Life's Nuances: A Journey or Mere Nuisance ?

Back Home Once Again!: Waterfalls Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:54:00 +0000

Last year we made our way to the waterfalls in Taiping. This year Melissa, Kelvin and I decided to return to the falls. After pitching this idea to everyone in the kitchen, all those that participated last year decided to return to the waterfalls again this year.

Reaching our destination

How was this trip any different from the one we had last year? Firstly, we had a new addition to the group. She happened to be Aunt Anne (finally, one of the moms that decided to join the active ones in the family). Secondly, after some persuasion from us my dad finally joined us by going INTO the waterfalls instead of merely sitting on the rocks watching out for us. YEA!!!!!!

Like last year, Kelvin is the first one to get into the water. Judging from his facial expression, we knew the water was extremely cold. The cold water did not deter us but our reaction to the chill was classic; shivers, screams, squeals and sounds from teeth chattering.

Reaction to the cold

Aunt Anne after seeing our reaction to the cold waters decided to sit on the rock and not get into the water. We foiled her plan by continuously splashing her with the cold water from the falls. The screams coming from Aunt Anne was not noise but music to the ears. From experience, we all knew that the only remedy to the cold waters was to submerge and get all wet. Without much alternative, she had to join us…heheh

Kelvin splashing water at Aunt Anne

Laughing at Aunt Anne

After a while, all of us migrated to another area of the waterfalls. The migration was undertaken with caution as the rocks were slippery and there were two young kids with us. We convoyed a little upstream where the water was cascading. The descending water was fairly strong hence taking care of the two little rascals was priority.

Migrating upstream

The Group

Kelvin, the creative one when it comes to having fun pitched the idea of using the current to sweep the kids away. We were however responsible adults and would not want anyone to get hurt. Hence, we decided to have J and Aunt Anne babysit the kids while Kelvin and I experimented with the currents. Melissa on the other hand took videos of our crazy activities.

Experimenting with the current

Using our butts, Kelvin and I managed to generate a sizeable current. Melissa and I switched places only to find that the current created was more superior. Rachael and Michelle were swept away so much so J and Aunt Anne had to hold on to them. Clearly, my butt was not big enough and Melissa’s huge butt won hands down…heheheheheh.

Producing stronger currents

Melissa's butt won hands down

From the corner, Kelvin and my dad realized that we can create a more powerful current by using J’s mass to further trap and indirectly ‘guide’ the flow downstream. The idea was brilliant. Thereafter, J was known as the ‘Stone’…hehehe

J the Stone

Throughout the trip, Melissa kept asking all of us to say something to her newly bought ripped off overpriced waterproof video camera . The common response was ‘I have nothing to say’. Nonetheless, I took this opportunity to make a candid video to submit as an application for the best job in the world (http://www.islandreefjob.com). I was not short listed but was happy I tried (clearly, there were many better video submissions).

Approximately 3 hours later, we took a family photo, made our way home wet clothes and all.

Family Photo: clockwise from left - J, Dad, Aunt Anne, Me, Kelvin, Melissa, Michelle, Rachael

Splashing one last time

Note: My thanks to Melissa's digital camera, ripped off overpriced waterproof video camera and tripod that we managed to obtain these photos and more for great memories. ;)

To be continued.....

Back Home Once Again!: To My Hometown (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:22:00 +0000

I woke up early on the eve of Chinese New Year (CNY) only to find no one else has woken up except J. After washing up, I rummaged through the refrigerator and pantry for food. I was famished! Munching away at my breakfast, 3rd aunt woke up to get breakfast ready and I had a smile plastered on my face the entire morning. I just ate and I was going to eat again that morning.

As the clock ticked away, one by one in the family got out of bed. The remaining ones is Aunt Anne and Melissa a.k.a PIGS. Rachael and I decided to wake Melissa up. We kept knocking on the door of their bedroom like there was no tomorrow. Aunt Anne finally opened the door out of irritation. However, the real pig was unfazed and was eminent about staying in bed. Rachael and I did all we could to wake her up from pushing to poking and sitting on her. The one thing that I did not do this year was grab Vicks and medicated ointment and apply it on her nose to wake her up. There is ALWAYS next year.

Lying on the couch watching the ‘Arowana’ swimming in the enormous fish tank, I was planning to climb Maxwell Hill that evening only to be disappointed when it started to rain. When it rains, the hills get slippery and leeches come out to play. There goes my plan for the evening. Right then, Kelvin my cousin brother invited me to pay respects to his late wife at Prestavest Crematorium and Memorial Park. Kelvin has always been close to me despite our geographical distance. He is like my younger brother as he did at one time stayed with me and my parents from the moment he was born until the age of six. In summary, Kelvin, Melissa and I are inseparable.

Nonetheless, we were welcomed by the wave of incense and smoke when we reached the crematorium.

Warning: Please be advised that the following pictures at the crematorium may be offensive to some. View at your own discretion.

Kelvin igniting the candle

Kelvin and kids i.e. Ivan and Clarice paying their respects

Offerings

While waiting for Kelvin to complete the ritual, we came across some hell bank notes with outrageously large denominations. Hell bank notes are afterlife monetary paper offering used in traditional Chinese ancestor veneration. Majority of the bills feature the image of the Jade Emperor the presiding monarch heaven in Taoism.

Hell Bank Notes

To the uninformed, hell bank notes may look like toys and superstitious items. There is however considerations concerning the use of hell bank notes. It is not advisable to give hell bank note to a living person as gift even if it is meant as a joke. This action translates to wishing the person’s death.

Avoid being the uninformed like my crazy cousins here….sigh (shaking head in embarrassment)

Hell bank notes are usually kept away in proper places as leaving these notes in the house is considered bad luck. Hell bank notes are treated as real money thus, are not casually tossed into the fire but respectfully placed in the fire. In some customs, each note is folded in a specific way before placing it in the fire; an extension of the belief that burning real money brings severe bad luck.

(Melissa - now you know the reason why your friends were giving you a hard time when you posted those pictures on your blog.)

On a lighter note, we made a quick stop to obtain the following.

TESCO: Food for hotpot on the 4th day of Chinese New Year

Fireworks! There were more secretly stashed away in case of a police raid

Illegal? Yes, it is illegal to sell or obtain fireworks. Then again, this is a small town hence the probability of being arrested for playing with them is rather minute. Can they be obtained openly? No. We got our loot from a friend of Kelvin’s. The quick stop was a residential home in some remote village in my hometown...heheh.

To be continued.....

Back Home Once Again!: To My Hometown

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 03:04:00 +0000

It felt like yesterday when I wrote about my last Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration at home. Yet this is another new year, the year of the Ox. This year CNY falls on January 26th. Like every year when I return to Malaysia, I would go through the same ritual. The moment I arrive home , I will drop off my luggage, have breakfast with my family ('chee cheong fun' will always be the first thing I eat in Malaysia) and then go for a much needed haircut. By the time I am done with a theraupetic session at the hair salon, it was time for dinner. My mom could not comprehend what would take me close to 4 hours in the salon. In short, I have my hair cut, highlighted, washed, steam treated and blown dry.

The outcome?

I went from this in 2008.........

to this.................. (short red hair)

The following day, we were off to Taiping, Perak as usual. Once there, the fun, the noise, the laughter, the jokes, the food and the family pretty much come together. Instead of elaborating on what happens year after year during this festive occasion, I will let the photos speak for themselves. After all, a picture speaks a thousand words.

My cousin Melissa called me a Pig on her blog. If I am a pig, she is one too coz we are a family....hehehe

Family preparing food: Chinese spring rolls
clockwise from left: Dad, 3rd aunt, 2nd aunt, Aunt Anne, Mom

Family having dinner
clockwise from left: 3rd aunt, Mom, Aunt Anne, Dad, 2nd aunt, J, moi
ooppssss.....Rachael popping out from nowhere :)

Grandma, the duck leg and drink!

After dinner: Kids, Melissa & Me
clockwise from left: Me, Rachael, Michelle, Melissa, Clarice, Ivan

Clarice and Me: I look terrible here and still half asleep..eeekkk

That was the first day in Taiping, a day before the eve of CNY 2009. I slept the entire afternoon and turned in very early that night. Adjustment to a different time zone proved difficult.

To be continued......

All It Took Was Gustav: Invasion of Jin Joo and the Pearl Harbor

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:33:00 +0000

(How long has it been since my last entry? September 2008. That long...Nonetheless, here is the continuation of the Gustav series).

Breakfast was almost over by the time we got to Rainbow Lanai. Exhausted from the activities the day before, I overslept. On top of that, nobody in our party was in the mood for food that very morning. After a slow morning, we decided to take a drive to Pearl Harbor.

‘Why are going back to the airport? I am not ready to go back!’, I exclaimed.

‘Are you sure this is the right way?’, J asked as we drove towards the airport.

‘Yes! That’s what NeverLost says’, I replied.

Sensing that NeverLost will not get us there, I had my Garmin nüvi 360 switched on to get us there. When we were finally on the correct route, the crossbreed announced,

‘Let’s get something to eat before we get to Pearl Harbor’.

‘Huh? Eat again? Where at?’, I said as my parents chuckled.

‘I saw a few plazas on the way. We could see what they have there’, J said.

We turned around to stop at plazas J mentioned. The first plaza we stopped at had Genki Sushi. It was located in Pearl City along Kamehameha Highway. Instead of going in we ended up asking a candy shop operator where we could find something local and less ‘tourisy’. He told us to drive down the highway and we will come to a shopping center with eating places.

True enough we saw plenty of restaurants located at the shopping center called the Waimalu Shopping Center. Since the selection was aplenty, we pulled up into a parking space and got down to peruse. We stopped at Jackie’s Diner and took a look at the menu to see what they have to offer. Jackie’s Diner serves authentic Hawaiian food. Seeing that I had Hawaiian food the day before, I decided that the party should have something else. As we walked out, I spotted Jin Joo. I was in the mood for something spicyyy….

