China: Moldy Guilin pictures.

Thank God that we are still alive after 21.12.2012! I must admit that, I did woke up in the middle of the night of 21.12.2012, lay flat on my bed, waiting for what ever may come. And one thing I noticed that, it was a very quiet night, quieter than usual until I had to pinch myself to make sure I am still alive. Crazy huh? Although I am pretty sure that it was all exaggeration made by the superstitious believer towards The Mayan's.. but I can't help it not to get carried away after hearing and reading about 21.12.2012 since year 2010!

Anyways, here's a few (?) pictures taken from my previous Guilin, China. ..and I learn that Guilin will be another trip with unfinished post :(

Ah, before that, some of you knew already that I have pets, kittens to be exact. Life with them is never be empty but yet, not stress free :(  I think I got myself cats from hell.

Sunday morning - This is what I woke up to;

I wonder why I couldn't get into internet on my mobile. I figured out that connection sucks. But then I found out my 2 kitties ATE my phone cable, so it bring down the internet connection, my TV connection and phone line. I love you Bonnie & Clyde Mogwai! Not to mention they pooped on my bed, at the kitchen, scratches my red leather L shape sofa, crumple my shirts to the floor, tear up my umbrellas that I hang by the dining chair, broke the flower vase, scratches me when they think Im a part of the toy and the list goes on and on...

I was at the pet shop yesterday, in fact every week for the past few months (oh yeah, I am no longer be at fancy coffee shop & restaurant to hang out with fancy human being) to get the kitty food and bigger litter box. Then  there was a family sitting there splurging on 2 imported cats - proudly. I forgive them for still don't have the awareness of "adopt instead of buying" pets. Maybe they don't know what to do with their money until they are so close to turn their money into toilet paper. So, I tried to be all positive with all the reason why they buy, while there are a lot cute kitties at  animal shelters that longing for furever home. But then, suddenly this auntie talk to herself (but it seems like she was talking to me without looking at me. She knows I can hear her.) 

"last time was RM3000... but this time is cheaper.. only RM2000 for these cats... hmmm RM5000 just for cats.."

Suddenly I lost all my respect for all of her love towards the animals.

And, Im not planning to go back and forth to the pet shop every week. I don't see myself doing that for a very long time because Im too busy and too tired to drive around and find parking lot just for a pack of cat foods. Yes, I love my kittens but Im not planning to be their slave while doing that. So I signed up to a few petshop online :) for my convenience.

I do the price check and so far I like PetPlayGroundonline.com > The price for Royal Canin is cheaper that the petshop I went to and so the rest of pet necessities item. 

Their respond is fast and I find all what I want for my kitties here. And they will deliver it to your doorstep, within 24-48 hours through PosLaju.

Ok, back to Guilin pictures.

Visited Shangri-la Yangshuo, and somehow, description about this place  do matched my imagination BUT didn't match my expectation. Slowly, I realized 'A Must See' list is not exactly 'A Must See' at all. It just an exaggeration solely for Tourism purpose. The best way for you to see and experience about one country is to get lost in it. Not by information written on the leaflet or ready made tour :(

Shangri-la means Eden, or any place of complete bliss and delight and peace as described by British author James Hilton in his novel "Lost Horizon". Earthly paradise - a permanently happy land, isolated from outside world and people who libe at Shangri-la are almost immortal.

Yes, this place looks really enchanting inside the picture, even with minimum, novice photo editing skills. Well, I guess is the rows mountain karsts that makes Guilin always look appealing in any angle.

So we hopped into the boat which is just nice for all of us. For a "life time" experience river cruise in Shang-ri La

To me, passing through dark cavern like this during river cruise is pretty cool, though.

Realizing that those red flowers are plastics kind of frustrates me :( 

Up to this point I heard a tribal music. Feels like I was on my way to Tribal council to vote off one of the fucked up member in TV series show - Survivor.

Ah, it's a dance performance from the tribe. But seriously, the girl dancers are sexy :P But I think I saw this kind of performance everywhere in theme park in Sunway Lagoon, A Famosa Resort Malacca.. so, this is just a staged act for tourists like me to see the glimpse of what "Shangri-la" is..

But when I saw this - real people washing their clothes by the river.. I think these people are not paid to put up a performance like this. However, it looks very real to me and I enjoy it.

The layout of man made Shang-ri la town.

..and, as usual..what is perfect town without stalls selling ornaments and souvenirs at the exit gate? Hhmpphh.

..this is what I hate about Full board, group package. You have to make a stop to the unnecessary places..and it got worse. It made me bought few unnecessary things at this unnecessary place.

