5/14/2012

Hallmark Inn Hotel (Melaka, Malaysia)

Hotel Hallmark Inn
66, Jalan Munshi Abdullah,
Melaka 75100
Malaysia
Tel: +606-283-8333
Fax: +606-286-2611
Website: http://www.hotelhallmark.com/our-branches/hallmark-inn-melaka

The Good Things
1/ The place is centrally located, at 0 minutes walking distance from the city centre, and at 3 minutes from the picturesque riverside. 
2/ The hotel has decent basic rooms with a comfortable bed and a basic set of toiletries.
3/ The prices are affordable. It is good value for money, and perfect for budget travellers or families that do not want to expend too much money while in Malacca.
4/ The breakfast is included in the price of your room, and they caters for Asian and Western tastes, so it is great.
5/ Most of the staff were really lovely and helpful, always ready to help, especially Theresa in the mornings and the young guys in the afternoon.
6/The place has many traditional eateries around (an Indian and a Chinese), and many shops around.

The Not-so-good Things
1/ the toilet is tiny, even for a small person like me. The shower is not separated from the rest, so once you take a shower the whole toilet and bathroom area is wet.
2/ I missed some tissues in the room and notepad and pen, which shouldn't be that difficult to include in the rooms.
3/ There was a pungent smell in my room, that persisted despite the opening of the window. I am not sure if coming from the carpet or from the plastic curtains.
4/ The fridge seems to get off once you leave the room and remove the room card from its slot, which switches the electricity off, so you can't leave anything under refrigeration while you are away, especially if you out for a few hours. 
5/ There was a problem in my second night at the hotel, that affected all guests. There was a group of teens travelling with a bus that spend from 11pm to 3-4am shouting, slamming doors, running up and down the stairs, put the music loud, collapsed the lift. Teenagers are like that everywhere in the world. However, I expect the hotel to have and implement policies that make sure that these things don't happen, or, if they happen, to put a stop to them. Otherwise, is unacceptable.

    Stayed December 2011

Palanquin Heritage Suites (Georgetown, Malaysia)

Palanquin Heritage Suites
39 Bangkok Lane
Pulau Tikus, Georgetown,
Pulau Penang 10250, Malaysia 
Phone:  +6012-405-5313
Website: http://www.palanquinn.com/

My stay at the Palanquinn is one of the highlights of my visit to Malaysia and Penang. Charlie and Patricia, especially the first, went out of their way to help me, explain me anything, from the price of a taxi, to where to take a bus, give my change for it, advice me wisely where to go and what to do with the time I had at Georgetown. Moreover, they treat you as a person, individually, which rarely happens nowadays in the tourism industry.

I had one of the lofty rooms with balcony, upstairs, and it is like taken out from a colonial movie set. it has an open-concept bathroom, and separate living room and bedroom, all very spacious and with separate aircon. The furniture, the style, and the congruency of the whole decoration make of the place a delight. They provide free wi-fi, too.

The breakfast is always different, purchased from Indian, Chinese and Malay street vendors, and it s served not before 9am. Western breakkie is not available. So, if you feel like need to have breakfast before, buy some food the night before and have it ready, as the hotel won't provide it to you beyond a bunch of bananas or some fruit. Most businesses in Georgetown open at 8am, so if you are an early bird, not even Starbucks will be open.

The whole street is full of colonial houses now hosting with different businesses, five minutes from the seaside walk, and 12 minutes from a Gernay Shopping Centre, Night Food Hawkers area, and western cafeterias. The place is in the outskirts of the city but very close and easy to reach by public bus. It is also very convenient to take the public bus to Batu Feringgi, and at 5-minute walking distance from the beautiful Burmese and Thai Buddhist temples.

Palanquin is the sort of place that independent travellers will love if you have a bit of extra money to spend. If you are a fussy eater, fussy in general, go to your usual boring hotel. You have to leave your "westernism" at the doorstep.

Among the downs, I missed some more sachets of powder milk/creamer, or even a jar of fresh milk in the fridge, to add to the coffee-making facilities. The set of amenities was rather poor and could be easily improved, especially because their prices are those of a five-star hotel in Malaysia.

I would recommend people with mobility problems, or those who cannot carry their ton-weighed suitcase on their own not to book the rooms upstairs as the only lift is the one provided by your muscles. The stairs are also narrow and small and if you are fat, well, can you get stuck.  

