It is my First Time

From my point of view, chinese style wedding ceremony = Loud and noisy.

In chinese tradition, when you get married to somebody you are supposed to "fetch" your bride from her home, to the new home that both will spend their rest of their life in it.

In other words that us, the chinese people always use, "to kidnap/rob your bride".

My recent uni-friend had just tied the knot with his girlfriend recently. 6 months before, he has invited all his buddies, including me to be part of the "heng dai/brothers" team for the "kidnapping" event.

Well it is definitely my first time.

It is not because i am an ars*hol*. It is just that whenever my buddies got married, i would always "missing in action" for some reasons, sick, outstation, missed my alarm clock, whatever.

I used to get a lot of sticks for this, and my bunch of close friends even threatened that they would boycott my wedding in the future if this continues to happen.

So this time i vowed to myself that i will definitely turn up this time, no matter what. I was so excited that i woke up so early and arrived his place at 6.30 am (3 hours of sleep the previous night), only to find out that i am the first to arrive with no other friends in sight.

Normally there would be one old nanny who will be the "leader", organizing everything from what you should put on your car, what time leaving from house, what to do and when to do it kind of stuffs.

Based on her instructions, there we go!

When reached the bride's home, we are supposed to pressed our honk as loudly and frequently as possible. Mind you this would be the only day in your life you won't get killed for doing that.

After parked our car, we saw the "sisters" were waiting for us. Well, i am not too aware or anxious of what would happened to us. I am more interested in checking out which "sister" is hot. (LOL).

Anyway, what happened next is history.

But i am lucky in the sense that i only have to went through "eating the bananas + wasabi from another male's body"and honestly that's fine with me.

Some of my friends have to endured the pain of getting their body hair waxed off. God blessed them.

But if that means what we gonna went through so long that our brother can get his bride, the pain was all worth it.

At the end of the day, my buddy got his bride and since the wedding dinner would be held at night, we headed home to have a rest.

This can be tiring, but fun at the same time.

Well, that's my first time.

So who's next?

 

 

(When i am too busy)

Now only irealized that i have not update my blog for the past two weeks...

 

 

Paiseh ar...

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

When i travel, i love to take pictures.

Especially those funny and weird ones.

Like this.

Welcome to the Wildlife Currumbin Sanctuary.

Before we embarked on our journey to Australia, one of the most exciting prospect is to be able to meet up with Mr. and Mrs. Kangaroo.

After hours of researching on the internet, we decided to pay the currumbin wildlife a visit. I can't really recall the price though, but it is quite affordable, around AUD50 per adult if i can remember correctly.

Like i said, take a bus. We arrived at 10.30 in the morning, and the crowd was still manageable.

As the first timers, we were confused about where to start.

So we decided to follow the crowd and we ended up at a small "train station".

I was quite dissapointed at first, how on earth i could get near to the Mr. and Mrs Kangaroo if our movement were only limited on the train?

I have been dreaming about feeding them with my bare hands for the past one year and all i got is just a glimpse of the animal from a bloody train?


Apparently it was not.

In this place, a timetable was laid out to every visitor.

Time to feed the bird. Time to watch the snake show. All you need is just shut up, board the train and go with the flow.

Something funny caught my eyes when i boarded the train.

"DO NOT JUMP OFF MOVING TRAIN".

Bloody hell, it WARNED ME NOT TO JUMP OFF THE TRAIN!

I felt like James Bond.

Just imagine that i saw a crocs, and i got excited, jump off the train, wrestle with the crocs, and come back on to the train unscatched.

Sounds cool though.

And you know it is special when Air Asia also occupy one of the advertistment board in the park.

I felt so much closer to home now.
Oh ya btw, thank for the cramp seat on for the 8 hours flight journey en route to Gold Coast.

The first stop.

Snake show.

Eh sorry.

Should be this one.

They talked about snakes, about their venoms, and heck, even let the visitors to pose with the snakes.

Although i scared like sh*t, i still managed to hold my nerves and took a photos with the snakes around my neck.

But thanks to my photographer for that day, the quality of the photo was just so....

The evidence to my man-hood-ness.

(Just because got pretty girl around, that's why i have no choice but to show that i got balls)

Then, the crocodile introductory show.

Too bad, the place was so crowded with people that i only managed to take the pictures of the presenter only.

But that's not important.

All of us have seen a crocodile before, at least once in real life. Malaysia also got ma...

But how many of you dare to say you have wrestled a crocodile before?

I bet none of you.

But i did. I really did.

I swear to god.

Nah, there you go.

But the climax of the whole visit was not the snake, not the crocodile, also not the pretty girl.

