Like royal. (PART III)

I've always had an eye for strange things.
When I look at an object or place, very often,
I'll discover things that 'normal people' don't notice.

For example,
one fine morning, on the Honeymoon Island,
I decided to go for a morning walk near my chalet.

The faint sound of the nearby waves gently hitting
the seashore was super therapeutic and calming.

Suddenly, I decided to look up. This is what I saw:


Two love birds on the roof of my chalet.
Maybe they too are on a honeymoon. Hehe.


For the presentation,
I was scheduled to be the second to present.
Having worked till late for weeks preparing for it,
It took only about 20 minutes to present.
Was super relieved when it was over. It went pretty well.

Anyway, I was happy I get to sit back and
enjoy the rest of my trip while others still
feel nervous about their presentation.

From the 2nd day onwards,
I didn't bother using the buggy dy.
The resort has limited buggies to cater to everyone.
So, I opted for a bicycle instead.
Haha. Yup. Cycled here, there, and everywhere
on the island for 4 days. It was fun. And great exercise too.

See my red bike? =)



On the 3rd day, I woke up late.
Rushed out of my room, and
cycled like a mad woman to grab a quick breakfast
before going to the conference hall.

Below is the seaside restaurant
where I had most of my meals.



While I was busy stuffing bacons and scrambled eggs
into my mouth, suddenly, I heard 'Honeymoon King's' wife,
(let's call her - 'Honeymoon Queen') shouting.

"Dolphins, dolphins!"

Time stood still for a while.
It took me a few seconds to register what she was saying.
Then, I looked out into the ocean at where she pointed,

There, I saw them.
Not just one, not two, not three....
but SEVEN dolphins.

It was such a great moment.
My only regret was not having
my camera with me to capture the moment.

The dolphins were swimming so near to the restaurant!
Cute greyish blue creatures
in the light bluish green ocean.
Nice.

Needless to say, I was glad I woke up late that day.
(I saw them again after I finished my breakfast.
They were hanging around the red round floats -
probably playing with them, like water volleyball).

It was my first time seeing dolphins.
And at such a short distance! God is so good to me.
=)


Anyway, the climax of my 'business trip'
will be posted in Part IV (the last part of Like royal).
Till then, enjoy the pictures of the island:


A corridor from the conference hall to the pool area.
If you look closely, you'll see a tree grown
in between one of the beams.
Told you I notice weird things. Haha.



A 'gazebo-looking' building by the poolside.



Pool area.


On the 2nd day of my trip, I was super semangat.
Woke up at 5am, wanted to watch the sunrise.
(But silly lah, I later realised that I was on the
wrong side of the island!) HAHA.

While waiting for the sun, I took the below pictures:







I named this last picture 'Devil-In-Disguise Chalet'.
Check out its fiery 'eyes' (windows) and 'horns'.

Please... No More...

WHAT!
I just found out that Malaysia is playing Chelsea tonight.

Why can't they just lay low?
And not have these sort of 'friendly' matches anymore?

So embarassing.
I have never heard them won before you know?
When was the last time they win a match?
1950s? 1960s? Does anyone know?

Anyway, I want to be proud to be Malaysian-lah.
But if we lose to Chelsea like 10 - 0 how?
WHERE TO FREAKIN' HIDE MY FACE?

Argh... fingers crossed that
Chelsea players will save us a little face.
"Please don't score so many goals ah..."

On my way to work, the radio DJs wanted to discuss
10 ways Malaysia can win Chelsea tonight.

In my opinion,
there's only THREE ways Malaysia can win:

1. Chelsea kicks the ball into their own goal. (Realistic mistake)
2. In our dreams. (Unrealistic hope)
3. Miracle. (Unlikely incident)



* UPDATE
Oh, goodies.
Just got news that Chelsea beat Malaysia (2 - 0). Not too bad.

Like royal. (PART II)

Like I said in Part I,
the island is not small.


The picture above shows you the distance
from the jetty to the lobby.


