View from Gorny Vosdukh

What the?: View from the peak of Gorny Vosdukh

Where?: Yuzhno Sakhalinsk

When?: Oct 2008

Located very near Yuzhno city (on the east side), is a ski hill called Gorny Vosdukh. You can grab a cable car ride for 100 rubbles to the peak for a great view of the city. The cable car usually opens only after 12pm and is subject to wind conditions. Here are some pics from the hill.

Cable cars arriving at the peak station.

View from the other side of the hill. In the background is the hilly terrain east of Yuzhno city.

One of the ski slopes.

A stone to mark the peak of the hill. Not really sure what is says...

Yuzhno city in the daytime.

Yuzhno city at night

Salmon Fishing

What the?: Salmon fishing

Where?: Yuzhno Sakhalinsk

When?: Sept 2008

I think Salmon is probably the easiest fish to catch in the world! Barely 5 minutes after casting your hook or net, your are bound to catch one. Its no small size fish either, its a big one. All this happens of course during Salmon season. The time of the year where they swim upstream to lay eggs and then hang around just long enough for humans or bears to pick them up! Hehe...

Shallow river where the salmons congregate.

Even at sea, they just carelessly swim into carefully placed nets.

Look at the size of that fish!

First weekend in Yuzhno!

What the?: First weekend around Yuzhno city

Where : Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia

When: September 2008

The first weekend in Yuzhno, it was definitely time to do what most tourists would do, visit the "tourisy" sites such as the museum or parks. That's just exactly what happened. It was a beautiful bright and cool autumn day. It was about 15 degrees and filled with a gentle cool breeze. First up, was a visit to Yuzhno's famous musuem pictured above.

One of Yuzhno's inhabitants, the grizzly bear. Picture here on display at the museum. You would not want to be uplose with one especially in this position!

Next to the museum was a display of russian war vehicles. There was a stripped down MIG and some armoured units like the BMP1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMP_1) shown above.

Famous christian orthordox church in Yuzhno. Situated close to Gagarin Park.

Local shopping center, Dom Turguvli situated not far from the museum, right in the center of Yuzhno city.

The best way to finish up your day, is a walk in Gagarin Park and enjoy a dish of Shashlik (Pork barbequed kebab). Not forgetting to wash down with a cool russian beer of course! Pictured here, a 500ml bottle of Baltika 7.

Transiting Japan

What the? : Transiting Japan, on the way to russia
Where: Narita, Tokyo, Japan
When: September 2008


One of the way to get to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia is through Narita Airport in Tokyo. The journey starts with an 8 hour flight from KLIA to Narita. After that, a 2 hour charter flight on Vladisvostok Air from Narita to Yuzhno.

As usual, captured some pictures while descending to Narita. The flight was a pleasant experience, pleasant because of MH business class!


The business class seat onboard Boeing 777 is really nice especially when the seat can fully recline. This makes catching some sleep on an overnight flight possible. It also has a back massager which helps relax the back muscles.



Narita is a fully modern and equipped airport. Make sure to visit the information booth soon after passing customs to get the english map guide of terminal 1 and 2. Depending on your flight, you may need to switch terminals which can be easily done via a shuttle bus. A charter flight might not always be on the flights display in the airport. Best to check with the friendly staff at the information counter to know where to catch the bus and your flight.

The charter flight from VA is usually situated at the other end of Narita airport. After going past the boarding gate, passengers are gathered into a bus to be driven to the other side. Passengers typically makes up of travelling expats in the oil industry. Hardly any tourist heads to Yuzhno especially on a charter flight! I boarded a Tupolev 154 tri-engined plane which looked like a cold war relic! I couldn't snap any photos of it due to security concerns, but it looks really old to me. Paint were stripping of from the plane's body and I had doubts if the plane would fly! The russian aircrew appeared confident and that was somewhat reassurring as we boarded the plane and prepared for take off. I heared a better route with much better planes would be to take Asiana via Seoul. That would take a little longer, 3 hours flight to be exact. But, i think it would be a much better experience flying in a much more modern and comfortable Boeing 737. I will definitely opt for that if I ever go to Yuzhno again!

