Continuation of.. Arriving Aberdeen

Hi. It has been a long overdue task to record this journey that we had in Sept 2011 - to be exact - from 4 - 9 Sept in Aberdeen having transit point in London.

Ok. Now, we fly to Aberdeen via EasyJet. We took an Audi taxi. No way in Malaysia that we gonna get an Audi for a taxi.. he..

We stayed in Dunrovin Guest House, a scottish B&B. It's very nice & lovely with very good service. I planned to stay in hotels, normally that'll be the 1st choice right? But the ones that was left were those outskirts of the city. Meaning far away from food & shopping etc etc. I don't wanna stay near those at the airports. Food & amenities will be difficult. There was only 2 hotels that is. I searched for apartments, also full. It was the 'Oil Week' they said. The hotels, apartements etc were full because of the conference that I attended. It was the biggest oil & gas conference in UK, that's why. And forgot to mention that I meant full from 3 months before the actual event took place..! So, people advice for B&B. Most B&Bs were full also. I was left with 2 - an apartment & this guest house. The apartment required a large sum of deposit money. And this guest house need only 1/4 of that amount. Dunrovin's was full but the moment I mentioned that I was the attendee, they finally have a room, but only a big comfortable one (they must have thought that I have a lot of money, coming from an oil & gas company). The single or double were full too. Fuhh..!

Enough said, let's enjoy the photos..

Arriving at our Guest House on Bon Accord Street, Aberdeen

Infront of our Dunrovin Guest House, Bon Accord St.,  & Yes, it's Gray in color isit.. Aberdeen is known as the Granite Town.. so the color tells.. :-)

Our room

The Bon Accord St.. on the way to find food..



My daughter posing with her pink coat..

So, we headed to find the restaurant or actually heading towards Union Street, Aberdeen's main shopping point. Ahh, there's also this International Market Street at Union Terrace. So, here we were visiting different countries' food stall. But of course not simply tasting each & every food. No, no, no...Only those Italians' bread & pastries.. & some lemonade.

It was still early, so we walked around Aberdeen, while searching for our dinner place, recommended by my colleague, Kamal who is now working in Aberdeen.

A must SHOPPING place.. Katanya murah compared to KL. And yes, I've been to Mark & Spencer (M&S) in my earlier trip to Aberdeen in 2007.. memang cheap & lotsa choice

And so, here's Aberdeen & the recommended 'kedai mamak' -  Indian food & halal.... insyallah..

Ok fellas, it was the end of Day 1 in Aberdeen, Scotland. Fuh.. susah nye nak completekan satu hari pun..



Cure of disease.. japanese way..

DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH

Ok.. this is about health. Am actually supposed to update this blog on our trip to UK, buutt... not much time to do that now.. so, here is this tip first... enjoy..

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven a its value. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases:

Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases.

METHOD OF TREATMENT

1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml glasses of water
2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute
3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.
4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours
5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day.
6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/ reduce main diseases:
1. High Blood Pressure – 30 days
2. Gastric – 10 days
3. Diabetes – 30 days
4. Constipation – 10 days
5. Cancer – 180 days
6. TB – 90 days
7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards – daily.

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.
It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life.
Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active.
This makes sense .. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals …not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain…
For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.
It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.
Once this “sludge” reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

A serious note about heart attacks:

Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting.
Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.
You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack.
Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.
60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up.
Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let’s be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive…

Malaysia-London-Aberdeen - the early part..

We just came back from Aberdeen, Scotland & London last2 Saturday. Arrived KLIA on 10 Sept 2011 @ 5.45pm.

Let's recall the scenes to this much awaited trip.

We celebrated Hari Raya Aidilfitri on 30 Aug at my parents' house. Then off to Ayer Keroh, Melaka to my husband's hometown on that very afternoon. We have to do that since we want to spend at least 2 nights at Melaka. We seldom go back, so it's fair to be longer at my in-law's house. Then, went to Muar, pusing2 beraya, then came back to KL on 1 Sept evening. Friday 2 Sept was a packing day. Quite kelam kabut because need to basuh baju from raya a bit, then pack/rearrange things for other bags for this Aberdeen trip.

