You’ll Never Walk Alone

The idea formed and hatched less than a month ago. Shortly after mentioning I might consider a return trip to Singers if Arsenal plan a tour there, AudMraz mentioned in her blog her crazy idea of going to see the Liverpool’s tour in Singers. And before long, I had the same crazy idea too!

So that Tuesday saw us exchanging text messages, me exchanging emails with my Singaporean friend to check if there were still tickets, and us checking out how to get there respectively (airlines for AudMraz – AirAsia, JetStar and Tiger Airways - and as for me, it’s a repeat of the exercise I did earlier with a few more airlines thrown in e.g. Tiger Airways, Firefly, Silk Air and Singapore Airlines).

I also tried calling the local office of Profitable Group, the main sponsor of the tour, to find out if I could get tickets here but no one picked up. I preferred buying tickets here rather than in SGD to avoid the exchange rate charge. Luckily AudMraz managed to contact the KK office and although it had run out of tickets, the lady promised she could get her a couple of them tickets by the following day.

So we were definitely going and won’t be alone! I then decided I’d take either coach or train from KL to Singers but would return by air to save time and minimise the annual leave that I would need to take. My airline search for a one-way air ticket yielded the following:

AirAsia: S$28
Tiger Airways: S$25 but there’s a convenience fee of S$5 so it’s actually S$30 (I don’t know why it’s called a convenience fee when it’s hardly that!!!)
Firefly: RM77 (or S$31.5)
MAS: S$101 (still lower than Singapore Airlines!)
Silk Air and Singapore Airlines: S$229 (forget them)
JetStar: S$43 (I could get it for S$35 but that would mean a day’s leave)

I finally decided to take Firefly because it would land at Subang Airport and cost only marginally higher than AirAsia. (Besides, after taking into account the coach fare from LCCT, this option will cost me more than Firefly. Plus, the travel time from LCCT to KL would take as long as it takes to fly from Singers, I kid you not). Plus I get free check-in luggage and refreshment. The next step was to check how to get to KL from the airport by public transportation.

As AudMraz told me it took her more than an hour to get from Terminal 1 to the main terminal and the city, I decided to take a coach early Sunday Morning. Reasons for this particular coach company: it’s conveniently located, the fare is reasonable and I love the interior of the coach. So off I went to catch the coach on Sunday morning and a very early start to the day it was too.

Arrived in SG at 1240 and made my way to Scott and Orchard Roads to check out the last day of the Sale (bearing in mind the increasingly expensive SGD of course). Well, I’m pleased to report that I managed to exercise restraint here. And would you believe it, some things down there cost more than they do here! One good example is the silver and leather bracelet I bought earlier this month in KLCC at 70%: in Singers, it was on 50% discount only and even after the discount cost SGD290, more than twice what it cost me in KL!

I got tired of the shopping scene shortly after this discovery and decided to make my way to Bugis MRT station for the rendezvous with AudMraz. The last time we met was just before we left uni, yes, it has been a while. We headed for Zam Zam Restaurant for an early dinner before proceeding to the National Stadium (thanks to the ‘uncle’ at Zam Zam Resto who advised us to take bus #12. He did also say it was possible to walk, it’d take us 30 minutes). There were already a lot of fans in red there and we had to fight our way through. Mind you, both of us are actually Gooners (OK, AudMraz supports both Arsenal and Liverpool, and loves Torres) but I don’t think I’m betraying my team by being there. I was just there to experience the atmosphere.

We joined one of the queues and went in. Good thing we decided to enter the stadium about an hour before kick-off too because it was filling up fast. Well, at least the Kop (East Stand) was filling up fast. We managed to find some space and it was quite near the scoreboard.

The match started 10 minutes after 7 pm in the dying daylight. I was quite pleased that it didn’t start too long after the stated kick-off time. The Singaporean team defended well and they managed to hold off the Kop – until the dying seconds of the first half. A shame, really. And it was a shame too that apart from the occasional singing, it seemed a pretty sombre affair. Heck, even the lads next to me were very quiet (I was a lot louder and noisier!) and as I remarked to AudMraz ‘expressionless and reaction-less.’

Kuyt and Torres were introduced shortly after the second half started (the latter received a wild reception). And shortly after, Xabi Alonso was also introduced. The second half proved slightly more entertaining and the Kop scored four goals to make it a total of five. I was also rooting a bit for the Singaporean team (it didn’t look as if they got much support and they were playing at home!). I actually thought they didn’t play that badly, but they did squander their few chances in front of the goal.

