Johor Bahru.

(journey continued after Singapore)

Warning:

Pictures of good food and poser animals ahead.

Can click on the 'X' button on your top right hand corner if you don't wish to proceed.

Read at your own risk: the owner of munkhea.blogspot.com will not hold any responsibilities for any mishaps, for eg, extra secretion of gastric juice, of her readers.

-aehknum-


Before I go on, I want to express my biggest thanks to my wonderful host in JB,

THANK YOU, MAY JEAN!

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Tuesday

Left Singapore for JB. Arrived JB around 3+. MayJean waited patiently at home (without lunch) for my call to pick me up.

She showed me around JB as she drove, introducing all the places. Her boyfriends' school, the buildings and whatnot. Then she stopped at her favourite stall to get pisang goreng (her cravings?) and keropok lekor (my request).

Apparently that's one of the best stalls where everyone will 'fight' to buy. Mayjean, being so small in that big crowd decided to scream from the back to get whatever she wants. She didn't mind the few keropok lekor left, she bought everything.

Then we adjourned for a place famous for its mee rebus (a malay food. Also known as mee jawa, I think.) Even yikwooi and auntie said its good. It was really good. Both of us shared one plate, yet we couldn't finish it.

(no pictures of mee rebus and keropok lekor etc. Forgot to take)

Went to get yikwooi's converse shoe at City Square after that before we adjourned for Danga Bay.

Had my favourite tomyam there.



Mayjean told us bout this good tomyam for like 1345678987 times in school before I could taste it myself that day. Imagine, for someone who is not a tomyam fan like Mayjean, actually love it?


Seafood tomyam.

Man, it was REALLY goooooood! *thumbs up*

Concentrated enough (not like those diluted kind of soup) yet authentic. The sourness and spiciness is still bearable (please order your drinks).


Tried their mango sticky rice also.




Mango sticky rice.

This is really good too. The glutinous rice at the bottom, fresh mango and served some evaporated milk on it. The combination of sweetness from the mango plus the evaporated milk that gave the rice some flavour makes it tastes really good.

They are incomparable to those tomyam and other Thai delicacies sold in the annual Thai Bazaar held in Klang Parade or anywhere else.

These are real good food. And you can find them every evening in Danga Bay, all year round. Apparently, the owner of these stalls is a Thai-Chinese with real Thai recipe. Looking at these pictures now already make me crave for it again.

I took very long to finish it. We spent almost 2 hours there and yet, I can't finish my food. Both of us shared these but Mayjean doesn't seem much of a good help.

Mayjean rushed me because I was taking a little too long on my food. She actually wanted me to try ALL the good food in the entire of JB during my short visit there (I gave her 4 hours only).

Finally, I decided to call home to ask for permission to extend my stay. Didn't want to rush so much, plus I would reach home really late that night. Mom approved. So, yay!

Next food destination: Tampoi

Had the ever famous PORK satay here.


Pork satay with ketupat

For someone who was never a fan of satay like me, plus I don't fancy pork (I like chicken, I don't mind beef but not pork) actually feel that this satay is nice.

Met up with Wan Chin (Mayjean's best buddy) after that and they brought me to this place called old school. It's located somewhere in the city centre. At first I really thought they're bringing me to their old high school or something.. you know, old school..



When I stepped in there, I already feel the cosiness of the environment. A good hang out place I should say.





The vintage feeling. Make me feel as if I'm on a time machine, back to the 60s, my parents' time.



Joy, from my observation, I personally feel that you will love this place (correct me if I'm wrong).


the menu.

The background music, the ambience -- very relaxing. It's a good place for a drink after a full stressful hectic day in school or work.


our drinks. (spot the hidden mickey!)


Our drinks were served in small little pails/buckets that we usually use for sand castles.

Very unique. And i don't see those common carbonated drinks or ice teas etc in the menu, they serve their very own yogurt drinks. Nice!


We left that place around 11.45pm. The girls wanted to bring me a 'ah guas' (pondans) street. You know, those back streets where the guys will go there and then those pondans will lure you and give you special "services".

"Why don't the guys find real female? Like those in red light districts," I asked

"Cause real girls are more expensive"

"ohhhh"

We passed the back street twice but failed to see any. Mayjean said maybe it was a tad bit too early (it was almost 12am that time) for them and that's why they haven't come out.

I told them prolly that night could be their 'off day' since it was Tuesday (most restaurant/shops off on Tuesdays right?). So we left that place with disappointment.

Mayjean finds it too early to go home yet, so we went for supper at Stulang.

A famous place for ikan bakar (grilled fish)!


2 ikan bakar(s)


seafood fried rice wrapped with banana leafs.


Herbal tea, product of Singapore. (Jia jia = berpura-pura = fake/pretend?). Nowonder.

Three of us finished all these. The whole thing only costs RM 19?

Good food, satisfied.

Reached home around 1.45am. I fell asleep in the car itself. Tired.

