Langkawi, Jewel of Kedah: Duty Free Paradise & Beach Getaway

Thanks to AirAsia and their official tagline, "Now everyone can fly", I recently brought my grandparents, mom and brothers to a little retreat in the island known as the 'Jewel of Kedah', Pulau Langkawi.

Having bought my flight tickets a year ago during their zero fares sale, the wait to the beach getaway was a long one. Having said that, everyone was happy that the grandparents had wheelchair and ambu-lift access to aid them up the aeroplane. I can't imagine if they were to climb up stairs into the aircraft!

I booked 2 cabin rooms at Casa Fina Fine Homes located in the Pantai Cenang, where all the nightlife and shopping is. I highly recommend this great place if you are looking for well-maintained and affordable accommodation, easy access to food and shopping, and of course the beach! 

Upon request, the staff had placed both of my booked rooms side by side in a shared cabin unit. We chatted on the verandah where there were tables and chairs for lounging outside whenever you feel bored in the room.

The view from the cabin in great, as there is a cozy garden where guests can sit and relax too. Kids will love the open space. They even provide a water dispenser in the garden for all guests. So if you feel like having a cool drink of water or hot water, you can just walk out to the garden for a refill! 

The executive double room which I booked is also very spacious. We can accommodate 3 on the bed, plus an additional mattress for 1 more person. The rooms and toilet are clean and well-maintained. There is also a mini-fridge to keep your chocolates and alcoholic drinks chilled! 

It is also very quiet here at night even if the shops are open. No loud music will disrupt your sleep, for sure!

Duty-free shopping is just across the street from Casa Fina, with the Zon Duty Free Shop, Warisan Duty Free and Coco Valley located on the same strip with Underwater World. Cenang Mall is a few blocks down the road, which is open till 10pm. Great for shopaholics like myself who can shop past 8pm (shops in Kuah town are usually closed by that time). Above is a picture of the colourful soap display taken at Cenang Mall which caught my attention!

As a tip for future travellers, do try to shop for your alcohol in Coco Valley (since most alcohol on display is cheaper than most places) and chocolates in Teow Soon Huat Department Store (they have the cheapest prices for chocolates by far) while Zon Duty Free outlets have generally fair pricing.

Pantai Cenang is a great place for lounging on the beach, water sports and watching the beautiful sunset. Nightlife here is great, with shops open till midnight. Some bars even past midnight, as the crowd still shimmies to the dance beats along the beach.

Attractions worth visiting on the island includes Dataran Lang where you can have your picture taken with the eagle monument Langkawi is famous for, as well as Oriental Village and Langkawi Cable Car.

Oriental Village is where the Langkawi Cable Car is, but you can do your fair share of shopping and sight-seeing before you go up on the cable car ride. Naminara Garden is a combination of Chinese, Korean and Japanese landscape which will sure to capture the ladies' attention.

Above is the lotus pond at the Naminara Garden which reminds me of scenes from Japanese or Korean palace dramas.

There is also a mini Korean Nami Island and Jara Island where pictures of the Winter Sonata characters put you in the mood for a picture. Though I think that the 2 snowmen looked really odd and out of the place in the hot and humid Langkawi weather!

Malaysians are entitled to a RM15 cable car ride (provide your IC at the ticket counter) which is normally priced at RM30. The Langkawi Cable Car ride is not advisable for young children and the elderly as they require you to jump in quickly to the car which does not stop rotating at the station. Not to mention the height that will challenge people with fear of heights. Gulp!

After stopping at the middle station, take a short breather and enjoy your surroundings before taking another car up to the second station. 

The view from the viewing tower is superb and I could see the mist and feel the cool air on my skin. The Skybridge was unfortunately closed for maintenance, but the view up on the second station (it's 700 metres above sea level) is good enough for you to appreciate the beauty of Langkawi.

Since I went up the cable car around 10am, I was disappointed to find that the best view can be seen at sunset, between 6.30 to 7pm. This is a tip to all future travellers and I hope to come back here one day to see the sunset!

As for dining, we tried many options here in Pantai Cenang. There is a huge variety to choose from, namely Western, Chinese, Japanese, Malay and Thai, but the main similarity is seafood of course. We had a good dinner at Palm View Restaurant, but unfortunately we were too hungry and I was too busy eating to take some pictures.

We had breakfast at the Breakfast Bar in Pantai Cenang, and it was a good hearty meal. I recommend the Koay Teow soup, Breakfast Bar Special and Omelette.

