Extremely Busy Day

I am glad I finished doing the occupation certificate application for two companies.

I also prepared everything that the boss needs for his meeting with the Ministry of Education at Putrajaya tomorrow morning. On 17 June 2008, the boss said the project was on hold but after attending the Consultants meeting last Thursday, everything is back to full swing until my colleagues have exactly one week to produce all the drawings. Argh!

The boss and lady boss knew that I was working flat out today and therefore lady boss called the office boy during lunchtime and told him to make sure he helped me. Well, he helped since he submitted the occupation certificate applications to KK City Hall this afternoon. Otherwise I would be skinned alive since I promised the client it would be done today. Tomorrow he has to go to Tuaran District Council to do the same thing.

Half of 2008 Has Gone By

I find that time really goes by too quickly. Maybe because I am always busy at work so time flies.

Here’s a quick half year review on my New Year’s Resolution (Improvement).

Firstly, I really want to improve on my relationship with God - Still need lots of improvement.

Secondly, I want to improve on my relationship with people, be it with family, friends, colleagues or strangers – Still need lots of improvement

Thirdly, I hope I can be more discipline in sleeping and can sleep early – Has been sleeping early the past few nights (if that counts). Need to keep that up.

Fourthly, I hope I can cut down on my internet time at night – Still need to be improved

Fifthly, exercise, something I used to do but gave up totally in 2008 – zilch, non-activity. Definitely a red mark!

Sixthly, to have a constant weight – This is by far the best – at 42-43kg. In fact yesterday when I was having lunch with Lily Tan and Sophia Tsen, Lily said I had lost more weight until I am skinnier than her. I don’t think so Lily. I still got lots of cellulite that is ‘for my eyes only’.

Still need lots of improvement in the second half of 2008. *sigh*

Lunch at Recipe House

After Canaanland Celebration today, I met Sophia Tsen and Lily Tan at Recipe House, Damai Plaza for lunch to celebrate Sophia’s belated birthday.

Sophia ordered Tempura Set with rice and side order of Fried Tofu which we shared between the three of us.

Lily ordered N.Z. Beef Udon with Salad.

I ordered Sushi Set.

The food was very fresh as usual.

We stayed there to eat and talk for about two hours, enjoying the food and each other’s company.

Ah! The Joy of Sleeping

Last night slept for seven hours and felt extremely contented when I woke up at 6.30a.m. this morning to do the big business. Then went back to sleep for another two hours. Total of nine hours sleep. Wowee.

(Yesterday had one and a half hours sleep after grocery shopping and this afternoon had two hours sleep before dinner.)

Had Ayamas Chicken Curry with bread for breakfast.

After trying three different brands (Ayamas, Red Daisy Flower and Yeo’s) of curry in the past few months, I still prefer the Yeo’s Brand. There is more ‘kick’ to it as compared to the other two brands.

As for the choice of OJ between Peel Fresh and Sunkist, eventhough Sunkist is supposed to be imported from the USA through F&N, I still prefer Peel Fresh. I can really taste the sac inside Sunkist OJ but Peel Fresh OJ tasted more refreshing and probably had more sugar content. Maybe that is why I like it more.

Sleeping Early

I have been good the last few nights. I have been sleeping early and getting at least seven hours of sleep each night. I feel refreshed when I woke up in the morning.

I have to keep this up because from next week onwards I do not have an assistant to help me anymore and therefore I have be more alert and have more energy to get more work done in the shortest time.

Today after work I came home to have lunch before going for grocery shopping with mum at Servay Hypermarket, Likas.

We have not been to grocery shopping for three weeks now and therefore the total price of things bought came to about RM250, of which RM90 were my personal things. Things are getting more expensive but since most of the stuff are neccesities, we cannot do without them.

We bought some medium size prawns for RM6/kg and tonight mum cooked some for dinner and they tasted very fresh.

Dealing with Unreasonable Client

Today I was scolded by one of the company’s clients, Mr. Chia. I always have problems with him or should I say he always gives me problems. His speech is quite rough and he would scold like anything. But each time when he is speaking in front of the boss, he can become like a cat and so polite.

Sometimes because clients do not know the authorities’ procedures, they think that we can do whatever that they want us to do. He scolded me for something I wrote in the documents to be submitted to the Council. He kept on insisting that he was correct but I had to pin-point to him what was wrong with what he was thinking. I hope the Council would issue his company the Occupation Certificate after we submit all the documents next week so that I do not have to deal with him anymore.

