Visiting JERICHO – The Oldest City in the World

Posted on December 8, 2013 by jipp

There was something so fascinating about being in the Holy Land that even breathing the air felt so different and refreshingly ‘holy’ 😛

Out into the open again (read how we crossed one of the most tightly-guarded borders in the world here ), we dragged our bags towards a waiting bus – the bus that would take us to places all throughout our stay in the Holy Land. What I immediately liked about  the bus was the availability of a wi-fi which makes me feel so close to my friends and family back in Malaysia. He.

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After settling comfortably in our seats, the bus took us further and further away from the border and deeper into the Holy Land. I was bracing for the adventure of a lifetime – except that the adventure would most likely be more visual rather than physical 😛 Continue reading →

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Crossing the Border of Israel

Posted on December 6, 2013 by jipp

Crossing the border of Jordan and Israel can be both exciting and intriguing. Being one of the most strictly guarded international borders in the world, I would say crossing the border was such a once in a life time experience. I had been imagining how it was like all my life and when the time was finally coming, I could feel the nerves running down my spine like a wave of electric current or something. Bzzzz! Bzzzz! 😀

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Of course, taking a group of 45 (mostly) aunties and uncles into Israel was not an easy task. The tour leader had to give a long explanation on all the dos and don’ts in great details. A little bit of spoil would most certainly drag the waiting time to up to a few hours and even days and even worse being denied entry altogether. Continue reading →

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Finally – A Journey to the Middle East

Posted on November 22, 2013 by jipp

Hold your breath. I am probably one of the very first Malaysians to have ever written about their experiences in the Holy Land.

But before I proceed further, let me make it very clear to you that my trip to Jerusalem (and beyond) was a Christian pilgrimage which is permitted under the Malaysian Laws, green-lighted by the Home Ministry of Malaysia and under the consent of the Prime Minister of Malaysia as how he himself had declared some time before the General Election earlier this year.

As a Christian, or rather a Catholic, setting foot on the soil of the chosen land had always been a dream. This year is the Year of Faith in the Catholic Calendar so I knew it was just about the very right time to make it come true. And I knew, if I had to go there, I had to go with my mom. Then it would be a perfect dream-come-true for me. Aye? Thank you. 😛

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Of course we did not fly directly to Tel Aviv from Kuala Lumpur. Instead, we flew over to Amman in Jordan first, with a 45 minutes stop-over in Bangkok. Continue reading →

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Ngiu Chap – Finally in KL !

Posted on November 5, 2013 by jipp

When I was first told about it on twitter, I went – NO WAYYYY!! Part of me wanted to cry, another part was madly excited. For me, Ngiu Chap is the only dish that we Sabahans can fully claim (as) our own. Penang can have their Laksa, Sarawak their Kolo Mee (or Sarawak Laksa) and Ipoh probably their Nasi Ayam if they want to, but Ngiu Chap truly belongs to Sabah – at least our version of Ngiu Chap or beef noodles 😀

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You have no idea how popular the dish is in Sabah despite the fact that there are very few restaurants that serve it there. There is something so addictive about it that keeps you wanting for more and more especially when you are on a hang-over – which we (most) Sabahans regularly are. LOL! Continue reading →

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A Taste of Kampong Charms in Sekinchan

Posted on October 16, 2013 by jipp

I know.

I haven’t really blogged that much recently. I’ve been going through a phase of my life that needs a little bit of concentration and focus or I’ll be sorry for the rest of my life. Heh.

To tell the truth, I’ve been stuck in KL for quite some time now. I’ve got at least a few more days before I get on a plane again and then, off I’d go – towards a trip that bears so much significance to my life personally (and religiously) that by just thinking about it gives me some kind of  shiver every time 🙂

Until then, let me bring you to a place that I went to recently. It was a place that I had heard so much about and yet had no chance of going to until last weekend when I decided to take my mom and my two nieces to do a little bit of weekend escapade to a coastal district on the West part of Selangor.

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Distance : 92km , Estimated travel time : 1 hr 20 mins

Sekinchan is the name of the place – or rather the (sub) district. Trusting the newly updated Google Maps on my phone (it has a GPS-alike feature now), I drove off towards Sungai Buloh, across the yawning view of vast Palm oil plantations. It was quite a zig-zag that my niece almost puked. Continue reading →

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