Kathina day @ Dhammavijaya Meditation Center, Dengkil (15 Oct 2017)


The program for the day (thankfully, in English)

A routine life makes time pass by relatively quickly. Before you know it, even annual events such as these seem to come around once again. Briefly, the Kathina day marks the end of the 3-month Vassa (meditation retreat) period observed by Buddhist devotees. Usually starting sometime in July and ending in October (referencing the lunar calendar, hence the slight change each year).

Looking at the planned agenda for the day, I noted that we'd have to be there by 8.30am. Based on experience, it would be a 1.5 hour drive, assuming ideal traffic conditions. Leaving at 7.00am, most of the people would still be in bed or at the breakfast table, but due to the Deepavali holiday on Wednesday, plus the entire week being a school holiday, it's anyone's guess how many vehicles would be on the road.

Fortunately, it was an uneventful, smooth journey, with my kids resuming their briefly interrupted sleep in the back of the car. We arrived comfortable on time with some minutes to spare. This year, there seemed to be less people around. Usually, there was a huge crowd, half comprising locals (Malaysians, or Singaporeans who look like Malaysians) and the other half made up of Myanmar nationals (workers). Last year, the car park was full, both with cars driven by locals and buses rented by the foreigners. Not able to explain why there were less people around this year, however, there was still a huge crowd.

A mixture of Malaysians and Myanmar nationals in the compound

There were stalls set up in the compound in front of the dormitory / Sima Hall, where devotees could make donations or purchase robes / other requisites to "dana" (donate) to the Sangha (monks) later during the ceremony. There were also some tents set up where the food was arranged (prepared by the organizers and also some brought by the devotees). There were some limited number of tables and seats prepared, but people ended up eating wherever they could find a spot (includes the steps, sides of buildings, or just standing in the worst case). Fortunately, elderly and kids are given priority, so no major issues here.

It was a hot day - perfect weather for cendol!

Weather was good that day, meaning it was not raining. That would have been a major concern, given that there was insufficient shelter and covered walkway between the buildings.

As some of the people were observing Buddhist Precepts which include not eating after 1pm, the organizers ensured everything took place as scheduled. This included the Puja chanting, offering of requisites and also a short Dhamma talk. This year, in order to speed things up, the food was lined up on the tables by the sides, where the monks took their food (sort of like a buffet). The usual modus operandi was for the devotees to line up and take the food, to offer to the monks sequentially.


Food was plentiful, both in quantity and variety, mixed with local style as well as Myanmar style dishes. Taking a spoonful of each, my plate was also full halfway through.

With everything going smoothly, we were done and on our way back home shortly after lunch. Again, the luck was with us as the South-bound traffic was light as well. Just some minor congestion after the Air Keroh toll exit at the MITC intersection, which has been under construction for some time. Well, that's it for this year's Kathina celebration - Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu!

By the way, photos here were taken on my venerable Samsung Galaxy Note 2, due to the untimely passing of my Xiaomi Redmi 1S. Sourcing now for a replacement....

DIY laundry @ Xpress Laundry, Bukit Katil

One of the trends these days is self-service laundry, which are now popping up all over the place, especially in high-density housing estates and near apartments / condominiums. Never really gave one a try, until today....


We had a total of 6 curtains that needed some washing. Due to the absence of a back up set, they had to be washed, dried and re-installed by tomorrow in preparation for an upcoming event. Now, we could have loaded them into our washing machine, but we don't have a dryer at home. Hence the idea to try out the DIY laundry. My wife and I dropped by Xpress Laundry, somewhere in Bukit Katil, and took some time to get our bearings. Neither one of us had done this before, so to the other people there, we must have been one odd couple.



It was good that the instructions were clearly written literally on the wall. The 24 hour establishment was essentially open at both ends, with a row of 9kg and 14kg washing machines taking up the first third of the shop lot, in the middle was a row of 6 dryers arranged in a 3x2 configuration (3 rows up, 3 rows down). Back portion was empty, save for 2 massage chairs. There were CCTV cameras mounted at strategic locations, which is a must as this was a 100% DIY joint - not a single employee in sight.

Here's the location on Google Maps:


I guess it must be a franchise with standard decor, as there was also info on a 25kg washing machine, that was not available at this branch. Interesting, there was a warning label listing down what was prohibited, including shoes! :)

We did not bring our own washing detergent, so we purchased some powder from the vending machine. A standard cycle takes roughly 27 minutes, and water temperature and machine determines the price. Of course, one can do some load optimization to maximize the load/cost, but since we'd have to make do with 2 loadings anyway, we divided the curtains equally between the 2 washes. An overloaded chamber would restrict the tumble movement of the fabric and result in poorer cleaning.

We managed to find another free machine, so we didn't have to wait for 27 x 2 minutes back to back. Since the dryers were much larger, we collected our curtains and loaded them all in at one go. There are 3 temperature settings - the highest one is possibly for thick, heat-proof fabric!



Interestingly, the drying cycle took 24 minutes, but one can open the door at any time (the machine will come to a halt when this is done) to check and remove anything that has already dried up. There's even an option of topping up and extending the drying cycle if done with more than 8 minutes left on the timer. Saw some of the other customers doing this - though since we were new, we reserved ourselves to being non-interactive and hoped that the dryer would take care of everything. Luckily, 5/6 of the curtains were dry, and the last one was only slightly damp in the center.

There were a few benches along the opposite wall for customers to sit and wait, and some tables where one could fold the laundry so they won't wrinkle. In the end, we found the place to be convenient and a viable solution if you don't have a washing machine at home (especially for student houses) or if you need to use a dryer. Cost-wise, would be nice to do a mathematical exercise if I have the time to calculate and compare the DIY solution vs having one at home. Perhaps in another blog post.... :)

Do you or anyone you know do your laundry at a self-service laundry mat? Do share your experience and views via e-mail or in the comments below.

Hiking through the Bukit Beruang trail

My ~2 hour hike, as captured by Google Fit running on my venerable Xiaomi

Been busy at work in the past couple of weeks, so once again, my blogging momentum hits yet another speedbump. Doesn't mean I spend ALL available time while awake at the office though. On this fine Sunday morning, I and my colleague, L, decided to go for a hike through the famous Bukit Beruang (aka Bear Hill).

We met up at the start of the trail (GPS co-ordinates : 2.242120,102.280092), which was in the housing estate of Taman Dahlia. Depending on your normal routine, 8am may be either early or late. Either way, there were already many people there, as there was a distinct lack of parking near the foot of the hill. Ended up parking some 200 meters or so away (at least I get an effective brisk walk as a warm-up exercise).

I've been up and down the asphalt road all the way up to the Telekom station on many occasions, but there was more to Bukit Beruang than just the "easy trail". Today, we planned to go "offroad" through the forest trail would take us through a round to the other side of the hill (effectively, to Taman Muzaffar Shah, Air Keroh) and back to our starting point.

As this was my 2nd time through, I knew roughly what to expect. Traveling light without a backpack, I just had my wallet, handphone and camera. Several parts of the trail required the use of your hands to hold on to the support ropes and make-shift rails, I only carried what could fit into my pockets. Bringing along more gear would be an overkill, IMHO. So no DSLR or even mirrorless - just my Olympus TG4 (my ruggedized solution for the outdoors).

