Wednesday, July 28, 2010

New house @ Kota Kemuning

We brought our first new home at Kota Kemuning after a series of long search on houses.

At first, we didn't plan to buy a double story house as the landed property at Wangsa Maju is out of our budget. We started looking into condominium around the area. One thing that we don't like about condominium is we need to pay the monthly maintenance starting from RM150 - RM280 per month. Even if we are not living in the condo. TS friend started introduce us double story unit at USJ and since then we started to expand our options.

It took us 2-3 months, every weekend starting to visit show houses and second hand houses until we found this ~!

I love it because the design of the house looks modern and it's a brand new unit. TS love it because of the location. (He is fussy with certain location - Cheras and Puchong is a NO to him)

We paid the deposit at November 2009 and start paying our installment at March 2010. We got our key's at early April 2010.
Here is the sliding door and the main gate of the house. The living room and dinning room is so big compare to the condo we are renting now.
One of the reason I buy this house is I love the ready made cornice ceiling on both the living room and dinning room.
Dry and wet kitchen ~ plan to put a custom made kitchen cabinet
The small room at the back~ This room is so small and it is a maid room. I think I will use it as ironing room.
The back of the house is guarded with wire fence and a fence door. There is still 4-5 feet space of land from the end of my house back door to the wire fence. I personally feel like it is so not safe. Will probably change it to solid bricks wall with a metal door. (something like my opposite neighbor wall shown on the picture below)
Let's go up now ~ There is small store room below of the stairs.
There is a family room, 1 master room and 2 bedrooms on the 2nd floor. The 2 bedroom are quite identical, just one in the left and one in the right.
Each bedroom is attach to a bathroom. So total I have 4 bathroom on my new house(omg~~ need to wash 4 bathrooms). The tiles on the bathroom are tile up until the ceiling.
Here is the master bedroom. I love it as it is big compare to others. There is an small area near the attach bathroom where we plan to do a built in cabinet ~ I'm excited in having a walk in wardrobe soon ~~
The floor plan of the house to give you a brief idea how's the house is structure.
Next: Checking defects of the house.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Summary of Taiwan 17 days trip

Here is a complete list of post on the whole trip to Taiwan~ Enjoy!


1.0 Preparation and Flight to Taiwan
2.0 Xi Men Ding 西门町 & Homestay
2.1 Red Theater 紅樓劇場 & Tian Hou Gong 西门町天后宫
2.2 Shi Lin Night Market 士林夜市
3.0 Taiwan High Speed Rail heading to Kenting 高铁前往垦丁
3.1 Kenting HomeStay 垦丁民宿 - Minimi 米尼米
3.2 Kenting National Park 垦丁国家公园 Part 1
3.3 Heng Chun 恒春 & Cape No 7 海角七号 Movie Scene
3.4 Kenting National Park 垦丁国家公园 Part 2
3.5 National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium 國立海洋生物博物館
4.0 Kaohsiung HomeStay 高雄 & RuiFeng Night Market 瑞豐夜市
4.1 Kaohsiung高雄 - Cijin District 旗津
4.2 British old Embassy 英国领事馆,Dream Mall夢時代購物中心, Love River爱河
5.0 Alishan 阿里山
5.1 Jade Mountain 玉山 + Alishan 阿里山
5.2 Fenqihu 奮起湖 + 嘉义Chiayi
6.0 Jiji集集,Shuili水里,CheCheng车埕
7.0 Sun Moon Lake Homestay 日月潭民宿
7.1 日月潭骑脚踏车游记 Cycling Exprience around Sun Moon Lake
7.2 Sun Moon Lake Tour 日月潭遊艇遊湖 Part 1 + 日月潭缆车 Sun Moon Lake Cable Car
7.3 Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village 九族文化村
7.4 Sun Moon Lake Tour 日月潭遊艇遊湖 Part 2
8.0 Cingjing Farm 清境农场 + 觀星園 Starry House
8.1 Cingjing Farm 清境农场
9.0 Hehuanshan合欢山
9.1 Taroko Gorge National Park(太鲁阁国家公园) Part 1
9.2 Taroko Gorge National Park(太鲁阁国家公园) Part 2
9.3 Hualien Homestay 花蓮民宿
9.4 Hualien East Coast Trip 花东海岸之游 Part 1
9.5 Hualien East Coast Trip 花东海岸之游 Part 2
10.0 Jiaoxi homestay 礁溪民宿 + 五峰旗瀑布
10.1 National Center for Traditional Arts 传统艺术中心 + 湯圍溝溫泉公園
10.2 McDonald Breakfast
11.0 Jiufen Old Street 九分老街
11.1 Yehliu GeoPark 野柳地质公园
11.2 National Palace Museum 國立故宮博物院
11.3 DanShui Old Street 淡水老街 , Fisherman’s Wharf 渔人码头
11.4 Taipei City Mall 台北车站地下街, Wufenpu 五分铺, Raohe Street Night Market饶河夜市
11.5 Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall 中正纪念堂, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall 国父纪念馆, Taipei 101, 永乐市集
11.6 Bye bye Taiwan and things that I brought

How much did I spend?
Around RM9000 for 2 person trip.This includes all the transportation, accomodation and Air Tickets to Taiwan RM1100++ for 2 person.

