A Look Back in Time: Pre University School Days (Part 2)

Part 2: A Nation in Shock

Before we knew it we were in the month of May. We were supposed to have our first semester examinations later in the month. What? Just started lessons only and now talking about exams. Sure stressful. History lessons (who killed Napoleon? How was Rome born? Who founded Singapore? Iskandar or Raffles? Aiyoh!). Geography (Achi was our Geography teacher and in one lesson asked us to feel the map and one bright spark answered her that it was "very smooth"..."not funny" she retorted and he had to stand up on the chair!), Economics (supply and demand must meet to reach an equilibrium, aiyah very chim lah), English Literature (taught by Ms Sara a very pint sized Indian lady elegantly dressed in colourful sari and a bindi on her forehead, very pretty, but had a mousy voice, teaching Shakesphere's Macbeth...and we had to act the part to better remember..what?) and GP (teacher asked one of our classmates what did he see in the passage..Brilliant answer: "Words!" Well Achi didn't have any sense of humour we found out. He was made to stand on the chair. Achi's favourite punishment).
So the teachers worked hard to drum the lessons into our ears but thick ear wax bounced them out equally quick.
Some of our teachers had interesting personalities. We had two history teachers. Ms Ang taught us Asian History and she was a Speedy Gonzales. Spoke super fast and only a tape recorder was able to catch what she said.  On the other hand our European History teacher, Mrs Goh was a total opposite. She spoke just above a whisper (we thought she had a bad sore throat and we offered her Hacks) but no according to her it was her vocal cords. Aiyoh, must be very romantic when she spoke to her husband lah. Whisper, whisper saja. So everyone had to gather in front of her. Image 40 of us and of course the girls were right in front with lots of enthusiasm. So we guys as gentlemen slowly moved backwards and had a good time at the back of the class..ha! ha! she couldn't shout at us. Of course in our back of classroom discussions someone argued that Singapore was founded by a Singh!!! Not Raffles. That was a shocking news!
Then we had an Economics teacher who was very short (someone saw that she had to put thick books on her car's driving seat for elevation! Sheee! don't tell) and she needed an assistant to write her notes on the blackboard. As we had no experience writing on the blackboard, you can imaging the outcome. Can't read lah! Hoi!
So how to pass the coming examinations?
However, a national event saved us from the cruel mid year examinations.
We HEARD.
First from the radio and then saw it on television.
There were major racial riots in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia and spreading fast. Few days later we were all told to bring canned food and some clothing the next day to be kept in the classroom for emergency. The worry was that we may have to stay back in school. Wah, tension and kancheong man. Then due to the escalation of violence of riots in the streets, all the schools were suspended..Hurray! we were given holidays until further notice (to hear from the radio, what if got no radio?). During the school assembly the principal warned and emphasised to us that we had to stay in doors at home and not venture out in case we were caught in the racial riots that had spread around Singapore.
After several weeks the riots were put down and peace had returned
We had to cut short our mid term school vacation and return to school to catch up with the syllabi so that we will be able to sit for our year end examinations. (who wants the exams?)
When classes resumed one of the bright sparks suggested we conduct "Operation Open Canned Food"  and the party held in the classroom. Indeed what a party we had during recess as some brought extra food and bread to eat with the canned food. It was real bonding as well. Teachers were not invited.

A Look Back in Time: Pre-University School Days (Part 1)

