I recently turned 25 years old on Tuesday, 6th September 2011 :)

It was largely a quiet, lazy affair, mainly because a) it’s a weekday (So there’s no one else to celebrate with me too as everyone else would be working), b) dearest Louis was unable to take an off day on that day and c) my family and I are not big fans of huge celebrations (The aftermath and the entertaining especially) so we don’t usually celebrate on a big scale and prefer more intimate affairs.

Woke up to this on my door:

From my little brother :P He also bought me the hugest packet of mixed rice for my lunch, ever ~_~ I couldn’t finish it, of course T_T Mum also left me a sweet birthday “card” on my bed when I went to take a shower (Photo at bottom of post!) :)

Mum, little brother and I had my birthday dinner at Vin’s Restaurant And Bar that night, mainly because we had good Japanese and Korean food the week before so we couldn’t really think of anywhere else to have dinner at that was Western food :P I absolutely love their pineapple juice and was slightly craving it too >_> On hindsight, I probably should have took photos of the meal, but for some reason forgot to! :( Managed to have their lovely treacle cake pudding for dessert… it was so good- the vanilla sauce had a hint of mint that leaves a subtle minty aftertaste (I don’t generally like mint, but this is very subtle and complements it well), and their cake was perfectly balanced and not too sweet, I ordered another to go.

Photo taken from here.

Bad move! XD Turns out that little brother and dearest had secretly hatched a plan to buy me a birthday cake, which dearest would bring over when he came to see me after work. It’s a Black Forest cheesecake, from Secret Recipe, and as the photo showed, was a bit mushed up from the transit :P So now I had 2 cakes to eat for post-dessert- this and the treacle cake pudding! O_O It was a really sweet gesture, though, and I felt touched :) And all turned out well- somehow, I managed to finish both the cakes within that night @_@

As dearest was able to take off on Thursday, we spent the day together :) It was quite exciting- flitting from one mall to another- MidValley Megamall, Pavilion KL and then Suria KLCC because I had some specific things in mind that I wanted to see and buy :P And we made it in good time for dinner with my Mum, little brother and a foster sister and her husband too! :D

My birthday present from dearest this year is the gorgeous Swarovski Eros charm :) I had my eye on the Swarovski Alana charm at first, but the Swarovski outlet we went to only had the Eros one, and it looked good on me so we got it. Later we managed to hunt down the Alana charm, which was bigger (And costs more), and when I tried it on me it did not look as good as the Eros charm *Phew!* The Eros charm replaces the Thomas Sabo snowflake charm on my charm bracelet (As it tends to snag on my clothes/pants/bag)- as a 2nd year anniversary and birthday present in one :) I really really love it!

Apart from the birthday “cards” from Mum and little brother and the red packets of money from both my parents (Given to me by Mum on midnight) and from dearest’s parents, I also received a lot of wall posts on my Facebook and messages on WhatsApp as well as SMS :D Much ♥ indeed. It’s one of the warmer birthdays I’ve had :3

So who feels loved and happy? I certainly do! :D

And no, I don’t feel the least bit old :)

Wow, it’s been slightly more than a year since the last post on What’s In My Bag? what a coincidence that I decided to post an update haha :P

I’ve gone through a few bags after that (In no particular chronological order, by the way)- Fossil, Bric’s, Marc By Marc Jacobs, Charles And Keith, even a Coleman one, but this is the most satisfying bag I’ve had in a while. Don’t get me wrong, I love the other bags (I love bags in general anyway :P) but they were just not “right” for some reason after using them for a while- too heavy (Main reason), too small, too big.

