to reverse park properly, etc.

Second assessment, we had to navigate the 2 tonne pickup truck around the cones forward and reverse without knocking them over. It proved quite a challenge for those who never driven one before. Lucky for me, i navigate my way home on the 1st try:P

Final assessment was the braking test. It basically is a quarter mile drag on 1st, 2nd gear all the way to 60km/hr and then slamming the brakes down hard. There were a lot of burning rubber during this last run.

I hope that the skills that i've acquired from this course would be put to good use when required too.

'Prawning' at Sg.Labang, Bintulu.

2009-03-08T18:51:00.010+08:00

I've not succumbed to my death due to boredom, for those who thought that i might. For many, whose life revolves around mega malls, Starbucks, Sushi king, i agree that life in Bintulu might not be pleasant for you. However, for few whom seeks for outdoor adventures, Bintulu offers nothing less than what u might expect.

Sincere apology for abandoning this blog for some time due to work commitments, travelings etc.

i jumped at the very opportunity to join my friend, Tan, Anwar, Iskandar to go prawn fishing at Sungai Labang. According to Iskandar who frequent this river, prawns are aplenty here. Locals here call em Sepit Biru. He added that his last catch landed him in the hospital due to too much prawn consumption and the doctor had to give him a jab to revive him. From my shallow general knowledge,it must be the cholesterol .Watefak?

Our Rendezvous point is Labang bridge, 1 hr drive from BTU town.

There we boarded a small Perahu powered by a single 2.2 horsepower engine which moves us awfully slow through the calm river

Just look at how crammed the boat was. i was afraid of standing up to stretch because my height would greatly raise the centre of gravity which might tip the boat over, resulting in severe buttache and backache after the trip.

Our destination was Kampung Labang where we would transfer to another bigger Perahu for a more comfortable fishing experience.

It was a pleasant journey upriver. The serenity of the thick mangrove and occasional sightings of monitor lizards and other creatures surfacing for air is intriguing. The varying sound of animals, birds, insect was very welcoming indeed.

Here u might have guessed who amongst them who had to be admitted into hospital, 'intoxicated' by prawns. At the time of this blog entry, i still find it very amusing.

We were expecting a big catch this time around from the story that Iskandar told from his last trip. But it wasn't as what we expected.

There, Iskandar casting a spell on the prawns. focusing his mind on .... BBQ prawns... LOL
It isn't working though.

Is the Bait not attractive enough?

Are the rods and reels not up to standard?

Is Tan not lengchai enough? LOL

Well, according to experienced Iskandar, prawns love to feed in warmer waters when there isn't much rainfall. It was raining few days back, that must have explained our poor catch.

whatever it was, i've truly enjoyed myself from this fishing adventure

Lesson learnt: Wear longpants when go fishing.ouchh..

The sound of music

2008-11-30T17:29:00.008+08:00

Does the name Jerry Kamit ring any bell? Guess not.Yesterday, i was like " who the heck is Jerry, Jerry what?", when he got on stage to perform live at Karnival Keluarga Petronas Bintulu. Who would care, who this guy was when backstage, Misha Omar, SPIDER, Ramli Sarib are putting on final touch to their makeups, warming up their vocals, final tweaks to their musical instruments ready to perform their ultimate best on stage.

Well, apparently, last night's concert resulted in at least one album of his, sold. Yupe, u got it right, i just bought 1 of his album after getting hooked by his magnificient performance with the Sapek.

The Sapek is the official musical instrument for the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is played similarly to the way rock guitarists player, only, it's played a little slower. And that piece of instrument my friend, produces the most enchanting music to my ears.

BUY ONLY ORIGINAL, SUPPORT LOCAL ARTIST!

I've created a small file in MP3 format, suitable to be used as message tone for your handphone. go here to listen and download.

For your viewing and listening pleasure, scroll down and enjoy the sound of music.

treasure hunt

2008-11-26T20:24:00.014+08:00

Joining this treasure hunt organized by social and recreational club of MLNG simply brings back good ol memories of my previous entry back when i was studying in petronas university. It was certainly kickass fun back then being able to be in the top 8 among hundreds of participating teams even though it was our first.

This was my First, joining treasure hunt organised by MLNG. A virgin i was, i could only anticipate what was installed for us that very day. Nevertheless, our strong team of 4 enthusiasts is truly a diversified one.

Our team leader, also past treasure hunt defending champion, Mr tan has vast experience having joined 2 hunts before. Mr Ting, a Technical professional by profession being able to drive miri road blindfolded,so he claimed:P Not forgetting Mr henry, whom just received his monster machine and was very eager to unleash the fury of the MYVI SE, and me, a noob, whom just started my career path with MLNG and i know PEANUTS about any other things except to get my well deserve sleep during long haul trip from Bintulu to Miri and back.

The first 8 clues were all around Bintulu town. Upon completion of a given quest/challenge which we had to perform in the fastest time to earn us points, each team will be given a clue, which we had to crack our heads to solve, which upon completion will lead us to the next destination where the next quest awaits.

The hunt brought us to various landmarks in Bintulu, namely Taman Tumbina, where part of our quest was to take photographs of various animals and plants specified in our quest sheet. of course time was of an essence.

