Couch to 5K: Week 5 Day 3

Holy moly, i never thought i would get this far. I made it to the third run of Week 5, where i have to jog non-stop for 20 minutes. Only a couple of weeks ago, i hit a major wall trying to run for 5 minutes non-stop. To overcome that wall, i had to get off the treadmill and run at the park so i can make the minor adjustments to my pace. I also had to get a mate to run me through the 5 minutes. Then i started making adjustments to my food intake on my running days...hehe..over tak.

So anyway, today, in woman vs week 5 day 3, woman won! (sorry, i've been watching too much of Man vs. Food lately kekeke.)

Al-Fatihah for Harris...

boner, originally uploaded by nadi0.

...who passed away this morning from a heart attack.

perbalahanku dengan pihak berkuasa - season finale

after over a year, 4 days of wasted annual leave, 4 afternoons spent at the PJ Magistrate Court and several trips to the PJ Traffic Police HQ, my case is finally over today. It was about a traffic offense that became an arrest warrant that I supposedly committed back in August 2007. So today, the police attorney decided to cancel the ticket and warrant, due to the fact that they could not find the ticket in their archives, and also the 2nd police witness was not contactable (or not contacted at all, who cares).

what an absolutely fruitful way to waste time. muahaha.

i haven't been on the treadmill for 3 days now. went for a walk and run at the KJ park yesterday, and only lasted 1km before it started drizzling (the running bit was where i had to run back to the car to avoid getting soaked. hehe..) i'm in week 4 now, i had my 1st day of week 4 sometime mid last week, the drill was to Walk 5 minutes, 2 sets of (jog 3 mins, walk 1.5 min, jog 5 mins, walk 2.5 mins). I set the treadmill incline to 0.5, and cheated the last 5 minute run because it was too hard. I'll have to do it over, maybe slow down the pace so I can finish the whole thing. Feeling quite good since I started exercising regularly again. My usually low blood pressure went into the normal range (~95/70 to 112/72), and my usually high resting heart rate went down from 90 to 74. I'm quite happy about this particular achievement. I haven't lost any weight though, but I guess as long as I feel energetic and well, it doesn't really matter.

ciao.

disoriented

after what i thought was the record breaking finishing work at 11pm on wednesday night, i broke another one by leaving at 4.30am on friday morning. lucky for me, my house is just a few minutes drive away. everytime i feel like complaining, i think about how lucky i've been, that i very rarely have to pull all-nighters for work purposes - although i probably spend 120 nights a year pulling all nighters for my own personal purposes, e.g. edit gambar, watching tv shows, etc etc. hehe.

i came back at 11 am to help them make some last minute changes, printed out the stuff and went home. then i slept. and now i'm wide awake, window shopping on walmart.com.

got a party photoshoot on a putrajaya cruise tomorrow night. should be interesting! just a bit worried that my photos will all be shakey from the boat movement. hmm.

nite

8 weeks to 2010

dang, the older i get, the faster i feel time flies. scary shit.

i need another holiday, pronto. but can't do much with 0.5 day left from my annual leave. can't wait for the long weekends we'll get end of november up to end of the year. Raya Haji, Sultan Selangor's birthday, awal muharram, christmas and new year (awesome, eh?)

been staying late at work these days. tonight was the record, 11pm. and there were still people trying to finish up when i left. kasihan mereka. i want to say i'd like to break the record of coming early for once, but i think i broke that already one day when i arrived at 7.45am (because i didn't sleep the whole night). heheh.

I've also started going on the treadmill again. 3rd attempt at Couch to 5K in a year. My first attempt was late last year, which was interrupted by the Phi Phi island trip. hehe. Then it was interrupted by my apartment terbakar-europe trip-finishing mba paper hoo ha. I started again a couple of weeks ago, in a fitness paranoia streak. I went out and bought that Nike+ sport kit thing, hooked up the sensor on my shoe lace and started running. For some reason that little thing on my shoe is driving my motivation now, although not surprising since I'm a creature of graphs and data. I'm pretty sure that the sensor is clocking more mileage than what i actually cover, since the numbers were pretty off compared to the treadmill. But who cares, i'm just competing against myself, and if that illusion makes me want to do more, more power to me! hehehe..I'm now on week 2, so we'll see if i make it to week 9 this time round.

wokeys, need to try and sleep now for another long day tomorrow.

adios.

Geek Mode

huiyo...3 months has passed by? I think there was a Miss M who dropped a comment a while ago asking why no updates. Busy lah. With work mostly. And sleeping in on the weekend, hence didn't do anything interesting which contributed to the lack of blog updates.

Anyway, today i bought myself a new monitor to replace the 4 year old 19-inch. After 3 hours of meddling around, i finally got the dvi display to work, and hooked up my lcd tv in extended display mode.

tada! now i can watch movies while doing work.

Happy 4th

It was my 4th stem cell transplant anniversary yesterday. Alhamdulillah. I didn't do anything special, just finished some work in the office, and then went to hang out with friends for coffee later that night.

Recent bone marrow test results were good, and blood counts were excellent.

One more hurdle, and hopefully i'll be all set.

missing skopelos

DSC_6339, originally uploaded by nadi0.

i finally got around to looking at my recent travel photos. i have been trying to delay this part where i go through the pictures, delete the really horrible ones, edit the nice ones, etc etc. Partly because work has consumed most of my after-trip life that my nights were mostly spent in a catatonic state in front of the TV, partly because i did not want to get into a state of post-holiday depression looking back at the photos.

i can't wait to get to do this again next year, god willing. with friends, i hope, but alone would also be OK. traveling alone is fun because you could really do whatever you like, arrange and rearrange your plans to your own liking. Of course, you get lonely once in a while, but that's why it's useful to have a friend in the form of a Wi-fi enabled gadget! :-P



One Geek Salad for me please! hahahah

I'm not sure what i really miss about Skopelos actually. Skopelos is undoubtedly beautiful. But I think it was mostly the tranquility, the week-long opportunity to behave like a lost soul with about 3 pairs of clothes and a camera, and only worry about what to eat and what to do, in addition to worrying about not falling off the cliffs.

wictor wictor

Star Trek was awesome!!

among other pronunciations that made me think twice today:

in a conversation with a bank customer service agent:

Agent: can you tell me what 'kaunt-i' you use your card in?
Me: kaunt what?

in a radio ad:

something about the narrator's sister being so feminine, perhaps because she uses 'audipafum Secret' cheh. Maybe that's bahasa baku for Eau de Parfum.

i am home

am home, after the stress of packing and unpacking in London to meet the baggage weight regulations, after the mix up at the check-in counter when i was checked in under a Mr Nadarajan and only realized the mistake at the gate (i got through security and immigration in Heathrow with the wrong boarding pass, mind you), after the 12 hours of darkness in the plane, out to the hot sticky weather of home sweet home.

back to reality.

