kuala lumpur
i usually keep a travel diary but for some reason, i didn't write in it while i was in gold coast and during my recent trip to KL. Reading through it brought back lots of memories. I kept a relatively detailed memoir of my time in hainan. The intention was to write while i was in KL. Unfortunately, late nites and diarrhea during the second half of the trip kept me from writing regularly. Anyway, here are some random highlights:
closed
We tried to go to the science centre on friday. They were closed for cuci (washing). Adrian Loo joked that that's the reason everything there is rosak (spoilt)... always washing... water seeped into the displays...
My visit to Sunway was equally fruitless. Went on a tuesday. The one day of the week they were closed. The monorail was closed too...
sepang
Florence's mum tried to drive us around the track before picking Joanne up from the airport, but the guard refused to let us in. He claimed that it was past closing time. Well, undeterred, I made another trip there after the failed attempt at Sunway...
They didn't let us on to the track that day. The guard said it would cost a few thousand ringgit. Not having that kind of money, we decided to do the next best thing. Managed to park the car outside and walk in. For free! That was cool, going to the race track without any real restrictions. Couldn't go onto the track, but the rest of the areas were open. Of course, you must be wondering, what in the world is there to see at an empty track?
Well, I was more than happy to have access to areas which I wouldn't have the money to afford during an actual race. And the track wasn't empty that day! They were doing testing for GT cars... and what looked like F3 or F3000 cars! =) Soooo coool! The sound brought back memories of attending the F1 races in Melbourne. I can imagine what race day will be like at Sepang. Amazing stuff... hopefully my dad can get tix for Sepang this year. Unfortunately, if I do, I'll be seated in the HP corporate box... and HP sponsors BMW... Will have to keep my McLaren allegiance under wraps...
law & disorder
one of the bad (and good) things about malaysia is the apparent lack of rules. Things are haphazard and orderly somehow. Things are chaotic yet in control. But i (or nicholas, rather) had a brush with the law. We wanted to make a U-turn to go where we were going, but couldn't. There was a place where you technically could, but it was clearly marked with a no U-turn sign. Anyway, we continued straight along and before we knew it, we were at the guardhouse of the malaysian parliament house. The guard, who must have been bored witless, proceeded to scold nick for lack of driving skills and a whole load of other stuff. After what seemed like 15 minutes, he finally let us do what he could have let us done without any hassle - make a U-turn around the guard house. It was an honest mistake... but one that could have been prevented if Nick made an illegal U-turn earlier. Which is what the other KL and PJ ppl said we should have done... =P
eat eat eat
it seemed like there would be no tomorrow every day. i ate and ate and ate and ate... my stomach just gave up. on sunday after lunch at ming's, i felt really bloated. playing tennis that evening helped, but after that... nine-course chinese dinner with Adrian's family and his family's 'friends'. Oh, and it was a private room, one table. Complete with karaoke set... *shudder* anyway, i ate... and had to go to the loo. the beginning of many visits over the next three days. the food was good over the week i was in KL but it was just toooo much...
first time
thanks for the cosduans' visit, the locals have notched up plenty of firsts such as:
- first time riding the LRT
- first time riding the monorail
- first time on the petronas twin towers' skybridge
- first time going up the stairs at Batu Caves
- first time going to the National Monument
- first time driving in KL city
(to be continued)
piracy
luggage
thanks
...to Adrian and his family for housing me and feeding me, I'm truly grateful. You are wonderful hosts!
...to Michelle and family, for organising the BBQ and plying us with copius amounts of chinese tea
...to Ming and family, for bringing us around your club and for organising the lunch
...to all those who drove us around and housed us, how would we have done without you?
closed
We tried to go to the science centre on friday. They were closed for cuci (washing). Adrian Loo joked that that's the reason everything there is rosak (spoilt)... always washing... water seeped into the displays...
My visit to Sunway was equally fruitless. Went on a tuesday. The one day of the week they were closed. The monorail was closed too...
sepang
Florence's mum tried to drive us around the track before picking Joanne up from the airport, but the guard refused to let us in. He claimed that it was past closing time. Well, undeterred, I made another trip there after the failed attempt at Sunway...
They didn't let us on to the track that day. The guard said it would cost a few thousand ringgit. Not having that kind of money, we decided to do the next best thing. Managed to park the car outside and walk in. For free! That was cool, going to the race track without any real restrictions. Couldn't go onto the track, but the rest of the areas were open. Of course, you must be wondering, what in the world is there to see at an empty track?
Well, I was more than happy to have access to areas which I wouldn't have the money to afford during an actual race. And the track wasn't empty that day! They were doing testing for GT cars... and what looked like F3 or F3000 cars! =) Soooo coool! The sound brought back memories of attending the F1 races in Melbourne. I can imagine what race day will be like at Sepang. Amazing stuff... hopefully my dad can get tix for Sepang this year. Unfortunately, if I do, I'll be seated in the HP corporate box... and HP sponsors BMW... Will have to keep my McLaren allegiance under wraps...
law & disorder
one of the bad (and good) things about malaysia is the apparent lack of rules. Things are haphazard and orderly somehow. Things are chaotic yet in control. But i (or nicholas, rather) had a brush with the law. We wanted to make a U-turn to go where we were going, but couldn't. There was a place where you technically could, but it was clearly marked with a no U-turn sign. Anyway, we continued straight along and before we knew it, we were at the guardhouse of the malaysian parliament house. The guard, who must have been bored witless, proceeded to scold nick for lack of driving skills and a whole load of other stuff. After what seemed like 15 minutes, he finally let us do what he could have let us done without any hassle - make a U-turn around the guard house. It was an honest mistake... but one that could have been prevented if Nick made an illegal U-turn earlier. Which is what the other KL and PJ ppl said we should have done... =P
eat eat eat
it seemed like there would be no tomorrow every day. i ate and ate and ate and ate... my stomach just gave up. on sunday after lunch at ming's, i felt really bloated. playing tennis that evening helped, but after that... nine-course chinese dinner with Adrian's family and his family's 'friends'. Oh, and it was a private room, one table. Complete with karaoke set... *shudder* anyway, i ate... and had to go to the loo. the beginning of many visits over the next three days. the food was good over the week i was in KL but it was just toooo much...
first time
thanks for the cosduans' visit, the locals have notched up plenty of firsts such as:
- first time riding the LRT
- first time riding the monorail
- first time on the petronas twin towers' skybridge
- first time going up the stairs at Batu Caves
- first time going to the National Monument
- first time driving in KL city
(to be continued)
piracy
luggage
thanks
...to Adrian and his family for housing me and feeding me, I'm truly grateful. You are wonderful hosts!
...to Michelle and family, for organising the BBQ and plying us with copius amounts of chinese tea
...to Ming and family, for bringing us around your club and for organising the lunch
...to all those who drove us around and housed us, how would we have done without you?
