An Update a.k.a A Warm-up

Hello! Guess who’s back in action after a long hiatus? This time, with much better internet connection, I really hope to be actively blogging like how I previously did.

Life hasn’t been hectic for the past two years. I started my very first permanent job at Layang Layang Guest House in Malacca Melaka since January 2015 and left as 2016 ended. I spent most of my time working and sleeping in the guesthouse (don’t get me wrong; I lived in the guesthouse itself during my employment), and had little gatherings with friends occasionally. Two years of being away from the beloved ones is more than enough. Now, I am back at home with my family and Don the boyfriend, working 9 to 6 from Monday to Friday like any other office ladies.

Anyway, instead of picking up where I left off, this post will just be an update about what I have done since I returned home from Melaka. It’s basically a warm-up!

I have:

Taxi at Koh Lipe, Thailand

Common area of Wave Rest House and Café, Selangor

Travelled together with my ex-Manager, Stephanie, to Koh Lipe in Thailand (it was wonderful albeit the frightening boat journey back to Langkawi Island), Langkawi Island (mainly as a stopover), Penang Island, and Wave Rest House and Café at the countryside in Selangor to end the trip.

Scouts of China (Taiwanese) and Scouts of Malaysia at Baden-Powell House, Kuala Lumpur

Committee members and helpers at Tsung Wah Private Secondary School, Kuala Kangsar, Perak

4D3N Survival Camp at Templer Park, Rawang, Selangor

Cycling with the young scouts at Shah Alam National Botanical Park, Shah Alam, Selangor

108 Years of Scouting in Kuala Lumpur Camporee 2017, Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur

Been and am still actively participating in several scout activities with Don and our close friends, Darren and Mandy. I can’t deny the fact that I always love and enjoy outdoor activities. Thanks to my fellow mates, I got to get in touch with a lot of new friends from various places, including a group of wonderful Taiwanese (the Scouts of China).

Blood donation at Pusat Darah Negara Donation Suite, Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur

Blood donation at SJKC Choong Wen, Kuala Lumpur
In support of our Seputeh District Scout Blood Donation Campaign 2017

Done something meaningful; donated my blood twice to date and ticked off my wish list! I am always afraid of being poked by needles. Despite having donated twice, the fear does not fade. Not in the least bit. Honestly, my second blood donation was one hell of a painful experience, that I ended up making friends with the gigantic bruise I had on my arm for WEEKS. It’s the will to help those in need that keeps me going. It means I am a healthy person and able to be part of the community to GIVE. And I know I will keep doing it.

Me and Don at Shifen Old Street, Pingxi District, New Taipei City, Taiwan

Our accommodation from Airbnb at Xinzhuang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan

The shopping district of Ximending, Taipei, Taiwan

Travelled to Taipei, Taiwan together with Don, Darren and Mandy in March 2017. I LOVE TAIWAN! Needless to say, almost nothing disappointed me. The people, the culture, the local delicacies, the attractions, etc. are perfect. We were warmly welcomed by our group of Taiwanese friends from the beginning of our trip until we departed from Taiwan, just as they were here in Malaysia to visit us. Spending more than a week in Taipei alone may sound ridiculous but trust me, it isn’t when you travel with the locals. I have not seen the whole of Taipei still, not kidding! I am pretty sure I will return to the beautiful country soon.

Famous Sarawak Laksa at Golden Arch Cafe, Kuching, Sarawak

Sea view at Sematan, Lundu, Sarawak

Visited my dad in Kuching, Sarawak together with my mum and spent days doing nothing at my dad’s house simply because we have no transport to travel around while my dad was away for work. This short getaway was for me to take a break from work, in a small town, and spend some time with the beloved parents. Flying back to Kuala Lumpur from Kuching all alone was a killer though.

Most importantly, I have:

New office with new working environment at Menara Summit, USJ, Selangor

Started my new job at Circlic Interactive Tourism Sdn Bhd since March 2017! It is a start-up company to operate a virtual shop on Fliggy, formerly known as Alitrip, Alibaba’s online travel platform.

Global Day of Discovery by Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

And was lucky enough to have won my very first lucky draw in my life; a 3D2N stay at Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon, in a Deluxe River View inclusive of breakfast for two! I can’t decide who brought me such luck, which I am truly and extremely thankful of. This means that Don and I will be travelling to Vietnam soon. Can’t wait for our honeymoon to come!