Back in London

After what felt like forever on the non-reclining seats of EasyJet, i finally arrived at my brother's place.  It's nice and chilly, just the kind of weather i like.

And the speed of the Internet.  Greece was fast, but not this fast.  The song 'ooh baby do you know what that's worth..ooh heaven is a place on earth' is playing in my head right now. hehe.

speedwise, so far Malaysia is still the sayurest of them all.

nite nite!

The end of my greek adventure

I'm back in Athens. Lounging around in the baggage storage area of this backpacker place, because the heat is just too much outside.  At this rate, i might as well be back home, having banana leaf rice at Sri Paandi.

The ferry to Skiathos yesterday went smoothly.  Skiathos is a quaint little island, busier with tourist activities despite being smaller than Skopelos.  I whiled away the time by walking down the streets to see if there's any souvenirs i could bring home.  But then again, all those things, bangles, handbags, scarves, i could get the exact same ones back home in Giant Mall.  So at 7pm, i decided to go and wait for my flight at the airport, and guess what, there was no one there, and the guard said the check-in counters will open at 9.30pm, for the 10pm flight. heheh.  The airport looks like a cowboy town airport.  So i waited lah for 2.5 hours.

I arrived at Athens Backpackers at midnight and went straight to bed.  I went for a last walk mid-morning, looking for souvenirs, but since i am running out of cash, i didn't get anything. haha.  Then it got too hot, so i'm back here just whiling my time away.

Maybe i should just head to the airport and sit around there for the air-conditioning.

Last Day

bugger. time flies eh?  technically tomorrow is my last day, but my ferry leaves for Skiathos at 4.55pm tomorrow, and i'm catching a flight to Athens at 10pm.  One more night in Athens, then i leave for London.

Skopelos Kids - seen fishing at Loutraki

I didn't do much today.  I drove back to Agios Ioannis, and hiked down to the secluded beach for a swim.  When i got hungry i packed up and drove to Agnontas Bay for lunch.  Then i went back to Stafylos Beach, and sat there enjoying the end of the day.  I wanted to wait for the moon to rise above the horizon, but i got lazy and there was nowhere to park on the narrow road, so i went back to the hotel.

Skopelos is awesome.  It's one of my favourite places on earth now.  I love the friendly, but non-intrusive people.  I love the beauty of the terrain, with the pine trees growing right now to the beach.  I love the cats. I love the fact that I chose the perfect time of year to come here.  I wake up every morning with a body ache, maybe from trying to hike up and down to get to the beach with an additional 5 kilos on my back, carrying that fat-ass nikon.

I can't wait to get back to London though. I wish I could skip this one-night-in-Athens bit.  My cash is also running low, and with two days left, i can't be arsed to go to the ATM for more money.

Skopelos Cat - seen basking in the setting sun at Milia Beach

Intimidated by nature.

I drove on an empty winding road today, and worried that the pine trees might suddenly come alive and eat me up.  Then i drove on a dusty winding road in a non-4x4 car, trying to find the highest point of the road, and worried that the car brakes might suddenly not work and i will slip down into oblivion.  I finally went down again to Milia beach to watch the sun set, accompanied by a gang of cats who seem to be quite happy when i arrived.  I got scared by the sound of the waves.  The 1km beach was all mine (and the cats'), but at sunset the soft waves suddenly became harsh, so i quickly packed up my camera and went off (maybe i was imagining things haha).  It reminded me of the day i went on the Great Ocean Road with my brother, when we stood on the beach down the cliff looking up at the first of the 12 Apostles.

The best part of my day was at Glysteri beach, where there were only a couple of old people (naked, eww) and myself (not naked).  I took a dip in the pebbly Greek waters, but the water was still too cold.  And the best view i had while driving was between Agnontas and Stafylos, when the moon was rising above the horizon.  Subhan Allah.

No pictures postings today.  Lazy lah.  The tiredness i would have felt from walking has been replaced by mental fatigue from driving on the Skopelos roads.  Heheh. 2 more days before i have to leave this beautiful island.  In some ways I'm quite glad this adventure is about to end, because i don't think i will be able to cope with the daily adrenaline rush much longer.  And I miss my nephew.

honey honey...

...how he thrills me, a-ha, honey honey

honey honey, nearly killed me, a-ha, honey honey.

hehe...today i set off to Glossa, the other port town of Skopelos.  It's actually not that far away, but since the speed limit is 50kmph, it did take me a good hour to get there.  Plus it's hard to drive fast on a scenic drive.  I stopped by Stafylos again, just to check for my lens cap one more time.  I retraced my steps from yesterday, and i found it!  There is was, under the bushes where i put my bag while i climbed around the rocks yesterday. heheh. happy!

I had lunch in Glossa, i was starving, but the taverna didn't serve anything nice, so i had some fries and a salad.  After lunch i walked around Glossa...it was such a quaint little village!  I then drove down to the port, which was much smaller than the Skopelos port and nothing really interesting.

Then i drove off to find The Church of Agios Ioannis, the church where the wedding scene in Mamma Mia! was filmed.  They actually just used the view, i don't think they actually used the church since it was so small!  It was a narrow, winding road to get there, and there was only one other car when i arrived.

Church of Agios Ioannis, Skopelos

Mamma Mia scene done, i went of to Kastani Beach to just chill out with my book.  Again, just one other car there when i arrived, a group of friends just hanging out by the beach.  So i sat down and read my book to the background sound of waves hitting the beach.  It was very lovely until the group left, and i felt a bit worried that I'm the only one there and the sun is already setting.  So i packed up and left.  Damn! I wanted to get some sunset photos today.  Tomorrow i'll find a beach with a bit more people, but at the rate this sleepy island is going, i don't think i will find any.

