I'm getting married in the morning.....

Gotcha! It ain't me but one of my best friends from good ole Penang. She's not much of a traditionalist but it is the event of January 2005! (I would like to say the year but I am kinda wishing for other things to happen as well)

So, Congratulations Zoop and Dave! I can't believe it's happening....I know it's already happened back in October but you know, this is the one we girls get to attend - that's gotta count for something!

On to other news - earthquake and tsunami. Seems Nostradamus 'predicted' it - a natural disaster that at first mere humankind equated with SARS, AIDS.....but now it's actually this biggest-in-40-years earthquake off the coast of Sumatra.

I hear Pak Lah has postponed the New Year celebrations at KLCC. I think Malaysia should celebrate - celebrate that life still abounds, the new year brings new hope and opportunities, babies are being born, loves are being discovered. It's a happy time. A freak tragedy that we should mourn, but also realise that life and its uncertainty should be celebrated and appreciated even more so.

I was in Selangor when it happened. Didn't feel the tremors, didn't even know about it until 6pm Saturday evening. Maybe its harder for me to mourn deeply when it was so far removed from me, my family is safe and I don't really know anybody who was affected - even friends from India were safe.

I am not inhuman though. I still feel the tragic loss - reading the newspapers and seeing the images be it in print or on video - brings tears to my eyes.

But let us also remember the silver lining - Malaysia did not suffer such terrible losses as some other countries, we are still able and willing to offer aid, we have a calm, happy, peaceful nation where people (I don't want to use this phrase) of all races live in harmony. We say it quite often and hear the propaganda but have we ever really digested the phrase and understood it??? Where else in the world do you find this happening so smoothly?

We travel the world and it opens our eyes. Mamak food all around the clock, chinese/malay/indian/portugese/italian/spanish......food abound, beaches, fields, trees, hills, mountains, we're not in the path of any natural catastrophes, shopping all year round, rural and urban lifestyles, technologically advanced....so much to live and be thankful for!

So let's celebrate because otherwise we may continue to take our good fortune for granted!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! May 2005 bring us all our hearts' dearest dreams!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

It's that time of the year again and I haven't even uploaded blogs about my New Zealand holiday with the girls in November 2004! What can I say? It's not easy to get everything done when there is so much to do!



Anyway, New Zealand was a bit of a let-dwon for me. Didn't think it was worth all the effort in planning, all the money spent and all the hoo-ha that people usually attribute to the gorgeous natural pastoral beauty of NZ.

There were definitely parts of the country to die for but I can't say the same for Auckland, Hokitari or whatever.....and so many other provincial little towns. I mean I can see (kinda) the lure of an untouched, quiet little town but to live where there is one main street and everybody knows your business and everybody knows your name......not quite the thing I want to get into. The shops close at 5.30pm, there's nothing to do at night (the night spots close at 10pm) and the food hardly varies.

There ARE a lot more sheep than people, or at least that's what I saw.....you hardly see people out on the streets or even on their farms....one t-shirt I saw says it all
BAA BAA BAA
BAR BAR BAR
That about sums up New Zealand.

But let's concentrate on the inspiring parts of the country eh! South Island was our Promising Land - all our expectations were on that particular island after we traversed the North Island. It was almost fulfilled.

If you are driving, remember to stop for fresh crayfish on the drive between Picton (where the ferry berthes) and Christchurch. You will see the boats and you will see the signs. Milford Sound was gorgeous and beyond description especially if you're one for scenery. The snow-capped mountains always did it for me.

By the way, the North did have the Maori Village which was really cool and had a traditional performance of the Haka and other songs.

I had a whitebait omelette. Whitebait being the biggest catch of NZ - actually looks like ikan bilis with more meat and white. Also had a try of wombat burger which tasted pretty good and NOT like chicken.

Went also for a Glacier Walk at Franz Josef - climbed the FJ Glacier which left me numb from cold, kinda tired, sweaty, dirty and smelly from the poncho they provided. Not at all as cool as I thought it would be! Definitely does not compare with the Kinabalu experience!

The one place I truly enjoyed was Punakaiki with the Dolomite Walk and Pancake Rocks. I loved the sea spewing itself up through the blowholes and waited ages to catch the perfect photograph.

