back at last

hello planet earth, i am back at last...

i have nothing on my mind today... so, jenoh aka pancit, actually i prefer pak pancit, is coming back soon, or is he back already? when are we going to have a coffee cum catching up session? do we want to wait for pak pancit or what? well, people, please arrange something, i have been dying to speak BM and also dying for some local food!!! even if you plan something at the mamak, i'll be there..

the bao's park

i am not going to try to use words to describe, see for yourself...

qinfeng pagoda

ok, this is the qinfeng pagoda i was saying...

my 1st outing

hello there people... today i went out on my own for a sight seeing trip...

i only have one word in my mind as i walked around the park... wow... i am falling in love with this place... but it was raining... ok, let's start from the beginning...

i woke up, surfed the nest for awhile then, went to breakfast... afterthat i took my winter jacket and left th hotel... and yes, it's raining... no, not those rain you find in KL, it's soft and soothing, not to mention cooling too... well, initially i thought i want to walk to the Bao's Tomb, not too far from the hotel, but since it's raining, and you know how good my sense of direction is, so i decide to take the taxi... nice lady driver... paid rmb 6, pretty cheap huh? so she dropped me of at the entrance of the tomb... i walked in the place, and bought a ticket for rmb 50, also very cheap... the 50 is for entrance to 4 place... the tomb, the pagoda, the memorial temple and floating city... the lady told me that if i buy a all park (sounds like Genting ler?) ticket you save about rmb 25, so i said ok, i'd buy the all parks ticket...

1st stop, the lord bao's tomb... you know, it is amazing, he is such a great person/judge, that everyone loved him... i think after all that he has done for the people, he deserved to be honoured that way... in this tomb, there was his grave, and also the grave of his wife and children and grandson... and there were also a coffin chamber... the chamber, they don't let us take photos... when i get back, be sure to catch me to see more pictures...

and after that the tomb, i went to the pagoda, qinfeng is it's name... well, the pagoda has a few stories, 2 under and 6 above... the underground has lots of patung of none other that the justice, and the patungs shows events that has happened before... there were some dialogues as well, but as if i can understand.... and the above ground, nothing much, except so paintings on the wall, etc... there was a giant lord bao patung also... near the main entrance... aiyo, dunno what is wrong the pagoda photo won't load...

after the pagoda, i went to the floating garden, or floating city, i also cannot remember la, but the view, wow!!! beautiful... i won't be typing so much on this garden, i'll let you see for yourself... but i'll try to upload later... i've been trying for over an hour... getting tired already...

the rest of the day, i'll save it for later... ok, see you, i'll try again later, and see if i can share some photos with you...

friday

ok, i have nothing better to do... so i typed this as well...

Date: 17-Nov-2006

Ok, today I have to change room because I wanted to extend my stay and they told me that all rooms are taken… so I woke up early and pack, went for breakfast and then came back to shift my stuff…

Today, very good, go to office no see accident…

Went to the office like usual, and then go to meeting again… well, what to do? RC is around… I have discussions as usual with that poor guy… he seemed so stressed out… well, guess what? I am also stressed out la…

Nothing special happened today… it’s getting colder by the day… but I am still enjoying it… lunch at the nice HCRDI café again… and we have multitudes of food… the thing is it is such a waste, I mean, China, still have very high poverty, but the way we waste food everyday is really bad… but these people just ordered like 10 different dishes, and then, never finish… haha, don’t harap I want to help them finish, I am still watching my weight ler…

Just now I go downstairs to try to book the 1-day tour… too expensive… well, they are going to assign me 1 tour guide and they will charge me RMB 400 that is about (RM 200) for a one-day trip, and only to 4 places… no transport, I have to walk, and I have to pay my own entrance fees… aiyo, I may look like a tourist, but I no ah lian la… anyway, I bought an English map for RMB 20 (wonder is it’s claimable, hehe, nevermind, I never ask for receipt also) and tomorrow, I’ll try to ask around to see if I can go to the Justice Pao’s grave and some of the nice parks…

