My New Dell Netbook

I received my Dell netbook few days ago as I will be leaving my hometown and heading to Putrajaya tomorrow. I purchased this online from Dell website. It arrived my house roughly after 10 days after confirmation.

The packages arrived in sturdy boxes and perfectly sealed to avoid any tampering. The boxes are made of recyclable material.

I quickly opened the main box which contained the netbook. Neat packaging and almost everything used on the packaging are made from sustainable resources for example this cardboard is actually made from bamboo.

The netbook is well protected and covered with a layer of organic protective layer (not plastic) to avoid its surface from being scratched.

At the bottom of the box are the instruction manual, AC adapter and essential disc drivers which include the OS (Windows 7 Starter). Even the manuals are printed on recycled papers. Dell is really committed to environmental protection.

The other 2 packages includes the Notebook Essential Pack by Targus (additional RM189). The net total of the purchase is RM1388.

The Essential Pack consists of Targus soft hug top load case, Targus Travellers Choice Ultra Compact Stereo Speaker and Targus Optical Stow and Go Mouse

I am not a fan of netbook or laptop due to its poor thermal management coupled with speed and reliability issue. The reason I choose netbook over laptop is due to its size and portability. Without the optical drive, the netbook appear lighter and smaller.

I still in the process of getting used with the new OS, speed and size.

I also subscribe Celcom Broadband so I can go online in my new place. I got the Advance Broadband package but it is still inferior compare to the fixed line Streamyx which I used at home.

This Dell Inspiron Mini 10v will be my new tool to keep this blog alive (as well as maintaining communication with my wife and family). It is not ideal but I have to live with it for now. I going to miss using my rock solid desktop.

Special thanks to my friend, lifesignx for helping me to configure the netbook remotely via Teamviewer and encouraging me to get a netbook in the first place.

Ellison Seafood Restaurant @ Sri Aman

We were searching for a place to dine in Sri Aman when the evening kicks in and we found out there aren't many restaurants and eateries available in the town. We finally end up in Ellison Seafood Restaurant, just behind our hotel, Hoover Hotel.

I notice the locals here hardly eat out and we don't see a lot of customers in almost all the restaurants we surveyed.

The rice served in Sri Aman is a bit different from the other places in Sarawak. I reckon this is their local rice which is equally delicious. One can find this easily in the market here as I found out the next day.

Ginger Chicken. Feels like home cooked dish

Vegetables

Mixed Vegetable. The way it was presented is a bit different from what I'm used to. The dish was served in a small wok and kept warm by the fire below.

Sea Cucumber Soup. Cooked in a slightly different manner from my home town but still taste good.

Overall, the dinner cost us RM41 (including drinks). I think it was rather expensive compare to Sibu as we probably get more for the same price.

Sri Aman Esplanade

The upgrading and beautification work on Sri Aman esplanade has been completed and I was impressed with its current state.

The esplanade also serves as the observation centre for the famous tidal bore or known locally as benak. The tidal bore in Batang Lupar is created when the force of the tide water rushing up the river and causes the river to reverse its flow.

To find out when is the next tidal bore, check out the notice board at the esplanade. It will be more convenient if the time was made available in the internet.

The esplanade is a favourite place for the local to unwind and relax. This is something the local can be proud of beside the adjacent Fort Alice.

The esplanade extended to the other side of the hill where Fort Alice is situated. However, the path leading to the other side seems to be uncompleted and one will have to cling to the railing to avoid the muddy soil after a heavy rainfall.

On the other side, there is a circular shape recreational area which is unique in its own right. Below the structure is a what seems to be a small multi purpose hall or exhibition centre

Fort Alice

Fort Alice was built in 1864 by Rajah Charles Brooke after defeating the last of the major Iban rebellion, Rentap in 1861.


The fort is not difficult to locate. It is located at Sri Aman's Esplanade which is also the venue to watch the famous tidal bore in town.

The fort was built on a small hill as the defensive structure controlling the Lupar River. It also offer a commanding view of the town itself.

It was built entirely of belian timber. This material provides the fort with thick walls to withstand a more aggressive attacks.

I would say Fort Alice is the most elaborated fort in Sarawak after Fort Margherita in Kuching with turrets/watch towers at each corner of the structure. I reckon Fort Alice is the second largest fort in Sarawak, which suggest the importance of Sri Aman back then.

The fort now is in a dilapidated state although most of the original structure remain intact

I also notice a few woods are used as supports to prevent the walls from collapsing

It is not even safe to venture into the fort itself. The ground floor and first floor structures are pretty much wasted and might crumble at any time.

I am puzzled as to why Fort Alice is in such a bad condition as generally all the other British forts in Sarawak which I visited are still maintained accordingly.

Sri Aman Bird Statues

Birds seems to be chosen as the mascot/symbol for Sri Aman town which is more famous for its Benak (tidal bore).

The most famous bird statue of the town is the dove statue, just in front of Hoover Hotel. However, in my recent visit here in December 2009, I notice the statue had been shifted from its adjacent original site to this roundabout.

This was the original site of dove statue taken in January 2009. I kind of like the original site as it was surrounded by a park and this made a perfect surrounding to take photos.

Another less prominent bird statue is located at the town's bus station. The bird statue here appear to be a rook. The town will be flocked with birds in the late evening and night. Their population kind of surprise me as I have no idea what attract them to this town.

Another dove statue is located inside the compound of the JKR building.

Hoover Hotel @ Sri Aman

While in Sri Aman, we decided to stay a night in Hoover Hotel due to its prime location and reputation as the biggest hotel in town. The hotel also has been selected for most government function/meeting in the town and hence should be at least clean.

Hoover Hotel is located at 139 Club Road. It basically share the same building with the biggest supermarket in town, Everrise.

The entrance to the hotel is kind of tricky for first timer. To get to the reception, try to locate the elevator, which is just next to Everrise main entrance and head to the 2nd floor

The lobby/reception area is huge and spacious. What I like about the hotel is the friendliness of the staff here.

The room rate here is extremely reasonable at RM60.50 only. The most important thing about the room is its cleanliness (this include pillow case and linen). The only drawback is the old furniture such as table and wardrobe. Well, for the record, me and Bengbeng slept well here.

The toilet is a bit small with the wash basin and toilet bowl too close to each other. Bath tub is available and so as hot water.