Snippets | Facebook Group ASiS

New ASiS students will enrol this coming 7th February. Some of them even added me on facebook, asking about whether it is worth it to go to ASiS or not. I tried my best to explain to them, even forwarded my article on OASiS's blog, "10 Reasons Why You Should Go To ASiS".

But somehow, I'm not the only one who convince them. When I read ASiS facebook group's wall this morning, I saw few of our OASiSian fella replying to a post written by one of the new ASiSian this year. From the way they replied, I feel like...............................................haha I dunno what to say. But still so convincing, no?

Hahaha..Well, to the guy who posted this question earlier, I believe there are no other reasons why you shouldn't come to ASiS. I bid you welcome, and have fun for the next two years!!!

Bungy Jump - Nevis Queenstown

I wrote this entry since I don't have any ideas to write so far, except my visit to SK Selama recently. Well, I'll get to that one later on.

If you go through my blog, you will find a series of entries regarding my trip to South Island, New Zealand last year. To be honest, I'm thinking to go again to South Island this year during autumn or winter break. Maybe this time, I will go to the West Coast, going around few famous glaciers, and of course going to Queenstown, again. Well, let's keep to the topic.

Actually, this is just a recap to my previous entry where during the trip, I had a chance to do bungy jump, which is famous here, in New Zealand. Actually, there are few places in New Zealand where you can try this activity. In North Island where I'm living currently, bungy jump can be found in Taihape, Taupo, Rotorua, and Auckland (there's two site in Auckland ; Sky Tower and Harbour Bridge). The one that I did was in Queenstown, and here alone there are three bungy sites; The Ledge, Kawarau Bridge and Nevis, Gibbston Valley. And I did my first leap in Nevis, which is the highest bungy jump in New Zealand and Australia (132 m ).

This activity actually originated from Pentecost Island, Vanuatu where a tradition being held by the local tribe there during the Nagol Festival during May-June. It is simply a rite of maturity of them. You can read about it HERE.

As I mentioned before, the first thing we did when we arrived in Queenstown during that trip was to book our activities to be done here in I-Site. So, I did this jump alone while the rest of my friends were decided to do downhill luge and gondola ride.

Meanwhile, I waited at the AJ-Hackett Building across the road. This building is the place, almost like a bungy museum, where you can find many infos and pictures regarding the history of bungy jumping. There are many peoples there, waiting their turn to get to the jumping site, either to the Ledge, Kawarau Bridge and Nevis. Included in the package, I can get access to internet and of course, facebook. I wrote that time on my facebook status that I'm going to do this jump huhu. After a waiting for a while, finally the shuttle arrived and then departed to the site.

View in the shuttle.

The journey to Gibbston Valley, the jumping site took me about half-an hour passing through the beautiful scenery of Queenstown valleys and hills. Lucky for me, the weather is sunny; very nice for jumping. The tourist guide also shown us by the roadside; Kawarau Bridge where the first bungy jump in New Zealand was being done by AJ Hackett, the founder of bungy jumping.

Kawarau Bridge's view from the shuttle

The shuttle now going off-road into a small alley uphill. This take around 10 minutes before finally we arrived at the site. We were given keys to store our belongings. I did the same but I bring my camera with me. The instructors were very kind, telling us on what to do especially when wearing the safety gear for the jump.

Instructors who guiding us for safety gear.

To be surprising, I was happened to be the first jumper that day, which honestly, made me so nervous. But I keep it. The jumping platform is suspended high on the valley, connected with series of strong wires. It is connected by a cable car from the main building. Sometimes, strong wind keep struck the car, which also made me and others feel so nervous :)) While waiting for the cable car to come, I take few pictures from the side of the main building. Being seen by another, one of them asked me, " What a big camera (I brought my D90). You want to jump with it?". All of us laughed :)

View of the jumping platform and high-wires that suspend it and connecting the place with main building.

View of the stream underneath the jumping platform

As I said, I'm the first jumper that day. So, I keep listened to the instuctors there since this is a serious things. You messed things up ; you gonna die. Although there are some things that I don't really understand, I just keep it, like the instructor said that during the cable pulled me up after the leap, I need to pull some sort of rope on my legs which later on I didn't.

This pic and other pictures plus video costs me $80. When I checked on my flickr, this picture was taken using Nikon D80! How impressed!

Jumping time. Well, if you can see video I put later in this entry, I was supposed to jump but since I didn't get the instruction clearly, I'm quite hesitate to do so. So, I said to the instructor ," Can I jump now?" and he said, " Yeah man, go3!". Huhu. Seriously, I dont feel nervous this time but when I made the jump, I feel like my heart is ripped apart ; too much of adrenaline rush.

There I go!

Damn high I feel when I see this pic.

Pray to God I am when I see this picture. How lucky I am, thinking that I'm still alive after seeing this picture.

This is the video taken.

If you can see, after the first jump the rope is pulling me upwards. That's the part that I felt too excited. Feel like I'm flying somewhere else. Haha. It happened three times that after that, a cable pulled me up back to the platform. If you can see, that the cable pulling me upwards where my head is heading downwards ; same like fisherman carried up a tuna or whale fish. Haha. It supposed not to be that way though. I should pull up the rope I mentioned earlier, so that I can just get up and my head facing upwards. But, it's already happened ; no big deal.

My turn's over, and the next participants congratulate me for my jump. And they seemed excited too. Huhu. I've to waited until all of them finished jumping before heading back to the main building. And I managed to take few pictures like one below;

We have to wait for a while since most of the tourists want the pictures and video taken during the jump, and it is processed that time. Finished with all of that, we heading back to the city, where my friends are already waited there. They seemed enjoyed telling their experience playing luge ( I didn't want to play since I did mine in Rotorua in 2009) and I'm too enjoyed telling mine to them. We later on had our lunch in Nando's and after that, going around Queenstown's beautiful Lake Wakatipu for taking pictures.

This is what I got after the jump, plus few other merchandise.

Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown.

THE END

Pi Penang Sat

Last weekend, I went to Penang for jalan-jalan with my family. It was my idea actually since it's been a long time I don't go there. The initial idea was that I'm going there myself from Taiping by train, but it's better to go with family. Huhu.

We left Taiping around 11 am by car and arrived in Butterworth around 12 pm. It's been traffic jam at the Penang Bridge toll plaza, so we've been lining up around 15 minutes. Finally, we arrived in Georgetown.

Highway to Georgetown

Bukit Bendera ; Epic Fail

Firstly, the idea was to go to Bukit Bendera since I never had chance to go there via cable-car but we can't make it since the cable-car service is still under maintenance and will be continued this coming February. So, we decided to go to Air Itam to see the Kek Lok Si temple.

Typica view of Penang's street

Kek Lok Si Temple

Kek Lok Si temple is the biggest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia. Since it's located on the hilltop, it can be seen anywhere from Air Itam town. When we arrived, there are so many tourists there coming from all over places around the world. So, it's kinda crowded over there. We stopped by the temple's parking and I snap some of pictures. We didn't wait much longer after that.

The view of Kek Lok Si temple from Pekan Air Itam

HDR picture of Kek Lok Si Temple complex

Batu Ferringhi

We left Air Itam for Batu Ferringhi. If you want to know, my parents always bring me here when I was a child. That time, we did picnic by the seashore and I used to play around along the beach :) Now, the beaches there are not beautiful as before since it's became polluted.

We stop by the stalls there and have our lunch ; laksa and rojak.

Panoramic picture of Batu Ferringhi's beach

The beach :P

My parents and my youngest bro :)

Teluk Bahang

We left Batu Ferringhi after that short lunch. We planned to go around the island ; Teluk Bahang and then Balik Pulau. Along the windy way to Teluk Bahang, we gone through few beaches. There are many hotels by the roadside, as same like the one in Pantai Chenang, Langkawi and Patong Beach, Phuket. The journey from there to Teluk Bahang is about half-an-hour.

Teluk Bahang is a small town, located at northeast of the island. Apart from beaches nearby, it's also famous for the one and only dam in Penang ; Teluk Bahang Dam. It's a large water reservation lake situated on one of the hill and by the roadside to Balik Pulau.

Windy road with the view of town afar.This was taken nearby the dam.

Panoramic view of the Teluk Bahang Dam.

National Park

National Park or reserve forest is situated in between Teluk Bahang - Balik Pulau road. It's a vast, hilly forest on the other side of the island. It was the first time I been there. The scenery is beautiful, almost same like the one in Langkawi. There are few streams and waterfall alongside the windy road through the forest. Unfortunately, I didnt take any pictures here. Huhu.

