Phuket Story

Chapter 1: At the Airport

Was at the airport at 6am.
Check-in Counter Staff: Whose luggage is this?
Fish: Me!
Check-in staff: And you are???

Chapter 2: Signs & Sights

It's amazing how Phuket sprung back to life after the 2004 tsunami. The streets were clean and bustling with activities. No rememberance of the disaster except this sign that could be seen along the streets.


Tsunami Escape Route 

I love the cute "road blocks" on the floor.


Patong tile 

Our hotel was strategically located in the centre of Patong Beach. And the beach is just 2 steps away (literally. coz just need to go down the steps to the beach) from the hotel restaurant.


restaurant view 


Beach 


Sunset @ Beach 

Chapter 3: Rest & Relax

We had our first big feast on Day 1. All these for less than $20 bucks.


Dinner Feast 


After dinner, what's best than to indulge in a 2-hour spa? We treated ourselves to herbal suana, foot massage and full body thai massage.


"Massage Ladies"??? 

Chapter 4: Adventure Rides

Ride 1 - 9km river rafting. We started off with an "easy" 5km, followed by another 4km of more "intermediate" bumps and knocks. We didn't do much actually. Left much of the hard work to our 2 heroes, while we just concentrated on the screaming, laughing and splashing water at each other.


On the river. Smile! This is only the beginning.... 


Yeah! Made it through all 9km! 


Our 2 rafting guides...heros for the day 


Ride 2 - Elephant ride. The elephant we were on was shitting as he walked. And there was a "thundering" fart that came along with the mess. Hee...


Naughty Elephant 

Chapter 5: Just for leisure

The ang mos must be amazed at the 4 asian girls playing mahjong at the hotel restaurant. (that's the only place with square tables what). I graduated with a beginners' certificate in mahjong at the end of the trip. Thanks to 3 outstanding "师傅"


We conquered the hotel room to the restaurant. Instead of lying on the beach with a story book, we were challenging our minds with winning combinations 

Memoirs of Gucci

Hello,

My name is Gucci. Sometime in Dec 05, I was brought to this office with alot of funny people. I've since upgraded from a biscuit container to a 5-star cage (pink!). The funny people took a long time to figure out that I'm a male. Well, I was too lazy to do anything to proof my gender earlier.

My favourite food is melon seeds (peeled!). One of them bought this packet of hamster biscuits for me. Yucks! I hate that. Tasted like paper. But I love the bread, muffins, vegetables, rice, st mich's biscuit, macademia nuts etc that they feed me. I will always act cute and hungry when someone approaches my cage. They will always melt when they see my doe-like eyes beckoning to them for food. And I love it when they work late and order dinner in. I'll never fail to get morsels of bread and pizza.

But it's hard to get any decent rest during weekdays. Especially since I'm just next to the printer. I'm a prized possession mind you. I've entertained numerous kids who happened to be around.

Here's the people whom I live with. Funny creatures they may be, but I do love them.

Gloria - She just went to have her baby - Third one. She talks loud. But she is the funny one. I like listening to her jokes and stories.

Charmaine - She always complains that I smell (of course I smell. I have a nose u know). She's the only one who has not touched me. She stays late everyday. So she is my good companion in the lonely nights.

Hweeyan - She's sitted just opposite me. She likes looking at me because she says I remind her of her daughter. So adorable and active. I love her..St Mich's biscuits.

Julie - She's the most concerned about me. She never fails to make sure I'm OK when she comes back to work on weekends. She was the one who rescued me when I went on my escapade few months back and nearly couldn't find my way home. She eats everything and non-stop. I get a large proportion of feeds from her.

Eileen - She will give me my daily massage everyday. She shares her breakfast with me and protects me from the anyone who overly shows their affection (or dislike) for me. I know she has 2 other hamsters at home. But from the way she described their sizes, I will not want to go near them.

Siew Chin - She shares her breakfast with me too. And she remembers to give me my melon seeds for lunch almost everyday. I enjoy "scaring" her when I pretend to jump at her when she feeds me. She is a bubbly and happy person. Makes me happy just hearing her voice.

Adeline - She was the one who brought me here. She has learnt how to handle me with gentle care without throwing me around. I like it when she calls me "Baby". She will always say goodbye to me before she leaves office.

Danny - He was supposed to be my Daddy (i was his christmas gift). But he seemed so far away now. But I know he still loves me. Guys...can't count on them for food and housework. It's OK. Maybe he's just jealous of all the attention I'm getting from the ladies.

If any of the people listed above is reading this, I appeal to you: Stop putting me in that horrid fish tank and try to bath me! I don't mind the strawberry scented spray bath though. Hee...

2nd B-dae gift

Thanks...Fish, MF and KK.
I love the shoes.

