Recently in Nightlife Category

Well, today is Merdeka Day (Independence Day) for Malaysia. It falls on a Sunday, so that means tomorrow is a public holiday. This also means that the clubs are packed with cubicle slaves for the Merdeka countdown. I went and joined in the excessive ethanol indulgence...



...and sang along to the National Anthem during the countdown. Except this particular establishment was playing the other national anthem, otherwise known as Negara Kuku. ;)



I had a little too much to drink (understatement of the year) and I couldn't remember the details of what happened last night. I had apparently met Grace, which I honestly didn't remember until I went through the photos in the digicam this morning. Sorry Grace! :)



I also met Katherine, which I also don't recall. In fact, so much of last night had "Missing Scene" that I can only remember a friend of mine driving my car home (since I was apparently unfit to drive), stumbling into the house to offer gifts to the porcelain throne (puking in the toilet) and then passing out in bed.

She told me the next day that I had apparently been pole dancing, kissed three different girls (not the ones in the photos - strangers who came on to me), one for apparently 10 minutes (WTF? Who is that girl? I can't remember!) and couldn't even walk straight. She gave me more detail than I cared to recall (anterograde amnesia can be a blessing sometimes ;)) but I had a good laugh about it.

However, I certainly wasn't laughing just now. I had the chance of a lifetime with a girl I really liked with an amazing body and the face of an angel and...I couldn't get it up. I'm so bummed right now and feeling less than masculine. Everything was good to go and I just had to have ED. Jesus H. Christ. I shouldn't have drank so much last night.

Excessive Drinking has the same acronym as Erectile Dysfunction for a reason.

HDS:

2002: Nada.
2003: A very long post which requires Level Six clearance and a random post about a fansign I got.
2004: Obligatory Merdeka post.
2005: Nothing.
2006: Obligatory Merdeka post. I wanted to do one of me naked with the Malaysian flag covering me but my then-girlfriend told me not to tempt fate with the amount of existing subversive content on my blog. :)
I also did a review on Sri Shan which is still around and still one of the best places for Indian food in Kuching.

I was drinking at Bamboo House last night - it's a very chilled out place with a live band that attracts a more subtle clientèle. This is the Airwaves band - they sing covers of popular English, Chinese and Malay songs. They hail from the Philippines and directly above and below this column of text is the obligatory XX Chromosome shots. ;)




Airwaves band in action

Anyway, at about 12 AM, there was a large entourage of people entering the lounge. These people didn't look like the sort that tends to hang out around drinking establishments - it's a mixed group of people ranging from probably their late 30's to 60's.



It seems like they're from Selangor and they're in the hotel for a function of some sort and the entire group adjourned to the lounge to have a couple of drinks. Most were dressed rather formally and I honestly didn't expect this group to raise the rafters...



...but they did. :)


Blast from the past! The Twist is back. Old man dancing...vibrantly.

The dance floor was quite empty before they arrived and this posse of fun loving mature people took to the floor quite liberally, doing the Twist and Cha-Cha, which were probably all the rage during their time.


Susu Niang Niang - classic song for a classic crowd.

I love these people, most of them didn't look like supermodels (understatement of the year) and yet they didn't care and just lived life. I learned something from them.


Forever young!



They were chronologically advanced, and yet they still know how to kick off their shoes and just let their hair down.



Them dancing shoes...

I wanted to do a See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil pose but one of the singers apparently thought I enjoyed having my boobs grabbed from behind.



Eh, don't pok mong me, can? ;)



See No Evil. Hear No Evil. Speak No Evil.

File under: Lazy Sunday morning posts. :)

Wine Cellar is a dubbed as the Ambassadors of Fine Wine and they rightly deserve the title. The place has a vast selection of wines and runs regular seminars and wine tasting sessions. These people are very passionate about wine, and it shows. 

I spent an evening there with Nicole having dinner at Tasting Room (review upcoming) and attended a wine tasting seminar entitled "How to bluff your way through Bordeaux" conducted by Ron. I love the unpretentious presentation and they seem eager to share their knowledge about wine. 

The wine tasting seminar showcases the two types of Bordeaux wines and how to differentiate them. My palate is less than sensitive so I'm probably the worst person to be attending a wine appreciation session but I do like wine, being the tipple of choice after distilled spirits. ;) 

The Wine Cellar people are very down to earth and I spent an enjoyable night talking to them and drinking wine after the Chelsea match. It was at some point during the night that someone suggested Nasi Lemak Ganja (so called due to the spicy sambal, not the addition of cannabis, much to my disappointment ;)) for supper. 

Regina drove down to the stall, which is actually called Nasi Lemak FAMOUS... 

...and choose several pieces of chicken for our nasi lemak. 

The proprietor ended up making 12 packs of nasi lemak for take away. Heh! 

We adjourned back to Wine Cellar and had the Nasi Lemak Ganja together with some wine and port. It actually goes quite well with the more flavorful port. 

This is Lindsay... 

