Ronda Riyadh

This weekend i also have assignments(with S,plural). At Saudi weekend was on Thursday and Friday. The problem was operator at Malaysia and Thailand like to have activity Thursday Morning or Friday morning. So weekend macam tak weekend langsung. But it ok since there is not night live at Riyadh.

Went for outing , but i dont know the place around . So ask taxi driver to go to some where that have tamar and halwa. At least i know place around my Hotel. People in Riyadh only open their shop after Asar, or maybe for summer only because current weather is damn hot, around 42 Celcius in the afternoon. There is Aweez souk near to Sheraton that about 3 minutes drive. A lot of Arab choice of Arabic stail market. Thanks driver
This is picture of saudi youth playing soccer.Remember, they almost become Asian champion last month.
Now i know there are a few pasar that i could reach within 3 minutes travel by taxi.and on the next junction after Sheraton actually there were a lot of Arabic restaurant. Tapi arab makan byk!! Last week i did have dinner with Harun Nayan near to his house. "Mandi" the name of the nasi with ayam. Tak habis sebab kitorang kecik je nak perabis seekor ayam. But very delicious.

I never know that kurma is yellow colour till i arrived Saudi. And i arrived at the right time. Musim kurma tengah berbuah. Just nice before ramadan.There are few kurma tree around STC office. It tasted kelat and sweet. I really hope that i wil be here again in Ramadan kalau ada rejeki.

My advice : Buy lotion if you come to Riyadh during summer. Merekah kulit gua beb!

This is picture of Riyadh city from Kingdom Tower using my mobile phone. They not allow any camera in this skybridge. But mobile phone is OK.

Target Below 1kg

One thing i dont like about outstation is my body weight.Makin berat beb! Increasing from time to time. I still remember what Nonie said when she met me at Semambu,Kuantan "Dah gemuk!!!" . Hehe . Mana tak. Bila outstation ,breakfast provided, Afternoon teamate ask to join for makan.Karang on the way back to Hotel, beli makanan lagik. ye lah Tidoo, no exersice. Weekend kekadang tido satu hari. When i am travel to some where like Riyard, of course i would like to eat something that Malaysia don't have. So my target is below 1 kg.Amin.

I dont think SA government menggalakkan outsider to come here. Some muslim take advantage to stay for their Haj. That why they are hardly to give visa .Hard to find broachers about Riyadh city. Even keychain pun hard with Riyadh or KSA word around the city. All city in the world have their own keychain/gift , Riyadh susah mau cari syeikh! Ask China to make it lah, the rest of the world done that, very cheap ma .The only place to find them was at Kingdom Tower, and i don’t like this tower. Why? Because they not allowed you to take picture by your own camera. Use their photographer. Elok lah tu untuk zaman digital camera ni . So aku amik gambar dari jauh je lah.

I had been to Bathaa on last Friday. Part of Riyadh old city. You could watch a lot of Indian,Pakistanhe ,Bangla and Filipino here . At Dira ,which is part of Bathaa, sebelah kot? ,there were a lot of jewelry shop, kedai serban and jubah Pak Arab, classic thing, carpet, abaya and also capal. But they are open after Asar. At Dira I could reach Masmak Fortress. I not sure about the history of this building, but it was one of Riyadh old identity. After Friday prayer I join the Pak Arab tido dalam Masjid. Letih oo lepas jalan tengahari summer nih. Even one of Pak Arab that i met using lepak minum air, advice me to lepak at mosque since I told him that I am muslim. If I not mistaken it was Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque, which next to Masmak Fortress.

p/s aku nak taruk gambar skit, tapi leceh aa, SA punye ISP filter kawkaw

:( padahal tak lucah pun

One Bad , One Good For me

About a month ago my boss promise to give training that suppose to held in Bangalore,India. The training will be for Celcom IN Prepaid team but of course some of my team will be there.Beginning of July while getting my passport replacementat Subang Imigresen Office , my boss called me.( i did 'lost' my passport ) .

Boss: Isti ,are you at imigresen office? (ketawa kecik)

Me: Yes , i am. Why any bad news?

Boss: Yeah, one bad, one good.

Me: What is it?

Boss: Your Bangalore training cancel.

Me: (aduhhh!!) Okeeyyy. Its ok, what to do... i am OK.

Boss: But i have to sent your somewhere else.

Me: ( yeahh!! ) What? Somewhere else? Where is it?

Boss: Saudi. They need temporary PSA engineer. So you will be there for another one month.

Me: Gosh!! another one month???

Boss: Are you OK with it?

Me: If you confident with me, i am OK. Thanks for recommand me Boss!

And today ,here i am Riyadh , SA*. The process of get a visa is a bit harder then Thailand temporary visa. You have to go to LHDN for stamping, Bank for Cheque Draft , Endorsement at any valid place and Saudi Embassy for sure.

