續錄

Continuation...


Haha... I guess many have already predicted what happens next... Allow me to talk about something else first before I continue...

Went for IPPT this morning, quite a scary experience since I did not train much... It has been at least 6 months since I've ran...I did a short training 3 days back: minimal amounts of weights then a sustained sprint of 800m... Still, I was aiming to get silver...

Static stations was easy, though I couldn't do 10 chin ups anymore... Damn... When I did the 10^th one, the Physical Training Instructor (PTI) in front of me counted it, then another one from beside him said, "Last one no count, 9..." ARGH!!! I wanted to throw my shoe at him but my shoe was tied too tightly, he was lucky... Was quite demoralised after that... Had to do better at the other stations to cover up...

Last station, 2.4km run, the one everyone is afraid of... Timing for silver award is 11:40 mins or below, my timing last year was 11:30 mins; too close for comfort... Worse part is I was fitter last year, someone even commented that I reminded him of a PTI... Oh, and I forgot to bring my watch, double whammy...

Went around asking people's timing, finally found one who is also 11 minutes plus... Better still, he is several slots in front of me so I start 20 seconds later than him... If I pass through the finish line with him, I'll be getting 20 seconds lesser than him... That would definately get me that silver, IF he really is an 11 minutes runnner... And the results...


$200 birthday present from the government...

I passed the guy but didn't slow down and sprinted towards the finish line, afraid that I wouldn't meet the timing... Ha!!! Was so happy when I saw the clock, 11:01!!! That's my personal best record!!! That guy got 11:25, a silver timing runner just as he said he was...

Since my birthday is this coming Wednesday, I could go for another IPPT next Saturday!!! Haha... Another $200 maybe? I wonder if my muscles would recover by then, though I'm not feeling anything now...

OK now, back to the ghost story...

There isn't any!!! If there is, it was probably some insects in my hair... I didn't brush them off though, what if it was a hand instead?!? Well, nothing interesting happened afterwards... Heh heh... Waited so long for one paragraph of nothing...

烏民島

Pulau Ubin...


Finally did some interesting stuff, went for the "Pulau Ubin Hungry Ghost Tour" organized by Singapore Paranormal Investigators (SPI) on 19/08/2006 with Weida... SPI always organize outings to explore the supposedly haunted places in Singapore, but this was different, it was offshore... We'll explore the most famous haunting spots that are unparallel to anywhere else on the mainland...


Why the hell did you bring a shaver?


Oh, it's a torchlight?!? It seems more practical as a shaver though...

First we tried to find the spirit tree, but it was already burnt down and all that remain are its chopped up pieces...

Following that we boarded the truck which would take us halfway to a lost old Malay cemetery, the other half would be a 40° ascend on foot... This is the largest cemetetry (the size of a football field) in Ubin, many local Ubin residents do not even know of its existence!!! Traces and artifacts of black-magic being practiced at the old graves still can be seen there, vials that used to contain animal blood and plastic bottles that hold the spirits can be seen lying around...

The next place was the highlight of the night: a triangular junction... What was usually a T-junction was made a "triangle" junction instead... There is this triangle plot of land in the middle of the road much like in a round-about... SPI invited a specialist called Azri (who is the son of both parents that are Malay Bomohs and he had been trained formally in Indonesia by a famous Bomoh master) to perform a ritual a summon the spirits... After that, they decided to perform one of the methods to see ghosts from "The Eye 10", the knocking of bowls at a junction...

The bowls were set, the offering positioned, all that's left are the volunteers... I asked Weida if he wanted to volunteer, it'll be quite an experience... Azri then started going around checking everyone's right palm and asking them if they want to be part of this experiment... He came to me and checked my plam and asked me to try it, so I was like I'll go if Weida goes as well... He checked Weida's palm and said, "You cannot..." Weida was stunned, all this exploring and now he is told he can't see them...