Visited December 2011

5/10/2012

The Chemist Warehouse (North Perth, WA)

 412 Fitzgerald St
North Perth Western Australia 6006
(08) 9228 8474
http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/

The Chemist Warehouse in North Perth has, a huge selection of prescription and over the counter medication, beauty and health products cosmetics and perfumes at bargain prices.

They have some of the best prices for prescription medication and generics in Perth metropolitan area, especially useful when you have many repetitions of a drug or have a long recovery. The guys behind the pharmacy's counter are very knowledgeable and caring, and will inform you -sometimes better than your doctor- on the medication you are taking. The down side is that it takes them ages to deliver the medication, from 10-15 minutes. They have one of those beeper calling devices that give to you, so you can move around the store, but you will need of patience if you go at peak times during weekdays and especially during the weekends.

The Chemist Warehouse is also a heaven for natural remedies (the usual and unusual) and beauty products, basic and medium-range cosmetic brands and perfumes. The perfume section does offer more than the celebrity scents, and they do have first-brands items at very reduced prices: Nina Ricci, Versace, Anna Sui, Lancôme, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dior, Cacharel, Giorgio Armani, Arpège, etc. You won't find the latest launched perfumes by these houses, but their classics; the good perfume brands change from time to time, though, and they don't always have testers. Still, you will find some classic favourites at a fraction of the price you pay elsewhere. Sometimes you can have a WOW moment, at finding Lancôme mascaras or Ives-St-Laurent's Touch Eclat at half price.

The place is not glamorous at all, and it wouldn't help if they revamped it a bit. However, customers don't go there to express their inner posh, but to get a huge range of products, some of them "poshies", at cheap or bargain prices.

They  have a good service, with most girls being very helpful and friendly to the customer both in the aisles and at the cashiers.

They are open every single day of the week.

TIP
Buy products clearly discounted or on-offer products. Otherwise, you will pay the same price or more than you pay at the Coles or pharmacy across the street. 

5/09/2012

My One True Love Bags (Online Shop Australia) -REBRANDED

  Website

No, sweetie, this not a love declaration from me to you. This is the actual name of an Australian brand that produces limited edition good-quality leather bags. What an appropriate name for a bag brand. Don't we all consider our bags an extension of ourselves and our most precious possession?

MOTL was founded in 2011 by Russian designer Nina Baranova after settling in Sydney, and has received a well-deserved media attention. The brand has seasonal unique classy designs, excellent leather and materials, gorgeous colours and a no-fuss online site. The bags are a big pricey, but not much considering the quality and limited edition of the products they sell (150 pieces for each design), and that you can buy mass-produced plastic bags (now conveniently renamed faux-leather)  from chain retailers at half the price. 

MOTL's website is very basic, not specially stylish, and has a few blind spots (an empty blog, and not developed links) but it is very easy to navigate and gets you where you want without hassle. You will find a little story of the brand and the designer, the conditions of sale, and the list of stockist in Australia (none in WA yet), and the online shop. 

The online shop doesn't need of registration (unless you really want) and can pay by credit card or Paypal, and deliver your purchase by Registered Post without extra charge; your order will arrive in a couple of working days to major destinations within Australia. So very convenient! 

The website store offers a photographic listing of the bags on sale. You can click-in and see different photos of the bag of your choice, although I found them a bit poor in size and in variety. They truly need an online zoom system -as the one you can find, for example, at Nordstrom's or Macy's- to see the details of the leather and materials, a photo of the inner lining, and, most importantly, a photo of the bag on a mannequin or woman figure to see its fall, shape and approximate size. Otherwise, you are just guessing. They provide a description in writing of the bag, but that is never as clear as a photo on a woman shape.  You don't want to take your measurements tape to figure out the size of the bag you are buying, or imagine in your head how long the bag falls or the shape when empty, when it takes you a second to figure that out by looking at a photo.
 
I missed an automatically-generated email informing me that my order had gone through and was being processed. I had to contact their customer service to get that confirmation. That is not good enough. At the same time, they processed my order immediately and was sent immediately, too.

Now, the big question is, did the bag I got matched what I have imagined via the website? The answer is not exactly. The colour purple was almost identical,  but  I was disappointed that the bag has no structure. Thus, when you use the cross-body belt it hangs down awkwardly, and I had to place it around the handles hooks. On the other hand, it has no individual flap so you cannot have it semi-open to put your hand inside and grab whatever you need from inside. However, you cannot see that in the website because the bag is photographed just standing and puffed from inside, not semi-full. They need to improve their website photo system, so you get what you see. The bag is beautiful and very good-quality, a kind of stylish work-briefcase for ladies, still very trendy and youthful. I have had tons of compliments on it from the teens to old ladies.  


