Jakarta Trip

I was in Jakarta from Sept 4 - 6.Prepared my work till 1am (on the 4th itself), went to bed trying to catch 2hrs sleep before leaving to the airport but failed.Arrived and waited for one hour before being fetched.

Went around to few big supermart for market and pricing research. Fachmi's car broke down in the middle of the city. Can you image how it is like to be caught in such an unfortunate situation with extreme hot weather and heavy, thick, congested traffic, whatever you called it, in a city with 10 million people.

In a bad unfortunates situation, there is a small luck. The car's problem was just overheating and solved by adding my drinking water.Some we got them from "Jalan Tikus" I called it. "Jalan" means street and "tikus" means mouse,so is Mouse Street.Again you can image,small,dusty,filthy and very congested narrow streets. There are a lot of mouse streets in this city.

Ironically about the landscape of this city,5 minutes walk from the tikus area, you will arrive at a very modern,clean,rich,full of vibrants and beautiful skyscrapers.A metropolitan lifestyle.I have lived in this city for a year back in 1997 and had made many trips back since then.

Around 4pm, we started travelling to Bandung, a town which hosted Asian-African Conference in 1955.It's only 140km from Jakarta and been to this country so many times,I have never visited this place.It's my first trip.

Arrived closed to 6pm, like any other towns or cities here, everywhere was traffic jammed.Worse still in Ramadam month where at 6.30pm is breaking fast, so everyone is rushing.Indonesia is with 270 million Muslims, don't even dream you can avoid from hit by human tsunami.

Finally we reach our destination for the day, a huge beautiful 4 levels bungalow with a nicely planted,relax tropical garden and the water falls that make the whole ambient looks it was naturally grown. Meet up with his daughter,son-in-law and grand children.This family has a mixed ancestry of Arabian, Dutch, Chinese and Indonesian. Beautiful people.

Business discussion started after breaking fast, relax, snooker games, relax in the garden again and eat again around 10pm.Phewww...

The discussion adjourned at 1am. Too exhausted, my brain could not work anymore. Dropped dead on the bed.

Next morning the air was so fresh, it smelled like Spring. Bandung is on the hilly contours.It is famous among the local for the weekend escapade.Beside the town center, the outskirt are fresh, serene, cool and relax.

The family went off to another lake for a weekend retreat. Though Bandung is already a refreshing place but the other side is always greener.We left for Jakarta and managed only to arrive after 7pm in the hotel.

Savor my old time favorite foods before continuing my meeting with Chandra at 9pm. Another potential business associate.We ended our work at 2am.Luckily he offered his driver to drop me off at the airport in 4 hours times.

Before departure, I roamed around, realized the airport has became very quiet.Perhaps due to the Indonesia airlines have been barred from flying to many countries and of late many bombings,not many visitors so the operation is lesser now.

Arrived home safely and rested for 30mins, drive to casino at Genting.Lost at the beginning,changed machine and with 2nd press, I stroked RM1000 and packed to come home.

What a life????? 4 days with only 8 hours sleep.

Time fly!!!!

Four months have passed. I was hospitalized for 10days in April due to cholera. Believe it or not, Cholera still exist in Malaysia!!! Got it from food seller who was later confirmed a healthy carrier. I was the first to be admitted to the hospital, followed by another 30 over people from the same cause.

God know how lucky I am to be still ALIVE TODAY.Recalling the incident,I remembered seeing my foots on the second day bedridden,it was like a dead person's foot.My face sunken.This was actually second time I was admitted to hospital in a extreme serious case. Cholera can kills within hours if not treated. I was completely dehydrated after purging and diarrhea for more 100 times in a day.IT was killing me.

I hardly could walk when I was discharged.I became phobia of outside foods.Rested for a month before flying to New York.Still weak and dizzy at times.

I love going back to US for a visit once in a while. Love New York, Chicago and Niagara Falls. It's amazing how beautiful are these falls. Unbelievable !!!

Spent 10 days in New York , 5 days in Chicago and the rest is everywhere in East coast.

Since I got back, almost more than a month now,I have been busy preparing another new company;a beverages company selling RTD in can and instant premix coffee.

We'll see how it goes with this new establishment.

April Fool

It's exactly 1 month I last posted.Time just fly ! Received a confirmed US trip itinerary this morning.During last month, I had been to MATTA Fair to purchase air-tickets and ground arrangement for my NY & Chicago trip. Actually I am more excited to attend Esther's graduation of all the agenda.

