Meridin@Medini
Opening up for registration from 1 April the Iconic Meridin@Medini -

Integrated purpose built development with a “Live, Work, Relax and
Rejuvenate” concept . A mixed development comprises Condominiums, Serviced Apartments, SOVO, Lifestyle Retail, Boutique Hotel & Office Towers.

•Located in Iskandar Malaysia , Medini North
•Proximity to Legoland Malaysia, EduCity, Lifestyle Mall, Kota Iskandar, Putri
Habour (approx 5 minutes drive time)
•Approximately 15 minutes to Johor Bahru City Centre
•10 minutes to Second Link CIQ (to Singapore, Tuas)
•23 minutes to Senai International Airport
•47 minutes to Changi Airport, Singapore

The Incentives

Businesses (IDR Status Companies)

• 10 year income tax
exemption* OR
• Investment tax allowances
of 100% for 5 years
• Exemption from RPGT
• Import duty/sales tax
exemption

Purchasers

• No RM500,000 threshold
for foreigners
• International & local
buyers both have the pick
of choice units
• Irresistible affordable value
proposition from only
RM300,000
A win-win-win for everyone
•IDR-status qualifying activities : Tourism; Healthcare; Education;
•Creative; Financial; Logistics;

Please register your interest at the Project Registration Form or whats app me at +601128769911 and we would call you for a meeting to present. Thank you, Danny

Related articles

• Medini – the details (investjohor.wordpress.com)

本来计划如果天气好就带两小去 Tanjung Piai，可是回到家就懒得出门；最后拖到下午3pm才去。

从家里 Batu 34 到Tanjung Piai National Park大约35分钟。为了避开市区的塞车，也让两小看看马来甘榜的面貌，我就从Jalan Tenggayun 去；右转后会经过Pekan Rambah，Pekan Teluk Kerang, Kampung Penerok Hulu, Kampung Permas。看到警察局就转左进入Jalan Serkat；然后跟着指示牌走抵达目的地了。

游览这个国家公园其实蛮轻松的，因为有长长的木制走道，只要跟着走就可以了。

在每一个区都有讲解图说明有什么动物住在那一区，譬如螃蟹，猴子，螺类等等；可是能不能亲眼目睹这些动物的真面目就要看你的运气及天气了。

两小一进入园区就有点抗拒，尤其予勤还要回家。她们两个其实担心树林里的动物如老虎，蛇，大灰狼会跑出来。哈哈！走一阵，两小就进入状况，尤其看到各种颜色的螃蟹；一路上就是问题不断。

这只猴子竟然在我们面前大小便!

这里有几个延伸到海面的木桥，可以遥望新加坡。

树林里还有一个瞭望塔，大约两层楼高。幸运的话可以在看到树林里的小鸟。上次来的时候还可以看到大海，现在沿岸的红树林都长大了，所以像被树木包围一般。

离开红树林后，我转进 Taman Rekreasi Rambah， 想吃ice kacang，可惜没有卖。

好久没有来这里了，增加了一座木桥，游乐场和小摊口。这里可以看夕阳。

希望这两个地方能好好的保留下来，更希望那些石化工厂老板不要看上笨珍这个小镇，不然我们迟早会失去这些。

Address: Tanjung Piai, 82300, Kukup, Johor Darul Ta’zim.

Dubbed the southernmost tip of mainland Asia, Tanjung Piai is a haven for a diverse species of flora and fauna, including those unique to mangrove areas such as mangrove crabs, beady-eyed mudskippers and crab-eating macaques. Tanjung Piai is also famous for being a hot spot for birdwatchers to visit during the migratory season which falls around September and March.

Located within the district of Pontian, Johor, Tanjung Piai is a place where the earth and sea, plant and animal life, live in blissful harmony. Tanjung Piai Johor National Park covers an area of over 926ha — 526ha of which comprise of coastal mangroves.

Source：http://www.johortourism.com.my

The guestrooms are thoughtfully designed with modern and comfortable furnishings. Each features comfortable bedding, a spacious bathroom with separate bathtub and shower, 40-inch LED television, complimentary high-speed internet access, iPod docking station, IP telephone, workdesk, minibar and coffee-/tea-making facilities. The 25-square meter Loft Rooms are unique to hotels in the neighbourhood and feature an ingenious mezzanine level to maximize space and comfort.

The hotel boasts 3 food & beverage outlets onsite, including all-day dining at the specialty restaurant, light bites at the tapas bar and specialty cocktails at the cafe bar. Guests will also find some of Singapore’s best restaurants and bars at nearby Club Street and Ann Siang Hill.