After the medal presentation, the Kop walked back onto the pitch and clapped their appreciation for the support from their supporters. We stayed on a bit before joining the hordes of other spectators out of the stadium.

After a badly needed cold drink, we took the train to Changi Airport where we spent the night - and an uncomfortable one too! As usual, I had difficulties sleeping. We took the Skytrain to Terminal 3 as the seats at the main terminal were not friendly to those intending to rough it out and even then, had a poor night. At one point I dreamt of showing up at work with bloodshot eyes, how weird is that?

After breakfast this morning, we headed back to the main terminal and caught the shuttle to the budget terminal. Our flights were only ten minutes apart (AudMraz flew Tiger back to KK).

Oh Arsenal, please, please, please come to KL soon. Please, I beseech you dear Captain.

If I Were A Boy

If I were a boy even just for a day
I’d roll out of bed in the morning
And throw on what I wanted
Then go drink beer with the guys

And chase after girls
I’d kick it with who I wanted
And I’d never get confronted for it
‘Cause they’d stick up for me

(Chorus)
If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I’d be a better man

I’d listen to her
‘Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
Cause he’s taken you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed

If I were a boy
I would turn off my phone
Tell everyone it’s broken
So they’d think that I was sleeping alone

I’d put myself first
And make the rules as I go
‘Cause I know that she’d be faithful
Waiting for me to come home (to come home)

(Chorus)

It’s a little too late for you to come back
Say it’s just a mistake
Think I’d forgiven you like that
If you thought I would wait for you
You thought wrong

But you’re just a boy
You don’t understand
And you don’t understand, oh
How it feels to love a girl
Someday you wish you were a better man

You don’t listen to her
You don’t care how it hurts
Until you lose the one you wanted
‘Cause you’re taking her for granted
And everything you got destroyed
But you’re just a boy


Am really liking this song. A couple of other girlfriends and I met up with a single-again friend (the jerk of the ex-husband remarried without her knowledge last July, left the house in August and divorced her in October. She only found out about the second wife through other sources – although she already had suspected something was amiss) and can’t help thinking how appropriate this song is.

