Little gem of a Japanese restaurant in Narita airport

Sometimes I let my nose do the hunting and it led me to this little restaurant tucked away on the left wing of the shopping and dining floor of Narita airport.

Hamburg & Steak Hiro

Apparently, you cannot get that very prized Kobe beef outside of Japan.

And with me being a cheapskate foodie, I'm not about to part with 40,000 Yen just for a piece of red meat no matter how good they say it is unless of course someone wants to foot the bill (muahaha)

As such I can tell you that eating here was the highest that I had splurged on throughout our 5 day summer getaway to the offshore resort that is Odaiba.

Sushi Sei - Tsukiji

Being Malaysians , what to do....our currency is well you know, thus we have to try and look for reasonably priced outlets. Like Sushi Sei for instance

Should we splurge a bit or not ? 

Tempura Bowl Tenya

I remember reading somewhere that this restaurant was supposed to serve cheap and good tempura.

Ok, I found out the hard way that cheap tempura isn't always good. Good tempura can be found a few shops down from this outlet. Of course I didn't know that yet...so in we went

Mickey ice bar - Tropical fruit flavour

I don't suppose you can get this lolly outside Tokyo Disneyland

Saizeriya

There is a Saizeriya almost anywhere. And there is a reason why it's so popular among the Japs. Cheap and very good food. Only annoyance ....smokers.

Premium Sushi Train Kai - 2nd visit

We just had to come back a second time and figure out how to get the bullet train to deliver our orders to our table.

This below is the standard price of per colour coded plate here. Bear in mind there is a hefty 8percent tax added on to each plate....not your entire bill..but each plate

Yoshinoya - Joypolis

Walla....here's the most addictively mouthwatering donburi I've had to date.

Had the intention to pop into a 24hour restaurant nearby but since this chain outlet is soooo famous, I would be stupid to pass up the chance to try it out.

Premium Sushi Train Kai

Why are sushi train outlets so popular ? 

Let's go in and find out.

At every table , there will be a blatant display of gluttony.

Say what ?

 Nobody cares cos that's the way they do it here.

Pile it up like an eating trophy. I just followed suit.

Tokyo Gourmet Stadium Food Court

Tried out two outlets here upon arrival. Two completely different outlets which sent a jolt to my system.                   First was Tonkotsu Ramen. Has a really fancy kitchen window which catches your eye upon entering the food court.Okay, I was sold, I want whatever it is they're labouring over.

Second was this very popular ramen stall. 

Tai Buan porridge - Muntri Street

The weather's been so hot lately.

33 Celcius on Sunday.

Dove into this oldie but goodie Moi place to cool down the system.

Am featuring this bowl of humble porridge first because for Moi connoiseurs , achieving a texture of this consistency takes a lot of TLC as well as some secret kungfu .

Fast gone

Not so easy come but very easy go.

Manglish, I'm speaking in Manglish.

 Well, it's just one piece ( cos I'm not like others with a whole planet of proxies ), thus it will have to do.

Cause for celebration, hence the balloons .

Good enough for me .

Watching the Thomas Cup finals in Nasi Lemak Liverpool Cafe

The best thing I've ever done...watching the nerve wracking Thomas Cup , badminton finals in a football cafe . 

Amongst the other races.

With the most awesome plate of nasi lemak and a mug of good old teh tarik for company .

Just love my fb traveller updates

And we say thanks on this beautiful sunny Sunday.

So nice to see people on my facebook list going practically all over the world. Cheap fares, shared rooms, plush luxuries. Gotta love them all. I'm delighted by their updates, check ins and photos. It's as if I were there right next to them.

Kit Kat - inflatable pillow

Ah, don't you just love practical free gifts such as this ?

Got it in return for purchasing the two finger family pack

At first I thought I had to get the large pack which costs around RM20 , but luckily the promoter was around and she informed this misguided muah as to the correct purchase requirement.

Awesome...just awesome.....keep it up Nestle Malaysia.

Good job, I love this !

Chek Hup - 3 in 1 coffee ,lock & store organiser

When it comes to white coffee, Ipoh is the only winner. But trips to the city costs a tidy sum, so it's great that the drink has been made so convenient. Over the years, there have been many new players, Nescafe, Old Town, Super etc etc.

However , out of all I think Chek Hup's is the richest and creamiest ..mmmmm...mmmmm

KLIA2 - the floorplan

Gosh , I'm checking out the floorplan and to be honest I hope reality is not going to be as headache inducing as what I'm looking at below . Geez. 

This is Level 2 , the Arrival Hall

Darlie - Transformers cup

Regardless of whether this is just hype before the movie is slated to run, this is one of those rare black mugs I'm sure you'll wanna lay your hands on cept if you're the extremely superstitious kind of course.

Beginning of the Penang durian season

The school holidays are coming right around the corner and if you don't know already, that signals the beginning of the Penang Durian Festival ( 1st June - 31st July ) .

So, if you haven't booked your tickets here yet, you better start doing so, because this week itself,the thorny balls have started rolling in.

Yup, the "head" of the season. Most times if you don't know where to buy them from, the quality will not be so good yet.

Kovil Sri Maha Mariamman - Fire Walkers on the pit

The heat was already unbearable from where I was standing, thus I couldn't possibly imagine how people would be walking barefoot across those hot coals. Yet later on, men, both young and old would be doing exactly that without skin peeling off their soles

Entourage for a Hindu Goddess

Looking at the tiny umbrella and elaborate flower structure on a sedan from the back, one might be inclined to think that they were in Bali rather than Penang.

In the run up to the actual firewalking event, the Goddess was taken on a walkabout to invite and escort a bigger entourage back to the temple grounds

Firewalking festival - amazing scenes from Tanjung Bungah

If not for the banner proclaiming the firewalking event, I would have thought that I had walked right smack into a mini Thaipusam street carnival.

