Thursday, March 07, 2013

Another attempt at the gym...?

Been donkey years since i last went there, Citibank and fitness first loves having customers such as myself! So here i am again but this time i want to do something different, i want to bulk up. enough of my old chubby flabby self, time to renew myself!

So traditionally bulking up requires a bit more calories and high weight with low reps.

But today i only manage to do 3 sets of leg press
100 x 10
120 x 10
120 x 8

and 3 sets of inclined chest press

40 x 10
40 x 10
40 x 8

and a flat chest press 1 set

40 x 8

my arms started to shake by then so i stopped it is only my first day back, don't wanna slam my face on the floor while loosing consciousness!

i will try again tomorrow with back, triceps and something else, i'll think about it when i am there.

new objective : muscle bear :-)


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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

New post after almost 4 years?!

Gosh... I have truly forgotten of this blog. It has been almost 4 years since my last entry. Will try to spend some time reading my older post.

Felt like I do NOT remember who that guy is! Reading my older post reminds me of the simple things in life, how things were hmm... simple and rather straight forward.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

The New Workshop!!!




Thank you!
*at last this blog is updated for 2009! kekekkee....

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Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Guide to BKK shopping trip?

I dunno why, but i really do love Bangkok! Its so lively, it is alive around the clock non-stop and everything is cheap except for top-end branded goods (for these go to Hong Kong). One more thing if u wanna shop in Bangkok do avoid coming here on their Public Holiday, they have a few public holidays which more places would be closed whole day! To me, Bangkok has plenty of things to offer everyone no matter what u are into! Some shopping highlights (arranged according to priority 1-5 must go! the rest is optional) :

1. Cha Tu Chak Weekend Market (8am-6pm, Sat and Sunday only).

Since this is a second trip its mainly a shopping trip. Everytime without miss my top priority when in BKK is not to miss Cha Tu Chak weekend market. The market is like a giant zinc roofed single level market with small alleys and tiny little stalls (thousands of them). It's hot, sticky, noisy, packed, and u'll sweat buckets. So be prepared, bring an umbrella or a large hat, and a large bottle of water, do wear comfy clothing like tshirt, short and sandals.

If u can u should always come Saturday and early before 9am. When its still cool and everything is fresh, plenty of choices. Plus if u want to cover every inch of the market u will definitely need to come back Sunday!

Normally i come early to get to be the first customer, so will get best bargain! Bargain like no tomorrow and after u pay them, they will normally take ur cash and lightly tap the walls and doors of the store with ur notes!

Things to buy : everything under the sun. My favourite here is their arts and craft and local Thai goods. Paintings on canvas, on wooden plank, pure thai silk traditional triangular pillow etc.

2. Suan Lum Night Baazar (6pm-1am, daily).

This is the second must go shopping site. In theory it sells like 60% of the same type of goods sold in Cha Tu Chak but at a slightly higher price since it is opened daily. Everything in Suan Lum u can find in Cha Tu Chak but only 60% of Cha Tu Chak is sold here. IE, Suan Lum do not sell live animals (pets). Again do come early, it really get extremely hot and humid after 10pm! it feels like in a steam room!

One special thing u should get here is high quality copies of leather goods like wallets, purses, hand bags, man-bags(is there such a thing?), etc. It won't be as cheap as in Cha Tu Chak but here it is very well made and lots of them to choose from.

Things to buy : i normally but my copied leather stuffs here because more choices and top quality.

3. Jim Thompson Factory Outlet (Sukhumvit Soi 93, 9am-6pm, daily)

OMG! I could practically live here, yes in the 5 storey shop! Top end thai silk, at dirt cheap prices. All imaginable home furnishing items in thai silk/cotton available here, cushion covers, napkins, table cloth, tissue box, coasters, table runner, place mats, etc. Bags, purses, of all sizes, handkerchief, dresses, shirts, tshirts, scarfs, all item of clothing in thai silk.