Behind the lobby is a small hill.
You need to hike to get over to the other side.
The people who works there told me that's the side
where the sun rises every morning.
And the beach there is a lot nicer.
Quieter.


Did I hike to see the beautiful side of the island?
Nope. Couldn't be bothered.
HAHA. It was so darn hot ok?
I'm happy just exploring one side of the island,
this side also not bad what, got sunset mah.
Haha.


Once given the keys to my room,
they escorted me to the buggy again.
(You'll keep hearing me talk about the buggy,
because it's really QUITE far to walk from my room to
the conference hall).


Anyway, let me show you my 'room'.
Turns out, ROOM 2102 really means CHALET 2102!




Yes.
That whole block you're looking at was where I stayed.
ME ALONE. ONLY.
I was given the freakin' WHOLE CHALET to myself..
WOOHOO!


Upon entering the chalet, this is what you'll see:




Hmmm... it's a bit small in the picture, but if you
look carefully, you'll see a fresh fruit platter
on the table next to my bed.


Ahh... I'm sure you can tell by now that I had fun.


Anyway, the chalet came with a TV and a fridge
(all packed with water & soft drinks for me to drink
to my heart's content. At NO CHARGE of course).


Behind the wall where my bed is located,
is the walk-in wardrobe. Next to it is the toilet.
A relatively huge toilet.


Also, here's what I found out later on:
Some Creative Directors or Marketing Directors
from other agencies had to share rooms & beds!


BUT me, the little nobody, the only representative
from Malaysia had the whole chalet to myself.
Ahhh... Feels soooo good remembering that now.
Who says you have to be a big shot to enjoy a bigger space?


Anyway, after changing to something more 'island-friendly,
I called the lobby to send someone to pick me up for lunch.
Lazy to walk mah. Haha. Too much.
I could really get used to this kind of VVIP treatment.


Lunch was served by the seaside.
The thai lady who was assigned to take care of me
is called Orawan. That lunch, she ate with me.


Speaking of that seaside restaurant.
I had a spectacular 'unexpected' encounter there which
I must must must tell you. But will only let you know
what happened in the my next post.


During lunch,
Orawan told me briefly about my client, her boss,
the owner of the island - Kun XXX
(for his privacy, I won't reveal his name)
Let me give him a name - Honeymoon King.
Haha.


Initially I thought 'Kun' is my client's surname,
but Orawan explained to me that in Thai,
'Kun' is used to address someone you really respect
but don't know very well.


It is NOT an equivalent of 'Mr.' or 'Miss' because I heard
some Thai personnels greeting someone like this,
"Mr. Kun Benjamin".




The climax of my trip will be told
when I write about my meeting with the
Honeymoon King.


Trust me. It's really DRAMA one.
You'd never expect it.


Will tell you more and post more pictures in Part III.
Stay tuned.

Absence.

Oh great.
Just when I kicked start the engine
to blog regularly again, I fell sick.

It all started 2 days ago.
I had a sneezing frenzy since the morning.
By noon, I couldn't take it anymore.
My trash bin was packed with my mucus-inhabited tissues.
So I went downstairs to the clinic in my office building,
to consult a doctor.

This clinic is part of my office's panel doctor.
Meaning, when I go, I just have to give them
my name and office I'm working in.
No need to pay (they'll bill my office direct).

Here's my experience with the doctor
that's on duty that day/hour
(they have a few doctors rotating shift).

Doc: Hi, what's wrong with you?
Me: (AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO TELL ME!?)
I'm having a sneezing frenzy. Maybe flu is coming?

Doc: Oh! Must be allergy.
Me: Allergy to what?
(MIND YOU, he jumped to this conclusion
even before taking my blood pressure!)
Doc: Oh, could be anything. Anything also can cause allergy.
I have that problem also.

* WHAT! Seriously, I felt like he's just making assumptions.
I think I'm allergic to you, DOCTOR!

While taking my BP, he tested my temperature.

Doc: See? Everything is normal.
Me: Sniff sniff. But I really don't feel too well.

