Singapore....

24th August 2007 (Fri)

We left KL at about 6.20am. Rems came and fetched Tasha and me. We were on the NS highway by 6.35am on route to 'The United States of Johore Bahru' as Rems puts it. It was a smooth drive. We stopped at Pagoh for a snack, then got on the highway again and this time, straight to JB. I was feeling slightly feverish and I felt I was coming down with a flu, so Rems took me to the clinic once we reached JB (9.30am) and then for some curry mee. I must say, it was freakin' good. I shared my bowl with Tasha, but boy was it delicious. Upon having bfast, we headed home to Rems place. Once we got settled in, we slept for a good 5 hours. Woke up by 6, had tea, Rems mixed tea and had some goreng pisang. Then we got ready and left for Singapore, to attend Vicknesh's engagement. It was in Sembawang Mission Home. Met up with the rest of Tasha's family there and then once the engagement was over, we were served very good food. Once dinner was over, we headed back to JB for a night of partying. Pics of the engagement are shown below:-

All the gifts being arranged outside the hall, before brought in by the groom's contingent

Tasha's dad, mum and the groom - Vicknesh

All the gifts being blessed by the priest

Rems, myself and Tasha

The priest blesses the rings and the offerings

The in-laws exchange trays

The couple exchange rings

The couple sign the Certificate of Marriage in the midst of 2 witnesses (Yoges' uncle and Thatha)

A picture of the newly wed and Uncle & Auntie

The bride thanking all those who came

Tasha, Yoges, Vicknesh and myself

25th August 2007

We had a long night after the engagement, so much of partying - with Suresh and Paul. Paul left early, but Suresh was with us until about 5am. We ate some of the most unique dishes. We had pork in curry and fish in claypot - well, these were had at supper and then we headed home and slept. On the next day, we only woke up at 2pm. Well, actually, I only got up then, Rems and Tasha were up and tried in vain to wake me up so many times. Anyway, we got ready and left for the Singapore Zoological Gardens. Headed for Singapore at about 3, reached the Zoo at 4pm. We had a good 2 hours to finish the Zoo. In fact we did. Well, in fact we could only see all the animals, we could see any of the shows as it was raining and we also missed all the feeding sessions. But we have promised ourselves to go back to the Zoo. It is really worth it to go back there again. Anyway, here are the pics taken at the Zoo:-

At the entrance of the Singapore Zoo

The road leading to the SZG, beautiful road and trees on both sides of the road


Rems and Tasha getting the tickets

Tasha and myself once we passed the main entrance


The orang utans being fed

The Sumatran Rhino

The glorious Giraffe

A pack of Zebras

Both of us (with the reservoir and beautiful forest in the background)

The Lions Den

The Tropical Pythons

Finger Snapping Turtle (really cute fellow, he was just looking at the camera)

Myself in the Primates Sanctuary

The Monkey Haven

A cute Pygmy Hippo

Rems on top of the 'Forest Defender'

Tasha playing with a wallaby

Cute lil wallaby, couldnt stop patting the fellow

The White Tigers

Tasha and myself, before the exit of the SZG

Tasha with a giant Sea-Lion

Rems and myself

A beautiful scene at the Boat Quay

Another picture taken at Boat Quay

Tasha and myself at the walkway along Boat Quay

27th August 2007 (Sun)

After the trip to the Zoo, we headed to Boat Quay (as shown on the pics above), but before that we went to the famous Mohd Mustafa Superstore. Oh my god, it was amazingly cheap. Tasha went mad, she bought a lot of stuff - perfumes, toilettries, etc. After that we met up with Vicknesh, Yoges and Thatha at Newton Food Court for dinner. After dinner we headed back to JB.

Upon reaching JB, we got dressed and headed to After 5, a small pub along Tebrau Rd, where we met Michael. After a few drinks there, we headed to The Zone - duty free zone of JB. Went to a nice club called the Cabana, had a bottle of Chivas with the guys and then headed back home.

Slept the night, woke up at about 2 and then we left to KL. On our way, we picked up one of Rems friends (Jasbeer) along the way. We met Jasbeer at After 5, he is the GM of one of the resorts in P.Besar, Mersing. Oh yes, we will be going there soon, so till then, cheers!

By the way, we left JB at 3 and we reached KL at 6. Good timing. Came home had dinner and slept. It was a very very good trip. Thank you Remy for the transport and accomodation and thank you Suresh, Paul and Michael for the hosting while we were in JB.