This is it.

Mission accomplished.

I felt like i could go back to Malaysia anytime by now.

I was warned before hand not to pat the kangaroos on their head. I don't know why. Maybe if i started to pat their head, they will start to kick my ass.

Anyone who have watched the Animal Planet show on Astro would know that Kangaroo has a pair of very powerful leg, that could kick your a** and send you into the moon.

So i better not try that.

The Koalas.

Since the photography session hugging a Koala would cost AUD 20++ per person, this is the best shot i could get.

Thanks to the 3.16 exchange rate. FML.

My second koala bear.

Everyone say hi to Renny:)

(Don't even ask, of course she is my girlfriend, tak kan my mum?).

Well, my job here is not to tell you each and every details of this visit.

Because i really believe that you should go and experience it yourself.

That's all for now for the Wildlife Currumbin Sanctuary.

From the man who have just wrestled the crocs. (I shouldn't be alive).



 

A day in Surfer's Paradise

When talking about Australia, people will start to think about Kangaroo.

Ah..and the "nude beaches". (I think most of my pals think about the latter one).

I remembered before i departed to Gold Coast, people used to asked me is there any particular place i would really love to visit?

I told them. "The great ocean road. I hope i can get a chance to visit there".

The next thing i know each and every one of them started to laugh as if there's no tommorrow.
So i decided to find out.

There you go. I almost shove my pretty face into the toilet bowl when i saw that. (1,792km).

No wonder they all laugh like monkey.

First time to Australia ma...niama...

People talked about Surfer's paradise, but i don't really surf. I can't consider myself as the pretty beach boy with tanned skin and well tone-body.

If i surf, it would look like this.

But i can't take the risk telling people i did not visit the surfer's paradise when i am in Gold Coast.

It is like telling people you go to KL but never being to KLCC.

Like going to sarawak but never try their "kolok mee".

Also like having a damn gorgeous naked lady in front of you, and you ended up helping her putting back on her clothes.

So i decided to pay this place a visit.

Cos i love bitches.

Sorry beaches.

As i have told in my earlier post, you can get to Surfer's Paradise by bus. Something interesting happened during one of my conversation to the bus driver.

Me: "Hey Mike! (Everyone's a "Mike" in Australia). Just let me know if we have reached the surfer's will yeah?"

The bus driver: "No worries mate, you will know it by yourself when we got there alrite?"

How true it was. When we reach, without looking at the signboard we already knew we were there. Surfers with their surfing gear on, ther hawaiian-style of shorts, bikini-cladded ladies were everywhere.

But i didn't see the beach!?

Oh ok, i need to walk further in. So here i am, welcome to the Surfer's Paradise!

Posing on the sand.

Posing in the seawater.

Then back on the land again.

For this particular place, you don't have to pay a single cent. But it is still a must go place in Gold Coast.

Never did i saw such a big wave in my life before and yet i felt so calm about it. Just by listening to the sounds of the wave really helped me relaxed during that evening.

That's what we called life isn't it?

But where are those surfers? Maybe i have came at the wrong timing of the year. The weather just too cold to even have a dip in the sea water. But where did all the surfers i saw just now?

Sod it.

One of my favourite picture.

Hmm.:)

There's nothing much you can do here, unless you like swimming, surfing, sunbathing and etc.

Since i do not want to be a shark's favourite dinner plate for that day, i decided to roam around the streets and guess what, we saw this.

Not sure if it is called the Eye on Gold Coast or stuff like that, but what i knew was i must get a ride on one of those. It is my first time anyway!

The price? A hefty AUD 11 per adult.

It sounds expensive to me because to be honest, the view from the ferris wheel is not as jaw dropping as i thought it would be.

All i can see is buildings, buildings and buildings again.

So, think twice before you pay.

I will update about other places (This time, you need to pay for it) that i have visited throughout my trip in Gold Coast, Australia.

Last but not least,

Let me show you the most "Australian" way of saying "See you again".

* The Itchy Itchy way..

 

Flying and checking into Gold Coast.

After eight torturing and cramping hours on Air Asia X for 8 hours, we have reached the Gold Coast airport, the Coolongata. I could feel that i suffered from some kind of jet leg even if it is only two hours of time zone difference.

First lesson of the day: Never let the sunshine fooled you.

The moment i stepped out from the plane i almost freezed my balls off. Thanks to a friend of mine who told me at this months of the year, Australia's weather will be very warm. Of course it never crossed my mind to bring along some winter clothing just in case. How stupid i was.

Before the trip my dad did advised me that i should "declare everything down to your underwear" before entering the country.

