Buried- Afterthoughts

*People with claustrophobia should avoid watching this.

Buried (a.k.a Ryan Reynolds in a coffin the full length of the movie) is way better than I imagined. Heard my sister and BIL (Brother-in-law) talk about it last weekend and decided to check it out. I was not disappointed, albeit feeling really traumatized in the end. I had to watch stand up comedy to counter that feeling.

The entire movie is literally Ryan Reynolds in a coffin. Starring about 6 other voices, a phone, a torchlight, a lighter, some lighter fuel, a glowstick and a snake that looks like a black mamba. (If you watched Kill Bill before, you'll know how deadly that is.)

Paul (Ryan Reynold, duh) wakes up in a coffin with no memory of how he got there. He has a phone with him with the language in Arabic. He tries to get help from as many agencies and departments as he can and faces a great deal of questioning and the frustration which comes with it.

Since Ryan Reynolds is the only focus in the movie, his acting is the only tool to convince the audience that this is a good movie. He nailed it. Even while watching it on my comfortable bed with 4 pillows, the movie made me sit up, because of the intensity and emotions. He was able to draw me in and join him in the struggle to escape from the coffin. I could definitely imagine the resentment of being helpless if I were to be stuck somewhere so tight. Hopefully it never happens.

If you're looking for a movie to watch this weekend. Check this out.



That's what J_Fish has to say~ Au Revoir~
P.s. Search "Buried Megashare". You're welcome.

A Quick But Sweet Getaway

Another trip to Pangkor, and I'm still in love. This is my third trip in 4 years. 

Our high school gang decided to take a trip together,

but ended up all the guys bailed, and it became a girl bonding time lol.

It took us around 4 hour to get from KL to the Waterfront Jetty, Lumut.

My friends went over from Butterworth so our meet up point was the jetty.

There's a multi-level parking building which charges RM0.60 per hour.

Ticket for the ferry to go over is RM10, 2 ways. 

Remember to keep the ticket because you'll need it coming back.

The ferry trip takes around 45 mins,

and before we reach Pangkor, there'll be one stop, don't get down!

Get off at the second stop with Jetty Pangkor written on the sign.

The taxis are pink vans which you can find right outside the jetty.

Car and bike rentals are both available too.

We took the taxi to Pankor Puteri Resort, which is actually just a simple apartment block.

It's clean and affordable.

We rented a 3 room apartment for 8 pax max,

and we got a double storey place.

Definitely worth the price!!

We rented bicycles for RM10 for 24 hours.

The ride was tiring because... hills. lol

It was fun though.

We got to see lots of magnificent sceneries, but since the youngest among us is turning 26 in 7 days,

we gave up after around 1.5 hours hahahaha.

So much for 24 hour bike rental.

Ended up almost dying when we finally reached the starting point.

That was when we chatted with the owner of the restaurant where we had lunch.

He told us where to find nice and affordable breakfast, and ikan bilis.

Even though us how to choose them and explained which are the good species. 

Since our initial plan was to ride the bike until sunset, we had nothing to do,

and Uncle Lim said his brother has a boat and brings people on snorkeling trips.

None of us were prepared to dive, so we said we'll just go "island hopping".

Spontaneous. 

Since it wasn't too expensive, we just went with it.

First (literal) stop was at Pangkor Laut.

The private island.

These chalets in the picture below costs around 2k per night.

The middle-class gang could only think what OTHER things we can spend that money on lol.

Shows the difference in standard eh?

He brought us to see some rocks that need but a little imagination to become interesting.

There were 4 turtles, a crocodile, a whale, a real mad man's residence (seen a distance away of course).

He said the man's wife left him and he became crazy and just lived on that small stretch of beach, living off scraps from the resorts nearby. =(

Kind of a sad story until uncle said the man told him not to trust women, especially pretty ones, and only pick the ones with big mouths and big ass. LOLWTF? hahahahaha

Can you see the stone "whale" above?

 He brought his son along, and they were trying to fish for squids.

Too bad the tides were too high. They didn't get any.

He said we could eat them raw. 

We didn't believe him. =X

After the boat trip we enjoyed it so much we decided to give a tip.

Trust me, that doesn't happen often. =X

Right after we got off the boat, we went for dinner.

All sticky with tangled hair and sandy feet.

 The Lim Brothers. 

The older uncle Lim is the restaurant owner which is at the corner of Pangkor Puteri.

We had lunch and dinner at his place and it was AFFORDABLE. And yummy.

For lunch we chose individual meals. 

I had Butter-Fried Mantis Shrimp Rice for RM5.

The other dishes are around that price.

For dinner we ordered 3 crabs, Butter-fried squid, Kangkung Belacan, Stir-fry lala, and tofu. Everyone was full, and it costs us less than RM20 each.

Can you imagine all that seafood for less than RM20?

The younger Uncle Lim is owner of Pangkor Holiday House.

He's the man who brought us around for our unexpected sea adventure and told us a lot of stories.

And jokes. Lots of them.

He explained a lot of fish related things to us. 

