HB

A long, personal journey worth having.

Blackberry Prepaid!

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Man, I see all these people with Blackberry devices (plural: Blackberries?) doing everything a notebook can at a fraction of its size and I have to be honest, I find myself looking enviously at their canggih-ness.

I used to be an early adopter, getting PDAs and Pocket PCs before it came into vogue, but I have a problem with losing devices and now I can’t afford to get a BB.

I hear Xpax is coming out with a pre-paid version though, no details yet, so let’s see how this goes.

blackberry-curve-8520

Blackberry Curve 8520 Prepaid Plan by Xpax

I’ll be getting one from them soon (w00t!), so more information when I get my grubby hands on it! =D

Welcome to Sri Lanka!

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soldier 1

I love the conflict zone ambience!

soldier 2

There are soldiers everywhere…

soldier 3

…wearing different uniforms and carrying assault rifles.

soldier 4

Some were seen at structures like bridges but mostly they’re everywhere – there’s an armed soldier every 100 meters or so.

soldier 5

The car (furnished by Holiday Inn Colombo) had heavily tinted windows at the back, which I wound down to take photos of this interesting phenomenon, much to the consternation of the driver and the Holiday Inn representative. Heh!

soldier 6

It’s like playing I Spy, no wait, like Foto Quest Fishing where you try to take as many photos of different soldiers as you can, preferably in groups.

soldier 7

Congratulations! You’ve just snapped a rare Sri Lankan soldier in desert combat fatigues!

soldier 8

However, it should be noted that most soldiers in Sri Lanka are fond of shouting questions and firing guns with no apparent preference about which order they do this in, so I would exercise caution when taking photos. I’m told the military does not like to be pointed and shot at (even with a digicam).

soldier me

I managed to take one with a decidedly grumpy looking soldier.

soldier last

I also convinced him to let me pose with his rifle. He was apprehensive and put the safety on and won’t let go. I got the impression he was extremely uncomfortable about the whole thing. 😉

A waist is a terrible thing to mind

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step 4

I’ve always been blasé about the stuff that I shovel into my mouth. Once dubbed The Man With The Cast Iron Stomach, I’ve been known to eat just about anything and everything to little or no ill effect. I tend to favor greasy and fatty dishes, which probably explains my extraordinarily high cholesterol levels.

Give yourself a dose of Shock and Awe with my triglycerides reading. I weigh in at a staggering 6.10 mmol/L which is way beyond anything that can be even remotely described as “healthy”. Anything above 2.26 is High while results exceeding 5.65 is Very High. I guess mine is in the non-existent category called Ludicrously High. 😉 

triglycerides

Among my many (dubious) talents, one of them is speed eating. I can eat really fast. I practically gobble food down, which is not exactly listed in Best Practices of Eating Healthy.

I have always thought of myself as somewhat invincible – heart disease and stroke? That’s for old people. Nope, nothing to do with me at all. Denial is not just a river in Egypt and all that. 😉 

azza burger grill

This just goes to show that although we may come out with witty twists of famous quotes (A mind is a terrible thing to waste/A waist is a terrible thing to mind) it still doesn’t change the fact that we’re eating more and more unhealthy food at a younger age. The perils of cosmopolitan living… 

kl nasi lemak macro

I’m sure you’ve all read about the rising obesity rates worldwide – even us Asians, traditional bastions of healthy eating, have succumbed to unhealthy (but delicious) food. 

eat

I’m probably a prime candidate for a heart attack despite my age, and if I really do get one, having a bypass is going to cost well into the 5-6 figure range for the hospital bills. 

step

I’ll be honest; I’ll never be able to afford a sum like that. I don’t even have 4 digits in my bank account, unless it’s payday. 😉 I have company health insurance but the problem with this is that it’s tied to the company – if you switch jobs or (touch wood) get fired/retrenched, you lose your insurance. It’ll be worse when you retire coz that’s when you need your health insurance the most!

You know what they say about buttered toast always landing buttered side down (another variant of Murphy’s law – anything that can go wrong, will go wrong).