Part 1: The beginning

I stepped into the class room with trepidation. It was my first day in a new school and to start a 2 year Pre-University course, with the hope of passing the Higher School Certificate well and be eligible for enrolment into the university. And hopefully a better life ahead, for me and for my parents.
A simple dream of a Kampong boy who was educated in a kampong primary and secondary school, now entering into a suburban secondary school for a pre-university education (different world! very self conscious lah of my kampong background).
The class was noisy. An air of festivity. There were a few groups. Some had joined the class in the beginning of the school year in January (their pre-lim results must be good lah). Others, like myself were joining only in March after our O level results. But they all seemed to know each others as they came from branded schools called brother and sister schools. No wonder they speak so eloquently..did I detect some slangs?
Where to sit? Sneaked into the back and ponked onto an empty chair. Very very self conscious as I was wearing my old school uniform that had seen better days and my almost worn out badminton masters shoes. Worst was I had the apek style haircut from the Chinese barber shop at the local village market just before school starts. ( Mother said it was for good luck?)  Malu lah.
Then this tall skinny Indian classmate from another group saw me and came over to introduce himself..very confident,..Hi I am Cobra. Alamak, ada gang ah? My secondary school was in a village that was infested with gangsters. And now here? in class?
Seeing my confused face he said his name was Subra but his friends call him "cobra". He was from the Base and so were 4 of our other classmates; another skinny guy who called himself "Guru", so holy (actually short for Gurucharanjit), a stylo milo girl call Brapa, another skinny Indian guy with struggling puberty moustache and beard said with his hand extended "Money". Ah? (funny names but later I know that it was Praba who was wearing boots!!! Wow! Got attitude and Mani short for Subramaniam). A cute Malay girl calling herself Zab (or was it Zap..be careful). All were from the Base and studied in the same secondary school as Cobra.
Oh hi! so all are from the same kamponghood..the Base.
Everyone was so warm and friendly introducing each other, no class divide, no attitude. Soon inhibition, trepidation. self conscious all left the class room. Joined in the festivity. It was a very noisy class. And it was not just a class but a MULTIRACIAL class! We had 6 Indians, 3 Malays, 3 Pujabis (Guru Singh, Jit Singh and Hairy Singh who did not wear a turban but had his hair cut (was it because of this that his father called him hairy? No. His name was Harry but pronounced as Har-ri and gosh he chewed betel nuts!! He taught some of us later the art of chewing betel nuts! Our teacher and principal would have gone bonkers if they had found out) and an Eurasian boy called Timmy. A melting pot of different cultures!
A tall slim well groomed elegantly dressed lady with a branded handbag walked in and went to the front..teacher's table. "Good morning, I am your form teacher Mrs A. Chi" ( Ah..Achi).
There were no lessons for the week so one of the  girls called Pris (thought I heard Priest) and another called (now I know) Praba decided that we shall all go up to the front one at a time to introduce ourselves. Alamark! How ah? Never been up front and talk. Tongue will get twisted and then tied up and face all red. Lucky I wasn't the first one and heng ah! after the first few it did not carried on as some girls could not take the too personal questions that were asked of course lah by the boys. Curious mah.
For example, one very brave boy called Lek (I think ex ACS) asked one of the girls who was introducing herself as to what colour of panties she preferred! My face was red man, for the girl but she was cool cat and gave all the expectant boys the answer without batting an eye. Wah, ada respect lah.
As we built our comradeship over the days I too was morphing to become a half city boy.
A few weeks later a group of class representatives was formed to meet the discipline master to seek permission for the boys to wear trousers instead of short pants which was the school's uniform except for senior prefects. Our school was an Integrated Secondary School which had both English classes and Malay classes from secondary one to pre-university two.
Of course the Discipline Master was not pleased to be confronted with such issue. However, the truth was that we were all approaching 18 years old and we have grown taller and also our limps were longer and hairier. As we have to buy the short pants which were pre-tailored and came in sizes of small, medium and large, the short pants were not fitting. For the tall guys the pants were too short and for the short guys it was like wearing bermudas. ( our shorter classmates literally bought white bermudas to wear!! Hee! Hee! Hee!) In the end we got the permission to wear tailored trousers to look decent! (so hairy legs were no longer exposed and our class girls got no more chances to pull the leg hairs as we ascended the stairs...gee!).
Our request to wear black leather shoes as part of the uniform was turned down as the Discipline Master felt that wearing leather shoes would erode the school's staircases! Gosh. where did she learnt that leather shoes can cause erosion to cement staircases? We all wonder as to her intelligence.
Then a bombshell landed.
We were told that some of us had to change class. From A to B and some from B to A because of the syllabus and time table for the subjects.
Of course this caused both confusion and many of us dislike the form teacher of B a Miss Teo.
After a week some of our classmates from A marched to the principal's office to complain (ada attitude dah).
We learnt democracy early and not be forced down by the tyranny of Miss Teo.
Hurray! we won and all of us were transferred back to A and it was mayhem.
This episode bonded us as one cohesive class (all for one and one for all?) and the days, weeks and months ahead became more eventful.

.

The Marriage - Episode 6

7 months had quickly gone by and it was 7 months ago that the bad news came. Ah Kung decided to take in a younger foreign man (Aiyah from same country mah). Well, I was talking about a prospective employer and since than it had been rejection after rejection for jobs looking for similar experience all because I have past the "sell by date" and the coming legislation to be effective in 2012 will not help at all especially for those already unemployed as ageism is very strongly practiced in the corporate world regardless of matching requirements. Foreign headhunting firms lament the lack of experienced candidates to fill in requisite positions. But is that the real scenario? Or an excuse to bring in foreigners who are unemployed in their home country? Fend for yourself is the motto, apparently

The Marriage - Episode 5

It is almost two weeks.





As the hours and then the days ebbed, hope wanes.





No news is good news?





Maybe it is destiny.





Or Astrological stars not in alignment?

The Marriage - Episode 4

The hours are ebbing away and still no news from Ah Kung. The chance of getting Ah Girl's hand is diminshing as each hours passes by and Ah Pek's hope is also beginning to fade.

The silence is deafening to Ah Pek. Will the light of triumph shines on Ah Pek and give him a second chance to set up a family? Or will ageism dominates?

The Marriage - Episode 3

It was an anxiety filled weekend for Ah Pek. Weighing heavily on his mind is the meeting with Ah Kung. Ah Pek went through in his mind the critical comments that Ah Kung had made and now these ring loud....something which was not immediately discernible then.

Underscoring all the comments is the issue of age.. a strong preference for youth. Ah Kung's hint was that a younger man has more vitality and drive and will be able to stay and be loyal to Ah Girl longer.


The suspense is causing Ah Pek to be very listless.

So when will Ah Pek be informed?

The Marriage - Episode 2

Now that Ah Kung had met with all the suitors for Ah Girl, he has called his family for a meeting to review, discuss and select the prospective son-in-law.



Ta Chay, Ta Ker, Ta Sao, Er Ker, Er Sao and Ah Ma will have to add their opinions after Ah Kung has described to them on the various prospects. Ah Kung's principal concern is the dowry amount that has to be given to the selected suitor. So far what Ah Kung has indicated seems to be acceptable to all the suitors as they feel that given the global financial crisis they are not going to ask for more. Of course if the family and Ah Kung is doing well then the suitor expects a big ang pow during the Chinese New year to which Ah Kung is not averse.

So who will be picked??? A young man seems the likely outcome but will Ah Pek have a chance??