Mystery Solved

Found an unusual transaction in the company May 2008 bank statement which I have been trying hard to figure out which party had banked in but did not fax the bank-in slip or inform me. I gave up yesterday and decided to call the bank instead.

The receptionist passed the phone line to one of the current account officers, Mr. Ang. I was surprised that he did not ask me whether I am a signatory or given the authority to check out such information which normally they would do. He told me he had to check first and would call me back before the end of the day. When he finally did call back, he uttered a branch where the cheque was banked in from. I only knew the place was in Selangor, Peninsula Malaysia. But I still could not figure out which company yet.

This morning I finally figured out which company it was after praying hard to God to help me. I did not want to waste anymore time to solve the mystery. The company had combined two payments on the same cheque and therefore the amount did not look familiar to me.

Thank God for mystery solved.

Of course I am fierce!

Had an interesting conversation with the office boy TI during lunchtime today.

I was asking him how do some staff who are working in Kota Kinabalu City Hall look like. He described those people to me. He also told me that they asked him how I look like. So he told them I am short and petite. But the answer did not satisfy them. They asked whether I am fierce because I sound very fierce. Haha Yup don’t play play with me when it comes to work.

Recently when TI was delivering some documents to a staff Mr. Lo in the electricity company, he had some queries. TI told him that he will call me but Mr. Lo told him not to call me. He will call the boss himself. TI said he sounded as if he was scared of me. Good for me because he used to bully me and made me fulfill all his ridiculous and unreasonable whims. At least now he is quite courteous on the phone. When I did not do the amendments that he asked for a while ago, I guess he figured out that I am not a force to be reckoned with.

Company Lunch

Today bosses invited all office and some site staff for lunch at Grand Portview Seafood Restaurant. The lunch was to welcome a new draftslady and a farewell for my assistant, the UMS student. Tomorrow will be her last day.

The set menu of RM200 nett per table consisted of the following.

1. Soup of the Day – Beetroot – Tasted absolutely yummy. (Reminded me of this favourite soup I always had in Down Under. Now I know mum did not put enough beetroots because the ones she made were usually not sweet enough. I thought the beetroots here are not sweet. I have to tell her to put more next time)
2. Fried ‘Choy Sum’ with Dried Prawns. Enough wok ‘hei’. Tasted very crunchy.
3. Fried Sweet ‘Sawi’ with Garlic. Tasted very nice and tender.
4. Lamb Chop with LP Sauce. Too many bones and not enough meat. Tasted ok though.
5. Fried Fish with Thai Sauce. Too dried eventhough with Thai Sauce.
6. Braised Goose in Mini Wok. The most unpopular dish. I think should be duck, not goose.
7. Steamed Rice
8. Fruits Platter – Pineapple, Watermelon and Rose Apple. Pineapple – very sour and therefore I did not eat any. Watermelon – looked very unappetising because colourless. But the sweetest I ever tasted. Something must be wrong. Rose Apple – not ripe enough.

Eventhough there were only nine people on each of the two tables, there was not much leftover except the Braised Goose in Mini Wok. Colleague JE took away the leftover.

After lunch, some of us went to see one of our project sites. We found some interesting construction methods being used. The Resident Engineer offered to take some photos for me since I did not bring my camera.

“Queen’s” Carpark

Yesterday my colleague KK asked me after he came back from lunch why I am parking the car at the “Queen’s” (lady boss’s mum) carpark.

I told him lady boss told me to do that until middle of next month since the “Queen” is away in Europe.

Everyone who knows the “Queen” would not dare to do that because she would not give anyone face including the company’s clients. She would scold people for parking in her carpark eventhough clients would not know that the carpark is reserved for her. Besides there is no sign saying ‘Reserved’ so how would people know?

Rumours of Petrol Stations Going on Strike Part 2

Today one of the local newspapers Daily Express had these two articles regarding the rumours.

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=58369

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=58371

Rumours of Petrol Stations Going on Strike

The bosses came back after lunch at around 2.30pm. They said there were long queues at all petrol stations from their house to the office. They were wondering whether the price of petrol would be going up again soon. We said it could not be because the PM had promised no such thing for the meantime. I quickly checked on the online news but at that time I cannot see any of such kind of news being uploaded.

But at around 3pm a contractor Mr. Wong CZ came to the office to fetch the boss for site inspection at one of the project sites. He told me there were rumours being circulated that petrol stations would go on strike on Thursday. He looked at me, smiled and told me that the strike would not affect me because I walk to work. Yeah, right!

