Turtle Laying Eggs at Redang

I went into Redang a few days back. I had to go in on official work. We went to check out the renovation that has been going on with the resort, as well as understand more on how the operations run on the island.

Although I was supposed to be there for work, it was quite a relaxing 3D/2N I was there. I had to setup up their broadband as well as WIFI. I too had to capture photos, and update their website with new photos.

On the 3rd day, at about 5:45AM, uncle woke me up. He pointed from balcony at a little object that seems to be moving across the sand. At that time, it was really dark, way before dawn, but I could make out what it was... A turtle!!!

So we rushed down to get a closer look. Since we didn't want to startle it, we just quietly follow the turtle. I wasn't too sure what she was doing, but hoping to see her lay some eggs :)

Anyway after following the turtle for close to 2 hours plus, she finally settled on a spot to lay her eggs. This was after like loads of people following the poor turtle and blinding her with their bright flash from the cameras. Did you know, every 3-5 steps, the turtle had to stop to catch her breath. I estimated that she came to shore at about 3-4AM and was in search for her spot to lay her eggs since then.

After digging and laying her eggs for almost an hour, she was done. She had laid about 120 eggs this trip. The eggs were carefully collected before she covered up the giant hole she had dug. It was kept by a resort for safe keeping before handing it over to the Marine Park personnel.

Did you know that, many curious people actually eat these turtle eggs? It is like a consider local delicacy...

Anyway I would like to take this opportunity to tell everyone to Say “NO!” to turtle and terrapin eggs. The cause has been started by Prof Chan, a world renowned turtle researcher and conservationist. You can read about her cause here. Why don't you just head straight here to sign her petition and say "NO" to turtle eggs.

OK, back to my turtle event. So the turtle had laid her eggs and was getting ready to head back. She spent close to 20 minutes trying to cover where she had laid her eggs. When she was done, she headed straight to the sea. It was a slow long and tedious walk back. Every couple of steps, the turtle would stop, to catch her breath before moving again.

By about 8:45 the turtle had reached the water and was on her way back to her natural habitat, the sea! Once she reached the shore line, you could see this once, slow and clumsy turtle move swiftly in the water.

Hope to see you again, Ms Turtle!!

Where in the World is Eric Tan?

It has been about 3 weeks since I relocated to this small east coast town, KT... Kuala Terengganu. I have decided to follow my Darling back to her home town to help run their family owned business.

They run a resort at Redang Island, called Redang Pelangi Resort. Click here for more details.

So, my job includes doing everything in the office from reservation, logistics, purchasing to any and everything possible. I am suppose to learn how to select and purchase fresh fishes from the market.

Anyway, more about my job later....

To those who has never been to this small town...

• Terengganu is situated in East Coast of West Malaysia.
• Takes about 5.5-6 hours by Car from KL. Takes about 1 hour by Plane from KL
• Famous for their Oil Ridges off the Coast of Malaysia.
• Famous for Turtle laying eggs on the beach ...used to be famous... anyone read in the papers they sighted a turtle recently? No? ... :(
• Famous for Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian
• Friday is their day off (like our Sunday)

China (25 - 27 Oct) - Part 2

Alright, this is my 4 day overseas. Spent 4 days in HK, and now to Guong Zhou for another fair. When we first arrived at one corner of the convention center, I took the photo above. It looks pretty harmless from the side.



As we walked passed it from the outside, I could see that it had very high ceiling. And all every side of the convention center was glass. As if it was a giant aquariam!! If I remember correction, it has 4 floors for every hall.

Ok, so after registration, we headed in. It had metal detectors and x-ray machines. Same rules applied here, no water or liquid into the building. The queue was long, and we spent at least 10 mins waiting to get in.

After we got in, we got our directory map and headed to visit our existing supplier.... Then is when I realised how big the place is.... Forget what I told you about the HK fair. This is anohter class of its own!!



This photo was taken on the mid point of the first two hall I was at. I just walked through Hall A. The half was Hall B. The photo above showed Hall C, which was across the street.



