Review on Uncle Roger's Fried Rice

A couple of Mondays ago, I left work on time and decided to drop by the Fuiyoh! It's Uncle Roger outlet at Pavilion Bukit Bintang mall to try his infamous fried rice.

There was a queue in front of the outlet, comprising of working crowd in the area who had got off work, as well as tourists. Thankfully, the patrons inside the restaurant finished their meal fast and I was seated within 20 minutes.

The menu had limited choices of food. Apart from a few types of fried rice and side dishes, there was nothing else. I was disappointed.

In the end, I ordered the UR's Special Fry Rice with Crispy Sunny Side Up that looks like this:

It costs RM27.85 for this plate of fried rice, which in my opinion is totally not worth the money.

The fried rice was quite dry to my liking, and the taste was average if eaten on its own. What gave the rice a taste boost was the accompanying sambal which was served in a soy sauce plate.

The portion was small. If I'm playing almost RM30.00 for a plate of fried rice which had to depend on sambal to save it, it better well be a bigger portion. However, that was not the case. Hungry patrons or big eaters would need at least two portions to fill their bellies.

The couple at the table beside me shared a tiny plate of fried rice, so I assumed they were there just to try the fried rice and see what the hype is all about. 

For me, it would certainly be a long time till I patronize the outlet again.

Riding the Metro in Tashkent

When I was in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in April, I used the Metro to travel around the city. It was fast, reliable and economical. The Metro was my sole mode of transport, apart from the Yandex e-hailing app that I used to travel between Gulnara Guesthouse and Tashkent International Airport to catch my flights around Central Asia.

When I first stepped into a Metro station in Tashkent, the signages are in Russian. Even the announcements before the train was about to stop at each station was made in the local language. 

I thought how the hell am I gonna know which platform to wait at, which train to take, or which station to get off. 

So I downloaded the Metro map, and kept track of the number of stops. And after listening attentively, I soon became accustomed to hearing the station name being announced in the local language.

You may find the Tashkent Metro Map and other information in the official website here.

Entrance to a metro station. Notice that the name is written in Cyrillic.

The Metro stations in Tashkent are works of art. These stations have a similar look and feel to the Metro stations in Saint Petersburg, Russia because Uzbekistan was formerly under the Soviet Union. 

A little history: The Soviet government had established the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic as a constituent (union) republic of the U.S.S.R. in 1924. Uzbekistan declared independence from the Soviet Union on 31 August 1991 (same independence day as Malaysia!).

Now let me share with you three stunning Metro stations in Tashkent that I came across whilst roaming the city using the Metro:

Tinchlik station

Alisher Navoi station

Tashkent station

If you have the opportunity, I hope you will be inspired to visit Tashkent, if not simply to see these beautiful Metro stations.

And if you wish to learn more about the Metro in Tashkent, I stumbled across this very informative blog, Journal of Nomads, link here. You're welcome.

4 Reasons Why I Prefer Hostels to Airbnb

As a solo traveler, I prefer staying at hostels instead of the ever popular Airbnb. 

I have friends who always opt for Airbnbs whenever they travel, even when they're travelling solo. They like the interiors of the accommodation (Instagrammable!), they like the privacy and facilities that Airbnb offers, etc. Well, to each his/her own.

Here, I list down four reasons why hostels are my favorite type of accommodation whenever I travel.

Reason #1 - Hostels are economical

Travelling can be expensive, especially when travelling to a country which has a stronger currency compared to the currency in which we're earning.

Coming from Malaysia and travelling to countries in Scandinavia or Western Europe may burn deep holes in my pocket. One way to manage travelling expenses is to opt for economical options such as hostels.

If I'm travelling with a companion or two, it would make sense to stay at an Airbnb because the cost is shared. However, that option would be costly for a solo traveler as I'll have to solely bear the cost. Therefore, hostels offer the most economical option for solo travelers.

Having said that, in some cheaper countries, the rate of a private room with ensuite bathroom may be equivalent to that of a dorm bed in a more expensive country. If I'm travelling to these cheaper countries, I'll usually select the private room.