A row of eating places

More shops

Jin Joo restaurant that caught my eye

The décor was minimal. However, I was more concern about the food. Having the suspicion that the portions would be huge, I decided to order a dish to share with my mom. Dad and J had their individual portions. When the food finally came, I was more than impressed.

The menu in Jin Joo

Jin Joo's Interior

Soup

Appetiser/Side dishes commonly served with the entree

Kimchi Jaegi at the far end (black clay pot)

One of the main dishes

The total cost of food at Jin Joo’s was less than $40 including tips. For four people and huge portions to boot the price was reasonable. We were more than satisfied after filling our tummies with good food. With that we continued our journey to Pearl Harbor.

There was quite a lot to see at Pearl Harbor. We spotted the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center on the way to the parking lot. The visitor center opens daily from 7.30 am to 5.00 pm. The 23 minute documentary film about the attack and the boat trip to the USS Arizona Memorial begins at 8.00 am. Adjacent to the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center is the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park that opens daily from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm with the last tour of the submarine at 4.30 pm.

We made our way to the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park. Dad, J and I loved the outdoors and the sun. We proceeded to walk around in our caps and took pictures. Mom on the other hand preferred to stay in the shade. Lucky for her there were ample tables and chairs as well as concession stand in front of the museum. Our personal opinion; she needs to get out more, be active, let loose and have fun.

Dad in front of the USS Bowfin

J in front of the USS Bowfin

I have always loved the navy. The white, crisp and smart uniform puts a wide smile on my face. I may not be part of the navy but it sure made me happy to pretend to be one.

Me pretending to be part of the navy. Don't I look the part?

Having taken enough pictures, J and I went on the USS Bowfin submarine. We were given a walkman-style cassette player that narrates as we explored the historic WWII submarine. The USS Bowfin was launched on December 7th 1942 and completed nine successful war patrols. The bowfin has also earned both the Presidential Unit Citation and the Navy Unit Commendation during her wartime service.

Excited as I was when I went into the submarine, one word came to mind; cramped. Walking in the tight confined space made me think what it was like for those living on board. There was certainly a space issue. Exacerbating the less than ideal situation is the hot temperature of the submarine. J and I were not the only visitors on the bowfin. To avoid the feeling of being overcrowded, I moved into another section of the submarine from time to time. I cannot really imagine how up to 80 crew members operated and walked in this submarine. Amazing…

Inside the submarine

A Way Out

Dining Area

Menu for the crew members: Looked like a good selection

Kitchen

Looking below: The pantry to store food

Working Room

Bed

A row of beds

Controls

Pipes

Device used to generate fresh water

Posing in the submarine

Exiting the bowfin, I welcomed the fresh cooling breeze with zeal. We walked around a little more and posed for photographs.

Standing and Saluting

Weapons and Me

After goofing around for sometime on the submarine, J and I decided we had enough for the day. The last place to visit was the museum. Dad and J went into the 10,000 square foot museum to enjoy the impressive collection of submarine-related artifacts such as submarine weapon systems, photographs, paintings, battleflags, original recruiting posters, and detailed submarine models, all illustrating the history of the U.S. Submarine Service. I joined my mom seating in front of the concession stand to enjoy the quiet and cooling surroundings.

Just as the museum and park was about to close, J and dad came out from the museum. It was time to head back to the hotel and the beach!

I donned my zebra print bikini and headed for the beach. Clearly, my 30 year old body needed to go under the knife to sculpt away imperfections….sigh. Deep down, I knew it was only going to go downhill after 30 hence, I decided to have a few photographs taken as remembrance. Perhaps, next year with more discipline on the type of food I eat and a BETTER photographer the pictures will turn out better (I knew better than to have J take these photos…sigh).

The sun was setting, the day was almost over and I did not get a tan. I decided that the next day would be a day dedicated to frolicking by the beach, goofing in the sea and getting a tan.

To be continued…..

All It Took Was Gustav: A Little Hurrying, A Little Calmness, A Little Learning & A Complete Misinterpretation

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 01:10:00 +0000

In an unrecognizable accent, the lady said,

‘You park your car here and then hike up to see the crater’.

‘Hike? I thought it was a drive up according to the brochure’, I responded.

‘How far is the hike?’, J asked the lady.

The Diamond Head is the name of a volcanic tuff cone on Oahu also known as Le’ahi to the Hawaiians. We were about to park the car and experience the panoramic view of the crater when we found out that it was a 1 ½ mile hike up. The area was dry and it truly was a hot day. The party decided against the hiking activity. Instead we stopped at the crater’s lookout.

The crater from above

Leaving the crater

Driving towards the tunnel

In the tunnel

At the crater's lookout

More views

Dad & Mom in the car

Satisfied by the view from the crater lookout, we proceeded to Hanauma Bay. As J drove along the Kalaniana’ole Highway a.k.a. HI-72E, I was captivated by the sea and waves slapping the shores. This only made me want to get to the bay even faster. The GPS though indicated only two miles left of driving did not appease me. Besides, following a slow vehicle on a 50 mph speed limit highway did not help at all.

On the way to Hanauma Bay

View of the ocean

View of a mini island

The ocean

The slow vehicle

We finally reached Hanauma Bay. The bay is a marine embayment formed within a volcanic cone. The waters at the bay looked great for snorkeling hence J and I vowed to return to snorkel sometime later since my parents were not as enthused.

Dad and the bay

Hanauma Bay

After what seemed like a short visit at the bay, we made our way to the Byodo-In Temple. We continued on Kalaniana’ole Highway towards HI-61S. Approximately 12.5 miles after, we took a right turn towards Kamehameway Highway a.k.a HI-83N. We also had the opportunity driving on LikeLike Highway a.k.a HI-63S before finally reaching the temple on the Kahekili Highway.

The Byodo-In Temple is a non-denominational Buddhist temple located at the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park and is a replica of a 900 year old Buddhist place of worship at Uji in Kyoto, Japan.

The Byodo-In Temple

Another picture of the temple

Surrounding the temple are large koi ponds surrounded by lush Japanese gardens.

Koi pond at the temple

Koi in the pond

The golden koi that caught my eye

Within the temple grounds, there is a three ton brass peace bell. It is said that worshippers often sound the bell before entering the temple to purify the mind of evil spirits and temptation. This was exactly what I did prior to entering the temple. The sound of bell echoing through the quiet temple grounds truly brought peace and calmness.

The Peace Bell

The Peace Bell & Me

Sitting before me as I removed my shoes to enter the temple is a nine foot Lotus Buddha covered in gold and lacquer. I ignited a joss stick/incense, place it in the incense burner and meditated for a moment.

The Lotus Buddha

The Top

Lighted the joss stick/incense

(I maybe baptized as a Catholic but I respect and believe in the teachings of Buddha).

Peaceful

Plenty of bamboo

Exiting the temple, I came across peacocks, sparrows and a chicken. My parents, J and I continued to immerse ourselves in the peaceful temple surroundings. About 4.00 in the evening, we continued our drive along the island coast towards the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC).

The PCC is located on 42 acres of land owned by Brigham Young University of Hawaii. Most students enrolled in BYU-Hawaii are performers in PCC. They attend the university on scholarship from their native lands working up to 20 hours/week during school terms and full time during breaks to graduate debt-free. Profits from PCC support the scholarship programs run by BYU-Hawaii.

At PCC

It was 5.00 pm when we reached the Polynesian Cultural Center hence the only activity package worth embarking on was the Ali’i Luau Package. We had ½ hour to get ourselves seated for the Ali’I Luau buffet at Hale Ohana which commenced at 5.30 pm.

In front of the Hale Ohana with the lei....dinner time

As we entered the Hale Ohana, we each had a flower lei greeting. The lei that were made up of fresh orchids looked beautiful but felt uncomfortable around the neck. Nonetheless, we were seated just in time for the Luau. Throughout the evening at the Hale Ohana, we were entertained by Hawaiian music and the center’s ‘Ambassador of Aloha’ emcee.

In the Hale Ohana - At the dinner table

In the Hale Ohana - Polynesian Royalty

In the Hale Ohana - Graceful dancing

In the Hale Ohana - Little kids performing

In the Hale Ohana - Ladies dancing

In the Hale Ohana - More dancing

Additionally, we were educated on the ‘imu’ ceremony. An ‘imu’ is an underground oven that uses a combination of hot coals, stones and layers of leaves and cloth or mats to steam food. For a luau, the ‘imu’ is primarily used to cook the delicious shredded kalua pork which is a staple on any luau menu.

The Imu Ceremony

The Imu Ceremony - Peeling off the leaves

The Imu Ceremony - Carrying off the pig

The Imu Ceremony - Leaves

The Imu Ceremony - The Pig

The best yet, the all-you-can-eat spread serving authentic Hawaiian food all night.

Dinner - Island Fish

Dinner - Barbecue Chicken, Kalua Pig

Dinner - Sweet Potato (purple)

Dessert - Chocolate Macademia cake

Dessert - Guava cake, Coconut cake

Dessert - Haupia (jello like)

After a bursting meal, we left Hale Ohana and took a walk around the villages namely Hawaii, Samoa, Aotearoa (present day New Zealand), Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga and Marquesas before the ‘Horizons’ night show. Hourly performances and cultural learning experiences take place in these villages. As it was late into the evening, the performances were pretty much over leaving the villages with only the presence of visitors wandering around.

Walking into these villages was intriguing as each have its respective activities with labels informing what the activities were. The only problem? The labels were all in Hawaiian with no description in English. That left me wondering and taking wild mischievous interpretations of what the labels meant.

For instance.