Now, If I Were A Boy, would I be considerate to my girl? And another thought, would I fall for someone like me? Even more disturbingly, would I think that vastly differently (sure I will because Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus) and would my values and principles change?

~~~~~~~~

I was walking in BB all the way to KLCC on Saturday and goodness me, there were soooo mannnnyyyy ManUre fanatics around. A terrorist would have a field day shooting them (my colleague remarked the bombers blasted the Jakarta hotels on the wrong day/date! I couldn’t help but laugh and agree with her on this). Blergh. And yet another thing I don't understand about Malaysians: they’d rather support and cheer on the visiting ManUre than for the local lads. Fie on them, I say, fie on them. If Arsenal ever came here, I’d wear neutral colours and go. Yes, I’m an Arsenal supporter but I’m a Malaysian too. I think the poor local lads must be feeling as if they were playing abroad instead of in their own country, the way the crowd was cheering. Not only do they know they are underdogs, but they also didn’t have the benefit of home support - how sad is that?! In fact, the stadium was silenced when the local lads equalised (we all know how sad the country ranks at football so surely to score against the EPL champions is a biggie?)... how disturbingly sad is that?

Well done lads
Local hero

Ade is officially now a Sh*tty player (pun very much intended). And Hleb looks to be moving from one city/club/manager to another. Next destination: Milan. Next club: Inter. Next manager: Moan-rinho. Why ever did you really move in the first place, Hleb, apart from supposedly not being able to stand London?

Tomáš Rosický is back again! My querido is equally eager for Rosický’s return. Rosický, we don’t want you to be sick again!

Love Story

* This post is very much inspired by Nick Hornby’s brilliantly hilarious Fever Pitch. I love the novel and can so relate to him

I don’t quite remember how it happened nor can I recall the circumstances leading to it. All I know is that I’ve fallen in love – inexplicably, unexpectedly, amazingly. I try to find the reasons but I can’t now. And I’m not sure why I fell too. All I know is that there is a relationship and on my part, I feel it a strong one. They say you always know when you fall in love but for me, the details don’t matter much but the fact that I’m in love. At the start, I had no idea or clue of the pain or disruption this love and relationship would bring.

I suppose you can say I fell in love with football first before Arsenal. My friends always express their surprise when they learn that I like footie so much. ‘I never knew you’re into football,’ they would say. Well, of course they didn’t know. At boarding school, we hardly ever watched football, heck, we hardly ever watched TV at all – though I can still remember pleading that we be allowed to watch some local match (not even the English Premier League!) between KL and Selangor after a major exam. They didn’t know I watched Euro and World Cup matches during holidays even back then. For me, it’s not a sport exclusively for males. All those football hunks! I suppose Abah’s appreciation for the game has rubbed off on me though I must admit at times I’m more of a footie fanatic than he is.

While I may have fallen in love with football a long time before falling for Arsenal, it is Arsenal that have held me captivated now. I started buying Arsenal t-shirts and even asking my friend to buy some original merchandise online for me – and my nieces and nephew. Yes, I have decided that I shall exercise my power and dictatorship and insist/force them to also support Arsenal (they seem pretty neutral at the moment although they do love the Arsenal merchandise I bought them). No way are they going to support another club and if they suddenly decide to, I will demand that they return the merchandise back to me. Hmmpph!

Sometimes I wonder what it’d be like to have a partner who (God forbid) supports another team (I even shared this fear with SK), or having children who grow up supporting another club. As it is, I often wonder how I’d turn down weekend dates just so that I can watch footie – do I just decline without stating the reason; do I bluff some kind of excuse; or do I just tell the truth? For it’s a no-brainer which I’d choose between watching at least 11 blokes playing over a date with just one lad (I’d very well choose the former). And what about other social invitations (weddings, birthday parties, ceremonies, etc)? I went to my high school reunion but insisted on watching footie that evening. As it is, I already have to ask my poor friends to text me the results whenever I’m away (I try to plan my holidays around footie schedules but this is not that possible). I even called up Astro to add the sports channel to my parents’ package just so I can watch footie when I’m at home base. Because like it or not, my life has started to revolve around football. I won’t watch movies on Saturday afternoons so that I can rest for the match later that evening, nor would I go out on Sunday mornings when Football Extra is being aired. Football is an inevitability that has to be worked around with. So I pray that no one in my family or close friends will get ill suddenly and that there will be no sudden emergencies when there’s a footie match on because honestly I’m not sure if I’d do the right thing. Thing is, I’m not mature enough to do the right thing most of the time and what more if it involves football/Arsenal.

(I have warned my friend that our next high school reunion – which they say should be done in five years’ time – should not be held in June or July because that’s when the World Cup will be (where will it be held anyway?). Nor should it be held anytime between January–May because that’s still within the Premier League season. Ideally, it should be held in August – after the lull of the World Cup and before the new Premier League season starts. I argued that this is not entirely in self-interest for having a reunion then will enable those friends currently residing abroad to return home during their summer hols. Either that or I won’t attend the reunion, I threatened. Yes, I’m still very childish that way).

If I could have my way, I’d like to have stayed on in England (OK, London) and work there. If I could afford it, I’d buy a unit at Highbury Square (and be part of history) and walk to all home games, yes, including those played by those on the reserve team (not too sure about travelling to away games though, especially in mid-week). Oh, if only I could have my way and if only wishes come true!

Unfortunately, footie is not all that predictable. I’m still gripped with stomach-turning fear before big games and the lingering depression that follows defeats. It is perhaps silly to let myself be so influenced and involved with football but heck Arsenal have become a part of my life now and occupy some chunk of my thoughts and time. Sometimes I wonder if the players have this in mind too, this consideration and responsibility I’m sure they owe to us fans. I’d like to think they do and that they don’t solely play for the money. It’s a two-way relationship and as in any two-way relationship, both parties must play their role. The fans must give support while the players must play well enough to ensure they are worthy of that support. (I have no sympathy and disagree with fans who slag off and slang the manager or players just because a few matches didn’t turn out as expected. And I have no sympathy either for players for who don’t look interested enough to play or who act as if they’re not proud enough to play for the club/country). So yes, this love relationship is similar to the normal relationship with loved ones in that you suffer heartaches, pain, depression, anger and trauma, just as you experience joy, happiness, ecstasy and that floating feeling that accompany a win.

So where is all this going? What is the point of this blog entry? I hope that you will now appreciate how much football means to me. That this is not some silly infatuation on my part but a real relationship that I nurture. That I worry and fret over Arsenal and that is no laughing matter, do not snigger at me when I’m down and depressed and do not dismiss it as a childish pre-occupation. This is not a crush I can overcome. And no one is allowed to slag off Arsenal but I can do that as a fan (I don’t slag off your team so stay off mine).

If I can ask from you, it’s understanding and tolerance of my football-induced moods, and acceptance of my relationship with football/Arsenal (in some context, synonymous with each other).

Thank you for your kind attention and understanding.

Opps, one of them may be a Gunner no more. For putting up shitty performances, we say Bye-Bye Bayor and off you go to Man Sh*tty

