Jalan-Jalan Amsterdam

I actually have an "Amsterdam" T-shirt. But it was bought at the Schiphol Airport in 2010 when I stopped over on my way to Cannes. To be honest, it's never been high on our list of must-go places. But while planning this year's year-end/winter holiday, I thought it'd be fun to consider other European cities we've not been to.

Suddenly Amsterdam went to the top of the list, simply because I've flown KLM before and quite enjoyed the experience (seriously lah, the Red Light district and "coffeeshops" NEVER entered my mind). Then we started to consider the second destination; Rome, Barcelona, Milan… but in the end, we couldn't really do without the Xmas frenzy of Oxford Street and having a cuppa at Pret, so London came back into the picture. So finally, it became an Amsterdam and London winter sojourn; ok lah kan.

The flight was slightly uncomfortable as I didn't get a seat with the fam and sat between two rather large European men. The food was so-so, but we got into Amsterdam safely and on time. Which was very early in the morning. We considered the various transportation options into the city but settled on the taxi. I had read that taxi fares could be rather costly, but it only came to Euro37. Plus, the driver was a friendly Turkish muslim guy and we immediately booked our return ride with him to avoid all the hassles.

Our hotel was the American Amsterdam Hotel right smack in the centre of town near Leidseplein. It's only minutes away from the main museums, the shopping district, the park, the Hard Rock Cafe and yes, halal makan places. So, I would highly recommend this place if you're ever in Amsterdam.

Since we got in very early, we had to wait for our room and also daylight to arrive. It was still dark at 8am, but we found a place to have breakfast, and started our jalan-jalan of Amsterdam. And here's where I go into highlight mode. But of yeah, as far as the weather went, it was mostly cold when we were there with temperatures ranging from 4-9c during the day. There were scattered showers over the four days as well, so we were in triple layers most of the time. OK, let's get on with the highlights now...


The city of bikes & canals
We were told of the exact number of canals but I keep forgetting, but Amsterdam's canals are world-famous and simply beautiful. The water's not totally clean everywhere, but more importantly, it didn't smell and actually, the canals keep the city afloat (yes, do look it up).

Amsterdam is also known as a bike city and is extremely friendly to cyclists with extensive dedicated lanes and everything that is required to make it a way of life. So, apart from looking out for the normal vehicles, be extra careful when crossing the roads as it can get really busy with dudes in suits on basikal cabuk zipping through to get to the office.

Rijksmuseum & I amsterdam
Just a few minutes from our hotel was the world-famous Rijksmuseum. And really, it's pretty easy to get anywhere on foot with plenty of accurate signages with distance guides.

Rijks is well-known for its collection of paintings from some of history's greatest artistes, including Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Vermeer. The ticket price was Euro15 per adult. FOC for kids.

We actually came back on the final day to take photos at the famous "I amsterdam" sign. Didn't realize it was there during our visit and only saw it when we were on a tour bus. Nasib tak terlepas!

And oh yeah, the Van Gogh museum's also just a few metres away from the Rijks, but we ran out of time and couldn't squeeze in a visit.


Windmills, clogs & cheese
Of course we had to see some windmills! And for that, I booked a half-day tour through Lindbergh Tours (Euro72.50 for the whole fam), which also provided a hotel pick-up. The tour would take us to Zaanse Schans, Volendam and Markem.

Holland not being a large country, the "countryside" was just mere minutes away from Amsterdam. We got on the double-decker bus, and a few minutes  later, voila!, we were already in the kampung. Haha.

First up was the windmills of Zaanse Schans. We took a nice walk across the bridge and even got to see it going up to let ships pass. The quaint town itself was picturesque and the sight of well-preserved windmills was definitely something to be photographed and remembered.

The coach then took us to the fishing village of Volendam, where we also visited a cheese factory. And yes, they also sold all sorts of delicious Dutch cheese, that I could not resist sampling, despite being lactose intolerant (please don't ask what happened to me after that).

 We also had a nice seafood lunch there that was pretty good.