My first experience staying at an Airbnb was in Japan (June 2017). We selected that option because my travel partner wanted to experience it. Our Airbnb in Tokyo was located in this building. Pardon the garbage bags in the photo.

Reason #2 - Hostels are the place to meet fellow travelers

In many of my trips, I've met other wonderful travelers at the hostels where I stayed. We exchange travel stories and travel tips. And if we connect, we go out for meals and drinks, and even do day-trips together. 

During my trip to Central Asia in March, I visited five cities in four different countries. When I was in Dushanbe, Tajikistan there were only three other travelers at Bruce Hostel where I stayed. So the four of us went out for meals and drinks and had deep conversations about life. We can never be alone at hostels.

On the other end of the personality pole, I understand that staying at hostels may not be everyone's preference especially for introverts, private people, or people who have a general dislike for other homo sapiens. For people with such personalities, staying at Airbnb or hotels makes them feel comfortable.

I stayed at Soul Kitchen hostel when I was in Saint Petersburg, Russia (Sept 2018). The large common area/living room was a great place to meet other travelers. I snapped this photo at around 5:00pm when all the travelers were out.

Reason #3 - Hostels are a good source of information 

Whenever I arrive at a particular city or town for the first time, I usually look for information such as how to get to a particular location, are there local tours, the best eateries serving local delicacies, etc. Hostels usually have such information readily available. More established hostels even organize in-house activities for their guests such as walking tours, pub crawls, and cooking classes.

I stayed at Tree House Hostel in Riga, Latvia (Sept 2018). I love the white color interiors which makes it look immaculate. Posting the pic here, just because.

Reason #4 - Safety / Help is at hand

Whenever I travel solo, safety would be a priority. 

If I stay at hostels, I can always seek help from the staff or from other travelers staying at the hostel. For instance, when I was in Cairo in February 2008, local men tried to chat me up, and some even followed me. I remember one guy asked me to help him promote his tour business. Another became aggressive when I politely turned down his offer to see his souvenir shop. Whenever it gets overwhelming and I feel that my safety is being compromised, I would quickly return to my hostel. In all of those instances, the men stopped following me.

If I stay at an Airbnb, I would be alone in the unit. If anything untoward happens such as a health situation, or an accident, there won't be anyone around where I can seek immediate help. 

In spite of the peace of mind that staying in hostels offers, there are certain hostels without a reception or staff. For example, when I was in Malta in December 2023, both the hostels that I stayed in did not have staff. Instead, instructions to check-in, the code to access the main door, how to find the dorm and bed, location of bathroom, etc. were communicated via WhatsApp prior to my check-in date. If I needed anything, I would have to either text the person who sent me those instructions, or ask the other travelers at the hostel. I find this way of operating a hostel impersonal and there's no immediate place to seek help if I needed it. 

Certain hostels provide travel warnings to their guests, like this signage at Wombat's The City Hostel in Budapest, Hungary (Oct 2019).

Now that I've shared four reasons why I prefer hostels to Airbnb, let me know in the comments section which is your favorite type of accommodation. 

St Francis Xavier Brought Christianity to Japan, Kagoshima was His Landing Spot

During my recent trip to Kagoshima (in May 2024), I discovered that St Francis Xavier had brought Christianity to Japan. 

His point of landing in the Land of the Rising Sun was at Kagoshima in August 1549. Today, the Diocese of Kagoshima have named their cathedral in honour of the saint.

St Francis Xavier Cathedral in Kagoshima.

Statue of St Francis Xavier in front of the cathedral.

Like most churches in Japan, Mass is celebrated on the first floor instead of the ground floor. 

Sanctuary and altar.

There is a pipe organ in the choir loft.

A cathedral is the seat of the bishop and that is the Bishop of Kagoshima's coat of arms.

A monstrance displayed by the side of the sanctuary:

English language Mass on Sundays are celebrated at 3:00pm, here's the signage:

The English language Mass is celebrated in the chapel on the ground floor:

Mass is celebrated in this chapel.

Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the grounds of the cathedral.

Opposite the cathedral there is a park aptly named "Xavier Park" in honour of St Francis Xavier. 

Let me show you some pics of what's in the park.

Ruins of a doorway that marks the entrance to the park.

Bust head of St Francis Xavier.

Statue of St Francis Xavier on mission in Kagoshima.

At the park there's a signage displaying a chronological record of St Francis Xavier in Japan. I was delighted to see that his last port of call before sailing to Japan was good old Malacca!

It took St Francis Xavier around 2 months to sail from Malacca to Kagoshima.

There is also a St Francis Xavier Historical Trail that pilgrims and history buffs could do in Kagoshima. 

Unfortunately, I did not have time to do the trail and that is a good excuse to revisit Kagoshima. 

Day trip from Catania to Syracuse

When I was planning my trip to Sicily in November 2023, Syracuse was in the list of must-visit places. 

One of the reasons was because the movie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny had featured Greek mathematician and psychist Archimedes (287 B.C. - 212 B.C) who was born in Syracuse. The inventions of Archimedes, some of which are still used today has caused him to be regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. 

On that morning, I headed to the ticket office in Catania to purchase a return ticket to Syracuse. The ticket office is located on the ground floor of this building: 

The ticket office is the blue coloured lot on the right.

Buses to Syracuse leaves around the clock. The journey takes about 1.5 hours (one way).

I bought a ticket for the 9:45am bus that leaves from Catania to Syracuse, and a return ticket (on the same day) for the bus that leaves Syracuse at 4:00pm to Catania. The return ticket costs Euro 9.60.

After purchasing the tickets, I headed to Terminal Bus Citta di Catania which is located about 50 metres from the ticket office:

If you're unsure which berth the bus to Syracuse departs from, ask the Security Office at the entrance of the station. 

The bus from Catania to Syracuse looks like this:

This is the bus station in Syracuse where the bus drops off passengers:

It actually looks more like a bus stop than a bus station. 

When I got off the bus, I made sure I could find my way back to the station in time to catch the 4:00pm bus back to Catania. 

On this day trip, I didn't make a plan to visit every "must-see" in Syracuse. I just wanted to walk around and see what's in Syracuse. After all, it was a day trip and there is only so much one can do in a day trip.

I whipped out my mobile phone, activated Google Maps and navigated myself to Ponte Umbertino which separates Syracuse from the island of Ortigia.

On my way to Ponte Umbertino, I stopped at a cafe to have a traditional Sicilian dessert which I found too sweet for my liking: 

Cassata Siciliana

This is the view from Ponte Umbertino which separates Syracuse from the island of Ortigia:

After crossing Ponte Umbertino, I continued walking and came across this lovely fountain depicting the myth of Diana, Arethusa and Alphaeus:

Soon, I arrived at the Syracuse Cathedral which is one of the city's star attraction:

Syracuse Cathedral

There was an entrance fee to enter the cathedral, so I decided to skip it. After all, I have already visited so many beautiful and magnificent churches in Sicily. Not visiting this one ain't gonna make a difference.

By the time I took all the photos I wanted of the Syracuse Cathedral, it was already past lunchtime. So I started looking for a place to eat.

A fellow traveler whom I had met in Catania had recommended a reasonably priced restaurant in Syracuse. 

When I located the restaurant, it was full of people. I went up to the staff and enquired if there are tables available. The lady at the counter quickly set up a table for me, and I happily ordered my food.

I ordered this traditional Sicilian eggplant dish (which was bloody delicious!) and a glass of red wine:

Caponata

After lunch I walked along the corniche to look at ships:

It was a windy day and the waves were choppy. I was imagining how the seafarers and navigators in ancient times steered their boats and ships in such a condition and without modern equipment. 

Soon it was time to head back to the bus station to take the bus back to Catania.

