I have to admit, my fears about Dad being a difficult patient have turned out to be completely unfounded. He does not have much of an appetite - mainly because he says everything just tastes bitter and awful, probably a result of the medications he has to take - but he does his best to eat whatever healthy stuff my Mum puts in front of him (however awful it tastes). He can't eat much at any one time, but he eats and drinks small amounts frequently. Juice, cornflakes, quaker oats, rice porridge, tea, rice, veg, chicken, pizza(! Last night at sis house), toast, egg white omelette, etc, etc, etc. Even one nasty concoction that my Mum makes which looks and tastes like, and has the consistency of, thick sand mixed in water - but which is, apparently "very good for you" - he will take with no complaint!
He is healing well, but because he can only eat a little bit at a time, he does not have a whole lot of energy. He walks around the house inside and outside, and he will walk to my Sis house, and that is about the extent of his exercise. He has physio coming up on Monday 10th Dec, and when he said he is thinking of NOT going, both Sis and I, almost literally, jumped down his throat and told him he does NOT HAVE that option - he IS going!
Husband drove up from SG to KL on Friday evening to spend the weekend here in KL. I've been in KL since pretty much beginning of November, and will be heading back to SG with Husband tomorrow (Monday). Back to KL again only on 21st Dec, since we are both taking time off during the whole Xmas week. While we are in SG I have to remind Husband to make his usual Xmas cake - RICH fruit cake with a ton of brandy, marzipan and royal icing! PHEW, talk about RICH, RICH, RICH.
I am happy to say that THIS time round I have actually completed all my Xmas shopping well ahead of Xmas, and all the pressies have been wrapped already. Just waiting to go under the tree. The tree has also been decorated, mostly by Sis 2 sons. I wouldn't say a whole lot of aesthetics went into the decoration, but it was definitely decorated with a lot of enthusiasm! Colourful and bright and crowded with baubles sums it up pretty well!
That's it for now. Hope the run up to Hari Raya Haji and Xmas is a whole lot of fun for everyone. Till next time... have a great life.
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Dad's Home
Yep, Dad got discharged from IJN today. Sis picked him and Mum up at around 2.30pm, and he was home soon after 3.00pm. He is NOT an easy patient, and he is going to be trying my Mum's patience to the limit. God willing, he will recover quickly so he can get out of 'patient' mode and just get back to normality.
Not going to add much to this, except to say that all your continuing prayers are still highly appreciated. A heartfelt thank you to all.
Not going to add much to this, except to say that all your continuing prayers are still highly appreciated. A heartfelt thank you to all.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Dad getting better by the day
Dad was moved from ICU to HDU on Friday noon, and then from HDU to the general ward on Saturday noon. He was taken off all intravenous medication by Saturday and by today (Sunday) he was much improved - more like his old self, not confused and zoned out any more. His wounds - the leg wound where they extracted the vein (running from mid-thigh to ankle) and the chest wound (where they did the actual bypass) have healed beautifully. Almost a work of art!
The surgeon (a good friend of my brother's) has said that Dad should be out and able to go home by Wednesday... which is GREAT news!!!
In the meantime, anyone wanting to visit, the visiting hours at IJN are:
- 12.30pm to 2.00pm
- 4.30pm to 8.00pm
He is in the Bunga Raya Ward, 5th floor, Bed 12A. Just try not to tire him out too much, as he IS still recovering from what is, really, a very major operation!
Mum stayed the night at the hospital last night, and again tonight. I will pick her up in the morning and take her home so she can shower and have a rest before going back to the hospital again. For all my Dad grumbles about my Mum being over-protective and 'nagging' him to eat and drink, he is quite lost without her!
Thank you all, for your prayers and your good wishes. It means the world to all of us.
The surgeon (a good friend of my brother's) has said that Dad should be out and able to go home by Wednesday... which is GREAT news!!!
In the meantime, anyone wanting to visit, the visiting hours at IJN are:
- 12.30pm to 2.00pm
- 4.30pm to 8.00pm
He is in the Bunga Raya Ward, 5th floor, Bed 12A. Just try not to tire him out too much, as he IS still recovering from what is, really, a very major operation!
Mum stayed the night at the hospital last night, and again tonight. I will pick her up in the morning and take her home so she can shower and have a rest before going back to the hospital again. For all my Dad grumbles about my Mum being over-protective and 'nagging' him to eat and drink, he is quite lost without her!
Thank you all, for your prayers and your good wishes. It means the world to all of us.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Dad's Bypass
Well, it's done. The bypass started at approx 1pm on Monday 19th Nov, and finished 4 hours later at 5pm. He was still knocked out when we went in to see him, but it was a relief to know that everything went reasonably smoothly.
Mum and I have been at the hospital every day since then, during visiting hours - which are very limited for ICU... from 12.30pm to 1.30pm and from 6pm to 8pm, and only two people at a time. Dad has been slowly and steadily improving, but is not an easy patient. He is somewhat doped with all the meds, and he is not used to being, literally, 'confined' for so long. He said today it was a bit like being in a prison. They put the respirator mask on him, and he pulls it off, he tugs off all the monitoring pads, can't keep his right arm (which is full of tubes for the meds) still, keeps fidgeting and moving, and it is very very difficult to get him to eat anything. He is also very itchy, as his body hair, which was shaved before the op, is growing back again! We've been trying to keep him cheerful, with stories of what my sis and her husband and their two boys are going through in India, and sometimes that helps, but because of the meds he finds it hard to concentrate. (Sis and family are in India, attending TJ's nieces wedding. This was planned long before the op, and Dad convinced her to go ahead with the trip, so she went. We've been sms'ing almost constantly, keeping each other updated with what is happening here and there, which is why I am able to keep Dad updated too).
Family and friends have been wonderful - the prayers, I am very sure, have played a large part in the relative smoothness of the overall op and the subsequent recovery. Brother taking time off from his clinic to drive up from Malacca on the day of the op and waiting patiently till it was all over and he could see Dad before he drove back home again. Husband, who was supposed to be in SG, coming back to KL with me on Sunday so that he could be there for the op and just be sure that Dad was OK before he headed back. And Suja was wonderful - being there with us on the first and second days, and taking the time and trouble to send Husband to the LRT on the first day, after the op, so that he could get to the airport in time to catch his flight back to SG. Many other visitors, who have also come and kept my Mum company in between visiting hours at the hospital. And so many who kept sending messages of prayer and good wishes. Thank you to ALL of you!
Tomorrow, if all goes well, Dad will be moved out of ICU to the High Dependency Unit (HDU), where he can, hopefully, start walking around and moving around and (best of all from his perspective) go and have a PRIVATE PEE!!! By next week, he should be in the General Ward. Have told him many many times that he HAS to get well and get into the General Ward, as my sis, and all Dad's 5 grandchildren, are waiting to be able to CALL HIM!
Please keep the prayers going, and thank you for them. They have made a world of difference.
Mum and I have been at the hospital every day since then, during visiting hours - which are very limited for ICU... from 12.30pm to 1.30pm and from 6pm to 8pm, and only two people at a time. Dad has been slowly and steadily improving, but is not an easy patient. He is somewhat doped with all the meds, and he is not used to being, literally, 'confined' for so long. He said today it was a bit like being in a prison. They put the respirator mask on him, and he pulls it off, he tugs off all the monitoring pads, can't keep his right arm (which is full of tubes for the meds) still, keeps fidgeting and moving, and it is very very difficult to get him to eat anything. He is also very itchy, as his body hair, which was shaved before the op, is growing back again! We've been trying to keep him cheerful, with stories of what my sis and her husband and their two boys are going through in India, and sometimes that helps, but because of the meds he finds it hard to concentrate. (Sis and family are in India, attending TJ's nieces wedding. This was planned long before the op, and Dad convinced her to go ahead with the trip, so she went. We've been sms'ing almost constantly, keeping each other updated with what is happening here and there, which is why I am able to keep Dad updated too).
Family and friends have been wonderful - the prayers, I am very sure, have played a large part in the relative smoothness of the overall op and the subsequent recovery. Brother taking time off from his clinic to drive up from Malacca on the day of the op and waiting patiently till it was all over and he could see Dad before he drove back home again. Husband, who was supposed to be in SG, coming back to KL with me on Sunday so that he could be there for the op and just be sure that Dad was OK before he headed back. And Suja was wonderful - being there with us on the first and second days, and taking the time and trouble to send Husband to the LRT on the first day, after the op, so that he could get to the airport in time to catch his flight back to SG. Many other visitors, who have also come and kept my Mum company in between visiting hours at the hospital. And so many who kept sending messages of prayer and good wishes. Thank you to ALL of you!
Tomorrow, if all goes well, Dad will be moved out of ICU to the High Dependency Unit (HDU), where he can, hopefully, start walking around and moving around and (best of all from his perspective) go and have a PRIVATE PEE!!! By next week, he should be in the General Ward. Have told him many many times that he HAS to get well and get into the General Ward, as my sis, and all Dad's 5 grandchildren, are waiting to be able to CALL HIM!
Please keep the prayers going, and thank you for them. They have made a world of difference.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Of holidays, and operations!
Well, this time I have to say that a lot has happened!
J&A arrived on 7th Nov, landing in Changi Airport at 6.30am. Picked them up, headed back to our apartment, then Husband headed off to the office, while J&A freshened themselves up... and then I dragged them out to Orchard Road area and we walked all the way up and down... I mean, you cant leave SG and say that you've never been to Orchard Road, right? Took them back home after that and they slept their way through to the evening, and dinner was a quiet evening at home eating the yummy chilli con carne that Husband had cooked the day before. Thursday was a public holiday (Deepavali), so I took Husband, J & A, for the DUCK TOUR!!! It's something I've been wanting to do for ages and ages, but Husband has always refused... and having J&A with us was the perfect excuse to go on the Duck Tour. It was interesting, sort of, and we did get to see a slightly different perspective of SG from the water! After the tour we went to Raffles Hotel, as J had a specific request from a friend to take a pic of the hotel for him. Then we wandered around for a while, and then went to meet up with some friends for dinner and drinks and Robertson Quay.
Friday Husband had to work in the morning, but was home by 1pm, and we packed up the car and headed to KL. Stopped halfway to have a drink, and introduced them to teh tarik, which J has now acquired a taste for. He is now wondering how to get teh tarik once they are back home in the UK! We also went to our favourite watering hole, Decanter, at D'sara Heights for dinner and drinks that evening. Thoroughly enjoyable!
Saturday was spent going around the KLCC environs, and then to Mont' Kiara to meet up with our contractor for something, and then to Basque Restaurant for dinner. Man, I got to say, the whole holiday ended up as one huge eating session! Sunday was grocery shopping in the morning, to get stuff for our family bbq in the evening, and we took the chance to wander around Bangsar Shopping Centre for a while... the rest of the day was peaceful at home, followed by bbq. Very nice food - nice cake done by another friend (THANKS MIN!!!), delicious salad made by sis, apple pie done by bro and his family, and bbq done by Husband. Wonderful!
From Monday to Thursday we were in Penang. Drove there (first time driving to Penang for us), stayed at the Golden Sands (very nice!), and took the time to do lots of touristy things - lounged by the pool in the morning, went wandering around town from Komtar to E&O Hotel, went to Kek Lok Si, took the Funicular Train up to Penang Hill, wandered down the Batu Ferringhi stretch of street bazaar, and, of course, ATE A LOT! Drove back to KL on Thursday, had a quiet evening, and then drove back to SG on Friday. Got back around 2pm, did the essential stuff, like laundry :-D, and then A and I met up with another friend, to do some shopping, then met up with our various 3 husbands at Boat Quay for a crab dinner. Phew, talk about EATING TOO MUCH! It was a great evening though.. and thanks to B & C for coming up with the dinner plan.
Today is J&A's last day in SG. We will probably go for a final eating session at our favourite hi-tea place (Shangri-La Hotel, Rose Veranda), and then let them get on with their packing. Have to take them to the airport by around 9.30pm. Will be sad to see them go, but they have enjoyed themselves so much they want to come back again, sooner rather than later!
Well, I can just hear you saying "that was the HOLIDAYS part... what about the 'operations'?"
My Dad is confirmed to be going for a bypass operation, at IJN (National Heart Institute) on Monday 19th November. So, fingers crossed, prayers going, that the op goes smoothly and that he recovers fast. I will be in KL at least till my sister comes back from her India trip (gone to attend TJ's nieces wedding, and it was not possible for her to get out of that commitment!). Either one of us needs to be around in case my Dad needs to go anywhere once he is out of the hospital... as he wont be able to drive himself for a while at least. The op is being done by a very good friend of my brother's (it does help to have so many doctors in the family!!), so we know he is in good hands.... but all your prayers, for the op to go smoothly, and for my Dad to recover fast, will be highly appreciated!
