JOHN HARDING buku harianku

We are moving....

2012-01-03T21:06:00.000+08:00

Dear viewers,

I've been very busy lately, so i did not and will not have much time to edit my personal blog. Nevertheless, i will still be posting photos in blog BUT not in this blog. From now on, i will post my photo albums in a more 'commercialized' blog...

Harding's PhotoEntry

this is my working desk from now on. I am 'cari' makan with my photos and I offer a very cheap and affordable photography package ...trust me, its cheap..because i do admit that i m not at the profesional level :P

Happy viewing!

I'm feeling vain...

2011-10-25T22:46:00.002+08:00

No,

its not my birthday yet

just now

during a meeting with my friends,

one of them suddenly took this out and threw to me:

"nah..your birthday present"

the funny thing is, tiba2 jer,

its not my birthday yet until next month..

I guess he knew that i'll be celebrating birthday at the beach resort

so this might be useful..

it is indeed useful and i like it very much ahahhaha
SAILOR...nice, this is just soooo...me...:)

Gawai gathering 2011

2011-10-23T14:11:00.000+08:00

Gawai family dinner at Hilton

2011-10-23T12:24:00.000+08:00

Few days before Gawai, my youngest sister came back home from Sibu with her husband, so i took them together with my Mom for a simple buffet dinner at the Hilton.

KOTA KINABALU 2011: final day

2011-09-11T20:24:00.000+08:00

It was our final day for this trip

there's nothing to do because we dont have much time to go somewhere far

since we've been so busy since the first day we arrived,

we didnt take time to enjoy the facilities at the condominium

so before we check-out, we enjoy swimming at the pool

KOTA KINABALU 2011: clubbing at the BED

2011-09-11T20:02:00.001+08:00

the place was happening and FULL HOUSE

and

it was not even weekend!

the bouncers were friendly and fun

they ushered me to a very nice spot in front when they saw i am carrying a DSLR

in fact, not only at the BED,

but all the bouncers at all the clubs in KK welcomed people who carries DSLR...i wonder why..

they were like making ways for you to walk thru (in White room) when they saw that you're walking in front to take photos..

"memang aku ini

anak orang kampung

tiada pelajaran

kuli kuli sahaja..."

one of the local song they played and it was FUN!

SIMPLICIOUS restaurant & lounge [advert]

2011-08-24T13:32:00.001+08:00

It was a hot afternoon

just nice if i plan to go out for a cold drink

Me got some business with Patrick so i told him to meet me at Simplicious

Carol who operates the place, prepared some food for us to taste

at the same time, she gave me some task to do, that is to snap photos of the food, for the purpose of newspaper advertisement

Many doesnt know about this place yet, bcos its a new place

some thought that its a private/exclusive club which we cant afford

I found that the prices of food here are quite reasonable

According to Carole, Price Range for Express Lunch (sandwiches/pasta/pizza/asian classic) with 1 syrup of the day RM7.90-18.00+++. Coffee Break with ice/hot coffee or tea RM8.00+++. Main Course RM26+++.

CHEAP CHEAP!

Simplicious is located at Pisang Roas, off Green Road, its the big white bungalow and easy to spot.

yea its hot outside, unfortunately we cant sit inside bcos inside was not bright enough for photo taking

Carole

Patrick

some friends came and joined us

Simplicious serves a wide range of beverages..

KOTA KINABALU 2011: Signal Hill

2011-08-06T18:52:00.001+08:00

YES,

definitely should visit this place both daytime and night if you come to Kota Kinabalu

I saw the photos of this Hill from other travelers' blog/album

so after 1Borneo Mall, we returned to the city and stopped by this Hill

it was pretty dark on the way up and i was telling myself, if we dont see any lights in 5 more minutes, we shall turn back to the city.

Nicky, who is a Sabahan, told me that it was his first time aswell, and we doubted that it is open at night

but it was OPENED..

below info is taken from Sabah tourism website:

Signal Hill, the highest point in the city, is one of the best places to get a good view of Kota Kinabalu. Just a couple of minutes drive from Padang Merdeka will bring you to the airy deck where you can get amazing views that extend to the outlying islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park and further.

TariffTaxi fare to the Signal Hill Observatory Platform is RM10-RM15

Getting There
You will have to use a taxi as it is off the normal bus route.

Opening Hours
Daily from 8.00am till 12.00am
Admission is free.

