Surprisingly Taiwan

One thing I missed on my first ever trip to Taiwan in 2012 was to discover the demeanour of citizen in that country. It's all due to hectic schedules and in my mind the whole time was trying to play like local. So I don't really get the chance to interact with the people there and the next thing I know, I'm already at the airport ready to leave the country.

So on my second trip there recently, I finally realized something about the country. The people there no doubt very helpful even though some of them super poor in English. I still remember walked in to an ordinary normal street restaurant serving mixed rice. Well, I purposely searched that kind of shop when I can't bear my craving on regular meal anymore. To my surprise, the worker there been very helpful even though it's a self-service premise. She helped me from scooping rice till paying at counter. 

Nevertheless, of course my main highlight is the people and service at the hotel I stayed which is Mandarin Oriental Taipei. I came to Taiwan with uneasy mood because I've been struggling to figure out how am I going to settle the deposit matter since the organiser for the trip wasn't being helpful at all. 

I discovered even from the moment I emailed the hotel before flew there, their staffs were super helpful. When I reached the hotel, the picture became even clearer that Taiwan citizen are one of the kindest in the world. Everytime they bumped into me in every corners of the hotel, they bowed and greeted me. It's feel like a blessing. They never stop smiling and tried hard to facilitate me at their best. Now I wished I can stay longer there.

In my entire trips I've gone by far, Mandarin Oriental Taipei also no doubt the best I ever stayed. From the moment I stepped in, clearly it's a super fine hotel with vast interior decorations. The amazement became accelerated when I entered my room. All I can think is OH MY GOD. It looked like definitely a 7 stars hotel. I love every corner of it, the mini jacuzzi, the bed, the view, the study, the chilling sofa, everything about the room. Not forgotten, the breakfast selections are huge and can get anything from Asian delicacies to European pastries. Oh, I missed it!

To whom still unsure if Taiwan is worthy to visit to, I highly recommend you should go there. You won't lost, wifi is everywhere, pricing is not a big issue, safety level is excellent, and I hope you are a good cyclist. Bicycles for rental are available almost everywhere. Just one thing I didn't get to try, the public transportation especially subway. I guess I should come back there soon.

Hey Indonesia. Hey Jakarta!

I always wanna go to Indonesia. Doesn't matter which part it may be but I just wanna be there.

Frankly speaking, I don't fancy the country (I mean Indonesia is not in my wish list travel destinations) but I just feel like I wanna experience the ambience there. That's it.

Finally, I made it to Jakarta recently even tho it's not a personal trip. I was there for work where I met this most-talked South Korean actor, Joo Won (I'm clearly not a fan but he's nice).

It was a very short & packed trip. I must admit my whole trip was super tiring, it could kill my mood but lucky my level of excitement still tolerable.

All this while, peoples (those who already been there) told me the road is the most disastrous part. Traffic in Jakarta will make you feel like not coming back there/to be grateful with the traffics in Malaysia.

Well, apparently I learned something from my trip there. It's not that always the road being cruel to you. If you lucky enough, you won't go thru such hell. And, I'm obviously lucky.

But my favourite part of the trip was the lodging. We stayed at Keraton by The Plaza, Thamrin Road. At first, I thought it will be just another luxury room but obviously more fascinating than I imagined. Sadly, I stayed only one night there.

Other parts just normal to me. Kuala Lumpur city still way better compared to Jakarta in term of infrastructures.

Here are some of the photos I took during my trip there.

The bed. Uh-mazinggg!

The welcoming tidbits.

The bathroom (the part I loved the most in a hotel room esp bathtub).

My smoking port at 7th floor (where the breakfast place located).

Roaming around to see the nightlife.

Goodbye beer belly!

Oh no! Dust all over my blog. Been awhile huh? I just recovered from festive season which happened to be real good during me homecoming last Christmas. I drank a lot, ate a lot but the most utmost point was I managed to spend real good quality times with family, friends, and even rejuvenated myself from the working sore last year.

But now it comes to repay time for all the 'damages' during that glory moments when I now have to encounter back my obedient towards fitness and healthy lifestyle. It's a long catchup but surely I'm back on track and ready to be health.

