Wasting Time on the Net With StumbleUpon

With the Internet there has always been new and innovative ways to pass (read: “waste”) time on while you’re bored at work or bored at home. Many years ago there was ICQ and forums and Instant Messaging (good thing i didn’t really get into them that much) and then lately we’ve had Facebook, Digg and Twitter and their numerous clones.

As of a few weeks ago I have just found new way to pass my precious time unproductively - StumbleUpon. It’s not new, some people have been using it for years. So what does it do? It recommends you interesting websites as recommended by people with similar interests as you. StumbleUpon will ask you what kind of websites you’re interested in, and further refines it as you use it.

It sounds like a familiar concept with other sites, but I find it works surprisingly well (for me at least). Instead of going to a website to see pings or recommendations, all you need is to download a toolbar then you’re good to go. There are many buttons, but you’ll probably need only 3 - ‘Stumble’ which will bring you to a new page, the thumbs up button for ‘I like it!’ and the thumbs down button.

Everytime you’re bored, just press the Stumble button to find something exciting. If you found a site that is good and want to recommend it to others, press the ‘I like it!’ button. Simple.

So if you notice my blogs not being updated for awhile, you know what I’m doing these days.

And Battlestar Galactica Has Come to an End

And yeah, so, about two weeks ago, i watched the series finale of the Greatest Television Show Ever ™, Battlestar Galactica, bringing an end to four seasons. I realize the majority of Malaysians have not heard of the new BSG series, let alone follow it (although it comes on 8TV).

I had it better than most people, taking less than a year to finish all 4 seasons of it, the original schedule took about 6 years to complete due to the writer’s strike in the US and a protracted break halfway through season 4.

For the uninitiated, BSG is a reimagined series loosely based on the old 1970’s series, but this time, it takes a dark survivalist tone. The humans’ 12 colonies were destroyed by the Cylons, and and only about 50 thousand survivors of the human race are left wandering space. They are led aging battleship Galactica, and and searching for the fabled lost 13th colony called Earth.

But they are heavily pursued by the Cylons, a breed of intelligent robots that were created by humans but rebelled against the masters. The Cylons have the technology to replicate human form, and infiltrate the surviving humans.

I’ve never been really a big fan of scifi TV shows, aside from TNG, but BSG is more than a scifi show, its bloody good TV. The shocks and plot twists keep coming, and they faithfully avoid any TV cliches.

And so, i feel kinda sad its come to an end. Meantime I’m still watching True Blood and Robot Chicken to fill the void.

Good Dim Sum and Bad Dim Sum

Went to this new dim sum place in Bandar Puteri 5 yesterday, it just broke the record for ‘worst dim sum restaurant ever’ in my record books. I thought the previous record couldn’t be broken (this place in Puchong Jaya) but it was. The waiters were sarcastic, the food barely edible, and the staff were more interested in eating their own meals than preparing our food.

That’s the problem with dim sum restaurants here, there are good ones, but there plenty more bad ones. Look, I’m being realistic, i don’t expect Ipoh quality dim sum here (just like how Penang folks always say the assam laksa and char kuey tiau is never the same here), but it must be good.

How do we know its good? well by our standards, the seven main dishes should be reasonably good - siew mai, woo kok (yam cake), lor mai kai, tan tart (egg tart), yu tarn (fish ball), lor bak kou (radish cake) and char siew pau. If you can’t get any the basic 7 dishes right, then you probably shouldn’t be in the dim sum business.

We actually don’t have a favorite good dim sum restaurant here in the city anymore. We used to go to this one in Seri Petaling many years ago, I can’t even remember its name but its along Jalan Radin Anum next to the KFC (not the few on the main road facing the school). But like most popular restaurants, the quality has dropped significantly and we haven’t been there for awhile.

Recently we’ve been going to Kam Hing (in Puchong Jaya and Bandar Puteri) but recently both branches have mysteriously closed down. Two others that are pretty decent are in SS2 and Seapark respectively (i’m bad at remembering names).

Another one that is quite good is Jin Xuan Hong in Damansara Jaya, its pretty upmarket and packed in the mornings, but its open at night.

Top Ten Thing to Do, See and Eat in Bandung, Indonesia

When my friends found out i was going to Bandung for holidays, most of them asked me “why Bandung?” or “what’s there to do in Bandung?”. Bandung, nicknamed Kota Kembang, is a fantastic holiday destination, but isn’t well known outside Indonesia. While researching for this trip, I also found out that info on the Net about Indonesia’s 4th largest city is pretty scant, so I decided that I’d do a list like this after coming back, so here it is. Bear in mind this is based on my family’s short experience there, there are definitely many more attractions there that we didn’t have time to take in.

The list is divided into 3 general sections: What to see (the natural attractions), what to do (shopping) and what to eat (the food, of course). We’ll start with the biggest attraction of them all:

1. Tangkuban Perahu
Its visible from anywhere in Bandung, and takes an hour’s drive to get up there. It’s cold like Camerons there, and you can look down on Kawah Ratu, the largest of the few volcano craters there. Even from a distance of about 200m, its breathtaking. You can also hike down to see the crater of the live volcano up close, but its a long way down and you have to pay for a guide. The downside is the touts constantly pestering you to buy their trinkets.

