BMW EfficientDynamics – Day 1

I love driving. Fast. My personal record was doing a 3-hour from Johor Bahru to Petaling Jaya, and I stopped for a nice lunch & two big scoops of Baskin Robbins for dessert. I’ve been a passenger in a rally car in action, doing 90kmh at a 90 degree corner…man, I live for things like these. Being in a really fast car doesn’t scare me, but being in a slow car driven by a n00b scares me more.

So I was damn excited when I was invited to be a participant of BMW’s Eco Bloggers Diesel Drive. The core of the drive was BMW’s EfficientDynamics concept. It’s a continuous strategy by BMW to reduce fuel consumption & emission levels (the Efficient part), while at the same time enhancing the vehicle’s performance and driving pleasure (the Dynamics part). Although it’s already a 10 year old concept, it’s only introduced to Malaysia recently with the availability of advanced diesel engines in October 2009.

#1 – Eco Bloggers Diesel Drive
BMW EfficientDynamics

Most people think that diesel cars are a nuisance to road users and the environment, with their dirty and smelly emissions but those days are bygones. With the advancement of engine technology and better quality diesel, diesel cars are on par with petrol cars, if not even better. There are concerns about its performance though, like its lack of horsepower. But horsepower is urm, horseshit. Ultimately, it’s the torque that a driver feels and the massive torque certainly makes up for the diesel cars’ low RPM. 3 letters to sum it up, F.U.N!!!

#2 – Sashi a.k.a The Man.
BMW EfficientDynamics

The day started at Mandarin Oriental with Sashi the corporate communications manager a.k.a The Man giving us the lowdown on EfficientDynamics. I only had about 3 hours of sleep so I didn’t absorb much of it. Sorry, Sashi. All I wanted was to get into the car and drive. My partner was ShaolinTiger. Then we adjourned to Dewan Filharmonik where all the cars we’re going to drive were decked out like superstars. Man, I felt like a superstar!

#3 – In front of Dewan Filharmonik, KLCC.
BMW EfficientDynamics

We were assigned car Number 1, a 320d Sports. Why is it called Sports? Well, it’s got a pimping M3 bodykit & suspension but it’s not really an M3. Apparently the 320d would hover above the tarmac and is unstoppable if driven in its default shell, hence the heavyweight M3 accessories to weigh it down so to speak. So wild, right?

#4 – With the 320d Sports.
BMW EfficientDynamics

Lo and behold, we’ve got police escort from KLCC all the way to Petronas in Mutiara Damansara! Thank you Petronas Dynamic Diesel!

Ivan Khong was our convoy leader. He is awesome! More about Ivan later in this post.

#5 – Ivan Khong.
BMW EfficientDynamics

ST was the first driver and we were flagged off. To be honest, I really wish I was driving this leg because driving with a police escort means you could go really fast with underprivileged mortals eye-ing you with envy from their boring vehicles, nyahahahhaa. It was truly an extraordinary experience!

#6 – Flagging off.
BMW EfficientDynamics

#7 – Police escort. I was in car Number 1, just behind the Lead.
BMW EfficientDynamics

You know the massive jam at the turnoff to LDP in TTDI? We got out of the jam in exactly 2 minutes and 56 seconds. Can you say WTF again? It felt realllllllllllllllly good, man.

#8 – Video of police parting traffic for us in the middle of TTDI

We reached Petronas Mutiara Damansara in record time. Then we were each given a RM40 Mesra vouchers which we spent on junk food and water.

#9 – Ivan pumping anti-foaming Petronas Dynamic Diesel into the beemer.
BMW EfficientDynamics

After getting the car ceremoniously refueled for the first and last time of the journey, we made our way towards Belum Resort in Pulau Banding by the Temenggor Dam.

#10 – To North South Highway.
BMW EfficientDynamics

It was a really fun drive, namely because of Ivan. He has the funniest vocabulary but is very strict! He has no qualms reprimanding us over the walkie-talkie for driving like assholes hehehe. I supposed if it weren’t for him, some of us would not have made it out alive. Case in point, Suanie who was almost killed by Eyeris. “Tickle the throttle” will forever be etched in my mind.

We swapped drivers a couple of times. Stopped by Ipoh for lunch and then made the last leg of the journey to Belum Resort. I got to drive up the winding, bending roads uphill to Belum Resort. I haz adrenaline!!!

#11 – Passing a bridge.
BMW EfficientDynamics

#12 – My lansi driving mug. I drive with one hand like Ah Beng one.
BMW EfficientDynamics

So the drive up the winding roads was awesome. I was determined to follow Ivan (lead car) and KY who was by now, in front of me. I was steady….till I reached this sharpass bend where I was going 140kmh and I was turning so much that my arse began sliding to the left and I was like eff this shit, I’m just gonna floor it. I made it and when I come into a straight road, I began to pussy out for the rest of the journey haha. Apparently the beemer’s Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) lights were blinking :P

And then we reached paradise….alive & kicking. They fed us with champagne.

