Malaysian Gathering (part 2)

Mini tarts - KNN, am struck with the stupid dry cough (the one where you cough your lungs out and still no phlegm sputtered!). My guess is it started from whacking 5 or 10 daging salai which my aunt brought to Brussels and finished one jar full of pineapple tarts! So with the sore throat developing into this stupid dry cough...even my voice is lost to the constant coughing! Its amazing how my friends and colleagues can still handle me! Bless them! Even my boss ordered me to stop working, which i promptly did...so that i could update my blog! ;)

Since theres more nicer pics (courtesy of yours truly), i ve decided to put this entry at my sister site.

Amsterdam

The Malaysians met up again, but it was only me, Eric, Weihan, Flo and Waikwan (she followed since Brussels/Leuwen)...and accomodations, a 5 star one at that was provided by Patricia. Thanks a lot Pat, owe you heaps and it was such a great place i left my towel as a token of my "appreciation" (read: my stupidity!).

The Malaysians in Amsterdam

"HIGHLIGHTs" include being HIGH, the red LIGHT district (its Sin City after all)...sight seeing and get this...FOOD!! Lots of good food!!

Nasi Lemak in Amsterdam...???!!!

"Auntyyyy....Unncle, Eric smoking!!!"

Me and Pat

Go check out the postings...

Malaysian Gathering (part 1)

Malaysians sprouting in Brussels (Jan 20th-21st)

What was supposed to be just a small meet up between the Malaysians coming (Flo and Weihan) in Eric's place in Leuwen turned to be one major meet up, bar one kaki FFK! Now after all the headache of organizing their trip has been settled (where me and Eric could end up arguing for soo long and not getting to any conclusion!), the day finally arrived!

But first, the headache...!

Coming to Brussels also is my youngest aunt, the biggest supporter of me NOT going on a traineeship (but we still love each other lots!), via a Euro trip which she got at a bargain price. The trip was organized by HP and is solely for its employees and vendors...so i wander in amazement how she managed to go through the whole trip without a single soul knowing that she doesnt knw the difference between a laptop and a PC! Anyways jumping on this unlikely opportunity, i tried to arrange for me to meet Flo and Weihan in Koln, then we rush to Brussels. Thing was, we ll arrive only at 3pm whereas my aunts bus tour will leave at the same time to Amsterdam! So knowing before hand that its gonna be Mission Impossible...i decided to pass some money to Ana, who is also heading to Brussels, to pass the money to Eric, who is already in Brussels to meet the other Malaysian gang, so that he can then receive my Malaysian Package from my aunt and pass it to me!

Pheww...in short thats also the old school way of how my company operating its business..."we bring anything to everwhere"!

With that modified example of the Yellow Company's transportation of goods away, my aunt told Eric she really really want to see me! Hence the several msges to me asking me to hurry...my aunt even called me to see if theres still possibility! I was already reaching Brussels then, time check: 2.57pm! Upon arrival i saw Eric, he had time to give two hugs to the visiting Malaysians and we both ran 3 blocks to where the bus was parked! What happened next was the unexpected family drama...soap opera style! Running uphill, i saw two tour bus parked, Eric confirmed thats the one! Then i saw my aunts outline...and then came the squeal of delight heard some 2 blocks away!It was then i realised "damn...EVERYONE in the bus is waiting for her WAITING for me!" We gave each other one bigg lonngg hug...and my aunt started to CRY!! Oh dear...now that was totally unexpected! The next thing you knew, she did possibly the MOST ASIAN thing one could do at moments like this...she whipped out her digicam and asked Eric to shoot some photos, including tears and curious tourists giving weird stares! Then as quickly as it began, it was goodbyes already! All in less than 5 minutes!!! All while EVERYONE was looking out the bus window! I sort of gave an apologetic smile and wave to all of them before the buses left...

With that done...shared the whole experience when we all got together...and laughed the whole of our short Belgium meet! And that plus lots of eating, drinking, milo, indo mee goreng and daging babi salai (courtesy of my Malaysian package!). Plus a little tour around Antwerp...whereby officially with that visit, i ve covered EVERY major city in Belgium!

Besides the both Malaysian tourists and Eric, our crew consisted of RenBin (best friend working in Denmark,hopefully not the last time i see her as a bachelorrette), Grace (Erics good friend working in Frankfurt, my German speaking buddy of the trip), her colleague from Hong Kong Carina, plus another friend of Erics and Weihan, WaiKwan who came from Italy. Overall it was nice meeting everyone again...more excitedly so with the bachelorrette!

The meeting was farrr to short...but then up next is Amsterdam though...although just us original 4 plus some friends in Amsterdam!

Below are some pics from our trip...cam whored rather little (surprisingly!).
HUGE DISCLAIMER...there are several not so nice photos courtesy of people who dont know how to handle my trustable Canon Ixus 3.2megapixels camera! But i have to post it as it was the ONLY shot available! Sigh...minions who dont know how to shoot!

The 3 "batangs", losing out on 2!

The best looking station in Belgium goes to...the Antwerp Train Station!
Poser.... The "batangs" up to their nonsence again!













The "look at my balls statue" by a castle in Antwerp

That white powdery thing...