3 Sept - Flight at 10am that very morning. We were on MAS. I was initially on Business class, & to my surprise I was upgraded to First Class.! Who would have thought of this luck that I have..! (I'm the type yang tak pernah la dapat lucky draw etc.. he..).

On the same date, we arrived London at 4.15pm. Not much hassle in Heathrow though & straight away out from the airport & found our way to Crowne Plaza Kengsington Hotel which is located at 100, Cromwell Road, South Kengsington St. We had a good room with the views of the main road.

Both kids were so sleepy especially the abang because he didn't sleep at all in the flight. He played games & watched movies all the way along the 13 hours journey..! Adik was ok since she slept most of the time..

That very night, we had dinner with Farouk, my husband's cousin, along with his good friend, Chris at Bumpkin, an English restaurant located at 102, Old Brompton Road, which is about 15-20 minutes walk from the hotel. London was cold but a nice one. What did we had that's special? I had Fish Pie which is like shepard's pie but filled with many types of fish at the bottom of it. So very sedaaappp..! (forgot to take picture..:-()

Deena.. sleepy face.. It was 3am in KL..

So, this is it.. langsung tak jadi nak follow mama's plan to bring them to see London at night..  Next day our route continue to Aberdeen via London Luton Airport. We used EasyJet, which is like AirAsia in Malaysia. Had we booked earlier, British Airways (BA) may also be cheaper. Just so to note that you can take BA from Heathrow Airport but the low cost ones like EasyJet fly only from Luton, Gatwick & another one, I forgot - depends on its destination. These low cost terminals are a bit away from the city centre. Luton is about 30-45 minutes away but we are ok, at least we get to see the other area of London. Tourist ain't we? :-)

Before I forgot let me recommend you a very reasonable taxi transfer around UK which we booked online through www.BAtransfer.com. The driver is not mat salleh, can be Indian or Black but smartly attire & polite. Here's some pictures of us at Luton Airport. It was verryy cold here.. !

London-Scotland Trip - The Journey starts...

Yeay...! We are going to Aberdeen, Scotland via London tomorrow..! Scotland, the land of 'Braveheart', William Wallace.. :-)

I'm having a conference in AECC, Aberdeen & yes, I'm bringing the whole family along. Our last overseas trip was in year 2008 - to authentic city of Rome. It was such an exciting trip for the whole family. Actually, I created this blog to capture all my previous overseas & local trips but time do not permit me to capture the past adventures as yet. A reminder to myself: Aberdeen, Amsterdam, Paris-2007 [yup, been here once], Bangkok, Rome, Norway-2008, Germany (Dortmund), London, Qatar-2009, Singapore-2010.

Bringing the whole family means you have to plan well for the trip. But since I'm going alone & don't want to be alone in Aberdeen for the whole week, I need my family to keep me company. Conference is still a conference. I will attend as usual but the time before & after is with the family. Obligations to the company still need to be fulfilled. I truly honor the chances given all these while. Alhamdulillah...

So, we will stop short while in London, overnight & straight away head to Aberdeen, Scotland the next morning. We'll be meeting Farouk, my husband's cousin who's been a Londoner for more than 15 years.

Ok, enough for now. Will update more very soon.. Cheers..! & Selamat Hari Raya..!

Note: I'm still 'touching' up and reviewing my presentation for the conference. Huhu..

Selamat Hari Raya 2011

I would like to wish..

Selamat Hari Raya & Hari Kemerdekaan Malaysia 2011.

Enjoy these ads... :-)

Don't hook up to internet too much ppl.. there are times for other things in life..:-)

PETRONAS Raya, Merdeka ad (not among the best PETRONAS's ad though)..

I like this one.. hillarious but have deep hidden message to it...

