A disastrous comeback

After a 2-year hiatus, I embarked on a journey of treasure hunting once again...with disastrous results...

Location: Kijal, Terengganu

14 November

Dragged myself out of bed early in the morning. Had to get ready to leave for Lanai. Decided against giving morning calls to teammates as I trust them to be able to wake up.

6.30am. Received call from teammate. Wondering what happened to me as I did not call and was late. Actually already reached the traffic light towards the bank.

Arrived 5 minutes later. Found my teammates at the multi-purpose hall. Lavish breakfast spread for this year. Buffet style.

After morning briefing, took group pix and finally flagged off around 7.40am. Our car clocked out at 7.44am. The moment we arrived at the destination, we started checking out the questions. To our horror, we failed to answer the first 6 questions. Things only improved marginally better in the other destinations. It was quite disheartening to encounter such obstacles from the start. Throughout the journey, many times, we felt like giving up and just speed off to the hotel. But we didn't. By the time we had completed the questions, we were past our time limit and were late more than 10 minutes. In spite of that, we were in good spirit.

As we had 3 hours before the dinner, we adjourned to our rooms for a break. SS and I was given a room on level 2, which was a level below the hotel lobby. The room was stuffy and the view of the tennis court was half-blocked by the roof of a store room. We were given only bath towel. Compared to the room my other friends got, this felt like a third-rated room. To make matters worse, the lift to our level closed after midnight. We had to use the staircase to get back.

Luckily, we had a good time during dinner. The theme was "Battle Night". My team dressed up as ninja. Not many people could recognised us in our masks. The event was very well-organised with a "Billy Jean" performance by 6 of the bank staff and a hilarious MC. We played a Q&A game using a device handed out by the organisers. I thought that was pretty cool. The night ended with the prize-giving ceremony. My team didn't even make it to top 40. Sigh...

15 November

Took a walk around the beach before heading off in search of famous places to eat. Our first stop was at Kedai Kopi Hai Peng. We ordered some coffee and their local buns. Turned out to be pretty good. We ended up buying some instant coffee and kaya back. Note: Mom commented that the kaya is very expensive but it tastes very good too.

Next, we went for lunch at Tong Juan Restaurant. One of the specialty is baked crab. I thought the food was alright.

Before heading back to KL, we managed to buy packets of fish crackers, raw keropok lekor, salted fish, dried anchovies, dried shrimps and try a local delicacy called sata (made of fish and similar to otak-otak). The car was full to the brim! I was left with only RM3 in my purse :P

I dare say this has been a very delightful trip back. Should do it more often but with more cash :)

Felt cheated in Prague

4 November

Took the 8.58am train to Prague. Unfortunately, this was not the direct train. Ticket seller merely informed us that there is a train every hour to Prague. Ended up having to change station. Luckily, a kind ticket officer helped us to get off at the right stop. The change caused us additional 2 hours long journey. Along the way, we witnessed several change of season, from the beautiful autumn, to snowing, to shining sun and lastly to what appears to be a wonderful feeling of spring. The view was breath-taking.

When we arrived in Prague, the weather was gloomy. As hotel stated it is near the station, we attempted to walk, dragging our luggages behind us. We were caught in a downpour. Took us awhile to locate the Prague Square Hostel, given it's obscurity (entrance via a narrow "lane" between buildings).

Upon entering, to our horror, there was no lift. Well, actually there was but we had to take a flight of stair up to the lift which does not stop in front of the reception. Very weird setting. At the reception, the person in-charge refused to accept euro as payment despite being noted in the website that they only accept euro. Another confusion which caused us a great loss of koruna.

Our room was in the second floor. The key, a rather old one where we had to twist in the keyhole. While the room was relatively clean (still a massive downgrade from the one in Vienna), we disapproved of the transparent curtain. Our room faced other buildings plus some construction work outside. We also discovered that the shower room on our floor is a common one i.e. shared by both male and female. The only female shower we could find was on the first floor. Very inconvenient.

Seeing that the rain had stopped, we ventured out to the old town. It was only a short walk away (likely to be the only major plus point of the hotel). The famous astronomical clock was quickly found. Many tourists were already there. After finished taking photo of the old town square, we still had another 15 minutes before the clock strike 5pm. We decided to wait. The crowd grew. The result was pretty funny. At the end of the show, some of the people clapped. I shan't reveal what was seen as it was best experienced by oneself ;)

Our next stop was the Charles Bridge. Once again, the place was brimming with tourists. Enroute, we were stopped by a man selling ticket for a mini concert which started almost 15 minutes ago. He was willing to give us major reduction from CZK200 per person to CZK100 to CZK50. He assured us the seats are warm. Finally, we relented. It was a pretty interesting experience to watch concert inside a church. One of the composition was Four Seasons by Vivaldi. I must say Vivaldi is very popular in Prague. Wonder why...

For dinner, we decided to try a local restaurant. I ordered the goulash (beef soup with dumpling) set, costing CZK175. My set comprised of a starter and main while DJ opted for main and dessert. The dumpling was not what I expected as it was merely bread. The soup (or rather stew) was pretty good but there were only 4 pieces of beef. When dessert came, the waiter served not only DJ but I was given a serving of the apple doughnut too. As I could not eat anymore, I tried to tell the waiter that he made a mistake. He checked and said I could keep the doughnut at no extra charge. However, the bill was higher than expected due to exorbitant service charge :(

5 November

This morning, I accidentally set my alarm at 5.45am not realising that I have changed my clock to Czech's timezone. The good outcome was that I get the shower all to myself, not having to worry about other occupants coming in. Note: There's no lock on shower door.

The sun was shining brightly. We wasted no time and rushed out of the hotel to reach the Charles Bridge where it's almost empty. It was fun taking photos without having to avoid the crowd.

We spent the morning at the Prague Castle, located only after we got lost in the maze of roads and confusing signboards. The entrance cost CZK350. The ticket seller tried to convince us to take the audio guide but after considering the cost, we refused her 3 times. Our first stop was the St Vitus Cathedral. The queue appeared long but the wait was probably only 5 minutes, not 1 1/2 hours as claimed by ticket seller. Then we went to visit other smaller churches within the area and later stepped foot into the quaint homes where Kafka once lived. It was not easy to capture the whole row of houses as there were just too many tourists!

The remaining of the day was spent at Wenceslas Square. We opted for McD for dinner after the horrifying experience the night before.

6 November

I decided to wake up early again to have my quiet, uninterrupted shower.

We left the hotel at 7am to take photos at the Powder Tower and Municipal House. While there was no bright shining sun, the sky, nevertheless, remained clear.

At around 8am, we returned to the hotel for our breakfast. Later, we went out again to purchase our souvenir from the market on Havelska Street. We had discovered the day before that goods are sold at a lower price in the market compared to shops. After making our purchases, we returned to the hotel for a second time to deposit our souvenirs.

Our next sight-seeing itinerary was a stop at the Petrin Hill via the furnicular (CZK26). Saw the Petrin Tower but did not go up because of price. Went in search of some other monuments on the hill only to be confused by the multiple signboards and getting lost. Met many other lost tourists. Gave up in the end and returned to town. After the long hike up, we had to return to the hotel for a third time to take a break. My feet was killing me. At this point, I must say the location of the hotel is mighty convenient.

Our final night in Prague was spent on Charles Bridge and having McD. I also bought a chocolate and banana crepe from the weekend market at the old town square.

Discoveries in Prague:

1. There are hints that Malaysians like to visit Prague - shop keepers recognising my friend as a Malaysian, some greeted her with "apa khabar" and we bumped into a Malaysian family. They recognised us through our language cause we were speaking to each other in BM.
2. Haggle over prices in shops when you purchase souvenirs. Although most often unwilling, the shop keepers will still lower the selling price. I am sure their profits is more than 1x.
3. Toilet and sauces in McDonald are charged a fee.