UPDATE April 2013
The online shop and the whole website of the brand has been suspended, and there is no way to find what has happened to very innovative brand. Their Facebook page is still operative, but it hasn't been updated since September 2012. 


UPDATE JANUARY 2015
Their website was brought back to life last year. However, no items are added to the selection of bags already there. The pieces out of stock are not being brought back, he blog is not updated, and it seems that a dying site. 
It is a pity. They have awesome quality leather bags, and I get compliments on my purple bag almost every day from both men and women. The bag has proven to be very good quality, perfect for work. Always stylish and unique. 


5/08/2012

Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (Kuchin, Malaysia)

Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg,
Kuching 93000, Malaysia 

This is a natural reserve, so do not expect seeing the orang-utans as if they were in the middle of the jungle. However, the animals live freely in a large land reserve, and move and act freely within it; in fact, they behave wildly and attack visitors if they feel like it (so very natural!), so mind that this is not a zoo or you are watching tamed animals. Still, if you are lucky enough to see them, they are very cute, entertaining and wonderful to observe. There is is no guarantee that you will see any orang-utans if you go there, but the lack of promise makes the trip much more exciting and seeing even one of them a special treat, especially during the monsoon season, when the forest is full of food and they don't visit the feeding area, which is also the viewing area. Unless you venture into the real jungle in a well-prepared jungle trek you are never going to see orang-utans in the wild, so this sort of rehabilitation centres are the best way to see the animals in an environment that is real and natural, although assisted, protected and curated.

On arrival, you are given some guidelines on how to behave regarding movement of your body, things you carry, tone of voice and level of noise, all safety procedures to avoid attacks and let the animals approach the viewing and photographing area at easy. Still so many tourists ignored that and talked loudly, and disregarded all the guidelines!


The best times for visiting are the feeding hours, i. e, at 9am and 3pm. The entrance fees are 3 Malaysian Ringit for adults and 1.50 for children. The place is easy to reach by local transport or by car, or, if feeling lazy, you can take a cheap organised tour that will take you there and back to your hotel. 
 
I found shocking that there is a smoking area in the reserve, amist the jungle!

Visited January 2012

Infusion Cafe (Perth, WA)

Shop 13 Plaza Arcade
650 Hay St
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9325 4111
Website
Facebook
Hours:
    Mon-Thu 8:00 - 17:30
    Fri 8:00 - 21:00
    Sat 8:00 - 17:00
 
Infusion is a cute little café in the Arcade Plaza that stands out for two good things: their flavoured coffees (made using infused coffee beans, or, if you prefer it, adding flavoured syrups to your normal coffee), and for their terrific friendly speedy service.

The place is mostly for take-away, although has a benched table with a few stools to seat if you want. The place is very cozy, and has a divine yummy-smelling display of rustic bags showcasing their different varieties of exotic and flavoured coffee beans, plus a good selection of Byron Bay Cookies, syrups, cold-beverages and teas.

Their flavoured coffees are terrific in both aroma and flavour, and my rating would be certainly higher if the café served just these. Their standard coffees, however, aren't as good, as they are a bit watery and lack in creaminess. However, I don't mind these qualities with flavoured coffees, as I consider them a coffee-derived product not a proper coffee, and I expect different things from both beverages.

The service is t-e-r-r-i-f-i-c at Infusion. Some baristas in the city should visit Infusions to learn how to treat customers. The thing is that they do so genuinely, which is an extra bonus. What a treat entering a café and finding people smiling at you, treating you with courtesy, respect and friendliness.

They sell the exhibited beans by the weight, ground or not, as well as the syrups and other coffee paraphernalia, which made them perfect for high tea parties at home.

5/06/2012

Animatrix by Several Authors (2003)

Animatrix is a collection of nine animated shorts related to different aspects of Matrix produced directly for video release. The stories are directly or indirectly related to what happens in the movie, filling-in some unexplained facts, and exploring the matrix from an outsider-insider point of view.

"Final Flight of the Osiris" (Andy Jones) is a literal transcription of an episode in the movie. The animation itself is amazing, and the opening scene extremely sexy, but the virtuosity of the video-game animation is not paired with a creative approach. I suspect, it was included in the compilation to catch the eye of those video-gamers who might end buying the Matrix's video-game.

