My Wonderful 31st Birthday Present

“Darling, you and I are going to celebrate your birthday this year in Macau and Hong Kong”, my beloved said just few weeks before December came around.

I remember he did the same thing for my last year’s birthday. We went to Kathmandu, Nepal. My mother complained that she missed me on my last birthday and she’s gonna miss me again this time. Oh Ma, it’s time I blow the candles out away from that huge dinning table of yours. She just smiled her sweet smile.

In December 2006, we were off to Macau, the city that never sleeps, they say. Our two close friends joined along for the trip. A-Ma Temple, the oldest temple in Macau, was the first place we visited. There stood the statue of a goddess called Lin Mo and she’s all glowing white and huge! The statue built in 1948 of the Ming Dynasty, was believed to be able to bring good fortune to the fishermen.

A-Ma Temple, Macau

Portugese arrived in Macau back in the 16th century (1513) but left Macau in 1849 for good. I could see most signboards, billboards, flyers and things like that were written in Macanese (Patua) and Portuguese. Surprisingly, when it comes to conversing, not many Macau people could speak Portuguese, let alone English. It took a lot of my effort and energy, not to mention money, to explain accurately and get what I actually wanted especially when they were about foods. By the mere mention of “Can I know where…” or “Excuse me, I’m looking for…” could make them flee away like I was some kind of a desease. There was a time, I had approached a guy who was standing outside a hotel in Macau. As I was about to get closer to him, I held out the map in my hand and asked where I could get a taxi to the airport and he ran away from me before I could even finish my words.

I took a peek at the casino where people threw money like it did not worth anything. Hey, you’re throwing away your fortune, for God’s sake!

But all in all, Macau was a city full of life.

We took a ferry to Hong Kong, another city that never slept. People there walked real fast, that there was a time I almost felt they were practically running. Nahhh, they’re just walking actually. Among the places I visited in Hong Kong were The Maddame Tussaud's Wax Gallery, Victoria Peak, Ladies’ Market, Hong Kong Disneyland and Filipinos’ Market.

What I adored the most was its systematic subway called Mass Transit Railway (MTR). It reached many parts of Kowloon and Hong Kong. The taxis were as efficient as the MTR.

We had a one-night stay at Disneyland Resort which would have cost me a fortune. Check this out, RM1500 a night and no chance of free breakfast. And he’s doing all the paying. He he he…

Hong Kong city viewed from Victoria's Peak

The parade at Hong Kong Disneyland

Fireworks at Hong Kong Disneyland

We went to Shenzhen the next day, as it was one of the hottest spots near Hong Kong, recommended by my very good friend, S. Azwin. At Shenzhen, you entered this one amusement park called Window Of The World. It is also known as 'a replica park' where in here you can see vivid replicas of the world's wonders, historical heritages and famous scenic sites like Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal, The Great Sphinx and more. The entire masterpiece is built at ratios of 1:1, 1:5 or 1:15. Lawak la China ni, habis semua nak imitate. Handbags, shoes, electronic items, sampai bangunan pun ada imitation. Hahaha...

A replica of the Taj Mahal, Window Of The World, Shenzhen

Haaahhh…. the trip was wonderful especially when you did not need to spend a single penny. So what will my next birthday present be? Or rather, where would I be on my next brithday?Hmmm...

The Company's Nostalgia Raya 2006

What: It’s Company’s Open House - ‘Nostalgia Raya 2006′

When: November 10, 2006 (5.00pm)

Where: Palace of The Golden Horses, Serdang, Selangor.

Who: All company’s staff, VIPs, The Keroncong Band.

What: It’s all about eating, drinking, taking photos, listening to ‘keroncong’, meeting friends, talking, talking and talking.

How: Attend the function by wearing classical clothes our moms and dads used to wear during their younger years. Come as the P.Ramlee or Saloma, you might be going home with the ‘Best Dressed’ award. So let’s bring the good old times back.…

My Travel Map - 2006

Up till date, at age of 31, 9 countries covered.

4% of the world explored.

96% more to go.

 

 

Caution! Rats On The Road!

On the September 5, 2006, the streets of Kuala Lumpur were jammed with… no, not cars, but ‘rats’. ‘Rats’ in ties and briefcases. These ‘rats’ were running, no.. not running away from cats, but running for a good cause.

The 7th Kuala Lumpur Rat Race had returned. The Edge and Bursa Malaysia co-organised the Race that would benefit twelve charitable organisations this year. Donations collected from participating local and foreign companies in Malaysia would be channelled towards the beneficiaries involved in various causes.