You do see the irony of using the buttered toast analogy in a post about cholesterol levels right? 😉 

light

It’s not all doom and gloom – read the previous post to know more about their kickbacks which rewards you for being healthy. Vegetarians and health freaks would be pleased to hear about that aspect. 

straddle

Seriously though, company tied medical insurance is not portable, which is why a lot of people opt for personal health plans. PRUhealth covers you up to the ripe old age of 100 and best of all? 

mfm platter

It also includes overseas coverage! Thus, if you clutch your heart after eating a hearty meal of greasy fish and chips chased down with an ultra thick chocolate milkshake complete with a deep fried Mars bar for dessert…fret not, you can still claim your hospital bills in other countries. 

mfm flaming

I mean, if you survive la. :p

…and of course, terms and conditions apply. 😉

Ceylon tea

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ceylon tea stall

Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon back in the heydays when the Tamil Tigers didn’t exist and everyone was living together in a happy communal family where disputes were resolved in the gentlemanly tradition of clubbing each other viciously to death with blunt objects. This veritable Eden didn’t last very long against the unrelenting tide of civilization, but Ceylon tea remains one of the best teas in the world.

ceylon tea boil

Ceylon tea is grown in the highlands of interior Sri Lanka and the locals over here brew the tea with ginger and lemongrass. It is drunk piping hot with enough sugar to give 10 large men diabetes – follow blood sugar premier for sugar balance.

roadside stall

To experience Ceylon tea it is essential to not get Dilmah (or some other prominent brand off the shelves) and steep it yourself.

ceylon tea mug

The real deal is to sip it by a roadside stall, where you can get an authentic brew of Ceylon tea. It’s infused with ginger, lemongrass, a dash of cinnamon and a healthy dose of sugar. Delectable!

ceylon tea drink

The sugar rush is enough to make me want to pick up a club and…

maldives fish

…eat some Maldives fish!

Nuffnang and OGAWA dinner @ TGIF

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event

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, or so the saying goes. However, I went to TGIF @ Pavilion a couple of weeks ago for not just a free dinner, but a free massage to boot. Nuffnang and OGAWA organized a get-together for bloggers and I went straight after work, anticipating good food, great company and perhaps even a massage session thrown in for good measure.

tgif

I was sold. I’ve been working long hours and there’s nothing I want more than some good chow and a nice, relaxing session on a massage chair.

plate

I went straight after work and since my office is in PJ, it took me a while to get to the heart of KL. I was famished by the time I arrived. The food at TGIF was great; I love the lamb chop with mint sauce and the mouth-watering BBQ chicken. Yums. I helped myself to a larger portion than usual and stuffed myself so much I felt like dozing off.

dinners

The Usual Suspects (TM) a.k.a. The Nuffnangers were there in force and we took up half of the entire TGIF outlet. There was a good mix of bloggers this time around. I met a lot of people who I haven’t seen in a while. The dinner concluded with half of us going over to OGAWA for a hands-on (or butt-on) experience with the OGAWA Smart Mate and the OGAWA SmartAire.

smart mate

I went on the OGAWA Smart Mate and it’s a good massage chair. However, the one I’m really interested in is the new OGAWA SmartAire.

curves

It’s featured prominently in their display and the sleek curves and sensual contours (get your mind out of the gutter, I’m talking about the chair) presents a very inviting package that practically whispers in your ear: Come on me.

mmm

Okay, that didn’t sound quite right but back to the chair, I decided to…er, give it a ride. The shop assistants put it on a 15 minute full body massage and boy…

sleep

It was so good that I practically had an orgasm…before falling straight asleep.

controls

Okay, I must admit that I was intrigued by the OGAWA SmartAire which lays claim to the first Zero Gravity massage chair in town. How can this be achieved with the g = 9.8 m/s2 = 32.2 ft/s2 equation that has been drilled into us in high school Physics classes?

funny

It apparently works by reclining you into a 126 degree position which takes the burden of gravity off your spine. You’ll look mighty ridiculous…but you can proudly proclaim to feel great while at it! 😉

rollers

It felt so good that I didn’t feel like getting off the chair at all. The sales personnel showed me the rollers which feel like human hands massaging you (it actually does!) and put me on a yoga setting that I thoroughly enjoyed.

su ann

It felt like I was almost floating, without the constant reminder of my bad posture and my neck pain. The 25 air massage bags felt like someone was actually massaging me in a spa (without the happy ending, of course ;)).

ogawa

I volunteered to be Carol‘s assistant tour guide for the second batch of people since I’ve gleaned quite a bit of information from the Ogawa sales personnel. I spontaneously launched into a pitch on OGAWA SmartAire’s NASA technology and the reparative properties of the yoga setting while walking backwards, clutching the brochure and gesturing rather enthusiastically.

guide

It was an impromptu thing, but even I surprised myself by being able to remember stuff like the high pillow design for support and the “uniquely designed S-track to follow the contour of your spine” while talking to the second group during the long trek from TGIF to Ogawa. I guess there’s potential for me in the tourism and hospitality industry yet. 😉

It was back to TGIF for more fun and games after that – Telephone a.k.a. Chinese Whispers (which I’ve always found mildly offensive, but it’s what I call it). It goes like this:

There is a man at the bar.
His hand has a scar.
If you want to be a star,
You can tonight, thanks to OGAWA!

