Wonderful Batam Experience

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I just got home from Harbour Front Centre. As I have written, I was on an overnight trip to Batam. We had to thank Ria, my colleague for seeing to all the arrangments. Although it was only a short trip, we had sufficient good food and proper shopping. What happen in the last 24 hours?

We took a Penguin Ferry from Harbour Front, which took about an hour to reach Batam Center. The rocky ferry feeling made 2 colleagues felt nauseous, but it didnt spoilt their appetite for seafood. The GM at our Batam industrial park had chartered a driver cum van to bring us around. Our next destination was a seafood restaurant located at a kelong. Such a pity that it was too dark to see anything out in the sea. Knowing malay is helpful if anyone wish to visit Batam in future. Fortunately, Ria was around to order the food for us. There were too much food for everyone, which left me with the plate of chilly crabs to finish alone. The final bill was about 1 million rupiah, way cheaper than dining in SG. We were driven to our 4-star hotel, Island Garden Hotel, to rest for the night. Some colleagues wanted to play cards. However, they discovered I was already in dreamland before they even started. Hehe.

Early this morning, we were having a nice breakfast at the hotel restaurant. After a short rest, we went to the nearby massage parlour within walking distance. I had the Traditional Thai massage costing Rp73,000. The masseuse did a decent job making me feel revitalised and got my tip of Rp50,000. It was her lucky day. Following that, we were brought to 3 shopping centres consecutively to make our purchases. My best buy was a jersey. As recommended by VP, I paid Rp45,000 for a facial plus mask. Time flew by and we are on the way back to SG via the same ferry service.

From W to K, but still 800i

To put the unhappy things behind me, I chose to pamper myself with a mobile switch. Had been waiting for this contract renewal date. The last mobile switch was 5 months back, through a cash plus trade in deal. I was holding on to SE w800i, which I thought was suitable for my MP3 needs. Now, I realise picture quality is more important than music quality. Had 3 phone models in mind. Nokia N73, SE k800i and Samsung E900. Read through several phone reviews, to conclude on purchasing the highly rated SE k800i. Without hesitation, I headed for the mobile shop and extended the contract for 2 years. Though I couldnt bear to let go of my w800i, I had to sacrifice it to salvage $300 trade in value. The sales guy was curious why I wanted to dispose w800i. He would consider that to be one of the few models still in demand. Overall, it was a fair deal, with a 1 GB card thrown into the purchase cost.

Utterly Disappointed

I was expecting an sms from her for the time to meet. 2 days ago, she mentioned that a common fren would be joining us and the timing to be confirmed. Needless to say, one would expect everything to occur as planned. After 10 months, I let bygones be bygones. Not withholding any ill feelings nor true feelings. Just carrying a thought of becoming friends once again. Another group of friends will meeting at a cafe, but I rejected their offer to stick with hers. After a long wait, the sms still didnt come. I sent her one instead. She replied she couldnt make it. A great sense of disappointment developed inside myself. I lost my cool for that short moment. A conclusive sms was sent to her stating, "If you are not sincere, please dont waste my time. We made all prearrangements and it came down to nothing". Any hope of seeing her in person have vanished into thin air. Giving her up wasnt such a bad thing after all.

Batam Excursion

During lunchtime, my VP was mentioning about paying a visit to Batam. She used to work at our company's Batamindo Industrial Park for a few years. From her experience, it would be nice to go for an overnight stay. Tentatively, we are looking at 27 Oct. The programme plan she had in mind was:
- head for Batam directly after work on friday evening
- enjoy fresh seafood dinner (Dunno if I can take lots of seafood)
- spend the night at a good hotel
- go for cream bath n massage the next morning
- do some shopping before we head back to SG

Some of us were keen to participate, as she could serve as a guide to us. However, there was one issue on accomodation. Cat agreed to be in the same room with me, as I am the only guy around. VP asked why she wasnt afraid to be with me alone. I thought it was ridiculous. Do I look like a sex maniac? To avoid further gossip, I chose to be alone. Before we knocked off from work, she managed to get her brother to join us and share the room with me.

