In my recent business trip to Manila, I have observed a thriving work commute cycling community. Most of the cyclist wears shorts and carries a bag which I suspect a change of clothes when they reaches work. Most of the bikes were Mountain bikes, then Road bikes and I did not see a Single multi color Fixie. There was one guy cycling Strida, he was all suit up for work. Strida has Belt drive, so he needn’t worry about his pants getting greased.  I got to get a belt drive for my Fixie. In Penang, most of the cyclist who commute to work are foreign workers. There are only a handful of peddlers that cycle to work in FIZ. My hope for 2012 is to have more commuters cycle to work in FIZ, lessen the traffic and CO. 

The above collage house two Starbucks 2012 planners, one from Malaysia and the other from Philippines. The Malaysian planner comes in a black box and has cream leather feel cover. The Philippines on the other hand, came in a cloth bag and has a wood cover. Being a notebook addict, I could not resist myself not getting these planners. Though I don’t like the planner type pages, I love the cover, especially the Philippines wooden cover. Maybe this will nudge me to using it in 2012. Well, if I don’t use it, I can always hack it with blank pages or ruled pages. By the way, I have down loads of coffee for these planners, just part of the monthly coffee ration. 

The weather was good till after Phattalung where it started to rain. The Phattalung to Trang stretch is also the hilly and single lane stretch. From the border to Phattalung, the entire road way was double lane and was very pleasant to drive. Also, there was not that many cars. It was Sunday and it was not busy. There were a few Malaysian cars that zip through us, treating the road like the Malaysian Highway. Though the Thai road with double lane feels like a highway, it does not have the safety features of one and going in a high speed is risking it. We had some problems with our Garmin in Trang. I miss a turn and the map was not complete as there were roads that the GPS did not display. Trang to Ao Nang road is more Kampung with single lane going through rubber estate on the left and right. We arrive at Ao Nang at 4.30pm.

The drive back was faster as there were no rain, but we spent some time in Hatyai having lunch and the border held us up for another 2-3hrs, we took a good 12hrs on the road before arriving home. Driving to Thailand just need to remember to bring a few things. 1-Car Registration Card (Photocopy is sufficient), 2-Insurance (Purchase at the border), 3-GPS (Garmin MFM maps are quite complete, except for Trang)

Yu Kee Bak Kut Teh

I found this place through Google Places and Bloggers. The Google Places coordinate on Google Map is a little off and we had a hard time finding the place the first day. As in all Malaysian Bak Kut Teh restaurants, all kinds of Bak Kut ingredients are available with sides of tofu and assorted vegetables. Sadly, the vegetables we ordered did not come. Each of the dishes are presented in small plates and the prices are based on how many plates you consume. The Bak Kut tea has a very strong medicinal taste with a pack of heat to it.  Its very different from those had in Peninsula Malaysia and its a must try for those who visits Kota Kinabalu. Even the Chinese Tea (Tie Guan Yin) was served on a tiny cup and the flavor was foreign to me.  It complements the Bak Kut Teh well. Yu Kee BKT Facebook.

Fook Yuen Cafe

I We took a cab to this restaurant for breakfast and the cab fare were more expensive than what we spent on the food.  This is the sad state of Malaysian Taxi where out of the capital of Kuala Lumpur, metered taxis are almost non-existence or the meter were never used. We later found out that Fook Yuen Cafe has a branch at Gaya Street and we had our subsequent breakfast there. This restaurant offers Bread, Pastries, Toast/Steam Bread with Kaya and Fried Noodle/Rice with assorted sides such as sausages, yong tou fu, etc.  We started with the recommended Butter Kaya toast and Milk Tea (Teh Si).  The Butter & Kaya Toast was better than the steam ones and was much more generous compare to Old Town Kopi Tiam. The Milk Tea need some getting used to. We later develop a liking to it and found that it goes well with oily food where it helps to wash away the oily after taste on some of the food offered.  Fook Yuen Cafe Facebook.

Five Star Chicken Rice

I stumble upon this place while searching for Yu Kee Bak Kut Teh on the first day. This was the brightest lit shop at Gaya Street and with a few patrons. We decided to try it out and was not disappointed. The chicken was very smooth and tasty.  We also had the soup with fish cakes, though it is not the best, it complements the Chicken rice Well. Five Star Chicken Rice Website.