Especially during this season of Lent which started since last week, as a Catholic, I've got strong reason to cut down my meal intake. Basically, I already started my diet regime by reducing carbs intake and hitting treadmill every day unless I have to skip due to some important reason.

One thing I realized, I did reduce some weight but apparently the hardest part is to eliminate the beer belly. I know I've been consuming lot of alcohol lately especially beers and although I did cardio exercises a lot, the results won't be as fast as what I'm expected.
 
I always say I do fitness for the sake of balancing my not-so-healthy lifestyle but it came to mind recently why not make use of it to get in a very good shape tho. And, really, that is what I do now since all this while I dream to look good as I can too.

One more thing, discipline plays important role to make sure that goal to happen and therefore I do try my best collecting as much proper recipes of healthy food. So far, I just discovered about how to make good cereal using high fibre cereal, Greek yogurt, low-fat milk and loaded with fruits.

As my motto of life is 'I Exist to Inspire', hopefully this would be a strong beginning to send out message of inspiration to all of you out there. Let's aiming for good balance of life, regardless what type of living you're into.

Happy New Year!!! Resolutions? Lemme think!

Another new page comes over now. I couldn't thank God more for giving me another year to carve something into my life sculptures. Again, I have no idea how is it going on this year, whether as wonderful, as stronger, as motivated as the past few years, I wonder about that too.

Often, the main issue of each year non other than the resolutions. For me, I already surrendered to list down such silliness since few years ago. I just don't believe listing it down would make you any better coz the fact is, the spirit will immediately faded away anytime soon.

Don't get me wrong, me myself, I always want a better life, improvements, success, achievements, but thing is, you just can't really plan it. Unless, you're gifted to vision your post future how it's gonna be.

Really, 2015 seem interesting to hope high since 2014 was not too kind to I must say, everybody in the world. Fatal, lost, catastrophes, happened at the point of unfair. Too much bad memories than sweet ones! I'm talking on behalf of almost all of us globally as for me personally, I've had sweetest ones to be honest.

But, let's make it this simple. I believe in the concept of 'go with the flow' thingy. In fact, I already practiced it since few years ago. Doesn't mean, all you want to achieve must be fixed by exactly on the January 1, every year. You could think and start working on it way before the particular starter date or vice-versa.

That's why there goes the saying said 'every day is a learning process'. Either to discover new knowledge, type of peoples, skills, or whatever, don't bother to ignore it. Absorb whatever things come to you while you still given the opportunity to have it. Handle with care, make use of it cleverly, and always improve your skill to play whatever kind of games.

Most of all, expect the unexpected! You never know, whether bad or good things may be very useable to you one fine day. Take risk, learn the lessons, get wiser, open up your mind, and embrace every each your days.

I know this post may be too general, but, lemme tell you, in life, to having such values and kept that on mind will make huge changes in our life. Remember, you're the one who should control of your life. Make fully use of your brain and never ever think of giving up.

I really want to surprise myself if any form of things this year. And I am sooo ready to embark my journey for 2015. How about you? ARE YOU READY?!!!

Happy New Year!

I'm A Proud Country Guy!

Never forget your roots. Simple but yet so powerful! Doesn't matter what kind of interpretations we have on that, but everybody should bear that principal in mind.
   I always wanna go far from my original hometown. I just wanna discover more outside my world. And I did it, now I'm officially a metropolitan resident.
   But one thing I never lose regardless the point that I've been everywhere, is the taste of my own home. I mean the place I belong to.
   In fact, I even thought of migrating someday to somewhere far where the place suits me the best to settle down. It's scattered anyway coz yeah I keep changing mind about places I think well deserved to live in. Either Europe or Australia or maybe States.
   However, the bonding between me and my roots apparently unbeatable. I just don't feel like there's a place that more amazing than my own home.
   I always proud to call myself a guy from countryside. Grown up surrounded by no vast things but never makes me feel ungrateful.
   My culture especially, born from Dusun ethnicity, I'm glad that I never ever missed anything about my roots. In fact, I still can really speak my own language fluently besides mostly now I'm using Malay and English languages in my everyday conversations.
   This makes me wonder sometimes whenever I met peoples who completely lost of their own roots. And truth to be told, they not even know single things about it.
   That's why I will never doubt of going back to any occasions on going in hometown. I know I miss things a lot and I really want to make it less happened.
   I'm glad I did it everytime coz that is the only time I think can really rejuvenate my spirit back. That's the only time I think I can recharge my own spirit, catching up with the family, relatives, fresh countryside air, cultured occasions, wonderful!
   Recently, I went back for my cousin's solemnization + reception. It's a very impromptu plan but I'm glad I made the decision. What is more amazing thing than wake up in the morning at your own home, with breathtaking air and scenery, and your beloved family members are waiting to have breakfast with you at the living room? Blissful!

