Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Journey to Korean Music Wave 2011 in M'sia part 2 : BIGBANG

KMW 2011 in Malaysia Concert
There were 4 of us going together, geared up in BigBang’s BIG SHOW UNIQLO T-Shirt. We had our early dinner and arrived at Merdeka Stadium around 6.30pm. The crowd outside was crazy! Most of BB merchandises were sold out. I met a lot of my forum buddies and even bumped into my colleague from the office! By 7.00pm the stadium was almost fully occupied. Our group bought the RM288 ticket and we were seated at block D, row 5. It was in the middle of the field but the minute I sat on the chair I knew it’s going to be a battle to view our boys clearly. Even worst, the girl seating in front of me was so tall!! 
Personally, I think the stadium was not the best venue for KMW Concert. The stage was supposed to be like “H” shape, but they build a "T" shape stage instead. Since it’s an outdoor stadium, it’s really a constraint for us to see the performer. Even though Galaxy (organizer) did set up 2 giant screens, they were hanged too low! We had trouble to see the performer on the stage and we got only ¾ views from the screen. But one thing I’m really satisfied of was the sound system. Thumbs up!
The concert was supposed to start at 7.00pm and ended at 9.30pm, but to our dismay it only started after 7.30pm. I’m going to fast forward all the performances and will go back to my snail mode right before BB made their appearance. Line up as per below:
  1. Local duo artists did beat boxing and rapping (sorry, dunno who they were)
  2. FT Island sang 5 songs – I’m not a Primadonna (FTI fanclub) but I really enjoyed Lee Hongki’s husky voice! The best vocal of the night! I bet all the primadonna was very happy that night. 
  3. Teen Top sang 5 songs – The voice and the songs were just so-so. The look was wired. The dance was too choreographed. Not my cup of tea. 
  4. 4-Minutes sang 5 songs – Quite energetic, Ji Eun vocals was good (I knew her from Immortal Song) but I just don’t like Hyuna’s nasal vocal and dance. She was trying real hard to look all sexy and kept flaunting her hips for no reason. Aiyoh! Sorry, I just don’t like her. 
  5. UKISS sang 5 songs - I’ve heard about the group, but I don’t recognize any of their songs. I think they are cute, friendly, but their performance was quite boring. I did yawn 2 to 3 times hoping for them to finished early. They disappeared after their performance and the MC announced UKISS had to catch the flight back to Korea right after they performed.
  6. Park Jung Min (SS501) sang 5 (or was it 4?) songs – I think PJM have quite a big fan based from his SS501 days in Malaysia, but his solo was not that impressive. The thing I like was his fan service. He smiled and focused at the fans most of the time and even spoke in Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin. Nice. During his last performance, people started bringing out their crown light stick and BB banners. We knew who’s next.

By the time the MC announce V for Victory, the whole stadium transformed into a totally different atmosphere! As if people were conserving their energy, to save the best for LAST! When we heard the intro to VVIP, people started screaming hysterically. Everyone was up on their feet, no more seating and started to move with the music! Everybody went high! Yes, you read it right. EVERYBODY! Clad in black tux with white shirt and a black tie, Seungri hypnotized us with his sleek & sexy dance. Oh my, he looked so handsome! Baby panda, thank you for changing your 'ahujmma's hairstyle (which I hated so much) before coming to M'sia! Maknae scored full points during the interview by conversing in English!! The crowed was cheering for him so much that he teases us by putting his hands to his ears to hear more!
MAKNAE!!!!
Seungri: What's up Malaysia! What's up I'm Seungri from BigBang..
MC: Seungri, how does it feel, being in Malaysia?
Seungri: Finally, BigBang is here. It's my first time in Malaysia..So, I'm excited.
MC: I think the fans, are more excited. What do you think of the fans here in M'sia?
Seungri: Malaysia's fan..BAGUS..(means = good. Crowd screaming like crazy when he pointed his finger to everyone!!)
MC: More than bagus! I'm gonna teach you to say, SANGAT BAGUS..
Seungri: SANGGATT BAGUSS..(Crowd screaming louder!)
MC: Very good..very bagus, that means..
Seungri: aaahh, like AWESOME? (Crowd: more screaming!)

