Malacca Trip - Part 6

Lunch on the final day was not so much of a surprise, for the past two days had thought us that it would be ample and satisfying, and so it was as we downed nonya fare for one last time over the weekend.









There was also dessert and other standard stuff but I shan't bore you with those...

While that was the last of our nonya meals, it was not the last of our brush with nonya gastronomy as we were then taken to a household which manufactured nonya delights. Pity most of the good stuff had been sold by then though...





And that, I hoped (being a little tired and sated with food), would have signalled our return to Singapore but no, we had to stop along the way for durians, from which I abstained....



And at some shop selling local produce. Well, I guess you can't blame the organisers. After all, the whole trip only cost $188 and it had been very satisfactory so we cannot begrudge them the commission they probably would get for bringing us to various outlets. But boy was it crowded...






And then just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in! Apologies to Godfather afficionados, but at least this time it was to some place good, a seafood joint at a very, very ulu part of Johor next to the sea. The food was ok, slightly above average, but hey, what could we complain about? We didn't even expect dinner - remember this trip was only $188... Instead we got plentiful portions, of which one comprised black pepper crabs!











And that was that!!! A very fulfilling, satisfactory trip at, on pain of repeating, S$188!!!

Malacca Trip - Part 5

After a good night's sleep, made better by the fact that Man U won and Arsenal drew, I woke up to quite a nice view of the sea. Looks like a but of reclamation works, however...





No matter, we were soon whisked of to the city centre for some OT2 again (own time own target), which meant that we were free to explore the historical monuments which dotted Malaysia's most historic town...




These were apparently reconstructions of old fort ramparts and/or remains... They were found quite prominently smack in the city centre amidst many modern buildings...




For some reason, my affinity with water that weekend was strong and I found myself buying a ticket for a boat ride down the Malacca River...








One sure could tell the cruise was popular. Careful....



And then we were off on our journey, which saw us go past many bridges...






And the now famous riverside windmill.



And then the sky began looking ominous again...



And it started to rain!!



What the-!!!




Everybody started huddling in the relative safety of the centre of the boat, leaving me one of the few stranded on the outside (I mean, I couldn't in good conscience and chivalry compete for space with women and kids right?). As the heretofore placid waters became just a tad more choppy, I got a fair dose of Malacca River all over my face as the boat bobbed rocked, causing more than the occasional big splash.

But no matter, for after gathering at the designated meeting point, we were soon off for lunch...

Malacca Trip - Part 4

Hi Guys and Gals,

In case you forgot, the topic I was on before being unceremoniously interrupted by Jac's inopportune wedding and unscrupulously blocked from blogging at work was my Malacca trip in March...

Belatedly, I continue talking about it...

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After walking along the whole of Jonker Street and past the attractions around the river, something caught my eye. It turned out to be a revolving tower. I had time to burn and so bought a ticket.



I can't help but wonder if there was more to it, for when I went to the ticket counter, the ticketing assistant asked, "Where you from, Sir?... Singapore? That would be RM 20. Makes me wonder what it would have cost me if I said I was Malaysian...



This is how it looks from the inside at the waiting area and then the tower...




And this is how the outside looks (a) when one is on marijuana; or (b) more likely when one is in a revolving tower and cannot figure out the camera settings...




Well, no human is perfect. And likewise, I am not a perfect idiot. Humans experiment, as I did with my contraption... Ah... Much better...




On the way back, I noticed a large crowd gathering and realised it was to watch this kungfu expert smash coconuts. But first, he demonstrated his skill with the whip...




Before proceeding to murder this coconut with only one finger...



Very painful, he said. But all he had to do was put on the miracle lotion and... he felt okay!! Now, if we came any other day, it would cost us RM 50, but for tonight only, he was selling it to us at RM 20. Could we believe our luck? Well, it was only RM 20 and I was not in a mood for excessive philosophical discourse and the ponderance of the veracity of his statements so I bought a bottle. Haven't used it, though...

It was back to the hotel after that, when I finally got to see my room. It was large and comfortable and I had no complaints....





As I was tired, I turned in for the night, but not before venturing out to the pier, which was nearby the hotel...

Radio Silence....

To the 3 of you who read my blog regularly, you probably already know why it has been so quiet...

To the 5 of you, who read my blog from time to time, I would like to explain that the posts dried up not solely to sloth and laziness on my part (though that would explain quite a lot) but also because of the most diabolical happening at my work place.

My access to Blogger.com has been blocked!!!

Oh woe is me, to now have to blog in my free time instead of working hours. I know what you are thinking - "what is so difficult about blogging from home?"

But think more carefully, and think about all the things that I could do while not encumbered by my contract of employment - go out and watch a movie, watch an S.League match or any sporting event for that matter, or, if I so desire, stay home and read, surf, watch television (ooh sports), wank.... You get the drift.

So you can see why, as opposed to blogging in the office, where the alternative is to do work (when there is something to do) or do nothing (when there is nothing to do, duh...), the opportunity costs for blogging during one's free time are considerably higher.

Which is why, ergo, I blog less!!!

But what about sharing my thoughts, my opinions, my life (considering I do not have a Facebook account), my friends ask? What about the zeal I had for writing?

Err... ya, ok... I will... err.. do that, I mean resume doing that, soon. But for now, there is a hockey match to catch.....