Today, I had a quite cheap dinner ler, RMB 21 only… has a big bowl of noodles with minced meat and mushroom, and I also ordered some kuih, and then the noodles so much cannot habis, kuih also got 2 more pieces… later supper la… hey, but this is Chinese food arr… tastes really good la… I think I will go again, tomorrow evening maybe… try the spare ribs noodles pulak…

Now, as I am listening to the Hillsongs, I am typing this, probably I’ll go to sleep after this… and if I am successful with my own walkabouts, you’ll be able to see some pictures…

updates from China again...

well, i was caught in the meeting for 2 days, so here's my update for the past 2 days...

Date: 16-Nov-2006

Woke up at 6:30, gosh what is wrong with me? Get to wake up late, then I wake up early, when I need to wake up early, I can’t get up… something wrong somewhere… wonder where? Anyway, after I woke up, I iron my shirt, and my pants, ha, yes, I have to iron my own clothes… um… what a pity, I am not under the wings of my mommy anymore, therefore, have to take care of myself… sob… sigh…

This morning, sure enough, as I was expecting it, I saw another accident… the poor girl was crying and luckily this time there was a Mr. Policeman around… but I really don’t know what and how it happened…

During lunch, they gave us KFC, yeap, you heard (or was it read) right, I had a burger, I think it’s Zinger, and some french fries, and also had a corn… well, I think the corn we have back home is very much sweeter… yes, I am complaining, I miss home… I miss hubby, I miss mom, I miss Coffee, and I bet all of them missed me too… I missed all the lunch time with Kevin and HL too… hehe, all the time eating and complaining about none other that his majesty (guru besar, HM)…

Now, I am sitting in the meeting room, and they are having a discussion but I have nothing to do with it… you know what just happened? I have to teach their guy how to operate MS Project… pengsan, I tell you, he is suppose to be controlling this project and I have to coach him on the software… not that I am complaining, I pitied that poor guy ler… he so kesian, he is supposed to be a director of something, but then, he is stuck with this scheduling work… it is kinda sad though… he seemed so knowledgeable, and yet, stuck, I bet it’s because they couldn’t find another ah beng to do the job, so this poor guy have to do this job…

Just now RC and me were discussing when I will be able to go back home, and we calculated that I will only be back there by the end of next week…

I still don’t know what I am doing in this meeting room, there is nothing concerning me anymore, I only wish that I can be back there to check my e-mail and at msn with HL… this room is quite stuffy, you know I tak boleh tahan stuffiness la… I think I’ll pengsan soon… better go walk outside and catch some cold air… ok… the good news is that this meeting room is on the 3rd floor, and in this floor the toilet’s door is full height, haha, but, the left a small opening between the floor and the bottom of the door… and when we are squatting, I keep having this funny feeling that the person outside may just peek and see… haha, I guess it is just me…
I hope this meeting will finish soon and I’ll be able to go home soon… or at least get to check my e-mail or something… ok, just got a sms from HL, and ok, I’ll repent… aiyo… mati lor…

Date: 15-Nov-2006

Went to bed about 10 plus last night and don’t know why at 3 plus I woke up… so I tossed and turned, and then fell asleep again… woke up at 6:20 and got ready to go to work…
Breakfast at the usual place, and after breakfast I went downstairs to wait for the driver… the driver is a nice uncle… he was there waiting already, and since we were waiting for Alfred, the Lafarge guy from Canada, I had a chat with the driver… and I asked him about the lake I saw… and it turns out that is not a lake, it is actually a very long river, surrounding the city, to prevent intruders. Remember, I said Hefei was a part of the 3 country war, and one of the popular general, Chao Chow, used to train near this river…

And the uncle was very sweet, he used a different route to take us to the office, and along the way he also explained some of the landmarks in Hefei, like the grave of the great Justice Pao… and near the grave, there is also a temple, I think it was built to honor the judge… well, although I don’t agree much with the temple thingy, I do agree that the Judge is a very honorable person… for all the justice that he upheld…