I told my mum about trip to Saudi, about a month before the trip. Compare to bangkok trip which i told her 3 days before the trip. Hehe. Sejuk skit hati die dengar Saudi... :P

Booking my flight through Mei Yoke , Company executive for traveling .She book Cathay Pacific flight so i could reach there earlier. Tapi Najib and teamate marah with me, coz travel on weekend. Haha, rugi hari kerja they said. For accomodition, Mei Yoke made my booking at Sheraton Riyadh Hotel and Towers.

My Journeyto

My flight was at 930am 29th July. But of course, like always, i am too kiasu. I booked Airport Limo for trip from Kelana Jaya at 4 am. Sempat la ronda2 and breakfast at McD. Brought Sudoku Book of 250 pages at the KLIA Bookstore. Sudoku is to make sure i am not boring during flight. 3 and a half hours later i arrive at Hong Kong International Airport. Get my lunch there and wait another 2 hours for flight that will transit for a while at Bahrain.

When my flight arrive Bahrain , I take sometime to walking around Bahrain Airport. I found Post Office and sent a poscard to my self. Very stupid but at least a prove that i arrive Bahrain. Aduh, at that moment i already so damn very tired.

Finally , flight arrived at Riyadh at 22:00 29th July 2007 +3GMT. And the Hotel driver already waiting for me at the Arrival enterence. Riyadh Airport is very old design, Look like Senai Airport design during 80'ties. But big buildinglah. The driver drove me to Sheraton with a big Car which the brand was Mercury. If i not mistaken.Refer attached picture.White colour, yeah that the driver.

On Monday 30th July morning , report on duty at Company branch Office Riyadh, Abraj Atta'awuneya Tower. And met my teamate was Himmat and Mohammad. Mohammad will be on vacation and i was the replacement .They doing the server same like us at Kuala Lumpur for AlJawal.

They teach me a lot about their server. And the best part was there have alot of script that i could use and help me alot.Haha. So kerja gua become easier dude!

Aduh, malas nak tulis nanti sambung. There are some picture that i cant upload due to block by *SA ISP. Will update late.Tata.

*SA = Saudi Arabia

500USD

Yesterday afternoon conversation.
MyBoss: Okeh, got commisioning at Kabul, 350USD, anyone?
Teamate A: 500USD boleh laa!
MyBoss: OK, i request 500USD, we will see their respond.

Kabul?? I called my mom last night, and told her about the offer, she recommend me to look for other destination, Arab for example. I think if ask my mum to choose between Kabul and Bangkok, she prefer me to go to Bangkok. Because those lady didn't ask for ransom or point gun to me,instead they using my 'weapon' .But at the end i told my mum that if i want to go to Kabul, it is becoz i want to be somewhere people hardly to travel to. Money is extra. Mongolia or Nepal for example. But the end safety is most important thing before money.

Amazing Thailand

I did survive for my first international task. Actually it is a very simple task. My boss already mention in email that i could pass my probation period if i bring back all signed document! hehe... my probation period should take about 6 months i guess :P. But my career with this company just start for 3 months. Lucky me i guess. I dont mind if he dont make me pass , to me that only a morale support.

On my last weekend at Bangkok, i try to find travel agent so i could plan my real vacation. i found a homepage of Bangkok's Smiling Tour, really simple one.Click here. The best thing was, you could combine some of the trip. Please refer to the homepage.They will find you an agent and also will put u in a group of 12. Which enough for 1 big van. I tried to call at about 11 pm and i make my reservation which is next morning. And i got one slot which is join with other groups of 12 including me. Alhamdulillah.

My choise of travel? I only book for half day travel which cost me 700+100bath. That 100 because my hotellocation is a bit far other participant. Only for floating market. Its is wonderful trip which i really recommand to all. But travel start at 6 am. Make sure you wakeup early. We arrived at about 9 am.

Our location was Damnoen Saduak floating market. You will get a trip in James Bond Boat. And go along the canal. After that travel in the floating market. It cost another 150 bath to feel experience in the sampan through the floating market. May be it waste ur money if you bring ur kid. But for me, it is good experience. Then you will have time until 1030am to discover your floating market. But if you would like to go for Elephant ride. You have to meet the agent at 10am. Honestly i not interested for a ride with elephant.

Then the agent will 'park' you at Cobra Park. Which is not in the list, but they try for some luck to get some money from you. Its ok, just sit and get some drink. I suppose to go back to Bangkok after that , but i ask the agent about the price if i would like to join another group for other place. Yup addup another 400bath with lunch.Of course halal one. Most of the group go for Crocodile Farm and Elephant Ground. But i book for trip to Rose Garden, which is park of thai village, and they also perfome show of thai dance , boxing, wedding and elephant show.So the agent send me to Rose Garden while the rest of the group enjoy their moment at Croc and Elephant Ground. The show at Rose garden is really entertain, and i fully recommand for ur choise. Even the rest of the group join me after finished their trip at crocodile and elephant place.

And our journey back arrived at my hotel at about 530pm. Why you should go by those travel agent? Because they know when is the important show that you should not miss them. Believe me ,you wont regret. And it also give you oppurtunity to know some international friend.