Merry Christmas

A X'mas tree at Takashimaya 2014

Merry Christmas !!

Fury The Movie

Watched Fury today.

Watching Fury is like watching Rambo. 1 against the whole battalion of soldiers. Anti-tank weapons seem to be missing for the whole battalion of Germans which was highly unlikely.

Historian knew the kill ratio of the Germans Tiger tank and yet 4 Sherman tanks can beat a Tiger at close range.

And the enemy fire always misses the good guys in the first shot. While the good guys always kill with the first shot.

Moon & Jupiter

 

Moon & Jupiter

Moon and Jupiter observed on 12 Dec 14. Location of Jupiter was confirmed with Google Sky App. It is in the North East direction

Jupiter is just a speck of light. Without camera and view without optical assistance, Jupiter looks like a star.

Photos were taken using high ISO of 6400 and unedited. Lens used was Canon 70-200mm f4.

Cars - Interesting Observation

Audi A3, Mercedes W114, Honda Stream 1.7

Saw something interesting today in a carpark.

(1) My Audi.
(2) A Mercedes W114 which was around the period I was born, late 60s to early 70s. It is technically the S-class of the era. Coloured in beautiful red and looking stunning after more than 40 years. Even the wheel hub is painted in red. The driver must have the passion to own this.
(3) My previous car - Honda Stream 1.7 litre. This one has a spotlight added. My guess is this car is probably 2005 version.

Audi A6 2014

Audi A6 2014

Audi A6 Interior

I took the Audi A6 for a spin for 3 days as my A3 was in workshop for transmission repair.

The good points for Audi A6 are:-

(1) Bigger bootspace
(2) Wider body for more internal comfort
(3) More comfortable ride especially when cruising
(4) Internally, it has a push start/stop button and a keyless entry.

The minus ponts for the A6 are:-

(1) Bigger car means difficult to manoeuvre in a city. Parking also needs more space due to its length. It has both front and rear parking sensor to help driver in a tight situaton.
(2) Comparing with the A3, the A6 being a 2 litre turbo obviously has poorer fuel efficiency
(3) Turning radius appears to be bigger

The A6 while it is comparable to the BMW 5 series and the Mercedes E class has a identity problem. The front of the A6 is almost the same as as A3 and A4. There is no major distinguishable difference across its line. This makes buyer wonder why buy a A6 when A4 or A3 sedan are good enough.

The A6 is about S$50,000 more than the A3.

Kuching Sarawak Part 6 - Hawker Centre

 

A hawker centre at Kuching city. It is known as Song Kheng Hai Ground Food and Recreation Centre. The completion plaque shows  that it was opened on 26 Mar 1995. Interestingly there seems to be an exhaust duct for mechanical ventilation. Whether it was used was not known. The food section is located at the upper storey. The lower storey is empty.

There was also a hygiene grading system with a green sticker pasted at the signage above the stall. It appears that the stalls mainly have attained a 'A' grade.

Kuching Sarawak - Part 5 Orang Utan

The orang utan at Semenggoh Natural Reserve. A reserve that is about 45 mins from city centre. Here you can see orang utan in its natural habitat being fed by reserve ranger. Nothing special in my opinion as I could see them in zoo. While the feeding time is 9:00am, being in their natural habitat whether they take the bait is up to individual orang utan. Waited for about half an hour before 2 orang utan appear.

I did not have a zoom lens that makes photography rather challenging.

Kuching Sarawak - Part 4 Fairy Cave

Fairy Cave Entrance

Concrete Stairs Leading to Entrance

Fairy Cave

 

 

Wall and Green Vegetation

Old Stairs which are steep and narrow

Located on a turn off Jalan Bau, the fairy cave is close to Kuching.

There is an entrance fee of RM5 for foreign visitors. To reach the cave, a person has to climb a concrete flight of stairs. While climbing, you can see the old discarded flight of stairs which are steeper and narrower.

Upon reaching the entrance of the cave, you have to continue climbing within the cave. No lights are provided and it is quite dark inside. Fortunately I have a small touchlight with me. On certain parts of the climb, there are ropes and hand rails to hold onto to prevent fall. Just walk slowly and steadily when the visibility drops. There are water falling from the top of the cave. Towards the end of the climb, the cave opens up to a big limestone enclosure with an large opening for lights to penetrate and brighten the whole cave. Due to presence of light, plants grow well with the cave enclosure.

In the cave, you can hear bats sharp pitch notes as they use echo to determine distance from wall. Due to presence of water, the humidity within the cave is quite high.

If you have not been to cave, it is interesting to take a look at how nature creates limestone,

Kuching Sarawak - Part 3 Food

Food I have eaten in Kuching

Crayfish in black pepper sauce

Comments: Not bad but the best one I ever had was in South Africa (RM14 for 3 crayfish) 

Steam Fish

Comments: Sauce is not as strong as in Singapore but is good enough, but it is still delicous. Fish meat is fresh (RM26) 

Chilli Crab

Comments: Sauce is not as good as Singapore. But at this price, taste is reasonable. (RM30). All seafood shown here is from Top Spot (a Seafood centre with a few stalls at Jalan Green Hill)



Kor Lor mee for RM 3. Kuching signature dish. Simple and nice.



Duck Rice with Char Siew for RM8. Can't find this price in Singapore. The roast pork and char siew are actually quite good and tastefully roasted in the city areas.



Kuching Rojak in a Song Kheng Hai Food Centre. Too little tau pok, too much cucumber. RM4.

Overall, I think Kuching is a good place to enjoy food at a much lower cost than Singapore. The locals would probably find even cheaper food outlets in Kuching that could offer a much lower cost, especially at the outskirt.