~~~~~~~~

July 2009 is a special month indeed. There are two eclipses this month. The first is lunar eclipse which took place on 7 July and the next one will be a solar eclipse which will take place on 22 July. I also received an email predicting an earthquake and tsunami on 22 July 2009... Will there be another earthquake in New Zealand after yesterday’s quake? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

~~~~~~~~

I went for a course Monday and Tuesday and the instructor told me on Tuesday that I looked 17. So I replied, ‘I am 17, 17 Again!’

Then a newbie also asked how old I was because I looked ‘really really young.’

I’m chuffed, I really am.

My Long Dirty Weekend

My long weekend started after work on Wednesday. Headed to Akak’s to spend the night. I had an early flight the following morning – at 0730 and needed to be at the airport latest by 0645 to check in.

Thursday, 2 July 2009

Neither Here Nor There

My bro-in-law dropped me off at the ERL station and I took the first train to KLIA. I was late in checking in but a desk soon opened for those of us yet to check in. We were hit by a violent turbulence shortly after we were airborne and it was so bad, it was a wonder I didn't throw up.

We landed at KK International Airport 15 minutes later than scheduled (we took off late too). I was pleasantly surprised when Jas (my old schoolmate) came up to me - turned out we were not only on the same flight, but also on the same train to KLIA! She was there to attend a medical-related conference. We chatted while waiting for SK and Alice to arrive; SK, Alice and I were going to catch the 1315 flight out to Cebu. We had planned this trip way back in early November 2008, taking advantage of the MAS offers then. Just to share with you the deals I got: I could have caught the direct (but not non-stop) flight to Cebu from KL (with a stopover at KK) but that would have cost more. So instead I bought separate return tickets KL-KK-KL and KK-Cebu-KK for RM206 and RM305 respectively (or RM511 total). A direct flight (with one stop at KK) would have cost me RM1,701. Vast difference, eh. So it pays to shop around, even for air tickets!

Our plane to Cebu took off after about 20 minutes later than scheduled. It was quite an empty craft so when we landed at Mactan-Cebu International Airport, it didn't take long for us to be reunited with our bags. This airport is in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island, and is the Philippines’ second primary gateway. I was looking for some brochures when a Caucasian guy came up and mumbled something to me. Turned out he was a Turk living in Rostov, Russia, and had no clue whatsoever what Cebu was all about. He decided to tag along with us. I asked if he was a Muslim and he said yes. I continued and said that we would have problems finding food because the Filipinos love to eat pork. He replied, ‘Oh, I’m a Muslim but I eat pork.’ There was a moment of deafening silence as our jaws dropped to the floor and our minds tried to digest this bit of information.

We took a taxi to the pier in Cebu City (Pier 1 for Ocean Jet) for our 6 pm ferry to Bohol and spent the next two hours waiting. Now, there are many ferry operators that offer transportation between Cebu and the neighbouring islands at varying prices and ferry crossing durations but we finally settled on Ocean Jet. Thanks to Andrea for helping us secure our tickets as it only cost us PHP320 per person for a return ferry trip – because we bought it a fortnight in advance (I did try emailing Ocean Jet to query if I could purchase the tickets online but didn’t receive any reply so thanks again to Andrea!). The other ferry operators charge PHP500 a way on average (so again, do shop around!). Oh, and passengers would also need to pay a terminal fee of PHP25 but our outbound fee was already covered in the ticket.

Like the flights today, the ferry was also delayed; it finally left after 6.30 pm (scheduled to sail at 6 pm). Golly, what was it with me and transportation today? And the ferry crossing took close to two hours too but at least it was a smooth crossing. We finally reached Tagbilaran Pier at almost 8 pm and the pick-up from the pension was already waiting for us.

We checked in (Atilla, the Turkish bloke, was lucky to secure himself a room) and settled in. It had been a long day and I had been up and about since 4.45 am this morning. We stayed in and didn't go out for dinner; I was just too knackered.

Friday, 3 July 2009
I’m A Celebrity Tarsier ... Get Me Out Of Here!