And now it's Christmas already! This year has flown by in the snap of fingers. Let's start the new year with new responsibilities, priorities and good luck; not forgetting love. Never forgetting love!

Ciao and may Buddha bless your lives always!

NEW ZEALAND HERE I COME!!!!!!

It's been one year on the books, 4 months in the planning and now the time has finally come for us 4 girls to go travelling around the beautiful North and South Island of NZ.

14 days of uninterrupted splendour is what we hope for not to mention some exciting fun! I mean what's a holiday without some mischief and good-natured jollying eh? I plan to do things I never planned on, it's time to kick off all those chains and fears because I'm thinking if I don't do it now, when on Earth am I going to do it?

I'm not young anymore, time to take responsibility and ownership for my own enjoyment right?

So, we're just four happy girls going off on a girl's trip, driving, cruising, staying at YHA hostels, flying on our own and trying not to overspend! I don't think we'll be doing much shopping there, Economic Board of NZ, but what the heck, they've already stolen 9k from me!

So, look out for fantastic LOTR pics and grandeur.
I can't wait!

WOW! I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I have written.....Well, I have been extremely busy at work and trying to get hom to Penang as well as liasing with my poor other 3 friends who are planning our New Zealand trip with great aplomb and fantastic coordination and extreme gung-ho-ness (sic). I can't thank them enough! What would I do without them.....I guess NZ would be losing a lot of money with them cos I would definitely not be able to plan with the detail they have......especially with there being only so many hours in one day!

So, NZ in Nov and I can't waittttttttt to get there.....I have to fly there all on my own cos I don't have the number of days off that they have and have to meet up with them in Auckland. It's my fist big vacation in 28 years! - where I am spending my own BIG money and I am so happy I get to go with my closest friends.

I could definitely get used to not planning trips -the others are doing such a great job and I am happy to just be able to sit back for a change and not have to worry about every little detail/catching up with everyone else/rushing and pushing people for decisions.....

Take note people, this trip has been one year in the planning!!!!!!
Shall I go work in the UK next year?
Shall I travel again for work soon? It'll be winter! Yippeeee!

Howdy!

I'm back in Malaysia already and back at work too....since last Wednesday. And guess what! I have to work 9pm to 6am! So don't blame me the next time I turn up looking haggard and old. Hahahahaaa....

Work has been really busy so far and it's also difficult trying to get enough sleep. And forget it when the weekends come! Boom! Your body clock goes all weird and confused. Gee...do I talk like an American now?!

Pictures!

• The Tarantula Train Ride


• Training facility


• Another set of photos from when we went to a FANCY dinner at Antares Restaurant at the Reunion Tower in Dallas. It's actually a ball at the top of a tower which rotates....you would think the Americans didn't have to copy our KL Tower!

So my last post I was drooling over Six Flags Over Texas. Well, let's see what happened.
 
First of all, we were off bright and early (9.15am) on Saturday morning but since we were in need of a few more souvenirs, we decided to detour to the great happy place called the Trader's Village n Grand Prairie. Those of you friends who have been regularly checking up on my activities will recall that we had visited this great happy place before! Well, yeah! And we loved it. That's why we're going back!
 
We had a half hour tops to get the essentials we needed cos we wanted to get into Six Flags early to 'beat the crowds'. Well, you know what.....we arrived at the flea market at 9.45am, not all shops/traders were ready but we managed to finish 10.30am and off we went to the nearby Six Flags (am I mentioning it too much? Don't really know why.....)
 
So anyway, there we were on the road and lo and behold, we get stuck in a traffic jam - a mini one compared to those in Penang and KL. But nonetheless. So, I started trying to be helpful in a Malaysian way - started suggesting that the driver get into a turn left lane (which was empty) to drive all the way to the top of the road so that he could then cut into the right lane which would allow us to drive straight onto the road that leads to the playground of playgounds! Unsurprisingly, he said no and so did his other American co-driver (direction giver)!
 
So, after a longggg queue into the parking lot (Premium Lots sold out!!!!...think they're those closest to the entrance) and a bit of patience, we were off to buy tickets and into the park we went! We established a meeting point at 4pm, this with us arriving at 11am and I kinda looked incredulously at John because all sorts of thoughts were running through my head! The main one being that, "We're never gonna finish this park by 4pm!!! Are you crazy?!!!"
 