We also made a stop at Muslim Village enroute to Merryland. Well, this stop is very necessary to those who are too comfortable living in their own country and yet still complain. While Malay Muslim in Malaysia can choose where to perform their solat, even banned certain mosque / madrasah due to incompatible political view, choose to perform their ibadah with certain group of people - but here, they were trying to get approval from the government of China to approve their proposal to built a decent mosque with their own money they collected and donation over the years!

with very basic amenities, no, I don't see it as very basic - it is less than basic. No proper toilet, no clean water, not even TV - they welcomed us with smile and put us into shame by complaining how suck the food during the trip.

Interior of madrasah where they currently have. They slowly bought the bricks, the door and other stuff with the money they collected over the years and put it piece by piece.

Im so glad that with this kind of tour package, they get paid to prepare a decent meals for the group of tourists like us from time to time..and I bet they also get the chance to eat 'lavishly' every time they get a visit like this.

...at the end of the day, we collected money among us and donated it to this place.

I always tell people be grateful with what they have. But after I visited this place, I myself felt the real feeling of what grateful is, even more.

After a long bus ride, finally we arrived at Merryland Resort.

The room was spacious and super nice, but the journey and the sights I happened to experience myself at that Muslim Village tires  my mind and spirit. So my roommate and I decided to stay in our room and made ourselves a coffee and ate dutch cookies that we brought from home :(

Dinner at Merryland resort - Steamboat style.

So, we get to cook our own dinner for the 1st time.

Some local performances by hotel staff at the hotel lobby.

My roommate and I took a walk around this vast resort area, away from the group. When everybody enjoying explicit show at hotel's pub, both of us called it a night.

Fell asleep with no dream that night.

ZZzzzzZZZzzzzz...

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Secret to 6 Pack sexy Abs!

It's has been forever people are trying to find shortcuts to slim down and sculpt their body. Instead of eating right and do regular exercise (which is um, cost almost nothing, except get yourself a good running shoes or goggle) People still willing to pay to lose weight without have to change their eating habit.

Recently I saw on Facebook that my friends clicked and liked the "like" button of this super magic cream that can melt the fats away while doing nothing. I mean.. aw.. come on. 

Sorry to tell you the truth. There is no magic pill or magic cream to burn that fat and magically sculpt your abs. If you believe pills and creams, then you should try this.




and here's for you ladies :)






Enjoy!

Hahaha.

Sweaty Robot

I just want anybody reading this to know that I have my own blog online at http://sleepybots.blogspot.com.  I'd like to thank Normi for allowing me to post on her blog and pushing me to keep sharing my own limited knowledge on a blog.  I will continue writing about my experience in Asia over there.  I've also got a very brief timeline of my early life in the United States and North America.  I will be sharing some of the conversations I have with myself throughout the day.  I will also share some of the better, or worse conversations I have with others.  Don't worry, your secrets are safe with me... unless they're funny.  Go follow my blog!  http://sleepybots.blogspot.com

Guest Blogger: More from the sweaty American

Now, I'd like to touch a little more on my personal experience.  In the last year, outside the US, I have been to Malaysia, Japan, Cambodia, Thailand, Lao (it's not Laos; miscommunication by an English reader of French writing), Vietnam, and Singapore.  I don't think I should count Hong Kong or Taiwan seeing as I never got the entry or exit stamp of approval in my passport.  I'd like to focus on just five of those countries.  Japan is a world of its own and Singapore is a good mix of past and future.  Both are expensive to visit and live in, too much like my own home.  So, I will stick to my experience in the other countries of southeast Asia that I have visited.

Miami Beach, Batu Ferringi Penang.

I don't want to bore anybody with the details of visas or border crossings.  I will tell you that Vietnam is the only country I needed a visa prior to arriving at the border, and Lao charges for visas differently based on your nationality.  And, crossing the Lao/Vietnam border can be very confusing.

So, let's start with Malaysia.  Malaysians seem to be some of the nicest people I've met.  Kuala Lumpur is a big city and everyone in it has been very friendly to me so far.  The people even get friendly the further from the city you go.  Isn't that the case everywhere, though?  I visited a former English tin mining village with some newfound Canadian friends and one local city boy.  It is no longer an English town, although English influence may live on for generations to come in these former mining towns.  We'll not get into that here.  Today, it is a tiny village where people sit back and relax in their jungle paradise.  Now, maybe my view is different than reality, but these people welcomed us like we were relatives they haven't seen in years.  There was no English spoken in this village and only the local city boy could converse.  Well, needless to say, it was a pleasant time visiting with the group of locals on the porch of one's house nearby the river.  We might not speak the same language, but smiles and laughs are universal.  And, this is the spirit throughout the rest of the country.  Although, most people in the city do speak English.  Except, occasionaly, my northwest American accent might be a little fast and thick to understand.  It has caused a few laughable moments, but no serious issues have arisen because of it.