MC: Yeah!
Seungri: SANGGATT BAGUSS everyone!! (again pointing his finger to the crowd)
MC: Can the fans in Malaysia expect to see you more often?
Seungri: Aaa, I wanna see you soon like in a concert..
MC: You guys have alot of concert you can go to now. You can go to his concert, PJM concert, and go to Seungri and BigBang concert..
Seungri: Err, I think..err, I don't like concert, I wanna..I wanna..I WANNA LIVE HERE!
(Maknae killed all the noonas in an instant!!)
MC: I bet they are so excited they are going to say, come to my house!(Actually, I couldn't hear a single word because of the thunderous roar!)
Seungri: Err, let's have some love tonight. 
MC: Sounds good. Seungri is gonna make you guys have the best night of your life!
Seungri: Are you ready for party tonight!!! Next song is Strongg Baybie!


Awsome Seungri did the Strong Baby. Everybody did the clap! clap! clap! dance together..It's damn hilarious and so much fun! I saw even the non VIPs was dancing like crazy! Hehe..Maknae ended his part with What Can I Do. This time he asked us to jump! jump! during the chorus. Well, of course we did! Maknae, you've made noona very proud that I really felt like crying! 
A very familiar intro music started playing in the air. Peogigayo...Peogigayo…Peogigayo..Oh Yeah! We knew who is next! In a blink of an eye, everyone jumped onto their chairs! LOL! I was worried I might block the view for the people behind me, but to my surprise they were  standing on their chairs too! Well, the securities finally gave up..Coz it's GD & TOP, kicking of their performance with Knockout!
GD and TOP wore fancy jackets with screaming colors, jeans and shades! They scored full points as Seungri as both used English during the interview. GD's English was smoking sexy, just like his rap!! It felt like a serenade to my ears…Hahaha!
TOP: Oh yeah!
Crowd: Oh yeah!
GD: Say oo oo!
Crowd: oo oo!
GD: Say oo oo!
Crowd: oo oo!
GD: What's up..What's up..What's up..What's up..What's up! (repeating it in rhymes, and hooted by obliging fans) 
GD: Now screammmmmmmmm...(yeah, we were screaming our lungs out!)
GD: What's up Malaysia! How you all feeling tonight? Are guys having fun??
Crowd: Yeah!!!
GD: Good...We're GD & TOP..We're gonna make you go crazy tonight..Show me your love alright!
Crowd: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....
GD screamed: Are you ready??
Crowd: Yeahh!!
GD screamed: Are you ready??
Crowd: Yeahh!!
GD: What's next?
TOP: Let's go, Oh Yeah!

OH YEAH was next. There's no Park Bom, but MY-VIP filled up for her part effortlessly! It's the crowd’s favorite! Next, the 2 MC came out to interview the boys. Yeay!! More interview!


