The Legend Water Chalets, Port Dickson

A match made in heaven, solemnized on earth, and consummated in hell

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I decided to go on an impromptu trip to Port Dickson during the weekend. It was a totally random (which of course means “The latest buzzword used amongst mindless teenagers as a way of showing just so utterly irreverent their predictable sense of humor is”) decision made last Friday, consummated on the same day, with me driving down on Saturday.

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It takes about 1 Β½ hour to get from KL to Port Dickson. You need to find your way to the PLUS Highway and keep on driving towards Seremban before switching to Port Dickson. It took me close to 2 Β½ hours to drive there coz I kept getting lost, but we made good time coming back, in just under an hour. πŸ˜‰

water chalet

Anyway, I’m still not sure why I went (much like the reason behind me booking tickets to Shanghai just now escapes me). I think a lot of it had to do with the awesome Corus resort photos (just love that lagoon) and the concept of water chalets. Oh wait, this refreshes me memory. I know why I went…I went for one sole reason:

glass

This cursed glass floor panel on the floor of the water chalets. I mean, its awesome right? You canΒ watch the gently undulating waves come in during high tide and receding the next day. Best of all, the glass floor panel is visible from the toilet, so you can take a leisurely dump while watching schools of non-existent fish swim by. πŸ˜‰

jd

That, my friends, is the sole USP of The Legend Water Chalets, Port Dickson. I wanted to stay at the Corus, but their rooms were all taken, so I booked the Executive Water Chalet at The Legend Water Chalets for RM 450. It’s a single story chalet build above the sea with a balcony that overlooks the sea and the refreshing smell of sea spray enveloping you as you chill on the deck. Do you have a new deck on the Sunshine Coast which needs to be preserved, or is your existing deck looking neglected and require a new facelift? Maybe a deck refreshment is all your deck needs to get it looking amazing and to ensure it can withstand the harsh outdoor climate. The difference between needing a refresh (restoration) or a replacement is heavily influenced by the condition of the existing decking boards and the quality of the initial construction. A simple deck inspection from one of our Best Deck Restoration Sunshine Coast builders will reveal if the decking can be restored or if it has passed its due by date.

chalets

The deck is pretty fucking awesome. There are two sun chairs and a table for you to chill in, and I’ve seen people with fishing rods trying their luck with the Port Dickson water. It seems that anglers would find this particularly attractive, since you can just throw your line into the sea from the comfort of your private chalet.

pool

If you’re not into fishing, you can check out…the pool. There’s no private beach in The Legend Water Chalets which is a damn shame. I wish there was a nice swath of sand to chill by, that would have been great.

pool us

The pool at The Legend Water Chalets, Port Dickson isn’t really that awesome though…it’s just a regular pool with heaps of children running around it with their parents in tow. However, we brought a bottle of wine to the pool and drank it by the pool. That was fun. πŸ˜‰

food

Anyway, with regards to the food department, I can’t really say much about the offerings at The Legend Water Chalets. We went to the restaurant to order food, before deciding to get it sent to our room. The seafood pasta I ordered turned out quite tragically. It tastes exactly like chow meen (Chinese fried noodles) complete with the soy based sauce. It tastes like theΒ chef went all kung fu on its ass.

deck

However, it was a pretty relaxing weekend…

Pros:
Water chalets
A nice, huge bathtub
Shower that opens to the sky
That nifty thingy on the floor

Cons:
Shitty food
No private beach

What’s the story?

morning glory

I’m back from Port Dickson! Stayed in a water chalet above the sea, with morning glories adorning the (man-made) beachhead. All in all, it was a pretty chill weekend. πŸ™‚

…and now I’m back at home, playing Spymaster. Crap.

P/S – I just realized I spilled Jack Daniels all over the back seat. It seems that I have neglected to properly cap the damn thing in PD before transporting it back. You probably know how atrocious whisky-on-fabric smells like. Fuck me.