Penat

I decided to check out the bus route today.  These skopelos buses don't run as regular as i'd like though.  After missing the 12.15pm bus, I hung around at a cafe reading my book, waiting for the 1.30pm bus.  I knew the buses looked like school buses, but at 1.30pm, suddenly this huge coach started moving and i saw people climbing into it - no ferry in sight.  So i ran to the bus and asked the driver where he was going.  He said, "Stafylos, Agnontas, Limonari, Panormos...etc etc." damn, this is the town bus!  So i paid to go to Stafylos.  (mistake, should have gone the full route up to Glossa and see what's nice).

Skopelos Map, from SkopelosIsland.com

Anyway, I got off at Stafylos, and followed the road sign.  Goddamn, the path was so steep, i knew i will be so lazy to make it back up.  Stafylos is a beautiful quiet beach, or maybe it's just quiet because it is spring, and there were only me (climbing up and down the rocks for photos) and a small family that was having a picnic and a swim.

Stafylos

The thought of settling down at the beach, then having to climb back up was enough to put me off.  So i started walking back up, determined to rent a car.  Waited a few minutes at the bus stop, but no bus passed by, so i started walking back towards Skopelos Town.  The map indicated that the road is about 6km away, and from my journey up, i knew that it wasn't going to be a flat road.  But the next bus won't be coming until 2 hours later!  Anyway, i thought the walk would be good for me, it will be my only walk on this island.  Apparently the island walking thing is quite big.  Check out Walking the Greek Islands. About 1.5 hours later, after many stops to take photos of this and that, i arrived in town starving and went into the first taverna that said hello to me.

A nice old man called Andreas served me some grilled sardines which were delicious, though i thought a bit too salty.  He seems to think that Malaysia is a part of Africa, because he said to me, "ah, Malaysia, good country, not like Sudan, shooting everywhere." huh? hehe...suka hati lah. After i finished, he wanted to give me a bottle of i don't know what, but he claims that it is more powerful than ouzo, so i politely declined lah.  Come to think of it, i should have taken it as a souvenier for friends back home.

The fullness from lunch increased the level of my laziness to do this whole island walking thing, so i stopped by a car rent shop to ask for the rental price.  I initially planned to rent a car for one day only, and hike the rest of the days, but nahhhhh.  Even better when the car rent lady said it is 50 euros for 3 days, unlimited mileage (not that the island is very big) , insurance included, and i just have to fill back the tank to what it was before. Done deal. Here's my driver's license, here's the 50 bucks. Gimme the keys. Awesome.  I just got to remember not to overeat now that I won't be walking as much. hehehe.

Car in hand, i drove back to Stafylos right down to the front of the steps to go down the beach.  I realized while starting the walk that i lost my lens cap...so i went into the bushes to look for it...but nope, it was gone. I'm not sure how i'm going to keep this lens safe now..urgh.

Sunset at Milia Beach, Skopelos

I then proceeded to drive from beach to beach, up to Milia.  Apparently the next beach, Kastani was the main filming location for Mamma Mia! the movie, but i was tired, so i headed back home. Got 3 more days with the car, no worries.  Didn't take that many nice pictures either, since the problem with driving is that you can't stop wherever you want for photos.  The road was also too small and i was still getting used to the car and i don't want to fall into the many gaungs (somehow i thought the clutch position is also reversed on a left-hand drive car. hehe).

Ok i'm going to sleep early today since a whole new world just opened up for me with access to a car. hehe. Ciao ciao!

Lazy day in Skopelos

Skopelos Town.

I didn't do anything much today.  Woke up at noon and lazed about until 2pm.  Attempted to find a laundry, but before i could, the hotel owner said she'll just put my clothes with their washing and hang them.  Then i borrowed her bicycle and cycled to town for some lunch.

the grilled squid i had for lunch, with some greek salad.

After that i cycled back, and did nothing else until now, other than surfing the net to the sound of ocean waves and Greek pop music from the hotel next door.  The temperature is still chilly and weather cloudy, and it's not good enough for photos, but i'd rather this than the scorching hot sun.

People on this island are so nice.  I'm not sure whether it's because of tourism, but i don't think it's a very touristy island.  People here are olive farmers and fishermen mostly.  Just today, as i was having lunch, the order came for a couple sitting in front of me.  She tasted it, and she said to the waiter, "i don't like the taste of it."  The waiter, with a smile on his face, took the dish back, and brought her some fried fish.  It's the kind of thing you never attempt to do in KL.  You decided to order it, so you pay lah, whether it's good or not. hahaha.  Unless it's real disgusting like the "Mango Sticky Rice" (lame yucky version) me, lan and daus once had at the Dessert Bar in Mont Kiara.

I'm getting hungry.  Maybe i'll go off and see what's nice at the waterfront.

Mamma Mia!

So i didn't sleep at all last night, chatted with friends in KL until it was time to go.  Slept all the way in the bus, but did make some small talk with a couple of English ladies who have already been to Skopelos twice!  The bus left precisely at 6.45 AM, and arrived at the port Agios Konstantinous at 9.30 AM.  I went straight into the huge ferry, picked a seat, watched a documentary about ancient greek wonders, and fell asleep again.  The ferry left at 10.30 AM, made stops at Skiathos, Glossa (the other side of Skopelos), and finally Skopelos Town.  Just for records, this whole journey cost me about 63 Euros.

As soon as the plank was lowered, and I saw Skopelos, oooh....mamma mia!! I started devicing in my head how to stay here another day and skip that whole flight-from-Skiathos-to-Athens-the-day-before thing.  I could see that it's a beautiful island, although the weather is very cold today, and so far it's been misty.  The hills laced with the mist provided a somewhat dreamy backdrop to the densely populated white houses near the marina. (do i sound like a travel ad? sorry. hehe)

Suddenly I saw a lady holding a white card bearing my name.  Damn, i get picked up at the port? wah.  She's the owner of the hotel i booked, it's called DelSol or Takis-Sophie, i'm not sure which one is the real name.  I got a little studio unit, with a kitchenette, bathroom, dining table and a bedroom, for the same price i paid for that one bed in Athens.  Got wi-fi too, unfortunately no TV, but they're mostly in Greek anyway.  I'm pretty sure i'll have a good time here.