The Old times Remains

After looking at several brands of casual watches the past few weeks, I went to the Casio Boutique at Bugis. It was about a decade ago that I switched to other brands from my Casio watch. Now, I am back to the old times. I cant deny that their designs have changed with time. This is one of their latest designs I acquired for a decent price.

Inter Gift Exchange

Today, I had an extra bag with me. It was the gift, which I bought for the birthday girl. I was wearing my new long sleeve shirt to meet P for a small birthday dinner with her. Our birthdays are less than a month apart. As I reached earlier, I went to the CityChain shop at Suntec to browse some watches. The temptation to buy one arose with a $50 voucher that I am holding on. However, the good models cost way above what I am willing to fork out.

A while later, I met up with her outside Kuishin Bo Jap Restaurant. It was sad to see her carry her notebook all the way here from her campus. This meal was on dutch, since it was an inter-celebration. Some sushi as appetitzers kicked start our buffet dinner. She was a bigger eater than me, but I had my flu to thank for reducing my appetite. Fortunately, it didnt affect the enjoyable conversation we had. She was more chatty with me than the previous meetings, which was a good sight.

Once we were finished with the food, she wanted to shop for her clothes. I offered to carry her notebook for her to shop better. She was overjoyed to see Iora having a big sale. Most ladies would go crazy for sale, and she was no exception. As I stood there waiting, she went to try on the clothes and bought a few. We took the same train route back, but were separated at an interchange. She had to return to hostel to rest for class tomorrow.

Money In < Money Out

I was expecting Singapore Mint to be at my Community Club offering coin exchanging service. The 1st 1000 pcs would be free of charge. An opportunity to get rid of the 5-cent coins and other coins in my piggy bank. If any bank does the exchange, they would charge you regardless of any situation.

I joined the queue, with about 20 people in front of me. Most people didnt sort out the denominations and disputed the error counts from the machines. I thought it was absurd. Singapore Mint should have thrown out those people who dont follow rules, or at least make them count on the spot. My transaction got through smoothly and I could tallied every count of the different denominations with my precount numbers. Those bulky coins made me richer by $100+ in notes.

A sudden thought of new office wear came to my mind. I made a trip to Metro, which I like to patronise for office clothings. I made a purchase of 2 formal long sleeves and 1 casual one, totalling near $200. Within a few hours, my cash outflow has surpassed my inflow. There was a saying, "Something Comes Something Goes".

Acquired Fossil

This watch was bought using the birthday vouchers given by my friends. It is one of the latest arrivals in the boutique. Had to part with a bit of cash to acquire it.

3Ts in One Night

A date with T after work was arranged at Tiong Bahru. It has been a few months, since I met anyone there. This used to be a frequent place to meet one fren and my ex company was nearby as well. Those memories have been archived in my past.

I gave her a call as I approached the meeting place. She was waving to me from a distance, even though it was the 1st time she met me. Although this place was near her residence, she was in smart casual. Her efforts to lay a good first impression has paid off. I propose to her to have dinner at Thai Express. She indicated her interest to try some spicy food.

As we were dining, I got to know more about her personal self. She was a chinese national, but awarded PR status. Coincidentally, my forefather was from Fujian Province, where she is from. Her current occupation is a noble one. Unfortunately, her roommate forgot to bring the house key and requested her to go back early. It was a short meeting, but this laid the path for subsequent ones.

Dining in New York

I headed for Cityhall to meet her after work. I had some thoughts of her reactions after I asked her a question previously. I got her answer, and was dead convinced. My mind was restless about any awkward situation to arise between her and me. I am still happy to remain as her friend. Some friends commented that I should persist on. Does it really help to be persistent towards love? Sometimes, persistence may contradict with happiness. I would prefer the latter.

She arrived early, as i waited outside the restaurant "New York" inside CityLink. It was a new concept worth trying, although they serve common western food. To my surprise, she never ask her best fren along. A silly question popped out of my mouth to ask why she didnt ask her along. There was no intention in asking that. We ordered about 3 dishes to satisfy our hunger, which we couldnt even finish. Tummy filled and I gave her a treat this time. She agreed to treat me the next time round.

