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I have faxed to Equatorial hotel my credit card details to confirm a room for tonight. The price is RM295++ with RM100 credit for food and beverages. This is a 5-star hotel near the air port and is popular amongst executives with business dealings in factories in Bayan Lepas. I have dined and had buffet dinner before in Equatorial Hotel but never stayed there. This is a good opportunity to experience the room ambience just before Chinese New Year.

The air seems to smell of money and ang pows during the Chinese New Year season. And there will be lots of hampers, promotions, deals during this festive season. Also, I shall be going to Haadyai to avoid nosy relatives during Chinese New Year from 7th to 9th February. A van will come to my house and pick us up (me, my youngest sister and parents) and bring us to Lee Garden Hotel in Haadyai. My youngest sister booked online for the hotel while my father arranged for the transport to Haadyai. Wish me journey mercies.

Tags : Equatorial Hotel, Lee Garden Hotel, Haadyai, Chinese New Year

After 8 days in the PC clinic, I finally got back my baby, my computer. It is much faster now and all spywares removed. I still maintain and continue using Windows XP as the Operating System. And tomorrow early in the morning, about 6:30am, my colleague will come fetch me to Melaka for a meeting at 3:30pm. Just hope that we can make it for the long journey from Penang. We will stay 1 night in Subang Jaya’s condominium before coming back.

And now here I am blogging. That’s because I need to find an excuse to use my ‘new’ computer. I have yet to install all the software that I normally use. Maybe after coming back from Melaka, I will find the time to load the necessary programs to continue working from home again. In the meantime, I shall enjoy working from home while the opportunity is there.

Lately, my desktop computer shuts down on its own and some silly error code appears that makes all editing impossible. I have to reboot a few times to get the job done. I suspect it is some malware being installed into the computer. As of now, I am currently in KL and blogging via a laptop. It will take some days, at least 3-4 days before my desktop computer is repaired and brought back. I have requested that geniune Windows XP Home edition be installed so that I can have automatic update of anti-spyware from Microsoft web site. An upgrade to Windows Vista requiring change of motherboard to Intel Core Duo to support it cost about rm700 more. I suppose I will use my present desktop for a few more months to a year before upgrading to Windows Vista.

The weekend has arrived finally and last week I stayed in G Hotel beside Gurney Plaza. Today I have already booked and reserved 1 night in ParkRoyal hotel in Batu Feringghi. The room rate was supposed to be RM370++ but with the coupon posted in the letter box, we only pay RM270++ with buffet breakfast. And the promotion is valid from 1st January 2008 till 31st March 2008. Right now I am recharging my camera batteries that conked off on me last night while I was in Queensbay Mall. The Chinese New Year decoration was beautifully done and I had wanted to take some snap shots but my batteries went flat on me. Next time.

Last weekend, I checked into G Hotel beside Gurney Plaza at 3pm on a Saturday. I could actually check in at 2:00pm but my friend was still busy with his work. Below is the photo taken from my room showing the super condominium Regency on the left and Gurney Park condominium on the right. The swimming pool decked with palm trees belong to Regency while further on the top right side is the swimming pool of Gurney Park. Don’t they look stunning? Now I feel like going for a swim.

This is the bathroom and the sink of G hotel. They used red seeds or known as ‘biji saga’ which grows abundantly in Malaysia for interior decoration. Ok, the colors of the hotel theme are brown, beige and red. I used to collect a lot of these red seeds in Dalat International School and last time in Gurney Drive before the upgrading.

I took this photo in the lobby of the hotel. It is different from other olders hotels which have big flower vase and hanging chandelier. Here, the ambience is more romantic, lights dimmed down and plenty of sofa sets for you to lie flat on your back. The platform is wooden with lights surrounding it.

The weekend has arrive and this Saturday, I will be staying in G-hotel beside Gurney Plaza. I will get to do a lot of window shopping as Gurney Plaza, Penang’s lifestyle shopping mall is nearby. At the moment, it is under expansion, so there will be some construction work going on. I also had dinner at Manila Place. This is because it came with mushroom soup (plenty of chopped button mushrooms in it), bread, butter, appetiser, coffee or tea, salmon teriyaki as one of the many main courses to choose from (quite delicious and big helping) and ice-cream as the dessert.

G-hotel is not like any other hotel that you find here. For one, the interior decoration is very modern and hip. You will not find big vases of flower and hanging chandeliers unlike the older hotels. Here, you will find a very cosy lounge with plenty of sofa sets and cushioned chairs with lighted lampstands beside them. The setting is just like a modern house’s interior, cosy and comfortable. The lighting is dimmed down for that romantic feel. The flooring is raised wooden platform with side lights. I am looking forward to today’s stay and check in time is after 2:00pm.

Last night, I watched Alvin and the Chipmunks for the second time. The movie was that good and entertaining. Alvin is the cheeky chipmunk, while Simon is the smart one with spectacles and Theodore is the small plump chipmunks who keeps having nightmares. Dave Seville (Jason Lee) was a down-on-his-luck musician who just needed that special something to make his songs sell. That’s when three talking chipmunks, Alvin (Justin Long), Simon (Matthew Gray Gubler) and Theodore (Jesse McCartney), ended up raiding his home. Their rise to stardom is seen in “Alvin and the Chipmunks.”

The computer graphics were superb as animators blend them with humans. The facial expressions of fear tell all especially the three chipmunks had to sing to Uncle Ian for the first time. This movie shows a father figure in Dave and money-making practical businessman in Uncle Ian who make use of the talking chipmunks to generate more cash from singing tours. Dave have had enough when he saw on TV how the poor chipmunks are so tired and exhausted from so much singing shows all over USA. This is a must see movie for all, not only the kids.

I am going to KL today on the 2nd of January 2008, the new year. In a short while my colleague will come pick me up by car. I should be back in a couple of days time, but I am not sure when. This is the start of the new year with a bang. I missed the fireworks display this year as I was in Pesta site in Bayan Lepas for the last day of PESTA. I tried the ferries wheel and another heart wrenching ride for RM6 each. Last year I was in a hotel during the new year and saw the fireworks in Esplanade. This year, I avoided Esplanade as there were news of cars being sprayed with paint by hooligans during the new year. Anyway, Happy New Year 2008 and may the year bring in more prosperity, blessings and friends.

Today is the last day for the year 2007. It brings many happy memories for me in terms of making money and as well as some tragic news like the unlikely assasination of Benazir Bhutto on 27th Dec. She died a martyr. She was full of confidence and victory in the election just minutes before her death by a suicide bomber in Rawalpindi. There is just no explanation to all these terrorists acts.

Also today, I just came back from RHB Bank in Jalan Teh Ewe Lim, near my house. I managed to cash out RM367.59 from my Google Adsense via Western Union for the first time after one and a half years. The bank exchange rate was 3.30 today in RHB. And this month alone, I watched a few movies too like Alvin and the Chipmunks, National Treasure and Golden Compass. As I have promised in my previous post, here are the many photos taken in Genting Highlands during my trip from 21st to 23rd of December.

Genting’s very own Statue of Liberty in First World Plaza.

Stage in First World Plaza in preparation for Christmas.

Giant Santa Claus.

Santa Claus sitting on a bench in maroon velvet costume.

Genting Walk in brightly lit neon lights.

Many decorations and items for sale in Genting Highlands.

Eiffel Tower in Genting Highlands. This was taken in First World Plaza, the happening place to be in Genting where most attractions and fun rides are abound everywhere.

Christmas decorations and water fountain outside Genting Hotel.

Chrysanthemum flowers grow abundantly outside Genting Hotel.

First World hotel, the largest hotel in the world with 6118 rooms. This was where we stayed.

Escalator decorated with pots of geniune poinsettias and christmas trees.

The two elephants remind me of my recent trip to Bangkok and Pattaya. They are part of the interior decoration of Genting Hotel where we roamed about.

This is one of the entrance to a casino. We were not allowed to go in as I was holding a camera in my hand. Since we don’t gamble, we did not attempt to go in again and instead enjoyed the cool mountain air in our room.

Christmas House.

Happy New Year 2008 to all and Good Bye 2007. Let’s hope 2008 will be another year full of excitement, enjoyment, food, travels and making more money.

I came back from Genting Highlands yesterday evening after 3 days 2 nights stay there. The mountain air was so refreshing that all the rooms do not need air conditioner. I will put up the photos taken there after Christmas. My second sister is back for surprise visit for 1 week from lecturing in Suchou in China. She will treat the whole family in Hokkaido Seafood Restaurant tonight. My youngest sister will treat us lunch tomorrow in Mitzy’s Bistro in New World Park and finally my treat for Christmas dinner in Fishing Village in Teluk Bahang.

This is the season to give and to share. Christmas marks the birth of baby Jesus who came from heaven to redeem mankind from eternal damnation. He is our Saviour and Redeemer. Jesus’ birth is a gift to mankind. That’s why you see presents and gift-wraps by the brightly lit Christmas trees. Here is to wish all my readers and visitors a Very Blessed Christmas this year 2007.