Singapore again

A quick update becoz I am getting emails and queries on why I have nothing new for 2 weeks.

Becoz I am busy lah!!

Arrived in Singapore on the evening of 26th Oct. I am staying at the Swishotel Stamford this time. Why (as many of my S'pore collegues asked)? Because it is right above the Cityhall MRT station and I prefer to move around using MRT. And I save the company some $$ (about $25 a day) by NOT taking the cab from Yishun to hotel.

I have 8 participants in my class - 3 Malaysians, 2 Singaporeans, 2 Thai and 1 from Bangladesh. Experience and expertise varies from zero to application experienced. Challenging class to teach.

The last time I used Swisshotel Stamford was almost 2 years ago. Nothing much has changed. But I like the room - spacious, comfy and this time they put me at the 63rd floor - so i get a nice view of Singapore, but not the optimum view of the sea. I can see Orchard road all the way past Bugis station and Beach road to Suntec Convention Hall on my right. I also overlook the tennis courts and the swimming pool of the hotel which are located on the 8th floor.

There are at least 2 new colleagues in the Singapore office this time. Annie Liao from Business Center and Catharine Janto in Sales. Welcome!

Will update more later. I gave lab to the class and had just 15 minutes or so to update this.

Captains abandoning ship?? (updated 21st Oct)

As the economic storm rages worldwide, Titanics have been listing badly or even sinking, especially many prominent ones from the Americas and UK. The crew of many other ships stuck in the tempest are getting worried. The flotilla of AG...T has announced - we need to preserve our fuel or we will be powerless to ride out the storm. And so, the crew has been told - no additional fuel where expectations of additional fuel was forthcoming at this time of the year.

The Governments of the major trading countires have been throwing lifelines to those badly listing behemoths, but is that enough? Especially when the Government themselves are in danger of floundering!

The attack group APFO saw the captain and first mates aboard SS SAPK abandoning ship. It would seem that they have taken the few and limited lifeboats with them. So when those lifeboats (dubbed the SS VSI) are all gone, how are the crew to get off the ship, if push comes to shove? Does the captain knows something that the crew does not?

At this time, the crew is furiously baleing water and rowing towards a stretched goal. Can we make it? And they are asked to do that with the expectation of no fuel increases for the coming oeprational year. Morale has been hard to maintain. Questions abound.

God bless the AG....T flotilla, the attack groups of AFO, EMEA and APFO and especially, the SS SAPK and it's support ships. We need to ride out this storm.

I was informed yesterday by Global HR that SS India (which will move over to the attack group EMEA by 1st Nov) will be allocated an extra 5% fuel (a one time allocation). I wonder how many other support vessels were given such an exception?

Hari Raya (or Eid) Open House

This Saturday, we have open house invitations to 2 different houses in celebration of Hari Raya (or Eid as it is called in other countries). Open House is a unique Malaysian way of celebrating major festivals of the Chinese, Malays and Indians. The Chinese do it during Chinese New Year, the Malays in the months of Syawal (after fasting for a month in the month of Ramadan) and the Indians during Deepavali (Divali as it is called in India). Christians too have been known to have open houses for the Christmas celebrations. Open House is when friends. colleagues and acquaintances are invited to the house to eat and drink and have fellowship with one another.

The first open house we went to was Indah's. She was the LSCA admin many many moons ago and this year is the second time we are going to her house. For company, we had Jeanie (another ex admin from EMG) and Madeline (also an ex admin from EMG). The day started off HOT - really searingly HOT! Indah's house is located in Bukit Jelutong - not too far from my other house in Denai Alam. We first picked up Madeline from work - her boss allowed her to leave 10 minutes earlier since we were already there.

By the time we arrived at Indah's, Jeanie was already there. Indah had her food catered by Chakri Palace!! We had satay, bee hoon, colorful rice, colorful cookies and a whole host of edibles!. I had to remind myself not to overeat and leave some space for the second open house. Burp!!!

From Bukit Jelutong, we used the Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE) to get to Rawang. That was my first time using the full GCE and I am very disappointed - I had to pay tolls 3 times within a relatively short stretch of 20km or so. Before we reached the Rawang interchange, dark clouds were gathering in the distance ahead.

