Thailand (Bangkok, Pattaya) - October / November 2012

Business Duration: 29th October 2012 – 1st November 2012 

Vacation: 2nd November 2012 – 6th November 2012 

Day 1: 29th October 2012 (Monday)

Time flies where it is again the moment for the yearly CDM Booster Meeting and this year, the selected location was in the capital of Thailand- Bangkok. Together with 2 of the CDM Data Managers from MAL, we boarded on MH788 at 12:25pm heading to the Suvarnabhumi Airport. The pre-booked limousine taxi was waiting for us at the exit on time with a placard. The check-in process in the hotel was rather slow but thankfully we were being served with some syrup drinks to quench our thirst while waited to get the room key. A stay at VIE- the 5 star boutique hotel located at Ratchathewi (within a walking distance to some major shopping spots such as Siam Discovery, Siam Paragon and MBK) was excellent offering scrumptious meals and outstanding services. The upgraded room with 76-81 m² having a large working space, two flat screen TVs, electronic safe and beautiful Jim Thompson silk furnishings, separate living room and shower room with separate bathtub including Aigner amenities was superb.

After some nearby walk-around and taking a break in the room, we need to get ready for the first meet-up dinner. There was this envelope placed through the door to each of our room by the hotel management, reminding us to gather at the hotel lobby for group dinner at 6.30pm. We have had participants from FI, TH, MY, SG, IN, HK, CN, AU, PH, AE, DE and again, I get to meet some new faces this time compared to last year. This first buffet dinner meant for ice-breaking was great and I am in love with some of the food such as Chuka Chinmi, Iidako, Chuka Kurage and Hiyashi Wakame (why does it sounds Japanese rather than Thai…lol)

Day 2: 30th October 2012 (Tuesday) 

The kick-off meeting started at 8.30am begins our day long discussion. It was often fattening to attend meetings as we were being well-served with breakfast, lunch, 2 tea breaks and dinner. The dinner was taken in one of the authentic Thai restaurant- Ban Khun Mae serving scrumptious local delights and typical Thai dishes. There was this impromptu role acting team building game led by our Chinese colleague (A game of Wolf, Witch, Villages, Prophet, and Guardian) where all of us were laughing merrily and enjoying throughout the session. 

Day 3: 31st October 2012 (Wednesday) 

The meeting begins at 9.00am and ending at 4.00pm enable us to conclude on various topics. Most of the participants departed gradually that evening leaving only few of us in VIE. A walk in the nearby shopping malls and dinner with some of the colleagues from KHK and CHN was pleasant in taking some topics off and beyond work. The items in the shopping malls were dazzling and pleasant to the eyes which will often caused one to overspend if the person is not well controlled. 

Day 4: 1st November 2012 (Thursday) 

A visit to the Thailand office located in Chatuchak is planned where I intend to meet up with some of the Thai colleagues which I have long liaised with but yet to have the chance to meet them face-to-face. Since the BTS system is very convenient where it connects almost every major city and due to the horribly congested road traffic in town, I decided to take the BTS instead of a taxi. However, the major concern was rather the communication hindrances whereby not all Thai speaks English. I have had a hard and difficult time communicating with the taxi driver but nevertheless, I arrived at the destination safe and sound. (Thanks to the Thai colleague who passed me a written map in Thai whereby I can show it to the taxi driver) 

Day 5: 2nd November 2012 (Friday)

As this business trip was coincidentally held just a day before my friend’s holiday trip planned a year ago, I therefore get a chance to enjoy my vacation with a group of 10 friends for the next 4 days. After checking out from VIE early in the morning at 7.30am, I needed to travel to Khaosan to meet them in view of the fact that a van was booked from Khaosan to Pattaya. Beach, blue sky and crowd, we finally arrived at Pattaya after a few hours ride. A relaxing day spent in Pattaya with a swim at the beach, leg massage, and strolling-around at the night market and walking street. 

Day 6: 3rd November 2012 (Saturday) 

The morning was still spent in Pattaya and we were backed to Bangkok around evening. After checking in the Sleep Withinn, we walked to the night market to settle our dinner. The choices around that area were rather disappointing where we could only get some similar foodstuffs along the street rather than being offered with a variety of choices. The night was spent in one of the bar having some cocktails and snacks where I get to taste the delicious cheese wanton. Everyone then return to their room for a good night rest preparing for a long shopping day tomorrow. 

