Malaysia: Holiday over

Boohoo. I started work today. We arrived yesterday afternoon and after distributing goodies to eager hands, I took a nap and only woke up briefly to stare at the television. Then I closed my eyes and went to sleep again.

I am in the process of resizing the 600+ (some of which are of the same thing, I was trying out different settings) photos that I took. So, for those of you who are waiting for the link, please be patient.

Photos didn't really turn out as great as I had hoped. I need to work on understanding The Bitch more, I guess. But for the very impatient, here are some of the better ones:

Roti tisu!

Turtles

One of the doors to Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

Buddhas with the weird backwards swastikas

Pantai Cenang beach in Langkawi

Token Petronas towers photo

Malaysia: A holiday destination part 5

So yes, indeedy, Malaysia is truly Asia, which is sometimes good and sometimes bad, as Asia is and should be. We arrived in KL late last night and this will be our last leg of the trip. Phew, finally! I'm sunburnt and so sick of walking, I'm absolutely exhausted! Hehe it was fun! Oh and if my calculations are correct, by the time I get back home, I would have spent exactly 446 US dollars. Including my shopping, token presents for friends, family and other people who expect something from me. Yes my friends, I am zee best.

Okay so Langkawi was definitely the most expensive part of our trip, mainly because there is no public transport there and the food was pretty pricey. But good! Sand so white and so fine, the water cool and refreshing, only downside was that it was jellyfish and cuttlefish season so loads of little jellyfish eggs were in the water and that made it both icky and itchy to be in the water. Beautiful beautiful place. I have vowed to return, I absolutely loved it there. KL is nice and a lot greener than Manila but it's like any other city really. We went up the Petronas Towers earlier and it was good and silly. Too bad it was overcast and foggy. We also went to Chinatown on Jalan Petaling (I think) and it seemed to me a combination of Greenhills and Divisoria. So many knock off Louis Vuitton bags and Gucci belts haha! Loads of white tourists bug-eyed with disbelief and awe. I could practically see the rapid currency conversion in their eyes. Cameron Highlands would have been amazing, if it weren't so damn cold. But I got to see how tea is grown (acres and acres of tea leaves!) and ate a lot of yummy food! Ipoh seemed like a wealthy place but it was scorching hot there and we spent all of our time in the car (like I mentioned earlier), so I wasn't able to appreciate it much. Penang was charming, dirty and busy and I swear we walked at least a hundred kilometers on that damn island, sightseeing and looking for a place to stay. We went to this pagoda and the experience was unusual. The buddhas had swastikas on their chests, so bizarre and the steps leading up to the temples were littered with vendors selling souvenirs and bottles of water. Very very odd.

Some Malaysians were very friendly, others were dismissive (we are goddamn tourists after all) and still others were downright rude. But all in all, I loved this trip. I am already planning my next trip. Cambodia? Laos? Vietnam? Oh the possibilities are endless!

Woohoo tomorrow is shopping day! Yay!

Malaysia: A holiday destination part 4

Madness! Adventure! Excellent food! Never a dull moment! If there is one, I take a wee nap. We spent the weekend up in the mountains (Cameron Highlands) where it was cold, wet and freezing. Of course, I had a blast anyway. Today was crazy, we left the mountains and drove down to Ipoh for a day trip and promptly spent that in our friend's car, driving around and getting stuck in traffic until we were completely and hopelessy lost. Hihi. It would have been more fun if I WASN'T BURSTING FOR A PEE!

We are in Georgetown, Penang at the moment. We arrived earlier this evening and spent 2 solid hours of walking and huffing and puffing. We found a decent hotel, got ourselves cleaned up and went for dinner. The food here rocks!

Read Paula's entry on this for now. I AM EXHAUSTED but very happy.

From the 200 USD I changed when I arrived in KL, I got about 700 ringgits for that. I have a little over 500 ringgits left. Wonderfully within budget.

Malaysia: A holiday destination part 3

Okay so the mustard rings are the parts of Malaysia that Paula and I will be traveling to. Although the location of Cameron Highlands is something that I could be making up entirely (Paula, am I making it up?). I don't know what's in Ipoh but apparently Michelle Yeoh is from there.