Till next time....
J&A arrived on 7th Nov, landing in Changi Airport at 6.30am. Picked them up, headed back to our apartment, then Husband headed off to the office, while J&A freshened themselves up... and then I dragged them out to Orchard Road area and we walked all the way up and down... I mean, you cant leave SG and say that you've never been to Orchard Road, right? Took them back home after that and they slept their way through to the evening, and dinner was a quiet evening at home eating the yummy chilli con carne that Husband had cooked the day before. Thursday was a public holiday (Deepavali), so I took Husband, J & A, for the DUCK TOUR!!! It's something I've been wanting to do for ages and ages, but Husband has always refused... and having J&A with us was the perfect excuse to go on the Duck Tour. It was interesting, sort of, and we did get to see a slightly different perspective of SG from the water! After the tour we went to Raffles Hotel, as J had a specific request from a friend to take a pic of the hotel for him. Then we wandered around for a while, and then went to meet up with some friends for dinner and drinks and Robertson Quay.
Friday Husband had to work in the morning, but was home by 1pm, and we packed up the car and headed to KL. Stopped halfway to have a drink, and introduced them to teh tarik, which J has now acquired a taste for. He is now wondering how to get teh tarik once they are back home in the UK! We also went to our favourite watering hole, Decanter, at D'sara Heights for dinner and drinks that evening. Thoroughly enjoyable!
Saturday was spent going around the KLCC environs, and then to Mont' Kiara to meet up with our contractor for something, and then to Basque Restaurant for dinner. Man, I got to say, the whole holiday ended up as one huge eating session! Sunday was grocery shopping in the morning, to get stuff for our family bbq in the evening, and we took the chance to wander around Bangsar Shopping Centre for a while... the rest of the day was peaceful at home, followed by bbq. Very nice food - nice cake done by another friend (THANKS MIN!!!), delicious salad made by sis, apple pie done by bro and his family, and bbq done by Husband. Wonderful!
From Monday to Thursday we were in Penang. Drove there (first time driving to Penang for us), stayed at the Golden Sands (very nice!), and took the time to do lots of touristy things - lounged by the pool in the morning, went wandering around town from Komtar to E&O Hotel, went to Kek Lok Si, took the Funicular Train up to Penang Hill, wandered down the Batu Ferringhi stretch of street bazaar, and, of course, ATE A LOT! Drove back to KL on Thursday, had a quiet evening, and then drove back to SG on Friday. Got back around 2pm, did the essential stuff, like laundry :-D, and then A and I met up with another friend, to do some shopping, then met up with our various 3 husbands at Boat Quay for a crab dinner. Phew, talk about EATING TOO MUCH! It was a great evening though.. and thanks to B & C for coming up with the dinner plan.
Today is J&A's last day in SG. We will probably go for a final eating session at our favourite hi-tea place (Shangri-La Hotel, Rose Veranda), and then let them get on with their packing. Have to take them to the airport by around 9.30pm. Will be sad to see them go, but they have enjoyed themselves so much they want to come back again, sooner rather than later!
Well, I can just hear you saying "that was the HOLIDAYS part... what about the 'operations'?"
My Dad is confirmed to be going for a bypass operation, at IJN (National Heart Institute) on Monday 19th November. So, fingers crossed, prayers going, that the op goes smoothly and that he recovers fast. I will be in KL at least till my sister comes back from her India trip (gone to attend TJ's nieces wedding, and it was not possible for her to get out of that commitment!). Either one of us needs to be around in case my Dad needs to go anywhere once he is out of the hospital... as he wont be able to drive himself for a while at least. The op is being done by a very good friend of my brother's (it does help to have so many doctors in the family!!), so we know he is in good hands.... but all your prayers, for the op to go smoothly, and for my Dad to recover fast, will be highly appreciated!
Till next time....
Saturday, November 03, 2007
It's November already? Where did October go?
I can't believe how fast time goes! October has been a very busy month. Have been back and forth between SG and KL a lot - client meetings in KL call me back regularly, and in between the meetings I am in SG. It does get tiring - but at least going from KL to SG and vice versa is not as bad as travelling to some far-flung country where a flight between the two is your only travel option. Most of the time I take the Aeroline bus, and I must say that I think they ARE a great way to travel.
What has actually been happening? Well, apart from work, not a whole lot. The most critical thing that happened is that my Dad had to go into IJN (National Heart Institute) on Thursday... so I flew back from SG on Wednesday, took him to IJN on Thursday, and was at a client meeting on Friday. My Dad was supposed to have an angiogram on Friday, to check for any blockages in his blood vessels and, if any were found, to clear them and insert a stent. What ended up happening was that the first blockage the doctors found was so (literally) convoluted that there was no way for them to push the catheter through to clear the blockage. The catheter just would not bend enough. They tried with 3 different catheters before they gave up on that blockage. They then found another blockage which they could have cleared if they could have injected more dye into my Dad's blood system to show the blockage clearly. But in the process of trying to get into the first blockage they had already put so much dye in him, that any more dye injected could have affected his kidney functions.... so they had no choice but to pull out and terminate the procedure. The doctor told him after that only 1 in a 1000 patients or more, has such problems.. and those of you who know my Dad will know that he was tickled pink by that knowledge. He's going to have fun repeating that statistic to all his friends over the next few days!
Anyway, he has to go for his next appointment in a couple of weeks time, and they will then decide what to do - including the possibility of surgery to clear the blockage. Let's hope it does not come to that!
Apart from that, the other piece of news is that Husband's sister (A) and her husband (J) will be arriving for a holiday early in the morning on Wed 7th Nov! Their first holiday in Asia.. EVER! They arrive in SG, and we will be taking them around SG on Wed and Thur. Fri afternoon we will drive to KL, spend Sat and Sun in KL... including a family get together bbq on Sunday for them to be overwhelmed by my entire family! Mon 12th Nov we drive to Penang, where we will be till Thursday, which is when we head back to KL. Friday we drive back to SG, and they fly out to Aus on Sat evening... and then on Sunday 18th I have to head back to KL again, as I have meetings scheduled from 19-22 inclusive... Sigh... talk about busy running about. Mind you, I wish A and J could stay longer, as this is their first ever trip to this part of the world and it is just not enough to see everything.
That's it folks... have a good weekend, a good month, and a good life. Till next time....
What has actually been happening? Well, apart from work, not a whole lot. The most critical thing that happened is that my Dad had to go into IJN (National Heart Institute) on Thursday... so I flew back from SG on Wednesday, took him to IJN on Thursday, and was at a client meeting on Friday. My Dad was supposed to have an angiogram on Friday, to check for any blockages in his blood vessels and, if any were found, to clear them and insert a stent. What ended up happening was that the first blockage the doctors found was so (literally) convoluted that there was no way for them to push the catheter through to clear the blockage. The catheter just would not bend enough. They tried with 3 different catheters before they gave up on that blockage. They then found another blockage which they could have cleared if they could have injected more dye into my Dad's blood system to show the blockage clearly. But in the process of trying to get into the first blockage they had already put so much dye in him, that any more dye injected could have affected his kidney functions.... so they had no choice but to pull out and terminate the procedure. The doctor told him after that only 1 in a 1000 patients or more, has such problems.. and those of you who know my Dad will know that he was tickled pink by that knowledge. He's going to have fun repeating that statistic to all his friends over the next few days!
Anyway, he has to go for his next appointment in a couple of weeks time, and they will then decide what to do - including the possibility of surgery to clear the blockage. Let's hope it does not come to that!
Apart from that, the other piece of news is that Husband's sister (A) and her husband (J) will be arriving for a holiday early in the morning on Wed 7th Nov! Their first holiday in Asia.. EVER! They arrive in SG, and we will be taking them around SG on Wed and Thur. Fri afternoon we will drive to KL, spend Sat and Sun in KL... including a family get together bbq on Sunday for them to be overwhelmed by my entire family! Mon 12th Nov we drive to Penang, where we will be till Thursday, which is when we head back to KL. Friday we drive back to SG, and they fly out to Aus on Sat evening... and then on Sunday 18th I have to head back to KL again, as I have meetings scheduled from 19-22 inclusive... Sigh... talk about busy running about. Mind you, I wish A and J could stay longer, as this is their first ever trip to this part of the world and it is just not enough to see everything.
That's it folks... have a good weekend, a good month, and a good life. Till next time....
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
September is almost over!!
Time is zipping by faster than I want it to!
Husband and I have made a few trips back and forth from KL to SG, bringing a few things back from KL each time - cushions, kitchen stuff, carpet, pillows, towels, clothes hangers (Yes, very important), more clothes for Husband, phone/fax, iron - AND we have hired some furniture from a furniture leasing place here in SG - big solid wood TV cabinet, highy polished nice wooden chest of drawers for bedroom, couple of bedside tables, even a stand fan, and we also bought a nice big standing full length mirror and leather captains chair from them too!! Leasing furniture is quite reasonable here, and there are a lot of places you can choose from. Anyway, the final result is a nice comfortable apartment for us in Singapore. It is bright, breezy, and we like it.
I've been back a few times to KL for meetings, and will be heading back to KL again this coming Saturday, and will be in KL for the whole week. Husband is driving up to KL on 4th Oct, and on 5th/6th Oct we are taking my parents off to Awana Kijal for a night - sort of a birthday present for my Dad whose birthday is on 29th Sept.
Today I get my nice new RED iPod Nano, 3rd Gen, 8GB. The red iPod cannot be bought from Apple shops, you have to order them online.... so I ordered last week, with engraving :-) , and Husband has confirmed that it has been delivered to his office today, and he will "try" and remember to bring it back home with him this evening. I have to sweet talk him into loading up 2000 songs (of my choice) onto the iPod this evening, so I have it with me when I head back to KL this Sat :-D
And, before I forget, this coming Saturday, 29th Sept, is my Dads' 74th birthday!! So, here's to a great father, who never seems to age, and who, despite some health problems, is almost as full of vim, verve and vigour as someone 30 or 40 years younger than him. HAPPY BIRTHDAY APPACHEN!
Husband and I have made a few trips back and forth from KL to SG, bringing a few things back from KL each time - cushions, kitchen stuff, carpet, pillows, towels, clothes hangers (Yes, very important), more clothes for Husband, phone/fax, iron - AND we have hired some furniture from a furniture leasing place here in SG - big solid wood TV cabinet, highy polished nice wooden chest of drawers for bedroom, couple of bedside tables, even a stand fan, and we also bought a nice big standing full length mirror and leather captains chair from them too!! Leasing furniture is quite reasonable here, and there are a lot of places you can choose from. Anyway, the final result is a nice comfortable apartment for us in Singapore. It is bright, breezy, and we like it.
I've been back a few times to KL for meetings, and will be heading back to KL again this coming Saturday, and will be in KL for the whole week. Husband is driving up to KL on 4th Oct, and on 5th/6th Oct we are taking my parents off to Awana Kijal for a night - sort of a birthday present for my Dad whose birthday is on 29th Sept.
Today I get my nice new RED iPod Nano, 3rd Gen, 8GB. The red iPod cannot be bought from Apple shops, you have to order them online.... so I ordered last week, with engraving :-) , and Husband has confirmed that it has been delivered to his office today, and he will "try" and remember to bring it back home with him this evening. I have to sweet talk him into loading up 2000 songs (of my choice) onto the iPod this evening, so I have it with me when I head back to KL this Sat :-D
And, before I forget, this coming Saturday, 29th Sept, is my Dads' 74th birthday!! So, here's to a great father, who never seems to age, and who, despite some health problems, is almost as full of vim, verve and vigour as someone 30 or 40 years younger than him. HAPPY BIRTHDAY APPACHEN!
Sunday, September 02, 2007
It's Sept already?
It has been more than a MONTH since my last post! Time is zipping by faster and faster than I can keep up. We've been busy getting things sorted out with Husband working in SG (again!).
I was in SG for work from 6-9 Aug, and from 13-17 Aug. We were staying in the Oriental Hotel which, I must admit, is still my favourite of all the hotels in SG - not because of anything specific about the hotel building itself (I mean, all hotels worth their name, all have great facilities), but because the PEOPLE at the Oriental are really great. They go out of their way to ensure that your stay with them is comfortable - they are friendly, courteous, helpful, and really very nice. Husband commented that after staying at the Riverview regularly for 6 months, they never ever remembered his name and kept asking for the same details every time he checked in... but even just the SECOND time we went to the Oriental they remembered us by name, and had all our details recorded so we didnt have to go through the whole check-in process!
Collected the keys for our condo in SG on Aug 15th - which was the first time Husband actually saw the place for himself! I am not sure what he was expecting but at least he agreed that it is a nice apartment. Our landlady has bought very nice sitting and dining room furniture, nice carpets and very nice beds with good mattresses!