After Mr. Wong left with the boss, the major topic of conversation was of course the rumours that have been circulating.

I called up an architect’s firm and asked the secretary whether her boss had said anything because he is the owner of the Shell petrol station near our office. Her boss told them probably it would happen in Sabah next week, not in two days’ time.

Below are among the measures suggested by us to take during this period if our cars do run out of petrol if the strike is going to be one whole week:-

1. Go and stay at spinxie’s house since her house is the nearest to the office.
2. Ride bicycle.
3. Take the whole week off.
4. Spinxie suggested they bring their own foldable mattress and sleep in the office.

By 4.30p.m. another source told us she called Petronas and she was told that Petronas would be on strike the next four days.

Rumours had it that the petrol stations had to close down because the transporter for the fuel are asking for higher commission since they are still earning the same rate of commission even after the fuel hike on 4 June 2008.

So after all that had been said we do not know which rumour is true and which is false. Sometimes rumours only make us more confused in the long run.

I filled up the fuel tank to 70% full yesterday morning and so I decided not to fill it up to full tank on the way home this evening. A normal five minutes journey home became twenty five minutes and I was not even using the highway. I think if I had used the highway I would take even longer time to get home.

One good thing that came out from the massive traffic congestion was that I was able to catch a glimpse of the beautiful sunset which I normally do not get if driving is smooth all the way home.

Cleanliness

Today before I had my lunch I went to the loo to relieve myself and to wash my hands before I ate.

When I was going into the temporary (renovation is still going on in the office) lunchroom, all my colleagues had started eating their lunch which the office boy took away for us from the Jawa shop. I was thinking ‘oh my, this bunch of people did not even bother to wash their hands before they eat when everything is so dusty in the office’. I let them finished their lunch first since there was insufficient space to accomodate another person on the table.

Only after they finished then the office boy and I had our lunch.

Before the day was over, my colleague NE told me that while she was eating her lunch at another area outside the temporary lunchroom, that bunch of people came out and asked her how come she could sit there when the construction workers were leaning on the chairs not long ago. She did not answer them.

We came to this conclusion: Cleanliness for one person may not be for another.

P/S. I have seen people in public loos – young and old who went to the loo, came out and walked straight out from the loo without washing their hands. And these loos do not have any water pipe inside the loo itself

Learn the PC

Yesterday my colleague who is based at the project site and the one whom I helped with the report last Saturday came to office and told me to improve something for him.

I told him I got major deadline to meet but he would not hear anything about it and insisted that I helped him eventhough I told him I would improve on the next report. He even instructed me to call CL at his own office to check how many sets of report he needed to prepare because he had no idea when I asked him. By then I was quite mad because he and CL are in the same office and yet he did not take the initiative to ask her himself. He even had the guts to say that CL does not know much. I even up scolding him because CL has been working in the construction company longer than I have been working in the company.

He also told me he wanted to learn to use the pc so that he can do the report himself. So I told him to learn quickly to make my life and maybe CL’s life easier as well.

Lunch at Recipe House

Today after Canaanland Celebration, Monica Leong and I were planning to go to 1 Borneo but she read in the newspapers that a famous Chinese singer was going to appear there at 1p.m. so we postponed the trip to some other time.

We ended up going to Recipe House at Damai Plaza.

Monica had Tempura Udon.

I had Beef Roll Furai Set.

Both dishes tasted great. The beef roll looked slightly on the darker side but the beef did not taste tough at all.

We talked until 2p.m. before I went to Khidmat Supermarket to buy some stuff on the way home. As we came out of the shop, the sky was turning darker.

I shared with Monica that lately the rain usually came down after I arrived home and I really thanked God for that.

I-Clay

Yesterday when I came home from work, I found something new sticking on the fridge. I was thinking probably Chloe got it from somewhere or someone gave them to her.

When I came upstairs, she was reading and sorting out her things in the spare room (Jeff’s room). I asked whether the arts teacher came this morning for lesson since I did not see any new drawing done on the table.

She said she did something for arts class and proceeded to show me these fruits and veges fridge magnets done using I-Clay.



Besides the fruits and veges, she also did the following using I-Clay as well. I think they are so cool.

Being Lukewarm

This morning when I was having my shower before I left for work, the hot water that came out was lukewarm. I did not like the feeling at all.