I was hesitant, but my curiosity got the better of me... I wasn't thinking of the consequences or anything, just wanted to try it... The rest of the guinea pigs were gathered and Azri briefed us on what to do if we see or feel them, he also said to shout his name if we were too scared... Everyone else was ordered to wait at a hut 50 meters away, the tension was building... Before he left, he walked to me and placed his hands on my shoulders, "You be careful, k?"

WTF?!? Did he have to single me out? And what's with the "be careful" part? What can I do man? He was the one that asked me to join the experiment... All these went through my head; I wasn't scared, just stunned... He gave the command to start and left us alone... Everyone started knocking, though we were not in unison, it was obviously a slow tempo... We were facing a forest and I would glance every once in a while into it for any abnormalities; starting to get quite worried about what Azri said... I repeated his name in my head a few times, afraid that I would forget how to shout his name if the need arises... Started to imagine what I would do if something starts creeping up towards me, I guess I would be too afraid to control what I will do...

In less than a minute, the guy on my left started knocking VERY quickly, and I really mean very... Did he see something already? I glanced left through the corner of my eye but I don't see anything, nothing in front either... Several minutes passed, I was getting tired and bored, still that guy was hitting at an incredible rate... I started feeling something behind me...

最後一天

Last day, 17/07/2006, Monday, Cloudy...


Woke up at 9.30am to pack my bag, had to make sure I don't leave any of my treasures here... My bus to Macau leaves at 2.15pm so I just need to leave home at 1.30pm to catch the feeder service to the bus terminal... I'll just slack until then...

At noon, my sis said she'll be coming home to bring me out for lunch instead... We went to that great western restaurant again (Alvin kept his promise, while I had almost forgotten about it) but I doubt the roof will open at noon, at least I'll get to take some pics of the toilet...


Alvin and Eki outside the restaurant...


The outside and inside of the restaurant...


Was that a tiger's tail?


Can you even call that a tap?

Ordered Swiss pork chop this time and got one fat slab of meat... Once the meat is sliced, delicious melted cheese oozes out of it... There's a piece of ham in between the pork...



Just when I lost all hopes, the spotlight turns on and the roof starts retracting!!! It's not as spectacular as at night though and there wasn't the spectacular music... Watch it here...

After lunch, my sis sent me up the bus and I started my journey home... There were only a few other people on the bus and the seat was quite uncomfortable...

Oh, a pretty lady (I think... I'm not wearing my specs due to a headache) just boarded the bus, she sat down in front immediately and I didn't have time to put on my specs...

Saw the girl during the pit stop...............

Crossed the border to Macau and got on a cab straight away to the airport... Reached the airport at 5.40pm and was lucky to be able to check in, I'm supposed to board at 5.50pm!!! Then I realized the flight is delayed, don't know whether that is good luck or bad luck...

True to the Singapore sprit, people were still queueing even though they have to wait an indefinate amount of time... The plane hasn't even landed!!! The longer I wait, the longer the queue...


Free food?

Oh, here's the plane!!! Shit, I'm like at the end of the queue... I'll be smelling shit for the rest of the journey... Nah... I'll just sit with the pretty lady I see in front, this time I'm wearing my specs...

There's a lot of catching up to do when I get home... There's a project workshop I'm supposed to attend at 7.30pm today; just leaving Macau air territory by that time...

I'm tired from standing in queue, how do people stand in queue overnights? I guess they sit down most of the time, but aren't they bored? I sure am bored... I can see the plane now but the gate isn't open...

Yay, the gate is finally open!!! Had trouble taking the first step, think I've grown roots... Will be reaching Singapore around 10pm... Home Sweet Home...

最近

Recently...


Its been weeks since I've talked about my current life, better do so before everyone forgets who I really am... I should be heading off for work now, but who cares...

School has started, singing club has started, I'm almost back to the normal schooling days now... The past few weeks were eventful, its been almost a decade since I've last done this... Would it end now?

Was playing basketball with Weida yesterday... We totally sucked... Or at least I did... It took him an hour or so to regain his accuracy, but I still couldn't do my lay-ups properly... Strained my adominal muscles so much that I had difficulty breathing after a while; used too much strength with my right arm as well, now I'm aching all over...