The creative menu outside Breakfast Bar is part of the charms of Pantai Cenang, where graffiti (not the vandalism sort) is a common feature.

A colourful sign post outside the Breakfast Bar with good morning greetings in various languages pique the attention of tourists who throng the area for breakfast.

We also had breakfast the next day at The English Tea Room and Coffee Bar just outside Casa Fina. The proprietress is an Englishwoman who makes the best scones and strawberry jam I've ever tasted! 

Because I was too engrossed in eating the scones, I forgot to take a picture. Rest assured the scones looks as good as they taste!

We also had sandwiches, sausage rolls and hashbrowns for breakfast. Be prepared to spend a little bit more at this joint though!

All in all, Langkawi definitely is a great place if you are looking for duty-free stuff. Even franchises such as Old Town White Coffee, Starbucks, KFC and McDonalds do not charge the 6% government tax here!

I'll definitely make another trip here again for the shopping, food, beach and beautiful scenery!

The author totally went crazy buying chocolates, especially Kagi and Ritter Sport. She even bought a 30" luggage bag at RM200 only for her upcoming Busan trip in November. Korea and K-pop, look out!

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K-pop Stars' LINE Official Account ID For Blackberry Users

If you are a K-pop fan and you happen to own a Blackberry, I'm sure you've had your fair share of frustrations about the issue of not being able to add the Official Account of your favourite K-pop star.

Usually iPhone and Android users just have to check under the list of Official Accounts and do some changes to their country selection, while Windows phone users encounter similar problems with Blackberry users but can overcome the problem if they find the QR code to add the stars' Official Accounts, but take note that all these do not apply for users of Blackberry devices.

Well, I for one, underwent a long and arduous time to find the LINE ID of my favourite idol group, JYJ. After countless hours spent researching on the issue and chatting with fellow Blackberry users, along with filling a couple of feedback forms to LINE about the issue, I've come up with some solutions!

I hope by sharing these IDs below you can finally be able to stay connected with your favourite K-pop stars!


JYJ : @jyje (for English), @jyjk (for Korean)

G-Dragon : @gden (for English), @gdkr (for Korean)

SHINee : @shinee (for Korean)

Girls Generation / SNSD : @girlsgeneration (for English)

KARA : @karaen (for English)

SUPER JUNIOR: @super_junior (for English) 

EXO: @exokr (for EXO-K in Korean), @exocn (for EXO-M in Chinese) 

f(x): @fx_en (for English), @fx_kr (for Korean) 

2NE1: @2ne1_en (for English), @2ne1_kr (for Korean) 

SISTAR: @sistar_en (for English) 


Below might only be applicable for Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia :

FTISLAND : #ftislandasia

CNBLUE : #cnblueasia 

2AM : #2amasia
 
2PM : #2pmasia
 
ZE:A : #zeaasia
 
Lee Min Ho : #leeminho
 
miss A : #missa
 
Wonder Girls : #wondergirls

Source:  sgkwave.com


Please leave a comment in the section below if you have found this information useful as a Blackberry user using LINE application. And do share with me if you have found out any other K-pop stars' LINE ID too!
Thank you!

Latest update: Naver LINE has released a new update for Blackberry devices titled version 1.7.16. Please update to this version to be able to add official accounts under the add friends tab and also see pictures in the chat room! Thank you so much LINE for making the lives of Blackberry users who are K-pop lovers much easier!

The author has many great fans of JYJ to thank as they played a huge role in helping her solve this whole mystery of adding K-pop stars' LINE Official Account. Thank you, my dears!

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JYJ Opens Naver LINE Official Account

JYJ fans would be happy to hear that the group have finally opened their official account on Naver LINE to connect with their fans all over the globe!

They have been updating the account regularly, so if you add them, it's as though you are receiving messages from a friend! 

Lately each member is busy with their solo activities, so they have been updating their works on LINE. Add them to get the latest updates!

A note from JYJ3.net to add JYJ's official account on LINE:

If you want to add the English version of their account:
- Go to ‘[...] More’
- pick the ‘Official Accounts’ icon
- There should be the option ‘+ Select another country’
- pick either ‘Singapore’, ‘Hong Kong’, or ‘Philippines’
- and ‘JYJ(EN)’ should be the latest New Official Accounts
- pick the ‘Chat’ icon and add them!^^

The author owns a Blackberry and has yet to add them since the Official Account feature is not available for Blackberry users. iPhone and Android users will be able to add them on LINE. If you can't add them, fret not. JYJ3.net updates their messages almost immediately, so you won't miss out!