Merdeka in Melbourne

What the?: Merdeka Day celebrations in Melbourne

Where: Federation Square, Melbourne CBD

When: August 31st 2008

The student association in Melbourne jointly organised the Merdeka Day celebrations (Malaysian Independence) at Federation Square in Melbourne city. It was a colorful event which happened on the last cold day of winter. Lots of Malaysians showed up to show their support. There were dances and performances throughout the day. Some stalls were also setup to sell Malaysian merchandise and even movies/CDs. Students from all over showed up with some dressed in traditional ware. Malaysia Boleh!

Regarding Evolution IX

What the?: Mitsubishi Evolution IX test drive
Where: Melbourne
When: July 2008

The E9 proved to be a formidable sports sedan car for the Australian market. If you have about AUD 40K to spare, you can land yourself one of these babies, second hand. I feel that they are a tad pricey brand new, almost AUD 57K. So can't go wrong getting a good conditioned used E9. Especially with the Evo X priced at AUD70k on the road, I think spending less to get EVO performance is a good idea. Plus you avoid luxury car tax too! :)

This Evo incarnation boasts a new Mivec Turbo 4G63 engine, alluminium hood and roof and all the gizmos (ACD, S-AYC) from the E8. I feel the Australian delivered models are tonned down, you don't get the explosive kick you expect from the legendary 4G63. An exhaust and air filter mod will quickly remedy that problem :) Personally I would go for the E8 which has many of the E9's gadgets and even more cheaper these days. A JDM import with 6 sp manual would be a good start! Hehe...

Flight Experience

What the?: Experience being an airline pilot

When: August 2008

Where: Melbourne CBD

Too expansive to hire a real flight simulator? Playing simulator on your PC just doesn't excite you anymore? Head on down to the Flight Experience at QV in Melbourne CBD to get a close to real-life experience of piloting the latest 737-800 series.

You can pick several airports to take off and land from. The famous must try airport is the Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong. Quite a crazy approach to the airport and it really takes some skill to land there! The session typically lasts about an hour and includes a recorded DVD of your flight.

Winter in Melbourne

What the?: Freezing your bum off in winter
Where: Melbourne, Victoria
When: July 2008




Ok, today officially marked the lowest temperature I've seen on my car's ambient temp reader. A teeny 2 degree celcius! Hmmm, got a feeling it may touch zero any time soon which could be dangerous on the road with black ice. Brrrrrr...

Hoegaarden!

Wat the?: Tried Belgium wit beer!
Where: The Local/Belgium Beer Cafe/Terminus, Melbourne
When: Every now and then...

If you are in the mood to try foreign beers, let me recommend you the Belgian Wit beer Hoegaarden. Its not bitter and it tastes really smooth and nice. What's even cuter is that you can order in a large glass (500ml) and it dwarfs all other beer glasses in the bar! Heheh... In a bottle, it still tastes ok but you got to get the ones on tap. Another beer to try is the Edinberg German beer found in The Local pub. Really smooth, what all beers should be! Cheers!

Oh ya, just incase you are wondering how big the 500ml glass is, check out the picture above. It is compared to my colleague's handphone and a regular "pot" glass you get for local beers.

Rally Drive

What the?: 3 hot laps in a rally car

When: July 2008

Where: Bacchus Marsh, Victoria

Got a sponsored event to seat pillion in a rally car while being driven sideways by a pro. The car was a stripped out WRX Sti with 4 baldy tyres to make the car drift ever so easily on the dirt. You can also pay to drive real rally cars around the track 6 times. The cars however are non-turbo, a Mitsubishi Magna VRX and a Subaru Impreza. The track itself doesnt allow you to go very fast as it has traffic cones to simulate rally turns and obstacles. At the end of the rally, you get a certificate with your name on it!

