590. China & HK

Had to visit a customer in China, so took the opportunity to see a bit of China & HK. Shenzhen was an eye opener. Stayed in Miraton Hotel which was very nice and relatively cheap. The food was really good and the massages equally good. The food and massages alone has made up for all my bad experiences there. Managed to get a new phone & a bluetooth headset. It was remarkably cheap @ RM400.

Miraton Hotel; Phone & Bluetooth headset

My arrival to HK was plagued by hotels being fully booked (becoz it's fashion week) & also my friend's schedule not being confirmed. Good thing roaming around HK wasn't difficult at all thanks to the MTR service (I think Penang would benefit from such infrastructure). After checking with a few hotels, decided to check into Ramada Inn. Nothing to shout about except the price (RM600 a nite, and that only if i stayed 3 nites or more). A bed and a bathroom (which smells) is all I got. A far cry from the "suite" I have in Shenzhen which was a fraction of the cost! After settling in, it's time to decide what to do & where to go. Had to scrap Disneyland & Ocean Park due to time constraints. So decided on Avenue of Stars, Temple Street Market, Victoria Peak, HK Island, Harbour City, Nathan Road and some computer & camera shops in Mongkok area. It was nice to see Ming & Angel after a good 2 years or so. Also found that electronic gadgets isn't as cheap as I was told. Price diff is only about RM50. For that amount, I'd rather get them back home. Probably it's because there's no sales at the moment.

HK - Daytime

HK @ Nite


Bank of China (Taken with my new phone's cam); Apparently I arrived in HK during Fashion Week, nice ;)

I found a 7-Eleven store dat's actually closed @ nite

View of HK Island from Avenue of Stars

Symphony of Lights

Bruce Lee; Clock tower @ Avenue of Stars

During the day @ Avenue of Stars

Going up to Victoria Peak; View from The Peak

While waiting for the tram

The Tram; The Tsing Ma bridge

Waiting for them to unload the baggage of a missing passenger

Leaving HK; the gloves left behind by the inspector of my luggage

This is what happens when you buy an el cheapo watch

The stay in HK was fun, but it's time to pack up and head to the airport. Everything went smoothly & I was a good 2 hrs early. Check in went without a hitch and soon afterwards I am at the shopping arcade. About an hour before my flight, I decide to head to the gate. It seems there's a long que to pass thru airport security. No worries, I still have an hour right? WRONG! by the time they got to me, I had 15mins to get to the departure gate. I can still make it...........but security decided to check my luggage! I explained to her I was a bit late, she looked at my ticket and said don't worry, they'll inform the gate to wait for me. So after checking my bag & sending it through the X-Ray again, she said I'm clear. She then told me to run as the gate is closing. So I had run with my roller bag and all. After reaching the gate, the lady hurried me onto the plane. Phew! In the nick of time. After finding my seat, I heard the captain over the speaker announcing they have to wait for security to remove the baggage of a missing passenger from the plane. He went on to explain how it's a safety precaution and all. I'm thinking to myself, I hope they're not removing my bags! Anyway, my bags were the least of my worries, I'm just glad I got on the plane. I took a glance at my watch to congratulate myself on making the run in such a short time. Then i realised the lining around the choronographs has delaminated! Bloody hell! Did they sell me a counterfeit? I'll give them a piece of my mind when I get back to Penang. The flight back was uneventful. Touchdown Penang! Sigh, back to the kandang.

589. The sun will set for you...............

Another classic! This here is Linkin Park's Shadow of the day.

Shadow of the day
Linkin Park

I close both locks below the window.
I close both blinds and turn away.
Sometimes solutions aren’t so simple.
Sometimes goodbye’s the only way.

And the sun will set for you
the sun will set for you.
And the shadow of the day,
Will embrace the world in grey,
And the sun will set for you...

In cards and flowers on your window,
Your friends all plead for you to stay.
Sometimes beginnings aren’t so simple.
Sometimes goodbye’s the only way.