It's 5pm, but i think i'm going to take a nap.  The owner asked me to join a grill party at her restaurant later for a South African tour group she's hosting, so maybe I'll rest now and go see if there's anything nice i can eat.  This feels so weird, I was kind of expecting a formal hotel, but it feels more like i've been invited to stay at someone's really house.  Nice weird though.  I'm pretty sure i'm the only one here right now. hehehe. ta.

Failed to get to Cape Sounio

I woke up late, missed the change of the guards i wanted to see in front of the parliament, so i went straight to the bus-stop to get on the regional bus to Cape Sounio, where the coast is supposed to be dramatic and all.  Maps and guidebooks said that the bus departs every hour, but of course, I waited for 1 1/2 hour and no described orange bus passed by.  Newspaper kiosk man said yes, there are buses leaving for Sounio here everyday, so I waited a bit more and gave up soon after.  I was just feeling tired of this whole greek timeliness thing, so i decided to take the metro to the National Archeological Museum, and try my luck to see if it was open.

Luckily, it was open, and it's apparently free on Sundays! I didn't read every single thing, but it was quite amazing to see things from thousands of years ago, created by civilizations that had a lot less than modern technology.  The sculptures were so intricately done, the pottery painted with beautiful patterns, beautiful jewelry of all sorts. It's the kind of feeling where you suddenly realize that these people did exist, they're not just made up hollywood characters played by brad pitt and orlando bloom. heh.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite, Eros (middle) & Pan.  The explanation said that in this carving, Pan si tuhan berkaki kambing nak mengorat goddess Aphrodite, but Aphrodite taknak, so she's holding her selipar in her right hand to slap the horny Pan, and Eros the flying baby god comes to help Aphrodite.  Found in Beirut, believed to be from around 100 BC.  I've seen a worse carving of Pan the goat-footed god in the ancient porn section of the Naples Archeological Museum, where he was trying to rape a really fat woman or something.

Then in contemplating my next move, i sat around in Omonia Square, had a cone of gelato while watching the Bangladeshis sell their goods on the square.  It really reminds me of Central Market, where a blend of chinese, indians and some very asian looking people walking around. So, since my 24 hour travel pass was valid for another 4 hours, i decided to head to Pireas, a port town near Athens.  I asked the bus kiosk which bus goes around the cape, and was told to get on bus No. 904.  I hopped off at what i thought was the main waterfront, and walked a bit to take photos before hopping again on the next bus.  The next journey took me to a bigger waterfront called Pasalimano, with yachts and expensive looking restaurants, and stylish people walking the esplanade. Lovely! I headed straight back to Athens after that.

men sitting at the smaller marinas, Pireas

view from the small marina in Pireas

Back in Athens, i sorted out my last night stay after my island trip at the hostel, and saw a notice on the whiteboard that said, "Acropolis is free today!"  It was already almost 7pm, but i thought i should just walk that short distance to see if it's still open.  Luckily it was open, i guess i was so tired that i misunderstood the closed signboard a few days ago.  I think only the Museum is closed, not the whole site.  Which is quite logical now that i think about it; how could they close their most important tourist attraction to the public, right? hehehe.  The view from the Acropolis site is quite breathtaking as well, and i was able to see the whole Athens until it stretches out to the sea.  I'll post some pictures later since we all now what the Parthenon looks like anyway. heheh...(feeling a bit lazy).

When i came back home, two more people had arrived, so we chatted and watched tv for a bit until it was time for dinner.  I had a nice dinner with one of my studio mates at a cafe in Plaka, which was about 5 minutes walk away, and the area was so lively with music and chatter.

It's now 2.30 am and i'm too nervous to sleep in case i don't wake up to catch my 6.45am bus to the port tomorrow morning.  Wish I was an heiress and i had a helicopter that would drop me off anytime i like. hehehe.  Everyone's asleep already and we said our goodbyes, and i've taken all my stuff into the living room so i don't disturb anyone tomorrow morning when i leave.  I'm going to sleep on the couch tonight, if i can sleep at all.

So, though i'm bummed out that i didn't get to go to Sounio, i guess i was also quite happy that everything else i did didn't cost me much.  Otherwise it would have been 6 euros for the museum, and 12 euros for the Acropolis.  Kira lah sendiri how much that would be in RM. boleh lunch for one week in KL.  I'm being a bit cost-conscious now since i don't know if i will need to fork out any money for my apartment repairs back home (boohoo!!)

I'm quite excited to get to Skopelos.  I'm imagining an idle week with not much touristy things to see.  Might get a bit boring since i will be by myself, but i got my book, my gadgets, and my movies i can watch for the next 6 days.  I will take the bus Agios Konstantinos tomorrow morning, and the connecting ferry will take me to Skopelos from there.  Coming back, I will take a ferry a day earlier to the neighboring island Skiathos, and take an Olympic Airline flight back to Athens.  It costs about the same, ferry + bus combo or flying, i decided to fly because i can't get a confirmation on the ferry schedules on the day i was supposed to leave for London.  I've learned not to give all my trust to the Greek transportation system, and i don't really want to get stuck on an island, however lovelythe idea might sound to other people.

Don't know if i will have internet there.  But i'll try my medium best to keep in touch.  Adio!

I'm ok now

After posting that depressing entry yesterday, i went out again, and made my way to Lykavitos Hill.  I thought i'd take a stroll from the hostel to the funicolare, but what i found out later was that i should have saved the energy for the climb up to reach the funicolare station itself!!  A steep climb uphill, then a few more steps, loads of huffing and puffing later, i reached the station only to find that you could actually take a bus or taxi to that point!  Bugger, why do i always do this to myself? haha...anyway, the ride up cost me about 6 euros return, and the view was spectacular.  I went near sunset, so there were plenty of people there, but not too many that it was uncomfortable. Regret a bit that i sent my tripod home from Munich, but i guess the Acropolis was a bit further than 200mm could reach anyway.  I'll post more pictures soon, coz i'm too damn lazy right now.

Today i set out to sort my bus and ferry tickets for Monday,  then went to find the recommended Indian food place down in the Omonia district.  Down that street, was little India, and maybe little Africa, and as soon as i walked into the cafe, all the men in there waved to ask me to sit next to them.  I'm not saying this coz i feel hot, i WAS the only girl in the cafe, and the chicken was halal.  I had a huge serving of nasi beryani ayam, some chickpea curry, salad, fries and a pepsi, all for 2.50 Euros!  I'd definitely go there again, but i'll be sure to bring some friends with me next time.

