66 : Singapore F1 Concert - Big Bang

One of the craziest thing I do; overland trip from Penang to JB/Singapore to see the king of K-Pop, Big Bang. Help yourself by skipping this entry if you are allergic to K-Pop.

I secured the cheapest F1 tix costs $72 ($68+$4 for processing fees) somewhere in Aug then booked a bed in Blissful Loft, near MRT Clarke Quay (3min-walk from the station). Then, it was all good to go! At first, I though this is going to be my 1st solo trip, but managed to drag kak Rina along, but she's flying straight to SG on the day of the event since she had class to attend.

12 freaking hours of bus ride from Butterworth-JB, spent a night in Syafiqah's crib (thank you!) then hopped on the bus to SG the very next day (Causeway Link, Gelang Patah-Jurong East, RM4). Met my new Singaporean girlfriend, Dyna who is kind enough to help me picking up my F1 pass (or else, I have to pay extra $23 for delivery); together with her Indonesian friend, Irma. It was a pleasure to meet both of them :) These 2 kind souls were kind enough to accompany me for check-in and even sent me to the MRT station. God bless both of them!

With Dyna & Irma

I reached Raffles Place MRT station around 12pm since I decided to enter the venue via Gate 5. I read somewhere that there is less people at Gate 5. It was totally right. 2pm and no queue at all. I managed to grab a bite from the nearest McD then enter the venue at 3pm when the gate was opened. The security was a breeze. I brought along  an umbrella, a small mat, sunblock and a 600ml clear bottle of mineral. It was all good. 

I was happily scrolling my twitter timeline (free high speed wifi yo!) while eating my fillet o fish and read that the queue was a mess at Gate 3 and 4.

I quickly look for The Padang stage then only I saw people were running like crazy. So, I decided to join the occasion. LOL. Secured the best view (I think!) and made friends with the crowd around me. I get to know there are fans from Japan, China, Australia etc were there for Big Bang. Amazing! God bless me, I met so many nice people there.These 2 Indian ladies next to me even offered to buy me drinks since they know I was all alone. Thank you ladies! Found kak Rina in the sea of people around 5pm and managed to grab a bite around 6pm. Energy restored! 

The sky was awesome! But not the weather. I think someone forgot to turn off the oven temperature :/

VIPs were having picnic under the sun (VIP = BigBang's fan)

I was glad that I managed to drag her along to the concert!

The $68 pass

View BEFORE the concert starts

1/8 of the crowd. Say what?!

11.15pm. The time has come. They started the concert by playing Fantastic Baby mv on the big screen. People were screaming, impatiently waiting for the boys to come up on the stage. And right after the mv ended, here we go...the kings made their appearance on stage. The crowd went wild. 

Enjoy some of the shots I took during the concert. Not a professional photographer, pardon me.

Can you spot my baby T.O.P?

G-Dragon (in white) x Taeyang (in black). Looking absolutely fine.

12 hours of traveling and additional 12 hours of waiting was totally worth it. He looks perfect. Meet Choi Seung Hyun / T.O.P of Big Bang.

G-Dragon x T.O.P x Taeyang

Daesung. He looks all shy that night. But no one can deny how hot his *cough* body *cough* is when he was sweating. Managed to catch a glimpse of his ehem 6packs ehem. 

The leader of Big Bang, Kwon Jiyong / G-Dragon. Being labeled as the king of K-Pop for his amazing talent and one of the richest idols in South Korea. 

I wont forget the very 1st moment I laid my eyes on this guy. 

My perfect duo, GD&TOP. 

Seungri the maknae (youngest) in Big Bang. No one can resist this 90's baby. He was so cheeky and playful. The crowd went wild when he was flirting with the camera during his solo stage. He performed Gotta Talk to You & Strong Baby.

Taeyang. Damn it, this guy got swag! Whenever he moves his body, he moves with swag. Big Bang's dancing machine. He looks good in blonde, I admit.

G-dragon with Daesung at the back. This is how close we were. I couldn't ask for more :p

The concert ended around 12.45am and we reached hostel at 2am. 

We checked out from the hostel then headed to Bugis St for lunch with Dyna. I cant thank her enough for being so kind to us. She treated us the best chicken rice then spent the day with us. Around 6pm, Dyna and her cousin sent us to Queen St bus station to catch a bus to Larkin. We boarded the bus to Penang around 9.45pm. Safely reached Penang at 7.30am the very next day.