The best is that they sell all their silk and cotton fabric by the meters too! So u can buy some for ur 'Baju Raya' for new curtains, to reupholster the old sofa. As usual i normally spend a small fortune here, though cannot bargain, all prices are rock bottom and can use credit card and claim back the VAT (tax) charged at their airport later.

Things to buy : Everything Jim Thompson, everything silk. If u thing nothing here will interest u than u are so wrong! Hehehe...

4. Bangkok Malls

4 main Bangkok main city malls are interconnected by a elevated walkway. Mah Boon Krong or MBK, Siam Centre, Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon. Shopping in MBK feels somewhat similar to shopping in Cha Tu Chak but its all air-conditioned, bright and airy albeit at high price tag(must bargain!) MBK would sell low to medium class of item. Something special here is the IT shops, hundreds of them all at 1 floor of this HUGE mall! Plenty to buy in MBK for allocate a few hours here. In the MBK food court there is 2 halal stalls, one selling arabic food and another selling traditional thai yellow rice(super nyummy!).

As u stroll from MBK to Siam Centre to Siam Discovery and finally to Siam Paragon, u'll be feasted upon higher and even higher end of the shopping spectrum. No bargaining here but do remember to get the special tourist discount card at Siam Paragon information center, (u'll get extra discount on everything) and do ask the shop to prepare ur VAT claim return form.

Actually there are more malls in BKK like Gaysorn (nope, not exclusively for Gays) and Emporium but it is not really with-in walking distance and again they sell the same high end goods as is Siam Paragon.

Things to buy : MBK plenty... IT stuffs, and clothes, cheap tshirts. Try the yellow rice in MBK foodcourt. Siam Paragon... CROCS its cheaper there than in KL (get the special tourist discount card and claim back ur VATs)

5. Pratunam Market and Platinum Fashion Mall and Pantip Plaza -IT Mall (10am-10pm)

Pratunam and Fashion Mall to me sells very similar stuffs, but since the market is hot and humid like Cha Tu Chak price is much lower there. Fashion Mall sells the same stuffs but all in air-conditioned comfort. Pantip Plaza is where one go to get IT stuffs of pirated copy of anything. Cheap-cheap all can bargain!

Things to buy : Pratunam & Fashion Mall - clothes, ie, shirts, dress, ties, shoes, belts, bags(brandless not imitation goods), etc. And Pantip Plaza - everything IT, DVD, VCD, CD etc.

6. Sampeng Lane (daily 10am-5pm)

This is Bangkok's wholesale market where normally local thais get the stock to sell at their shops. Very cheap, buy in bulk, limited bargaining, no one speak english and they won't even bother trying. No smiley faces, please buy my goods attitude from the store owners, it all business here folks. Still again very very cheap for limited number of goods like souvenirs, key chains, dolls, etc etc.

Things to buy : Souvenirs in bulk. Limited choices but cheapest anywhere. You can also get clothing fabric here.

7. Pat Pong Night Market (8pm till late i think).

Near the heart of the red light district, the market specifically targets the tourist hence it is a bit pricey when compared to Suan Lum Night Bazaar. Goods sold are similar to Suan Lum.

Things to buy : Stuffs just like Suan Lum just more expensive, my advice window shop here but buy in Suan Lum.

8. Seacon Square (10am-9pm, daily)

This place is a regular mall where most regular Thai do their shopping for everyday things. This mall is super duper HUGE! It is a bit far from the city center. I felt like renting a wheel chair after covering just 1 floor of the mall!

Thing to buy : Your everyday items. Groceries, etc.

Thats all folks! Do remember to claim back ur VAT. Need to get the form filled and stamped at every shop(mall) u go, though u cannot claim VAT from shopping in the markets. I've bought tickets to BKK in July 2009! Bangkok here i go again!!!

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Tuesday, August 12, 2008

2nd Bangkok Trip for 2008!

Yeah, the first was in May I think. Gonna write about this coming trip after I am back, will give out tips on where to go for what.