My work.. for easy reference

Hi. Bear with me on this one but I need to put this Periodic Table or 'Jadual Berkala' for my easy reference. Also, for my friends out there who might want to refresh their chemistry years.. hehe.. Your kids might love it too.. Click here or on the websites below the table

Here's the periodic table for your viewing pleasure.. hehe..

http://www.webelements.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodic_table_group

The 'polkadots'.. on your bo-dy..

My daughter is having chicken pox for the last 2 days and I'm taking leave babysitting her. We left the abang at the baby sitter's house to minimize the risk of infection. Plus, he's having his mid term exam. Balik sekolah today merdeka la dia..! As for this mama, actually I must say, quite terrified that I'll get infected, but being a mama, just hope tak kena la... Looking at those 'polkadots' on my daughter's body, kesian die, scratching here & there. Luckily, she's already a big girl, if she's still very small, kesian sangat, sure meragam je. Actually she had her 'cacar air'/chickenpox immunisation when she was 1 yr++. Guess the one injected was from a different strain. The one that she has now is probably from another strain, so 'kena' la jugak..

Photos: Google-lah..

As for the cure, there's no cure. You just let the 'dots' come out. Doctors will give paracetamol (for the fever, slightly for deena), phenergan or any antihistamine (for the gatal2) & of course, calamile lotion (for the 'dots').

Traditionally, grandma (s) would advice (some doctors too like my friend, Dr. Sabine) to drink a lot of coconut water (air kelapa) & also crush the 'daun semambu' in water & let her bathe with it or put the leaves under her body/bed sheet to reduce the itchiness. We'll pick up some daun semambu later this afternoon. Luckily our house is very very near the infamous Batu Caves. So, there's a lot in there.. Hang in there Deena dear..

Some little notes on Chickenpox, taken from http://kidshealth.org/kid/ill_injure/sick/chicken_pox.html.

What Is Chickenpox?

Chickenpox is caused by a virus called varicella zoster. People who get the virus often develop a rash of spots that look like blisters all over their bodies. The blisters are small and sit on an area of red skin that can be anywhere from the size of a pencil eraser to the size of a dime.

You've probably heard that chickenpox are itchy. It's true. The illness also may come along with a runny nose and cough. But the good news is that chickenpox is a common illness for kids, and most get better by resting just like you do with a cold or the flu.
And the really good news is that, thanks to the chickenpox vaccine, lots of kids don't get chickenpox at all. Kids who do get it after they've gotten the shot often get less severe cases, which means they get better quicker.

What Happens When You Have Chickenpox?
Chickenpox may start out seeming like a cold: You might have a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and a cough. But 1 to 2 days later, the rash begins, often in bunches of spots on the chest and face. From there it can spread out quickly over the entire body — sometimes the rash is even in a person's ears and mouth.

The number of pox is different for everyone. Some people get just a few bumps; others are covered from head to toe. At first, the rash looks like pinkish dots that quickly develop a small blister on top (a blister is a bump on your skin that fills up with fluid). After about 24 to 48 hours, the fluid in the blisters gets cloudy and the blisters begin to crust over.

Chickenpox blisters show up in waves, so after some begin to crust over, a new group of spots might appear. New chickenpox usually stop appearing by the seventh day, though they may stop as early as the third day. It usually takes 10-14 days for all the blisters to be scabbed over and then you are no longer contagious.

Besides the rash, someone with chickenpox might also have a stomachache, a fever, and may just not feel well.

Kota Kinabalu.. Part 4.. final?

Hi again.. It has been some time since I last posted. Tak sempat.. So tied up with work & study.. huhu.. Now, let's finish up on some memoir for our KK trip.. Here it goes..



Finally.. at the main entrance of Kinabalu Park



The entrance - view from below

So, we arrived after a much hilly ride up. Since we seldom go up any mountain vacation, we really apreciate the views of going up to Kinabalu Park. It was very natural & breathtaking. The place was well kept, with lots of tourist, hikers.. and you could see people with complete mountain climbing gears here & there..

I always enjoyed traveling overseas but this Kinabalu Park is not bad & to my surprise, left some special touch to it. Love you Malaysia..!!

So people, enjoy some views as I take you to our journey..

playing with colors on my Canon..

No cars beyond this point. It's the 'kaki gunung kinabalu'... Lot's of Kabus actually.. even at mid day





Look at  these records.. see, Malaysians 'otai' are the strongest & fastest..!





Now, this is where the journey to Mount Kinabalu starts.. Focus at the gate way at the back..

Caution, caution people...



Our view from the deck on top on the Timpohon Check Point.. These are the first few 'steps' after the gate/start point



3 happy 'kids'..!! hehe. No views of the mountain, peaks & alike.. we were covered with kabus.. next time Gadget.. next time.. he..

Kota Kinabalu... Part 3



The trip to the mountain. It was ~ 11am but kabus everywhere



The 3rd day's activity was a trip to Kinabalu Mountain.. Opps, Kinabalu Park to be exact..hehe..Kinabalu Mountain as the scenic background. Our family are not the hiking & mountain climbing type though.

So, we followed the route given by the hotel concierge, hand drawn & very accurate. Our first stop was Pekan Nabalu. It's full of handicrafts and souvenirs. A lot of T-shirts too.. There are 2 areas to shop. One is the roadside stalls, another is a 'rumah panjang'-like wooden building. If you'd like to buy T-shirts, I'd recommend here, because the shops in the 'Philipino market' or also called 'Handicraft Centre' in town didn't offer much choice on t-shirts design & sizes. The market mostly sold pearl items & handicrafts.

Another, because the weather here in Pekan Nabalu is sooo nice, it's cool.. probably around 20 deg C, depend on the time also..



Left: Roadside shops, Right: the 'rumah panjang' type

I haven't gotten used to blogging as yet, so sometimes when I ate or stop anywhere, lupa nak amik gambar. he.. Here in Pekan Nabalu also, there's a spot with very good views of Mount Kinabalu. Tips: Depends on the time that you reach this place; if you're lucky you'll get to see the tip of the mountain. If not, you're left with the 'kabus' only. You need to 'catch' the views at the right time. We stopped at this very scenic spot twice. 1st time, on the way up & 2nd time, on the way down. Reason, tak puas hati because didn't see the TIP of the Kinabalu Mountain, so, we made an effort to stop here again. And boy, we were lucky..!! See the snapshots below:

Focus at the tips - now you don't see them

Now you DO..!

I'll continue this post later... see ya..!

Kota Kinabalu...Part2

Now it's Day 2. The initial plan was to go island hopping. However, after the tsunami & earthquake hit Japan, we tried to avoid going to the sea or even ride on a boat. A few days before our arrival in KK, I read/heard some news that folks living at the Kampung Air near Tanjung Aru were asked to evacuate their homes & go to a higher ground for the fear that tsunami may hit KK. It was told that people should also stay away from the beaches as the after effect of the tsunami in Japan is hardly predictable.

So, since we are not going for any island hopping, we decided to explore Karambunai & its surrounding areas. So, these are our activities..

Day view of its landmark

Cycling



..and cycling..





Karambunai Lagoon..



Place to rest

We checked in to another hotel since the focus is more of the island hopping and city adventure. The thing is, we already cancelled island hopping, so, that's why we decided to check-in late & explored Karambunai instead. We chose Sutera Harbour as our next destination. There are 2 hotels in Sutera Harbour - Pacific Sutera & Magellan Sutera. Magellan Sutera is more expensive, so, we chose Pacific Sutera to see how it's like. To me, Pacific Sutera is not as nice as reviewed. It's old & definitely not as nice as Karambunai. I'm comparing them because the rates are almost the same. Probably we didn't savour the same luxury feeling as in Karambunai & probably because we stayed in a room with golf view which has no balcony..! If I had known, I wouldn't choose it in the 1st place. Magellan Sutera looked much better though. Next time then..