Latest update: Please check out my more recent post on adding K-pop stars' LINE ID on Blackberry!

Important update for Blackberry users: To add JYJ Official Account on LINE, search the ID @jyjk (for Korean) and @jyje (for English). Please spread the word. Thank you to nia jaejoong for the great tip!!

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Big Bad Wolf Books Warehouse Sale 2012

The Big Bad Wolf Books sale is back again this year from 7 to 23 December to give us a huge discount on books! This round the warehouse sale promises 3 million books at 75% to 95% discount, at an even bigger venue than last year's, and to top it off, it is easily accessible too! 

Held at the Mines International Exhibition Convention Centre from 9am to 9pm daily, it's directly next door to the Mines Shopping Centre in Seri Kembangan! It's a short walk away from the nearest KTM station, and there are ample parking spaces at the exhibition centre and the shopping centre too.

From my own experiences, for those who plan to buy lots of books, do park in the exhibition centre itself as they have porters who can help to cart your books with a trolley to the exhibition centre's lobby area, where you can drive up to collect your books. Make sure you do have a pass to drive up the lobby area though!

On the other hand, if you are not planning to buy lots, parking in the shopping centre is cheaper, as it's only RM1 on weekdays. It's RM3 on weekends though, which is the same as the exhibition centre. I am not trying to discourage anyone, but do try not to park in the open carpark area outside the exhibition centre, as they charge an exorbitant fee of RM5, which is a high sum since you have to walk so far with your loot of books!

This year's fiction section and children's books are quite well-stocked, so do give yourself some time to browse through the massive selection. Do bring along some water with you as you might find yourself parched after an hour's search for books (what with all the lugging of boxes of books around too!).

Do check out their official website for more information at Big Bad Wolf Books!

The author spent 3 hours shopping at midnight on the first day of the sales since they were open for 63 hours straight. Rest assured that she did not go home with empty hands, instead her whole car boot was full of books at the end of the day!

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Boomshakalaka: Big Bang's Alive Tour in KL draws 15,000 fans!

On Oct 27, I arrived around 4.30pm at Stadium Merdeka to a carnival-like atmosphere, with people hawking their wares of food, drinks, lightsticks and Big Bang merchandise. The massive crowd of fans already queuing to enter the stadium, seemed never ending, snaking their way all around the stadium.

Everyone seems exhausted and sweaty, since there was a downpour earlier, but nevertheless, excitement was in the air. With another half an hour to the time the gates open (the organizers informed that gates open at 5pm), everyone was scrambling to collect their tickets, chow down some early dinner and drinks, and shop at every mini-stall for unofficial merchandise.

Official merchandise from YG were on sale, but my brother only bought the Big Bang collectible badges at RM40 as he deemed the others too expensive (T-shirts were going for around RM100) or not attractive all.

We waited at our entry gate (not so many people were there although it was already 5pm) and suddenly there was a light drizzle. Some put on their raincoats like myself, but after a while it stopped. Meanwhile, we could hear some background music from inside the stadium, especially G-Dragon’s new singles 'One Of A Kind' and 'Crayon' being repeated played. 

At around 5.45pm, the gates opened and there was a ripple of ‘Ahh...’ going through the crowd. Finally we’re going in!! After checking our tickets and bags’ contents at the gate, we were allowed through. It was mayhem, but in an orderly way.

Everyone was running to get the seats or standing positions with the best view. It was only 6pm but already the stadium was fast filling up. We chatted and people-watch, trying to conserve our phone battery life (no cameras allowed in!) till the show starts.

I observed many things: people of all walks of life came all the way to see Big Bang, a Korean boy band. Coming from Malaysians, I would have thought that only a really big international star or Chinese singer could achieve this feat. 

A little girl around 10 years old was accompanied by her father, both dressed in Big Bang T-shirts. It’s so touching the way her father shielded her from the pushy fans, even the fact that he’s here for the night is great enough. A group of ahjummas around my mother’s age were also cool enough to show up among the huge throng of youths.

At around 7.30pm, with half an hour to starting time, the heavens poured. And my, it did poured cats and dogs! Everyone scrambled for their raincoats, yet still unmoved in their seats. It started to slow down around 10 minutes to 8pm, and the crew rushed to wipe the stage down. The crowd started cheering when the finished their task, and the excitement grows! 