I guess that’s all for my update a.k.a warm-up. I am really hoping that I can be actively blogging from now on. Just hope that I can keep my passion burning. Stay tuned!

x.

Some of My Daily Breakfasts Around Jonker Street in Malacca

One morning, when I was paying full attention on preparing for my breakfast at the common area of Layang Layang Guest House, I suddenly felt as though I was being watched over from somewhere near my seat. I raised my head to find one of my Chinese guests looking at me from afar, with his hands in his pockets, and his face filled with curiosity. Puzzled, I asked if he needed any help, only to be told that he found my breakfast quite strange. So I thought to myself, perhaps it’s about time that I talk about how I survive as a temporary resident of this tourist attraction (I stay in the guesthouse itself, for your information), where dining out around this area could easily cost a bomb, or at least that is what people think.

I certainly don’t starve myself, because it is never a necessity when I have the ability to feed myself well, and I don’t want to risk suffering from gastric pain. I don’t cook, because there are no cooking facilities in the guesthouse, but only a refrigerator and a kettle. Each night before bedtime, I have to decide on a place to settle my breakfast the next morning; make my own breakfast or dine out, cereals with milk or toasts with tuna, et cetera. Here are merely some of what I had throughout the past three months. This particular blog post is not intended, so it will be very brief, just sharing. More detailed information will be provided next time!

Noodles.

There are plenty of places for different kinds of noodles just less than five-minute walk away from the guesthouse. Some are ancestral but not popularly known, some are there for the locals, and some are unreasonably famous among the tourists. One of my favourite has always been 大姑云吞面 (dà gū yún tūn miàn) located along the Heeren Street, also known as Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock today.

Western breakfast.

I don’t usually go for western breakfast, unless if I have the urge for something really filling or when I think it’s time to spend a little bit more in a classy café. To date, I have only chosen Ola Lavanderia Café and Kaya-kaya Café for a good western breakfast, for they are the nearest among the many cafés in town with people that I am more familiar with, as well as their operation hours that best fit my working hours. Open as early as 9.00am, and I might be one of your first customers of the day, provided that you serve quality food too.

Home-made breakfast.

Once in a while, I do grocery shopping together with Stephanie to stock up cereals, milk or yogurt drink, toasts, cherry tomatoes, vegetables, canned tuna, et cetera. Sometimes, we also buy some raw ingredients like chicken breasts to be cooked and served as lunch or dinner in the guesthouse. Cooking is done at Kaya-kaya Café, of course.

Here, I want to give a big shout-out to Farm Fresh Original Natural Yogurt Drink! I love it with a bowl of cereals like Corn Flakes or Honey Stars. Perfect combination! Either that or some toasts with canned tuna topped with cherry tomatoes, which is what my Chinese guest found strange. It could be the different cultures that we have; the difference between Chinese from China and Malaysian Chinese. I truly wish that I could share a piece of toast with canned tuna with him then, but it was just enough for myself, so I had to brush it off.

Traditional breakfast.

This is simply the best among any types of breakfasts I have ever tried in my life. Lung Ann Refreshments is my top choice, to the extent that I don’t mind eating the same food, including a set of toasts with kaya and butter (frozen and cut into thin pieces), half-boiled eggs and a cup of local coffee or tea, seven mornings a week. Lui Chiu Coffee Restaurant is also my top priority, but it is approximately 15-minute drive away from the guesthouse.

These are basically my selections for breakfast every morning that I managed to take a photo of them before I gulped them down. I have personally tried some of the food that are highly recommended by everyone on the internet, but many of them don’t give me a reason to waste my precious time on long queues for another time. In my opinion, it is sometimes better to live like a local, because that is how you truly experience the local lifestyle. Following the crowds will only lead you to what everyone has told you online.

Stay tuned for more interesting stories about my life as a foreign local in Malacca!

x.

Layang Layang Guest House, A Home Away from Home

Um, hello?

Here are some slight updates about my life recently. I had visited Paris and Toulouse in France in May as part of our syllabus before I completed my final semester, followed by an awesome summer school program in Incheon, Korea that lasted for approximately three weeks in July and August and a short trip in Seoul before I came back to Malaysia. It's not the end of my adventure just yet.

