Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Kuching Trip: Part 1
*Warning: picture heavy post*
Did you know that ...
... the Land of Kuching was not named after cats, but after longans? Yes, affectionately called by the locals 'mata kuching', it was where Kuching got it's name from.
... Kuching is a city? Duh, of course it is. If Miri is a city, Kuching must definitely be a city.
... Kuching has two City Halls aka Dewan Bandaraya? It is because Kuching is broken into two by a river and they not as smart as Klangnites to build their MPK by the river so easily accessible from both sides.
... Kuching land is so cheap that I can build a mansion for less than a million bucks?
... Kuching has an INTERNATIONAL airport?
... Kuching has three flyovers only?
... I've only seen 3 live cats in Kuching?
... Kuching has no treehouses and longhouses?
Things you did not know about Kuching... sigh...
So I have just came back from Kuching to visit Grass. Four days of fun in the sun (literally) and bliss of not having to work, worry, or care about how the world turned.
Here is a brief look on what we did:
Thursday, Day 0
Going by AirAsia means a lot of trouble.
#1: Flights get delayed over and over again.
#2: Seats sucks. I am short, and I have no place for my legs.
#3: Food price is a laugh.
Stepping down at Kuching INTERNATIONAL Airport (I still can't get over the fact that it is INTERNATIONAL. Next thing you know, Miri would also have an international airport!!!) and taking the first breath of Kuching made me realise that Kuching smells different from KL. Hmmm... Grace was waiting for us at the arrival point and whee... we were off in her BMW 5 series (the old wan la).
That night we went for a tour through Kuching. Richard was going: "Where's the cat, I want to see the cat." So Grace took us through city centre and we saw cat statues, one has very long long lashes. Scary.
Richard: "Why not have chao chai mao (the cat which hands keep on moving)"After going round and round, we landed at Jalan Bampfylde (pronounced bam-pee-feeld). And yup, Grass stays there in Casa Bampyfylde, in a huge mansion with two kitchens, two dining rooms, and two living rooms. With two kakaks and two dogs, and two... erm... and a lot of other things. Met her parents (super nice people) and had a tour of her house.
And to keep all this safe was a canggih burglar alarm which Richard tripped and sent wailings across the house.
The funniest thing was at that exact moment, Grace was opening her toilet door and we were like 'Huh? The toilet is rigged?'
Friday, Day 1
Was supposed to wake up early to go watch Orang Utan being fed. But being us, we were in the 'see first la' mode which literally means 'Don't want la". So instead, we woke up late at 9 and went out for Sarawak laksa.
Now, all M203 CG members have tasted the laksa before, cooked by Grace back home at the Love Shack, aka C1-7-2. And frankly speaking, it doesn't taste different, yet taste slightly different. And IMHO, I prefer Grace's. Not to blow her up like a blow-up doll, or add wood to the fire or anything, but maybe because hers was the first I tasted and this poor real Sarawak laksa - too bad - came second. But I should judge Grace punya to this genuine laksa, but I couldn't find myself doing so. Anyway, laksa comes in 3 prices: RM 3, 4, 5. And they differ in the size of the prawns. Only.
After breakfast, it was off in the BMW again, being personally chauffered by Ahmad Grace to Jong's croc farm, where crocs are being farmed, I guess. For their meat and hide. We came in time for the feeding and i was funny seeing the larynx, trachea and lungs being hung up for those crocs to jump and bite. We were cheering them on, shouting for those huge lazy bums to jump.
Richard dubbed this croc Yean Koon as she went off to sleep after a heavy lunch.
This area is not fenced off. I bet there are crocs in there and if I push Grace in, there would have been one less JPA scholar left. Haha.
Reminds me of Raj with his bushy, bushy bush.
Poor guy was all alone. It was just not fair.
Mr. Otter and his wife. So super adorable. I wan, I wan, I wan.
Grace and I were trying to dislodge this lizard which was clinging on the cage with ONE claw. Failed.
Don't you wish it was a real croc... haha. That would be a blast.Dinner was seafood at the top of a parking lot... a concept that was funnily funny when I first heard it. And then we come to the place and we saw all kinds of restaurants, jostling for US. And we chose ABC (tat's the name of the restaurant) and had seafood, duh! Found out that Grace's sis do not eat prawns except butter prawns. She kinda reminds me of someone who was prawn deprived and now a prawn maniac. Grace's parents joined us half way and Richard was all friendly and asking all questions regarding FRCS/MRCP etc. I just sat there and nodded my head, pretending to understand.
@Grace, your parents must think I'm either dumb, quiet, snobbish or just don't like to talk much. I think it's the first.
We had supper at Chillipeppers and a walk down the riverside of Sarawak River. From far, the river side looked very much like Clark Quay / Boat Quay of Singapore. And a closer look, those comparisons cannot be made at all la. The riverfront of Kuching sells kraftangan / handicrafts and you have mamak called alike where some people can be seen hanging around. Mostly people were there to take the boats across the river for RM0.30. Whee... that's pretty cheap.
Picture with the famous cats of Kuching.Night was spent watching murder movie and then Richard and Grace gossipped into the night while I jus hang around, looking at Bush and Blair make a fool out of themselves on CNN while trying to eavesdrop. Haha, not does it matter at all. They were gossiping in the living room, and soon moved on into Grace's bedroom. (Ooohhh... sounds scandalous right? Don't worry, I went in with them... Oooo now that sounded more scandalous too. *hit self on head* Stop thinking dirty thoughts)
It was almost 3am when they finally stopped talking and we went to bed satisfied and ready for the next day.
TBC...
These days, all it takes for your dreams to come true is money and power.
- President Shinra, Final Fantasy VII
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