A helpful signboard with emergency contact numbers and a trail map.

Don't get me wrong, even though the hillside trail was relatively easy, compared to, say, Gunung Datuk, one should not be over confident and underestimate the effort. Going after rain (where the ground gets wet, muddy and slippery) or late evening where light and visibility falls is not recommended. Good shoes are a must - a pair of running shoes with good soles will do.

Well, fortunately, it was a bright sunny morning, and there were plenty of trees that provided cover. With L leading the way, we took the offroad path to the left of the asphalt trail up to the Telekom station. From there on, we took off to the right side of the Telekom station and followed the mountain bike trail all the way down to Taman Muzaffar Shah. We took a walk through the housing estate and re-entered the hiking trail at the side of the the water tower. Eventually, going all the way round and ending up back at the Telekom station. At that point in time, we decided not to over-exert (as this was already a step above our usual daily routine, and the next day was a working day), so we took the asphalt road back down to the foot of the hill. We spent around 2 hours there, and according to my phone we traversed around 4.9km. Mind you, this is from my phone which spent most of the time in my pocket, so understandably, accuracy with a dedicated GPS tracker would be much better.

Zoom up of the Bukit Beruang Trail Map

There were many fellow hikers there that morning, so we were never alone by ourselves for longer than 5 minutes. Still, for safety reasons, one should always come with at least one other person, and exit before it gets dark. The trail was not too difficult, though elderly folks and shorter kids may find it hard to reach and hold on to the ropes and side rails at a few points. For some strange reason, there were no mosquitoes (not sure if it was because it was morning).

As our hiking plan was rather ad hoc, it was just me and L today. Hope we could round up more colleagues of similar interest for the next hiking adventure! Any one of you reading this, please step forward and approach me. :)

If you ask me, I highly recommend you give it a try. All you need is to be in general good shape (otherwise, you may want to build yourself up at Bukit Serindit first).

Volunteering as a helper at the Relay For Life Melaka 2017


Some time at the end of last month, my old highschool friend, EF, contacted me  to ask if I'd like to help out as a volunteer for the then-upcoming Relay for Life Melaka event. Now, to be honest, I believe I had never heard of such a thing before, but as long as it did not clash with any of my other plans (and did not require me to actually do any running), I was otherwise more than happy to help out.


For those of you who (like me) are new to this, briefly, the Relay for Life was an overnight charity event aimed as raising funds, awareness, supporting and remembering those who have themselves or know someone who has had an encounter with Cancer. Organized by the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, the event generally involves a continuous relay of participants around a track. This year, the event was held at the Dataran Pahlawan field in Melaka Raya. Participants need not run - walking was fine. The goal is to ensure at least someone is still going round the track at any given time. This is to symbolize the continuous battle against cancer, which never sleeps (hence the event taking place over night). You can read more about it on their web page : http://www.relayforlifemalaysia.com/about-relay/


I arrived relatively early (nearly 7pm), considering my official shift duty was from 12pm to 4am. Again, this was to help out EF who was tasked as one of the main co-coordinators for the event. Already, there was no parking as all available bays were full (even with so-called VIP access - reminds me of my company parking....). So, I just temporarily double parked long enough to unload the stuff from my car before driving off in search of parking. In the end I had to park in front of the TNB, Banda Kaba, which was some 15 minutes walk away from Dataran Pahlawan. Was going to be for some exercise that night....


There were lots of people there, a mixture of volunteers and walk-in participants. There were food stalls set up with some game booths as well. There was a small stage set up at the entrance of the shopping mall, where there were some stage acts (singing, dancing, etc.).

Though generally stationed at the volunteer tent, I was there as a general helper, after all, so in principle this means looking out for whatever needs to be done and help out as best as possible. Thus, I was involved in carrying stuff, registration of volunteers, distribution of water / t-shirt to allocated volunteers, making rounds / spot checks, cleaning up, sorting of waste for recycling, etc..


At 8pm (or some time shortly after, as it was hard to keep things punctual with so much going on), it was time for the Luminaria event, which was when people lit up candles inside paper bags with messages written on them. Each was uniquely hand-decorated.


To ensure that there were sufficient people going around the track through the night, there were many participants who camped in the middle of the field, and took turns going round and round. Most of them appeared to be secondary school children, though I'm not sure from which school they were from. Participants could register themselves in teams of 10 (RM450 per team), Adults (RM50 per person) or Kid (RM20 per person). Registration for cancer survivors (both adults and kids) is free. Each Luminaria was sold at RM5 each, and F&B coupons sold in strips of RM10 (in denominations of RM1 and RM2). For over-night participants, tents were sold at RM70 (for those who did not have their own tent), while the space to pitch their tents was for RM30 per tent.


Helping out too were some RELA members, which were tasked with ensuring only people who registered and paid at the counter were admitted to the field (everyone was given a wrist band upon registration, including us volunteers). Also, later, to ensure that the said school children were kept in check. As there were limited bottles of water and t-shirts, it was a challenge to keep the distribution in control only to those who were identified. This entails having to deal with the occasional volunteer coming over and "insisting" they deserve to get a t-shirt, a box of mineral water, some other free-bies, etc..

It was quite "happening" before midnight, with all the activity going on, but after 12pm, the stage shows ended, the crowd dwindled, and it was down to just the volunteer group and the over-night participants. From there on, keeping awake while seated at the volunteer tent was rather challenging. Especially since they did not have any coffee available.... :(

As it turned out, some of the volunteers did not turn up on time (some did not turn up at all), so I was glad I was prepared to stay longer than planned. And stay longer than planned I did - in the end, leaving only around 9am, to send the paper carton boxes and plastic bottles to the Tzu Chi recycling facility at Air Keroh before finally heading home to catch up on sleep lost over the night before.

Do check out their Facebook page for many photos / videos covering this event : https://www.facebook.com/RelayforLifeMelaka/

Well, now that it's over, looking back I found it was a new experience for me - I've volunteered as a helper before, but not for an all-night event such as this. Due to a busy day prior to the event, I did not manage to get an afternoon nap to shift myself into the right timezone. Fortunately, the following day (Monday) was a public holiday in conjunction with the installation of Sultan Muhammad V of Kelantan as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, so by Tuesday, I was back to normal just in time for work.

Coincidentally, 22 April also happened to be Earth Day 2017, but that's another topic for another blog post.... :)

Smurfs : The Lost Village - IFX Movie Day

It was the Melaka Historical City day last Saturday. A fine weekend with family and friends (who work at the same Great Place as I do) at the GSC Aeon Bandaraya Melaka, for another Movie Day organized by the IFX executive recreation club, Club81. This time round, the movie of choice - Smurfs : The Lost Village.

As mentioned in my previous post (http://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2017/04/beauty-beast-outing-to-gsc-aeon.html), originally I had in plan to watch the slightly-controversial-awhile-ago Beauty and the Beast. With the rest of the movies offered being somewhat unsuitable for kids, this was basically the only feasible choice left. I try to keep the rest of this post spoiler-free.... :)

Where Beauty and the Beast was a live-action remake of the cartoon, Smurfs : The Lost Village is a fully animated show. Seems to be a reboot of the movie series, as the earlier 2 movies from Sony Entertainment Pictures was a live-action + CGI combo. While there was no practical way to make a Smurf any other way than through CGI, I found that in the previous 2 movies, the lead antagonist portrayed by actor Hank Azaria did not port well into real-life. So, the decision to revert back to a "real" cartoon is IMHO all for the better.