We were on leave the whole week of 20th Aug - took an easy drive to Cherating, where we went to the Holiday Villa Eastern Pavilions. Let's just say that we checked out one day early to go back to KL. As usual, people are lovely and friendly, but the Pavilions themselves, if you are looking at it from the international tourist expectations perspective, left a LOT to be desired. Sent their main office in KL a LONG LONG email giving my feedback and, am sorry to say, have not had a SINGLE email from them in response - no email, no phone call, no nothing, not a single acknowledgement. Very disappointing for a hotel which is trying to present itself as "international standard". Next time, at the recommendation of my boss, we will check out Awana Kijal, but will definitely avoid all Holiday Villa hotels.
We drove back to SG on 24th Aug - as our landlady was having some furniture delivered on 25th, and the StarHub people were coming in on 25th as well, to set up our broadband access. I headed back to KL (Aeroline bus) on Monday 27th, had meetings on Tuesday 28th, and headed back to SG (Aeroline again) on Wednesday 29th, as I had meetings in SG on Thursday 30th. Had a busy Malaysian National Day on Friday 31st August, as I had to go do some shopping to get the nitty-gritty stuff for the apartment - bedsheets, kitchen stuff, etc. Husband also got his Emp Pass in SG during this week, so now he is not allowed to drive our Malaysian car in SG - so I am his chauffeur. We will take a hire car in SG from 17th Sept, otherwise it will be too difficult for Husband to get around for meetings, shipyard visits, etc - I cant drive him all the time as I will be back in KL on regular basis, and he can't rely on taxis for evenings and weekends and when he goes to way out places like the shipyard.
Am heading back to KL again on Sept 4th, as I have meetings in Cyberjaya on 5th and in KLIA on 6th, and then driving back to SG on Sept 6th after the KLIA meeting. On 7th Sept there is a get-together in the evening organised by the company that Husband used to work for in SG - used to be called Nortrans. It is kind of an "alumni" get-together - all the folks who used to work there (most of whom have kept in touch with each other, as they were a GREAT bunch of people) are meeting up to catch up for dinner and drinks. Definitely looking forward to that :-).
So, my friends in the hi-tea gang, let me know when you are ready for a visit to SG and I'll time myself to be here when you are here.
Till the next time, have a great life everyone.
I was in SG for work from 6-9 Aug, and from 13-17 Aug. We were staying in the Oriental Hotel which, I must admit, is still my favourite of all the hotels in SG - not because of anything specific about the hotel building itself (I mean, all hotels worth their name, all have great facilities), but because the PEOPLE at the Oriental are really great. They go out of their way to ensure that your stay with them is comfortable - they are friendly, courteous, helpful, and really very nice. Husband commented that after staying at the Riverview regularly for 6 months, they never ever remembered his name and kept asking for the same details every time he checked in... but even just the SECOND time we went to the Oriental they remembered us by name, and had all our details recorded so we didnt have to go through the whole check-in process!
Collected the keys for our condo in SG on Aug 15th - which was the first time Husband actually saw the place for himself! I am not sure what he was expecting but at least he agreed that it is a nice apartment. Our landlady has bought very nice sitting and dining room furniture, nice carpets and very nice beds with good mattresses!
We were on leave the whole week of 20th Aug - took an easy drive to Cherating, where we went to the Holiday Villa Eastern Pavilions. Let's just say that we checked out one day early to go back to KL. As usual, people are lovely and friendly, but the Pavilions themselves, if you are looking at it from the international tourist expectations perspective, left a LOT to be desired. Sent their main office in KL a LONG LONG email giving my feedback and, am sorry to say, have not had a SINGLE email from them in response - no email, no phone call, no nothing, not a single acknowledgement. Very disappointing for a hotel which is trying to present itself as "international standard". Next time, at the recommendation of my boss, we will check out Awana Kijal, but will definitely avoid all Holiday Villa hotels.
We drove back to SG on 24th Aug - as our landlady was having some furniture delivered on 25th, and the StarHub people were coming in on 25th as well, to set up our broadband access. I headed back to KL (Aeroline bus) on Monday 27th, had meetings on Tuesday 28th, and headed back to SG (Aeroline again) on Wednesday 29th, as I had meetings in SG on Thursday 30th. Had a busy Malaysian National Day on Friday 31st August, as I had to go do some shopping to get the nitty-gritty stuff for the apartment - bedsheets, kitchen stuff, etc. Husband also got his Emp Pass in SG during this week, so now he is not allowed to drive our Malaysian car in SG - so I am his chauffeur. We will take a hire car in SG from 17th Sept, otherwise it will be too difficult for Husband to get around for meetings, shipyard visits, etc - I cant drive him all the time as I will be back in KL on regular basis, and he can't rely on taxis for evenings and weekends and when he goes to way out places like the shipyard.
Am heading back to KL again on Sept 4th, as I have meetings in Cyberjaya on 5th and in KLIA on 6th, and then driving back to SG on Sept 6th after the KLIA meeting. On 7th Sept there is a get-together in the evening organised by the company that Husband used to work for in SG - used to be called Nortrans. It is kind of an "alumni" get-together - all the folks who used to work there (most of whom have kept in touch with each other, as they were a GREAT bunch of people) are meeting up to catch up for dinner and drinks. Definitely looking forward to that :-).
So, my friends in the hi-tea gang, let me know when you are ready for a visit to SG and I'll time myself to be here when you are here.
Till the next time, have a great life everyone.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Toyota Sera reluctantly for sale
OK folks, because my beloved is getting an Employment Pass in SG (Again :-p ), once he gets it, he will no longer be able to drive his Malaysian car in Singapore... which means it makes no sense to have two cars in Malaysia, which in turn means we have to sell one of our two cars... sigh... and, Yes, you guessed it, the car that is more logical to sell is my little Toyota Sera (sob.... sob.... sob.... :'( ).
The details are:
- 1990 Toyota Sera, 1.5
- 2+2 seater, with Gull-wing doors (see picture below). The colour of my car is the one in the picture that says Light Turquoise. I think it looks more like Silver!
- Interior is blue-grey fabric.
- Registered in my name, no loan on it.
- Bought for RM30K, Spent another RM30K on doing it up:
- engine, aircon, power steering rack, and brakes completely overhauled (that was the bulk of the cost!!)
- Totally all new piping, tubing, valves, etc. I think every single non-metal part of the engine has been replaced.
- new sound system (plays MP3!)
- new 3rd brake light (the old one was in a very stupid location)
- new electric windows wiring
- new alarm system,
- new hydraulic door supports
- even new floor mats
- I will be putting 4 new tyres on it in the near future, as they are due for a change.
- Maintained by Tom's Toyota Specialist in Bangsar, and it is really in good condition
- Asking price is RM49K negotiable (Yes, I know, I will be losing money on it, but I sure cant ask RM60K for it!!!)
So, if any of you know any member of the potential Sera fan club, please drop me a comment.
The details are:
- 1990 Toyota Sera, 1.5
- 2+2 seater, with Gull-wing doors (see picture below). The colour of my car is the one in the picture that says Light Turquoise. I think it looks more like Silver!
- Interior is blue-grey fabric.
- Registered in my name, no loan on it.
- Bought for RM30K, Spent another RM30K on doing it up:
- engine, aircon, power steering rack, and brakes completely overhauled (that was the bulk of the cost!!)
- Totally all new piping, tubing, valves, etc. I think every single non-metal part of the engine has been replaced.
- new sound system (plays MP3!)
- new 3rd brake light (the old one was in a very stupid location)
- new electric windows wiring
- new alarm system,
- new hydraulic door supports
- even new floor mats
- I will be putting 4 new tyres on it in the near future, as they are due for a change.
- Maintained by Tom's Toyota Specialist in Bangsar, and it is really in good condition
- Asking price is RM49K negotiable (Yes, I know, I will be losing money on it, but I sure cant ask RM60K for it!!!)
So, if any of you know any member of the potential Sera fan club, please drop me a comment.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Week 3, travelling to & from SG
Yep, I have been doing this for 3 weeks now, and it has been quite hectic. Keeping track of Husband's company details, plus doing my own work, plus the time taken to travel up and down. But it is so great to be with Husband wherever he is, so I am definitely NOT complaining!
Luckily we dont have to worry about hotels any more - the last two weeks, and for this week, we have been given the loan of an apartment by one of Husband's colleagues who is on leave. He has broadband connection, so it is great for me to just plug in and I am online. No worries about hotels, so Husband and I can take a leisurely drive from KL to SG on Sunday... so no more dragging ourselves out of bed at 4am on Mondays, for Husband to drive to SG to get there in time for office!! Then, from 5th to 9th Aug I actually have to be in SG for a project, so my company has booked me into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (Husband's absolute favourite hotel so far) for that duration... THEN, starting 9th Aug, we actually have our own apartment in SG again - in the Upper Bukit Timah area, near to Dairy Farm.
The estate is called Glendale, and we have a unit on the 9th floor of one of the blocks. Not the 'best' facing, as we are partly looking at another block and partly overlooking the swimming pool, but it is a lovely lovely unit. Approx 2000 sq ft, beautifully kept, 3 bedrooms, very nice kitchen, and the landlady is going to furnish it with all new furniture, all for the very reasonable rent of S$3000 per month - which is a lot better than paying between S$2.5K to S$2.8K per month for 2-3 nights every week in a miniscule hotel ROOM with the risk of rates going up during peak season, and sometimes not even being able to get a room (and, of course, driving on Monday to SG cos we dont want to have the extra Sun night cost of hotel). All this is no longer relevant - we have complete flexibility of when we drive to SG, how long we stay, we can stay weekends, our friends and family can come and stay... etc, etc, etc. Another added benefit is that we can get our own broadband connection, for me to work from home, and we dont have to pay exorbitant hotel rates for it either!!
Mind you, we have been very lucky with the apartment - it is reasonably priced, considering that it is a beautiful unit, spacious AND it is going to have all new furniture. Right now the rents in SG are just exorbitant.... my totally wonderful real estate agent (her name is Kylene, and if you want her contact number, just drop me a comment) showed me quite a number of apartments, but within that price range most of them are really grotty, tiny, tatty, badly furnished. This is the 2nd time I have taken Kylene's services and this is also the second time she has fulfilled her task beautifully (the first time was when we had our gorgeous Leonie Hill apartment, but nowadays that unit is renting for S$9K.... which is way more than we want to pay !). Anyway, I would recommend Kylene to ANYONE as the preferred real estate agent!
That's the latest update so, till next time, have a good life and may the sun shine in your life, figuratively if not necessarily literally.
Luckily we dont have to worry about hotels any more - the last two weeks, and for this week, we have been given the loan of an apartment by one of Husband's colleagues who is on leave. He has broadband connection, so it is great for me to just plug in and I am online. No worries about hotels, so Husband and I can take a leisurely drive from KL to SG on Sunday... so no more dragging ourselves out of bed at 4am on Mondays, for Husband to drive to SG to get there in time for office!! Then, from 5th to 9th Aug I actually have to be in SG for a project, so my company has booked me into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (Husband's absolute favourite hotel so far) for that duration... THEN, starting 9th Aug, we actually have our own apartment in SG again - in the Upper Bukit Timah area, near to Dairy Farm.
The estate is called Glendale, and we have a unit on the 9th floor of one of the blocks. Not the 'best' facing, as we are partly looking at another block and partly overlooking the swimming pool, but it is a lovely lovely unit. Approx 2000 sq ft, beautifully kept, 3 bedrooms, very nice kitchen, and the landlady is going to furnish it with all new furniture, all for the very reasonable rent of S$3000 per month - which is a lot better than paying between S$2.5K to S$2.8K per month for 2-3 nights every week in a miniscule hotel ROOM with the risk of rates going up during peak season, and sometimes not even being able to get a room (and, of course, driving on Monday to SG cos we dont want to have the extra Sun night cost of hotel). All this is no longer relevant - we have complete flexibility of when we drive to SG, how long we stay, we can stay weekends, our friends and family can come and stay... etc, etc, etc. Another added benefit is that we can get our own broadband connection, for me to work from home, and we dont have to pay exorbitant hotel rates for it either!!
Mind you, we have been very lucky with the apartment - it is reasonably priced, considering that it is a beautiful unit, spacious AND it is going to have all new furniture. Right now the rents in SG are just exorbitant.... my totally wonderful real estate agent (her name is Kylene, and if you want her contact number, just drop me a comment) showed me quite a number of apartments, but within that price range most of them are really grotty, tiny, tatty, badly furnished. This is the 2nd time I have taken Kylene's services and this is also the second time she has fulfilled her task beautifully (the first time was when we had our gorgeous Leonie Hill apartment, but nowadays that unit is renting for S$9K.... which is way more than we want to pay !). Anyway, I would recommend Kylene to ANYONE as the preferred real estate agent!