At 8.10pm, suddenly the stadium lights went out. Everyone screamed like crazy! Then 'Still Alive' started playing and the big giant screen showed a video of a spaceship which lands on the stage... and wham! It's Big Bang!!

The boys started singing Tonight and when they finished, they made small talk with the audience, pumping up the crowd's excitement. What I loved most was how the members interacted with the crowd in English, without the help of a translator! G-Dragon handled most of the show on his own, with the occasional chip-in by the others.

The most memorable quote from Seungri was "No rain can stop us tonight!", which got a huge roar from the crowd. And no rain came down after that, really!

Highlights of the concert was the hugely successful blue LED ocean when 'Blue' came on, and the Happy Birthday song for TOP which was planned by the fans after they sang 'Haru Haru'. G-Dragon even joined in the fun and sang along!

Even the part where G-Dragon rapped a short medley of 'Crayon' and 'One of A Kind'  with TOP as the beatbox master really blew my socks off as I never knew they were this talented! My favourite solo performance was definitely Daesung's 날개, as he was very interactive with the crowd and everyone was having a real good time singing along.

I came as a fan of K-pop and Big Bang, but I went home as an even bigger fan of both! Rest assured that I will try not to miss another Big Bang concert or any other K-pop concert in the near future! 

Picture credits: Big Bang's official facebook page

The author is now a huge fan of Big Bang. Lately 'Crayon' is on repeat on her playlist!

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An Enchanting Trip to Colmar Tropicale, Berjaya Hills

The main entrance of Colmar Tropicale evokes the feeling of stepping into a medieval fortress

My parents, two brothers and I arrived at the Bukit Tinggi escapade after an hour’s drive from KL. The roads winding up the mountain were reminiscent of those going up Cameron Highlands, just a tad little wider.

Nestled in the mountains, Colmar Tropicale is a place where you can relax without any interference from the outside world (except with a mobile phone and internet connection) as it is about a 10 minutes drive from the nearest village which is Kampung Bukit Tinggi.

We drove past the entrance gates where we paid for our tickets like any other day tourists although we have booked our rooms for a night. The teller told us that we would receive refunds for the tickets at the hotel reception.

The French village was bustling with tourists when we arrived at 2PM

We parked at the designated basement parking and proceeded to the reception. It was already 2pm and there were a few other guests checking in already. The staff worked efficiently and I was checked in within 5 minutes, very quick and friendly service.

Thank goodness we were in Azalea block, the main block just above the reception area and we did not have to walk far. In Colmar, all the shops are located on ground level, and rooms are all above the shops. There are many different blocks, each named after French flowers.

The spacious queen bed in the second bedroom

Our room was a 2 bedroom suite, and it was very spacious. Split into two different floors, the bottom floor housed the kitchenette, living room and a restroom. Up a steep flight of stairs, we come to a corridor where the left leads to the master bedroom with an attached bathroom and a view of the mountains and gardens below. 

The bathroom and restrooms in the suite were clean and well kept

The second bedroom is a smaller room with the same queen bed as the master bedroom, overlooking the main street. A little restroom is located outside the corridor, just for convenience.

The delicious mushroom pizza at La Flamme for lunch

We went down and had lunch just outside our block at La Flamme, a pizzeria. We had quite a reasonable meal of Hawaiian and Mushroom pizza together without the mushroom soup, though it’s definitely pricier than what we would have paid for the same in KL. (Tip: pack your own food!)

We then hurried to catch the next shuttle to the Japanese village nearby. Shuttles are provided from Colmar to the various attractions on site, such as Animal Farm, Adventure Park, Organic Farm, to name a few.

It then started to drizzle so we were worried we couldn’t reach the Japanese village since we didn’t have umbrellas. Luckily the rain stopped after a journey of twisting through steep roads and we alighted at the foot of a steep staircase that would lead us to the village.

Warning for older folks and the faint-hearted: this trek up to the village is not made for you! My brothers and I were a little breathless after climbing up the staircase, but my parents didn’t take it well. They were already exhausted, and it was just like 20% of the hike up!

We had to walk another gradual slope up that twists around the mountain. We saw a little rest stop and thought (yay!) we had reached. Just to get cheated that it was a resting place for tired legs...

The welcome signboard that made us all so happy!

We soldiered on, and finally we reached a signboard that says ‘Welcome to the world’s first Japanese Tea House in the Tropical Forest’ and we whooped with joy! We looked left and right and saw a signpost that said Japanese Garden and Japanese Tea House are on our left.