I had to buy a gift for a friend, whose birthday is approaching. She agreed to come along to advise on the gift. She has good taste, concluding from her dress sense. It didnt take long before we decided on one. She offered to do the quality check on the product before I made payment. From this point onwards, I am certain that our friendship was still intact.

Self Assessment

Had been occupied with budgetary and forecasting work for the past 2 weeks. Ironically, the parent company requested us to attend a 2-day training for the year end approaching. Time was insufficient, everyone in the co had to attend it reluctantly. It wasnt such a bad thing for me, as I am always a keen learner. I didnt meet anyone for these 2 weeks, other than attending night classes. I needed a cooling down period. There are many issues roaming in my mind and I felt unsettled. I am doing a self review for the past year currently, drafting out a plan for next 2 years.

To name a few issues such as:
- relationships
I have witnessed a few relationship breakups around me. Does it mean that a relationship is hard to sustain? I am a victim of an unsustainable relationship too. Not giving up hope, but I shall shelve any plan to source a potential.

- studies
A bad patch hit me and disrupted my progress in pursuant of a degree. The first paper, which I failed in my entire study life, wasnt a nice thing to experience. I felt I can do better, so I shall commit more time to my studies from now on.

- career
I have been considering a career change from accounting to tax. Not contemplating a job switch, but just a change in job scope. There was no commitment required. My boss just wanted me to do something of my own interests.

- family commitments
In the next 2 years, my dad would be approaching retirement. How can I provide more for my parents' old age? I am always trying to contribute as much as I can. If my studies are completed, my contribution can be increased with the funds available. If I really meet my ideal girl, would I be able to fund my own wedding expenses? I need to work this out.

More Birthday Wishes

Another surprise received from an unexpected source, Miss W. Caught me off guard when she sms me in the noon asking if my day was alright. Haha. Thanks to her special gift, the disappointment I was expecting for the day didnt affect me much. Manager commented that she never encounter a guy as lucky as me to receive 2 separate flower items.

My colleagues brought forward our dinner appointment, realising that I didnt look happy on the day before my birthday. All of them cancelled theirs to have a Japanese western dinner with me at Bugis. All these little thoughts meant so much to me. I thought it was their treat, but they walked off when it was time to foot the bill. I decided to make them happy for their little sacrifice. Hehe. We went on to have coffee at TCC. Suddenly, 2 of them said they need to go to the ladies. I guessed something was amiss. Smsed them not to wander elsewhere other than the ladies. Haha. Shortly, they came back with a big bag. It's my birthday gift and they got the back cushion which I am missing in office. Looking at how cute it was, I decided to leave it at my bedside.

The Day specially for R

This evening had finally arrived after a month of waiting. Around 4pm, the weather turned bad and started a heavy downpour. Heaven playing tricks on me. I prayed hard. It stopped slightly past 5.30. There was still time for everyone to make it. Hehe.

The timing was exactly 6.30pm. Most of them were punctual, except for some who got delayed by their own commitments. I requested for those present to wait a while more, so that everyone could have their meals at the same time. Fortunately, the food was served at the appropriate time. It was my treat to let everyone had a good time interacting with each other. As a host, I probably could have done a better job. The introduction part was a bit messed up, as the table was lined up in twos. Overall, I thought the guests were enjoying themselves. The bill was the most expensive budget that I ever catered for an event, but the planning was worth it.

It was a wonderful evening that I never dream of celebrating my birthday before. Used to prefer celebrating with ling previously. But, this year she was not around. Maybe, she would never celebrate for me again. But, thanks to my frens, I managed to see the bright side after the dark clouds are cleared.

An Unforgettable Surprise

It was another friday, browsing through my work documents and cracking my head to solve difficult issues. Lunch time was approaching. I was looking forward to my birthday gathering for the group. The feeling was a mix of 1/2 anxiety n 1/2 nervousness. My phone rang. The front desk lady called and told me to pick up a parcel. I wasnt expecting any and went to have a look. As I was approaching, there was a pretty flower basket on her work desk. Out of curiosity, I requested to have a closer look at the name on the card. I couldnt believe my own eyes. The 3 ladies on site was teasing me about having a secret admirer. It was truly a secret, which I wished to know more. Brought it back to my own desk and colleagues came running towards me. They couldnt believe that a guy would receive flowers too. I would be the first in history. I took some pictures to keep as a remembrance, as the flowers were still fresh. Many thanks to the senders, who made this unforgettable for me.