I cannot adjust it to hotter because the button does not work since long time ago. I would have to change the whole hot water system if I want to make the adjustment. So I have been bearing with it until the whole thing kaput on me. On most days the water that comes out is hot enough for me.

I like my shower hot to begin my day or even in the evening but on an extremely hot day I do not mind a cold shower once in a blue moon.

The lukewarmness reminded me of the Word in Revelation 3:15-16 ‘I know your deeds that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.’

I may be taking the Word out of context here but it is just a gentle reminder to me in my walk with the Lord.

Wanna Join the Club?

Last week I received a call on my mobile phone by one of the leisure club in Kuala Lumpur (I forgot the name mentioned). I told the caller I am not interested to join their club and hung up on her.

Earlier on this week someone who knows that I am using the office mobile phone must have divulge the information to Hotel Armada KL because the caller called my name when in fact the mobile phone number is registered under company name. I told the caller I was not interested to join their club and she said she’ll call me back later. (Please Do Not Call Me Back. Didn’t You Hear Me Loud And Clear? I Said I Am Not Interested)

A few days ago I received a call from Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel. The caller said I am entitled to a free voucher to stay at the hotel for two days and one night. I have to go to Beverly Hotel in Kota Kinabalu to collect the voucher but when I told the caller I am not interested, she was surprised and started to ask all sort of questions. I just hung up on her.

These are just some examples I encountered recently. I had encountered many more in the past.

There was once (December 2006) a caller told me I had won two free vouchers to dine at a Atlantis Restaurant. I asked the caller where she got my mobile phone number and she said I entered a contest not so long ago, which I swore I did not. She was just making it up. And in order to claim the free vouchers she gave me a place that I had to go to in Tg. Aru Plaza to collect them. She kept on calling and asking me when I would be there. So I dropped by one Sunday afternoon.

It was a lifestyle club, something like time share thing but this one involved not only accomodation but also airticket, fitness, etc. I was served a cup of tea on a nice set of cup and saucer (which I did not drink … can I have Milo instead? *grin* nah I did not ask for that). I told the staff I wasn’t interested after her long explanation. I was actually falling asleep because the place was nicely scented as well. She was cool about it and I asked for her name. We started chatting and discovered that we attend the same church but I have never seen her before. Small world. She had resigned from the place since then.

After this encounter I become wiser and just answered 'I am not interested' whenever I received these sort of calls.

Too Lazy

Yesterday one of my colleagues who is based at the project site called up to ask whether I know there is a meeting on next Tuesday. I told him I do but it is not my job to tell him about the meeting. (If I remember I would tell him next Monday) Anyway he told me he did not know eventhough someone (I’ll called her CL) had already told him. He insisted that CL did not tell him. Two third of the month has passed by and if he did not do his report no matter if there is a meeting on or not, then he only has himself to blame for his own laziness. Afterall he knows the rules. It is not that today is his first day on his job.

He told me he would come back to the office next Monday so that I can help him to do his report. I asked why he cannot come tomorrow (meaning today) so that I do not have to be all stressed out on Monday to rush the report for him. He is among some of the site staff who does not know how to use the pc. And it is not my job to do the report for him but I do that so that my boss would not receive any flak during the meeting.

Anyway he came this morning and I finished the report for him quickly as the project has only started not too long ago and therefore there is not much to report. But the thing is after he returned to the project site, he told CL to help him to make his report looks better. Excuse me? You are doing your report at the last minute and you are expecting it to look good when you do not know how to use the pc. My, aren’t you getting too demanding there? For goodness sake just stick with it and hope for a better presentation or improvement in the next report.

One thing I have to emphasise here is that all these site staff think that I owe them to do their report for them and always ask for too much. There is another colleague who did not give me enough information and expect me to do the whole thing for him, or better still the boss to do it for him (he really said that). When I mentioned to the boss I did not have enough information, the boss called him up and lo & behold the information was given by him the next day!

These old men are simply too lazy and expect to be spoon fed! They think they can bully me to do their job for them. How about sharing some of the pay with me as well? Haha Don't even dream!

Newly Tar Road

Exactly a week ago when I came home after having buffet hi-tea at Pac Pacific Sutera Hotel, workers were working hard to put tar on the road leading to my house.


But they did not do the same thing on the road in front of my house (see the white bit). *sigh*


Also the next day I realised that there was a part of the road that they did not put the tar on. Looks kinda out of place or ugly to me. I think either someone’s car was parked at the place at the time or one of the machineries was parked there.

