I am...

Typical of Chinese traditions (championed by my chinese half, my mum of course!), I was made to wait till midnight to pick the magic 4 digit! How? Ten pieces of papers depicting digits 0-9 are rolled in a jar. I will then jiggle the jar till a piece of paper drops out (miraculously only ONE always do). Do that for 4 times and voila...we're buying the number!!

Next was a rather peculiar one, my mum insisted that its a tradition...happening to me for the very first time! The prosperity infused tradition: Eat two boiled eggs! Well...I figured since the first meal as I turned 26 was nasi lemak (traditional and popular Malaysian food of rice cooked in coconut milk served with anchovies, nuts, chili paste and eggs), why not?? Prosperity hath come upon thee who ate two eggs...so they say!

Well...I am waiting! 2+6 = 8 (the most prosperous of all numbers in Chinese-dom). So its 2+6 = 2oo8. 28 is my birthdate...so I guess it ought to be a jolly good year! Bring it on...!

Recap of Dec activities

So Manila came and went...nothing but work in a satellite city known as Alabang, the Manila version of Cheras or Kajang. Did spend some quality nights in Makati, smack in central Manila, where the really good clubs, bars (with half naked girls dancing) and coups occasionally happen. Nope...didnt see no tank ramming into someone's wedding.

Speaking of wedding, the previous Sunday saw me presiding my 2nd wedding this year. Not only that I was also the emcee for the night...this was the wedding of the sister of a good friend of mine whom I grew up with. Thankfully nothing went wrong, which then made this question creep up...what if I were to do this emceeing thing fulltime!? It's not hell of a money...but it does get me to weddings with great food, the attention on me and of course...heaps of possibly good looking women! :)


However...the bride was soooo caught up in her wedding (who wouldnt?!) that she forgot to introduce me to her good looking friends. Instead when the last of the crowd left the hotel...it was just me, the bride (with family and close friends) and lots and lots and lots of admirers...all at an age where I believe their GRANDAUGHTERS would ve suited me! So there I go again...presiding yet another couple as husband and wife, emceeing a first wedding dinner successfully...and playing Mr Charming to aunts and grandaunts alike!

Nevertheless...I am opening up my humble (and excellent) service of playing priest (again) or even emceeing any one of my good friends weddings...I dont charge (much), but you MUST do PROPER introductions! :D And they say if I preside/emcee a third wedding...I ll suffer the ignominy of not getting hitched myself!! I say nay to that...and aye to the wedding emcee extraordinaire!! Bring on the weddings...whether by accidents or not!





The presider cum emcee in action. Congrats once again to the newlyweds, Yuen Fen and Chee Keong.

**************************************December**********************************


Now...its December and did I already mention how I bloody love Decembers?! 2007's Dec is sooo gonna be a blast that I pity Jan 2008 cuz it'll be my hangover month! We've got party's, birthday bashes, company dinners, Christmas, New Years Eve and to top it all off...Malaysia is on SALE!!!

Deloitte Consulting SEA (KL Office) Christmas Dinner, at Izzi KL

So now that I am done with emceeing the wedding, last Saturday saw me emceeing (and being part of the organizing committee) my company's Christmas dinner as well! The theme was "Retro 80" and noticably the ones who barely remembered the 80's made the most effort in dressing the part!! Case in point...allow me to introduce Ah Piao Wan... Eric trying his best to look like 80s Chow Yun Fatt!

Well, the ones that are didnt...lets just say maybe the 80's is one decade they dont particularly want to remember!


Me and the Choy's...Shooks and her yummy sis!

Dinner went super smoothly with great Italian food plus the nights activities really got the crowd going! Having 3 (and a half) ex AIESEC members there, you can be sure we ll induce some AIESEC culture in this event! Namely for us being the loudest, wildest and craziest people...and with a little drinking competition where "On your marks, get set, GO" is translated to "Thumbs on the table, chins on the table, eyes on water, GO!"






"Thumbs on the table..."





"Chins on the table..."








"Eyes on the water..."



Superstar ROLL!


Needless to say...we got a few people reintroducing what they had for dinner in the toilet!
"You want a piece of me...?! Or two!?"

Stand up for the Best Dressed Santa!

Anyways...the dinner closed with several Christmas carols being sung (rather enthusiastically I must say, even for Nat King Cole's "Chestnut Burning on an Open Fire"...it definitely was the red wine singing). Shortly before midnight...the gang than preceded to head to Velvet. I must admit...I am a Velvet virgin...so entering it the first time was amazingly awesome!! Crowds were bloody gorgeous (not for the men though), deco was eye pleasing and music was playing to the grooves of hip hop and R&B, my type of sounds to make the moves! One to come again!




I think the pre party to the real party really went well! Whats the "real party" all about...??Dec 19th...the Threesome Birthday Bash!!! Cuz having it threesome is always better than doing it alone!

Mabuhay from the Land of Smiles!

I can officially call myself a jet setter now! Not that I am complaining...but my next assignment within the current work that I do with Project Kerang had brought me to the land with the "Happiest People in the World"! What better way to add on to my fav month of the year!!

Where else can you find people who sing / hum to songs while they work (and we all know they can ALL sing!), have a local donut store named "Go-Nuts Donuts" and selling balud (THAT delicacy which you can only find here, the half formed chicken/duck in an egg) in a little store called "Dr Qwek Qwek, the Egg specialist"!

And I find Tagalog to be extremely exotic...not that I didnt before. Before this the only Pinoys that I know off was of Jennie's, Liv's and Amy's, even with these 3 their accents are sooo captivating and catchy! (as I type I am saying my words similar to how a Pinoy would!)

So, to begin with I have already been mistaken for looking like a Pinoy in the home office (my surname did confuse people apparently). You would think thats just a one off! No way!

As you embark in the Manila airport, every non-Pinoy will be issued an embarkation form. As for me, I only knew of this form ONLY WHEN I was at the immigration counter...after queueing up one bloody long line!
So you would think I may need a different approach when it comes to meeting the Philippina's (of which I vouch they are the prettiest girls in South East Asia, not withanding the Thai girls who are a close-shave second!).

Thus, in a Salsa club...and trying my best to look unPinoy.

me: Hey there, you know you look very much like a Chinese Malaysian? (I was standing next to a pretty thing in the bar)

PT: (balked at the thought of looking Chinese, perhaps insulted...then fakes a laugh) No...really?

me: Yeah...but judging from your accent, you re definitely not. By ppl here think I look like a Philippino...

PT: (giggle)... No you dont! But what are you?

Success...

Anyways, location wise I am far away from where a coup recently happened. Quite unfortunate really as that is the central business part of Manila. Was soo looking forward to another possible tank crashing into a hotel or office building! So where do we have to be based?? Now think of central Manila as KL. Where I am based, Alabang...which is a satelite city, is your Msian version of Kajang/Cheras in terms of development and distance! Why am I refraining from using Klang...hey, we ve got the worlds largest Jusco for a shopping mall up at High Hills (Bukit Tinggi). Here...well, nvm.

But the best view is from the highest point of the hotel I am staying, right at the 31st floor where you oversee Alabang and the rest of Manila central, surrounded by the sea and few more small islands. Its definitely a view I wouldnt mind having dinner at hotels na (the Pinoy's version of Lah)!