While here, you can also check the Sari Ater (or Ciater) hot springs, owned by a private resort. But not much to do other than touch the 35 degree water.

2. Kawah Putih
This is another crater in a different location, but its atop an inactive volcano. Its also cooling due to the high altitude, and i have to say to sight of the turquoise sulfur lake surrounded by grey rocks is something to behold. You can walk up close to the lake edge, but you can’t touch the water. Downside - Its a 2 hour drive here, and not much else to do.

(That’s mean pretending to throw my kid into the sulfur water)

While here, you can also check out Situ Patenggang, a lake surrounded by tea plantations. You can go boating, but my wife said “its just like Taiping lake“.

3. Saung Angklung Udjo
In the midst of the bustling narrow roads and cramped shops in the city center, there is a bamboo covered sanctuary built by the great angklung master Udjo Ngalagena to celebrate the craft and music of the humble bamboo musical instrument.

There is a theater here where you can watch a daily performance of Sundanese music, dance and culture. We only caught the rehearsal here, but the 5 year old performers are extremely talented.

And then we have the shopping, the biggest attraction of Bandung for most Malaysians.

4. Jalan Dago / Riau
This is where most of the factory outlets sell the sisa ekspot garments. Make no mistake, its NOT like Malaysian warehouses, these are upmarket outlets beautifully decorated for you to shop in comfort. You name it, they have it - clothes, jeans, leatherware, bags, shoes, toys, but mainly clothes. And UNBELIEVEABLY cheap.

5. Rumah Mode
This is one of the outlets, but it deserves a special mention. It is the most beautiful outlet, and by far the most popular one. Rich Jakartans (and Malaysians) flock here every weekend to shop for the latest in trendy clothes and high fashion. If you only have time to go to one, I recommend this one. Downside, its in Jalan Setiabudi, far from the other outlets.

6. Jalan Cihampelas
Another street packed with outlets, but here its more catered to teenagers and kids. You can find any and every kind of jeans and tee shirts. Another feature is the statues and decor they use to attract customers. Downside, some shops sell poorer quality stuff here.

Now we move on to the fine dining and local cuisine. Fine dining in Bandung is VERY cheap, you can eat in the classiest restaurants here and the price is only half of what you’d pay for in Malaysia.

7. The Valley

This is the Western spot best we tried. It located on the hilltop, the view is excellent especially at sunset. The food is great, but the ambience is better. It’s in the same area as other restaurants such as The View (we also tried it), the Peak and the Stone Grill.

8. Kampung Daun

This is another must-try for anyone going to Bandung. It’s a kampung-style dining set in a cultural centre, and you get to eat in your own private hut surrounded by rockface and trees. Food is a combination of Sundanese, Western and Chinese cuisine. On the downside, its quite far from the city centre, plus I’ve read some complaints about the service.

9. Atmosphere

If you’re looking for the most happening Western restaurant, its at Atmosphere. Here you can eat in a hut surrounded by a pond filled with koi and gigantic Amazonian arapaima. The food is not as good as the earlier two mentioned, but the ambience is one of its kind.

10. Local Cuisine

Of course, you can also try the melting pot of local cuisine, Javanese, Sundanese and Chinese. We tried the Sundanese restaurant DapurKu, it was cheap and delicious.

They also sold puffs filled with chocolate or durian, also very tasty.

Or you can try one of the thousands of carts selling bakso and mie and other stuff, or the small nasi padang eateries at every street corner.

Another delicacy is the brownie kukus, which we didn’t have the opportunity to try.

Notable mentions: There were lots of other stuff we managed to cram in our 5 days there, but didn’t make the list. There are many historical sites (like Gedung Merdeka) around the city, worth a look if you are into it. Also along Jalan Braga there are lots of art galleries, and teenagers gather on weekends with cars and play music.

We had a great time in Bandung, so good we’re planning to return again, soon…

Technorati Tags: bandung, indonesia, shopping, cihampelas, braga, dago, riau, rumah mode, kawah putih, tangkuban perahu, kampung daun, atmosphere, the valley

Off For Holiday Again

Going off on holiday again tomorrow for 5 days… With the economy like this i had to scrap my 14 day Europe tour (hahaha).

Any guesses where? Some pics to help you guess (thanks to Boone for his pics)

You Know What I Did Last November

(Lots of photos ahead, so 56k modem users be warned …

Old photos, never got to post them up. Went with family to Cameron’s in November last year, together with my sis-in-law and her son Jeremy. Weather was soooo nice then…

The drive up.

cool weather.

vegetable farming everywhere and anywhere.

At least global warming hasn’t killed the butterflies yet.

Kea Farm. Strawberries seen in pic may seem larger than real ones.

Approaching Tanah Rata.

My daughter smelling the roses.

At Rose Valley. That’s an apple.

And oranges.

And grapes.

Ummm. Persimmons, I think.

And every shade of rose you can think of.

Weird flower.

Even weirder flower.

You know what’s the problem with buying cactus from Cameron Highlands? once you come back they never look as nice as they did here.

