ATTENDING AKMAL AIMAN'S WEDDING RECEPTION

30th MARCH 2018 ~ I went to attending a wedding reception of Mr. Muhammad Akmal Aiman and Ms. Fathiyah Solehah, both ex-students of SMK Taman Universiti, SPM batch 2014. The reception was for both sides of the bride and the groom held at Kolej Perdana, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

SMKTUN SPM batch 2018

I met a few ex-colleagues and ex-students of SMKTUN there as usual.

The groom's brothers, in maroon

Mr. Izammmuddin, SPM batch 2010

I am expecting to be invited to more receptions from the groom's family in the future, if they still remember me.

Wishing the newly-weds, Mr. Akmal Aiman and Ms. Solehah, a blessed, happy and joyful marriage life ahead

VISITING MR. WOLF AGAIN

29th MARCH 2019 ~ Mr. Wolf was back in town. This should be my fourth time visiting Mr. Wolf, the first time in Kuala Lumpur back in 2012 [READ HERE] and the second and third time when the book sale was held in my hometown, Johor Bahru, in 2013 [READ HERE] and 2014 [READ HERE].

This time round, the event was held in Mydin Mutiara Rini which is about 20 kilometres away from the city, in the parking space of the mall.

Unfortunately, I found there were less books to choose from and there were not many books of contemporary fiction writers I could find on the tables, unlike last time. After some time, the place got real warm (READ: very hot) so I had to do my shopping quickly.

met SMKTUN's ex-student SPM batch 2018
Mr. Mohd. Iqbal

It is now time to start reading again. And I think there are still a few books that I bought from the last Big Bad Wolf sales remained unread *SIGH*.

A SPOT TO BUY (FRESH) FISH AND SEA PRODUCTS IN JOHOR BAHRU

I had heard of this place but never set foot here. Today, however, I was there for the very first time, despite the fact it is not far away from my house, in Bakar Batu. THE REASON: I went to this fish market in Pandan two days ago and found there were no fresh fish supply and I ended up not buying anything. It was sad that the locals were forced to buy fish that were frozen/not fresh all the time. It reminded me of my recent trip to the market in Busan where fish being sold were still swimming in water tanks.

There was a bug river nearby but unfortunately, it did not look clean - rubbish could be seen floating on the water. But still, there were people doing water activities like rowing and canoeing.

There were a few stalls selling fish and other sea products there. There were also a steady flow of people coming to buy their daily needs in the morning. The choice was still limited though but at least, the items put on sale looked fresher than the ones I saw a few days ago in the market in Pandan.

The place was actually set up specially for indigenous people to run their business but I saw a stall which was operated by people which obviously did not look indigenous at all.

I have another spot in Gelang Patah to visit to get my weekly supply of fish, but it is located further away from home.

MOVIE REVIEW - "WONDER PARK"

26th MARCH 2019 ~ The decision to watch a movie was impromptu, right after the "cendol" session. We went to TGV Tebrau City and there was not much of choice. It was either "Upin dan Ipin" or "Wonder Park" so we opted for the latter.

The animation told the story of a 6 year old girl who should be a science whiz and could easily construct things on her own. She was so full of imagination and one of which was this "Wonder Park" where animals were the operators to make sure people had a good time. Then, at one time, the girl's mother got real sick and had to be sent away for treatment. Consequently, the girl was sad and she stopped imagining things and the park stopped functioning.

I personally feel the movie had such a heavy theme despite the fact that an animation should be more entertaining rather than make people think too much. It was more like a drama for adults rather than a show for small kids. But then, children could easily be entertained with talking animals on screen but I was grateful I did not doze off during the show.

MY HOMETOWN GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURE - CENDOL HOUSE IN KAMPUNG MELAYU

26th MARCH 2019 ~ How could I say "no" when someone offered a cendol treat on a very hot afternoon. Finally, I was at this place called "Cendol House" in Kampung Melayu which I regularly drive past but never stop in my entire life.

CENDOL ~ green jelly made from rice flour submerged in coconut milk and palm sugar with other condiments like red beans, and most importantly, served with grated ice. It is usually eaten as dessert, or just taken on a hot day.

There was also other food to choose from to accompany the cendol like Malaysians all time favourite, the famous fried banana, or heavier item like "nasi lemak".

Thanks Mr. Muhammad Afif Farhan Zulkiflee [SMKTUN's ex-student SPM batch 2010] for the cendol treat. However, the brief meeting continued with another unplanned activity right after.

RENTING A POCKET WI-FI FOR MY TRIP TO BUSAN

I was using a pocket wi-fi for the first time during my trip to Busan from the 22nd to the 25th of March 2019. It was one option for travelers to stay connected while they were on the move. The wi-fi worked well at all the places I went to in Busan. One reason this pocket wi-fi was chosen was that according to the information on the internet, it would be more expensive to get a local sim card there, most probably because of the currency rate.

I paid RM12 per day for the service. You could decide how long you want to use the wi-fi and it will be activated based on your request.

I got my pocket wi-fi just by walking in at the counter in KLIA2 Airport which was located in the checking in area, near the entrance of the international departure gate on the right side. You could also prebook the gadget online and pick it up later. When I was returning the pocket wi-fi, I saw the sign below and when asked, the person at the counter told me they were all out of stock.

There was also another company doing a similar service at KLIA2, you could check it out too if you are interested.

For more information, visit Roamingman website HERE. I used it once and found it very helpful and convenient.

BLOGGING FROM BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA

at Busan Tower

I am now in Busan for a very short trip during the first term school holiday. As usual, there has been a lot of walking, especially up and down steep roads and stairs of subway stations. With one more day to go, I will try to make the best of my trip. Do visit my blog for more stories and photos later.

SPOT THE ERROR - TANJUNG BALAI #2

The correct version should be:

Should the autogates be out of order,

it is compulsory to queue up

to stamp your passport.

[SPOTTED AT THE FERRY TERMINAL]

KARIMUN CITY HOTEL, TANJUNG BALAI

This was the hotel we were staying at during the one night getaway to Tanjung Balai: Karimun City Hotel.

LOCATION: Right beside the ferry terminal. Just walk out and you will find the hotel on your right side. You could even see the colourful hotel building from the ferry as you are approaching the jetty. Within walking distance to the town as well as the Coastal Area.

PRICE: very reasonable for the type of accommodation you will get, especially if you are not fussy.

MEALS: They not only served breakfast, but also dinner. My first time ever getting dinner in the hotel package. However, do not expect too much from the meals you are getting.

I only realized I could actually observe sunrise from the dining hall but it was already too late.

OTHER INTERESTING THINGS: The staff were friendly. They could arrange for you if you need any transportation to move around. We went exploring with two hotel staff on motorcycles. For a short stay, this place should suffice. I don't mind coming back again.

[MY TANJUNG BALAI TRIP MAIN PAGE]