Rewind: Melaka

• Insufficient parking place
• Torn curtain
• One bedside lamp not functioning
• Problem with TV remote control
• Missing internal phone extension list
• Dirty pillow case
• Dirty bedsheet
• Non-functioning power points
• Non-functioning kettle
• Chipped mug

Welcome to Grand Continental Melaka. It's Visit Malaysia Year 2007.


Imagine walking with the orange slipper. She looked cute though :) Mat Salleh don't mind wearing selipar jepun walking around town kan.


Hotel room pic courtesy of my friend. It looked nice isn't it. This was the new room given to us. It was OK but it sure looked much better in photo. Exactly why so many people can get tricked from pictures in brochures and websites.
Everything were fixed by the technician and the housekeeping staff promptly but the damage has been done. Because there's no phone extension list in the room, we have to resort to calling '0' and it took ages for our calls to be answered. We were offered another room on the next day.


Group of tourist impatient to get moving in the nicely decorated beca. We were tired after walking so far and were thinking about going back to the hotel on beca. The pakcik said RM10 per metre. Huh! No thanks pakcik. The normal rate is RM40 per hour. It's just a short ride to the hotel so walk we will painful feet or no painful feet.


"I take your photo, you take mine"
My office staff also got an earful for choosing this hotel as I was originally promised a different one. Luckily I was not alone as a friend agreed to follow me there. I was there for work. She went sightseeing on her own. At least we can complaint about our predicament with each other. I can't imagine how I would've felt if I were alone.




She might feel differently about agreeing to go with me though. She helped change room when I was still conducting training elsewhere, offered to wear her newly bought orange slipper so I can wear her Scholl sandal because my feet aches after the first day training (when we want to look for dinner in the evening) and massage my feet afterwards. Yup... I'm truly blessed and really, really thankful. Thanks dear.




Anyway, we still think Melaka is worth a visit and we'd be coming again for a real holiday next time. The last time I went there for sightseeing was ages ago. Ages as in.... try primary school. With the boys singing "Isi Atau Kulit" at the back of the bus. Or was that during our school trip to Mimaland? Hmm... good memory is not my strength. But I still remember I lost my newly bought watch at Tanjung Bidara and got scolded by my parents.

Driving in the Rain

It rained very heavily part of the way on my way back from Penang last Wednesday. It was very heavy I have to lean forward to see the road. Visibility was very low. PLUS road works didn't make the situation better. I kept thinking what if a car swerved and hit the dividing barrier and fall into exposed earth. Not a good thought when you're driving alone.

I drive slower when it rains with both hands on the steering wheel. Pool of water on the road is what frightens me the most. There's an instance my car hit a stretch of road with water puddle and my grip on the steering wheel tightened to control the car. That few seconds felt very long and had my heart pounding for a while.

Driving in the rain when you're not alone however can be a very special moment :) Maybe I should define 'not alone' more specifically or else annoying boss or just friends or colleagues would fit into the picture too. Of course I meant with a special someone. *blush* The heavy rain provides a cocoon as if cutting you off from the world and what's left is just the two of you enjoying each other's company.

When driving in the rain, it is good if you have a shawl or jacket ready when it gets too cold. Lowering or turning off the aircond is not an option as it would fog the window. It is also good if you keep some munchies and drinks in the car. It has helped me ease my hunger pangs many times when I was stuck in a traffic situation following the rain. The girl scout in me has had me prepared for times like this many times. Of course it would be better if there's hot water for Milo or instant noodle when you're stuck in a jam for endless hours but I'm asking for too much already :D

Then comes the question... if you have to choose, which would be your selection when driving in the rain? A company, shawl or jacket, or munchies and drinks? Hmmmm....

Nothing to Write...

I should have wished "Salam Maal Hijrah 1428" yesterday but the day has been quite a 'busy' one so I hope almost two days late is not too late :)

I got a working TV from a family member who has an extra TV to spare. Now I don't have to watch shadows with voices from my TV set anymore. It has been like that for quite some time actually but since I have been away on outstation trips, getting a working TV has not been on my high priority list. I think the color of my old TV is better but I'm not going to complaint. Now I don't have to spend a few hundred ringgit to buy a new one or fix the old one. I spend more time with my laptop than watching TV anyway.

A friend asked about my New Year resolution this year. I told her I don't have any because I have not achieved some of the old ones. Anyway, thinking back, resolutions are like affirmations and reminders to what we want to achieve right? So I think I have to remind myself to take better care of myself. A dear friend has also reminded me about it. Hopefully no more bandaged knee this year. How about a slimmer and trimmer me? Hehehe...

I have been blogging very sparsely lately. I've been wondering why. Just like any bloggers, anything you see or experience will make you want to write about it but all I could manage are a few lines. Too tired from work? Too lazy to write? Too occupied? :) I think it is the latter. Anyway, today I managed to string more than few sentences to write this entry. Now that I've started, I have at least one more in my mind. We'll see whether I can string more than one paragraph of sentences to post another entry later :)

Guess Where I Am Now?

For work of course. Not holiday :)

Look at the clear blue sky and the deep blue sea.







Yummy... I finished the two plates minus 2 cockles because try as hard as I could, my attempt to pry it open was unsuccessful :(





About 2 hours later, I'm feeling hungry again. Sigh... what else to eat? So lazy to go out again.

2007's First Entry

The New Year

It has been almost a week into the New Year 2007. No New Year resolutions for me this year. In 2005, the main item in my wish list was getting a new job and I did got one. 2006 was spent learning the ropes and getting into the groove. I also got to travel a lot... another item in my wish list so it was like killing two birds with one stone :D The past two years has been very important to me... switching industries gave me the confidence that I can survive and perform anywhere. This year will be the year where I strategize and prepare myself for long-term career and personal development. I'm not used into thinking long term so I'll have to take this up slowly and carefully. I have to start thinking about Me, Inc. again.

The Knee

My knee is getting better though not fully cured. I can lift my left leg again after a week's rest but I can still feel the pain at the ligament whenever I move. Despite the bandaged knee, I did a long distance driving on my manual car, pretending it’s an automatic :) Luckily there's not much obstruction on the highway so I don't have to change gears too often. There'll be another long distance driving in the middle of the week. I hope that will not put too much stress on the knee. With 11 training days this month, I have to keep the bandage and deep heating rub handy... just in case the pain recur.

The Drama

"Attention everyone! I have a declaration to make (over the phone) and I need witnesses."

Almost everyone nearby stopped doing their things and stared.

** make declaration **

Silence.

"I think everyone was shocked... LOL"

Then the comments started coming and the blushing declarant laughed and got even redder.

That happened yesterday. I'm sure it will be the gossip piece of the month (maybe even for the year), and no amount of recovery measures will fix it. Not that any fixing is required. I think the declarant is too happy to care :)