As I am sitting here in my 15th floor room, I can hear the Indian Ocean roaring loudly even with the windows closed. The winds are blowing strongly as I can see the trees are moving violently. The waves are big I guess due to high tide but unlike, Gurney Drive in Penang, there's no high wall or fence dividing the ocean and the roads, looks like the water is moving nearer and nearer in.
I am thinking of the big "T"... and I am on 15th floor, many times higher than many many coconut trees though... Wow, the water is already touching the border between it and the roads....amazing...
As I lean against the window, I can feel the window shaking with every roar of the wind and waves out there...I still wanna go visit UNESCO World Heritage sites later today leh....*gulp* Is this normal during Colombo rainy days?
I wonder if I'll ever go to sleep now...
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Ceylon ~Part 1: An eye opener
I have ventured into another territory unknown to me. My very first time to Sri Lanka. It took 3h and 25min to reach Colombo direct from Singapore, project after project I am working on. I was looking forward to step onto a land new to me but at the same time dread the workload. Life is fair after all, you get this, you sacrifice that.
But not to think so much on the work part, Sri Lanka is really a very nice place. Its airport is more modern than Penang's. May is the Buddha Celebration month, remember, we celebrate Wesak Day in Malaysia too but it's just that here it's a big-scale nationwide celebration as there are 70% Buddhist observers in this country. Special ornaments are being hung everywhere and at the airport too.
But not to think so much on the work part, Sri Lanka is really a very nice place. Its airport is more modern than Penang's. May is the Buddha Celebration month, remember, we celebrate Wesak Day in Malaysia too but it's just that here it's a big-scale nationwide celebration as there are 70% Buddhist observers in this country. Special ornaments are being hung everywhere and at the airport too.
The airport is not what I've initially expected. It's really neat, better than India's.
Special colourful ornaments like this are being hung everywhere in the town and in the office too
I am staying at Hilton Colombo. The view outside the big window is magnificent!!! It's overlooking the Indian Ocean, wow!!
Hilton Colombo on the left
It's cloudy and rainy days in Sri Lanka but the big waves from the Indian Ocean look great!
Views around the hotel...
Big koi pond as I look down from my 15th floor's window
What a lovely sight - A pair of white and black swans swimming around in the koi pond
Sri Lanka is also well-known for its variety of spices. This decoration of garlics, cinnamon sticks and dried chillis are taken from the hotel restaurant
My first lunch at the hotel. Chicken Briyani, yummy but still can't beat the best mutton briyani I had on the way to Taj Mahal in India ;P
Sri Lankan port seen from the hotel
Colombo City - looks very advanced isn't it?
We were at the office of Sri Lankan's second largest telco operator, Mobitel from my 2nd day onwards and here's my first try at the local food, bought from the nearby canteen. A "chap fan" made of fried sliced carrots, fried cabbage and a piece of small chicken (hidden by the rice already), the papadum wrapped in a separate newspaper with 2 dried chilli padis... It tastes just like normal food, not bad :P
My first local lunch - Sri Lankan chap fan at 75LKR or RM2.77
Around the streets in Colombo, taken on the way to work...
Typical scene on the busy street in Colombo
Petrol station is very small here
3-wheelers are aplenty here, just like those in India and Thailand
Wesak Day ornaments in front of a house
Booths manned by soldiers with big guns are very common sight at almost every 100m
Tomorrow I shall be fulfilling 4/100th of my dreams of going to another 2 more sites listed in Unesco World Heritage list, Cave Temple in Dambulla and Rock Fortress in Sirigiya, situated about 150KM from Colombo. Hope it'll be a safe trip for me. I'll post more photos in my part 2. Stay tuned!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Another pre-sleep post
I am working to the max!!! >12 hours almost every day for the past 2 weeks. With unhealthy outside food, mountain-high of workload keep coming in, never-ending, I've just finished some work but still more to go tomorrow...must life be this tough? I've just told my colleague that I am cursed to suffer tough work, it's been true till today.
As I am working, I've been seeing the news on the China earthquake. It's terrible - just too many people suffer for something that's not their fault. After all it's a natural disaster... people are born to suffer anyway. A little bit of negative thinking but that's why we must treasure life as it's so fragile.
I am tired and sleepy now but I can't sleep....dead... my brain is still running... I don't know how to switch it off.
I am going back to KL tomorrow evening, will try to get some rest of the weekend before another extreme-working week begins...sigh or high-five?
As I am working, I've been seeing the news on the China earthquake. It's terrible - just too many people suffer for something that's not their fault. After all it's a natural disaster... people are born to suffer anyway. A little bit of negative thinking but that's why we must treasure life as it's so fragile.
I am tired and sleepy now but I can't sleep....dead... my brain is still running... I don't know how to switch it off.
I am going back to KL tomorrow evening, will try to get some rest of the weekend before another extreme-working week begins...sigh or high-five?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Life is so fragile
I just want to post a few words before I go to sleep or rather if I can sleep - before another day begins with work, loads of never-ending, always-rushing work.
So many things are happening in the world today, especially of late, cyclone, earthquake, terrorist attacks, food price increase, petrol price increase, what's next? Life is truly getting harder.
Who/what do you need to rely on to get through this life? What do you get in the end? Life is truly a stage of play, God watches. People fight hard and later, they leave this world. What's the meaning then? I do not have the answer but what I can do is just to remind myself all the time especially when I am drowning and burying myself in this corporate rat race world, work extremely hard, suffer to the fullest so that you can provide basic necessity for yourself and family, laugh a little, enjoy a little, give back to the society a little or as much as you can, help if you can, be around for your friends and family and be happy. Life is just too fragile to worry or think too much about the things that "may" happen (anyway). I hope I can sleep and enjoy my sleep. Goodnite.