Still, I almost fainted when I turned around and saw this man wielding a huge blade / sickle with a lime at the tip

One visa less

Got my new 5 year passport done today. 

If you notice, the new one has a little gold chip in front, just under the word " Passport".

Old news actually , but this basically means.....

...I can now travel with one less visa headache.

Glad to be a Malaysian

:)

Cherishing each Mother's Day before they get hitched

Thank you boys for the bright and fragrant bunches of flowers accompanied by handwritten cards,also the nice lunch and dinner together ( funded by daddy of course, who else ) at our fav spot. 

Ten airports before getting fixed

Don't usually wrap my bag but this time I did. Call it sixth sense or what may you but perhaps it would have been more damaged if I had not done that because it arrived minus 3 working legs when I landed on the 18th afternoon in Istanbul.

Took time out , filed a report at the airline office

and was advised to take it back to KL-Penang for repairs seeing how there simply wasn't enough time for it to be done in Turkey.

I could have taken it as a bad sign but nothing was going to get in the way of me enjoying Istanbul to the max. No.

So let's count how many airports it has been through....

KLIA 3 times

  

Penang - thrice

Flight must haves

The bane of flying for me is a bawling infant. 

Try flying long haul with one or worse three or four of them at once within piercing earshot and you'll know what I mean.

Four horrible flight experiences with them, grew into a lifetime aversion on sight once on board. To me, they're NOT adorable one bit until we land.

Meet my lifesaver. The thing that keeps me from going insane when their tear engine starts up. Got these from Qatar Airways. 

Eat & Go - Ataturk Airport

 For such a tiny confine, the place looks very cosy and extremely inviting. Nice touches of quirkiness here and there which to a certain extent, reminds me of tiny Sangria hideouts in Barcelona .

Turkish men are fast, age is just a number

If you refer to a back post, you'll see how I got on a crazy bus driver's tour bus and cut across Taksim Square.

Well, this driver is not as nuts, only thing is after we whizzed through Fatih, he thought his van was as small as a moped but faster than a Ferrari .

In fact I had to balance as if I was on a speedboat. If I were younger I might think this is exciting, but I have kids back home waiting for me. Lol, not a good way to roll.

Yeah, by the time we got to the highway proper, He owned it and drove it as if it were the German Autobahn. Omfg...and I still had the guts to take pictures though the wind itself ( read... Desperate ).Wind alone could have knocked my camera out of my hands,flung them far into the flower beds, maybe even knock the living daylights out of these grass crouchers

I miss you Istanbul

I don't wanna leave you Istanbul but I have to, my loved ones are waiting back home for me

My heart aches as I spend the last few days with you 

Funny pics I took in Istanbul - part 2

The crazy crowds that made navigating the lanes here almost like a New Year countdown . It was soooo packed with sooo many people that when I used my skills to dodge in and out but eventually got stuck near that famous coffee bean seller at the back, and berated by a local lady in that 5 human lanes gridlock. Turned my head behind to sneak a look, only to be greeted by a row of grinning locals who decided to keep up and move along with this foreigner.

Watching the crowds descending on this cheese shop which decided to all of a sudden slash their prices. 

It was madness !

Funny pics I took in Istanbul - part 1

Meet the tulip's arch enemy.

How many have they pounded , sprayed upon and violently slashed or dug up in their claim for territorial free space.

:D 

I'll let you ponder over this let sleeping dogs lie pic.

See if you get what I find so funny here

LC Waikiki

LC Waikiki is a local Turkish apparel chain store. Outlets can be found all over Istanbul. Their clothes are outsourced but one can be assured of European quality when it comes to the end look.

 The best part about shopping here is they cater to larger 

sizes without segregating your choice into some boring, frumpy corner full of horrible aunty fashions hung on big mannequins . 

The Instaweather app did it for me

This app may be old , but I just love it to death as I used it to record my travel journey, like a clock-in visual diary , (provided I could latch onto Wifi). Looking at this pic, I can recall how wonderful it was to step out onto the bustling street, the very next morning , which way the sun shone , as well as how crisp and perfect the air was.

Yep, the filters are so amazing , even my final healthy plate of Kahvalti for breakfast on the 22nd remains fresh in my mind. Fact is, the Turkish diet is so healthy I am convinced I shed a bit of weight despite chowing down lamb , kebabs etc etc

Yeni Cami - just chillin' outside the New Mosque

This is what I have progressed to today.

No trying to fit in as many sights as possible. That's sheer madness. No, not for me . Today, I've learnt how to waste time, yes waste it, sitting around, doing absolutely nothing but bask in the cool wind , just waiting for the sunset

Meantime, I love people watching the lovers, old folks, families, students, friends, fat pigeons lifting off ....as well as marvel at the fact of me, just being there :)

Spring flowers I want to remember in Istanbul

I want to remember the laden bed of tulips opposite the Galata Bridge

Royal yellow tulips dancing in the light breeze amongst cay 

 drinkers 

It's spring at the garden centres

The bed of tulips brighten up the otherwise cloudy day

The air was shattered by this kid here who was acting like 

quite the spoilt brat. One minute, she wanted to feed the cat , 

next she held back. It went on and on, with her screaming and in tears, but from what I've seen elsewhere ( well , at least in public ), most middle eastern moms, never hit their children. No. 

What's there to do in Fatih Park

Have a picnic or catch forty winks

Hang around or snap selfies at the Sultan Mehmet II the 

Conqueror's monument

Try not to get in the very busy , fastidious and super 

annoying roadwasher's way

Check out the Aviation Martyr's Monument

.. list of names at the bottom

Explore the pretty Fire Fighter's museum

Location : Fatih