Beware in Prague:

1. Selected money changers charged no commission. Choose wisely. Unfortunately, some may still charge commission as they may claim that the no commission only applies to the selling of koruna.
2. Service tax is part and parcel of eating in restaurant even though it is not mentioned in the menu. Be sure to ask how much is the tax as some restaurant can charged up to 18.75%.
3. Forget about paying the CZK350 for an audio guide in Prague Castle. The line into St Vitus Cathedral is not 1 1/2 hours as claimed by the lady ticket seller.

Captivated by Vienna

Location: Vienna, Austria

31 October

Arrived at the airport in the evening. Weather colder than London! Found train to city centre. Confusion over tickets. No one around who could help :(

Finally managed to get the right tickets (EUR3.60). However, missed the stop and ended up at the last station, Flosidorf (think that's the name). Wouldn't have realised if not for kind Austrian lady who told us to leave the train in her language. She went to the extent of asking the train driver to help us. Luckily train driver speaks english. Took us to main entrance and showed us which platform to get on. We were about to make our move, after thanking him, when he turned back to tell us we missed the train and had to move to another platform. So very kind of him. At that moment, I truly think Austrians are the nicest people.

At last, we arrived at wien sudbahnhorf station. According to the direction given by hotel, it is only a short distant away. So, we walked. But we walked and walked and couldn't locate the hotel. It was cold and we were tired and hungry. Frustration set in. There were hardly anyone around. Shops closed early that day. Called the hotel but they weren't very helpful. We relied on ourselves before locating the hotel which we thought were the wrong one.

Luckily, hotel room was very nice. Ensuite. TV with CNN channel. Everything was nice except no breakfast provided. Also reception not very friendly.

1 November

Next morning, found out the nearest metro is Keplerplatz. There was a bakery and supermart around it. Very convenient to buy breakfast and water.

First stop was Schonbrunn Palace. Bought combined tickets for EUR22.50 (I think). Received discount vouchers for other places. DJ didn't get. Went to ask counter. Apparently, mine was a mistake but since given to me, I got to keep it :)

Learnt a lot about Sisi, Franz Joseph and Maria Theresa. Too bad can't take photo inside. Made a stop at the cafe to use one of my coupon to order Kaiserschmarren (imperial pancake served with apple jam). Quite nice but too sweet after a few more bites. Later walked up the hill and found the view breath-taking. Can't stop snapping photos. I pronounced autumn as my favourite season.

Next, went back to city to search for the furniture museum (incl in combined ticket). Nothing much but DJ loved the furnitures. Me no fan.

Lastly, headed to Stephansdom. Day getting dark. Interrupted by a man selling tickets for a mini opera. Claimed to be a student from Albania. Offered us a buy 1 free 1 for the EUR36 ticket (seat C) and upgraded us to seat B. Decided to try our luck.

Dine at the local fast food, serving only fish. Bought salmon baguette plus bottle of mineral water (EUR6.40). Baguette was nice but water was sparkling! What's with these people anyway?

Lucky for us, he was not a cheater. We found ourselves in a mini concert hall with many other people. Some famous composer (think Mozart) played there before. There were two sessions - compositions by Strauss and Mozart, accompanied by opera and ballet. Photographs allowed. Was very happy when the Austrian lady sitting next to me, commented that the concert is quite good. Not cheated (yay)!

2 November

Another nice day. Bought croissant (EUR0.79) for breakfast. Walked around Stephansplatz. Visited Hofburg for more stories on Sisi and her family. Found hundertwasser haus. Was not easy as it was not near metro. Had to rely on map. Kind Austrian lady offered to give us direction (noticed how many kind people are there in Austria?). Best part about the place is the nearby shops selling cheaper souvenirs!

Took metro in search of Strauss statue at Stadtpark. Didn't take so long.

At night, had dinner in cafe near hotel. As day still early (even though it was pitch dark already), went to buy train tickets to Prague. Most unfortunate, ticket was not prices EUR29 as expected. Was told that cheap tickets were sold out. Had to pay EUR59 in the end. Also decided not to go to Bratislava as there's till much to do in Vienna.

3 November

Rainy day! Plan is to spend most time indoor. Visited the Kunsthist. Museum (EUR10). While waiting in line to buy tickets, I was standing behind a Korean girl. As she made payment, the ticket seller gestured to me to put in my euro with her. I dared not refuse but I suspected he thought we were travelling together. The Museum housed some very interesting items. Enjoyed spending time taking photo of the magnificent staircase and photos of the paintings.

In the afternoon, went to the State Opera House for a tour (EUR6.50). Tickets to the shows could be very pricey. For example, tickets for tonight's show, Swan Lake, cost between EUR30 to EUR80. Seats at the side balcony can run up to several thousand euros while the main balcony is reserved for VIP. For poor tourists like us, might be better to invest in standing tickets. The booth only opens an hour before the show starts. So no reservation allowed. We were rather late when we returned to the opera house in the evening as DJ thought it will start at 8pm.

The ballet was 3 hours long. During the first session, I was standing rather far back. Yet, I still managed to watch the show as the people in front were standing on lower platform. Plus I am not really that short. After the first intermission, people began leaving. They were there just for the experience while I wanted to watch the whole show.

The composition was beautiful, the dancers were amazing. Everyone clapped at one point when the lead dancer spun several times continuously and elegantly. However, I was shocked to find the sad ending where the lead characters perished. I remembered clearly from my childhood cartoon days that they survived and lived happily ever after. It was hard for me to accept the ending :(

Summary of inner thoughts:

All in all, I enjoyed my experience in Vienna. The city is filled with characters and the people are generally nice. I was surprised to find the city so serene, unlike the bustling London. The minus point is the high cost of living. For example, travelling on metro is not cheap, costing EUR1.80 per way. Nevertheless, I remained impressed by how much faith the operators had on the citizens. There are no barriers. Payments rely entirely on commuters' sense of honesty to stamp their tickets whenever they used the metro.

4 November

Left Vienna early to board train to Prague. It turned out to be a long ride ahead...

Two weeks of adventure

Second day back in Malaysia after two weeks of dreamland. Much had happened.

Title : A series of unfortunate events

Location : London, UK

24 & 25 October

Excited to be going back to UK again since my last trip in January. Unfortunately, mood dampened by flight delayed by about an hour due to technical problem. To make matters worse, the video on my seat was not working. Luckily, I slept through most of the 13 hours, waking up only to eat. The last two hours or so was probably the most unbearable. This is the wonderful MAS service to its customer.

Arrived at Heathrow at 7 plus. Could not understand the two hours delay. Flight ticket stated arrival time as 5.20am. Later found out the time confusion due to UK changing its clock.

Decided to take tube to hotel. Travel interrupted several times. First, had to take replacement bus halfway through to get to Hammersmith. Just when I thought I can finally get onto the Hammersmith & City line to Great Portland Street (GPS), that particular line was disrupted. Had to take another line to stop elsewhere and then changed to another line. Very confusing given my fatigue.

Finally arrived in hotel after more than an hour of travelling. More bad news. Hotel misunderstood my booking. Thought I was supposed to arrive the day before. Now forced to wait an hour for a room to be ready.

When I received my room key, I was taught how to use the lift. I wasn't really paying attention and ended up rushing into the next available lift and found myself unable to press any button cause there weren't any! I went all the way up to 6th floor and stepped out at the lobby. Realised that I had to press my floor number on a hi-tech computer near the lift and then it will indicate which lift I should enter. Amazing.

