The many holidays

We were off to Ho Chi Minh City for a couple of days. A trip that was planned way back in February and instigated by a cautionary email from SingaporeAirlines about miles which were going to expire if we didn't redeem soon. So we looked at places we could afford for six, redeemed six tickets and paid close to $700 for taxes and surcharges (aargh) and we got our tickets.

The weather was lovely and we walked around the city - gingerly avoiding the chaotic traffic that does not follow much traffic rules. We took some time to orientate ourselves with the area and found a masjid nearby and a couple of halal eating places, well frequented by Muslims from mostly Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. We felt so at home :) If anyone is looking for a good halal place in District 1, we highly recommend Halal@Saigon which is right in front of the masjid on Dung Do street (do not laugh, that is the name of the street and it's pronounced Doong Do). Very good Vietnamese food as well as local Malay food at reasonable prices. The restaurant is started by a Malaysian lady and she has several staff who speak good English and sometimes impress you with their Malay.

After a day spent roaming around the city, we booked a local tour to the Cu Chi tunnel, and we were awed by the Vietnamese for creating such a complex and organised underground tunnel and weapons that outwit and outmanouvered the heavily armed and supposedly more sophisticated US army. The pictures we saw at the War Museum were shocking. If there was anything that drove the message of "War is Bad" to the kids, those pictures were it. Torn limbs and twisted and mangled bodies...sigh.

As part of our tour we had a boat and sampan ride along the Mekong Delta. Where we noticed the resourcefulness of the ladies who were so hospitable and talented in handicraft work and kept themselves busy hawking those wares. There were also ladies running a mini honey/bee factory and other cottage-industies. And we also noticed the men rocking themselves in hammocks, smoking their cigarettes and occasionally getting up from their hammocks to drink the honey and lemon tea prepared by the said ladies.

Unfortunately, because of something he ate, the husband morphed into a merlion two days before we left HCM. I was quite frantic about him developing a fever and possibly being quarantined. But alhamdulillah, he was well enough to travel home after some self-prescribed medication. In the meantime, I brought the kids out to sight-see while he rested in the room. Alone. In a quiet room. With the Australian cable channel with the latest rugby matches on.

I fell in love with the lacquerware (read: pretty and cheap) and bought a couple of things that would be nice for the new house. I've convinced the husband we would come back for some serious shopping closer to when we get the keys to our new house, insha Allah.

Speaking of which, we heard that we'd be given our keys perhaps in August/September, a couple of months earlier than the December date we were officially told. That only means, of course, we need to go back to HCM soon!

Making up for lost time

I'm talking about FOOD, people. *rolls eyes*

When I travel, and halal food is almost as common as a green cockroach on rollerskates, I eat lots of seafood and vegetables. It's not too bad because I do love fish and vegetables but you know, six days of salads and white-man food of sandwiches and pasta, can drive me a little bit over the edge. I know, Sydney is a cosmopolitan city and there are halal foods abound. But if you are on a schedule and your movement is limited between the airport, hotel and office, it does get a bit challenging.

And so it was a welcomed relief that a friend brought me to a Pakistani briyani and tandoori joint which is not only halal but also **out of this world**. I told her briyani will never be the same again... And if you happen to be in Sydney and are either looking out for halal food or just great Indian food, do go to Faheem Fast Food, 196 Enmore Road, Enmore.

My manager whom I was travelling with, is vegetarian by choice. She's ovo-lacto vegetarian to be precise. And she just happens to have many Muslim friends in London so she is familiar with my diet. We joked about how she'll burn in hell for drinking wine, and the curse of the mussels and prawns will be upon me as I tuck in to my seafood pasta.

So anyway, by the fourth day, I was DYING for some real everyday Malay food. Just simple food like nasi goreng or asam pedas or sambal tumis... Because my mother was helping me keep an eye out on the kids, she graciously asked me if I wanted anything special to eat when I get back. Never mind I was due to land close to midnight and it would be close to 1am when I get home. And so I rattled off a couple of things and my mother - I love her to bits - said she'd make me my favourite nasi goreng. And there'll be something else to go with nasi goreng, you know, sort of like a surprise. Oh, how my heart was dancing to the beat of Wham! and the Pet Shop Boys. Sigh.

And since I've gotten home, I have been eating non-stop. There's just so much catching up to do! So yeah, it's been a love fest. Okay, more like a food orgy. But yumms, I'm not done yet. And gym can wait till the weekend!!

Enjoy

Gorgeous sunset every evening, right in front of our suite
















Water babies in their element

About sunsets

Kota Kinabalu was a blast. The husband and I had a wonderfully relaxing time. The kids played to their hearts' content, the toughest decision was always what do we play first. The original plan was for me to bring some books to read but the beach and the pool were just too tempting to pass. I even managed to include some exercise - and more than just walking up and down the buffet line.

Considering it was (still is) the monsoon season, we were blessed with light showers for a couple hours in the day, but mostly we had gorgeous weather and we spent much time outdoors.

