Reflecting on 2019

January : Did I have a good start for 2019? I would like to believe I did, So, what's up? Well, I was added into this Whatsapp Group with all the good people of DUN50 comprising of ADUN, local community leaders and MBSA. Thus began my life as a 'social activist' as one FB friend labelled me. The community activities and improvement projects are uploaded into FB as I would like the residents to know what's happening around them. At the same time, to promote the good people of DUN50 and let people know that their representative is working hard to serve them.

February : Besides the awesome Chinese New Year where I succeeded in making an egg stand during the Li Chun (early lunar spring). Yes, it actually stood up! I thought it was humbug all this while. Certainly lighted up my life, with this 'achievement'. After that, off I went to attend a week's training in Terengganu, a neighbouring state. Made new friends as I focused my energy on passing the examination in the 'prison'. The location was really isolated and there's nothing else to do except study! Glad the time has passed.

March : No, I didn't buy a new car. Well, at least it's not me. The new car arrived in May but I'll share on that later. After much publicity about the free installation of RFID tags for cars to pay toll fees, I decided to strike while the iron's hot and completed the process within 20 minutes. RFID tags will replace Smart Tags used currently, where the car will just drive through after the toll fee amount is deducted from the tag which is fixed to the headlight. Pretty satisfied with this technology.

April : This should be the highlight of the year. Ha! After obtaining my B license that enables me to ride bikes above 250 cc, slightly over 2 years ago and enjoying the bike trials of several makes in between, I finally traded in my trusty Yamaha FZ150i for the Yamaha MT-09 aka the Beast. A 900 cc two-wheeler giving out 115 hp (equivalent to my 1,600 cc car), it was a joy to own the Beast with its ready burst of energy at a moment's notice, to overtake vehicles and it's definitely more stable than the little FZ150i.

May : The moment came when we went to collect the new Toyota Yaris hatchback. This calls for a road trip and soon, we were headed to Ipoh for a weekend getaway while we hunted down many foodie locations. We stayed at The Haven, a luxurious apartment fronting the limestone hill and an awesome infinity pool awaited us! The previous car being a manual transmission MyVi, the feeling of driving an automatic transmission car was like driving a toy car in the video game arcade. Just put it into 'D' and the right leg handles both the throttle and brakes.

June : Ann-yeong-ha-se-yeo! It's mid-year and we celebrated it by flying off to Korea to experience the local culture and sights. Friends would wonder why we're visiting during summer and our reply was - so that our photos are unlike the common snow covered landscape that most tourists would share. Their summer is not really that hot as the temperature ranges from 16 - 24 degrees Celsius. Kimchi was had at every meal and we've learnt to savour it. Yummy!

July : Although voting is a normal process, never would I imagine getting involved in the elections process last year, by volunteering as a voting agent at the polling station. The next step was being involved in the DUN50 Whatsapp Group this January and a step further than all this was to join a political party. Why? By being a party member, I'll be directly involved with a political organisation and I'll learn to go along with a team decision. Unlike keyboard warriors who shoot from all directions without any responsibility and accountability.

August : What's Life without memories? My memory of working with the Keppel Group was revived when a Whatsapp Group was created. Thanks for the invitation! Independence Day celebrations used to be a humdrum affair for me. However, this year, I had the opportunity to participate in a bikers convoy to parade the national flag along the route which was managed by police escorts. Definitely a first for me. To fly the flag proudly, with the government of our choice. Definitely a fulfilling moment!

September : What's so special about this month? Well, it's my birth month and yes, I'm a Libra who's fastidious about fairness and justice. The lovely wife booked the family a night at Avani Sepang Goldcoast. Yet another weekend getaway for us, amongst the numerous we have in a year. They provide bicycles for free, for tenants to ride to various locations in the resort. And breakfast was really good, with the well managed bustling morning crowd. Thanks for the experience, wifey!

October : A relatively quiet month but it's not going to pass without any major activity. And what would that be? It's the purchase of a desktop scanner for me to embark on this project to scan old photos dating way back to 1951 and save the images from further deterioration by the environment. While scanning, I was brought back to the world where black & white photos reigned supreme. Brings smiles as memories are rekindled. Bought also a car dashcam camera since many cars are having it already. A really useful device to record accidents (hopefully none) and it's powered by the plug to the cigarette lighter. At least my car is up-to-date with the other cars now. Ho ho ho ...