SEDCO Complex Seafood

Can’t come to Kota Kinabalu without trying out the Seafood. We just had to try out one and found this Sedco Complex at Kampung Air, Kota Kinabalu. Coming from Penang (Andaman Sea), we were very interested to try out the local (South China Sea) catch. We tried the 4 dish above, RM50 for Tiger Prawns, RM50 for Sea Crab, RM50 for Rock Fish (with green bones) and Sabah Vegetables fried in Sambal. There were various types of seafood, and since there were two of us only, we couldn’t try all, plus, we were not that adventurous. At Sedco Complex, there were about 3-4 Seafood Restaurants there, with each concurring their end of the complex. Some bloggers said this place is cheap, we thought it was ok and definitely cheaper than the Chinese Seafood restaurants scattered around the city.

Tuaran Mee @ Seng Hing Coffee Shop

On our last day, we went to Seng Hing coffee shop which was famous for it’s Tuaran Mee and Laksa. Tuaran Mee was indeed unique and we have not come anything like it in Peninsular Malaysia. Its yellow egg noodle fried with sausages, roast pork and egg. The laksa or Curry Mee is also unique where it is sour, more like a fusion of curry powder, coconut milk and tom yam. Tuaran Mee comes in Fried or Soup version and it is the most ordered dish among the patrons there. Tuaran Mee from around the web.

We enjoyed our stay at Kota Kinabalu as much as we enjoy the food there. Mostly, the unforgettable Tuaran Mee and Bak Kut Teh marks Kota Kinabalu as one of the Food City of Malaysia.

I came across this little notebook in Tesco Malaysia and was intrigue to get one to try out. I have been using the Unicorn Colors notebook and found this to be a cheaper version of the Colors. Priced at RM12, it comes in Black and White. It has a hard cover and leathery feel and the size is smaller and thinner than Unicorn Colors A5. There is no back pocket to this Unicorn Privilege and it comes with Memoranda in the front and Telephone & Addresses in the back. The paper is cream in color and a little smooth to the touch. The right side of the notebook is ruled, while the left is blank.  My fountain pen ink sits well without smearing and writes smoothly. The smear through was also less than the Stabilo OHPen and Sharpie Permanent Pen. For the price, the book meets my cosmetic and functionality requirements. My only complaint is that the book is a little small compare to other A5 size books and was a little thinner, means less pages to write on. For RM12, what more can I expect.

As The plane was about to land, I remembered that I would have to go through Hong Kong Immigration before I could get to Shenzhen. I have forgoten to fill up the landing card, so I will have to do it at the counter. Usually I would rush through point to point, but this time, I decided to take it easy. Clearing the plane, I followed the crowd and listen to some of the loud conversations as we all walk the long journey. It seams like the plane landed on another terminal as at then end of the walk was a train that leads to immigration.

I took my time to fill up the landing card and proceeded to the packed snake like queue. I lost count of the number of counters open. An officer lady in a distance was flagging people to a shorter queue and I quicken my pace. I compose myself as I waited for my turn. The immigration officer held up my passport and took a long look at me, the he check the passport again, and another long stare. The time seams to stop for a while. A sign of relieve when he continued to scan the passport and stamp it.

Off I go through baggage claim and to the ticket counter. There seams to be some changes, the counters were still there, but now running another kind of services, express visas and hotel transfer counters. Starbucks was just next door and I went for a mocha and a couple of pastries before went looking for the ticket counter. I decided to ask the Express Visa counter and the ladies there were very kind to take me to the Shenzhen Van ticket counter instead of just shrud me off or just point me to the general direction. She must get some commission out of this I thought. To my surprise, after showing me the counter, she return back. After a short queue, I bought a ticket to Shangri la and off I go to the van pick area.

It was a black Toyota Alphad MPV. I took the third row seat and hand over my passport. This is a first time I am in an Alphad and it is much more roomier and comfortable in the third row seat than my Alza, of course the price of one second hand recon Alphad can buy 4-5 Alza. We passed a couple of huge bridges that look like the Golden Gate and Penang Bridge. Disneyland must be near by as there was a couple of road sign in the shape of Disney logo.

The Hong Kong immigration at this part is very interesting. While still seated in the MPV, we just have to show our face and and the officer will process our documents. The driver continues and return us our passport.  The Chinese Immigration is where we alight and leaves the nice and comfy MPV behind. A short walk to meet up with the immigration officer again the officer took his time. Time seams to stop during these moments. A couple of stamps and a bag scan, I am in China. The MPV for this part were no more Toyota, but China own. Still ok and the journey to Shangri La was short.

