TRAVEL: Ha Long Bay, Hanoi

Here are some of the photos I took during my vacation at Ha Long Bay in Hanoi, Vietnam in June this year.

Photog Entry: Wedding

All the shots are taken with
D70: 80-200mm f/2.8
Flash: Nikon SB-800

Style: I focused more on the emotions of the couple. The long (but pretty heavy) zoom lens allowed me to be off distance and yet be able to capture the intensity of the moment.


























Getting The Girl Session
All the shots here are taken with
D70: 18-70mm f/3.5
Flash: Nikon SB-800

Photog Entry: Portrait Capture 6

All portrait captured at Malaysian Tourism Centre (KL)

D70: 18-70mm f/4.5, Handheld
Flash: None

TRAVEL: Siem Reap, Cambodia [Day 02]

Here are updates on Day 2 of my trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

We paid an exorbitant USD40 per person entrance fee to get access to the entire Angkor sites for 3 days. Upon purchasing the tickets, we were asked to take our photos which was provided for free. The pass/ticket was issued immediately. Cambodians can enter any part of the site for free. It's not that I'm complaining or anything but the USD40 fees per person is a very hefty sum. Not everyone comes from a US-currency friendly country.


We have to present the ID to the guards when they request for it.



This is the south gate... the tower is majestic and pictures do no justice to how magnificient the structure is.



The face of King Jayavarman VIII. Just look at the details!



This is Cambodian's mode of transportation which is somewhat the equavailent of our bus.



A popular tourist spot where you can snap a photo as if you were speaking with King Jayavarman.



What is visiting a country without shopping? =D The ladies can really shop while the men wait for them outside under the hot sun!



Can't remember the name of this place but an incredible shot as no other souls spotted in the photo!



For USD1, you can get a plate of this delicious noodle. It's spicy and not really what you call a wholesome meal but very tasty indeed.



And I really wonder how all these images get sculpted along the walls of the Angkor.

Siem Reap Day 1

My Brand New PC

Okay, here, let me brag a little about my brand new self-assembled PC. It is not the most blazing fast PC around but it is very capable.

Specs:
- E6600 (2.4Ghz) Intel Core 2 Duo overclocked to 3.11Ghz
- Asus P5B-E Plus Mainboard
- 2GB Kingston DDR2-667Mhz (Dual-channel)
- XFX 7900GT 256MB GDDR3 Graphics Card
- Dell 20" 2007WFP Widescreen display (1680 x 1050)
- Seagate 400GB Hard Disk drive with NCQ
- Samsung 18X DVD+-RW
- Altec Lansing ATP3 (2.1 speaker system)
- CoolerMaster 450W Power Supply
- CoolerMaster casing
- Windows Vista Ultimate

My PC scores a 5.5 in the Windows Experience Index with 5.9 being the maximum (currently)!

Tough Decision & Lesson Learnt

I made one of the toughest decisions yet earlier this year. I will leave my current company and move to another establishment. I came to realize that I'm not happy where I am at this point of time and therefore, decided to just pack and leave. A lot of reasons motivated me to leave but it basically boils down to not being able to work with certain people.

I have also came to realize how much lacking I am in my specialization field of Computer Networking during my job interviews. The interviews I went through led me to believe that I am so far behind so many people in terms of technical skill and exposure in corporate scale projects. What really sold myself (as I believe - cheh wah!) was the confidence I exude during the interview sessions. For me, it wasn't even an interview. It was more like a chat session.

On the positive note, I went for 3 interviews and I landed myself with 2 job offers. Not bad eh? I had to turn one down though and it is never an easy thing to choose between companies. Both are excellent establishments but I went for the one that had a wider job scope and, with a better prospect in terms of career advancement.

1 Year & 1 month Now...

My last post was on the 15th of March 2006. 1 year & 1 month later, I decided to continue on where I left off. So many events has transpired and I don't even know where to start, but I'll try.