Sentosa Island Resort World, Singapore

From Kuala Lumpur, I rode the train all the way up to Bangkok.  I do have a Thai friend living just north of Bangkok whom I met while attending school in Seattle.  He is back in Thailand and a visit to him was on the agenda.  That taxi ride out to meet him from the MRT (I like to say Mr. T) station was an adventure unto itself, but luckily the currency difference makes rides like that fun!  But, about Bangkok, because that is where I spent most of my time.  The city is much cleaner than depicted in movies or on tv.  I didn't stray too far from touristville, so I should say the tourist are is much cleaner than depicted.  In touristville, it seems that white skin equals money.  It's not to say that people are rude, but everybody is trying to sell you something.  A tuktuk ride, sex toys, clothing, jewelry, food you didn't know was food...  I did not feel unsafe for one second, but the constant sale does get old.  I wasn't looking for trouble so I don't have a "movie scene" experience to tell about Bangkok.  It is easy to get around where a tourist might want to go with the two train lines.  Other than the constant barrage of locals trying to sell you everything you could imagine, the people were very friendly.  Some are opportunists, and if you slip for just one second and give them the opportunity to take your money, they will.  But, they won't steal it because a (wo)man likes to think they made their own decision.  If they can convince you to hand over your money willingly, they certainly will try.  I was more preoccupied with the sights and further travel that I didn't trouble anybody.

Tuk Tuk in Phnom Penh

Leaving Bangkok, I took the train to the border of Lao.  At the border you get off and either go to some destination in Thailand, or hop on another train across the Friendship Bridge into Lao.  I crossed into Lao.  Lao was amazing even as I stepped off that train!  The BeerLao plant is along the way from the station to Vientiane.  I was disappointed the driver wanted me to ride in the front of his beat up truck instead of the back, but he was sure to point out the beer plant.  There is so much about Lao that I like that I could write about it for days.  Vientiane is the biggest city, but it feels like a small town.  I felt at home the first night there.  Most of the westerners in Lao are only there from Thailand on visa runs, but I tell you that you must see Lao.  There is no trains in Lao so I did travel by bus to Luang Prabang.  This city is just as amazing as Vientiane but in a completely different way.  The one thing about Lao is that nobody was trying to sell me anything.  Everything you might want to buy is there waiting for you, but you will not be bothered by the constant selling.  The one weird thing is that everything closed very early and the hotel wanted you back in by midnight.  I suppose that's a good thing because the BeerLao cost less than one US dollar!  Although the people mostly ignored me, I can say Laos, or Laotians are just as friendly, if not more so, as the people of Malaysia.

Next, I want to tell about Vietnam.  My first few nights there were not the best.  I ate with a few locals in a tiny little village and had my first good case of... well, I'll just say I got severely dehydrated and felt like I couldn't eat for a few days.  The Vietnam countryside is beautiful, though.  I didn't make to Ha Noi like I wanted, but a return visit might be called for.  I travel by train in between Vinh and Ho Chi Minh City.  Ho Chi Minh City is still known as Sai Gon in Vietnam.  I did not stop in Da Nang, but that is on the list for future visit.  I saw the city from the train and it definitely needs close inspection.  In Sai Gon, the selling is probably worse than in Bangkok.  Half the city leaves me alone, but the other half is ruthless.  I was practically mauled in Ben Than Market by three tiny little women trying to drag me into their stall to sell who knows what.  Also, some of the motorbike taxi drivers will offer much more than just a taxi ride.  One of them followed me down the street offering massages from girls or boys, drugs, more girls.  After telling him no three times I had to make it clear that he needs to stop following me and quit with futile sale attempt.  Don't let the ruthless salespeople distract from the beautiful city, though.  It is full of nice people.  Nice people that want to practice English.  At times in the park by hotel I felt like an ancient Greek philosopher philosophising with students.  Seriously, the kids would gather around with questions that I would answer over and over.  Some people might not have patience, but for me it was fun.  I don't think they understood much of what I was saying, but it was still nice to hear about their lives in Vietnam and see the friendly smiles.  Now, there is some recent history between the USA and Vietnam.  I had my cautions up and warnings memorized, but it was never a problem.  It is interesting to hear three sides of the story, and even more interesting to see what I consider nothing but propaganda on both sides.  There is some interesting, yet awful, history to learn in the war museum and I think both the US and Vietnam are united on the path to the future.  But, for the public out on the city, the war is not mentioned, but if it does come up in conversation it is not as sensitive as I might've guessed.  Preconceived notions, remember?