After lunch i idled around, sat at a cafe to read a book, while trying to decide whether or not to head for the coast.  I somehow ended up in an archeological site near my hostel, where the Hadrian Arch and Temple of Olympian Zeus is while i was looking for the first ever Olympic Stadium.  I then sat again at another cafe for a milkshake, and at 5pm finally decided that i would head to the coast and see what's there.  I went to the end of the tram line, Volous, and headed back, stopping at Glyphada to catch the sunset.  Glorious glorious sunset!

sunset @ Glyphada Beach, Athens.

Then i headed back to town, had a sandwich, and went back to the hostel.  Nak buat laundry tak jadi, nak edit gambar tak jadi.  It's 3.20 AM now, and 2 young ladies just walked in smelling of booze. Argh.  Just as i was finally feeling settled in, having shared travel stories with an aussie and argentinian.

Lapar la pulak, better sleep.  I'm heading to Cape Sounio tomorrow, wish me luck!

Bored in Athens

guess what. it's Labor Day today, and everything is closed! Can't even get a tour outside of Athens for tomorrow because apparently everybody is going off on a long weekend.

Went for a walk up to the Acropolis, but guess what, it's apparently closed for archeologists to do their digging work.  cheh.  so i walked around the area, snapping photos, had some nice greek salad and walked to the National Archeological Museum, about 2 km north of the Acropolis area.  Guess what, the museum was closed as well! bosan betul.

So here i am, at 4pm, back in my room.  Tomorrow is only going to be Saturday, and then Sunday, then i gotta figure out a way to get to Skopelos, ferry schedules still not out yet, and i'm getting nervous by the hour.  Apparently the bus leaves Athens for the port at 6.45am, so i guess one must really want to get to the Sporades Islands to want to wake up at this ungodly hour.

I'm hoping it will be better than Athens.  Athens is nice and sunny, but the dust is getting to me.  It's a lively, graffiti laden city, and it feels like you're walking through an archeological site every corner you turn. I don't know what i was expecting really.  I enjoyed Italy a lot last year, maybe i was expecting a similar experience.  Maybe i should read my guide book a bit more to see what else i could do here.

Jetlagged in Athens

Left the house around 12 noon.  Took the easyBus from Fulham Broadway to Gatwick for about 7 pounds, got my lotion confiscated at security because i was so kalut that i forgot i had the lotion in my handbag.  Had a sandwich, and set out to look for another small bottle of lotion inside the airport.  Didn't realize that the gate was quite a bit of a walk....!! i saw the departure monitors flashing "Flight Closing" for my flight, and walked as fast as i could to the gate.  A couple of walkalators and a few escalators away, i arrived at gate 107, only to find that they haven't even boarded any passengers yet..chis...!  Anyway the flight was smooth, except that i didn't realize when i decided to come to Athens, that the flight was going to be 3.5 hours long!

Arrival was smooth as well, and i took the X95 bus as instructed by the hostel to Syntagma Square, and the metro to the Acropolis.  I booked this small apartment called Athens Studios where i have to share with 5 other people, and boy do they pack us up in here! It's quite nice though, except that I thought there was free wifi, but in fact there's free ADSL, but you need a LAN cable.  And all my fellow travellers here are just like me, with our little netbooks and all, waiting our turn to use the LAN cable.  Anyway, they're all asleep now, and I'm still wide awake since it's only 11pm in London.

Speaking of which, the last two days in London passed by so quickly, that by the time i had to leave London, i was regretting the decision to take this little break to Athens.  I did go for Taza on tuesday, yummy yummy!!

Taza chicken shawarma, Queensway

After the kebab, i went to Whiteley's on a mission to find a nice backpack to put my camera gear + notebook in, since i've realized carrying the sling bag around is such a pain in the shoulder!! Found a good one for a reasonable price, and i started walking on Bayswater Road, down Notting Hill, down Holland Park Road, and the next thing i realized was that i was in front of that new gigantic shopping mall Westfield!!  The thing i would never do back home: wander aimlessly for 4 kilometers, on foot. heheh. well to be fair, i knew i was heading west back to Ealing, so at least i had a goal in mind. hahaha...

Yesterday i took my nephew for a walk, he pushed his little trolley speaking gibberish while i pretended to understand what he was saying.  Then i took off for some oxygen treatment at Kew Garden, and damn that place is lovely...! 13 pounds to get in though, a bit steep i must say. (jangan convert....)  If only i was a bit more interested in plants...hahaha

Kew Palace

I got attacked by two ducks while i sat on the grass to have my sandwich.  I wasn't sure if the duck would eat a chicken sandwich, so i threw some bread for them.  Those ducks scared the hell out of me!

Quack Attack, Kew Garden

I also saw a giant petai at one of the exhibitions.  Told the botanists that we have a similar plant back home, and one could eat it.  She said this one came from South America, and they usually make jewelry out of the beans.  Check out the picture!

Giant Petai, Kew Garden

Headed back to Ealing at the end of the day, had some yucky fish & chips near the train station.  I had that about 3 years ago, i know the fish is no good at all, but i still went anyway.  I don't know why i always do that to myself. heheheh.

It's 1.30 AM in Athens right now, and i'm not sleepy at all.  I'm contemplating sleeping on the couch, since the thought of having to climb up the bunk bed is not tempting at all.

I miss my couch in London.

5th Day in London

picture above from my first day, taken from the Tate Modern site, after my fish & chips lunch at the Borough market.  There's this stall called Fish! Restaurants and the meal was delicious! Attempted to burn off the calories by taking the Thames Path all the way to Tate Modern.  Tate Modern, is something i just don't get.  Most of the art I don't understand but they were pretty, and a couple of them i just found pretentious.  Like a rope sprawled over and around the floor, and a piece called "Mirror on Canvas," which is basically just a piece of rectangular mirror hung on the wall.  Right-o!  While looking at the artworks, i thought maybe i should just take a dump on the floor, and then call it, "Poo on the Floor - evocating the sense of disgust and shame within the cultured society." or whatever. hahaha.