Conference meeting facilities and a business centre provide secretarial support for business travellers. Recreation and wellness facilities at Dorsett Singapore include a 30-meter outdoor swimming pool and jacuzzi set amidst a landscaped roof garden, while a fully-equipped gymnasium offers the chance to have a hearty workout and recharge after a day of business or sightseeing.

Dorsett Singapore becomes the tenth property for Dorsett Hospitality International, which operates 9 other hotels in China, Hong Kong and Malaysia under its Dorsett, Silka and D Collection brands. Formerly operating as Kosmopolito Hotels International, the group is a subsidiary of Far East Consortium International Limited and is focused towards the 3- and 4-star hotel segment in major Asian cities.

For more information, visit www.dorsett.com.

JOHOR BARU: Iskandar Malaysia is planning to propose the twin-airport concept to Singapore in a bid to boost the aviation industry in the republic and south Johor.

Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda) chief executive officer Datuk Ismail Ibrahim said it would further complement the two major transportation projects already in the planning stages between the two countries.

The projects are the High-Speed Rail (HSR) linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in just 90 minutes and the Rapid Transit System link (RTS) to improve connectivity and accessibility between Johor Baru and Singapore.

Ismail said with the two projects already on the drawing block, it was only logical for Malaysia and Singapore to start looking at ways to improve air travel in both countries.

“We should capitalise on each other’s strengths and capabilities to make the twin-airport project a reality for mutual benefit,’’ he said in an interview with StarBiz.

Ismail said with the shorter travelling time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore via the HSR, it was only logical to undertake the project “the sooner the better.”

Malaysia and Singapore had on Feb 19 jointly announced their agreement to build the HSR between the republic and Kuala Lumpur, expected to be completed in 2020.

The proposed project would cut travel time between the two capitals to just 90 minutes from the present five hours of driving and seven hours by rail.

On the other hand, the RTS link is expected to be up and operational by 2018 and have a co-located Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) facility in Singapore and CIQ facility here so that commuters need to clear immigration only once for each way of travel.

“Iskandar’s close proximity to Singapore justifies us looking at ourselves as a single economic node and the point that Johor and Singapore cannot grow on their own,’’ he said.

Ismail said Singapore and Iskandar would be a force to be reckoned with within the next 10 years, and both would be one huge economic corridor in the region and the envy of others in Asean.

-starproperty.my

One Danga @ Danga Bay is a unique living experience with the serenity of nature in the heart of the new city. It is designed to be a high end Service Suites & Service Residence Sky Garden and various of facilities with an iconic building form that will set the benchmark for luxury highrise property development in Danga Bay, Johor Bahru. it will be the first mover advantage to invest in the western Danga bay where all the excitement from Nusajaya linked directly through costal highway.

Statistic

One Danga project development overview:
- Site Area: 4.7 Acres
- Freehold
- 3 Blocks, 41-storey high and approx. 960 units
- Service Suite – 668 units
- Service Residence – 286 units
- Penthouse – 6 units

Unique Selling points

One Danga boast many of the “First” in Iskandar Malaysia:
- 2 Sky Bridges up on 28th floor.
- A WAVE POOL in a condo.
- Highest man-made waterfall – 5 storeys high.
- A Water Therapy & Spa features on 28th floor.
- Largest swimming pool, about 3 Olympic sizes.
- A “column-less” aesthetic front design

Surrounding
FIrst in Western Danga Bay. Johor first Clarke Quay concept on the right of One Danga and at the south of one Danga is “Temasek Linked subsidiary “Hotel resort
Secret Proposal
and which they hope to get a Casino license in due time.

Attractive sales package: Minimum Money down. Investment at ease.
SGD4,000 / MYD10,000 (confirmation fee of the unit)

It will not be refunded unless loan is rejected. admin charges, legal mortgage fees, DIBS and Foreign Levy is absorbed by developer.

If loan is approved, provided client got 80% loan amount, no need to pay anything untill top; at 2016- where 3% stamp duty needs to be paid to malaysian govt.
if client gets 70% loan, he needs to pay the remaining 10 %. loan repayments will start commencing at top; 2016

Furnishings package: Move In condition
Tiled floorings, Wardrode, Kitchen Cabinets and Air Conditioners.

Please whatsapp/sms or call +6010 7661116 or +65 92992997 to meet up in Malaysia or Singapore.

I also tried the aburi prawn, which my friend said was not bad because it’s aburi-ed. Warm food does make people happy aye? Erm the salmon sushi next to it? Check out the white bit. The salmon slice was too thinly sliced. Fatal error for any restaurant I would say.

My favourite dish which took the longest to arrive. I don’t blame them, bacon can be difficult to cook. Doesn’t really look impressive, but tastes okay.

I also tried their gyoza. Wasn’t crispy like how it should be

Overall, the meal came up to RM 37. I haven’t tried their ramen, but I’ll make it a point to stay clear of their sides.