Aother pit stop was Tanjung Batu beach where one had to direct another blindfolded team member into dribbling the ball around cones without touching it before scoring a goal.

Upon completion of all 8 quests in Bintulu, the next clue lead us to Miri. We were too engrossed in playing the game, we even had to relieve ourself by the roadside leading to Miri.

Being a Sarawakian myself, this was my first official visit to and around Miri town. We were lead to the Grand Old lady, situated on Canada Hill. The Grand Old Lady is the very first well drilled in Malaysia. Next to it is the petroleum musuem built by Petronas and Shell. For further reading regarding the Grand Old Lady, go here.

For a moment, i was mesmerized by the view from the highland, i totally forgotten that i was still in the game. From the hill top, one could see the whole of Miri town. It was awesome.

And there it was, the Grand Old Lady stand erect. This is the exact replica of the actual oil derrick that was burnt down.

Our task there was to take a group picture with the Grand Old Lady as our backdrop.

Upon completion of our quest at the Grand Old lady, we had to get to Taman Awam. This is a recreational park where two team members will have to have one side of their leg tied to one another and then run up and down the stairs. As if that wasn't challenging enough, we had to walk on reflexology path which was suppose to bring health benefits if performed properly. But we were practically running and groaning at first which turned into small bunny hops untill the finish line.

Finally, the hunt ended at Eastwood Valley. Despite all the hard driving, brain cracking effort, we didn't win any of the 5 prizes.

Our 3 wise taikors had spoken. Even so, judges decisions are final. Nevertheless, it was an awesome hunt. Looking forward to the next hunt.

Before departing from Miri, Mr Ting brought us to savour Miri's delicacy. Our stomach deserved a thoughout refill before another long haul trip back to Bintulu. As a saying goes, hungry men are angry men.

I'm going deep sea fishing ! - Perfection

2008-11-03T10:25:00.009+08:00

After working 3days ,12hrs straight, i was exhausted. Even the HappyTreeFriend Alarm tone which i find most irritating could not shake me up my feet. A quick morning shower, full of anticipation of what the rest of day might bring forth.

After breakfast, we were greeted warmly at the jetty. There were 33 participants going in 2 fishing trawlers. After a quick check of attendance and group photo taking, we headed off to the open sea.

The experienced captain utilized the sophisticated equipments on board to locate shoals of fish. Most of us did bottom fishing and in no time, landed plate size Kerapu, Ikan Pisang, Red snapper. Some even Reeled in 2 or more fish at one time.

The afternoon sun and the salty sea breeze really baked our skin. I took time out to catch up on some sleep and reserved the action for the night.

The moment opened my eyes, it was already dusk. Boat crew whipped up a delicious meal of Assam fish and Lady fingers. The Fresh fish meat cooked in Assam was totally... awesome.

I Utilized two sets of rod and reels. One for bottom fishing another for casting. Before long, something big struck my line and dragged it several metres. Quickly increased the drag tension on my reel. Letting the fish tire out and then reel in. It was a tough fight. As i had on a braided line which could withstand 80lbs, i was pretty confident it wouldn't fail on me.

There it was, a barracuda. The Barracuda is a real fierce fighter .
Moments later, my jig struck another big fish while casting. This time my rod and reel is put to test. My rod was bended up to a point it was about to break.. Had to play around with the drag tension a bit. Fortunately my 53Lbs line manage to hold up. There it was again, another barracuda.I breath a sign of relieve.

Shamsuddin had a real fight with a Giant Travelly. This giant had all out lines tangled up.

Tan manage to reeled up 2 fish at once.

Bakar tamed a big size Giant Travelly and a huge Kerapu. He's a real happy man.

As the night was getting late, most anglers went below deck to catch some sleep. A few enthusiastic ones remained faithful by their respective rods.

All the fish caught aws quickly deposited into this ice box even before they draw their last breath.

Our trip was cut short due to an unfortunate accident which prompt the captain to head back to jetty. We arrived at the jetty 4.30am the next day. Nonetheless, there were plenty of fish caught and distributed evenly among us, anglers. Each of us brought back approximately 6 kg of fish, enough to last us for a month.

I had a great experience, certainly enjoyed myself. I'll be sure to join them for the next deep sea expedition next year.

I'm going deep sea fishing ! - Prequel

2008-10-30T20:51:00.003+08:00

Deng, i cant tell u how nervous i am. So many questions and thoughts on my mind remains unanswered only to be unravel after the trip.
Whether I'll be sea sick or not would be biggest hurdle. To be on the safe side, I gotta remember to pop 2 motion sickness pills 2 hours before the journey to ensure ample time for the med to give effect.

Would my line hold up against BIG GAME fish? Mackerel is notorious in chewing through even the toughest fish line.I want to make sure nothing gets away once GAME ON. so.. i've gotten myself 2 sets of fishing line, one can withstand max 50Lbs and another 53lbs. My reel comes with 2 sets of spools .

Carbon graphite spool (left) & chromed galvanised steel (right)

I'm going deep sea fishing !

2008-10-28T21:49:00.006+08:00

The title says it all... I'm going deep sea fishing. Fishing trip is Organised by MLNG fishing club. Credit to Tan for slipping my name into the list of participants. I don't know exactly where we'll anchor but i know for sure i'm excited.