Anyway, I finally got leave approval an hour before I left the office last night. So a lot of woohoos are in order. It is for realz: I set off tomorrow morning!

I have all these expenses and I haven't even left yet! Okay this is the useful-info-for-the-budget-traveler section:

Budget: USD 500 / PHP 24,700 / MYR 1,770
Spent so far (plane tickets): USD 106 / PHP 5,200 / MYR 375

Expected expenses (since I won't be able to post for the next few days):
Shuttle to Clark, Air Asia airport: PHP 300 (one way)
Travel Tax: PHP 1,600 (more or less)
Airport tax (?): PHP 300+

Cash on hand: USD 200 (about 10k in pesos)

I'll update this once I have accurate info. I know I'm totally mixing my currencies but I can't be bothered to convert.

Malaysia: A holiday destination part 2

I'm exciiiited! 4 more days! Exciiiiited!

Packing is an art and I take it very seriously. With that said, I did my preliminary packing over the weekend, before I went out on Sunday night knowing I would need all of yesterday to recover. Hihi I was right, I got home at 7 in the morning and slept for most of the day. Anyway, I just need to add a few more things in my backpack like toiletries and underwear and I'm all set. I've gotten very good at remembering to bring everything I need but I always worry. I also tried confirming my flight last week but I kept getting cut off. I read the fine print on my ticket and I may not need it after all. Well I'll just find out on Saturday, won't I? I've already applied for international roaming on my phone and I bought new contacts woohoo! I've started learning some useful Malay words and expressions and it's been really fun, it's very similar to Tagalog. I'm pretty sure Malaysians speak English (I think so anyway) but it's always fun to learn a new language and I enjoy either shocking people with my impressive amazing vocabularly or getting laughed at. I usually get the latter reaction. Hihi I do hope I don't get them too mixed up when I have to use them.

Other things to keep in mind:
- Keeping all my travel docs together
- Changing currency (I've decided to change 200 US and use my bank card if I need more cash. Also I intend to use my credit card whenever possible)
- Make a copy of important numbers I might need while travelling
- Getting in touch with HC members and making sure to inform them of my plans regularly. I wouldn't want them to take the time to clear their schedule only to discover that I've decided to change plans.

I hope I haven't forgotten anything. I know I'm being a big geek about this but as soon as I get the tedious practical stuff out of the way then it's all fun fun fun and adventure!

Budget and what I've spent so far: unchanged from first Malaysia entry (apart from the few useless minutes trying to call Air Asia's hotline and the few pesos I'm going to lose when I change my money)

Malaysia: A holiday destination part 1

Paula and I booked flights to Malaysia last April with AirAsia. I did it on a whim, I had no idea where I was going to be in January, I was in the middle of changing jobs and I felt lost in the transition to Actual Growing Up. And I cringe (so violently it hurts) when people say, "Oh, are you having a quarter life crisis?" Yes, that's right I'm going to live to a hundred, insert derogatory term here please. In short, I was probably drunk when I decided with ironclad resolve to go. Best move ever. Anyway, the year has been extremely kind to me. I'm happily out of credit card debt, I know, I must have said this a thousand times already but I'm absolutely swimming in pride and love for myself for having accomplished this and I haven't gotten over it yet. I'm really full of myself about that, so just leave me alone. I've made plans and have surprisingly been consistent in following through on most of them (I'm normally one of those full speed ahead and then lose steam halfway through a project types) and I've got more planned till June 2007. All this is so unlike last year's me when I didn't know what I was doing the coming weekend and couldn't care less. Ed said I looked mature at lunch today (not old but mature haha) and sounded pleased. I vacillate between being pleased and being worried so much that I think I'm going batty. But the growing up wagon set off ages ago so I'll just have to sit back and enjoy the ride. I do miss spontaneity and that's where the Malaysian adventure comes in! We're flying from Clark (Pampanga) so Paula and I need to get up bright and early to catch the bus that takes us there. And as soon as we arrive in KL, her friend (my friend now too!) is picking us up and we're driving north to Cameron Highlands. Woohoo! Go go go!!! I'm so excited I want to start packing. I probably will start doing so next week even though it's over two weeks away, I love packing. It's all so very exciting.