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Wednesday

Shared bed with Mayjean. Slept until morning once my head touched the pillow. Didn't even wait for MayJean.

Had one of my best sleeps there. Felt so much at home (again!).

I've never felt this comfortable sleeping anywhere else other than my own bed. Never, be it in someone's house or camp, not even in my cousin's house!

This trip is special, I should say. I felt so much at home for both Joy's and Mayjean's place, as if I've already known them for a very long time.

And what a privilege! I was told that I'm her first uni friend that stays over at her place! What an honour mann..

Had Bah Kut Teh at Sentosa that afternoon. Bringing someone from Klang for bah kut teh? uh huh.



Everyone says the bah kut teh in JB is different. Mayjean told us before that the bak kut teh in JB is very clear, unlike those back in Klang.

So we ordered a claypot for two. Btw, the portion for two is really small here. Both of us can easily finish it up while back at home, my WHOLE family only order 2 person or sometimes 2 1/2 person. And yet, we couldn't finish it. There will be meat leftovers.



The soup was so clear that the it resembles my chinese tea.

Taste wise, I think I prefer those authentic bah kut teh from Klang. The soup was abit too diluted till its almost tasteless.


You know like those soup back in Klang, the more you drink, you will like it and as if you're addicted to it (thanks to Ajinomoto!)? And you want more of it (where you can ask them to add soup for you).

But this one, no. We didn't finish the soup and I don't see anyone in that restaurant screaming, "keh tng!"

Something different for the bak kut teh in JB is that, they don't have "junks" (that's how MayJean put it) in the soup. No dried beancurds, mushrooms, button mushrooms, golden mushroom, cabbage, pig's intestines and whatnot.

Only pork and pig's liver (Eeww).

But they serve bean curd and salted vegetable separately as their side dishes. First time I have kiam chai for bah kut teh. Pretty innovative.



And the worse part is, rice was not served in plates and no fork and spoon. They're served in porcelain bowls with chopsticks. To those who knows me, I'm sure you know I'm pretty talented in using chopsticks.


My bowl of rice with side dishes, and my pork and soup on the right. Chinese tea above, compare the colour.

Actually this looks more healthy right? Worth trying! =)

Next, Mayjean brought me to zoo! (Yay!)

With merely RM2, we get to visit the animals there.

And yeah, they are great posers! The animals would stand and pose at a special angle to allow you take the prettiest picture of them.

We were first greeted by this pelican. He's tall. Almost 4 ft tall?


pelican.

Like wherever I stood, he would WALK UP TO ME and stood with me. Like you know, you move to the left or to the right, he'll come to you. Especially if he sees you with a camera.

Next,


a sleeping baby gorilla?


monkey.


poser owl.



porcupine.


a very lazy crocodile.


two silly ostriches.



This ostrich (black) kept pecking on the few leftover feathers of the white ostrich. Mayjean kept ask the white ostrich to run away and don't let the black ostrich bully her anymore (the white one already botak). And....



even the white ostrich peck herself! Stupidity. Haha! This ostrich made Mayjean so geram. Mayjean was so cute with her reaction at that time.



deers.

Quite camouflaged with the nature.


Pretty flamingos.

I wonder if those legs are real. I always hear stories bout them being fake. So thin, how to support the entire weight.



These are sea otters right?!?! They're like the P, B and J Otter (If you watch Playhouse Disney).


Sea otters. Cute.


Cubs (baby lion).


Wallabies in Malaysia?


Tapir.


Camels!

How come their humps are not obvious?



The smiley camel posing for the camera. Like you know, when you bring your camera here or there, they will follow? He somehow reminds me of Jerry from Sanctuary Praise. Agree?


poser skunks.

He was on the branch at first. When I was about to snap his picture, he grabbed the fence and gave his handsomest pose. (He tried very hard to pan yao ying)


A poney with large penis (pronounced as "pi-nes" and not "pen-nis", well emphasized during Anatomy lecture)

Mayjean's favourite animal among all. Please don't misunderstand. We weren't hamsap okay. It was because there's this family beside us that time debating so loudly if its a male or female. And of course as a natural reaction, we will turn to see (not on purpose).


Mayjean + poney.



Scandal affair between gorilla... and gorilla.

Only two of them in the whole wide place but we don't understand why do they hug and kiss so high up on the tree, openly. And they got caught by the paparazzi Mun Khea. Muakakaka.


Lion.

Lion, being their neighbour (in another cage) also have 'no eyes to see' (directly translated)

---

After zoo, Mayjean brought me to a pretty park, also a jogging place (just beside the zoo) to see tortoises.


Mayjean can get married here.

No more tortoises. =(

So, we just hang out there.



A very good place for emo people, overlooking Singapore just across the Tebrau strait.



Mayjean, one of my very best buddy in Monash.

Very relaxing and away from the hustle-bustle kind of lifestyle. Just between me and nature.



Boarded the 5.30pm super VIP coach straight back to Klang from JB for only RM30.


It was a great trip, and thanks Mayjean for making it such a memorable trip.