And it wasn't so bad indoor too. We had a jacuzzi in the bathroom, a big, nice porch complete with two deck chairs to catch the sun and we were just a couple of steps away from the beach.

The best part of the trip was the wonderful sunsets that we could witness from our suite. I'll post a picture of it soon.

I don't know what it is about sunsets but they always make me feel a little bit sad but at the same time, never fail to take my breath away. Sad because it marks the transition of day to night. Makes me contemplate on how I've spent the time and that the time is gone forever, leaving only memories. But it also puts me into complete awe that such a magnificent transition occurs on a daily basis. God's perfection in full display, for everyone to see.

Every sunset I see also makes me think of Sura Al Asr.

Al-'Asr (Time)

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Time is witness that, surely, mankind suffers loss,
except for those of faith,
Who do good, and become a model of truthful living,
and together practice patience and constancy.

Translated by Kabir Helminski

The accent

Having been surrounded by the curious Filipino accent, I found myself very attracted to it. So attracted that towards the end of my SMS conversation with HotMouse, I decided it should be done in Filipino-English:

Me: Dat's per-pect Jepp, I am so happee por you. Salamat!
HM: Yes, we are prends poreber, walang!

And now that I am in Bangkok, perhaps I should start talking like a Thai, ka? Perhaps a couple of bowls of tom yum goong might put me in the right mood for that.

Freaky

I'm in Manila until tomorrow, when I'll head off to Bangkok. Here for a whirlwind of meetings and I hope some time in the evening I'll have time to explore the city, although the husband is worried about me wandering about alone.

I'm staying at a 5-star hotel in Manila, and they've put me on the executive floor where every service is personalised. Everywhere I look in the room, there's a "Welcome to [insert hotel's name], Ms DramaMama". And since I've said I preferred Evian in my room, there's been bottles placed everywhere in the room. Plus, there's the amazing basket of fruits that could feed my kids for a week.

The service is so personalised that the door unlocks itself. I'm not kidding. I am a safety freak when it comes to hotel rooms, and I always bolt my door twice. This trip is no exception. Coming back from a meeting last evening, I locked and bolted my door. This morning when I woke up, it was unlocked and unbolted. I came back from breakfast this morning, locked and bolted my door, I just turned around and again, it's unlocked and unbolted.

It's freaky but I'm not freaked out...yet.

From the Land Beneath the Wind

I'm in Kota Kinabalu right now. Unfortunately not for holidays with the kids and the husband, but with a group of middle-aged businessmen who are charting their business plan as well as reviewing their business performance. Although they are nice folks, I am also glad that LP, a girlfriend that I made at work, is also here with the group. Yes folks, I do have a lunch partner now! (Geez, that sounds pathetic).

I will be making a presentation to this group later today, on how I will be running their communications programme, in support of their business. I've never had to do this in this type of forum, but I am enjoying it. It feels like the days when I had to pitch for a new business or project - days when I was in public relations agencies, loving the adrenaline and rush of winning new accounts.

We're all staying at the Shangri La Tanjung Aru, and can I just say - this place is AMAZING. My room overlooks the open sea and there is a nice patio where I could sit out and enjoy the view. I'm making a mental note of coming back here with the troop. I've been up since 5.30am - to catch fajar prayer and to watch the sunrise. Man, I could sit here for hours - but I can't and I won't.

I'm going for a jog around the property before meeting LP for breakfast and then look at my presentation again. I want to go in front of my stakeholders to wow them with my plan. Wish me luck.

Chinese New Year adventure

Over the long weekened, we drove up to our house in Melaka. We set off early morning on Saturday to avoid the usual traffic jam at the immigration border between Singapore and Malaysia. During long weekends, most Singaporeans will try to have a short getaway in Malaysia where the food and recreation is good and cheap and that means we could be stuck in a traffic jam for 2 to 3 hours if we don't get a move on as early as possible.

Throughout the 3+ hour drive, I noticed the car pick up was slightly off and told the husband I had some trouble trying to pick up speed. The husband's response was that it wasn't the car, but the driver's skill. Oookay. I said to him he would be paying for that comment soon.

And payment came in the form of the car dying on him as he drove to see one of his aunts the next day. Thank God he was not on a busy road and was only about 50 metres away from his destination. And it juuust so happen that my cousin who used to be a technical manager for one of the European car makers and now lives in Kuala Lumpur, visited his mum in Melaka and we bumped into him at my aunt's. (By now, you'd be able to guess that we have lots of relatives in Melaka. I had to get used to living to that many relatives in that area.)

My cousin took a look under the hood and his diagnosis was faulty fuel pump. And so as he was explaining to the husband the more intricate details, my eyes glazed over so I can't share with you the minute details of that discussion unfortunately - which I am sure you are just dying to know.

