Wahbiang Top 50 Moments 2006

January 2, 2007 Leave a comment

Finally, I have completed the 50 Most Memorable Moments of 2006. Thanks to the last 2 entries from Xmas Party 2006. Please click the pix above to PICASA to view the photo. MSN Space isn’t a nice place to view photos. It really jam up my blog and makes it difficult for people to view my blog. Worst, it makes it harder for me to edit my own blog too.

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Siow Wei’s 1st Ward Stay

December 16, 2006 Leave a comment

In her own words, blog by Siow Wei (16th Dec)
This is my first stay as a patient in hospital… exciting yet intimidating..for 18hrs to be exact.
(maybe 2nd stay if u count in when i was born)Food is quite terrible, but service is really good…But still in the midst of tolerating of being pushed everywhere on wheelchair or the bed, being pricked for IV and also being touched and checked by various doctors, nurses, u wun quite enjoy this experience..

Within 5 mins after i was pricked for IV… i almost wanted to pluck it out and go home…
But den a little while, looking ard me, i see more eyes with despair… patients from accidents, high blood, diabetes, etc… they had more reason to wanna go home i thot. So i bore with that ant bite pain for an hour and forced myself to sleep with turmoiled tummy.

After almost 1 and a half hrs, i suppose the doc dint have enuff of me. So i had to stay in for another day…which they call the short stay observation 🙂 I thot i would ve TV to watch, but nothing…no entertainment at all.. jus a bed, a drip and 3 other moaning patients in company.

Aw man…i was bored and had to bear the prick for the entire nite, and learned how to carry it to the toilet and back.. Imagine, having to laosai wif a drip on my right hand… how messy yucks.. Anyway i went in and out a total of abt 7 times, during that short stay, not too bad 🙂 I get to eat lots of peanut porridge and overcooked veges, n salted “orange juice” (actually sait supplement)

My neighbours changed twice too… both with the same symptom as mine, Stomach virus.. poor thing, they seemed worse, one was even warded into a normal B2 ward…cos she didnt get better. Oh well, i was too happy to go home… quickly asked the nurse to remove my prick after having 5 packs of glucose thruout the nite… and waited for my discharge letter 🙂

Phew, i swear never to anyhow eat again… its really terrible..cant swallow food and water for 2 days and puking and discharging fluid constantly. Appetite is not coming back yet… i guess i gotta wait a while more,

Anyway, god blessed, all was fine, i pray for my companions in my ward too, may they recover quickly and go home fast fast. Stomach flu can be really common lately, i guess, no play play 😛

 

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Sam & Clan in Town

December 3, 2006 Leave a comment

 
They say we shouldn’t count our blessings but I just can’t help it. I am keeping tab on the number of Singaporean friends I have met up in Shanghai.. the numbers are pretty impressive.
 
May: Felicia, John, Ow Yong, Monica & Julian
June: Charlie, Jamie
July: Scott, Desmond, Yogi
August: Meiling, Bettina
Nov: Tracy, Ken, Jinwei, Hong Ai
Dec: Sam, Lusia (and 5 other family members)
Jan: Felicia & Elkan
 
Today, I bid farewell to my 23rd Shanghai Guest. (Sam didn’t make it to my house..so Felicia & Elkan should be the 6th Visitor to my house). It was one big group of them – Sam, Lusia, Jacob, Claudia, Lusia’s mum & brother, Sam’s father.
 

I dun think I have been a good host cos’ I never really bring Sam to those "places" he originally wanted. (Haaa…you know what I mean, Sam.) Braving through sickness and the cruel winter breeze, I gave them a super packed "6-in-one" night tour of Shanghai, specifically showing them the famous Huai Hai Lu, Xin Tian Di, the Bund, Peace Hotel, Nanjing Shopping Lane and Hu Jiang Lu night market.
 
In this trip, I saw a new side of Lusia. She doesn’t speak Chinese but her bargaining power is superb. I saw the way she "cut prices" with the local.. her formula? Division by 5. Man, it is impressive! Despite her sharp skills, Sam and his clan still fall for the "high-handed" Chinese salesmanship. In one of those "tour-leader’s shopping stops", they were kinda "pressured" to cough out hundred of SingDollars to buy the health pills. (I have to confess too, I fell for it back in 2003. I paid S$200 for a bottle of pills)
 
Sat was a very bad day for Sam. More than half of his clan have taken ill. Jacob, being the youngest in the pack, suffered the most. He spent 3-4 hours in the hospital on a drip. This may be the most dramatic holidays they ever have. They are just not used to the water and weather over here.
 
