HCMC

I visited HCMC and all i got was my mobile SNATCHED and a beautifully crafted bamboo flask from Highlands Coffee.

I should have stick to my regular hometown - Bangkok when it was time for an overseas holiday. But oh no, my itchy fingers must select a new place, and Ho Chi Minh City it was.

After my mobile was snatched right out of my hands from a BASTARD RETARD THIEF, whom, and am diligently, CURSING him until he gets his KARMA!, i rarely went out, besides looking for food and drinks, nearby. Coffee were everywhere, thank G, and an EGG coffee bar was located just next to my hotel, it is a MUST drink coffee!

They have their alternative to Starbucks, the localized Highlands Coffee. Bought the above flask, after a 40% discount, at 200,000 + VDN.

The pho? Well, its just beef noodles with "lye funn".

The banh mi? Its just a french baguette sandwich, a very cheap sandwich for its size.

When it was time to return, for the first time, I look forward to going home from a HOLIDAY.

Darn!

Lasik back in 2007

I did it. I finally did. LASIK! Tuesday was a long 4 hour plus extensive check up at the centre. My folks sent me there. Technically, if not for the waiting time for a consultant, another consultant, the doctor, the eye drops to work on my eyes, the whole examination process could have taken less than an hour! Sigh, and i thought only all Government related offices and hospitals makes the public wait. How on earth am I supposed to know that you are made to wait at the private clinics too!! Cheh! I was told 2 weeks prior that i would not be able to drive after the examination as my vision will be blurred because of the testing eye drops and all and getting someone to pick me up was advisable, well, they LIED! My vision, with my glasses of course, was the same! No blurring, NADDA! And to think that I have to troubled my folks and AS, to send and pick me up. Hmmm. Oh yes, the consultant who attended to me said that most patients were not able to see clearly at all after the check up. WOW! Lucky me. ;-p Wednesday. Armed with a back pack of tissue, lots of breath mints and a pair of HUGE sunglass, KK picked me up to the centre at 11.30am. We had lunch at Ikea. Love the coffee, because it's free! Plus unlimited refills. He he. How? WHAT?! You still don't know how? Apply for a Alliance Bank Ikea credit card. It's free annual fees for 5 years, you get to accumulate 4 points when you purchase anything from Ikea, you get a daily free cup of coffee or tea AND you can choose the 12 months interest free instalments when you purchase more than RM1000!! At the same time, i received well wishes sms for my surgery. Aww . . . it was so sweet. Thanks to you-know-who-you-are! ;-) Next comes the surgery, one more last minute cornea testing before I was ushered into the surgery room. Once in the room, I was given a locker to put all my personal belongings, washed my hands and face with soap, towel dry, wear a cap and a surgical robe and a pair of foot caps. The room next to the actual surgery room was cold! There is another room whereby a nurse was there to test my eyes, placed a drop of eye numbing solution on both eyes and then marked my eyes with a marker. Once done, I was told to go into the laser room. On the first surgical bed, the surgeon said that they are going to make a flap opening on both my eyes. I was told to look between 2 vertical small lines and then suddenly, my vision was blacken as a suction thingie grabbed my cornea, one after the other. Next comes the waiting period of what seems to be like forever in a small lounge room. As the eye drops wore off, my eyes begin to sting and I was tearing profusely each time I attempt to open my eyes. It seems that the intralase flap cutting earlier was self peeling ( a normal process) and thus the tearing. Then I was called back in and ushered to another surgical bed where the part 2 of the laser process does it wonders. It was painless and all I have to do was to look at the red light. I noticed the surgeon had to place his hands to cover my nose on top of another piece of cloth which was earlier placed on my face to reveal only the cornea. Between you and me, as the laser shines thru, I think I smelled something burning!! Ouch! In less than 5 minutes, the surgeon told me that all is over and the surgery was a success. YEA! Then he said, let's look at miracles now, and I was like 'HUH?". So he told me to look at the clock and asked me for the time. OK, I can sort of gage a slightly blurred actual time of the clock. Then he asked me to read a word on the door. I can't recall what it says but thank G i knew the WORD!! He he. Now comes the fun part. As KK decided to sent me back, he went to watch a movie at the new swanking Cathay Cineplex next to the Curve. So here I was, in a full eye covering shades provided by the centre, standing in front of the Alliance Bank, a tissue on hand and wiping my tears away. Suddenly, a bank guard with a shotgun approached me and asked if I was OK. The first thing that came out of my mouth was, "I am fine thanks. Don't worry, I may be wearing a dark shade but I am not here to rob your bank!!" He smiled and said " Oh tidak, tapi saya nampak anda menanggis, ada apa-apa masalah ke?" Awww .. so sweet of him to asked and CUTE too! ;-) Fast forward, here I am. All impaired vision corrected. I can get use to this . . FAST!