Cheers!

Man Utd....

What a relief it was after the referee blew the final whistle during last nights' game. It was a cruncher man, damn it! Man Utd vs Spurs - the Red Devils were having a tough time holding on to the single goal that we scored. It was a game that I didn't want to miss, but then again, had a tough time watching. This was a good result - we have to keep winning in order to keep our dreams of title defence alive. It won't be easy as all the other teams in the top 10 are playing really good football. The Red Devils have to be very cautious - we can't afford another slip, even draws are unacceptable at this stage of the league.

It was a wonder goal by Nani. I do hope when Ronaldo returns in a games' time and when Rooney returns in approximately 1 months' time we will be able to find our form. In fact the presence of Ronaldo will enhance the opportunity to create more chances and goals.

Well done Man Utd, keep up the winning ways. In fact now, we need to score more goals as our title challengers are all scoring more than 1 goal in their wins. We do not want to loose out on goal differences.

All the best Man Utd, more wins and more goals, fellows!

Glory Glory Man Utd!

Singapore Trip This Weekend....

I can't wait to go to Spore. Tasha and I had a tough time getting our passports sorted. She had to apply for a new one and I had to renew mine. I had to go to the Immigration Office for 3 days in a row to sort it out. I finally got it today, phew, what a relief. Anyway, why are we going to Spore? Well, it is Tasha's bro's engagement. I spoke to Rems about a month ago and we have decided to go together. He will be coming with us. In fact, we will be staying with him in JB and then going for the engagement in Spore on Fri and then coming back to JB for 2 nights of continuous partying. The JB boys, namely : Michael, Suresh and Paul, have told us that since they could not spend much time with Tasha and me in Melaka during our engagement, they want to give us a huge party in JB. So that is on the agenda as well.

Rems will be picking us up on Fri morning at about 6am and then we shld be returning to KL on Sun, by afternoon. I will be taking a lot of pics, hope to upload them as soon as I get back. I would love to go to the Singapore Zoological Gardens on Sat, but then again it is up to our host. He is our official driver - cum guide - cum host, heheheheheh! But we hope to go to the zoo, it has been such a long time since I last went to it. It was voted to be one of the best zoos in the world. So I hope to be able to go.

Anyway, more about the trip once I get back.

Cheers!

Man Utd....

Well, well, well...... I know a lot of my office colleagues have been waiting for this post. It was a disastrous weekend, there is no doubt about it. But let me tell you my fellow Pudlians and Blues, the season has just begun. Let us not be carried away with petty wins and scrambling draws (draws which result from penalties which were wrongly given). Hehehehe! I can't wait to see the comments after this! Anyway, as I said earlier and I will say this again, we will put on a fight from now on. It will be an uphill task to move from within fighting distances of the current leaders. The table has not taken shape yet. If I was to predict, I will wait until the Christmas season to see the table taking shape. The team which tops or closes in the gap to the leader of the Premiership at that time (mid Dec towards the end of Dec) will be in contention to win the League.

I will not deny the fact that we have played some of our worst football in years. But it takes a while for the new players to develop chemistry with each other. Some teams have had the luxury of seaming up with ease, others not so lucky. So, let us give it some time. Am I going to throw in the towel? Hell NO! We are talking about the Manchester United Football Club people, not just any push over team. This is a team which has won the League time and time again - not only that, a team which has won the League when we were in 5th place in the middle of the season (1995/96). Am I worried? No..........

Sir Alex has said, it will take a lot to win it this time. To all the Red Devils, let us stand behind the Manager and the best team in the world and carry them through this season.

Glory Glory Man Utd!

Not Another Draw....

Damn! Last Sun, I had to watch the horror of Man Utd ending the game at Old Trafford with a goal -less draw against Reading. Well, the horror did not end - AGAIN, we drew with Portsmouth (Fratton Park) early yesterday morning. The lads played well - created a lot of chances, but there was no finishing. The injury of Rooney on Sun and the last minute red card Ronaldo got for the foul, showed how greatly these 2 superstars were missed. We had Tevez up front, but we still lacked the pace of Ronaldo and the strength of Rooney. The docs at Old Trafford have given Rooney 2 months to recover, I do hope and pray he recovers sooner.