But my main concern was my laptop.

I was worried if they went through my laptop and found some nasty stuff (i didn't say it is porn ok) then i could be kissing the kangaroo ass goodbye in the prison.

Foods need to be declared. Currency need to be declared (if more than 10,000). Basically everything. Once i was told by a friend who used to travel to Australia that he was fined a total AUD 250 over a piece of chocolate.


As ridiculous as it may sounds, it was enough to ring some alarm bells for me to be extra cautious. But nothing could prepare us for the immigration questioning.

We were held by an immigration officer (ironically, he is a black) and were asked all sort of questions such as why were we there, what work we do, how many cash we had and heck even how many credit cards i possesed.

We managed to walked away unscatched only after we shown him our theme park entrance ticket. (This may be a good tips for you guys).

So the next time if the immigration conduct an interview with you, you may show them the ticket and tell them to "F*** off". They will let you free.

(The writer would bear no responsibility on the consequence that may arise).


Anyway. Whenever you travelled the first thing that came to your mind will be the mode of transportation.

In Gold Coast, take the bus. Cheap and convenient.

Their bus network is just so convenient and you have no worried of missing them, as every fifteen minute, you will have a bus whereby it will take you to any destination that you wanted to.

(So long that you knew how to read the map and understand English).

We took the initiative to book a "return ticket" between the place we stayed and airport, so we would not have to worried about the transport later on. It costed around AUD 39 per head. Sounds like a decent amount, but cheaper if you compared with the taxi fare anyway.

The booking of the bus for return to the airport will required a 24hrs advanced calling to their call center. And heck, they are so efficient that if you tell them the wrong flight number or flight time, they will inform you right away as they have all the plane schedule coming in and out from the airport.

I would advice that during your holiday you may want to get hold of this card with you too.

The equivalent of touch and go card in Malaysia. Every bus in Gold Coast uses it, and all you need to pay is an AUD 5 as a deposit (Refundable) + Desired amount. For a 7 days trip, just for reference, you may top up around AUD 30 that should be more than enough.

No worries about if you still have balance during the end of your holiday. Just grab the card to the nearest convenient store and beat the crap our of the cashier for a refund.

(Ok i was just joking).

For this trip we have decided to leave the backpacker's inn out from our option. Call me a mummy's boy but i would prefer to stay in a nice and comfortable place during holiday, not some backpacker's inn whereby i need to share toilets with strangers.

Let me introduce you this place.

The Sierra Grand Apartment.

The Interior.

The Balcony.

And the handsome boy.

In Gold Coast, accomodation can really kill you especially for hotels. Probably a couple of hundred Aussie Dollar per night.

Visit Youstay.com. You may book this apartment online with the so called agent and there you go.

Welcome to the mansion that cost you only AUD 95 per night.

(When i say only AUD 95, i didn't mean Aussie dollar is made of toilet roll. It is just because i believe that it is a real bargain).

Do not worry if the reception does not recognize your booking number or your name. Because under this Youstay.com, we dealed DIRECTLY with the agent. They will bring you the keys and upon checking out, just leave the door key on the dining table and off you go. As simple as that.

Well, you have landed, checked in to the hotel, all you need to do is take a rest first.

I will go into more details on the trip on where we went and what is the famous tourist attraction that you wouldn't want to miss.

So stay tuned.



 

I am back

Well, just arrived back in Malaysia yesterday.

Generally, the trip to Gold Coast Australia this time is an eye-opening and interesting one!

So please be patient and rest assured i will share with you guys on the tips and stories for the 7 days get-away.

Take my word, it is really interesting.

Like how a kangaroo scratched his balls in front of us..:P
 

Finally, a trip...

It has been quite a while since i last travelled. (For Leisure).

 

Finally i am getting my chance this October.

 

You see, i used to trvael around the Asean country only. To date, i have yet to travel out of this region. The reason is because, obviously, it is cheap. And i don't to have bring along my scientific calculator and punching it like a mad man on the street of Phuket.

 

But this time, it is almost inevitable that i would need to bring along my calculator for this coming trip.

 

We (with my eherm..GF) will be going to Gold Coast Australia and visit a friend of us.



 

 

Passport checked.

Leave approved.

Visa, checked. (Only yesterday i got to know that we actually need a Visa to enter the motherland of the kangaroos).

Outstanding work? Come back only think la..

I have a friend who used to travel to all those European countries and also wicked places like India.
She used to bragged about her journey and how she managed to travel with very little budget.
(Duit banyak tapi kedekut type of person).

At least this time i got to say "Well, at least i have been to Australia, and you have not".

Take that!!