It wasn’t the original message of course – I was the last in the line and that was the communiqué when it arrived.

winners

Su Ann and ShaolinTiger snagged the OGAWA EyeTune prizes.

of course

We lost, but a post-mortem conducted by Yours Truly discovered that all 6 of us at the end transcribed it correctly (impeccably even) so the error occurred in the first 4 people. :p

50

BTW, OGAWA is having a Mega Raya promo where everything is 50% off. I thought it said RM 50 at the store and was about to rummage for my wallet to get a massage chair before one of the attendants politely informed me that it was 50% off, not RM 50. Heh! There’s also RM 10,000 worth of shopping vouchers to be won and a shopping experience with Aznil.

end

Nuffnang is having a joint promotion where you can print out vouchers online for ludicrous (defined as up to 70%) discounts on selected items here.

nice

It was a great night and the door gift includes an OGAWA ComfyzzZ Vibrating Neck Supporter which I’ve found rather useful. I’ve taken to sleeping on it lately and it lulls me into Mr. Sandman’s domain relatively faster than my usual pillow. Nifty! It’s very…comfyzzZzzzzzzz…

Dining by the beach in Mount Lavinia

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beach dining

Mount Lavinia is a city outside Colombo famed for its Golden Mile of beaches. There are a lot of beachfront restaurants over there – the sun, the surf, the sand all around you while you dig in to some fresh fish caught straight from the ocean.

boat hauus

I’m telling you, the waves in Sri Lanka are awesome! It’s an island surrounded by the ocean so the impressive surf is like nothing else. The sea spray alone is enough to whet the appetite.

fresh fish

I went to this place called Boat Hous Café. It was decimated by the tsunami several years ago and rebuilt from scratch.

sprats

I ordered Hadella which is sprats…

fish sri lanka

…and some kind of butterfish that the proprietor recommended. It’s served with a side of salad and plenty of spices on the fish.

sri lanka fried rice

The meal was topped off with some Sri Lankan fried rice. The food here is cheap, inclusive of beers (5 x large local lagers) it came up to LKR 2,700 (about USD 27 or RM 90).

dinner red onions

I was amazed by the freshness of the fish. The sprats were deep fried and served with some kick ass chillies and the butterfish is tender and succulent. I noticed that the people over here love their red onions – it comes as a side dish, spiced with pepper and makes an awesome condiment for the fried rice.

dig in

Dig in!

(and ignore the Naval base with armed military by the beach – it’s a common sight in Sri Lanka)

Hotels in Sri Lanka

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hotel sri lanka

Hotels are not actually places of accommodation in Sri Lanka. The word “hotel” means curry house, much like a mamak in Malaysia.

crown hotel

I’m not sure why it’s called a hotel either but it’s a good place for cheap eats and decent food.

sri lanka hotel

Hotels are scattered throughout much of Colombo and I’ve eaten at several during my short time here. I prefer the small establishments where the locals go.

hotel welcome

Most of the locals here order “short eats” – samosas and other deep fried savory rolls during odd hours of the day but the staple food for lunch is:

hotel staff

Rice! It comes in a mound with several sides of curry, pickles and dhall. You are charged by how much you eat and the rice is infinitely refillable (as is the condiments).

hotel rice

To truly appreciate the Sri Lankan culture, it is essential that you eat with your hands. It doesn’t take long to master – just use the tips of your fingers to get to the rice.

rice hands

However, I must warn you that hotels in Sri Lanka do not believe in serviettes, probably due to the cost. Instead, you have a piece of old newspaper to wipe your hands with.

hotel wash

It’s surprisingly effective – newspaper dries your hand and rubs off most of the olfactory offence you have rendered upon it.

hotel papers

You know the best thing about hotels in Sri Lanka? The rice dish cost me LKR 50 which is about USD 0.50 or RM 1.70. It’s very easy on the wallet! 🙂

rice me

I must warn people without a cast iron stomach not to drink the water though. It’s not boiled. I saw them filling it at the tap. >.<

Posted: 8:34 PM Sri Lankan time

McDonald’s in Sri Lanka

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mcdonalds sri lanka

I know, who the hell eats at McDonald’s when they’re on vacation right? Well, I’ve made it my personal jihad to check out McDonald’s in the different countries I visit for their localized menu items.