Where: City Square, Johor Bahru, Malaysia (just across the Singapore Woodlands Causeway), level 3

Sutera Mall, Johor Bahru, is about a 15-20min drive from City Square. Taxi fare runs up to an approximately RM17.

What’s there to do here? For the Singaporean aunties (or at least my mom and my aunt), there’s Carrefour. They love shopping at supermarkets in Malaysia for the little deals that pop up unexpectedly. I too, love it, only because the packaged salads are way more reasonably priced than the ones sold in sg.

More about the mall. It’s a great place for teenage girls. Lots of shops selling trendy apparels, somewhat like those in Far East Shopping Centre, Singapore and KSL Mall, Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

There are a few stores selling electronics at reasonable prices, and their services are quite good!

Food wise, more of little bites and novelty speciality stores. You have stores selling different types of cuttlefish, stores selling childhood sweets, stores selling pick and mix candies etc. We didn’t have any meals here except for a crepe.

When I woke up from my slumber, everyone else was still asleep. It was about 5:30AM in the morning then. I got out of bed to perform my morning prayers. It was really spooky! The house was very dark! As I gingerly made my way to the toilet to perform my ablution (wudhu), I turned on all the lights and avoided looking at any mirror or reflective surface. (Scared-y cat iz me.) After performing my morning prayers, I turned off all the lights and went back to sleep. When I woke up again, only Eileen and I were left in the room. The rest were already up. I got up, took a bath, put on a fresh set of clothes and went down to the dining room to have my breakfast! I ate Koko Krunch Duo with milk!

I was then told that Nabihah’s parents would return at around 11:30AM to take us out to go shopping! So we needed to get ready before they arrive. I went upstairs to check on Eileen. She was still asleep. I woke her up and told her to get ready. I went back down and chit-chatted with my friends in the living room. Moments later, Eileen joined and we were all engaged with our own conversations as we waited for Nabihah’s parents to arrive.

The doorbell rang upon the arrival of Nabihah’s parents. We all got up, brought whatever we needed and rushed straight into the car. This time, Eileen and I sat at the back. I don’t know why, but I loved the backseat a lot! HAHA. We talked and talked as we made our way to a mall, Jusco!

When we reached there, we all went to Black Canyon restaurant to have our lunch! It was a cheerful and pleasant dining experience! Despite the fact that my dish was served last due to some miscommunication, I wasn’t really affected by it. Everyone was so nice and friendly! Eileen asked the waiter for the WiFi password and we managed to communicate with our friends back in Singapore for awhile! It was funny sight to see because most of us chose to Instagram our food before eating, even Nabihah’s mum! We shared our food and had a taste of what each one of us ordered! YAY! And once again, our food was paid for by Nabihah’s dad. I felt rather guilty at the time but oh well. Here’s some pictures of the food we ordered!

Orange Juice & Watermelon Frost

Eileen’s spicy tuna!

My spaghetti!

After that, everyone of us were free to explore and roam the mall. We agreed to meet up near the exit at 5PM! We split up into 3 different groups! There was Eileen & I,  then there was Nabihah, her sister & Afiqah and lastly, Nabihah’s parents!

Eileen & I went from store to store in search of items that we needed or anything that was worth buying. We went into the ‘Everlast’ store first where we each got a bag! Mine was black while hers was blue. Then, we went into another store and I got myself a green snap-back and a shirt!

HAHA but during our adventure in the mall, there was a point in time where we went bankrupt! We asked around whether there was a bank or a place where we could exchange SGD to MYR. We then went into Maybank and exchanged our money and we were rich once again! LOL! I don’t remember the name of all the stores we went to but we really did visit a lot of stalls. There was one shop where we both bought a shirt at a deal of 2 for 30 MYR!

That was just the first floor of the mall! We then decided to check out the second floor! We didn’t really buy anything from the stores on the second floor as we felt that the items sold were to pricey or could be bought at the same price back in Singapore. We wanted to save money, not waste it! We passed by a hair saloon where a few random digits caught Eileen’s eye. “Hair dye for just 39 ringgit? LETS GO!” We approached the counter and asked for assistance. I was rather hesitant as I never dyed my hair before. I was worried that I wouldn’t get the hair colour I want! “Go je, don’t scared,” said Eileen. Apparently, we were told that the 39 ringgit price for the dying of hair applies to males only and the look on Eileen’s face showed that she was somewhat disappointed when we received the news. LOL!

