Teluk Intan Road Trip, the Movie!

R.O.A.D.T.R.I.P.!

Yeah, you read it right! Road trip! Dad, Mum and me (from here on, this will be shortened to DMM) went on a road trip yesterday to Teluk Intan to see the Leaning Tower.

Not-so-bright and very early Sunday morning, DMM woke up at 5.30am and got ready for our trip. Armed with bottled water, sweets and Red Bull, we piled into the car. 2 hours later found us at Ipoh, having dim sum at Jalan Leong Sin Nam. The most famous dim sum place in Ipoh is arguably Foh San, but I preferred the place we went to. The name escapes me now, but it sound somewhere along the lines of Yoke Fook Mun. Though, we made a mistake and actually wanted to eat at Ming Court, which was on the opposite side of the same road. For those of you who are interested, this road is behind Excelsior Hotel.

After piling food into our stomachs, we continued on our journey using the old trunk road. We made a short stopover at Kellie’s Castle. The general reaction was “….That’s it?” But it did look pretty, from the outside. We didn’t go in because it would cost us money…hahahaha… KIAM SIAP!

Moving along, we made a discovery by the side of the road. There was a mining dredge that was kept as a historical monument. That thing was HUGE!! And I mean HUGE!! Humongous! Gigantic! Well, you get the idea.

Further along the road, we saw cows…and plants…and trees…and more plants….and less cars. By this time, I had nodded off to sleep. WHAT!? The greenery was very soothing on my eyes.

Opening my eyes, we arrived at civilization. It’s a wonder how by taking a very looooong blink; you can arrive immediately at your destination. Parking the car at the side, we headed off on foot towards the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan. It took a few minutes of eye-squinting, head-tilting and walking around the structure before DMM decided that yes, the tower was, in fact, leaning. We couldn’t help it! The tilt was MINIMAL! Taking a stroll inside, we found out that we could only go up 2 storeys. From the 3rd storey onwards, it was a water tank. It was heartening to see that most of the ‘tourists’ were Malaysians.

Moving along, we headed over to the Leaning Tower Complex, where there were shops. Due to the fact that it was the second day of Hari Raya, most of the shops were closed. We didn’t leave empty-handed though. Stumbling upon and spectacle shop offering 50% discounts off their sunglasses, Dad and I got a pair of sunnies each. Dad got himself a pair of polarized Ray Ban while I got a pair of polarized Polaroid sunnies.

Ironically, we ate KFC for lunch. Then we went along our merry way back home using the scenic route. I got to be the navigator! Whee! Based on the Perak map, I told Dad, “Follow Route 5 until you get to Sitiawan. Then continue on Route 5 until you see signboards that show Route 71. After Route 71, get on Route 73 and finally Route 60 will get us out at Changkat Jering and back onto the North-South Highway.”

Unfortunately, due to some errors on the map (yes, it’s the map’s fault. NOT MINE!), we ended up immediately on Route 60. But I guess it was all right, since we were on the right (final) route. And now, we cut to the end of the trip because yours truly nodded off again.

Dinner was at Chok Dee, AutoCity! WHEE!! I love that place! Best deep fried kangkong EVER! And of course, great Thai food. But the deep fried kangkong, YUM! Finally, we got home at 9.30pm. Dad and Mum pottered off to bed while I (fully rested and hyper) went off for supper with my friends.

And that wraps up today’s report on DMM’s Road Trip to Teluk Intan. Stay tuned for the next news report!

よろしくおねがいします！

All-England Men's Doubles won by Malaysian pair of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong!!

Aaaah!! I'm so deliriously happy, this post isn't going to make much sense at the moment!!
Barely 10 minutes ago, the Malaysian badminton men's doubles pair of Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong WON the All-England Championships!
The last time Malaysia won this competition was 25 years ago (!!) in 1982. The pair then were Razif and Jalani Sidek (brothers).

But, back to Kien Keat and Boon Heong. My goodness, it was a nail-biting game. I therefore apologize now to my family and neighbors for all the squealing, screaming and jumping I did during the game. Sumimasen deshita.

KKK-TBH were up against Hu Haifeng-Cai Yun from China. The Chinese pair won the All-England men's doubles in 2005. They are also the current world champions. Add in the fact that KKK-TBH were only formed as a pair 6 months ago, and you have a miracle!! A wonderful, beautiful, delicious miracle!

Kudos to KKK-TBH for their chemistry and wonderful shots throughout the game. The score was 21-15 and 21-18. It showed how much work this pair had put in to achieve as much as they have in the short time they've been together. And we expect to see much more from this young pair, as Boon Heong is only 19 while Kien Keat is 21.

And now, I give you PICTURES!! (yes, they were taken with my handphone camera which was aimed at the television. And yes, my parents think I'm crazy as well)

left: Tan Boon Heong, right: Koo Kien Keat; during the awards ceremony

raising their arms in triumph

The only gripe I have is the lack of Malaysian VIPs at the tournament. Not a single minister/politician was seen there. And it's the country's chance to win a trophy in 25 years!! Shouldn't (at least) the Sports Minister be there to support our countrymen? I have to say that I'm very, very disappointed at that.

But have heart, Kien Keat and Boon Heong, you have our (the Malaysian people's) support! Cheers and may you have many more successes in the future! Next up, we'll be cheering for your triumph in the world championships in August. And then, gambare for the 2008 Beijing Olympics!

On that note, I leave you, my fellow Malaysians, to savor this moment. I do want to add a small disclaimer, as I am delirious with happiness, the score may be wrong. Well, I can't pay attention while I'm jumping up and down and bouncing around with joy, now, can I? And I apologize for the grainy pictures, I shall edit this post with better pictures at a later time.
[Edit: Score is now correct]

Trivia: Koo Kien Keat has vowed to shave his head (totally bald) should Malaysia win this title. We'll miss his colorful hairstyle, but we're also waiting to see how hot he'll look bald!