Day 7: 4th November 2012 (Sunday)

I was once again backed to chatuchak but this time it is for shopping rather than for business! This weekend market is still as hot as before, so crowded and so happening. Couldn’t believe that most of the breakfasts were settled at 7-Eleven having their instant rice-burger, bento and yoghurt drinks to appease our hunger. But undeniably these are indeed delectable. However I am still unable to get myself much stuff in this market where I only get to buy not more than 5 items. Upon our return to the hotel, all of us were worn out. Nonetheless, an ad-hoc birthday cake from Swenson was bought to celebrate the birthday of dai lou. 

Day 8: 5th November 2012 (Monday)

This is the day where I get to witness the shopping spree of a group of shopaholic in Pratunam. With many bags of goods purchased, they are still able to grab more stuffs by hand carry. We took our lunch in the famous Cabbages & Condoms Restaurant (where every decoration was made by condoms) and then proceed to Terminal 21 for shopping. The concept of market streets of the world in different floors was excellently decorated with well-known city streets scene such as Rome, Paris, Tokyo, London, Istanbul, San Francisco and Hollywood. Since this is the last night for us to be in this lively city, we decided to watch some shows eventually. We bought the ticket to the ladyboy show- Calypso Cabaret at THB900 and proceeded to the destination with a boat ride. To my disappointment, the show was 85% similar compared to 4 years ago and nothing much changes. After the show, we still have sometime to shop around Asiatique before the shops were fully closed and off business for the day. After some discussion and contemplation, we finally decided to watch the live ping-pong show in one of the club down town. Photographs are strictly prohibited in there whereby holding on to your phone will also be suspected and reprimanded. The end of the show does caused us to ponder about life whereby living as a woman, they were to sacrifice themselves for a living while we should be thankful for what we have now. 

Day 9: 6th November 2012 (Tuesday) 

MH783 arriving back in KL at 8:20pm unfortunately ended my trip with much physical exhaustion rather than relaxation. However I am grateful to be able to enjoy my days with a group of crazy mates once again. Overall, this city looks rather the same compared to my last visit 4 years ago. One of the concern before the trip was non other than the unpredictable weather during this rainy season, but thankfully the weather turns out to be good for the whole journey where we get to enjoy our days there despite the burning hot sun shining above us. This is a trip full of coconut ice-cream, som-tam, coconut juice and pineapple drinks where I think I am gaining tons of weight this time. Of course with the 7-Elevan, we get to buy most of our “souvenirs”- the Lay’s Potato Chips….lol

幸福及喜之2012

The year of Dragon representing luck and prosperity to the Chinese have brought us many newly registered and newlywed couples. Hence a big congratulation to:

Mr. GWM & Ms. TTT on 12th May 2012 

Mr. NKC & Ms. LFH on 11th November 2012 

Mr. YWS & Ms. THY on 18th November 2012 

Mr. PYK & Ms. YXN on 24th November 2012 

Mr. LCY & Ms. LYP on 2nd December 2012 

Mr. AL & Ms. LPS on 9th December 2012 

Wishing all of you happily ever after~

Finland (Hyvinkää, Hämeenlinna) - September 2012

Duration: 18th September 2012 – 22nd September 2012 

Another trip to be 10647km away from home boarding on KLM, and flying 35000 altitude above sea level which took me almost 20 hours (including transit) to arrived at the land of the Santa Clause once again- the peaceful and beautiful Finland. Thankfully the trip was rather smooth without any flight delays or lost baggage this time. Nevertheless, this visit is not much better than the previous one whereby it took me 2 days boarding on the airplane to attend the 1.5 days’ team meeting and moving back to Malaysia even before I was able to adapt to the 7 hours jetlag. 

Day 1: 19th September 2012 

It was a rainy afternoon upon my arrival at the Helsinki Vantaa airport and the 49.9km journey to the hotel does cost € 82.70 (RM334.20) as usual. Rantasipi Sveitsi still looks the same offering good services and warm environment, and my tranquil lunch was taken alone in the restaurant having some steaks with my favourite milk (I asked for a glass but they provided me with a jug). 

