Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan...

Remember the Taiwan trip I spoke about few days ago? We are going to realise it... :)

Out with the 2 travel partners at noon, we went to CTC travel fair when Jane had went to the other 2 - ASA and Dynasty much earlier to check out if there are any favourable packages for us.

Afterwhich we sat down for our lunch meal at Marina Square food court, going into details of our checkouts. From the various itineraries picked up, we tried to get the best among all.
Wow, so difficult to choose.

CTC offers an attractive deal for 8 days - $818, ASA had it @ $1048 and Dynasty does not have the date we need to set off.

After a hour's lunch, Mr Poh drove us out to Chan Brothers located at People's Park Centre so that we check out some other agencies so to get the best.

Chan has a package going for $968 by an unfriendly staff - Gina.
We then proceed to SA tours nearby building going for $1,068 entertained by a probably quiet and shy lady. She basically just quotes the prices and did not even proceed into details with us.

Then, we took a table at the nearest children favourite spot, McDonalds, to continue our discussion.

The initial plan was a 7-day packaged tour. But later we seemed to concentrate on the 8Days instead. Probably have a bit more breathing space in between.

Going through all the itineraries over and over, weighing the sightseeing spots (missed or not to), talk about the routes they taking, prices at any point an important one to be considered.

But thanks god, we have not much of disagreement during the whole discussion. So scared someone will flip the table (just joking). Somehow we came to an agreement to take the ASA 8day Best of Taiwan package. Basically it covers most of the spots that we wanted but just at a more expensive price - $1,148 flying SQ.

Then, we took a turn back to Suntec, where the fair is held. Though decided what we have wanted, the hesitate hung on the staff attending to us. Managed to get a $25 discount each after much persuasion, Jane finally signed for a deposit of $1,500.

Dinner was the break off for the day. We have it at Food Republic at Suntec City Convention Hall. We packed our tummies with different choices, watched a little of the fireworks, talking about the coming trip.... and left the place nearly 11 pm.

Well had been a long day walking, talking, brainstorming but glad we will have a good trip this Oct. On the other hand, time to constraint our pocket money. Ought to meet less, eat less, spend less and save more. Oh! My poor kids! But just once in every N years.

PSLE Oral

Yesterday and today are the P6 pupils taking their PSLE oral for both languages.
Yuva is one of them.

She took English yesterday and Chinese this morning.

Last morning she made the examiner laughed alot and today the teacher was impressed by her speech.

Well hope she will get good results for it although it forms only a small portion of the main paper.

Nice try my dear girl.

Next week are her school prelim papers. The girl is busy now revising her work.
Not to pressure her, I shall leave it to her planning her own study schedule.

Yuva, may you work hard and try to achieve good results...

Model pupil

Yesterday Ajit came home happily with a little card in hand.
He was selected the model pupil of the class.
Not sure why he was selected. The possible guess could be he likes to help his peers.

That brings me back to his younger days probably K2.
Once his teacher called up to check on certain things.
The teacher mentioned he is a very helpful boy in class.
One of the boys in his class had some walking difficulty and Ajit is always there to help him.

Glad he still maintains such good conduct when he goes to primary school.
Hope this kind soul stay with him.

Good work Ajit and keep it up.

Taiwan trip

These few days we were busy discussing about our trip to Taiwan.


It had been 20 years since the last time I visited this Chinese-orientated country.

That was my first country that I travelled to since I started work. Remembered it was Aug 87 that me, a secondary classmate and her sister and took on a 12-day packaged tour to Hong Kong and Taiwan.


We have a wonderful trip and enjoyed it except for the long road journey in Taiwan. As we were round the island in 8 days, it became very exhaustic for the need to carry our luggage to transfer hotel every night. So during the 8 days, we put up in 7 hotels. Vow...


Now it's time to revisit the country and believe there are great changes after 2 decades. An old colleague from Man Taiwan, Jeda Weng, had been asking me to visit her since 2003. Finally this is going to realise soon. She is so excited when I told her so.