That's the latest update so, till next time, have a good life and may the sun shine in your life, figuratively if not necessarily literally.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Of remote work, idiot drivers, and great landings
It has been quite a while since my last update - lack of time, and (more correctly) lack of inclination!
I am, even as I type this, in Singapore - as I have been given the opportunity to travel to and from SG with Husband on his trips, as long as I dont have any meetings in KL to attend with any clients. Isn't that just amazing? It is true that I can do my job from anywhere, as long as I have an Internet connection, but to actually be given that choice by my boss is great! So now I can come to SG with Husband, and work from here, and then when he goes back to KL I go back with him. I am a very lucky person! So I am in SG this week - arrived last night (flew in, as I had meetings to attend, and could only come down after the meetings, whereas Husband drove to SG yesterday morning), and will be returning to KL with Husband on Thursday afternoon, will be spending Friday in Penang for meetings, and then Sat to Mon we will be at Langkawi :-).
Now, about IDIOT DRIVERS - last week, driving to Berjaya Times Square, I went into the back car park which is on the upper floors. On TWO separate floors, I am driving IN, and I come across TWO MAJOR IDIOTIC YOUNG (happened to be Chinese) DRIVERS, who are GOING OUT via the IN!!! AND, to add insult to injury, they are smiling away at me, as if the whole thing is a big joke. If I had been going any faster, I would have slammed my car head first into theirs. And, of course, this is NOT the first time I have personally encountered people doing stupid things without thought. I mean, what does it take to make IDIOTS like this realise that THEY ARE ASKING FOR AN ACCIDENT TO HAPPEN? When do they stop doing these stupid things - after they cause an accident where people are hurt or killed, or after THEY die in an accident which they cause? Why are they so stupid? Don't they THINK about the consequences of what they are doing? Obviously not - as I keep telling my Husband, obviously all these idiots (I include idiotic Indian, Malay, Chinese, Others AND expat drivers in this list) have so little respect for their own lives, why would they have any respect for any other life?
A better topic - great landings. I know there will always be people out there who have a lot of negative things to say about our lovely national airlines (MAS). However, I am not talking about the experience at the airport per se (I know there are problems happening at this time), but I am talking about the experience once one is actually on the plane. In the last 10 years of flying almost exclusively on MAS (my preferred choice) I have to say that I have always had excellent experiences with the cabin crew and, almost without exception, the landings have been SMOOTH (the few times I flew SIA during the last 10 years, the landings have been almost uniformly BUMPY, and the cabin crew experience generally mediocre). So, kudos to the cabin crew, and kudos to the pilots!!!
Enough for this week.... have a great life everyone.
I am, even as I type this, in Singapore - as I have been given the opportunity to travel to and from SG with Husband on his trips, as long as I dont have any meetings in KL to attend with any clients. Isn't that just amazing? It is true that I can do my job from anywhere, as long as I have an Internet connection, but to actually be given that choice by my boss is great! So now I can come to SG with Husband, and work from here, and then when he goes back to KL I go back with him. I am a very lucky person! So I am in SG this week - arrived last night (flew in, as I had meetings to attend, and could only come down after the meetings, whereas Husband drove to SG yesterday morning), and will be returning to KL with Husband on Thursday afternoon, will be spending Friday in Penang for meetings, and then Sat to Mon we will be at Langkawi :-).
Now, about IDIOT DRIVERS - last week, driving to Berjaya Times Square, I went into the back car park which is on the upper floors. On TWO separate floors, I am driving IN, and I come across TWO MAJOR IDIOTIC YOUNG (happened to be Chinese) DRIVERS, who are GOING OUT via the IN!!! AND, to add insult to injury, they are smiling away at me, as if the whole thing is a big joke. If I had been going any faster, I would have slammed my car head first into theirs. And, of course, this is NOT the first time I have personally encountered people doing stupid things without thought. I mean, what does it take to make IDIOTS like this realise that THEY ARE ASKING FOR AN ACCIDENT TO HAPPEN? When do they stop doing these stupid things - after they cause an accident where people are hurt or killed, or after THEY die in an accident which they cause? Why are they so stupid? Don't they THINK about the consequences of what they are doing? Obviously not - as I keep telling my Husband, obviously all these idiots (I include idiotic Indian, Malay, Chinese, Others AND expat drivers in this list) have so little respect for their own lives, why would they have any respect for any other life?
A better topic - great landings. I know there will always be people out there who have a lot of negative things to say about our lovely national airlines (MAS). However, I am not talking about the experience at the airport per se (I know there are problems happening at this time), but I am talking about the experience once one is actually on the plane. In the last 10 years of flying almost exclusively on MAS (my preferred choice) I have to say that I have always had excellent experiences with the cabin crew and, almost without exception, the landings have been SMOOTH (the few times I flew SIA during the last 10 years, the landings have been almost uniformly BUMPY, and the cabin crew experience generally mediocre). So, kudos to the cabin crew, and kudos to the pilots!!!
Enough for this week.... have a great life everyone.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Happy Birthday Husband
Yep, it was Husbands birthday last week, and I shall hope and pray that he has many, many more of them with me :-)
The last two weeks have been busy for Husband, and not so busy for me. He has been travelling between SG and KL every week, loads of work, but he is enjoying the work, which is really great. It has a lot to do with the people he is working with as well - they are people he has worked with before, and he is enjoying working with them again. Having said that, the travelling is tiring for him.
Husband had been looking for a bbq set for some time and we had gone to the BBQ shop in Bangsar Village 1 - but the only one we liked was toooo big, and was approx RM6K - which was way expensive! So, on Sat 9th June, after some searching, we managed to find the PERFECT barbecue, with the help of Google which pointed us to an ExpatKL ad, which gave us a mobile number, which led us to Carlo and Mabel who stock and sell barbecue sets. We called them that Sat morning, and by the afternoon they had delivered a bbq that was exactly what we had been looking for. On top of that, they are a lovely couple and we ended up going out for drinks and a nice long chat with them that evening!
Last week, Thursday 14th June, was Husbands birthday, and my Mum had cooked a MAJOR meal for him. Totally delicious, but both of us suffered for the meal, as we are just not used to eating so much so late...... so it was pretty much a sleepless night, and an exhausting Friday.
Saturday we had a small party at home to celebrate - a bbq party, of course! My sister made a totally delicious salad for the evening - and it was obviously pretty darn good as it was the first item to disappear! Thanks Sue!!
Another friend (Min) made the birthday cake, and it was totally gorgeous (and delicious). She had made a cake in the shape of a guitar, with a marzipan figure of the birthday boy, in swim shorts and sunglasses, reclining on a beach mat, with a little rubber ducky next to him. It was an excellent likeness of Husband, right down to the white moustache!!
It was a good party....the whole family (13 including Husband and myself) was there, and another 15 friends. A good time was had by all (I hope). We ended up with three distinct groups of people but each group was having fun, so we figured it was all good :-) And now that the bbq set has been thoroughly initiated, we must use it more often.
Last week and this week, for me, will be fairly quiet with just a few scattered meetings here and there. No stress lah! Husband, of course, will be travelling up and down as usual!
Till next time, have a good life everyone... and if anyone wants the contact details for our BBQ Set vendor or for Mama Min and her delicious cakes, just drop me an email, or put a comment on this blog, with your contact details and I'll make sure I send you their contact.
PS: As of June 11th, our unit at Armanee DD has electricity. We have also been promised that all remaining defects (mostly cosmetic) will be rectified within the next two weeks....
The last two weeks have been busy for Husband, and not so busy for me. He has been travelling between SG and KL every week, loads of work, but he is enjoying the work, which is really great. It has a lot to do with the people he is working with as well - they are people he has worked with before, and he is enjoying working with them again. Having said that, the travelling is tiring for him.
Husband had been looking for a bbq set for some time and we had gone to the BBQ shop in Bangsar Village 1 - but the only one we liked was toooo big, and was approx RM6K - which was way expensive! So, on Sat 9th June, after some searching, we managed to find the PERFECT barbecue, with the help of Google which pointed us to an ExpatKL ad, which gave us a mobile number, which led us to Carlo and Mabel who stock and sell barbecue sets. We called them that Sat morning, and by the afternoon they had delivered a bbq that was exactly what we had been looking for. On top of that, they are a lovely couple and we ended up going out for drinks and a nice long chat with them that evening!
Last week, Thursday 14th June, was Husbands birthday, and my Mum had cooked a MAJOR meal for him. Totally delicious, but both of us suffered for the meal, as we are just not used to eating so much so late...... so it was pretty much a sleepless night, and an exhausting Friday.
Saturday we had a small party at home to celebrate - a bbq party, of course! My sister made a totally delicious salad for the evening - and it was obviously pretty darn good as it was the first item to disappear! Thanks Sue!!
Another friend (Min) made the birthday cake, and it was totally gorgeous (and delicious). She had made a cake in the shape of a guitar, with a marzipan figure of the birthday boy, in swim shorts and sunglasses, reclining on a beach mat, with a little rubber ducky next to him. It was an excellent likeness of Husband, right down to the white moustache!!
It was a good party....the whole family (13 including Husband and myself) was there, and another 15 friends. A good time was had by all (I hope). We ended up with three distinct groups of people but each group was having fun, so we figured it was all good :-) And now that the bbq set has been thoroughly initiated, we must use it more often.
Last week and this week, for me, will be fairly quiet with just a few scattered meetings here and there. No stress lah! Husband, of course, will be travelling up and down as usual!
Till next time, have a good life everyone... and if anyone wants the contact details for our BBQ Set vendor or for Mama Min and her delicious cakes, just drop me an email, or put a comment on this blog, with your contact details and I'll make sure I send you their contact.
PS: As of June 11th, our unit at Armanee DD has electricity. We have also been promised that all remaining defects (mostly cosmetic) will be rectified within the next two weeks....
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
June already?
Where does the time go? We are almost halfway through the year and it feels like time is just zipping past at top speed. What have we been doing...?
Armanee Damansara Damai:
Most of the defects in our unit have been fixed, and what is left is mostly cosmetic. The BIGGEST issue so far is that we still have no electricity - more than 3 weeks after TNB actually installed the meter! So, today, with Husband in SG for work, and me on medical leave and feeling quite shaky and with a fever, I still drove to Armanee and had a nice to-do with the customer service people. It turns out that the cables, in the TNB cabinet on the 11th floor where our unit is, have been stolen. Man, I was so ANGRY - called their lawyer, who in turn called the Ops Director of MK Land, who in turn called the cust service and set a fire under them. They have committed to getting all defects rectified and electricity done within the next two weeks. Well, I shall believe it when it happens. The sad thing is that with JUST a little bit more effort on the part of MK Land this place could be absolutely beautiful!! And then they would be in a situation where the current owners (ie, people like us) would pass the word around to other potential buyers. As it is, unless they get their act together fast there is not much chance of that happening!
Mont'Kiara Pines:
Husband finished painting and doing up the place about 3 weeks ago, and we finally managed to get all our pots, pans, and other sundry barang-barang out of the place and stored away in our PJ house. Handed over a set of keys to a real estate agent recommended by an old friend of mine, and we are open to either sale or rent. Let's see how it goes - wish us luck either way.
PJ House:
Pretty much stored everything away - it is amazing how much unutilised space there actually was in the kitchen, even with all my Mum's stuff there! It is nice to be staying here, when Husband is in SG, especially on those days like yesterday and today where I feel so sick and shaky - as it is nice to know that I am not alone at home :-) Bishop and priest here for lunch today(!) so I had early lunch, as soon as I got home from Armanee, and am now upstairs doing this blog, to be followed by a snooze to see if I can get rid of my headache.
Work has been pretty busy lately - with a new project coming up, with existing customers to keep in touch with, trips to SG for meetings (yes, me too!!), trips to Penang for meetings, etc, etc, etc. Husband and I have been talking about my quitting, so that I can go with him every week to and from SG, but we haven't really made any decision yet. Told my boss I would like to quit and he has been doing his best to talk me out of it! Decision is on hold for the next few months. Like I told husband, if we had decided last week, I only had to give 1 weeks notice, as I was still on probation... but now I have to give ONE MONTHS notice!
One of my old friends is in town - we met up with him last week in SG, and then again in KL on Sunday - took him all over the place, to Mont'Kiara, Armanee, and then to PJ, so he got a 'good' start to his week :-) (I hope we didn't tire you out too much Michael O!). He's trying to decide on whether he wants to move to this part of the world as his "base" - and I told him that whether it is in KL or SG, both Husband and I will be really happy to have him in our part of the world. Good friends are hard to find, and when you do find them it is hard when they have to leave, so it is GREAT if they are in the same part of the world (get the message MO?)
