I'm in Muscat...

Nov 13th 2009.

This post has been in the draft form for like a month ago while I was out stationed in Muscat with my 2 other colleagues... I remembered, I gave up as the Internet connection in the room was not stable. Till then, I was extremely busy to update this blog of mine... Currently, I'm on my 3 wks-leave, resting & working from home... bliss, bliss...;) but I guess I have to go to work on the 3rd week, if not the 'never-ever-finished-office work will start piling up... :(

Sight of a camel on the desert otw to site visit. It was a day trip by a 4W drive which was 4 hrs journey to site and coming back to Muscat for another 4 hours. Reached Muscat @ night huhu... We were refreshed by having delicious 'kebab' cooked by Zamzabi folks by the dim street...

Mountainous view along the journey

My room.

It was not bad even at a cheaper place @RM600/nite compared to next door hotel, Hyatt @1K/nite.

Stopped @ Sink hole otw back from our personal trip.

Fortunately we got a day off, waiting for conformation from site mgmt to obtain permission to enter site. At the same time, It did compensate for working over weekends on Sat & Sun ;P

One of the famous forts in Muscat

Stayed @ this hotel - Muscat Safari Resort.

We could picked the fresh dates falling from trees...

The view of the Oman beach. It was all covered by pebbles...

This was @ Wadi Shaab. It took us 1 hour to walk along the pebbled path under direct hot sunlight before we reached the right place for having our lunch... however it was worth the effort after we reached the splendid view of grand canyon with the small river of clear greenish water flowing in the middle...

View of golf course for PDO (JV of Oman & Shell) staffs

Addiction

For the past two months, I had the chance to read quite a number of fiction books, not because I was really free but I was somehow addicted to these books.... Especially when I was on holiday or on business trip, which I had spare times to read in the flight, taxi or even in a train (Reading-London)... Being outstation alone, I could just spent my night time reading, before going to bed or even in the morning before shower or during breakfast... Gosh, I couldn't believe myself, it was just like my teenage years...:P

My say:

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series relates more on teenagers' lovey-dovey life with a stretch imagination of vampire & werewolf characters... The main character in the book is Bella, a high school girl who's deeply in love with a romantic vampire, Edward Cullen and befriends a werewolf, Jacob. A very smooth flowing and engaging story ever...especially as I've already watched the twilight movie. (can't wait for the next movie- new moon in Nov.) I'm thinking of getting the 4th series -'breaking dawn' later, depending on my time & my mood for reading...

Sophie Kinsella's novel collections are obviously funny and engaging as well... even most of the times, the madness for Becky to shop is quite exaggerating... The main character in this book series is Becky, who's funny, spontaneous and the type of 'go with the flow' girl... and it's balanced with Luke's character as a firm, smart and a loving partner. I watched the movie - confession of shopaholic after reading the book & it was quite frustratingthat the movie's storyline twists quite a lot from the book, ... btw, it's still entertaining...

Away day

When I checked my IP timetrack for this mth, apparently it's only 5 days of me being in the office. Apart of travelling during the 1st two weeks, there were some Away-days for CoP and workshop around KL and Cyberjaya. I participated in the skill group workshop in Cyberview resort and I really love the place... from the room, the food and the view... More, I had a companion, a lovely Betta in a bowl besides my comfy four poster bed...

Lovely Betta...

One of the swimming pools


Spacious comfy room @ Cyberview Lodge


Wading & swimming pool view from my room

CoP @ Sheraton imperial

Fab yard visit in Klang

Jacket to be up-loaded into the barge...

Had a Great time in Great Britain...

During my uni time in UK, one of my lecturers once quoted to me " Don't feel so bad about British, some of them might think they are great as they always relate themselves coming from Great Britain..." I wasn't sure what he was trying to tell, either some of them were actually confident ppl or snob... However, I personally don't like to generalize ppl. Certainly there are always a mix of nice, not so nice and bad ppl everywhere on this planet... Some of them are really nice folks... Though sometimes I can't really tell whether their remarks or compliments are really sincere or just for courtesy... On positive note, those are really encouraging... My British assessor is one of them... Maybe they are used to extreme word like 'very' instead of 'quite' by American... I guess, very good can just mean good...

Despite of once studied and worked in UK, I still felt excited when I had to travel there again. Last 2 weeks, I had a series of conference and meetings in Reading, which is just a 40 mins-drive away from London... My colleagues and I stayed in London @ 2 Hyde park square where it's just a 5 mins walk to a Hyde park and about 10 mins walk to Oxford st. Something that ppl normally can't resist is to shop in London... I had a nice retail therapy... :))

My room @ 2-hyde park apmt

small but cozy

Had chilly crab @ Malaysian Cuisine...

An evening with Haidan @ Hyde park...



Hyde Park during summer...


Village Outlet in Bicester

Factory outlet in Swindon

Oracle shopping mall in Reading

Selfridges shopping mall in Oxford St.

Holiday in Bali

This mid year's school hols, we went to Bali, the place where I always wanted to go... We had a great time there... The trip of 5D/4N was excellent, nice supir, splendid view, reasonable price for stuffs and nice food :)

Temple @ Tanah Lot

View at Tasik Beratan... It was like being in Mediterranean country...

Ayam bakar Wong Solo in Kuta

Ayam Taliwong at Tasik Beratan.

Had lunch here before going to Ulun Danu temple.

Akid was on the 'flying fish'

We tried flying on this so called flying fish after coming back from Turtle Island

@ Turtle Island

In the boat to Turtle Island

Paddy terrace in Tegalalang

Wayan Painting house in Batuan, otw to Kintamani

Bought some paintings here, a bit pricey but they're gud in quality...

Tips: Try to nego for the cheaper price

Mt. Batur in Kintamani, an active volcano still...

We had a buffet lunch at this one restaurant overlooking the spectacular view of the Mt Batur...

Uluwatu (Ujung Batu)

Splendid view esp during sunset...

Temple in Uluwatu in the background where we went to watch the Kecak dance performance

Temple of Pura Ulun Danu at Tasik Beratan.

The temp was just nice, around 20-22 deg C.

Had fried banana & hot Bali coffee @ Saranam resort cafe,
 overlooking the serene view of paddy terrace...

Full house...

Last week, both my sisters and families from JB & Ktn as well as my parents from KB came to KL and stayed with us for a weekend. So meriah ler... The kids were sooo excited, except the new comer, baby Aflah who had no clue why the surroundings were extraordinary noisy & havoc...

Akid & kazens - Im, Nisa' & Aftah

We visited Pak Su Mat and wifey at their apartment in Putrajaya...


2 mths old Aflah, a little brother to Aftah...


Ini Aftah, aka Nik Mad, who'll automatically & willingly posing when we focus the camera to him... :P



We had barbecue at my cousin's hse in S.Alam.

Lot's of yummy stuffs, grilled lamb, beef, chicken, squid, prawns, pasta, desert, u name it...

Kesian saper yg pantang, could only take grilled salmon, sweet corn, mash potato & trifle opps okla tu... :P