Gracy Bee

Class gathering

Posted on May 30th, 2007 by GracyBee.
Categories: General.

I was rushing back from Malaysia as I nearly forgot the gathering was actually yesterday. So I pushed forward the time to come back Spore earlier.

I managed to take this picture with my new camera. The coach company that I took.

The seats on the coach are spacious and there are plenty of leg room, unlike another 1st class coach I took before. A bottle of water and a pack of biscults was provided. Not too bad for RM100, and I can zzz all the way from KL to Spore, as there were no TV and noise distraction. Highly recommended.

^^^^^^

The gathering was my Sec 1N3 (year 1992) class gathering from ZHSS. Ever since most of us moved to different class in Sec. 3, we don’t keep in contact. And for me who was not in Spore, it was meant I have not seen most of them for nearly 15 years. WOAH…………15 years leh!!

I was having mixed feelings on my way to Suntec. Would I still recognise them? Would they recognise me? How much changes for us?

Finally as we met, I still can recognised them, though some of us don’t remember the names. Thus the first few moments was awkward, as long years spelt the barrier between us. After a while shopping for restaurant we finally settled down in Wakaka in Marina Sq.

^^^^^^

Then the memories started flowing in. The ‘at-first-don-recognise-you’ syndrome diminished and the room become our class room again. We talked of our individual memories and that refreshed our memories of certain things and people. Towards the end, we decided to draw out our class plan in Sec 1. Quite a feat as we need to flip back 15 years in our brains! Now I remembered one of our classmates who transferred to Express stream after half year, and the different nicks we had for each other.

GP knew that there were 38 students in our class, we jotted down the names that we remembered and the seats we used to occupied.

Half way through

We couldn’t remember the seating arrangements. So we jotted down the names. After much discussion and much mixed up, our namelist stood at 35. So who are remaining 3?? Gosh, we really can’t remember anymore. So perhaps we need more people attending and the memories of the remaining 3 will come out.

Our finalised list. Who are the remaining 3?

Nice meeting you guys again

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3 days break

Posted on May 30th, 2007 by GracyBee.
Categories: Everyday life.

Finally I was my turn to experience the 3 days off!! Yiipppeeee!!!!

^^^^^^

As there was a relative’s wedding and so I make the short trip back to Malaysia via coach. Right after work, I rushed back home and after some final packing, I rushed off to take the last coach back home.

As my cousin SY introduces me this company which is a lot cheaper and the tickets bought from Malaysia can be used in Singapore!! That translated nearly 50% savings for me! Thanks SY!!

Trip back was uneventful but because I was working morning shift, I was quite tired and zzzz all the way back. Reached Malaysia 2330, reach home 0030.

^^^^^^

The relative wedding was my mother’s cousin’s son’s (which I also call my cousin, i think but quite long distance). Pity I don’t have my camera with me but you can imagine those conventional chinese wedding that started late and those usual food. We were actually late due to some works undone. We called the groom that we will be late, never did we realise by the time we arrived at 8pm, the dinner haven’t even started!! goosh…..

^^^^^^

Back to Malaysia is not really a relaxing time for me as I still have to go back to the shop to help out bit of everything. (yeah…..’holiday’ huh).

Later at night, B & P and me met up for little gathering and B suggested the Look Out restaurant in Ampang. Ok……we nearly got lost when B realised he got the phone number of that restaurant and called. haha……after going in circles for nearly 45 mins.

The Look out restaurant is on a hill top in Ampang and remind me of a mini gentings. The night scene of KL can be seen here and it is breathtaking, I have to admit. It is Western cuisine restaurant and the ambience was of romantic theme. A nice spot for couples (hint, hint!) But it was a bit crowded though, with groups of families and friends were there too. Nonetheless, still a nice place to relax.

We did have a good time there, after nearly 4 months after we last met each other.

^^^^^^

Nice time. Now gotta back to work

1 comment.

May 13 riots

Posted on May 18th, 2007 by GracyBee.
Categories: General.

Having grown up in a different country during my schooling years, I’m not familiar with Malaysia despite being a Malaysian. A shameful thing that may be. I have tried to be fully engaged with Malaysia’s affairs: political and social… sad to say, I am not convinced that I like to stay there. As a third party looking inside Malaysia, I’m not happy to see what is inside. I always have this feeling that the truth behind certain scenes are covered up, and the words and promises made are contradictory to what has been done.