Last week, went to KB for all soul day.It was really a good trip despite my return flight was delayed for more than 3 hours.I felt like a baby.All my brothers still showered me with lots of love.Helped in anyway to take away my stress.

In KL, is not too bad but in KB I was treated like a tourist.Everyone that I meet or spoke to will ask me my origin.I am tired of this.It happens everyday since young. Living in a glove has pro and cons. You look like non-Chinese and deep inside you think extremely Chinese, it's confusing sometimes.It's fun some other times.

It's April fool but I am not kidding.Anywhere in the world I had been not many people believed I am Chinese.So, the next time anyone ask me about my race, I am either just going to let them give me my race or just tell them I am a chameleon.

ev'viva Singapore

I was in Singapore for a week with working partners from Italy.Few countries had joined in this AGM and few had left.This time I had a different feeling towards the end. I felt my own presence and felt being there and appreciated. Feel good.

I think probably after loosing more than SGD100 millions, Ron and few others fell back onto the ground.The whole ambiance is more human,more real and genuine though it's a smaller event this year. Nothing like last few years.

Most of the speeches are about strategic management to fight off the current financial turbulent.But what touched me was the speech by China lady speaker. I could not hold back my tears.Her presentation was the best for me. (Found out later she is a medical doctor.)

The last news from Ron was, he will be taking legal proceeding against Han Yang; ex- Head of Franchise Department.It's not common for a CEO of a conglomerate to announce this during the AGM.I supposed Ron had hit the roof.This guy had many times plotted to murder my Italian business.Thanks God, he was pressured to resign before he could bust us with his poison to the top management.Today, my business still surviving and improving.It's karma.

Nobody like negativity but I think the current global financial crisis have helped to bring back some good values to life. Financial melt down had bought the rich people and rich country back to reality.When a person or a country is high and mighty at the peak,they tend to forget the poor and needy.They just simply cannot see the reason why others have difficulties.Their life always fill with glitters.This time round,a serious wake up call is welcome to shaken the world.Glitters can turn into black ashes if they are placed in the wrong hands..

Despite of glooming economy, Singapore is still have a lot of lives. I like the cleanliness of the place, the city is so organized, peaceful and relax. Really, it's very nice to visit Singapore once in awhile.

Falling apart insidiously

The last day of CNY;Chap Goh Mei will finish off the CNY on Feb 9. Two more days, it will be over. I did not go anywhere except watching a lot of movies.The bank called to inform the good news on the account failed to motivate me to celebrate this festive. I guess as you grow older, something that you treasured and enjoyed when you were young have changed. They are no longer what you are looking for now.

I feel my life is falling apart insidiously.The life has become meaningless to me.I feel my family does not really care about me.The people that are close to are not real.Despite of trying to make myself busy, I felt alone in this world at time.My 2 businesses which I am fully in charged before are getting out of my hands.I am a workaholic. Work is one of most important part of me.No work no life.

Few days ago, Mozilla declined to my business proposal.I wanted to manufacture and market an energy drink under Firefox trademark. Unfortunately it's not their strategy to use Firefox trademark on Consumer Packed Goods.It was a big disappointment!I have to find way how to make them realize that how many people in the world actually want a Firefox energy drink.

Soon, I hope to start my shoe business, on a small scale. To test run the prototype.All direction mapped out to hit the market. Hopefully, making my self busy bring some vibrancy for me to live on.

Kong Xi Fatt Choy

2009 is a year of OX. Let us BULL race to a better height of health,wealth and longevity.

Happy Chinese New Year.

TRUST

My heart crushed yesterday evening after I got the bad news on my bank account. Due to somebody's negligence I being punished.I have entrusted T with full authority to handle my account.Since 2005 the last incident, I had always questioned on the manner the account being transacted.And yet it still happened.

My heart sunk and really it was the most "surprising" gift before CNY.All the plan to enjoy in the next few days are thrown into toilet.I am angry.Speechless. I cannot comprehend that someone who I trusted wholeheartedly and is old enough to think straight lied to cover the whole scenario.What more ? this is not the first time, I have lost count. Probably the 1000000000000000th time in last 13 years.One case after another.It might be a different problem but it always cover up by lying.