The Marriage - Episode 1

It was a very harrowing experience for Ah Pek when he went to meet Ah Kung. The occassion?
To ask for the hand of Ah Girl, Ah Kung's youngest daughter, in marriage.
A good friend has whispered in Ah Pek's ears that Ah Kung is looking for a suitable suitor for Ah Girl who wants to start a family soon. Ah Pek has been adrift for more than a year and yearn to get back into a meaningful family life and also to bring his children back after Ah Pek's family broke up due to the global financial crisis.
Ah Kung was a merciless interrogator and gave Ah Pek a very thorough examination in all expects of life and Ah Pek's experience in life. It was a full one and a half hours of relentless questioning...worst than facing the CID!
At the end, Ah Pek's brain felt bleached and physically drained.
Ah Kung told Ah Pek to go home and wait for a reply as Ah Kung will be meeting more suitors who are according to Ah Kung much younger.
What is Ah Pek's chance in the face of strong competition from the younger suitors???
Wait for the next episode lah!

A New Year, A New Decade, A New Hope.

2009 is gone and good riddance! It is a year that is best forgotten and I have no found memories whatsoever. It was a year that saw many forms of miseries to people from job losses to financial losses to natural disasters to diseases like the H1N1 flu.
2010 promises to be a good year and a new chapter but it is also going to be the Year of the Metal Tiger (on February 14)....a white Tiger...so what can I expect from this Tiger and what will the year of the Tiger eventually pan out be like?
On the job front...more employment opportunities. Given the good economic growth there will be more hirings. Companies are also making up to their exisiting staff by giving out bonuses and re-instating back the salaries which were cut during the economic crisis....show of optimism! But will the hirings also include the older workers and the PMETs?
On the investment front... the local equity market had surged to a dizzling height and most Asian equity markets are already on the 70%-80% level.. any likelihood to sizzle further to pre-October 2008 level?...or more choppy?..and commodity prices have all climbed back to their old highs...so is there opportunities?
On the personal financial front...inflation is creeping up but interest rates will remain ultra low which means an erosion on savings unless interest rate rises too...likely?
On the property front...prices have surged and I will say missed the boat already as it is unlikely that prices will drop notwithstanding that there will be more launches of new private and public flats.
At this juncture I can only remain hopeful...hoping that the global economy will continue to expand...that there will be no major financial defaults, major corporate failures or major natural disasters....I will be able to secure a job eventually.
HOPE...a powerful word.

MSG-ed

My friends who were also retrenched early this year and I planned that during our unemployment we should have more time roving around for good food....there's such a wide variety of cuisine and street food to entice us and tease our tastebuds as eating is our passion. To launch our plan we drew up a list of all the popular eating places garnered from friends, personal encounters, magazines, tv programmes etc. that die die must go and eat. It was a formidable list and we were so enthusiastic about it that we started our journey...never mind the distant or out of place location, even before the list was finalised...can't wait to get into the gluttony stratosphere.
Now 9 months have passed and many food outlets later, our initial euphoria has boomz and we are also suffering from a jaded palate not because of over-indulgence.
No! definitely not! Truth is...We have been MSGed! by the food vendors. We now realise why all the food dished out by such acclaimed food outlets taste so delicious and yummy...and we raved about them after eating and then later realise our folly of consuming such "delicious" food. It is the liberal use of MSG (monosodium glutamate) to enhance the flavours and taste! Some chefs are very generous while some are more controlled but they all seem can't do without it. We are not intolerant (lucky or else we will have serious after effect like the so called "China Syndrome") but sensitive to being msg-ed and the resultant effect was a gripping thirst and dehydration that can only be eliminated by drinking litres of water and chinese tea....now we know why chinese restaurants serve chinese tea to go along with your food!!
Now that we have crashed back onto earth with a reality check, our eating out is more prudent....why pay to be poisoned? (Killing me softly with his msg!) Thus we are avoiding and black listing those food outlets that take pleasure is msg-ing us..and thanks to that we are eating more wisely and hopefully healthier but now holding a very small and shrinking list of food outlets to patronise.
We live to eat but now it maybe that we eat to live...how boring....all because of MSG!

This is Life!!

Life is now very well settled and the daily activity is becoming routine...to read "boring". The pleasure in life now is that I am no longer confronted by time nor dictated by schedules...instead I can now dictate what I want to do...with plenty of time on hand.


Most days the routine has degenerated into beginning a good morning (hah? is it always so??) at no earlier than 8 a.m...bliss..followed by a leisurely breakfast...ah! any reason to rush?..oh but not before feeding that rascal doggie...otherwise kena barked at although I am getting immuned to her unreasonable demands..and the barking..deaf to it more like it...which are also getting less...probably due to menopausing!! Then to exercise off the breakfast I take a short morning power nap which is easily induced by reading those boring articles in the newspapers..you know what I mean..waking up (automatic lah) in time to go for a sumptious lunch...yummy food hunting!..aarghhh..is also getting less enthusiastic..so what if I find a new eating place..gloat over it? What for?

Afternoon is always blissful after a good and satisfying lunch (is that so?)....and more so when aided by a great cup of freshly brewed thick black coffee (aaahh..the aroma of freshly brewed coffee..hmmm!!) and for me it induces sleep effortlessly and quickly... ahha another power nap and opening the eyes only to see the sun starting to set on the horizon with a golden hue...beautiful!!...where got time to watch when you are working?? :( and those damned mossies start to buzz around as its their feeding time...but..aarghh! I have also to start preparing dinner, oh so boring and a chore lah, anyway it is now a breeze as I have mastered the art of churning up a great and healthy cuisine...aiyah just boiling or steaming everything lah...also keeps your kitchen extremely clean...free of greasy stoves and floor..saves me from having to do all the cleaning up....so save energy mah.