Few basic necessities which i require to land a catch. Some sure methods which I'll be using namely bottom fishing and casting. Few fishing terms which i just learnt, myself.
Bottom casting involve using weight and hook, cross your finger and hope to land a catch.
Casting require some skill. It involved tossing your bait( a fake fish) as far as possible and then reel it in slowly hoping to tricked the fish into thinking that, oh that's an easy prey. That fish is gonna be on my dinner plate the very next day, hopefully.lol

I'm placing my bet on TICA GT4500 reel coupled with 50lbs line. Cross my fingers it'll hold up against fierce barracudas.

Couldn't find any review on TICA GT4500 reel on the net. Well, i hope it lives up to its brand name, Born to PERFORM.

p/s: Even prepared some sea sick pills. Cross my fingers, hope i won't get sea sick.

Tribute to my legendary Nissan Sunny (B11)

2008-10-16T17:52:00.008+08:00

Thank you mum, dad for providing me a mean of transport for ~~racing purposes~~ my convenience sake during my university years. My university is located 35km from Ipoh town and the whole campus itself is in the middle of nowhere. Heck, walking distance to lecture halls or the library took about 30 minutes or more on foot depending on hostel locations. To make things worse, walking 30 minutes under scorching sun or during heavy downpour was the least comfortable thing to do.

This babe sheltered me from the sun and rain, took me to wherever i wanted to go, never letting me down.. she provided me security ~~when traveling at 160km/hr~~ with her huge and tough absorber bumpers/airbags of the 80s at the front and rear . Most importantly the 1.3L, 4cyl, 8V, SOHC engine was very fuel efficient.

My dad had the engine completely overhauled before having it shipped to me. The engine was purring like new, power was good for a 800kg car. It wasn't long before I decided to PIMP MY RIDE.

Stock look

My very first modification was on the grill. I made it myself and it lasted till the very day she was sold.

DIYed Front Grill

Being a boy racer then, Fake MOMO steering was a must. lol. Never realising that smaller diameter wheels do not go well without power steering. Parking was hell.

Fake MOMO steering wheels

Audio system which included two 12 inch Mohawk Woofers , 2 amps made me one hell of an Ah Beng then. Woofer itself weight a solid 30Kg, so much for fuel economy.

Audio system

Even then, i still could fly.

Meter Habis

And then, in comes 15 inch Taiwan made BSA rims, and a set of matching body kit. Bet you, u won't be able to find those anymore.

lowered look

With so much weight on board, here comes the real deal. Sweet~~ DELLORTO Twin Barrel Side Draft Carburetor. For those we do not have the slightest clue, this baby makes your ride go really really fast.

Dellorto DHLA 40

Installation part was real tricky, done only by professional car modders.

Brief explanation on installation process:

Old carburetor taken out
Fabrication of adaptor to match the carburetor into the intake manifold
Countless rounds of test drives and tunings.

Adaptor for carb

DIYed cold air intake hoses(CAI) to supply cold air to carburetor for better combustion plus total exhaust system makeover starting from 4-2-1 header by Remus, bullet and Matola straight flow muffler. 2 inch pipes all the way baby~

Verdict: Torque and horsepower significantly improved

Engine bay

Not forgetting the interior. The original seats were husk filled which really got out of shape after all these years. In comes front pair of lancer seats

New front seats

Back seat taken from wira 1.6L. It fits nicely.

New back seat

Thank you Sunny gang from http://retronissans.com whom i respect. So much had i gained from attending their tehtarik(TT) sessions. They are the real guru when comes to Nissan Sunny, codenamed B11.

Monster Sunny

You will be missed dearly~

New absorber

2008-10-13T18:40:00.010+08:00

My car absorbers are doomed. It has been doomed ever since I test drove the car in June08 before deciding to purchase this beauty. I've been scouting high and low for suitable shocks for her.

Several factors in mind while searching for the right one, namely should i go for gas shocks or oil shocks or a mixture for both?

OIL FILLED SHOCKS

Pros
Comfortable
cheaper

Cons
Shorter life span compared to gas shocks
Maybe too soft for my liking

GAS FILLED SHOCKS

Pros
Stiffer ride which translates to better handling
Longer life span

Cons
Maybe too stiff for my liking

Gas and oil filled type is out of my budget, anyway Monroe Sensatrac/reflex is progressive type absorber

Besides that, which brand should i opt for? Kayaba?

Kayaba (Malaysian made), no Toyota mark on it, RM145 including labor cost
Kayaba Toyota (Malaysian made),it comes in Toyota box, RM165 including labor cost
Kayaba (Japan made), original, RM215 including labor cost

So many considerations running through my mind. Considering the road condition in Bintulu SUX big time, my initial plan was to stick to oil filled abs, i wouldn't go wrong with that.

After much consideration, finally i ordered A-FUJI brand Absorber which comes with 6 months warranty from an online store for a relatively cheap price. It's Gas filled. Yeap, u heard me right and I'm glad i made that choice. Read on..

Coincidentally my housemate goes back to KL during the Raya break and he helped transport my new abs when her returns to Bintulu. My Raya Angpow finally arrived and is ready to take over duty from the retired shocks that had faithfully served its time

A-FUJI ABSORBERS

Couldn't wait to install and test it. I'm just so curious of how it would perform on my car, whether it's comfortable enough or would it be too stiff for my liking, how about the ride height?I'm overwhelmed with anxiety, it's hard to get through the night.