Yes Hall C, is not small. It's huge!! But wait till I show you the pictures of Hall A!! As you can see from both the photos, Hall C has got 3 sections!



The photo above shows Hall B, which consist of another 3 sections. And trust me, it really looks as big as you think it is!



Alright, this is the main section, Hall A, which consist of 5 sections. Yes combining Hall A, B and C, it is seriously a big area. Can't remember the floor area of the convention center, but when I do find out, I will let you guys know.

Just imagine spending 2 whole days here, walking through every aisle, looking at every company that had something to exhibit. You know what?... while I was there, we didn't even walkthrough 30% of the area. We had just visited the companies that were related to what we sold. And that took up the 2 whole days I was there.

This is a photo of the Car Park, where our bus was waiting for us. Yes it looks more like a bus station, like the one we had in Pudu!! But this is only 1 of the many Car Park!! Just imagine how many people were visiting the week long event?!!


A close up of one of the section.

Did you know while we were at this Expo, there was another one running just next to the Convention hall we were at. Yes, there is another buidling next to Hall C, which had another expo running. It showcased different companies and different items, but hell, there was so many expos running at the same time, in the same area.

I was overwhelmed. The place is huge. There were thousands of companies showcasing their products. Most of these companies only targets US/European customers as I noticed non of their items would be suitable for the Asian market. Then again, with the ever strong USD and Euros, who wouldn't want to target them?

Dude Carries 22 Bricks on his head...

How To Stack 20 Bricks on Your Head

You have to check out the movie clip. This dude carried 22 bricked on his head.... Amazing but true...

Hong Kong (20 - 24 Oct) - Part 1

I woke up extra early today. Had to reach Sentral before 7am to check in, before catching the KLIA express to the airport. First time checking in from Sentral Station. The queue was short, and it was quick. Right after the check in, we caught the KLIA express to KLIA airport. The ride was smooth and quick all the way to the airport! Duhhh... its a train, of coure there isn't any traffic.

Once we arrived at KLIA, it we didn't need to check in anymore, so we were free to roam around the airport. As usual, I took out my Laptop to serve the net. In KLIA, free WIFI is provided throughout the airport.

The flight to HK wasn't that long, just a little over 4 hours. Did you know that, this is the first time I flew out SEA since I got back from Australia 3.5 years ago? The food as usual, wasn't fantastic, come on, it is the airline food. But as a consolation prize, they gave me a Mini Magnum Ice cream!! Haha, like a little boy, I had my ice cream!

OK, we got to HK. First time to the new Airport. It was BIG... really big... We caught the train from the Airport directly into the City. The ride was sweet, having a look at the country side. HK is a port city, seeing their port on the way to the city really showed the SIZED of their Ports. HUGE.... really big, with like endless Containers being moved about.

The 2nd and 3rd day was spent at the Mega Show Part 1. It is held at the HK Convention & Exhibition Centre. It was a huge expo, with people coming from all over the world to see and source for suppliers. We have suppliers from China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries.

There are so many things to see that, if you were to collect a phamplet from each booth, you would probably need a fork lift to carry all the stuff you get. Far out, there are so many suppliers that they had to break the expo into TWO parts!! It is broken up by category, so I won't be attending Part 2, which happens next week.

My boss told me that, the expo is not as full as it used to be. Looks like times are really heading to tougher times... All we did over the 2 days is to visit all her current suppliers. Spend most of our times, building relationship with the suppliers. Some of these people, we have been dealing for over 10 years.

Did you know that, things purchased at HUGE quantity are really cheap? Some of the items were quoted in CENTS... cents!!!! I saw so many interesting things that, I wouldn't dare to list them here. But, if you really wanted to start a retail business, visiting one of these expos will give you heap of ideas what to open.

I have seen so many designer clocks and mirrors that, I reckon I could open just a shop selling solely Wall Clocks or Mirrors!! Anyone wants to open one with me?