My version of Tititorea. J was unaware of my intentions...hahahaha

The tititorea is in actual fact stick games played by the Maoris as demonstrated by the film below. Clearly, I was thinking out of the box and being bad.

The Real Tititorea

We made our way to the Pacific Theater for the Horizons night show passing through souvenir shops and booths. This theater has a 2800 seating capacity and we were excited. Throughout the 90 minute show we were treated to dances and performances from six Polynesian islands i.e. Hawaii, Tonga, Aotearoa, Fiji, Tahiti and Samoa with a cast of over 100 young Polynesians.

Horizons - Beginning of the show

Horizons - Graceful Ladies

Horizons - Tonga

Horizons - Maori (Poi balls)

Horizons - Another dance

Horizons - Samoa (sitting on fire)

Horizons

Of all the dances, the one that captivated J and my dad was the one from Tahiti.

Horizons - Tahitian dancers

Horizons - Tahitian dancers (bride & groom presumably)

I can only understand why and decided to create a hard time for J,

‘So, you like this one huh? A while ago you were falling asleep. Now you are wide awake.’

‘How did they move like that?!! I thought it was their apparel but it’s not!’, J was obviously amazed by the hip movement.

‘You want to ask them after the show?’, I asked.

J looked at me and said, ‘No la!!!!’.

(hahahahahaha……)

Towards the end of the show, I was clearly exhausted and sleepy. Making my way towards the SUV and driving back to the resort, I looked forward to a nice warm shower and plush bed as I am sure everybody else is.

To be continued......

All It Took Was Gustav: To The Village And Beyond

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 01:18:00 +0000

My eyes were blood shot when I exited the Boeing 767. I could tell that my parents and J were also in desperate need of rest and sleep. It was 7.45 pm in Oahu well past my bedtime in Connecticut. There was a six hours time difference. I anticipated we would get over the time difference in a day. However, it would ultimately be a challenge when we return from our vacation and need to turn our clocks back to Eastern Standard Time. Reason being the adrenaline and excitement will be over when we depart Oahu.

We made our way to the baggage claim area and waited in anticipation for our bags. After a lengthy wait, I was elated when I caught a glimpse of all our bags when they made their way on the conveyor belt in succession. I heaved a sigh of relief. I would really hate it if our bags did not make it with us. Thoughts of me making my way to the beach without a piece of cloth on me and showing off my imperfect bits make me shudder……

After some wait, the Hertz shuttle came to pick us up and was ‘greeted’ by a Hertz shuttle operator who apparently did not like her job. What happened to ‘Aloha! Welcome to Hertz Rental Cars!’ at the beginning and ‘We hope that you will enjoy your stay in Oahu. Thank you for choosing Hertz’ when we finally reached the Hertz Rental Center? Instead, she reluctantly gave answers as generic as they could to passengers who asked her who they should go to when they reach the rental center. I rolled my eyes, looked at J and my parents and commented in Cantonese,

‘She should just go home if she does not like her job. There are others who need work. Come on, it is not even late. What a sour puss! It is a good thing we do not need her to talk to us except to drive us to the center.’

My parents smiled and said nothing. J said,

‘She reminds me of the people in the service industries in my ‘hood’. They think they are doing you a great favor.’

I creased my forehead and commented,

‘Your ‘hood’ is different. People are trying to stay alive by not getting mugged or shot at. This is Hawaii, is it not? People are nice, yes? Unless this is a misconception and only nice people exist in tourist areas.’

We ceased conversation when the shuttle finally stopped in front of the rental center and J proceeded to collect our rental car. I must say that having the President Circle status with Hertz is a great thing. Although booked on a mid-size car, we were upgraded to a nice full size car. We had the Infiniti EX35 (sweetttt…..). The car came with a GPS system called the NeverLost. I knew better to use my very own GPS than to use the NeverLost. Like J always say, ‘The NeverLost will get you TRULY lost’. Nonetheless, if you do not have a GPS or a decent map, the NeverLost is a fair substitute.

As we drove along the Kamehameha Highway, I realized that the environment, apartments and city reminds me of home i.e Malaysia. The difference? Oahu was very much cleaner, cooler and breezier. Driving for about 8 miles, we finally reached the hotel. For five nights, we stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa. My parents had a nice suite in the Diamond Head Tower while J and I had a room with two double beds in the Tapa Tower. On the first night, I slept like a dead log. Not even an earthquake would have woken me up.

Waiting at the lobby to check in

The Resort Map

Amazingly I woke up at 9.00 am the next morning fresh, energetic and famished. After freshening up, we made our way to the Rainbow Lanai for breakfast. The continental breakfast was on the house and with an additional $10/person we were upgraded to a full American breakfast. I had a full breakfast so much so I did not have lunch that day. My parents like me were gastronomically satisfied until towards the end of the day. I could not say the same for J as J is a sluggish mindless eating machine very much like a crossbreed between a tiger shark and a cow.

Dad in front of mini waterfall

Mom and me in front of the hotel beach while waiting to have breakfast

Hotel property (view from the suite)

After a good meal, we made our way to the Concierge and Activities desk to gather a map of Oahu and a list of tours/activities respectively. Despite tours arranged by the tour operators, we opted to explore the beauty of Oahu on our own. We had a car and did not want our freedom to be inhibited by typical tour operated activities. Instead, we wanted our trip pleasant and easy. With the breeze cooling the tropical temperature, we sat comfortably on lounge sofas at Tapa bar to plan our self operated tours in Oahu.

Me, J and parents (not in the picture) at Tapa Bar

Map of Oahu and our planned attractions (circled in blue)

Our first stop was the Wal-Mart store on Keeaumoku Street. We wanted water, a basic necessity for any human being. Surprisingly, I also found my favorite green tea on the shelf i.e. ITOEN for a mere $1.10/bottle. I bought six bottles and four gallons of water. Exiting Wal-Mart parking lot, I knew there was much to see and we were on our way to our first planned attraction, the Diamond Head.

Driving in the city

A yellow 'duck' in front - vehicle that can travel on land and water

Pawn shop

To be continued......

All It Took Was Gustav: The Beginning

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 02:28:00 +0000

A fishing related conversation with a client 2 ½ months and a vacation idea two weeks ago, my trip was at last finalized the week before Labor’s Day weekend. The plan was to spend some time in New Orleans, LA followed by deep sea fishing at the Gulf of Mexico leaving from Pensacola, FL. Flights and hotels as well as fishing reservations were booked.

The week before the actual vacation date, news of Gustav ravaging Haiti, Jamaica and Western Cuba made headlines. Gustav was predicted to ravage New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico over the next few days. To not take chances, on 28th August 2008 three days before the evacuation process in New Orleans I had my flight, hotel and fishing trip cancelled.

Storm Path of Gustav 2008

Engulfed in disappointment and the flu virus for the entire week, I was determined to head somewhere and have a blast. After all, the new work environment albeit only a few months brought on stressful days. After pondering many hours in the midst of a bad headache, I narrowed my choices to three destinations listed below in no particular order.

Destination A

Destination B

Destination C

You and I know which one was the CLEAR winner. It was Destination C i.e. Honolulu, Hawaii also known as Oahu.

After pitching this idea to J and my parents, J and I frantically searched for last minute available vacation packages to Oahu, HI. Lady luck was shining upon us and we found ourselves a great vacation package. Add a car rental to the mix, limo reservations to and from Westchester County Airport, we were good to go. As last minute as it was, all preparations were made. What was left to do was to pack plenty of sunblock, my ohh lala bikinis, infamous yellow crocs and a few decent clothes ;)

On 31st August 2008, a day that coincides with Malaysia’s Independence Day, we woke up at 4.30 am to make our 5.30 am limo pickup. At 7.20 am, we boarded our flight and was en route to Oahu, HI......with a few transits along the way of course. The same day 14 hours later, the plane finally touched down Oahu and we were finally there!

To be continued....

Hot, Sexy, Cool...Who?

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:36:00 +0000

This is a short one and probably meaningless to some. Nonetheless, this is my thought.

Nelly is yummy. Mmmm……. ;)

The first single I heard from him was ‘Ride Wit Me’ in 2000. Back then I thought he looked good. Then he came out with ‘Hot in Herre’. Watching the music video got me hot all right. Many singles later, I saw him in the movie 'The Longest Yard' alongside Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. Not too shabby for his first acting role I must say.

Lately, I was watching Ashanti’s latest collaboration with him in ‘Body On Me’ MTV. Some years were added on his physical appearance. Even so, he remained hot, sexy and cool. What? With those sun glasses and a V neck T that accentuates his biceps as well as tight body shape, I can only croon.

As for Ashanti, damn she is just as HOTTT. :D

Music Video below for your viewing pleasure....

Land of Bourbon, Whiskey, Gambling and Horse Racing

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:33:00 +0000

This write up is rather anti climatic from my last one as it is no longer about having fun or meeting odd individuals. It is vis-à-vis my work. I can almost feel my readers’ enthusiasm for this write up declining akin to the performance of the Dow Jones for the past week.

Nonetheless, three weeks ago I decided to pause for a moment from my day to day responsibilities and chart out the journey I took since joining a consulting firm since 2001. My career started in Malaysia and within two months after joining the firm, I traveled to St. Charles, IL for company training purposes. From thereon, I was working on projects local to Malaysia and I could vividly remember the experience I gathered from my first assignment.

Being a newbie in the workforce at 23, I not only began to understand the work culture in my firm but my ex-coworkers around me. Taking my work seriously, staying focused and delivering the best I could was my priority. It was however misconstrued as anti-social and presenting a hard time to my supervisor then. Asking questions to further my understanding was also an issue and I was reprimanded for doing so. For my first assignment, I was in fact working with a highly sensitive supervisor and teammates with the clique mentally to boot. Hence, I kept a low profile, followed orders without reasons or questions while delivering my work the best I could. Conformity ensured a smooth sailing environment in that particular project thereafter.