MF & KK - since u did not go shopping with Fish and me for the shoes, here's the pair. I'll wear them on most days in OZ coz it'll be winter from June to Sep..and these will keep my toelies warm. Hee...


Aldo 

Fancy...Meeting in Toilet

Of all places, I have to bump into my sec. school mate in the public toilet..at TPY interchange. I've been wanting to meet up with her before I fly..so it was a nice surprise!

Had dinner with her over delicious char kway tiao and famous wamphoa market chickie wings..feels so good to kill another carving before I fly. Hee...looking forward to my crab feast next.

Had a small scare as we were walking home..some men pounced on someone and pinned him on the ground. All so sudden. A lady walked towards us and told us not panic, police doing work. We din linger too long to find out who they caught though..

Realised we had 1 thing in common as married women - we went to the provision shop after dinner. And each of us lugged home 2 bags of grocery. We laughed at the sight of ourselves carrying the "Big Red Plastic Bags". Heee..

Kitty Drama

HY, JC, SC and me were about to cross the road back to office after lunch when we saw a black cat causing quite a commotion at the junction. It was pacing around the traffic light and making lots of noise.

It took us a while to realise that it was searching for it's kittens. And there were 4 tiny ones lingering by the underpass about 50 metres away. But the mummy cat was too far to see or hear them. Me and HY tried to coax the mummy cat to her kittens. So funny..we made "meow-meow" sounds infront of all the bystanders and finally "lured" the mummy cat to her babies.

But that's not the end of the drama. The mummy cat obviously is a first time mum and there were 2 little rascals that kept straying dangerously close to the road. Mummy cat gave up chasing after them and left them alone. By now, a big group of kay-pos had gathered.

HY's maternal instincts became flooded and went to a nearby shop to ask for a box. We tried putting the kittens into the box so that they won't be lost. But it just couldn't keep the inquisitive ones in. They were rambling about and chasing girls (imagine that!) the moment they managed to climb out of the box. HY even went and bought a packet of milk to feed the kittens. Haha.

The drama continued for another 10 mins before a kind man (he's quite good looking!) called the SPCA and offered to look after the family while the SPCA made their way there. Hooray for the cat hero!

Ever Wished?...

Woke up with a headache at nearly 11.
Missed service. Thanks to my last-mimute insomnia this morning. Yah, only hit the sheets at nearly 5am. It didn't even register that my alarm went off at all.

So nuahed in bed till 2pm and had half a bowl of instant noodles. Too lazy and groggy to whip up any feast just to fill the stomach.

Watched the "Dr Dolittle 3" DVD. The girl in the movie - she had the same ability as her Dad - speaking to animals. She started off wishing that she was just normal and did not have this "gift". She considered herself as a freak, tried to blend in with the crowd and the story goes. As in all other disney stories, she met this hunk at a ranch who accepted her as she was and she embraced her "true" self.

Funny isn't it? We all have talents that we are afraid of acknowledging. Maybe we are in doubt. Not sure if that "gift" is up to people's expectations. So we wait. Wait till 1 fine day, this little gift gets discovered by somebody(ies) and that somebody(ies) affirm that you have that "gift". What if that day never comes?

Why are we always trying to be "normal"? We wear different clothes, come from different backgrounds, speak different languages, but we all want to be accepted. The world has fitted social norms on us - dictating on how we should behave, how we should lead our lives, how we should walk, talk and dress. What happens if everyone decides to break these social norms and just do whatever he or she wants? Will the whole world be in chaos? Do social norms exist to regulate balance in this world?

Well, I think while there are social norms to maintain sanity, we should not try to just fit in. Accept who we are truly and adjust the social norms to fit our personality, not the other way round. Love meself!

I used to have this childhood fantasy - I wished that I'm a fairy. Not the walt disney type, but the chinese type. With the long sleeves (courtesy of my Dad's pants) and wacky hairdos. How wonderful if I have the ability to grant everyone their wishes! How's that for a cool "gift"? Hee...so funny.

How I've Grown!

Just received my first b-dae gift. Dear said he will be busy for the coming weeks to prepare for exams, so give me my b-dae pressie first. Haha. Now he has set the standard. Every year he must make me a video.

9 years ago, there's only a word document saved in diskette. Now, it's a WMA file sent via skype. How times flies..changes so many things, even simple things like how we communicate.

The photos in the video prompted me to flip through my photo albums (Yes, it's 2.12am and I'm wide awake). So many memories...

JC times, my wonderful Geography class, the PS team.

The CCY camp, where I met some of my closest friends now, and of coz, dear dear.

NTU times (not the academic side), the fun hostel life (esp with in my first year), the crazy things we do in WSC. The all-through-the-night supper rampage on rented lorry..through Geylang where we were nearly chased by the pimps for peeping into their "businesses", the Changi nasi lemak, the "mount faber investigations", the orientation camps, the 10pm to 5am meetings, the award presentation at Istana, the night cycling...

