Brisbane

The room in the Brisbane hotel sucks big time...

I didnt bother taking my camera to take a pic of it.

It's like i stepped into the 1980s. That's actually technically not possible cos i've never entered a hotel in the 1980s so i wouldnt know what one looks like.

I just ordered a late room service dinner. Steak and fries again. I miss rice. :(

Opera House

Took these pics of the Sydney Opera House...





Here are the links to the high res pics if you wanna use as your desktop wallpaper:

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

Sydney

I took the red eye and arrived in Sydney at 5:30am (3:30am Singapore time). Damn tired cos we took British Airways this time cos I'd be taking some domestic flights on Qantas and taking SQ would be ex. :(

The seats in BA are cramped and close together. I didnt get a good sleep.

By the time i reached the hotel, it was 7am (5am Singapore time). And then i had a meeting at 10am (8am Singapore time).

By the time i got to rest at 6pm (4pm Singapore time), it was time for my boss to call. :(

And he just called me at 9:30pm (7:30pm Singapore time). Damn, now i'm working over two time zones ah? Wah lau.

At least the room is quite decent.









most power pohone i've seen in a hotel room..



And of course, as Diana pointed out, I can eat all the donuts i want..

Krispy Kreme!!!!!!!!!

I bought six n gave one to my colleague. Actually offered him 2 but he dont want. Sigh, means ive to make myself eat 5...

Damn

Slept too much during the noon and now i cant sleep... bleah.. it's 3am now here and i have a conference call at 9am :(

Foods of Osaka

Osaka is known for its cuisine. Osakians are known to be a bunch who speak their minds, contrary to the general Japanese population. So if an eating place is no good, it wont survive long. So it eventually becomes a natural selection of sorts.

And Osaka is known for its udon. I like udon.

Found these in my room.. Fruits and snacks as usual



Some... i duno what u call these..the pink one is red beans (yucks!) and yellow one is yam (yummy!)



One night, i went to buy some crochettes (spelling?) and this bun... the bun contains lotsa cream... *slurp*



Then tonight, to celebrate my last night here, i bought these mua chee thing i eat in Singapore... yummy...im opening it as i type this

Last Day

It's my last day in Osaka and I decided to take things easy.

Took some pics of Osaka from my room.











Later at night, my boss called again, asked me if i wanted to hear good news or bad news first.

*Gulp*

He told me that we had won this deal that i was pitching for a few months ago. US$200,000! Yippeeeee. The bad news is that I have to travel to Australia (Again?!@), Japan (Again!?!), Hong Kong, China and Malaysia (Truly Asia).

Siong man.

But i'm happy cos we managed to trump the competitors.... YAY!!

*Does tribal dance*

Saga

It seems like my blog follows my every stop of the trip.

A little update of the Shinkansen trip to Osaka. It seems like the ride from Odawara to Nagoya was especially good with the wide seats and exceptionally large leg room was cos the hotel booked the first class seats for us. No wonder so expensive (we paid for it, they only booked for us). For the trip to Osaka, we opted for the commoner class seating, which actually wasnt too bad. So that was a huge relief.

It was very hot in Osaka when i arrived but now thunder's flashing outside and i'm on the 27th floor. It's really quite scary and i really hope there's no blackouts this time. :(

Dinner

I just got back from dinner.

I just ate some of the best chicken wings in my life. Five halves for US$4. Plus one rice US$1.60. Total = US$5.60.

Very cheap.

But i wasnt satisfied. Too little. I had a sushi craving and went on a search on the streets of Nagoya. I found a shabby little restaurant and ate:

1. 4 pieces of yellow tail sushi
2. 1 piece of scallop sushi
3. 2 pieces of salmon sushi
4. 2 pieces of tuna sushi
5. 2 pieces of unagi sushi
6. 2 pieces of salmon roe sushi


Total cost = US$46.

Siao liao. Over the dinner budget liaoz.. I think i got to pay for this myself.

Last Leg

I'm going to Osaka tomorrow morning. Yes, it's the Shinkansen for me again, so nothing to wow about.

I cant wait to go home.

I miss my car.

So i'd probably do some serious driving on Saturday. Going to Ubi to change my Logitech mouse, cos i dropped it and now it's faulty.

Then going to Suntect for my chiro appointment.

Then going to collect my new suit at Peninsula.

Then going for high tea.

Power packed Saturday.

And then i leave for Australia for 1 week on Sunday. I heard the weather's cool there now. WHOPEEE!

Next Leg

There was a mega storm when i was in Odawara last night. That knocked out the power station at 12:30am.