Now, this being the company movie day, it's always necessary to register early to get a good seat. This is the reason for the large crowd of people outside the entrance of Aeon Bandaraya Melaka well before the official opening time of 10am. The only other time you'll see this is during the occasional J-card member  day sale. To be honest, not many chose to watch this show, so in the end the cinema hall appeared to be only 80% full.

After registering, there was enough time for breakfast before the show started at 11am (another advantage to coming early). We sat down at Hailam Kopitiam on the ground floor (opposite Old Town white coffee) and basically went with the breakfast sets as we expected that to be the fastest option, given that we had 5 adults and 5 children at the table. Well, that's true for the most part, with the exception of the half-boiled eggs which came with some of the selected sets. How late, you might ask? Well, let's just say, our decision to split the group and collect the complimentary popcorn / drinks while the others finished breakfast was a wise decision, as we just barely made it in as the pre-show ads were about to end.

For the company movie day, there did not seem to be a differentiation in tickets - all of them were "adult tickets" and priced accordingly. Cost is as follows:-

Adult ticket:
Ticket price - RM11.07
GST (6%) - 0.66
Entertainment tax (25% of ticket price before GST) - RM2.77
Total - RM14.50

This was for the normal ticket, which was RM1.50 cheaper than one with enhanced Dolby Atmos.

As for the movie itself, without giving too much away, I can say that all the "mandatory" Smurf elements are there - Smurfs individual behavior / characteristics according to their names (which makes you wonder how one would name a new-born Smurf), Gargamel + Azrael  as the complementary pair of villains. As one might guess for shows of this type, there's a fair amount of songs and singing, though none of the tunes stick to your head like those typically found in Disney movies (yes, you know I'm comparing to THAT recent show again).

Well, in the end, I see my kids were entertained. The U-rated family show was watchable for me (not quite the death-by-boredom experience that I feared).

Demerit Points System (Kejara) goes online in Malaysia

Photo from TheSTAR online (http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2015/11/16/parliament-contract-aes/).

Significant news for all drivers in Malaysia. Some say good, some say not, depending on what kind of road user you are. From 15 April 2017, the Kejara Demerit Points System goes online nationwide, and ushers in a new era of traffic law enforcement. Ultimately, aimed at increasing road safety by taking action (by means of suspension and even revoking the driving license) of frequent traffic offenders.

Now, for those new to the topic (or need a refresher), Kejara is short for KEsalahan JAlan RAya (or traffic offences, in English). Under this Demerit Point System, each driver will be "awarded" points for each traffic offense under the Road Transport Act 1987. For the initial phase, the main focus will be on (but not limited to) speeding and running through red lights. More will be added in due course. 23 in total, to be exact, planned by the end of the year.

A quick search on the JPJ website reveals the following information on how various offenses are "scored":
6 points for drivers of cargo-carrying vehicles (lorries, vans, etc.) and buses. 4 points for drivers of all other vehicle types.

For drivers of cargo-carrying vehicles : exceeding speed limit by 1~25kph = 4 points, 25~40kph = 5 points, above 40kph = 6 points
For drivers of all other vehicle types : exceeding speed limit by 1~25kph = 2 points, 25~40kph = 3 points, above 40kph = 4 points

Looks like the emphasis on compliance is higher on drivers of buses, lorries and other cargo-carrying vehicles.

Playing a big role in this will undoubtedly be the AES (Automated Enforcement System) network of cameras scattered throughout the country, as well as those traffic light cameras at most intersections. Ah well, since we are in to acronyms, the integrated system of AES and Kejara is known as AWAS (Automated AWAreness Safety System).

Upon racking up a total of 20 points, a warning will be issued to the said driver. Subsequently, upon reaching the next 20 points (40 points cumulatively), the driver's license will be temporarily suspended for 6 - 12 months. The driver will have the option of undergoing a "rehabilitation course" in order to reduce the duration of the suspension. I'm not able to find any details on such courses (duration / cost) for now, though the system just started, so it's not likely anyone will have to seriously consider this option yet....



The other option is to avoid being awarded additional points for 12 months, which will result in a 50% reduction in points. 



Since the automated system will rely on vehicle identification, if you are not the driver of the car (example, your teenager is driving the family car bought under your name), then you have 30 days to clarify the matter with JPJ.

The process flow chart : guilty or not guilty


The second and third set of 20 points will also result in a suspension, though it's not clear what the min-max duration. There are 2 conflicting sets of information from the http://www.jpj.gov.my website. One thing consistent, though, is that the 3rd suspension within a period of 5 years will result in the driver's license being revoked. If you are still on probation (driving with a "P" sticker), the 1st 20 points will be sufficient to get your license revoked. Once revoked, you can only re-apply for a new license after 12 months from the date of revocation. Here's an infomercial taken from the JPJ website:

Of course, better not to test the limits in the table above....

An example on how to lose your driving license under the Kejara Demerit Points System

Points are award and effective upon paying the compound or summons in court. If, say, the driver does not settle the speeding ticket (which is quite commonplace based on what the general impression all this while), JPJ will blacklist the driver's license and block renewal of road tax / license.

Stock image from Pixelbay

You can check online if you have any outstanding summons : http://www.jpj.gov.my/pertanyaan-saman-notis or are on the blacklist : http://www.jpj.gov.my/pertanyaan-senarai-hitam ( note these are http and not https sites )

You can read about it more on the JPJ page : http://www.jpj.gov.my/sistem-kejara or write to them for clarification at kejara@jpj.gov.my

Well, there you have it. Of course, it's quite natural human behavior to be resistant to change, but taking a step back and looking at the big picture, the end-in-mind is to make the roads safe for everyone by keeping errant and bad drivers off the road. Regardless, do not drive safely only because you fear the law, but because it is the right thing to do. Feel free to drop your comments or experiences with the new system (hopefully none) in the comments below.


Disclaimer : All information contained in this post is as per what I've found on the JPJ website. Do check there for latest updates, in case there are any changes from time to time. Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law....

Event - 3D 2N Camping @ Berkelah Waterfalls, Gambang (off Kuantan, Pahang)


Fresh from the recent hardcore 4x4 adventure to Selancar (http://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2017/03/upcoming-event-hardcore-off-road.html) and Blood donation campaign (http://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2017/03/upcoming-event-blood-donation-april-2017.html), the Puma 4x4 Club is organizing the next camping off-road event to Gambang (off Kuantan, Pahang).

This trip will take place during the 3 day weekend at the end of April 2017 (as Monday, 1st May is a public holiday due to Labour Day). Actually, the plan is to assemble at the Puma 4x4 Office / Club House @ Malim Jaya at 2.00am on Saturday, 29 April 2017. Yes, you read it correctly - 2.00am. So, it' essential to get everything prepared and catch some sleep early the night before.