Tokyo

Speaking of war museums, let's move to Cambodia.  I can say that looking around in Cambodia, there were not many old people.  I didn't know if this was because of a low life expectancy or historical occurences.  First, I will say that the sales pitch is strong in Phnom Penh, but not as strong as Bangkok or ferocious as Sai Gon.  No, the real, absolutely most horrible, unavoidable, monstrous sales pitch is outside Siem Reap at Angkor.  The children!  Somebody think of the children!  Really, these children are the most ruthless salespeople you will ever see, hands down!  Somehow I managed to escape Angkor mostly unscathed by these children.  One scarring memory is riding in the tuktuk from one temple to the next and down the road you can see the saleschildren, or salesdemons, down near the entrance with their baskets of postcards, handmade jewelry, and other unknown gadgets.  Before the tuktuk stopped we were confronted by these snarling beasts.  One little, one of the cutest little girls, she started high with the postcards, and moved lower until she was chanting "Two dollars.  Two dollars." in her tiny, almost unavoidable voice.  And, just when I thought we escaped the mob of tiny little salesmen, I was shocked to see about 20 more waiting to pounce right at the narrow entrance into the grounds of this temple.  Well, I could go on about these children because it's annoying and cute, but Cambodia is more than just salesmonsters.  Phnom Penh has historical sites to see.  They might be horrific and I won't describe them here, but it is something that should be learned and not forgotten.  Ever.  The one thing I noticed about Phnom Penh was that everybody woke up early.  Very early and there were plenty of people gathered in parks for their morning exercise.  But, Siem Reap is where the beauty was on this trip.  The hotel was excellent.  I even learned to cook a new dish there!  I didn't visit any other cities in Cambodia but the two.  Siem Reap has a small town feel to it as soon as I stepped off the bus.  The walk to the "action" part of town was easy and pleasant.  The sellers at the night market were not aggressive.    And, Angkor at sunrise was amazing!  Although, I would rather see the temples in ruins with original stones than to see all the maintenance with new materials.

This concludes the "overview" of my experience so far.  I hope you will continue reading as I give more details of my visits.

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Pioneer Digital DJ Battle 2012 - Malaysia

I always hate synthesizer or anything sound digital. This is post is not about my love towards creative sound design or rewriting the news header. This just a post of event that I happened to attend and the freebies Im about to give away. It's the age factor. Im starting to find that I no longer love door gifts :(

Went to Mist club Bangsar to give support to DJ Blackheart, again. This DJ battle event is one of the biggest so far hosted by Pioneer, annually, for 10 years. I guess all the winner from each country will continue their battle for The Best of Asia dj and then world? Heck, I don't know.

Co sponsored by the officials -  TOPMAN, Ice Watch, Gatsby, Juice Magazine, Heineken & Mist Club, so you can guess the doorgifts that I got that night. And Im going to give it away some of it.

It was held on Friday the 7th December, so yea, rushed to Mist Club after work at the basic. Well, it was dark inside the club with full of teenagers anyway. So, no fancy prep ever needed.

Due to rain and traffic jam, I missed the 1st show by DJ Kelz. Out of 5, here are the other fantastic 4 scratch & mix labeur I manage to capture using my Samsung SIII.

Excuse me for the failure of capturing ginormous super bass beat. It so hard 'till it moves my internal organs to the bones :|

DJ C Master



DJ A Wee




DJ Blackheart



DJ Ben Cracko

I don't know how you judge it, but among of all, yes, I can't deny that Ben Craco has the best mix.

and here's the final result;

5th - DJ C Master
4th - DJ Kelz
3rd - DJ Blackheart
2nd - DJ A Wee
Champ - DJ Ben Cracko. Yep, he's definitely has that crack beat.

As I mentioned earlier, I got a goodie bag full of freebies. TOPMAN leather keychain/USB. Gatsby men facial wash, Juice Magazine Novemner 2012 issue, Pioneer Event T-shirt, RM50 Cash Voucher for Ice Watch, Pioneer Sticker, Pioneer DJ wrist band.

This time Im giving away these freebies to 7th readers who drop me email at sillysniper@hotmail.com . Simple as that :)

together with Gatsby facial wash & sticker. Let's!!

...and the battle continues...

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