We checked out and had a light breakfast at the pension restaurant before setting off four our tour of Bohol. From Tagbilaran City, we drove eastward to Baclayon and Loboc before stopping to see some tarsiers. Tarsiers are the smallest (or second smallest? Either way, they are really tiny) primates in the world and because of their tiny size, would be difficult to spot in their natural habitat. There were a few of them in the enclosure and being nocturnal animals, they were either sleeping or looking at (hiding from?) visitors with big startled eyes while hanging on for dear life to the small branches. They looked a bit like Gremlins and Yoda; in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the inspiration for the characters in those movies. We left after about 20 minutes there.

We then passed through an 80-acre man-made mahogany forest (which replaced the primary forest chopped down by the Spanish) near the town of Bihal. We drove on, passing towns and paddy fields and it was as if time stood still there. It started to rain as we approached Chocolate Hills near the town of Carmen. Chocolate Hills is a group of 1,268 cone-shaped hills, so named because the grass that covers the hills turns brown in summer and thus giving the hills the appearance of giant chocolate balls. We went to one of the hills which had been developed to accommodate a view-deck.

Fortunately the heavy rain stopped shortly after we reached the observation terrace. Unfortunately though, the sun that was earlier hidden by the dark clouds had by then struggled through and shone so intensely that pretty soon we were feeling the after-rain heat. We left after the obligatory Kodak moment.

We retraced our route back and stopped at Loboc for a lunch river cruise. There were some seafood dishes so it was all right. We travelled upriver to where a small waterfall was before turning back. On the way back to the ‘jetty’, we stopped at a ‘boat stop’; turned out there were a few boat stops along the river and there were a group of men and women clad in pink tops at each boat stop, ready to immediately launch themselves into greeting us by way of a cultural performance. It was quite entertaining if a bit touristy.

From Loboc, we drove back and stopped at Baclayon Church, one of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines. It was just too hot so we didn’t linger long. Our final stop was at a souvenir shop. Then we rushed back to the pension to collect our bags and perform prayers before rushing back out again to the port for our ferry back to Cebu.

This time, the ferry was on time (well, only five minutes late) and we reached Cebu at 1810. It was starting to get dark so we hurried to get a cab. As expected, there were a lot of touts at the port. And the cabs at the port (as at the airport) charged standard fare (no metered cabs at the port and airport but you can at least bargain for the fare at the port).

Atilla had taken a walk around the port area the afternoon before and told us of the poverty he saw. And that was exactly what we drove through and saw. There was a large slum area around the port and the people there lived by the streets and conducted their daily activities by the roadside – cooking, bathing, doing laundry, even relieving oneself. And there were a lot of kids too everywhere. I felt sad to see such sight of barefooted kids running around. I don’t know why people who can ill-afford to feed even themselves have large families and if they force their children into begging or working (child labour) at such a young age, it is very unfair to the kids indeed.

Anyway. We travelled up and down Juana Osmena Street before finally locating the B&B. It only cost us less than RM70/person/night but still more pricey than other hotels in the area. Nevertheless, we were very pleased with the accommodation (room, bathroom, ambience, dining area, décor, etc) and service. It’s very charming and has character. The owner is a Filipino American and he said it’s his family home converted into B&B (so he must be very wealthy indeed).

We decided to go to Ayala Mall (about 10 minutes away) after checking in. Ayala Mall was a really huge mall, and the stores are comparable to Suria KLCC. Alas, there was no stall selling seafood or vegetarian food at the food court (despite the size) so I didn’t have my dinner there.

Malls in Cebu City close at 9 pm so we were already back in our room by 9.30 pm. We spent the rest of the evening resting and watching the Wimbledon men’s semi-finals.

Saturday, 4 July 2009

Born On The Fourth Of July (not me, nor Tom Cruise who starred in the movie. Tom’s birthday is on 5 July)

Today we took a city tour around Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City at Mactan Island. Our first stop was at the Taoist Temple located on a hill overlooking the city (the hill is Beverly Hills, I kid you not). The rich and wealthy of the city live around the temple and, as we later discovered on our way down, some poor people too in squatters. We had to endure heavy traffic in the city – too many people, too many vehicles, as is the case in most major Asian cities. Poverty is evident everywhere you look. I never expected it to be this bad in Cebu and was disturbed with what I saw. It reminded me of Mumbai and Hyderabad.