We will be without Ronaldo for the next 2 matches, but I guess, the young lads have an opportunity to shine now. The likes of Eagles, Fletcher & Pique - the boys now have a chance to show what they are made of. Anyway, we have to look forward. 2 consecutive draws - doesn't bother me, what happens after this is a concern. I have seen how the Red Devils pick themselves up and come back with a bang. I can't wait to see it happen again. The year the Red Devils won the treble 1999 - well, we drew the first 2 games. So let this not be a situation which dampens our spirits. Man Utd will pick up! We have an entire season of 36 more games to go (in the Premier League). We can do it!

Glory Glory Man Utd!

More Pics From Dogathon 2007....

Dushies took some pics @ the Dogathon as well, so here they are:-

Myself, Tasha, Amelia (our church member from Christ Church, she is a post-graduate student in UPM pursuing Vet Med) & Caesar (partly hidden)

Caesar chillin'

Caesar waiting for either one of us to ignore him so that he could just run!

More pics from my camera:-

This handler had 5 dogs on his leash. Damn!

A cute couple, a Beagle and an English Cocker Spaniel

This fellow was a centre of attraction as well - a baby Syberian Husky

By the way, the theme was Kings & Castles, so this ChiHuaHua was in fact one of the best dressed ones

Dogathon 2007....

It was the time of the year again. Dogathon! We left the house at about 7.30, bought some bfast at a nearby bakery and headed straight to UPM, Serdang. The drive was less than 20 mins. Once we got there, parked our car, then we headed to the field. There were so many doggies. Caesar was so excited, well, he normally is. But whenever he goes to a dog show, he is over-excited. So, we were running all over the place - thanks to Caesar, until I found a nice spot to chill. I brought along with me a huge mat. Once I put spread it down on the spot, underneath 2 huge trees (oh yes, loads of shade), then I just slept for a while. Yes, the effects of drinking too much - I was suffering from a massive hangover. While I took a short snooze, Tasha took Caesar around the grounds.

There were so many dogs. The turn-out was not as great as the 1st year we went, which was 2 years ago, but ok. Last year it was quite big as well. Anyway, loads of stalls selling food, drinks, SPCA & PAWS were there as well, pet-shops selling doggie stuff, horse-rides and all kinds of other souvenir shops as well. It was pretty much like a carnival. Once we had seen everything, we came back to our 'port' and chilled. Dushies came by, so he was busy going around snapping pics.

The event ended at about 1.00pm - by the time, we got back it was 3. We headed out of Serdang, bought some jackfruit on the way, came back to PJ, bought some lunch and got back home. All I had the energy to do was to eat, bathe and sleep. Woke up at about 9pm, went for dinner and came back to watch Man Utd draw with Reading - boy was I disappointed. But then again, it was the first game of the season. I hope Rooney gets well sooner than the projected 2 months.


Here are some of the pics taken at the Dogathon 2007 :-

Caesar getting his check-up @ the Registration Counter by a UPM Vetinerary student

He met a new friend upon registering

Folks were just coming in - 8.00am

This pair is always an attraction - Saint Bernards

Another very friendly G.Retriever

Caesar trying to be friendly with another fellow

At one of the stalls where people are lining up to buy doggie t-shirts

Caesar trying a bit too hard to be friendly - as you can see the other fellow is pulling away

Oh yes, an Irish Setter - Tasha cldnt wait to take a pic with her

Me lying down, chilling - Caesar, my pillow

An American Cocker-Spaniel

A German Shepherd

A Dalmatian

A Rottweiler

A Dobermann

A Boxer (a white one, very rare!)

And finally, a gundu Labrador

Weekend....

The weekend just flew by. For a while it was Sat morning, I had just come back from work, the next thing I knew, it was already Mon and I was waking up, getting ready to go to work. Arrrggghhhh! Anyway, the weekend was fine - rather eventful, I might add. Sat, my boy Ruf'Ruf and I were invited by Akka to attend the Olympia College Orientation Ball. But before that, Rems called me for tea, this was about 5ish. I had already started having packs of whisky at home. So, he came by and we drank a few until he left to Transit (Harmesh's pub in Aman Suria - btw, Harmesh happens to be Rems' bro-in-law, well Reena's fiancee). I got ready and when Ruf'Ruf came we left for Corus Hotel in KL. We reached the hotel at about 8pm, half way, we were met by Akka, Sir and Leena (Akka's friend). Upon getting to the hotel, we met Belinda & Nie'raen. Dinner started at about 8.30pm, but throughout the night we had loads of performers. I must say, the one I really enjoyed was the Street Performers. This was percussion ensemble that played a lot of percussions and fire dances as well. Good stuff!