After dinner activity is usually tv channels surfing...must exercise the fingers to keep their dexterity mah!! but there is no good channel nor a good programme..HBO..oh it is a Horrendously Boring Old Movies' channel...CNA is perpetually repeating all its programmes including the news..if repeated so often it is no longer news mah and I think they don't know the meaning of news or what is staleness..Completely No Attention grabbing programmes ....The BBC? It is Boring British Commentary programmes...CNN is oh so American...forget about the local channels..cannot understand who is watching those dated and long winded Taiwanese soap operas, one of which is telecasted every weekend (Saturdays and Sundays for 3 hours and already hundreds of episodes)..and the cake is the one shown every afternoon for an hour and it is presently on episode 846..gosh one year is only 365 days..it is being shown for more than 2 years already?? Incredible!! How long more??....What else but try to settle down as comfortably as is possible and attempt to read a good novel which hopefully is a mind stimulant and with a cup of warm oolong chinese tea as companion...perfect to bring the eyelids down (hey curtain down lah!) for the end of a wonderfully challenged day..to the body, mind and soul...aah this life man!!
I beg your pardon did you say Boring???

Retirement

Retirement. A noun. Longman Directory states: "when you stop working, usually because of your age".

But many are not sufficiently prepared financially and emotionally for retirement even though they may have reached the retirement age...usually considered to be 55 years old. Today for some (who may be in the beginning of 50) it may not be an option but forced upon them either due to ill health or the loss of employment from retrenchment. Some companies are also using this economic downturn as an excuse to "kick out" their older staff..by "offering a beneficial retirement package"...which is targetted at those who are 50 years and older. However, if you look at the retirement package that is offered it is similar to those for retrenchment!!

Retirement. Why are many not prepared?.... Poor financial planning or more likely the lack of financial planning in the second life phase..i.e. the working phase, is the principal cause. Many have borrowed large amount of loans to finance their purchases of big ticket items like an apartment and a car or two (one for the wifey)...considered as a necessity, they say. Whatever remains from the wage income is put into small pools of funds for different purposes, the crucial being: children's education up to tertiary, annual or semi-annual overseas holidays to "destress" from hectic worklife. But a fund for retirement? Only if there were any money left.....into a savings account...."for a rainy day". But most will use the savings for punting in the stock market rather than making strategic investment plans which expose them to risks. Some do not even have life insurance or critical illness insurance to cover themselves.

Could it be an attitude problem rather than poor financial planning for retirement?
I think it is. Common attitude is why bother. Many has this archaic mentality that their children will look after them in old age since they had "invested" heavily on the children and thus the children are "obligated" as filial piety goes to take care of their parents in old age. No matter how much you have spent on your children to give them a good station in life that is your principal responsiblity as a parent. One should not look towards the children as a source of income for retirement but should be prepared financially to be independent and continue to enjoy a good life. Otherwise I think it is miserable.

Ageism

I wonder when will I be getting an opportunity to rejoin the workforce again. I am now classified under MOM unemployment status as a chronic unemployed. I have arrived at a station in life where age is a distinct disadvantage in the employment game. The corporate world deems that I am past my shelf life (anyone after 50 years old) for employment but physically and mentally I feel it is too early to retire as I could still contribute significantly my expertise and my accumulated experience to my employer.

The government is aware of this problem and has been emphasising that older unemployed workers should be given an opportunity to be reemployed upto 65 years old and such urgings are also well echoed by the various union leaders. But the corporates by and large are lending a deaf ear. Why? Because of Ageism.

Ageism is not peculiar to the present economic downturn. I became aware of its ugly head during the Asian Financial crisis when many of my friends and colleagues in their early to mid forties who lost their jobs had tremendous difficulties in getting employment again. I think most corporates believe that the older workers are an impediment to progress as they have fixated mindset, failing dexterity, inflexible attitude, sluggishness etc and the strongest underlying belief is that they being past their shelf life would be carry many inherent health problems (which can be very costly to the employer). Aiyoh, come on lah, look at the wealth of experience!! Nah, too expensive to pay as younger workers are cheaper, more versatile and are easier to train (hey, but there is monetary cost for training and there is a time gap before these young workers are up to speed, so there is also opportunity cost). What about applicants who are willing to take a lower paying job? Don't trust such applicants as when the economy picks up they will hop away immediately when there is a better offer from another organisation. It is really a catch 22 for us job applicants. No chance to get a similar job never mind but if we were to go for a lower paying job, we are considered flippant. Aiyah!

I understand that the government in order to solve this problem and ensure that older workers continue to be employed, will by 2012 create laws for employers to reemploy their workers who are at 62 years old for further years but will these new laws cover those who are already unemployed and seeking employment? I hope the new laws will cover this group too...otherwise many of us may have to consider taking up employment as "environmental engineers" or "hygiene environmental specialists"... plain speak...as cleaners for hawker centres and toilets (pathetic so many of them now)!! But then when we apply for such jobs the employer will say we are overqualified given our education level..who knows may be in a few years' time the minimum educational level requirement could be upgraded to a graduate degree for a cleaner level, a MBA as a supervisor for the cleaners and a PHD for a manager in the cleaning company??? May be such could happen when more than 50 percent of the population is above 62 years old..in 15 to 20 years' time?? I don't think so. The jobs will all be taken up by the China Nationals who are already gaining a good foothold in the various industries...so they are our competitors for jobs!!! What do you see???
However, I am not losing faith as surely there will be one or two enlightened employers amongst the dim witted who see the benefits of employing experienced jobseekers. So....Patience!!

Supermarket or Amusement Park?