#13 – Bubblies.
BMW EfficientDynamics

#14 – Belum Resort.
BMW EfficientDynamics

#15 – Obligatory camho picture.
BMW EfficientDynamics

#16 – Obligatory hotel camho picture.
BMW EfficientDynamics

#17 – The beautiful room.
BMW EfficientDynamics

#18 – Another obligatory hotel camho picture.
BMW EfficientDynamics

We showered, rested for a bit and then it was dinner time.

#19 – The outdoor dinner area was so beautiful…
BMW EfficientDynamics

Huai Bin managed to find a jenga set and we proceeded to play drunken Jenga.

#20 – The Evil Jenga. That’s KY on the left before passing out.
BMW EfficientDynamics

#21 – Robb‘s lost count on his number of glasses.
BMW EfficientDynamics

As for myself, I don’t remember much of the night….

Stay tuned for Day 2!

Other bloggers:

Suanie
Eyeris
ShaolinTiger
KY
Huai Bin
Tey Cindy
Ringo
3iling
SaiMatKong

shit that cracked me up about a dozen times today

Today is quite a stressful day at work. But I’ve got a tab permanently opened on my browser just for this reason. Whenever things get a little too hard, I’d open the tab, take a peek and then my day would be instantly brightened.

I’m pretty sure it will do the same for you. Maybe you can keep my blog opened on your browser for this purpose haha. Enjoy!

#1 – Ready…

#2 – Set….

#3 – Rip!

#4 – >_<

#5 – :DDDDDD

Buwahahahahahahhahaha. BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH until mucus flow out of my nose.

All pictures lifted from DailyMail.

Thai Fish Farm Restaurant

My mom has been raving about this place for a while but we never got around to check it out. Apparently they offer really delicious seafood with decent price tags to boot. The way my mom described the place seemed a little far-fetched too. According to her, it’s nestled in the hills of Hulu Langat and the signboard is so small and inconspicuous, first timers are very likely to miss it. If you’re lucky enough to find the entrance though (which is just a couple of hundreds metres from the infamous Lookout Point), you have to drive some distance on a nasty, bumpy dirt path to the restaurant, which is built right by a supposedly natural pond!

I was a little skeptical but imagine my surprise when everything that my mom said turned out to be true. It was fun, much like embarking on a dangerous gastronomic adventure right in my backyard.

It was Sunday evening and the place was packed to the max. We had to queue up for a while but the operator was very efficient in crowd management. Before we got a table, they had already taken down our orders so by the time we plonked our starved, skinny arses on the seats the food were already coming in droves.

#1 – Full house.
Thai Fish Farm Restaurant

I really like the atmosphere. Bustling with people and unpretentious, people are there just for the great food.

#2 – Seated by the pond.

#3 – Grilling away.
Thai Fish Farm Restaurant

#4 – Grilled crabs.
Thai Fish Farm Restaurant

Love the crabs! They’re not unlike the ones from Hing Ket Grill House in Klang. I don’t really fancy crabs with rich sauces anymore ever since I had the ones served in Hing Ket. Once you’ve tasted crabs in its natural juice with no flavourings except for salt, it’s really hard to eat crabs in any other way.

We ordered quite a lot of stuff…

#5 – Delicious tom yam.
Thai Fish Farm Restaurant

#6 – Guinness & Todi.
Thai Fish Farm Restaurant

#7 – Thai steamed fish. Very, very, very good.

If you’re there you must absolutely order the fish because they’re all freshly caught from the pond right next to you.

#8 – Catching dinner.

#9 – Squid fried in salted egg – quite different from the ones I’ve tasted at other places. Instead of having the squid deep fried in salted egg yolk batter, it’s just ordinary deep fried squid topped with salted egg yolk sauce. I actually prefer this style because it’s lighter on the palate.

#10 – Squid with petai – I couldn’t stop eating this.

We also had vegetables, grilled lamb chops (YUMMY!) and kerabu kaki ayam (chicken feet skin salad).

#11 – We finished off dinner with some red ruby from the dessert station. Each bowl goes for RM5 and you’ve got quite a selection to choose from.

Altogether, bill came to a little over RM230 for 6 people. I was a very satisfied patron :) I can’t wait to go back again with the #porkgang!

KM4, Jalan Ampang-Hulu Langat, Ampang
68000 Selangor
GPS Coordinates: N 03 09.621 E101 45.260
HP: 019-260 6493
HP: 012-363 4991
Website