MC 1: Unbelievable..I'm standing next to LEGENDARY GD & TOP! (GD did the 90 degrees bow! owh, and TOP too..)
MC2: Okay..take your picture guys..Come on..come on..(they did some poses for the fans! Envy the lucky fans at the front!!) Look at all these flashes going on..unbelievable...
MC 1: Alright, what's your first impression of your fans here in Malaysia..give it up.. 
GD: What's up Malaysia!! Hi my name is Gdragon. Nice to meet ya'all..
MC 1: Er, TOP?
TOP: Nice to meet chu, I'm TOP! (Yeah, like we don't know!!!)
MC 1: You know, every time they are at the airport, I mean I see everyone waiting there; it’s amazing how popular these two are and the rest of the Bigbang as well. Now, how do you like Malaysia?
GD: Ah, it's amazing like I was really surprised because everybody knows about Bigbang and they were singing like..in Korean. It's really cool. That why, I love this place. I LOVE YOU!
Crowd: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa…..We love you too!!
MC 1: You know when I was in S'pore, when Bigbang came last time, and then there was a girl approached me. She was like, oww you're DJ Young right? I was like yeah, I thought she was approaching me for me. She asked where's TOP???
MC 2: Owh no!! That is sad and embarrassing!
MC 1: Ermm..I don't know. I don't know where TOP is..
TOP: I'm right here.. (Answering candidly with his deep sexy voice)
Crowd: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....
MC 2: I see fans holding up signs that says MARRRYY ME!! 
TOP: I'll marry you..(TOP's bias just died!)
Crowd: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....
MC : GD, So this hair style is like a new hairstyle?
GD: Yeahh..I cut! (he says while holding his head..OMG, he's just freakin' cute like a boy!)
MC: It looks good, how do you like his new hairstyle?
Crowd: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....
GD: You like?? You like?? (teasing the fans.. GD's bias just died and go to heaven!)
Crowd: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....
MC: I just wanna say, Malaysian fans..We are so lucky tonight here. And what I'm gonna ask you to do now is, scream to the max!! Come on!
Crowd: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa....
MC: TOP, how do you feel? It's like the whole world is cheering for you guys..
TOP: Very good, chincha...(and then he started talking in Korean but the MC didn't translate them)
MC 2: Is there a plan for a Malaysia concert for BigBang?
Crowd: Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....
MC 2: I think they have already speak, and that's the answer. Am I right?
Crowd: Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....
GD: Okay..
MC : I'm gonna ask just one question. Are you ready to go crazyyyyyyyy??
Crowd: Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....
MC : You're gonna drive them crazy right?
GD & TOP: Yeah, okay..(Owh, come on! they already did!!)
MC: Let's scream for GD and TOP!
GD: Yeah!!
Of course, the club banger was next; the HIGH HIGH! Every time they sing this song, they just lifted the crowd onto a higher level! After Seungri's 3 songs, and GD & TOP 2 songs, the crowd was still pumping to rock with the duo. My favorite part was of course the Paper, Scissors, Pistol and Stone game they’d always play on stage during this song. I remember in KMW S'pore TOP was supposed to hit GD's cheek when he lost, but he caressed it gently instead! Kya, so cute! But this time they act like they are gonna box with each other! TOP suddenly said "You wanna fight with me??!!" But then he quickly ran to hug GD tightly and they both laughed! Ohmaigod!!!! Boys, we are dying here!!! It’s just feakin’ adorable! 
I don't know where they get their energy from (especially GD). They were jumping on  stage the whole time with no sign of fatigue  at all! (they performed at S'pore F1 show the night before). Forget about fan chant, we were practically singing the whole song together with Seungri, GD & TOP. High High left the crowd boosted with energy, but GD & TOP said goodbye before disappearing in a blink of an eye. 

The MCs came out and told us that was the end of the night. We were puzzled! No way! BB was the highlight of the concert! They just sang 3 songs each! They should have sung 5 songs each like the other groups or maybe more. We haven't heard any of the Big Bang songs yet!! We screamed for encore, waited for like 10 to 15 minutes but we saw the crew starting to dismantle the equipment. I just couldn't believe it! Oh my...people refused to bulge, which made the security pretty annoyed. (I read from some forums the organizer actually had to cut the concert short because they were behinds schedule. Damn the organizer! You sacrificed our GD & TOP & Seungri’s precious performance!) When I saw the crew shaking hands among each other, I knew that my love affair for the night has come to an end. 

They boys left a deep impression and make us longing for more. I bet  there’ll be a lot of MY-VIP attending the BIG SHOW CONCERT in Korea next year. And I know I'm one of them.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Journey to Korean Music Wave 2011 in M'sia part 1 : BIGBANG

Uri BIGBANG, be the undying stars in the sky! 
Warning! This fan account is a very long and self indulging post by a seriously ‘love sick’ VIP. I had to write every single detail of the event, as I do not know if I’ll ever encounter such an opportunity again. So, please read at your own risk!! XoXo!! 