Nowadays when you go to a supermarket especially in the heartland in the evenings or on a weekend you wonder if the management has also turned it partly into an amusement centre by allowing (tacit I suppose) parents to put their brats into the trolleys to humour them and pushing them around the supermarket...some parents even put 3 kids into the trolley...definitely not shopping but abusing the sole purpose of a trolley!! and some are not young kids...in some instances as old as 10 - 11 years...hello they got no legs to walk meh? Sometimes you hear a brat yelling to be quickly put into the trolley and in the process obstructing other shoppers who want to take out a trolley from the rack. I wonder if such parents (educated?? no??) understand social etiquette...I don't think so, otherwise they will not be so socially irresponsible...and causing inconvenience to shoppers!! Bo naou !!
I also blame the management for not taking any action (equal condone??) thus this is becoming a prevailing and growing practice of putting a child in a supermarket trolley...pushed around for a joy ride and turning the place into an amusement centre!! I dread going to a supermarket during evenings and weekends.

My Neutered Dog

My doggie got neutered 6 weeks back...a decision which was not easy to come by. I wanted her to have a natural life but she being such an ignorant, gullible and happy go lucky kiddie I have my doubts if she knew how to take care of herself and she is also in the "hiao" phase of her life. It was a friend's comment that since I always send her to the pet farm to stay the likelihood of her being raped is very high and then poor me will have a handful of unwanted illegitimate litter of unknown parentage...pariah? Rugilah! Also after childbirth she will look ugly...saggy stomach etc.. This caused me to have a nightmare. Gosh what am I to do if such were to happen and I just can't abandon those kids on the street (I won't have the heart to do so). Anyway AVA is very strict on this...rotan for the culprit???
It was a very painful experience for her and my heart went out to her. She endured 3 days of pain after the operation and didn't want to take the painkiller tablets to ease her pain nor her food...lying down in a corner quietly and giving me that mournful look every now and then...so, so pathetic lah..try to make me feel guilty for having caused her distress and pain...HELLO?? Worst and more humiliating was that she had to wear a "lampshade" over her head (looks like a monster out of space!!!) to prevent her from licking or biting off the stitches... for a week..as required by the vet but by the third day I have taken it off during the day but made her wear it at night...out of pity.
Within a week she was back to her normal devilish self although part of her tummy area was totally BOTAK!! Looks cute!
Today, maybe because she has been neutered she is more subdued and barking less (hurray!! more peace and quiet) but she is eating more...a voracious appetite and always seems to be hungry and getting fatter...a doctor friend said she is monopausing...alamak!!..at least no more PMSes!!! No wonder she barked so much and threw tantrums in the past... some pompous halal neighbours called SPCA and AVA to complain...they should understand that my doggie is a bitch what...anyway which dog don't bark?? A halal dog?
One good thing is that the price of the dog licence fee dropped from $70 a year to $14 a year...wah make money...huat ah!!!

Almost four and a half months have passed by and rather quickly as well. I am now feeling rather aimless and getting restless in not being able to rejoin the corporate world...not through lack of commitment but opportunities, given the current bleak economic environment.
It has dawn on me that I cannot switch and fit into the role of a Mr Househusband. Multitasking and passion are some of the pre-requisits necessary to become a very good housewife or househusband....for me multitasking per se is not a problem. I think it is the mental make-up (both attitude and aptitude of housework...traditionally men are very poor in) and the lack of passion for the role...not that I have never done any housework before, on the contrary, my mother was a very strong advocate of boys having to do housework and had always insisted as part of growing up that I have to share in doing some of the housework...not a pampered life! But 30 over years in corporate life have moulded me differently and definitely not for the role of a househusband...I have put my mind and soul into the task initially but this enthusiasm had worn off.
Now I find housework to be very mundane and boring...even cooking is no longer a challenge but has degraded to a very routine chore to be performed at certain set time of the day. Thus procrastination has started to creep in and the lazy worms (now you know why I want to ban worms!) have started their invasion as well...but thank goodness they have not reached the core yet!
Maybe I am missing the stress and frustrations so inherent in corporate life and the laughters and banters of colleagues. These are missing as a househusband and these are factors that keep your mind active and challenged and they may make or break your day....hmmmm....so retirement is not an option for now.

My washing machine suddenly went kaput...refused to work any more!! Not that I had abused it. Most frustrating is that it stopped after having added the soap powder on to the clothes and a few spins later....arrrgghh!! with all the soapy water undrained!!

It is not an old washing machine...it is considered very new..one year and one month old...problem is that it is a darned China made China washing machine with an Ang Moh brand name...and I got misled by the salesman of a big well known household retailer..with a megastore in Tampines next to Ikea...and the washing machine was distributed by/agency by a reputable company that carries many well known brand names...come to think of it such does not give any value to the distributor....but trust the Chinese that they will produce lemons and not quality products!!

Why didn't I call for the service repairman to repair the fault? Well, this is not the first break down...the door started giving problems 6 months after installation as it could not close properly as the hinges were loosen as not properly aligned and also cracks on the lousy quality plastic cover near the hinges...then the major problem arose..the pump went kaput after 11 months and 3 weeks later after replacing the pump it conked out again...the serviceman came again and this time gave me an Italian made pump. Apparently the serviceman told me that all the parts for this brand..Straaten..is reconditioned as they do not have originals....parts taken from other owners's machines (who have given up the machine)...alot of problems with this brand. That's why the door could not be replace!

This time the problem is with the motor and the drum can't spin and...my warranty had just expired!! so instead of having to pay hundred of dollars for the repair..which does not guarantee that it will last as the serviceman told me...dump it!

The washing machine was not cheap either as I paid $529!!! but like my friend says it is an expensive lesson learnt... never to trust any China product again (that goes for their canned foods as well). Look at all the contoversies...tainted milk powder, pesticide tainted buns, toxic toys..the list goes on...no integrity at all...only produce and sell to make money. What a shame!