Bearing the UEM World Berhad official sign, twelve people were assigned to participate in the race. I was one of them. Hee… hee… hee… I was one of the UEM rats! I hated rats and now I had to be one of them.

Malaysia’s Second Finance Minister, Tan Sri Nor Mohamed flagged off the CEO race and the 4.5km main race at Bursa Malaysia’s Exchange Square.

The enthusiasm of the participants was clearly reflected in their upbeat mood.

The cheerleaders, representing their respective companies, were armed with banners, flags, mascots and musical instruments including bagpipes.

At the end of the day, everybody had fun and was happy, be it the winners or the losers. Well, I didn’t make my company proud but so what… at least I completed the run. After all, the run was supposed to be fun, wasn’t it? So why taking it too hard?

Here are some of the photos taken during the race... enjoy!

Nestle

General Electric

UEM Group

Maybank

Tabby (Maybank)

Blue Hyppo (TM Net)

Sazzy Falak & the gang (ASTRO)

A Birthday & A Vacation

It’s vacation time for me, my soulmate and the gang!

On the 1st of September 2006, we went to Cherating, Pahang. As it was an ad-hoc plan, so it was not easy to find a place to stay. After checking out more than 4 hotels and resorts, luck was finally on our side and we managed to secure a room in Holiday Villa.

Holiday Villa, Cherating

  

Our times there were filled with beach volleyball and pool games, fun in the swimming pool, a cosy dinner, a walk by the beach, ‘gulai kawah’ for lunch and a midnight ‘teh tarik’ session at a stall close to where we stayed.

Best part of all, it was my soulmate’s 44th birthday. He was a bit groggy and taken by surprise when I woke him up in the middle of the night and presented him his birthday gift, a pair of Montblanc cufflinks, while the rest of us just looked on. After wishing him ‘Happy Birthday’, everyone went back to sleep. It might not be the coolest way to celebrate a birthday, but I hoped (fingers crossed) that he would remember what just happened when morning came.

Kuala Lumpur Drift

I am quite a speed-queen. After all, that’s what people always told me everytime they got out from my car. Having met with 3 major accidents which had brought me close to death and a countless numbers of minor accidents on the road since I was legally allowed to drive 15 years ago, I think I was a speed-queen after all. A reckless one sometimes. Thank God, so far no one lost his soul and thank God again, I am still breathing. However, the last accident I had was in 2004. Therefore, I presume, for the past 2 years ago, I don’t speed like I used to anymore and I realize I do behave accordingly when I am on the road nowadays. Well, once in a while, I do drive over the speed limit but I have become more careful this time and it doesn’t happen as often as before. What to do, I still have that young blood in me. Just can’t help it.

So if whenever I want to misbehave, I’ll go to Speedway PLUS situated next to the Overhead Bridge Rest Area on ELITE Highway. The circuit is opened to public everyday for go-kart and on every Saturday night, ‘drifters’ (that’s what the call for the drivers who drift) from all around the country will come over to drift. The drifters are grouped into four categories; ‘A’ for the experts, ‘B’ for the intermediates, ‘C’ for the amateurs and ‘D’ for the novices. Looking at them romping at each other on the circuit, I find it so enjoying and amusing. Just like in the Fast and Furious: Drift in Tokyo movie.

I have been taken for drift rides by Ser Meng Hui a.k.a. Ah Fai, Malaysia’s most celebrated drift expert, on his Nissan Cefiro for many times now and every time I am in his car, I get over excited and very nervous at the same time. Sometimes being drifted like that brings fear to my gentle soul. I never thought in a million years that I would be experiencing this.

As a conclusion, I pretty much enjoy it a lot. But then, who doesn’t?

The Company's Audit Committee Luncheon 2006

  

The Audit Committee luncheon took place at the prestigious Bombay Palace of Kuala Lumpur on 25th July 2006. I was seated in between YM. Professor Diraja Ungku Aziz and the Mr. Anuar Marzuki, Company’s Chief Financial Officer and opposite of Mr. Geh Cheng Ooi. Among other VIPs who made it for the luncheon were Datuk K. Ravindran, Puan Nik Airina Nik Jaffar (the company’s Chief Operating Officer) and En. Mohamed Hazlan Mohamed Hussain (the company’s Senior General Manager of Operations Division).    

This was the first Audit Committee luncheon I attended. This was also the first introduction of myself to the Audit Committee members as the one of the first technical internal auditors of the company. I was nervous, that’s for sure! Unexpectedly, these VIPs were so warm and light-hearted. I was expecting some tension or extremely serious conversations during the lunch but these people turned out to be so friendly and bubbly that my anxiety slowly vanished and I was not feeling tense anymore. It was simply cool being around these wonderful people.