And finally, we were taken to Marken, which proved to be the most fascinating drive as we cruised along the causeway. The place is a former island and is known for its wooden houses.

 It was also where we got to see clogs made.

Overall, an excellent and rather economical half-day tour that gave us a taste of everything that's authentic about Holland!


City treats & cruise
So, as I was saying, Amsterdam's rather easy to go jalan-jalan on foot. Although honestly, I never even bothered trying to remember the names of the streets. So forgive me for the lack of accurate info in that sense.

Our first "long" walk was to the Central Station which took us pass the shopping districts, flower market and cheese stores.

Then, we stumbled upon Amsterdam's own Xmas market at Leidsestraat! Not quite as magical as Champs-Elysees in Paris, but they did have some pretty good churros : ) And oh yeah, a good halal restaurant along the way as well.

But as usual, we also opted for the City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off bus. It took us to 11 stops, as well as a free tour of the Gassan diamond factory.

It was there too that we took a short walk to visit Rembrandt's House! Complete with an audio guide, it's definitely one of Amsterdam's must-dos.

The tour also included a canal cruise. And I tell ya, it was the perfect way to wind down the day. It was simply calming as we snaked our way along the canals through this charming city.

On the fourth day, we took the Cityhopper fokker flight to London and left Amsterdam with a bagful of  cool memories. And like I said, the Red Light District and the Coffeeshops were not even on the agenda : )

The Greatest Malaysia Cup Final Ever...

... was the 1991 final between Selangor and my home team, Johor. For sure I'm biased lah, but it was indeed a gripping match with plenty of subplots that added to the whole drama and emotion.

Those who know their Malaysian football would remember that '91 was the year Johor brought in the Australian duo of Abbas Saad and Alistair Edwards, both of whom had played for rivals Singapore. Well, Alistair made his feelings known about his ex-team rather quickly when during a match vs the Lions, he flashed a rude sign to their fans after scoring a goal. Haha.

Anyway, Johor that year was a powerhouse with not only the duo but the brilliance of their homegrown players and of course, the long-serving Croatian (and my favourite foreign player of all time), Ervin Boban.

Okay, speeding things up, under the guidance of Aussie coach Michael Urukalo, Johor swept the league title and were well on their way to picking up the most prestigious title of all, the Malaysia Cup.

Abbas and Alistair had consistently starred for the team including during the tough semis where they got past mighty Kuala Lumpur. BUT, Abbas picked up a second yellow and was automatically suspended from playing the final! What now?!! Was what the Johor fans were asking.

I was in my first year in law school that year. For the final, I went to Stadium Merdeka alone, although I usually went with my Selangor buds for the weekend league matches.

I wore a bootleg Johor jersey, and prayed for the best. And as some of you might remember, it poured and poured before the game. The pitch was waterlogged, but the match was to go on.

Without Abbas, Johor did look a little pincang. Then Selangor scored, and my heart sank. I think it stayed that way at halftime.

But after that, Urukalo showed what he was worth as a coach. Johor played only in the dry areas and started to pressure Selangor.

Then my beloved Boban scored. I screamed my heart out and hugged strangers around me. Then Boban scored again, and another time for good measure. A historic hattrick at a historic ground.

Johor were the double champions. The forgotten hero was in tears and so was I.

Completely drenched, I was happy and shirtless as I took a mini bus back to the campus.

A memorable night, and in my books, still the greatest Malaysia Cup final ever...

Food, Glorious Food!: Anuar Kari Kepala Ikan, Thai Thai, Naab, Cowboy Place...

Ah, it's been a while, hasn't it? Not to say that I've not been JJCM-ing, but you know lah, these days it's all about Instagram and stuff. So, food blogposts have become somewhat of an endangered species.

But to be honest as well, we've been pretty happy with our favourite places, and weekends have all been about Kokopelli, Ben's, Belanga and a couple of other familiar haunts. Still, allow me to share a couple of new experiences here, starting with good ol' kari kepala ikan!