We have planned the trip in mid Oct where the 2 kids will be at home due to PSLE marking week. So bad to throw them at home and enjoy myself away. Well, at times need to give our ownself a break before we going bersek.


Tonight will be meeting Joey, our cousin and maybe Jane for further discussion. Jane had no intention to join us in the beginning but just so tempted when we both were talking about it when we meet.


Hope we can work out a good itinerary and proceed to make the necessary plans.


Oh no... already so anxious to go and no heart to concentrate on work.

Sunday...

It is now into the morning of Monday and I am still in front of the pc posting my feelings onto the blog.

Guess lots of people share the same feeling as I do when Sunday comes to an end. It marks the beginning of the week and so is our work.

Probably going to drag our feet to work, hope that today is just Sat and we can enjoy 2 more days!

Wake up flying fish! Get into bed and prepare for another round of struggles in the coming week.
Though I am moving to another role soon but there is no sign of eagerness. Maybe the thought of still working with the same boss anchored my heart down.

Well, hope the switch possibly could be a better one. Just wait for the day to comeby next month or the after.

Short break at Kelong - Day 2

Date: 11th Aug 07

Venue: Hotboys Kelong

Day 2

Woke up at 7.30 in the morning. Most of our members are already up. After a fresh up, the boys carry on with the fishing. Next came the bell for breakfast which is our second last at the kelong. Simple chicken congee for the start of the day. Those who dislike it like Joey can have another choice - buscuits.

After breakfast, with a cup of coffee, we hang around at the platform while Raymond and Ajit still trying on their last catch. Ajit had managed to get another 3 on his record.

Then it's time to do packing up while other some visit the toilets for bathing.

Lunch was served about 12 noon. This fifth meal was a good one. We have a big groupa cooked very saucy way, then sweet and sour fish, fried egg, vegetable, and never the missing item soup.

The boat that is picking us up back to the jetty arrived when we were halfyway our meal.

We hurriedly finished up our lunch and get onboard the boat. That was a bigger boat compared to the one that we arrived with. The boat left the kelong and we have our last glance and waved goodbye. Gradually it went out of our sight. In between, the engine was stopped and we were in the middle of the sea. But restarted after 5 to 10 mins. Next followed a heavy downpour. Around an hour later, we are back to Tanjung Lenman jetty.

The same coach - MAJ 2008 was there to pick us up. Just like the journey when we were heading, the returned trip was another napping one. Arrived at Malaysia customs around 4.00 pm, we pressed ourselves through the crowded queues and had a little hiccup at the Singapore Woodlands customs.

Finally we are on the way back to Hillside View, served with some drinks and titbits by Mr and Mrs Ang. Then we took a 10-mins ride back to our home sweet home driven by Raymond.

On the whole, we have a nice and enjoyable trip. Probably a break off from the heavy work load and stress for the work or school.

Hope we can plan for another different trip elsewhere in future.

Short break to Kelong - Day 1

Date: 10th Aug 07

Time: 7 am

Venue: Hotboys kelong

DAY 1

A group of us, 8 adults with 2 children, set off to the Hotboys Kelong located after Kota Tinggi but before Mersing.

We set off about 7 am from the pick up point - Sebestian's house. Hopped onto a 12-seater coatch, we have no problems for the clearance at both checkpoints. From there, it was a 2 hour sleeping trip to Tanjung Lenman Jetty before the transfer to the boat with other groups heading same destination.

From the info on the website, it was a 25 minutes boat ride and the kelong is situated in the middle of Sibu Sea.

Though a bit rough on the journey, we have fun. The breeze is good, and the sun not too hot. Is just a endless horizon. And finally we reached the kelong around 11.25.

Expected no nice lobby nor nice rooms, we see groups of people whom are there the day before packing to leave.

Changed into causual t-shirts and shorts, we took an orientation round the kelong, the fishing platform just around the kelong, a Karaoke corner with very simple (a bit torn) sofa set and the computerised karaoke set.

