Kuching
May 15th, 2006
so my first day in Kuching was spent in Cranky Mode - functioning on one hour of sleep, plus finding out that i’ve forgotten to pack some important stuff (LIKE SHORTS?!), AND getting rained on just made me wanna go arghhhhh. factor in a badly-executed trip to the Sarawak Museum and Tua Pek Kong Temple and a very bad dinner (bad meals so suck. so so much), and i was ready to throw in the towel.
enough, thought I. it may be beautiful here, but i’ve always hated following tours, and this tour was no exception. after skimming the itinerary, i predicted things were only going to get worse. but then on the morning of my 2nd day, i was given the completely unexpected blessing in the form of..
KENNY CHAI !!!!!!!!!!!
i was in the theatre at the Sarawak Cultural Village, when a guy in a lime green shirt behind me called out my name. i turned around and was SO mind-boggled to see Kenny @_@ it took me a few minutes to get over the fact that the world, much less Kuching, is such a bloody small place!! and the best part of bumping into Kenny is that … he is a tour guide.
muahahahhahahaa.
meeting him was the turning point to the parabola of my Kuching trip. we met up again in the evening after the SCV thing was over, and then once more this morning before i flew back to KL. we drove around Kuching for a good part of the time we spent together, and he showed me stuff around town while giving the most superb explanations and bits of trivia. seriously, if any of you guys ever need someone to spice up a town that is supposedly ‘boring’, Kenny is your man.
i mean like did you know that the Singgahsana Lodge in Kuching only caters to mat sallehs? if you’re Malaysian and you ask for a room there they’re not gonna give two hoots bout you.
and like did you know that in coffeeshops in Kuching, you cannot signal the vendors to come take your order, because it’s rude to do so?
and did you know that Kuching people have to eat kolok mee at least once every 3 days or else it’s weird???
and like did you know that there are no leeches in the Bako National Park in Kuching?
and did you know that you cant bargain in Kuching markets?
and did you know that in Kuching, there is not one trace of racism, and that non-halal restaurants usually have ‘halal’ tables set up specially for Muslim people, who dont actually mind eating at non halal places?
and did you know that there is a 5-star washroom smack in the middle of Jalan India, Kuching?!
and did you know that in the Kuching Elections, there is a Chinese man running under Keadilan?!?!?!!
hahaha Kuching SO rocks man, especially when you have someone to constantly pepper you with all these interesting tidbits of info. i’m beginning to wonder if Kenny eats Sarawak Guidebooks for dinner, i mean he knows so freaking much. it is completely amazing how a city so small and so relaxed can hide away so many fascinating historical and cultural facts. the ENTIRE time, i just kept comparing Kuching to KL - from the language right up to the drinks that Coffee Bean serves - and each time i did, i was just so thrilled at how different the two cities are, despite both being Malaysian cities.
Satok Weekend Market
for eats, we went to check out a few places - Satok Weekend Market which is a TOTAL MUST SEE if you’re a market fan like me. it’s got ALL SORTS of pasar malam food, including really good and *really* cheap apam kuih and kueh kak / chak kueh. besides extremely yummy streetfood, Satok even has vendors selling the cutest baby rabbits and puppies and fishes. so cool. why KL dont have?!
later we went to this funky Zen-ish restaurant called Bla, Bla, Bla that has the most amazing decor - they had this narrow walkway with REALLY good black and white Sarawak photography, and a beautiful indoor pond that had TADPOLES in it!!! also went to Bing’s for coffee, that place is great - better coffee than Starbucks! and after all that, we went to have the BEST BEEF NOODLES AND SIEW MAI in the entire whole wide mother loving world!!!!! it’s at this place called Open Market, and omg, the dry gu-bak meen (beef noodles) is so good i near died on the spot. and this siew mai is so famous that it apparently sells through internet booking as well?!
Beef noodles and siew mai at Open Market
hehehe ooh and after that, we passed by, guess what, a Kiew Brothers shop!!! haha, it was so funny that i just had to go down and get yuk kon. went to Bar Zing at Trazillion after that to wash everything down, and it’s a seriously nice chillout place. very nice DJ too, who kindly allowed me to harass him :D
(re-reading the above two paragraphs, i cant believe i ate that much in 5 hours)
i refused to let my Kuching trip pass without ever trying the famous Kolok Mee and Sarawak Laksa, so the next morning which was my last day in town, Kenny brought me to the most famous kolok mee and laksa places - Carpenter Road and Jalan Ban Hock respectively. and man, famous is an understatement. there were damn a lotta cars parked outside the restaurants, and even though we arrived at 10am, the laksa was already selling out @_@ we were fortunate enough to get the very last bowl, hahaha!