Personal time with sis

Since I came back from Redang in Apr, I havent caught up with my sis, Lorraine. Whenever I am meeting anyone, I get anxious whenever it is near time to knock off. My luck has not been good. Last min work is often popping up, which makes me worried. Today was a lucky day.

She wanted to try Mushroom Pot and the branch at Orchard Point was fine with her. My job was to fulfil her dream. She was in a skirt this time, surprisingly but sweet. I selected the combo meals and she had the privilege of picking the dishes. A nice meal for both, but it was the least I could do for her birthday. When I was attached previously, I missed many chances of celebrating for her. Promised her something to come on her actual birthday. Learnt from her that a guy is interested in her. My sis is not easy to woo, so this guy has to work harder. We discussed abt a possible overseas trip next year. I mentioned about my birthday appointment with some friends on saturday. Her mischevious self hinted to me to invite her as well. No reason to reject her, as she could interact with people easily.

I ordered mango pudding for her dessert. A funny thing that she asked me if I wished to try, but she ate everything. It was irresistable after all. Haha. I shared my coffee ice cream with her. As a bro, seeing her happy is my joy as well. She bought me a belt for my present, while i treat her to this meal. Waited with her for her cab, thereafter i went to take a bus ride home.

Small Things are not always cute

To many, Monday is not meant for working long hours. That applies to me too. I made an arrangement to see W for a movie treat. After a day of hard work, I love going orchard from my workplace in Tanjong Pagar. Met her at 7 pm, as she had to knock off work later than I do. We chose to watch "Little Man", as the trailer protraited it to be a comedy. Many friends had avoided the show, commenting that the movie rating was low. If I dont watch, I cant confirm that comment. It was sweet of W to do advance booking and picked the best seats. I didnt know ticket price on weekdays is $7. My memory check was $7.50.

There was ample time for a quick dinner. We checked into Yuki Yaki Jap restaurant, W's recommendation. Bento set for me, while she had a spicy noodle dish. My serving looked small, but finishing it proved otherwise. Time was up to proceed to the movie theatre, but the usher delayed our entrance. Surprisingly, the movie had started as we made our way to our seats. Another lesson learnt was dont trust movie time timings on weekdays. Laughter filled the theatre for majority of the show. If the rating was low, I think the raters have to improve on their rating abilities. Overall, I felt the little man was a nasty person with a soft heart. Hehe. As the show ended, we decided to proceed home to rest early. Along the journey home, I wondered how many times I shall have to come orchard area for this whole week. Do count for me ya?

Operation R

Paul was invited to join me to do a recce. I am planning for a gathering at Jack's Place Orchard. But, I wanted to be certain that the arrangements can be made. It has been quite a while, since I last went to their branch at Causeway Point. As Paul was with Rebec in the afternoon, I thought it would nice to her to come along too. I highlighted to her that I had no intentions to stay out late after the dinner.

We met each other at 6pm, just the right time to have our dinner. Rebec has asked her friend to join us, but she would be late. The ambience was nice when we were enjoying our dinner. Past 7, the crowd started to fill the seats. Soon, it turned out to be like a night market. But, the menu had many selections. I am considering if red wine is necessary. Surprisingly, I havent drink that yet. It all depends on the guests' choices.

As we footed the bill, I spoke to Keith, the manager to make the reservation. He will see to the arrangements and I shall confirm the attendance as the date gets closer. Looking forward to the big day.

No Femme Fatale

This evening was a dinner date with army mates. We would want to have a meal together after every reservist. There is Leong, Little Flower and the Godfather. One person, Ah Huat reported sick. Hehe. We picked Suntec Kuishin Bo Japanese Restaurant to dine. Cat held me back, requesting me to wait for her to go Suntec too. She need to purchase tickets for the duck ride, but the station was closed when we arrived. She went home disappointed, as it was an idea for her bf upcoming birthday.

