Little Guilin 小桂林 @ Bukit Gombak

Opposite Sunshine Villas
along Bukit Batok East Ave 5

Little Guilin 小桂林 got its name for a reason - for its scenic resemblance of Guilin in China.

Who knows, lying within a modern society in a country like Singapore, hiding behind a stadium in Bukit Gombak, is this picturesque park with a granite rock sitting within a lake.

Despite the slight haze, my housemates Emilia, Alison and Wei Jian were with me, exploring the quintessence of Singapore's nature reserve.

Having witnessed and embraced the lovely landscape, I really felt like 吟詩作對, lol...
Brace yourself, I'm gonna come out with Chinese poetry which most likely have no link with the pictures themselves... XD

桃花影落飛神劍

碧海潮生按玉簫

A quote by 黄蓉, which barely has any link with the picture...

山重水復疑無路

柳暗花明又一村

飛流直下三千尺

疑是銀河落九天

No waterfall also...

路遙知馬力

日久見人心

Oops it's a puppy...

兩岸猿聲啼不住

輕舟已過萬重山

I guess this pair has the closest link, except there's no boat or ape, only flying creature's screech. But I really like this view a lot. In fact, the haze created a very Chinese smoggy scene.

暮雨不來春不去

花滿地　月朦朧


Two little girls taking a break



In this picture, we literally stood facing the HDB clusters behind the camera - the irony...

For more photos, please check out my photo album Little Guilin on Facebook.

Miri, Malaysia

07 (Fri) - 10 (Mon) Aug 2015

Lodging: May's house

It's my first time traveling to East Malaysia, stepping onto the land of Borneo, the 3rd largest island in the world. It's always been great when you're traveling with a friend who's a local there - save money on accommodation and time on planning itinerary. :)

The best part is the day trip to Brunei, a visit to a new country!

The Grand Old Lady

We're traveling with a new Japanese friend, his name is Taichi.

As time zone is still GMT+8, you may expect earlier sunrise and sunset due to it's relatively eastward location.


Our flight details
07 Aug 2015 (Fri)
Changi Airport Terminal 1 - Miri Airport
Flight No: AK762
12:25PM ­- 2:30PM

10 Aug 2015 (Mon)
Miri Airport - Changi Airport Terminal 1
Flight No: AK763
10:00AM ­- 11:55AM

Fare: S$362.72

---

Day 1

Rojak

Miri Airport is a pretty simple one, considering its annual passenger movements of 2.4 million last year. Despite that, what one is looking forward to at the airport is nothing but the reminiscence with family - May was back to her hometown and her dad was at the airport picking us up.

Her dad brought us to Sin Wan Rojak & Delight Cold Drink Centre at Jalan Bintang Jaya 2 for an afternoon snack, before May going for her dental appointment.

The irony, I don't usually eat ais kacang or rojak, or rather, in the past 15 years, I've never ordered rojak myself. But of course when I'm traveling, my appetite is more open to variety of food.

We ordered this so called "Special Ais Kacang" @ RM3.80. It was delicious.

Having scheduled a dental appointment in the afternoon, Taichi and I were left alone at home. :(
That's alright, we needed to unload and unpack our luggage at her house.

The two dogs at her house are always so excited when the gate someone's back home, warm greetings much appreciated, but they really need to learn how to give way to the car. Haha...

Brunei

Menara Cendera Kenangan, Kuala Belait

This post is a sequel of Miri, Malaysia.
Read more.

Visiting a new country never fails to be the utmost pushing factor for me having travelled.

Ever since young, when I heard the name of the country "Brunei", an image of a castle with all gold plated rooms and accessories flashes through my mind, thus leaving me an impression of a small but wealthy country, surrounded by Sarawak on the north coast.

Kuala Belait

May's dad drove us to this neighboring country. Crossing the boarder brought us to the nearest neighboring town called Kuala Belait along the coast, and there's specifically where my current roommate was born.

That's where we took some time strolling around while waiting for May's dad settling some matters at a bank there.

Despite the size of the country, it took us a while to arrive in Bandar Seri Begawan, it's quite particular to me because that's when I held my pee for very long along the way, totally an unforgettable experience...

We had chicken rice for lunch at a coffee shop which seems to be popular in Kiulap, called Thien Thien Restaurant 天天餐室.

Chicken rice @ $3.20

Ma Maison @ Bugis Junction

Ma Maison

Located at a humble corner in Bugis Junction, Ma Maison マ・メゾン (lit. "My Home" in French) serves Japanese fusion cuisine.

The classy atmosphere owing to its dimly lit ambience is something one wouldn't expect from the exterior.

I wouldn't say this is some affordable restaurant, but the food quality is definitely above average.
And if you don't mind paying for the environment, it's surely worth your visit.

For ladies, you get 20% off ala carte items for on Monday nights (their Ladies Night).

"SUKIYAKI" Omu-Rice 洋風すき焼きとろとろオムライス @ $18.80++
Omu-Rice with Braised Sliced Beef and Vegetables
This was May's order, and I couldn't help but to kope the sauce... ❤❤




Beef Stroganoff Butter Rice オムライスビーフストロガノフソース @ $16.80++
Butter rice wrapped in omelet with sliced beef and brown sauce
If you enjoy eating steak, the sauce delivers the standard.
And the rice was fantastic, it was literally fragrant.


Your key to success...... no.
Bring this key to the cashier and pay for your food. LOL~

200 Victoria Street
#02-51 Bugis Junction
Singapore 188021
Opening hours: 11:30am - 10:00pm