Room was very comfortable with large TV. Unfortunately, complimentary internet access only for own laptop. Tried searching for some mineral water but none provided. Darn.

Despite the misfortunes, I tried to minimise the interruptions to my plan and arranged to meet my ex-schoolmate later in the afternoon. After briefly freshening myself, I set out to search for oxford street using the map I printed from google. Unfortunately, I had too much confidence in myself and ended up losing my way. Resorted to asking for directions to the nearest tube station only to find myself already pretty close to oxford street.

Having found nothing interesting, I moved on to Covent Garden in search of Radley and perhaps obtaining ticket to Lion King. I only succeeded in the first task. Sadly, tickets were sold out for Lion King. Went back to Oxford St to meet friend. Later had dinner at Mayflower in Chinatown. Thank god for good dinner. We were given a small opening under the staircase. Very private and cosy with seats enough for four only.

26 October

Arrived at bank station but could not locate the large black door of BOE. Went round building only to discover I missed it the first time. Quite an idiot. Went in to reception. Found that most participants had already arrived. I wasn't late. They were just earlier than me.

Each of us was given a name tag to gain entry into the building and a pass (which must be returned to the security before we leave the building). No photos were allowed anywhere :(

Guided through the mysterious hallway of the building by the coordinator (HS) up to the 7th floor where the training room is. We were to use that way for the rest of the week. The tea break room was well-equipped with 4 PCs, drinks (orange juice, coffee, tea, sparkling/still water), biscuits, publications from the bank and most importantly, daily newspapers.

Event began at 9am with introduction by course advisor, OR. The first session focused on the theoretical aspect of exchange rates. Found myself feeling sleepy. Must be jetlag. After lunch, we were taken out for group pix. At the end of the day, we had a welcoming reception at the City Rocket Restaurant.

I made fast friends with RLO and RRA. A game was played in which participants had to answer questions related to all the countries where the participants are from. I couldn't answer the one for Msia cause I didn't know the height of KL Tower. In my panic, I texted my msian friends in warwick and also another friend whom I knew will have a pc in front at that very moment. Thank god one person replied. Can be quite humiliating not to know especially when participants from neighbouring countries began approaching you for answer.

After the reception, a few of us left together only to discover none of us remembered the way back to the bank station. Luckily (or perhaps unluckily as we discovered later), we met another group and one of the member has a GPS. BU attempted to take us to the right direction. While we did find our way in the end, it was to another tube station which was a bit further. Kinda funny to be so lost.

Back at hotel, managed to catch the last part of an episode of House. I miss the show :(

27 October

Found my favourite Crunchynuts at the breakfast room. Vowed to eat only Crunchynuts and yogurts for the rest of my stay in the hotel. Left hotel early to take a walk at the Regent's Park. Unfortunately, got a bit lost and hence, had to cut the walk short.

Was feeling sleepy during class again. Thought I had enough sleep. Very baffling.

Met ex-coursemate, MK tonight. Supposed to watch ticket but cheap tickets mainly sold out due to school break. Decided against watching anything as I preferred to catch up with MK. Went into a Mexican restaurant, Navajo (???) near Covent Garden area (I think). Had a great meal. Although too full, still continued for a drink at a nearby pub. Bought camomile tea. MK remarked that it's her first time seeing a friend have tea in a pub. Halfway through, fire alarm rang. Saw angry waitress running around. In the blink of an eye, firemen appeared. Nothing major happened. Phew.

Departed at tube station. On the way back, tube got interrupted. Geez. Bad luck not ending yet.

28 October

Woke up, switched on bed light and poof. Room went dark. Nothing working. Called reception while cursing my luck. Luckily can still switch back light from main switch box. The bedside lamp was faulty. When is it gonna end???

During lunch, a few participants organised a walk to the Tower Bridge. I chose not to join as I wanted to run over to the museum to attempt to purchase some souvenirs. When other participants found out about the walk, they wanted to go there too. AB asked for the direction from RJ. Would have been uneventful if not for RJ's blunder in speaking too near to the mike. So, when he was explaining the route to AB, all of us could hear him in the room. That was seriously funny. Yet, no one else seemed to be laughing. These people were just too serious or was I too ticklish?

Wanted to try my luck at getting some theatre tickets tonight. But RLO wanted to go to Oxford St. Decided to go with her and HE. Unfortunately, road work at Oxford Circus. Got stuck. Finally detoured and ended up in Starbucks with RLO where we spent the evening chatting.

Back at hotel, caught a bit of True Blood. Fell asleep before the ending. Was exhausted.

29 October

Another uneventful day during the course. By now, RLO and I had submitted to our routine of sitting at the same spot during lunch. A new mate, OG began to adopt the same routine.

In the evening, we were taken to a tour of the British Museum. OR and HS had to make sure they get everyone to the location via tube during rush hour. OR claimed he has not lost anyone yet. By the time we got on the tube, only half of the participants were still following OR. All was not lost as the rest managed to find their way and arrived earlier.

The tour was led by a volunteer who told us interesting stories about some of the artifacts. That was a truly memorable tour. Later in the evening, I joined a few of the participants for dinner at a pub around Russell Square. 3 of us ordered fish and chips and it came out really hard. Couldn't finish the whole thing plus the peas were yucky.

30 October

Last day of course. Two highly-respected professors were invited for the last two sessions. One of the professors began by greeting everyone in their own native tongue. Truly impressive.

Farewell lunch was a few minutes walk away from the bank, Mehek Restaurant. Indian food which OR love. As everyone began to say farewell, a few of us made plans to meet for dinner.

RLO had to meet a friend. So, I thought I can do some last minute shopping at Oxford St. Plus I was supposed to meet a colleague but she couldn't turn out at the last moment. I found out later she did heavy shopping during the day and worn herself out. While I was busy shopping (or attempting to shop amid the massive crowd on a Friday afternoon - where do these people come from???), another ex-coursemate called to tell me we can meet up later that day. Darn.

Had to rush back to hotel to meet AN who was to arrive at GPS at around 6pm. Invited him to join us for dinner but he had to rush back to Oxford.

Went to a pub with the gang. Had to sit inside since no seats available inside. Ordered orange juice again. Two guys ordered a beer and discovered the sweetness, making it a girl's drink. Never knew there was such a thing. While we were there, we saw lines of cyclists passing by causing traffic to stop. Wonder what's the event. Halloween?

After awhile, we switched to another pub where we can get food. Some of us were hungry (incl myself). This time, I decided to save money and ordered only tap water to go with my food. We talked and talked. One topic came out was about the fish we eat in our respective countries. Topic came out because OG ordered fish finger burger. When question came to me, I went blank. I seriously have no idea and in my panic, I blurted out tilapia, saying it's probably alien to them since it's in BM. To my horror, they said they know tilapia. Darn. Didn't know is English.

When the gang were finishing their second round of beer, BU turned to me and asked if I was gonna order my second beer :) Should have said something witty but I can't.

We departed at the hotel lobby, not knowing when we will meet again. These were really nice people. Now we are FB friends.

Summing up some inner thoughts:

1. Latin Americans are a friendly lot. They smile a lot too. I like them and hope to visit someday.

2. European seems so distant and cold. Where's their sense of humour?

3. Sparkling water baffles me. Why would anyone want to drink that? I kept to still water and orange juice the whole week.

31 October

Colleague came to visit and picked up my stuff for temporary deposit at her home. Very kind of her. If it hadn't been for her, I would have struggled through my trip to Vienna and Prague.

Cuti-cuti Malaysia

9 October, Kuala Selangor

Planning often fails especially when it comes to punctuality.