Saturday was a good day, followed my brother and co to their friend's house near Portobello for a bbq.  Yumsy!  Took a little stroll down the market road, but it was the weekend, and the place was crowded as expected.

Sunday was quite exciting, i went out to see my friend Gemma (whom i met in Rome last year) and we walked through the huge crowds of the London Marathon.  Respect to all those who ran, and the runners were of all ages and size too..!  Gemma introduced me to the Gingerbread Latte at Costa Coffee...man it was so good!

The nice weekend weather ended, and Monday rained all day.  So i thought it would be the best time to visit the Henry VIII exhibition at the British Library near King's Cross.  I must have spent about 3 hours in there checking out all the historical artefacts and henry's personal belongings.  I must say i was a bit disappointed that King Henry doesn't look like Jonathan Rhys-Myers at all, neither does Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Katharine of Aragorn, etc etc.  The only person i thought looked quite close to his character in The Tudors was Cardinal Wolsey. heheh.

Then i stopped by Camden Town for some lunch at Camden Lock, and went back down to Tottenham Court Road to check out the bookstores and the gadget stores.  Almost convinced myself that i needed a Lowepro Fastpack 250 when i actually just needed a cheap padded backpack since i didn't bring mine.  It's really tough walking with a shoulder bag with loaded with camera stuff. heheh.

Today is cold as well, but at least there is sun.  Went for a run to the post-office this morning and came back feeling nice and warm.  I'm not sure yet what to do today.  Maybe i'll take a book with me, have some Taza kebab and sit at the park.

Ciaos.

Taking Off

Wish i had a bit more time here. There are supposed to be grand castles to visit just out of the city and all sorts of other things to see. 3 days worth of meetings, nothing else. Loving the sky, loving the cold, loving the doner kebabs. hahaha

Off to the airport in half an hour.

I learned a phrase: Soll Firefox dieses Passwort speichern? heheh. well, as well as ausgang, eingang (enter, exit), kopieren, einfügen (copy, paste hehehe) yet no idea how to pronounce them. Oh well.

Some pictures from my short stay in Munich.


Marienplatz and the Rathaus (Munich Town Hall)


Fürstenfeldbruck, 30 minutes away on the S-bahn from the Munich central station.

adios!!

Guten Tag!

hallow, finally got a chance for a posting. this hotel has no wifi, so we have to wait for this single pc on the first floor to be available..i really miss home for these geeky needs. hehee..susah sangat ke nak pasang wifi kat sini? i really don't understand it.

yesterday i tried to beat my jetlag by walking around Munich city. Walked around Marienplatz which was lovely, that seems to be the very center of Munich. The weather is lovely...just the kind of cold that I like. Language seems to be a problem here, all i know to say is danke and no sprechen deutsche, even that i'm not sure if i'm saying correctly.

After lunch (kebab restaurants widely available within the hotel's vicinity) i took a break and set out to read the few pages of Lonely Planet i tore off my Europe book. Really wanted to see an overall view of Munich, and i was told that if i could get on a high viewpoint, i would be able to see the Alps as well. So me and colleague set off to St Peterskirche to go up the tower. Paid €1.50 to climb 13 floors worth of stairs!!! As usual, in climbing situations, i always tend to want to give up halfway, but i kept on going anyway yesterday. It felt like a big achievement to reach the top, and strangely on one of the doors, there was graffiti that said, "Nadia, Ti Amo 4ever." hahahah...and it goes without saying that the view was quite breathtaking. Sorry, no pictures as of yet since I left my thumbdrive up in the room.

Today was a full day of meetings in Buchenau, about 30 minutes by train from Munich. Lovely quiet place, and the office was awesome with a lovely canteen as well! On the way back we stopped by Furstenfeldbrucke for coffee and some snacks, a nice little quaint town where my colleague stayed at last time they were here.

someday i'll come back and visit Germany properly. I want to go to Dachau and visit all that Holocaust stuff. No time left now, since the next two days is full of meetings and i'll be off to London on Thursday night. London calling...more like little nephew calling and i can't bloody wait to see him. hahaha. lemah betul auntie nadio ni.

ok..i should be off now. need to get ready for dinner.

on the road again...

am going travelling again. where? where else...to visit the little nephew at his home. bet he's not so little anymore!

but i gotta make a work-related pit stop in munich first. bak kata orang2 yang suka berlagak dalam facebook status, "gotta go to munich, then london...argh bosannya.." don't u just hate people like that?

i'm just glad to get the chance to step out of our scorching hot malaysian weather for a while.

will keep this blog posted. ta!

A day past April 15

nope. i didn't make it. in fact i have known for a week that i wouldn't make it.

i sent in a request for extension anyway, just in case they find it in their hearts to give me some pity.

heh...

unrest

at the time of writing this entry, i have sat in front of the TV in an attempt to fall asleep, i have lain in bed three times but end up wide awake, trying to sort my head out. I need to finish this paper, i need to sort out the contractor for apartment hangus, i need to sort things at work, and i have about less than 2 weeks to do 'em all.

suddenly all those hours spent at Lepaq, Rasta and all the mamak places, yak-yakking about nonsense seem so irrelevant. ni lah dia, orang tua-tua cakap, "masa itu emas." orang tua-tua also ada cakap, "sesal dahulu pendapatan, sesal kemudian tiada gunanya." note that this regret is directed mostly at the still-not-done yet paper. heh...ya, ya, i know that i said i won't be talking about it until 15 april, but this morning i just feel like whining (some more).

sometimes, in my weaker hours, i start thinking, what's the point of this paper after all? my heart's not in it, and who the hell would choose a really dry topic like process improvement and regret it later anyway? me, it seems. maybe this paper is irrelevant, not the rest of my life. but then another part of me tells me i don't want to be that person who says, "i almost finished my mba u know..." so here i am, unable to sleep, after writing another couple more pages to the document, whining.

maybe the problem is that i'm looking at it so negatively? ok let me try injecting some positive energy into it. Process improvement rocks! It is the most relevant topic in the world! Service desk is the center of the universe! argh..it's so hard to convince myself. hahahaha.

in some ways i am hoping for a miracle to happen. in another way, i feel, what the hell. i just want to be free, so it's do or die. if i manage, awesome. if i don't, i guess it's not the end of the world. i just need to remember never to say, "i almost finished my mba, u know..."

i suppose since it's 7am, it's probably best i get ready and take this opportunity to arrive at work earlier than usual and force myself to smile through the "eh, so early today? are u alright?" comments.

have a good week everyone.

hari yang drama

With the looming MBA deadline, yesterday i discovered that my thesis supervisor has resigned and i have to find myself a new supervisor for my thesis submission. ouch. my fault.

