Hi all, I'm back again after a long hiatus. I apologise for not updating this blog for like a million years as I've been extremely busy with work. Nothing much has been happening in my life except that i'm getting busier and busier with work. I barely have time to meet up with my friends. Sorry dudes, I feel that I've neglected you guys.
I've been travelling again for work. I was in KL in May and I just got back from Bangkok yesterday. I was in Bangkok for 2 weeks and I had a wonderful time as my family and Yush accompanied me on this trip. It's a wonderful change to the usual lonely trips that I had before =) Pictures below.
With the H1N1 flu raging on, it seems that the world that we are all living in is turning into a much dangerous place than it already is. If this is not a wake up call to the world, then I don't know what is. We take things for granted. Nothing ever satisfy us anymore. People has been living behind rose coloured shades... its time we wake up and take off those shades and see the world as it is.
I was in Bangkok when I heard the news. Michael Jackson passing away had such an impact on me that kept thinking about him throughout the days there. Every time I got back to the hotel, I would turn on the BBC news for more information. I grew up with his music and I am truly saddened that he is no more. I am glad that I managed to catch him live in concert when he came down years back at the national stadium. No matter what people say about him, no matter if he ever did those things that was said, to me he will always be my idol. For me, I believe in his innocence. He is the true World Idol, a Legend. He will truly be missed.
The world media is simply incorrigible. Even though he is dead, all that they care about is increasing their sales by bringing up the past again. The guy is dead, leave him to rest in peace for goodness sake. Selfish idiots..
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Hi all! How has it been? I know, I know... I have not updated this blog for ages. Well, let me briefly recap on the things that has been going on in my life. First of all, I just got back from another business trip, this time in Manila, yesterday afternoon. Ever since my last post, I've been to K.L and then this Philippines trip. Both trips were ok. K.L was pretty enjoyable simply because i didn't have walk around for hours just looking for food that i can eat =) haha.. Language was also a breeze and I had fun just going around K.L by myself taking their LRT and train systems.
It was fun in Manila too, if not for the fact that I was down with body rash, swollen eyes and dry face skin on the 3rd day. I went to see the doctor there and the main suspicion is allergy... the only problem is, we couldn't seem to figure out the cause of the allergy.. hmmm... I'm still having the rash by the way and I visited a doctor this morning =) Anyways, the medical system there is very different from ours. Or should i say, our medical system is different from a lot of medical systems around the world. When you visit the doctor in the Philippines for example, you are only there for the consultation. The doctor would then give you a prescription for your medicine which you would have to puirchase from an External Pharmacy. So meaning that if there were no pharmacy nearby, you would have no choice but to go out of the way to get your medicine or live without it. I learnt it the hard way when the medicine prescribed to me had run out of stock in the only pharmacy in that vicinity. Its only then that I realised how efficient our medical system is here. To think I have always taken it for granted.
Other than that, Manila was fine. Language was not a problem as almost everyone speaks English there. And once again, I blended into the crowd. Everyone thought that I was a local. They kept speaking to me in Tagalog and I always get amused by that. It seems that I can go anywhere in southeast asia and blend in easily with the local crowd. haha. I also met up with my dad's friends in Manila who were nice enough to play host to me. They took me out and brought me around. Really great bunch of people! =)
Fellow exhibitors turned friends =)
Robert
Sonny, Lynn and husband (Dad's friends)
Lynn and her husband
A local dessert/ice-cream in the Philippines. Its called "Halo-Halo". Simply Mouth Watering!
Another version of "Halo-Halo"
Jose Rizal, The Philippines National Hero
Rizal and Rizal ;)
Jose Rizal's Monument
Last September, I went for the F1 race with my sis. My dad managed to get free tickets for himself. It included the practice race, qualifying race and also the actual race itself. Well, my dad exchanged the qualifying race ticket with his friend for another practice race ticket so that I could go down with my sister. Even though it was only a practice race, the atmosphere was undoubtedly F1!! haha.. It was brilliant! I felt like a kid again at the race, with all that whizzing sounds of the F1 cars... The roars of the engines was definately louder than what I expected. It sounds and feels so different than watching it on tv. I would definately encourage anyone with the means to just experience it once in their lifetimes... its definately worth it!!
F1!!
Tickets
Crowd at the start of the practice race
The cars were too fast for my outdated camera model
that it simply turns out as flashes =(
That was how close we were to the track!
On a sadder note, My beloved Grandmother passed away on the 13th of October. She was battling with cancer and many other illnesses. I have many fond memories of her, and I will really miss her. I still think of her every now and then, how I used to stay with her and my grandfather when I was still a kid. how I used to be doted on by her. how i used to hug her and kiss her whenever i visited her.... I will always have fond memories of her... She will be missed... Love You Grandma...
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Sorry for not blogging for so damn long! Well, I’m not even sure if there are anybody reading this blog of mine so I don't know who I’m saying sorry to. Heh. I’ve been quite busy with work and of course, travelling overseas for my work trips. In fact I just came back from Jakarta again… I had 2 trips to Jakarta this month... same place, same hotel, same venue… and to top it off, I’m all alone! Wow! How fun can that be! Sorry, just needed to vent out my frustrations abit. =) but other than that, all is fine! Oh ya, i tried all kinds of food during my previous trip in Jakarta. Pictures below =)
crispy tahu with cheese and sambal!!
green bean ice kachang!
roti bakar with cheese, chocolate and banana! that's something you don't see in Singapore!
and surprise surprise.... a Singapore presence! OWL brand!! heh.
this is Hendra, a family friend who has never failed to meet me whenever i visited Jakarta. A truly good man.