And on our left is... no surprise... another staircase leading into a forest! Feeling frustrated, we thought, ‘Hey, why turn back when we have come this far?’ and proceeded to climb up. Luckily, a beautiful Japanese landscaping accompanied us up the hike. We passed by many Japanese inspired sculptures and features as well as trees that are labelled with their names on them. Truly a nature walk!

We reached the Japanese Tea House, where to enter, you have to either pay for a tea ceremony or photo-taking session with rented kimonos by a professional photographer. We opted not to since it costs quite a bomb. Why pay when we can take photos of ourselves in the beautiful setting?

The one and only Ume Tatami Suite in the heart of the Japanese Village

We walked on and passed the superbly expensive, one and only Ume Tatami Suite which costs RM4,800 a night! Personally it looks really Japanese, but I wouldn’t want to be left all alone in the mountains at night. Do you?

The Ryo Zantei Japanese Restaurant is nestled in the beautiful Botanical Garden

After that, we took a walk downhill with little to see, mostly just green growth, and we came back to the Japanese souvenir shop and another turn-off to the Ryo Zantei Japanese Restaurant in the Botanical Garden.

We were so thirsty after the long hike we stopped for a drink at the restaurant. Mind you, a cup of steaming hot green tea costs RM4.25 here! But it’s really all worth it considering the exclusiveness of the place and the beautiful scenery we were dining in.

After that, we decided to skip the botanical gardens to go back to the French village since it’s getting late and we were tired as well.

The author totally fancies a trip to Europe, and found out about the real Colmar town in France through Pinterest. Going to Colmar Tropicale is a half-dream come true without even needing a passport!

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Xia Releases English Single 'Uncommitted'

JYJ's Xia Junsu is back with a bang with his latest English single after the release of his Korean solo album, Tarantallegra!

Titled Uncommitted, Xia shows off his improved English skills in this slow dance ballad. Not bad for someone who practically can't speak the language when he and his JYJ members debuted with an English album 2 years back!

Songwriter Bruce "Automatic" Vandeerver who has worked with The Wanted and Christina Aguilera, praised Xia as one of the best vocalists he has worked with. Amazing, right?

Do check out the sexy music video for Uncommitted below!

Love the background of this music video, somehow I don't get the feeling that this has any connection to K-pop. 

Best of all, Xia's latest image is one that most fangirls would die for... he has taken on a more darker look after his stint in the musical Elizabeth as Tod, the angel of death. So handsome and dashing!

What do you think of Xia's Uncommitted? Do share your thoughts in the comments section below!

The author is a fan of JYJ. Somehow after Xia's latest debut, it's hard for her to stay focused on her first bias in the group. Oh no!

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B2ST Impresses With Midnight Sun

The B2ST boys are back with their latest album, Midnight Sun, and they sure do impress with their new look and music style!

I haven’t been a fan of B2ST for long as I only started to listen to their music when they released Fiction & Fact last year, but the change in their music to electro-synth pop is interesting and gives a fresh breath of air to K-pop.

The title track, Midnight, is a trendy song that blends electro flares with solid pop melodies. I love the guitar riffs in the opening and closing of this song. Since the song is about longing for a loved one, I can feel the emotions conveyed by the members through the lyrics.

Love the catchy chorus as well! Check out the mini music video for Midnight below!

 

Next up is Beautiful Night, a funky electronica number which makes you wanna dance. The song itself is fun and very B2ST, if you get what I mean.

The boys get the New York swagger on in the music video for Beautiful Night. Do check out their newly revamped looks and the change of scenery!

 

Not Me is special as it combines a traditional Korean instrumental with a jingling, hip-pop beat. The members sing its engaging melodies in that roll-off-the-tongue way they do. Somehow this is my favourite song off the album, with its Spanish-esque tune and sexy vibe.

Written by Junhyung, Not Me chronicles a denial to a lover who thinks she is being cheated on. Junhyung, you didn’t write this for Hara, did you?

Check out their live performance for Not Me below!

 

 

Other tracks on this album include When I Miss You, The Day You Rest, and Dream Girl.

While some have shared that B2ST latest album isn’t much of a bang (yes, if you are comparing it to Big Bang’s Alive), I personally feel that they have made quite a good album.

Maybe sometimes a change in musical direction doesn’t really sit well with everyone, but there are some who welcome changes. 

I think that B2ST latest musical style is refreshing in this competitive K-pop scene and I’m hoping that there is more better materials to come from them in the future!

The author is still lovin' the pocket dance from B2ST's Fiction!

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