My First International Ride - A Cross Border

Sadly, some dreams probably remain as dreams. Yes, I did dream about going to certain countries with a high powered bike. I thought of riding from Thailand to China, from Russia to Holland, etc.  However, as long as I belong to a middle class income group, I guess, money remains the biggest obstacle. 

But a few weeks ago, my joyride turned unexpectedly to an International ride. Our initial plan was to ride up to the border between Sarawak and Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia and take some photos to bring home. As we reached Biawak Custom and Immigration Quarantine (CIQ) Checkpoint, we tried our luck by asking the officers whether we can go a few steps further inside the border just to take photos of the Indonesia CIQ. Surprisingly, they allowed us to do so. 

After the photo session (under the watchful eyes of an Indonesian security guard), we had another surprised. The officers allowed us to cross the border and we were welcomed by the Indonesian Director of Immigration. He brought us to Aruk town in Kalimantan for lunch and a few minutes of chat with him was indeed very educational, particularly learning about their culture and country. 

Aruk town, may be small, but it is definitely bigger than Lundu. Our meal was fantastic and luckily they accepted our Ringgit to pay for the food.

At our conversation with the Indonesian Director of Immigration, we asked him whether we could go further into the nearest district, which is Singkawang. Unfortunately, he advised us not to, because we would need a passport and a vehicle insurance. So, our ride ended at Aruk town. 

Thanks to the hospitality and the safety assurance by the Indonesian authority, that after 2 hours of visit to Aruk town, we returned home safely. The ride may not be as cool as those who traveled around the world with their bikes, but at least, I can call it an International Ride. Yeha!

Logging off,

12.48 AM

17 February 2018

Before Mobile Phones, There Were Roosters

Before the mobile phones, were roosters! Yes! it was roosters that woke people up from their beds. We depended on them every morning. And then, there were alarm clocks, but today, everything depends on smart phones. They are so smart that we have become too dependent on them to manage our routines. It's suffice to say, without them, life becomes slightly inconvenient.  

Look at how we use smart phones right now. We save phone numbers in them, we set the alarm clock, we take photos with them, we subscribe to the internet so that we can remember friends and family's birthday through Facebook, we send wishes and greetings through WhatsApp, we send documents through emails. Basically, we had given our lives for phones to manage.

Has smart phones improve our quality of life? Yes, if we use them correctly and no if we abuse them. Even though, I own a smartphone, I make sure it doesn't affect my quality time with my family and friends. I still go for outdoor activities and put aside my phone when meeting friends face to face. 

It is so annoying to look at people who are so engrossed with their phones when they are at dining table or at a social function. Some young couples don't talk to each other on a date. Oh pity them. They've missed the real meaning of love. 

Anyway, don't let smartphone control our life yeah?

Signing off.

10.59PM

4.2.18

Can't Give Up My Bike

As up to now, I haven't been thinking of giving up my bike since riding has given positive effects to my soul. I always feel fresh and energized every time I came back from a short riding trip. Seriously, the thought of giving up my bike scares me a lot and I'd experienced anxiety and frustration over my failure to commit riding once a week. But still, it's much better than a drug addiction. 

The love for motorcycle was and is always there. After getting my driving licence in 1994, I bought a motorbike from my senior in college. He was due to leave for the United States so, he sold his bike to me for RM1,000. It was a Yamaha 100 Sports. 

Source: Google

The bike was fully utilized until 1999. I used it to go around the campus, gatherings and night classes. I even rode it until 2 am for church activities. I really thought it was the best decision I made because when I had the money from my sponsorship, I was divided between purchasing a brand new desktop computer or a bike. Well, you know the answer right?

So what happened after 1999? My friends and I graduated from university and I got a job in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. My roommate, a Sabahan decided it's time for him to return home. So he offered me to continue paying for his bike loan. A Kawasaki Super Kips 150 as pictured below;

Source: Google

Since the bike was beautiful and sporty, so, I agreed to it. Of course, in order to own that bike, I sold my 100 sports to my fellow colleague in Nilai. It's the bike I used to go to work from Monday to Saturday. I beat all the tolls and traffic lights with it and reached my destinations faster than a car. However, just like many of my friends, It's time to return to my homeland, Sarawak. My homecoming was backed up by the job offer in one of the colleges in Kuching. I hardly found anyone interested with my Kawasaki Kips so I humbly asked the "Towkay" in Kajang to accept the surrender of my bike without penalty. Thank goodness, he was kind enough to let me go peacefully. 