"Program" (Yoshiaki Kawajiri) is an Akira-style short animation piece. The use of basic colours (white, red, black and grey, traditional Japanese elements (castles, samurai, swords, bamboo, silhouettes), and an edgy Manga action creates a visually astonishing piece of animation. It re-creates Cypher's betrayal of his crew of renegades, but giving it a medieval-Japan-Samurai twist.

"World Record" (Takeshi Koike) is an original piece that uses the matrix concept to expand it on its own, unconnected to any direct episode in the movie. It is about the awakening to the reality of the matrix by the main character, a famous Afro-American runner. The piece is shot in a mix of grays, blacks, beige and yellow colours, and uses shading brilliantly. The backgrounds are very artsy, according to Koike they were inspired by Gaudi's architecture. I found the piece, despite being made by a Japanese, very American in its vibe and energy, in the drawing of the characters and their personalities; still, there is a powerful unique narrative that is very Japanese, that tries to tell a story without forgetting technical innovation. Terrific is the way the movement of the athlete is captured, slowed and micro-analysed, and also the fact that the Afro-Americans are not drawn in brown colours but in different shades of grey. Supercool.

"The Second Renaissance 1 and 2" (Mahiro Maeda) fill in the missing story of what happened to the Human Race until they became dominated by the machines. In another words, it offers a mythology of the Matrix that was only hinted in the movie. It uses colourful Mandalas (with a mix of Buddhist and Brahman elements) attached to the female goddess-narrator, but has subdued colours when the documentary-like piece fill the viewer with the details of the war between humans and machines. It has a terrific story-telling, and it is very universal in a way. It uses elements of all religions, shows humans from different religions and cultures, depicts the violent acts of the humans using embedded references to tragic events happened in recent wars (WWII, Vietnam, Iraq) and offers an unadorned, still entertaining, view of the sins of the modern human race.

"Beyond" (Koji Morimoto) is a beautiful naturalistic short, Ghibli-Studio-like in the use of colours, shadows and lighting, the magic realism of daily life, and the virtuosity of the drawing. The episode has a connection to the Matrix, the cat appearing from another dimension in the movie, is the one here. But that is it. Morimoto creates for us an error in the matrix program affecting a house visited for the characters in this movie. The house is sort of enchanted, and visitors can levitate. It replies with verisimilitude to the question, how would humans notice a loop in the program? How would affect them? Simply wonderful.

"Kid's Story" (Shinichiro Watanabe) tells about the awakening to the reality of an American teen student who has been contacted by Neo. It has a lucid dream approach and has some lyric moments. However, this is mostly an escape story, full of action and angst. The animation style is a bit weird, as it the movie was constantly blur. This is intentional, and it is used to tell the viewer that our character is in a reality that is not dream, still not completely awake. The piece is extremely dynamic, with a great music, and some poetic moments, but not as engaging as the others.

"A Detective Story" (Shinichiro Watanabe) is a masterpiece of animation, drawn in a grainy BW that mimics ink-drawing, but adding some cut-out colours, typical of some American comics for adults. It also replicates the mood and style of the detective B-movies of the 50s, but mixed with a retro-futuristic Chinatown approach the matrix (very Dark-City in a way). It is super-stylish and engaging, linked to the movie by the search of Trinity. The music is very jazzy, perfect for a 1950s sort of film. I would have liked to be longer and a bit more daring, so much I enjoyed it!

"Matriculated" (Peter Chung) is a very psychedelic, hallucinogenic, colourful and philosophical piece of animation, and the most daring, from a narrative point of view, of the lot. It does reverse the matrix principles of the machines using a program mimicking human reality and subconscious world to put them at their service. In this short, the renegades reprogram the captured machines and connect them to their consciousness so it tricks the machine thinking that is a program and that they are also machines. It explores the concept of universal consciousness, and how machines could be fooled. It is a very Asimov approach to the story.

Animatrix is funky, artistic, and very entertaining. Not for small kids, though. The main problem with the compilation is that the quality of the pieces varies enormously, and that you need to watch it after the Matrix (the movie), and understand the intricacies of the matrix itself to comprehend the stories in the shorts. It is not rocket-science, but if you haven't done that, the movie won't work for you. Animatrix is a companion to the film; therefore, watching it on its own could be disappointing, unless you are interested in animation per se.