Courtesy from http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/67317

Thus I’m not actually surprised to know that truth of the May 13 riots was clouded until recently, yet I’m furious too, why the truth was not known before.  I only know  that such riots have occurred before in Malaysia, but for what reason I not too sure. Initially I thought that it is racial clashes. OK, that was obvious right, before we has this ‘racial harmony’ theme.

However based on those records now shed to light, I’m not too sure if it is caused by racial disharmony, as there are rumours that it is caused by politics too. The recent seizing of the new books launched by authorities seem suspicious too. Ok, they may be afraid that this might cause disharmony again, but wouldn’t the citizens these days mature enough to know that the book serve as a reminder that racial harmony is so important and no such riots should happen again?

Well, I don’t wish to meddle into this complicated affairs more than I wanted.  This is purely my personal thoughts. No harm intended.

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MAXIS SMS scam?!

Posted on May 18th, 2007 by GracyBee.
Categories: Everyday life.

Oh my god, oh my god!!

Courtesy from www.maxis.com.my

After reading this article in Jeff Ooi’s blog, I couldn’t believe my eyes and couldn’t help wondering if my family are affected too! My family has subscribed to Maxis mobile for nearly……puff………..10 years +++ . Got 4 phones lines ok?? Gotta check that when I get back to Malaysia, and gosh not even sure how long this has been going on. Definitely not going to pay that extra something we don’t use and not worth staying with them!

Thanks Jeff for sharing this with us!

0 comments.

Phew, what a way to start a day!

Posted on May 11th, 2007 by GracyBee.
Categories: General.

What a unlucky day I have to say.

Today I started morning shift and company would arrange transportation for us to go to work. However, instead of calling everytime I need it the day before, I have decided to use company intranet to indent for transport which is supposed easier and reliable.

HOW WRONG IS THAT.

My bus actually din turn up!! ARGH!! I’M GOING TO BE LATE FOR WORK!

Obviously taxi is the only way to go, but taxis seem disappearing when you really need it. When you don’t need it, they keep slowing down or stopping wanting to pick you up.

Luckily, this uncle stopped for me and zoom I off to the airport.

I don’t have cash on me but the uncle is so kind to put on credit for me!! Oh my god!! thank u! thank u!!

^^^^^^

Ok….just in time for work, and rushing for my 1st departure of the day. Things went on smoothly as usual. My officer WF reminded me that this flight can be quite demanding so have to be alert and focused. I agreed with that, considering the characteristics of this particular one.

TRUE ENUFF, trouble is brewing already.

Due to the latest implementations about liquid restrictions, we have to be strict with that. So this pax had that in an ‘illegal’ way, and of course we have to dispose it. However that is not possible as pax still want it. Well, we need to do our job as it is not properly sealed, and ironically, she came from the place where such practices are very strict, so why the unsealed bag? And so argument here and there, my officers reminded her if she go on like that, she gotta miss her flight. Well, for the sake of other pax, we have to let the aircraft go due to quite severe delay. And so she missed her flight and for 1 hr, she has been yelling and turned slightly violent and argued we din remind her. Oh well, we did. And cos of that, I also nearly late for my next flight.

What a scene to witness, really I hate witnessing such obscene scenes. What should we do? Break the law and let her take the liquor? Or do our job, abide by law but pax get angry?

ALAS.

Lucky, this hullabalo ended after 12, and after that, flights have been ok.

Juz cross fingers that tomorrow will be better!!

So a gentle reminder to those travelling, make sure those duty free liquors and perfumes are properly sealed!

0 comments.

Temper! Temper!

Posted on May 9th, 2007 by GracyBee.
Categories: General.

Today, things don’t go smoothly at work, that get me fuming with anger at one point, and get me to do a walkathon at the other.

That is actually very common at all work places, but I still believe today’s incident can be best avoided or managed. In the end, it has to be blown up so big. Alas…..I can’t release what happened, but what I can say that, please please please, control your temper and emotions when you are at work if not you are really at the losing end even if this is not your fault.

I hope all is ok for you, S. I really din expect such to happen.

0 comments.

No Plastic bags!

Posted on May 5th, 2007 by GracyBee.
Categories: Everyday life.