Definitely learned a lot from these 2 uncles!!!

Old uncle Lim is really good at photography and he showed us the pictures he took.

I guess with a view so good, you'll get more motivation to practice!

Young uncle Lim is a fishing enthusiast, but he insists that it's not to harm the fishes for fun.

He showed us loads of pictures of the fishes he caught, the activities he provides for his homestay, and the groups that he brought out to sea. 

It's all in his personal profile lol.

The view from the first floor of our unit this morning. 

 Such a nice trip!

First, I hadn't been on a trip with my highschool gang since after form 5.

Second, we leart a lot from these 2 uncles. It was entertaining and educational.

If you're going over, visit them and maybe you'll learn something from them too!

=)

I don't remember the name of big uncle Lim's restaurant, but it's at the end of the road of Pasir Bogak.

And here ends part 1. If you have questions about prices, leave a comment.

Part 2 is about our half day Ipoh trip (if I'm harworking).

That's what J_Fish has to say~ Au Revoir~

Will Lie For Money

I'm telling you. Don't believe everything a blogger post on social network, especially when it's praising a product/ shop.

I take advertorials, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't go to the extent of lying about the product and services that I get. I was recently given an advertorial about a certain transportation related app which is honestly speaking, useless. Although the pay was not bad, I didn't take it. I don't want to lie for the money. 

Yes, advertorials aren't only limited to blogs anymore. They've invaded your common social media platforms, i.e. Facebook and Instagram, so beware when a blogger says: A taxi ride hasn't been so nice before until I met (insert taxi hailing app). The cab driver is super friendly & kind!!

I'd like to call bullshit here. 

Scenario 1: The taxi app
Taxi apps are for convenience, yes? (Yes.) When you need a taxi, it helps you get one easier, instead of standing by the road and waiting for one to pass by without knowing if one would EVER pass by. This particular app which I was given the chance to review doesn't (always) do that. The reason? My particular area is prone to traffic jams and taxi drivers don't like to pass this place. Well fuck me. That's why I'm using this app. To GET a taxi. If I'm living in or leaving a place where taxis pass by often, why would I need to use the app in the first place? I'll just fling out my arm (and maybe thumb).

In the end, the rude, lazy taxi drivers are still the rude, lazy taxi drivers. They won't be nicer just because you use that app. The app can't take actions against them. The various taxi apps out there DO NOT own the taxi drivers. Taxi drivers own taxi drivers. The nice ones will still be nice, even if you manually hail them. 


Most of the time, bloggers want to be in the good books of brands and companies, so even when the things and services they get are not great, they would make it sound like it's heaven on earth.

I always have this impression that it's a two way street when it comes to advertorials. If you give me good results, I'll give you a good post.

Scenario 2: The Lash Extension
I went to certain lash extension shop for a review about 9 months ago, and honestly, it was terrible. 

I made an appointment at 11am. I had to stand outside and wait while the "lash artist" waltzed down the corridor and "open shop" at exactly 11am. To me, that's unacceptable. If there's an appointment at 11am, the shop should be ready for the customer by 11am, not OPEN at 11am and let the customer wait. If that's how they usually work, they might as well say the first appointment starts at 11.30am. Common sense yes? 

The shop was closed the day before my appointment, and when I (finally) got into the shop, there was an overflowing garbage pile next to the counter, which is right in front of the door. Ethics people!! It's a beauty saloon, I think cleanliness SHOULD be important. The lashes that I got were really hard and before the end of the second week I personally plucked (And CUT) all of them out because it made my eyes really itchy and uncomfortable. I didn't go back to the shop to remove them because I had to go back penang during the weekend, and the shop closes before I finish work on weekdays. And no, I will not waste my leave on this. The review post turned out very cold. I just told the process of the extension. No praises. 

Most of the other bloggers made it sound like it was THE BEST lash extension experience EVAAAA!

Sure you can always refer to blogs when you need a second opinion, but don't trust them fully. Some bloggers are sincere and honest. They give praises only when the review is honestly good. A big group of bloggers, especially female bloggers, usually praise everything. And I mean EVERYTHING that they're asked to review. Beware of those. 

Aaaaand this is why I almost never take paid advertorials. I have to say nice things about the product/ service no matter what. It's great if what I get is good! I've gotten some that are really good. But when it comes to mediocre ones, it's an internal struggle. Lying for money makes me a crook, even if it's in a blog.

That's what J_Fish has to say~ Au Revoir~
P.s. What happened to sincere people who actually mean when they give out praises? I don't praise a lot, but when it does happen, it's real.

Pitchforks for a cert

The news is that University Malaya (UM) will be issuing e-certificates, and those who prefer to have that AND the conventional print-out degree would have to pay RM50.

Honestly, I don't see a problem with that. 

Among many, the argument include:

1. I've been studying so hard to graduate and all I'm getting is just an e-scroll?

-No. You've been studying so hard to graduate and you can get the scroll if you PAY for it. And, you've been studying to graduate, not just to get a print-out scroll. An e-scroll works just the same. 

2. I just want a piece to bring away after I leave UM.

-PAY for it.

