Cycle : Cycling Paths in Putrajaya

I actually stopped running since my last half-marathon last year and so we started cycling in Putrajaya. We cycled several times on Obike and also OFO, because I'm not interested in investing on a new machine. Usually I used Obike because I've deposited money on the app early this year and I keep on using my points instead of paying, but I tried OFO bicycle last weekend and I think I'm switching to the new and shiny bicycles instead :F Most Obike bicycles in Putrajaya are in pretty bad shape (because they started earlier than OFO), so I had no choice but to try the other app.

*

New cycling path (Path 3) - around 7 km : 

We like to try new cycling paths in Putrajaya, because the city is huge !

Last weekend we tried another new path and I'm quite happy with our new finding.

On this path, we found at least 4 lookout points, where we can go to the middle of the lake to take photos. There were several bird islands and I'm really happy to have found such beauty in the middle of the lake. We stopped several times in this journey.

We also found an abandoned exercise park, a lot of paths in the middle of upgrading process (so some of the places are nice, some were in pretty bad shape), 2 wooden bridges (that we didn't cross on our bike), and the entrance to Alamanda ! (from the cinema entrance). We also came across Taman Warisan Pertanian (I want to go there next time) and the house of the Deputy Prime Minister. 

We started around 5.30 pm, and I really love how silent the path was. 

No one was around compared to Path 2.

*

This is the map for our new path last weekend (Path 3)  :

Pro : 

• Not so many people on this path, quite calm
• Several look-out points & wooden bridges across the lake
• Bird islands ❤ !
• A lot of trees 
• You can stop by at Alamanda 
• A bit hilly here-and-there

Cons :

• You can use this path during day-time only 
• They are currently improving the path ways, so there a lot of construction sites

*

Path 2 - around 10km : 

We've been using this path for many times since new year, I already brought my siblings twice here during weekends as well. 

We always use this path in the morning. After several times, we decided to explore other paths in Putrajaya.

Pro : 

• Crowd : Medium
• Some paths - A lot of people jogging, cycling, and doing aerobics , some paths : calmer & less people around.
• One whole perfect cycling path around the whole island
• My favorite area is around the Taman Wawasan's path
• A lot of super-fancy houses to 'cuci mata'

Cons :

• You can use this path during day-time only 
• A bit hot, less trees in some paths

*

Path 1 - Around 9km :

This is the most basic cycling path, I think I used this path many times for jogging and cycling. It is easy, flat, but a lot of people and cars (I hate cars) and you can cycle at night.

Pro : 

• Crowd : A lot of people and cars
• Easy-peasy, flat road 
• Suitable for a relaxing night activity

Cons :

• You can use this path during night + day-time
• Buildings and more buildings, less green
• Boring

*

There are so many other cycling paths that are waiting to be explored, 

I've already planned for several more explorations ❤

I will update this post whenever I use a new path.

Work Related : January's Mini Projects

There were 5 weeks in January, so I tried my best to make use of each week for new mini projects. I was trying to be as productive as I can, to give me a creative space to try something different every week (although it based on everything : doodle/illustration). 

One thing I noticed, I felt like I didn't have the energy to write during that month (so I left my blog without any new posts). Maybe because I've been using all the energy to actively make new stuffs every single week. Some of the projects took more than a week so I had to start early and take turns between projects. It was crazy !

So here, I compiled all my mini projects throughout the month of January, you can read behind-the-scene for every project in my Patreon posts  😊:

*

1. Cake Day Card

In this project, I wanted to make a card (something like a birthday card) in collaboration with my brother's bakery : Azmi no Keki. The idea is to let people buy the card with the cake so they can give it to their colleagues/friends/family members on random days without having to wait for a birthday. So it may be on cheat days / random happy days / cake day / thankyou day / sad day / etc. 

Here are the image I prepared for my shops :D

Get it here ❤

*

2. Let's Makan Postcard

In this project, the idea came from Szetoo (Stickerrific) when we were discussing at the shop for the first time. So I made something more local, more relatable to Malaysian. A postcard inspired by some of our famous local foods + drinks and with an addition of label sticker.

Here are the images I prepared for my shops :D

Get it here ❤

*

3. 90s Snack Sticker Pack

In this project, I selected all the snacks that I ate during my childhood years and turned them into a sticker pack. Maybe because I felt like people love the Japanese sticker packs so much, I wanted to make something more relatable to locals :

Here are the images I prepared for my shops :D

Get it here ❤

*

4. Our Food Journal Zine

I feel like I've mentioned about this in all my social media posts (IG, FB, Patreon) - so it felt like re-explaining the same thing over and over :D Basically in this project, I compiled all my student's food doodle task in the class. There are about 15 people's works. I collected all their doodles, digitized them all and compiled it into a free  downloadable zine. 

I just want to show a sample on how easy it is to make our own zines. 

You can view/download a free copy here. ❤

*

5. Nasi Lemak Enamel Pin + Backing Card

In this project, I wanted to make new pins because all my previous pins sold out last year (I made 4 versions x 100 pieces). So I started this project first in early January because I knew it will take the longest time. I sent it to the factory the soonest and waited for 3 weeks for it to arrive. 