AHH foo gee

The very next morning, rolled my car into a trusted workshop. My suspension is about to GET PIMPED YO~

Car in workshop

My mechanic got to work immediately, dismantling the entire suspension from its bracket. The old Absorber boot is totally worn ed out, torn ed beyond recognition. No choice but to order new boots.

Absorber boot

The old Absorbers are out. i personally tested all four of them and as i expected they're all having erectile dysfunction, LOL . Upon compression, the abs did not rebound. Nothing could be done to make them erect, not even direct simulation or even high dosage of Viagra. LOL.

Old shock

The whole process is make simpler with the help of this machine. It compresses the coil spring and hold it in place to let the old abs out and the new ones in.

Mechanic in action

finally, after approximately 2 hours, all the abs are in place and fitted into my car.

New shocks in place

Quickly tested my ride height, height clearance has increase by 1 finger. Yes., that will give my car a more sturdy look and reduced the chances of scraping the undercarriage.

Test ride height

Finally, after alignment was done, time to hit the road. I went slow initially to let it run in nicely. Took a few spin around familiar roads, bumpy ones, while intuitively listening for any more knocking sound which my old abs emit. it's completely silent now. I'm glad.

My short review

A-Fuji absorbers are 20% stiffer than stock. It is comfortable yet provides a firm ride, as to my liking. It doesn't let me down during spirited driving. When tackling corners at high speed, the car has very little body roll even though ride height has increased. I'm amazed. Thumbs up.

JDM Corolla AE110

Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort

2008-10-03T19:01:00.011+08:00

I was at Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort on the first day of Raya. The resort is located outskirt of Miri town, approximately 175km from Bintulu. To start off with, my bums were all sore from the 2 1/2 hour ride over poorly maintained road surface which had sooo many potholes and uneven tar patches, not to mention the many heavy vehicles transporting timber, cargo,and God knows what, that were hogging the one lane road.
It was a dreadful experience.

Sarawak is still lacking far behind in terms of road infrastructure. And i wonder where all the money for road upgrading went too..

Nevertheless, i made it to my destination in one piece, sore bums aside, we were greeted by cheerful bird chirping and the many different music produced by insects from the forest perfectly orchestrated into lively symphony to ones ear.

Borneo Tropical Rain forest Resort

We were quickly ushered into a caravan towed by a tractor. Since that week was school holiday, there were many families taking precious timeouts with their kids.

Our transport

This is a map of the whole resort which we have to cover as stated in our tour package.

To our left and right were just trees, various vegetation common to most Sarawakians.

This is the view of Sarawak oil palm plantation which spans up to several thousand acres. It's quite a breathtaking view from the highland.

Sarawak palm plantation

Halfway, we were all instructed to get on our feet and walk all because the slope was just to steep. Only if Brembo brakes were installed on that caravan and tractor....

Walk to boat ride

Next activity, boat ride on the lake. It was an awfully slow boat ride with a lot of stops along the way to feed the fish with pellets. There are plenty of Patins and Sultans in the lake. According to the boatman, the water is well aerated and filtered to ensure that the fish reared there are of top quality.

It cost RM10 to fish on that lake. Every 1 kg of fish caught will be charged RM 11.

Goats and sheep's grazing by the riverbank.

Chickens are left to roam in wide open space unlike those that are cramped in chicken coup and fed with chicken feed heavily tainted with hormones to quicken their growth.

Come lunch time, all my new found friends, some two legged, some four, some whom were born with fins, others born green, served warm right before me. I'm sorry u guys are at the bottom of the food chain.

After a fulfilling lunch, a quick dip in the freezing cold water is totally refreshing.
The clear greenish blue water surrounded by thick dense undergrowth coupled with a steady flow of water at the background is a sight to behold.

Quick snap of photos before all the parents with kids plunge into the water.

Boat paddling concludes the tour.

Knock u knock u~

For the young and adventurous who seeks thrills, excitements, this package is not for you.
For those lovebirds who are seeking interesting activities yet being able to have time on their own, this package is not for you.
For Ah mA, Ah peK, scared u pengsan, so this package is not for you either.

This package is most suitable for young parents with young ones tagging along, papa carry heavy backpack containing milk bottle,diapers,kids clothes,one hand carry boy boy, while mama one hand carry jie jie, one hand wipe sweat, mouth none stop cursing the weather.. lol

another fishing trip

2008-09-30T18:15:00.015+08:00

Seems like fishing spree has gotten the best outta us, Tenkiu Mr.TAn for your poison ..lol..

Here we go again. This time, ~~Porn~~ prawn hunting..Destination, Kuala Tatau.

There's an addition to our fishing team, Mr.Wong, whom I'm sure was very excited to put in action his fishing gear which he just bought earlier that morning.

Four of us, Tan&GF, Wong and me, comfortably seated in my Corolla, cruising along the country side coupled with occasional jokes and laughter, simply makes this trip a very pleasant one.
I tell you, the scenery is simply breathtaking.

Long straight stretch of road

The murky water compliments the lush, green scenery.