All I can say is, I am so glad that I decided to proceed with this trip. One of the best trips I've ever had. I feel blessed to meet so many kind souls through out this trip. Seeing the kings on the stage was like a dream come true. Been longing to see them on stage since I first discovered them in Running Man (boo me!). They are beyond amazing! I promise myself to see them on stage again for their next tour hehe

Enjoy some of my fancams from the concert : 

65 : Pulau Mabul, Sabah.

Holler! Aku baru kembali dari trip gila ke Singapore untuk 3h2m. Sangat gila, nanti lah cerita. I've been wanting to update about Mabul before Singapore trip, malangnya takde pulak kerajinan memunculkan diri. Tskk

Tiket ke Mabul dah lama beli, tak pasti hujung tahun lepas atau awal tahun ni. Return tix +-RM110 kot. Plan asalnya adalah gerak berdua dengan Adila, then Izyan decided utk join kitorang. After a few discussion, kitorang picked Scubajeff untuk pakej ke Mabul. Aku ada mintak quotation dari a few operators dan bila dah compare, aku rasa Scubajeff paling murah kot untuk pakej 3h2m.

Banyak jugak halangan nak ke Mabul ni, tapi dah memang tertulis rezeki nak ke sana. Aku decided untuk ke Mabul sehari sebelum fly. So, agak rush. But it was worth it. 

Flight kitorg pagi pukul 7. So, malam sebelum tu tido rumah Adila dan pepagi buta pegi airport. Parking kereta kat Zone C dengan rate RM16/day. Masa boarding tu hujan renyai-renyai, tapi alhamdulillah semua okay. Memang bantai membuta je sepanjang perjalanan. Flight touched down airport Tawau pukul 10am macam tu.

Cantik jugak airport Tawau ni sebenarnya

Kitorang nak cepat sampai Mabul, so takde la rajin nak ke town cari bas bagai. So, kitorang decided utk mintak Scubajeff arranged transportation dari Tawau ke Semporna. RM100/way, so share 3 orang dapat la dlm RM30+ per pax. Sampai je airport, dah ada orang tunggu dan terus gerak ke Semporna naik Hilux. Perjalanan dari Tawau ke Semporna lebih kurang sejam lebih. Dekat dah nak sampai Semporna, hujan turun selebat-lebatnya. Down gila aku masa tu. Redha je lah.

Sementara tunggu hujan stop, kitorang tunggu kat office Scubajeff. Dekat je dengan jeti, 5 mins jalan kaki. Sampai office tu dalam pukul 11, next boat pukul 2.30pm. Lemau gila jangan cakap lah. Sempat pusing pekan Semporna. Sedih lah tengok, sebab macam tak dijaga dengan elok. Masa ni memang aku dah rasa bersyukur sangat dengan apa yang aku ada without knowing lagi banyak benda yang akan buat aku sedar diri.

Pukul 2.30pm gerak ke jeti dengan sepasang husband and wife. One hour boat ride to Mabul. It was all good, mujur tak muntah macam boat ke Krabi.

Dragon Inn yang femes kat Semporna

Scubajeff Lodge

Check in dan lepak-lepak je la sementara tunggu dinner. Memang tak boleh buat apa sebab penat gila. Dari pagi kot. So, lepak amik angin je lah dekat deck. Oh ya, electricity cuma dari jam 6.00pm sampai 6.00am saja. So, sila lah lepak kat deck je sebab memang best gila!

Almost sunset

Jeti Scubajeff masa air pasang. Boleh je nak terjun tiruk dari sini.

Esok pagi tu siap-siap untuk pegi snorkeling. Kitorang pegi Paradise 2 waktu pagi and Lobster Wall after lunch. If korang nak pegi Kapalai ke, boleh buat add-on kat package korang.

Pagi-pagi akan ada locals datang jual segala ketam lah, udang lah..harga not bad, sila nego. Dah beli tu, boleh upah tukang masak Scubajeff utk masak seafood. Kalau tak salah, RM20/dish.

Amacam, geram kan tengok air tu?

View dari bilik mengadap perkampungan Mabul.

Jeti Scubajeff masa air surut

Dalam pukul 12 tengah hari, air laut akan surut. So, boleh la turun pegi jalan-jalan sampai ke tengah laut kalau nak. Kitorang just turun dekat kawasan jeti dan mengambil gambar retarded yang tak sesuai diletak di sini hehe. Tapi sumpah best. Cuma kena tahan panas je lah. Air pasang balik dalam pukul 1.30 macam tu.

Sejenis mengundang kan?

Bila lepak atas deck, akan ada budak-budak ni yang datang then hulur tangan mintak duit/makanan. Kalau tengah makan kat deck, memang akan rasa sayu sangat bila diorang datang. So, kalau rasa nak sedekah, bawak sekali la keropok ke gula-gula ke untuk diorang ni. But, pls be extra careful. 