5 Days 4 Nights Hong Kong itinerary

Making a trip to Hong Kong has to planned carefully before you depart as there are so much to do, see, explore and most importantly to eat...unless you are the category of people who eat just to live and not live to eat. Although the suggested itinerary is flexi but it is very food focused as the objective of going to Hong Kong was...to WAN SIK! So here's what we did...



Day One:

Very important is where to stay in Hong Kong to give you the best of everything and I would suggest Tshimshatsui...obvious lah..all the makan lobangs are there and even late into the night you still can get your supper and it is a very lively area too. All the hotels are located near the MRT entrances (exits).

If you take the morning flight you will arrive in the early afternoon and after check in you can go out for a light meal...dessert shops like Hui Lau Shan (on Haiphong Road) and Sweet Dynasty (on Canton Road..Haiphong Rd junction turn right..) are my favourites and so are those Hong Kong small eateries which serve delicious wanton noodles and best of all is their beef tendons/belly noodles and wash down with their special milk tea..lai char (along Cameron Road, Granville Road, Hankow Road, Haiphong Road etc). These are also open for breakfast and they have western sets too.

Dinner, if you are still exploring Tshimshatsui...drop in at Wu Kong Restaurant on Peking Road...serves great Shanghainese cuisine...lion head as a suggested dish..be careful...the servings are all very large..or walk further down Nathan Road to Shamrock Hotel where they have a restaurtant...serves very traditional Cantonese food and sea food too..or walk another kilometer further to Yau Ma Tei...London Restaurant on Nathan Road and many others. If you are going to Ladies's market at Sai Yeong Choi Kai...there is a good claypot eatery near Stanford Hotel and after that you can cross over to Langham Place for dessert at Honeymoon Desserts...great variety including durian!!

If you have a craving for Teochew food then take a taxi to Kowloon City which is a Teochew and Thai enclave...many Thai restaurants there too. We liked Soon Kee Restaurant for their Teochew food...Teochew owners...located at 41 Nam Kok Road, Kowloon City.

Tired???No?? Then take a walk to the Waterfront Promenade..nearer towards Star Ferry and have a beautiful night view of Hong Kong and the nightly laser show...if Chinese factories abstain from polluting the night sky!



Day Two:


After breakfast take the MTR to Wong Ti Sin Temple (station is Wong Tai Sin) as it is one of Hong Kong's most famous temples and is packed on each of the first and fifteen day of the lunar month. From there continue your journey on MTR to Kowloon Bay for a very delicious and sumptious tim sum lunch at Maxim Palace Restaurant in Telford Plaza...MTR station walk right in and to the right at the end of the shopping complex (shops opens at 11 a.m.). Maxim Palace's tim sum are sold on push carts and so you can check out what you want when each carts arrives at your table. Do try their desserts too especially the green bean soup..with a special kind of seaweed..that helps to cool the body..very popular during the SARS.

Be warned that Maxim is very popular and if you arrive after 12 p.m. you may have to take a queue number...definitely for Saturdays and Sundays but tim sum is still available the whole day except there is a special promotional price between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Bill is about HK$250 for 5 big eaters.

After lunch the suggestion is go to Sai Kung...in the past it was a quaint village but today it is the starting point for walks...many walking trials into the hills...very popular during the weekends and camping sites too...Honeymoon Desserts started their business in Sai Kung and still has a very large shop there.From Kowloon Bay take the MTR to Choi Hung for the mini bus (green) which station is just outside one of the exit..check the exit before getting out. The mini bus is very quick and gets to there in about 15 - 20 minutes and cost HK7.50. Alternativcely you can also take a bus..double decker and sit on top for a panaroma view as the bus climbs up hills and go down valleys into Sai Kung...slower pace too. Take the MTR to Diamond Hill and go up to the bus terminus and look for the bus to Sai Kung. Alternatively, you may want to venture to Lama Island for seafood. Rainbow Seafood Restaurant is one recommended. Do make a reservation as they also provide the ferry service from Central to the jetty next to the restaurant and vice versa.

Walk around the town and go for the desserts at Honeymoon, then along the waterfront...you see boats selling seafood and many locals buy from them and take home for dinner but you can also buy from them and then take the seafood to a restaurant of your choice..they will charge you a cooking fee and you can also order the vegetable and noodles dishes from the restaurants.

If you have time to kill then take one of the numerous boats for a ride to the offshore island which is popular with campers and then back for dinner.




Day Three:


Morning after breakfast take a taxi to Kowloon City...about HK$50 (but if you are more adventurous then take a bus..number 1A from Star Ferry bus terminus or along Nathan Road, Tshimshatsui and get off at the bus stop in front of the old Kai Tak airport...ask the bus driver to inform you when he reaches the destination) and explore the area...must do is the wet market and the shops fronting it...very cheap dried seafood like dried scallops, salted fish, fish maw, sharkfins etc.. and mushrooms (another place is of course the famous dried seafood street in Western District on Des Veoux Road West on Hong Kong Island...take a tram...Kennedy Town direction). In the market there are lots of Teochew foodstuff like preserved olives, salted small craps and shellfish etc. Also do visit Wo Kee Loong on 7 Tak Ku Ling Road, a very traditional Teochew pastry shop..yummy.

For lunch head for Sham Tseng...for Hong Kong's most popular roasted goose (the original place was a poultry farming village and some owners of the farms decided to roast their goose to sell which became very popular and Chan Kee and Yuen Kee grew in popularity as well). Suggest Chan Kee which is on the main road..Castle Peak Road..a taxi ride from Kowloon City costs about HK$100 or you can take the MTR to Tsuen Wan station and then get down to the mini bus station and take the bus that passes by Sham Tseng..driver will alert you if you let him know in advance). In the evenings especially weekends it is very crowded with locals..don't see many tourist...except the stray ones..