And the sun will set for you,
the sun will set for you.
And the shadow of the day,
Will embrace the world in gray,
And the sun will set for you..

And the shadow of the day,
Will embrace the world in gray,
And the sun will set for you..

And the shadow after the day,
Will embrace the world in gray,
And the sun will set for you.


Here's another Linkin Park's song but (I really shouldn't say but) covered by Ms Marié Digby. Half Irish and half Japanese......plays guitar, piano, writes songs & sings. Yummy! But it's her rendition of Rihanna's Umbrella dat made it for her!

Another song she did very well is Maroon 5's Makes me wonder. Imagine a girl that beautiful telling you that. Ouch!

588. Family Time

It's family time again after having a hectic schedule (more like staying out really late last nite with the boys!). It's always nice to have some family time and just appreciate their company. I always have to remind myself what's most important in my life.

Took a photo sometime back and called it Nurture, today I had a chance to take another uncannily similiar photograph! I shall dub it Nurture '08!

Nurture '08; Nurture '06


Why r we here? Is there a supreme being? Have aliens visited us? Does it matter?




Hanging out with the boys the nite before :)

587. I can only imagine

Heard this song by Mercy Me some time back, it didn't strike me too much then. But when Yippie told me his grandma passed away a few days back, I kinda recalled this song. Recently had to attend several funerals, makes me wonder.........

I Can Only Imagine
Mercy Me

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine

[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

[Chorus x2]
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

I can only imagine [x4]

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship you
I can only imagine

586. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!

Decided rather last minute to celebrate the countdown in KL. The pilgrimage began early sunday morning. Once we reached KL, it's off to Pavillion, Starhill and The Gardens. I remember vaguely walking for a few hours and learning the intricate details of choosing a handbag. What poses to hold while checking how it'll hang. After an expensive bread from The Loaf (apparently owned by former PM Tun Mahathir), met up with Chuwy at GSC Mid Valley to watch AVP 2.

Hmmmm, to sum up the movie in 1 word, CRAP! The story line is rushed and it's basically just too damn dark. I don't mean the story is dark, i mean the picture was dark. It was basically rather blurred and confusing (I hope it's not becoz of my old age that I can't focus). I came out of the cinema rather dazed. Chuwy shares the same opinion of the movie adding that the extras were killed off almost instantly. And the other quirk is that in the history of Aliens movies, whoever gets speared by an Alien's tail dies! Dat's the rule! However, in this movie, one of the main characters gets speared and survives (not only dat he manages to limp his way (a long way) to a helicopter and even then, after the helicopter crashes, he's still alive!):) So bottomline, I wouldn't recommend it. After supper with Chuwy, it's back to CL's place and the ever smiley Snowy. :D

Starhill; Smiling Snowy

On the 31st nite, after a day @ Ikea meeting up with Chuwy & Family, Giden & Jeremy, we had dinner at BiBiChik in SS2. The place serves nyonya food. Really delicious food actually and there's a man (I think he's the owner) who serenades the crowd with the classics. Nice ambience. Kudos to Chuwy for picking the place.

Subsequently we ajourned to DUMC for their watchnite service. It's my first time @ the DUMC Dreamcenter. It's gotta be the biggest church I've ever stepped into in Malaysia. Everything went smoothly and I was quietly glad that I came here instead of some crowded bar celebrating nothingness. As I always say, the company is more important than the venue. (Also after receiving some reports of how some of my friend's celebration was ruined by the rain and also the massive traffic congestion, I was doubly glad I went to DUMC).

The venue, DUMC Dreamcenter

The company

Spent new year's day @ The Gardens. Surprisingly it wasn't crowded. Guess everyone is still @ home recovering from the hangover. Today, I learned that there's a designer brand from London called Ted Baker. I kinda liked their wallet, so while I was at it, I was told their shirts were very nice too. So decided to do my CNY shopping there & get it over with. Had dinner @ Italiannies and then it's back home to pack for the early flight back to Penang.

The crowd @ The Gardens; The crowd @ Itallianies

Stuff I got from Ted Baker's

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!