Enter my Timbuk2 :D

I got it during my recent trip to Singapore, at their outlet in Cathay Cineleisure Orchard for SGD 179. On my last night there, nonetheless XD

To be honest I initially didn’t want it despite it looking good and being of a good brand (Dearest Louis has his eyes on the brand for quite some time), because I had just got the Coleman bag (Very good for travelling I might add) and really didn’t want a new bag so soon after getting one, but my Mum goaded me. Seriously >_> She actually guilt-tripped me into getting it, and she paid for it for me. Thanks Mum :)

The bag opened to reveal a slash pocket and a zippered pocket in which a strap to hang keys from (Interesting!) is included on the front. Oh, and it did come with a strap pad, but it was too bulky for my shoulders so I gave it to dearest… who got the Light Bright Messenger (Also thanks to Mum) and he has two strap pads now XD

I tried searching for the model on the website, and the closest match I could get is called the D-Lux Laptop Messenger Bondage (In size XS) when mine said D-Lux Bondage Messenger on the tag and sent me on a wild goose chase wondering why it’s not on the website @_@ It’s apparently new though, which could explain it :O

The inside it pretty different too- it has a studded sleeve that can fit an iPad (Or maybe a netbook, I don’t know)- it definitely can fit my first generation iPad with the original Apple cover snugly. It also comes with a velcro-fastened removable panel for add-ons which is different than the usual messenger bags that they have, and the straps are for fastening those add-on panels. I can’t find any of the add-on panels online yet, but you don’t necessarily need to use Timbuk2- anything you can fasten onto the straps can be used :P

The size is just right for all my stuff, it’s comfortable, tough and sturdy (Not to mention waterproof)- the perfect bag for me. And while it does start to feel heavy after a long day (Especially when I’m tired), one of the reasons I’ve always favoured sling bags is because they can be carried on the other shoulder, and that usually fixes the problem. My ONLY gripe would be the noise it makes when I open the bag- it’s fastened with velcro so it obvious makes a ripping sound when you open it… not ideal in places where you want quiet :P Though the velcro is seriously very good- no lint is stuck onto it ever and it’s solid.

Anyway- the stuff in my bag.

A LeSportSac cosmetics/make-up pouch takes up the most space, holding things like a compact mirror, tissues (Mainly), blotting paper (Though I hardly ever use it now, but just in case), a packet of Post-It notes, hand sanitiser and eye drops. I’m not going to picture them here though :P It’s called Happy Herd and my favourite LeSportSac collection because it has elephants XD And not to mention absolutely adorable :D

Then I have my brown leather Fossil wallet for my loyalty/shopping cards, my Parker pen (3-in-1, it also has a pencil) and coins; my black leather Braun Buffel bifold wallet; a travel charger for my iPhone 4 from MiLi; my Ray Ban sunglasses in its case; and not to mention, passport. My iPhone 4 is not pictured because it’s not permanently in the bag :P

The front slash pocket of the bag holds a tube of Mentholatum Maxilip lip balm, Christian Dior Dior Addict lipstick in 766 Taffetas, MAC lipstick in Gem Of Roses from their Semi-Precious collection and pepper spray… because it’s easier to access and I don’t want to scratch my lipsticks by putting them into the pouch :P

I foresee myself using this bag for a very long time (Not only because the quality is so good)- after getting it I have not been looking at other bags, nor am I intrigued by other bags D: Probably a good thing as to seeing how much I love bags and am easily swayed :P Hurrah for Timbuk2! I’m definitely a convert and definitely love the bag :)

Disclaimer: These photos were apparently taken without permission, as one of the basic rules for patronising such a cafe is that no photographs of the maid and/or the interior is allowed. To the management, I am so so sorry for taking photos inside! Please read on to see a reason I think why this occurred :x

Dearest Louis and me tried out Tenshi No Cafe at e@Curve, Mutiara Damansara yesterday :D It’s predominantly a maid cafe, and the concept is from none other than Japan, where the waitresses are dressed as maids and act as one, though in a more innocent, adoring fashion. Tenshi No Cafe bills itself as being a cosplay, maid and butler cafe, though, but the main concept still holds. There’s supposedly butlers, too, one of whom dearest and me saw the day before but seemed to be missing yesterday XD

They were actually opened quite some time ago (In January 2011 if I am not mistaken), but from what I’ve heard and know, closed for maintenance and improvements and to iron out some issues, and re-opened on 1st March 2011. Dearest and I actually walked past there on the day they re-opened, and planned to try it out yesterday- and we didn’t know they had actually re-opened until I did some checking and read about it on their blog. Talk about nice timing! Now, dearest and me are by no means otaku (Which is typically the clientele base), but I have heard about this and personally do appreciate the concept, and it kind of appeals to my inner Japanophile :P And dearest personally just wants to try out something new- it’s a new experience for him, after all.