Intro
I think I’m a very lucky VIP. I came only to know about Bigbang last Feb 2011 and yet I got the opportunity to see them performing live in my own country for the 1st time ever!! (Yes, you can yell at me my fellow VIP..I know deserved it..). Well, I do know a few Kpop groups but was never really into the Kpop scene. I was pretty curious to see their long awaited comeback spreading like a viral outbreak in all the Kpop websites! And of course, BIGBANG had me at LOVE SONG! Ohmaigod! Who are these 5 unique+awesome+dashing boys? How come I've never heard of them before? Where have I been all these years?? (Banging my head to the wall). Before I even knew it, I became one devoted VIP and the rest is history.The excitement of seeing our precious boys, GD and TOP and V.I (Seungri) from BigBang started from the DAY the KMW organizer in Malaysia confirmed the line up itself! I had planned my itinerary the best that I could, but I knew I can’t do much. Who am I kidding? What can you expect from a 30 years old ahjumma, 1st time Kpop concert go-er, and a new self proclaimed VIP like me?   


Pre-KMW Concert - Kuala Lumpur International Airport
On the 24thSept 2011, I took the first Electric Train Shuttle (ETS) from Perak to KL Sentral at 5.40am. Arrived in KL Sentral around 8.10am and went straight to the Airport Coach ticket counter. The bus to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) departed exactly 8.30am and arrived at the airport at 9.30am. It’s my first time in KLIA since most of the time I travels with budget airline at the LCCT terminal. Nevertheless, the excitement surpasses the hesitations! I asked for the direction from a girl in my bus. What do you know, she’s there to welcome BB as well!! Yeay..I met another fellow VIP! BB’s flight was scheduled at 10.50am, so we went to grab some breakfast at McDonald on level 5. I promised to meet up with a few of my forum buddies at the airport, and the atmosphere was so overwhelming! We were there for the same reason; Welcoming GD and TOP and Seungri to Malaysia for the 1st time! I could see various fan clubs with their banner waiting eagerly for our boys too.  


Guessing which passage the boys will exit was really mind boggling! Is it going to be the normal arrival hall? Or maybe the VIP passage? After much discussion we finally settled at the VIP passage level 5 since the other Kpop acts used the same passage when they arrived the night before. Each of us took our spot with all kinds of camera on standby. My spot was exactly next to the escalator. There was a glass partition, no so good for the camera recording but definitely good enough for my eye’s satisfaction! There were two Chinese girls standing next to me and they shared stories of bumping into Tae Yang and GD at the recent Vogue Fashion Show in Korea! They even showed me their photos! How cool was that!  


It’s already ½ hour passed their arrival time; still there was no sign of BB. The officer on duty was not really helpful either. Out of no where, someone screamed that BB will exit from arrival hall level 3! I felt someone pulled out my hands and subconsciously I ran together with the crowd to level 3. When we reached level 3, people started to give us the suspicious and annoyed looks (but they still give way for us to run!). One girl was talking on the phone for awhile, and suddenly told us to go up to level 5 again! So the crowd started to run, again. I ran half way, but decided to give up. That was it for me. I decided to just wait at level 3.  


Still panting, I heard people screaming and yelling “OMG, They are out side!!” Err, What?? Boragu??? How was that even possible? I was standing right in front of the international arrival gate! (It was discovered later that our boys were diverted to the Domestic arrival gate to avoid the crowd). This time, I gathered all my energy and stormed outside the airport. OH YEAH! I saw our freakin’ handsome boys in front of my very own eyes! As always, there were policemen and crew guarding them at all time. I was trying to see my GD closer but there were too many people at the front so I ran to the back of the crowd and guess what, I was walking behind TOP the whole time! And yes people, he is GORGEOUS, no doubt. TOP was wearing red leather jacket (it's hot here in Malaysia darling! Loose the jacket plzz!), a blue military hat and brown shades. I did saw Kim Boram (Tae Yang’s manager) and I was like oh my, is Tae Yang coming too? Nahh..No luck guys. Towards the end I saw a delicate creature, I saw my GD. He was wearing a green and white checked shirt, blue cap (his cap was unbutton, only GD can do that..), shades and a neck pillow. I saw Seungri earlier, but couldn't see him anymore when I got closer. He was already in the SUV, with the super dark tinted glass! (From my friend’s video cam below I could see that Seungri also wore a blue checked shirt and shades, and he looked so HANDSOME in person!). The SUV waited for a few minutes, so fans chanted and displayed their banners proudly for the boys. I wish they had lowered the window a bit, but they didn’t. One girl managed to shake hands with GD!! She sat flatly on the chair in disbelieved and I envied her so much! Well, I had my camera with me but I just lost my sense of direction when saw the boys! I end up capturing mostly the policemen, running fans, YG crew, TOP’s backside!! (Banging my head to the wall again!). It was the worst fan cam EVER!! 
TOP'S perfect jawline!

