Sec18's Genting

If you observe close enough, you will find that there are significant resemblance between Cemara/Akasia in Sec18 and Genting Highlands.

 

Most of the economy hotel rooms in Genting are not pre-installed with air conditioner. You only get ceiling fans. So does C/A.

Genting

C/A

 

You know what, Shah Alam has been so crazily hazy this few weeks that I thought I would suffer early death if I stayed out longer.

Genting

Sec18

 

 

Whenever you're in Genting, be it in the middle of the year or during cooler months, you'll see people walking around with jackets, jumpers, cardigans.

Genting

Intec

 

-_-

Pang Pang Pang

Today I had the longest haircut ever. Maybe because my mind wasn't wandering off to places, or fantasizing about how life would be in the States when I get there next year, or planning how to get all the assignments done by the end of this week, or contemplating what movie/drama to watch next. That is why, the haircut seemed to take forever, as I watch the stylist cut and trim, trim and blow, blow and trim again and again like what seemed an endless cycle.

I hate the fact that I have a book in hand but I don't read it. It's even worse now because instead of allowing my mind to roam free, I just stared at the mirror and occasionally dozing off. For the past year, I've been adhering to a tight policy of no studies, no work during weekends and holidays, unless exam's tomorrow and I'm sure to fail the subject. I'm not sure if I'm doing well in my cgpa, but I'm positive that it's decent enough for me to live with it.

But maybe it's time for me to chance the policy. Maybe now is the time. I need a pang of realization that hits me real hard and tell me that a plant morphology assignment is more important than the gymnastics final; that final exams is more important than Sarah Chang's concert; that I'm so gonna be obese if I continue having supper every. single. day.

Everyone needs a pang of realization at some point of their lives don't they? Mine is now. Someone please slap me.

Massive weight gain @ Jogoya

Despite reading so countless reviews from food blogs, cy and I finally decided to give ourselves a treat and pay a visit to this celebrated restaurant. I was anticipating it so much that I even planned to starve myself for the entire day until dinner. Too bad the plan failed, so much so that I don't even feel really hungry during dinner, let alone ravenous.

Ironically, Jogoya is not from Japan. It's a Japanese Buffet Restaurant from Taiwan, which explains why it's more steered towards Oriental food than Japanese cuisine. The company opened its first flagship store in Malaysia only 2 years back, located in the Relish Floor of Stahill Gallery. Believe me, even before you set foot inside, you would have got a first taste through the alluring aroma of food... We entered around 7 and were told that we have only 2 hours left for dinner-time dinning. So for any of you who plan to go in groups, I suggest you start starving yourself make your way there as early as you can. Dinner starts at 5pm.

The place exudes a rather mysterious ambience... and I thought it was rather dark inside. Food counters were everywhere and tables nearly all around the place. Differing from other Japanese buffets is that over here, you don't need to stand around the food counter to wait for your food to be cooked. There will be samples of food in front of the counters, and you'll just have to place the small clips given into to bowl of food of your choice. Ordered food will then be served to your table after a few minutes. And I must say, they are rather efficient in this.

Seafood are in abundance here. Although I'm not a huge fan of raw food, but the fresh oysters here are simply superb. What's more it's free flow! Another highlight would be the fresh coconuts, which I guess both of us drank nearly 10 altogether. lol

Some of the stuff we ate... in random order.

Stuffed crabs

Buttered prawns + some cheese baked no-idea-what shells

I don't know what you call this in English but in Mandarin it's called "溏心蛋", and sweet pumpkin.

Steamed cod fish

And yes, we had plastic too -_-

Some of the food that I really recommend besides fresh seafood are their tempuras and the tepanyaki.

Unagi

Lobster salad. Mm.. this was good.

This was something special. Cheesed baked prawns in a tomato. Bliss.

Tepanyaki chiken + beef!

Cheese baked escargots

Tempura prawns

What I like about the place is that all the seafood displayed are placed on ice, which makes them look really fresh. And it adds appeal to the food when all the ice exudes white vapor trails. =)

Japanese claypot if I've not mistaken.

Tofu

Ah this I never try. It's also some clay pot thing which take ages to cook.

Shabu-shabu-like thingy on paper! You can chose your won combination of food and soup.

Curry crabs

Tempuras

Fresh mussels

Selection of Sashimi

Bamboo oyster (that's what I call it)

Time for desserts! Frankly, at this point we don't really have much space left for desserts; which was quite a waster cos, how often do you get a free flow of Haagen Dazs?