Prawns lurks beneath those water

Mr.Wong immediately gets his gear in place. Attentively choosing the correct line strength, not forgetting a suitable weight, coupled with Seahawk prawn hook makes his weapon an indestructible one.

Mr.Wong in action

All that is no use without a suitable bait.
Just look at those delicious 1 month old squid blended in with thinly sliced chicken heart all wrapped up in a heart shape container. HOW SWEETTT~
I was seriously hoping that the prawns would practically leap out of the water towards us at the sight of that. lol

Perfect valentines day gift for the prawns

And then we cast out line and waited

Posed a little

And waited

And posed some more.

And finally we gave up. NO PRAWNS. zero, zilch,egg,~~teh ice~~kosong,sifar,'ling','khong',bo liaw..

Alas, at least we gave our best. Reward comes after a hard days work.

Tan & Branda

Me & ghey Mate..lol

Tan, you might have captured your GF's heart with that heart shaped love box, but it sure didn't work its magic on the prawn. lol

Sorry Tan, can't help it. LOL

I Lup u~

snakehead hunting 2

2008-09-27T19:28:00.011+08:00

After 2 subsequent failed snakehead huntings, finally this evening,i pAwneD em...lol.

Take a look at my Prized trophy. I've greatly multiplied my collections of pet fish. Originally there were 3 Patin fish and 1 lonely Sultan fish in my aquarium but i figured, its such a pity all that space goes to waste so i introduced a few friends. lol

Now it seemed too packed. when all my babies grow up, i must seriously consider upgrading to a bigger aquarium.

Look at the petrified original habitants. they were all scurrying to 1 corner of the aquarium..

Yes Yes, i must admit, only 1 quarter of the snake head that's swimming in my aquarium are caught by me. lol. the other 3 quarter was caught by none other than....

Mr.tan camwhoring.lol

fisherman hat

Leather boots

**pouch containing high Tech Gadgets such as, ~~TISSUE, CONDOM~~
FISH-O-CAL,a device to calculate probabability of catching fish
FISH-O-POS,a device to accurately locate fish position

No nid to mention his rod n reel. May take a day..

All that macho look and mascular broad shoulder..I bet all fish that he caught are females.. how to resist??? lol.

Snakehead resembles Joker from " The Dark Knight"

LOL.. Y SO SERIOUS?? Tan is an experienced fishing enthusiast. I've learnt so much from him. look forward to our next fishing trip.lol

** Rekaan ini adalah semata mata. Ia tiada kaitan dengan yang hidup ataupun yang telah mati

snakehead hunting

2008-09-25T20:10:00.006+08:00

last few days, i was checking out new fishing spots. i think i got hooked into fishing ever since landing in my 1st fish last weekend.

Came across this swampy area just behind a new housing estate. Seems like there are water creatures lurking beneath those water as there were constant ripples on the water surface. nevertheless i took out my fishing rod all set in the trunk.

Swamp

it was already 6.15 when i cast my bait. there were some fishing enthusiast there too. They were using a long bamboo rod to fish and fish are constantly taking their bait. Hmmmph!!

"Fisher woman"

As the sun set, blardy blood sucking mosquitoes were feasting on me. Nothing much i could do but to pack up and leave. Not a single fish took my bait.. Hmmmphh!!

My Squid not delicious enough is it?

Hungry anyone?

I shall be back with more success stories~ Till then, to the stars and beyondddd~~~ *imitate superman

Selamat Hari Raya

2008-09-24T18:53:00.005+08:00

It has been almost 2 months since i join MLNG, Petronas. My boss, Mr Ling, my colleagues and all MLNG staff has been guiding me all along. I really appreciate it. Thank you all.

Look at my newbie face compared to all my seniors who are at least 2 years older than me.

p/s : When this photo was taken, some of my colleagues are already back at their hometown.

Just want to wish my colleagues, and my readers Selamat Hari Raya.

first fishing experience at Bintulu waterfront

2008-09-21T13:51:00.014+08:00

I had a great fishing outing with Henry, Tan & girlfriend. It started with a simple conversation with Tan over lunch. I listen with great interest as he relates his scuba diving experience and the many ocean fishing trips he embarked on. After the sharing session, i couldn't get my mind off going fishing.

Tan, Henry, Me

I have had several pond fishing, and 1 river fishing experience few years back. i really wish to relive that experience. Now that i found "fishing kaki", they helped realize my dream.

Me and Henry were amateurs. Tan guided us in setting up the reel on our newly bought reel and rod. After several casting practices, we kept our fingers crossed hoping that fish would take out bait.

The more experienced Tan landed in the first two fish.

Tan 1st catch - Belukang fish

The Ikan Belukang, so it's called here, has a spine that sticks out like a razor with needle like tip which could cause a lot of pain if it lashes out at you. We had to be extra careful when removing the hook from its mouth and then releasing it into the open sea. According to Tan, the flesh is not at all delicious, so this fish is considered as pest to fishing enthusiast. lol.

Tan's 2nd catch : Eel

The Eel looks like a snake than a fish to me. with its hideous face, it really gives me the creeps looking at it. And it is really squirmish, twisting and turning its body around which gave us a hard time trying to release it off the hook.

