Wednesday, July 31, 2013

PART 9; HAPPY MEMORIES OF MIRI, SARAWAK

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
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Of course we all know the one wearing the crown is infinitely better looking than the one wearing fur. Taken at Miri Heritage Centre. (PHOTO BY KELVIN SING)


MEMORABLE MIRI! THE MANY GREAT PLACES I VISITED IN MIRI, SARAWAK'S SECOND CITY, CERTAINLY MADE AN INDELIBLE MARK AND I ENJOYED MYSELF AND RECOMMEND PENINSULAR MALAYSIANS TO VISIT MIRI. MANY THANKS TO MARLENE LIM OF MERVEILLEUX PRODUCTION FOR HOSTING MY STAY IN MIRI AND FOR ORGANISING A SUPERB PAGEANT!

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Kee Hua Chee kissing the seahorse, emblem of Miri, Sarawak
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Tongue out!
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Kee kissing the seahorse of Miri
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Land and sea creatures pucker up
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Kee Hua Chee kisses the seahorse as he cradles its back
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Kee Hua Chee caresses the seahorse as he kisses it
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Lounging in lounge of Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club with co-emcee Esther Tan and crew member Felix Law


Malaysia Airlines flies direct from KLIA to Miri in under 3 hours so getting there is a joyride. I and the other judges from Peninsular Malaysia and Perth, Australia stayed at the very nice Eastwood Valley Golf & Country Club 15 minutes drive from Miri Airport.

We visited Miri Heritage Centre where I bought an Iban bead bag while Kevin Khoo presented me with a woven bag. I also went to Miri Marina, Miri beach and Petronas Musuem to visit the Grand Old Lady, the first oil drill in Miri.

Donny Koo also took us to sample the best chendol and ABC in Miri plus a drive-past some of Miri's spectacular mansions that made the bungalows of Kenny Hills and Damansara Heights look like servant quarters!

I had the best Japanese ramen at Ajisen Ramen restaurant and the noodles and California rolls were so good I over-ate and could barely move for 30 minutes from my seat.

JD's Fine Foods is also a great find as they serve Miri's best western cuisine and their bread and butter pudding was sinfully delicious. This is a non-halal restaurant and the pork knuckles and crispy pork strips are delicious to the bone marrow.

For traditional Chinese cuisine, Boulevard has no competition and Lao Yang Cafe serves some of the best dim sum I ever ate.

The only 2 places I missed were Mulu Caves/ Niah Caves and Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort (www.BorneoRainforestResort.com but this gives me yet another reason to return to Miri!

There are some 300,000 Mirians and Miri is nearer to Brunei's Bandar Seri Begawan than Kuching! Brunei is 2 hours drive while Kuching is a phenomenal 12 hours!


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The Grand Old Lady of Miri
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Kee Hua Chee with the Grand Old Lady
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Our wheels
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View from the top at Petronas Oil Museum
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Judge and beauty queen Winnie Chan
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A long time from now, Winnie Chan will be a Grand Old Lady too
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Winnie Chan jumping for joy at the thought of being a grand old lady
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Winnie Chan's reverie is dashed as Lee Sheng Wang aims a kick at her!
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Winnie Chan escapes Lee Sheng Wang's clutches
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From midair they land on terra firma
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Fancy footwork!
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Suspended animation!
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Lee Sheng Wang, Winny Lim, Kee Hua Chee, Kelvin Sing, Winnie Chan and Sean Chia
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Still the same wor
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Esther Tan was missing in the group photo and I discovered why!
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This sleepy beauty queen was in another realm!
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Esther Tan was also an emcee together with Joanne Kwan
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Late afternoon at typical Miri beach
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Nice joint by the beach
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Kee Hua Chee with windswept hair
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The breezes calmed down
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Wee bit sunburned but nothing Kiehl's moisturizer could not heal
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That's Lee Sheng Wang bending to collect seashells to sell by the seashore
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Lee Sheng Wang and Kee Hua Chee
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Lee Sheng Wang contemplates a rosy future
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Double peace, please
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Fresh-faced Lee Sheng Wang is a hotshot film/TV producer
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Lee Sheng Wang is an acclaimed, award winning creative film maker www.LeeShengWang.com
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Kee Hua Chee is of course the greatest journalist this side of observable universe
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Photo taken by Lee Sheng Wang since Kee Hua Chee's arm was not long enough
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Lee suggested this pose to Kee
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Nice and photogenic but strangely abandoned
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Miri Marina
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Looks good but is abandoned and derelict
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The seahorse is the emblem of Miri and this is the world's largest
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The Seahorse Lighthouse!
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The seahorse stares at the main building
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I and the gang arrived just before sunset---perfect timing
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This seahorse is as tall as a 4-storey building at least
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Maybe as tall as a 5-storey building
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I wonder why each section is fenced since it does not prevent anyone from walking past
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Nice seahorsy!
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Creatures of land and sea
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Hooray for the seahorse
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Kee Hua Chee in action
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Lee Sheng Wang at sunset
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Lee Sheng Wang 
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Winnie Chan 
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A land creature jumps in front of a sea creature
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Winnie Chan is a great leaper!
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Lee, Kee, Chan and Chia at sunset
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Terror 4some
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Kee Hua Chee puckers up to kiss the seahorse
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Kee Hua Chee kisses the seahorse!
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Land and sea creatures kiss on the lips
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All photos of Kee Hua Chee kissing the Seahorse of Miri were  taken by Lee Sheng Wang
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Nice or what
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Nice or what
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Lee Sheng Wang snapping the sunset
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Still at it as the sunset was dropping fast into the horizon
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Sheng at  sunset
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Esther Tan, Kevin Khoo and Kenji Chan
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Kee Hua Chee in pink
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Pink will always stand out
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Kee Hua Chee and the judges, sponsors and bloggers of Miss Global International Malaysia 2013 at Ajisen Ramen, the best casual Japanese restaurant in Miri, Sarawak
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Kevin Khoo and Kee Hua Chee and the gang
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Kee Hua Chee wearing the traditional bead necklace presented by Datuk Seri Law Kiu Kiong, owner of Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club
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The Sarawak bead necklace is the perfect match for Kee Hua Chee's ostentatious bling
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Lounging in the lobby of Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club
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Marlene Lim arranging the finalists at Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club with its owner Datuk Seri Law Kiu Kiong
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Datuk Seri Law Kiu Kiong posing with the 18 finalists
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Datuk Seri Law Kiu Kiong with 2012 winners of Miss Global International Malaysia
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Datuk Seri Law Kiu Kiong with judges and emcees
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Kee Hua Chee is Green Goblin 
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Kee Hua Chee as Green Lantern

















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