____________________

My Random Thots:

Well, another year has come and gone. it's time to reminisce and also set goals. It's been another interesting year for me. As always, There are new places I visited and ppl I've met which adds color to my rather mundane life thru out the year. I've learn more about the ppl around me. Some I've realise to be true friends, while some lost the priviledge. Some places are pleasant, while some leave a bad taste in my mouth. All will be cherished nonetheless.

Well, here's to another year of adventure..........and to those who have taken the journey with me, thank you for being there! My sincere apologies to those I've unintentionally rubbed the wrong way and hopefully this year will be a smoother one. :)

585.Christmas Celebrations (Pre & Post included)

Jo @ Gurney Plaza - 23rd Dec
Jo graced us with her presence just before Christmas and we chilled with Shen, Daniel, Austin & Ann @ Gurney Plaza before starting my last minute present shopping. Closed the evening with dinner @ Gurney Drive and again @ Yataimura with Ann & Yippie after that.

What the???????

While waiting for Yippie to pick us up......

BBQ @ home - 24th Dec
While getting ready to setup the BBQ stuff, had time to play with them dogs. Decided to let Lemon out during the BBQ as some of the guys wanted to play with it (namely Jimmy & Joanne). He was well behaved so let him stay out the rest of the evening. A relatively "quiet" nite with some close friends and relatives. Haven't had a Christmas this cozy in a long time.

Mom & the Dogs

Wanster & Lemon; Joanne & Lemon

Party @ Ed's - 25th Dec
Headed over to Eds on Christmas day for his party. The food was amazing but unfortunately it rained rather heavily later in the evening. The kids had a good time playing with all the other kids there. Managed to catch Isaac dancing on video, but I'll post it after I figure out how to host it here.

Ruyi & Isaac

Party @ Howe's - 27th Dec
Howe toiled the whole day to prepare the Nasi Lemak for us. It was a simple, cozy lil party. The spread was amazing. Venisson, chicken done in various ways, vege, flower crabs, fish @ prawns.

After that, it's off to visit Irene's new boutique @ Bangkok Lane (more info and advertising on that when it's officially opened) and then Mr Pot's for coffee. Mental note: Never get myself in a situation where the girls outnumber me 5 to 1, there are things u'd rather not know. It's like watching a live telecast of Oprah..........without the African American.....errr.....twist (Not to mention how it emasculates me).

Raine attacking the food; Moonlight off Gurney Drive (in search of mud skippers)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!

584. I am Legend

well, not me, the movie. Watched it last week. Wasn't too impressed with it. Thot it had a very slow build up and subsequently a corny ending. The movie however was very visually entertaining, good cinematography. Anyway I guess this movie was probably spoilt by my high expectation of it.

After close to 2 weeks, Ando san left and again, life will be back to the normal pace. That's good news given the nearing holiday "rush".

Sometimes in life you have to wonder what it's all about.......so where are we rushing off to? Que sera sera.

Anyway after sending off Ando San, headed to Gurney Plaza to catch up with old church buddies. After all these years, most are still the same. Some rounder than others. :D

16 THINGS THAT TOOK ME OVER 50 YEARS TO LEARN
by Dave Barry , Nationally Syndicated Columnist

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."

3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

5. You should not confuse your career with your life.

6. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

7. Never lick a steak knife.

8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment

11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.

12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.

13. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to a waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)

14. Your friends love you anyway.

15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

16. Thought for the day: Men are like fine wine. They start out as grapes, and it's up to the women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.
________________________________

My Random Thots:

It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah
I'm holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground

Damn song! Get outta ma head!

583. 3 shortest week this year

Haven't had the time to update my blog for the past 3 weeks. Well, here's the short version of wat's been happening.

Teng Siew's wedding
Known him for a while now, but I guess I didn't really know him. Was a little surprised he sang at the start of the wedding dinner. Thot he was a shy person. Anyway, that was nothing compared to my surprise when halfway thru dinner he and his wife danced on stage (more like performed). When I say dance, I don't mean to slow dance, cheek to cheek. I'm talking from ballroom to hip hop to Bollywood (I kid u not!). I gotta say, I was very amused.