Entry fees are RM150 per non-member and RM100 per member. If there's any one of you who would like to join, more information can be found at the Puma 4x4 event page : https://www.facebook.com/events/606312219648551

Unfortunately, this trip also clashes with the company trip organized by the Infineon Recreation Club, Club81, so I had to make a tough choice to give up my place (which I got after spending some time on the waiting list). It's been some time since I've been on a camping trip, so hopefully this trip will not be too much for me to handle! :)

Will definitely post a detailed write up of the trip and post a link here once done - stay tuned for updates!

[18 April 2017] Event updated, with the specific location being the Berkelah Waterfalls, as well as some minor details. For full information, do check out the Facebook event page in the link above.

[2 May 2017] Event successfully completed! Do stay tuned for my first hand account of the experience! Meanwhile, check out a short video montage I've managed to put together:

Beauty & the Beast - an outing to GSC, Aeon Bandaraya Melaka

I was tied up for the past two weeks engaged with my European counterparts, who were here for business trips. Thus, before the next wave of visitors arrived, I took some time off on an uneventful 2nd half day to bring my family to the movies. This time, it was to watch the live action Disney remake of the classic Beauty and the Beast. Clarification / disclaimer : this is not a movie review post.

The original plan was to watch the show for the Infineon Melaka Club81 Movie Day. However, due to some complications last month that resulted in a temporary ban of this movie, the show was no longer offered, even after the reversal of the ban by the Malaysian Authorities. This incident postponed the release from 16 Mar 2017 to 30 Mar 2017. Quite a storm in a tea cup, as you can search the Internet for news on credible sites such as : https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/world/asia/disney-malaysia-beauty-beast-gay.html

Not wanting to disappoint my kids, especially my daughter, I planned a family outing on my own (as soon as possible, in case the Malaysian Authorities have a sudden change of heart). In Melaka, there are now quite a number of cinemas, but this time I chose the Golden Screen Cinemas @ Aeon Bandaraya Melaka. That's the "New Jusco" to some of us local folks.

In my recent movie going experiences here, I found the staff friendly (from the ticketing counter to the food/drinks counter to the ushers). The hall and seats are also kept in good working order. No stale or smoky smell in the air.

As this show was basically a musical, I chose to go for the show which features DOLBY ATMOS. This was offered in the hall with an enhanced sound system. Only 3 shows per day, perhaps due to lower number of movie goers (as the ticket prices were more expensive). Speaking of movie ticket prices, here's the breakdown:-

Adult ticket:
Ticket price - RM12.22
GST (6%) - 0.73
Entertainment tax (25% of ticket price before GST) - RM3.05
Total - RM16.00

Children ticket:
Ticket price - RM6.49
GST (6%) - RM0.39
Entertainment tax - RM1.62
Total - RM8.50

As you can see, Malaysian businesses have become quite mathematically competent, as the customer is presented with a nice "round" figure while leaving the fractions to the tax breakdown structure. While the GST was fairly new to Malaysia (implemented since 1st April 2015), the entertainment tax has been around since Oct 2011.

The seats were made of PVC / faux leather which was a step up from the usual cloth / cushion seats. Sound was clear and powerful (when needed) without buzzing or distortion. Great for musicals (where this show seems to fall into the category) or action movies where there are lots of sound-effects. Now I'm wishing I had come here watch Les Miserables (you can read about my experience in another cinema over here : Les Miserables Midnight Show at MBO).

As we were just from lunch, we only got a Large Popcorn + 2x Mineral Water (500ml) which comes up to RM12.10 (as you might have guessed by now, a GST of RM0.69 is already inside as part of the price). From these prices alone, you can get a rough idea of what it costs for a typical family outing....

Well, as for the movie, hopefully not giving away any spoilers, it's practically the same story as the 1991 animation (also released by Disney). With some additional songs (which fit seamlessly in with the rest of the original soundtrack). Can't help but compare to the original cartoon from 16 years ago (wah, has it really been that long ago?). Emma Watson (the girl from Harry Potter) really nails the role as the beautiful Belle, and can also sing! :)

As for the Beast and Gaston, the live-action movies have stuck to more "realistic" renditions for these two characters (if you can call a horned, hairy beast realistic). The beast is no longer a towering, um, beast, and Gaston is built more "proportionally" and not like, say, Johnny Bravo. Still, I feel it's a bit of a pity that Luke Evans does not have as powerful and deep a voice as the original voice actor from the animation. Ah, well. At least they didn't replace it with another voice actor (like Darth Vader). Then of course, the rendition of the title theme soundtrack by Ariana Grande and John Legend, the two of which are accomplished singers in this time, but could never displace duet by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson.

I honestly enjoyed this movie. Now just trying to figure out if it was because of re-living memories of the original Disney animation, or was this truly a successful stand-alone. Nonetheless, a great movie experience, enhanced by GSC's fine and complete cinema. I'm not really into the 3D movie hype (My 2 Cents on 3D TV and Movies), but I'm fully supportive of the ATMOS sound system especially when watching the right kind of movies. I'm looking for the right movie to come, to try out ATMOS D-BOX to see if it really is the next level up.

In spite of being rather pricey, will definitely chose to come here for an unforgettable and enjoyable movie-going experience in future!

Staying Healthy at the Bukit Serindit Recreational Park, Melaka


 

While there's no denying that Melaka is a relatively small state on the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, there are some popular exercise spots which are always bustling with activity, especially on weekends or holidays. One such location is the Bukit Serindit Recreational Park, which is situated close to the heart of Melaka Town. Among the various activities here include : jogging, group exercise (aerobics, etc.), cycling, skating, playground.

Like many others, I personally feel that regular outdoor activity is an essential ingredient to maintain a health, balanced lifestyle. Especially important to start developing the habit in my kids from an early age. The Bukit Serindit Recreational Park is an old time favourite, as it's located within 15 minutes drive (depending on traffic conditions). The authorities have done their job here, as the park is quite well maintained. Park cleaners keep the walkways and landscape presentable, and the facilities are maintained and repaired as needed.

There are lots of trees and greenery everywhere, though not enough to provide shade around the park, so you'll want to go early in the morning or in the evening in order to avoid getting sunburn under the typical Malaysian sunshine.

Below is a satellite map I got from Google Maps, with some key features mapped out:
GPS Co-ordinates : 2.202430, 102.268709 (roughly in the center of the irregular shaped park)

You can jog along the outer perimeter of the park. I've marked the path in the map above, which comes to roughly 1.5km. Of course, you can also choose to run through the many foot paths criss-crossing through the park itself....

There ample parking space at both the main entrance (North side) and also on the West side next to the hall. There's a really small parking lot next to the Hockey fields - I guess they are intended for players.



There are many exercise groups scattered through the park. They are spaced far enough so that the accompanying music from each group will not overlap and cause great confusion. Most of them are basically aerobic style work outs, though there are some slower groups (one based on Buddhist Meditation, for non-Muslims only).

Right in the middle of the park is a small lake. Not sure of the origins, whether it's natural or man-made. There are a few iguanas / monitor lizards in the park, which you can occasionally spot having a swim in the lake. So far, have not come into close encounter with one, and never heard anyone being attacked or bitten before. There are possibly fish in the lake too, as though it's strictly prohibited, you can see people fishing illegally here quite often. Hope the law enforcers can take some action.


Next to the lake is a small flat area with smooth tiles suitable for roller skates / in-line skates. Though it's a bit small and too open, if you ask me. Not a place you would come to LEARN how to skate, unless you have no qualms about falling down in full public view. Just across the lake from here is a small amphitheater. No scheduled performances or shows here, though.