Sunset from Scubajeff

Hallway

After dinner malam last tu, kitorang lepak kat deck. Lepak layan angin laut sambil tengok bintang. View yang sangat hebat, sayangnya camera tak boleh capture. Kamera tak canggih kan..krikk krikk

Dalam pukul 10.30pm macam tu kitorang still ada kat deck lagi dok berborak. A few guests dah tido rasanya. Belakang kitorang ada anak-anak guests lain dok lepak layan ipad diorang. Masa ni la kejadian sedikit mistik berlaku. Aku tengah dok bercakap mengadap Adila dengan Izyan, so diorang berdua mengadap aku. Belum sempat habis cakap, tetiba Izyan dengan Adila terus bangun dan ajak masuk bilik. Aku macam hangin jugak, pehal diorang ni? Aku cakap tak habis lagi. Tapi ikut je lah. Masuk bilik, diorang senyap je.  Dan dekat luar, aku dengar budak-budak tadi macam berlari-lari masuk bilik masing-masing. Masa ni aku dapat agak dah. Kitorang decided untuk tak cakap pasal hal ni. Malam tu memang tak boleh tido dan macam-macam bunyi jugak lah aku dengar. Dengan ribut bagai. Wallahualam.

Last day di Mabul. Pagi tu baru diorang buka cerita pasal semalam. Rupanya masa aku dok bercerita tu, diorang nampak something kat belakang aku. Diorang nampak bebola api. Izyan memula nampak benda tu jauh dan dia selamba ingatkan benda tu sejenis kunang-kunang. Then makin dekat sampai lah benda tu katanya kat belakang aku. Sebab tu dia ajak kitorang masuk bilik terus. Dan malam semalam dia overheard yang staff situ sebut pasal penanggal. Ermm..entah lah. Alhamdulillah la takde pape yang teruk berlaku. Memang tempat dia rasanya, so takleh kata apa lah.

Kitorang request bot lambat sikit sebab nak pegi jalan-jalan dulu. Masa first night kat Mabul, aku jumpa sorang kawan sekolah yang kerja kat Sipadan Water Village. Aku dah 7 tahun tak jumpa dia since habis sekolah, so malam tu dia bawak kitorang pegi the other side of the island untuk chill. So, pagi last ni kitorang decided untuk memandai-mandai jalan hehe

Shortcut to the other side of Mabul. The sky was awesome possum!

Only for Borneo Divers guests

Found an old jetty and the sky was beyond amazing.

Jeti goyang yang harus dilalui dari Scubajeff ke pulau.

Bot bertolak dari Scubajeff dalam pukul 2.30pm. Kitorang mintak Scubajeff tolong arranged kan transport ke bandar Tawau since kitorang dah booking hotel satu malam di pekan Tawau. The reason is kitorang taknak rushing dari Mabul straight ke airport, so bermalam lah satu malam kat pekan Tawau. Kitorang stay kat VS Hotel, 2 mins dari stesen bas pekan Tawau. Selesa sangat-sangat, memang lena tido malam tu sebab malam sebelum tu tak boleh tido kan......

Esoknya gerak ke airport dengan prebet sapu RM10/pax ke airport. Flight delayed setengah jam but safely landed kat LCCT dalam jam 5pm.

Mabul is a great place. Sejenis trip yang boleh menyedarkan diri untuk bersyukur dengan apa yang kita ada selama ni. A very good trip with great people. Thank you Adila dengan Izyan sebab I might be a little fussy and annoying dan korang terpaksa bertahan hehe

64 : Spring in Seoul [ Day 4 ] - Namsan / N-Seoul Tower

Oh hey! 

Mari sambung cerita kpop yang tertunggak sejak sekian lama.

/kibas habuk

Pagi ke-4 di negara kpop bermula agak awal sebab macam jauh perjalanan. Malam sebelum tu aku down dgn demam, panas gila baq ang! Lepas makan ubat aku terus pengsan dan terjaga tengah malam sebab panas sangat. Panas as in panas je, tak berpeluh. Stress aku. Sebab takleh tidur, aku pun packing apa yang patut dan kembali pengsan beberapa jam kemudian.

Esok pagi lepas breakfast and tinggalkan bag kat pantry, aktiviti hari ke-4 di negara kpop pun bermula. Tapi, apa-apa hal pun singgah Family Mart cari kopi / hot chocolate dulu.