I want to know if Malaysia is truly Asia.

Budget: USD 500 / PHP 24,700 / MYR 1,770
Spent so far: USD 106 / PHP 5,200 / MYR 375 (on plane tickets, MLA-KL-MLA and Langkawi-KL)

Beached

I'm back and brown and bone tired. But happy. Real posts to follow.

Beach

I used to take trips to the beach all the time. I just realized that I haven't been to the beach at all this year. 2006 had me preoccupied with changing jobs and acquiring new skills.

But a plan was hatched last night in the office.

I am going to the beach.

I communicate with various people on text. They are going to the beach. I want to come. I decide to approach Whiny Boss and say I want to take a couple of days off in December. WB hesitates and I swear I see him wince at hearing "vacation leave". He checks the days on his desk calendar and looks at them intently. He is stalling. He is only pretending to think hard, I see right through him. In a manner than can only be described as frightened, he looks up and asks if I have pending files for translation. As brightly as I can muster I say, "Actually I finished the last file a few hours ago, I am just waiting for new files to come in". I watch him shrink into his plush armchair as he digests the disappointing news. Yes, I am on top of it bitch. He has no grounds to keep me at work. He picks up a clipboard with the holiday dates on it. Asks me to come in either on Christmas or New Year's Day. I shake my head no way. Those are family days, my man. He retreats slightly but then attacks again and places his finger on the 26th. Boxing Day. "What about on that day?" WB is also Sneaky Bastard. I'd like to box you, I think to myself, carefully maintaining my deferent stance. Aloud I say, "I'll see about that one sir, I might be able to come in for a couple of hours but I can't commit to that right now". He is still hesitating. He does not feel like he has won. Then he sits up straight. I think he has me. He ends our meeting by saying, "Let's make sure that there are no files pending next week. I can't make a decision now, ask me again next week".

I am going to the beach.

Melbourne: 9 days of holiday

Overdue post:

Day one. Arrived in Melbourne airport an hour delayed. Also the Wedding Day but we had enough time to claim our baggage and hail a cab (I made the mistake of trying to get in the driver's side) and get freshened up. Lots of smiling and posing and photomagraphing. Lunch at a swish resto nearby. Spent most of the day confused and disoriented with the new environment, meeting so many new people straight away and having another sister married off. Lots to process but was too fatigued to do anything but nod and keep my eyes open. Good food, lots of wine, lots of champagne. Went back to the apartment to take a nice long nap.

After dinner, I went for a walk on the beach with Thegan and a still very drunk Donny.

Day two. Parents flew out early morning (they arrived a week ahead of us). Drove on over to Waterfront City to see the Da Vinci exhibition. Brilliant man, brilliant exhibition. Ate fast food, average price is 7 dollars (36 pesos to 1 Australian dollar at the moment, I think). Discovered that food portions are huuuuge and that they call ketchup 'tomahto sauce' down under. Drove up to Donny's mum's house just outside the city and their friends were there for a rugby final but the Melbourne Storm lost...to Brisbane something I think, can't remember what their team is called. During the match, the male half of Thegan (you should know by now that I refer to my younger sister and brother-in-law in the collective) and I found ourselves deep in conversation with this guy who inundated our heads with Australian wildlife info. Both humbling and dismaying to realize I knew jack shit about it.

Day three. Long drive to the Great Ocean Road with stops along the way and back home. Spectacular view. Thegan slept through most of the ride. Froze our asses off, as I have mentioned in a previous post. Marvelled at the very efficient road system. Incredible day. It should look spectacular, only my cam phone is atrocious.

Day four. Big tourist day for Thegan and I. Also known as the hottest day ever, all 30 degrees of it. But I put on the warmest clothes on earth because the day before traumatized me. It was boiling hot. At least it was windy sometimes. Went to the Shrine of Remembrance. Got on the tourist shuttle bus (free), fun until loads of annoying tourists got on. It got amusing when some kids started bickering. Tried to set myself apart from all the others, but it's pointless when you're on a tourist bus. Went around once then got off at Melbourne Museum (entrance 6 bucks only). I would totally go back to that place, definitely worth another look. Then got on the City Circle Tram, slowest tram on earth but it was free and looks really cool when other people get on it. Found an incredible curry place on Flinders Street or Lane (street signs are very similar to each other) and had a 9 dollar lamb biryani that could serve a small battalion.