Seafood Noodles @ SS4, Petaling Jaya

seafood noodle ss4

I am told there’s an undiscovered gem serving awesome Hoi Seen Meen (Seafood Noodles) in SS4, Petaling Jaya. A couple of us went there for lunch. The unassuming place is either called B & Best Restaurant or Restauran Rasa Sayang. I don’t really know which really, since there are two signboards.

seafood noodle stall

The trick is to peek in and find this stall. It’s conveniently labeled Seafood Porridge & Noodle for those of us who have problems with Chinese comprehension. I’m told it serves both clear and spicy broth. There are reports that you can opt to add in abalone as well, but be prepared to fork over the cash for that. I think its RM 68 for abalone. Not that hoi seen noodles are cheap, it’ll set you back at least RM 12 (not RM 11 as the sign says).

seafood noodles fishcake

You can order a side of fish cake (RM 7) to go with your seafood extravaganza. Might as well do the full Monty right?

There are two variants of Seafood Noodle that you can order:

seafood noodles spicy

Spicy Soup Seafood Noodle

seafood noodles dry

Dry Seafood Noodle (the Soup Seafood Noodle looks like this too – just imagine the noodles dumped inside the broth)

seafood noodle end

I had the dry seafood noodle since I’m not a big fan of hot, soupy things…especially in the midday sun, where you’re apt to sweat 2 liters just from attacking the broth.


View SS4 Seafood Noodles in a larger map

It should be noted that all dishes are RM 12 and not RM 11 as the sign states. You can micromanage the type of fish you want too: Choose from garoupa, pomfret, or whatever the catch of the day is. It’s pretty good seafood noodles, filled with aquatic goodness!

…does flu

does flu

My apologies for the extended leave of absence. I have been positively sick for the last couple of days and dragged myself to see another doctor just now. I’m still running a fever of 39.5 degrees, which while better than the previous day, is still making me thirst like nothing else. Thus, the good doctor put me on 1,000 mg of cephalexin per day. Doctors giving antibiotics for what is essentially a viral infection (influenza comes from a virus although the doctor thought it was dengue at first) always puzzles me.

On another note, I’ve been having really weird fever dreams. I dreamt about…Sibu, of all things and the interesting thing is I always see it through rose tinted glasses. It’s like I (wonder of wonders) miss the place. That is pretty bizarre coz I never feel homesick. I’m not sure it’s homesickness per se, I hear you dream about your hometown when you’re really sick, it’s just one of those things.

Okay, enough crap, the only reason I got myself out of bed is coz I miss writing. See ya on the flipside folks.

Standout with Tiger and Nuffnang Party

standout

I went to HQnine, TTDI for the Standout with Tiger and Nuffnang party on Saturday night. I wasn’t feeling very well that night, and didn’t manage to get much of a costume together. I went to get a Banana Republic shirt coz everyone has been bugging me about my remarkable wardrobe. πŸ˜‰

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I went and signed up…

ppc

…and who did I see? PPC! (okay, very lame rhymes)

su ann

I also met Su Ann, who was there as Cecelia Chung in Edison Chen’s photos…

rin

Cheesie

kim

Kimberly

suet li

…and Suet Li.

carol

The Nuffies are out and about, spreading cheer with their Nuffnang Dollars.

wrestling

Carol isn’t exactly a champion at thumb wrestling, mostly due to her small hands, but props for going for it anyway (and netting me a cool ND 80). I had about 240 (or was it 340?) Nuffnang Dollars which I pooled together with Hitomi and friend (er…my memory is a bit messed up, sorry!).

doria

I also won some from Doria and I was bidding for Yee Hou, which I lost, and it’s a good thing too coz the mystery prize was bananas that round.

bid

I nearly won the next round if not for the Spartans (grr…lost by about ND 40 and it was a Nintendo DS Lite) but the stakes were high at the end and I found it impossible to proceed without pooling resources.

win

Thus, our motley crew of 3 managed to win the next bid with ND 600…but alas, it was Gold Class tickets to GSC so I let the other two have it.
montage

 

It was fun. A three word summary of the night. πŸ˜‰

The runs

the runs

I was down with a serious case of The runs (TM) yesterday. I’m not sure if it’s something I ate that didn’t quite agree with me but I’m glad it has run its course. I’m still feeling dehydrated today from the intensity of the experience. πŸ˜‰

Love to Save some lives?

kidney damage

The National Kidney Foundation provides dialysis treatment for everyone at a huge discount. That’s just part of what they do, but most people associate them with this. I will need to have access to dialysis treatment in the near future – I kinda messed up my kidneys and had to undergo an emergency dialysis back in 2006.

dialysis

I have seen first-hand how the NKF operates, and understand how charities like the NKF require public support to function. My donations in the past have always gone to organizations that I believe in – harm reduction groups sees the bulk of my philanthropy, with Erowid being my favorite group (it’s even tax deductible in the US). On the local front, I tend to support NKF, for obvious reasons.