Sebagai seorang yg demam dan sakit tekak, pandai-pandai la masuk cari ubat.

Ubat sakit tekak kot? Sedap jugak hehe

Plan pagi ni adalah ke Namsan Tower / N-Seoul Tower. Orang kata kalau mari Seoul tapi tak ke Namsan Tower ni kira tak aci lah. Orang kata k, aku ye kan aje. Kebanyakan orang pilih utk pegi waktu malam sebab boleh nampak night view bandar Seoul, tapi disebabkan schedule kitorang agak pack makanya terpaksa pegi di siang hari.

Ada a few options untuk ke Namsan Tower; by bus / cable car / menapak. Dan sebagai cheapskate bertauliah, kitorang pilih naik bas.

Dari Hongik University subway, kitorang turun kat Chungmuro station, exit #2. Keluar je exit tu memang dah nampak dah bus stop. Tunggu la sampai bas sampai then hop on! (bus fare dlm KRW600).

Naik bas takde la lama sangat, ada la dalam 15mins then dah sampai. Sepanjang perjalanan tu aku macam peghak sikit sebab view cherry blossom tepi jalan memang amazing! So, sila lah check website selalu utk tau timing cherry blossom okeh.

Dah sampai tu, pandai-pandai la turun.

Bas akan stop kat parking lot Namsan Tower. Takde kenderaan boleh naik situ kecuali bas sebab diorang nak reduce pencemaran or something like that. Bus dia pun jenis environmental friendly.

Nak sampai ke Namsan Tower tu kena menapak sikit ye anak-anak. Boleh tahan jugak menapak tu, berpeluh walaupun sejuk.

Ramai gila orang, rombongan sekolah-sekolah pun ada. Kiut-kiut je semua.

View dari Namsan Park, rasanya ni dalam pukul 10am kot.

Beli tiket utk naik observatory deck & Teddy Bear Museum. Adik aku tengah test hangul diorang. HAHA

For ticketing info, check SINI. 

Kitorang amik observatory deck + Teddy Bear museum.

Sejenis pagoda (?) kat belakang tu adalah lokasi Running Man Episode 6 hehe

Settle beli tiket dan merayap kawasan sekitar, mari lah naik ke atas.

I saw..Girin~

View dari atas Namsan Tower.

Souvenir pun ada jual kat sini. Tapi harga tu paham-paham sendiri la ye?

Boleh jugak hantar poskad dari atas ni. Macam confusing sikit part ada setem dgn takde setem kan? Ke aku sorang je yang confuse? krikk krikk krikkk

Wishing well kot?

Ada jugak merchandise kpop yang dijual kat sini. Banyak jugak lah. Pilih pilih~

Selesai ber-camwhore, mari masuk pulak ke Teddy Bear museum. Asalnya macam malas nak masuk sebab..entah, tak berminat. Tapi dah semua orang (adik-adik) masuk, aku layankan aje.

Masuk je entrance terus disambut encik beruang.

Belajar sejarah beruang. Hehe

Enjoice je lah gambar-gambar dalam muzium ni ye anak-anak :

Dai Han Min Guk!

One of Korea famous shows. Tak sempat tengok, tsk

Retarded.

As for me, biasa-biasa je lah Teddy Bear Museum ni. Cumanya benda takde kat tempat kita kan, so layan je lah. Tak lama pun nak habiskan masa kat sini, dalam 40mins dah setel cover satu museum.

Then, baru la keluar berjalan-jalan menikmati keindahan alam. Ewah.

The famous keypad lock tree in Namsan. Boleh beli mendalah ni kat kedai souvenir Namsan Tower , harga dalam KRW8,000 kot kalau tak salah. Aku tak beli pun~

Dah boleh la tu bergerak ke next destination. Boleh tahan rushing.

Dalam pukul 2 kitorang selesai agenda ni Namsan Tower. Demam aku pun dah slow-slow menghilangkan diri sejurus selepas berpeluh panjat naik atas HAHAHAHA

Overall, menarik lah tempatnya. View memang cantik dan orang pun boleh tahan ramai. Kalau datang malam dan kena cuaca yg elok, mesti best! So, plan wisely okay!

Laju-laju menuju destinasi seterusnya..jeng jeng jeng!


Sambung later yek! :D






.

*masa entri ni ditulis, penulis dalam perjalanan untuk bercuti. Ni memang cuti yg bebetul cuti lepas lama sangat "berehat" dari aktiviti berjalan-jalan melihat tempat orang.Dan lagi 2 trips insyaAllah sebelum 1 mega trip of the year..gituuu~ doakan selamat semuanya yek!