All in all, it was an interesting day-trip to Syracuse. Although I didn't visit many of the top spots in Syracuse such as the museums, and I barely scratched the surface of exploring Syracuse thoroughly, I am glad to have the opportunity to visit the beautiful city.

English language Mass at the Church of St Benedict in Catania

(Information correct as at November 2023)

Visitors in Catania who wish to attend English language Mass would naturally go to the Metropolitan Cathedral of St Agatha. 

However, there are no English language Mass celebrated there. Furthermore, the website is in Italian and the Mass times are not updated in the website.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of St Agatha is located at Piazza del Duomo in Catania.

When I went to the cathedral to see if they had English language Mass, I was pleasantly surprised to see a notice on the bulletin board that English language Mass is celebrated at the Church of Saint Benedict which is located 350m away from the cathedral. 

English language Mass is celebrated at the Church of St Benedict on Sundays and Solemnities at 11:00am.

I quickly used Google Maps and navigated myself to the church.

Along the way, I saw information on the history and significance of the church. Here, read the information before I show you to the interiors of the church:

When I found the church and entered it, I could only gap in amazement at the interiors, particularly the ceiling:

The sentence in the information board outside the Church of St Benedict, describing it as "Among the most important churches of the Sicilian baroque and among the most beautiful in Europe" is true indeed.

Since I was the first person who arrived for Mass, the person-in-charge invited me to become lector for the First Reading. I was delighted at the opportunity and agreed immediately. It was the Feast of Christ the King.

Here are more pics of the church:

So if you wish to attend English language Mass in Catania, make your way to the Church of St Benedict. English language Mass is celebrated there on Sundays and Solemnities at 11:00am.

Malta to Sicily with Virtu Ferries

During my trip to the Mediterranean in November, I visited Malta, the island of Sicily (in Italy) and Tunis (capital of Tunisia).

From Malta, I travelled to Sicily on Virtu Ferries.

Since it was the low season, there was only one ferry which departs Valletta (in Malta) at 5:00am, and arrives at Pozzallo (in Sicily) at 6:45am. 

I was glad that Virtu Ferries also provides a coach transfer from Pozzallo to Catania (capital of Sicily). The journey was approximately 1 hour 45 minutes and saves passengers the hassle of having to look for transport from Pozzallo to Catania.

This is the route from Malta to Catania:

I took the ferry from Virtu Ferries Passenger Terminal in Malta to Pozzallo, and then onwards to Catania by coach. 

The day before my ferry was scheduled to depart from Valletta, I received an SMS saying that the departure time has been brought forward to 4:00am (original time was 5:00am) due to bad weather. And the coach from Pozzallo to Catania will arrive at 8:45am.

Since foot passengers are required to be at the passenger terminal 1 hour before the ferry departs, I didn't want to be late and left my hostel in Valletta early around 2:15am. I booked a Bolt and reached Virtue Ferries Passenger Terminal around 2.30am.

This is the passenger terminal:

I was around 30 minutes early and there was no one else around at that time:

It is always good to be early when catching planes, buses and ferries.

When the gates opened at 3:00am, I showed my boarding pass and passport to the personnel and proceeded to board the vessel named Saint John Paul II:

Virtu Ferries must have strong connections with the Vatican. Both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have made visits on board the ferries.

Saint John Paul II vessel has 3 levels, as shown in the Evacuation Plan:

It was free seating so I found a seat towards the back where there was a power point to charge my devices:

The vessel doesn't look like a typical ferry at all, but more like a cruise ship (although I haven't been on one myself)

There're slot machines for passengers who need to while away time on the high seas:

It was around 4:00am and in the low season (read: not many passengers), therefore the slot machines were not switched on.

Passengers who don't play slot machines may window shop: 

There is a section upstairs for First Class Passengers. However the area was not accessible at that time:

Just like airlines, Virtu Ferries has its own in-house magazine too:

It can get choppy on the high seas and Virtu Ferries have prepared vomit bags:

If you decide to travel from Malta to Sicily, do consider taking the ferry. It is convenient, safe and comfortable.