mcdonalds staff

It’s like stamp collecting – how do you explain it? I can’t, an inexplicable urge came over me and I told the tuk tuk driver: “Bring me to your leader!”

mcdonalds counter

I meant bring me to the nearest McDonald’s.

mcdonalds sauce

The first regional difference is their sauce – instead of chilli sauce, their chilli sauce is infused with garlic. Nice! There is no regular chilli sauce here.

menu liner

McDonald’s is renowned for their signature Big Macs. The Big Macs in Sri Lanka comes in two variants – beef and chicken (due to the religious constitution – Hindus don’t eat beef).

scratch win

The staff is very friendly and accommodating – but perhaps only to foreigners, since I noticed they were decidedly cold towards a local who was short LKR 50. I paid for her; it’s only RM 2, not a big deal to us, my good dead for the day. 😉 I also got a free Coke from this scratch and win contest they’re having. It was either a drink, a t-shirt or a trip to South Africa to watch…you guessed it, cricket!

mcrice container

I ordered a McRice with Chicken (LKR 220 or USD 2.20). It also comes with the option of fish (since Sri Lanka is an island in the middle of the ocean) or vegetables (a sizable community here is vegetarian).

mcrice chicken

The chicken is nothing to write home about – it’s just a piece of fried chicken breast.

rice sauce

However, they do have a rather tasty sauce of onions with gravy that adds that extra dimension of taste to the chicken. The rice on the other hand, is really something I would take the time to draft a long correspondence back for!

mcrice

The interesting thing about their rice is that it’s heavily flavored by various spices and comes with a side serving of shallots. I notice that Sri Lankans loves their red onions. It’s served at almost every meal!

veggie burger

I also got a Vegetarian Burger with Cheese (LKR 360 or USD 3.60). It’s obviously not for vegans due to the cheese but it tastes good – like the Vege Burger I had in Melbourne.

chicken big mac

I was stuffed at that point but I insist on trying all their different menu items so I had a Chicken Big Mac (LKR 410 or USD 4.10) to go. It’s unusual, tastes like a McChicken instead of a Big Mac, but with two all-beef chicken patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.

sauce

The other thing I noticed about McDonald’s in Sri Lanka is that they don’t have proper sealed sauces for take away.

sauce size

They use a flat round container instead. This is how it looks like beside a LKR 5 coin. I’m not sure if this is a recipe for botulism but since it’s Maccas I guess they should have reasonable standards, even in Sri Lanka. 😉

mcdonalds

McDonald’s in Sri Lanka is quite expensive when you consider the currency exchange. I paid the equivalent of RM 12 for a Chicken Big Mac. I don’t know how it rates on the Big Mac Index by The Economist magazine, but it’s certainly not cheap.

Posted: 10:04 PM Sri Lanka time.

I got pick pocketed in Sri Lanka!

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sri lanka

>.<

I didn’t have much cash on me in LCCT so I only changed RM 350.22 into LKR (Sri Lankan Rupees). Thus, I had to find a HSBC ATM over here to withdraw LKR and managed to withdraw LKR 30,000 this morning (about USD 300 or RM 1,100) in two batches of LKR 20,000 and LKR 10,000.

lkr

The thing about Sri Lankan money is that it’s abnormally large and it doesn’t really fit into my wallet. In a fit of (ill-conceived) inspiration, I decided to fold the LKR 30,000 and put it in the back pocket of my jeans. I thought this would be a good way to budget since I won’t touch that money and only use the LKR 9,440 from the RM 350 (plus 22 sen) I exchanged at the airport.

*cue fun and games in Colombo*

I took a tuk tuk back to the hotel and realized that I have used up most of the LKR 9,440 during the day and reached into my left back pocket to retrieve the LKR 30,000. It wasn’t there.

I searched all pockets, my bags, my dSLR bag and even my wallet but the LKR 30,000 was nowhere to be found.

Fuck! I have walked through a huge portion of Colombo today and had to battle human traffic most of the time so I deduce that someone must have nicked it sometime during my adventures in Colombo.

It should be noted that the missing LKR 30,000 is USD 300 or RM 1,100. *insert expletives*

I’m broke and I didn’t even get the chance to spend the money. Damn pick pockets.

Welcome to Sri Lanka. 🙁

johan

Anyway, on to less depressing matters, I bumped into a reader on the plane here. Hello Jason. A special shout out to Catherine Cherng! Hola!

dialog

I also got myself a Sri Lankan prepaid card. I’m on Dialog – a Sri Lankan cell phone provider. Text me at +94779469842 if you need to contact me. Cheers!

Posted: 8:06 PM Colombo time

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