My wish are launched

On a beautiful full moon night,
My wish are launched to fight
With all the stars that shine so bright,
I hope my wish will grab your sight.

Chap Goh Mei
Feb 27, 2010

The legend of Bandung

I found this legend of Bandung in a tourism site, definitely add the colour and mystic to this beautiful city.

In the kingdom of Priangan Land, lived a happy family, a father in form of dog (Tumang), a mother (Dayang Sumbi), and a child call Sangkuriang. One day, Dayang Sumbi asked her son to go hunting as she wanted some deer liver or venison. So Sangkuriang went hunting with Tumang. After hunting all day empty-handed, Sangkuriang began to worried and finally decided to kill the dog, took its liver liver or flesh and bring them home for Dayang Sumbi. Dayang Sumbi later found out that Sangkuriang lied to her. She knew Sangkuriang had killed Tumang. So, she got angry and hit Sangkuriang head. Sangkuriang got wounded and ran away from their home. Years passed, Sangkuriang had travel many places and one day, he arrived at a village which used to be his home. He met a beautiful woman whom actually is his mother and felt in love with her. Their love grew naturally and one day, when they were discussing their wedding plans, Dayang Sumbi suddenly realised that the profile of Sangkuriang's head matched that of her only son's who had left twenty years earlier. How could she marry her own son? But she did not wish to dissappoint him by canceling the wedding. So, although she agreed to marry Sangkuriang, she would do so only on the condition that he provide her with a lake and a boat with which they could sail on the dawn of their wedding day. Sangkuriang accepted this condition and built a lake by damming the Citarum river. With the dawn just moment away and the boat almost complete, Dayang Sumbi realised that Sangkuriang could fulfill the condition she had set. With a wave of her supernatural shawl, she lit up the eastern horizon with flashes of light. Deceived by false dawn, the cock crowed and farmers rose for the new day. With his work not yet complete, Sangkuriang realised that his endeavor were lost. With all his anger, he kicked the boat that he himself had built. The boat fell over and, in so doing become the mountain TANGKUBAN PARAHU (in Sundanese, TANGKUBAN means upturned or upside down, and PARAHU means boat). With the dam torn asunder, the water drained from the lake becoming a wide plain and has now became a city called BANDUNG (from the word BENDUNG, which means Dam).

Far fetched story? That's why they called it legend right? Anyway, coming back to Gunung Tangkuban Parahu, after we left there, we stop by a nice hot spring resort called 'Ciater Hot Spring', which is still located in the Lembang district. As we have no idea that we're going there, we're obviously not dressed to enjoy the hot spring. Boon just fold his pants to soak his tired feet from the volcano hiking. I reckon you can spend half a day to one day here but we only stopped for 30 mins or so. What a waste!

So, anyway in short if you asked me, I'll recommend to spend at least 3 days here.

Location: Bandung, Indonesia

Date of travel : Aug 2007

I walked into an active volcano!

I took a short video of my experience being in the middle of an active volcano in Bandung, Indonesia.

Definitely not something to be missed!



Location: Bandung, Indonesia.

Next, The legend of Bandung

Gunung Tangkuban Parahu

The next day, we sort of have a day off to call ourselves tourist in Bandung. Pak Afie has got to be the most hospitable and kind person in Bandung. He actually took the day off to bring us to Lembang, about 30 mins from Bandung town.

First stop is a farm that offers variety of drinks from fresh milk, and I mean FRESH FROM THE COW. You can practically milk the cow on the spot. Erhhh, we didn’t in case we hurt the cow or something. Hehehe! They then mix it with chocolate or strawberry or whatever you want. OK, we tried and didn’t get diarhrea the next day. Miracle! The last time I was in Jakarta, I was so down with diarrhea I took a whole strip of lomotil.

From the cow farm, we head to Gunung Tangkuban Parahu, a named given due to the shape of the mountain that looks like a capsized boat as explained by Pak Afie on the drive up. The drive up the summit took another 45 minutes and I still have no idea what it is until we reach there. It’s an active volcano!!!

Picture from the summit

Can you see the steam gushing out?

In order to walk into the crater, we have to hike about 1 hour from the summit. If you know how much I have always wanted to walk to a volcano, you’ll know why I still insist I will hike down the crater even with my high heel shoes on. The last time I thought I could do so was in Bali at the Mt Kintamani but alas, it was just a stop like miles away from the actual volcano.

So I brace myself through the 1 hour hike in my high heels down. Anyway, it was worth it.