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I had recently completed my final industrial training at Layang Layang Guest House, Malacca. I'm majoring in international tourism management, and had previously completed three of my industrial trainings at three different travel agencies. This time, I decided to be slightly adventurous and go for something different. It did not take me long to select a place that is far away from home, my beloved family, and him. It's an excuse for me to sort of travel on my own, I guess, albeit being just two hours away from all of them.

Anyway, let me give you a complete tour around this beautifully decorated guesthouse in a pre-war building, with the greatest people on earth.

P/S: Some of the photos are credited to Layang Layang Guest House.

Views from the outside and along Jalan Tukang Besi, the street right in front of Layang Layang Guest House.

Before I forget, bicycles are available for rent (for guests only) at only RM 5.00 per bicycle per day, from 9.00am to 9.00pm. This is one of the best rates you could find within the area!

The lobby area and the reception counter. During my final industrial training, I spent most of my working hours here waiting for people to check in and check out, chitchatting, eating, and taking my nap. When the temperature reaches as high as 37°C (I'm not even kidding, Malacca can be THIS hot), this is definitely one of the best places to go, with soothing background music and strong ceiling fans as the additional advantages.

For your information, due to certain circumstances, WiFi is only accessible here at the lobby area.

Walk further into the corridor, you will then be greeted by another door added for security purposes, with more wall paintings on both sides. It is opened during the day and closed after 6.00pm. You will be given an access card upon check-in to go in and out of this part of the guesthouse.

Many people find this very troublesome, for having to bring along their room keys whenever they leave their rooms. Who to blame, though, if something valuable goes missing someday?

Here comes the main part of the entire post. My awesome little heaven throughout the 3.5 months!

I felt extremely lucky to be given one of the guestrooms, Standard Room without Window, to be my "hostel". It's windowless (obviously), comes with a queen bed, a coffee table, and an air-conditioner. It's very small and has limited space for walking with my huge luggage occupying most of the space, but it's indeed more than perfect for two people. You don't really spend time walking in your room during a vacation after all, right?

On a side note, I really loved how they indicate each of the room numbers using a mini kite that matches the name of the guesthouse, Layang Layang Guest House.

Other room types include Standard Room with Window, Deluxe Room, Triple Room, Smaller Family Room, and Family Room. These rooms are all air-conditioned, come with at least one window each, and a coffee table. Some of them that are bigger in size have two chairs and a ceiling fan as well.

If you are unsure of which room type to choose, give them a phone call or send them an email and the staff will provide you with the best suggestion to fit you and your people comfortably. :)

When you are in need of a comfortable and relaxing view or when you feel the need to sit down and do nothing, there is a courtyard in the centre of the guesthouse with water feature. You can even take your breakfast or lunch or have a cup of tea by the fish pond, provided that you do not feed the fishes without asking for permission from the staff.

The well is real! If the building has been at least a hundred years, the well should age the same too. According to Boss Hong, the depth of the well is at least 8 feet if he didn't remember wrongly. :O

At the back of the guesthouse is a shared pantry where you can get alkaline water, coffee, tea, and biscuits for free. FREE! Water boiler, cutleries, cups, bowls, plates, and even wine glasses are well-prepared for you who pack outside food to be eaten in the guesthouse. You can also store your food and drinks in the refrigerator to keep them fresh and cool.

Mind you, all 8 bathrooms are shared! They are well-equipped with quality toilet amenities, including hair and body shampoo for your conveniences. If you are a clean freak like me, I would say that there is nothing much to worry about the cleanliness of the bathrooms. They are regularly cleaned and maintained by the staff.

It's the quality of the guest(s) that would often affect the cleanliness of the bathrooms, according to my personal experience as a staff of the guesthouse. You don't expect the staff to check and clean the bathrooms even during midnight, right? Get it?