3. What? Just an e-scroll? Please think about my parents' feelings.

-Urm... The graduation ceremony will still go on. The "scroll" which we receive during that is just an empty casing. No need to be all dramatic and bring in your parents' feelings. Also, fact check before you whine.

4. UM is bloodsucking.

-Yes. (No argument there, but we DID pay very little compared to private unis. So there's that.) 

My point is, if it really means that much to you, paying RM50 for it is close to nothing.

Dear all, getting your scroll/ degree probably is the most significant thing ever for your uni life, but trust me, after you start working, you won't even see the piece of paper any more, unless you decide to frame it up. Mine is lying in the "Interview Folder" with all my other certificates which is now figuratively covered in dust. It's in a box on top of my cupboard. If I stamped all my things, it would have the "not important but I might need it some day" stamp.

If it means that much, pay for it. You'll earn the money back in approximately 2 days when you start working.

That's what J_Fish has to say~ Au Revoir~

Like... a horror movie

"Sorry, we're already closed"
"But the website says you close at 9pm." I said under my breath. Thanks for the wrong info, random blog owner. (The time has been changed to 5.30pm last admission FYI). I was disappointed that I drove all the way along the winding coastline of Penang, until the end just to visit the Toy Museum and it was already closed.

The owner was cleaning the lawn when I drove in with Yat the co-pilot. He looked confused and I understood too little too late.

Fine. Time to head home.

I remembered dad once drove "the other way" back to the Georgetown part of the island when I was a kid, instead of all the way back where we came from. It was nearly nightfall, and a drive along the coastline just to see the sun set sounded like a good idea. In my head. Since I drove all the way here, I decided to take matter into my own hands, and have a new adventure. I decided to take... the road less traveled. Literally.

We passed by the Penang Escape Theme Park, a few kampung houses, and down the winding road just a little... too much. The further we went, the darker it became, and the deeper into the hills we ventured, until there was no signs of civilization other than the mortar roads we drove on. It was as though we drove into a different world as night crawled in.

The winding road went from 2 lanes to just 1 lane at a few hairpin curves. There were a few times we had to honk before taking the curve because we couldn't see what was coming at us. That was how bent the road was. After too many ghost stories, honking in the woods is a very good idea if you want to attract "attention". But it had to be done, or else it would be too dangerous.

It didn't take long before everything went completely dark, and the only light to shine us towards a peace of mind was the headlights of my baby car. The radio which was playing songs one moment ago just had sputters of music and voices, and then there was just that static noise left. Kshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. I switched it off.

Having Yat by my side made this whole thing less scary, but scary nonetheless. The entire way we saw less than 5 cars in total behind us or from the opposite lane. The longer I drove, the creepier it felt. I don't remember dad taking so long to reach the other side. But there was only one road, so I'm not lost......?

We turned to our trusted phones for affirmation. Both our phone batteries were dying, and like all those horror movies where the girl makes a stupid decision and drags the guy right into the arms of serial killers, or worse, ghosts, there was no signal on either phones. So cliche. There was only one road, so all I can do was to drive on and see if we die in the hills after being hacked to death by a maniac.

As we were heading downwards on the hill, Yat suggested that I changed to second gear so that I didn't have to abuse the breaks. I took his advice and moved my gear, but instead of moving it 2 times down, I moved it upwards, throwing the gears into reverse, and BAM, the engine died. The second the engine died, the breaks followed.

Imagine going down hill on a very curvy road, with no breaks) P.A.N.I.C! Yat took hold of my steering wheel from his side. He turned it to avoid plunging down the crevice in the hills to our deaths, but of course the steering wheel didn't respond. I hit the breaks as hard as I can, but it was as if the hydraulics were gone. I kept stepping on the break pedal and eventually, the car stopped. I tried to restart my car. It gave a very weak whirrrrrr-rrrr. I turned the key to give it a rest. Another try, and the whirrrr was louder, but still no. It wasn't alive. One more try, holding on longer this time, it whirrrrred a little, and the engine was alive again!!!

After letting it warm up a little, I continued driving. This time, more cautious, and MY way. It still took a long, long drive to finally see some kampung houses, and then a mosque, and finally motorbikes. It was such a relief. I continued driving at a steady pace and everything was fine. We finally got signals on our phones and navigated our way towards the Penang Bridge. Half way there I realize that both my car and I were running on fumes. The further we drove on, the more houses we saw, and the more cars appeared too. I missed a turning even with the help of WAZE (story of my driving life), and eventually found a petrol station with McD. All 3 of us were refilled. And finally, I made it out. Thus, a chance to read this story.

I made a mental note to write this down, but procrastinated so much, you're reading about it half a year later. =X The mind played a very big role. It reminded me of all the horror stories and movies that I've read and heard and watched while we were "stuck" in the hills. It was seriously like a very cliched horror movie without any ghosts or serial killers. But #truestory bro.

That's what J_fish has to say~ Au Revoir~
p.s. Sorry for the anti-climax. If there was a climax, you wouldn't get to read this. =X