November : A member of Parliament decided to leave this world abruptly and therefore, a by-election had to be called. So, took this opportunity for another weekend getaway. This time, to Tanjung Piai, the southern-most tip of South East Asia. It's symbolised by the metal-frame globe you see in the photo. A nature park by the sea and surrounded by mangrove trees. A peaceful place to be but foodie locations is scarce in this pretty isolated village near the Pontian district. Dropped by a friend's house, who hosted our stay for the night.

December : Before I know it, it's the end of the year already and I'll need to prepare myself for another year, a greater one hopefully? A time for reflection. Just like the bus stop which had repaired by the good people of DUN50 (and they've added the lights), I need to continue to shine light into people's lives. It's definitely not a chore as I revel at every opportunity to serve. Yes, that includes volunteering my services to capture the moments of a 40 years gathering of ex-schoolmates. Before the light goes off tonight, wishing you a Happy New Year ahead and may you also find a way to shine light for others and brighten up their lives in any way you can.

See? The egg is really standing!

Nami Island, Korea - Location scene for Winter Sonata

The Beast MT-09, My Dream Come True

It was a Sunday on 21.4.19 and the routine servicing schedule for the Yamaha FZ150i is due. So, off to the workshop I went in the morning. After dropping off the bike with the professional technicians, I went to check out the bikes on display at the showroom. And straight to the Yamaha MT-09 I went. The 2018 model is sold at RM48,000 and the OTR price would be around RM53,000. A bit steep for my budget. So, off to the next shop. And this bike caught my attention. It was shouting to me to own it. Pre-owned 2014 for RM33,000 with less than 5,000 km mileage. Cool down, I told myself. And later in the evening, I went back to the shop to confirm purchase and filled in the form to confirm the booking. Wow! I thought to myself. This is it. After obtaining the full B license last year, this purchase culminates a 3 year journey to owning this beast. OTR RM36,000

Immediately set to record my memories of the FZ150i. A bike which had brought me many kilometres of fun around the country over the past 4 years, bringing me to foodie joints for breakfast during the weekends. The 1,470 km ride from Shah Alam - Penang - Kota Baru on 26.6.17 was memorable as well as strenuous. Followed by the 917 km southern ride to Endau - Mersing - JB on 9.9.17. It's final log is 44,422 km on the odometer. Fuel consumption was about RM25 for 440 km.

Took ownership of the beast on 29.4.19. Riding with trepidation as a slight twist of the throttle will get it surging forward - like a beast uncaged. First ride on 1.5.19 to Titi for breakfast, soaking up the long curves and enjoying the cool and green scenery as the villages whizzed past. Excited for another long ride, found me riding to Malacca on 4.5.19. Very stable and no longer blown around by the wind. Overtaking vehicles with ease and green scenery whizzed past as we rode through the rustic kampungs. Sure goes a long way towards giving riding confidence. Fuel consumption is about RM20 for 200 km. Half the FZ150i.

Big bikes don't have the centre stand. An attempt to reduce weight? I won't know. So, this necessitates the purchase of a paddock stand at RM170.00. It'll help for the wheel wash and chain scrub and lubrication. It's not difficult to use and I usually get my kids to help get the paddock stand into position. It's another experience, amongst many other experiences in Life, for me. The beast gets a wash every weekend and chain lubrication is performed every 2 weeks. At the same time, inspecting for signs of wear and tear.

The beast is really a beauty, for me at least. Weighing in at 188 kg, it's not to difficult for me to handle compared to the FZ150i. With the seat height at 815 mm, I can easily rest both my feet on the ground and this gives the confidence to handle the bike. You know why it rushes forward like a beast? Well, that is contributed by it's 113.45 HP from the 847 cc engine. Throw in the 87.5 Nm torque, that explains the surge. And it gives the lovely growl from the exhaust as the throttle is squeezed and the manipulation of the 6 gears transmission.

I enjoy riding because of the peace and calm I enjoy as I cruise along the road and highways. It's almost a meditative practise for me. While some would prefer beer, I'd go for riding anytime! The wind whistles past and the blow of the wind on the body - aah, you have to experience it to appreciate it. Riding is definitely dangerous but as long as you're mindful of the road condition and surroundings, other than the regular inspection and maintenance, the bike will take care of you.

