Miri Trip!

Whoa this is a late post. Been out of creative juice and just pure lazy to post anything. Hope you guys didn't miss me much.

This is my second visit to Sarawak, incidentally I visited Sarawak twice in 2008. Nice! We (a good friend and I) stayed at another good friend's place and managed to save lots of cost there. We also got economy promo air tickets from Air Asia - RM 352 return ticket inclusive of tax :)

[note] Good friends' names undisclosed for various reasons. I don't want this post to be Google-accessed through their names.

My most memorable event there - I drove a manual van. Honestly exhilarating! I have always loved shifting gears because they're so much more bergaya than just going P-R-N-D-2-1 except during traffic jams (legs can cramp). In Miri, I got a chance to drive a MANUAL van. So happy!!!

It was pretty much a relaxing trip, far different from the trip I had in Kuching (need to wake up early for seminar hahaha but of course with leng chai-observing benefits - yala I'm still talking about Peter). We get to wake up anytime we like (except for one morning for church visiting), sleep anytime we like and do anything we liked. We even got to catch a Christmas play. They are so good, harmonising and lyrics and everything. I like!

The play: Papa Panov meeting Jesus.

Next we get to prepare for Christmas i.e. filling in cookies in jars, placing floor mats, play waitress, drink tuak and making ketupat. My favourite too! OK I didn't go as advanced as anyam-ing the ketupat la. Just filling the anyaman with glutinous rice also very difficult for me but it's an experience.

Setting up for Christmas.

Tuak.

Snacks and kuih lapis Sarawak.

Ketupat.

During Christmas, we visited the church Aunty goes to which is conducted in Bahasa Melayu. Even the hymms were translated to BM. My good friend's family celebrated Christmas over two days getting visited and visiting family and friends. You know what, myself finish CNY visiting within the first evening. KL born and bred people really have loose / no ties. Hahaha.

Boxing Day evening - went for some sight seeing. We went to the first ever oil well in Miri called "The Grand Old Lady". Then we went to a public park and the headed to the beach.

Very first oil well in Miri.

Sun setting.

On the last day I had fever and slept the whole morning till 5 pm when it was time to get ready to pack and fly back to KL. And our flight was delayed close to 2 hours, imagine my suffering!

I enjoyed this trip lots. Really appreciate good friend #2 and his family for letting us stay, for letting us help up with some chores, for bringing us around, for letting me drive the van and basically for being hospitable in every way possible. Thank you :)