An eye opener and a lesson well learnt albeit the hard way. As my first assignment came to an end, I was more than happy to move on and hoped that I will not have to work with them again. My prayers were answered as my subsequent ex-coworkers were normal. Needless to say, I had an enjoyable time collaborating with them.

Believing that I will develop my career solely in Malaysia, I received an unexpected phone call two years later about an opportunity to be staffed in Hartford, CT. Long story short, I seized the opportunity and the four months in CT stretched to eight months and eventually became five years. As today stands, I am still with the same firm, relocated to New York City and currently residing in CT.

Why the relocation?

For my line of work where a system that encourages fair selection of vendors and a work culture that encourages ideas, team effort as well as positive improvements, it was only logical. The plus point would be the ability to ask questions that did not result in getting a smack on the hand ;).

During these five years I was mostly in Hartford, CT for work related purposes. There were occasions where I flew to Chicago, North Carolina and San Mateo. My latest stint is The Commonwealth of Kentucky :).

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. It is one of the four US states to be officially known as commonwealth. Kentucky is also known as the ‘Bluegrass State’ as it has many lawns and pastures throughout. I have read that Kentucky is a land with diverse environments, abundant resources, the world’s longest cave system, greatest length of navigable waterways and streams in the lower 48 states and the two largest man-make lakes east of the Mississippi River (phew…that was a mouthful). Another glaring attribute is that Kentucky has the most productive coalfield ($$$$).

Reading up on a destination is not the same as going there. Weeks ago I took my first flight out from White Plains, NY to Frankfort, KY.

Having slept at ungodly hours for months and countless hand action on the snooze button, I finally manage to peel myself from my airbed (long story) at 4.30 am to get ready for my 5.30 am pickup. Zombie like I showered, dressed for work, packed my luggage and made my way out of the apartment. Approximately 45 minutes later I was at the airport where I checked in, did a mini striptease at the security and finally lounged at the boarding area.

As I kept my eyes close to nap which proved to be an unsuccessful attempt before boarding the plane, I was silently hoping that my flights will be on time. Flight cancellations and delays are so common these days that it is unbecoming of the FAA and US airline industry. While the travelers are complaining, I do not believe that they are genuinely concerned. When an announcement was made that my flight was going to be delayed for approximately 20 minutes, I was not surprise at all.

Miraculously the plane reached Cincinnati, OH 10 minutes early thereby giving me slightly more time for connection which was a little less than 30 minutes. Little did I know, the connection required a terminal change i.e. from Terminal A to Terminal C. Upon deplaning, I rushed to the shuttle bus to make it to the designated terminal. I made my connection and was on my way to Lexington, KY in a tiny regional jet. Despite numerous occasions flying, I do not enjoy it. My body is not accustomed to flying and the effects are uncomfortable. With this little regional jet, I was immediately sickened. Thankfully it was a mere 25 minutes flight. After arriving at the Blue Grass Airport, I collected my travel bag, headed towards the rental car and drove to work.

Gate B7/B9 at Blue Grass Airport (LEX)

Traveling on a Monday taught me well. First of all, heels are painful and time consuming when one had to rush to make a connection especially when the initial flight is delayed. Dragging two travel bags towards the rental car in heels is also another reason not to dress up for work until one gets to the workplace. This is only applicable to ladies who travel for work and has the love for heels. I have ever since dressed in casual clothes and sneakers on a Monday morning. Of course there was an episode where my travel bag with all my clothes did not reach the destination with me….sigh. You can well imagine what that was like and definitely deserves a write up by itself.

Nonetheless, my first drive in Kentucky was nothing but pleasant. The speed limit was 55 mph and 70 mph on state and interstate roads respectively. Everybody was driving without a care in the world. The view was exceptionally gorgeous along highway 60 when I drove past Ashford Stud. I see some horses, ‘moo moos’, rolls of hay and flat green pastures along the way.

In fact, I look forward to driving highway 60 every week and I am sure there is more to discover in the land of bourbon, whiskey, tobacco, gambling and horse racing. At the meantime, enjoy the pictures.

Highway 60

Another shot of Highway 60

A Glimpse of Ashford Stud

Driving into the capital

Scenic stop just before entering the capital

Kentucky State Capitol

Kentucky Department of Revenue

OA & OA (Malaysian Arc: Part 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Fri, 16 May 2008 04:04:00 +0000

After spending two and the half weeks in Malaysia for the Chinese New Year celebration, I finally made my way back to United States (US). I was welcomed by none other than the cold and snow the day after I returned.

Believing that I will start a new arc on my write ups, I was welcomed by news that I needed to return to Malaysia again for business related matters. For this reason, the write up and continuation of the Malaysian Arc.

The time spent on my second trip to Malaysia took on a different flavor. I simply had more time to see to more fun activities with Melissa. I have introduced Melissa as my zany cousin from my previous write up. More than being zany, bright and a tad sluggish on her part, we in fact grew up together despite being 11 years apart.

Although we had plenty of opportunities spending time together when she was younger, those times diminished as we grew older as we had responsibilities as students who aspired to do exceptionally well in school. Furthermore, we each had our circle of friends whom we spend our time with respectively. The only available times that we can get together were Chinese New Year and weekends.

As we grew older, we somehow spend less time with friends and focus on spending time with our families, thus finding ourselves spending more time with our cousins. Now that she has her driving license and independence, I no longer had to drive all the time! I love being driven around when I am home in Malaysia. Really, Malaysian drivers are indifferent and reckless. I however have been tamed for driving in the US for quite a while now. Believe me that it strains me to drive at home.

Nonetheless, Melissa and I do things most teenagers would do. We find new places to eat. We hang out at side stalls, shopping malls, bowling alley and arcade as well as drive around the city in the middle of the night.

Photo shots of KL city in the middle of the night while driving in the car

Fun times with family at shopping mall, bowling alley and arcade

Doing all the above, I must say that one of our highlights was in fact a day spent at Sunway Lagoon Theme Park. The theme park was established in 1992. Surrounding the theme park is Sunway Pyramid Shopping mall, Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel and Spa, Sunway Medical Centre and Sunway College. All of the establishments above including the theme park are owned by the giant conglomerate Sunway Group in Malaysia.

The last time I set foot in this 80 acres theme park was many eons ago where I was invited as a guest to enjoy the facilities in the park. The theme park was quite impressive back then. Walking eagerly into the park again, I realized that there were many more things to see and do. They are currently featuring a Scream Park and have incorporated the Extreme Park as well as the Wildlife Interactive Zoo. Seeing that we would not be able to go to all parks, we decided to amuse ourselves at the water park and if stamina permits we would go to the amusement/dry park.

Our first stop was the Mali Cove also known as the wave pool. Sitting by the edge of the pool and waiting for the huge tub of water to overturn was worth it. Splashed by the gush of water was refreshing.

Mali Cove

Our second stop was the African Pythons and Cameroon Climb. Basically, it consists of enclosed and fully open slide as well as an inverted double tube respectively. In short, it was a scream fest session sliding down the tubes in the pitch black darkness.

African Pythons & Cameroon Climb

After which we headed for the Congo Challenge consists of six lanes where one goes head down first. It was another scream fest and adrenaline rush session which left us craving for more exhilarating rides.

Congo Challenge

Despite being young and energetic, those rides wore us out as we had to climb up the hill to experience them. Taking a break, we took a walk against the current on the Voodoo Adventure River and chance upon the man-made ‘Victoria Falls’.

Victoria Falls (man-made)

Halfway into the day, I unfortunately had a probing headache due to the heat. To ease the pain, we headed for the Surf Beach after having some food. Stretching over 13000 square meters, the beach is capable of churning out perfectly shaped surf waves up to the maximum height of 8 feet. I have none but one word to describe the surf beach and its facilities; blissful. Lying down on the deck chair under the hut at the edge of the tropical beach oasis made us forget that a city lies simply beyond the theme park walls.

The Surf Beach

Relaxing within one of the huts at the Surf Beach

Waking up from our approximate 30 minutes peaceful slumber under the hut, we were interrupted by a queer character in leopard print ‘speedo’ swimwear. He asked for our help taking his photos while he posed at the Surf Beach. Melissa being a better photographer than me helped him. It was not until 20 minutes later, he asked Melissa for help again. Only this time, he was lying on one of the deck chairs about 30 feet away. I reclined to take a nap and from the corner from my eye as he unveiled his towel covering his modesty I realized that he had changed into a pair of transparent lacy thongs. Trying to keep a straight face and pretending nothing obscene was going on, I deliberately laid down on the deck chair.

Returning and walking towards the hut was Melissa’s stunned facial expression. I could almost swear she was marked with a paler complexion. Keeping mum, we concurrently decided to walk away from the hut. After a safe distance, I heaved a sign of relief and finally blurted out,

‘What the heck was that?’
‘Is he even normal? What a weirdo!’
‘It’s a public area, a family fun place, not some pornographic film set.’
‘Lace???!!!! A thong???!!!!! Transparent???!!!! For a HE??? You’ve got to be f***ing kidding me!’
‘AND he has a pot belly! Eeewwww!’

Melissa looked at me, rolled her eyes and in exasperation exclaimed,

‘What are you complaining about huh? It’s worst for me. I had full frontal vision! I had to look away while taking that photo and pretended to be unaffected.’
‘I won’t be able to gamble or buy any lottery ticket for the entire year! I’ll surely lose money!’
‘It’s disgusting. Spoiled my day!’
‘It’s all your fault. You attract the weirdest people.’

I do not attract weird individuals. Even so, he is an exhibitionist with skin as thick as rhinoceros hide bar none.

For the next 20 minutes while walking around the park looking for more adventure we cursed repeatedly. We did not find new rides but we successfully walked off the frustration and disbelief. Regaining composure after all the walking and cursing, we ended our day cheerfully at the park by walking the 428 meters long pedestrian suspension bridge. The view? Awesome......