Here are the image I prepared for my shops :D

This time I made a Nasi Lemak enamel pin & Book Nerd the red version, with new personalized backing card ! I really love the outcome. There are only around 25 pieces (Book Nerd) and 45 pieces (Nasi Lemak) left. 

Get it here ❤

*

I've been making a lot of new stuffs lately - so it is hard to  put everything into writing in details. So if you are interested in how I'm making new products or how the process/behind-the-scenes are, please support me on my Patreon and you'll have more access to those information ❤

Thank you for sticking aroooound !

Work Related : Youtube, Patreon, Classes & Workshops

This year, I decided to share more and offer to teach skills that might be useful to others. So here are the things that I did and still am continuing :

• So I started with my first workshop for adult at Stickerrific (as a trial) in January - and it was a hit ! We already booked a date for my next collaborated workshop with MoodySeagull and another solo doodle workshop in March :D
• I also did my first doodle outing class - in this class, we went to Aquaria KLCC and had a nice doodle session at a cafe afterwards
• And I did my first weekend doodle class - in this class, we only sit at a cafe, focusing on the doodling & sharing session because it's in the weekend + in the city, so I didn't quite like the vibe and crowds.
• I began to actively share the behind-the-scene processes for my current works in my Patreon and I try to actively share the things that I'm doing at that moment in their latest feature : Lens (like Stories in IG). 
• I began to share processes on my Youtube, but I'm not so active because I don't have the energy to create & recording and editing at the same time. Especially since I started to do a weekly mini projects this year. 

Productive and time well-spent, exhausting but fun. 

Usually people will slowly forget their New Year's resolution by the third month, and it's nearly March. I hope I'll have the energy to be super productive throughout the year !

*

First Workshop at Stickerrific :

Note - Images were taken by Szeetoo. It was my first workshop and it was quite big, so I didn't have the time to take videos or images. I was too nervous ! More than 10 people joined the workshop. 

For more future workshop with Stickerrific :

Beginner's Class to Doodling (16th March) | 

Introduction to Doodling + Rubber Stamp Carving (10th March) x MoodySeagull

*

First Doodle Outing Class :

There were 3 participants in this class, so we went to Aquaria, KLCC and have a nice long doodle class at the Loft, Avenue K. It was a bit awkward, but smaller class gave me a chance to focus on each students, so I'm quite happy with the outcome !

Now the rainy season has stopped, we can also plan on going to different places :D

Here are a bunch of introverted doodlers ❤

*

First Weekend Class :

We did a class at Nu Sentral Cafe with 3 more particpants (this time with an additional of an-11 year old). I found it less fun to only focus on the doodling activities alone, and having a weekend class in KL city was a bit distracting (because of the crowd). So I decided to cancel any weekend class afterwards, and only focus on the weekdays outing class. 

*

That's about it for all my firsts ❤

Books : January List

What? I failed last year's book challenge? 

That's okay. This year I started early for my 31-book challenge and I chose a different approach to find a nook in my life that offers a space for written words. I chose audio books and novel graphics, because I can't no longer find time to actually read (I'm always busy surviving). 

If you want a list of places I listened to my audio books + podcast, 

you can check out the links here in my PATREON.

*

So by the time January ended, I finished 14 books (I'm surprised too) , and currently I'm reading 2 more ongoing books. Most of the time, each book takes around 1-2 days, but heavy + long books take around 3-7 days. 

Audio books are not for everybody, but I know it kinda work for me. When I was a student, I need to doodle to focus in the class, I would day-dream if I do nothing else but listen to lectures. My way of focusing in class was by doing something else (which was a bit weird - no one agree on multi-tasking being better than focus solely on one thing, right ? ). But it did for me : I need morning caffeine + something to doodle on. That was how I survived lectures.

*

Books/Audio Book/Essay/Novel Graphic :

1. You & A Bike & A Road - Elianor Davis
2. Anthem - Ayn Rand
3. Porcelain & Pink - F. Scott Fitzgerald
4. The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes
5. The Book of Tea - Kakuzo Okakura
6. The Little Book of Contentment - Leo Babauta
7. The Ghost - Robert Harris
8. What Language is That - Uwem Akpan
9. The Noticer - Andy Andrews
10. The Light Princess - George McDonald
11. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore - Robin Sloan
12. Cici's Journal - Joris Chamblain x Aurelie Neyret
13. Mathilda - Mary W. Shelley
14. Seriously...I'm Kidding - Ellen Degeneres

*

My favorite books in January : 

• Seriously...I'm Kidding - Ellen is funny, her book was funny, I laughed, and any books that managed to make me feel something are great.
• You & a Bike & a Road - a visual journal by Elianor Davis when she did a solo cross-country on bike. It was very impressive. I love how she showed her struggles and flaws and insecurities, it was beautiful.

*

How was your January ?
❤

Mini Escapism : Ipoh

Super short holiday deserve super short vacation. 

We went to Ipoh right in the middle of the week, when Af combined his Thaipusam + Federal Day holiday and decided that we need our random escapism. This time we opted for our favorite city, Ipoh. There weren't enough time to visit each and every tourist spots in Ipoh because we only have around 2 days to explore.