Our original plan to set off for Kuala Selangor by 5.30pm was obstructed by the delay of the train and two friends being stuck in a meeting well past 5pm. Funnily, Mel ended up at the wrong building as she exited the station causing much confusion as I attempted to give her direction in the wrong place.

By the time we left the bank, it was close to 6pm. The journey was largely uneventful (thank god). As the evening was still illuminated by light, we made a stop at a restaurant first to have our seafood dinner. Irrational euphoria led to the order of 9 dishes - prawn, crab (2 plates), steam fish, vege (?), oyster (?) etc.

We left the restaurant around 8.30pm and stopped at some local stores to buy anchovies. Bad decision as later found out that the anchovies aren't fresh and covered with unknown white powder (common in the anchovies sold in city).

Arrived at firefly park around 9pm. Ticket per person cost RM15. Somehow, the price didn't seem to worth the experience. Very few trees were really lit with fireflies. Disappointing. Shall blame it on development (which I may have an indirect hand in).

10 October, Malacca

Made Mel wake up early to have claypot noodles for breakfast. My favourite.

Arrived at bank too early. Friends were late (tsk tsk tsk). Hence, began a long and boring journey.

First stop in Malacca - famous chicken rice ball shop. Only 11.30am but already long queue. Meal was good but I still wonder what's so great bout this apart from the rice ball?

Next stop - tour Malacca historical area. Took photos. Looked for shades (was a hot day). Went into a museum (mainly in search of aircon and seats). Not very cultured person. End of historic tour and back to food trail.

"Lunch" break in little shop near Heeren Inn. Had rojak, mee siam, chicken pongteh and cendol. Chicken is nice though the color isn't.

Checked into Baba House. Very, very, very slow service. Nice deco at reception. Can't say the same bout the room. Had to climb up winding steps and walked till the end of corridor to find room 205 (I think that's the no). First reaction - stuffy. Next - no window!!! Actually got a tiny, barely there, half-opened window facing the corridor. Only consolation is the cleanliness. If this is what they called deluxe, I have no idea how standard room will be like.

Rested before walk around Jonker Street in search of pineapple tarts and souvenirs. After much calls to our Malaccan friend, we still ended up not being able to locate the right shop. There were just too many pineapple tarts shops. Decided on the one listed in my friend's travel guide which shows a shop with the largest pineapple tart. Wrong choice. Too little filling, too much biscuits. Even the honey lime was too diluted. Seriously made lotsa wrong decisions.

Went back to room to put down things but ended up resting till about 6pm. Arrived at famous satay celup shop at 6.30pm. LONG QUEUE! Waited an hour. Finally got a table. Took some stuffs and started digging in. Once again, the feeling of what's-so-great-bout-this feeling appeared. Seriously over-rated.

Spent the evening going round Jonker Street. By then was very tired. Decided to find a spot to sit down with Mel and enjoyed the night while waiting for friends to appear. Ended the trip with supper at a coastside restaurant (can't remember name). Ordered carrot and orange juice. When order came, found the drink devoid of carrot taste while Mel's mixed fruit juice filled with carrot taste. Finally realised waiter made mistake.

Arrived at hotel close to midnight. Took shower in cold water as hot shower not working. Yet another complaint I have with this hotel. Aircon cannot adjust lower. Torn between freezing in room and turning off aircon completely. In the end, turned off aircon.

Woke up early for breakfast. Room already almost full at 8am. Managed to squeeze into small table at corner. Counted there are probably around 6 tables for a few hundred guests. Food not filled quickly for those who came later.

Left hotel for airport at around 9am. Bade Mel farewell. Not sure when will meet again.

13 October, Home

Saw Mel on msn. Both caught a cold! But mine worse cause came with sore throat (result of over-indulging in the twisted rope biscuits).

20 October, KL

Yet to send the postcard for Mel. Must send by this week or will be another 3 weeks before chance to visit P.O.

Tremor felt

It was probably around 6.30pm when I felt my chair shaking. It wasn't violent but the shaking was there. At first, I assumed it's the way I was sitting causing the chair to wobble. But it didn't stop even after I adjusted myself to a proper sitting position. Then I thought it's caused by the train crossing the track. Barely a few minutes later, my colleagues started commenting about the shake. And so the mystery was solved. We figured it was probably an earthquake somewhere in Indonesia.

I left before anymore tremor was felt. Half an hour later, staff were told to evacuate the building.

At another block, the staff reacted as we did. They gathered and sounded concern bout the tremor. But as quickly as they gathered, they went back to work. Goes to show that as long as you are not dead, your work is more important than your life :)

From the news: 7.6 magnitude tremor in Padang Indonesia

Silent September

End of September is here. It's been a month that just flew by. Much had happened, yet memories are scarce...

(under)Achievement: Read only 1 book this month compared to 9 in August! So much for my reading hobby

Dream of the month: Win an Emmy! Nothing is impossible

Resolution: To be nice

Darn, there's really nothing much to write...

Hop on, hop off in Philippines

My first time to Philippines and all I did was eat...

13 Sep

I have often heard of the delicious nasi lemak served on MAS. Today, I finally managed to try it. Thought it was alright. Arrival time was estimated to be earlier till the pilot informed us of a delay due to traffic congestion at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Sigh. Landed at 4pm, 10 minutes later than the time on my boarding pass.

I was walking towards immigration when I spotted my name on a large card. It was the organiser. My two colleagues were already there with her. We were taken to the fast lane and escorted to the waiting room after we had collected our luggages. There, we were introduced to the Singaporean delegates.

Soon after, we left for the Summit Ridge Hotel. I was told earlier the journey will take 3 hours. With my wrist band and sour mandarin peel, I was prepared. Luckily the traffic was ease and it took us only 1 1/2 hours to get there. But the journey was still quite rough (though not as bad as in Sri Lanka).

At the hotel, we took time to freshen up before being whisked away to the Pamana Restaurant for the welcoming dinner hosted by the DG of BSP. The restaurant was originally a family home. All the furnitures belong to the family and hence, come in odd pieces. The dinner was meant to give us a home atmosphere. I think there were about 10 dishes. We were stuffed by the time the grilled seafood came. During the dinner, I was introduced to bagoong, a local fish paste. It tasted great. My colleague and I even bought some home from a local supermart.

14 Sep

Meeting whole day. Spent time watching Batman met Sherlock Holmes in my room while waiting for dinner.

The dinner tonight was hosted by the MOF at Antonio's Restaurant. The restaurant was hidden in the middle of a mini forest. We had to use small lanes to get there. It was totally worth the drive and the insects which accompanied us throughout our dinner.

We felt privilege to have the dinner prepared by Antonio himself. It was a standard 3-course meal with salad, fish as main and chocolate cake as dessert. The cake was simply marvellous. Once again we were stuffed.

15 Sep

We left the hotel at 11am. There wasn't much time to do anything. The journey took 2 hours. It was a hot day. When we arrived at the airport, we were once again taken to the fast lane for security check. However, our organiser left us once we were inside. The check-in counter was not announced till an hour later. Seats were scarce. The departure hall is really small and old-fashion. Travellers were hanging around everywhere.

Airport tax cost us 750 pesos. I thought there were more things to see once we passed immigration but there were only about 20 shops! I had to settle for a mini bowl of wantan noodles (105 pesos - exorbitant price!) as there were no fast food restaurants. It was truly a big disappointment.

The worst was when our flight was delayed by half an hour. Once we boarded the plane at 5.30pm, yet another bad news came. Our flight was no 9 for take off. And then, the announcement came to tell us that an aircraft was stranded on the runway. We had to wait for the personnels to clear the runway before we can leave and that can take anywhere between 10 minutes to 1 hour! By the time we left NAIA, it was 6.40pm.