For more pictures, please visit http://rhys31.multiply.com/photos/album/14/Exhilarating_Moments_at_Sunway_Lagoon_Theme_Park

Launching of GastroHaven!

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Finally! After several weeks, Melissa and I are launching our new site......(drumroll)

Gastronomic Heaven!

Here we document our adventures with food and rate these establishments in the process. Seeing that this is our launching there is only one review so far. Rest assured there will be more to come.

Enjoy our new site and feel free to refer us to some eateries or restaurants that you have been. Better yet, subscribe to our site and receive notification whenever we update our eating site!

OA & OA (Malaysian Arc: Part 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:14:00 +0000

It is uncanny how two months have past since February and not yet close to completing year 2008 that my cousin i.e. Melissa and I started planning for Chinese New Year (CNY) 2009. Admittedly, I am addicted to the exciting moments I had with my cousins when I was home; so readily addicted that I have been having withdrawal symptoms ever since returning to the United States (US). Some of my counterparts believed me to be playing a prank when I expressed how I almost needed a therapist because of my addiction. The factors alleviating my problem are constant gym workouts, tube entertainment and work related ‘pressures’.

Melissa like me must be pining too much for these fun occasions that I received an instant message from her written all in capitals as I logged into MSN Messenger one morning. She wrote, ‘SKFY, WE ARE SO GOING TO LANGKAWI FOR CNY NEXT YEAR!’

Really, I maybe having withdrawal symptoms but this girl was desperate and plagued by boredom. At two in the afternoon Eastern Time and hers in the wee hours of the morning, we started planning for the trip. The excitement was fueling her like caffeine for I would have been dead tired at that time.

Relating this incident to J, he foresee that she and I are going to have a tough 2008 until we see light at the end of the tunnel which literally translates to the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 (by the way, CNY 2009 falls on January 26th 2009). While J could relate to our excitement, bouts of desperation and withdrawal symptoms, many in my family were wondering which wires in our heads were gravely messed up.

To begin with, it was the fun we had at the waterfall (write up previously posted in OA & OA Part 1). Next, were the fire crackers that we fired off ‘burning’ our hard earned money in the process. Although not fully described in any of my write ups, it happened at night on the eve of CNY 2008. Also, I would like to reiterate that it was exhilarating.

Last but not least, our short escapade to Penang. Penang is located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Straits of Malacca. The state is geographically divided into two sections i.e. Penang Island (Pulau Pinang) and Province Wellesley (Seberang Perai).

Map of Penang

Instead of using the infamous Penang Bridge to traverse to Penang Island, we decided to take the ferry for old time’s sake. Cross-channel ferry services that connect Penang Island and Province Wellesley were the only link between the island and mainland until the bridge was completed in 1985.

A family in two cars headed towards Butterworth, Province Wellesley and waited for our turn to board the ferry. As there were so many traveling during the festive season, it was a lengthy wait at the jetty. Bored as can be, those in the first car alighted to investigate the surroundings. It was after all a while since anyone of us used a ferry as a means of transportation. The slightly older folks in the second car were not as keen to disembark and remained in the vehicle.

Vehicle 1: Me, Kelvin, Michelle, J and Melissa at the jetty

Vehicle 2: Third aunt, Rachael, Cousin Mei Ling, Aunt Anne, Maternal grandma

Kelvin, Me and Melissa

The mind is a peculiar entity. It reacts in countless ways when one is bored. Mine gravitates towards being inquisitive and mischievous. I beckoned my cousins to hush and had Melissa take photos as evidence while I execute the following ever so carefully.

I was however unsuccessful on my second attempt to complete my quest on the other nostril. J woke up (I am not going to divulge what happened thereafter).

We finally made it to the island. Unfortunately, family members in car number two did not make it as the car acted up. It would not start up due to over heating. By the time the car started to act right, my aunt decided not to complete the trip and headed home (Taiping) with the rest of the family.

Disappointed they could not join those who successfully endured, we continued our escapade by driving around the overcrowded island and stopped at Gurney Drive for a bite. Gurney Drive used to be known for its scrumptious hawker food. Though selection was plentiful, it is no longer as flavorful. Better eating places can be found at McAlister road, Penang Road or Air Itam. Nonetheless, the food though not the best definitely outdoes Malaysian food served at chain restaurants in the US (The flavor is nowhere near authentic and I mean you ‘Penang Restaurant' located in most metropolitan areas in the US).

After filling up on food under the scorching heat, we headed to Batu Ferringhi located adjacent to Teluk Bahang and Tanjung Bungah. Batu Ferringhi consists of strip of beaches on the northern coast of Penang. Days when I was younger, the beaches were almost untouched. Presently, there are numerous large hotels, restaurants and souvenir stores. Not helpful to the environment I must add.

Walking towards a favorable spot on the beach

At the beach, all but J touched the water. Let us just say J was being a wimp. Apparently, his feet coming in contact with the sea water could exacerbate his oncoming flu (roll eyes). We were there for approximately three hours. Imagine what we can do in three hours especially when we have one of our youngest cousins with us. To put it mildly, playing tricks on Michelle is an activity Melissa, Kelvin and I love doing.

Kelvin, Melissa and Me in borrowed swimming trunks

Piling sand on Michelle

Buried Michelle (we told her it was a photo shoot before leaving her there)

Group photo.....J asleep somewhere

Summing it all up, I had a fantastic time so did everyone on the trip. As Melissa and I plan for CNY 2009 which the entire family will celebrate with a bang, our industrious minds will definitely be pondering on CNY 2010.

Pssstt…..in case you did not know, CNY 2010 falls on February 14th 2010 ;)

For more pictures, please visit http://rhys31.multiply.com/photos/album/13/Penang_2008_A_Day_Trip

OA & OA (Malaysian Arc: Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:08:00 +0000

Like most women, I have weight issues. Working out regularly with weights and cardio machines as well as watching what I eat is something I incorporate into my lifestyle. In Malaysia however, I always throw caution to wind. As a matter of fact, this Chinese New Year I could not care less. I even had a theme song (see below) wherever I went.

It did not help when I have a family who loves to cook and eat. Moreover, I have not had Malaysian and home cooked food for quite a while. So many are starving out there but in Malaysia, people hunt on a full stomach. Endless restaurants, kopitiams (Chinese coffee shops), mamak (Indian-Muslim) and street stalls decorating both developed and developing parts of this country. One who loves food has to have the will power to say ‘No’ and it is absolutely complex.

Hence, what is Malaysian food? Malaysian cuisine is not one particular distinction of food. Instead its influence is derived from the multi-ethnic population of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Nyonya and the Indigenous peoples of Borneo. Malaysians have also over the years adapted dishes from other ethnic group to create new ones. Thus, the list of food is endless and requires substantial write up. However, food facts DO NOT and CANNOT portray the feelings it invokes when the food touches the palate. I can only describe the emotions by the theme song and photos below.

Theme Song

Food Glorious food
We're anxious to have it
Six banquets a day
Our favorite diet
Just picture a huge pork steak
Fried, roasted or stewed
Oh food!
Malaysian food!
Marvelous food!
Glorious food!

Food Glorious food
Poached chicken served as is
Broth made from an ox
Or plump red bean soufflé

Why should we be created to
Stop eating when full
Oh food!
Magical food!
Wonderful food!
Malaysian food!

Food Glorious food
Skin munched off the fat duck
Crisped, roasted or grilled
Now we'll be the stuffed ones
Just thinking of laksa soup
Tempts us to have more of
Food, Glorious food!
Marvelous food!
Fabulous food!
Beautiful food!
Magical food!
Malaysian food!

(Lyrics have been modified to reflect personal theme
Original lyrics from Ice Age 2: The Meltdown – Food Glorious Food)

Home Cooked Food compliments of my aunt

Food on the other table, compliments of my aunt

Home Cooked Food compliments of my mom

Laksa Noodle

Fried squid

Assorted fried finger food

Star mussels

Michelle and food.... so much affection

Melissa and Laksa.....such a happy expression

Ampang Yong Tau Foo

Salmon Yee Sang

Seafood flare

For more information on Malaysian cuisine, please refer to the following URLs.
http://www.malaysianfood.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Malaysia

OA & OA (Malaysian Arc: Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 05:54:00 +0000

For five years I have been flying home and each time when the plane touches down I look forward to walking the ‘halls’ of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). As crazy as it sounds, KLIA is actually a beautiful airport. It is clean, new and has enough capacity that one does not feel too congested when there are countless passengers traveling. The air train ride is what I would describe as serene especially if you enjoy the grey landscape and green beyond. Personally, I enjoy the view. In spite of the ride and view, the highlight is when I am walking in anticipation towards the immigration air gate. Having gone through countless stringent immigration checks in a foreign country even though a resident, really strike a cord in me that I am nevertheless a visitor. To be able to walk towards the line that describes ‘Malaysian Passport’ and NOT ‘Foreign Passport’ on the other hand, conveyed that I was truly home in my birth country.

Hence, what do I do when I am home? Honestly reuniting with my family is not the only event I have in mind. No snow, cold weather, work and unwanted phone calls for three weeks! Additionally, I was going to eat Malaysian food, enjoy the hot weather, humidity and friends. Topping it all off is going back to my hometown Taiping and see to a few fun filled activities.

Taiping is a town in the state of Perak, Malaysia the largest town in Perak after Ipoh (Perak’s state capital). Situated on a plain to the west of the Bintang Mountains with Alor Setar lying to the north-west and Ipoh to the south-east, it comprises of the following areas.

Map of Taiping town

The average annual rainfall is about 4000 mm thus, boasting an impressive collection of flora and century-old rain trees.