The ‘No Plastic Bags’ in supermarkets has started here recently. Like what I have read in the Forum in STI today, I agreed that this campaign is long overdue.

Just like what the writer in Forum has experienced in Germany, I experienced the similar in UK for the last 7 years. My 1st year in UK was quite a new experience as I did not know at that time Aldi (a supermarket) don’t provide plastic bags. You find your own way to pack your own groceries, be it your own sch bag, luggage, box. Or you pay to get a good quality bag or normal plastic bags. At that time, I was quite pissed off with such a system.

However after a while, I got used to it, and actually quite enjoyed the experience. Every shopping trip to supermarkets or wet markets I would bring one of my trolley backpack and stuffed all inside the bag. Those poultry has to be packed in plastic bags 1st for obvious reasons. Only those ‘fragile’ food like eggs, bread or etc I would carry on hand in plastic bags.

Garbage collection system there was very new to me too - once a week system. It was only when I started to live in private housing there then I realised the differences. In the beginning, my new housemate told me the garbage day was Monday at that time. I was confused and then she told me we need to bring out our garbage the night before. Ah….. So the very 1st thing you ask when you moved into new house: when is the garbage day and where to deposit those bags.

In UK, we get free strong garbage bags, one black and one green for rubbish and grass respectively (That come with a price though: we paid council taxes, though I’m exempted because I was a student then). Not too bad as a system, but that time I do sometimes missed the convenience of our HDB rubbish chutes.

Some people I heard these are their ways to conserve. Well, I personally think that, other than conserving, it is also practical to their culture. In Europe, though the climate has changed in recent years, it is still a temperate region with mild temperatures. Hence, the rubbish wouldn’t smell really bad if garbage is only collected once a week. Even that, there were not much pests and insects looking happily at their ‘utopia’. Can’t say the same for summer though.

In Asia, the climate don’t allow us to clear bags once a week. Half a day is enough to attract insects and pests into our house. Hence the daily clearance of the bins. Thus the need of bags to tie properly to avoid spillage and pests.

Plastic bags are still important to us but still we need to do our part not to waste plastic bags unnecessary. The recent campaign is good to help do our part. It is heartwarming to know the increasing awareness here.

Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention about the ‘Once a week’ garbage collection. If the garbage collection day happened to be a public holiday, there is NO collection and what happen? Our garbage have to sit in the house for 2 weeks. Yeah, Yarks. Or you can take it to the other side of the road as they have had different collection days, but don’t get caught by the residents! They get angry if they see you taking your garbage to their territory! And if not disposed by two weeks, maggots will come…Ewwwwww.

This is what I don’t like about the system there, where such services are affected by public holidays too, where in Spore, the services remain 24/7 active. And IF there are strikes (so far haven’t met yet LUCKILY in 7 years), you can forget about disposing once a week, and what to do when you have no car? Just wait. And even if have a car, no way I’m going to put the maggot infested bags onto it.

1 comment.

On the News

Posted on May 2nd, 2007 by GracyBee.
Categories: General.

My job I realised are greatly affected by natural disasters, terrorist attacks and all, and these days, I scanned through the newspapers to get myself prepared for the day of work.

Some of the normal ones are the bad weathers such as snow storms and typhoons that may mean delay to some arrival and departure flights. If such cases happened, our office will like be war zone to prepare for the affected passengers on board.

By far, the worst case ever happened in my 1 month plus here is the recent temporary closure of Sri Lankan International Airport due to rebel attacks. As such news means serious consequences, we cannot allow planes to fly and let passengers on board.

In a day, there were thousands of passengers connecting to Sri Lanka from Singapore affected and we have to make arrangements for them. I myself did 2 flights like that.

On a personal level, I felt sad. After all, the airport of any country is important as it symbolised the respective country which I’m sure people would look at the airport first before anything else if they want to judge that country. The reputation of Sri Lanka may be affected now. I’m sure there are reasons behind such violence attacks but I don’t know what it is. I have to admit that I don’t know about the history of what has happened before. I have imagined the fear, despair and annoyance on the social and political aspects; and the anger from the rebel’s point of view.

At the time of writing, the airport is still closed, according to Channel News Asia. As I’m more of a peace person, I do hope all will cease in due time and let the airport open again. That way, we can allow our passengers on board to their destinations safely and punctually.

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