What I love:

1. The rain shower bathroom in my hotel

2. Bagoong (Shrimp / fish sauce)

3. Multi-channels TV

What I dislike:

1. Flight delays

2. Chaotic airport

3. Bumpy roads

Lucky Day

I found my BOJ mechanical pencil!!! Well, I didn't exactly find it. Someone else found it near the Reuters island and she happened to spot the message on my board - Anyone seen my pink BOJ mechanical pencil? I knew I will see the pencil again some day :)

A whole new world

An invitation from the CBS Sri Lanka took me to Colombo at the end of May. Despite my initial reluctance, the trip turned out to be an eye-opening adventure I will never forget.

The flight to Colombo took 6 hours 40 minutes with an hour stopover in Male, Maldives. Flying to Male took about 3 hours 50 minutes. During the stopover, I watched the workers cleaning the seats in preparation for the passengers from Male. To my horror, they did not change the blanket nor the cushion. I realised that I was going to be boarding a transit plane, in this same manner, from Colombo on Sunday.

By the time we arrived in Bandaranaike airport, it was 25 minutes past midnight. I was tired as I could barely sleep in the plane due to the multiple interruptions arising from meals and landing. At the arrival hall, our driver was already waiting for us. The ride to the hotel took us through small towns and lasted almost an hour. My heart missed a beat when the driver turned into a lonely lane. The place was dimly lit. Soon, we found our car stopping in front of a huge wooden gate. A sign read The Sovereign. We have arrived! A guard pushed the gate to allow our car in (1st shock: non-automated gate).


Upon checking in, the porter guided us up two storey of stairs (2nd shock: no lift???) . I got into my room, quickly cleaned myself and fell asleep. In the morning, my mind was finally clear enough for me to inspect the room. At a glance, the room was reasonably decorated. However, a few important items were missing such as blanket, tv and shampoo (3rd shock).


After a western breakfast in the dining hall, we proceeded to plan our trip to town. We were annoyed to find the staffs unequipped to provide us with even simple information such as the distance from the hotel to town, nearest location of a money-changer and the best way to get around. Neither were there maps! Finally, the manager, Kumara, came to solve the issues. He even offered to accompany us to town.

We waited for 15 minutes or more for the cab. The trip to town took about 10 minutes probably, costing LKR 460. We were taken to several gem shops before finally finding a bank in the Majestic City shopping mall (resembles the Weld or Pertama) to get some rupees (Sri Lanka has capital control). The bank was very old-fashioned, largely relying on human power for transaction activity. Our transaction took nearly half an hour (USD1 = LKR114)! With some rupees in hand, we bought some Mlesna tea from a tea centre in the mall.

Next, we headed towards Gangaramaya temple near the Beira Lake. Finally, Kumara left us at the Pettah market before returning to the hotel. The market was filled with mainly local. We strolled along the many shops, noting the close semblance to Masjid India in Malaysia. Suddenly, a man approached us and started giving directions. He took us to the saree lane, up to some shops selling saree and salwar cloth. I spent LKR 2,600 on a set of salwar cloth, from the discounted price of LKR 2870.

Having satisfied ourselves with cloth-shopping, we set out to head for the next stop. We were advised by the shopowner to head to Crescat, a shopping mall. Strangely, the man who was giving us directions wanted to take us elsewhere. I refused as I realised that the place he spoke of was not recommended by WikiTravel. My friend and I decided against taking another tuk-tuk too (after having been cheated twice to pay LKR250 per trip). We chose to walk without proper directions. The man followed us. Shortly, we learnt his real intention. He asked for LKR300 as tip for taking us to the shops. We ignored him and walked away. He followed us for some time before leaving us alone. We were glad nothing happened.

We kept walking and stopping occasionally at shops along the roads. Soon we came to Laksala, a state-owned emporium, selling handicrafts and jewellery. Nothing caught my eyes. So we set out again, attempting to locate Crescat on our own. We realised that each time we asked for direction, we will be asked to catch a tuk-tuk. Our aimless walk took us to a heavily-guarded area, consisting mainly of hotels. We later learnt that this particular location houses the President's home, army base and old parliament. As we tried to enter the road, we were stopped by two guards, requesting to check our passports. It was a normal procedure.

We continued our journey happily, thinking that we will be reaching Crescat soon. Once again, we were approached by a local who can speak Malay. Our journey took us to the ocean. Suddenly, we felt droplets of water. Our initial thought was that the source came from the strong wave. Soon, we realised it was raining! The man managed to persuade us to take a tuk-tuk to the next destination. Little did we realise that we will be taken to yet another gem shop i.e. Gem Paradise. Sigh. A pair of ear studs, shaped like a 3-petal flowers caught my eyes. The petals were made of sapphire. Unfortunately, the cost was beyond my budget at USD300.

It was 5pm when we arrived in Crescat. It was a tiny shopping mall. We started looking for places to eat as we did not take lunch. The only available eatery is the food court. We settled on two pan pizzas, drinks and garlic bread, costing LKR690 (4th shock: more expensive than Malaysia!) . The tuk-tuk ride back to hotel cost us LKR450 (negotiated price). It was pretty amazing that we found our way back given that the hotel did not provide us with its address! The tuk-tuk driver asked us how can we go around without knowing our own address. Luckily, we remembered the landmarks and the number of the hotel. We also had Kumara's handphone number. We did not take a cab because cab can only be called to hotels. Geez.

27 May

Registration began at 8.45am. The opening ceremony was held at the auditorium in the CBS building, which is connected to the hotel. GH was invited to join the lighting ceremony as the foreign rep. The Governor attended the ceremony too.

The seminar was conducted by two professors from Jawaharlal Nehru University. While the two are very knowledgeable in their areas, I was somewhat disappointed by the course content which was not what I expected.

At the end of the day, the foreigners (only 4 of us including 2 from SAMA) were driven out to town. We were taken to Laksala. It was here I found most of my souvenirs at reasonably prices. The gems were reasonable priced too although the designs appeared to stall in the 60s. The emporium closed at 7pm. We headed to pizza hut (again!) for dinner.

28 May

Another day full of presentations and discussions.

In the evening, we were taken out again. This time, we went to House of Fashion, a local department store and Odel, a higher-end department store. It was interesting to note the contrast between the two shopping malls. We had McD for dinner. I bought a McChicken Junior for LKR110.

On this day, we found out that the hotel does not accept credit card! (5th shock) It was a worrying situation as each of us brought only about USD300 into the country. From this day onwards, we had to be very careful with our spending.

29 May

The final day of the seminar.

As like the two previous days, we were taken out. This time, we spent our time at the beach to watch sunset. The view was amazing. I was quite envious of the people who can enjoy this scenery day in day out. More so, of the staffs at the central bank, which was located at another part of the shore of the Indian Ocean. It was hard to imagine that this was a place filled with painful memories from the tsunami destruction.

At about 7pm, we left for the Galadari Hotel for the closing dinner.

We returned to the hotel slightly after 10pm. The sight before us was unexpected. There was a truckful of army in front of the hotel. We got down from the van and started walking towards the reception area. Halfway in, a military man came out, gun in his hand. It was quite a shocking experience to come face to face with one of them. In order to avoid anymore "confrontation", my friend and I moved aside to let them all pass. Phew. Things settled down after that. Apparently, there was a function in the hotel earlier. The army was there to escort some VIPs.