We were served by Kurumi mainly, but the other maids- I remember Reina (Since I noticed their name tags), also served us as well- refilling drinks and bringing us our food, chopsticks and bill. The door was opened by Kurumi with a proper bow, and the Japanese greeting that approximately means (To dearest and me), “Welcome home, master and lady”. Now here it states that they have invited qualified maids from Japan to train and share their experience with the maids here, and I have a strong feeling that Kurumi is one of them. I didn’t ask, so I can’t be 100% sure :P

This is part of their menu- the “services” they provide. They basically keep you company, as you can see, and can spoon-feed you if you so incline.

At the last page of their menu they have highlighted rules for patronising the cafe, which includes no touching the maid’s body, no asking for any of their personal information (Such as phone number and email), no infringing on their privacy (Such as stalking, asking when she gets off work) and generally, no staying for more than 2 hours. However, dearest and me personally think that this important page should be in the front of the menu- after all, some patrons may just breeze through the menu, order food and/or drinks, and return the menu without bothering to see the last page. Dearest and me were one of them- one of the rules include no photography of the maids and/or the interior of the cafe, and we had snapped the photos on this post already by then D: We didn’t notice until we asked for the menu again after ordering our food and drinks so it’s a huge oops :x So yes, this is the reason why I have photos- we did not notice the rules T_T

Three of the four maids that were present- they were showing the menu to a bunch of office people on their lunch break who wanted to see the menu before deciding on a place to have lunch. I am actually envious of their clothing, as it’s impeccable, high-quality, very detailed and very nice… just that I would personally prefer it to be non-pink for me XD They’re nothing unlike those cheap knock-offs you usually see.

Dearest’s Chicken Little bento- so cute! ♥ It was recommended by Kurumi and dearest decided to try it. I, on the other hand, had the Una Toji Don- unagi/eel on rice with egg… and vegetables… and fruits o_O For drinks, we just had ocha/green tea. There are two types of bento available every day of the week, so each day it’s a different type of bento.

While waiting for the food to arrive, Kurumi asked if we would like to play games, which we declined, and then were told that we could browse the magazines they have, so it won’t be boring waiting for food. They have free wi-fi as well, so you know you have other things to do if you do not want your maid to keep you company :)

Dearest’s chopsticks XD We were very amused- it’s adorable.

You can see my Una Toji Don here, and I was attempting the strawberry, which, like most strawberries I have tried, are sour-ish XD So it’s not their fault really. The grapes were nice, though. And I found it incredibly cute and weird at the same time to have fruits in your rice bowl meal, especially when it’s a savoury dish XD I’m more used to having my fruits on a separate dish/plate but it’s a nice touch.

Food was quite nice in my opinion, but the prices may seem a bit dear to some- our bill came up at about RM 56.45 inclusive of taxes and all… so it’s not something we can afford every day. Service is obviously impeccable and top notch- the maids were, of course, attentive, soft-spoken and generally very nice as well as being professional. Dearest rates it as excellent, and up to par with the Japanese standards. But then again, we were not used to being treated to this kind of extremely polite service, so it felt a little awkward for the both of us. However, dearest and me plan to return, as the ambience is good as well and we enjoyed our visit there :3 As they have just re-opened, be prepared to be asked for feedback.

Dearest and me decided to pay the RM 8 to take a Polaroid photo with a maid (You can choose which maid you want to take a photo with), and it includes an option to have the photo hand-decorated by the maid. I chose not to, as I do not see it as necessary :) As you can still see from my pose, I still felt a little awkward :x

Oh, and I believe the manager was the person on the laptop sitting in the table in front of us during our visit, as the maids would consult him on some matters and he would advise them on some stuff. He did not chastise us about photography though, even though dearest’s Dell Streak made the shutter sound when he took photos… not that I wanted him to :x But we feel that it’s nice to have a male figure on board, as you never know what kind of customers you might get, after all, and the potential problems D:

As for improvements, the only one I can think of thus far is that the rules be highlighted clearly on the first page, or at least displayed outside the cafe before customers enter (To not ruin the ambience of the cafe) so that know what to expect and what not to do. After all, although the concept caters to a specific-ish type of clientele, other people who are not aware of or do not know about the concept (E.g. office workers) might not be familiar with it, so I think it’s one good way to introduce and clarify it. Just a thought :) Otherwise, I would rate the whole cafe, ambience, service and concept as outstanding! :D

All in all, dearest and me really enjoyed our visit to Tenshi No Cafe, and plan to return again :3 Kurumi noted, as we were leaving, that I left all my vegetables and asked if there was a problem with them, and when I said (Honestly) that I do not really like vegetables, she made a cat-like “nyaaa”, which was a little adorable XD

Oh, and this is Kurumi and Reina in this photo on this post. They will have most of the things up and running soon by the looks of it. I look forward to the events :D

For those interested, here’s the address:
Tenshi No Cafe
LG18, North Circle,
e@Curve, Mutiara Damansara,
47810 Petaling Jaya.
Selangor, Malaysia.

Sorry for the massive delay! :(

Anyway, on 18th August 2010, or day 2 in Singapore, dearest Louis, Mum and me hit Singapore Zoo… for the entire day. Yes, that includes the Night Safari :D So this post will have all animal photos and not much in the way of text XD

Warning though, it’s very image intensive- about more than 100 photos @_@ Blame it on trigger-happy dearest!

The tickets to Singapore Zoo :D With the tourist map/guide of the entire place and the cute serviette obtainable at its cafe :3 I took one (Or a few, I can’t exactly remember :P) as a souvenir because it’s adorable! :x

Likewise, the Night Safari tickets and the tourist map/guide, which we purchased after we were done with Singapore Zoo XD One of the tickets were purchased with a Night Safari lanyard that’s not pictured here because it was in its paper bag :P

Having arrived at the Singapore Zoo and heading towards the entrance. It was drizzly :(

Near the entrance :D The elephants are so adorable, although they’re not real.

We committed a tourist faux-pas of not having taken a group photo under the big sign near the entrance/ticketing booths that says Singapore Zoo, but there were a lot of groups of people queuing to do so so… >_>

Trying my hand at wrangling a crocodile :P

The fish in a pond near an entrance. Fat, huh?

Inside, opposite the souvenir shop, were parrots, and these were some of them :D

A pink parrot! Reminds me of a really tame one back in Labuan Bird Park… it was tame enough to let me touch it, but these apparently bite, according the zoo wardens D:

Mum and me, wildlife rangers! XD

A mousedeer! They’re really tiny-looking. And the colour is more vivid than the ones I saw in Malaysia D: Different species, perhaps :o

Dearest and me both love and appreciate how the Singapore Zoo is built encompassing, surrounding, around and within a real forest, without disturbing much of its natural-ness and authenticity, unlike most zoos that we’ve been to in Malaysia, which are built structures first then attempt to create an artificial “forest” or reforest the area (And failing).

Oooh what’s that? D:

It’s a… type of monkey! See how fluffy it looks :3

Another shot of the monkey. I honestly forgot its name XD

The walkway is so nicely designed. Look at the detail in the middle :D

We spotted an alligator swimming away in the river earlier, and then came across this one here taking a break @_@

OTTERS! ♥

Oh my goodness I absolutely love otters. They’re so cute and make the cutest noises ever (Apart from guinea pigs), and these are just soooo fat! One is even looking directly at the camera because dearest was distracting them XD

The otters are clustering here because it’s almost feeding time for them. And they were making noises the whole time because they want to be fed, and know that it’s time that they’re going to be fed. So cutteee ♥

Uuhhh… help, I’m being attacked by a (bronze) tiger? D:

OK, a real (white) tiger here :D

Another one of the white tigers.