The Korea exchange trip, the mission trips to Lijiang, Phillippines and Ruicheng.

COOS, my little froggies and the "dinosaur" cell group...

When I was little, I used to ask why everyone around me seemed to have "better" lives. They have a complete family, no financial worries, get to go overseas trips during school holidays, have boyfriends...I wanted to fall in love too, I wanted to experience the world too..all at once. But God, in His sovereignty, has His timing.

And, I just had to wait. He has given me lots of opportunities - to travel, to lead teams, to share my life with people and to experience so many things that if I flip through those photo albums in future, I will have stories to tell my children, my grandchildren. And the best thing that happened? A loving husband to share the rest of my life with.

It's not an easy wait. But it's worth every bit of the time. God has better things planned for me, and I trust in His plans, especially with the new phase in OZ that's coming soon.

Missing my 婆婆

Was on bus along Geylang Bahru today.
Went passed my grandparents' hse. Both of them have passed on. Now only my uncles live there.

I remembered the times when my 婆婆 was still around. Especially during the times when I was young. Being the eldest grandchild at that time, 婆婆 doted on me. I get all the new toys and all the attention. Even when my cousins came along, I felt close to my 婆婆. She would only bring me for her Sunday marketing. We would sit in a trishaw to the market, do the marketing, and sit down for breakfast with her friends. When the MRT first started, she brought me for a train ride because I've not been on the MRT. We took the train from Lavendar to Bedok, just to buy 油条.

婆婆 is not someone who will hug and show affection. Instead, she is the "woman of the household". My 阿公 is the relatively more quiet one. He drives his trusty old yellow-top cab for most of the day and left many household decisions to her. Thus, 婆婆 runs her own cooked food stall and helped bring in the dough for the family. But, 婆婆 is seldom harsh on us, the grandchildren.

婆婆 dotes on us in the best way. Her cooking. We used to joke that we should never comment that a dish is good. OR we will see it on the dinner table until she finds another dish that we liked.

I love the CNY reunion dinners that 婆婆 cooked. I can almost remember all the dishes she would faithfully cook every year. No specialities. Just simple home-cooked food, but to me, it will always be the most delicious meal of the year - the special NY noodles, the special "many treasures" soup. I can even picture the type of plates she would use for each dish.

I thank God that I was with her during her last days. I was at the hospital with her when she had her stroke. As she laid there helpless when the docs tried to put a feeding tube through her nose, I could only hold her hands. When she was well enough to go home, I used to help in her feeding. Holding the tube full of milk and watching 婆婆 "drink" it through her nose, I just felt so sad. I had the chance to bath her once and for the first time after her stroke, she laughed. But it was the last time I would hear her laugh.

I know 婆婆 is in heaven and in God's good hands. I will see her again, but till then, guess God just wants to remind me again to never take my loved ones for granted.

Maternal Instincts

Oh my God...

I have this strong urge to have many kids. I spent the last 12 hours at the polling station watching the Dads and Mums come to cast their votes along with their kids....forming a happy family picture.

The little ones are just so adorable!

How does Jana Ong sound like for a start? Means "God's Precious Gift". Or Caelyn - "Loved Forever". And yes, I want a daughter as 老大.

National Service

Will be playing my part to serve the nation tomolo. To control crowd and answer enquries. Pray that everything will go smoothly and we don't encounter nasty voters. We had lotsa fun setting up the polling station today. Mostly entertained by our Ah Taos.

But haven't decided who to vote for. Maybe throwing a coin at the void deck tomolo might help. Makes no difference in my area anyway.

Best thing about this election? That the wonderful series of the "Persistently Non-Political Podcast" was birthed by Mr Brown and Mr Miyagi. Bah Chor Mee man 万岁!

Clique

Was reading Pris' blog about cliques - the ushering team.

Don't make me jealous. I'm missing you all badly!

And to Pris and Grace - and all the horlicks and milk(maid)and whoever is in the clique. Treasure this time and treasure the friendship amongst you. As you grow older (aghast) like mua, your cliques will become almost non-existent through the years. Takes alot of effort just to meet for dinner, especially everyone's busy with work. Thank your god-given stars if you can meet your cliques for XXX wedding, XXX baby's first month, XXXX farewell, XXXX's birthday celebration.

My cliques? Sad. No known cliques now.

In office, I'm known as 小瓜. Don't ask me why (since I live with these ultra thin pple who don't seem to be able to put on an ounce of fat on their bodies, and I'm not exactly the youngest) You might say I'm crazy, but at the moment, I treasure every moment in office now (not the reason why I OT everyday). Because I think I will cry when no one calls me 小瓜 in 6 weeks time.