My 1st catch : Belukang

It gave me nice punch of adrenaline rush when reeling up my first catch. The feeling is similar to that at driving at 180km/hr or when your car starts to skid minus then danger. Don't get me wrong, I'm a responsible driver and i abide to the law ~~most of the time.~~ lol

Henry's 1st catch : ikan Gelama

Anyway, Henry reeled in Ikan Gelama, the most decent and best looking fish of the night. lol. All in all, we all managed to reel in at least one catch.
As night turned into day, the tide subside, my best guess is that all the fish goes to rest at this time because there weren't a slightest tug at our bait, however interesting it was.

My first fishing experience here promises a lot more interesting adventure, which i will share with fellow readers.

Taman Tumbina Bintulu

2008-09-20T13:13:00.049+08:00

I hail from Kuching, Sarawak. During my 17 yrs of habitant in Kuching city, I've never actually appreciate the many diverse culture, the many different races living in harmony here especially the aborigines namely the Ibans, melanaus, Penans, etc, the unique food and the many places of interest which could not be found elsewhere. 5 years away from home to pursue my tertiary education, i finally come back to my state, my home to serve. I proudly proclaim that i'm a proud Sarawakian, going all out to share with fellow readers what Sarawak has to offer.

My current location is, Bintulu, fourth biggest city in Sarawak after Kuching, Sibu and Miri. Bintulu is also dubbed the ' oil town'. Click here for further readings.
In my own words, Bintulu is home to some of the world's finest state of the art gas processing plants, namely, Petronas Liquefied natural gas plant(MLNG), Shell Middle Distillate Synthesis (SMDS), world famed Bintulu port with it comes all other service company. Apart from the hussle, bussle from life at the plant, Bintulu offers green, lush, untarnished rainforest that provides peace and tranquility.

One such place is the Taman Tumbina Bintulu.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bintulu

Looking at the long distance we had to cover on foot to each animal site, makes me numb.. yes i admit, i'm a lazy bum at times. lol. nevertheless, i'm excited at what's in store.

Map of Taman Tumbina

Our first stop is the bird sanctuary. welcoming us is the very agile and active Sarawak Hornbill sporting its magnificent, yellow colored beak which protrudes from it's head just like a Knight clad in shining armor. It's such a handsome fella. Sarawak is home to this species of hornbill, hence Sarawak is known as " Bumi Kenyalang", in Malay language.

Hornbill

Ahhh.. looking at this turkey, i can't help but recall a scene from Mr. Bean comedy featuring Rowan Atkinson trying his hands on cooking a turkey meal for thanksgiving or was it Christmas eve celebration. As usual, the hilarious comedy made me ROFLMAO ( roll on floor laughing my a** off)

Turkey

Geezz... i couldn't recall the scientific name of this bird. it is commonly known as Burung Tiong here. This is a pretty smart bird as it could imitate the voices humans make. It could even pronounce " Assalamualaikum, hello, and some words that sounded like mandarin language"

Burung Tiong

My friend, Roy got so fascinated, he began conversing with the bird. lol. And teaching it some new ~~foul~~ words. lol

Roy conversing with the bird

They are real friendly chaps. approaching us as soon as we inched our way towards their enclosure. They may have thought that we had some food to offer. Alas, we don't.

Donald duck

Ever so elegant Flamingos. Men are generally attracted to women whom posseses qualities similar to that of Flamingos or was it a swan?. Flawless body posture, thin long sexy legs, fair complextion.. Drool..

Flamingos

The feared bird of prey, the eagle. But it doens't look menacing all caged up. I bet it hadn't flew in a long time. I do pity it.

Eagle

Scenic view of Bintulu town from the hilltop. Although it isn't so great of a sight i can still see part of the old town.

View from hilltop

As i was so caught up in photo taking, couldn't help but noticing my friend. Roy, were u dozing off?? lol

ZZZzzzz

This iguana must have been a great- great grandpa if he had been in the wild.

Iguana

The relative of the great ol Bujang senang, a famed white back human killer croc
who once roamed the Rejang river.

Crocodile

Our last stop bring us to the enclosure of the hunter and the hunted.

Deer

Tiger

We were both drenched in sweat, dehydrated from walking long distances under the scorching sun, who could resist a drink of fresh coconut juice?

Fresh coconut juice

Even after consuming the juice from a whole coconut, our thirst did not subside.. another order of ice blended cincau longan should do the trick.

Ice blended cincau longan

Stay tune for more visits to interesting places in Bintulu.

bintulu traffic jam 2?

2008-09-16T18:19:00.004+08:00

just the other week, i was caught in the jam on the way back home from work. This morning, i was again caught in yet another jam caused by road accident.

It was pouring cats and dogs the night before. Massive thunderstorm woke me up from my tranquil sleep forcing me to close the window, fondled around for my pillow and stuck them between my ears.

back to the accident, apparently the car skidded and slam into the trees planted at the roadside. it seems that no one was seriously injured in that accident but it sure does caused a lot of inconveniences to road users.

Massive traffic jam

Being a responsible road user, i whipped out my hand phone and quickly snapped a picture without hogging the road, or so i hope :P

Passenger side dented

Another friendly reminder, drive safe at all times. Remember your love ones.

