I had lunch at one restaurant by the name Schweinske. I found this place by accident.
I got lost around this area when I found Schweinske
The theme of this restaurant is based on pigs. Schweinske was established in 1983 in Hamburg and expanded throughout Germany. It has now around 34 outlets.
Upon sitting down, I was given a menu. The menu was in German but I knew what I wanted i.e. Curry Wurst. One of the items in the menu is titled “Miss Piggy” and on the menu, drawings of pigs were everywhere.
So were the walls and ceilings.
The piggies are peeping!
The Currywurst tasted extremely great although I’m not a big fan of sausages. Fries were served on the side and the sausage was topped with a barbeque sauce and curry powder. It costs around 4.95 Euro.
I ordered a bottle of Apollinaris to complement my Currywurst. Apollinaris is some sort of carbonated table water. The taste is extremely weird. It tasted like a mixture of salt and water. I wanted to try Apollinaris because there is a famous English case on Intellectual Property regarding the Apollinaris. This 100 years old case is quoted in many commonwealth jurisdictions.
Once again, I got picture of my titties on the newspaper. The first time was about 12 years ago when the Star had a picture of me surfing.
Poser maximum.
Recently, the New Straits Times published an article titled “New Straits Times – Sailing the Andaman” on the Sailing Adventure @ Langkawi. This time round, with bigger picture of my titties. In fact, it looks extremely big.
There are more pictures in the hard copy of the article!
Super distorted picture. I look like a hippo having a dip in a river.
Upon boarding the sail boat, we then set sail towards the sea. Our musicians-on-board whipped out their guitar, drums and harmonica and started playing them.
We were also treated with massage by a masseur.
I knew I made the right choice – leaving work and give my mind a rest. But halfway through the journey, I received a text message from a colleague telling me that my staff screwed up on something -_-
I was told that the boat is constructed manually by our boatman. His cabin consists of, among others, a bed, a kitchen and two toilets. It even comes with a barbeque pit.
The boat is manned by a crew.
And a pirate
The toilet is quite small and to flush, we have to manually flush it by pushing a pump. The pump will then draw water to flush out everything. We had to bend down to push the handle cause the handle is on the floor. I had water from the toilet bowl splashing on my face -_-
We stopped at one point to do some caving. We went through a small tunnel which leads us to a cove. It used to be a cave but after many years, it collapsed.
Our boat..is sinking!!
Used to be a cave..
The ‘cave’ is accessible through a man made pathway
Chic Wern and Nicolekiss on the other hand took the opportunity to try out sea kayaking. They went missing for a while but found them at one cove – collecting rubbish. Bravo!
Lunch was served thereafter.
Some of us took the opportunity to soak ourselves in the sea by hanging to a dragnet that was cast next to our boat. Life jacket is available to those who can’t swim. The experience was like sitting in a Jacuzzi. A salty Jacuzzi. It was the highlight of the day.
Some of us had beer while hanging on to the net. But most of the beer had to be disposed off as sea water got into it.
(M) Francis Cheong, Managing Director of Apxara (Got me drunk on the first night) and (L) Conrad, Business Director (One of the nicest guys I’ve met)
Andy, Me & Tahir
Me & Chic Wern
Despite the rain, it was truly an enjoyable experience. If it’s not for the rain, I would have been baked by the sun. Halfway through our journey, the rain stopped.
Toward the end of the journey, I had no idea where I was. Everywhere was just water, trees and islands.
But we eventually reached the river mouth where we first departed. We got off our sail boat back to our speed boat to head back to Kilim Karst Jetty.
A full-day excursion for join-in cruise only on the yacht is RM295 for adults and RM195 for child below 12. Group tours are about 18 to 25 persons.
For bigger groups, Apxara can arrange special packages on other yachts, including the Raja Laut and Lily Marlin, for up to 250 persons. The cruise, from Fridays to Tuesdays, starts at 10.30am and ends at 5pm. A sunset cruise with a barbecue from 5.30 to 9.30pm can be arranged on request.
During the peak season from December to April, a seven-day advance booking is required.
You are encouraged to bring towels, swimwear, extra dry clothing, waterproof sunblock lotion and sunglasses.
Return transfers from selected Langkawi hotels/resorts are available. Apxara Travel also offers Sailing Adventure Retreat Packages with accommodation at Frangipani Resort & Spa Langkawi, Andaman Resort Langkawi, Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa and Berjaya Langkawi Beach & Spa Resort.
Rates, based on twin-sharing basis, range from RM568 to RM995 inclusive of two nights accommodation, daily buffet breakfast and a full-day sailing adventure trip.
For details, contact: Apxara Travel & Events Sdn Bhd, Tel: 03-2282 8768 Fax: 03-2284 9768. Email: info@apxara.com. Website: www.apxara.com [End]
Many said that Germany is the land of sausage, beer and pork knuckles. Being a foodie (and perpetually hungry), I took every opportunity to try whatever I could fit in my stomach. I came home with a bigger tummy and my pants felt tighter.