The most signifcant ones that happened since the last blog:
+ve Events
- Got engaged to my San
- Pay rise =D
- Trip to Pulau Redang with entire family
- Celebrated my grandfather's b'day in a long long time
- Nina, Marjana & Mogie visited me in Malaysia
- My brother finally got posted to KL General Hospital
- Bought myself a brand new Dell 20" Widescreen Monitor
- Assembled the latest Core 2 Duo PC with 7900GT Graphics card!!
- Bought tickets for a vacation to Hanoi, Vietnam
- Bought a new Kancil

-ve Events
- My car broken into and notebook stolen - so much data gone!
- Leaving my company for another
- I still owe a lot of money to the bank (home loan, study loan, etc.)
- Haven't exercised in a long time now... getting fatter by the day
- Got into a terrible argument with a relative of mine
- Feel bored with my daily routine
- Lost my D70's LCD cover while covering the Windows Vista launch event

TRAVEL: Siem Reap, Cambodia [Day 01]

Anthony Bourdain says "Be a Traveller, Not A Tourist". A powerful phrase indeed. For a lot of us, travelling abroad has become a norm nowadays. Families go for vacation in a tour, buys lots of souvenirs, brag about the places they visit and do not really know whey they went there in the first place. Since Airasia announced Siem Reap as its new destination, there have been an influx of Malaysians to Cambodia. My client went there a month before I did, my friend has been there and I presume, a lot more of whom I know - have been there! Incredible!

I have planned for this trip for quite some time now. I have always wanted to see Angkor Wat. I am fascinated with ancient structures like this. When I stood on the Great Wall, I knew I was meant to visit all these wonders of the world... hehe... =D Initially, it was supposed to be with a group of friends but the pricey MAS airfare held us back for a moment. Then, Airasia had a 2 million free seats promotion. I knew then I could not miss this opportunity. Since my parents have not travelled much before, I wanted to bring them on this trip. So, I invited them and my brothers. Before I knew it, they have invited everyone they knew to go on this trip as well. Oh dear! You can imagine all kind of things running through my mind. Anyway, to cut the story short, the delegation now involved 2 of my aunts and my uncle as well.


Now everyone can fly - For FREE! (Almost Free!)

I only paid for the airport tax which is about RM143 for both ways. The air fare is a super duper RM0! That is a lot of savings. I do not know how Airasia does it but for me, it is definitely the deal of the year! Heck, I don't care if there's no on board food or no bells and whistles. I'm a budget traveller and that means, I do not need luxury. The flight takes about 2 hours and 5 minutes on Airasia's new Airbus.


The delegation to Siem Reap. It was supposed to be 9 persons but my brother had to cancel the trip as he has to attend a convention in the States.

Upon exiting the airport, we were greeted by Nat! He's the manager for RedLodge at Angkor. It's a budget accomodation that has surprisingly many of the facilities only found in more expensive establishments. I have booked the place before hand and quite ironically, he actually didn't want to accept any room reservations as he had many bad experiences where people did not inform him that they were cancelling the rooms and had him waiting at the airport. I showed keen interest in his place and assures him that I will definitely stay there. He trust me and I trust him.. it's a man's thing I guess. He told me one time where he was waiting for Natalie (from Malaysia - darn!) at the airport. She arrived at the Airport and another guesthouse was also receiving her there. She decided to take the other one (Golden Temple Guesthouse) which is the guesthouse just beside RedLodge. Bad girl Natalie... So, Nat calls her Nat-A-Lie! Haha... What a bad attitude from Natalie and it shows how some Malaysians are so kia-su.

A few days before I left for Siem Reap, I sent several emails to the other guesthouses to notify them that I will be cancelling the bookings even though I have yet to inform them about my arrival. It's really no good to have the guesthouses booked the room while they could have it let out to someone else. So, the next time you make a trip, just let them know if you are not interested anymore - the earlier the better.


Everyone having a relaxing time after checking in to the room.