There's a children's playground with the usual playhouses, swings and see-saws. Usually the kids head straight for this place, and we end up spending quite a while over here. Next to this is are bars and facilities suitable for adults to practice (pull ups, chin ups, etc.). You can see some calisthenics aficionados working out here from time to time.


Always important to know where the rest-rooms are located. Updated my map based as I missed out the one near the North car park. I believe the cleaners are regularly cleaning the rest-rooms, so it's not a lost cause if you have to answer Nature's call.

There's a Hall on the mid-Western side of the park. I recall attending an indoor basketball tournament here a few years ago. Not sure if the hall is used for this or perhaps for other indoor games like badminton. Need to take a closer look the next time I'm there.



Over at the South East corner is a small area which has some skate park facilities. Quite small, but then I guess not many people here are into skating.
Not far away is a rather a peculiar sight, with many poles suitable for hanging bird cages. They have not been in use for as long as I can remember, so I don't know if this was a popular hobby many, many, many years ago. But nonetheless, the poles are still there.


Well, that roughly covers what you can find here. As mentioned, on weekends / public holidays, the Bukit Serindit Recreational Park is usually packed (until the sun is high in the sky). It's good thing though, as this shows that the general public is quite health-conscious and actively participating in outdoor exercise. Highly recommended to bring your family and introduce to friends. I do hope that the authorities and users (that's the public like you and me) can keep the park in good condition for everyone to enjoy!

Do you already come here regularly? What do you think of the park?

Weekly fuel price revision starts in Malaysia

After much debating and deliberation, the government has finally kicked off the weekly fuel price revision in Malaysia. How does this mechanism work exactly? Well, to you and me, the fuel prices will be announced every Wednesday, and take effect from midnight (that's 12.00AM, Thursday morning).

Of course, the calculation behind the fuel prices are still a mystery, so we can only guess based on the price of oil as a global commodity, whether or not to fill up by Wednesday or wait until the next day. Play this guessing game each week, and after awhile, everyone will just resign themselves to accepting this new system.

There's some talks that soon, petrol station operations will be able to apply to to offer discounts, but so far nothing official yet from the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism. This floating pricing is a far cry from the system we had before 2015, where prices were fixed by the authorities, but was subsidized by the taxpayers. Still not quite like what I've seen in several countries like Australia, China and Germany, where fuel prices are completely unregulated and set by the individual petrol station operations.

For me, my car was coincidentally running on fumes (zero bars left) by the time I refueled, but the good thing was a slight positive upside as the new price of RON95 this week was RM2.13 per liter (down from RM2.30 per liter). RON 97 was also down from RM2.60 to RM2.41 per liter, while Diesel is now RM2.11 per liter (from RM2.20 per liter). This is reflective of the current market conditions, or is to give a "good feeling" for the initial stages, we'll probably never know...

A step in the right direction, or are we better off adopting a different approach over here in Malaysia? If you have any views to share, do drop a comment below.

Blog Makeover (New Contempo Theme, Dark Variant)


With the clean up and restart of "MCWK on Blogspot.com" as of beginning 2017, it's only fair to include a makeover for a fresh new look. Browsing through the 4 new themes available (the other 3 being Soho, Emporio and Notable), I settled for this one (Contempo). Considerably darker than the previous one, hope the new look doesn't conflict with the light-hearted nature of this blog. My next task will be to find a new cover photo to replace the default "forest at midnight" one, as well as update my profile photo (with a decent self portrait, which I hope does not look too much like a selfie).

As for the name, I'm sticking with the "Blogspot.com" which is the old name before the gracious free host changed to "Blogger" as we know it today. I find that "Blogger" is too generic, as it's also a term used to describe "one that blogs". At least it's still around, not like Multiply.com (ah, that brings back memories) and Myspace (which I've no experience myself).

Do you have any feedback on the new look or ideas / suggestions for continuous improvement? If so, do post a comment below.

Ongoing roadworks @ MITC intersection, Melaka

A post shared by Marvin Chong (@marvin.chong) on


Driving around Melaka town in the sweltering heat on this fine Saturday afternoon, noticed this pile of blocks in middle of the road construction site at the MITC intersection. Don't recall ever seeing this used before when flyovers were under construction (including the one near my office, close to the Melaka General Hospital). Had to look it up on the Internet when I got home (was driving, after all, so it wouldn't be right to check on my phone). Found a good source of info at : http://www.foundtest.com.my/services/mlt.html

So it seems this was to assess the strength and soundness of the foundation - learned something new today. :)

Great to know that there are preventive work packages planned in as part of the construction process to ensure quality is in place - hats off to the project manager!

Well, there are several such road upgrades ongoing, towards and in the heart of Melaka town. Hope the authorities can complete the projects soon, as any improvements to the traffic congestion (which can be quite bad during weekends and festive seasons) is sincerely welcome. As you can see, it was basically a standstill while waiting for the traffic lights to go green. So, I had ample amount of time to take my phone out of my pocket, unlock and turn on the camera app, compose, focus and take the short. Yes, and also check the short in the Gallery, lock my phone and put it back in my pocket, and continue waiting, before the traffic finally started moving.

Sending my Honda Civic FD2 in for 105,000 km PM service


It's been awhile since the last one. 1 year, to be exact. Didn't really do a lot of driving throughout the past year, thus the long interval, even observing the recommended 5,000km between servicing (which was the normal recommended distance for cars from those days). My "usual" choice for servicing my Civic is still the GS Tay Honda Muar branch.

It's been a busy day from the start, so I only managed to arrive around 3.15pm. A little late to start, but I reckon it'll be manageable, as at 105,000km it's just a minor service.

My civic has been quite well behaved since the last service, with only a minor issue with the brake switch stopper. Well, I guess it's partly to do with the driver (yours truly) also being "well behaved" and the fact that it's a Honda, after all. It's no Toyota, but reliability is just fine.

Now, the brake switch stopper (or so I'm told, that's what it's called) is a plastic / rubber stopper that connects the brake pedal to the brake light. It's a normally-off switch, which means, when the brake pedal is not pressed, the stopper presses against the switch, which opens and keeps the brake lights OFF. When you step on the brake pedal, the switch closes and the brake lights come on.
 
It was one night purely by chance, that I was looking out my window and saw that my Civic's brake lights were on. I was unable to get them to switch off whatever I tried (was considering to disconnect the battery as a last resort). Finally, after a short call to my family mechanic, he enlightened me to the existence of this switch, and provided some hints to "MacGyver" a solution. The switch itself is intact and working, but I guess that the stopper simply disintegrated with age, as I found several remnant fragments on the floor mat. With some crude parts I found lying around my house (screw, double sided tape) and luck, I managed to install a quick temporary fix (which lasted quite some months, till today).

The service team also highlighted and replaced (with my consent) the aging radiator cap and the plastic holder that held the hood support rod (another one of those parts which could do with a shorter name)....

There were surprisingly quite a number of cars there for services as well. Strange, as afternoons were usually less packed than mornings. In the end, my car was ready just before 6pm. Roughly 2.5 hours spent there, which was still acceptable, given that I did not make an appointment. 
 