Nevertheless, Sam & clan had a dazzling finale. Last night, we blew the sky with loud bangs and bright colours. For the 1st time, Sam’s clan experienced their own "National Day Fireworks".  Sam’s dad was skeptical about this. He asked me twice if it is legal to do so in Shanghai. We tried to assure him that it is ok to lit the sky. When taking photo with the fireworks, they were nervous holding the packs in their hands. Sam asked "Safe or not?". Can’t blame him.. it is a natural Singaporean’s survivor instinct.
 

At the end of the night, we all had such a good time! Sam’s daddy was panting cos’ he was the one lighting up most of the fireworks. Like little boys, they lighted the fuse and ran off like chickens. There was an accident though, one of the fireworks flew horizontally at Claudia – who was standing 50m away. The bout of light hit her legs but she suffered nothing but a bad shock. For safety reasons, Lusia and Claudia went 100m back, seeking shelter behind a tree.  Despite this near-miss, Sam and his dad were great sport and they completed all the fireworks.
 
It was a good meet-up…a little too short for me. Back in secondary school days, Sam and I would have never imagine that one day his dad and I would be lighting up fireworks in Shanghai. Funny how life turned out the way it is.
 
p/s (Oh yes, congrats to Gareth. I heard from Sam that you have lost 5kg! Guess Sam’s secret to slimming worked for you.)
 

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Grey’s 100th Day Baby Shower

December 3, 2006 Leave a comment

It is certainly a strange tradition – having a baby shower on the 100th day (Funny though, I always thought that “49th day” or “100th day” is more of a symbolic day for the deceased back in Singapore. Sorry for being blunt here.)
I was there with 30 of their family members…me feeling a little bit out of place.. Echo did tried hard to make me “feels at home”.. she made me their “official event photographer”.
It has been ages since I had my own family gathering. I guess we never have one big gathering since the passing of my grandmother. While taking photo of Echo’s granny with her baby, I felt a pause of sadness inside my heart – yet i feel so happy for them. Afterall, it has been my wish to share my marital bliss with my granny. If she is still alive today, I am sure she will be happy to see me marry and have kids. Same here, it is also my wish to see my own son marry and seeing my grandchildren grow up.
Not a very greedy wish i hope. Enjoy the pixs.

 

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Tracy’s Travel Log

November 19, 2006 Leave a comment

 
"Francis is negotiating for his guns, of cos not him, but Echo his wife, mother of his son, his PA, negotiator, even road navigator and sometimes driver too… haha how lucky is this chap. But without him, most of these excitements wouldnt have happened too. Anyway, we did purchase the guns after one hour of negotiation, even the traffic police couldnt wait to write a surmon on his car which was parked along the pavement."
 
Tracy’s Shanghai Travel Log – Click here to read more

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Threesome in Hong Kong

November 15, 2006 Leave a comment

 
It is surely tough being a lonely married man, working in Shanghai. For more than once, I am often being "doubt" about my singlehood. Of course, I can’t believe too myself. Haaa.. I will take that as a compliment – nice man like me can’t be left alone, hor?
 
Lately, 2 of my colleagues (let’s call them Beanie & Rudie) have been poking fun at me. It all started with an innocent "apple". It is hard to describe about the "apple". Oh dear, I afraid I am opening a can of worms… My wife, dun worry, it is just an apple. A fruit and nothing else.
 
I was on a call with Rudie (my super AE) just now and she overheard me talking to a mystery female voice on my handphone. Oh dear, another juicy spinoff back in office – "Joe is seeing someone in HK!!!". Man… I must really do something to both of them soon.
 
I love scandal…it puts you in the center of attraction. It propels your popularity. It is free advertising. It is branding.
 
Yes.. two is a company. Three is an orgy. (Too bad, I am not joining them over the weekend).
 
 

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Home Trip (28th Sept – 9th Oct)

October 14, 2006 1 Comment

 
There is only one home in my mind – not one that is made of bricks and cement. My home lies in the presence of my friends and my loved ones. Home can be anywhere, be it in Shanghai or Singapore. Nothing matters more than spending good seconds with those I share my life with. As long as I am in the company of my loved ones, I am home.
 

