Once upon a time (2)

I dun like to cut hair when I was young.

Not only that the uncle cutting my hair was not so friendly, but equally important was that my mum wanted me to keep very short hair style ie botak. Looking back now, I can understand why she insisted it that way - neat, clean, cooling and helped to save some money since I did not have to visit the barber so regularly.

My classmates would always tease me and called me botak head. They would laugh about it and I did not enjoy it very much. In fact, I was the rarely few with the botak hair style in class and properly in school. I could not carry with me a comb which was a trend then. :-(

To manage my expectation and objection, my mum would tell the uncle to have a long botak hair style for me. Any difference ? Ha...ha...ha..., not much but at least better than being botak.

Not sure if the experience had affected me silently, I prefer to keep my hair very short since the army time and now I am back to botak style again with no choice- fulltime, 24 x 7 :-)

At times, my daughter's classmates would call me botak uncle when I fetch her home after school. They seem fascinated and curious about it. 1 to 2 asked me why I have no hair and pretty bothered by it.

Some days, somehow they will know why. Ha...ha...ha...

Mahjong

I started to play Mahjong again,

I stopped playing it totally many years ago not only because I was losing much money then but most importantly, lost all the tuition fee that I had earned for a month service to a student. It was just unbelieveable while I walked home that night or rather in a wee hours after the game. Anyway, no bus and train service at the odd hours and also no money to take a cab. :-(

I learn to play mahjong since young by watching how my relatives play and learning it gradually along the way. It is a very addictive game. Players need to think and adopt best possible moves as well as what other may have in mind. Having good tiles does not mean that you will win for sure. More often than not, the game lasts for hours. At times, to order supper as the game continues. I enjoyed the small talk and accompany during the mahjong session. I hate when the game turns ugly over money. Whether winning or losing, players are bound to feel tired after the game, both physically and mentally.

Senior citizens are encouraged to play mahjong to keep one's mind active and alert. However, suggested to play it in a "healthy" or decent manner ie not much money or no money involved. It is definitely a good mean to past time, catching up with friends and just gossiping.

I feel that I am much skillful now as compare then. Winning most of the time, involving a few hundreds / thousand dollars. :-) Are you game enough to join me ?

See you online over iPhone
Ha...ha...ha...

History seems to unfold itself again. My daughter is eager to participate when I play mahjong on the iPhone. I will get her to throw out unwanted tiles. The same way my aunty told me a few decades ago.

Once upon a time ......

I used to stay in a rented flat many years ago. It has one bed room, a living room, toilet/bathroom and a kitchen. Small area but enough to meet daily needs. There were four of us in the family. I was the living room captain.

One of the unique features of the structure was that there was no windows at the kitchen area. It was an open concept built with iron bars from top to bottom. To sun or rain block, household has to install own canvas. However, it was very windy day and night. Good view of the outside world. Being a little naughty child, I would place one of my legs out in-between the gap of the bars. The love language used then was caning and scolding. I would considered myself lucky as caning was rarely used on the children in the family.

My favorite moment was when it rained, especially the heavy rain type. Even with canvas, the kitchen area would not only be wet but the best of it, flooded :-) Both my mum and myself would be pretty busy - my mum moving items that could be damaged by the water quickly while I looked for papers to make paper boats. The love language was not quite effective as I could hardly hear what my mum was saying. Anyway, she has more things to worry than those sailing paper boats. Cheers !

While my mum was patiently clearing the mess and praying for the rain to stop,
I was chanting
rain, rain, stay with me
rain, rain come again
Ha..ha..ha..

Boutique Hotel

I like the idea of staying in a boutique hotel whenever I travel for leisure. Though it has existed for years, I am more for it recently as I feel that the offering is generally much better.

Boutique hotel tends to be smaller in size and hence fewer guests in total. Check-in, check-out and breakfast sessions are more enjoyable. At the same time, staff is able to provide more personalized services for the guests whenever there are requests. The reception counter is well organized, designed and staffed.

The room is usually modernly designed with good colour combination + creative lightnings, cosy & clean environment, stuff with more current and useful gadgets such as LCD tv, a good range of international & local tv programmes, DVD player, free wi-fi internet connection, jacuzzi in bathroom, coffee/tea set and comfortable bedding. My recent stay in Taipei also find well packaged condom as part of the room amenities list.

Some added services include free usage of laundry equipment (eg. washing machine, dryer etc) for guests, kitchenette to do some simple cooking (or warming) etc. Of course, it can be quite expensive to stay in a boutique hotel and comparable to a 5-star hotel. My recent research suggested that Taiwan offers more competitive boutique hotel rates - pretty affordable in good location (ie walking distance to train station and surrounded by places to dine and shop). Hong Kong is quite expensive.

Consider staying in a boutique hotel especially if you are visiting Taiwan. :-)

Children's Day 2010

Children's Day is also becoming Parents' Day. As all primary schools and childcare centres will not be operating on 1st October, parents may have to be on leave to take care of them. In fact, some make it a family day to shop, dine, watch movie/performance and having a fun day together. For organizations that wanted to be acknowledged as pro-family or having worklife balance, much flexibility is shared with staff. Some even organized activities at the company level for the staff's children.