Subsequent to the arrival of the other team members that evening, we gathered at the lobby and proceeded to the nearby town to have our dinner in one of the famous Tex-Mex restaurant- Amarillo. The ambience of the restaurant was excellent and relaxing whereby we sat there for hours engaging in some dialogues. 

Day 2: 20th September 2012 

The buffet breakfast in the hotel is still the same as past years serving different types of bread, cheese, ham, yoghurt and fruits. 8 persons with 3 cars departed from Rantasipi early in the morning and arriving at Hämeenlinna around 10:00am to begin the MDM conference. 

The face-to-face team event this time was organized in an old historical mansion of Vanajanlinna. (The history of Vanajanlinna Manor begins in 1918 when the estate of Vanajanlinna acquired by the family of Rosenlew. The house was built as a hunting lodge for Mr. Carl Wilhelm Rosenlew who wanted to hunt elk with his friends. Today Vanajanlinna Manor offers visitors accommodation, conference facilities, culinary delights in the restaurant, golf etc). The 2-stories cottage that we lodged was surprisingly big and spacious with 2 bedrooms, 1 kitchen, 1 living room with sofas + working desk, 2 bathrooms and an attached sauna room! As the hotel’s restaurant is located 300-400 meters away from our meeting and lodging place, we needed to walk under the freezing cold weather at least few times a day (for breakfast, lunch and dinner). The temperature during this autumn was at 5°C during the day and -2°C during the night.

Before we end our official discussion for dinner, there is this activity whereby we need to group ourselves in pairs to discuss and conclude on certain topics. I was then grouped with my colleague from China, where we stroll around the hotel golf course enjoying the wonderful weather and being surrounded by nature. 

The dinner was well served with red and white wine, fresh fish starter, reindeer main course and berries ice-cream dessert. The reindeer meat was unlike any other type of meats and tastes so different.

Day 3: 21st September 2012 

Thanks to the generosity of our team members in Finland offering to fetch us to the airport and the time was then arranged according to our flight schedule. After a half day discussion and lunch, most of us are prepared for departure. The expansion and renovation of the airport was now completed having a more spacious spot, added shop of varieties and again I get to purchase my favorite Karl Fazer chocolates. The returned journey was also a smooth one for me to sleep through my way. And not forgetting the surprise of having someone waited for my return at the airport this time~

Singapore - August 2012

Duration: 28th August 2012 – 30th August 2012 

This trip has been postponed since November 2011 until now but yet I am unable to escape the destined accountability of visiting the Singapore office in September 2012. Upon my arrival at the Changi Airport at 1.30pm with MH603, I took an express lunch in the airport having the Nyonya Mee Siam and a bottle of tonic drink before heading to the office by a taxi. The first day was spent in the office having some discussions with the Data Manager and Service Sales Director in setting up the agenda for the next 2 days. A stay in the Grand Park City Hall Hotel costing SGD250 per night is rather average where the room was rather small but nonetheless the location is very strategic within a walking distance to the nearby MRT station.

The second day was with a full day discussion on various action plans to improve KES overall processes and data quality in the coming months. Thanks to the hospitality of the service director in bringing myself and some of her team members to a Chinese restaurant serving delectable set of dishes for lunch. Besides the brain cracking process discussion and local practice analysis, I have been spending my days explaining the global requirements and not forgetting the “surprise” in the end of the session whereby I will need to present some master data topics to the sales team on an impromptu basis the next day. 

The second evening was happily spent with 2 of my crazy best mates- Ms. LLS and Ms. LMS nearby the Bugis Street having Unagi Bento, yogurt ice-cream as dinner. My favorite supper bought from MOS Burger was sorrowfully prepared for my late night work having to prepare those presentation slides. 

The third day started early for me to arrive at the office before 8:00am and ended well in the evening having the presentation, discussions and reviews completed successfully. A lunch with some colleagues at the hawker centre was delightful and relaxing (keeping in mind that I should return their kindness the next round during their visit to Malaysia to enjoy some local and typical Malaysian ice-kacang and cendul). 