And I witness another accident today, between a car and a van… when we drove pass, there were hardly any damage on either vehicle, but the drivers were fighting… and I meant physical fights… I hope I won’t see another accident tomorrow…

Lunch was the same again, lots of food, and I ate till I am overloaded… then after that I was waiting anxiously for RC to come… and after he came, we had a meeting and then dinner… at dinner, we talked and laughed, and ate lots of food again, and this time, there was lots of meat and I really have a hard time to swallow… well, for a start, the forced me gobble down a “fei chu yoke” eeew… at home, I don’t touch this stuff, and then there was mutton, the smell on this mutton is too strong for me, so I had a piece and then stopped… oh yes, and the made me drink corn juice… yes, corn juice, I mean, I eat corn alright and I like them, but corn juice? Eeew…
RC also told me that I may not be able to go back this weekend, I will have to make sure that the schedule they are preparing is realistic, workable and achievable… well, looking at the progress of HCRDI, I think I will not be able to complete my task before Friday…

I came back to the hotel and I am quite tired as of now… and I have already send my pass 3 days’ dirty laundry for cleaning… I think I’ll stop now and get to sleep… ha, tomorrow no need to wake up so early, RC said to leave the hotel at 8:30, which means I get to wake up at 7, yeay…

diary in china

hello there,

this is my records of events for yesterday...

Date: 14-Nov-2006

After falling asleep real early last night, I woke up quite early… actually I left the TV on last night, so I was like half asleep and half awake… but I rested alright… work up at 6:30, got ready went for breakfast at 7:00 a.m., and at 7:30 went to the office… breakfast was buffet, and I had a heavy one, bread and ham and the list goes on…

on the way to the office, I witness an accident, the poor lady was on a bicycle and was knocked down by a motorcycle, and it happened in the middle of the intersection, and no one stop to help, except for an uncle carrying a flag, i think he must be the traffic controller or something... i finally understand why our government has laws to protect the pedestrian, motorcyclist and cyclist, if not, no one will stop for them, and they could be at a very high risk...

In the office, nothing much happened, I had a short discussion with that scheduler, actually he is not a scheduler, he is some don’t know what director… after that discussion, I had nothing to do so I surfed the internet… then came lunch, we had lunch at the HCRDI’s canteen, it’s more like a restaurant… Actually the whole HCRDI is like a small town in itself, there are accommodation, etc… it is a nice place… back in Malaysia, when we eat Chinese food, we eat the rice concurrently with the dishes… but over here, they serve all the dishes, then we ate almost all the dish, then they serve rice, along with some long beans… and then they just eat the rice with the long beans… I think the long beans must be their signature dish, when I was in Beijing, I had those long beans too, only difference is that the long beans in Beijing are fried with pickled radish, but the long beans in Hefei is only long beans…

After lunch I managed to get that scheduler guy to come for another discussion, and told him again what to do… tomorrow morning have to check his progress, otherwise mati, PM coming in the afternoon, and if work is not done, how to answer?

In Hefei, people get two hours lunch, if only we get that in Malaysia… that’ll be sweet…

In the evening came back to the hotel at about 6, then went to hunt for food, I actually went out of the hotel and took a walk, it was cold out there, but it’s nice… and then don’t know what to eat, I went to the same place I had breakfast and have buffet dinner… the food is not exactly nice, but was ok…

That’s all for today, more tomorrow…

from china with luv...

so here i am in china, hefei to be exact... well, where do i begin? do i enjoy myself this far? i guess the answer is yes, but i have not been walking around much, just the airport, hotel and of course the office... other than that, um, no where else... i liked the weather, i am not sweating here... and the hotel i am staying in, it's good too, i have taken a few pictures, but i'll only post it on if i have a quick connection, for now, no... later maybe...

ok, i've type something in my hotel room last night, i'll paste it here, in case you are interested in what i've been through... later, when i have more, i'll post it here too...