Preferring to cruise along, I prefer the 'B' mode of riding. I'm not really a fast rider and at 'B' mode, it already provides sufficient acceleration for me to enjoy the roads. Keeping to the left lanes and respective speed limits, I'm a happy rider - just me and the beast and it's growl as we swallow up the kilometres. And the sound of the ignition kicking - it 's just like the Ducati Multistrada 950, which I've had the opportunity to test ride a year ago, an overnight ride to Bentong where we stayed the night.

Should I have gotten the beast much sooner? Nay. It should be a progressive manner, riding a smaller bike first to understand basic bike handling and moving to bigger bikes later. Had the privilege of owning an Aprilia RS125 for the period 1997 - 2003 when I was working in Singapore. This would be my first and final big bike. Will keep it for a long time to come. Maintenance isn't cheap. Tyres are a minimum of RM1,000, servicing the engine is almost the cost of servicing my car. The rear shock absorber costs at least RM2,000. Pray with me, that it'll provide me joy at low maintenance costs. 😆

An-nyeong-ha-se-yo, Seoul!

Life is all about obtaining experiences, whether it's good or bad. As parents, it's our role to expose our kids to the mechanics of Life and the running of the world. And so, we packed our bags and headed to Seoul, Korea to experience their culture and daily life. This trip has been a year in the making and to see its fruition is an achievement indeed. The day has come and six hours of flight required us to occupy ourselves with reading and reading and read again the flight magazines!

We hauled our luggage bags through the streets of Myeongdong to STEP Inn, a backpackers' location of choice stay which garnered 8.9 points in Trip Advisor. Hungry at 2100 hrs, we made our way into Yoogane restaurant for a hearty meal of marinated chicken galbi + maehwasu liquor, for W39,500. After a good night's rest, we headed to Nami Island on a 1.5 hours express bus ride which was pre-booked online. A beautiful island where nature rules and best still, the location where Winter Sonata was shot.

A ride on the MRT on the Chongmuro line the following morning, we reached Gyeongbokgung station at mid-day, where the palace museum is located. Renting the hanbook costume is a must, if you really want to immerse yourself in local culture. At W15,000 for the premium range and W3,000 for the hat, here's thehapi8wanderer looking resplendent in his attempt to imagine himself in bygone dynasty days. Like minded visitors colour the old palace's grounds as they freeze their moments in time here.

Satisfied with this immersion into the past, the kids were on their way to the next destination, Buchok Hanok Village. Here, old style houses are arranged neatly uphill separated by narrow roads. The weather in the evening at a cool 19 degrees Celsius, the hike up wasn't too strenous. Be reminded that the visiting hours end at 1700 hrs, as this a living village and the peace is to be maintained for the residents. Signages are abound, hinting visitors to keep conversations at the lowest volume possible.

What's Korea travel without a chance to make kimchi, a local dish of pickled vegetables, usually made with cabbage or radish soaked in brine. So, off to the Kimchikan Museum at Insadong and after departing with W40,000 we started with decorating the cup holder and after that, mixed and rubbed the sauce into every leaf of the cabbage. It's smelly and tastes funny, but kimchi is an acquired taste which we thoroughly enjoyed at every meal here. And there's a thousand variant of it, mind you.

After packing the kimchi nicely away for consumption later in the night, off we continued our tour of Insadong. I like the streets here as the thoroughfare for pedestrians is wider and there's many foodie shops, a bit different from Myeongdong. There's less of the pharmaceutical shops around, pushing facial masks to you. Less of the carts hogging the walking path, for sure. A fake monk was seen roaming this street (monks don't ask for alms after 1200 hrs) and it's already 1600 hrs now.

Back to Sindang with our regular fare of W6,500 (3 adults, 1 kid) riding the clean and no-long-wait MRT line. Supper was had at CVS convenience shop. Up at 1000 hrs the next morning, we made our way to Gwangjang market. Our breakfast was mung bean pancake and noodles with spicy snail salad for W25,000. If you wanted to savour Seoul in one foodie go, this is the place to be. Originally a textile centre, it gradually transformed into a massive base for a wide range of food over the years.