Anyway, time to sign off for now... head is pounding a lot and it doesnt help really to be looking at the computer screen :-p
Till next time, have a GREAT life.
Armanee Damansara Damai:
Most of the defects in our unit have been fixed, and what is left is mostly cosmetic. The BIGGEST issue so far is that we still have no electricity - more than 3 weeks after TNB actually installed the meter! So, today, with Husband in SG for work, and me on medical leave and feeling quite shaky and with a fever, I still drove to Armanee and had a nice to-do with the customer service people. It turns out that the cables, in the TNB cabinet on the 11th floor where our unit is, have been stolen. Man, I was so ANGRY - called their lawyer, who in turn called the Ops Director of MK Land, who in turn called the cust service and set a fire under them. They have committed to getting all defects rectified and electricity done within the next two weeks. Well, I shall believe it when it happens. The sad thing is that with JUST a little bit more effort on the part of MK Land this place could be absolutely beautiful!! And then they would be in a situation where the current owners (ie, people like us) would pass the word around to other potential buyers. As it is, unless they get their act together fast there is not much chance of that happening!
Mont'Kiara Pines:
Husband finished painting and doing up the place about 3 weeks ago, and we finally managed to get all our pots, pans, and other sundry barang-barang out of the place and stored away in our PJ house. Handed over a set of keys to a real estate agent recommended by an old friend of mine, and we are open to either sale or rent. Let's see how it goes - wish us luck either way.
PJ House:
Pretty much stored everything away - it is amazing how much unutilised space there actually was in the kitchen, even with all my Mum's stuff there! It is nice to be staying here, when Husband is in SG, especially on those days like yesterday and today where I feel so sick and shaky - as it is nice to know that I am not alone at home :-) Bishop and priest here for lunch today(!) so I had early lunch, as soon as I got home from Armanee, and am now upstairs doing this blog, to be followed by a snooze to see if I can get rid of my headache.
Work has been pretty busy lately - with a new project coming up, with existing customers to keep in touch with, trips to SG for meetings (yes, me too!!), trips to Penang for meetings, etc, etc, etc. Husband and I have been talking about my quitting, so that I can go with him every week to and from SG, but we haven't really made any decision yet. Told my boss I would like to quit and he has been doing his best to talk me out of it! Decision is on hold for the next few months. Like I told husband, if we had decided last week, I only had to give 1 weeks notice, as I was still on probation... but now I have to give ONE MONTHS notice!
One of my old friends is in town - we met up with him last week in SG, and then again in KL on Sunday - took him all over the place, to Mont'Kiara, Armanee, and then to PJ, so he got a 'good' start to his week :-) (I hope we didn't tire you out too much Michael O!). He's trying to decide on whether he wants to move to this part of the world as his "base" - and I told him that whether it is in KL or SG, both Husband and I will be really happy to have him in our part of the world. Good friends are hard to find, and when you do find them it is hard when they have to leave, so it is GREAT if they are in the same part of the world (get the message MO?)
Anyway, time to sign off for now... head is pounding a lot and it doesnt help really to be looking at the computer screen :-p
Till next time, have a GREAT life.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Phuket, Singapore, Penang... the jet-set life
Yep, went to Phuket for 8th anniversary - beautiful hotel, wonderful accommodation, private 12.5m pool, lovely view of the Andaman Sea, total privacy, excellent breakfasts served in your room, good food at their one and only restaurant - you should check out www.phuketpavilions.com. That was the good part. Outside of the hotel, everything in Phuket is expensive - they obviously cater to Americans and Europeans who find everything cheap - but from our perspective, coming from KL, everything was either the same price as in KL OR (worse still) the same price as in Singapore! Not cheap lah. Mind you, if you find your way to Central, to the Jim Thompson factory outlet, the prices are pretty good! More stuff for men than for women though.
Got back from Phuket on Wed 2nd May, Husband left for SG on Mon morning, and I flew to SG on Mon night (after work), for a meeting on Tuesday. Flew back to KL on Tuesday night, was in Cyberjaya on Thursday (met an OLD friend for lunch), then Husband and I flew to Penang on Thursday night - since I had a meeting on Friday in Penang, we figured we might as well make a weekend of it. Stayed at the Northam - nice hotel centrally located, nice suites, decent pool on 9th floor with a good view of the sea, food was so-so, staff were really very very nice, very helpful. Reasonably priced too! My meeting on Friday took from 9.30am to 2.30pm, inclusive of lunch with the customer. Got back to the hotel around 3.15pm, met up with Husband, who had just had a swim, then we walked down Gurney to Gurney Plaza.
On the way back, stopped at Brazil 68, on Jln Kelawei, not far from Gurney Plaza, for dinner. Really excellent - good food, good service, lovely people, 2 young ladies providing live music from 8.00pm (Darsha and Joyce). The food was Churascarria style - ie, a never-ending flow of various types of meats, and fish, cooked in various ways. Husband being a meat eater, he totally enjoyed it. Other than the meats they have a whole set of salads, rice, wedges, lasagna, etc, etc, etc. I stuck to those as I knew I wouldn't be able to do justice to the meats, and I did totally enjoy it.
Saturday, we went in the other direction - got the hotel limo to drop us off at Komtar (very unimpressive)... on the way out, we were accosted (in a nice way) by a Chinese gentleman who told us about the view from the top of the Komtar tower - and he took us all the way there too. You pay RM15 per head, and you get a total 360deg view of Penang. You also get 2 postcards free, and a drink too... and discounts on t-shirts, and pewter ware IF you buy any. We did take the postcards and the drink, but didn't bother with the rest. From Komtar, we walked to the E&O (LOVELY building), and then from there we walked back to the Northam. Got back totally drenched with sweat, so went for a swim to cool off. In the evening, walked out again, to Nagore Place for N. Indian food. The restaurant looked very "iffy" but it turned out OK in the end. Back to the hotel, a couple of drinks and then back to the room to flake out. We were totally, but nicely, exhausted.
It is now Sunday, and we are home again. Sorted out stuff for Husband, as he is off to SG again tomorrow... for 4 days this time.... and it is back to work again tomorrow.
Have a good life everyone... till next time.
Got back from Phuket on Wed 2nd May, Husband left for SG on Mon morning, and I flew to SG on Mon night (after work), for a meeting on Tuesday. Flew back to KL on Tuesday night, was in Cyberjaya on Thursday (met an OLD friend for lunch), then Husband and I flew to Penang on Thursday night - since I had a meeting on Friday in Penang, we figured we might as well make a weekend of it. Stayed at the Northam - nice hotel centrally located, nice suites, decent pool on 9th floor with a good view of the sea, food was so-so, staff were really very very nice, very helpful. Reasonably priced too! My meeting on Friday took from 9.30am to 2.30pm, inclusive of lunch with the customer. Got back to the hotel around 3.15pm, met up with Husband, who had just had a swim, then we walked down Gurney to Gurney Plaza.
On the way back, stopped at Brazil 68, on Jln Kelawei, not far from Gurney Plaza, for dinner. Really excellent - good food, good service, lovely people, 2 young ladies providing live music from 8.00pm (Darsha and Joyce). The food was Churascarria style - ie, a never-ending flow of various types of meats, and fish, cooked in various ways. Husband being a meat eater, he totally enjoyed it. Other than the meats they have a whole set of salads, rice, wedges, lasagna, etc, etc, etc. I stuck to those as I knew I wouldn't be able to do justice to the meats, and I did totally enjoy it.
Saturday, we went in the other direction - got the hotel limo to drop us off at Komtar (very unimpressive)... on the way out, we were accosted (in a nice way) by a Chinese gentleman who told us about the view from the top of the Komtar tower - and he took us all the way there too. You pay RM15 per head, and you get a total 360deg view of Penang. You also get 2 postcards free, and a drink too... and discounts on t-shirts, and pewter ware IF you buy any. We did take the postcards and the drink, but didn't bother with the rest. From Komtar, we walked to the E&O (LOVELY building), and then from there we walked back to the Northam. Got back totally drenched with sweat, so went for a swim to cool off. In the evening, walked out again, to Nagore Place for N. Indian food. The restaurant looked very "iffy" but it turned out OK in the end. Back to the hotel, a couple of drinks and then back to the room to flake out. We were totally, but nicely, exhausted.
It is now Sunday, and we are home again. Sorted out stuff for Husband, as he is off to SG again tomorrow... for 4 days this time.... and it is back to work again tomorrow.
Have a good life everyone... till next time.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Painting is finished... FINALLY!
Well, there are still some touch-ups to be done, but generally speaking, IT IS DONE! FINALLY!! Now we can get the house cleaned, and start putting our carpets in place, and generally sorting out the place. Husband was most industrious on Saturday - put up loads of pictures, photos, etc, including my one and only favourite painting (Trees in autumn/winter), which was handpainted, then acryliced, lacquered and varnished, and weighs in at 20kg all in. MAN that was a tough one to put up. The house looks nice with pictures on the wall.
In fact, with the painting done, the whole house looks bright and cheerful and fresh, inside and outside. Including the fact that we had plaster ceiling done for the outside patio area, and that has made the whole outside area look so clean and bright! The only thing that spoils the picture is that we have 3 cars parked at the house, so it kinda takes up lots of space :-p
Husband has been doing lots of trips to SG lately - every week, 3 days a week. And that will continue for the next few weeks at least, after which we hope that it drops to once a week. This coming week he is leaving early tomorrow (Monday) morning, back on Thursday afternoon (which has been declared a holiday for Malaysian civil servants and banks, and now my company has also declared it an off-day!). Then, on Sat 28th April, we fly off to Phuket Pavilions to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary (where DID the time go?), till 2nd May. Really, really looking forward to this break, as it has been a LONG time since we actually had a decent holiday!
No exciting news to share, other than that... so, till next time, have a good life!
In fact, with the painting done, the whole house looks bright and cheerful and fresh, inside and outside. Including the fact that we had plaster ceiling done for the outside patio area, and that has made the whole outside area look so clean and bright! The only thing that spoils the picture is that we have 3 cars parked at the house, so it kinda takes up lots of space :-p
Husband has been doing lots of trips to SG lately - every week, 3 days a week. And that will continue for the next few weeks at least, after which we hope that it drops to once a week. This coming week he is leaving early tomorrow (Monday) morning, back on Thursday afternoon (which has been declared a holiday for Malaysian civil servants and banks, and now my company has also declared it an off-day!). Then, on Sat 28th April, we fly off to Phuket Pavilions to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary (where DID the time go?), till 2nd May. Really, really looking forward to this break, as it has been a LONG time since we actually had a decent holiday!
No exciting news to share, other than that... so, till next time, have a good life!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Life goes on...
Yep, heading to mid-April, have moved house from Mont'Kiara to PJ, and everything is still kinda topsy-turvy. All our kitchen stuff is still in MK, we are waiting for our contractor and electrician to give us the quote for doing up our condo unit in Armanee Damansara Damai, and at the same time our PJ house is being painted all around us! Of course, having the house painted while we are living in it does cause it's own set of problems :-p mainly because you can't really sort out the rooms till the painting is done! Hopefully should be done by early next week, and hope to have the rooms all sorted out by end of next week!!
Husband is in SG right now - and will probably be there every week, Wed to Fri, for the foreseeable future. Well, I guess I can handle 2 nights a week without him.... especially now that we are back in PJ and I am with my parents, so at least the house doesn't feel so big and empty and lonely.
Our Mont'Kiara condo unit is on the market - and I'll be glad when we have a buyer for it... at least some of the financial headaches will be eased considerably! It's always good to have property which appreciates, but it is annoying when practically everything is tied up in property and it takes TIME to liquidate.
Work is chugging along too - busy enough, though not particularly stressed. Overall very nice customers, a good boss, good team mates, and the usual annoyance of lots of projects and not enough resources. But then, that is the same anywhere you go, so no complaints.
Till next time, have a great life everyone!
Husband is in SG right now - and will probably be there every week, Wed to Fri, for the foreseeable future. Well, I guess I can handle 2 nights a week without him.... especially now that we are back in PJ and I am with my parents, so at least the house doesn't feel so big and empty and lonely.
Our Mont'Kiara condo unit is on the market - and I'll be glad when we have a buyer for it... at least some of the financial headaches will be eased considerably! It's always good to have property which appreciates, but it is annoying when practically everything is tied up in property and it takes TIME to liquidate.
Work is chugging along too - busy enough, though not particularly stressed. Overall very nice customers, a good boss, good team mates, and the usual annoyance of lots of projects and not enough resources. But then, that is the same anywhere you go, so no complaints.
Till next time, have a great life everyone!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Slight change of plans...