Forest Floor at the foot of Bukit Larut (formerly known as Maxwell Hill)

Man and Tree

Primates on the prowl

With such heavy rainfall, Taiping is also blessed with waterfalls. Thus, a few young ones and my dad made a trip to one of the waterfalls in Taiping and had a splashing great time. The organizer me that is, stricken with flu had a difficult time getting out of bed for the trip. 'Thanks' to my young cousins' pestering, I made it to the waterfall with a towel in one hand and tissues on the other.

The Organizer

The walk to the waterfalls 1

The walk to the waterfalls 2

The waterfall with Kelvin & John

Crazy splashing...

All Together Now......

(clockwise from top: Dad, Melissa, Organizer, John, Kelvin, Rachael, Michelle)

Once there, it was hard to leave. Our only motivation to get out of the waters was the reunion feasts waiting for us at home. Nonetheless, if the waterfall is not your scene, there is always the Taiping Lake Gardens, Zoo with a Night Safari, Bukit Larut, Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, food glorious food……..

For more pictures, please visit http://rhys31.multiply.com/photos/album/12/Taiping_CNY_2008_The_Waterfalls

Online Again and On Air (OA & OA)

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:41:00 +0000

It has been a while since I have written and updated my site. In fact so much has happened I could not possibly narrate them in detail. My cousin sister called me lazy. I suppose when one have not written for so long, it is much harder getting back into the groove.

What happened between my last write up and now? In summary, I have moved to a new apartment, changed my address, bought new furniture, set up my cable and internet subscription. These took quite a while. Also, I have traveled just a little for work and scouted for additional work. Did all the above and realized I entered into an encounter with the thirties crisis just in time to go for vacation.

Thirties crisis aside, I enjoyed myself back home for the Chinese New Year. Every year I look forward to going home though it is the journey that I dread most. I travel approximately 28 hours including transit from United States to Malaysia. Blame the number of hours on the route that I choose to take. Since I rack up plenty of miles on United Airlines (UA), I did not consider flying any other airlines but UA. Mere laziness and inconvenience prevents me from accumulating miles on other airlines. Singapore Airlines (SIA) is another alternative since SIA is part of Star Alliance like UA. The issue was the additional two hours travel by ground transportation to airports where SIA transits at, hence UA it is. Nevertheless, here lies my nonsensical route.

The long hours bore and hurt me. When I purchase magazines, I meant many magazines such as Fortune, Forbes, Kiplinger, Spa, Women’s Health and In Touch all at one go. Sleep is physically impossible unless one travel on Business Class which I do when the upgrade goes through successfully. Otherwise, I pray that no one sits next to me so that I can have the entire row. Thankfully, when not traveling in the Business Class cabin, I have been able to travel on Economy Plus as the leg space is more compared to Economy. To be able to travel on Economy Plus, one has to buy a full fare UA economy ticket also known as a Y class ticket. The Y class ticket is expensive by the way and it is not very different from buying a C class ticket, a lower fared option for a Business Class ticket. Another alternative to be able to travel on Economy Plus is to achieve Elite status. Elite status can only be attained by flying and racking up miles. The breakdown is as follows:

My route back to the United States from Malaysia is the reverse from the above. The difference is that I have more transit time in Narita International. Having three hours of transit time, I take the opportunity to shower in their shower rooms (USD 5 for 30 minutes, toiletries included) and see to a little duty free shopping (mochi, mochi, mochi….).

In addition to the hours, I hate being shoved into the role of a terrorist pretending to be an inept stripper at transit points. Before entering the boarding area, you are a terrorist until proven otherwise. To prove yourself as another innocent traveler, make sure you surrender your notebook/laptop for scanning. On top of that, if you have liquids ensure that they are 3 ounce travel size each all packed into a 1 quart zip-top clear plastic bag. Sharp objects of any sort like a nail clipper for example are out of the question. Firearms? You are asking for plenty of inconvenience and trouble.

Once you surrender your notebook/laptop as well as the liquids in the zip-top bag, it is time to strip down. Make sure you rush through it. Take your jacket, belt, boots or shoes off quickly as this is one ‘performance’ that others do not have patience for. Additionally, do not expect a dollar bill as reward as you will NOT be remunerated for your efforts.

(Random thought: Sometimes I believe the factor that stops travelers from stripping more at airports is the lack of a stripper pole, erotic music and appreciative audience.)

As you waltz through the security device, you can merely hope that it does not beep unless frisking by strangers works for you. Another friendly suggestion, refrain from hand carrying self-pleasure items unless you love scrutiny and the ‘I know what you are carrying’ smiles.

Be prepared to perform the above at ALL transit points although you just deplaned and are still within the boarding area. It is for safety, all brought upon by the Bin Ladens and the likes of Al-Qaeda. Hunting them down and imprisoning them is not enough I must say. Their capital punishment should include going through simulated airport security according to the number of travelers traveling internationally since the 9/11 incident until the day they are caught. I like to see how they enjoy emptying carry-on bags and stripping while simulating other travelers huffing and puffing behind them with impatience OVER and OVER again NONSTOP.

I shall not even illustrate the details of missed and delayed flights due to weather and mechanical issues. Despite it all, I know I will travel at least once a year to reunite with my family members to celebrate Chinese New Year. It is this time of the year that I look forward to the most and I shall not have it otherwise.

To be continued….

Something New To Crave.....

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 06:31:00 +0000

Building my ride on the Honda site, I finally created the 2008 Honda CRV EX 4WD close to my dream car, the BMW M3 series. The Honda may not resemble my dream car but for practical reasons, this car has it all. Car specifications that caught my eye:

Low gas mileage (City/Highway: 20mpg/26mpg)
4WD especially for the winter
All disc plate brakes
Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Traction Control
Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle
5 speed automatic with O/D
Steering wheel-mounted audio controls
17” Alloy wheels
Chrome window trim
Moonroof
6 disc CD changer

Front mud guards were added as accessories to this car as it did not come with them. I was so tempted to pimp up my car with a set of spoke chrome-look alloy wheels but decided against it later to minimize attention to my soon-to-be new car.

After building the car on the site, I submitted my request for quotes from the various Honda dealers in my area. Amazingly the dealers came back with quotes within 2 hours, thus the start of my visits to dealerships with the best offer attempting to further haggle for a better price.

Talking to the dealers was not as challenging as I thought it would be as most dealers gave me their final price. Those that did not offer their best only had me walking out of the dealership. All is not lost as there was one dealer that had me returning and offering them what I thought was a fair price to both of us that they finally accepted. My deposit was put down and with the VIN number in hand I started shopping around for car insurance over the internet. Purchasing my policy over the internet, all I needed to do was collect my car on Tuesday the following week.

Came Tuesday I collected my baby. The smell of the new car and the smooth ride put a smile on my face the moment I drove it. There it was, my car sitting on the parking lot beckoning me to drive it as I stare at it everyday from my apartment window. It sounds extreme but that car is a damn good ride.

Of course with every new object owned come with new responsibilities. For the past 11 years of my life I have either driven my dad’s car or rentals. In conclusion, I had the luxury of not experiencing the need to take care of them as someone else was taking of that for me. With this new possession, the tables have turned and I finally had to step up to the plate and I wasted no time researching the internet.

Believe me when I said I had plenty to learn and read about taking care of cars since I intend to keep the car for the next ten years. Perhaps I will bore you with what it means to perform under the hood checks in my next write up. Nonetheless, here is me and my new baby.

Did I mention I put a set of wheel locks on the car tires too?

http://rhys31.multiply.com/photos/album/11/Pimp_My_Ride

The Goddamned Fucking Chicken and Fish

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:46:00 +0000

(Warning: Do not read if you are easily bored by descriptive writing and offended by mild profanity. Off colored words are hyperlinks to other sites for additional info.)

Grandpa: Again with the fucking chicken.

Richard: Dad.

Grandpa: It's always with the goddamn fucking chicken.
Richard: Dad!!!
Grandpa: Every night it's the fucking chicken! Holy God Almighty! Is it possible just once we could get something to eat for dinner around here that's not the goddamned fucking chicken?

My friend J turned to look at me accusingly after we watched the abovementioned scene from Little Miss Sunshine. Instantly, I rolled my eyes as I knew what was referred to; fish. We have been having fish almost everyday and the fish is by no means small. As a matter of fact, there is a total of two big fish sitting in the freezer frozen solid as I am writing this. Although I have been cranking new cooking ideas for the fish, I must admit that I have been avoiding cooking fish at all cost.

It was the Friday before Labor’s Day weekend that I decided to go deep sea fishing. I have been itching to go on a fishing trip since summer started but never got around to it. Seeing that it was a long weekend, I wanted to make good use of it. The fishing adventure started before the actual fishing trip when J and myself spent time preparing for the outing.

That evening I was frantically looking for a pair of slippers with a base that grips to prevent me from slipping and falling on the boat while fishing. How about sneakers? It is not advisable to wear sneakers unless you want your sneakers smelling fishy. Fish blood or any fish essence will stay on the sneakers for a VERY long time, so I have read from fishing experts.

I started my slipper hunting pretty late into the evening because J whom I had dinner with that evening has a habit of eating extraordinarily slow (J, if you are reading this, I am talking about you. Come on man, a cow eats faster than you). It did not help that my slipper hunting did not go smoothly as stores that sell them did not have my size and it was 9.40 p.m. I finally managed to purchase my first pair of crocs footwear which I swore months before not to buy because they looked ridiculous. They were surprisingly comfortable but good God they drew plenty of attention.

I bought yellow.

Honestly, it was not by choice but there were no other colors my size and I was desperate. It was 9.55 pm and Whole Foods was closing in 5 minutes. I supposed during the fishing trip everyone would be engrossed in fishing and not my feet. Nonetheless, I was happy to know that I can now fish in peace. As I tested my new crocs shoes, J was laughing relentlessly (thanks a lot, you were the cause).