Date: 13-Nov-2006

Boarded the flight and started eating non-stop… after breakfast or was it supper, fell a sleep with big boss sitting behind me… felt kinda awkward, doesn’t matter… I didn’t sleep well, but I did doze off for a while… at 6 a.m. they switched on all the lights and I woke up for good… then they served yogurt, yummy, I had blueberry yogurt…

Landed in Beijing at 6:40 a.m. right on schedule, long que at the customs, but it was ok… was freezing cold, but because of the crowd, I was sweating away… it’s 8°C outside… anyway, now it’s about 8:00 a.m. and I am sitting in this nice place called Viojou restaurant, had a nice breakfast, and very full and sleepy now… I have to wait until 9 to check in for my flight to Hefei, and once I reach Hefei, I will not have the luxury of sitting around… well, I will do some work for the project now, and after checking in, I will walk outside the airport, take some pictures and feel the coldness…

That’s all for now, will come back and type more nonsense…

It’s 7:15 p.m. now, but it felt like 10 p.m., anyway, after I checked in for my Hefei flight, I went and smell Beijing… it is cold out there… I didn’t go very far, I just walked around for a while… then, at about 9:40 a.m. I went to que for boarding… gosh, the crowd, I really tak boleh tahan la…

Boarded the Hefei flight, and doze off for awhile, then, after taking off, I woke up, they serve lunch… for such a short flight, I must say that they serve quite heavy meal, I had rice with some chicken and vegetables… comes with a bun, and then I had orange juice… 2 glasses… then, landed in Hefei…

Hefei isn’t really cold like I expected, I can still walk around with normal clothing… Beijing is colder… the guy they sent to pick me up, was a young guy and not to mention good looking too… he was nice, he asked me whether I want to go to the office 1st or hotel… so I said hotel, then office, then he asked whether I want to makan or not, I said not because I was still full from the food on the plane… and then, he told me to rest, and he will pick me up again at 2:30. I mandi and explore the room, and watch some TV, and to my surprise, Hefei is the hometown of the famous Justice Pao… and also the central of the 3 country war…

Ok, I will not talk about work here, it’s too depressing, and since this after office hours, I will leave work as it is, and concentrate more on this place that I am in…

Generally I liked this country except 3 things… people spit like nobody’s business, eeew… and the public toilets, don’t they flush? And in the HCRDI’s office, the toilet is like, half height, the door, meaning, people can see you when they stand outside the toilet, eeew… double eeew… and the final thing is, the traffic, actually the way they drive is more accurate… aiyo, the squeeze and squeeze as if they are so flexible and no one give way to anyone… hmmm… freaks me out…
Right now, James Bond is on TV, starworld, the 1st ever James Bond apparently, but my eyes closing, and mouth opening wider and wider, I think it’s time for me to shutdown and hibernate… tomorrow is another day…

china it is...

so after a few weeks of where to go, my boss has finally put his foot down and said china... this sunday evening, i'll be off to china, hefei to be exact... but the only problem is, i don't know when i am coming back... boss said must, must finish the work there before coming back, if the task takes 10 years, then i have to be there for 10 years...

i hope i enjoy my trip, but gosh, i am nervous, very nervous for that matter... this is my first time in china, and i'll be there alone... thinking of it alone is making me nervous...

while i'm there, i'll try, to update this blog and at least inform you guys that i am still alive and well... now, me going home, tomorrow going to pee dee for family day, and then sunday evening, i'll be off to beijing 1st, then hefei... i'll only be in beijing for 4 hours... then i'll take another connecting flight to hefei... haha, i'll be staying in holiday inn, sounds good, but don't know, i don't have time to look it up...

did i celebrate raya or what?!?

hi people, i am back... did i celebrate raya or what? answer is, no... but i was a way for a while (from the office that is) and then, when i came back, i was too exhausted to update this blog...

i have a question for you: what will you do if someone you trust absolutely betrays you? i realise that someone i trust completely actually lied to me... shatters my heart, and tears can't stop... and then, there is a point when tears won't come anymore, i guess i am completely dissapointed, and my heart dies... sounds dramatic isn't it? well, if you have experienced it, you know what i am talking about...