I have to be in good ol' Sinjapoh for work next week from Monday to Wednesday, so Husband is also extending his stay till then. I will fly to SG on Sunday (or Saturday even, if I can make it!), so that I have more time to spend with him. Then work on Monday and Tuesday and back home on Wednesday - I fly back, he drives back.
This, of course, means that when the movers arrive on Sat with our stuff from SG, I have to deal with them... and that we cant move our stuff from our current condo unit to PJ until Thursday. No worries lah.. it will work out.
Tomorrow am taking our real estate agent and a potential buyer to see our Armanee Damansara Damai condo. First one!!! Not sure if anything will happen, but to be honest, Husband and I had decided that we would actually like to live there.... so I am taking a contractor and an electrician (both are guys we have worked with for almost 20 years, through several renovations of various properties!) out there on Sat afternoon, to see what changes we want to do, and to talk about installing lights, fans, aircons, etc, so they can give me quotations. By the time they give me the quotation, we should have an idea of whether or not the potential buyer is serious or not, and can make a decision then.
So, wish us luck, whatever happens!
This, of course, means that when the movers arrive on Sat with our stuff from SG, I have to deal with them... and that we cant move our stuff from our current condo unit to PJ until Thursday. No worries lah.. it will work out.
Tomorrow am taking our real estate agent and a potential buyer to see our Armanee Damansara Damai condo. First one!!! Not sure if anything will happen, but to be honest, Husband and I had decided that we would actually like to live there.... so I am taking a contractor and an electrician (both are guys we have worked with for almost 20 years, through several renovations of various properties!) out there on Sat afternoon, to see what changes we want to do, and to talk about installing lights, fans, aircons, etc, so they can give me quotations. By the time they give me the quotation, we should have an idea of whether or not the potential buyer is serious or not, and can make a decision then.
So, wish us luck, whatever happens!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Moving, again
It's been two weeks since my last post, and I can't figure out where the time has gone.. it's just zipped by so fast! So, what's been happening?
Let's see, Tuesday 13th March, Husband drove down to SG again, for meetings. On Friday 16th I took the late afternoon bus to SG, (Aeroline, I would recommmend them anytime), arriving late evening. Saturday we went for a friends wedding (Congratulations to Martin Oliver and his truly lovely wife, Jasmine), where, would you believe it, I bumped into someone whom I worked with in 1982 and have never seen since!! In fact, it's kinda scary, the number of people I've been bumping into over the last two weeks, who I have not seen for 20 years or more. though I must say it IS nice that we still recognise each other - obviously we have not changed too much :-)
So, as you can imagine, the last two weeks have been a trip down memory lane! Ex-colleagues from UMBC days, and an ex-colleague from Business Girl days in SG. The world is VERY small indeed.
We left SG very early on 18th morning to head back to KL... and on Tuesday 20th March Husband had to head back to SG again!!! Dual purpose trip this time - he has a whole load of meetings from 20th afternoon all the way through to 31st March AND, on 24th March he had to empty out our water bed in the apartment in SG, in preparation for having everything packed up on 26th March for bringing back to KL. He'll be back in KL hopefully either 30th or 31st March, after handing the keys to the apartment back to the agent, while our stuff from SG will be delivered on Sat 31st March.
In parallel, in KL, on 24th Mar, I got the movers to send me a couple of guys to our house in PJ to help move down the things we want to give away or sell off... My parents have already found a family (mother with two daughters) who will find some of our stuff quite useful, so we are giving them a bunk bed, a queen size bed, a stand mirror, and our 2+2+1+1 black leather sofa set. So, anyway, moved all the stuff from upstairs to downstairs (outside, where it will sit temporarily, waiting to be moved or chucked away) on Sat morning, and then spent most of the rest of the day, until 3.30pm, TIDYING UP the upstairs. Sorting out cupboards, throwing away junk, etc. It was RATHER tiring.
4.30pm set off for a friends house in Melawati, where we were having a surprise birthday party for another friend. Dropped my parents off at their friends house in the same area, so that they could do some visiting while I was stuffing my face at the party. It was a very good evening... lots of talk, noise, laughing, eating, etc. Left around 10.00pm, after picking up my parents, took a night drive through KL city, and got home around 10.35pm.
Now I am back home in MK Pines, doing exciting stuff like the laundry :-) and then going to put my feet up and relax for a while.
To all of you out there, hope you had a good weekend, and hope you have a great week ahead too!
PS: Had to insert this picture, which is just one view from the balcony of our apartment in Armanee. Can you just about see the KLCC towers in the distance? Enjoy!
Let's see, Tuesday 13th March, Husband drove down to SG again, for meetings. On Friday 16th I took the late afternoon bus to SG, (Aeroline, I would recommmend them anytime), arriving late evening. Saturday we went for a friends wedding (Congratulations to Martin Oliver and his truly lovely wife, Jasmine), where, would you believe it, I bumped into someone whom I worked with in 1982 and have never seen since!! In fact, it's kinda scary, the number of people I've been bumping into over the last two weeks, who I have not seen for 20 years or more. though I must say it IS nice that we still recognise each other - obviously we have not changed too much :-)
So, as you can imagine, the last two weeks have been a trip down memory lane! Ex-colleagues from UMBC days, and an ex-colleague from Business Girl days in SG. The world is VERY small indeed.
We left SG very early on 18th morning to head back to KL... and on Tuesday 20th March Husband had to head back to SG again!!! Dual purpose trip this time - he has a whole load of meetings from 20th afternoon all the way through to 31st March AND, on 24th March he had to empty out our water bed in the apartment in SG, in preparation for having everything packed up on 26th March for bringing back to KL. He'll be back in KL hopefully either 30th or 31st March, after handing the keys to the apartment back to the agent, while our stuff from SG will be delivered on Sat 31st March.
In parallel, in KL, on 24th Mar, I got the movers to send me a couple of guys to our house in PJ to help move down the things we want to give away or sell off... My parents have already found a family (mother with two daughters) who will find some of our stuff quite useful, so we are giving them a bunk bed, a queen size bed, a stand mirror, and our 2+2+1+1 black leather sofa set. So, anyway, moved all the stuff from upstairs to downstairs (outside, where it will sit temporarily, waiting to be moved or chucked away) on Sat morning, and then spent most of the rest of the day, until 3.30pm, TIDYING UP the upstairs. Sorting out cupboards, throwing away junk, etc. It was RATHER tiring.
4.30pm set off for a friends house in Melawati, where we were having a surprise birthday party for another friend. Dropped my parents off at their friends house in the same area, so that they could do some visiting while I was stuffing my face at the party. It was a very good evening... lots of talk, noise, laughing, eating, etc. Left around 10.00pm, after picking up my parents, took a night drive through KL city, and got home around 10.35pm.
Now I am back home in MK Pines, doing exciting stuff like the laundry :-) and then going to put my feet up and relax for a while.
To all of you out there, hope you had a good weekend, and hope you have a great week ahead too!
PS: Had to insert this picture, which is just one view from the balcony of our apartment in Armanee. Can you just about see the KLCC towers in the distance? Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Our new condo at Armanee
Yep, you guessed it, we got the keys :-) FINALLY!!!
Actually, we got the letter from the developer on 22nd Feb (right after CNY), and we went in on 26th Feb (Monday) to make all the final payments. They then tried to make an appointment with us for the FOLLOWING week to pick up the keys... and Husband stood his ground and forced them to handover the keys immediately... so we were the first owners of Block B of Armanee Damansara Damai to get our keys.
Went straight there, and went up to our unit, and were TOTALLY blown away by the incredible view from our balcony. Let me say that the balcony is GORGEOUS, and the view, almost 270deg, is FANTASTIC. We can even see the KLCC Twin Towers in the distance!
Quality wise, to put it very simply, it is much better than the quality of the first two blocks (A & C). There is nothing in there that you would not replace in a renovation anyway, and everything else is minor stuff that Husband says he can do so easily. The only "major" defect, in that sense, is woodworm in one of the wooden strips that runs along the bottom of the wall in one of the bedrooms - and if you are planning on replacing it anyway, then even that is not an issue.
The area around there is pretty well developed - lots of shophouses with eating places, clinics, car workshops, small offices, service centres, mosque, super market, etc, etc, etc. The road works are slated to complete within the next few months (right now, I would say about 70% complete). There is a short 3km stretch left to finish. Though I must say that the traffic, despite the roadworks and jam, is still better than it used to be 3 years ago!
We have put it on the market, but are not quite decided if we do want to sell or not - we'll see how it goes. In fact we will be putting our Mont'Kiara Pines condo unit up for sale too. Anyone interested?
Other than that, I am happy to say that I have been steadily improving, healthwise. Work is getting more interesting and challenging. Husband and I are planning on moving to our house in PJ, see how it is living with my parents - mostly because we realised we just dont see enough of them or my sis and her family, or even my brother and his family... so by moving to PJ we hope to spend more time with all of them... and by end of the year, when our new condo unit in Mont'Kiara is ready, we can decide if we want to move again or not. See how lah!
Right now we are sorting out moving our stuff back from Sinjapoh to PJ, and from Mont'Kiara to PJ; working with the agent to see if we can sell Armanee and Pines; trying to sort out our financial life to simplify it as much as possible - target is for me to retire too :-)
Had some friends over for dinner last Friday - Husband did his specialty roast leg of lamb, and was told by our guests that it was "To die for". That, followed by steamed syrup pudding with custard for dessert kinda soothed the soul.
Saturday Husband and I, together with my sis and her husband, went to Damansara Village Steamboat to meet up with friends for dinner. 4 of us, LOTS of food, EXCELLENT FRESH sea-food and noodles and quail egg and loads of big bottles of beer, fried dumplings, chicken and beef satay, and the list goes on. I have to say the quality of the food was absolutely excellent - and bearing in mind that I am not normally a steamboat fan - we thoroughly enjoyed the dinner and the company. Met at 7.30pm and we kept talking and eating and talking and eating and never noticed the passing of time. Finally broke up our meet and eat session close to midnight. It was a really good good evening. For the 8 of us, the entire bill worked out to only RM50 per head! Excellent value for money.
If you are interested in trying it out:
- Damansara Village Steamboat, No. 1067 Jln Jenjarum, Kg Sg Kayu Ara, Off Jln SS23/10, 47400 PJ.
- Tel: +603-78031832.
- Business hours is 5.30pm to midnight every day.
Well, that's it for now. Wish us luck for our move back to PJ, and for selling our condos. Of course, if you know anyone interested in acquiring a condo in either Mont'Kiara or Damansara Damai, do let me know.
Have a fantastic March.
Actually, we got the letter from the developer on 22nd Feb (right after CNY), and we went in on 26th Feb (Monday) to make all the final payments. They then tried to make an appointment with us for the FOLLOWING week to pick up the keys... and Husband stood his ground and forced them to handover the keys immediately... so we were the first owners of Block B of Armanee Damansara Damai to get our keys.
Went straight there, and went up to our unit, and were TOTALLY blown away by the incredible view from our balcony. Let me say that the balcony is GORGEOUS, and the view, almost 270deg, is FANTASTIC. We can even see the KLCC Twin Towers in the distance!
Quality wise, to put it very simply, it is much better than the quality of the first two blocks (A & C). There is nothing in there that you would not replace in a renovation anyway, and everything else is minor stuff that Husband says he can do so easily. The only "major" defect, in that sense, is woodworm in one of the wooden strips that runs along the bottom of the wall in one of the bedrooms - and if you are planning on replacing it anyway, then even that is not an issue.
The area around there is pretty well developed - lots of shophouses with eating places, clinics, car workshops, small offices, service centres, mosque, super market, etc, etc, etc. The road works are slated to complete within the next few months (right now, I would say about 70% complete). There is a short 3km stretch left to finish. Though I must say that the traffic, despite the roadworks and jam, is still better than it used to be 3 years ago!
We have put it on the market, but are not quite decided if we do want to sell or not - we'll see how it goes. In fact we will be putting our Mont'Kiara Pines condo unit up for sale too. Anyone interested?
Other than that, I am happy to say that I have been steadily improving, healthwise. Work is getting more interesting and challenging. Husband and I are planning on moving to our house in PJ, see how it is living with my parents - mostly because we realised we just dont see enough of them or my sis and her family, or even my brother and his family... so by moving to PJ we hope to spend more time with all of them... and by end of the year, when our new condo unit in Mont'Kiara is ready, we can decide if we want to move again or not. See how lah!
Right now we are sorting out moving our stuff back from Sinjapoh to PJ, and from Mont'Kiara to PJ; working with the agent to see if we can sell Armanee and Pines; trying to sort out our financial life to simplify it as much as possible - target is for me to retire too :-)
Had some friends over for dinner last Friday - Husband did his specialty roast leg of lamb, and was told by our guests that it was "To die for". That, followed by steamed syrup pudding with custard for dessert kinda soothed the soul.