Centre of the kelong is a tv for general viewing. There is also about a block of 20 lockers for safe-keeping our important items.

Double-deck bunk beds on 3 sides of the kelong. Sometimes wonder did they actually changed the bedsheets when the former guests leave their beds.

Next our very concern - the toilets. A row of about 7 rooms, each has a barrel for the bathing water, a squatting toilet bowl in th centre. From the hole, you can see fishes swmming underneath in the sea. Oh my god! How to do our business? Just imagine... Outisde all these rooms are barrels and barrels of bathing water which is free flow.

There is left one corner of the kelong for the kitchen where the food is being prepared and the enquires counter to register whatever you need on board.

Around noon time, the bell rings for lunch. We took a whole table as the group makes up the nice number for 1. Our first meal of the 5 that was provided, we have a fish cooked with sauce, steamed prawns, fried chicken and vegetable and a simple ABC soup. Though not as fresh we expected, the food tasted good.

After lunch, our Big Man - Raymond Poh, got into work and started plans for the day. He 'chopped' 2 majong sets and 2 karaoke hours for the night, get a locker for our stuff, get the fishing rods for the main activity.

With the rods, the men including my young boy Ajit, started fishing together with our tweety Joey. The bunch of beauties - me, Jane, Yuvarani, Chris took on a dreaming tour but got shaken up cause our loud speaker caught a big fish. Ajit, being his first time at fishing, caught 6 fishes. Well done boy!

In the initenary, we have an acitivity of island hopping. Tot we might be going for a few islands but actually just one. The boat left around 3 pm and we hopped onto the island about 10 mins later. We walked along a stretched of wooded planks hanging from the simple jetty to the beach.

At the beach, the children enjoyed the sand and water. Some of them were floating along with the waves, there are other groups playing beach volleyball our cousin, Joey, trying to catch flashes of her big face and beautiful sourroundings onto her newly bought camera.

Having spent about 1 and half hours at the beach, we walked back to the jetty and catch the 5 o'clock boat back to kelong and do some cleaning and wash ups.

6 pm Meal # 2 - Dinner

2 steamed fishes, tou-fu, vegetable, fried stongs and of course soup.

After a short rest, we start off our night activity. The kids played the majong their own style. The adults took on the singing corner and start to share our voices with the crowd cos' it an open area. The elderly couple (Raymond's parents) took the lead with their evergreen and favourite songs. I hopped in and out and co-sing a couple of my familiar songs. Back to my bunk corner, I just started my Suduko puzzles or join a short while at the tv viewing.

We have a group of people having BBQ outside the windy platform with the nice food under our nostrils. Another group is celebrating birhtday at another corner of the kelong.

The singing session was extended an extra hour to 11 pm. In between around 10.30 there comes our third meal - simple supper as mentioned. Fried mee and kuay teow with green bean soup feels the cooling night with warmth.

After supper and karaoke, the 1st majong session started with the make up of the elders, Chris, their daughter and our Ms Chan.

The children dispersed from the table and went to do their night catching hoping to se if any fishes hopped onto their fishing hooks.

We - Raymond and his wife Jane (my younger sis), myself and Chu Bee (Sebastian) took over the majong table and started to earn some pocket money.

After 2 rounds - East and South Winds, we put a stop to the game about 2.30 am as Ray is too tired. I am lucky to wrap up the night winning about RM 50.

Sweet dream Jenny...

Why blog?

What is blog?

I only come across about a year or two ago.

Blog is a place you can post anything - your feelings being happy, sad, anger or sorrows.

It can be a place for communication too for your surrounding frens when we cannot meet up often.

I do log in to some blogs and read them eg the 972 DJs, some celebraties etc... I had wanted to start a blog way back but just do not have the time to maintain it. But now maybe I should just keep up the good habit. Probably is a good way to release your stress or pressure.

Ok from now on let's blog it!