Like Ho Chi Minh City, I notice that some of the chairs are arranged facing the road. I wonder they can’t face the chair toward the table – so that people can face each other and talk. But I understand is that the purpose of doing so is to enable people can enjoy the view (of the road?) and have a conversation on anything they see.
Our first meal was at a local pub by Kurfürstendamm. I had a huge pincher of Berliner Kindl (quite tasty, only 0, 41e! Cheaper than water!) and sausage. It was delicious!
The stuff on the right was tastty! Cant remember what’s the name.
Cheapo beer
I also managed to try their well known pork knuckles. I ordered mine at one pub recommended by our hotel concierge. In the menu, it was titled “Super Pork Knuckles”. It was indeed super in size. It was so big that I couldn’t finish it and the fat was enough to power a generator. However, the meat was tender and soft.
They also sell Maggi products here. And I notice that most condiments have yellow packaging.
Sushi also got!
Sliced octopus. Yummy.
Currywurst is one of the most well known dishes in Berlin. It consists of pork sausages with curry sauce and curry powder seasoned on top. And I had it at one restaurant dedicated to pigs. Will talk about it next time.
Warao, dilated pupils. This stuff must be good.
Langkawi is an archipelago of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea. Many of these islands are unoccupied and untouched by mankind.
With so many islands, the best way to explore these islands is by boat. I forced myself to take 3 days off from my hectic schedule to attend this media trip. I clearly needed a break from work – my waist is aching (apparently due to some injury to some soft tissue inside my waist). My eyes needed rest from looking at computer monitors.
The sky was gloomy when we set off from the Kilim Karst Geopark jetty. We started off with a small boat cruising down the Kilim River and rode through a valley of lush mangrove forest and limestone hills. There were no signs of modernity save for one or two passing boats.
Kilim Karst Jetty
Our boat
We stopped by a floating fish farm to feed some fishes and even to pet stingrays. The platform was made of wood and the walkway is narrow. We had to keep our balance otherwise we would end up as fish food.
Making salty fish.
To prevent the fishes from escaping, nets are placed deep below. There was a small stall selling tidbits.
We were given a demonstration on how to feed stingrays. They looked a bit scary but they are relatively harmless.
Stingray nom-ing (eating) our boat man’s hand
But this was cut short when it started raining.
We also stooped to feed some eagles. Our boat man injected some air into some dead fish (so that it could float) and few seconds later, an eagle rushed down to grab its lunch. Unfortunately, due to the rain, there were not many eagles on sight.
One of the things a photographer do to protect his baby.
As we were about to reach the river mouth, we were greeted by a sail boat.
When Saddam Hussein fell from power, his statutes were removed, beheaded and whacked with slippers. His portraits were sprayed with bullets.
However, when Samy Vellu fell from power, his pictures are still seen all over Sg. Siput, a constituency that he has been holding for about 30 years. The Chairman of the Malaysia Indian Congress (MIC) recently lost his seat on the 8 March 2008 election.
On 1 June 2008, my colleagues and I travelled to Sg Siput for our fellow ex colleague, Gobi’s wedding. It was my first time there. I heard many rumours that Sg Siput roads are at top condition as Samy Vellu, who once held the post of Minister of Works, took good care of the roads. But when I was there, I find the roads so-so.
We arrived at one hall located next to a Chinese school. None of us in the car brought the invitation card hence our arrival to the Chinese school was purely on verbal directions.
Outside the hall lies a huge place card with the names “Gobinanthan and (something)” and a picture of the couple. None of us remember the name of Gobi’s wife.
Me: Gobi looks very different in the picture. He looks so fair. Never mind, let’s get down. Colleague: Eh, no, no. I call K first.
We then realised that we entered the wrong wedding. Gobi’s full name is Gobinath. It would be embarrassing if we went in and gave out our angpows and thereafter reclaiming them back.
Despite the mix up, we arrived at the wedding hall just in time for the ceremony. Gobi was smartly dressed in his traditional suit.
Soon, the procession started with loads of people running around and the sounds trumpet and drums played whole day long. Gobi, his wife and family members were all up on stage. It was a colourful ceremony. Ladies were all dressed in their best saris.
Samy Vellu is still here!
The camera man got a multi adapter hung to him HEHE
The highlight of the ceremony would be a ritual called Phere. In the Phere ritual, a part of the groom’s attire and the bride’s attire are tied together (symbolizing that they are now united) as they go around the ceremonial fire seven times. As soon as the Phere ritual is performed, the beat of the music picked up and it turned into a bloody rave party and everyone started shuffling. Out of no where, ivN stood next to me and said, “FENG AAHH!!!!!”. Just kidding.
But I notice that once the Phere ritual is performed, everyone stood up and rushed towards the food. Food was only served after the ritual. The line went all the way to Timbuktu.
We missed the opportunity to throw rice at the newly wed couple. It would be great if I could blast some rice into Gobi’s face. HOU HAU!! SEK FANN!! (Open mouth! Eat Rice!!)
We went up to the stage to congratulate Gobi and pass him our angpows. I notice one Malay lady with a nice box of wrapped gift. The Chinese and Malay’s customs are quite similar. The Malays would give presents to the newly weds while the Chinese would give angpows to newly weds.