It’s hard to take care of others in the current economic climate. I’ll be honest and say that I haven’t been contributing much in the past few years. Common excuses:

Donate??? Crazy ah? In the current economic crisis?
Sorry lah…I just got retrenched and I have a family to support.
I don’t even have enough money for myself…

lovetosave

The Love to Save campaign runs for the entire month of June – just click on the charity of your choice and DiGi will donate RM 5 per click, on your behalf. You don’t even have to fork out a single sen!

More of an animal person? Love taking care of the underprivileged? You can also choose to support the following charities:

Nature
SPCA Selangor
Malaysian Nature Society
Borneo Conservation Trust
Global Environment Centre

Medical
National Kidney Foundation (NKF)
IJN Foundation
Hospis Malaysia
Malaysian AIDS Foundation
MAKNA (Majlis Kanser Nasional)

Social
National Council for the Blind Malaysia
Malaysian Council for Child Welfare
Women’s Aid Organization
National Council of Senior Citizens Organisations Malaysia
Persatuan Kebajikan HOPE worldwide Kuala Lumpur

You can also setup your own personal group and promote it using the various social networking tools – Facebook, Twitter, or your own blog. You can even set your MSN status to display the code and append signatures like the one above to your emails!

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I created an NKF group to spread the word among friends and coworkers. I was pleasantly surprised by the speed and ease of registration. It just takes a couple of clicks to reach the registration page, which only requires my email address, age group and the name of my group. Nice!

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I verified my email and the group is good to go after that. The Dashboard is where you go to grab your group link and banners for use in Facebook or as email signatures. You can also keep track of how your group is doing.

The world would be a better place if everyone takes a breather from the rat race and think about others. You too, can make a difference – click on the banner above and enter your email address. DiGi will contribute RM 5 towards the cause with just that one click! Go on, donate with DiGi’s money. You know you want to. πŸ˜‰

Saturday in Penang: Penang Hill, Fort Cornwallis, Seri Rambai Cannon and Sup Torpedo

It is interesting to note that Fort Cornwallis saw no actual combat to date. Thus, unless you unleash hell at the fort, it’ll remain relegated as the fort that never went through the tribulations of war. It’s such a sad title. Who will do the right thing? Who here is righteous enough, with fire in their bellies and steel in their balls? Who here will attack Fort Cornwallis tomorrow? – Crap from Huai Bin, 2009

day 2 start

I woke up nice and early on Saturday morning. I only managed 3 hours of fitful sleep on Friday (mostly due to people calling me at odd hours) and crawled out of bed to hit the shower before heading out for breakfast with Cheryl and Kah Wheng. We had planned to hit some of the further tourist attractions in Penang so a hearty breakfast is in order.

chicken rice

Cheryl recommended the chicken rice at (The Famous) Goh Thew Chik Hainan Chicken Rice. I was a little out of it during breakfast but I didn’t realize that anyone could tell until Cheryl told me. 😑 The breakfast was good, and I was having doubts I could even eat lunch coz I stuffed myself. I figured I needed to walk off all that chicken rice so we headed over to…

fort cornwallis

Fort Cornwallis!

francis light

Fort Cornwallis was built in 1786 when Sir Francis Light took over Penang from the Sultan of Kedah with Fine Print (TM) that would make most bankers today go green with envy.

cannon.jpg

The admission for Fort Cornwallis is only RM 3. I highly recommend this place – it’s a famous historical site (it’s in our history books) and there’s surprisingly a lot to see and do over here…

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…and I don’t just mean camwhore

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…with huge cannons. πŸ˜‰

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Whoa! You gave me a fright dude.

Seri Rambai Cannon.jpg

This here cannon is the British Empire’s finest back in the days. It’s the largest cannon in the fort and a gift from the Dutch (which makes it Dutch’s finest, I guess, but I tend to think of other things when that is mentioned) to the Johor Sultanate. The British seized it under the Dangerous Drugs Act: Forfeiture of Property Act of…er, 1701, and placed it in Fort Cornwallis. It even has a name – Seri Rambai Cannon.