We next stopped at the Magellan’s Cross and Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. The cross is a replica of the one planted by Magellan in 1521 to mark the spot where the first Christian Filipinos were baptised. We stayed here long enough to snap pictures before proceeding to the Basilica complex. There was a long queue at the side of the building of people waiting to touch the relic of Santo Niño (the relic is deemed miraculous).

After the basilica, we drove to Fort San Pedro, the smallest and oldest tri-bastion in the country. It also houses the museum that showcases the San Diego shipwreck and the Fort diggings.

We passed by the Heritage of Cebu Monument and the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House as we battled the traffic out of Cebu City. Mandaue City, which lies between Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City isn’t too crowded, thankfully, so it was only a matter of time before we reached Mactan Island.

Ked, our driver, pointed out the squatter homes along the main road to the Mactan Shrine where Magellan Marker (it marks the spot where Magellan died) and Lapu-Lapu Monument (Lapu-Lapu was the local who killed Magellan) are and expressed his frustration over the government’s inability to help the squatters. Oh well, I suppose that’s the problems shared by most governments.

We reached the parking area of the Mactan Shrine a little after 12 noon and headed for lunch at Ked’s suggestion. Unfortunately the restaurant where we sat down to eat our lunch was not properly maintained and poorly located (it overlooked a stagnant body of sea water with a faint stench emanating from the water) – no view, no sea breeze, no atmosphere at all. And according to SK and Alice, the seafood in KK tastes so much better and fresher.

It was a hot, hot, hot cross bun day when we left the restaurant and walked to the Mactan Shrine so we didn’t linger long there.

Ked dropped us at SM Mall (another major shopping mall in Cebu City) and we parted ways with him there. The mall was super-crowded with shoppers and also those eager to escape the heat. It was here where I steadily and surely started to lose my temper and patience with Atilla. I started to find him annoying and irritating and I tried to avoid him as much as possible. Unfortunately he didn’t take the hint. It was bad enough that he kept asking where we were (at any one tourist spot), what we were eating/doing/about to do, where we were going after that, etc, etc. I mean, we were as new to Cebu as he was, for crying out loud. I just hate clingy guys like that (especially loathsome when they are so much older and are supposed to be more matured) who seek constant approval and validation and reassurance.

We returned to the B&B at 4 - the cabbie asked if we were Koreans (!) - and an hour later, headed to Ayala. We intended to shop but alas, despite the size and shopping delights of the mall, left only with mangoes from a supermarket (mangoes from Cebu are apparently among the sweetest in the world). Atilla left us claiming he was feeling unwell and while at first I was initially worried if he could find his way back (since he was so bloody dependent on us to lead the way all the time from the time we met at Cebu Airport up to that point) but SK assured me that he should be fine as he’s travelled extensively alone before. And I exclaimed, you’re right of course, he had travelled to South America, India and Borneo among others alone so he should be able to survive. And this got me really annoyed as I recalled his total dependence on us, his need to be ‘pampered’ (not by one but three girls. Which we didn’t do of course!), his hunger for attention and approval ... ughhhh!!!

We had a light dinner at Persian Palate (the only halal restaurant in the whole mall) and stayed until almost closing time.

Sunday, 5 July 2009
Any Given Sunday

I woke up late today and we all had a rather late breakfast (unfortunately Atilla was also there). I ignored him pointedly and concentrated on my magazine. After breakfast, Alice accompanied me to search for a massage place. We found one about 200 metres down the street. It was cheap (in fact there was a place that quoted a lower price as I discovered later) at P220 (less than RM17!!) for a 75-minute combination of Shiatsu and Swedish massage. Strangely enough, the masseuse asked me if I was a Korean. It was close to 1230 when my session ended and I hurried back to the B&B.

We checked out after prayers (we had earlier requested to check out at 1) and we were lucky there was a cab already waiting in the compound. As we wanted to buy salted danggit fish (apparently a well-known delicacy), Stefan, the friendly driver, agreed to drive us to Taboan Market. We spent close to half an hour in the market and left smelling faintly of dried seafood products (!!!).