Last but not least, isn't washing your face with some of the best views accompanied by morning breeze the best way to start off your day? :D

All in all, Layang Layang Guest House is literally a house, where everyone has their own rooms while the facilities such as pantry, lobby area, and bathrooms are shared. The only difference is that you will meet people from all over the world who may speak different languages and have different cultures. Come and give it a try, and you will be surprised! :D

I have to say that I loved my wonderful life here, for having met plenty of great people worth appreciating; my bosses, Hong and Daphne; my manager, Stephanie; my foreign colleagues, Rohman, Roj, and Robbin; one of the chefs of Good Friends Restaurant and Café and owner of Kaya-kaya Café, KC Choong (for introducing good food to me); manager of Kaya-kaya Café, Ms. Pak (a mum of everyone); head chef of Kaya-kaya Café, Ong Yong Zong; the boys of Kaya-kaya Café; and many other friendly locals and our lovely guests.

See you again real soon, Layang Layang Guest House! ♥

Layang Layang Guest House
24 - 26, Jalan Tukang Besi,
75200 Melaka.
Tel: +606 292 2722
Email: booking@layanglayangmelaka.com
Website: Layang Layang Guest House
Facebook: Layang Layang Guest House
Business Hours (Monday to Thursday): 10.00am to 7.00pm
Business Hours (Friday to Sunday): 10.00am to 9.00pm
Check-in Time: 2.00pm to 9.00pm only
Check-out Time: Before 12.00pm

x.

Checking out the cabins on board.

It's been a while since I last updated my blog; finals are coming pretty soon by the end of March 2012, followed by a compulsory trip to Bali, Indonesia in the beginning of April as part of my course, which everything has been booked or arranged by the travel agent we're working with. Assignments, on the other hand, have been hectic that most of us are basically shouting for not given any break in between despite the so-called revisions. Dramas are still going on endlessly but I have decided to back out for something much worthy; I am back to the usual happy, enjoyable life after all. :D

Moving on with my personal experience about the cruise inspection that I had earlier on December 2011, we were then brought to check out several cabins on the cruise by a pretty girl and a really cute guy.

I was really amazed by the spacious toilet of the cabin and hence, I intended to take a photo to share with my good readers but heck; this lady did NOT just block my sight right in front of my camera.

Some of their executive suites were specially named, and the second room that we were brought to was the Langkawi Suite, featuring a balcony, a Jacuzzi, and a king size bed.

They just had to post for some photos. :P

He's the cute, shy guy that I mentioned earlier in this post! :D

While proceeding to some other cabins on the other side of the cruise, we passed by the main lobby, which was also known as Grand Piazza, with three signature golden horse statues apparently blocked by my ex-colleagues.

We then passed by Blue Lagoon, a restaurant that serves Southeast Asian cuisines.

That's Star Club, one of the casinos on board if I'm not mistaken.

Here's to show you an Oceanview Stateroom with Window, featuring two single beds, one Pullman bed and one single sofa bed, which is capable of accommodating four persons only.

Just as similar as the Oceanview Stateroom with Window, this Inside Stateroom features two single beds convertible to one queen size bed, a wall Pullman bed and a slide bed. However, according to the Star Cruises official website, the other types of Inside Staterooms feature two single beds convertible to one queen size bed, a wall Pullman bed and a sofa bed, or two single beds convertible to one queen size bed, a wall Pullman bed, a slide bed and a sofa bed.

After checking out the cabins, we were then brought to The Lido, a lounge that provides different shows at different times to entertain the guests.

Christmas was exactly ten days after the day of the cruise inspection, which perfectly explained the decorations everywhere around the lobby.

The bullet lifts!

SuperStar Virgo allows people to go shopping on board but it is compulsory to pay by swiping a card given for each guest instead of cash, which was why none of us, unfortunately, had purchased one single thing during the inspection.

Finally, it's time to bid goodbye to this beautiful floating five-star resort as the clock struck 6pm. Just in case if you're wondering, we did not visit any of the facilities on the highest deck of the cruise due to the limited time given. I unwillingly passed my access card to one of the staffs of Star Cruises and left the cruise to enjoy the sunset view while walking back to where we came from.

We were all welcomed by the centre in different languages but I was hoping to be welcomed by the cruise instead; dream on, Jiamin. :( I excitedly sent the Badman a text message, telling him how I wanted to experience a holiday on this cruise one day together with him, and we will definitely save money for this luxurious vacation. Wait for us! :D

Part 1: My observation before the cruise inspection.

Part 2: Opening ceremony of the cruise inspection.

x.