I then chose the hair colour I wanted and was then brought to a seat. I was also told that the whole treatment would take about one hour. So I told Eileen to leave her stuff with me and explore the mall without me. It was a rather relaxing experience for me. The hairstylist was rather gentle and constantly asked whether I was comfortable. It was so relaxing that I fell asleep. Eileen did come back once in awhile to check whether I was done. After rinsing and drying my hair, Eileen wasn’t back yet. It was nearly 5pm! I immediately paid the cashier 39 MYR, carried all our stuffs and went off to find her. I did look into the mirror for before leaving the saloon and was pleased with the results! It wasn’t long until I spotted Eileen and passed her belongings to her. Here are some pictures of the stuff we did in the mall!

My green snapback!

J.CO Donuts!

Me being annoying before the dye was applied!

Scared LOL

AND WE’RE DONE!

We then met up with the rest and they had different reactions upon looking at my new hair. Nabihah’s dad then drove us to Best Mart to get some groceries again! Eileen and I bought some snacks (she bought ice-cream while I bought a cup of corn.) We also got ourselves few pairs of shades! We still wanted to buy baju kurungs but didn’t have enough time. We had to rush back to the car. On our way back to the car, Eileen and I passed a stall selling keropok. She quickly bought 3 different packets of keropok and we then headed straight back to the car! Then Nabihah’s dad drove to the petrol station again to fill up the gas tank. We then headed back to Nabihah’s place!

The Muslims the performed our Zohor prayers together (berjemaah). Eileen just sat there and watched. LOL. I had to Qamat and we then performed our prayers. Eileen also learnt a thing or two about Islam as Nabihah’s dad volunteered to give a lecture. (Syarahan HAHA) I sat beside Eileen because Nabihah’s dad seemed a little critical and I didn’t want her to get offended lol. I also kena but at the same time, I learnt a couple of new things such as how to carry out my ablution properly! Eileen and I sat down to watch videos regarding Islam on Nabihah’s dad’s tablet! Nabihah’s dad told us that we would be going for dinner later at night!

We then sat down at the dining to eat yet again. Afiqah, Nabihah and her sister bought sandwiches from Subway and decided to share their meals with us. Eileen and I just ate peanuts along with Nabihah’s mum. The Muslims then performed our Asar prayers individually and we lazed around the house as we waited for time to pass. We sat down in the living room, continued talking amongst ourselves and also listened to Nabihah’s dad’s ‘syarahan’ too! HAHA! Upon hearing the Azan, we all kept quiet. Then we performed our Maghrib prayers together again. Eileen simply sat at the side and watched us pray again LOL.

After that, we all got ready again for dinner! All of us got into the car and we went to restaurant at Taman Perling! It was a lovely, typical Malaysian restaurant where they had sturdy wooden tables and chairs, a small TV at the side for customers to watch and you could also see stray cats majestically strutting by HAHA! I loved the ambiance, it was so country-like! Each one of us ordered our food and yet again, my dish came last.  Here are some pictures of the food we ate!

Time to eat!

My favourite! – SATAYYY! WEE!

Eileen’s Mee Goreng!

While we were eating, there were two cats that got our attention. They were making love in the middle of the restaurant LOL! Here are some pictures. (WARNING PG13) Just kidding!

RAPE!

LITTLE KITTY!

While I was eating, one of the cats peed on me. =.= I guess its just their way of saying ‘hello.’ I went to the toilet to wash my feet and continued eating. I couldn’t finish my food as it was too freaking spicy! Eileen and I couldn’t have enough of the satay we had earlier on and wanted to buy a few more to bring back home! IT WAS JUST SO JUICY AND TASTY!

SATAY MAN!

We wanted to use our own money to buy the satays but was stopped by Nabihah’s mother. Then she paid for it. (THANK YOU AUNTIE! YOU ROCK!)

Then we went back home to Nabihah’s place! Eileen and I stayed at the living room to finish the satays that Nabihah’s mum bought! YAY! IT WAS SOOOOOOOOOO TASTY! The beef ones were better though! ^^

DABAO-ed SATAY! BEEF AND CHICKEN! WEE~

Nabihah’s parents went to bed! SOMEWHAT FREEDOM! HAHAHA! We all decided to wash up and watch movies! We all gathered in the cinema room and watched ‘Wreck It Ralph!’  It was a good movie! ^^ After the movie ended, Eileen went to bathe. Nabihah went to change CDs while Afiqah and I had a random pillow fight. Next moment, I was pinned down by both Afiqah and Nabihah who joined in! WTH MANNN! UNFAIR! I don’t know what movie Nabihah inserted into the DVD player but it was boring. We got bored and decided to scare Eileen who was still bathing! We offed all the lights except for the lights in the toilet where Eileen was bathing. Nabihah had a Teletubby doll which could make sounds such as ‘Eh oh!’ ‘BIGGG HUGG’ and so on. We kept playing with it to freak Eileen out! Then when she came out, we yelled!