As i took my usual route to work...the 5 minute walk from my room to the station, the usual 10 minute wait for the next train as i missed one by a couple of minutes, the 15 mins journey to work while i watched the city wizz by. Weather forecast said its gonna be -4 degrees, wasnt the first time it went below zero although it was my first time seeing it with my own eyes in the weather news.

Then as i took the usual lane leading towards my office...i thought i saw several white, powdery stuff floating...or falling...NO!!! It cant be dandruff...i just freakin washed my hair...!

I looked all around...it was the same white, powdery thing falling all over...i had to look really hard at what it was cuz it was toooo small, toooo tiny to confirm...

YES! MY FIRST SNOW!!
As pathetic as it was...i am not a SNOW VIRGIN anymore! Think bad sex...but sex nevertheless!

Malaysians sprouting in Brussels...20th - 21st Jan

Mini tarts;
I am sure some of you have heard of the freak storm that wiped most of Western Europe late Thursday (and now heading towards eastern Europe). It was one of the craziest weather conditions i ve ever witnessed and be in...imagine winds strong enough to blow my 80kg mass away while walking (no kiding!)
The company even issued a quick notice to all employees to leave work!
The following day...clear, blue skies! As if not bothered bout the over 20 lives taken, businesses halted, transportations gone awry etc.


Who: 6 (or more!) Malaysians and some others...
Where from: 5 (or more!) different locations
Where to: Brussels
When: THIS WEEKEND!

The plan started when Weihan and Flo decided to come over for their own Euro trip, followed then by a last minute shout out to RenBin in Denmark, PakYang in Finland...some others too...and after days of crazy planning and ticket buying, we re all ready for a crazy hell of a time!

Milo, chor dai di, speaking Manglish, some Malaysian food...all in the background of the cosmopolitan Brussels! And speaking of timing...my aunt will be there courtesy of her own Euro trip! But i gotta rush for that, her trip to Brussels apparently is just for 3 hours, and i have just half an hour for me to arrive and catch her! Shes got some pineapple tarts, dried pork and PeiPahKor (chinese medicine) for me...how the hell she got it through customs i dont know!

Not to forget, its the Global Coordinators meet will take place in Leuven, so Weihan and Flo will need to butter up to some coordinators if they re still interested in traineeships! As for Flo, she can get a "direct feedback" from the UBS dude that rejected her! Poor girl...

Anyways point is...Segala will be there! So theres plans to meet for sure! And the icing on the cake...Ana will be there too! My two bestest friends in Bonn, my bestest friends from Malaysia...my aunt...one city, its gonna be FANTASTISCH (pardon my Deutsche!) ;D

Oh yeah, did i mention this is just PART 1 of the Malaysian gathering...PART 2 happens in SIN CITY...Amsterdam! This time just me, Eric, Flo and Weihan! Cant wait...!

Malaysia Boleh

Its 2007...and i thought i would begin my first post of the year with something positive. I would like to promote about the land i call home, where people of diverse colors, religions, cultures and ethnicity live and mingle, which as a result of this wonderful concoction produces one of the worlds best culinary delights, plus an easy care free life that balances the determination to ensure the land continues it progressive growth...thats Malaysia.

2007 is officially VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR (VMY). Not only that, 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of Malaysia as well. The golden jubilee marks a significant milestone in the history of our nation...and the country wants to celebrate by welcoming the world to our backyard!

Not to mention, here is one of several news worthy item (one which actually do get posted on prominent global news sites) that certainly makes us proud to be Malaysians. Our very own aviation tycoon, Tony Fernandes of Air Asia (low cost and no frills airlines, the biggest in Asia) fame, has unveiled plans to a new no frills, long haul airline called Air Asia X (sounds a little "porn-ish" though). This guy has done it again...we re talking bout opportunities to travel from Europe or America to KL without burning our wallets, what more with sky rising oil barrel per day prices! It ll be a reality some day soon...everyone can really fly! Without a doubt one of my idols of the business world!

The ladies of Air Asia...in their red, hot, chilli attire! They definitely make the "short" haul become a"long" haul!

Next up...first you have the London Eye.

Then theres one in Champs Elyssee in Paris that came out apparently out of nowhere.

The posh ferris wheel fever is catching up now in good ol KL! Built (apparently also out of nowhere) as an attraction for Visit Malaysia Year 2007...this 60m high circular giant will provide a breath taking view of KL's skyline be it day or night! But i just dont fathom the misleading name though...its called "The Eye on Malaysia"; firstly whats with copying the "Eye" name, plus its a birdseye view of Kuala Lumpur...not Malaysia.

The Ferris wheels of (from l-r); Paris, London, KL and one of the gondolas.

I guess i ll save another entry just on our food alone! But till then, for those interested...i strongly recommend to put into your travel plans a visit to Malaysia...better so during August as its the birthday month of the country. Its gonna be a colourful period...a festivities filled year which the country is hosting, and YOU ARE ALL INVITED!!!

3,2,1...

HAPPY 2007 everyone!! Aus guten rutsch im neue jahr!! Selamat Tahun Baru!!! Xin nien kuai le!!