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BE CAREFUL LADY!!!!

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Let us deal with the fucking invaders…

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Check out the gunpowder barrels and cannon balls in the artillery store. I loved it!

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There are also jail cells for the misbehaving masses…I imagine thieving folks and deserters were thrown in the brig back in the days. I remember going to this gaol in Melbourne and spending the night there. I wish we can do that in Fort Cornwallis.

kannons.jpg

It is interesting to note that Fort Cornwallis saw no actual combat to date. Thus, unless you unleash hell at the fort, it’ll remain relegated as the fort that never went through the tribulations of war.

fort cornwallis old.jpg

It’s such a sad title. Who will do the right thing? Who here is righteous enough, with fire in their bellies and steel in their balls? Who here will attack Fort Cornwallis tomorrow?

qe 2.jpg

Okay, enough crap.

qe 2 montage.jpg

We headed over to QE II after that. It’s a nice beachfront place, but that’s not saying much on an island. πŸ˜‰

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I took random shots of historic looking structures…

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…before we adjourned to Khoo Kongsi.

Khoo Kongsi 1.jpg

Khoo Kongsi (RM 5) is located in some back alley in Penang and still maintains the housing facilities for clan members. Kongsi is a benign triad of sorts, a clan if you will. This is the Khoo clanhouse.

Khoo Kongsi 2.jpg

Khoo Kongsi used to be a miniature village and most of the facilities can still be seen around the compound.

Khoo Kongsi 3.jpg

However, it is first and foremost a temple, and there are a lot of intricate sculptures and carvings at the temple.

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There are surviving members of the Khoo clan up to today. The rooms hold an exhaustive list of the Genealogy of Khoo, aptly called Numbers.

Khoo Kongsi 5.jpg

I’m kidding but it really lists down every single Khoo that came in FOB from China to the ones who’re alive (and kicking) with degrees from Australia, US and England.

Khoo Kongsi 6.jpg

How times have changed…

Cheong Fatt Tze.jpg

Continuing along the same theme, the next stop also retraces our cultural roots – it’s the Cheong Fatt Tze Heritage Tour. It should be noted that no cameras are allowed inside the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion.

Cheong Fatt Tze Heritage Tour.jpg

However, no one is going to stop you if you go around snapping photos (except for the tour guide, but don’t worry about her ;)).

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion.jpg

The tour costs RM 15 and it’ll be quite informative for those of us who have, somewhere along the line, lost track of our Chinese culture and heritage. I count myself as one amongst this lost generation and I found the tour to be quite enlightening – especially the bits about why they had water in the middle of the courtyard.

Cheong Fatt Tze 1.jpg

The reason they have water in the middle of the courtyard is…er, I forgot. :p

Cheong Fatt Tze 3.jpg

Nevertheless, it’s a good introduction to Chinese culture. I learnt that the good Cheong Fatt Tze couldn’t ride first class on a ship to England due to racial prejudices back then. He was so pissed off that he threatened to start his own shipping fleet. He could have done so easily with his considerable financial clout but finally the British acquiesced and let him ride first class.

Cheong Fatt Tze 3.jpg

He was also known for breaking bowls before shipping them to avoid taxes against china (as in the delicate tea cups and saucers, not the country) and reassembling them back in Penang. Very interesting. I would advice giving the overpriced souvenir store conveniently located at the end of your tour a pass and go camwhore with the props outside.

Cheong Fatt Tze end.jpg

Next stop: Bukit Bendara a.k.a. Penang Hill!

penang%20asam%20laksa.jpg

…but not before refueling with the famous Penang Assam Laksa at Pasar Air Itam. It’s on the way to Penang Hill.

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Penang Hill is a hillside resort located in Air Itam. I wanted to go on the funicular railway that brings you to the peak of Penang Hill in 30 minutes. A funicular railway is just a fancy way of saying the railway runs on a steep incline. πŸ˜‰

penang hill.jpg

Bukit Bendera (Flag Hill) refers to Penang Hill’s highest peak – Flagstaff Peak. I figured the Β½ hour and 2 km ride to the top would be fun since it was a pretty warm day. Unfortunately, all tickets were sold out except for the 8:30 PM. It would be way too dark by then for any decent photography so we decided to head back to the hotel and come out again later at night.