Redang Trip over Raya Holidays

It is the Raya Holidays, 1 Oct 2008. We decided to visit Redang one last time before the Resort closes for the monsoon season. We had a convoy of people on this road trip. We decided to head off, on the eve of Raya, making the 6.5 hours. Traffic was decent. It was an all nighter. I as the Navigator couldn't keep my eyes opened an hour into the drive, and had to be demoted to the back, where I could get some beauty sleep. Fortunately the traffic was good, and by about 6am we were at Kuala Terengganu.

Soon we headed into the island on the speed boat. Due to the fact that most of us didn't have any good sleep the night before, most of us headed to sleep once we arrived.

Later that afternoon, I managed to join the divers for a shore dive. It was a simple dive round the corner. Lucky me as I did manage to see a Sea Turtle on this dive. Of course the were many other cool fishes, but to me, all of them look the same.... fishes... fishes... fishes...

As the night approached, it was the usual routine. Alcohol, party, karaoke, party, disco and party. Tonight was no exception. I guess, no words can describe what we were up to, but to invite those who want to experience it for themselves to join us on our next trip! Mind you, I think they finished 6 bottles of alcohol that night!

On Thursday, I manage to do a Boat Dive. As I was not a certified diver, I had to tag along with Ah Shir, my diving instructor. My 2nd boat dive was much better than the previous one I had on my last trip. I was more confident and was able to enjoy the dive more. There were some photos and videos of this dive, but I am unable to post them here today. Maybe shortly, you'll be able to see them on youTube (hopefully).

On Friday, I visited the Marine Park for a snorkeling session. It was my time to the Marine Park, and I highly recommend it for all non divers. It is beautiful and filled with fishes. I was a little upset with the condition of the corals around the area, with most of it damaged due to humans kicking on them while snorkeling.

The photo above is the only decent photo that I managed to capture while I was snorkeling around the Marine Park. Most of the other photos had the fishes back to me, showing their tails, not to mentioned being too far away from the camera. The photo above was captured with the fishes being really closed to me, as if they were smiling and posing for the shot!

We also managed to see some newborn turtles while we were at the Marine park. Redang has some reserved lands, and also a turtle sanctuary. Did you know that the gender of the turtles are determined by the temperature of the surroundings? Fact of Fiction?



Some of the usual suspects on my trip to Redang. As usual, every night it was an adventure. With alcohol in the mix, and no cars to drive home, everybody could intoxicate themselves and not feel guilty about it. Come to think of it, most of them can't remember how they got (walked) home! :p

The following are some amateur photos captured by Elaine while diving. It gives us an insight to what is available in the sea, and why we should preserve our environment. The photos looks extra blue, due to all the red light wave being absorbed by the water.





To those who have never dived, I would recommend that you attend a Discovery Dive course. You'll not regret it... I have NOT!!!

Jolly Wolf by Nici

If you asked me to choose one soft toy from Nici that represents me, I would say that it would be Jolly Wolf! This little bugger is the cutest in the Jolly series if you asked me. The one that you are seeing in the photo was specially purchase for one of our Nici fan. My boss had to search for it from Nici Hong Kong and hand carry it back.


So yes, this is probably the only one available in Malaysia. It is way cool, a WOLF in Sheeps clothing.... wah.... tell me another character that would better describe me... hahaha... The little Wolf is so cute, specially with its big wolf ears and big bushy tail...


If you want to collect any soft toys from Nici, I would recommend you get started with the Jolly series. To date, it has over 9 collection that have been produced and sold. That is alot of collections if you asked me. There were a few that can't be found anymore, like the one you see above, but it is the sheep wearing a pullover... that is equally cute. Very rare and hard to find, since it is NO longer produced... thinking about it, maybe I should go and search for one!! Can still be found in our Nici shop... hahaha



PS: This is the dude that bought the Jolly Wolf. Check out his Jolly Mäh collection here.

Lifesized Ferrari F1 built from Lego @ 1 Utama

This will be a short post. Just wanted you guys to see the life size F1 car that they built out of Lego pieces. It is really cool. I came across this many months ago, and just downloaded the photos from my phone, thus the late post. I really thought it was cool, specially looking at the actual Lego set that it was based on (photo below).