I was already asleep by then but the emergency lights in the rooms came on.

I was awoken by the light and was semi terrified at first cos i thought I'd offed all the lights. Did "someone" on my lights again? Then my super-duper observation powers prevailed when i realised that the light that was on was the emergency one.

And lightning was flashing outside my window. Imagine being in a hotel on top of a hill and they put me on the highest floor some more (11 storeys)

the air con was off and no tv.. but strangely there was internet.

I laid in bed and dozed off.

The next day, which is today, i took the Shinkansen again to Nagoya. This, according to my colleague is faster than the one we took from Tokyo. Apparently there're different types. Indeed it's faster. If u look at the map, Nagoya is much further from Odawara than Tokyo to Odawara and it took the same amount of time.

This train was power.. moved damn fast but yet very stable.. I slept all the way again. So shiok.

I heard that Nagoya is the largest train station in the WORLD!! (by land area)

Odawara

It seems like Odawara is part of Hakone.. or is it vice versa. And it's a place where people come to do some hot springs and baths. It's those naked baths thingy u see on Japan Hour.

They gave me a humongous room. Have I ever mentioned i hate big rooms because they remind me how alone I am at night? The room's nothing to shout about but the view's pretty good. You can click on the pics to see the clearer versions.


I'm at the eastern coast. So that's the ocean there..









These Japanese hotels like to surprise you with these little titbits...the previous two hotels i was at also have but i ate them before i got the chance to take pics.. but i was quite full when i found these in my room... so here goes..



I think the one on the right most seems most interesting...

Journeys

After some many days in Tokyo, i'm finally leaving to go to Hakone.. seems like it's a hot springs place. Will be taking the shinkansen - bullet train - there. It'd be my first time and I'm quite excited. Hopefully, it'd be a nice trip so that i can sleep on board..

During my time away, my dad has driven my car to the multi-storey car park so that it isnt out in the sun all the time. And i heard from my mum that he'd go there once in a while to check it out to see that it's safe. Though i dont know how that works.

One thing i'll miss is the chats i have with my dad when he sends me to work. It's during this time, amidst the cursing of errant lane-changing drivers, slow drivers and women drivers, he shares his days at work and even his earlier working days. I think in the past 2 years that he has been sending me to work, we've probably talked more than in my last 28 years. It's probably odd but my dad doesnt really talk much.

So i'd miss that.

Tokyo Bay

I'm staying in a hotel 5 minutes from Disneyland but i dont have enough time to go.



Not too bad a room. You can see my mini tempur pillow and my tempur travel pillow which i bought recently.



Great view of Tokyo Bay!



The pic doesnt just do justice to the wonderful sight.

Shook

There was an earthquake in Japan last night. T|ny asked me if i felt it.

I most definitely did.

I woke at 3am cos the entire hotel was shaking.

I quickly went to the window expecting to see the bay going crazy with waves.. but it was calm.

As i crawled into bed, thoughts of my car flashed across my mind.

I'm so shallow.

More Pics

In a bid to beat the ERP this morning, I left late for work and to while the time away, i took some pics of my car..

Side Profile



Ralliart Sports rims and sticker



Ralliart Grille and foglights



Leather seats with red trimmings and Ralliart emblem



Sports pedals..

Driven

Here you go.. a quick pic.. more will follow..

Car

I'm very likely to be collecting my car tomorrow.

In preparation for this momentous event, I've prepared a car collection kit for me to bring along so that i have everything i need.

Ive packed the following:

1. Parking coupons
2. Cash card
3. Street directory
4. An iPod holder



And also:

4. iPod
5. iPod cable
6. Bluetooth headset
7. Music cds - Transformers soundtrack and U2
8. A new key chain



And of course an umbrella large enough for me.

Success

An old pri sch and sec sch friend added me on Friendster that day.

It was quite surreal as i looked through his pics.

He's still the poseur and loser that I remember. I think by any barometer in this society he wont be called a loser. HCJC, NUS then regular in the army now. Got car, doesnt look ugly. Not fat.

But he's still a loser.

We used to be one of the shortest guys in class. Then puberty came and i grew taller than him and i got fatter as well cos i discovered the aunty who sold delicious fried chicken wings in my pri sch. And then he said i got taller cos my fats stacked up and made me taller.

What a weird way to put me down.

But he's a loser. I heard he got retained in JC1. Muhahahahaha..

I hate it when people like to compare and show off. Maybe some people would say that of me but who really gives a shit. Just that day, someone told me this classmate of mine got a car and then when i met him that day, within 2 minutes, he was already telling me how he must save money cos huge burden coming. I purposely didnt wanna ask wat the huge burden was but he managed to bring it up. Oh pulease... wanna get car then dont complain la..