View of Brinchang town.

The kids at Ye Olde and Vely Expensive Smokehouse.

Jam up to the Boh Center at Sg. Palas.

Hey, I remember this guy.

“Only Estate Vehicles”? riii-iiight…

reminds me of that old Boh TV ad.

Very nice Boh Centre. Unfortunately all the drinks come from 3-in-1 packs.

Our hotel. Heritage. Its looks much better in the pic than in real life.

View from the room window. Man, i should have taken a better pic without that building there.

The newly opened Century Pines. We were supposed to have our retreat here.

After 3 days of cactus and flowers and rain and bland food, its back down again.

Umm… our tires not botak, right?

***

Anyway, spent a night in Ipoh after Cameron’s. My mother-in-law made big egg tarts. Using DINNER PLATES. Hidden mickey.

Next morning went for dim sum. Nothing like Ipoh dim sum…

Lately, I’ve Been…

Listening to … BFM 89.9. And sometimes RedFM.

Watching on the tube … Amazing Race Season 14. Well, same teams every year, different contestants. You know, bickering couple, dumb blondes wearing pink, old couple that get kick out early, etc. But still entertaining.

Playing a little too much … Farm Frenzy and Pastry Passion. I blame it on my sister in law!

Listening to on Youtube … Ozzy Osbourne. Old school, man.

Watching off the Net … Well, the usual - Battlestar Galactica (4 more episodes!), Top Chef, Pushing Daisies, Flight of the Conchords, Robot Chicken, Jericho, Samantha Who?, True Blood, just a few lah.

After dinner, its … prep time for my daughter’s exams. All my primary school science lessons are coming back to haunt me!!!

Reading … Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology. Its surprisingly readable.

Also supposed to be reading … Maggie Cassidy by Jack Kerouac. God he’s such a difficult writer.

Eating lots of … Chicken, tuna, and egg whites. Bleh.

Drinking lots of … Whey protein, casein, and of course coffee. Mmmm.

Looking forward to … This weekend and March 17!!!

Fridays With My Father

For most of my growing up years, my dad worked for the government away from home, only coming back on Thursday evenings by express bus and going back away on Friday nights. His weekend was on Friday, my school weekends were Friday/Saturday.

Friday mornings were always spent with him in town. I’d follow him to Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank, the biggest bank in town (now known as HSBC). Banking was different in those days, customer service was non existent (well maybe somethings haven’t changed that much) so to get all your banking done, you’d have to line up in multiple long queues. I’d pass the time by counting the number of people in front of my dad in the queue.

After banking my dad would treat me to a cup of white coffee at the kopitiam next to the bank on chettiar row, where all the lawyers and chettiars (moneylenders) had their offices, facing the river. a cup of coffee cost 55sen, and dad taught me how to stir and lift the spoon so that it cooled down faster.

We’d then come home for lunch, and after reading the newspapers, checking the oil in the car, some gardening, almost too soon after that, it was time for him to catch his bus back.

Those were my Fridays with my father. I’ll always remember the good times.

Remember Scotts Emulsion Cod Liver Oil?

If I mention Scotts Emulsion Cod Liver Oil, most of you you’d think of the orange flavoured kind you can get at the pharmacy. Something like this:

Tastes great, like Haliborange.

But back when i was a kid, when my mother said it was time for Scott’s Emulsion, i had to run for cover. Back then it was a bottle of thick white stuff, no nice orange flavour, it had a strong, almost nauseating fishy flavour. My brother and I always had to close our nose drinking it, and the thick fishy taste stayed with you for hours after that. Especially when you burped. Ewwwww.

I couldn’t find a pic of it online but, it looked a bit like this:

And it came in a glass bottle like this:

Apparently, the bottles seem to fetch good prices with antique collectors on eBay.

I dunno which is worse, drinking that stuff or the black bitter Chinese meds my grandma make us drink whenever we were sick.

Under The Lion Rock (獅子山下-羅文)

Was watching this talk show where veteran HK/Taiwanese comedian Slyvia Chang (张艾嘉) was doing a candid interview with a few stars from the 80’s, one of them was Lowell Lo (盧冠廷). Watching them reminiscent about the old times somehow reminded me of another HK star, a TV series, and an unforgetable song.

It was Under the Lion Rock by the late Roman Tam, (獅子山下-羅文) and the TV show was named similarly. I can’t remember much about the series, only that it was about the life and hardships of the middle-class Hong Kong citizens.

(The actual Lion Rock in Hong Kong. Its said that Roman is refering to all HK folks)

But the song, now that is a great story. In the current economic situation, where every week, one more of my friends is getting retrenched, Roman could have very well singing about us. Life is always hard, maybe more so for some people, but we can only struggle and make the best of what we have.

Listening to the song on Youtube sure brings back lots of good (and bad) memories. Patrick and his wife has done me a favour and translated the lyrics below (Full chinese lyrics can be found here.)

RIP, Roman…

Life has its joys
But often has sorrows, too
When we all meet under the Lion’s Rock
At least our laughter exceeds our sighs

Together to the ends of the earth
Joining hands to conquer the challenges
Together we work hard to create
Our everlasting legend