BTW this is a 80% shopping trip and 20% sight seeing trip.
For sight seeing I'll just go to the grand palace and floating market.
For shopping... wait for my next update after the trip!

Going off to BKK 16th till 19 Aug 2008.

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Financial Restructuring?

Well, sort of. 1st issue is to refinance my current flat, Havanna, Seri Maya (SM). Bought in 2004 for 270k and now valued at 380k. I am very impressed by the appreciation value of the property. Rental rates and demand are also superb for this flat of mine. Hence i bought another flat in Dutamas area called Changkat View (CV) Condo so that i can rent out the SM flat.

After requesting a few banks and asking them to counter offer each other... i finally settled with Hong Leong's offer. Its BLR - 1.9 for the entire tenure, daily rest, Zero Fees, MRTA optional, flexi loan. Citibank's and RHB's offers are not as enticing.

Now that the SM refinancing deal signed i am again on the hunt for the best deal for my newly acquired CV flat. This CV flat is due to complete middle 2009, so i still have some more time to enjoy SM. Asked 3 bank to offer their best rates :

1. Citibank has approve my second loan for the CV this morning, their rates are ;
1st year 3.99%, 2nd year 4.99% and 3rd till finish BFR-1.6 = 6.8-1.6 = 5.2 (for now at least)
this is a Zero Fees package.

2. Hong Leong (still waiting approval), their rates are ;
1st till finish BLR-1.9 = 6.75-1.9 = 4.85
same Zero Fees package

3. Alliance Bank (still waiting), rates are ;
1st year 0%, 2nd till finish BLR-1.8 = 6.75-1.8 = 4.95
have to pay for legal fees around 5k.
has a save-link account feature very cool, very flexible and can potentially save a lot.

I did all the interest charged calculation/projection for 5,10,20,30 years... and Alliance is the best deal, then Hong Leong lastly its Citibank. So hopefully Alliance will give me their green light soon. Why don't i choose a fixed rate loan? That needs an entire different entry on it own.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Williams and again...?

It was last Friday night. One of my good fren and me went to this place called Williams. Somewhere in PJ near Kelana Jaya area. Yes, i got the urge to try it out after drooling over the pics on shah's blog.

Its 9pm. Reach the place and thought they were closed for the day. Called Bro Bear and he told me that they are never close. After walking further down the street i saw a 'warong' filled with diners. Could this be it?

Then i realised the infamous gigantic mug of ribena lychee and that jar of ice blended mango... Ohh.. yeah... jackpot! It was 9pm, peak time at a weekend night. Waited 5 mins got a table sit and we ordered;

1. Ribena Lychee
2. Mango Blended with Lychee and Watermelon
3. Olive Garlic seafood pasta (biasa or normal)
4. Meatball Carbonara

Note this is peak time. We got our drinks within 5 mins!


Mango Ice Blended with fruits (Large) RM7



Ribena Lychee RM5

The drinks esp the Mango Blended is superb. The Ribena Lychee has a funky purple colour to it. It looks artificial and too strongly coloured but tasted great! But my fav must be the Mango Blended. Not only it a drink, it is also a desert with the large pieces of watermelon and lychee for one to munch away after the dinner. Oh yeah, provided u have extra space in your tummy after the meal. This is quite a challenge.


Meatball Carbonara Fettuccine RM15
This is like a shocking in your face brute Metallica songs, excellent when driving really fast

Moving on,... the food. First came the Meatball Carbonara Fettuccine. Normally carbonara sauce is a cream sauce, it should contain a small amount of cheese. But this version has a full blown thick creamy artery-clogging 90% cheese sauce. The dish is not timid nor scared with flavours. This is not the faint hearted. You need to be a cheese worshiper and a heavy duty glut with arteries made of stainless-steel to be able to finish the whole plate alone! The meatballs are really meaty and with a size of teenage boy's fists it is impossible to swallow it whole. It is cheesy and meaty but indeed very nyummy.