The view on the way down is just absolutely beautiful. Before I knew it, 1 hour has passed and I am standing right in the crater of an active volcano!

Look at my high heels!

So, my heels are intact and it was worth it cause it has always been that one thing I wanted to do. Everywhere steam was gushing out of the stones. I feel like I’m in the middle of a National Geographic scene!

We bought some eggs from a stall and cooked them in the volcano pond. Not that we’re going to eat it, its just want they let visitors do.

We couldn’t stay there for very long as the sulphur fumes are apparently poisoning. So, we head back to one of the nearer exit while Pak Afie’s driver fetch us from there. Ahhhhh … very unforgettable place.

Location : Bandung, Indonesia

Next, I walked into an active volcano

Surprising Bandung

If you have run out of place to visit or just wanted to have a short break over a weekend for say a 3D/2N stay, try Bandung, Indonesia. Frankly I never thought about visiting Bandung as a holiday destination in the first place. It was really a tag-along trip with Boon who is meeting with his customer for business. I always dream about wanting to be the wife that goes around shopping while my hubby is making money ... a really nice feeling, trust me!


Anyway, Bandung is located in Java island. You can travel by road from Jakarta which will take you about 60 - 90 minutes. Now though, we can now fly directly to Bandung from Kuala Lumpur, thanks to Air Asia. We arrived at Bandung airport at almost noon. Boon’s customer picked us up at the airport and bring us to have lunch in one of the famous local restaurant in the town. We stroll along the street in the main town and find arrays of kuih muih that suits anyone’s taste bud, from salty to sweet.


That night, Pak Afie has been so kind to have brought us to a restaurant called ‘The Valley’ near Lembang. It is located on a hill slope overlooking Bandung town. Food is fantabulous and view is fantastical.

The next day, while Boon attend his business meeting, I begin living my dream as the 'Pretty Woman' that shop around town and what's more I have Pak Afie’s driver with me. Pure fun! I was actually one of the first among my friend to have visited Bandung and hence no one told me that Bandung is full of factory outlets. OK, fact is some of the shops just label themselves as factory outlet although they are not. I found out from Ibu Ratna later that the genuine ones are Rumah Mode, Cascade and Heritage.

For the fashionista out there, don't be overly excited. You can't find Jimmy Choo shoes at half off or anything like that. In fact, most of the brand are very much the middle range like Next or Pumpkin Patch. Yes, these are children's labels but I don't find anything to my fancy apart from the children's clothing.

Paris Van Java complex

I also visited their newly completed mall called Paris Van Java named after Bandung’s nickname, Paris in Java. This mall is trendy but expensive but their architecture are beautiful.

Bandung is also well known for its little cafes and 'kuih-muih' and oh, I didn't mentioned earlier that Bandung is 768m above sea level. Hence the weather is just so comfortable and cooling. Alfresco dining totally makes sense here and the food and cakes is simply fabulous.

Location : Bandung, Indonesia
Next, Gunung Tangkuban Parahu

Pay up your protection fee or else ...

Is it just me or does anyone else also feels the same about the sad state of KL's security and 'road blocking' condition?

My son's preschool is located in the so-called 'gated' community in Puchong. Last year, there was no problem getting in and out because the security guards can recognised us as we pass thru the gates 4 times a day, maybe even more than the residents staying there. This year, because there was a break-in in one of the house there, they were pressured by the RA to collect details of every car entering the so called 'gated' area. Now, this is not funny because we're talking about 200 cars in the morning and what's worst, I have to give my details 2 times a day!

Firstly, this so called 'gated' community is not supposed to be gated. How can you claim it is 'private' and block the road when a freaking Mega Kindergarten with 200+ student is located? So is the 'gated' even legal? Secondly, does the security guard even have the right to ask for my licence to write the details? Talking about the security guards, some of them are so old, they can hardly hear me talk, are we so naive to think they will risk their life to save our house from being rob?

WTF is the government doing about this? Why are we paying road tax or whatever f**king tax when I can't drive freely in public roads? What is the f**king useless police force doing not maintaining peace and order?

I visit my parents house in Kepong every week and the 700+ houses also combine force to block the entrance and exit of the road leading to this area. As I passed thru the entrance, there was a big Sign Board (yes, Sign Board) with a picture of a thief masked holding a knife and get this, the tagline ... "Do you want to live and sleep in peace?". I can't help but wonder if we are back to the 'Shanghai Beach' era where we are force to pay up 'protection' fee on monthly basis or else ...

Ladies and Gentlemen, we're living in a F**king Security Guards State!