Kolok Mee is like wantan mee, but tossed in seasoned oil instead of dark sauce
Sarawak Laksa at Choon Hui, Jln Ban Hock
after that we went shopping on Main Bazaar and Jalan India. fun!! check out my favourite purchase :
the hat, not the mirror!!
——–
and here are more random pics :
badass Sarawakian Whale skeleton at the museum
Tua Pek Kong Temple
bro flashing his orthodontic excellence
bro and i at Sarawak Cultural Village
at the SCV
Kuching McD still has the banana pie!!
Kenny, best tour guide ever!!!
Carpenter Road
me :D
it’s been a long weekend. despite having a really fab time in kuching, it’s good to be home :)
btw, am not looking forward to tomorrow. siiiiiiiiigh.
47 Comments Add your own
1. AbbyC. | May 15th, 2006 at 1:26 am
heh! first one here. ^^ neva been to kuching but i love kolok mee. kekeke… nice pics and gr8 post. did u get to bump into Kenny Sia? LOL
2. ArtificiallyVerbose | May 15th, 2006 at 2:17 am
not bad la… at least kuching wasn’t so bad after all :)
u got adopted also mar!
3. Waifon | May 15th, 2006 at 2:44 am
yeah..it sounds like a not bad trip instead it was a whole lot of fun! Initially I thought you met KennySia.haha..you sure have lots of acquaintances all around the globe:D
Love your glasses. I thought no one will ever wear those glasses anymore since everybody is so into Aviator or the circa 60’s/ 70’s style sunglasses. Yours looks like a classic black rimmed Rayban/ Guess/ Gucci/ DKNY design.
And those trivia facts are nothing but interesting! I guess the trip was a fruitful one afterall:D!
4. nina | May 15th, 2006 at 4:31 am
mmmmm…food. i want laksa! at least kuching wasn’t so bad afterall.
5. GAMBs | May 15th, 2006 at 8:27 am
See u soon again =)
6. smarty | May 15th, 2006 at 11:12 am
Warh ! This is food I would die for! Hey, I was 100% sure that we went on the same tour but now looking at the pictures and reading your blog..I am doubtful … Alzhimer has set into me ?? arrgh help!
“I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
Methinks I should know this place
Yet, I am doubtful; for I am mainly ignorant
What place this is; and all the skill I have
Remembers not these food; nor I know not
Where I did lodge last night. Do not laugh at me.
adapted from (William Shakespeare (1605) King Lear, Act IV, Scene 7)”
7. anonymous | May 15th, 2006 at 12:32 pm
ekk!! nice shades…mana beli?
8. Cla | May 15th, 2006 at 12:37 pm
You make me so wana go to Kuching for my sem break. Do you have the hotel numbers?? haha~
9. ront | May 15th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
you’re making me miss home food…
10. pinkpau | May 15th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
abbyc : hey, kl has kolok mee? where?? i’ve never even heard of kolok mee before going to kuching .. @_@ haha and no la kuching not that small until can bump into kennysia
artificially : dowan to talk to you already lah! =(
waifon : yeah it wasnt too bad a trip :) very fun and informative!
nina : yup!
gambs : hehe BAKO! in bikini!
smarty : told you to go out with us you dont want! haha you’re turning into mr chin, breathing and eating shakespeare .. :D
anonymous : they’re gucci :)
cla : i dont really recommend the hotel i stayed at, actually! it’s a beach resort so its really far from everything. oh except for the sarawak cultural village, that one’s just 2 minutes away :) i stayed at the Holiday Inn Damai Lagoon.
ront : are you from kuching? :D
11. rollerbuzz | May 15th, 2006 at 5:36 pm
i saw the exact whale skeleton haahha.. the fishes in the museum were so fake =p
12. bulat | May 15th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
reading the part where you wrote bout ‘interesting tidbits’ of Kuching, i thought i was gonna die. it felt as if the words are coming out of your mouth like a bullet train and im holding my breath just to listen to them all. Lolz
13. Casper | May 15th, 2006 at 6:27 pm
can’t resist coming to ur blog and read abt ur kuching trip after the foods u posted in recom…
wa, so many trivia, even i don’t know them all.. keke… it’s ok to wave for the waiters in kch la… maybe not the places u’ve visited.. keke…
but anyway, tour trips can never show you the fun part of kch, glad you have a good guide with ya… keke… anyway, hv fun…
14. Adrian | May 15th, 2006 at 7:40 pm
kuching kicks butt.. and i’m not telling u,, i’m in kch
15. Jaywhy | May 15th, 2006 at 8:07 pm
damn it I need a beach holiday…
16. Fiz | May 15th, 2006 at 8:53 pm
hello gorgeous. glad you like kuching. ;)
17. Fiz | May 15th, 2006 at 9:04 pm
dont worry this is my last post. sayonara pink girl. my last visit to your page. im pleased that your page is up and running again. good luck in your life. may you find peace and contentment and success. i will say a dua for you that you find the path to enlightenment. may god bless you.