This is not for the cultured fine diners with subtle palate, that appreciates the presentation more than the taste of the food! This is meant for those who loves to eat and not afraid to admit it. Calories off the charts but with favour that stop your heart from beating! PERIOD.

Oh yeah, note to self, bring some asprin next time just in case of an impending heart attack.

Olive Garlic Seafood Pasta (Normal) RM15 or RM20 not sure
This one is a beautifully Delibes' Flower Duet sang by Dessay&Maurus from the opera Lakme

After my sort of sensitive tastebuds been pleasantly shocked by the first dish, then came the Olive Garlic Seafood Pasta. This dish is on the opposite end of the taste scale. It is lightly seasoned to pay special emphasis on the freshness of the abundant seafood on the plate. I thought green peace would shreeck in disgust for half of the ocean's content been scoped out and serve on this very plate! Activies aside, the prawns, squid, piece of white fish (jenak/kurau/merah) and some shell fish are cooked just right. Nothing is chewy nor rubbery. I think these are real fresh seafood that has not seen sub-zero temperatures. The prawns are so freaking juicy, it pops like a balloon filled with a tasty lightly salted seafood stock. Belissimo.

P/S : I went there again the very next day at 7pm. Ordered the very same things, I wanted to check the quality and portion control and i am happy to report it is still Ab-FAB! Ok i have banned myself from coming here again this month. Opss... Next weekend is already May!? Yippy... you'll know where i'll be! Ok my blog is officially 'sawang-less'.

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Friday, November 02, 2007

Hair Cut?

when my elder brother swears by his senior stylist that now co-own a saloon in 'the gardens' with a price tag of rm140 per cut, i used to refuse to pay no more than RM10 per cut. he said that everyone else has to prearrange an appointment with stylist while he can just prance in and get him to do it without much of an effort.

well... i think he'd better be good since he cost that much!

on the other hand my little sis, lives an even more extravagant life... with her hair running up to the many hundreds RM with rebonding, wash cut style and god knows what else....

me? i love to get my cut from quick cuts. they like a instant hair-cut saloon chain. nothing special about the cut... except when they are done they will vacuum off the skin of my head.... opss.. not that strong actually.


and they only cost RM12 and do look out for the vacuuming session at the end! plus i get a free comb to bring home. and it all takes only 10mins of my time. exactly just what i want.

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Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Home Reno?

Dear neglected blog,

I had been almost 1 year since i moved into my new flat. so far the renovation is still an on going process. today i am gonna buy paints for all the bedrooms and bathrooms and part of the living room walls.

the idea:
the living room to be muted/natural/cold/bare. so no hot exciting color here. the feature wall has been painted with dark chocolate.
i want it to look masculine and modern, clean and no fuss.
my furniture are mostly using black and dark chocolate leather.
i have minimised the colour palette to white and off-whites for shaggy rugs, flooring, ceiling, and most other cabinet/furniture.

the bathrooms to be cool, calming and breezy. as usual all the tiles are white and some accent tiles are blue/green colour. i am gonna pick on this colour and get lighter shade of it for the bathrooms.

the bedrooms to be passionate and sexy without using any reds or shades of pink. hence i am going with purple. it somehow has a more luxurious feel to it when compared to maroon or dark reds.

colour scheme:
bedrooms feature wall, dark purple (nippon - full wine)
bedrooms other walls, baby lilac or light purple (nippon - pale pansy)
bathrooms, light blue with a slight hint of green (on hold will think again)
some living room walls, light moss green with a hint of grey (nippon - pebble walk)

also have to buy a primer undercoat because some part of the existing walls are infected with fungus. need to sort out that first!

in the end,
i bought all the paints, thanks nippon odour-less!

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Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Sean and Qaseh Arianna Photo Album?

Lets start from the beginning....
This is the story of the Prince Sean and Princess Qaseh Arianna.