...and the obligatory XX Chromosome pose. ;) 

Thanks for a great night people! I was quite inebriated when I ended up at Grace's apartment and passed out, rather than slept. ;)

I had to get something done in Kuching during the weekend and took a bus after work on Saturday (RM 40) and arrived late evening. The bus ticket costs RM 40 and it takes about 7 hours for the journey. Irene picked me up and we did the photo shoot in about an hour or so before heading for dinner.



I stayed at Transit Point, the latest competitor to the Singgahsana Lodge and it only cost RM 35 nett for a room with WiFi (!) and a queen sized bed. The Singgahsana Lodge on the other hand costs RM 30 nett for dormitory style accommodations sleeping 10 people in a room.



Irene called me at around 11 pm and it was decided that we were to do some clubbing and meet up with some old friends since I was already here. I was a little dubious since I have to wake up at 6 am in the morning to take the 8:30 am express boat back to Sibu but I figured I haven't gone clubbing in a while so I went for it.



I also drink Heineken draft during my regular sessions, not just for advertorials, okay. :p



I was sitting at the bar with Irene and I suddenly had an ethanol inspired idea to pass my blogger name card to random people. Pimp my blog and all that. ;)



I walked over to two girls beside to our left and passed out my name card to them, and one of them recognized my name. Michelle (pictured above) has read my blog before and was introduced to it by...



...Wendy! Thanks for reading! :)



We stayed until 2 am and went over to Azza Burger to eat the famous Azza Burger with everything inside (my favorite post drinking session meal when I was in Kuching). We also partook in the famous Chinese amber fluid (Tsingtao in cans) and I ended up sleeping at 4 am, which is a really bad idea when you have to wake up 2 hours later.

Snooze Alarms is an anagram for Alas! No more Z's !



I was supposed to wake up at 6 am but I overslept and woke up at 7:40 am, rushed to pack my bags and called a taxi to bring me to the wharf in Pending where the express boat departs at 8:30 am (RM 45). The express boat takes about 5 hours, which is a little faster than taking a bus. I made it in time and after a bit of expense tabulation:

Sibu - Kuching bus: RM 40
Accommodation: RM 35
Kuching - Sibu express boat: RM 45
Total: RM 120
(Price not inclusive of dinner and drinking session)

It is possible to travel on a budget if you don't mind the long journeys by non-aviation means of transportation. You can always sleep on the bus/express boat and I arrived in Sibu at around 2 pm on Sunday. :)

Total time spent in Kuching: Less than 12 hours.

I went to Island after dinner at Shiki with Kim and Mark for a couple of drinks. We were planning to head over to a Middle Eastern joint for shisha but the place was closed so we ended up at Island Country Club while waiting for Darren to join us.



It turns out the Island is comprised of two isles (?) - one is the more upscale Island Country Club where we were and the other is the more chilled out Island Pub & Lounge (also called Island Wine & Cocktail) where Darren was.



The interior of Island Country Club is more upmarket with a small bar seating area and more comfortable tables and chairs.



There is also an al fresco seating area running the entire length of the two Island clubs.



The drinks menu is similar in the two Island clubs - the drinks are made at the larger bar at Island Pub & Lounge and sent over through a slot in the wall to Island Country Club.



The prices are the same too, so it's a matter of preference as to the ambiance of the two different watering holes.



There is a pool table at Island Country Club, while Island Pub & Lounge has more TV sets playing sports channels.



I lost my digital camera that very same night and I remembered going there again with Faye, LV and her husband just to get photos of the very same drinks we ordered that day. I know, it's being obsessive, but I just couldn't get over losing the photos. :p



This is Licking Dirty Pussy (RM 15) - a shooter that I had the first night with Kim, Mark and Darren that I had before lounging with a Margarita and then nursing a Kilkenny.



I did the exact same thing the last night, but without the Kilkenny coz Darren already got a photo of me with that. ;)



I had the Island Margarita Deluxe (RM 18) - the strongest Margarita on their menu. It seems that the Margarita is the signature drink of Island Club - it was what the waitress recommended and they have three featured versions of the frozen concoction.



I insisted that Faye ordered the Island Blue Curacao Margarita (RM 18) that Kim had the first night. I wanted to take a photo of the drink for consistency. :)



LV went with the Island Mango Margarita (RM 18). The margaritas at Island are all of the frozen variety.



This is from the second time I patronized Island. The first time was with Kim, Mark and Darren during the Miri bloggers meet and the very night I lost my digicam. This reenactment is brought to you by my new Sony T70 instead of my missing Sony T2.



This is me with Kim on the first night I came to Miri.



We hooked up with Darren too, which is a really cool guy in real life.



This is another shot of me and the gorgeous Kim - she's just so photogenic that I have to put up her photos. :)



It was great to meet up with Kim and everyone else in Miri.