Doc: You don't have fever. You just have allergy.
Since you're scared, I'll give you flu medicine.
But I don't think you're sick.

Me: Can I have the rest of the day off?
Doc: You only have allergy lah. It's not contagious.
You want to have half day off
even if you're not so sick ah?

JUDGMENTAL like nobody's business.
My eyes were watery.
My nose was running like a tap.
My body felt hot inside cold outside.
And I'm sweating in AIR-CON ROOM!
Tell me! HOW CAN I NOT BE SICK?

You think I'm SO FREE to come down here to
CHEAT YOU OF A PATHETIC HALF-DAY MC?

I finally got half-day off.
That evening,
my body felt like it's being roasted on fire.
I broke into cold sweat from head to toe.
My whole body was aching.
And I only managed to sleep at 3am.
If this is not sick, tell me what it is!
IDIOTIC, UNSCRUPULOUS DOCTOR!




The next day (yesterday),
I couldn't get up from my bed.
My whole body was aching like mad.
And my world was spinning in my head.

Slept until noon.
Then fiance brought me to see my
favourite doctor nearby my place.

First thing he said when he saw me is this:

Good doc: Hi, long time no see! Very good!
Me: I laughed and said not so good lah.
(Refrained myself from telling him
my horrible encounter the day before)

Good doc: Let me check your pulse.

IMPORTANT:
Did you notice, he didn't ask me this:
"What's wrong with you?"

He then took out his gadgets.
All electronic and high-tech looking.
Pretty cool stuff.
Well, he's a young doctor, so I think
young people prefer high-tech stuff.

That aside,
after he checked my pulse and BP,
he said this:

Good doc: Oh! You BP is a bit low.
You should feel a bit dizzy.
Are you dizzy?
Me: (OH PRAISE THE LORD! I'm not crazy)
Yup, I am.

Good doc: Hmmm... heartbeat is rather fast.
This tells me your body is fighting.
Should be a virus attack.
Let me check your temperature.

Took out another electronic device,
tapped my neck left and right, and said:

Good doc: Temperature is a bit low.
Is your body aching all over?
Me: (OH THANK YOU for diagnosing correctly)
Yeah, I am. But keep sweating.

Good doc: Yes. It's normal.
All these are symptoms of viral fever.
Your body is fighting.
So, you'd feel dizzy, and your body will
sweat, ache, and even though your body temp is cold,
inside you'll feel very hot. (WHOA! BINGO!)

Do you have sorethroat?
Let me check.

After showing him my throat, he said:
A bit red.
Take more Vitamin Cs.
It'll help the fight.
If your body lose this fight,
you should anticipate high fever.
But LET'S PREVENT THIS.

Ok. we're done.
I'll write you an MC.
(Do I have to beg and argue for an MC?
NO! Why? Because this is a DOCTOR, not an ASSUMER)

I waited outside for my medicine.
When they called my name, I was feeling apprehensive.
Coz I saw so many medicine!
* But no antibiotic (I noticed he rarely gives that).

5 packs of medicine in total.
I saw some are imported from Australia and Singapore.
Wah, quickly check purse to see if got enough cash.

But when the nurse handed me the bill,
I was pleasantly surprised. RM50!
(I was expecting an exorbitant price)

My gosh! It's the normal price!
Some doctors who are so-so charges even more,
and gives local cheapskate medicine
(the ones in SS2 usually charges RM50 - RM60).

Ahh... my purse felt good after leaving that clinic.
And so did my body. =)

This good doc has restored my faith
in the medical industry once again.

* If you want to know where his clinic is,
let me know.

Weird people inspire blog posts.

I can't stand weird people.
In fact, this post is the result of my encounter with one of them.

(Even though I'm also not the most
'normal' human being around).

One Sunday,
after a good dose of praise & worship + sermon,
I waited for fiance after service while he answers nature's call,
Outside the hall was a huge 'after-church-service crowd'.

I stood there while staring into thin air
(Super tired due to lack of sleep).

Suddenly,
an unfamiliar voice called my name.