One remaining entry of my China holidays... I'll end off with a poem from one of the kids in my percussion band, visit his blog to see more...

blue.wastelandconcept.

green yellow red.
forest, sun, fire.
black white grey.
darkness, light, twilight.
blue black black.
sea, oil, death.
white black black.
paper, pen, words.
green grey green
moss, stone, reclaim.
change of shape.
change of hue.
watch it fade
into the blue.
-wastelandconcept.

第八天

Day 8, 16/07/2006, Sunday, Sustained drizzles...


Stayed at home in the morning waiting for time to pass as the 點心 restaurant opens at 11am... It was only when we reached the place that we realized the restaurant opens at 8.30am during weekends... Damn... Wasted our morning...

The food was cheap, but it wasn't as nice as the one in Hong Kong... Went for facial after brunch... Along the way, we realized there's a chili sauce stain on my white 3-quarters!!! Good thing the parlor has bleach and managed to remove the stain... The facial took a little more than 1 hour...

We then went to the famous residential tower that people rent and set up shops instead... There's almost 2 shops on every level with the most famous one on the 19^th floor... We didn't have time to comb the entire building as we needed to head over to the jade market before it closes at 6pm... Bought a Timberland backpack, Adidas T-shirt and pouch here...

Reached the 上下九路 jade market while the shops are starting to close... Our purpose there is to buy crystal handphone straps that my eldest sis wanted... I bought one as a birthday present for 詠惠, as well as several more to see if I could sell them in Singapore... Actually I was thinking of keeping the best one for a special someone I'll meet someday...


My ancestor temple!!! I haven't read what it says yet...

Went to have 燒鵝腿面 for Ұ5 (≈S$1) only!!! There's supposed to be spring chicken as well but, we went to the wrong end of the street where the outlet doesn't sell them...

Today is one of the earliest days we reached home...

第七天

Day 7, 15/07/2006, Saturday, Sustained drizzles...


Don't really remember what happened this day but I'll try...


We were supposed to wake up in the morning to go for a hike at the nearby hill with the waterfall, but it was raining quite heavily in the morning and we don't really like the idea of getting wet...

Went for a buffet lunch, I think it's Ұ98 per person and they serve all kinds of food... I really mean all kinds... The whole layout is quite posh, with a grand piano in the center and someone was playing and singing classical English songs on it... Then they served crickets, snakes and all kinds of wierd stuff, maybe its their culture but it sure doesn't fit with the grand piano concept...

Because of the soya bean milk that I had alot of in the morning, I was quite full already... The baby lobsters looked cute, so I grabbed a couple...



Haven't really eaten much and I started on the desserts already... First was some cakes, a little bit of everything... I grabbed 6 slices of different kinds of cakes and gobbled them up before I remember to take some pictures... Then was the ice-cream, the chocolate syrup they had at the ice-cream counter wasn't really tasty... Clever me got a plate and collected the chocolate from the fondue fountain and poured onto the ice-cream; the ice-cream started melting and the chocolate froze... I think I overdid it on the chocolate as there was so much chocolate I could die from all of it...

Since I've already tried "chocolate" chocolate ice-cream, might as well try other things as well... Got a bowl to collect the chocolate this time...



I tried to "chocolatized" everything on the table, chocolate peach, chocolate banana, chocolate "mango pudding" and the wierdest of all chocolate prawns!!! If that spoon could be eaten, I'll dip it in the chocolate as well... Argh... Forgot to try chocolate watermelon juice...

After lunch, we went back to change for tonight's party... We went there early to go shopping at the nearby 北京路... There were parts of the ancient roads as well as a 3-dimensional map of that city sealed up along the streets... Too lazy to take any pictures as it was raining; can't photograph anything with the rain running on the glass panels...

The party is by this big fashion company that I don't remember the name... The company bought Richard Clayderman's license which Alvin is in-charge of, so he is invited as well... Once we arrived at the level, there was this red carpet with lots of photographers along one side and a printed canvas on the other... I was taken aback with this scene and just realized how big the party was... The cameras starting flashing and we were supposed to sign on the canvas... Man, feels like some superstar....