Born 13th July 2006.
Breed = DLH (Birman x Persian maybe? Kekeke... j/k)
Colour = Blue Point
Age = almost 1 year old.

Food = IAMS Kitten kibbles with IAMS kitten wet food sometime but now changing to RC Persian since they are turn into healthy adults.
Suppliments = Kitzyme Conditioning Tablets 6pcs/day/cat but now changing to 3pcs/day/cat. They are almost 1 year old now.
Daily brushing with loads of love and affection.

It was love at first sight. The sight of them 3 siblings running around in the room being ever so playful and cute... who could say no. Gone back home to calm myself and think of this thoroughly. Too bad one of the siblings solid blue female was adopted after my second visit there. On 2nd visit there, i was not gonna let them get away form me. They were adopted at 3 months old... After their 1st vaccination.

They were pretty small kittens... and very very cute.
Sean(behind standing) and Qaseh(in front)
"You think he will take good care of us?"

All they do is eat, sleep and poop all day long.
Qaseh(left) and Sean(right)
"This IAMS Kitten is nyummy!"

Qaseh was slightly bigger than Sean when they were small kittens.
"We want more kibbles!!! Please...."

Qaseh loves to sleep... Zzz.....
"No one can touch me in my favourite spot, my book shelf!"

Sean was a little more playful and also loves to sleep and dreams of tasty treats...
"Hmm... i like the couch, its more comfy!"

Being so very identical to each other it is difficult to differentiate which one is which... in the end bought some collars for them. Qaseh had a bright RED collar with some bling bling broach in the middle.
"I think this RED collar brings out the colour of my eyes, don't u think?"

Sean on the other hand is the alpha cat of the den, hence he has a collar with tiger stripes.
"Don't mess with me i am as fierce as a TIGER!"

After a few week i discovered that Sean had a mange skin infection. He went totally nuts when the Doc injected him with the medication! The doc said the jab is quite hot and painful. So to avoid him licking the spot i bought him an Elizabethan Collar. Does he not look so cute... with the collar? He is pleading for me to release him from his collar!
"Daddy please... how could you do this to me?!"

"Please... please let me off of this collar... i beg you!"

"I don't care.. i'm gonna stay on the bed until u let this collar off!"

Qaseh just had a pretty pink bow added onto her red collar. She looks so arrogant! Hehehehe....
"I think i am ready for the beauty pageant!"

Qaseh looking very mischievous... She is up to something...
"I think the sofa is great for sharping my nails! I hope daddy don't see me!"

Sean looking rather fierce!
"What? You want me to claw your eyes out? Daddy, I am tired of posing already"

A quick snap shot of Sean
"Hmm... daddy thinks i don't see him taking pictures of me? I'll quickly give a sphinx like pose! Hehehhee..."

Sean posing while taking a nap...
"Sweet dreams are made of these, who am i to disagree, traveled the world and the seven seas, everybody is looking for something... note to self : need to look for more fresh kibbles!"

Qaseh loves to pose for the camera...
"Daddy! I love you..."

Qaseh also loves giving out kisses... (those cat slow eye blink)
"Muah, muah, muah... kisses for daddy!"

Even more kisses from my little princess...
"Muah... for you daddy!"

Sean has a manly, mature looking face but very 'manja' actually.
"I am good boy right daddy?"

Sean and Qaseh posing beside the Cat IT water fountain.
Sean looks like a lion with his long fur around his neck.
Qaseh looks like a round ball of cotton.
"Thanks daddy for buying us the water fountain, we love it so much!"

OK that's all for now folks.... will post more pics from time to time....

About me

  • I'm AdamIsmadi
  • From KL, Malaysia
  • 3°10'30.83"N
  • 101°43'59.24"E
  • Just a non-complicated kinda guy trying to keep it simple but can be a bit of a control freak too at times. Sometimes just like things done my way and am not afraid to speak my mind. Also somewhat of a geek when comes to technical matters.
  • adamismadi(@)gmail(.)com
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