They were playing, too! One of them (Let’s call it Tiger A smacked the other (Tiger B) then ran off, and Tiger B was looking for an opportunity to ambush Tiger A to smack it back, but Tiger A was smart enough to detect the incoming ambush and fled before Tiger B could spring XD

Can you spot the “hidden” tigers? :P

Not very clear here, but it was looking directly at the camera. Or was it looking at me? O_O

One of the tigers decided to hop into the water…

… while the other one for some reason just looked on XD

The tiger was sitting in the water @_@ And when it came back up, its fur did not look wet at all. Talk about water repellent D:

A pig-nosed freshwater turtle! Is that what it’s called? I forgot :x

It’s called an arapaima, not an arapamia, dearest :P

Pygmy hippos! They’re so small, compared to the other kind of hippos we usually see.

This picture makes the hippos look fake, doesn’t it? XD One of the hippos surfaced for air, and made a really loud blowing noise!

The pygmy hippos are called “ballerinas of the river” for a reason, and a legitimate one too. They actually “swim” underwater on tiptoes, with the tip of their front toes, like a ballerina doing a pirouette :D Oh, and a funny thing is while we were leaving… one of the hippos did number two in the water, and the fishes quickly went to work “cleaning” up. It was quite disgustingly hilarious, and we even heard it >_>

Desert warthogs. Oink!

This one is so cute. He dug a hole in the sand… and just sat in it.

The reptile section! An armadillo-looking lizard. Didn’t note its name >_>

It’s a snake!

And here is a type of iguana!

In the Australian section, the first thing we saw upon entering was this emu. o hai thar.

Kangaroos lazing around!

A wallaby had wandered into the open centre, in full, close view :D The enclosure is normally where the kangaroos were, but this one seemed to have left the enclosure and wandered here instead. Not that it really mattered, though, because the enclosures weren’t exactly meant to keep them inside but more like to partition the space.

Dearest took this photo of me :3 I was quite near the wallaby, actually, but of course didn’t dare touch it although I want to!

Damn, all the kangaroos are still lying around. We waited a while to see if one would stand up, but apparently they were too lazy… or content XD

Remembering Steve Irwin. Say what you want about him, but his efforts really made a difference to how some people see and understand wildlife and conservation.

Now this is something I’ve never seen before- a tree kangaroo :o

It’s simply gorgeous, to be honest. The colours are vivid and striking, and unlike kangaroos who hop, they are more agile, kind of like monkeys!

Eerrr… baboons :D

The seal show :D It was super crowded, and was ending when we got there, though dearest managed to get this shot and we got to see the seal fetch, as well as tease some volunteer kids and perform tricks XD I would have loved to be a volunteer, one of the kids that was called up to be a volunteer refused to be kissed by the seal! :(

Elephant art! I want one :(

Orangutans! This one was teasing some people with its stalk of food- the people were pulling the stalk but the warden chastened them >_>

The warden, who Mum struck a conversation with about orangutans, made this orangutan (The oldest in the group) do this for food for us XD

This orangutan is horrible D: The warden gave the last of his stalk to the large orangutan earlier, and this unhappy orangutan peed on the warden, who realised what was going on and pushed Mum away because they were standing together >_> Eeeewww.

This is apparently one of Ah Ming‘s (Singapore Zoo‘s famous orangutan) sons. Nice hair do :P

It doesn’t look it here, but this orangutan is upside down!

Polar bear! ♥

They live in a specially air-conditioned den, and they have toys in the water. By the looks of it the polar bear looked a bit hot :(

The polar bear then tried to find shelter… and we saw the other polar bear! So cuuttteee :D

Rhinoceros enjoying their food :3

I forgot exactly what kind of deer. They have a lot of deer XD

It doesn’t really show here, but the zebras coats look awesomely shiny :o

Cheetahs. They look smaller than I’ve always imagined them, actually. About the size of a medium-sized dog o_O But they’re svelte… and of course, fast! XD

Meerkats! There was the laughing of hyenas in the background, and the meerkats seemed to be on their “alert” positions and looked distracted by the sound. They’re so adorable, though, by the way they come out of their burrow and stood up.

More shiny coats, but on well-fed-looking giraffes now :D

Spot the lion!

Lazy lion and his ladies taking a nap :3

Not really clear here… but there’s a puma. They look small, too @_@

A jaguar here :D Slightly bigger and more muscular than the puma.