Before I can make out the source of the voice,
a lady whom I barely knew emerged from the crowd,
ran towards me, and said,
"Hey! I didn't know you got engaged."

DUDE! That was in February!
And who are you anyway?

Then, it all happened so quick.

Next thing you know,
without saying anything else, she grabbed my hand.
Stared at my engagement ring for a good 3 seconds or so.
Then let go of my hand and WENT OFF!

WHAT THE!
Pffttt!! So rude ok? No manners!
I can't stand weird people!

Like royal. (PART I)

An 'event' which I think is 'blogworthy'
was my trip to Phuket.
It wasn't a holiday but a business trip.
My first overseas trip representing my agency.

A very special client from Thailand
requested my company to send two representatives
to present fresh TVC ideas in
his new private island in Phuket.

Yes. You heard me right.
PRIVATE island.

So freakin' rich that he bought the island for himself.
(I thought these kind of purchase are only
popular amongst Hollywood celebrities).
Guess I'm wrong. Ha!

Anyway, he named the island "Honeymoon".
Haha.

So, besides my company, other agencies
from around the world that handles
his account were also invited.

According to his email, he specifically requested for
a GM and/or Creative Director or Group Head.

Who ended up going in the end?
Nope. Not the high-ranking big shot
but me - the erm, Copywriter.
And yes, I went ALONE.

Haha.
Don't ask me why my company decided
to send me. And me only.
My client actually offered to pay for everything for TWO.
Yet, company still decided to only send one representative.

Oh well, good also lah.
I got an all-expense-paid trip to a private island.
YIPPIE! So, off I went.

When I arrived at airport,
a thai lady assigned to take care of me
was already there.

She escorted me straight to the jetty,
Then, I was told we'll be going to the
private island by speed boat.

Speed boat! *Gulp.

Being a Sabahan,
islands are nothing foreign to me.
Back in my hometown, we also take speed boats
to the nearby islands.

But I was feeling stupid because I felt 'overdressed'.
Kept thinking I should have worn t-shirt and shorts lah.

This was the equation in my head:
SPEED BOAT = SPLASHING SEA WATER ALL OVER.
I thought I'd be soaked by the time I reach the island.

But when I arrived at the jetty,
that 'speed boat' turned out to be quite different
from what I expected.

It came with zipped-up transparent PVC 'windows'.
Much more luxurious and a little like the ones
you see in movies. Ahh... Classy.

Outcome:
Not a single drop of seawater landed on me.

About half an hour later, I arrived at Honeymoonn Island.
A lady in traditional Thai costume
was standing at the jetty, waiting for me.
She placed a flower ring around my neck,
and said, "Welcome to Honeymood Island."

Seriously, that moment felt like a scene
from the Amazing Race or something.
Haha. So funny.

She handed me a golden plate with lots of
cut-out bread cubes, pointed at the fish in the sea,
motioning me to help myself with feeding the fishies.

I glanced down.
That was when I realised just how
crystal clear the water was.
It was amazing.

After throwing a couple of handfuls of bread into the sea,
I hopped onto a buggy, which they used to
chauffeur me to the lobby.

The island isn't very big.
But it's definitely NOT small (more on that in next post).

Minutes after I arrived, I realised that 8 other countries
have sent their reps to that presentation.
I was the first to arrive.

So, I had the island to myself
for a few hours before they come.
Loved every minute of it.
=)


Psst... Stay tuned for Part II.

Rare disease.

I think I'm sick.

As a writer,
I read maybe more than 10,000 words a day.

Starting from 9am (on weekdays) till night,
my eyes will scan through, stare at and
speed read words. A lot of words.

So much so, by the time I reach home
at night. I feel so resistant to see, read or
even just catch a glimpse of ANY WORDS.

Which explains why I am so un-inspired to blog.
I don't even feel like typing, because I'll need to read what I typed.

I'm sick.
Hope this sickness goes away soon.
I make a living through words.

Help.

This is it.

This is my 200th post!
I made it. I persevered.