Well then, anyway, we split up and the first one Jothee and I queued up for was THE TITAN.
http://www.sixflags.com/parks/overtexas/Rides/titan.html
 
Towering 255 feet above the earth, the muscular steel superstructure features one of the world's mightiest drops at hyper speeds of 85 miles an hour. One hundred feet taller than the legendary Texas Giant, Titan is faster than strikes of Zeus' lightning and features over a mile of twisted steel with huge sweeping spirals. A full three-and-a half minutes of spectacular plunges, a 120-foot long tunnel shrouded in total darkness, a series of camel back hills, huge spiral curves, and high-speed helixes are only some of the things you could look forward too
 
You know they report 1600 rides per hour; which means with the 1.5 hours I was in queue for the ruddy ride (alliteration!), 2400 rides were played out!
 
On to the Roaring Rapids cos Jothee wanted to get wet! (It isn't even on Six Flags list of rides??!) Anyway, it's one of those where you sit on a great big gloat with 9 other people and float along a river where you encouter swells and waterfalls and you get wet! It was fun.
 
Next, was Batman!  http://www.sixflags.com/parks/overtexas/Rides/batman.html
This is Batman's newest crime-fighting device, Batman the Ride opened in 1999. An 'over too quick ride for the 1 hour 15 min wait' thrill which, although quite exciting with dangling feet and 360 degree turns with your feet meeting the sky and sudden twirls, this ride made me wonder if the entire wait was really worth it. It was all of  10 seconds it felt like and after the Titan, it was quite tame.
 
And that was all we had time for! Can you believe it - 3 rides in 5 hours. We stopped for lunch. Got lost for 2 minutes, bought a 3 dollar bottle of Coke and went home. It definitely didn't feel as magical or wondrous as Disneyland. Like I was telling a friend, Disneyland draws you in to this whole new world with its magics and characters and dreams. You feel as if anything could come true here. But Six Flags doesn't aspire for that kind of an experience. It feels like it just wants to show you the rides, let you experience queuing up and then you get on the rides and you should be happy. It made me feel it was very commercial whereas in Disneyland, you didn't mind spending the astronomical amounts of money they wanted from you and you were happy to take your wallet out - cos how on earth could you live without that, or this, or that!
 
Six Flags the Summary - too much expectation, too little time to actually truly find out if they were justified. At this point in time, my feelings are, you should splurge for a Q-Boat (fast-track to the rides) otherwise, it ain't veryveryvery worth it!
 
Oh, by the way, it was blistering....or as some would it, ' Hotter than a Wh*re in Church'. Hehehehe....thought that was fun!
 
Adios!

Texas, Horses and Me: (Only in Texas)
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jrrphotos/album?.tok=phO.faBBDv6osMQ3&.dir=/de5e&.src=ph

Last weekend!
 
Last weekend we went horse-back riding! It was fantastic! Almost. It was very good, except that it would have been Fantastic if I had a runaway horse.....well, maybe not that dramatic, but a little trotting would have been fun. (John would have had his dream come true if I had a runaway horse!)
 
Although R.M., my horse, did try to trot a couple of times and I jerked up and down in the saddle like the amateur that I am.....and for the next two days, had a little trouble crossing my legs. It hurt!!!!!!! 
 
View horseys from link above....
(So, the people in the horsey link are - Brandon the expert horse lead, the Malaysians - Zuraini, Errolyn, Vijay, Nagen and Jothee in that order, John R. our fantastic host and Palaton D. our torturing trainer*.)
 
So, that was for an hour and then we just came on back to the suite.
 
Next weekend will be our last and guess what! Look out Six Flags, here comes Errolyn!!!
 
* He likes making the trainers in this team suffer. He wants us to present material back to him so he can penalise us!!!!! Help!
 

This message goes out specially to D, without whom I would never have been able to cook in my little kitchen at here at the suite! Thanks D - I can do a mean cod and dory fillet now - and I wanted to plant some smackers for you, but the Paste button wouldn't work! But you know......