We didn’t stay long. We headed to Ipoh for lunch before heading home!
A car drove into a drain when we were on our way home.
The restaurant, Spice Market Restaurant, faces the beach front along the white sandy beach. We were also accompanied by the management and staff of Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort.
The restaurant had a wide choice of food & beverage options. The highlight would local popular BBQ delights. We had a choice of raw seafood to steaks. The chefs will barbeque them for us on the spot.
After dinner, we were brought to Chime @ Sheraton Langkawi, which was claimed to be the most happening club in Langkawi. But it was empty when we arrived -_-.
But at around 10pm, a band started playing and the crowd poured in. Drinks were on the house courtesy of the General Manager. I would highly recommend the cocktail, Grasshopper, a sweet mint flavoured drink.
After a few songs by the band, we had a special performance by Nicolekiss on stage. Yea tiger dance!! She can dancee!
I mean, she can sing. She sang, “Saving all my love for you” by Whitney Houston.
Apxara was kind enough to put us in Westin Langkawi Resort and Spa, one of the best hotels in Langkawi. The hotel faces the Andaman Sea and also 500 metres of private beach front. It is just a few minutes away from Kuah Town.
We were given a warm reception on our arrival – with a lion dance – by two staff in shorts.
We were then ushered into a café for a meet and greet session.
We were each given a beautiful room with top class amenities. The interior was beautiful and I had an excellent view of the garden and the sea. Interestingly, my room comes with a 42” plasma TV, DVD player and even a coffee maker.
My room
Comes with a free monkey
Coffee maker!
Not to mention a drawer full of alcohol.
Half Garden and Half Sea View
It smells great too, unlike Ben and ivN’s hotel room at Port Dickson which smells of a wet dog.
Breakfast was scrumptious. It was a buffet with choice a choice of either western or eastern meals. Pancakes came with a variety of sauces too.
I must commend Desmond Loke, Nurhayati and the chap who works for Khairy (the guy whose passion is sports) for their great hospitality. Please look out for them if you want a great time in Westin Langkawi.
I was fortunate to be selected by my firm to represent the firm at the 130th International Trade Mark Association Conference (INTA) at Berlin, Germany.
ICC, official venue for INTA
This yearly conference is attended by as many as 8000 trade mark owners and Intellectual Property practitioners from all over the world. It was a great eye opener and it was a wonderful experience to meet loads of people throughout the 5 days event. By the 3rd day, I ran out of business cards.
Name cards that I collected for the past 5 days.
The Chinese law firms and intellectual property firms were very aggressive on their marketing. They setup many booths at the convention centre and Chinese IP practitioners are everywhere. The Indians were fairly aggressive as well. I met one lawyer by the name Xerxes.
Xerxes: People in India had a hard time remembering my name. Some call me Xerox (well known document management company).
I also had the opportunity to bump into actor Randall Duk Kim, also known as the Keymaker from Matrix Reloaded. Initially I didn’t believe that he was the guy from Matrix Reloaded but after he recited a line from Matrix Reloaded, I believed him. He was in Berlin to shoot a film by the name Ninja Assassins with the Wachoski Brothers.
When I was called to attend this conference, I knew it was no holiday.
My day usually starts at 7am and thereafter meetings after meetings until dinner time. After dinner, we will attend all sorts of receptions held by large international companies or Intellectual Property firms. The whole process usually lasts until 12am. Since its a reception, we had to run around to make new friends and hence didn’t have the chance to sit down. It was truly a one night stand – I was standing the whole night.
We went home exhausted everyday. It was worst than working in the office. Sitting in the office from 7AM to 12AM everyday is not that bad.
Receptions were held in all sorts of unique places. We had receptions at places such as an embassy, a museum, old town hall and even rooftop of a building.
Old town hall
Museum
Reception on roof top
Daimler had their reception at their flagship store with all their cars ranging from old to new and cheap to expensive placed all over the store.
The weather in Berlin was quite cooling. We had no problem walking around without a jacket.
We’re currently staying in Concorde Hotel, a hotel in the city centre. Our room is very nice but entertainment is lacking. We can use our television to surf the net, watch blockbusters and even watch porn. Unfortunately, we have to pay for it.
We arrived on Friday morning. Our appointments and meeting doesn’t start until Saturday hence we went around the city for sightseeing by hopping on a tourist bus that brought us to various parts of the town. We went to famous places like Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburger Tor, the Memorial Church. The bus stops at every well known places and we could get out to check out the place and thereafter catch the later bus to the next destination. The cost is around 15 Euro to 20 Euro.
Unfortunately, as Berlin is 6 hours behind Malaysia, by 4pm, we were very tired. We had to hang on until 9pm to make sure that our body clock is well adjusted.
We had dinner at one nice Italian restaurant near our office. We had one meal which started off with huge block of cheese being set on fire. The melted cheese is then mixed with spaghetti. Thereafter, it was topped with truffles. The best part is that the whole process was done infront of us. Will post pictures when I get back.