18. AbbyC. | May 15th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
yeap. ^^ some chinese coffee shop u know. those hawker type ^^ heh. haha i guess pandan indah & sri petaling has it
19. Waifon | May 15th, 2006 at 11:12 pm
You going to watch Wanton Me or GREASE? Im definitely going for GREASE cuz i got the tickets already but Wanton Me? worth watching? I heard it’s hilarious, side splitting laughters unlimited. Should I or should I not? Tonight’s the opening night, dont tell me you went ar. haha. guess you know good plays and the average ones therefore, recommendation needed:D
20. pinkpau | May 15th, 2006 at 11:37 pm
rollerbuzz : lol i know!! i took a picture of them cos it looked so funny.
bulat : hehe yea i tend to talk like that as well in real life!
casper : really?! cos like the places we went right, if we call them they dont layan us wan. hahaha
adrian : not telling me what!
jaywhy : koh samui! koh samui!
fiz : why arent you coming back? :(
abby c : GOOD!!! heehhehe must go find. i live in pandan indah. and am moving into sri petaling in a few months. :D
waifon : hey!! yea got plans for wanton me and grease but have to reconfirm with friends :)
21. YP | May 16th, 2006 at 12:22 am
Kuching looks great. Should have gone to Miri too, you know… great music. :D And I heard Miri’s “adoption service” is pretty good too.. especially while you’re helping someone snap a picture. Heh.
22. coconutice | May 16th, 2006 at 12:33 am
KL does have kolok mee…but to get authentic tasting ones like in sarawak is hard…
i miss kolok mee…
sarawak kicks ass.. :P
im missing home :(
adrian: post me some kolok meee :P
23. Waifon | May 16th, 2006 at 12:40 am
yays! if you happen to go before next week for Wanton Me, please do a review but no spoilers please pretty please hot pinkpau. I can’t wait actually but no time to go this week. Catched Fragile today [go watch!],catching DVC this Saturday, GREASE on Sunday, Wanton Me next week and Actorlympics SOON!
omg…damn kan cheong okay. Can’t wait. haha..not bad. My cantonese still laku, better than Maggie Q!
24. entwined | May 16th, 2006 at 12:44 am
abby c : kolok mee where in sri petaling?! i stay quite close to sri petaling, so i don’t mind going there to makan once in a while. LD
—–
wow. i didn’t know any of the tidbits of info your friend told you! o.0 heh. the little surprises our country had in store for us. :P btw, it’s really handy, some of them…like not signalling to the waiter :P
btw, i thought it’s a family trip? your parents so relaxed, can let you go out and meet friends.
25. foreverjas | May 16th, 2006 at 12:46 am
aw…u looks so cool in the last pic! =)
26. crazymedicstudent | May 16th, 2006 at 1:52 am
errr as usual nice pics. Hey i use to stay in sarawak, sibu part. my bro is born there too ;p hahahaha really nice place ;p
27. pinkpau | May 16th, 2006 at 2:38 am
YP : so i hear .. :D
coconutice : i miss kolok mee too :P
waifon : going for wanton me on 24th! you? eh fragile nice ah .. i saw the trailer and i didnt think it would be good! hey u watching matinee or the night show for grease?
entwined : dad wasnt happy, he doesnt like it when family trips are interrupted and stuff .. :D but he for some obscure reason likes kenny. as did my mother!
foreverjas : why thank u :D
crazymedicstudent : then u must have grown up on kolok mee!
28. Asyraf Lee | May 16th, 2006 at 6:35 am
whale? Apesal look like a croc?
29. Waifon | May 16th, 2006 at 9:32 am
Not as scary as people said la. I was all hyped and ready to be scare till I piss in my pants but no la. I think The hills have eyes is scarier. THAT I really scream. haha. But fragile is not that bad. Worth watching kot. I liked it! oh oh..check out this show, Heaven’s Bookstore. It’s kinda slow, Japanese movie bt; international screening. Very wishy washy floaty romantic movie. It’s good.
I’m watching GREASE on Sunday 3/ 3.30 show. Not sure of the time..ticket with someone else. Matinee show. and oh~ next Friday ar Wanton Me? OMG..I takut finish ticket man.omg omg omg..I havent gotten my actorlympics tix too. haijo…must call and ask.ish~
30. kennysia | May 16th, 2006 at 9:43 am
Shucks, didn’t manage to catch you when you’re here. I was so bored over the weekend I was looking for an excuse to get out. Kuching is a small place and Kenny Chai is a great guy. :)
Anyway, if you’re here again for the Rainforest Fest drop me a message and we’ll meet up yea?