Balik Pulau

Nothing special about this small town except it is so peaceful here compared to the hectic life of Georgetown. We stopped here just for solat Asar.

Minaret of the mosque that we stopped by

The township of Balik Pulau

Back to Georgetown..

We left Balik Pulau to go back to Georgetown by Relau and then, Bukit Jambul. The ordinary view that I can see in Penang is that, there are always many of construction taking place. I don't know how long it will last; maybe until it's gonna be same like in Singapore :)

New housing estates.

But still, some of old buildings were preserved (until?)

We went to Penang Road. Our destination this time was a famous nasi kandar stall ; Nasi Kandar Line Clear. It's situated not far from the known- Kayu Nasi Kandar (closed that time). Parkings are quite limited so my father need to park it somewhere far.

the stall is located on the alleyway between few other nasi kandar restaurants

One of the staff is serving the customer. We actually lined up long until we get our food here.

Well, here's the verdicts ; It is delicious, and I got a big plate of rice and dishes. Plus the chicken is quite big. But it's still cannot challenge nasi ganja in Ipoh (will write about this in the future, Insya Allah).

Lebuh Campbell

After that second lunch, we walk around to the nearest Lebuh Campbell. It's famous for jeruk stalls by the roadside. We managed to get to one of the famous buah pala vendor there. While my parents were busy there, I walked around to snap few pictures.

Lebuh Campbell

Jeruk or Pickled fruits

Nagore Shrine.

KOMTAR

We went to KOMTAR after finished with Lebuh Campbell. It is also a place where my parents used to bring me and my siblings for shopping and watching cinema. I want to go there because I want to go to the camera shop, Click n Snap to find some camera stuff. And, I bought a remote shutter there for my D700.

Komtar as seen from Penang Road.

Padang Kota and Gurney Drive

Also, this is a nostalgic place for me. Huhu. Gurney Drive is a road stretching along the seashore and Padang Kota is the field nearby the road. Once, there are so many food-stalls and we used to eat here when we came to Penang. Now, the stalls were relocated to the Padang Kota Baru, which is quite far from the previous venue.

Two modes of transportation; Modern and Old ; Trishaw and Car.

Penang City Hall, just in front of the field.

View of Penang Port's huge cranes from Padang Kota

My mom and bro's having kerang bakar and sotong bakar

Going Back ; Ferry

It's already dusk when we left Padang Kota. So, it's time to go home. We decided to board a ferry this time. Penang Ferry is one of the oldest ferry services in Malaysia and being used to and from the mainland before the Penang Bridge constructed. Now, it's mainly used for tourist attraction and as alternative modes of transportation to and from mainland. I love using ferry since we can come out from our car, enjoying the scenery of the Penang's night.

View inside the ferry.

The huge fleet of Sun Vista cruise, leaving anytime soon to Phuket

The nearby ferry, on the opposite way to Georgetown.

Finally, we arrived in Butterworth, and then all the way to Taiping. It was an enjoyable trip for me. I'm thinking to come back this February during the Chinese New Year festival, alone.

Sepetang di Driving Range

Yesterday evening, I went to Taiping Golf and Country Club with my brother and my cousin. Actually my brother asked me to go with him and take few snapshot of him and his new golf set. If you want to know, there are two of my siblings who loves playing golf as their past-time hobby, my eldest brother and my youngest brother. My eldest brother even won few competitions held in his places. Huhu. And my youngest bro seems just started. He said that, he became interested in golf since he joined his uni (MMU Cyberjaya)'s golf club, a year ago.

We went there after Asar and playing around until dusk. It costs RM 12 for 100 balls.

Since it was raining yesterday, so it is cloudy and I had to adjust my camera settings lil bit. I pushed the ISO up to 6400 and using the widest aperture (f/2.8) and then, used the fastest shutter speed, 1/8000 second. I keep shooting on burst (5 frame per second). And lastly, I used center weighted metering. It was a mistake I done when I'm shooting JPEG that day :(

I'm actually afraid to stand in front of him since the ball might going directly to my lens.

Amin, my cousin tengah menebas lalang.

Ke mane nye tu yeob?

We should try bunker next time. Splendid shooting perhaps.

Well, me? I dont like playing golf. Huhu.

Tomorrow, I'm going to Penang. Perhaps can get few good pictures there.

Nitez.