Food Glorious Food

I love to eat. I love to sleep too. Then again, i love all things fun as long as it does not hurt one's body, mind and soul. I recently have been revisiting a food eatery place which was introduced by a very close friend (hint hint) back in the early 2000. Yu Ai Seafood Noodles at Segambut. The must try is their Tom Yum mixed with Curry soup with noodles of your choice - i prefer kway teow. Why? Well...if it was mee hoon, you will be fighting with this noodle on who slurps up the soup first. Mee? nah. Kway Teow, yes please... but only with this soup mix. The price seems to have gone up, what has not? A large bowl now, paired with a glass of Michael Jackson aka soya bean mixed with cincau jelly, comes up to almost....RM35?

Osaka .... thru my eyes

Traveling is fun, especially when you travel with your best pals. This way, you are assured that no moment is ever dull.

The cheapest way for most Malaysians, like me, is with Air Asia. For less than RM800, you can purchase a return ticket to Japan … OSAKA! At least that’s how I got my tickets, 6 months ago prior to flying.

When you are at the Low Cost Terminal, you can’t help but agreed that, MY OH MY, what LOW cost the LCCT truly is indeed. For starters, there isn’t any air conditioning prior to checking in, but thank GOD that there is decent air conditioning after you cross the DUTY FREE line.

Meanwhile, the destination; Kansai Airport, the place; Osaka, the weather; Autumn, the duration; 7 nights and the budget … hopefully enough and not end up like the stingy traveler.

Random picture of a couple walking past us upon landing at Kansai, turns out, this random couple stays in the same condo as I reside, small world eh?

Japanese doll like display as you walk towards the luggage pick up.

As we arrived in the evening, the first thing I did was … buy a ice cream cone and eat out in the cool Autumn breeze!

Osaka metro or subway …. MUST memorize, must MEMORIZE!!

View from the tiny and expensive hotel room window … clean eh?

Random road and building photo, clean eh?

Random shopping area and street, clean eh?

More random shopping area and street, clean eh?

Are you impressed with the cleanliness yet?

Here, another one more cleanliness picture! Hehe

A must buy, when in Osaka or Japan.

A sweet puff with cream inside! Delicious, and about one the few cheap yet tummy filling food I can think of.

All restaurants in Osaka display their menu … beautifully.

Takoyaki. Ball shaped Japanese snack made of wheat and more commonly with diced octopus meat.

HEY! Taste the same like those sold back home lah.

Wireless internet, hardly free in Japan. This is one gadget you should rent when you arrived at the Kansai airport, unlimited usage … as long as you can find a place to recharge it. Err .. Yen1000 a day? No limit to the smart phone sharing it, however I must add this, DAMN fast lah, both uploading and downloading!

When in Osaka, try out McDonalds and KFC! I only managed to try McDonalds because of the …ahem … PRICE!!

G.U. Japan’s local brand, sister, well, younger sister to UNIQLO. Items are all, almost the same as those sold at Uniqlo, only CHEAPER! Grab grab GRAB … because if don’t, seet dye lah.

Don’t forget to look at all the cute Hello Kitty stuffs ….

…. Or purchase one along the way. FOXY!!

One glance and can tell that these 2 ladies are tourists. See lah … taking each other’s pictures … CONSTANTLY!

This crab restaurant, they say, very popular one and must try woh …..

…….. we did ………..

……….. more crab ……………

………….another style of cooking using crab ……..

……… not one cheap ah.

They say that you are judged by what you wear … so die die must bring along all your branded goods when travelling. HEY! Where is the picture of my LV wallet?

When visiting the palace, you learn something new …. In the public TOILET!! Hmmm … why is the signage in chinese characters ah? I KNOW! Because the CHINESE are the common folks whom are using it wrongly? Errr … suddenly it sounded so …YUCK! … busuk!

Random picture of a Japanese lady walking the streets in her traditional kimono.

3 pairs of feet, resting. If this were Thailand, we would be resting our feet in a foot massage centre instead of sitting on a random bench!

Another cheap and filling snack, available at all convenience stores nationwide, in Japan.

Soon, it is time to leave this beautiful, clean and wonder city ….

….. as we land at a LOW cost looking airport. Bah!

Something to remember Osaka by.

Food Blogging Gone Wild Down South

Wah ... I just read from XiaXue about food bloggers and their demands. With that, it prompted me to check out all the blogs of those involved. Somehow, I find it hard to believe that people actually buys what anyone blogs!

I mean, ok, so you wrote about a restaurant, would I be suddenly inclined to go to that restaurant? Maybe yes, maybe no.

2012, some of the way I remembered it.

Did fractional Co2 for the first time.

A dear friend gave up and left this world.

Tried LPG, complimentary no less, for the first time and would do it again, if on complimentary.

Celebrated New Year, for the 1st time in 11 years.

Changed to a new brand of hair tonic because the last brand which I was using for the past 10 years was discontinued. What liao!

Discovered that wild mushroom can grow in less than 24 hours and as quickly as they grow, dies in less than 10 hours!