One thing I love about the RedLodge is the atmosphere and the kind of people you meet there. Most of them are backpackers and those who can live in a less luxury environment although I must think that it was definitely a luxury for me. We had 2 rooms with airconditioners and bathrooms attached. Each room has 2 beds which could easily fit 2 persons in one bed. Yup, you guess it right! We have 4 to a room and honestly, it was good! The bed was larger than a single and slightly smaller than a double. For 15USD per room per night, it was a steal!

Furthermore, the RedLodge provides free consumption of bread, jam, margarine, tea, coffee and fruits. If you think that it's some cheap stuff, think again =D They provide Lipton tea bags and Nescafe coffee. An average sized fridge is also provided if you need to keep your drinks cold. While other guesthouses charges about USD3 to rent a bicycle, it's free for use at the RedLodge. Now, how cool is that? ;D

While everyone is busy checking in to their rooms. I went to meet Hul who was the driver who picked me up at the airport. Since there were so many people in this trip, I think it'd be best to hire a van. After negotiating the rates, we finally agreed at USD95 for 4 days which includes transportation to all the major attractions in a nice and comfy van. This news is definitely a welcome relieve for everyone as it was initially planned that we will cycle to Angkor Wat every day which is about 9km from where we were staying.


Dusty streets are everywhere

It's always interesting to experience the contrast in 2 different countries. While we are so used to breathing clean air, locals in Siem Reap have to bear with the dusty roads and it doesn't seem to bother them although some have masks put on. It seems that no work is being done to clean up the streets which leads to piles of fine sand along the road sides.


Students riding the bikes home after school.

Notice how they do not need any helmets. As dangerous as it may seems, I think they would have less accidents than we do over here even with so much law enforcements. This is I think due to the fact that they seem to drive at a leisurely pace. Even cars drive at about 40-50km per hour on the main roads. Everyone seems laid back and taking it easy. So contrasting when compared to KL roads.


Trying out the assam fruit

I always believe that travelling is not just about the places. It's also about the food, the people and the culture. My mum who is really crazy about fruits starts scouring for local fruits to try. It's pretty much the typical fruits which you can even find in Malaysia. The difference is in the size. Some are very much smaller and some are bigger. My girlfriend is trying out the assam fruit which they consume raw. This is my first time eating raw assam and it is really GOOD!


We tried this too! Can't remember the name but it's delicious! 4 for a dollar.


Siem Reap town

This is the town area. It's not very big and the whole town is pretty much accessible by foot although this means that you have to bear with the dust that gets thrown up the sky once a car or motorcycle passes by. Furthermore, constructions seems to be everywhere.


Climbing up to see the sunset

After the short walk from the town, we went back to the RedLodge as Hul is waiting there for us with his van. We'll be going to see the sun set! I can't recall the name of this place but it's very close to the South Gate and Angkor Wat. The road up is very steep and uneven. On some parts, both hands are required to push oneself up the narrow stairs. Despite looking dangerous, I see so many elderly enjoying the breathtaking view at the top. It just shows that age is no barrier.


At the top!

It's truly refreshing once you arrive at the top. It took us about 30 minutes which includes numerous stops to take photographs. If you are `Gung ho' about reaching up as quickly as possible, it should only take 15 minutes or less.


A great 1st day

At moments like this, you pause and you think to yourself... What a Wonderful World!


Finally, the sun sets...


Thirst quenching

After an exhausting first day, it's nice to just sit down and order a thirst quenching coconut. Too bad it wasn't served cold. We were definitely in dire need of a cold drink. Each of these coconuts costs USD0.50 and upon your requests, they will open up the coconut so you can feed on the `santan'.


Amok

This is one of their traditional dishes - Amok. It is sometimes also served in a coconut. Very tasty indeed and uniquely Cambodian.

I have seen a thousand pictures on Angkor Wat and nothing is like being there for yourself. The smell of the air, the depth of the visual and the physical contact and interaction with the people added so much more zing to this adventure! Stay tuned for Day 02!

Photo Information:
Camera - Nikon D70 Body
Lens - 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5
Flash - If any, is internal flash