“Tsk,” was all that she said. SHE WAS STILL SMILING. She wasn’t even scared. =.= Then it was my turn to bathe. I got paranoid LOL! I kept telling the rest not to scare me with that Teletubby! JUST LETTING YOU GUYS KNOW HERE THAT I AM VERY AFRAID OF DOLLS.  And hooray! They didn’t scare me! They were watching another movie and I joined them after bathing. They were watching, ‘Tin Tin.” I left the room and decided to arrange and pack my bags as we were supposed to leave by tomorrow morning. After that, I rejoined the rest and continued watching the movie. Yet again, I fell asleep. HAHA. OH WELL.

When we were asleep, it was the repeat of last night. I kept curling into a ball and always gave difficulties to Eileen. She had to shove me aside but I somehow always got into the wrong sleeping position. LOL and that was the end of Day 2.

Day 3:

When I woke up, I was the only one left in the room. Afiqah then entered the room and told me that the rest were already in the car. I jumped out of bed and rushed to the toilet to wash up and brush my teeth. Eileen was still packing up but really, the rest were already in the car. I gathered all my belongings and made sure that I didn’t leave anything behind. I ran down and got into the car just in time! Nabihah, her sis, and mum stayed behind. Only Nabihah’s dad, Afiqah, Eileen and I were in the car. We then made our way to the immigration gates back home to Singapore! On our way there, we received a call from Nabihah’s mother that somebody left a wallet behind. It belonged to Eileen. Nabihah’s father explained that he had no time to turn back to retrieve the wallet and would return the wallet to Eileen some other time. Eileen agreed. After crossing the border, we all got back our passports. After placing my passport into my bag, I plugged in my earpiece and went to sleep. When I woke up, we were already at Jurong East and Eileen said, “Good bye.”
I then fell asleep again and when I woke up, we were at Simei! I felt that it all happened way to quickly LOL! Nabihah’s dad dropped both Afiqah and I there and we then went our separate ways. I thanked Nabihah’s dad once again for his hospitality, generousity and also for the experience! And so I guess that marks the end of our trip!

Random note:
Eileen and I were called ‘Dora and Boots’ in Ngee Ann Poly and I just wanted to do this for fun! Normally, at the end of every episode of Dora the explorer, the characters would share their favourite part of the journey! SHALL END THIS POST DORA & BOOTS STYLE HAHAHA!

My favourite part was experiencing all the first time experiences I had there with a close friend such as getting the foot massage and getting my hair dyed! Also, another favourite part was talking to Eileen most of the time throughout the whole trip. I taught her a lot of Malay words and she picked them up very easily!

Eileen’s favourite part was the WHOLE journey. Despite the fact that it got boring as we were too ‘lepak’ at times, she said that she loved the whole idea of going for an adventure and trying out new things!

So what was YOUR favourite part of the journey?

*insert your favourite part of the journey here*

… I LIKE THAT TOO.

K Annoying HAHAHA! Oh well, thanks for your time in reading this post!

The Korean food is the best here!!

I wouldn’t want to eat in SG unless my friend wants :s

If you order their BBQ set, you’ll get a free bowl of steamed egg and a pot of kimichi soup! There’s free ice-cream alsooooo! Totally <3 this place to the max!

Jang Won Restaurant 
K1-211 2nd Floor, Block C,
Komplexs Perniagaan Stuland Laut,
80300 Johor Bahru, JOhor
Tel 07-226 6820

1. I will leave Singapore for Malaysia on the night of Easter (31/03).

2. I will take a 2nd class overnight sleeper Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) express train from Johor Bahru to reach my first Malysian pit stop. (haven’t booked my ticket yet)

3. My first checkpoint will be Kuala Lumpur.

4. I will do a lot of exploring by foot.

source: http://en.paperblog.com/how-to-prepare-for-a-trip-61771/

The rest, well I’m still uncertain. I thought of deciding where I should go next once I reached Kuala Lumpur. If not, then I have to revert back to my original plan - 2 days in Kuala Lumpur, 2 days in Penang, 1/2 day in Ipoh, then take the overnight sleeper train back to Singapore (via woodlands).

Let the count down….Begin!

A few days ago, one of my secondary friends, Afiqah, invited me to go to Johor Bahru with another friend, Nabihah, and her family. It was a last-minute plan and since I had nothing to do, I agreed! I also decided to invite Eileen along but asked my friends whether they’re cool with it first. ‘The more the merrier,’ they said! The initial plan was that the trip lasted for 2D1N. Somehow, we discussed and made it a 3D2N trip! Yeah, and I told Eileen about the extension only a day before the trip and she agreed! That was how impromptu it was! So we all packed our bags and reminded each other on what to bring and what to do when we get there! I also exchanged a small sum of money (from SGD to MYR) a day before the trip for us both to spend at JB!