Perseverance pays.
A little like relationships sometimes.
First, you wait. --- Suffer like H-E-L-L
Then, you get together. --- Enjoy. But not for long.
Then, you stay on. And on. And on.
--- Suffer long time. Enjoy long time.

Spoke to my office receptionist this morning
while walking to the pantry to take water.

"My dear! You got engaged?" -- pointing at my ring.
"Haha... Yeah." -- nervous laughter, I'm so not used to this!

"I never had that, my father arranged my marriage." (She's Indian)
"He rushed everything..."

This is how he did it for her.
"First wednesday, the guy side came over." (To discuss marriage terms)
"Second wednesday, our side went over."
"Third wednesday, I finally met him."
"Fourth wednesday, we're married. One month only. Very fast."

Hhmmm... I wonder why Wednesdays ah. So weird.

Anyways, she never 'suffered' nor 'enjoyed' the waiting, and courtship.
I suffered... but now I enjoy. =)

Thank goodness my God and my father is not like her father.
Wouldn't want to rush these things.
They are meant to last for a lifetime.

A pat on my back. Yay.
So proud of myself.

When life gives you lemons, STARE.

Cravings for corn-in-a-cup led fiance and I

to the SS2 night market yesterday.

We ended up buying more than just corns.

While walking back to the car,

with my hands full, holding onto food and drinks,

a bunch of people suddenly pushed against me from the back.

Fiance was walking pretty far in front.

And I was left behind.

Suddenly, I felt my handbag being tugged.

Sensing something was amiss,

my immediate reaction was to turn around.

And stare.

Not even looking at anyone else from the group,

I stared at just one lady with a ponytail.

Time stood still for few seconds,

then suddenly she held up her right hand,

showing me her palm, she told me

in a strong china-chinese accent:

“我的手没有拿东西啊！”= "See, my hand's empty!"

WHAT THE... YOU THINK I'M STUPID OR WHAT?

It's like saying:

“此地无银三百两”= "I didn't steal anything"

I just kept staring at her,

while walking faster ahead to join fiance who's buying

sugarcane drink in front.

After she walked pass,

I told fiance,

"I almost got pickpocketed".

Reaching into my bag to check my belongings,

we discovered this (picture taken this morning):

It dawned onto us at that moment,

the severity of the whole event.

Her knife was so sharp,

it sliced through my bag (from front to back).

If I had placed my hand in front (I usually do),

it would have sliced my hand too.

My cut-opened DKNY bag contained:

RM130++ cash in purse
Two-week-old Sony Ericsson handphone
Handphone cover
House keys
Namecard holder
300ml water bottle
Office access card
Plaster

Pens

* Highlighted are my most priced possessions in bag.

MOMENT OF TRUTH

After rummaging through my bag,

I realised that I've lost nothing.

Nada. Zilch. Absolutely nothing was taken.

Praise the Lord.

After this episode,

remorseful fiance promised to walk beside me,

wherever I go.

Keep an eye on your belongings, ladies.
Try not to carry your bag when visiting

night markets or other crowded places.

And of course, don't ever underestimate

the power of a stare.

What's up?

This is gonna be a quick one.
In fact, I'm typing this because I need a breather.

After the engagement:
I've been swamped with work.

Plus:
Wedding plans are underway.
Editing the super blur proposal video is not easy
(yes, the whole 'Will You Marry Me' is recorded on a camera phone)
Renovations for the new house is up & coming .
(thank goodness I'm not the one who bought the house)
Money in the bank account takes forever to grow.

Argh! I cannot afford so many things at one time!


Conclusion:
Go ahead,
Get married.
Just don't go crazy doing that.

New name.

Well-deserving events that took place in February,
forced me to pen (er... type?) my thoughts down.
To pry into my not-so-secret experience, read on.

Since I was a baby, till I was about 15,
Chinese New Year's ang pow 'earnings'
get me around RM800 - RM1k++.

No thanks to George Soros,
since 1997, the ang pow 'market' plummetted to
a dismal average of RM600.
I even cried during 1998's CNY.
(Really, I did. I thought the end of the world was near).