I reminded each time when I found out.Please at least make my anger and frustration worthy when we yelled. Yell at a real problem, not a make-up story. Not something that has been painted with rose.Look superficially beautiful but eventually one day the truth will prevail when the paint faded.

Not only that "YOU NEED 3 MILLIONS LIES TO COVER one lie."

My anger right now is, it has been ages I only ask for TRUST. Trust is above a lot of things in a any kind of relationship.With trust, no suspicion,more love , peaceful;less dispute, life become easy-going and harmonious.

Why can't people understand what they want in their life and what I want in my life? You cannot accommodate to my request then just fit yourself in somewhere else.

A New Begining.....

Today is a historic inauguration of the first African American President.Obama Barack will be sworn in as the 44th President. I will be glued to CNN for the next 6 hours.Only through this media, I can participate in this big event.

My heart is not here, just to keep the important date, I have to post something.Will write later.

I continue this post 24 hours after the inauguration. I was little bit disappointed with his long-waited speech.I do not feel any punches.It stirred and did not really moved my heart.To me, he could have done better and definitely this inaugural speech is not one of his best.I usually get very emotional with his words.

American are entering into a new era of responsibility in a terrible recession.Is a total over haul journey.It's going to take some time to fix the broken economy engine.Putting all the screws and nuts back in place are not enough,the hope, faith and confidence needed to rebuild to drive the economy back to where it was before or even stronger.

President Rooselvelt's famous inauguration address "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." So, if you take away the fear you can even move the mountain.We have to embrace stormy rain ahead of us fearlessly to reach our destination of comfort.Many people failed without even trying due to the fear.

Nothing is insurmountable if we unified as one and put high HOPE in our FAITH to accomplish our quest.

Shopping, shopping and shopping

Over the weekend, We went for CNY shopping.

On Saturday after the dentistry talk organized by The Star Educational Fair,we all geared to conquer KLCC. First we have to get the dough to spend.I was amazed the ATM machine at Maybank KLCC was a brand new one with the camera positioned at the top of the screen.That camera is all time ready to capture any defiant culprit.Carefully,I keyed in all data making sure the machine will tongued-out the valuable papers.

First stop at Top Shop, Shaun spent almost 1/3 of our budget.I have not been shopping in KL for long time. After few hours,I still can't seem to like anything. Jess too was very frustrated with the choice and.... the crowd.At the end of the day,the car was full of Shaun's shopping bags. Jess and I managed to get one item each.

Mid-Valley was our second day shopping venue.It is close to HELP institute where we went to consult on option path to accountancy course for Shaun.The situation does not reverse. Shaun was happy with shopping and Jess still can't get as much as she wants.The shopping spree stopped earlier on second day as everyone is getting lethargy when the sunset greet us.

I am not a profligate spender, so at the of 2 days shopping adventures, I end up with 3 pcs of clothing. A must-have one set (2 pcs) of red CNY dress for the first day.The other one for Spring as I am going back to Rome in February soon.

I also bought some CNY delicacy and traditional confectioneries.

"Neen-kou" which means New Year cake in Cantonese

and more traditional goodies;egg love-letter rolls,fortune cookies, almond cookies and labh blah but I only bought few.

Not only the dress has to be in red,the foods are packed in red and the house is all decorated in red. Not so much of mine.



So, you see how much Red means to Chinese. I want red, red red. I want luck,luck ,luck.

Happy New Year !!!!!

It's 9 days into 2009.Time really fly.This year, I did not really celebrate the new year in a big way.Had dinner with family and watched fireworks at Sunway.Got home around 3am. Not because of big party but 3 hours of waiting at the rooftop parking for the traffic to ease before I could drive home. We regretted not listening to Jess's proposal to join New Year Beach party at the Sunway Lagoon.Or else, we would have had a good time and no stress from the turtle moving traffic.It's kind of boring and quiet this year.

Another 2 weeks, it will be Chinese Lunar New Year.Everything has to be RED. Red brings luck, fortune, vibrancy and cheerfulness. No plan in my mind yet how I am going to spend my a week-long holiday.
Most of the Chinese here will take advantage of this festival to spend their holiday with the family abroad. Most of my family members would not be around, meaning nobody I could visit. So, I guess it's best to head to the beach, Sun n Surf.Real sun but not real surf. Only surfing on the net.