Day 1:

My secondary school friends live in the Eastern part of Singapore. Nabihah and Afiqah stay in Tampines & Simei respectively. I live in Sengkang and lastly Eileen lives in the Western part of Singapore, Jurong East. If you’re a Singaporean, you would know that these places are located very far away from each other. The plan was that Afiqah & I meet Nabihah’s family at Tampines at 6AM. Then, her dad would drive all the way to Jurong East to pick up Eileen and after that, we would all make our way to their house at Johor Bahru! I had to wake up very early in the morning. I was groggy as Eileen and I spent the whole night reminding each other of what to bring and also by the fact that I couldn’t contain my excitement for the trip. I slept for only 2 to 3 hours. I got up, bid farewell to my family & took a cab to Tampines. I promised to get Eileen breakfast but there were no MacDonalds’ outlets located near Nabihah’s place. Oh well~! I greeted Nabihah’s parents and sister and squeezed into the back of the car. I had to sit beside the stack of bags that everyone brought for the trip but I had no complaints. We then made our way to Jurong East and I called Eileen to make her way down once we arrived. After passing me her bags, she then squeezed her way into the car too! HAHA there were a total of 7 people in the car! It was a funny sight really. Nabihah had to sit on her sister’s lap and I had to sit with a pile of belongings. After that, Nabihah’s dad sent his wife to work and we then made our way to Johor Bahru! As we made our way to the immigration gates, we compiled and put our passports by the driver’s seat, next to Nabihah’s dad.

Before we knew it, we found ourselves on Malaysian land. WEE! Eileen and I made Farmville 2 references along the way as we saw stuffs related to Farrmville 2! HAHA! We stopped by an Indian restaurant to have breakfast! I had two slices of prata while Eileen had a slice of prata and prata tissue!

Mustika Zam Zam Restaurant

Tissue Prata!

We also bought a few tidbits and snacks along the way and all these were paid by Nabihah’s dad. (THANK YOU VERY MUCH!) After that, we made our way to Nabihah’s house. It has 3 floors! We (Afiqah, Eileen, Nabihah, and I) left our bags in the living room and started playing card games. After a few games, we got bored and found ourselves on the 3rd floor. There was a Foosball table and we played a game! Afiqah and Nabihah vs Eileen and I. It was really fun and tight game! Eileen and I won with a score of 9-10. YAYAYAY! HAHAHA! After the game, we found ourselves drenched in our own perspiration. It was really humid. We went back to down and put our bags in our respective rooms. Afiqah and Nabihah kept irritating me with, “Eileen and Mat cannot stay in the same room ah! MUST. SEPARATE. Mahathir must sleep alone! Good luck at night ah Mat!”  The house was big and I’m not really a brave soul myself. OH WELL! The house was rather dusty. We also helped to tidy and clean the house. We then found out that the house had its own cinema-room on the 2nd floor! IT WAS REALLY COOL! The walls of the room were painted black. The room had a huge screen, a visualizer, DVD players, speakers, mattresses and pillows everywhere and also air conditioned! We all sat down there to watch ‘Pitch Perfect’ while Nabihah’s sister was downstairs doing chores!

We had to put the movie on pause as Nabihah’s dad wanted to take us (Afiqah, Eileen, Nabihah & I) out to do some grocery shopping at Best Mart! Upon reaching our destination, Eileen and I went to ‘survey’ the area. Eileen wanted to get a baju kurung for herself and we planned to wear the same colour during Hari Raya! We saw a few shops selling baju kurungs but let’s just say that they were not our cup of tea. We passed by a few other shops and I bought myself a pair of slippers! Here’s a picture of a random shop we passed by! HAHA! It reminded us of Hafiz Carpet!

HAFIZ CARPET!

We then went into the supermarket and went from ail to ail & shelf to shelf to pick out the things we wanted to eat during our stay!  It all happened so fast. We bought a lot of food and all of that were paid by Nabihah’s dad yet again. HE OFFERED. We tried to pay for ourselves, but he was persistent. So yeah, FREE FOOD FTW! Eileen and I then went to a CD-shop we saw earlier on and she bought a couple of PS2 games while Nabihah and Afiqah bought some DVDs at another shop! WEE!

We didn’t really have enough time to survey the area even further and found ourselves back in the car. Nabihah’s dad drove to the gas station and bought a couple of food & stuffs too while the car was being filled! (Ice kacang and chicken rice I think!) Then, we went back to Nabihah’s place to have our lunch!

On our way back, we realized that one of the tires were punctured! It got somewhat chaotic in the car HAHA! So when we got back, I offered to help Nabihah’s dad replace one of the tires! It was the least I could do to show my appreciation for his hospitality and generousity. Eileen tagged along! It wasn’t an easy task. Eileen and I had to work together to unscrew and tighten the nuts using the tools that were provided by Nabihah’s dad.