Afternoon go to Mongkok for shopping...taxi from Sham Tseng costs HK$100 if you drop in front of Langham Place Hotel...ha..dessert at Honeymoon on Langham Place...

Dinner you can cross over to Hong Kong on MTR to Wanchai and get out at exit A2 to head for Sang Kee Seafood restaurant...1/F Hip Seng Building, 107 Hennessy Road..you can see their neon lit signboard across the road...but do make a reservation...tel:2575 2236 and reserve their signature dish,,catfish congee..otherwise it maybe sold out....prices mof dishes are very reasonable and even for live fishes and prawns...they show it to you to confirm the weigh and freshness. 5 dishes with the fish will not be more than HK$600.


After dinner you can go down to Causeway Bay...if you like steamed milk then head for Yishun which is on the lane behind Sogo..opposite the taxi stand.

Day Four:

A morning visit to the dried seafood street at Western District on Des Voex Road, West would be very interesting and you can take the tram from Central or outside Admiralty station..tram that head for Kenny Town or Whitty Street..get down once you see the rows of shops selling dried seafood. Prices eg dried scallops are much cheaper.

For lunch go over to North Point..take the tram..fare is a flat HK$2..headed for North Point (final stop after passing through the wet market which comes alive in the late afternoon or Sakeiwan (drop off at a stop near the North Point MTR exit)..recommends Phoenix Golden Court Restaurant on 460 King's Road East (tel: 31029288) for their very cheap and sumptious set lunches..eg HK$288 with 5 dishes including a live steamed garoupa!..or take a tim sum set.

After lunch, shopping in North Point is interesting as it is very local and the wet market must not be missed as it comes alive after 3 p.m. Alternatively is to take the tram to Sakeiwan for a local atmosphere.

For dinner go to a very old teahouse, Lin Heung Tea House at 160 - 164 Wellington Street, Central. Do call up and make a reservation (Tel:2544 4556) as it is very popular with locals and also at the same time order the house speciality...stuffed duck. The food is very traditional home cooked variety...bittergourd with pork ribs, steamed minced pork with salted egg, deep fried sliced lotus roots with fish glue etc. Dessert is free and it is red beans soup.
On the way out...pay money down stairs (entrance)..you may want to buy some traditional pasteries for supper....or head down to Mak's Noodle (very popular for the wanton noodles) at 77, Wellington Street.
Having your fill of food, take a walk at Lan Kwai Fong and drop in at one of the numerous pubs for a drink and soak in the atmosphere. If you are still craving for dessert then go to IFC Mall for Honeymoon Desserts (shop no: 3013..3rd floor)...quite crowded after 9 p.m.


Day Five:

Last minute shopping (Uniglo at Miramar Shopping mall???) or have a hearty breakfast before going off to the airport...time flies when you are enjoying the run from one restaurant to the next for your food hunting.
Hope this suggested itinerary fits in with your next Hong Kong trip! And happy food hunting!!!

Friends have asked for the full itinerary of the 5 days Hong Kong food odyssey....hmmm...food for thought...