KOTA KINABALU 2011: 1borneo mall

2011-08-01T20:14:00.000+08:00

To get to 1bornoe, we took a free shuttle(bus) ride from Warisan Square. We just went to the bus counter which is located in front of Warisan square (facing the sea) and told them that we're tourist. They will ask your detais: where from, staying at which hotel and how many person. Its easy and FREE...very smart indeed, without that free shuttle, we might think twice (perhaps more) on whether to go OR not to go to the mall.

while waiting for the bus

after telling them that you need to go to 1borneo, they will check the time for the next bus trip and give you this free pass. Then u shall wait for your bus, or just walk around and return there later, at the said time trip.

after our dinner, we had our 'happy hour' drinks at this bar, located inside 1borneo..cant remember the name of the bar, its right accross the ice bar

Fashion etiquette (etika berpakaian)

2011-08-01T14:47:00.003+08:00

Remark: this is not some sort of 'fashion police' contain which will tell you what's wrong or right to wear. I just want to share my experience(s) seeing things that people around me are wearing, and what's MY OWN opinion on them.

Dear people of Kuching city,

Perhaps, to the younger generation, Fashion Etiquette ("FA") is no longer as important as it was during my younger days, because people are encouraged to experiment with clothing and style. However, for a 32 (going to be 33) year old guy, whom been around and trying my best to look good most of the time, and been hanging around with equally gorgeous looking people (its my blog, so no harm to brag about about myself rite? hehehe), I feel that there are still some IMPORTANT key fashion rules to consider especially when you're in public places. However, if you feel that i am a-not-so-very-young guy, and standards or trends in FA might change since my glory years, then you should also know that there are a few rules of FA that I believe should never be broken when in a public space.

Last weekend, I was partying with my friends as usual, at the usual spot in Kuching. What youngsters now are wearing are a bit horrifying. I totally understand people wanting to be comfortable when they go out having fun evening with friends. These are the things that's a soar to my eyes every time I was out in Kuching clubs.

1) Sandal/slippers

There's absolutely nothing wrong about wearing sandals/flat shoes in public BUT not when you're wearing a dinner dress, OR WHEN YOU'RE IN A CLUB! For God's sake, other than making you look SHORTER, it shows how lazy you are. I do believe some thought that it would be alright to wear sandals/flip flop when you're wearing a sun dress, BUT why the heck are you wearing a sun/picnic dress in a club in the middle of the night? I dont see the sun..i dont see the sand!

2) Shortpants/Bermuda

Males are also not exempted from the rules....I notice that few youngsters (bumiputra/natives) like to go out wearing shortpants and flip flops. Just because everyone wear this does not make it OK. When you wear your nice outfit, perfumed and walk the 'red carpet', you wouldn't want to see some guys wearing slippers and shorts next to you right? Its not like you're at your rented low-cost quarters BBQ-ing 'kepala babi". ~~oh i know why, maybe they want to show off their native design bunga terung tattoo which normally can be found at the calf of a native guy~~, the I-am-a-regular-so-i-can-wear-my-pajamas look is not a 'cool' thing to do...

3) the 5-minutes-glory

Normally girls, always rush into the club, giving the "I'm too good to be here"; "on my way home, just drop by to see friend"; "ok..where's my friend, they should be here but not here"; "I m already intoxicated from next door party, so i m not staying long to buy a drink". I just assume that this type of people like to make others think that they're famous, they have other places/events to attend....the "too many friends to entertained, too little time" type of look. And to be honest, they do look like someone who came back from a Church choir practice or from a study group meeting (the way they dress up). You have to dress for the event to which you are going, and in this case, its a party, a club!! If you were really having your study group, and went out to McD for late night supper, then dont stop by at any party..go back straight home..

4) Guys in singlet

Not to discriminate, but men have hairy armpits, and forced exposure to B.O. in a close proximity is no fun for anyone. BUT this doesn't mean i against guys wearing singlet in public faces. What they should do is SHAVE their hairy armpits and wear deodorant (if you have B.O.). I do, and will wear singlet BUT I will keep others comfortable around me by taking care of my hygiene.

I am not saying all this because I want to see everybody wear nice things all the time, just wear whatever you like, ugly or beautiful and seriously, i dont care people wearing winter jacket with furry fancy collar in a tropical climate BUT i just think that we all should dress up respectably. When we're going to someone's party, show them that you respect their party by wearing something appropriate. When you're in a club next to others, you mustn't wear your pajamas, or shorts. Clubs are confined public places, so I don't encourage people to wear slippers because some might removes their slippers. Feet smell and have all kinds of germs.

AND i don't understand why some guys can wear shorts/bermuda to church and to wedding banquet. That is a total disrespect.

Yours faithfully,
John Harding

NING BAIZURA i love you!