There's a fashion show at the start, pretty Chinese models strut their stuff while Alvin and I were wondering when will the food be served... Halfway through the dinner, another round of entertainment starts... First up was this 17 year-old girl on a saxophone, it was amazing... She was really good and I couldn't help but took a picture of her... I didn't take a picture of her when she wasn't playing cause she looks nicer with the saxophone on her mouth...



Next was 2 Filipino women's vocal performance... Before they started, my sis was talking about how Filipino vocalists usually have powerful voices... Then they started singing and it was so disappointing... I don't blame them if they can't really sing, but what I really hate is people who go on stage without preparation... They obviously hadn't practiced much, maybe once or twice in the backstage that kind of stuff... If I am the organizer, I'll ask them to pay me instead man...

The ending of the party was quite badly organized, the salsa dancers went on stage and I thought they were gonna perform... Instead, they danced to the house music and tried to invite guests onto the stage... And so it ended like that...

第六天

Day 6, 14/07/2006, Friday, Sunny...


Woke up at 7am again today, had to take a dump badly (I think its because of the hotpot last night)... Took a bus to 天河體育中心 this time as there is a big shopping center near there... I left home at 10am expecting to reach just in time for the shops to open but instead reached 1¾ hours later... The place is very big and I didn't know where to start, not much effort was put into designing the architecture for a shopping centre...

Wasted alot of time at the lower levels where they sell clothes and jewllery... When I finally reached the sports level, it was time for me to go... Meeting my sister along the main road where they will stop momentarily to pick me up, so I can't be late...

Went for lunch at a normal restaurant which I'm not sure what their theme is... The food was ok, nothing much to say about it... After that we took a taxi to one of the shopping street around Garden Hotel, while Alvin has to go back to the office...

This is the place I got most of my shopping, all the products come straight from the factory so its very cheap... List of items I got:

Giorgio Armani long-sleeve shirt
Armani Exchange pants X 2
CK T-shirt
Paul & Shark 3-quarters
Adidas cap
Maui Island sandals
Mickey Mouse boxers

The Mickey Mouse boxers is very cute, not really sure why I got it... Just for the fun of it I guess...

We went back to school to meet up with Alvin and my sis has to attend a meeting... In the mean time, I'm typing this...

Dinner is at a chinese restaurant, it looks like any chinese restaurant in Singapore... We ordered fried oysters, fresh prawns, 2 types of clams, a big fish and some vegetables... All the plates were very big and the dish on it filled appropriately (not like Singapore's big plate but little food)... I learnt something today: fresh prawns peel very easily... Just remove the head part of the shell then squeeze the tail and the prawn will POP right out!!! Peeling prawns have never been such a breeze... You can never guess how much all these cost... Ұ110 (S$22)!!! What can you get with S$22 in a restaurant in Singapore? Maybe that plate of vegetables...

第五天

Day 5, 13/07/2006, Thursday, Sunny with showers in the afternoon...


Took my own time to wake up today, when I woke up I thought it was 9am already as the sun was up and very bright... Only after I finished brushing my teeth did I realize that it was only 7am... Well, I'm clever enough to guess that the sun rises 2 hours earlier than Singapore...

Took a shuttle bus out of the estate then another bus into the city... My brother-in-law (Alvin) was waiting for me at the bus stop I will be alighting... We bought some takeaway and went to his office...

He is currently working for a company managing Richard Clayderman's license in China... My sister is teaching a few levels below his office at Raffles Design College... He shifted his office there so as to be with my sis...

Here I am in his office typing out my blog from day 1 to now while waiting for my sis to finish work... Stayed in the office until 4pm and she still haven't appear; so we went down to look for her... We entered the school through a door that seems locked...


Oh, the door is padlocked...


Yar, right...

This is the escape route for my sis to go home early or to visit Alvin's office... It's at the end of the corridor of the staff floor so not much people passes by...


I have a very strong feeling that this notice is addressed to my sis...