Check out the posts of Kimberley and Darren of the night. It was fun hanging out with them. Thanks for the excellent hospitality, guys! :)

Rest & Relax is better known as RR and is located above 3 Degrees Celsius (the club). It's managed by the same proprietors and the place does not have any of the popular neon signboards other clubs and pubs display.



There is an RR signage on the top which is not lit and there's no indication of the 3C club downstairs except for the massive throng of teenagers hanging around the place and the bass emanating from the vicinity.



RR (as it is commonly known) also has a live band and is a chill out place with bar seating areas as well as other more private seating arrangements compared to the all out bass music of the 3C club downstairs.



We've just watched Kung Fu Panda and haven't had anything to eat yet so we ordered a plate of fried noodles (RM 6). It's a pretty large serving...



...so I shared it with Faye.



We also had their lamb cube (RM 15) which is one of the more popular finger foods. It's pieces of grilled lamb served with chilli sauce.



I also remembered having several jugs (pitchers) of High High - it's a local cocktail concoction which consists of Guinness Stout, Heineken beer, wine cooler and vodka. It tastes surprisingly good and is very popular at pubs and bars here and usually goes for RM 48 - 50.



This is the delectable Susie Ting, which is unfortunately taken. ;)



This is a group photo of us at RR - that's me and Faye standing and Susie and Annie seated.



The head pat heard around the world referenced in the next paragraph.



I remember taking a group photo where I patted Susie's head and Faye insisted I pose in a similar manner...this time with HER patting my head. Pfffffttt...

Ipanema is one of the latest watering holes in Kuching. It's located at Padungan Road (beside SOHO) at the place that used to be Tom's. Irene and David has been hanging out here as of late and I went to check the place out on Saturday night.



Ipanema is named after the beach in Brazil and the place is pretty chill - it attracts a more sophisticated crowd compared to the surrounding nightspots.



The place even has Kilkenny on draught. I (heart) Kilkenny! =D



Ipanema has an extensive selection of cocktails as well. I tend to judge a bar/pub by the quality and variety of the cocktails they have. It's important to have a bartender who can mix a good cocktail.



Phoenix had a Pina Colada (RM 22) which is made with Malibu (the coconut liqueur), pineapple juice, fresh cream and crushed ice. It tasted pretty good. I love a place with good cocktails.



I went for a pint of Kilkenny (RM 28). Ipanema has the popular Irish beer on draught (!) which I fell in love with ever since I first got a taste of the creamy ale back in Australia.



There are girls selling Dunhill premium brand cigarettes like Dunhill 360 and Dunhill Top Leaf (also available at your local 7-11) inside. I don't know if they're promoters going through the Saturday night crowd at the nightspot but I took the opportunity for a photo op anyway.



I think we hit the ethanol products a little too hard that Saturday night coz we nearly missed the shuttle to Batang Ai Hilton Longhouse Resort due to an alcohol induced coma.

P/S - My apologies...the bartender must have had a case of the shakes while taking our group photo coz there's a motion blur effect on Phoenix (my travel companion). It didn't affect the rest of the frame though, strangely enough. ;)

I went clubbing with Phoenix (not her real name) and Irene plus her companion on Saturday night. We went bar hopping and ended up in Mojo, Ipenema and SOHO. I was only staying the night and Irene picked us up at around 10:30 pm coz I really wanted to hit the night scene in Kuching again considering I haven't been here for a while.



The bar area was pretty much as I remembered it...



...but there's now a huge plasma TV screen for the people who would go into massive withdrawals from missing the all important EPL (English Premier League) soccer matches during their night out. ;)



Mojo was absolutely packed that night - it felt like I was squeezing into a sardine can. There was a lone empty table and we promptly sat down on it. It didn't cross my mind that the table wouldn't be empty with the crowd magnitude without a reason. =D



It was actually reserved by Gerald, the owner of Mojo. I haven't seen him for ages - not since I left Kuching. He kindly let us have the table for the night.



We ordered a bottle of vino and had a good time reminiscing about the good old days...



Phoenix is my traveling companion for the Kuching - Batang Ai Hilton Longhouse Resort this long weekend. I'm quite certain there's something wrong with my digicam coz in every photo we take of this mysterious travel companion, the lens flare seems to mess up the details of her countenance. ;)

Started drinking and taking a pharmaceutical cocktail to emulate GHB before going out...went for dinner and drank more before going to a karaoke (EYES 2) to drink again and belt out some inebriated version of songs.

Shot some pool, surprisingly won a couple of rounds despite my severely impaired motor coordination.

Left EYES 2 at around 1:30 am and went to Rainforest to meet up with another group of friends.

More drinking and general inebriated behavior ensured, like going to C-11 (the local version of 7-11) with a group of rowdy people with three satay sticks on my left hand, walking around the convenience store and then walked out without buying anything. This is the result of drinking nearly two 6 packs of beer at this point and some liquor.

Like I said, no one wants to see your fucking weekend photos...

...but here at sixthseal.com we always aim to please. Or is that antagonize, I'm not quite sure anymore. ;)