NOOBS CHANGING THE TIRE!

After a few minutes, we managed to get the job done and found ourselves drenched in our own perspiration yet again. We went back inside to cool down & have our lunch. The chicken rice that we bought earlier on was scrumptious! After washing up, we waited for Nabihah’s dad to leave for work. When he left, we yelled, “FREEDOMMMM!” HAHA! I found a deflated football outside and ended up giving it a few kicks. Eileen joined me and wanted to learn a couple of tricks! The car porch was empty after Nabihah’s dad drove off for work and we decided to use the area to play! Eileen was really keen on learning so I taught her a few of my favourite tricks! She practiced and somewhat improved. (YOU STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO ) We passed the ball around and also tried to the juggle the ball too! It was fun! Moments later, Nabihah’s sister told us to call her when we wanted to get back inside. That’s when I realized that we have been playing football barefoot and that our legs were as black as charcoal. HAHA! Nabihah’s sister then brought out a pail filled with water and told us to wash our feet before entering the house.

Time to wash up!

We decided to continue watching ‘Pitch Perfect.’ (which was paused earlier on) Since Eileen and I just played football, we decided to bathe first. After that, Eileen and I watched another movie, ‘Brave’ while Afiqah and Nabihah went to bathe. After watching the two movies, we got bored and thought of something to do. We decided to go to the nearest mall. We went there by foot. It was a long walk and we found ourselves sticky again. Thank goodness that the mall was air-conditioned. We explored the mall and went from stall to stall to check out the items that were on sale and also the prices. I then got really hungry and we went out to Mary Brown’s to get something to eat. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for Eileen and I. (Especially me) The fries served were cold and soggy and I found a little cockroach in my burger. We had to ask for new ones. The soup was rather nice though!

Food at Mary Browns!

We then continued exploring the mall and found a massage parlour! We discussed outside the parlour for awhile and Eileen & I decided to have a foot massage! It was a great experience for us two as it was our first time getting our feet massaged. I felt rather scared at first but I chose to relax myself. The masseur was rather friendly and welcoming. He was quite the joker too, pretending to want to break our toes and so on. HAHA! We had our feet soaked in warm, antiseptic water before the massage and our feet was then wrapped and dried with cloth.

LOL Hi

Eileen’s feet says, “Hi” too.

MASSAGE LETS GO!

Eileen waiting for her turn

The masseur then removed the cloth, got some oil and then started rubbing my toes! It felt ticklish! During the massage, I also felt painful when he rubbed certain areas of my feet. I asked whether there was a problem with my body and got a lot of feedback. I had to cut down on my intake of sugary food, go to the toilet immediately when I need to, drink more water, eat more bananas, do not walk a lot and also cut down the time I spend on the computer. He also said that my IQ was doing well and that my heart was rather healthy. (To be specific, he said ‘baik hati’ and I don’t really know what to infer from this.)

Eileen on the other hand had a different experience. HAHA She explained to me that her legs were sensitive to touch and that she would get ticklish rather easily. I could tell that what she said was true. She spent half of the time grabbing my arm, trying to either withstand the pain or contain her laughter. It was funny really! My arm was like a stress ball to her. The masseur wasn’t really proficient at speaking English and so I had to translate everything he said when Eileen asked whether there was a problem with her body. (Ps Eileen didn’t want me to include whatever problems she had in this post) The massage treatment lasted for about 30 minutes and it costed us 30 MYR! We wanted to take a picture with the masseur but he was rather shy. So..
..here’s a picture of us standing outside the parlour after the massage! YAY WE SURVIVED!

YAYYY! We survived!

It was getting late and dark. We decided to head back home. While we were walking back, we saw a lot of stray cats and dogs and even a rat too! A FAT ONE. Here’s some pictures of the things we passed by! HAHA.

The cute plant!

MAC!

I’MAT’ A PAYPHONE! Geddit geddit?

LOL HER FACE

When we got back, we received news from Nabihah’s sister that someone tried to break into the house via the backdoor. We somewhat panicked and made sure that all the gates and windows were locked. The house was really dark at night and it can get really spooky if you have a wild imagination. I fell asleep somewhere LOL. (I don’t know what happened when I was asleep.) The next moment, I was called down to the living room and saw everyone else there. Ostensibly, they were trying to order pizza and had failed time and again as the receptionist couldn’t understand what they were trying to say. I threw myself on the couch and slept for awhile again. I was really exhausted. When I got up, they still have not managed to place an order and asked for my help. I felt rather famished too. They were pissed with the receptionist. LOL! So I decided to give it a try and could understand why they were pissed. The receptionist was yelling at me and was rather impatient. Somehow, I managed to control my temper and placed an order! YAY! Patience is virtue! We spent the rest of the time ranting about how pathetic the service was as we waited for the pizza to arrive! It was so funny. My ears had vulgarities streaming in and out of them. HAHA! We also managed to hold small talks here and there and was interrupted by the bell! YAY THE PIZZA DELIVERY GUY’S HERE!