For 3 years (2000-2003) I had no bike when I was in Kuching. I began to feel the financial pinch when I started building a family and the government set the petrol price at RM2.70 per litre. To save cost and with the little savings I had, I bought a second hand Suzuki VR125 cash from a motorcycle dealer in Batu Kawah. It gave me a temporarily relief because after two years, the scooter became unwell,  having all kind of complications. I tried saving it but failed. Sadly, it ended up in a Recycling Centre in 2011.

In 2012, I made another decision to own a bike. But this time around, my choice of bike was largely influenced by my brother. I bought a Kawasaki er6F. A 650 cc bike. I didn't have a B Full driving license but the company helped me in getting the L license, before going for the test. With RM21K for the down payment, I only paid RM280 per month for four years installment. 

Source: Google

The bike was not used for me to go to work, that's why I called it as a weekend bike. It was a good bike: agile, stable and fast. Unfortunately, as my interest grew into a 4 cylinder bike, I began searching for a new bike but affordable. My accidental visit to Huat Bing Motors, MJC was worth it. I felt in love with a Benelli 600 c.c. An affordable 4 cyclinders bike. So, I traded in my Er6F with it and top up RM6K. 

Source: Google/Bikesrepublic.com

It is a nice bike but has many petty issues. In terms of design and sound? No problem. Nice to see and nice to hear. That's the end of my bike story. Now, I am a BeneLLi 600 rider. More riding experience coming my way. Oh yeah...

Logging off

11.13 PM

23/1/2018

First Time Visit to Zoo Negara Kuala Lumpur

Throughout my entire life, I'd never been to Zoo Negara in KL. That's simply because I'm not a die- hard fan of animals. I stepped foot on Zoo Negara because my family insisted we went there as part of our holiday plan. Luckily the fee was fair and the weather was fine on that day. It turned out to be an exciting tour. 

I think the zoo was well maintained and it received quite a large number of visitors. The only thing I dislike was being bugged by the photographers, stationed at 3 corners of the zoo (2 at the entrance and 1 at the Panda sanctuary) They tried their best to convince you to take photos with them and later pay for the printing. 

Of all the animals there, I enjoyed watching the tigers and pandas. That's because, they were hard to find and unique in their own ways. The tigers were huge and I had a short wild imagination of having a tiger as a pet. But then, when I thought I could be their meal, the imagination died immediately. 

The Pandas on the other hand were the cutest animals I'd ever seen. Wish I could hug them. They seemed lazy in the zoo but they loved to show off their beauty. The present of human didn't bother them at all. Furthermore, the air-conditioned room made them feel at home (China). 

Since Zoo Negara is big, I didn't manage to venture at all animal sanctuaries as walking around it would take too much time and energy, so I missed watching some animals. Another factor was the paid taxi we hop in stopped at limited places. Nevertheless, it was a good visit. 

Logging off,

10.21 PM

Aquaria, KLCC

It's always not easy to decide whether to take on a holiday or stay put at home during the school break because it involves letting go certain amount of money from my bank account. You probably would agree if I say that most of us have the equation of saving < spending. Nevertheless, its not harmful to pamper myself with a short holiday to places that are affordable.

As I talked to my friends about holiday destinations in Malaysia, I can proudly say that we do have a large number of interesting  places to visit. In fact, we may not be able to visit all even if we tried. 

Now, I'm sure some of you may have heard or went to Aquaria KLCC right? When I was a student studying in Bangi from 1993 -1999, Aquaria was not there. It was only after 2004 Aquaria was made known to public . I was excited when they said it's the most beautiful Aquaria in Malaysia featuring more than 250 species of fish from around the world. 

Forgotten how KLCC looked like, I lost my way looking for Aquaria and had to ask the security guard for direction. It was quite a long walk from KLCC to Aquaria and if you are bringing along an elderly with you, he or she might probably give up walking. When I arrived at the cashier counter, I had to que but only for a short while. I had to show my Identity card to verify my age and nationality. 

I was allowed to take photos with my own camera but without the flash light because the staff said flashes scared the fish. So, all my photos were a bit dark. It was really an amazing experience watching thousands of fish swimming in front of my eyes. They were very colourful and differed in sizes.  

If given a second chance to visit Aquria, I would not think twice but grabbed the opportunity. 

Logging off

7.54 PM

23.12.17