The lovely couple; Dancing away

KL Trip with Yippie
Yippie had to get a few things from KL & we were suppose to take Ando san & Tsuiki san to KL too. I said suppose becoz in the end they didn't come as they had more pressing matters to attend to. Nonetheless we had a good time.

Once we reached KL, told Yippie I wanted to stop by Low Yat plaza, but he claimed that only old uncles go there, he'll bring me to this newer IT place that is loads better than Low Yat plaza. After working thru a maze of buildings and back alleys we arrive at this grand location he's been telling me about. I looked up at the sign & guess what! It's Low Yat plaza! :P Needless to say, he hasn't heard the end of that yet! :D We also managed to show Yippie Velvet. Managed to meet up with Franco and Sang Sang. Haven't seen them in while.

Another funny story, while roaming the shopping complexes around KL plaza, we were approached by a shady looking character. He took a look at both of us and then quietly hand me a name card. Curious, I accepted the card. After reading the card, I realised that maybe I looked like some kinda pervy while Yippie maybe not since the guy didn't give him a card. I was tempted to give Mr Yes a call to tell him dat I'm not a perv, but what was I trying to prove anyway. :P

All in all, it was a very productive trip.

@ Velvet

The name card I received from Mr Shady a.k.a Mr Yes; Things I got from KL

The pre Christmas gift exchange and birthday celebration for Dec babies
Wee & Raine hosted a bbq/potluck to celebrate Christmas and also birthdays. It was a riot. It seems dat next year, guests are not allowed to bring chocolates as gifts. I may have contributed to that. I think our house hasn't been that loud in a long time. Surprisingly we have yet to receive a "warning" letter from our neighbors.

The host; Ruyi, Isaac & Wee

The Dec babies; The whole gang

My getting-old-day celebrations
Started off with dinner @ Teluk Bahang. They had a fresh shipment of lobsters dat arrived from Bali. So I guess our lobsters was as fresh as they can get. The dinner was awesome.

Next, we adjourned to MOIS, a new club in town. The music was good and the "ambience" is much nicer than Glo or SS. Surprisingly it wasn't as packed as I thot it'd be.

And finally, we headed home to Soho (where else?). There I got wasted. My bros had planned to get me wasted, glad I lasted longer than Seng :D but after the flaming Lamborghini, I've had enuf.

The tally; some white wine, red wine, blue label, maker's mark, martell, barcardi apple, tequila & finally the flaming lamborghini!

The fresh lobsters (note the Indonesian newspapers); Me & my cheesy oyster cake

Maker's Mark, Blue Label & The Flaming Lamborghini

Wee, Me & Seng

The passing of Wanster's dad
It seems that niceness and life expectancy have a inverse relationship. My deepest condolences to Aunt Fong May, Pui Lai and Wan Yean. May God be with you and comfort you.

It's too late to apologize..........
This song by One Republic has been around for a while. It didn't make it big until Timbaland remixed it. Now it's playing everywhere....including in my head.

Apologize
Timbaland Feat. One Republic

I'm holding on your rope,
Got me ten feet off the ground
And I'm hearing what you say but I just can't make a sound
You tell me that you need me
Then you go and cut me down, but wait
You tell me that you're sorry
Didn't think I'd turn around, and say...

That it's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

I'd take another chance, take a fall
Take a shot for you
And I need you like a heart needs a beat
But it's nothing new - yeah yeah

I loved you with the fire red
Now it's turning blue, and you say...
"Sorry" like the angel heaven let me think was you
But I'm afraid...

It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late whoa.....

It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah
I'm holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground

Random shopping
G2000 was having a sale, so decided to get another shirt. This time, I'm not gonna wear it until CNY 2008. That way, I won't bump into another person wearing the same shirt like what happened when I bought shirts at the Jusco sale........hopefully.