It was on Malaysia Day when we were just craving for it. But instead of the usual Pelita, I put up a message on fb and received some recommendations. One of which was Anuar Kari Kepala Ikan in Bangsar (behind TMC). Ironically, I've worked and lived around this area, but have never set foot in this place. Or in this case, set foot on the pavement that they run their business on.

Yup, it's an ol'-fashioned al fresco, no-frills experience here. But you know they have been doing something right all these decades when the line is long and the tables are full. We ordered a fish head (what else?), with some fried chicken and squid as well. There are only two options for drinks; teh o ais limau, or teh o ais.

And my oh my, what a mini feast it turned out to be. The fish head was fresh with plenty of flesh and good parts to suck on. But there's something about the curry as well; it was deliciously smooth. I guess they actually filtered it before serving it up.

The chicken and squid were fried to perfection, and the sweat pouring down my face just added to the whole experience. We were literally licking our fingers by the end of the meal, and no, it did not cost a bomb. A rare thing here in KL these days.

Next up, just a single pic to introduce you lot to Thai Thai at Sunway Pyramid. It's a place that serves, surprise surprise, Thai food. Haha. Not a new joint, but it is definitely one of the best restaurant-grade Thai places in the Klang Valley (with actual Thai waiters and Thai piped-in music).

Everything in this pic turned out good. Well, except that the mangoes used for the catfish kerabu  (top left) was a bit masam. But everything else gets the thumbs up from us.

From Thai, here's a Persian food place right smack in the middle of the Golden Triangle, Naab. Located opposite Lot 10, it's definitely a popular place, what with the steady stream of Middle Eastern tourists flocking here to shop and fast-track our economy. Hehe.

Anyway, Middle Eastern cuisine is fast catching up here although we don't entirely understand the different varieties from the different countries. My favourite has always been Tarbush, which serves up the best beriyani and mixed grill. So, what about Naab?

Well, I have to say the kebab was superb. The richly-spiced meat was grilled to perfection, and it was definitely the highlight of the meal.

The beriyani was good, but not spectacular, although the chicken itself was above-average.

And speaking of the grilling of meat, here's a slightly less upscale place about 100kms away from the city; Cowboy Place in good 'ol Port Dickson. Once you turn left as you reach the main road by the beach, just be on the lookout for it on the other side of the road. It's pretty hard to miss as there's always a large crowd waiting to get a table. Also, the abundance of chicken being grilled which is within sight.

And they really serve up a simple cowboy meal; grilled chicken, rice, soup (although I suspect real cowboys in the Wild West would rather go for yaks and hogs, hehe).

And the verdict? Simple, yet satisfying. Oh yeah, while the meal is pretty much no-frills, should you come during the weekend, you will also be entertained by a "live" band that plays everything from Bad Company to Jimmy Palikat. Enjoy!

Metallica In Singapore 2013: Through The Never (No Shit)

Yes, no shit. I mean, it was one of the best concerts I have ever seen. But it was also the worst concert experience ever. And never had I imagined I would go through such an ordeal in super-efficient Singapore.

But let me go back to the start. The first question you might have for me is, "Why tak tengok in KL, bro?" Well, when the Singapore gig was first announced, most of us never actually expected they would be coming to KL too, did we? And as soon as the tickets went on sale, I was online, and settled everything within minutes.

But it was perfectly OK. I mean, it's not really a big deal to be going down to Singapore, and I've done so for a few other big gigs before. But I WAS apprehensive about the venue, the Changi Exhibition Centre. A quick google check, and I discovered there was no MRT station there. No matter, this was Singapore, surely public transportation would be sorted for us, right?

Well, the first sign of trouble was when my uncle cabbie from the hotel didn't really know where it was. He had to call up a few friends to confirm, and even then, we went round and round a bit before actually finding the place.

Getting inside though was a breeze as the lines for the two sections were clearly separated and I was more free-and-easy as opposed to the thouands who had turned up earlier for the opening bands a couple of hours earlier.