TOP's brown shades and navy blue cap..

TOP's red jacket
TOP's neck
                                                       


   
SEUNGRI's backside
more SEUNGRI's backside..
SEUNGRI's legs!!




Tae Yang's Manager!
(Kim Boram)


I replayed the videocam like a gazillion times,
and the thing I managed to capture of uri GD is 

his neck pillow! Arghh!! 
SOMEBODY SLAP ME PLZZ!!! 
But I must say Malaysian fans are still very courteous. Nobody attempt to grab or pull the boys or screaming hysterically, we just walk together with our boys but keep our distance and let our digicam and DSLR do the job. That’s why I don’t understand the needs for security to change their arrival gate at the very last minute just to divert loyal fans like us from greeting BB properly. The whole incident happened so fast, I still couldn't believe what I’ve just witnessed. It was too much for me to contain. Here's a more believable pictures of our boys from my friend's camera.
Who says GD didn't waved to the fans? 
He did! Briefly, but with style. Like "how ya'll doin' mate?"
Baby looking confident, 
as always.
Yeah, work it maknae!

GDragon & TOP.
Look at GD's unbutton cap!
   

 
     

Seungri walking calmly before 
the crowd noticed them outside.
  
 
 
Hunky Choi TOP. Spot the bunny 
cardboard & manager Kim 
carrying GD's porcupine knapsack?
 
Pre-KMW Concert - Double Tree by Hilton Hotel 
We exchanged our video recording and phone numbers at the airport. We also saw YG dancers came out from the international arrival hall after BB had left. My forum buddy coxed me into going to the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel with her car! Hahaha..it was not even in my itinerary to go to that extend, seriously! Traffic was really heavy during lunch time. When we arrived at the hotel we couldn’t see the SUV, only the crew’s van. We asked some girls waiting outside but they heard BB will go straight to the stadium for sound check and only their crew has arrived at the hotel. 


Pre-KMW Concert - Merdeka Stadium 
Yup, our next pit stop was the Merdeka Stadium (venue for the KMW Concert). Though I doubt the boys will go straight for sound check before their lunch, we just had to try our luck. And this time, lady luck was not on our side. We were told that they will only come for sound check at 5pm. I didn’t follow this dear friend afterwards since another group of friends were waiting for me. (I met a lot of new friends because of BigBang! Yeay!). A lot of people already started camping outside the stadium! Some were distributing tickets and selling merchandises. I saw a big banner from Bigbangisvip fan site with Daesung’s, TOP, Seungri, GD & Tae Yang's pictures on it! Malaysia will wait for all 5 of you..  


Since it’s still early for the sound check we decided to go pick up another friend and get ready for the concert tonight. Oh my god, the waiting was nerve wrecking. Just a few hours more to go and I will be seeing GD & TOP and Seungri performing live!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Last Ramadhan : A reminder to myself

It’s the last fasting day for Muslims today. Masyaallah, how time flies! I had set a goal to make this Ramadhan a month full of ibadah (good deeds) and self-controlled (from lust and desire) starting from day one. But I must admit that it is very easy for you to go off track and deviate from your original plans.

When you are not allowed to consume food from sunrise to sundown, you get tired, sleepy and bored very quickly! Instead of reading the Holy Quran, praying or reading books you went to couching in front of the TV or surfing the internet for hours. Such a waste, isn’t it? But then, when some senses came knocking on you head again, you’d kicked your butt off to find something better to do. At least, not slacking or idling. Oh! It is such a waste to let any day in the month of Ramadhan passes by without full utilization.