We saw this place a couple of weeks back and we thought we should try it out. We arrived at about 6.30pm and the restaurant was already full. We manage to get the last empty seat for two and dive down into the menu. The menu is pack with Fish, Chicken, Pork, Lamb and Beef western style entrées. Overwhelm by the choices, I decided on the only item that caught my eye, the Stuffed Fish(RM10) and the Chicken Cordon Bleu(RM10) by my wife. Our orders were entered into the system at 6.38pm and we started to wait. A line started to form at the front of the restaurant. And we wait. Plenty of help and all the staff were busy delivering food or clearing the table up. And we wait. At 7.02pm, my order arrived, 2 minutes later the Chicken Cordon Bleu arrived.

The stuffed fish was actually Fish Cordon Bleu, ham & Cheese wrap with Fish and then covered with bread crumbs and deep fried. There were two pieces, the first was rich in cheese, while the second, I could merely taste any cheese at all. Mid Size Fries, coleslaw with onions, bun, green peas, one slice of cucumber, tomato and lettuce as sides. The Chicken Cordon Bleu has the same sides except for the coleslaw. Both the Stuffed Fish and Chicken were above average. We could not explain the crowd. The drinks were affordably priced, with some on Jumbo size at RM5.50. We spent RM25 for dinner for two, and this may be the reason for the crowd.

The restaurant was decorated to look like a sports bar(almost), with the large LCD TV on sports, an island drinks bar and several seating sections differently decorated. What’s missing are sports memorabilia. They didn’t need it, the restaurant was filled to the brim, even the seating overflow to the carpark. I rate this place 7 out of 10 for the food quality, ambiance speed of food delivery considering the restaurant was full.

Address: 21 Jalan Fetes Park, 11200 Penang, Hours: Tue-Sun 4pm-11.30pm, Facebook.

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Touring on my Fixie with Runkeeper keeps me abreast on the speed that I am on and the distance that I have travelled.  On top of that, I get to map where I’ve been and shares it on Facebook.  Best of all, Runkeeper is free.  I check out some of the other Cycling Apps on IOS and found the best one is free.  Runkeeper provide my basic need, showing the elevation, speed and also my calories burnt.  Its just a fun way to map where I’ve been. 

I check out a new route today and found an alternative road to take when the Bayan Lepas town traffic light is Jam.  This route cut from Caltex all the way to the Airport, right at Brothers Barber intersection.  Its not a good bike route because of the many bumps that mark the road along the way.  I did not even bother to count, just too many. 

I did 7.3km today with a 19m climb, not much of a climb, but since I just started, it was quite taxing for my legs. I was quite beat after the climb.  Tomorrow’s route will be without elevation, so it is going to be about speed, what would be my top speed and what’s the average…

On the bike yesterday and today brings out the joy of cycling. Fixie or fixed bike is very different from my previous bikes. It keep reminding me that I am not on a normal bike, especially coming to corners where I have to slow down. I have to use my led muscle to slow down and it’s something I have got used to. I still haven’t learnt to skid, maybe because of my front brake which I keep putting skiding off.

Riding on my Fixie to work is like living a lifestyle dream. I have yet to make it as a sustainable lifestyle, but I am getting there. I’ve got the hardware and the will, what’s left is just living through it…

I was smitten by Fixies of late and finally bought one today.  It was slightly over the budget but it was a great deal and I would be a dupe not to get it.  Cycling on a fixed gear bike certainly needs some getting used to.  The bike is a Chromoly Frame with Lasco Crank, Aero Sport Front Rim and XDS triple Wall Rim on the Rear, with Kenda Tyre and Tektro brakes and weight somewhere between 11-13kg.  This will be my transport to work with the goal of reducing at least 20kg in the course of 3 months.  In September, there will be a round island cycling event organized by the G Club of Penang, the 3rd year Campaign for a Lane event in Penang. The route will cover 81km in distance with a window time of 5hrs to complete.  I was particularly interested on the completion medal, which is a Pewter in a shape of a bicycle crank.

Fixies are now an in trend in Malaysia, with groups from North to South of Malaysia.  The southern parts like Melaka and Johor, there are a few online shops that sell Fixies over the web, either through mudah.my or bicyclebuysell.com or Facebook.  They charge ~RM40 for courier and the bikes can go as low as RM380 for GoMax Fixie, and best of all, they look great.  On the northern part, cycling shops do not carry many models, and mostly carry XDS models, which are much more expensive.  To learn more about Fixies Malaysia, simply goggle it.