It has been years since I had my Children's Day. Not much celebration other than those programmes and gifts organized by the school. Nothing special about it. Nothing bad about it too.

Since the Day is meant for the children, I would prefer letting the children to organize a fun and relaxing moments with their friends out of the usual places. As long as it is a healthy, decent and safe programme, give the children the space, freedom to go wild with it. Afterall, they can only be a child for a few years.

I also celebrated it today by having a strawberry sundae after my lunch. :-)

"Huh ? I though you are already a junior Senior Citizen ?"

Yes, I am. But I am also young at heart. Happy Children's Day :-)
Ha...ha...ha... Cheers !

5 years old

谨卉 (Jillian) is 5 years old now.
Celebrated with her a few days.

Had a dinner at Swensen and enjoyed her favourite ice-cream. She has been celebrating her birthday at the Swensen every year.

Brough her to Universal Studio Singapore to take photos with different characters, taking a few rides and watching some performance.

She also had a simple birthday party at the childcare center with her classmates. A few days before the party, we went to shop for items for the goodies bags to be given to her friends. She packed it happily with her mum.

Will be bringing her to watch the Korean's musical performance, Nanta, at Esplanade a few days later. Just wanted to expose her to different Arts and be entertained by the International group.

Most importantly, wish her healthy, happy and enjoy every minutes in life :-)
Cheers !

Setting good example

While I was driving and approaching a major traffic junction, saw an uncle cycling and likely to cross the road using the zebra-crossing. Based on past experience, I was quite sure he would cycle across. I slowed down in case he "decided" to rush across it. However, the uncle stopped cycling, alighted and pushed his bicycle while using the zebra-crossing. I was surprised. He was doing the right thing and setting a good example of safe cycling while on the move. Yet, it was rarely observed most of the time.

I am not sure if you realize it, we live in an environment showing more negative rather than positive examples. One good and typical example is the use of traffic light. Pedestrians of all ages seem to "enjoy" crossing a road whenever there is no traffic even though it is still displaying the stop red-man-light sign. Cyclists too.

Maybe the persons have an urgent matter to attend to, maybe it is going to rain. maybe the bus is approaching, maybe just dun want to appear stupid waiting for it especially when there is no sign of cars, maybe impatient, maybe .....maybe life is just too long to live on ?

I am more worried about the messaging to the young ones. While we are trying to educate them the proper behavior in school and at home, we are setting wrong example when it comes to practical. The worst of it is that there are many more examples besides using of traffic light such as smoking, talking loudly when using a mobile phone, cut queue, not showing the basic respect, telling lairs, rude etc.

Educating and bringing up the young ones is like doing a cha cha, three steps forward follows by two steps backward. A wrong twist could cause much unhappiness and pain.

Amazing and refreshing read on being a tour guide

I come across a Chinese book accidentally titled as "教我如何不宰你", I translated it as "How not to slaughter you alive".

The book was published in 2006 on traveling but focused on tour guide. Not how to be one but the dark and ugly side of being a tour guide as a profession. The author is from China and he has been a tour guide for more than 10 years.

The author shared much detailed happenings from his vast experience on the dilemma, challenges, unfairness, and difficulties in managing travelers in a tour group, bus driver, services providers and travel agency. Pretty amazing and refreshing read. Based on his sharing, it is definitely very pressuring and unpleasant to be a tour guide, in particularly, in China and leading a China tour group.

The main source of all these rooted to the fact of charging too low or no fees at all of joining a tour group. At the macro level, the governance system is not good enough to facilitate a healthy development of the industry. The result of it is that the tour guide has to coax or "force" travelers to buy more and to visit more factory outlets to meet the expected "quota" to cover the cost of the trip and even to make money for the agency. At the same time, the tour arrangement may have to reduce or cut cost on food, accommodation, itinerary etc. The whole travel experience is affected with complains, unhappiness and at times, violence. Tour guide does not has a basic salary and for those few that have it, they are expected to help out in the agency when there is no assignment. If anything happens, tour guide has to bear the consequences fully.

It's sad to read about it. Traveling is suppose to be fun, enjoyable, safe and happy. But it may not be case if joining a tour group. Though I would prefer planning my own trip and I do most of my overseas holiday, I have also joined tour group on a few occasions.

The best was the one that I went to Tokyo. The tour guide was a lady and she was experienced enough to conduct a meaningful and pleasant trip throughout the journey. At least I din feel that I was "forced" to accept or visiting nonsense places or the need to buy stuff. :-) The other few, something did happen along the way though we all managed to complete it satisfactorily. The general rule seems to be avoiding budget tour package especially to China as visitors are "expected" to buy, to be surprised with changes and properly a mismatch of delivery of services and products.

If you are interest, click "教我如何不宰你" to read and to learn more about life as a China tour guide.