2011-07-16T20:36:00.001+08:00

KOTA KINABALU 2011: Manukan Island

2011-07-14T21:34:00.000+08:00

If you go to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

and

NOT visiting its Islands,

then your trip wont be coplete

Sabah has beautiful islands and for our trip,

we thought that visiting one island would be enough

We visited one of the biggest and most commercialized island, that's Manukan Island

The island is only about 15 minutes boat ride from the city

I think costs us about RM24 (including tax) for the boat trip

To enter the island, we paid Rm10 each for entrance fee

its a beautiful island and worth visiting

enjoy the photos!

btw..most of the tourist are Korean and Japanese but during out visit, there werent many of them

maybe because of tsunami that hits Japan, so there are not many of them going for holiday

SUNSET BAR of shangri la tanjung aru resort (STAR)

2011-07-12T21:46:00.000+08:00

KOTA KINABALU 2011: street shopping

2011-07-11T21:46:00.001+08:00

Shopping on the street, browsing items from road side vendors are fun. On the second, we walked from our apartment to Gaya Street Market. I am not sure whether this market is only open for weekend, but what I am sure is, we were lucky to be able to visit the market on that particular day, because they're having some cultural shows in conjunction with Pesta Kaamatan (harvest festival). We enjoyed our trip to the market, despite the hot weather. Everything was new to us which made our trip feels more enjoyable.

if i m not mistaken, when i was in school, we learned about this music instrument, issit sompoton?

Shells and corals from the sea

For the price of Rm15.50, CHEAP i must say..the only problem is, to carry it back to Kuching

mixing it all together like this is super ugly

hehee..Rm4/- only after bargained

BEAUTIFUL!

Jackie walking under the hot sun

choosing pearls

these are real pearls

KOTA KINABALU 2011: Saturday night Clubbing

2011-06-20T00:02:00.001+08:00

7th May 2011

our first night at Kota Kinabalu

We didnt waste much time, right after we did our shopping, we went for seafood and after that we went to the club

I already made appointment with a local friend, Oscar

He was our clubbing host for that night

He recommended the clubs at Timesquare.

I've read a lot of reviews on the place, so i agreed

That area is one of the newest entertainment outlet in Kota Kinabalu

We went to White-room and I was well-prepared by wearing white hehehe..i know that the interior is red and white, so its best to wear white to match the club haha

White room interior is beautiful, all the furniture were white. There were a group of performers and they looked great. I guess the theme for their performance that night was Hawaii

there were mixed crowd in white room which was great

the white color room makes it look so elegant

[recommended!!]

After White room, our second destination was the fire fly.

the band in firefly was great as well. the place was all packed

Mostly crowd were majority younger chinese

It makes me feel a bit alienated, nevertheless it was a great place

KOTA KINABALU 2011: Kampung Nelayan Floating Seafood Market Restaurant

2011-06-19T22:48:00.001+08:00

May 7, 2011

I was so happy, not just because I was in Kota Kinabalu

BUT...

also because I met an old friend, a sister to me and one of my best friend

FLORENCE!

Florence is a Kadazan, Sabahan and we both were studying in the same University

I guess we havent meet each other for almost 10 years, because everytime i went to KK, I was always too busy with my own plans that I just didnt have any time to plan for a meet up with her BUT this trip, i determined to meet her!!

surprisingly, both of us were still very close like 10 years ago, it felt like as if the last time we met was 10 days ago...everything was still fresh..we spent fun and memorable time that night, as she took as to a floating seafood restaurant..KAMPUNG NELAYAN

photo of all in front of the floating seafood restaurant (minus Terrin, photographer)

still look young hor Flo!!

since all the prawn are fresher in KK, we were advised to cook it more simple, so that we can taste the real aroma and freshness of the prown

crabs!! yummy

I cant remember the name of this snail, fully recommended by Florence, one of the kind, only found in Sabah

June (also our Uni mate) told Florence that she have to introduce this wonderful dessert to me, COCONUT PUDDING...tastes great, refreshing and sweet

we were at the right place, as the restaurant also prepared performances for its customers

Misc photos: Kota Kinabalu trip 2011

2011-06-18T23:14:00.004+08:00

Yay!! we're at Kota Kinabalu (7-11 May 2011)

thanks to Jc, she booked us a nice apartment (Marina Apartment) with affordable price

We were staying At Marina Court Apartment for 4 nights 5 days

the location is strategic, the waterfront and a row of bars/clubs are just across the street

seafood restaurants and shopping mall (Warisan Square & Center Point) are also just a walking distance

I've grouped our photos according to the activities we did in KK

Belows are un-categorized photos (misc) which were taken during our 4 nights/5days trip

a comfortable 3 rooms apartment, with 2 bathroom, a dining section, a kitchen and a cozy sofa!!