Snake on a… rock! XD

Another snake!

Snapping alligator turtle? D:

A rattlesnake. There’s a speaker above it playing the rattling sound rattlesnakes make whenever someone walks by. And the snake looks very active, moving around looking at people passing by.

Gila monster! They look… fat. And a little floppy XD

Now this is interesting- a komodo (omg I keep spelling kodomo >_>) dragon. It’s really, really big. And look how straight this komodo dragon is!

A very old and fat iguana. Its belly has like, what, 6, rolls of fat D:

Very old, and very very big giant tortoise. Pretty adorable actually :3

This tortoise is a naughty one as well- eating the shrubbery planted right outside its enclosure until it was almost bare of leaves D: Look! Proof!

Taking a short break at the cafe. The chicken sandwiches were divine! And the ice blended fruit juice comes in a cute bottle as pictured with dearest :P

A pelican resting :D

Penguins! :D Like the polar bears, they live in an air-conditioned area. Some of them, though, have lost some fur, particularly around their necks D:

Mum checking out the Ah Ming memorial. She has fond memories of Ah Ming, the famous orangutan of Singapore Zoo, as when she was in Singapore about 27 years ago, she would always come to Singapore Zoo, and Ah Ming would always be available for visitors to touch and photograph with, one of them being Mum. My late maternal grandmother had a photo in which she was holding Ah Ming‘s hand and leading her along, but the photo is also now lost :(

We were heading towards the kid’s area to hopefully catch some animal show (It has a dog!), but changed our minds halfway because it seemed like we needed to pay additional entrance fees? Not too sure, we didn’t confirm it, but instead we walked around the zoo more, finding animals and sections we didn’t see earlier XD

Chimpanzees. They look larger than what’s usually pictured on TV, though D:

A species of llamas. Their eyelashes are gorgeous! XD

Spot the flying fox!

A close-up of a mousedeer :3

The behind of a duck, sitting on a plant XD

A vividly blue coloured bird with a mousedeer :D

More flying foxes! One was climbing the tree to get to a branch to hang upside down from :D

Lemurs! :D I like to move it move it~

This is another species of lemur, and it was resting on the viewing balcony. It’s fluffy and pretty tame too, unperturbed by the people staring at it and taking photos.

It took quite some time before dearest could take this lovely shot, since it was more interested in burying its head in its body and sleeping XD

Might as well take as many nice shots while there’s a chance!

A lemur mid-scratch. Cute, huh? :D

A butterfly chrysalis. Inside the box were a few chrysalis hanging- some were open and some butterflies were just sunning their wings, while some were flitting about already. This one was special because it was vibrating, and dearest noticed that it seemed like a butterfly was about to emerge…

Scorpions!

The elephant ride! We made it in time for it :3 It’s so exciting, since it’s my first time and I love elephants.

Ready to leave!

Getting the hang of it. The elephant is pretty… wide. And despite looking as though it walks really straight, it moves left to right, right to left when you’re on it because of the muscles @_@ Kind of bumpy, but very steady and solid! We took a round around the track :D

I got to pat the elephant when I was done with the ride. They’re prickly and thick! :x

The elephant I rode :D The elephants they have here are Asian elephants, due to their smaller ears. One of the wardens chastened the elephant because it was playing with some logs and pulling the vines, and it got upset with the warden. It deliberately hit the warden with its tail and walk towards him and make him walk out of the way XD Quite adorable, but they’re really massive creatures.

We also got to saw them file away once the times for the elephant ride was done :D They wear huge cowbells and know how to take off their harnesses by leaning on one side and allowing the wardens to remove the saddle XD

The Ah Ming memorial wall, which has photos of Ah Ming , and also with people such as Steve Irwin, her favourite keeper, news articles about her, etc. In all her photos, as dearest pointed out, really looked as though she was smiling :)

Ah Ming‘s handprints D: They’re huge, no doubt.

Flamingos! Seriously, their legs… really look awfully snappable.

The Singapore Zoo was already closing, so we decided it was time to head towards the Night Safari now :3 Before that though, we attacked the souvenir shop where Mum collected her photos with orangutans, and I bought quite a few stuff- a panda hat being one of them XD

We had an early-ish dinner at Bongo Burgers inside Night Safari. The pasta was quite delicious to be honest!