And by the time we reach Marya's house, all hell broke loose with torrential rain hammering on everything on the roads and in the area around Bandar Tasik Puteri. For Marya's open house, she had also invited a couple of orphanages to join in and so Jeanie and I had prepared some GREEN packets for the orphans. This in itself is an evolved custom. The Chinese gives RED packets during Chinese new year and over the years, the Malays had adapted the practice by giving GREEN packets. Indians give PURPLE packets during Divali.

After our group had gorge ourselves on rojak (we prepared it ourselves in the comfort of the kitchen instead of getting soaked in the tents that Marya had put up), Nasi dagang, soup ayam and teh tarik, Jeanie and I hurriedly went to the front to distribute the GREEN packets before the orphans went home.

It was also good to meet up with more ex colleagues - Syidah and her sister were amongst Marya's visitors.
Apparently after the sudden deluge, many roads in PJ were flooded. What a day!

An Italian restaurant in Cheras - Venezia

Alex has been moaning about the lack of nice Pizzas in KL, ever since Piccolo Mondo closed down (the one in Mid Valley , next to Madam Kwan's). I had already banned Pizza Hut from our menu since the Taiwan Pizza Hut has tested positive for melamine contamination. In any case, PH's pizzas has such a thick base, it is more like one is eating bread than pizza. And Alex always leave the crust behind.

So when my cousin sister and husband dropped over around lunch time, I asked them if they would like to have lunch - my treat. After suggesting more that a few places (Thai, Nyonya, Bak Kut Teh, Eu Yang Sang, Expired Chicken (er.. Esquire Kitchen la)) and many more, Madeline thought of an Italian place near Leisure Mall. Italian?? Alex was all for it.

We've always seen this place on our way to and from Leisure Mall, but never did have any urge to try it. Since Madeline has tried it before, she says it wasn't too bad. I'm sold! If any one want to try this place, it's called
Venezia
No.1, Jalan Manis 4,
Taman Segar
Cheras
Tel: 03 9130 8992

The poor waiter who served us looks very new, very nervous and obviously not in the boss's good books. And the boss had a scowl that lasted almost throughout our lunch!
We ordered a couple of bowls of soup of the day (tomato soup), a plate of calamari fritters ( too much dough in my opinion), Pizza Alla Diavalo (beef pepperoni pizza), Spaghetti Bolognaise, Penne Arabiata, Fettuccine Pescatora and drinks. And those who knows me knows that on such occasions, my pseudo Italian slang will just pop out naturally!

When the boss (obviously not trusting that poor slob who served us) came by to confirm our order line by line, I was muttering - si si to each line of order he repeated. Still could not get a response from him (no smile, no look of bewilderment). Just a SCOWL!!

The food was reasonable. Alex loves the pizza - gooey with cheese. The soup was fresh and the fettuccine was creamily tasteful, with mussel, calamari and prawns all over.

By the time we had finished, we asked the boss over for the bill. Asked him if he was Italian. He wasn't - he was a Croatian. Been in Malaysia almost 8 years now. Setup such restaurants in Singapore, then Johor, Damansara and finally in Cheras. AND finally his face lit up as I asked more about the authenticity of his food - is this really Venetian taste/flavor? He went on and on about how difficult it was to get authentic ingredients, the costs , etc etc and he actually smiled. Blimey!! Anyway, we finally said our grazie and were off.

Alex aka Garfield would like to come back to try the lasagna!

I am wondering if Venezia's boss is not a fugitive war criminal from the Croatian/ Serbian wars of the early 90s??

Hari Raya 2008

KL is not as traffic free as in previous years during major festivities. Maybe more people realize that it is better to remain in KL during such times. Maybe it's because a lot of people are working on Friday after a 2 days break on Wednesday and Thursday. More likely because prices of everything has gone up with this current facsimile of a banana republic government that we have.

We spent the first day of Raya cleaning up the new house in Denai Alam. Now it feels great to walk bare feet over the floors. Both upstairs and downstairs and the driveway was cleaned up. In fact it was so clean that Shirley's brother was hesitant to walk to the store room to get some putty to do up the Allan's house.

On the second day, Kuen Kuen managed to get 2 lanes for bowling at the Kiara Equestrian club. She brought along her son, Joel and daughter, Jolene (or was it Jolyn??). My game has gone to the dogs. But we had a good time chit chatting , eating and drinking during the games.

I think I need to frequent the lanes more often to bring my game back up to where it used to be during the HP days when I captained the company's team.
Sigh!