DIY complete and wholesome meal

2008-09-15T18:28:00.022+08:00

Here i am, in Bintulu, 600 km away from home, mummy's not here to cook me her special home recipe, and my craving for home cook cuisine is starting to get unbearable. Eating out at kopitiam ain't healthy at all. With all that MSG ( mono sodium glutamate ) in my blood, I'll bound to get bald pretty soon, which isn't a good sign at all.

Considering that it's the weekend and I've plenty of time to spare, might as well i try my hands on stirring up a complete wholesome meal on my own.

There i was, the night before, doing my rounds at a local supermarket, glancing through all the food labels as i whizzed passed them armed with a basket and later proceeded on to intently checking on their contents, comparing the different brands before finally placing them neatly into the basket.

Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, i am about to share with u a very very simple, easy to kaotim yet healthy recipe specifically targeted for the following age group:

17-25 yrs old male
Bachelor,
Does not live with parents,
Have tendency to slip till late morning,
Hates washing dishes,

If you are in that age group, read on..

Utensils:

1) A slow cooker that cooks small portion meant for 1-2 person.
2) A kitchen knife
3) A chopping board
4) A bowl
5) A spoon and fork

Ingredients:

1) Quarter of a whole chicken
2) Chinese herbs ( no idea what's written on the packet )
3) Vegetable ( any type )

Utensils and ingredients in place

Firstly, chop the quarter of a chicken into 4 pieces

Rest in pieces ch icky

Tear open the pack of herbs and rinse it thoroughly before placing it into the pot

Chinese goodness in the pot

Then, add the four pieces of chicken into the pot and fill the pot with water. Do make sure that the water level is not at the tip of overflowing because when it boils, you are gonna get herbal juice all over your kitchen.

Chicken in herbs

TADAAAAA.... The next morning, when i open my room's door, the aroma of the herbs enters my nostrils, my nerves continuously sending signals to my brain which interprets it , sent it back to my stomach which in turn makes this noise "blub blub blub". All that activity in just less than a sec. Anatomy of a human body is a a rather fascinating thing, ain't it?

Flaw detected : forgot to cut off excess fats on chicken

To have a balance meal, I've added vegetable into the soup.

Is it Sawi?

Add vegetable into the soup and let it simmer for another half hour.

Freshly cut Sawi

There you have it... it's finger licking good. * mimics Mr Kentucky.

Wholesome meal

Darn, this article about food makes me hungry. Do check out my blog for other wholesome goodness recipe.

As sept 16th draws near..

2008-09-13T12:40:00.003+08:00

I woke up today to the news of Teresa Kok and Tan Hoon Cheng being detained with Raja Petra, detained the day before, under the Internal Security Act (ISA). Isn’t today , a Saturday , should be as what I always anticipated it to be? A day of rest, tranquility, doing nothing except reading kopitiam threads posted on lowyat.net, staring blankly at the fish in my aquarium and later settles for an afternoon nap.

I don’t think that today is that day that I’ve dreamt of. As I read on several online newspapers, anxiety sets upon me, the dawn of a new era? Or is it doomsday approaching?

Our country’s political scene has taken a twist ever since March 8^th, I have little interest in politics, but the current scenario has very much interest me, tempting me to follow up on the latest in Malaysia’s political scene.

If memory has not failed me, Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) gathered approx. 30000 citizens, who demanded for clean and fair election to protest against the rampant irregularities in recent elections. They proceeded to submit a memorandum to the palace official for the intervention of the monarchy to correct the government’s incapacity to reform.

I see this as a start to public protest against the ruling government.

Soon after, the people sent out loud and clear messages to the government, evident from March 8^th general election’s result which saw 5 states falling into the hands of the opposition. Nonetheless, BN won 12th Malaysia’s general election but with much lesser majority compared to the previous general election.

Later this year witnessed the rise of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim winning the Permatang Pauh seat and claiming his seat in parliament and his quest to become prime minister of Malaysia by 16^th September despite being plaque by sodomy charges, which could be an attempt by the government to stop him dead on his track. The Emergence of Saiful created a lot of controversy with the swearing on the Quran, but that issue is quickly put out of the limelight with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim Anwar’s vision of becoming prime minister of Malaysia come 16^th September.

To realize this vision, 29 MPs are required to switch from BN to the Opposition to form the government. Recently,a group of Barisan backbenchers left for Taiwan to learn about agriculture. This is seen as a move that to avoid potential crossovers and to derail Pakatan Rakyat’s Sept 16 takeover plan. Now, the arrest of three political figures is just another attempt of the government to elude reformasi.

IMO, I wouldn’t worry much about the rise of a new government. At least with a more liberal rakyat, we are no more afraid to voice out our fear, disappointments, which is evident based on march 8^th election results, with the rising of peaceful demonstrations and the freedom of the media, through blogs, etc. I’d say, the rakyat is willing to give chance to new leaders to prove themselves, to bring changes to Malaysia. And if the results are dissatisfactory, then we’ll see the reemergence of another March 8^th.

sept 16th

how kiamsiap could i be? part 1

2008-09-11T19:30:00.014+08:00

Bintulu is an industrial town. MLNG which is currently the world's 2nd biggest producer of liquefied natural gas is approximately 20km away from town. At present, there are approximately 1300 workers in a single plant and counting. Then, there is Shell Middle Distillate Synthesis (SMDS) plant in Bintulu. The SMDS plant is the first of its kind in the world and is situated just beside MLNG, then there is ASEAN Bintulu Fertiliser ( ABF ), Bintulu port, which handles thousands of vessels transporting raw materials into the country and exporting end products out to the world, not forgetting countless number of sawmills and other small industries, contributes to the high living standards here in this small town.