I made a surprise trip back home 2 weeks back. I spent 10 good days in Singapore – knocking doors in the early hours to surprise my loved one (my wife, my mum and my friends at Caffeine). Despite being away for just 5 short months, I couldn’t help but notice these changes:
 
1) Taxi meter starts at $2.50 now + $2 peak-hour charge!
2) My Eunos Estate has been repainted in orange! (Ugly shit!)
3) There is a strange looking tunnel where the old National Library sat.
4) New extended underground shopping at Cityhall!
5) New cafe outside Caffeine – Black Canyon (Nice food, I had my last meal there!)
6) NTUC Golf-Course is open at ECP (who cares!)
7) Singapore Discovery Center is open! (free tickets from Hovman!)
8) New National Museum is open!
9) New Kallang PIE flyover is open!
10) New shops at Eunos & Tampines MRT!
11) In-Box5 at Funan is closed!
12) New wake-boarding + 360 Cafe at East Coast Lagoon!
13) Vivocity opens!
14) The new Ikea at Tampines – still building
15) Yixi and Meijie are getting thinner. (Are you 2 fasting this month?)
16) Yifu and Ivy’s tummy are getting bigger. (One is pregnant, the other started jogging with Yixi)
17) Duuk got a new house at AMK. Juli got a new tattoo.
18) Jimmy, Richard, Francis and Gareth got new cars. (What happen to COE?)
19) Hovman is MBA now! Francis Goh is getting married!
20) Joanne, Lusia and my wife looking more radiant now.
21) Kalinda and Tracy got more curves ~ Sexy! (Just stay clear of Guofeng ok? I never say Mingliang…)
22) I came home with a new promoted title: GAD! (Sadly, it also means "Go And Die")
23) Elkan can sing and he can dance… but still wearing pampers! (Dear, try to toilet train him)
24) The bloody haze is back! (Trust me, country mates – China has cleaner air now!)
 

It was a very packed but fruitful trip. There were quarrel, fights, hugs, tears and lots of kissing and singing. You can’t imagine what I have done in those 10 days but I must say, it was such a fulfilling home trip…I couldn’t ask for more. (See Pix: The pictures say it all!)
 

Unlike my last departure in May, there is no dramatic goodbyes and teary hugs at the airport. In fact this time, I walked through the departure gate alone. It is not that I am unpopular or being plain heartless (stopping my friends from sending me off), it is just that I have a group of friends who are just too good to set my tears off. Yes, I am becoming a softie – even saying bye to a 2-year old boy can be so difficult and painful.
 

Gladly, this time round – there is no Elkan, no Felicia and no friends. Just a lone ranger, taking bold steps and left Singapore (for Shanghai and Hong Kong). No broken hearts, no regrets. I cherished every second spent back home. Every day is a memory.
 

Yes my wife, i remember Elkan’s farewell words to me "Daddi, Wo Ai Ni". (Just dun confuse him with Chinese-English-Singlish conversation).
 
See you guys here with me this Christmas.
 
p/s (Thanks Meijie, Joanne and Tracy – you guys tahan lots of my cranky moments.)

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The Arrival of Grey!

August 22, 2006 Leave a comment

This is exactly what you get when you put a very dark chinese and a very fair chinese together. In fact, I like this name…a neutral element in itself.. A good neighbour of light and colours. But certainly a bad neighbour of principles and certainties. Perhaps, there are many who love to live in a grey area.
I was in Grey’s area today. Standing above him.. seeing the joys of black and white. Grey is certainly a special hybrid of 2 different cultures and nationalities. He is a Chinese no doubt…but certainly a complicated one. Right now, I shall call him a Singapore-Born-in-China-Chinese.
Like his father, I have been counting down to this date of arrival. In fact, I was more impatient than his parents. I have been calling almost every day…looking forward to see Grey. Coincidently, there are 9 birthdays this month (Meijie, Duuk, Kendrick, Kalinda, Linda, Felicia’s Mum, my sister and my niece) and Grey picked the same day as my sister.
Of course, Grey is more than than just a philosophy of colour. If you look at his initial, he comes right after E and F.
Oh yes, Grey has a chinese name – no no no… it is not anything like “Hui Chen” (dust). His parents decided to call him “Jia Chen“. Grey Xie Jia Chen.

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Meijie Celebrates 31st!

August 17, 2006 Leave a comment

Reported by Felicia: (in her words) / Replied by Joe (in orange)
 
1) Last nite quite fun… Ming Liang shared with us his shitting experience at the checkup clinic!
Joe: Why, he got his a**hole blocked?
 