Went on a 5 days Hong Kong odyssey early this week.....food hunting the principal objective!!!
HONG KONG, the Fragrant Harbour...fragrant??? the guy who gave it the name must have had a major nose problem or he was a Lotus Eater (Alfred Tennyson) or maybe in those days the huge consumption of jasmine tea could be the reason...whatever..it is definitely far, far from fragrant unless when you walk along the esplanade and pass by a "kwai lo" woman...provided she wears perfume......ha! ha!!...otherwise.....
Coming in to land at the international airport gives you some trepidation....looking out of the window (by the way ask for the window seat "A" so you get a good view of Hong Kong and coming back ask for "K" so you can see Disneyland....if you are lucky that is...with the weather...or more so... the "generosity" of the factories on the Chinese southern province..) you see not the sky line of Hong Kong but the grey and intimidating water of the sea and the thick blanket of dark grey haze blanketing the sky...so where is the sky where the sea??...hopefully you have a very competent captain pilotting or the autopilot works...trust SIA!...make you unconsciously cross your fingers!
Travelling to Hong Kong on a group of five is very very economical....food wise and transportation wise...take the taxi from the airport to the hotel in Tsimshatsui, it cost all in about HK$250....the new taxi fare benefits long distance travelling...after HK$84.60 (breakeven) your fare goes cheaper...meter starts at HK$18..(likewise from Tsimshatsui to airport the metered fare was HK$192.60...so much cheaper than taking the airport express or the bus...major hassle if you have luggages. Same goes for travelling in HK especially if you venture to the New Territories for lunch or dinner. Taxis in HK do not have very complicated fare structures or confusing surcharges. It is simple and plain...just pay meter fare! We met a very enterprising...aren't all Hong Kongers???..taxi driver by the name of Daniel Ko who gave us his name card (handphone number: 852 96556069)...for his taxi service...he's a Teochew so "Ka Ki Nang".. but in actual fact he probably is the head of a group of "taxi friends"...we checked out his service and it was excellent...beats our taxi call centres hands down...he has 4 handphones on his taxi's dashboard and answers the calls immediately..hands free of course..we were in Kowloon City..a very Teochew enclave plus lots of Teochew and Thai restaurants (we found Soon Kee Restaurant at 41 Nam Kok Road to be good), Teochew food specialities like preserved olives, little clams, wedding pastries (Wo Kee Loong at 7 Tak Ku Ling Road which is a very old traditional Teochew cake and pastry shop which I have patronised since the 80s) etc...and wanted to go to Sham Tseng...called him...no problem ...5 minutes later and his friend called back to announce his arrival at our pick up point...at Sham Tseng to Mongkok...8 minutes and another of his taxi friend arrived outside the restaurant...all the fares (metered) are about HK$100...so cheap if you are 5!!!...and of course we arranged for Daniel to pick us up for the journey to the airport...including tips it was HK$250...i.e HK$50 per person...cheapo man!!!
Hong Kong transportation is superby efficient needless to say and gives a variety of modes...at different prices and affordability...today the most popular for the locals is the tram...a flat fare of HK$2 per ride...albeit it inches away at 20 kph...and packed like sardines during peak hours...so are the MTR, buses and mini buses (where you are assured of a seat as it has a no standing rule)...except taxis which are waiting in long queues at taxi stands...drivers reading the newspapers waiting for a fare to hop in...too expensive for short journeys. The fun in taking public transport like buses and trams is you get to hear alot of gossips and the locals are very vocal....bluntly LOUD!.. in their conversations....so don't want to listen also have to, no choice (kaypoh mah)...free entertainment and it is better than listening to your iPod...anyway you won't be able to hear your music from the iPod!! You also get to hear a lot of colourful spoken Cantonese (language) in the buses and trams... and in all the local restaurants too...very common and comes out very naturally from the locals is the Cantonese explicit expletive.."throw your mother's smelly shoe"...or starting and ending a sentence with "throw your mother"...Ha! Ha! please translate yourself into Cantonese...sorry if you can't..maybe ask a more imaginative friend...from HK???...good luck and enjoy using it in HK..causes no offends if spoken with your friends..and practice makes perfect!!!...except switch it off when you are back home otherwise your mother or mother-in-law will disown you!!!...mother-in-law ok lah!
Today Hong Kongers are a very friendly lot and helpful too although there are still some black sheeps...why black sheep huh??..must be a racialist guy who came out with this label....like Darkie Toothpaste???...around especially in the service sector (one thing great is that they don't use China Chinese labour!! otherwise you will have to curse and say "throw your mother's smelly shoes")...like we were nearly conned by the hotel male receptionist when we were checking in...he asked if we would like to upgrade our rooms for an additional HK$200 per night plus taxes 10 percent surcharge..to a better room with internet and improved facilities et al...so we agreed but then changed our mind...we don't need room internet access...holiday what..then he quickly offered to only charge one room but auto upgrade the other free....hmmm...should have smelt a rat lah..(no rats found but the room's toilet bowl don't drain off)...and being dumb and jaded after the flight and journey to the hotel we again agreed...until I noticed that he was merely switching the rooms already allocated to me to my friends and vice versa. I questioned him and he said the rooms were preassigned by the computer (isn't that the case for all reservations made prior to arrival...???) and when we check in he has to manually downgrade unless we agree to pay the surcharge...what bullshit...not first time checking into a HK hotel...and so I questioned him on the practice and got agitated with his answers which were rubbish...so wanted to see the duty manager...he immediately changed track and said since he has wasted our time he will leave it as per allocated...bullshitter..otherwise we will be HK$1,760 poorer and foolisher...hey this is at Holiday Inn Golden Mile in Tsimshatsui leh not some shoddy shaddy hotel in Kowloon and the audacity of the guy....I am sure the hotel management must have instructed him to do so...wonder how many guests at that hotel were and will be conned into this unprofessional gimmick...so be careful with such gimmicks/tricks when you check in...I wonder is this a common practice amongst hotels in HK now that time is bad..I hope the HKTA is aware and puts a stop otherwise HK's reputation goes into the gutter.
We also experienced another attempted "cheating" at a local restaurant...the bill amount was too large for the food we consumed...wanton noddles, mixed dumpling soups and milk teas and holicks....came upto HK$245...we asked the lady to itemise and she refused and so we did it ourselves and it came to HK$211....she backed off and said her mind is not a calculator...and another bullshitter..probably they eat too much of beef and beef tendons noddles..hey, we know you know that we are foreigners but don't try to cheat us...like everyone else times are bad and every cents also count...heard this is becoming also a common practice at local restaurants...so don't rush for the bill but check the items and price...if it is lump sum ask for it to be itemised...kena con otherwise...fragrant harbour indeed!!..."throw your mother" lah!!
Hong Kong is acknowledged as a glutton's paradise and if eating is your passion....just the place for you...but do get out of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon...go into the New Territories especially the old villages where unfortunately modernisation had won the day and now new highrise spouts into the sky but old restaurants still exist...like in Sham Tseng where the HK roast goose originated and the original restaurants (Chan Kee now on the main Road and Yung Kee) are still there, patronised largely by locals and prices are much cheaper than that at Central...Sai Kong...seafood...(prefers Cheun Kee Seafood....the inner one along the sea front) prices are cheaper than Lei Yue Mun and Lama Island...however a 5 day trip is definitely not enough for food hunting (we didn't have much time for shopping...but we did go into the wet markets...should not miss making such a trip (do go to the one either in Wanchai, Causewaybay or Kowloon City, which has more Teochew stuffs...very interesting and totally different from ours and also the back lane markets (like pasar malam but during the day) which are all very colourful...as we were hopping from one eatery to another at distances apart) and to satisfy your cravings...and desserts are oh! so heavenly!..the varieties...wow...every dessert also want to try but...wide eyes ,tight stomach as the Cantonese saying...popular outlets are the Huai Lau Shans...for birdnest in young coconuts and bidnest with snow frog's...you know what lah huh don't ask so much...and Honeymoon Dessert....love their chinchow with red beans soup with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and walnut cream soup....etc...hmmmm....luckily all the walking burnt out all the calories...5 meals a day.....arrrh I don't want to go to our hawkers for at least a week!!!.....actually I am already hungry so have to caoi...