In the month of Ramadhan, all the reward for our good deeds are doubled. The reward for voluntary prayers will be like that of performing an obligatory prayer. The reward of an obligatory prayer will be doubled. Grab this opportunity that has been blessed upon us, the followers of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. (source: http://www.muis.gov.sg/)

It is very hard to tame the heart, but that is not an excuse for us to not trying and making an effort. I have always believed in starting small, but with ample effort and persistence. It is never too late to start, as long as God still permit you to breathe His air. As you learn and comprehend the true hikmah (benefit) behind everything that happened and everything that you need to do, it helps to discipline your own good self, apart from religious obligatory. Without doubt you will find yourself doing it voluntarily, not by forced. Insyaallah.

Ramadhan is bidding us goodbye very soon..It's very sad to be parted, but with God's willing, may we meet again many years to come..Insyaallah..

Friday, August 19, 2011

AL SADAQAT AL JARIYAH – THE ACTIONS WHICH OUTLIVES YOU..


SADAQAH JARIAH – KEBAJIKAN YANG TIADA PENGAKHIRAN..

 
1. Berikan al-Quran pada seseorang, dan setiap dibaca, anda mendapatkan hasanah
Give a copy of Quran to someone and each time they read from it, you will gain hasanaat

2. Sumbangkan kerusi roda ke hospital dan setiap orang sakit menggunakannya, anda dapat hasanah
Donate a wheel chair to a hospital and each time a sick person uses it, you will gain hasanaat

3. Berbahagi bacaan yang berfaedah dengan seseorang
Share constructive reading material with someone

4. Bantu Pendidikan seorang anak
Help in educating a child

5. Ajarkan seseorang sebuah do’a. Pada setiap bacaan do’a itu, anda dapat hasanah
Teach someone to recite a doa. With each recitation, you will gain hasanaat

6. Berbahagi CD Quran atau Do’a
Share a doa or Quran CD

7. Libatkan dalam pembangunan sesebuah masjid tenaga atau harta
Participate in the building of a mosque thru wealth or strength

8. Letakkan pendingin air di tempat umum
Place a water cooler in a public place

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Tanah Abang, Jakarta

Salam and howdy uollz?? Tim is back in the house! It’s good to be back. Can’t believe that I’ll be missing Malaysia this much after only a mere 3 days in the neighboring country! Ngee……..

Okay, let’s talk about my recent trip to Jakarta, Indonesia. It was a sudden request from my friend, in early of June. She needs somebody to accompany her to buy her wedding stuffs in Jakarta. She can’t go with her fiancé, coz it’s not very appropriate ya know..Why Jakarta? Well, I have no idea myself. But many people have said that we can get a good quality of fabrics and cheap wedding goodies in Tanah Abang, Jakarta. As for me, I just need a vacation! Jalan-jalan cari makan, (sight seeing and food quest)

Since it was an unplanned trip, I didn’t allocate any special fund in advance for shopping spree or luxury, so I try to keep it as low budget as possible. I took the night train on Monday to KL Sentral and arrived at midnight. Couldn’t get any sleep as the guy next to me was snoring like nobody’s business! Dang! Then, I spent a few hours again at the 24-hours McD outlet while waiting for the first shuttle bus to LCCT, which is at 3.30am. Accompanied by my non-stop Big Bang playlist on my mp3 player, a book from L.M. Montgomery, a cuppa coffee, and a box of fries and nuggets, 3 hours seems like a short period of time. I try to get some sleep in the bus, but I’m not really good at taking short naps. It makes me dizzy…Arrived at LCCT at 4.30pm, went looking for my friend (she took the plane from Penang earlier) and then continue to doze off in the surau for another hour. We took off with the morning flight to Jakarta at 7 a.m, and landed safely at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after 2 hours. My friend suggested taking the local town bus to Tanah Abang as we carried only 1 bag each. Haha! We did! I can’t remember when was the last time I took the local bus in my own town..