This visit somehow changes the perception I have all the while towards the Singaporeans due to my previous working experience; whereby I have had a bad and difficult time working with them due to the famous “kiasi” and “kiasu” attitude. However these people I met this round was exceptionally friendly and sociable unlike the typical ones I have met before. Straight after my arrival on Friday night back to KLIA at 7:10pm with MH608, I needed to pack my stuffs and begin another rushing journey early the next morning back to Penang to witness and partake in the joyful moment of my dearest friend- the moment of wedding proposal. ^^

A Crazy Weekend Getaway to Pulau Pangkor

It’s been a decade since my last group outing with a bunch of crazy buddies and here comes another exciting one with a lovely gang dedicating my first visit to this island. This long waited trip was participated by 22 maniacs rocking the island of Pangkor taking a road trip with 5 cars on the morning of 4th August 2012 heading all the way from K.L. to Lumut with an approximate distance of 250km. In essence, the itinerary comprises the followings: 

4th August 2012 (Saturday) 

6:00am Pangkor…here we come! 

As the destination is by chance requiring our driver to complete some work nearby, we needed to depart from K.L. earlier at 6.30am and arriving Lumut at 11:00am while the remaining participants will depart at 8.00am. Upon arrival at Bidor, we stopped by the small town to enjoy the famous duck noodle before heading to our destination. However with much disappointment, the taste was rather under expectation where the duck seems to be overcooked. It took us some distance to arrive at Lumut and 3 of us loitered at a newly constructed jetty while waiting for the pick-up and the arrival of the others.

1.30pm Assembling at the Jetty Terminal 

After the arrival of each and everyone, we decided to have our lunch at KFC before taking the ferry across to the island, and therefore this placid town was then filled with the exceptional uproar. We definitely will not miss the chance to take our first complete group photos here at the jetty before we begin our journey. The ferry took us around 45 minutes to arrived at the island and thankfully I did not suffer any seasick this round (compared to the usual severe ones). Cheap transport was readily available at the jetty costing us RM10.00 per trip by van to our hotel. 2 pent houses were rented for 1 night at the Coral Bay Resort to accommodate 22 of us and as expected, despite the rooms sharing was somehow prearranged, we were eventually moving all around ending up squeezing into one room. 

5.00pm A swim at the beach 

I could hardly recall the last time I actually bathe in the sea since it was almost a millennium ago! The guys were all so excited taking their turn to immerse themselves into the salt water, while the girls are mostly strolling at the beach. It turns out that we were being approached by a sport attendant offering banana-boat trip at RM15 per person for 3 rounds of rides and we eventually decided to take the offer. The rode was fun and exciting but we repeated more than a thousand times that we wouldn’t want to get drenched by falling into the sea. We arrived backed at the shore safely after the ride without anyone getting seriously wet, despite the fact that some of us did fell upon getting down the boat, but as a result of the roguish act by the guys splashing water all around and on us, we were almost sodden in the end! With the damped attire, I finally decided to join the gang for the crazy moment in the sea though I was not in my swim suit nor do I keep in mind to remove my watch. (thankfully it is a water proof one!)

7.30pm Seafood Dinner 

The 高佬海鲜饭店that was rather crowded at 7.30pm causes us to wait for almost an hour before being served with our orders. We get to taste the spicy crab, prawn, tofu, kangkung and etc and I am not certain if any picture was taken on the food as everyone is acting alike those released of the 7th month- the hungry ghost devouring the dishes even before the photographer had the chance to take a shot. 

12.45am Switching-on the Alcohol Mode 

Here comes the night where all alcoholics gather together to begin the party! With some pre-prepared liquor, beer, tidbits and PS3, we gathered in one house intended to bring the house down. A bottle of Jack Daniel's whiskey was emptied within an hour. After taking some on-the-rocks shots, I was red at every pore but luckily I am not drunk (Else I might be waking up by the shore being thrown there unconscious by this group of insane people). Other than the gaming and chit chatting session, we were still being entertained and get to enjoy the midnight *18SX live gay show featuring our Dailxx and Allxn. Guess this is one’s true color revealed subsequent to the effect of the alcohol. Lol… 

5th August 2012 (Sunday) 

The morning begins rather late for most of us after the late night alcohol session thus no specific activity being arranged in the morning. Special thanks to our royal chef for delighting our morning with some delicious sandwiches for breakfast. 

12.00pm Goodbye Pangkor 

After checking out the rooms, we headed back to Lumut for some local specialties purchases. As usual, the street and shops were filled with all kinds of sea and local products. We skipped our lunch replacing it with some snacks as we headed straight to our next destination. The journey was yet again boisterous without lacking some hilarious act vehicles by vehicles through the way. 