Well, once the dinner was done, we left for Transit. As it was the opening ceremony, but boy were we late. Well, as the dinner started late, we had leave late as well. Got to Transit at about 11.30pm. Had a few drinks, then we left. It was nice, I played some pool with Ruf'Ruf and Dush. I had to leave early as I had to wake up early for the Dogathon in the morning. We had to leave once Tasha got back from work at 6.30am.

So, that was Sat. Loads of drinking, btw, even once I got back, I had a few more shots of whisky. Damn! Well, I paid for it, when I went for the Dogathon.

Jokes....

I was reading one of the music sites on the Net and I came across some of these jokes below. It is a good read.

Musician Jokes

Q: How many musicians does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Twenty. 1 to do it and the other 19 to stand around and say, "I can do that!"

Q: What do you get if Bach falls off a horse, but has the courage to get on again and continue riding?
A: Bach in the saddle again.

Q: How many bluegrass musicians does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Two. One to screw it in, and one to complain that it's electrified.

Q: How many musicians does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Twenty. 1 to hold the bulb, 2 to turn the ladder, and 17 to be on the guest list.

Q: How many folk musicians does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Seven; one to change and the other six to sing about how good the old one was.

Q: Why don't they know where Mozart is buried?
A: Because he's Haydn!

Q: What's musical and handy in a supermarket?
A: A Chopin Liszt.

Q: What do you get if Bach dies and is reincarnated as twins?
A: A pair of Re-bachs.

Q: What do you call a male quartet?
A: Three men and a tenor.

Some of which are brilliant, some are just pointless. Anyway, more coming soon. I should look up some piano jokes.

Cheers!

Prom Night....

I know.... I know, I have grown out of all these stuff. But I thought it would be nice to see how things of this nature are done these days. Some time ago, I was invited to judge a Talent-Time competition. This is the same college that is hosting the Annual Dinner at a hotel here in KL. Akka has invited Ruf'Ruf and me to come along. She is going with Surin - oh yeah by the way, Belinda is the Chairperson of the Organising Committee. Should be a good night out. Tasha can't come as she will be working this weekend. So, we will be going.

Will tell you guys all about it next week. By the way, the event is this Sat.

VW....

It has been a while since I last wrote about my babe. Actually, I have not announced her name to everyone. After much thought on the subject and after consulting a few experts (Akka, Surin and Belinda) on the matter, her name was decided - Selma. I think it really suits her. So, Selma it is.

Well, Selma has been fine. Have been going for her regular check-ups - servicing. But something really sad happened last Sat. My boy Ruf'Ruf and I went to send his car to Suhaimi (Sg. Buloh) for his body restoration work and front axle modification. It was a really hot Sat afternoon, so I decided to go for a one-two session at Picadilly's. While we were there, Foong came and joined us. We were there for about 2 hours and then we had to go home as Tasha was cooking dinner for us. But, on our way back, Ruf'Ruf decided to buy a bottle of whisky and have a small party my place. So, we went and got the liquor and we headed back.

While we were getting ready for dinner, Ruf'Ruf and Foong went out to buy some rice for dinner. They got back in about 15 mins. Upon returning, Ruf'Ruf told me that the car had been in a small accident - by the way, he was driving my car during that time. My boy drove it on a one-way street and a MPV had hit and bolted from the scene of the accident - which I'm glad he did, as Ruf'Ruf was in the wrong for driving in the wrong direction. Anyway, the right back fender of the car had been dented and the paint had been scratched away. It was so hurting to see it as I have never hit the car ever since she was presented to me by Appa exactly 10 years ago on the 4th of August 1997. No accidents whatsoever. It did hurt - in fact it hurt a lot, for her to meet with an accident on her 10th Anniversary. But the boy was so devastated. When I saw how hurt he was (cos' he loves his VW very much as well), I told myself, its fine. He came forward and told me that he will pay for the damages. So, I took her out today to Steven. Now, Steven is one of the best paint-job-cum restoration experts in the Klang Valley, his shop is in Old Klang Road (the left turning at the traffic lights after Taman Tan Yew Lai). So, he advised me on the price. Since there were other small scratches on the car as well, I have told him to patch up all marks around the car. Good quote, I must say! So, this Fri she will be admitted for about 3 days to get the paint work done.

Just in case the some of you'll have forgotten how Selma looks like, here she is:

More on Selma by end of this week.