So the bottomline is, we had no car to zip around Melaka in, and the bigger problem was trying to work out what to do with the car (being the Chinese New Year holiday, most workshops were closed) and how do we get home.

After hours of exploring the options, the husband decided the car will be towed 3 hours back to Singapore and made arrangements for a van to transport the rest of us home while he takes the tow truck. All very exciting for the kids at this point.

Alas, we couldn't hire a van as most were booked for the - altogether now - the Chinese New Year holiday. But we managed to book a pickup truck and so my 3 kids, my helper, my mum and I squeezed into this nice truck. The kids were thrilled at the prospect of riding a *truck*, but lost the enthusiasm soon after they realised we were going to be packed like sardine in it.

Please don't ask how much the tow truck and the pickup truck cost us. It cost us way too much but the priority was getting the family and the car safely home. And we did get home safely and the car is sitting at the authorised workshop waiting to be worked on when the it re-opens later this week, after the - you've guessed it - Chinese New Year holiday.

Betrayed

We're back from our holiday. The kids had a blast, so did the husband and I. We were in Kuala Lumpur for a couple of days, and then we drove to our holiday house in Melaka to stay there for a few days. The husband's family joined us there and the kids had fun running around the garden and we had a nice barbeque one of the evenings.

My helper, who's been on home leave, was supposed to join us there. And that was when our holiday took a nosedive. She messaged us on the day she was supposed to fly home, saying she's too sick to travel. And then after numerous messages from us, she messaged us back a day later indicating she's decided not to come back.

I was so angry because she left us in a lurch. I wish she had told us the truth about her not wanting to come back, because at least I could've spend some time last week, when I was on leave, to start interviewing for a new helper. And the return ticket which I purchased for her cost three times more than a one-way ticket, and plus I paid for her excess luggage.

Money inconvenience aside, I was worried about the kids, especially Sara Hana taking the news. We broke the news to the kids and they seemed fine. But I think that was mostly because they were distracted by having their cousins around and were having too much fun. Now that we're home from holidays, the next few days will be crucial.

I am convinced this is all premeditated on her part, because her wardrobe is all cleaned out, except for a few clothes which I know she wasn't fond of. And her wedding pictures which she proudly displayed, were gone too. It's so disappointing that she's decided to do this, especially since she's been with us for close to four years and we considered her as part of our family and rewarded and trusted her so much.

I guess in this, and perhaps any relationship, trust and honesty only work if both parties play by the same rules.

Duh moments

Landed in Newark airport this afternoon (NY is -13hrs Singapore) and after a 18-hr flight, you feel a bit woozy and out-of-it. Waited for my car driver for 20mins (we landed ahead of schedule) and when he arrived, I gave him my luggage and computer bag to be kept in the car boot (or trunk, as they call it here).

After 1hr 30min car ride to Connecticut (no, I am nowhere near Manhattan *sobs*), we got to the hotel. He handed me my luggage, I checked in and got into my room. All settled in, I wanted to turn on my computer, but there is a problem. My computer bag was still in the car boot. Nice.

So the driver is turning back because he's on his way back to Jersey and I've been told they'll charge me for this additional drive, estimated at about US$120. Arrgh.

Anyhow, I have a couple of people I am hosting and we went out to dinner. After dinner, I fished out my Amex Corp card and surprise, surprise, it was declined. What happened to the request I made a week ago to increase my credit limit? Who knows. So the people I was with - thank god we are all friends now - had a good laugh because this isn't the first time I had problems with Amex Corp. Arrgh!!!

Home sweet home ... for now

I got home on Saturday afternoon, after a week of geek gab fest. I attended an annual conference where Chief Information Officers and IT managers gather and listen to industry pundits on IT strategies, technologies to watch out for and many other interesting business/IT topics.

The week in Sydney was good, it reminded me why I love doing what I do. Some of these people are seriously smart, although a few made up for their lack of intellect with a super-size ego, but that's a topic for another time. There were a couple of great sessions that I attended, and also one or two duds. But overall, I thought it provided great insights into what to expect in 2007. I am tempted to provide some of my thoughts on some of the topics, but really, I need to get this geek hat off me.

I am extremely happy to be home after being away for a week.

There were a sudden flurry of activities the moment I got home. Almost as soon as I made my appearance, the kids got ready to go to Toys R Us where Danial got his much-awaited and much deserved Game Boy - he waited and worked hard for a full year before he got his own.

Sara got her Barbie trolley bag - please don't ask me where she'll be bringing that trolley bag. Rumour has it the bag will be taken on our upcoming holiday in Kuala Lumpur.

And then we got Farah a new phone and a mobile plan. Also a reward for doing well at school. She's busy fiddling with the phone features, showing how at ease she is with the gadget at her age.

Then it was dinner, where I watched in awe how Danial cleaned a bowl of noodles and my half-eaten plate of chicken rice. After the kids are in bed, the husband and I had some quiet time and then at 5am, he left for Nepal where he'll be for 5 days.