5.30pm Sekinchan

With a great sense of excitement, we were heading towards Sekinchan anticipating to witness the magnificent view of the paddy field, however with much disappointment; the paddy was yet to be ready for the season thus forcing us to change our itinerary to the nearby beach instead. The dinner was taken in one of the seafood restaurant until 7.00pm having everyone contented with the delectable servings. 

7.30pm Olympic 2012- Badminton Final 

This is the night where almost all Malaysian is uniting in support of our Dato’ Lee Choong Wei’s final Olympic badminton match. Since we were stuck in this small township of Sekinchan not being able to get back on time, we decided to look for any mamak store or café nearby to watch the match. After going few rounds in town, we finally managed to stop-by a small coffee house furnished with a 40inch LCD. Unfortunately our beloved Dato did not manage to grab hold of the gold medal for Malaysia, however there’s no doubt that he gets the full support from all Malaysians cheering for his great performance. Well done! Arriving back in K.L. around 11:30pm with everyone almost collapsed with exhaustion, we were rather contented with the 2 days trip having much fun and excitement. Thousand thanks to the marvelous people and professionals in the gang making this trip a successful and superb one:

-* Professional Planner (Mr. W.K. Seow) 

-* Professional Photographer (Mr. H.H.Foo & Mr. W.L.Choy) 

-* Professional Enjoyer- The Emperor (Mr. H.H.Teh) 

-* Royal Chef (Ms. Ashley) 

-* Professional Entertainer (Mr. A.Cheong) 

-* Excellent Drivers (Mr. W.K. Chong, Mr. H.H.Teh, Mr. A.Cheong, Mr. H.H. Foo, Mr. K.H.Siew) 

Looking forward to the next exciting trip to come!

Gunung Angsi - 爬山自虐篇之3

After the hike at Bukit Tabur 3 weeks ago, we decided now to challenge Gunung Angsi located at Seremban with a height of 825m being the 3rd highest peak in Negeri Sembilan. This journey began slightly later at 8.30am heading to the town of Seremban and thankfully we decided to have our breakfast in the first place as we once think that it will be alright to take it later after the hike (we will probably be dead by then). However due to the intro of one of the hiking mate, we finally decided to try on the famous beef noodle in town.

 

After a short search-around, we managed to find the sub-entrance to Gunung Angsi at 10.15am. There are two treks up Gunung Angsi- one via the Ulu Bendol Forest Park and one through Bukit Putus. We have chosen Bukit Putus (which is the opposite way) and I was rather surprised to see the slope at the entrance whereby the beginning of the journey looks tougher than the hikes I had before. This mountain was rather desolated with only a few hikers that we met along the way. All we can see around was nothing but trees, bushes and giant ants. We managed to arrive at the peak at 12.15pm taking a short 15 minutes break having some snacks and photos and we decided to try on another route getting down the mountain since we were told that it will be more exciting.

We finally get to witness the “excitement” being told featuring some rocks, massive sandy boulders with ropes and some 85 degree slopes. It took a toll on our strength walking a long way down the mountain with slippery pathways and muddy routes. Passing by a small stream running through the woods, we sat there to enjoy the cold water and the breeze for a moment.

 

 

However during the way down the hill, we suddenly heard a roar out of a sudden from the wood which freaks us out and we are not certain what sound we have actually heard. We kept moving at a faster pace along the way for hours but the journey seem endless and there’s no sign of civilization at all and we ever thought that we were trap in there. After a 3 hours’ hike, we finally get to see some sign of garbage where this indicates we were finally close to the way out (shame though this being one of the clue we have). As we need to cross the final river barefoot and while removing my shoes, I was shocked realizing that my legs were bleeding and we were all bitten by leeches! We take the time to sit down and clean our wounds before taking the 1km walk back to the place where we parked our car. Under the hot sun at 4.00pm while we were walking just beside the road, we finally comes to a decision to look for a taxi and we eventually got one. The driver was kind enough to take just RM5.00 from us despite that we gave him RM10.00 for fetching us to our car.