*

1. Tempurung Cave

The first spot was the Tempurung Cave, because it was the nearest place near the highway before we arrived at the Ipoh City. We arrived around lunch hour and we already had our brunch in SK earlier so we just headed to the entrance knowing we were ready for our first activity.

Here are some things I found out :

• There are 4 stages of the Gua Tempurung exploration packs. 
• Stage 1 (40 minutes - dry - walk in) - RM 8
• Stage 2 (1 hour 40 minutes - dry - walk in) - RM 12
• Stage 3 (2 hours 30 minutes - wet - need : extra clothes, towel, head lamp) - RM 15
• Stage 4 (3 hours 30 minutes - wet - need : extra  clothes, towel, head lamp) - RM 30
• We didn't know what to expect, so we were wearing jeans and Af was wearing slippers, not suitable for outdoor activity. 
• So we chose the stage 1 package, a walk until Platform 3. I'm not sure whether we should be guided by the cave ranger or not (because it was stated on the board, but at the counter they just asked us to walk by ourself until Platform 3 and return back). So it was not a guided tour and we were free to roam inside the cave for as long as we wanted.  
• The view inside was magnificent !
• I don't think it is a suitable activity with really small kids and senior citizens because there were hundreds and hundreds of steep steps (even just to platform 3). 
• It was hot, I guess because there was no wind inside, sometimes it felt a bit claustrophobic. 
• I liked it, and I will definetely go again to try out the other stages 

Look at all the steps to reach the peak ! : 

The Map :

*

2. Check-in at our hotel 
After our Gua Tempurung walk, we headed to our hotel around 20 minutes away. It rained heavily when we arrived at the hotel, so we can't go anyway. Af took a short nap while I played games on my phone and read my current book : Men without Women :F

*

3. Dinner at Dataran Ipoh 
We decided to have our dinner at Dataran Ipoh food stalls. I ordered for delicious hot Bihun Soup Daging, it just rained so the weather was quite cold. So having hot soup was a bliss, I'm glad it tasted nice. There are also other food stalls mostly selling the same foods : Soups, Rojak, Yoong Tau Fu, Char Kuew Tiaw and Goreng2.

The Map :

*

4. Gerbang Malam Night Market
We parked our car at Ipoh Parade soon after we had our dinner. We also booked for a late-night movie to used up all our outing time. But after we bought the ticket and went out to walk to our next destination, we realized that it was raining heavily again. We were stuck in the mall for several hours and we didn't know what to do. So we played at the arcade until the closing time.

By 10, the rain stopped and we can walk to Gerbang Malam. It was around 2km walk from Ipoh Parade. I didn't like to be out at night even though I have a huge bodyguard next to me. All shops were closed, and even gas stations were closing during that time. I felt a bit insecure :F

But there were many people at Gerbang Malam, it was a bit like walking at Jonker Street but without the colourful and beautiful old shops. Only stalls. 

*

5. Ipoh Parade for late night movie

We bought the latest Maze Runner and I regret it. It was not fun, it was dreary and I wonder why did I chose that movie over and over again =.= We went back to our hotel around 2 am and that was the end of day 1 :D

There are several arcades on level 4 (if you want to burn some time).

*

6. Breakfast at The New Hollywood Restaurant
AF insisted that we should try this place (note : he was the one deciding on each activity & destination this time, because it's his place. I just followed :D Usually I'm the one planning and deciding).

*

7. Yik Foong Complex
Af said this was an old building selling mostly IT stuffs 'back in the day' when he was still a college student and a place to play console games with his friends. But when we went there, it was almost deserted especially the top levels. We did explored the whole building, some parts were even closed "for renovation".

We parked at the parking lot next to the building (one whole day for RM 4) and decided that we should just walk on foot to explore the city. 

*

8. A long hot walk to the Pos Besar Ipoh and Ipoh Railway Station
It felt like the longest and hottest walk ever T^T
Even though we walked for less than 2 km to the Pos Office. I needed to send all my parcels that I prepared for the week. So I thought walking to the pos office would be a great idea, plus the old Ipoh Railway Station was located right next to the post office. But when we arrived, we were already too exhausted and dehydrated, we just sat for awhile in the air-conditioned post station. Ha. I didn't take any pictures, I don't think we have the energy to do so after the walk.

*

9. Random walk back towards our car

We found : Yasmin at Kong Heng Museum (opens only on Sat & Sunday), walked behind the nice Sekeping Kong Heng. walked until we found the Concubine Lane alley, saw the old Han Chin Pet Soo museum (but didn't wait until it opens at 3pm), and saw the Ipoh murals. I think we probably walked around 4-5 km, but it was so hot I felt like we walked farther.

*

And that was our final activity for our short escapism !
Even though it was really short, I had a lot of fun ❤ I do want to visit Ipoh again (especially to go to Gua Tempurung and visit the Yasmin Museum), so next time we should probably go on the weekends.

Money we spent :

• Gas : RM 60
• Toll : RM 50
• Agoda : RM 100
• Foods : RM 40 
• Tickets : RM 16 (Gua Tempurung)