So many things are happening in the world today, especially of late, cyclone, earthquake, terrorist attacks, food price increase, petrol price increase, what's next? Life is truly getting harder.
Who/what do you need to rely on to get through this life? What do you get in the end? Life is truly a stage of play, God watches. People fight hard and later, they leave this world. What's the meaning then? I do not have the answer but what I can do is just to remind myself all the time especially when I am drowning and burying myself in this corporate rat race world, work extremely hard, suffer to the fullest so that you can provide basic necessity for yourself and family, laugh a little, enjoy a little, give back to the society a little or as much as you can, help if you can, be around for your friends and family and be happy. Life is just too fragile to worry or think too much about the things that "may" happen (anyway). I hope I can sleep and enjoy my sleep. Goodnite.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Back to Singapore!
I am back again to Singapore for another stressful project. After that I may have to continue another project at Sri Lanka, and back to Singapore again to finish the remains. I still have an existing project from my last trip on-going...3 projects in one month. This is what you call real life!
Anyway, positive thinkinggggg please...!!! *switch*
This time I am staying at Goodwood Park Hotel. The hotel is nice, room is big and ambience and decoration is quite stylish. Everything's in beige, reminds me of the colour back in Cyberjaya office. The swimming pool is big too...IF I have the time, I'd buy new swimming costume out there and jump into it... IF I have the time. I foresee it'll be 16 hours of work everyday for the next 2 weeks, including Saturday and Sunday!
To share with you all, there are good rumours from reliable source that the world economy is heading for its worse. Ringgit will drop until "mak bapak pun tak kenal nanti".. so if you have the chance and can afford it, convert your Ringgit to gold! Keep at least 50% valuable non-cash properties, like real-estate, gold, what else huh..? (if you have any idea on what else to invest in other than savings, trust funds, etc let me know) Foreign currencies also may spell some uncertainties.. don't think that you'll be safe if you keep Sterling Pounds or Aussie Dollar or Sing Dollars..but of course these currencies will be anyway better than Ringgit.
Another thing is that petrol prices will rise. I've heard about RM3+. This is no joke. It's possible. So guys, start saving for the rainy days now. In fact you've should started saving way back then. Spend smartly... doomsday is near. Although positive thinking again, this spells good for those who have the extra cash... you can buy shares when they are at their lowest, price of properties may rise as cost of materials rise...the next economy downturn is going to begin.. THINK and TAKE ACTION. Don't wait till it's too late.
In the meantime, these possibilities are going to drive me to concentrate on my work no matter how hard it'll be, I just have to work, work, work in order to survive!!!
Anyway, positive thinkinggggg please...!!! *switch*
This time I am staying at Goodwood Park Hotel. The hotel is nice, room is big and ambience and decoration is quite stylish. Everything's in beige, reminds me of the colour back in Cyberjaya office. The swimming pool is big too...IF I have the time, I'd buy new swimming costume out there and jump into it... IF I have the time. I foresee it'll be 16 hours of work everyday for the next 2 weeks, including Saturday and Sunday!
To share with you all, there are good rumours from reliable source that the world economy is heading for its worse. Ringgit will drop until "mak bapak pun tak kenal nanti".. so if you have the chance and can afford it, convert your Ringgit to gold! Keep at least 50% valuable non-cash properties, like real-estate, gold, what else huh..? (if you have any idea on what else to invest in other than savings, trust funds, etc let me know) Foreign currencies also may spell some uncertainties.. don't think that you'll be safe if you keep Sterling Pounds or Aussie Dollar or Sing Dollars..but of course these currencies will be anyway better than Ringgit.
Another thing is that petrol prices will rise. I've heard about RM3+. This is no joke. It's possible. So guys, start saving for the rainy days now. In fact you've should started saving way back then. Spend smartly... doomsday is near. Although positive thinking again, this spells good for those who have the extra cash... you can buy shares when they are at their lowest, price of properties may rise as cost of materials rise...the next economy downturn is going to begin.. THINK and TAKE ACTION. Don't wait till it's too late.
In the meantime, these possibilities are going to drive me to concentrate on my work no matter how hard it'll be, I just have to work, work, work in order to survive!!!
At least I get to stay in a nice hotel and work huh? Again, positive thinking helps!
Nice pool view, makes me feel like jumping in..hope I can do that after work!
So if you see my next post after this, at least I've survived...
Great Dim Sum at Tai Thong!
It's been some time since I last posted anything. Taking this opportunity to post a short one before my stressful life begins. For the entire of May till mid of June, I'll be busy on projects, projects, projects!!! Only God can help me go through these difficult times.
I managed to indulge myself in simple but delicious food before I come here to Singapore. Actually I always eat Dim Sum at Tai Thong SS2 every weekend. They have promotion RM2.98+ for every dim sum served and this is only available on Saturday. Go try the pork+century egg porridge!!! The texture is so smooth and the taste is soooo yummmmyyyy!!! Other nice dim sum are the "kee chee" herbal siu mai, yummmyyy.. in fact everything is yummy. I always go for the prawn and fish-based dim sum, less on pork.
The service is excellent, environment is nice, food is delicious and affordable...where else to head to on Saturday morning for breakfast?? They are only open from 11:30am onwards though. I am not sure if this promotion is applicable to other Tai Thong's branches but they should be, anyway, just need a phone call to check it out!
The egg-tart is simply marvellous! The pastry is a little crunchy and it just melts in your mouth.
A must try!
And I always like to add the steamed nuts into the porridge..extra yummy!!!
I have to keep reminding myself if I slack, only by working like this I can continue to enjoy food like this!!! Call it positive thinking! :P Happy working everyone.
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