Then i got splashed on the way to work this morning, had the window rolled down since the morning was so cool, and a lorry passed by a huge puddle of water, which got splashed at me like two buckets of water were thrown into the car. yucks.

And towards the end of the day, i received a call from my tenant, who told me that my apartment unit had caught fire, and it's badly damaged, along with their stuff. Argh!

timing for all these incidents are almost perfectly sync-ed with each other, aren't they?

sabar je lah. like bernard said, what to do, shit happens. and you always need to take a shit while hanging out with friends la, or walking happily in the mall...right?


a shot of the middle room, the most damaged. the rest of the unit is covered in ash.

churning bullshit at 1am

I've been churning pages and pages of bull crap in the past week and the past few hours, with an hour of TV and dinner in between. 2 weeks left, and I'm still so far from done. There's so much crap, i'm starting to wonder, what's the point?

i really feel like giving up, so help me God.

chickpea salad

chickpea salad, originally uploaded by nadi0.

Ingredients:
Sautee canned chickpeas with garlic and lemon zest
Mix together with halved cherry tomatoes and chopped red onions
Natural yoghurt, salt, curry powder, pepper for dressing.

toss, and garnish with feta cheese and chopped spring onions.

may be quite a bland dish for some people, but i love chick peas..and the cheese was salty enough, onions crunchy and the cherry tomatoes were fabulously sweet! enak dimakan begitu saja...!

Sunburst KL 2009

DSC_5049, originally uploaded by nadi0.

What a night! I was a bit put off initially because of all the hoo-ha about not allowing people to bring in their DSLRs. But i went anyway (DSLR included, of course) and had an awesome time! It was so hot, the open space felt like a sauna.

Nidji was awesome. Another Indonesian band, Agrikulture, whom i only heard for the first time was superb. N.E.R.D. and KoRn were badass, although i don't know any of their songs! Unfortunately, Butterfingers was a bit of a let down.

in search of the best mango sticky rice in KL

mango sticky rice, originally uploaded by nadi0.

I first saw this Thai dish on Jamie Oliver a few years ago on TV. Or was it Anthony Bourdain? Ah i can't exactly remember who now. So, on a work trip to Bangkok several years ago, I tried it for the first time at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar. Verdict: Absolutely delicious! especially when paired with some Thai iced tea.

So in my recent trip to Phi Phi last year, while on an overnight transit in Phuket, Lan and me walked the streets for some late supper (after the delayed Air Asia flight, of course..haha). There was a little stall on the main road that sells mango sticky rice, so we greedily grabbed the opportunity. It was only 50 bahts, but it tasted like heaven. Naturally, it became our obsession throughout the trip, but unfortunately you couldn't get any in Phi Phi.

The obsession continued long after our return from the trip. We googled to find Thai restaurants in KL and drooled over the pictures we found. Food-Porn! hahaha...! We tried:

1. Thai Express @ the Curve - ~RM10, green pandan sticky rice, mango tak sedap, and the portion was really really small. urgh.

2. Absolute Thai @ Ikano - ~RM10, ok-ok only. they tried their best, but still tak sedap.

3. Dessert Bar @ Mont Kiara - it was so horrible that we told them to take it out of the menu, so I won't bother with the price because we didn't even pay for it. kekekee...

Then came the Thai Food Festival at the Giant Mall in KJ. Woohooo!! Imagine the excitement when i saw them setting up the stall last week. As in the picture above, it's simple, cheap and delicious. I cannot understand why these restaurants need to put in too much creativity and end up spoiling the dish...there's no need! This is by far the best sticky mango rice i've ever had in KL.

I guess I'm good Thai-food wise up till the end of the month. yay! The kerabu mango is also very nice, as well as the tom yam. But there's rarely enough space in the stomach after you've downed a whole plate of the mango sticky rice. hehee.

Wakenabeb TV9

I somehow came across Wakenabeb on TV9 a few minutes ago. The skit involves Farid Kamil and his friends getting caught by the police for some made up crime. this thing is bloody wrong in so many ways!

1. Poor farid Kamil has an exam the next day
2. they actually got REAL police involved, wtf? takde kerja lain ke?

the neverending story - my mba thesis.

Have i been talking about this since 2004? Hahaha...yes I have.

This will probably the 2nd last time I will mention this bloody thing. Watch out for April 15th, I will either announce that my thesis is finally complete, or that I have decided to abandon it, thus throwing my excellent GPA and my 20 grand down the drain.

It's seriously difficult to focus on this thing. First I got ill, that put back the thesis for 2 years. Then i got busy with work, and it got put back for another 2 years. Then I started traveling; Bali, Italy, Thailand, 2008 passed by in a whiz, and I missed my December 2008 submission date.

I now have until April 15th, where if i don't submit it by then, I get thrown out of the program. My reward, Greece. So I better get down to it now.

....

Hmm, i'll get down to it tomorrow night. I'm going to watch Role Models first.

kah kah kah. wouldn't it be nice if there is such thing as a Professional Procrastinator? I'd be damn good at it, i guarantee.

chilli crabs

chilli crabs, originally uploaded by nadi0.

the Japanese globetrotter friend i met in Florence is now in KL for a short stay. So we decided to take her for some Fatty Crab last night. yummy yummy! i'm still feeling bloated from all the food from last night's dinner.

My friend Sachiko has been all over since we parted ways in Florence in April 2008. Listening to her travel experiences, i envy her greatly. I wish i could muster the courage to just drop everything and be free, while also making just enough to allow myself to see the world.

But then again, i love this country, and I'm quite happy with my life here. i don't think i could leave it for too long. :-)

Hari Ini Dalam Sejarah (Hidupku)

after five years, today i finally paid off my loan for banana boat. the car is now officially MINE.

yay! it feels good to have some degree of financial freedom.