FUUUUUDDDD!

We finished everything within minutes. I could feel myself getting fat LOL. After finishing the food, we cleared up the mess and went to wash up. I took a bath, brushed my teeth, changed into my PJs and went to the cinema-room where everyone else was. We decided to watch horror movies! We watched ‘Posession!’ Eileen and I were lying down on the mattress on the floor while the rest were chilling on the bed. It was a good movie to watch especially at night! After that, we decided to watch another horror movie – ’3AM.’  I do not know what really happened because I knocked out half way through the movie.

Sleeping was another funny story. Eileen and I kept changing sleeping positions. I kept fidgeting here and there and Eileen had to move me away from her legs LOL. She said that I always either curled into a ball or planked away from my pillow. And so that was the end of DAY 1!

A few of them in Singapore, and they are always packed, and quite a few throughout Malaysia.  Hong Kong style cuisine, but not really my cup of tea, but I was curious to try it out.

They have set lunch menus, so that’s what we decided to go with.  My drink I decided on was a Kopi Bing, while Lena went with a little upcharge for the Boiled Milk with Egg.

Mine had soup, which I went with the Cream Soup.  The Borscht Soup just does not sound nice…

And my choice was Shanghai Honey Pork Rib Rice.  It wasn’t that bad to be honest.  Flavorful and tummy filling.  And not bad for 10RM.

Lena went with the Herbal Chicken Soup Noodles.

Next door is the dessert arm of Kim Gary, so I could not resist.  Black Sesame Shaved Ice with Fruits, Marshmallows, Almond Jelly and Sago.

Yum, yum, yum.

While property agents from both sides of the Causeway say they have never seen such a steep climb in interest in the last two years, it is the last six months that have taken their breath away. Everything, from price to interest from foreigners, has been strastospheric.

How much of this is hype and how much of it is for real?

Although there have been occasions when agents have been “overly optimistic” and exaggerated sales numbers, Jones Lang LaSalle head of residential project sales David Neubronner says they are seeing more enquiries in recent months, stronger buying interest and rising capital values.

Show houses and apartments in Iskandar are busy even on weekdays. Good Malaysian property launches in Singapore draw in full houses, says the Singapore-based Mr Neubronner.

Robust demand is evident at popular developments such as Senibong Cove and Straits View Residences where both have sold out all their previously released landed properties.

On the residential front, Nusajaya is hogging the limelight with its slew of initiatives and developments coming on board. Of particular interest, says Mr Neubronner, is the Puteri Harbour scheme which boasts luxury waterfront villas, apartments, serviced residences, hotels and commercial developments.

Other attractions include the new international schools in Nusajaya, like the world-renowned Marlborough College. This has caught the attention of the expatriate community in Singapore and many are making enquiries, says Mr Neubronner.

Other hot areas are waterfront homes in Danga Bay and Permas Jaya.

CB Richard Ellis (Johor) director Wee Soon Chit compares today’s prices with last June’s and as far back as 2006, when Iskandar was first launched.

Today, vacant bungalow lots in Ledang Heights are priced at between RM100 and RM120 (S$40 and S$48) per sq ft. Last June, they were RM60 to RM80 per sq ft; in 2006, they were RM25 to RM30 per sq ft.

“There seems to be very strong interest and an element of speculation,” says Mr Wee, adding that he has never seen such a dizzying spike in his 17 years in the property market. “Property prices were rather stagnant from 1998 to around 2006.”

As for the industrial sector of the market, prices at the UEM Group’s Southern Industrial Logistics cluster in Nusajaya were hovering at RM25 per sq ft in 2006. By last June, they had doubled to between RM40 and RM50 per sq ft and today, lots are transacting at prices as high as RM75 per sq ft, said Mr Wee.

As for commercial land in Johor Baru, known as the old town, Mr Wee says the latest transaction for a yet-to-be-converted parcel fronting Jalan Abdullah Tahir was RM380 per sq ft.

In Nusajaya, at least 60 per cent of buyers of residential properties are foreigners compared with 40 per cent in Johor Baru. Prices of high-rise units launched in 2006-07 have moved from RM350 psf then to RM1,200 psf now.

Mr Wee says it is not really “an apple to apple comparison” because they are now seeing better finishes and designs.

The Star/Asia News Network