Whale of a time in Warrnambool

What the?: Whale watching
When: June 2008
Where: Warrnambool, Victoria





In winter, the whale season comes to Victoria. One of the best places to catch a glimpse of the Southern Right Whale, is in Warrnambool. Located about 3hours (driving) from Melbourne city, it sits right at the end of the Great Ocean Road. There is a whale watching platform where people can stand to view the whales. The amazing thing about these whales is that they come so close to the shore! You can actually swim out to greet them. As I heard, surfers has done so on many ocassions.


The whale, one called "Wilma" will visit these shores year after year. Often seen with a young pup, she comes here because of the so called "warmer waters"...hehe. This area of beach is also known as the nursing home for the whales. They swim soooo slow, Captain Ahab will have a field day here...hehe...

Taking a pee with a view

What the?: Relieving one's self on the 35th floor

When: June 2008

Where: Cafe La, Sofitel Melbourne.

During my second visit to Cafe La for breakfast, I took the opportunity to test out the washroom where some say makes those with heights phobia to run back out the washroom! It soon became clear that was caused by the huge piece of glass window stretching from floor to ceiling of the washroom. What a magnificent idea actually..hehe A pee with a view... Just dont get too excited and turn to look at the view when you have not finish your "business" yet!!

Indo mee Jakarta special anyone?

Wat the?: Interesting instant noodles flavour

When: June 2008

Where: Indo food mart, Glenferrie Road.

I was shopping for some good-ol asian supplies and came accross this rather interesting instant noodle flavour at the asian grocer. While its common to hear of oxtail soup or flavour, it was not really common to hear the translation in Bahasa. In Bahasa Malaysia, Sop Buntut will litterally mean "Butt" or "Buttock" Soup!! What it should have said was, "Sop Ekor" or "Tail Soup" which I think fits the bill here! Oh well...

Lancer 2008 VRX

What the?: Driving the Lancer 2008 VRX

Where: Somewhere in Melbourne

When: May 2008

The keyless entry "keys" or transponder.

I got a chance to drive the manual VRX on loan when I sent my lancer for service. First impressions are good, starting with the keyless entry. You just need to put the keys (transponder rather) in your pocket, walk up to the car and put your hands under the door lever. The doors will unlock automatically...hehe Its like the car knows the owner is near!

Steering wheel with bluetooth hands free system.

5 Speed manual gear shift

Rockford Fosgate sound system.

More bucket like seats, wraps more around you.

Anyways, the 5 speed manual drives rather well. Its grips the road tight with tuned suspensions and wider 18" Yokohama Advan rubbers. I like the suspension setup because its tight around the corners and very precise. On the downside, its gets rather bumpy caused by the stiffer suspensions.

18" rims with Yokohama Advan rubbers. Wonder how much it cost to replace?

Accelaration is OK even with the 18"...but i think it will fly with a turbo :) Can't wait to test drive the Evo X one day..hehe. Gosh i miss driving a manual car, time to work on getting a manual big turbo as a weekend car...hmmmm Very tempting.

Dinner at Ezard!

Wat the?: Fine dining
Where: Ezard, 187 Flinders Ln, Melbourne CBD (below Adelphi hotel)
When: May 2008

The Oyster Shooter! Slurp up the oyster in 1 gulp! :)

Sashimi!

5-star Wahyu Beef steak..oh man you got taste this once in your life!

Comes highly recommended by my project manager and I in return recommend it as well! Go for the 8 course tasting menu, it will not dissappoint you. The staff will explain each meal and also how best to enjoy it. Great service and food. Well worth the price you pay. Do forgive the poor imagery from the mobile phone..hehe.

Big OZ Breakky!

Wat the?: Breakfast OZ style

Where: Rathdowne Street Food Store, 617 Rathdowne St, Carlton North 3054

When: May 2008

Hot Chocolate with marshmallows (thats your sugar :))

Sausage, Sauteed mushrooms, poached eggs, spinach, hashbrowns with toasts

If you are looking to feed yourself with a fantastic OZ style brekky, try the breakfast menu at this place! They got it all, sausages, bacons, sauteed mushrooms, poached/scrambled eggs, toast....ooohhh yea! Wash it down with your favourite latte or hot chocolate. Promise you won't be hungry until dinner!