31. foreverjas | May 16th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
did ya buy tht hat? hehe.x the mirror is kinda odd ~
32. Adrian | May 16th, 2006 at 5:50 pm
haha.. tat i’m in kuching!!!
33. Adrian | May 16th, 2006 at 10:43 pm
coco: sure :D hahaha.. wonder how weird it will turn out to be
34. moz monster | May 16th, 2006 at 11:47 pm
Wei … KL got places where got pets being sold lah … near Sultan Street … around the Petaling Street area - maybe you just don’t roam there.
Also, the area around Pudu pasar also got plenty of pets and all lah …
35. pinkpau | May 17th, 2006 at 12:15 am
asyraf : haha I KNOW!! it’s so weird!! doesnt even look anything like a whale. hey u should go to kuching one day. it’s a very picturesque place, and you’ll have a ball of a time taking pics there :)
waifon : from what i hear, wanton me not selling that fast .. actorlympics on the other hand is :)
kenny sia : very sad la, cannot go for rainforest! i checked with a few hotels - near SCV and in city - on accomodation, and they’re all fully booked for rainforest week. they told me no use trying cos almost all hotels were booked out 2 months ago :(
foreverjas : yeah i did!! i love the hat!!
adrian : MEAN PERSON
moz : haha i go to those places a fair bit. and although they sell pets, they’re not pasar malams :)
36. froot | May 17th, 2006 at 12:32 am
If you don’t mind heading out to the Bangsar area, there is Kedai Makanan Nam Chuan at Lucky Garden. It’s the corner shop and is on the same row as Ipoh Old Town. You’ll find the Sarawak laksa stall right in front of the kolok mee stall. Lots of Kuching peeps go there for Sunday breakfast so it’s pretty authentic.
37. Casper | May 17th, 2006 at 1:51 am
err… perhaps you are refering to thos making the foods at the stalls, then they won’t come to you even if you wave to them… drinks, the waiters will come to you… ;)
38. pinkpau | May 17th, 2006 at 3:28 am
froot : ooh i’ve eaten there! will definitely check it out. thanks so much for telling me!
casper : haha yeah thats who i was referring to :D
39. Lalita | May 17th, 2006 at 6:35 am
Aiyoh, Kuching sounds lovely lah. I want to live there now!
40. AbbyC. | May 17th, 2006 at 3:12 pm
yeap.. obviously kolok mee is GREAT!! Heh.. sri petaling has lotsa diff stuff to eat. Its not suprise that you can found kolok mee there!~ :D
41. louis | May 17th, 2006 at 8:32 pm
hahaha…. seems your tour guide have give you a lot of wrong information.
42. pinkpau | May 18th, 2006 at 1:57 am
lalita : haha from what i’ve been told, if you live in kuching for too long you kinda get tired of it. but who knows!
abby c : goody! :D i wont starve when i move there. hehe
louis : really? you can prove him wrong?
43. louis | May 19th, 2006 at 10:29 pm
lazy to prove… only whoever live in kuching know the truth. ask your others kuching frend or kuchiong blogger then. Sorry, am dont have any animosity here. just want you to find out the truth.
happy weekend!
cheers
44. joyce | May 25th, 2006 at 5:18 am
kolo(k) mee in char siew sauce is very popular too. should try when u get a chance.
and i wouldn’t go with the words “most famous.” i think a lot of places in kuching serve really good laksa and kolo mee as well which equally deserves such “famous” titles. u’ve got to admit, one ‘most famous’ kolo(k) mee supplier can’t quite cater to its half a million city dwellers now, can it?
p/s i know a good deal of ‘weird’ kuchingians, myself included, who do not need kolo mee once every three days. instead, our culinary needs are satisfied by kampua mee, gu bak mee, tomato mee, foochow fried mee, dark soy sauce mee, maggi mee, cintan mee…hehehez… ;)
nevertheless glad you liked kuching. =)
45. odrii | May 28th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
Interesting blog… well so much trivias from your friend Kenny about kuching. on singgahsana catering for only “mat salleh”, that’s so UNTRUE. my friends from kl (looks 101% Malaysian) were staying there just last month. u need to enlighten your tour guide friend.
46. poker&hellip | April 9th, 2007 at 9:37 am
poker…
news…
47. Breciceabebuita | September 2nd, 2008 at 5:20 pm
wow !!
its very interesting point of view.
Nice post.
realy gj
thank you ;)
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed