DianaTan.net

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.

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.

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.

On Saturday, I stayed in Vistana Hotel for the weekend. Then we headed straight to Max Gourmet, opposite Queensbay Mall for Tim Sum dinner. The place was crowded with diners as usual from breakfast to dinnner. It is opened from 9:00am to 9:00pm everyday and close on Mondays. I had 2 sets of ‘har kau’, deep fried prawn dumpling in soya bean skin, almond balls, and boiled ginseng with water chestnut drink. I have stayed in Vistana many times before and they offer 4 soft white pillows for a king size bed. I just love this hotel for its comfort but the breakfast buffet was not so attractive and we have to queue up for limited tables and chairs. The selections were very few and not too good. Other than that, the overall stay was perfect.

Just last week, I watched bee movie with my friend in Queensbay Mall. It was a movie most suitable for kids. The chrome yellow and black stripes of bees certainly attract attention. From creator Jerry Seinfeld come “Bee Movie,” a comedy that will change everything you thought you knew about bees. Take a close look at the world through the eyes of one bee in particular - Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld). A recent college graduate, Barry wants more out of life than the inevitable career that awaits him and every other workers in New Hive City - a job at Honex… making honey. Barry jumps at the chance to venture out of the hive, and soon encounters a world beyond his wildest dreams. When Barry inadvertently meet a quirky florist named Vanessa (Renee Zellweger), he breaks one of the cardinal rules of beedom - he talks to her. A friendship soon develops, and Barry gets a guided crash course in the ways of the human race.

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That’s me para-sailing in Pattaya. The tour guide took this shot for me. It was like clock work with the para-sailing guides lifting one tourist after another.

Landed safely and got rid of the parasailing gear. It was some experience being lifted up to the skies and viewing the seas below. See the queue on my right side waiting to be lifted up in motor boats.

Pattaya has very beautiful unpolluted blue seas and long stretch of white fine sands on the beaches. It is a tourists’ haven. See how many speed boats there are here. I also went for a speed boat ride with my youngest sister with a guide behind us showing how to use the speed boat.

Came back after sea walking (in earlier post) to the white sandy beaches, all wet but very satisfied participating in the many water activities.

In Nong Nooch Tropical Garden. See the sculpted hedges, trees and gardens.

Long almost-langciau-like cacti in the background. Beware, this prick will be ouch! Got the red collared shirt from China with Beijing Olympics 2008 logo in August 2007. It complements the green background and stands out clearly in all my photos.

Big round cacti. This time you don’t see them in little small plastic pots.

A different desert plant. This one is rather spikey like a Christmas tree.

With my youngest sister in sunglasses. Notice how vast the gardens are.