After numerous phone calls to housing agents and countless visits to potential houses, it was such a relieve when we finally found a suitable shelter which could possibly be our home for the next 2 yrs a least. It is an unfurnished semi detach house which has 4 rooms. Mind you, this house aint cheap.

My room is the corner room on the top floor. Sneak peak into my room reveals the full capacity of my kiamsiapness.

My room

No money put grille and curtain. Alternatively, stick sugar paper on all windows

Henry's room

My housemate, Henry's room occupies the master bedroom which has a veranda. His room is nicely fitted with grille and curtain plus carpet. envy envy.

Henry's room

Look at the size of the room. you can play futsal in it, no joke.

My room

My wardrobe is made out of then cheapest linen you could possibly find in the market.DIY cloth line to hang towel or clothings which might not fit into that miserable wardrobe.

Chun wah's room

Just look at that magnificent oakwood wardrobe. Doesn't it remind you of the movie, The Chronicles of Narnia where the 3 siblings stumbled upon this humongous wardrobe and later found themselves in another world. i wonder whether his is similar.

My room

Definitely not the best workstation, but it's adequate to get things done, such as posting this blog.

My room

Introducing my roommates, Mr Fish and gang. Mr fish and gang could grow up to 1 feet in length and is commonly found in wet markets all around Malaysia.
Nevertheless, it's a great joy having them around.

Bintulu traffic jam?

2008-09-10T20:05:00.000+08:00

Wrapped up my work at 5pm today and was on my way out from the MLNG carpark. Traffic was building up at the exit. It's my first time experiencing traffic jam in Bintulu. yes, i know that traffic jam is an everyday thing in the west, especially in KL and Penang, it's like bread and butter for the west malaysians there, but in this small, tranquil, slow paced town like Bintulu, if there is traffic jam, there must be an accident up ahead.

And my guess was right. a trailer plow its way across the drain and ended up at the opposite lane. thank God, there were no on coming car otherwise somebody will get seriously hurt.

The trailer is without it's usual load of container that explains the torque surge which the driver might be experiencing whenever he taps on the accelerator. i bet it excites him and he just got too carried away.

HAVE A SAFE BALIK KAMPUNG JOURNEY. Remember your love ones.

reminise of the good ol days

2008-09-09T19:14:00.000+08:00

The five years of my University life was the best time of my life. To have really good friends beside you, good friends whom i can really count my life on.. Josh, remember we landed in the drain and survived? thank God. Pheww..

To recapped a few activities together,

Convofair 2005

Every year, during the month of August, our UTP holds its convocation. during that time, huge piece of land is set aside for setting up of stalls setting food, drinks, souvenirs, everything u could possibly imagine. there's even a big stage set up for performance by invited guest such as scenario, M. Nasir, to name a few.

We were students then cashing in on this grand occasion.

That yellow scooter is the E-bike. it's a motorcycle cum bicycle which runs on electricity. looking at the soaring fuel price now, only if we hadn't crash that machine then.

Our stall selling anime products

AHhh.. those were the days.. we all definitely look different now.

Langkawi trip

There, my brothers and I are so engrossed in tossing Kong into the nearby lake. Dem, i missed doing that.

Langkawi, duty free island.. apa lagi, minum jerrr..

josh, i know your birthday is coming soon. although we have been together for 5 yrs, but we have never actually celebrated your birthday because it falls during semester break.
here.. i know it's a little early but.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH!

Journey to Bintulu

2008-09-09T18:25:00.000+08:00

Upon graduation from UTP ( Universiti Teknologi Petronas), i received job offer with MLNG ( Malaysia Liquefied Natural Gas), a subsidiary of Petronas. Oh Heck, my life phase 3 is about to start.

Phase 1 is all about studying my head off, going through primary level, and then secondary level. before i knew it, i have stepped into phase 2. Now, this is my favourite phase, Uni life.. As soon as it all began, i have reached the end. How time flies.

Pre convo party, baby..

Back to present time. I'm now at the beginning of phase 3, working life. To be precise, phase 3 officially begun on 1st August 2008.

Approximately 1 month and 9 days ago, i started journey to Bintulu by car accompanied by my dad. FYI, Bintulu is approximately 600km away from Kuching and the drive there took us 2 days. we overnight at out relatives house in Sibu before covering another 250km the next day

Mind u, the road condition is so unlike west Malaysia. There is no highway here, and i must admit, the road condition is much worst than kampung roads in West Malaysia. one must attend a professional driving course before attempting to maneuver your way across east Malaysia. that person would be my dad, who steadily brought us to our destination in one piece. i must admit, he has so much patience keeping to the speed limit of 90km/hr all the way considering the vast distance we must cover. i applaud his skill in avoiding potholes and tackling corners with complete control of the car. there were many timber trucks constantly hogging the one lane road which require great concentration and focus at all times on the road. My dad remains cool and steady under such condition which greatly minimizes the damage on the vehicle . Hats off to u, dad.