This year, the tide has risen
(btw, so is the temperature of our mother earth).
My ang pow collection has once again reached the RM1k mark.
This is a good year.

=============================================================

Then, there's my birthday,
which took place on the 22nd.
What I won't forget would be my family's love.
+ SMSes of friends' birthday greetings.

=============================================================

Those were the highs.
But nothing beats the climax.
Just before the clock struck 12am on 22nd of Feb,
Bf decided not to be my bf anymore.

The result:
My fourth finger was introduced to a 'stone' called estrella.
And I'm engaged.

A new season of my life has just begun.
It's so daunting. So sudden. So overwhelming.
Yet so good.

I'm happy.
Fiancé, (ahem, notice the new identity) is happy.
Our parents are happy.

Hey! The world became a happier place now.
For now. =)

Hit it, Mr. DJ!

Lift up your hand.
Nod your head.
Repeat till dawn.
It's time to party, woohoo!

I'm going off for my Chinese New Year holidays.
Will be going back to the Land Below the Wind,
then to the Pearl of the Orient.

Ahh... can't wait.
My cravings for the steam groupers,
cheese crabs and deep-sea tiger prawns etc
are finally coming to an end.
Hallelujah!

Here's an early Happy Chinese New Year to all!

Gals. Keep it in.

Was eating sometime ago with a bunch of friends,
and the most unusual lunch topic came about:
Uterine prolapse - 子宫下垂

Uterine prolapse means
the uterus dropped from the pelvic into the vagina.
Mentioning it already sounds gross, can't believe we
were actually crazy enough to discuss it OVER LUNCH!

Anyway, the topic came about when I was telling my friends that
many women suffer from incontinence (losing control of the bladder,
e.g. accidentally wetting their pants, need to constantly pee etc).

And these women often think it comes with old age,
and it doesn't have a cure.
WRONG! Sometimes can cure one.

But I think maybe they think it's shameful.
So, don't dare to voice out or consult doctor.

There are many causes of incontinence,
one of them is uterine prolapse. Other factors include:
pregnancy, childbirth, hysterectomy etc.

In average, women have a higher chance of
getting this than men.

I heard many older women lock themselves in the house because
jumping, laughing, coughing or standing up after sitting down
can cause them to accidentally pee in their pants.
And, not surprisingly, they're often a very depressed group of people.

So, if you're a relatively young female reading this,
prevention is better than cure.

A word of advice (from a medical knowledge-limited brain)
Practise 5 minutes of Kegel exercise per day.

Let me explain.
Kegel exercise is an exercise for the pelvic muscle.

This is what you do:
When you go pee pee,
try to stop the flow of urine.
Squeeze your pelvic muscle.
Loosen, relax and pee.
Squeeze again.
Loosen.
Till you finish your pee.
Easy peasy. This'll help strengthen your pelvic muscle.

Another point to note.
I heard that forcing out your poop or pee
can also cause uterine prolapse in the long run.
So, take your time. Don't rush!


Guys, this post is not so relevant to you.
But it's good to know. =)

Boredom kills the brain. Blogging revives it.

Yup. I'm bored.
Not that I've already finished my work. Nope. I haven't.
Just that the people I work with had already gone home.
In short, work can't proceed.

Why do I stay back and not go home?
Very good question.
I'm waiting for my chauffeur of many years.

The cheapest and the most expensive chauffeur.

Cheapest.
Because he asks for little to no pay.
And occassionally does the work of a masseuse
when I have a sore neck.
He can't cook but he brings me to the food.
So the monster within me won't punch my stomach lining.
Also, my chauffeur never complains of
listening to me rant about work.

Yet, he's the most expensive chauffeur I'll ever have.
Because he can't be bought with silver or gold.
In exchange, he demands my loyalty, my faithfulness,
my love and my companionship
- in other words, almost everything I have.

Bf, faster finish up your work lah.
I feel so hungry dy. =(



Lesson to be learnt
Blogging keeps the brain active.
But doesn't pacify the tummy.