I caught up with the guys, who were at the restaurant, busy eating. They addressed me as the Boss, since I look like one in my working wear. I cant deny the fact that they are all big eaters. They have finished one plate of big prawns and crabs each. My appetitzer was mushroom cream based soup. Kicked off the main courses with all the fried japanese stuff. Had one chicken jap steamboat. Followed by mini sushis and my favourite squids!!! We were avoiding anything pork, as Leong is converting to muslim for his gf. We didnt want him to feel tempted. My final taste was the ice cream, jellies and pastries. A sumptous buffet I had, which I would recommend friends to try it at least once.

We discussed alot of funny situations that any of us witnessed while in camp. Such laughable topics. A lady and 2 guys were sitting beside our table. She was wearing a low-cut spaghetti, so we all thought the 2 guys must be drooling. Too bad they can only see, but no touch. Haha. Leong was tired and he wanted to go back to rest. We went separate ways, but I told them that we dont have to wait for reservist to have a meal. Maybe, I shall gather them again.

Being Stacked Upon

It's the first day back to my work desk, after going on a break. Not surprising to see my In tray stacked with plenty of documents. My colleagues welcomed my comeback and highlighted something was missing for a week, as I like to joke while working. Another piece of news was the lady, who is often associated with me, had asked my whereabouts and they joked that she must be missing me alot. Anyway, I have been treating her like a sister. I cant figure out why she likes addressing me as Richard 哥, as I am younger than her. Haha.

Jokes aside. I had to clear that pile of documents as fast as possible. I started with those that was meant for filing. The challenge was to catch up my work in the shortest time, and proved that my work was only slightly affected. I am in the midst of preparing Budget 2007 for the company and some presentation slides. During my absence, there were changes in the assumptions and a revision of the Budget was required. Some reporting work was submitted to Cat, as I assured her that I could clear it in the morning. Due to our work being closely related, it was a relief to her for me to be around. She hoped I won't fall sick due to stress and extend my absence. :P

By end of the day, I had normalised my working pace. Supposed to finish the presentation slides for a meeting tomorrow, but I chucked it aside. Went Jurong Point GV to see "The Devil Wears Prada" with Pat. This was the first time to see her in specs since we know each other. She would fit better as a 才女 with this appearance. Hope she is not reading this. The show did provided an insight to my life, that a career is not as important as family and friends. Pursuing a career without support from family and friends is not a situation I want to be in. She was in a rush to head back to hostel after the show. I couldnt pursuade her to let me cover the ticket costs, but I shall treat her the next time. It was a nice gesture for her to reject her friends to catch this one with me.

Strangers No More

While I was idling in camp one night, the thought of smsing F to request for a date came to my mind. Wondering how she would react to my request? Since I only knew her online, I hope to see her in person. 不管三七二十一. No try No date. Haha. Her reply came and my heart was pounding. To the contrary, she agreed directly. Of coz, I would expect her to bring a fren along to make her more comfortable. Today was the meetup and I was anxious. When u meet a stranger the first time, u wont know what is expected of u. Just hope to present myself to lay a good first impression upon her.

We arranged to catch a show together, but seems none was interesting. They were delayed and I walked the entire Plaza Sing at least 2 times before they smsed me on their arrival. Saw them walking towards my direction and didnt know F was fun loving. Haha. Her fren, M, was friendly too. We had a heavy lunch at Cafe Cartel, as agreed among ourselves. We learnt more about each other's lifestyles and shared some career thoughts. F has a plan to further her studies, which I hope she succeeds in.

A short period of time spent for a meal but fruitful. They had other appointments to rush to, while I took a bus ride home. Sent her a Thank You sms, telling her that it was a good start to bypass the boundary of strangers. Well, a good ending has its bad side as well. My best fren wasn't having a good day, but I am unable to provide her with any comfort whatsoever. Does it show that I am a lousy friend? I know she didnt want me to be affected by her. Friends are around to show care n concern when there is a need. That is what true friendship represents.....