Stefan also told us that there are many Korean tourists in Cebu and they all prefer to stay at Mactan Island (hence, the prices of goods in Mactan are higher than in Cebu). The Koreans even come to Cebu to learn English. Still, I don’t see why we should be mistaken as Koreans as we look South-East Asian surely.

Fortunately traffic was light on Sunday and we reached the airport at 2.10 pm. We checked in immediately. To my disappointment, there were not many shops at the airport so I brought quite some Pesos back.

As was our flight to Cebu on Thursday (originating in KL; this flight was also bound for KL with a stop at KK), the flight was empty. And instead of the female aircrew on Thursday, this time there were male aircrew and both were very cute. So cute that I even paid extra attention to the security procedure. Heh.

We landed at KK International Airport at 5.50 pm. I went to the prayer room to find my bracelet which I absent-mindedly left on Thursday and I was pleasantly surprised to find it still there. Amazing Grace Jones.

It was drizzling lightly when we landed and there was a beautiful rainbow outside the terminal building as we waited for Alice’s sister and brother-in-law to come with a car for us. Then it was a quick visit to the Filipino Market and the neighbouring dry seafood product market.

Next we drove to the nearby Hyatt Hotel to perform prayers and meet up with Delia (we went to Delia’s room). Dinner was had at Garden Restaurant (seafood dinner and yes, wayyy better than the one at Lapu-Lapu). Thanks SK and Alice for the lovely birthday dinner ;)

I slept really late watching history being made. FedEx as usual was calm and collected, too calm in fact at times that he made some errors, but finally he emerged the winner and broke Pete Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slams (which he equalled only last month). I feel for Roddick, he has certainly reinvented himself and will be a force to be reckoned with soon.

Monday, 6 July 2009

It’s My Party And I Won’t Cry ‘Cause I’m Happy

I was half-awake when Delia left for work. It was a very wet morning – thank God I had gone to the Filipino Market yesterday for no brolly would be too big for that torrential downpour. Went down for breakfast after watching the highlights of the men’s final match. The rain also dashed my hope of visiting Delia at hew workplace.

SK came to pick me up at 1030 and we drove to the airport. I was nervous when I sighted the long queue; fortunately one counter opened just for those yet to check-in (just like in KL on Thursday morning – story of my life). Practically ran in but I needn’t have worried as the terminal wasn’t that large (in fact I even have time to buy an Arsenal jersey on offer at the duty-free!).

Flight took off and landed on time.

Thanks SK and Alice for coming with me on this trip, for putting up with me and for being such good sport (they were very patient with Atilla too). I had fun (despite the presence of an annoying Turkish brat). And thanks Delia for bearing with me while I watched Wimbledon (I hope I didn’t make too much noise and wake you up too often!).

Third time to KK, so will I be back again?

This is not any beach in Cebu or Bohol but Fabregas Beach at La Seyne sur Mer, France. Yes, such a beach exists!

Six (un)Important Things That Make Me Happy

Tagged by Didi the Liverbird. This is a tough one as most things that make me happy are important. So here we go (in no particular order):

1. Good scent – whether it’s the scent of flowers, fine fragrance or the clean, crisp, pleasant smell of good toiletries. I once accidentally dabbed some Bvlgari on my face and ended up smiling for no reason for the rest of the day. I also like the aroma of coffee and freshly baked buns even though I don’t drink coffee and don’t like bread and most buns.

2. Sweet Like Chocolate (and ice cream and jelly!). What can I say, I’m a chocaholic and have a sweet tooth.

3. Freebies – and I don’t mean those samples of household items or personal hygiene items. You can always ask for samples of toiletries, fragrance and skincare from some counters. Some cosmetic counters also offer free makeover. The company doesn’t lose out because if a prospective customer likes its products, she may end up buying – and remaining a user.

4. Tuning into a radio station and finding it play songs that I like and that I can sing out loud to.

5. A good book, article, movie and/or TV programme that can either get me hooked, have me in stitches reading/watching it, and that stimulates me. Also, unbiased articles on the Gunners.

6. Pictures of the Gunners and especially of Cesc ;) (You know what’s coming)





Tagging: AudMraz, Homemadeblues and Mrs A - because I don’t have that many readers and not all of them have blogs.

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We’re now into the month of Julius Caesar, my favourite month of the year - never mind that it doesn’t have any public holiday at all.