Sangat Penat

I'm not one to complain about work, but lemme tell you this; after a month of thinking about nothing else other than that thing i have to deliver, i now feel like i don't have a life, and i'm just freaking tired.

need a break (again). hhahaha

Cikgu Zul, the math rock star

When I started high school some 15 years ago, I remember being pretty bad at math. I was averaging a C for the most part of Form 1, until one school holiday, my mom took me to this math tutor. Cikgu Zul, in Uptown. He had a rundown tuition center called Pusat Tuisyen Farabi, on the same row as where The Ship is (or was?). So i attended his sessions, and next thing i know, i was scoring above 95% in my tests. I don't really understand how his magic works, for all he did was tell us the exercises to work on, then he just sits there reading his newspaper, or sometimes, fixing his watches. We went up to him whenever we got stuck with a problem, and he showed us how it is done. So I continued seeing him for 5 years, and while most people find Additional Maths impossible, that subject sort of became a hobby for me. A hobby that i was really good at. When i felt unsettled or worried, I solved add maths problems. I say was, because i have no idea how to solve a differential problem if you give one to me right now, though i did get back into it while i was bored in the hospital a few years ago. hehe.

Because my mom saw results in me, she started sending my brothers to him. Then my aunties started to send my cousins to him, until all my cousins who were in KL/PJ had Cikgu Zul as their math tutor. Even the one in Penang joined the club. So, at my cousin's wedding last weekend, it was quite the sight to see 15 people, age ranging from 14 to 31, fussing over him as he walked the red carpet towards the hall. And then again, at the end of the wedding, when half of us ganged up on him to make sure he doesn't leave before we got a group photo, and the other half stopped the crowd for a bit while said photo was being taken.

Talk about red carpet treatment, eh?

The Office (US) - A Marathon

I've been spending my nights watching The Office U.S. since last weekend. After covering almost 3 seasons, I've realized that...

1. My biggest work-related fear is to become like Michael Scott
   
2. if i talk and bitch too much about work-related-personal things, I will in about 5 years' time be exactly like Michael Scott. touch wood.
   
3. John Krasinski is hot
4. a Malaysian version of the show would be totally awesome! so many skits i could think of right now. muahahah.

Aight. back to the tv. ciao.

Phi Phi 2008 - food, water and tonnes of fun.

I never did write about my holiday in Phi Phi, did i? It was almost 2 months ago, came back, got ill, went through a bout of post holiday blues, then it was Christmas and New Year holidays. Then I was ill again, and got totally consumed with work up to now. So today is Sunday, and as I was chilling out reading A Backpack and a Bit of Luck by Zhang Su Li, I thought about my trip to Phi Phi at the end of last November.

With Lan on the trip, half of our enjoyment came from trying out the various Thai food offered. We became the food testers for Gemma, trying out the food to see if it would be too spicy for her British tastebuds. hehe. I cannot forget the taste of the barbecued corn, loads of salt and butter rubbed on it. The 50 baht sticky mango rice we got on the streets of Patong was the best i've had ever - I don't understand why the Thai restaurants in KL need to be too creative with the bloody expensive sticky mango rice. Why can't they do it exactly like the Thai do? It's not very difficult, some sticky rice, coconut sauce concoction, and really good mango. I tell you it's very frustrating when you pay a premium and you don't even get close to the authentic thing.


Sticky mango rice in Phuket


See how juicy that prawn is? Seafood salad in Phuket


Lan and Gemma in conversation after dinner in Phi Phi

Phi Phi is awesome. Nice little village, but full of convenience. The locals were nice, except for the receptionist at the hotel we were staying at - she was just plain rude and lazy. hehe. There's free wi-fi if you know where to find it, cheap food and lovely beaches all round the island.

First day, Gemma and I decided to climb up the Phi Phi Viewpoint. It's actually the Tsunami escape route, but i don't know how many people would be able to make the climb if they had to. It starts of with some steps, then the steps got steeper and steeper. After the steps, we walked up a steep path to the first viewpoint. My mistake, i had my slr bag (with all the lenses) throughout the 186m climb. ugh. Gemma was a star, she encouraged me all the way up. And when we finally got there, wow...! The view was so beautiful, no wonder the place is called the Viewpoint. hehe...Lan came to join us about an hour later, and we sat there and enjoyed the view for as long as we could.


Phi Phi from the Viewpoint

Obviously, after that strenuous hike, the three of us were too tired to do anything else. So we packed our swimsuits and headed to the beach. Unfortunately the weather wasn't to kind on us that day, it started pouring shortly after we got into the water, forcing us to seek shelter at a resort restaurant nearby.

I can't really remember what we did all week. We rented a longtail boat one day, went to Phi Phi Lay (where they shot the Beach), then we headed off to Bamboo Island and spent most of the afternoon there. The water was choppy as hell, but the drama came as we were halfway back from Bamboo Island to Phi Phi Don, and suddenly the boat just died in the middle of the ocean. Kan, our boat guy did everything he could to start the boat. Another boat carrying some Spanish tourists stopped to see if they could help, but shortly after they went back on their way. I was hungry and scared, and the boat rocked as if it was going to turn over. After about 40 minutes (which felt like 3 hours to me), Kan managed to start the engine and we slowly treaded the water back to Phi Phi. Thank God.

I stopped carrying my SLR around, which was a huge relief. We spent two afternoons sleeping, snorkeling and swimming on Long Beach, a nice quiet beach on the south east side of the island. We took night strolls by the beach and watched the stars. One night Lan and Gemma had food poisoning, so we rented a DVD player, bought some DVDs and stayed in.


Sunset at Long Beach, Phi Phi

I didn't shop much. There's nothing there that you can't get in Krabi, Phuket, Bali or Bangkok, or even at the Flea Market at The Curve. The weather was mostly cloudy all week, bad for pictures, but absolutely perfect for swimming and snorkeling for someone who can't stand the hot sun like me.

The morning i was leaving back to Phuket, the weather turned out beautiful and sunny, as is always the case whenever i travel anywhere. I want to stay really badly, just one more day, but that was the end of my holiday, and i had to get back to work the next day. So i took whatever pictures I could from the ferry, took my shuttle to the airport, and flew home. :-(


The last and only beautiful morning in Phi Phi

Phi Phi is wonderful, and I will definitely come back here again whenever I need to chill out without losing the convenience of the city life when i need it (that means Internet to me, hehe).