Before we call it a day in the metropolitan capital city of South Korea, we managed to squeeze in one final destination - Dongjak, where people gather to cycle (4 km cycling track), or just to exercise at the public gym below the bridge and not forgetting the sunset view looking at Banpo Bridge. We climbed up the 8 storey observation deck to have a cuppa as we recall our fun 5 days in Myeongdang and Sindang districts. We certainly enjoyed ourselves here but we still have many other holiday destinations to go. So, till then...

Nami Islang

Dotorimuk Muchim (Seasoned Acorn Jelly Salad)

Nami Island - I like the autumn coloured leaves

Fly into Nami Island on this gigantic flying fox

Fiery mixing noodles

View from Dongjak Observation Tower

Bibimbap with cockles

The preserved salads that come with every meal

2019 - Mid Year Review?

It's 2019 and the year is running out fast. But do boars run fast? Yes, they do. However, they still can't outrun humans and their wit. Therefore, they're roasted over charcoal fire and provided us with good suckling pig dish to kick off the Lunar New Year celebrations and to welcome the Year of the Boar. With a crunchy skin and juicy meat on the inside, we had a pretty good meal and we're ready to tackle the year's challenges, surprises and at the same, enjoy the treats.

It's the 1st year anniversary since Pakatan Harapan took over. The feel good factor has mellowed down a little as the new government attempts to tackle the endemic problems of the country and at the same time, try their best to give good tidings for the citizens who voted them into place despite the poor financial standing of the country after being looted by thief of the century and their corrupted minions. With the new MACC DG in place, we will wait with bated breath, who will be next dozen to be charged. I, for one, am still happy with my choice of government. Work together for the betterment of the country.

Life is a never ending learning process and so, I got myself registered in a course to what we can do to make industrial effluents safe before we discharge the processed clean water into the rainwater system. Stuck at INSTEP for a week in Terengganu, the hostel and facilities were top notch hotel standard with excellent meals in the restaurant to boot. If I didn't gain 2 kilos during the week, I'd be lying, wouldn't I? Made a whole lot of new friends in the process and that's what life is about - getting to know people, appreciate their background and lifestyle and hopefully, adopt some of their life's philosophies. One of it was - no matter how o😆😆😆😆😆ld, you still need to pick up new knowledge despite the grey matter refusing to accept it! But, passed the exams, we did! Hoorah!

In Life, there's sure going to be uncertainties and disbelief. One of my doubts in Life, revolves around trying to make the egg stand during Li Chun (specific dates in the year where the gravitational pull coincides with the egg's molecules, so I heard). Never was I able to make it stand in the past. But, this year, 2019, I managed to make it stand! Another Hoorah! moment for the year. Disbelief turned into belief and it's that if you keep on trying, you'll get there one day. If you still have doubts about the photo, let me tell you that it's not a cheat. 😆

The world is not an oyster and continue making friends. This, I did and I really enjoy their company as we make each other appreciate our special ties, to face Life's challenges together. The camaraderie in this Malay weddng luncheon is seen in the expressions on their face and we gathered around for the compulsory we-fie that's so very important these days. With my well trained left hand extended, this great shot was captured. Will there be any more wedding ceremonies this year? Well, I have another 6 months to find out! It's an honour to be invited, to share the happy couple's moment of glory and happiness.

I was invited into this Whatsapp group that discusses motorcyle riding safety. With representatives from the Harley group, NGO and basically people who enjoy riding, I find myself privileged to share my thoughts and absorb the factors that goes into the government's policies on transportation. During my rides, I'll take some shots of the road conditions and facilities provided for motorcyclists and share with the group. It's useful for the non-riders in the group. My view on the fatalities - a conservative 60% are due to recklessness and that's the ultimate price to pay, to get them off the roads.

As one ages, moments of reminiscing the past and the glory days of childhood will surely strike us every once a while when the right crowd is present. We are who we are, constructed by our past experience and we should never forget that. Today found me at the old sugarcane drink stall run by the lady almost 35 years ago. In the background, is my primary school. Thinking back, we really had fun, and racial differences had no standing then as our congregation as kids only had one mission - to have fun!

So Life goes on, as me, the hapi8wanderer continues wandering in search of new experiences and knowledge. Life goes in circles and cycles and to those who know me, I'm always regurgitating the concept of karma. Whatever you do, it'll come back to you, one day. In whatever form and manner. Life will end one day, but what do you do till then? Drag your poor soul through Life or dive in and engorge yourselves with the many fun that Life has to offer? The choice is yours. The clock is ticking...