Jc was watching tv (astro pun ada)

Terrin surveying surrounding before we went down shopping

swimming pool, we love it!

checking my tanned skin on the last day of the trip..it really not showing in photograph

nice? earrings made of sea shells/corals for survenir

view of downstairs

local friend, came to the apartment to welcome us to Sabah

whenever you come to KK, dont forget to get/ask for this road map at the airport, its really handy and easy to read!

a boy was fishing with his sister

camera shy, nevertheless, he allowed me to snap photo of his catch

sit down for a drink, it was hot

view of waterfront

KK friend, Nicky a.k.a. our host/tourist guide hehe

thanks Nicky

lunch at Suria's food court..outside with the view of Pulau Gaya

Sebako, Lundu (Apr. 21, 2011)

2011-06-18T21:27:00.002+08:00

It was a hot sunny day

Emil told me that he needs to bring his staff back to his hometown

His staff is from Lundu.

Kampung Sebako to be exact

that is like few hours driving from Kuching

therefore, Emil needs someone to accompany him

He told me, there's a nice river/waterfall in the kampung

with the hot weather in Kuching, that sounds interesting

i packed my camera and followed them

no regrets, it was a refreshing run-away from the city

plus the hot weather, dipping in the river felt heaven...

~~even thou i thought that we're going to speed there in his new sport car~~

hahhahahaahah

that's Emil (Tarzan) haha

Random photos : April 22, 2010

2011-06-18T13:17:00.000+08:00

Pets: Ceci & Calleb (Apr. 16, 2011)

2011-06-16T18:47:00.000+08:00

Cocktail & Dinner at Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort

2011-06-14T23:47:00.001+08:00

the SPICE GARDEN

2011-06-14T00:22:00.001+08:00

Just a line-up of photos I took during my visit to the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort's spice garden..Yes.. they plant their own spices..everything is FRESH!

p/s: was bitten by nyamuk while taking these photos..so better appreciate my effort hahaha

BBQ Island - a unique dining experience (part 2)

2011-06-14T00:09:00.000+08:00

it was a unique experience indeed. This is the first time, i had my dinner in the jungle (well, of course i had it before but not with all these wine glass and 5-star environment)

Oh, referring to my previous post on this dinner, there was a couple who were kidnapped by the local, they were actually brought to one of the longhouses, changed into Iban traditional costume and transported by a longboat to the dinner venue...interesting experience isnt it? What a lucky couple. When they reached the venue, they were welcomed with a cultural welcoming ritual before everybody proceeds to the BBQ island for their under-the-star-5 star- dining experience..

enjoy the photos

BBQ Island - a unique dining experience

2011-06-09T23:53:00.000+08:00

[this is the continuation of the previous post on Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort]

before i proceed and tell you what happened to the kidnapped tourist, lets check out the dinner setting..

p/s: this is an outdoor dinner..hardly experience anything like this in the city

5star table-ware in the jungle

exotic food served on leaves

check out the long table, makes u feel like Tarzan & Jane in your own jungle kingdom

yummilicious ..

of course..entertainment!

to be continued.......

BBQ Island - the kidnapping

2011-06-09T22:27:00.001+08:00

Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is not just about the beauty of its man-made lake

nor the beauty of the natures around it

definitely not just about the beauty of national heritage build around it,

the nearby Iban longhouses,

the exotic market of Batang Ai town

BUT its is also about the RESORT itself.

I was lucky, being able to experience together with a group of guests, an open-aired outdoor BBQ dinner at one of the small island next to the resort, the BBQ Island.

It started to rain at first, but they all determined to have it outdoor according to the plan.

Part of the plan for that night was to kidnap some of the guests, keep them in a longhouse and feed them to the headhunters...naahh..i m just kidding..hehe..i m sure they had fun! and i wont elaborate more..just see the photos..i m not going to spoil the surprises. Its not fair for me to say it out here..u need to go there to experience it yourself.

btw..late in the evening, the rain swiped away the table setting, and everything was almost ruined..what will happen? stay tune for the second part of BBQ Island :)

I managed to visit the BBQ Island before the dinner started to take photos of the setting and preparation made by the creative hotel staffs.

they were transported to the remote island by a small boat..what happen next???