Ok, enough about the room. Other things about Pacific Sutera are actually not bad... We had the yachts around, great view of the islands from the swimming pool, breakfast was great & easy access to the city centre & pearl shops..! he..



View from the breakfast area



View from its garden & swimming pool area. Unfortunately our room is on the other side.. huhu..

Where to eat?

We drove around the waterfront area and jetty to scout for the seafood restaurants. Another scouting activities was where to shop. We saw stretch of wet market and handicraft market along the coast. Ok, so, at last we decided to have our 1st seafood delicacy at Ocean Seafood Restaurant.



Inside the restaurant. We also ordered fish & squid (not in picture, tak sempat amik, dah makan..he..)



Kota Kinabalu.. Part 1

I recalled being in KK airport in December, as a transit point before heading Labuan. But the one last time was new & big & resembled KLIA. Now, what has happened here? This airport is way different, looks like an old airport, more like Kuantan airport as it is quite small.Then, thinking of it again, it's AirAsia, so, must be like LCCT. MAS flights go the new nicer ones.

Car Rental
Once arrived, we straight away rent a car. That's the plan. The rental rates of the companies on my list (from website of course) are more expensive, so, we opted for the rental car service counters available at the arrival hall. Compared to Labuan & Langkawi, the rental rates here are way expensive. A kancil/viva costs RM100/day, Waja RM180/day, Persona or Vios RM200-220/day (all without insurance!). However, we were left with not much choice on the car selection. We took Persona since we needed it to go up the hilly terrain to Kinabalu Park. The starting price was RM210/day. Since we needed it for 3 days, so, we got it at RM180/day after some bargain. Still, it could be considered expensive as compared to a Waja in Langkawi that costs RM60-80/day. Persona might be ~RM120 only.

Note: Car Rental company that we took: 'KK Leisure Tour & Rent A Car'

Lunch
We had our 1st lunch in KK at a place called Rohayu cafe (Ayu, hang nye cafe ke..?he..) It was a pleasant, good place to eat. It's located at the 2nd roundabout after the airport. Take the 3pm direction & the cafe is located just at that very corner.

Soto ala Sabah - quite different, ada timum & limau nipis



Driving
Driving in KK is relatively easy. One thing that's obvious about KK's street is that there are so many roundabouts. Almost everywhere, from tiny ones to as big as the ones in Shah Alam. KK people must have hate traffic light. Or because roundabouts are free maintenance thingy. hehe..

A place to rest
We stayed at Nexus Resort Karambunai for the 1st night. It's a golf, spa & resort hotel. So, the price is at the higher side but very worth it.

How to get there?
Karambunai is about 30-40 minutes drive from the airport. It's up north, passed the University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) & the 1-Borneo shopping centre. If you're coming from KK city centre,the 1-Borneo mall should be on your left. After few kilometers from the 1-Borneo mall, you'll see a 4-junction traffic light and a church on your right. Take the left turn, go straight ahead, passed the Kolej Politeknik until you see a big roundabout. Go straight ahead (take the 12pm direction at the roundabout), passed the Jabatan Laut. A few kilometers after the Jabatan Laut, the Karambunai signboard is clearly visible on your right. Follow the signboard. Take this road until you see a guard house. The whole stretch of the road is estimated at about 500m or more. At the end of this road, there's a T-junction. The road on the right goes to the Karambunai Lagoon. Take the one on the left & it will head you straight to Karambunai Resort.

Though Karambunai is a bit outskirt from the city centre, it offers lots of activities for the kids and whole family. It's very scenic, breathtaking and really worth the money & time. See the pictures below..



Arriving Karambunai

Night view from its landmark

Where to eat?
For our 1st dinner, we ordered in-room dining since we thought that the good seafood restaurants were quite far from reach & the kids were tired. Then, only at the last night did we realize that there is good seafood restaurant nearby called 'Salut Seafood Restaurant'. We actually went to Salut on our last nite, after coming down from Kinabalu Park. I'll tell in later posts ya..

Tips: Want to know the choices of seafood restaurants in KK? Click here