Penang Hill Railway.jpg

I managed to get a photo of the Penang Hill Railway. This is the funicular railway (the only one in Malaysia) that propels you to the top. Propel might be the wrong word to use since it takes ages; a leisurely ride is more like it.

Penang Hill train.jpg

You can get to this vantage point by going to the restricted Exit area when you see the train coming down. I don’t think the train driver liked me being there though. πŸ˜‰

hokkien mee.jpg

Anyway, we got back to the hotel, showered and rested for a while. It was raining heavily that night so a lot of options were closed. It’s a good thing we already went to Gurney Drive the previous night. Cheryl and Kah Wheng picked us up and took us to eat the Hokkien Mee in Penang, which is very different from the Hokkien Mee in KL.

penang hokkien mee.jpg

We ordered Hokkien Mee as recommended. I had mine with square fish balls and pork ribs. You can actually choose what ingredients you want to be in your noodles – eggs, roast pork etc. Penang is a Hokkien bastion and Hokkien Mee is one of its famed delicacies.

o chien.jpg

It tastes like what KL people would call Curry Mee. This is authentic Penang Hokkien Mee and to go with it, we ordered a platter of O Chien (oyster omelet). It was a good choice for soaking up all the alcohol we’ll be drinking later that night. πŸ˜‰

soi 11

We headed to Soi 11 for a drinking session since it’s a Saturday and we’re due to fly back the next day. I remembered ordering several buckets of beer…

soi 11 chicks

…and sculling it. I also vaguely remember meeting some local chicks and getting their numbers. The Memory Keeper (TM) went on sick leave and I couldn’t remember much after that. Heh! I told you I shouldn’t mix, Cheryl. πŸ˜‰

soi 11 us

Now…where are we? Okay, the drinking session ended at around 2 am and Cheryl and Kah Wheng sent us back to Cititel. The Memory Keeper (TM) also kicked in around that time and I remember we have to eat the famous Sup Torpedo at Sup Hameed. It’s conveniently located right outside the hotel and it’s only open from 6 pm – 3 am, though they extend (LOL!) the opening hours when there are customers.

long dong

Bull’s penis is the shiznit…

bestiality

…and for some strange reason I couldn’t sleep that night and ended up ordering room service (in Penang?!?!?). I didn’t know what I was thinking but when I woke up I found the remnants of a club sandwich. I can’t remember if I paid for it but the room was charged under my credit card, so I just let it be.

room service.jpg

Jesus, eating room service in Penang. I blame inebriation for this sin. :p

The RM 1,000 bankroll kindly furnished by MAS is still looking healthy and there’s only one more day to go!

Next up: Penang Day 3!

Penang Asam Laksa @ Pasar Air Itam

pasar air itam laksa

I’ve always been a big fan of Penang Asam Laksa. I prefer asam laksa over the santan (coconut milk) saturated variants out there. Cheryl brought us to the best Penang Asam Laksa in Penang when I was there for the long Labor weekend.

air hitam laksa

In true Penang tradition, the best Penang Asam Laksa lies not in an air-conditioned food court but at Jalan Pasar in Air Itam. The stall is a bit dingy and the seating arrangements nothing more than plastic stools and slightly shabby tables beside a drain.

air itam montage

Appetite stimulated by the authentic smells and ambience, we ordered ice cold five fruits soup (it’s a shaved ice dessert popular in Sibu too, except we call it five tastes soup) and fried popiah with century eggs.

penang asam laksa

The Penang Asam Laksa (RM 2.70 and worth every cent) at Pasar Air Itam did not disappoint – it came in a broth that had the signature medley of tastes distinctive of asam laksa. Tamarind? Check. Lemongrass? Check. Onions? Check. The hearty soup went down really well with its minced fish pieces. It’s awesome-ness!

air itam laksa

I also learned a trick from Cheryl – dipping popiah into the rich Penang Asam Laksa broth is addictive! I’m lovin’ it.

“Over here in Penang, we just call it laksa”. πŸ˜‰

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