Going to Iban longhouse

2011-06-08T17:49:00.001+08:00

Another day at the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort. Today, we're going for a visit to the nearby Iban longhouse...not a resort but a real longhouse. I am very excited. Its not that i havent seen a longhouse before in Kuching, but i do expect that i will see a real longhouse, a genuine traditional version (not the type with a Pajero parking below it and an astro disc on the roof top).

p/s: this activity is organized by Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort for their guests, so if you're interested, you can kindly inquiry with them.

disclaimer: all photos are taken by me and it is illegal to copy/paste and publish it without my permission.

to get to the longhouse, we had to wake up very very early...heheh...naahh.. it wasnt that tough, the longhouse is not very far from the resort, therefore, we didnt have to move that early...but we did have to get on a small long boat..only for 4 person...if you cant swim, dont worry, lifejackets are prepared for guests

everybody enjoyed the boat ride..a bit scary for first time, but it was fine..and FUN

we were greeted at by the people of the longhouse wearing their traditional costume

sweet smile for sure makes you feel welcomed there

they also showed us their traditional past time game, the cock fight


this young man is preparing himself to dance for the performances to entertain us


they also served us with rice wine (tuak)


besides the games, performances and cultural, guests also can buy handmade handycraft

an old man with traditional tattoo at his neck

In that longhouse, we were entertained by cultural performances, some of the dances are quite funny and all are very entertaining. Enjoy the photos below:

after enjoying ourself at the longhouse, we were taken for a hiking to the top of hill, to enjoy the beauty of nature and also a breathtaking view of the lake from top of the Hill....BEAUTIFUL!

after the hiking, we took another boat ride to the waterfall, where we will be having our lunch below the sky and trees...purely nature..and will be served with banana leaves as our plate...

having meal in the jungle..a must try!!

I was away for a 'jungle-getaway'

2011-06-05T11:32:00.002+08:00

When Ame told me that I will be staying in a jungle for the weekend, I was a bit reluctant but thinking of the experiences that I might encounter while being in the jungle, I braved myself to say yes. Furthermore, knowing that Ame will be with me in this trip makes me feel glad. I knew it that no trip will be dull with her sense of humor hahahah...and i was right.

..furthermore, I was wrong about a boring-terrifying trip to the jungle. In deed Batang Ai Longhouse Resort is located in an island of flora & fauna, in the middle of the dam lake, it wasnt as scary/boring as I've thought. The longhouse is very modern and at the same time preserving the original design of the traditional Iban longhouse.

We were welcomed by the staff of the Hotel wearing traditional Iban outfit and served with cold refreshing fruit juice upon arrival.

Before i start feeding you with my photos, let me tell you why this place touches my heart and changed my whole perception on my surrounding. When i was there, i befriended their friendly staffs, they're very friendly and it was really comfortable chatting with them. I asked one of the waiters whether he's been to Kuching. His answer amazed me. He proudly said "yes..many times".....after few seconds paused, he added "...all together..err..about two times"...and he looked satisfied. I asked "holiday?", he said,
jalan2, nah..i went there for medical check-up when i got this job". At that moment, I saw a sincere happiness on his face. And it amazed me, of how some people (this boy and all the locals) are very happy with their very humble life style, unlike most of us in the city. We complained about this, that, we rushed here and there, yet we never satisfied. This boy has been living in the jungle, making a living with his humble job as a waiter in this hotel and only been out to the city for two times in his entire life YET he look content, satisfied and really happy. It really taught me that we also can be happy if we stop being demanding, look around us, and enjoy our own life without comparing it with other people. This boy is pure, innocent and YET NOT step into outside world, not yet polluted by our modern society and that might be his secret of happiness.

And because of that brief chat with the waiter, i felt really glad that I was there. furthermore, the air was clean, i didnt cough AT ALL (i have allergy cough and will cough badly in polluted environment).

Here are the photos i took and I will write another post of each and every activities i experienced in Batang Ai..in another posts. Before i came here, i was trying to do my homework, searching for this Hotel in the net, but unfortunately, not many photos i can find, therefore, i m posting as many as photos as I can..happy viewing.


The hotel staffs dressed up in traditional outfit to welcome guests

lobby front porch

canopy walk, appears to be tougher than it seems, MUST TRY

Geraldine's birthday

2011-05-05T20:49:00.000+08:00

SOHO

2011-05-04T21:23:00.002+08:00

There’s a lot to be said for having a regular neighborhood watering hole, but sometimes we want to branch out and belly up to a new bar and so...instead of our usual clubbing spot, that night we headed to SOHO. Ismail of soho's reaction was rather overwhelming lol..

A far cry from its previous incarnation as a small dancing-by-bar club, SOHO has been transformed into a spacious dance club, a still-stylish but decidedly less complicated design.

The crowd...BEAUTIFUL! we had great time partying with them..

February 17, 2011

2011-04-30T12:31:00.001+08:00