While driving off, I did notice that my boot was not properly closed, so I carefully stopped at a petrol station to shut it before resuming my journey home. Guess they forgot about it, though I'm not exactly sure what they were checking back there.
 
With my current driving habits, it's likely to be another year till my next service. Glad that my Civic's holding up fine - in spite of being nearly a decade old. Thanks to the crew at GS Tay Honda Muar for keeping my car running in tip top condition!


Disclaimer : I've said it before, I say it again. I'm not paid or affiliated to this Honda branch. Just sharing my experiences.

Club81 Day Trip to Sunway Lagoon (Mar 2017)

Cap picked up from the souvenir shop at Sunway Lagoon
It's the start of the week-long school break. An excellent time for the friendly Infineon Melaka executive recreation club (Club81) to organize a family day trip to the Sunway Lagoon Theme Park.

Now, the Sunway Lagoon Theme Park's operating hours were from 10.00am to 6.00pm. Thus, in order to get to our destination early enough to allow us to make the most of the opening hours, the plan was to assemble at the Infineon main guard house at 7.00am to board the buses. Yes, I'm sure we could have planned to assemble earlier at 6.00am to avoid the shift change crowd, but such a plan would likely be challenging, especially since there were many families with kids (including us).

As per the plan, the buses would thus depart at 7.30am. Unfortunately, this time slot coincided with the change of shift - hence we had to wait for the factory buses to leave before our buses could enter the bus park. That didn't set us back too far, so with a mild recovery plan and smooth traffic, we managed to reach our destination as planned!😁

While in the bus, we were informed that absolutely NO food and drinks were allowed to be taken in from the outside. Officially, this was to avoid litigation against the park management in case of food-related ailments. Of course, we pretty much figured out the most likely TRUE reason behind this... (especially since food prices inside were hiked - a 500ml bottle of water is sold for RM4.50). However, at the entrance, we were told that bringing in water (which is apparently not classified as a "drink") was OK. Can anyone out there clarify this point? But alas, we left all our water in the bus, so through the entire day, we ended up spending RM18 on water.😞

As we were in a group, the buses dropped us off at the Surf Beach Entrance, which was next to the Sunway Lagoon Hotel. There was ample space there for the organizing committee to set up a counter for ticket collection and even a group photo.

Our package granted us access to all rides in the park save for a few (which we needed to pay per ride if we were interested). Namely, the Bungy Jump, Go-kart and something called G-force - all of which were in the Extreme park section. From the nature of such rides, I would personally get on them even if I were PAID to ride! 😁

Well, once into the park, we decided to indulge in the wet activities first, as there's a chance the rides would be closed in case of heavy rain. The entire park was built around a large body of water, half of which was shallow for good old family fun, while the other half was for boating. First order of the day, get a locker as it was not allowed / possible to bring bags on board many of the rides. A single locker was RM22 and the larger luggage locker was RM43. The good thing was that they were for multiple entry, so once you've got yourself a locker, its yours to use for the whole day. This meant that the lockers were rather limited, though, so in our case we had to walk to the other side of the park to get an available luggage locker. The lockers were keyless. After registering a locker, it's tied to the barcoded wrist tag. There's a scanner for each bank of lockers, which intelligently pops open the right locker upon scanning. The wrist tag was waterproof and quite durable to withstand the rigours of the theme park, without fading. Though, it did take me several attempt to align my wrist to the scanner.

The wrist band also served as an electronic wallet, so one could practically load up some currency into the wrist band, and leave all the stuff in the locker. A good system, as you can imagine, someone would have to sit out on the fun to keep a hold of all the stuff if there wasn't such a system in place. The refunding can be done at the entrance / exit - the shop is INSIDE the park, so be sure not to go out first before getting your refund. Of course, cash is always acceptable. This made it possible for us to wander the park in our swimming attire (yes, at least here everyone was doing it, so it didn't feel out of place).

At this time, the latest park map is as below. You can get the latest map at their website : https://sunwaylagoon.com/park-map/

Many of the rides were height limited, so for those with kids, need to pay particular attention to the minimum requirement. Once your kids are above 1.2m, then every thing's open game...!😃

Most of the wet rides required us to carry tubes up to the starting position of the ride. The tubes were in shape of a figure "8" and thus required us to go in twos. We settled for kid in front, adult at the back. There was only one ride, the Jungle Fury, which needed a group a exactly 4 - no more, no less. This one had everybody sitting in a large round raft (which sort of resembles an inflatable baby pool). Due to the lack of experience, for this ride I sat at the "front" and was facing backwards all the way down. Not sure if it's less scary or more scary this way...?

As we were going to be very much "interactive", I did not bring any camera with me, so our memories are found only in our minds and not in a memory card.... Besides, I did not have any suitable gear that could withstand bring exposed to the elements on a typical day at a water theme park.

Well, towards noon, we had our lunch at the in-house Burger King shop, which was quite small with just a few tables for patrons. After that's it's back to more fun. There was an attraction called the 5D Waterplex, which was basically a first-person view 3D movie with movable seat platform and fan / water spray / lighting effects in sync with the movie. 3D glasses were provided which just managed to fit over my glasses, so it was watchable. The movement was mild - no need for any seatbelts or safety restraints. My opinion, though, was that the screen was too small and too far away, so it was not a very immersive experience, compared to, say, the Singapore Omnimax Theater.

At roughly 4pm, it started to drizzle, then increased to a full blown downpour. We were lucky to have covered all the main activities by then, so we spent the time getting showered and changed back to regular clothes, and stopping by the Souvenir Shop to make the best of the complementary coupons given as part of our package. As the park closed at 6.00pm, we made it to the exit earlier to avoid the potential crowd at the refund counter. By that time, the rain had receded back to a light drizzle.

We had roughly 2 hours to go till the arrival of our buses, so we walked over to the Sunway Pyramid shopping mall and walked about, taking our dinner there before returning to the Surf Beach Entrance pick up point by 7.30pm. I'd not been to Sunway Pyramid since my college days (which was many, many, many years ago). Glad to see that the ice skating rink is still there, and perhaps someday we could give it a try. Initial reaction from my family is that no one was willing to do so, though, so perhaps this plan would take some time to implement.

We boarded our bus and started the journey home as soon as the last passenger in our bus finally returned (late, but before 8pm). There was a concern that traffic would be heavy. However, the traffic was relatively smooth, even with an unfortunate accident on the North-South highway, so we arrived back at Infineon before 10pm. That was good, as we did not get caught up in the change of shift at 11pm.

Well, in the end, we were tired but happy the way this trip turned out. In spite of the poor weather in the later half of the day, we had managed to make the best of today and really enjoyed ourselves. It was a good event made possible by the organizing committee of Club81 - and to them I offer my sincere gratitude! 🙌

Haha, I just realized that while we brought sunblock, didn't actually remember to put it on. Hence, in the next few days, don't be surprised if you see me with a nasty (and painful) case of sunburn. Keeping fingers crossed and hope for the best!

Sai Kee 434 Muar Coffee comes to Melaka


With the striking yellow exterior, it's no surprise that the Sai Kee 434 Cafe caught my eye earlier on, even before it's official opening. Being a frequent visitor to the rustic city of Muar, some 50-odd kilometers to the South of Melaka, this famous coffee establishment is indeed well known to me. Though it has been quite a while since I was last there : http://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2011/01/food-in-muar-sai-kee-cafe-and-marina.html

Situated opposite the Bukit Serindit Recreational Park, it's in a most strategic place to woo joggers and other park visitors just after their morning activity.