MIA

My colleagues JE and NE had been on leave these past three days. Others have been doing their work to meet deadlines.

I was scolded by another consultant R two days ago because JE supposed to tell him whether R’s proposal was feasible or not and JE did not mention to R he would be on leave the next day. (I also did not have any idea that he would be on leave so please stopped scolding me when it had nothing to do with me!) When JE called yesterday to say that he would be extending his leave for yesterday and today as well, at least I had the chance to ask him about R’s proposal.

Dinner at Home

Had these for dinner tonight.

Veges

Chicken

Beancurd with Minced Pork and Prawns

Wonton with Minced Prawns

Yummy!

Phone Technician

The house phone had been out of order for more than ten days. I only found out about it a week ago when I could not go online. After the Telekom phone technician came to fix the line, surfing the internet was not a problem but incoming and outgoing calls were not fixed. So I lodged in another complaint two days ago.

Today the Telekom phone technician came again. I have no idea whether the same person came or not because I was not home on both occasions.

Anyway after the technician repaired the phone today, mum called me and told me that the technician said I could no longer use the internet in my room anymore and that I have to put the pc downstairs. After I hung up the phone, I wanted to lodge a complaint to Telekom for such an incompetent employee. I have been using broadband for more than one and a half years and I did not encounter any such problem before. How come suddenly I cannot do that anymore? Anyway I did not call Telekom yet but instead came home to check things out first.

Mum kept on saying the technician said I cannot use the internet in my room anymore because he changed a gadget for the phone. I put my internet phone wire inside one of the holes of the gadget and came upstairs. My external modem could detect the phone line so I am able to surf from my room once again. So happy …

Tired

Have been quite tired this week and therefore trying to sleep early to recuperate from the fatigue.

Thank God my flu and cough recovered during the weekend after having enough sleep. The thing with me is that I would get sick if I do not get enough rest. I hardly depend on medicine to get well again. But the thing is sometimes it is not that I do not want to go to dreamland early. I would be extremely tired but could not sleep. I am definitely getting older but still young in heart.

Little Things in Life

Took these photos today. Same target but using different functions.



Was listening to this CD - The Best of Andrea Bocelli Vivere the whole day at work today. Enjoyed the music very much.

Nightmare

Yesterday just before I woke up I had a nightmare.

I was window shopping in a place with old shoplots which I do not recognise. I think I have not been there before and I do not know whether it actually exists in real life.

I realised there were not many people walking around the shoplots. Suddenly I had the urge to answer to nature call. There were a few wooden doors to go in, in a row which I presumed where toilets as there were no signs on any of the doors. I only saw one woman went inside one of them. But as I stepped my feet into one of them, I saw a man walking out from there. I quickly run to escape but the man was following me from behind. I was so scared as he came near me.

Immediately I woke up and thanked God that I was only dreaming.

Staff Meeting

This morning we had staff meeting as soon as the bosses arrived at work at 8.30a.m.

The first thing the boss said as soon as all of us sat down was that two projects have been postponed because the government has no money. Then he said, ‘we will review your salary’. After that his mobile phone rang and he had to answer the call. Because of the first statement he said and followed by the second statement, I think all of us were thinking that we will have a cut in our salary.

The thing that was running through my mind at that time was ‘well, it won’t be the first time. (My colleagues all had a cut in their salary just before I joined the company nine and half years ago) Since then, it never happened again. But with the fuel hike, it was certainly not good news. But at least still have a job though.'

After the boss finished his conversation, everyone became so attentive in what he had to say about the salary review. He explained that since the fuel hike, everyone is feeling the pinch in their pocket and the bosses understand what we are going through at this time. And therefore they will increase everyone’s salary w.e.f. July 2008. Yippee! *phew *

We were extremely happy and relieved to hear that and most colleagues I asked after the staff meeting said that they also thought of a cut in our salary as well, not increase. Haha

Thank you boss for thinking about us once again.

Lunch

This is the Jawa food (curry chicken, beef rendang and mixed veges) I usually have for lunch if I am too lazy to go out (because of the hot sun or I have migraine) with the chilli and soup.

Used to cost RM3.50 for two meats and one veges dishes. Since the fuel hike last week, it has gone up by 50 sen to RM4.00.

Sunrise or Sunset?

I am still figuring out how to use different functions in my digital camera.

This is a photo I took today.

Do you think it was taken this morning or this evening?