30 May

Our excursion were to start at 6am. I went down to lobby a little earlier to get the receipts for the hotel and airport transfer. The night before was a nightmare for me and my friend. First of all, we were told that they don't accept USD. Later, they told us they do. Then, we requested for the bill early in the morning on Friday. But, they didn't get it down till evening and even that we had to remind them. Next, they combined me and my friend's bills. We needed separate billings to faciliate our claims. They could only provide the separate billings the next day (???). Luckily, when I went to lobby to get the bills, they were ready, properly typed out.

The journey to Kandy was estimated to around 3 1/2 hours, through trunk roads. The ride was so bumpy that in the end, I couldn't stop myself from vomiting whatever was in my stomach at that time. It was a good thing that I decided not to take breakfast till we arrived at the destination.

Our first stop was at the Elephant Orphanage. The entry for foreigner cost LKR1,250 while it was only LKR100 for local. The experience was pretty amazing. We were separated from the elephants only by a thin rope. I saw the feeding session. A little elephant wanted to walk beyond the rope but the keeper yelled at it. After the big elephants were fed, it was the babies' turn. Two babies followed the keeper to the milking shed. We followed them from behind. Some of us attempted to touch them. When we ran behind them, the babies ran too. It was so cute.

At the shed, visitors were given the opportunity to feed the babies from a huge milk bottle. We were also lucky enough to see a 6-day old baby elephant. One of the keeper kindly took a photo of the baby for me following the request from one of the CBS staffs. Next, we left their living quarter, crossed the road to the river. We were to wait there for the bathing time, while sipping Ceylon tea. It was fun watching the elephants marching up the road towards the river and being forced to take bath. A few wandered off to the other side of the river to play in the mud.

I bought a name card holder made of elephant dung (LKR350). I couldn't resist getting one despite the eekiness associated with its origin. In addition, it was stated that the money will be channeled towards the improvement of the orphanage.

After awhile, we left the orphanage to head to our next stop, the Geragama tea factory. We were shown the process of tea production using machines aged 106 years old! I could not resist the temptation of buying some teas and ended up with a bag of green tea. My companions spent even more. However, I was told that the best tea is in Nuwara Eliya, where the Saudis are heading to after the trip to Kandy.

Lunch was in a hotel on Amaya Hill. We were treated to a western buffet. The scenery was stunning. But the trip up was not due to the uneven roads :(

Our last stop was in Kandy to visit the famous Temple of Tooth Relic, a Unesco Heritage Site. The security was very tight because of the bombing in 1998, which destroyed a large portion of the temple. Surprisingly, the pagoda holding the tooth relic survived the blast, almost unscathed. We were unable to view the tooth as it is only taken out twice a year. Nevertheless, we enjoyed ourselves, by walking around the temple, admiring the beautiful statues.

At a particular worship area, I was approached by a monk. He led me into the area housing the statues! When he handed me some flowers to put in front of the statues, I couldn't stop myself from asking if I had to pay. I felt bad for being so suspicious over the sincerity of the monk. It was actually a privilege to be allowed such close look of the statues. One of the statue was donated by Malaysia!

Later at the museum, we were again given the privilege of stepping into the balcony overlooking the lake in Kandy. The monks even opened the window facing the pagoda for us to see the partially gold-plated roof, donated by one of the Presidents of Sri Lanka.

It was almost 6pm when we left Kandy. We bid farewell to our friends from Saudi Arabia, who took another jeep up to Nuwara Eliya, accompanied by a staff from the CBS. The rest of the staffs were to accompany us to the airport. We bought our last souvenir, cashew nuts from some local shops on the way to the airport. From LKR800, we negotiated down the price to LKR700. Hopefully, that is a fair price for 500g of oven-roasted cashew nuts. (Mom was very pleased with the extra large cashew nuts, which are twice the size of those imported from Thailand).

We were greeted by tight security at the airport. While the loading of bags up the bus to take us to the departure hall was free, they charged LKR50 for unloading the bags to the check-in counters. We chose to push our own luggages in as we were not ready to check-in. We rested on the chair in the waiting area till about 10.45pm. I took the opportunity to check out the souvenir shops. To my horror, the souvenirs were sold at about 3 to 3.5 times more than in Colombo!

The checking in took awhile either due to the inefficiency of the staffs or the computers. The same could be observed even at the business class line! I was really frustrated with their service.

There had been a lot of ups and downs throughout the whole trip. While I had trouble with the too salty, too sweet and mainly overcooked food, agressive drivers, bumpy roads and bad service, I was swept away by the beauty of its mountains and beaches. The simple decorations in the worship areas and the white statues of Buddha remind one that simplicity is still the most beautiful thing in life. I hope that the next time I return to this wonderful land, I will see improvement in the standard of living of the people but without destroying their gifts from god.

Weekend of learning

Friday night

Started my first yoga class. Barely made it on time thanks to a long-winded lecture (sigh). The class was small which was good for beginner like me. We began with simple breathing exercise before moving into the harder positions such as cobra. It was quite a struggle for me. By the end of the class, I was totally soaked in sweat. Even though my body was sore from the exercise, I had a lot of fun and am looking forward to the next class.

Saturday night

Theory of enough - This was the last phrase to appear on the presentation slides. It carried simple meanings but significant enough to to make an impression.

The theory is linked to our realisation of divine intervention in our life. Most of the time, we find ourselves unable to control things that happen around us. In addition, as we grow older, we find our options in life decreasing. If these are facts of life, what else can we do? Do we sit around and accept our fate?

Not necessarily. There are things which are still within our control which may or may not have an impact on divine intervention. Firstly, do good things - What goes around comes around. Mom has always told me that if a person thinks evil things and do evil things, God knows and God will make sure the person receives the right punishment even though the punishment may only come very much later in life. So, if ever someone does something unkind to us, we should not retaliate by behaving in similar manner as that person. Rather, we should continue doing what is right.

Second, do only the white things, never the grey nor black. Once we decide to do something that falls in the grey area, we will become more acceptance of the grey things and without realising, we might have moved into the black area. This reminds me of a chinese saying - To become bad takes 3 days, to become good takes 3 years.

Third, self-renewal (solitude and reflection) and the theory of enough. The theory is about considering what is enough in your life. For example, you need a house to stay in, a car to drive to work, a secure job etc. When you have accounted for all the things that is enough for you, then anything beyond those are a blessing. It is only when we know what is enough that we can be grateful with that we have. And when we are able to be grateful, we will be happy.

The theory really made me think about my life. I have come to realise that for awhile, I was consumed by my desire for more. To me, I still don't have enough when in actual fact, I am already a blessed person. I may not be rich but I have all the basic necessities in life. I have my family with me. I am learning to appreciate everything I have now. I hope this is a lesson I will never forget.

Sunday morning

I was at the temple this morning. While my previous intention for going to temple was to pray for a desire, today was different. It was to express my gratitude for things that I have in life.

Kiasuland

1 April

7 years later, I made my second trip to Singapore. Again, it's official. Four of us from the delegation were on the same flight. As soon as we arrived at the arrival gate, we saw a man holding a board with our names. I was tempted to snap a photo of him for memory sake but never did.

The trip to the hotel took about 40 minutes. We checked in and having freshen up ourselves, promptly left the hotel for a late lunch. Our adventure began with attempts to locate the nearest mrt station, Outram Park which was around 25-minute walk away! After a hectic walk, we arrived at Orchard Road. I was disappointed as there was no sale around this time of the year. So I made my way to Chinatown next. It was late afternoon by the time I arrived. I walked and walked before finally settling down in a small restaurant specialising in dimsum and porridge for dinner. As I could not bear the thought of walking to the hotel from the mrt station, I braved myself to take the bus. Thanks to the efficient transportation system in Singapore, I had no trouble catching the right bus back.

2 April

The whole day was spent in the meeting room. I nearly nodded off. The discussion was pretty dry.