Day five. Started the day on my own, which means a late start really. But I was on holiday after all, so back off hihi. Successfully deciphered the public transport system. Went to NGV (free, except for special exhibitions), very nice place. Went to the park to get some reading done, but it was freezer cold, spoiling my attempts at a Melburnian thing. Hmph. The wind was howling too so I decided to do more walking around instead, to keep my blood from coagulating. Tried going to Fed Square but it drizzled and I got even colder so I went back to the apartment, sat dangerously close to the radiator (smelled singed hair at one point) and, as soon as I was warm and toasty, promptly fell asleep. Met my sister at the public library (apart from getting off one stop early, I got there on my own again!) and borrowed books.

Day six.

...

Hm.

For the life of me, I cannot remember what transpired on this day.

Day seven. Drawing a complete blank on what happened during the day but in the evening we went on a major bar/club crawl. New places are fun. Alcohol is not as expensive as I expected (a regular sized beer and a glass of champagne can be had for 5 dollars, mixed drinks as much as 12) and several cool places that did not charge entrance as I had thought (one place we went to charged 10 dollars for guys but free entry to girls, possibly because the place was in dire need of women, dj was terrible though, maybe that's why). Verdict: Excellent nightlife!

Day eight. Old Melbourne Gaol. Grateful to discover online that the night tour was fully booked. It was a warm and lovely day. We were all very spooked by the coldness of the place, but especially so by the numerous death masks littered around the place. This photo is too nice to have been taken by either me or my phone.

Day nine. Up at 5 am for a 7:25 flight. PAL was unreliable as usual, the plane didn't take off till nearly 10. Stuck in Sydney airport for a couple of hours as well. Both times for 'maintenance and servicing'. Dunno what that means, but taking off and landing filled me with a lot of fear. Didn't start taxiing till well past 12:30 and everyone was starving. Uneventful flight, the cabin crew people were very efficient. Arrived in Manila at least 3 hours later than scheduled. Exhausted to the bone.

----

Things and places of note but I can't remember on which day they were seen/observed:

- Victoria Market (lots to see, lots to buy)
- ACMI (Australian Center for the Moving Image)
- People are called Steve-O or Kev-O. Well only those that are called either Steve or Kevin. You know what I mean. They do that to objects too, like barbie for barbecue or footy (maybe footie) for football.

- Fed Square (banged on drums with an amazing group of African musicians + white girl and random people from the crowd, ended up with very purple fingers)

- Lots of funny and very painful to watch TV commercials.

- Redundant doors (doors leading to doors leading to the actual room you mean to be in)


- Several bathrooms come equipped with boxes for used syringes (I guess if you can't beat 'em, at least make sure they clean up after themselves)

I'm sure there's more I wanted to write, but I can't be bothered to remember now.

- Oh yeah, and the water does drain the other way. I want to know why.

Drive on the left

Good thing drivers here in Melbourne follow road regulations, otherwise I'd have been run over by now. I keep forgetting that cars come from the right when I'm crossing the street. It's a bit unnerving.

Arrived last Saturday, flight was an hour delayed but we had enough time to get freshened up before heading to the wedding. Aside from a little cab situation (loads of people turned up in the city for the weekend because of a big football final), everything went smoothly.

Have done a little bit of touring so far. Last night we got back from a long drive on the Great Ocean Road to see lovely things like the 12 Apostles. Saw lots of cows and sheep and a glimpse of a wallaby. We stood on the edge of the cliff and I'm pretty sure I saw Antarctica from where we were standing. Hihi. Breathtaking view, it was windy and cloudy as well so our faces stung from the cold. Even my teeth hurt. Yeah one thing I noticed here is that the weather can be very tricky. Slowly getting used to it though. Over the weekend we went to see an exhibition featuring Da Vinci's inventions which was on-going when we arrived. Brilliant man. I plan to visit the NGV (National Gallery of Victoria) to see more arty stuff.

Food portions are huge and I already ask for the kiddie sized ones. Cigarettes are very expensive.

Will be back soon with more to write.