The next stop was Stop N Shop to purchase a disposable cooler, ice and food items for the fishing trip. We had tuna bites, diet ginger ale, sandwich ingredients and Lunchables stackers. J insisted that he needed to eat plenty when he is on the boat (What is this? A picnic? geezzz……).

The boat leaves at 9.00 am hence, we were at the dork by 8.40 am. We boarded the boat with our food and cooler filled with ice. Subsequently, we rented our tackle/fishing rod and rested the rod in empty poles on the boat. As we sat waiting for time, we saw a group of men hauling a huge cooler on board. J and I looked at each other puzzled at the size of the cooler. We had the expectation that the fish was not going to be huge and that we were lucky if we manage to catch one.

Fifteen minutes after sailing from the dock, all on board was hauled off to the end of the boat where Captain Keith briefed us on the safety and process of fishing on his boat. When we stopped at a suitable fishing location, we had to release our line upon hearing the first boat honk. Upon hearing the second honk, we had to reel up the line as quickly as possible. With everyone’s fishing rod out of the water, the boat will move to another spot. The rational for the boat to continuously move is to ensure that we catch as many drifts as possible that will inevitably affect the number of times we were able to fish. Catching drifts is essential to a successful fishing trip as the fish feeds where the drifts are. Furthermore, lifeless bait gives the impression of being alive when the drifts motion against them.

Nonetheless, armed with fishing tips from the Captain and experienced fishing mates we let our line go down into the sea when we heard the first boat honk. I let my line go as far as it can go while keeping my thumb on the reel to prevent my line from tangling up together. As I felt the end of my line hit the bottom, I began reeling the line towards me about 25 times and waited. I waited patiently for the bite; nothing

The second time around, I had a bite but the fish escaped while I was reeling it in hence, nothing. The third time I had another bite, only this time I was fighting with the fish while I was reeling him up. It swam from one end to another tangling my line with everyone else’s lines. The others had to stop reeling so that I can reel mine up without snapping the lines. I reeled it just below the surface of the sea and the Captain using a hook, hooked it up onto the boat. There it was my first conquest flopping helplessly on the boat. The head of the bluefish was almost as big as my head and the length was almost 28 inches with the weight of approximately 15 pounds. Not too shabby for a novice.

(J caught his first fish on his first try while I successfully caught mine on the third. However, my fish was bigger than the one he caught…Booyah!).

I must admit that I was tired after catching the rebellious imp. It tired me out, so much so I sat on the boat in a daze recovering from the adrenaline rush of fighting the fish. I had repeated performance from these fish throughout the trip. For these, I could not reel them up quickly as they were too huge and they put up a good fight. Instead of seeing my reel reeling towards me, it was reeling in the opposite direction. It came to a point J questioned me, ‘What the heck are you fishing? A monster fish?’ Truth was I chose the biggest bait I could find from the bucket of supply. This may translate to a whopping fish that were trying to prey on the large bait (Yes, I was greedy trying to catch a fish larger than I could handle).

Thinking that I will only catch one that day, I was surprised that I managed to catch another almost at the end of the fishing trip. This one is slightly smaller than my first but it is still huge nonetheless. All in all, J and I collectively caught six bluefish. Our next challenge was to put them all in the cooler and realized the purpose of the huge cooler brought by those men much earlier. We managed to cram three in the cooler and the rest in the rice sack.

By 3.00 pm, we reached the end of our exhilarating fishing trip. Saying goodbyes to our fellow fishing mates, I became self conscious of my yellow crocs as I heard them say ‘Bye Sharon, nice shoes. Hope to see you again’. That debunked my theory that they were indeed focused on the fish and not my attire. Clearly, you will not be seeing me wear the crocs unless I am going fishing.

We made our way home only to find the fish toppled out from the cooler and lay lifelessly all over the trunk/boot when we finally arrived at our destination. It left the car smelling fishy even after a week. Thankfully, the car was a rental which I later returned. The lesson learnt here is this; bring a huge non-disposable cooler on fishing trips unless trunk is deliberately used to store fish.

Now then, what exactly did we do with the six bluefish?

One was given away to the chinese restaurant that I frequent most and we had them cook another for our consumption. The leftovers were eaten for lunch. The third we marinated and barbecued the following day, also eaten for lunch and dinner. The heads were used in making soup and we had the soup the day after. The fourth was given away to SC another friend of mine. That leaves two along with my brain and taste buds screaming ‘Holy God Almighty! Is it possible just once we could get something to eat around here that's not the goddamned fucking fish?’

Infamous croc shoes

My whopping catch

Me (big biceps), J and Bruce

For more pictures, please visit http://rhys31.multiply.com/photos/album/10/Fishing_Trip_on_Hel-Cat_II

My Take on Handguns

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:48:00 +0000

Mention violence in the United States, you will never fail to hear the masses say ‘It is easy to get hold of guns in America!’ I cannot deny that there is some truth to what they perceive about obtaining handguns. At the same time I must say that this perception merely applies to criminals in the United States. For any decent residents in the United States who already possess a handgun and about to obtain one can agree with me that obtaining a permit to legally possess a handgun is easier said than done.

Allow me to say that the process is tedious and stringent. Adding to the process are handgun laws and regulations where the penalty of not adhering to them is hefty and could extend to incarceration and fines if not both. Since I reside in the United States, I had the opportunity to read the law pertaining to firearms by the Board of Firearms Permit Examiners. It was dry but insightful as I never knew that criminal possession of a handgun is considered a class D felony. Criminal possession means not carrying the permit when one has possession of a handgun. Furthermore, a permit is only valid in the state where the permit was issued. To carry and use the handgun in another state would require a permit from the respective state.

Acquainted although not yet familiar with these laws and a little apprehensive for fear of being incarcerated for having a slight tendency of being forgetful (I have the reputation of not carrying legal documents when I am suppose to), I called up a friend of mine to register me for the National Rifle Association (NRA) Safety and Use of Pistols and Revolvers course, a pre-requisite to obtaining a handgun permit.

The course consists of two three hours in-classroom and a one day on-range instruction. The two day in-classroom instruction was informal where experienced NRA Certified instructors taught students crucial safety rules when handling a handgun. By the end of the first day, I had the basic safety rules drummed into my head. They are:

1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

It was easy remembering them as the instructors narrated mishaps as a result of being careless and not following these three fundamental gun handling rules. On top of that, range instructors will fail students who do not follow these safety rules.

On the second day, students were acquainted with the laws and regulations governing handguns and were stressed upon to adhere to them. Additionally, students had the opportunity to load and unload different models of pistols and revolvers using dummy bullets. While I followed the three rules religiously although the handguns were loaded with dummy bullets, I had a few fellow course mates pointing the handgun right at me (that’s right, keep that up and someone will surely get hurt).

The final day we had a chance to handle handguns with real bullets at the shooting range. I was fortunate enough to try out a range of pistols and revolvers and had my friend take me to the shooting range the day before to fire a few rounds to obtain more experience (He owns approximately 30 different guns…..phew).

Honestly, I am bad shot. Being a right handed person and left eye dominant shooter, it created problems for me. One possible solution is to train my right eye for aiming and shooting. The hurdle now is the 2 months wait for my appointment with the police officer to have my fingerprints taken and application submitted. The application includes the certificate for successfully completing and passing the course, a copy of my US driver’s license, letters of character reference, photo and bank cheques. Yes, I have to pay processing fees to three separate parties i.e. Commissioner of Public Safety, local police department and the Department of Public Safety.

This of course is not the end of the story.

What comes after the submission is a possible 6 to 8 weeks wait for the application results. At this juncture, the application can either be accepted or denied. Successful application will result in the issuance of a town handgun permit. With that permit, one can make their way to the Department of Public Safety to apply for the state handgun permit which will take another 2 to 4 weeks.

Such long wait but well worth it I must admit. Once having obtained the state permit, I will be on my way to buying my first handgun for target shooting. My second handgun that I intend to obtain will be primarily use for self protection. Two handguns for starters should be sufficient for beginners. After all, good handguns and the bullets do not come cheap. I could literally see my greenbacks flying out from my checking account even at this moment…..sigh.

Nevertheless, for those out there who still thinks that obtaining handguns are easy through legitimate means, you may want to reconsider this perception. Also, for those who are interested in seeing what a bad shot I am, feel free to access the URL below.

http://rhys31.multiply.com/photos/album/9/Target_Shooting

To Challenge Religion: Your beliefs

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 03:19:00 +0000

Religion has always been a sore subject for me. Many times I have logged heads with family and friends on this issue. It came to a point where I could only express what I believed in, hope for others to open their eyes and to ask questions. Since then, I have ceased to discuss religion at length for fear of tension and friction. Reading an article on msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19190916/page/4/) however, compelled me to express myself once again about religion and how most humans have lost reasoning for themselves. It is as though they have reverted to a learning process of "Monkey see, monkey do".

Most religion advocates life and does not condone destroying lives. The Catholic position begins with the statement that human life must be respected and protected. With this belief, the official Church teaching forbids direct abortion and birth control for it is at the moment of conception that the tiny being is a human life and thus must be respected and protected. By itself, this belief is positive but a tad short from being realistic and practical in today’s life.

Medical science has developed emergency contraception (EC) also known as ‘morning after pills’ to help prevent unwanted conception hence prescription as such is most useful to women who fall prey to rapists. The concern is that these women were denied EC and some even as far as referrals because some physicians chose to uphold the Church’s teaching that forbids birth control.

What then is the right answer for women who find themselves in such circumstance?