How long was my trip?
17 days, 16 nights
In chronological order: Taipei 台北 (1N) -> Kenting 垦丁(1N) ->Kaohsiung 高雄 (2N) -> Alishan 阿里山 (1N) -> Yushan 玉山 -> Chiayi 嘉義(1N) -> Jiji集集,Shuili水里,CheCheng车埕 -> Sun Moon Lake 日月潭 (2N) -> Cingjing Farm 清境农场 (1N) ->Hualien 花莲 (2N) -> Jiaoxi 礁溪 (1N) -> Jiufen 九份 ->Taipei 台北 (4N)

11.6 Bye bye Taiwan and things that I brought

Day 17, the last day at Taiwan.
We didn't visit anywhere else, sleep until time and pack and went to the Airport.
Actually I was too exhausted on the long trip.

Here are some goodies that I got from Taiwan. Buy until I pok gai

1. Postcard and wood postcard
I love these wooden postcard and I have brought some from places that I visit, such as Eluanbi Park at Kenting, Cape No 7 at Kenting, Alishan...
Planning to hang the wooden postcard on my new house.







2. Souvenir
I didn't expect I brought that much of souvenir.Can't stop buying them...
3D postcard that can be assemble which I brought at Jiufen.



Lucky lamp work beads brought at Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village.

Wooden Slippers as gift for friends and family members brought at JiuFen

"Jadeite Cabbage" and Chinese vase souvenir from the National Palace Museum.

Wooden toy from Checheng

3. Cute Souvenir
Love this so much ~ the windmill and the light house from Kenting

7-11 is one of my favorite shopping area at Taiwan. Almost every tourist area will have at least 1 shop of 7-11. I was lucky enough to collect the stickers and exchange a cute bear.

土地公 from Jiufen

Cute magnet from Yehliu

Hand phone accessories from Alishan

Small train pencil from Jiji

4. Clothes
The clothes that I brought are more toward Japanese style in pastel color with lace. Love them alot. I brought these clothes at Shi Lin Night Market and Wufenpu






5. Snacks
Milk Nougat from Kenting (Left) and Hualian(Right). I love the milk nougat from Ruishui farm at Hualian the most.

Yummy seafood snacks from Kenting. Regret not buying more as they taste very nice.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

11.5 Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall 中正纪念堂, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall 国父纪念馆, Taipei 101, 永乐市集

Second last day at Taiwan. It's quite a rush day as "I" would like to go for more shopping and "he " would go for more tourist attraction.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (中正纪念堂)
We took the MRT to the CKS Memorial Hall Station (中正纪念堂捷运站). Several buge building around the area. We was too lazy to walk in and just shot some photos from far.






Next we reach the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (国父纪念馆). We took the MRT and stop at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station (國父紀念館捷运站).

TS love this place so much, we spend quite some time reading the exhibitions on the Hall.

Taipei 101 (101大楼) is a landmark skyscraper located in Taipei.
It is reachable via MRT Taipei City Hall station (市政府站), and there are free shuttle bus to Taipei 101.

Taipei 101 shopping mall is something like shopping at KLCC. We didn't went up the tower to view the skyview rather then just walking around to catch a beautiful picture of the tower.

Next, we headed to 永乐市集 which is a paradise of fabric and patch work lovers. It is near the ZhongShan MRT station 中山站. But you will need to walk more then 20 minutes to the market. Detail map and directions please refer to here.

It's a whole building of fabrics, ribbons, trims and many more sewing materials that we Malaysian dream of owning them. There are so many to choose and I just manage to bring back some.

Spend my last shopping again at Wufenpu and Shi Lin Night Market.

Friday, July 23, 2010

11.4 Taipei City Mall 台北车站地下街, Wufenpu 五分铺, Raohe Street Night Market饶河夜市

Today is a shopping day for me~!

I wonder around the Taipei City Mall 台北车站地下街. It is the most famous underground shopping markets in Taipei and it is located at Taipei Main Station.

We stumble upon this mutton soup shop on one of the street around Taipei Main Station. The mutton soup has over 10 years and was very delicious.

It is an very big and long underground market



While I was busying shopping, TS hang around at the Mr. Brown coffee shop to surf online.

Around 4pm, we reach the Wufenpu 五分铺- one of the largest fashion markets in Taipei. Remember to visit Wufenpu at the late evening because the next day I reach Wufenpu at 1pm but non of the shop open yet.

Wufenpu is reachable via MRT - Houshanpi station (后山碑捷运站) OR by train Songshan station (松山火车站). We took the MRT and we need to walk 5 minutes to reach the Wufenpu.

Omg~~ shopping paradise for ladies!~
Lots of latest fashion and the price is so much cheaper compare to Malaysia.
There is so much to see until I am pening on don't know which to buy. There are rows and rows of streets all on clothes, shoes, handbags, children clothes .....
The SA is not as friendly as those in the night market as they are targeting more on wholesale customers.
I come back the next day to do my final shopping on my last night at Taiwan.


We asked around and walk to Raohe Street Night Market(饒河街觀光夜市). It's around 10-15 minutes walk from Wufenpu.


The famous pork rib soup. TS enjoy it so much. I think it taste much alike as our Bak Kut Teh.

Chinese facial using strings and powder on the night market ~

There is a temple beside the Raohe Street Night Market. It is beautifully decorated with lanterns.




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