Only when I got "inside" that I realised the stage was built on an empty lot on the other side of the hall. Well, no matter. The crowd was pretty huge by then and everyone was getting more and more anxious waiting for band to come on.

I probably stood around for less than 30mins when the huge LED screens came to life and "The Ecstasy of Gold" blasted over the stupendous sound system. The hair on my arms began to stand as Metallica finally took the stage, and quickly blasted into "Hit The Lights".

"This is it," I thought. Years of waiting and wondering if the chance would ever come. These metal legends were fiinally right in front of my eyes. In the flesh. And playing as hard and loud as they could.

But it became even more surreal when the first few notes of "Master of Puppets" filled the air. As they launched into the complicated riffs of one of the best metal tunes ever, I closed my eyes, and almost wept. This masterpiece that I've heard a million times was now being played right before me, and it felt just as I imagined it would be.

The talking was kept to a minimum as the fearsome foursome belted one crowd favourite after another. Of course, there will always be debates on the setlist for any band with such a catalogue of awesome tunes, but I generally had no complaints. Even though there was nothing from the much maligned "St. Anger". Hey, I honestly think there are at least three great songs from the album, OK?

It was also awesome having a glimpse at all the axes and basses that the band used. But here comes a complaint; a couple of years ago, I watched Green Day at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and it was the greatest gig I had ever seen then, not just because of the band, but also because of the awesome crowd reaction and participation.

Unfortunately, and ironically, the metalheads who came for Metallica weren't as boisterious. Seriously, it felt really dead at some points and in fact, I thought the crowd simply couldn't keep up with the band! And I did sense some frustration on James's part who tried some measured provocation to get the crowd going, but never really got the 110% they deserved.

So much so that I felt the band lost focus a couple of times. I definitely did not understand nor appreciate the end to "Blackened". And even during the encore which climaxed with "Seek and Destroy", it was a matter of "hangat-hangat tahi ayam", as the energy was never quite sustained by the 40,000 crowd.

Still, on the music and the band's performance, I give it a 9 1/2 out of 10. But as a whole concert experience, it was a 7, at best. Which became even worse after the band had left the building...

Where do I even begin? Well, it was obviously a shit deal for everyone who depended on public transportation. If you didn't pre-book a shuttle bus ticket to Singapore Expo, that only meant you had taxis to depend on. And immediately I knew I was in trouble as my hp battery died and I couldn't call for a cab pick-up.

The line for the cab became longer and longer past midnight, but it was apparent there were really none coming. I thought about sleeping by the roadside and hoping for a taxi the next morning, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep a wink.

So, along with a few thousand others, we started to walk to the main road, which was 3km at minimum. When we got to the main road, it was apparent that it was still a dead end. So, we just walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. In the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, hoping for God knows what.

People were dropping like flies. Some were massaging their girlfriends' legs, some just decided to sleep on the grass, totally drained and exhausted. I kept on walking. And walking. For 1hr and 40mins.

That was when I got to the first point of civilisation; Changi Village. I bought a drink and gulped it down and saw many others, still cursing and waiting for some sort of way out.

I then stopped by a food court, had some roti prata, and sat by the roadside, totally down and out. There were some cabs seen by this time, but there were too few of them and too many of us. BUT, one "limo" cab suddenly appeared, and I flagged it down. The driver wanted $120 to go into the city. I told him I have just enough in mixed currencies and he said yes.

I was finally saved.

I reached the hotel at 3am and wondered what had happened. But I knew this would be my last time for that venue, and those organisers. You ruined the dream, assholes. You ruined the dream...

Set List

1. Hit the Lights
2. Master of Puppets
3. The Shortest Straw
4. Ride the Lightning
5. Fade to Black
6. The Memory Remains
7. Broken, Beat & Scarred
8. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
9. Sad But True
10. ...And Justice for All
11. One
12. For Whom the Bell Tolls
13. Blackened
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
ENCORE
16. Creeping Death
17. Battery
18. Seek & Destroy