Saturday Husband and I, together with my sis and her husband, went to Damansara Village Steamboat to meet up with friends for dinner. 4 of us, LOTS of food, EXCELLENT FRESH sea-food and noodles and quail egg and loads of big bottles of beer, fried dumplings, chicken and beef satay, and the list goes on. I have to say the quality of the food was absolutely excellent - and bearing in mind that I am not normally a steamboat fan - we thoroughly enjoyed the dinner and the company. Met at 7.30pm and we kept talking and eating and talking and eating and never noticed the passing of time. Finally broke up our meet and eat session close to midnight. It was a really good good evening. For the 8 of us, the entire bill worked out to only RM50 per head! Excellent value for money.
If you are interested in trying it out:
- Damansara Village Steamboat, No. 1067 Jln Jenjarum, Kg Sg Kayu Ara, Off Jln SS23/10, 47400 PJ.
- Tel: +603-78031832.
- Business hours is 5.30pm to midnight every day.
Well, that's it for now. Wish us luck for our move back to PJ, and for selling our condos. Of course, if you know anyone interested in acquiring a condo in either Mont'Kiara or Damansara Damai, do let me know.
Have a fantastic March.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
2 months into 2007 already!!
Why does time fly by so fast? We are already at the end of February 2007! So, what's been happening since my last update? Let's see..
Jan 18th - we drove to SG to attend the Il Divo concert. Easy drive, but quite sore for me, as I was still recovering from my fall. By the end of the four hours I was aching.... and then sat through 2 hours of the concert. It was exhausting, but worth it. We enjoyed the show thoroughly though I have to say that it was a tad LOUD and overwhelming in terms of volume at times. Luckily the group have strong enough voices to be heard over the music, but still.... LOUD.
Joined the gym in Feb, and in the first couple of weeks swam in their lovely heated indoor swimming pool, attended a couple of Pilates sessions (very enjoyable) and did a few rounds of circuit training. THEN on my Mum's birthday (10th Feb) I got a very painful sore throat and dry cough which ended up as a throat and chest infection which till TODAY I am still trying to recover from.
In fact, over Chinese New Year (when I had a lovely LONG weekend break from 17th to 21st Feb inclusive) I had gotten a LOT better... then went back to the office on 22nd and the cough was back with a vengeance. I think the aircon was what caused it! Yesterday (Sat) was pretty bad. I was feeling sick, shaky, migrainey, and coughing my lungs out... and with each cough my head felt like it would explode... sigh... I just hope that as the Year of the Pig progresses things will improve.
Husband has been kept pretty busy too, doing some work for a company in SG - including having to go to SG from 11 to 15th Feb to attend a series of meetings. Of course, this meant that he missed Valentine's Day... but then, every day with Husband is Valentine's Day, so it really doesn't matter :-)
Also, with any luck, we should be getting the keys to a condo we bought some time ago!! Once we get the keys we intend to put the condo on the market, so if anyone is interested, leave a comment on this blog :-) Where is the condo? It is right on the edge of PJ, just before Sg Buloh. It is called Armanee Condo, in Damansara Damai.... and to give you a short blurb on the property:
- High floor, overlooking forest reserve, corner unit, 2000+ sq ft, duplex.
- Lower level: entrance foyer, utility room, bathroom, sitting & dining room with wrap-around balcony, wet and dry kitchen areas with small balcony for laundry area
- Upper level: 3 bedrooms, family area with balcony. Master has en-suite, the other two bedrooms share a bathroom.
- 2 carparks
- The apartment is above the next block, so there is complete privacy as nobody is high enough to look into the apartment.
Why are we selling? Well, we were originally intending to live there. Then, while waiting for it, we moved to Husbands apartment in Mont'Kiara and we are now so used to living here, that we dont want to leave this area. Armanee Condo is actually quite lovely. The whole complex is beautifully done with really good facilities, and it is convenient to the NKVE and the LDP..... and if it wasnt for the fact that we are used to living where we are now, we would not hesitate to live in Armanee.
Price? Developer's price for corner unit ranged from RM520K to RM590K depending on which floor - the higher the floor, the higher the price. Our asking price is RM575K and it is negotiable. So, if anyone is interested, drop me a line.
In the meantime... to all our Chinese friends out there
GONG XI FA CAI . . . . . . KONG HEE FATT CHOY
and may the Year of the Boar be a truly joyful, healthy and prosperous year for ALL!
Jan 18th - we drove to SG to attend the Il Divo concert. Easy drive, but quite sore for me, as I was still recovering from my fall. By the end of the four hours I was aching.... and then sat through 2 hours of the concert. It was exhausting, but worth it. We enjoyed the show thoroughly though I have to say that it was a tad LOUD and overwhelming in terms of volume at times. Luckily the group have strong enough voices to be heard over the music, but still.... LOUD.
Joined the gym in Feb, and in the first couple of weeks swam in their lovely heated indoor swimming pool, attended a couple of Pilates sessions (very enjoyable) and did a few rounds of circuit training. THEN on my Mum's birthday (10th Feb) I got a very painful sore throat and dry cough which ended up as a throat and chest infection which till TODAY I am still trying to recover from.
In fact, over Chinese New Year (when I had a lovely LONG weekend break from 17th to 21st Feb inclusive) I had gotten a LOT better... then went back to the office on 22nd and the cough was back with a vengeance. I think the aircon was what caused it! Yesterday (Sat) was pretty bad. I was feeling sick, shaky, migrainey, and coughing my lungs out... and with each cough my head felt like it would explode... sigh... I just hope that as the Year of the Pig progresses things will improve.
Husband has been kept pretty busy too, doing some work for a company in SG - including having to go to SG from 11 to 15th Feb to attend a series of meetings. Of course, this meant that he missed Valentine's Day... but then, every day with Husband is Valentine's Day, so it really doesn't matter :-)
Also, with any luck, we should be getting the keys to a condo we bought some time ago!! Once we get the keys we intend to put the condo on the market, so if anyone is interested, leave a comment on this blog :-) Where is the condo? It is right on the edge of PJ, just before Sg Buloh. It is called Armanee Condo, in Damansara Damai.... and to give you a short blurb on the property:
- High floor, overlooking forest reserve, corner unit, 2000+ sq ft, duplex.
- Lower level: entrance foyer, utility room, bathroom, sitting & dining room with wrap-around balcony, wet and dry kitchen areas with small balcony for laundry area
- Upper level: 3 bedrooms, family area with balcony. Master has en-suite, the other two bedrooms share a bathroom.
- 2 carparks
- The apartment is above the next block, so there is complete privacy as nobody is high enough to look into the apartment.
Why are we selling? Well, we were originally intending to live there. Then, while waiting for it, we moved to Husbands apartment in Mont'Kiara and we are now so used to living here, that we dont want to leave this area. Armanee Condo is actually quite lovely. The whole complex is beautifully done with really good facilities, and it is convenient to the NKVE and the LDP..... and if it wasnt for the fact that we are used to living where we are now, we would not hesitate to live in Armanee.
Price? Developer's price for corner unit ranged from RM520K to RM590K depending on which floor - the higher the floor, the higher the price. Our asking price is RM575K and it is negotiable. So, if anyone is interested, drop me a line.
In the meantime... to all our Chinese friends out there
GONG XI FA CAI . . . . . . KONG HEE FATT CHOY
and may the Year of the Boar be a truly joyful, healthy and prosperous year for ALL!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Sending my Sera for servicing and fixing.
Phew, I have a reader (Wango) in Singapore! It amazed me that an unknown person actually reads my blog! His question to me was where do I send my Sera for servicing, so I thought that, instead of just answering him (one person) I might as well put it up here, so that anyone else who is interested can also go there.
My little Sera, when we bought her, needed a lot of fixing up and we had her majorly repaired and overhauled at TOM'S TOYOTA AND LEXUS SPECIALISTS in Bangsar. Their address is 80, Jalan Maarof, Bangsar Baru, 59100 KL. Telephone numbers: +603-22822939/4899.
We have been going to them for the last couple of years - starting from when we bought our Lexus LX470 at the beginning of 2005. We had a strange problem with the Lexus where, if you were driving very slow, ONCE IN A WHILE the engine would just cut out. We sent it back to where we purchased it, and they had it for 3 days and claimed to have fixed it, but the same thing happened again! So, we had seen TOM'S when driving in Bangsar so we figured, what the heck, let's give them a try - and, YES, they DID find out what was wrong and they DID fix it - within ONE day! Since then, we have been taking our Lexus there for regular service and, of course, when we got my little Sera and it needed a lot of work, we did not even consider sending her anywhere else and, yes, we will also be sending her there for regular servicing.
They are also reasonably priced and I like the fact that they do not try and push all new parts at you. To give you an example... the entire power steering rack on my Sera was in bad shape. To put a NEW one in would have cost more than RM4K... they went and sourced a place that specialises in FIXING power steering racks and that cost less than RM800!
Of course, for cars like the Sera, bear in mind that a lot of the specialist parts (eg, windscreen, hydraulic door supports, etc) have to come from Japan... and that can take up to 3 months. I am still waiting for my windscreen and hydraulics to come in - probably by mid Feb... so as long as you are prepared for that, there is no issue.
Of course for any Singaporean thinking of bringing their cars here to get it serviced.. YES, IT IS A LOT CHEAPER than in Singapore. Even when we were in Singapore and driving a Lexus ES300 there, we used to come back to KL to get it serviced at Toyota as it was SO MUCH cheaper in terms of PARTS AND SERVICE. In fact, the Sera that we had in Singapore ALSO was serviced regularly in KL - even if you dont know where to go you can always go to Toyota themselves, and they do give excellent service.
So, Wango, and anyone else reading this who wants a good service centre, you can go to Tom's (they do ALL cars, not just Toyota and Lexus) and, of course if you have a Toyota or Lexus you can go to Toyota themselves (good big centre in PJ). Either way you will get excellent service.... though maybe Tom's is just a little bit more personal. Good luck!
My little Sera, when we bought her, needed a lot of fixing up and we had her majorly repaired and overhauled at TOM'S TOYOTA AND LEXUS SPECIALISTS in Bangsar. Their address is 80, Jalan Maarof, Bangsar Baru, 59100 KL. Telephone numbers: +603-22822939/4899.
We have been going to them for the last couple of years - starting from when we bought our Lexus LX470 at the beginning of 2005. We had a strange problem with the Lexus where, if you were driving very slow, ONCE IN A WHILE the engine would just cut out. We sent it back to where we purchased it, and they had it for 3 days and claimed to have fixed it, but the same thing happened again! So, we had seen TOM'S when driving in Bangsar so we figured, what the heck, let's give them a try - and, YES, they DID find out what was wrong and they DID fix it - within ONE day! Since then, we have been taking our Lexus there for regular service and, of course, when we got my little Sera and it needed a lot of work, we did not even consider sending her anywhere else and, yes, we will also be sending her there for regular servicing.
They are also reasonably priced and I like the fact that they do not try and push all new parts at you. To give you an example... the entire power steering rack on my Sera was in bad shape. To put a NEW one in would have cost more than RM4K... they went and sourced a place that specialises in FIXING power steering racks and that cost less than RM800!
Of course, for cars like the Sera, bear in mind that a lot of the specialist parts (eg, windscreen, hydraulic door supports, etc) have to come from Japan... and that can take up to 3 months. I am still waiting for my windscreen and hydraulics to come in - probably by mid Feb... so as long as you are prepared for that, there is no issue.
Of course for any Singaporean thinking of bringing their cars here to get it serviced.. YES, IT IS A LOT CHEAPER than in Singapore. Even when we were in Singapore and driving a Lexus ES300 there, we used to come back to KL to get it serviced at Toyota as it was SO MUCH cheaper in terms of PARTS AND SERVICE. In fact, the Sera that we had in Singapore ALSO was serviced regularly in KL - even if you dont know where to go you can always go to Toyota themselves, and they do give excellent service.
So, Wango, and anyone else reading this who wants a good service centre, you can go to Tom's (they do ALL cars, not just Toyota and Lexus) and, of course if you have a Toyota or Lexus you can go to Toyota themselves (good big centre in PJ). Either way you will get excellent service.... though maybe Tom's is just a little bit more personal. Good luck!
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Getting better... slowly but steadily
Went back to work yesterday and by noon my back and hip were sore and it was painful to sit or stand. Had to leave the office by 2.30pm and drive myself back home - luckily husband was waiting for me so he could help me out of the car! Lay down for 2 hours before the pain went down a bit.
Today was much better though. It was more like 4.00pm before my back and hip started acting up! Left the office at 4.40pm as I didn't want to run the risk of sitting in a traffic jam while feeling so sore! At this rate, it looks like life should be almost back to normal for me by tomorrow... but tonight I am missing a departmental get together at the Shangri-La... sigh... but I knew I would not be able to sit for dinner and then try and drive myself home!