For some weeks, my family and I been driving past this place, only to find to our dismay, the shutters closed. Not having any visible sign to indicate their working hours, we were left wondering if they had already started operations, or were preparing for the opening ceremony. By pure chance, last Sunday, we found the shutters were open. Finally!


GPS Co-ordinates : 2.206171, 102.269129

We took to ourselves to drop by for some light drinks and food (given that we had just finished our lunch, and were heading home). Walking in, we found the place was packed with patrons. We were in luck, as after just a short wait, we managed to get a table to ourselves.

I found out from the staff working there that they were open every day, EXCEPT Saturday, from 8am to 6pm (last order at 5.30pm). This meant that dropping by after an evening jog at the park, or for dinner, was not possible. A little disappointed, but then at least now, I'm clear on their operating hours. Perhaps when business picks up, they'd consider extending their hours until 10pm (so people can drop by after office hours). [Update - 15 Jul 2017] Surprisingly, after today's Saturday morning run, found that Sai Kee 434 Coffee was open! A welcome adaptation by their management indeed.... :)

The Sai Kee 434 Coffee establishment was famous for it's Luwak / Civet Coffee, which you'd better read about online (http://www.most-expensive.coffee) to understand more. Or perhaps, you should not read about it until AFTER you've had a taste.... :)

That's the premium stuff, which goes for ~RM25 per cup. Didn't get myself one, as I was quite full from lunch, so in the end settled for one of the more ordinary variants. Well, it was a short stop there, did not manage to do a proper write-up or take some interior photos. Perhaps some time soon...!


My personal review - Honda Civic FC 1.5 Turbo

Snapshot from Honda's website. Hope they don't mind me using for this post....
I have had a very good experience with the Semabok branch (as the SA who sold to our family our first Honda (even before my first Civic) is still there, though he's already moved up the ladder. I'm sure if I ever get another Honda (if there will ever be another one with as great price/performance ratio as my FD2), it will be from them.

Well, today, I managed to test drive the "new" Honda Civic FC (top-of-the-line 1.5 Turbo model). Before this, I've read quite number of reviews, watched an equally large number of video reviews on Youtube and even tuned in to opinions from my friends and Civic enthusiast group. A mixed review, if you asked me, so in the end, I wanted to have a short first hand experience for this car which has not managed to replace long and trusted ride.

Getting into the FC is a completely different feel from my old FD2. The interior seems somewhat less spacious in the two places where it mattered to me - that being the place between the driver and passenger seat (which is now raised and no longer able to accommodate climbing to the other side) and also the rear hump at the middle rear passenger legroom is back (which is the plus point of my FD2 vs most other cars). Still, minor issues. Hand brake is gone, now replaced with a lever (much like the one you pull to release the trunk) on the central dash to the right of the gear shifter.

The sales advisor gave me a brief overview of what's new, then respectfully settled back to let me experience the drive. This is highly appreciated, as I was then able to focus on the driving experience. In fact after a while I was the one who felt obliged to initiate some talk, to break the otherwise awkward silence. Now, on to the driving experience....

Pulling out of the parking lot and on to the main road, I was at first cautious when merging with traffic. I know on paper that the FC has a higher power/weight ratio, but having no prior experience, I don't want to test the airbags / other safety features.... :)

I felt an ever-so-slight lag in the throttle response when accelerating at low engine speed. Likely due to the small engine, don't expect the turbo to magically fix this part of the curve (below 2kRPM). The CVT was smooth, never could tell when then gears were shifting up. The response seems to be muted, as if giving you a moment to decide if you really want to go fast, before spooling up the power. Thus, you can stomp your foot on the accelerator and absolutely nothing will happen. To be fair, this is also a "feature" found even in the FD generation of civic, as a result of the drive-by-wire throttle. Still, I feel in the FC, this is very much pronounced, perhaps to tune the car to a more mature / comfort based target audience.

The car was quiet, but then, with these test drive models, you could never tell if this was an after-market enhancement or came stock. And I did not manage to test the ability to change directions and speed really quickly, as I did not want to flip out the SA who was in the passenger seat. Moving on to a long straight stretch of road, I put the FC in S mode and tested the paddle shifters. With more travel and matte finish, they felt better than the staccato shiny ones in my FD2. I shifted up to 7 virtual gears, 2 more than the real ones in my FD2. Red-line was at an unimpressive 6.5kRPM, but this car was not about top end. In the 3-4kRPM range, the FC was responsive - no turbo lag to bog you down and I'm sure it would sing happily to the (short) red-line. I did try to floor it in one of the higher gears, and detect no attempt from the engine or system to push the car forward at a greater urgency. This means you really need to be in right gear to increase the pace, otherwise, the ride would be pretty much sedated.
Power delivery was linear. No surge or Blow-Off-Valve hissing between gear changes to hint of the forced induction motor beneath the hood. Here was a car that would go fast without feeling or sounding fast.

I made it a point to take the FC through the housing estate with many speed bumps, high humps, potholes. This was the major pain-point of my FD2 which no amount of after-market engineering could fix. The showroom unit was with a Modulo body kit, so it would be a fair representation of body-to-ground. Making it through the housing estate, going over obstacles with sensible yet urgent speed (just like you would drive your own car, if you were in a hurry), I did not register hitting anything with the bottom of the car. Clearly, the stock FC (with Modulo body kit) would make it through the typical Malaysia neighbourhood without having resort to strange diagonal angle-of-attack movements that you always see those modified Wiras do.

As I pulled back into the Honda Semabok parking area and switched off the engine (push button, again, something with is standard for even the Honda City these days), I thanked the SA and took a moment to summarize me experience with the new Civic FC. I would guess that the designers were taking aim at the market segment dominated by Toyota (Altis) and at the same time, not sacrificing on quality in order to stand on its own against the other rivals in this car class. The FC is clearly not means to be the sports sedan that is the expectation of many drivers from MY generation. Rather, it's more of a sport-y mid-size family sedan to offer a solid option for those shopping in this price range. And truly a model worthy to carry on the "Civic" legacy.

The 1.5 turbo engine coupled with the CVT, apart from the low RPM range, seems to be well match at delivering results as intended. Ride, insulation and comfort are much improved versus the stock FD (sorry for my outdated comparison, as I've never driven the FB Civic which bridges the FD and FC). I'm sure that this car can be fast when pushed, but more like a passenger jet on full throttle during take off, rather than like a go kart (forgive the poor analogy). If you are looking for something more lively/involving, I guess you'd have to look elsewhere (or wait for the Type R)....
Disclaimer : I don't work for Honda, nor am I paid by them to write about them. I just happen to drive one myself. Writing car reviews is clearly not my forte, otherwise I'd have a career working for Paul Tan.... :)

Event : Blood Donation - 9 April 2017

(Stock image from Pixabay)


[Update, 9 Apr 2017 : Event carried out successfully. Thanks to all donors and volunteers, the staff of Melaka General Hospital, and everyone else who made today's event a success!]