Finally at 5.30pm, the meeting was adjourned. I made my way back to the room, freshen up and left the hotel for Raffles Place. I was to meet two friends for dinner. I managed to catch sight of the Singapore River and the Raffles Place before we decided to dine in a Japanese restaurant. It was nice catching up with them.

3 April

Another day spent on meeting.

At about 6pm, the delegates left the hotel to experience a ride on the Flyer, courtesy of our gracious host. It was my first time up on a flyer as I have neither went on the one in Malaysia nor the one in London. A little past 7pm, the sun began to set. The host had arranged such that we saw both the day view and the night view. Dinner was in an Indonesian restaurant known as Tambuah Mas, Marina Square. We were treated to plates after plates of seafood - fried mini octopus, fried soft-shelled crabs, fish, huge prawns, stir-fried vegetables with scallops etc. Pity we didn't manage to finish everything.

After the dinner, a colleague and I decided to do some last minute shopping at Mustafa which opens 24 hours a day. By the time we were done, it was close to 11.30pm. Time to head home.

4 April

I woke up early to do some last minute sightseeing. Incidentally, a friend from Philippines wanted to see more of Singapore too. So both of us left to find the famous Singapore Merlion. We thought we were early but there were already plenty of tourists crowding the park. The weather was extremely warm despite being still early in the morning. Our next stop was the more than a century old Thean Hock Keng temple. Once again, the place was surrounded by tourists. Our last stop together that morning was Chinatown. We had some trouble finding the place till we decided to ask for direction from an elderly man. The man took us to the entrance to Chinatown before turning back on his journey. I was touched to find such helpful people.

Soon, me and my friend had to bid each other farewell as I had to leave to meet some old schoolmates for lunch. Then it was farewell to Singapore.

I hope that the next time I come, I will be able to visit the night safari and do some shopping!

Worse than a 70-year old

That was what the doctor me when he saw my x-ray. That was totally unexpected as the co. doctors assured me several times that there was nothing wrong with my lungs. It was only post-nasal drip which can be easily cured. If it's so easy, why didn't I get well 6 weeks ago when I first started seeing them? I was prescribed two rounds of antibiotic. The first consisted of minimal amount of steroids. Two tables per day, morning and evening.

The current doctor, Dr. W, was not pleased with what I told him. First of all, it's definitely lung problem. Post-nasal drip will only result on markings on my right lung on the x-ray. The reason is that there is a direct tube from the nose to the right lung whereas the tubes into the left lung are spread out and smaller. But now, he can clearly see markings on both my lungs. Hence, it's not just post-nasal drip.

Second, the x-ray specialist did not clearly identified my problem. If the specialist is truly a specialist, the person would have been able to spot not just the post-nasal drip symptom. Dr. W refused to comment further on the so-called x-ray specialist.

Third, the co. doctor should never have prescribed me with steroids. Apparently, steroids can awaken another kind of lung-problem which lays dormant in most people. My recovery may actually be delayed because of this prescription.

Luckily, it's still curable. The markings in my lungs were caused by impurities in the air. I am not a smoker, so it's not a result of smoking. However, I am rather sensitive to dust. Dr. W thought it's most likely due to the unclean ventilation in the office. I heard the last time they really clean the ventilation was about 4 -5 years ago! I'll probably need an air purifier in office if I want to prevent the problem but it's not really my choice. Now I am prescribed some proper medicines to clean my lung.

My case is definitely not a rarity. Dr. W said he had encountered similar cases in the past. One particular case was a girl who developed persistent cough like mine and suffered from asthmatic attack. Upon questioning, Dr. W discovered that her seat in the office was located very near a huge printing machine. This kind of machine uses powder for printing and the powder is harmful to anyone sitting within 10 feet to the machine. Once the girl managed to convince her management to remove the machine and place it in a separate room, she stopped coughing. But that was also after she was subjected to 6 months of medication.

My seat is not near the printer. Neither is there a photocopying machine. Hence, best guess is the ventilation itself. It will be hard to find a solution to this :(

(News) Boy dies from bilateral bronchopneumonia:
http://www.caribdaily.com/article/128401/boy-dies-from-bilateral-bronchopneumonia/

(Definition) Bilateral bronchopneumonia:
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Bronchopneumonia

(Definition) Nasal Rhinitis:
http://www.nasal.net/allergy/rhinitis.htm

Hope

When the tunnel appears to turn darker with no hope of escaping, ray of light peeks out from little holes on the wall, reigniting the memory of happiness...perhaps it's just a matter of determination and patience. Like Calvin waiting for his beanie, it will come just not sooner but later.

My long-lost handphone chain

Today is a great day for me! Some people may call me weird for my reaction but I don't care. I can be happy over very small thing.

April 2006 - I bought a handphone chain from Tokyo Tower. It was a really pretty chain. Unfortunately, I lost it before I got home. I searched through my luggages when I was in the hotel and again when I arrived home. No success. I thought I had misplaced it in the hotel.

March 2009 (today) - I was looking through an old folder, searching for some information I got from the course 3 years ago. Midway through, my eyes caught sight of a little yellow package, stuck in the middle of my notes. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the content.

Good things often happen unexpectedly.

It...

I can't believe what I saw this morning...

It was around 7.10am. The light at the zebra crossing in Jalan Hang Tuah turned red. A red car was in front of me. A primary school kid was crossing the road. All of a sudden, the red car just sped off. The boy was about a metre away. Had the boy ran across the road, the car would have hit him!

I just don't get it. Did the driver not see the red light? Perhaps "it" was colour blind. Then why did the car stop in the first place? Did the driver not see the little boy? Perhaps the sky was still dark. But that's no excuse to drive off when the light is still red!

3 consecutive nights of cultural activity

11 Feb

Attended a 9-course chinese dinner hosted by ADB in Maju Palace Restaurant, Corus Hotel. Some of the participants were amazed by the huge amount of food being served as they were not accustomed to chinese dinner.

I sat at a table with very good mix of cultures from SEA, South Asia and East Asia. Interestingly, of the 10 people, half is of chinese origin - PRC, Taipei, HK, Malaysia and Vietnam. In addition, we later found out that the fish served, kuai fah fish, was imported from China! That was a really good dinner.

12 Feb

Welcoming dinner at Saloma Bistro, Jalan Ampang. I thought the buffet spread was so-so. However, the highlight was not the food but the multi-cultural dance performances from the various states in Malaysia. Towards the end of the performances, volunteers were seeked from among the audience to join in the bamboo dance. Too bad none of the participants from our delegation took part.

13 Feb

Puteri Gunung Ledang night! We left for Istana Budaya at about 6.30pm and managed to park in a pretty good spot. Dinner was at the cafe. The musical began at 8.30pm. Our seat was on the grand circle next to the VIP rows. I was impressed by the props and the storyline. Much more entertaining than the movie itself. Unfortunately, it was a pain trying to read the subtitles from above. I developed a bad headache at the end of the show.

Loneliness

First attempt driving to Putrajaya on my own, with the help of road signs and by tailing slow-moving vehicles which enables me to read road signs properly.

Not so lucky on the way back. Mom told me to follow Sg Long sign and not to turn into Jalan Reko. Ended up paying an additional RM1 for toll to Semenyih. As I wished not to travel any further, I followed the first sign into Kajang. That brought me into the right highway. Everything was fine till I turned too early when I spotted the sign to Pekan Bt 9. Ended in Hulu Langat. Luckily that was the end of my unfortunate drive today.