My life is pretty ok… nothing much happening… the truth is, I can’t really think of what else to write… my mind is a blank =) all I can say is that I am truly and extremely happy with someone in my life right now… even if all else is helpless and a blur, I feel comforted that i have a true friend and more. =D
Well, have a good week again to whoever is reading my blog! Cheers!
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I’m back again… I’m so glad to be back… seriously… Remember I said that I was supposed to go to KL after my Bangkok trip… well, there was a change of plan so my 2nd trip was changed to Bangkok… again… so I was practically in Bangkok for 2 weeks except for the 1 day interval when I came back to Singapore. Bangkok is ok, the weather is hot juz like Singapore…. The traffic is bad also… If you were to come out during their peak periods, you muz be prepared to add at least 1 extra hour to your travel plans… Come to think about it, all the places that I’ve been to so far has had pretty bad traffic… hmmm… it seems that Singapore is still the best place in terms of our roads’ infrastructure… I guess the COE system also does work to some effect considering that it pushes the prices of cars so freaking high up that most people decide to go without it…. Lesser cars on the roads = better traffic =) haha… anyways, the city is pretty happening…. Big shopping centres are everywhere… its definitely comparable to our Orchard… the only thing that amazes me even now is that there are always night bazaar style of shops everywhere… even around the big shopping centres… sometimes they are even selling the same stuff, but at different prices…. And I get really annoyed at the shop holders who will try every means and ways to squeeze every cent out of you… they bring the prices so high up that sometimes I think its ridiculous… thank god I’m not that stupid… haha…
Hard Rock Cafe Bangkok
Traffic in Bangkok
I met someone in Bangkok whom I used to spend a lot of time with…. We used to eat together, sleep together and even bath together…. He’s none other than my army mate Hakim!! Haha… what were you peeps thinking? Hehe… He was there for a holiday with some of his friends and they were staying at the same hotel as me. It was a pleasant surprise to see him there. Nice seeing you again dude!!
Hakim and Friends
Notice I don’t talk bout work even though my main purpose there is to work… haha… I juz don feel like talking bout it cause work is BORING!! Haha.. I rather talk bout other stuff than work =)
With some of the Fellow Exhibitors
I’ve been really happy these past few months… never been happier in my whole life… there has been this one person who has constantly been on my mind… she always makes me smile, she always makes me laugh… She’s always there for me when I’m down…. She never fails to call me and sms me even when I’m overseas…. Her smses and calls were the only things that kept me "alive" when I was alone in a foreign land…. She’s patient with me and my nonsense… And I’m thankful to her for that…. I know they say that nobody is perfect, and I agree with that statement… but to me, she is almost perfect… I’m truly lucky… thank you for being you =)
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I'm back! it has been a crazy past 2 weeks with all the travelling... it was super tiring... anyways, my trips were pretty ok.. for Ho Chi Minh, the only major problem was the language... I couldn't understand them and they couldn't understand me... so you muz be asking now what in the world i was doing there since we can't understand each other right... haha... well, i was wondering the same way too until the interpreter came... she saved the day for me and my company! haha...
Food was another major problem for me too. Being a muslim, I can only take halal food, or food that i feel safe enough to be halal... walking down the streets there i could see all kinds of food with meat that looks a bit... well... unique would be a nice word.... haha... they do eat dog meat from what i heard... in the end i survived only on bread and maggi. hehe...
The roads in Ho Chi Minh are simply terrible! They probably have the worst traffic in the world... It really takes someone with a strong heart to try crossing their roads... I was initially scared too, but i plucked up my courage and started crossing their roads... it was exhilarating!! to be honest, i almost got knocked down a few times while i was there... i'm not exaggerating here... but it was definately an experience! =)
with the interpreter :)
Jakarta was ok too... I had no problems at all with food over there.. but i think i went there at the wrong time... there were so many demonstrations so the exhibition was pretty quiet... i was bored to death there, and it didn't help that i was all alone this time.... the traffic there is pretty bad too... but definately not as bad as the roads in Ho Chi Minh.. there was a big confusion over my ethnicity over there... they kept thinking that i'm Indonesian... and when i explained to them that i'm a Singapore Malay, they said I'm Malaysian instead... i got pretty fed up trying to explain to them that i'm Singaporean so in the end i juz agreed to those who said that i was Malaysian.... haiz... i know lah, i'm such a charming and handsome guy who can pass off as any race or nationality... there was this portugese lady whom i met at the airport and she asked me if i was portugese... haha... i have malay, chinese and indian blood what! =p hehe....
With some of the other Exhibitors in Jakarta
Anyways, throughout both the trips, there was this 1 person who was always on my mind :)
Well, I'll be leaving again next week for Bangkok. and right after that, it will be KL.... another 2 weeks straight of travelling... Cheers peeps! =)
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Leaving tmr morning for Vietnam for my working trip.... will be back on sat, and i'll be off to jakarta on monday again... damn... there goes my vesak day holiday.... and then i'll be off to 2 more trips next month... anyways, i will miss my family... and also a certain someone... that someone knows who she/he is... You will be greatly and terribly missed!! ;) Love ya all!! cheers peeps! =)
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Watched Harold and Kumar latest movie... freaking hilarious!!! its a bloody crappy movie and everything in it is super random as usual but i enjoyed it. But you seriously muz have a strong heart to watch it... hehe... Anyways, I want to watch Ironman!!! I wonder if i'll get to catch it before i leave... hmmm... cheers!! =)
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