The Puma 4x4 (Malaysia) Club is not just about offroad adventures and camping. Next month, on 9 April 2017, the club is organizing a blood donation campaign in collaboration with the Melaka General Hospital. The even will be held at the multi-purpose hall of the Melaka Presbyterian Church at Taman Malim Jaya. This is not a church event, so all aspiring blood donors from all faiths are welcome to join. They will give away a small souvenir donated by the event sponsors to all successful donors.

Well, if you are a regular donor, or interested to sign up for the first time, do mark your calendar and make it a point to attend. Do your part to fill the National Blood Bank and save lives!

For more information, do check out the event at the Puma 4x4 Club Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/events/284028805360198/

My post on such an event some years ago : http://marvinchong.blogspot.com/2012/05/blood-donation-campaign-with-puma-4x4.html

Event : Hardcore off-road adventure to Selancar, Johor (18-20 Mar 2017)

(Stock Image from Pixabay)

The Puma 4x4 (Malaysia) Club will be having it's first event of 2017 with a hardcore off-road adventure to Selancar, Johor. The event is scheduled for later this month, from 18 Mar 2017 to 20 Mar 2017. What's "hardcore", you might ask?

Well, traditionally, the Puma 4x4 Club has members that cater to both ends of the scale. On one end is the typical family camper, who love the experience of camping in the fine outdoors, in the middle of nature, by the stream / waterfall. Such events are more akin to family holidays, where the destination is more appreciated than the journey. Of course, to get to such untainted spots (which are getting rarer as time goes by due to increasing development activities) you would need to get a decent 4x4 vehicle. Granted, even a Perodua Kembara would be able to get you to most of the places where the typical sedan might bottom out, important is the body to ground clearance.

On the other hand, there are those who really find and take the most difficult route between 2 points, which requires the base model 4x4 to be augmented with snorkels, winches, raised suspension and mud-terrain / centipede tires to take on road-less terrain (they basically make their own). The drivers themselves are armed with ropes, hoes, machetes and chain saws (one in awhile, there's a need to DIY a log bridge from a few fallen trees). It's possible for both groups to start and end up at the same campsite, but the hardcore team would arrive much later, taking the hardest path between two points....
Of course, only a Sith deals in absolutes (to borrow a phrase from a galaxy far, far away), so common folk like you and I will fall somewhere in between. While we do have a few rough riders in the Puma 4x4 Club, the general motto is to get everyone in, have fun, and get everyone out, safe and sound.

For details on the trip, for those of you looking for the latter kind of adventure, do check out the event on Facebook at : https://www.facebook.com/events/1457178594316458/

As for this trip, I'm obviously not THAT kind of adventurer, so I'll sit this one out and wait for them to share some photos when they get back...! :)


[UPDATE: 23 Mar 2017] Event completed successfully, for those interested to see how it turned out, you can find the photos at the Club's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155208319559295.1073741827.297484144294&type=1&l=3632d4c62e

MCWK on Blogspot - the clean-up and restart


Yes, I'm still alive. And so is MCWK on Blogspot.com (though just barely registering a pulse). Busy in the course of the past few years since the last post. With many large commitment rocks to put into my small life bucket, ultimately, something gets left on the side. Thus, I made a conscious decision to focus and channel my efforts mainly into my growing family (of course) and new career (which, while not being a complete 180 degree turn compared to what I was doing for the past decade, is significantly different in terms of size and corporate culture).

I've been thinking a lot about resuming work on this personal blog for some time now. Again, thinking on multiple aspects (a byproduct of work habit, namely the six thinking hats), there's a few key points going FOR and AGAINST the motion. In short summary:-

First, let's look at the Against:
  • Potentially resource consuming (mainly, time). Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Which means, when it comes to constructing a blog post, a significant minimum effort will be put in before I'm ready to hit the "Publish" button.
  • Lack of ideas / variety in life to make it interesting (life is consistent, stable, monotonous). Where I am today, there's a high focus on work (which, due to strict corporate requirements, I don't talk about here, unless the news is already out on the Internet).
  • Fear of failing (again). Especially, when this Blogger site was a originally set up to mirror my original start up personal blog on the now-defunct Multiply.com. You can still see the effects if you look at my earlier posts - photos uploaded there and linked here are gone forever - I'll never be able to rebuild the early years. Better to look ahead and carry on.
  • Privacy concerns. A bit like the 2nd point above. Can't talk about work or any other sensitive stuff. Hey, times have changed - we need to take note and adapt accordingly.
And in the other corner, For:
  • Back to the origin. Why I started this blog in the first place. To keep up with the flow of technology. Ironically, I guess blogging today is somewhat outdated. So, you could liken this to Bjorn Borg making a come back to tennis with his wooden racket. 
  • Legacy for my kids. Yes, there's the contemporary social media giant, FB, but in my opinion, it's too rigidly structured and impossible to browse through in a non-linear manner (multiple links between FB posts do not exist) and browsing back in time is a chore. There's no quick way to go back in time to a specific date (perhaps they'll introduce it someday).
  • Somewhere I can write. To be frank, working in a multi-national company, you actually have to use English (which is the only common language among all the nationalities) but keep it simple and straight to the point. It's not everyone's mother tongue, after all, and we're having enough trouble avoiding misunderstandings as it is. Plus, most of it is technical, so to be able to write with some creativity and flair, I have to do it elsewhere (or rather, right here!).
Keeping this blog alive and relevant, staying true to the core reasons behind its origin. I've said it before, have no intention of monetizing this blog (so that immediately takes off any such pressure and expectations). Will I continue, then to expand on other contemporary tools to keep abreast with technology? Haha, that depends - don't think I'll ever start off as a Vlogger or Youtuber (though I'd likely record some personal videos so to leave something behind for my future generations).

In doing this reboot, I've gone through 2 list that I have on the sidebar of this blog. 1st list is "where I am most of the time". Removed practically all my old links as some are even no longer active. Same goes to the 2nd list which is a blogroll of some of my friends and acquaintances. Again, some have stopped active blogging (possibly moved to FB), and some sites have been deleted. Sigh, but I guess by this criteria, this site would have been removed as well. Feels like waking up from a long slumber, only to find that the world around has changed drastically.

Well, re-looking at the labels in this blog, I'm happy to note that the following main topics are still relevant:
  • I still drive my Honda Civic FD2(A) - neither of us have given up on each other, though track days at the Sepang F1 Circuit (and spirited drives on public roads) are long gone. Looks like my fellow 8GCC (8th Gen Civic Club) mates have moved on to other hobbies, like Cycling, Marathon and Photography.
  • I still take photographs, using my DSLR, Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera, P&S Camera or Handphone (which ever is in my hand at the photographic moment). Again, for hobby, not for profit or income, though there are ample opportunities once in awhile to join photo competitions with the Photographic Society of Melaka (PSMA).
  • I still hang out with the folks at the Puma 4x4 (Malaysia) Club. Though I haven't gone offroad or camping in ages, there's a high chance that I'll join one such event this year. Besides the obvious, the club also organizes charity events and blood donation from time to time.
In this exercise, I'm considering to change the blog theme to give it a new feel. Any suggestions on selecting a new Blogger theme?

Of course, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks, so I do keep myself open to explore and try new hobbies and interests. What do you think? If you're reading this and have some thoughts to share, do drop a comment and let me know.

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