Thursday should be interesting - as we are driving to SG in the afternoon, and that will require me to stay seated for 4 hours... ouch! Ah well, at least it is a comfortable car, and at least when driving we CAN stop and stretch every so often.
Well folks, that's the latest for now. Hope you are all having a better start to the new year than I had! If not, here's wishing you all a great rest of the year. :-)
Today was much better though. It was more like 4.00pm before my back and hip started acting up! Left the office at 4.40pm as I didn't want to run the risk of sitting in a traffic jam while feeling so sore! At this rate, it looks like life should be almost back to normal for me by tomorrow... but tonight I am missing a departmental get together at the Shangri-La... sigh... but I knew I would not be able to sit for dinner and then try and drive myself home!
Thursday should be interesting - as we are driving to SG in the afternoon, and that will require me to stay seated for 4 hours... ouch! Ah well, at least it is a comfortable car, and at least when driving we CAN stop and stretch every so often.
Well folks, that's the latest for now. Hope you are all having a better start to the new year than I had! If not, here's wishing you all a great rest of the year. :-)
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Honesty is NOT dead after all.
Yesterday, a very good friend of mine, who is currently in Singapore, came to KL with her sister for a short weekend break. They flew in and, on my advice, took a KLIA Airport Taxi to come to our place. They arrived at our doorstep at 10.35pm in a state of some panic - as my friend stepped out of the cab, it seemed that her wallet had fallen out of her handbag, and she had not noticed it until they were in the lift coming up to our apartment. The money in the wallet wasn't the issue - it was her 2 credit cards (one expiring in 2 months, and the replacement for it), her ATM card AND (worst of all) her Singapore PR card.
Luckily, she still had the little Taxi Stub on which they write the taxi number and which gave a 1-300 number to call.... so I called the number and they immediately told me to call their Lost and Found dept at +603-87873678, which I did. It took several attempts to get through and 20 minutes had passed by the time I got through and spoke to a lady called Linda and explained the situation to her and gave her the taxi number. She promised to call me back as soon as possible... so I hung up and we waited with bated breath.
Five minutes later I spoke to her again (yes, I called HER - my impatience rearing up!), and she said that she had spoken to the driver and he had said that since he was already on the highway, where you cant simply pull up at the side of the road, he had to find somewhere safe to stop before he could check. She was just waiting for him to call her as soon as he could do that. So... back to waiting again.
Would you believe, in another FIVE minutes, she called back to say YES, the wallet was in his car and he had it with him. She also explained that if he turned around and came back immediately, it was company policy that we must pay for another ticket (ie, another RM66.60 which was the the cost of the ride from KLIA to Mont'Kiara). Of course, as you can imagine, we were more than ready to pay that and more!!!
So, to cut the rest of the story short, by 11.40pm (just over one hour after they had arrived at our apartment in the first place) my friend was once again in possession of her wallet - with EVERYTHING intact. She happily paid up the ticket fare and more, as she was just so happy and relieved.
So, folks, this is a Thank you to GOD, for answering our prayers, to LINDA of KLIA Taxi Lost and Found, and to the Malay gentleman who was the driver of Airport Taxi 1940. My faith in human nature has been somewhat restored ......
Luckily, she still had the little Taxi Stub on which they write the taxi number and which gave a 1-300 number to call.... so I called the number and they immediately told me to call their Lost and Found dept at +603-87873678, which I did. It took several attempts to get through and 20 minutes had passed by the time I got through and spoke to a lady called Linda and explained the situation to her and gave her the taxi number. She promised to call me back as soon as possible... so I hung up and we waited with bated breath.
Five minutes later I spoke to her again (yes, I called HER - my impatience rearing up!), and she said that she had spoken to the driver and he had said that since he was already on the highway, where you cant simply pull up at the side of the road, he had to find somewhere safe to stop before he could check. She was just waiting for him to call her as soon as he could do that. So... back to waiting again.
Would you believe, in another FIVE minutes, she called back to say YES, the wallet was in his car and he had it with him. She also explained that if he turned around and came back immediately, it was company policy that we must pay for another ticket (ie, another RM66.60 which was the the cost of the ride from KLIA to Mont'Kiara). Of course, as you can imagine, we were more than ready to pay that and more!!!
So, to cut the rest of the story short, by 11.40pm (just over one hour after they had arrived at our apartment in the first place) my friend was once again in possession of her wallet - with EVERYTHING intact. She happily paid up the ticket fare and more, as she was just so happy and relieved.
So, folks, this is a Thank you to GOD, for answering our prayers, to LINDA of KLIA Taxi Lost and Found, and to the Malay gentleman who was the driver of Airport Taxi 1940. My faith in human nature has been somewhat restored ......
Friday, January 12, 2007
It's been a weird (and painful) week for me
This is the first time this week that I have been able to sit for long enough that I can actually update my blog. Why? Well, on Monday 8th Jan, I left my office in Menara Citibank, and walked to the next-door building (MCA) where I park my car. In between the two buildings is this lovely and TYPICAL piece of Malaysian workmanship - a steeply sloped pavement with slippery tiles. It had been raining that day, so the tiles were even more slippery than usual so, yes, I went slip-sliding, landed up on my left hip and bum - VERY VERY painful! I got myself up, hobbled to my car, practically fell into it, and drove myself home. THANK GOD for automatic gear shift. I could not have done it with a manual gear shift.
Got myself home and parked the car, then had to call Husband to come and get me OUT of the car, as I just could not manage. He had to come out with a pair of flat sandals for me, open my car door (my little car's door opens upwards, and I just could not open it as my back would not allow me to do so), hold my handbag, wait while I used arm strength to lift my legs out of the car, put on the flat sandals, and then he had to pull me into a standing position and let me lean on him to walk to our apartment. MAN, talk about PAINFUL!!!!!
Went to the doctor on Tuesday morning - it is actually only a 7 minute walk, but we had to drive as I could barely hobble for 1 minute, let alone 7! Luckily the doctor has an x-ray machine, so she was able to confirm that there were no fractures, and that I had NOT landed on my spine. My left pelvic bone and the muscles from above the waist down to the hip had taken the brunt of the fall and the muscles had gone into a spasm and locked up. So, dosed up on an anti-inflammatory muscle relaxant and pain-killers I headed home.
Husband has been spoiling me absolutely ROTTEN since then. 3 home cooked meals a day and anytime I need anything he will get it for me. I am SO lucky! My sister and her two boys came to visit on Tuesday evening, by which time I could move around, very very slowly, a couple of minutes at a time, and my parents came on Wednesday (with some lovely flowers). Husband had cooked dinner for all of us, and it was, as usual, delicious and we all ate too much.
Ironically, the most painful thing to do is to SIT! Lying down takes all the pressure off the inflamed muscles, so it is not painful (though I can't turn over once I have lain down and getting up is quite nerve racking). Walking slowly for a minute or so seems to be tolerable pain. But SITTING DOWN - phew. That hurts.... and that is why I said above, today at 4.00pm is the first time I have been able to sit without hurting too badly! I tell you, it is a HUGE relief. Hopefully by Sunday evening I will have fully recovered, as there is work to do.. and I hate it when work just piles up!
Apart from that, this week has been quite a sad one. A friend of my parents just passed away on Tuesday, and then the mother of a good friend of mine passed away on Wednesday, after a long hard battle with cancer. I am glad for her that her pain and suffering is over, but it is still hard to lose anyone, let alone a PARENT! And, another friends mother just passed away today! G & L - our prayers are with you both and your respective families at this time.
Well, on that sad note, I shall close for now. I hope that wherever you are, you are safe, healthy, and happy. Till next time....
Got myself home and parked the car, then had to call Husband to come and get me OUT of the car, as I just could not manage. He had to come out with a pair of flat sandals for me, open my car door (my little car's door opens upwards, and I just could not open it as my back would not allow me to do so), hold my handbag, wait while I used arm strength to lift my legs out of the car, put on the flat sandals, and then he had to pull me into a standing position and let me lean on him to walk to our apartment. MAN, talk about PAINFUL!!!!!
Went to the doctor on Tuesday morning - it is actually only a 7 minute walk, but we had to drive as I could barely hobble for 1 minute, let alone 7! Luckily the doctor has an x-ray machine, so she was able to confirm that there were no fractures, and that I had NOT landed on my spine. My left pelvic bone and the muscles from above the waist down to the hip had taken the brunt of the fall and the muscles had gone into a spasm and locked up. So, dosed up on an anti-inflammatory muscle relaxant and pain-killers I headed home.
Husband has been spoiling me absolutely ROTTEN since then. 3 home cooked meals a day and anytime I need anything he will get it for me. I am SO lucky! My sister and her two boys came to visit on Tuesday evening, by which time I could move around, very very slowly, a couple of minutes at a time, and my parents came on Wednesday (with some lovely flowers). Husband had cooked dinner for all of us, and it was, as usual, delicious and we all ate too much.
Ironically, the most painful thing to do is to SIT! Lying down takes all the pressure off the inflamed muscles, so it is not painful (though I can't turn over once I have lain down and getting up is quite nerve racking). Walking slowly for a minute or so seems to be tolerable pain. But SITTING DOWN - phew. That hurts.... and that is why I said above, today at 4.00pm is the first time I have been able to sit without hurting too badly! I tell you, it is a HUGE relief. Hopefully by Sunday evening I will have fully recovered, as there is work to do.. and I hate it when work just piles up!
Apart from that, this week has been quite a sad one. A friend of my parents just passed away on Tuesday, and then the mother of a good friend of mine passed away on Wednesday, after a long hard battle with cancer. I am glad for her that her pain and suffering is over, but it is still hard to lose anyone, let alone a PARENT! And, another friends mother just passed away today! G & L - our prayers are with you both and your respective families at this time.
Well, on that sad note, I shall close for now. I hope that wherever you are, you are safe, healthy, and happy. Till next time....
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL
Yep, 2006 is well and truly over and we are already coming to the end of the second day of 2007. I'm sure you have all noticed that, as you get older, the years go faster and faster. The best explanation I have ever heard for that is that, when you are young, say 5 years old, a year is TWENTY PERCENT of your life! That is a HUGE chunk..... and then, each year, that percentage goes down and down and down... till it is such a tiny, tiny part of your life, and it just zooms by!
We have all had a lovely loooooooong weekend here in Malaysia and Singapore - from Saturday 30th Dec to Tuesday 2nd Jan inclusive - and I'm sure a lot of you, like me, are groaning about the fact we have to go to work tomorrow! Ah well, all good things do come to a close, but don't forget that there are lots of things to appreciate and look forward to as well - the fact that we have family, friends, a JOB, more public holidays, etc, etc, etc...
My next thing to look forward to is that Husband and I are going to go and see Il Divo (my absolute favourite bunch of singers) in Singapore on 18th Jan evening. Why Singapore, when I could see them in KL two days earlier? Well, for one thing, the cheapest tickets in KL and the most expensive tickets in SG cost pretty much the same, and, since it IS Il Divo we are talking about, I want the most expensive tickets and I am NOT willing to pay RM1500 per person (so RM3000 by the time I get tickets for my husband AND myself).... ergo, go see them in SG, where the cost of the best tickets, travel (we are driving there and back) and hotel is STILL cheaper than the cost of just the best tickets in KL!! And we get the chance to have a short break as well as meet up with our friends in SG too.
Anyway... to all my friends out there, may 2007 be a truly fantastic year for all, filled with joy, love, blessings, and great good fortune. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
We have all had a lovely loooooooong weekend here in Malaysia and Singapore - from Saturday 30th Dec to Tuesday 2nd Jan inclusive - and I'm sure a lot of you, like me, are groaning about the fact we have to go to work tomorrow! Ah well, all good things do come to a close, but don't forget that there are lots of things to appreciate and look forward to as well - the fact that we have family, friends, a JOB, more public holidays, etc, etc, etc...
My next thing to look forward to is that Husband and I are going to go and see Il Divo (my absolute favourite bunch of singers) in Singapore on 18th Jan evening. Why Singapore, when I could see them in KL two days earlier? Well, for one thing, the cheapest tickets in KL and the most expensive tickets in SG cost pretty much the same, and, since it IS Il Divo we are talking about, I want the most expensive tickets and I am NOT willing to pay RM1500 per person (so RM3000 by the time I get tickets for my husband AND myself).... ergo, go see them in SG, where the cost of the best tickets, travel (we are driving there and back) and hotel is STILL cheaper than the cost of just the best tickets in KL!! And we get the chance to have a short break as well as meet up with our friends in SG too.
Anyway... to all my friends out there, may 2007 be a truly fantastic year for all, filled with joy, love, blessings, and great good fortune. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