2) Mr Sam on his big savings here and there like he may be away from 14 Oct to 28 Oct. So that saves him 2 wedding ang baos
Joe: Sam, you can hide at my house in Shanghai. Just nice.. Echo’s baby shower is around that time.
 
3) Our Mr Hock surely not catching up with us! Tot All these while I already moved to Shanghai with Joe!
Joe: Hock is still LOST?
 
4) Then we have surprise guest MC who happened to be going home and bump into us and forced to join us for dinner and pay for his share!
Joe: No lah…MC must have heard about the free dinner and dropped by. Where got so coincident one?
 
5) Poor Kali was quiet most of the time.. coz she was squash between Mingliang and Hock….
Joe: I think there is a typo here.. It should be “Kalinda squash Mingliang and Hock with her assets!”
 
6) We have “very very sleepy and tired Xiaowei” who still somehow 1 leg win 3 legs!
Joe: Dun play mahjong with Nun Bay.
 
7) Oh I missed out Jimmy… Er… he changed another Honda Accord (Black)
Joe: Yah…so Jimmy got his new wife liao.. that is fast.
 
8) Last but not least, Birthday boy was very chatty, liked the gifts!

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Visitors of my Blog

July 18, 2006 2 Comments

I start to believe my blog has more than 1 loyal reader – other than "Tee KoPeh" Sam.. Afterall, you can’t blame for this late faith cos’ Sam is the only one putting constructive comments on my blog. Though many can debate about the substance of his comments, Sam posted the most numbers of comments. (Followed by Tracy, Bobo and Joanne. – You see, these ladies aren’t any loyal readers – They are under my "Compulsory Reading Programme" – cos’ I will give them "Weekly Blog Comprehension Test")
 
Yesterday, I was chatting with Meijie over the phone..  I am so surprised to hear how updated he was… Unlike Sam, he was a quiet subscriber…who sneaked in silently and left silently. (Anyway, that is how quiet Meijie is…even at Hotel 25, he came, he slept and he left.) Man, I start to see how compatible Kalinda and Meijie are – they are really slient lovers!
 
Last week, Juliana left me a heart-warming note on my MSN…asking how am I doing in Shanghai. She read about my "low moody" thread and sent me her wishes. Though it was a short exchange of words.. it feels good to have someone watching over you. I was very touched by her sincerity. (Ouch! Joe, that’s mushy!).. Anyway, she just celebrated her 28th birthday last night – I can’t wait to demostrate my singing talent too – sang her a birthday song over the phone! (See photos )
 
At 930pm just now, Gareth called. Strange, I thought…cos’ I no longer order "XXX Pizza" from him anymore. Ever since he moved house and achieved his 1st "X" (I mean his Baby X lah), we hardly gather anymore. Still, he is a good old brother to the clan and a very caring one too. (Selectively to Kalinda and me only, I guess). Yah…Gareth is a little bit biased..but what to do. He like big body parts…so me and Kal kinda qualify.
 
Back to his call – Gareth just wanted to say hi and spoke the most heart-melting words – "We miss you leh". I nearly flipped off my chair! I asked him "what’s up, man?"… He answered "I just read your blog and feel like calling you lor".. Funny, I didn’t post up any XXX call girls in my blog…Anyway, I just gained another loyal reader now.
 
THE ARRIVAL OF FRIENDS (See, they are in the "Future" now!)
These 2 weeks, I have friends coming in from Singapore…and dropping by to visit me. I just met Charlie for lunch last Sat and Scott just stayed over my house last night! Tomorrow I will be meeting Desmond and Yogi. It is so great to have friends coming in and out.. makes me feel so at home.. (with all the 8days, Straits Times, etc they brought with them..haaahaaa)
 
Scott just left my house 1 hour ago.. (See photos ) Felt rather bad that I didn’t have enough time with him (as I have been really busy over the past few days). Scott was here for a business trip and he personally extended 1-2 days just to meet up with me. The time we spent together was really short (just over 2 dinners) but we did have a good heart-to-heart chat.
 
Before he took off just now, he actually gave me a lot of encouragement, asking me to stay on and keep my chin up. Felt kinda sad when we bid farewell, cos’ he is also another brotherly figure.
 
Okay..let’s not get too mushy…. Anyway… I am looking forward to meet Desmond + Yogi tomorrow..( Cos my PSP Game is with them now..) Opps.. sorry..er.. I mean I miss their presence too…
 

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