I just got an sms invite to a wedding for my NUS schmate. So nice.

Fong's getting married at the end of the year.

Shortbin's baby coming in Oct i think.

Another of my closest friend is pregnant and giving birth soon.

Frenligal got hitched.

Lim Biskit got an IWC.

Cyster removed the cyst.

My Abu Dhabi bound friend said she wanted to have a good meal with me and Lim Biskit before she leaves because she feels we appreciate good food. Im just wondering if i shld distance myself for her so that when the time comes to say goodbye, it wont hurt so much.

I hope everyone's happy.

一路顺风

那一天知道你要走
我们一句话也没有说
当午夜的钟声敲痛离别的心门
却打不开你深深的沉默

那一天送你送到最后
我们一句话也没有留
当拥挤的月台挤痛送别的人们
却挤不掉我深深的离愁

我知道你有千言你有万语
却不肯说出口
你知道我好担心我好难过
却不敢说出口

当你背上行囊卸下那份荣耀
我只能让眼泪流在心底
面带着微微笑
用力的挥挥手
祝你一路顺风

当你踏上月台从此一个人走
我只能深深地祝福你
深深地祝福你
最亲爱的朋友
祝你一路顺风

Follow Up

As I was having breaskfast this morning, I realised another of my frien, Despair is also tendering after he gets a job, cos his current boss insults his dressing and says he's fat.

So evil. I usually do this behind my colleagues' backs, not in front of them!?! Gosh.

I think there's no such thing as a perfect job, but rather it's a scale of job satisfaction.

Job Satisfaction to me = Pay + Working Environment + Boss + Empowerment + Job Benefits + Nature of Job

Some have more of each factor than other, and some have less.

This entry is actually pointless, i'm jus waiting for my dad to finish breakfast so that he can send me to work.

Jobs

It seems like a time of transition for some people i know.

Shitfong just got promoted to Civilian on 31 July 2007. 9 years and four months since he saw his pink IC. He's looking for a job now. He's quite cute but taken, ladies.

A friend of mine is relocating to Abu Dhabi and it seems like her boss thinks she betrayed him with her departure.

Frenligal recently served out her two month (or was it three) notice and started work at that giant Finnish mobile phone company. She's happy, so it's good.

My sister is thinking of quitting her job cos she hates it and heading into unemployment with two months' notice. Something like Shitfong really.

My recent promotion meant that i now have to serve three months' notice after i tender. It's the Firm's way to deter you from leaving, decrease your marketability, make sure you clear off your work. It left a sour taste in my mouth when i realised it.

One of my colleague's recently resigned. He resigned in the middle of projects. A middle of projects which he has been very lazy to complete and follow up before he resigned. Going home everyday at 6pm. When i heard he resigned, I told my boss to forget the one month's notice. I wanted him out of the office immediately. After lunch that day, admin just told him to leave his laptop and clear his desk.

High handed? Maybe. Appropriate? I dont know. i just didnt want the flagrant attitude he displayed after he resigned to permeate throughout the office.

During my dinner with Cyster and Lim Biskit, i told them i was considering of leaving after the 2008 bonus payout. They were half shocked. I guess i am a bit but im kinda tired.

Actually just today, I told this to Kaitlynn. Does someone stay at a job because of power? You can't right? Power doesnt pay the bills or feed you. But then she said, i wasnt paid too shabbily either to say that im only staying cos of power and not pay. Fair enough. I think i'll move when i become VP, which is 2 more steps... hopefully this is achieved before im 30.

I asked my boss that day if he can pay for the season parking in the office if i got a car. He agreed. Then the next day, he gave me a 5 minute speech on loyalty and how he values it and he gives due recognition. I felt half guilty for thinking of moving.

Ive been quite sianz at work of late and i leave my office at 5:30pm every day to be in time to watch Simpsons on Starworld at 6pm and Friends at 6:30pm. And i reach the office at 9:30ish, which means i come in the latest and leave the earliest. Bleah. Hey, i work when i get home too!

:(

In other news, ill be embarking on long trips again:

1. Tokyo
2. Odawara
3. Nagoya
4. Osaka

This long trip sure eat into one weekend. I hope this happens while in Tokyo then can go Disney Sea which i didnt manage to go back in 2002. I enjoyed the last time i was there.

Then the week after, i'll be going:

1. Sydney
2. Perth
3. Brisbane.

Odd that i just went to Sydney this year and then going again. Hopefully i can go to Gold Coast at Brisbane this time.