During the course, was placed right at the centre and front row! They must have high regard for my institution. Not easy trying to keep awake during the whole time :(

Best time was morning tea break. We were served fried macaroni, roti jala with chicken curry and salad. On top of that, for dessert, there were 5 types of kuih. Some foreign participants thought it's lunch time. I don't blame them.

Tomorrow will be another day...

Time & money for a piece of paper

A little more than two weeks ago, I was back in UK for my graduation. It was not really hard to obtain leave as graduation is a pretty good excuse. It was a pretty good trip except for some minor hiccups.

18 Jan

Arrived in Heathrow late in the afternoon. Was only asked two questions by the officer - Why are we here and where am I graduating from. Caught the tube to Central London. Stopped at Russell Square. Then the "problem" began. I can't really read map! It was supposed to be a short walk to the hotel on Gower Street but I took a slightly longer route. In the end, we asked for direction and managed to get there.

The hotel owner was a really nice man, although he doesn't appear too friendly. Our room was warm and cosy and clean. We rested for awhile before heading out for dinner. My original plan was to take them to chinatown but parents weren't too keen. So, the hotel owner recommended a Thai restaurant, less than 10 minutes away. The food was pretty good although the servings weren't really in proportion to the price.

19 Jan

I woke up at around 3 plus thinking that it's already time as my parents were moving about. It was then I discovered that they had mistaken the time (jetlag!). It was not easy going back to sleep after that. I laid on my bed till 4 plus before I decided to get up to get ready to pick up my sis from Heathrow.

It was a wet morning. My family accompanied me to Russell Square to catch the first tube to Heathrow. We were too early as we found that the station was still closed. As we were deciding on a warmer shelter area, a girl approached the station. Upon enquiry, she, too, was waiting for the first tube to get to Heathrow. We started chatting.

A little bit about my new-found friend. She is a final year phd student from Cornell. She was in London for a seminar and also job interviews. Her research interest is in game theory. We had a good conversation during the whole journey. We parted at the airport, promising to keep in touch.

I rushed to terminal 3, thinking that sis had arrived. I waited and waited, all the time growing more impatient. I was wondering if I might fail to recognise her since we have not met for 1 1/2 years. It was close to 7.30am when I finally saw her. It's hard to describe the feeling of seeing sis again but I know at the moment, I miss her.

Apparently, her delay was caused by the long questioning she had to endure for having bought a one-way ticket. At the Dubai airport, she was warned that people had been sent back to Dubai previously for buying one-way tickets. True enough upon her arrival in Heathrow, the officer would not let her go easily. She was getting worried as the officer kept doubting her words. Luckily, after more questions, the officer did let her go. Phew! I will always remember the danger of one-way ticket from now on.

Our first trip was to Windsor Castle. I wanted to take my family to see the changing of the guard ceremony in Windsor as it was said that we can see the whole thing from inside the castle (paid entrance, of course). I thought the parade is smaller than the one in London but tourists get a more up close view. We explored the castle a bit more before heading out for lunch. Once we decided to eat in the Crooked House Tea Rooms (the building is really crooked like Pisa), the rain started again. It was a truly wet day. We left Windsor soon after that.

At night, we had dinner at Four Seasons in Chinatown.

20 Jan

I sent my family to Warwick Castle while I went to meet a friend. She was to arrive in Heathrow early in the morning. I met her at Primark since both of us were not familiar with London and it was supposed to be a shopping trip for us. Lunch was at a pizzeria. We shopped till close to 7pm before departing. I was to meet another friend at the Liverpool Street Station. We dine at a nice Lebanese restaurant. It was close to 10.30pm when I got back to the hotel. My family were already in bed :P

21 Jan

Finally, a tour around London. I took them to see Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St. James Park, Buckingham Palace and Covent Garden. On the way to Covent Garden, sis and I were stopped by the various shops along the road. In the end, we did not make it to Covent Garden (but the rest did not follow us). Rather, all our precious time were spent on shopping :)

Soon, it was time to catch our bus to Coventry. The hotel owner had kindly allowed us to keep some of our luggages at their place. So, we packed only a day's worth of clothing to take to Coventry. It was pretty late by the time we arrived in Merlyn Guest House.

22 Jan

A rather uneventful day as I spent most of my time in the university. Sis and bro were pretty bored as they didn't have anything else to do but to walk around the uni. It was bad planning on my side. My graduation ceremony was to start at 11am but it was delayed by 10 - 15 minutes. We had to endure song after song, in the extremely cosy temporary hall. Some of my coursemates started sweating. We were seated very close to each other due to the tininest of the seats. The whole session was dedicated to the business school students. They began with short speeches. Finally, it was my turn. 5 seconds, perhaps 10 seconds and it was over...I went back to my seat to wait for the ceremony to end. A girl started walking to the centre of the stage when her name was called. And then, her shoes slipped off! She had to bend down a little to put it back on amidst a laughing crowd. Bravo for turning an uneventful ceremony into a memorable one.

While my family had lunch in Xanana, I head to the business school for the free luncheon. Spoke to some coursemates, ate a bit of food and then I was off to see my supervisor. I had made an appointment to meet him between 2 - 2.30pm. He was running a little late but he did leave a note to me telling me bout it. A student was waiting for him too. It was a really long chat between us...well, he was doing the talking most of the time. He even took me to the staff pantry to make tea for both of us. He kept telling me he has class at 4pm yet we went on till almost 3.45! As I was getting up to leave, he saw my robe and asked for the honour to let him see me in the robe but I declined! It was awhile later before I realise my stupidity. I kept thinking bout returning the robe that I didn't want to put it on again. So when he posed that question, I said no! Effectively, I am now a very rude Asian girl.

I met my family at the pool meadows station. We were supposed to go back to the hotel together to get the luggages but I was held back. So, my family went back first. It was still a long time before the bus will arrive. Knowing that the shops were still open, I took my siblings to shop. Mom and dad just wanted to rest.

Soon, we were back in London.

23 Jan

The whole day was spent touring the Cotswold Villages. A short stop in Woodstock, lunch in Burford, a drive past Stow-in-the-Wold, an hour stop in Bourton-on-the-Water (my favourite Cotswold village) and cream tea in Lechlade. We were back in London by 6pm. There were still time to walk around. I took my family to do their souvenir shopping on Oxford Street. Mom and dad were tired. So, they headed back to hotel first (Mom said she thought it was easy to navigate around the tube but she was sooo wrong. They got lost but then managed to find their way again).

I took my siblings to see Big Ben at night. It was beautiful.

24 Jan

It was our last day in UK. We spent the morning visiting the Borough Market, London bridge and Tower bridge. Then, it was time for more shopping. After awhile, my parents decided they want to go back to the hotel to rest before going to the airport while bro wanna visit the British Museum, leaving sis and I to continue our shopping adventure (despite the numerous mentionings of shopping, we didn't really buy much stuffs).

On our way back to the hotel, we met an old lady who was lost. She started speaking to me in cantonese. She was trying to get to Bourdon Street but she didn't know which station she should go to. I knew she was lost but even I can't tell her as the name was unfamiliar to me. We asked the staffs for assistance. However, she refused to go back to the tube even after we know which tube station she was to stop (mainly because she doesn't understand English). Sis and I were in a dilemma as we couldn't bring her to the destination ourselves as we were supposed to catch the train to the airport in about 45 minutes. Finally, she decided to take the bus as she was more familiar with buses. We tried to keep her company for as long as we could. When we left her, she was walking towards a bus going to Oxford Street. I do hope she is safely back home now.

The trip back home was uneventful which is a good thing. Weather was sufficiently normal for no delays. In addition, the plane landed rather gracefully in KLIA.

Overall, it was a good break. We were back in time for the CNY celebration. Sis stayed till thursday before flying back to Dubai.