Great Dinner Time with Buddies...

Yesterday I had the privilege of eating at a great seafood restaurant in town with my two best girlfriends – Ami & Adeq. Thanks to Adeq for the foods as i really enjoy it with the companionship the two of you.

The food was exceptional but what I came away from the meal with was…. well it was an ‘experience’ and not just a ‘meal’. A number of things went into the 2 1/2  hours that we dined at the restaurant that stood out and left me pondering what I could learn from the success of this restaurant.

note: I’m not going to draw too many parallels to blogging specifically but rather will put the lessons out there and let people apply (or leave) them as they wish to their own situation.

Situated on a small and fairly ugly street filled with the back ends of buildings and car parks (I have to say I wasn’t expecting much of a place in this part of the town).

Lessons: first impressions matter a lot and can create a lasting impression that sets up the experience someone has of what you’re doing. Unexpected contrast is also something that will grab people’s attention and make them take notice of what you’re doing.

Sometimes dining in places like this can be an overwhelming experience for a guy like me. I’m no gourmet and being confronted with a menu filled with dishes that need translation and being overwhelmed with so many options that I have no idea where to start isn’t my idea of a great way to start a meal.

 

 

The menu for the day was (Ami's choice – although we could have some input if we had special needs) which I also appreciated. Conversation was not interrupted with choices of food and drinks and the overwhelming nature of those menus and 'CRABS' were eliminated. 

Throughout the meal it was not just our taste buds that were stimulated. Our dinner session were filled with laugh...

Our ears also filled with xxx stories from Adeq...what a nite. 

Lessons: choice is great but sometimes it can be overwhelming and simplicity can be appreciated.

Lesson: engage the senses and you transform something that can be quite one dimensional into something experiential.

Lesson: great experiences don’t always just happen. A little thought can go a long way to helping people move through an experience in a positive way.

Which of these principles could you take and apply in your blog or online business?

Its time to relax and unwind...

"Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow. ~Douglas Pagels"


There are many beautiful things in the outside world other than our desks, computers, gadgets and closed air-conditioned rooms with no natural air. Give your stress wings to fly away. Go and seek nature. Its really beautiful.

One of the biggest 'tourist traps' of Sabah, maybe of the world.  But still , it is just awesome to see it with your own eyes, and on my 5th visit to Kundasang, I was again very impressed with its grandeur and atmosphere also the majestic Mount Kinabalu.  I don't like to go twice to the same place, because when revisiting a place, the magic of the first time visit is gone, you compare with last time, etc... and of course there is simply not enough time in one lifetime to go more than once to the same places. But with regards to the great Mount Kinabalu, the story is different.  I visited it so many times already, but I went to different sections of the wall, which gave me different views and only increased my awe for this scenery.  And I experienced even more of its beautiful scenery and the surrounding places as I traveled along it with my little princess, wife and friends.

The mountain and its surroundings are among the most important biological sites in the world, with over 4500 species of plant, 326 species of birds and 100 mammalian species identified. Among this rich collection of wildlife are famous species such as the gigantic Rafflesia plants and the orangutan. Mount Kinabalu has been accorded UNESCO World Heritage status.

These pictures below was taken either by my wife's friend or me, shown places that we've visited :

My Daughter with Mount Kinabalu background.

Pekan Nabalu

We arrived just in time for the milking process. Hundreds of cows were rounded up for milking. But we managed to get one nice picture of hungry cow.

Having lunch before bathing in the pool.

Outside the hotel room.

The lanscape around Cottage Hotel

Sabah Tea Farm

Enjoy great time together.

Sabah Tea Farm Welcoming You.

Mummy & Her Daughter (Tea Farm Background)

Tagal Luanti.

'Peace' sign given before heading to sleep.

She's super excited with her bed.

This is one of the experiences you wish it could go on for a long time, but you have to stop at some point because it exhausts you at the same time.  But the images in your mind last forever.

Imagine that we have to do the visits in all that places in a day...its so damn tired, but  it makes it so worthwhile. We know we have been there , and that the memories will last.        

These links provided you with informations needed. Just in case you have plan for trip to Sabah especially Kundasang and Ranau: 

Cottage Hotel

Kinabalu Park

'Tagal' Luanti Fish Farm

Sabah Tea Garden

Poring Hot Spring, Ranau
Mount Kinabalu Golf Club

【2010央视春晚 1080HD】10 - 传奇 Legend / 王菲 Wang Fei

Faye Wong singing 'Legend' a poetry song by Li Jian. Enjoy this song.

At last, my big dinner with friends...

Selepas hampir 6 bulan punya plan, ni kalilah baru dapat pergi dinner sama 'geng kapak' termasuk seorang ahli baru..hahaha..punya banyak masalah 'geng kapak' ni dalam masa 6 bulan. Tidak terasa juga punya cepat masa berlalu. Kalau difikir balik buat sakit hati juga sebab banyak kali tertunda acara makan-makan ni. Tapi akhirnya sampai juga di meja makan Restaurant Gayang ni pada 30hb Januari 2011.

Ni gambar pasangan 'hot' pada malam itu. Pemenangnya??? Ndak payah cakaplah..tu nah yang berkambai tu..pasangan baru lah katakan. Masa ni, semua menunggu makanan dihidangkan..sambil menunggu siap ambik gambar lagi..yang paling pantang nampak kamera, siapa lagi kalau bukan si Bulat...macam-macam pose sudah dia buat...terkena lagi tukang tangkap gambarnya si Ejan...nah ngam lah itu...semua gambar hancur, bergegar, kabur...pendek kata rosaklah...ndak tau lah apa kejadian si Ejan ni, bilang buta ndak juga...tangan pun masih ok...hasil gambarnya...kecewa busss...FAILED.

Inilah makanan yang ditunggu-tunggu oleh 'geng kapak' yang kelaparan. Semua makanan sedap. Lauk yang paling ditunggu-tunggu adalah Sotong..lambat dimasak sebab tidak dimasukkan dalam order kami. Kecewalah si kawan menunggu lauknya...hahaha...apa lagi ceritanya TAPAU lah....hehehehe.

Selesai makan, sempat ambik gambar lagi. Time to go home. Errr not really go home this time...we went to Gaya Street afterwards.

Begitulah cerita perjalanan satu malam bersama 'geng kapak'. Pelbagai ragam dapat dilihat..ada juga yang merajuk sebab ndak dapat bergambar...hahaha...lumrah rumahtangga lah katakan. Well, that's it. -