A close up look on some of the desserts we had.

Cy's bday cake =)

Longan and Suetyi dessert

Red wine

Chinese herbal jelly! I love this because they serve in honey rather than white sugar.

Spot the hidden Mickey

Fruits fruits fruits...

Cy doing the 'scorpion' style -_-" lol

Hm. I guess tat's about all the pics I have. The outcome of it would be...

p/s:

Jogoya
T3, Relish Floor
Starhill Gallery
Kuala Lumpur
Tel No: 03 - 2142 1268
(Halal)

Prices are RM78++ (Lunch - W/day is 11.30 am to 1.40pm, W/end is 11.00 am to 2.00pm), RM68++ (Late Lunch - W/day is 1.40 pm to 4.20pm, W/end is 2 pm to 4.20pm), RM88++ (Dinner - W/day and W/end is 5 pm to 9.30pm) and RM78++ (Supper - W/day and W/end is 9.30pm to 1am). Kids are charged RM10++ or more depending on their individual height.

A Perfect 10 at 8

I though of doing the post on Jogoya, but I guess nothing would be more engaging at the moment than the Games.

Last night, 4 billion people around the globe and 91,000 spectator's witnessed China's moment of glory. The world was expecting something divine from China and yes, THEY'VE GOT IT. The world is stunned. It was jaw dropping and simply sensational. Never did I watch a show like this before. The effort put in, the synchronicity, the ingenuity of the Chinese people... Remember the movable-type performance which seemed too perfect even if it was done by machines? It really got me there. The thought of people synchronizing the movements never even came across my mind. Needless to say, it left many people awestruck, wondering how much more there is to offer. It was the perfect opening for this 14 day event that is about to carve a whole new episode in China's history.

So, on the macro level, personally, I find the transformation of the Olympic city within 7 years rather impressive. First we have the Bird's Nest Stadium which is the centerpiece, then the National Aquatic Center placed just opposite to outshine each other.

1. The Bird's Nest Stadium

Guess what, this thing costs a freaking 250million pounds. And that's only a fraction out of the total 2billion pounds spent on Olympics venues and infrastructure. We all know the Chinse. When it comes to architecture, nothing will be given more priority than the fengshui. In Chinese mythology, the sun is represented by a circle and the moon a square, which is now reflected by the shape of the BN stadium and the NAC respectively. Also, "The shapes echo the Chinese symbols for male and female, and are built either side of the north-south axis road which runs in a perfect straight line for three miles through Beijing, centered on the Forbidden City." (Source: telegraph.co.uk).

If that is not enough to impress you, let me tell you this. This 91,000 seater has a 4 star hotel with 80 rooms, a gourmet restaurant with views of the athletics track, and a twin-level underground shopping center BENEATH it. Take that. It sure is one delicious bird's nest. =)

2. The National Aquatic Center a.k.a Water Cube

Seriously, I don't really know how to describe this. Can't they make it more Biology-major-people friendly? After several attempts of reading the description, all I can get out of it was the Water Cube is made out of a material called ETFE (ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene), and apparently, it is the only building on Earth now that is fully made out of a membrane structure.

I mean, can you ever imagine an entire building made out of, literally, concrete bubbles? It is indeed, modeled after the arrangement of organic cells in the formation of real soap bubbles. BUT, don't you think you can burst it. Each of the 3000 'bubbles' can withstand a weight of a car!

3. The National Performing Arts Center

Although this is not located in the Olympic City, it is one cool building that joins the list of monoliths built in conjunction with the Games. This is one place that will put Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall to challenge. The titanium and glass dome is surrounded fully by a man-made lake, only made accessible through an underwater tunnel. Or maybe you can just swim across.

Its lush interior accommodates three large halls - a 2,416-seat opera house, a 2,017-seat concert hall and a 1,040-seat theater. That's like... um.. around 8 times the size of our MPO hall. It's only 8 months old, but already reeled in phenomena such as Yundi Li, Seiji Ozawa, Lorin Maazel, the NY Philharmonic, the London Philhormonic, and many other big names that would take MPO years to house them. Me being me, out of the 3 destinations that I've listed, this being the top on my list =).

p/s: Lang Lang is finally paying a return visit to M'sia next Jan!

p/p/s: And Sarah Chang this Nov!

Can life get any better? =) *in a state of blissful ecstasy*