Based on this belief, perhaps the fitting answer is to let God decide if the unwanted pregnancy should take place. If the pregnancy does take place, the mother will give birth to the child. At this juncture, she will either send the child for adoption or keep the child but be reminded of the inhumane incident that took place each time she looks at the child’s face. In the midst of upholding this belief, the rest of world should also forget about the financial situation of the mother or her conscience when one day and God forbid her child should question his or her origins. One with a logical mind can clearly comprehend that upholding the belief and not weighing potential issues does not benefit any women in this particular situation. In this instance, the physician who denied her the EC and referral was clearly judging and not thinking.

One would also sense that perhaps there are exceptions to the rule. Perhaps that is not the case.

A married woman 14 weeks pregnant had her water broken needed an abortion to prevent serious infection that could lead to infertility or death. The nearest hospital under Catholic administration denied care for this woman by requesting her physician to wait for an onset of an infection before carrying out the necessary procedure. Her physician fearing for the patient sent her to a secular hospital 80 miles away for the procedure. In another instant, a woman with ectopic pregnancy had a choice of an invasive procedure to remove the embryo implanted in her fallopian tube or a less risky method that administer methotrexate, a drug used for cancer to dissolve the pregnancy that spares the tube. The directive from the Catholic hospital was to perform the invasive procedure as the latter is a “direct abortion” as oppose to the former that is a lifesaving method that indirectly kills the embryo. Like any logical individual, the patient checked into another ER.

As a reader who stumbled upon this article, I tried to understand the need for doctors to be respected for their beliefs. While there is a need to provide healthcare to patients, one cannot deny out of respect for doctors that they are certainly faced with an ethical dilemma. Some procedures pointed out by them are indeed in conflict with their moral ideology and they should have the right like any individual to freedom of religion.

I like many others advocate the freedom of speech, belief and religion. The matter at hand is not the issue of freedom but to what extent one should exercise their belief? What is the boundary? Have humans lost the reasoning for themselves that they uphold teachings that are shaped by institutions, leaders of religion consisting of everyday people like you and I without questioning the basis of these beliefs?

Perhaps to some, it is much easier to abide by what others tell them to trust even to the extent of exercising moral judgment on others as long as the belief is deemed inspiration from a higher power. Conceivably, it is more difficult to deliberate and contemplate of what is true and not. By challenging one's belief for the purpose of seeking the truth is liken to having the security blanket being pulled from the bottom of one's feet and being placed out of the comfort zone.

The question is how many are willing to extract themselves out of the comfort zone for a period of time to seek the truth? Would you be comfortable?

Are We Ready?

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 18:17:00 +0000

Like every other morning amid the slamming of my hand on the snooze button and finally getting my bottom in the car to drive to work, I tuned to the local FM. Driving at 80 mph/130 kmph my concentration was not on the road but an account narrated over the radio station that day.

A caller named Scott calls up a radio station to tell the story of his love affair with a woman he was acquainted to. Scott was hired as a hospital staff through his classmate’s mother’s assistance. Let’s call his classmate’s mother Linda. Every break that he had from his classes during the day, Scott would make frequent visits to Linda’s workplace at the hospital. It was also uncanny how convenient his university was located near the hospital that he could bike to have frequent romps with Linda. The breaking point of this affair was when Linda’s husband became angry to find him in his house way too many times when Linda was around. Apparently, Linda’s husband was also playing the field. Nonetheless, Scott was 17 years old when this affair happened while Linda was 41 years old. While the affair may not have lasted, Scott today at 26 years old found Linda to be attractive.

Why am I remembering this story? Admittedly, it is screwed up when Linda’s marriage is concern. Hence, I am not condoning any ‘extra-curricular’ activities with anyone beyond your spouse. Very simply, this story gave hope. The perspective of an older woman going out with a much younger man is somewhat altered when compared to traditional standards laid down from generations to generations where the younger party should be the woman. As time progresses, slowly but surely, traditional standards start to erode thereby raising fewer eyebrows when an older woman is seen with a younger man having a great time.

I and perhaps many women out there have realised that by attaching ourselves to traditional standards and ignoring our options, we are only limiting ourselves. As women get older, so will our pool of men. Let us perform a simple math. A woman at 18 can have a pool of men that ranges from 20 to 60 years old (Ignore the huge age difference as I have in fact seen that happening). A woman at 30 can have a pool of men that ranges from 30 to 60 years old. At 40, the pool will noticeably decrease from a range of 40 to 60 year old men. This pool did not exclude men who fall into the trap of mid-life crisis or men who cannot survive in the midst of any intelligent and powerful women. Excluding these categories of men will leave women with only a handful to have a meaningful conversation with. Ignoring traditional or conventional standards, women will notice that their pool increase when they allow themselves to go out with men younger than them. As a matter of fact, this is not a new mania in town. Countries like the United Kingdom and United States have carried out census and observed that there is an increasing trend of women dating and marrying younger men.

A while ago, I took this subject matter to my lady friends. Despite the trend, some of my lady friends argued that the age difference may hinder any prospects of a stable and permanent relationship. A few mentioned that they would like to be with someone older as older men have more capability in financially providing for them. Then again, I do have a few of my lady friends in their 40s say, ‘It will be liberating to be able to go out with men half our age who is not intimidated by us, who can make us laugh and carry a good conversation’.

Perhaps, women of different ages aspire for different aspects of a relationship. Regardless of what they are, there are men who cannot bring themselves to roam into uncharted waters of dating older women. As more and more women detach themselves from conventional standards, I look forward to seeing more men take the opportunity to look beyond ‘age’ as a factor and merely enjoy the experiences of being with a compatible woman.

Reflections Year 2006

noreply@blogger.com (Sharon R. Kwan) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 16:13:00 +0000

Another half a year has gone by. What is the significance one may ask? After all, we know that time passes by every year with a mere snap of the finger. I was thinking that after 27 years of this, going through year 2006 will be just like any other year; piece of cake. It looks that way on the surface. However underneath it all is a volcano that is waiting to erupt especially when the calendar hits 30th June. Seventeen days after this date will be the day I commemorate my birth.

(People! Get your flags out imprinted with my portrait, hail me and march down the street singing my name. Enhance it with fireworks while you are at it.)

Although, I do not wish to make a huge deal out of it, it nags me. Every year it pesters me. I could still remember how my mother’s constant nag fails to faze me. The ‘one ear in and one ear out’ mode turns on magically. However, this ‘getting older’ nag gets louder every year. The ‘one ear in and one ear out’ mode does not switch on no matter how hard I try. The switch somehow does not work in this scenario, very much like a freaking light bulb that does not turn on no matter how many times you toggle with its switch. Switch…switch….come on…..switch switch switch switch..Turn on you damn thing…you get the message.

I fear time not because I fear having younglings at an old age. Sure there is a higher chance they may come out mentally challenged but that is the least of my concern currently. Instead, I fear that I will lose my youthful luster, my physical ability to bounce back if I should put on more weight and want to lose the fat. I seriously do not want to look like muffin top when I wear certain clothes. Most of all I fear not being ‘where’ I want to be as the year goes by.

Every year healthy folks perform a checklist on their lives. It can happen anytime i.e. at the end of the year, beginning of the year, your anniversary breakup with your ex-boyfriend/ex-girlfriend, birth date, someone else’s funeral date etc. you get the picture.

("The unexamined life is not worth living." Socrates)

My checklist clearly points out to me that my progress has been rather pitiable. Allow me to rephrase. My checklist clearly points out to me that my progress has been slow on the uptake. Since 18 I told myself that I will be on my way to being wealthy, my ultimate goal. Give me 10 years I will get there. Ten #%!!* years have passed and from where I stand today, nothing happened. I was still studying between age 18 to 22 when I came up with these great ideas on how to get to my ultimate goal. These bright ideas did not take flight. Usually something is in the way or perhaps these ideas are not so bright after all (stop snickering). I shall not delve into details at this point.

Nonetheless, at 23 I found my first job and I look at my first paycheck in awe thinking ‘YES! I AM GOING TO BE RICH!!!’. As naïve as it sounded, I clearly knew my paycheck was not going to make me rich like Donald Trump or Oprah and wealthy like Warren Buffet or The Hiltons but it sure felt great to receive that first paycheck. After 4 years I am better positioned financially but definitely neither rich nor wealthy. Although not anywhere near my goal, my career is on track thus far.

Despite all this, I have a long way to go as I am not anywhere close to starting the journey of reaching my goal as I am in the process of relocation. For 3 years I screamed at my inability to make the decision to either remain home or start my life in a brand new environment. I stood still at this crossroad for 3 years and we know that 3 years is a long time to make a decision. Finally after going through trials, tribulations, proper examination and perhaps some wrong raison d'être, I gathered enough guts to come to a conclusion to start anew in a foreign land. I must admit I do lose ground and doubt that this decision is the right one. Missing home, lack of quality friendships, pangs of loneliness, bouts of unhappiness, relationship failure sure destroys my confidence. Knocking some common sense into my head to stay on track, the tough part was over I thought. I thought wrong. This decision was accompanied with obstacles.

As I narrated my self-absorbed life to my counterparts, they always remind me that when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. What these condescending jokers fail to elaborate is that when life gives you lemons, life does not hand you lemons gently. In fact, life throws lemons at you. Not one or two lemons but MANY lemons. As a normal functioning human being, how many lemons can one catch and juggle at once? Hey, kudos to you out there who can at least juggle 3 lemons simultaneously. Juggle I am certainly not great at. How about catching these lemons even if one cannot juggle? As avoidance is definitely out of the question, I have certainly missed catching plenty not to mention being pelt by those incoming lemons. The upside of this is that I come out smelling lemony (Smell me if you are not convinced). Anyway, life’s a bitch thus, cut your losses and move on. Sounds easy, isn’t it?

It will be all right as I convinced myself. All I need to do now is to maintain a positive outlook, be focus and progress with the task at hand. Nevermind the grumblings from relatives, godparents and parents about my love life. That can wait, yes?

To be continued……