Almost every one of us agreed that Gunung Angsi is much tougher than Bukit Tabur and more exhausting than we expected. Other than strength, we needed a steady level of stamina to complete the 5 hours journey since we were not some frequent climbers. The consequences of the hike- one of the mates is going to lose his badminton competition on Monday, my wound is still bleeding the day after, and everyone is aching on the leg muscles. We were still grateful and satisfy being able to complete the journey since one of us was sick and having fever, and again I just only had a 3 hours’ rest a night before after some late-night outing on Friday. Guess we gonna plan for a relaxing trip the next time rather than an extreme one in the near future.

Bukit Tabur 2- 水晶山 - 爬山自虐篇之2

16th June 2012 is another day of self-destruction for me opting to join the hiking event held by my friend. Getting up early in the morning at 5:00am traveling to meet some of the hiking mates at P.J. SS2 was indeed tiring after the badminton and yum cha session I had on the previous night until 12:00am. 

The day begins at 6.30am having McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin as breakfast before proceeding to our destination- Bukit Tabur. This round was with a total of 9 people taking up the challenge heading up the hill. I am revisiting this place and guess I have forgotten the scary moments and memories I had up there 2 years back thus having the courage now to take up the challenge again. (Yet I am still prepared for bruises, cuts, scratches and scars...)

I almost gave up in the beginning of the hike since I was yet to be fully recovered from sickness, only slept for 3 hours a night before, aching everywhere due to the badminton session yesternight, and had not been exercising enough for the past years. But thanks to the trekking mates who have more confidence in me than I do have on myself and encouraged me to move-on. Out of my surprise, the hike this time is much easier compared to my previous visit as few ropes and climbing facilities have been added. It took us around 3 hours to complete this journey. 

After getting back safely from this challenging yet enjoyable activity, I slept from 6:00pm till 6:00am the next morning as I was utterly exhausted! I have not been having enough rest for the past 1 month since having lots of events and outings. lol...cheers for my exciting life~!

India (Chennai) - August 2011 印度钦奈之 - 用心看世界

Duration: 28th August 2011 - 2nd September 2011 

It has long been told that everyone should visit India at least once in a lifetime. Unexpectedly, my first business trip this year in August 2011 was to visit India. Other than experiencing my first on-site training for the project, it was as well a trip for me to experience life. 

The Flight 

The day started very early on the morning of 28th August 2011 as my flight to Chennai was at 8.45am thus needed to wake up at 5am+ having to drag my feet out of my room. The Jet Airways this time was rather with a small plane as it took only 4 hours journey to arrive at Chennai. Upon arrival at the KLIA around 7.00am, I was shocked to witness the crowded traffic and people at the airport due to the public holidays we have for that week. The police started giving summons to unattended vehicles parked at the side-ways. During the checking-in process at the terminal, I was being alienated as 99.9% of the passengers were Indians. Even during my initial check-in at the counter, the airport officer tries to recheck with me several times if I am really going to India or am I queuing at the wrong terminal since I am the only Chinese in the queue. =.= 

Arrival at the Madras Airport was with a surprising scene to have a whole crowd of local citizens standing at both the side-ways of the exit. The airport was rather small and empty compared to the other airports since it was partially shuts due to renovation works. It was also a surprise that even checking out from the airport, all baggage needed to be scanned once more. 

The Hotel 

The prearranged pick-up service attendant by the hotel was already waiting at the exit with a placard once I stepped out of the terminal. Upon arriving at the hotel, I was well served by the staffs. The security level of the country was unexpectedly high where every visitor or guest needs to scan each bag before entering the hotel. (Good security or bad safety? Hmmp…) 

The Rain Tree hotel in Chennai costing approximately RM420 (with a 20.15% tax charges) a night was wonderful having the best services and environment in town. Even during my meal in the hotel’s restaurant, the chief chef will approach each of the table personally asking for feedback and improvement. There is a hotel staff that performs magic tricks to kids and youngsters during the meal to keep up the ambiance. You will absolutely enjoy the shower in the hotel as it was excellence. The shampoo and shower gel features the natural and local aromatic scent. Having fireworks scene at the window while lying on the comfortable chair was indeed a wonderful experience since they are celebrating some festive locally on the first night. 

They have a wonderful open-air bar at the rooftop with a pool and panoramic view of the city. Looking at the night view of Chennai with music and some beers in hand was indeed fantastic!