A feline lady :O Very well-made costume to be honest, and the lady put a lot of effort into her makeup as well. It must be pretty hot and humid for her, though :x

A serval! This is one cat I’d like to have :D

“Indigenous” people making their rounds, welcoming people to the Night Safari and preparing for their show later…

Dearest, Mum and me with the serval :3 It’s kind of cute.

The wardens at both Singapore Zoo and Night Safari were really strict and careful about their animals- they have a lot of rules for even taking photographs with their animals such as no sudden movements, etc, since the comfort of their animals and the safety of the people are their priority. I like.

Reminds me of the air and space displays in Night At The Museum 2: Battle Of The Smithsonian :D Only, it won’t come to life… or would it?

There are so many Ben’s & Jerry’s in Singapore, and none here in Malaysia! D: However, having tried it, I find it waaaaay too sweet for my liking :x I prefer Baskin 31 Robbins in this case, or Haagen Dazs.

The tribal show has started!

They had a lot of nice fire-playing acts. The air was starting to smell of the kerosene they used, and it was really hot from the flames!

Tribal warrior dances :P

A show of balance…

… and a show of abdominal muscle strength D:

Showcasing a rather traditional form of dance, where two bamboo poles are used. It’s nothing I’ve not seen before though, having grown up in East Malaysia and the indigenous tribes there have this too XD

If you’re not fast and/or coordinated enough with your partner(s) and the music, your ankle will get squished between the bamboo poles, and it kind of hurts! I’ve tried it before D:

The “chief” appears! o gnoes!

Seeking for a suitable prey to blowpipe…

The “chief” demonstrated the blowpipe mostly. Again, nothing I’ve not seen XD He plays with the crowd, aiming at the crowd with his blowpipe when he was supposed to aim at a balloon (Causing some panic to those who don’t know), and capturing a member of the crowd (Usually a female) to try the blowpipe.

And they ended with more fire acts. Though for this part they roped in a volunteer from the crowd and teased him with the fire acts XD It was pretty hilarious :D

Didn’t take photos of the actual safari ride, since flash photography was prohibited and it was too dark to really capture anything on camera anyway. It was really interesting, though. And again, dearest and me love how the place is built around and within a natural forest. We saw hyenas, lions, various types of deer and bovine, and a Javanese rhinoceros which looks awesomely armour-plated. Mum was expecting free-roaming predators, but the only free-roaming animals were the docile ones XD One thing I kind of regretted now was that we didn’t take up the night trails :( Oh well, there will be other chances!

When we were done with the safari ride, we queued up for the Creatures Of The Night show!

Anticipating the start.

Oh look, a hyena!

Another shot of the hyena. It did not laugh :(

The ropes were lowered for this animal (Didn’t get its name @_@) to run along on :D Sadly, I didn’t get to see it clearly because it was more on the other side, boo!

OK, I didn’t really get the name of this animal (Again, sorry!), but this was demonstrating its awesome keen sense of smell. And it was so cute :D

After this, the Night Safari people made a fuss about a “missing animal”, and while “searching” around, found it under the bench of one unfortunate row XD The poor traumatised people who bought into it were pretty freaked out.

Another hyena! No laughing here, either :(

Not very clear, but these were some really fat raccoons! They just suddenly appeared and rummaged through the bins like the raccoons they are, then ran off again before the MC could return XD So adorably cute creatures. Can I haz pet raccoon? :3

Otters recycling! XD Or rather, teaching recycling- more along the lines of if otters can do it why can’t you! Eeeee otters ♥

Mongoose :O They look almost like naked mole rates, to be honest!

More bovine species as we were leaving! :O

Overall, it had been a pretty awesome day, although it had been spent the whole day at the same location :D There are no such well-organised, well-maintained and consistent attractions here in Malaysia, so this is certainly a new and interesting experience for us. Looking forward to the next day though, where we planned to go to Haw Par Villa, Chinatown and the Merlion Park :3

omg it’s been a month since I left Singapore… I miss it :(