Pix descriptions:
1. My beloved hometown's scenery.
2. The solemnization ceremony.
3. Me & the boys from family.
4. The girls rocking the Dusuns costumes.

 

Beautiful Love: Rangga & Cinta!

Back in 2002, there was a movie that everyone's talking about even up until recently. We know a movie is either very bad or very good if peoples keep talking about it for ages. But this one is neither, it's phenomenal! I can say the movie titled Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (AADC) from Indonesia is nothing extra-ordinary when it goes to theme but the storyline was amazingly executed. Yeah, it's a love story but not everyone's type of love tale.

To be honest, I was one of them who found out or rather say didn't really excited about the movie initially. Until one day I was alone and watched it with all focus. I won't lie but yeah I cried, like, really cried. You can tell, that's how touchable the movie directed by Rudy Soedjarwo. No wonder some people can really watch it repeatedly.

It's about a love relationship between two high school student Cinta (played by Indonesia's distinguish actress, Dian Sastrowardoyo) and Rangga (played by Indonesia's heartthrob, Nicholas Saputra). They have like Yin Yang kind of personalities. Cinta is very alive while Rangga is a mysterious guy. But one book change their fate in love. Well, something like that.

However, the ending quite upsetting when the story just stopped with Rangga gone to New York while Cinta remains in Jakarta. Of course, everybody wanna know what happens next. I guess, the director have no plan to do the next sequel and there's no point waiting until this...

I'm glad that finally at least there's a continuation of this after waited sooo long. On another note, I'm not promoting Line here okay.

To AADC fanatics, enjoy!!!!!

Screw SPM!

In this week of big examination for Malaysian going on, I would like to share my experiences during my days as one of the hopeful candidates. Yes, who doesn't want to score good results for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)? BTW, that exam results is a real deal for Malaysian to determine where to go after high school ended.

So, back then, I was a kind of student who doesn't really brilliant in term of brains. I'm not like others who can understand on the spot about what the teachers teach. I am more likely to study by myself and used memorizing rather than understanding. Well, that's how it works for me eventually.

SPM really put someone on pressure. Been there done that, I actually kinda frustrated with the results I got since I expected more. The only thing I proud the most was when I got B for Biology subject far better than the final trial when I failed that paper.

Until, I realized that SPM is not everything. I have witnessed a lot of brilliant peoples (during school days) finally settled down with unconvincing jobs, not aspiring ones. Deep down, I kinda curious what happened actually but at same point I think it's not really something I should be concern about.

Yeah, fate won't be the same for everyone. In fact, there are so many elements that actually can pan us to better opportunities without depending much on the SPM results. I think, its almost not helping at all coz at the end of the day, you future depending on your drives.

But, I must admit educations are so compulsory and can transmit us to higher levels. That's why, during Pre-U and Unihood, I never neglected the importance of getting good results. Although to be honest I'm more playful than studying during that period, but I will definitely put some efforts for exams.

Well, the fact that I didn't score excellent results but still managed to graduate is more than what I'm asking for.

My point here is, do score for your SPM obviously but don't think hard about the results. The real world you have to deal eventually requires you to be more strong, self-driven, ambitious, competitive, wiser, and strongly believe in yourself.

ALL THE BEST AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL SPM CANDIDATES!