Lego F1 Ferrari 8386 Set

It is a really cool display if you asked me. But it ain't easy building it. Took 14 people and 800 hours to build it... OMG, what were they thinking??!! Not to mentioned the 146k pieces required....

Ramly Burger @ Tari Cafe, Penang

How many of you have NEVER had a Ramly Burger before? I guess NOT many right? How many of you would say that the Ramly Burger is better than Burger King or McDonalds?

Well this post is dedicated to those who had never had a Ramly Burger before!

Ramly Burger is actually a Malaysian brand. It is a brand that makes burger patties. Normally you can locate a Ramly Burger stall outside 7-11 shops all around KL. These stalls normally start work in the evening and work till like 1am in the morning, targeting people who visits the 7-11 to buy cigarettes or drinks late at night.

Pictured above are the buns and burger patty being cooked on a hot plate. I would like to say that, no 2 burger stall cooks it the same way. Some would add some L & P sauce, while others would put some Maggi Seasoning sauce.

Picture above we can see the burger buns being prepared. Some add BBQ sauce, while some would add mayo. Some put lettuce, while some put cabbage. There is not ONE correct way of cooking, thus making all the different stalls different. Of course, some are better than others, but generally, all of them are unique yet interesting.

Here we have the finished Ramly Burger . We had ordered the special which comes with an egg wrapped around the burger patty. Normally eating the burger is NOT an easy task. Loads of sauce, or very would be oozing out of every possible corner... :p

Pictured here is the Hot Dog special. As you can see, it is a mouth full. You can even see the Egg wrapped around the sausage.

If you have NEVER had a Ramly Burger , please head to a 7-11 tonight and purchase your first Ramly Burger . You'll never regret trying it. And to answer the first few question above, yes I reckon the Ramly Burger beats any McDonalds burger!



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Company Trip: The Treasure Hunt @ Redang (Answers)

If you guys, have NOT read my first post about the Treasure Hunt, please read it first, before reading the answer. The first post can be found here.

When I designed the Treasure Hunt, I wanted them to do a little exploration of the Redang beach that we were staying on. They needed to walk around to find the answers. So to ensure that they had to travel to the furthers resort from where they were staying, I forced them to visit Redang Reef Resort (Question 1) and to obtain a Flyer.

And to ensure that, not only 1 person was running around taking photos, I made them take some GROUP photos, where all members were required to be in there (Question 8, 9, 10). This actually forced everyone to participate.

And for the bonus Question 10, I had to force them to RUN back to the start point, if they wanted to obtain the bonus points. Only one team, manage to get points for Question 10. And in the end, they were also the winning team. I guess their strategy to run back for the Bonus 20 points were all worth the efford.

Overall the Treasure Hunt was a success. Everyone participate in it. Everybody had great fun running around locating the answers. When I say everyone, it includes even the Boss, who was forced to run along with her team members! Of the 5 teams that participated, everyteam was very spotting and manage to get at least 8 of the 10 questions correct. Not too hard if you asked me, but the key was getting it done quickly!!


The following are the answers for the Treasure Hunt.

1. Business Card/Flyer/Brochure from Redang Reef Resort (10 Points)
   *To be uploaded soon*
   
2. Photo of the Ramly Burger Stand (10 Points)
   
3. Photos of Walls Ice Cream Fridge AND Nestle Ice Cream Fridge (10 Points)
4. Photo of the Batik Shop (10 Points)
   
5. Photo of the Banner "International Year of Reef 2008" (10 Points)
   
6. Photo of PADI logo OR SDI logo (10 Points)
   
   
7. Photos of BOTH Tattoo Shop (10 Points)
   
8. Group photo at "Laguna Redang Resort" sign board (10 Points)
   
9. Group photo outside "More More Tea Inn" (20 Points)
   
10. Group photo at Redang Pelangi Canteen @ 6:20 time. Photo of clock too!! (20 Points)