Arrived at Tanah Abang, but we had to walk quite a distance to the exact mall. There are so many malls here, I’m still confused what’s the difference between each of them. But we choose to stick to Tanah Abang Mall Block A and B., which has approximately 7 to 8 levels each! We had our lunch here, and then continued our journey by walking to find a budget hotel near the malls. I almost gave up, not because of the fatigue, but because of the uneasy feeling, and the staring from people by the roadside! Actually Tanah Abang is slump area (err, not sure if it’s the right word) or we called it as ‘setinggan’. Not that I’m being judgmental, but I really felt cautious all the time, hugging by beg tightly while looking for the hotel. Nothing like when I was in Bandung few years back, I just loved the place so much!  It felt so comfortable to be there.



Finally we reached Nusantara Hotel, ask for a room, and quickly check in without hesitation. Haha..the hotel was alright I guess. It’s a bit old, but clean, secure, and within our budget. So our journeys starts after we showered and finished our prayer, off to the mall for a quick scan and target which floor we should come back for the next day. That night, we went to a restaurant called Sate Padang just across the street from our hotel. We had murtabak, oxtail soup, and nasi padang. The taste was okay, but I’ve had better ones in Bandung, and even Malaysia! Of course, I wouldn’t dare trying the food sold by the road side..NO..NO..NO..



I only bought a few items like some scarves, blouses, and a sling bag. Oh, I bought a bangle too which I loves so much! But honestly, I don’t think things here are that cheap. I think Bandung is far better. But my friend, yikes! She was like a mad girl buying fabrics from every store she laid her eyes onto. Yes, I did help her to pick the fabrics for her solemnization ceremony, but when she keeps on buying stuffs which is not related to the wedding, that she thinks she could sell, I just gave up! I really did! I even stop talking to her coz she was so carried away! But she didn’t really care you know, making me waiting like zombie for 1 hour when she said she just wanna go grab a pair of prayer cloth, but end up with countless bags of fabrics again. Hahaha..I vowed to myself this is the last time I would go shopping with her! hahaha...

Well, we manage to find a salon near our hotel and went there after Maghrib prayer for a massage and hair treatment. It was damn cheap! Less than RM30! But then again, it’s no 5-stars service either. I guess it was okay. We didn’t go out for dinner, I was so exhausted, plus I couldn’t really digest the food there. It was dry, without the soup or gravy. So we end up eating instant noodle and instant Mochachinno! I went straight to bed after dinner.

On the last day, we had our breakfast in house. The usual mihun goring, nasi goring, telur goring (all Indonesian style) and banana. Off we go to Tanah Abang again, my friend continued her crazy shopping, and I end up yelling at her coz we had to check out before noon and she hadn’t pack her things yet! Haha..We had our lunch at another mall called Thamrin City, I dragged my friend to come here coz I insisted on buying a sling bag here, and of course she’s not very happy with that. I know she wanna continue her shopping spree at Tanah Abang.  Hihi…We took the bajai (tri-motorcyle) to get back to the hotel and then took a taxi to the airport. From only 1 bag, my friend ended up with 3 bags, 2 boxes, and 2 plastic bags. As for me, I still manage with 1 bag. We were quite early to arrive at the airport, there’s nothing to do but wait, read, and doze off a little. I had a conversation with a nice Philippine guy named Ep, sitting next to me while waiting for our flight. He’s going back to S’pore after a holiday in Vandung. Well he’s kinda cute, but I didn’t ask for his FB or neither did him. Hehe..Our flight was at 8.30pm, we arrived LCCT at 10.30pm (Indonesian time). When we passed the Malaysian Custom, the nightmare begins for my dear friend…she had to pay taxes for her stuffs! Hahaha…she was in an argument with the officer, and I choose to back off, I mean I’ve already reminded her about the taxes, but still she’s confident it’s gonna be okay. Well, I guess she’s wrong this time. After much argument, she paid RM70 for the taxes.





I went to the surau to get some sleep. We wanted to take the 3.30am shuttle bus to LCCT but my friend’s cousin was kind enough to drives us instead. My friend had to leaves some of her stuffs with her cousin, and travel back with her 2 bags. Hihi…It was actually so funny thinking about how determine she was! But still, I hope she will have a wonderful dress made out of the fabric she bought. I was very sincere when I agreed to accompanied her, even though there’s some bitter part included. But hey, friends fight all the time,  kiss and make up, right? Till next time….tata!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Daisypath Graduation tickers