Had dinner at a hotpot restaurant where the hotpot is super hot... The last time my dad visited that place, he said that was the most torturous meal he had ever had... We ordered the mildly hot soup base this time so it wasn't that bad...

After dinner we went to the supermarket "A.Best", its one of the attractions of 廣州 as well... So what's so special about the supermarket? The translations on the signs are as my father says it, "Fann-tastic..." I only managed to take 3 pictures before I was stopped...


I bet my father would disown me if I ever give this kind of translations...


My sis taking the dog out for a walk...


The view of the lake in the middle of the condo estate...


View from my sis's place of the amusment park... Where's Batman?

第四天

Day 4, 12/07/2006, Wednesday, Cloudy...


Weida, Rita and Micheal were suppossed to go 深圳 today for massage and stuff but everyone woke up late... They decided to laze around for the today and go shopping instead... Weida called Rita to check if she was awake, she obviously just woke up judging from her voice... Weida asked her to go back to sleep then meet up for lunch or something...

Since we were awake, we went to this 點心 restaurant in the building next to Michael's apartment... The food was quite nice and very cheap... We had around 13 dishes and paid S$20+ only!!! It was all fine until halfway through our meal Rita called Michael's handphone and asked what we were doing... She was totally shocked when she knew we were having 點心, Michael tactfully passed the phone to Weida knowing all hell would break loose... I thought it was just normal to go for breakfast expecially since its so near our place... True we may be going to a restaurant, but by the time she reaches the place it would already be lunch... Weida lost his appetite after that call and didn't look too happy...

I've never seen Weida being so nice to any girl before, and I liked her when I first saw her... After a few days, I'm seeing more of her real self... She better know how to behave; can't stand seeing my good friend like this... I realized her temperament is very close to mine, maybe that's why Weida can be with her like how he has with me? Though I've never quarreled with him before throughout these 11 years...

Went to the G2000 boutique as they saw they were having 50% discount last night, they didn't go in last night as I walked too fast and they had to catch up to me... Today we went there and they are having 70% discount!!! All thanks to me... Then they were thinking whether to step in or not, since it might be 90% tomorrow (yeah, right)... Michael bought a suit while Weida only a pair of pants, I didn't buy anything though as I know there are better deals at the place I'm going...

After that, Weida and I went to Esprit while Michael stayed at home... There weren't much nice clothings, the shop was big but the selection not so... The only nice apparel we saw was a sweater but it would be impractical in sunny Singapore...

Weida then wanted to buy something to cajole Rita, we realized how cheap the jwellery around here was... On top of that, a shop was having 60% discount!!! Weida didn't want to buy though since it might become a habit if he has to give some diamonds everytime he did something wrong, he is already quite poor from the past few months of going out with Rita...

Finally it was time for me to go to 尖沙嘴 station to meet my sister, I'll be going back to 廣州 with her alone... I warned Weida about giving in to Rita too much and spoil her, but he said that is exactly what he wants to do... What's wrong with him man?!?

We took a ferry to 南沙 then a bus to my sister's vicinity... That place is just like a village except the houses are condominium-style apartments, there are even free shuttle buses in and out of the village to the bus terminal connecting to the outside world... The village has everything you can think of, restaurants, hospitals, bars, even a hotspring bath house!!!


Hot spring anyone?

We went to this superb western restaurant, where the food is very nice... What's even nicer about the restaurant is the whole concept, the wild outdoor feel... There are plants within the dining area that contributes this feel, but if you think that is all you are wrong... Surrounding the restaurant would be plants as well, but the shocking part is the toilet...

The wall holding the urinals is a piece of glass, behind the glass is a garden so you'll feel like you are peeing outdoors... The tap comes from the ceiling, its a bit irritating as the water trickles down in bits; nonetheless, it is a nice concept... Too bad I don't have a camera to show it to you...

Saving the best for the last, the main highlight for the night is the opening of the roof... The entire roof slides out while some spectacular music is played...

really hated myself for not bringing a camera... My brother-in-law said we could go back there some other time, and I hope he keeps his promise...