Dinner at Tg. Aru Beach Food Court

Tonight I had dinner with Lily Tan, Sophia Tsen and Choo Siow Chin at Tg. Aru Beach Food Court. Sophia Tsen drove all of us there while I parked the car at the shoplots outside Lily's house in Sunny Garden.

The chicken wings tasted absolutely yummy, very well marinated and cost RM1.50 each. The lamb satays were ok (I had tasted nicer ones elsewhere), and one thing we did not like was that the vendor put the 'ketupat' (rice) on the side and charged RM3 extra for that without asking whether we wanted them or not. The satays were 0.50sen each.



Choo did not comment much about the 'char keow teow', only that the portion was too big for her.



'Bakso' and 'Soto' are Jawa style beef noodles soup. Only difference is there are meatballs inside the 'Bakso'. Three of us enjoyed our noodles very much and I finished all the soup. Yummy.

‘Bakso’


‘Soto’

Sophia was really impressed with the RM4 OJ that she ordered. It was a big glass and the vendor did not skimp on the OJ at all. She shared with Choo.

Thank you Choo for treating us dinner.

Choo bought some guavas while I bought some cuttlefish before we went home.

Normal Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish with Sauce

Father’s Day

In this country Father’s Day is not as commercialised as Mother’s Day. If nobody tells me today is Father’s Day, I would not have a clue.

I lost my dad to colon cancer almost a decade ago. I had blogged about it previously.

Anyhow, time does heal the pain. I can remember the first few years after dad passed away, whenever Father’s Day was being celebrated in church, I still had tears running down my cheek when everyone was so happy celebrating this event.

Now it does not affect me as much anymore. But that does not mean that I do not miss dad. I may not think of him everyday but I still miss him even after ten years.

MSN

Two days ago my colleague NE was using MSN to chat with another colleague JL who is sitting in another room.

Lady boss wanted to check something on NE’s computer and saw that she’s chatting with JL. Lady boss reprimanded her not to do that anymore and told her to concentrate more on her work. Needless to say she was not pleased with that.

That is why for me I always put myself in ‘Appear Offline’ mode in MSN and ‘Invisible’ mode in Yahoo Messenger whenever I am at work. And I would usually only chat when the bosses are not in unless it was something urgent to do with work.

Fruits by Chloe Chong

Chloe painted this during art class at home yesterday.

Mum and I both like the apple.

The Day I Met Someone who Has Almost the Same Name as Me

Today I had the pleasure of the company of all these lovely ladies for a buffet hi-tea at Café Boleh, Pan Pacific Sutera Hotel.



All of them were ex-classmates except me. They are older than me by almost a decade.

Irene Ng (in orange T-shirt) who was sitting next to me is my former guardian’s sister. She just arrived around noontime today from Sydney via Kuala Lumpur and is staying at Magellan Sutera Hotel.

Mimi Quek nee Yew who is standing behind us is also a member of Canaanland Celebration. She was the one who saw the photo I uploaded into Facebook taken with Irene’s family in Sydney yonks ago and told me Irene would be back to Sabah at this time.

I obtained Irene's email address from Mimi and emailed her a few weeks ago asking if she remembers me. The thing was I did not know that they have a friend (the one wearing pink collar T-shirt) with the same English name and surname as mine. Even one of our Chinese name is the same (and I did put my Chinese name in brackets in the email).

Irene had to try so hard to crack her brains before she could figure out who was this joker emailing her. She thought her friend was being silly for asking her all sort of stupid questions when in fact they have been keeping in touch with each other all along. And especially she is the one who is helping her to book her accomodation at Magellan Sutera Hotel. So we had a big laugh when Irene recalled the whole incident to us.

It is so nice to be in touch with Irene and her family again after almost a quarter of a century of lost touch. And today I am so happy to see and talk to her again.

I will also get to meet Irene’s brother Francis Ng (my former guardian) in a fortnight’s time when he and his whole family come to Kota Kinabalu en route to Sandakan from Europe before they go back to Melbourne next month. Another occasion to look forward to.

As for the food at Café Boleh, it has improved as compared to the last time I was there more than five years ago. I liked the lamb chops, mussels, raw salmon and sushi. The fruit pavlova (I took it to remind Irene of her sis-in-law’s creation of this dessert) was too sweet for me. The cheesecake was just right for my taste, not too sweet.

Irene and Mimi shared the same birthday on 8 June. The rest of the gang insisted that they should share in paying for the bill. I thought we were supposed to be the ones to treat the birthday gals. But Irene ended up treating all of us and thanked everyone for meeting her.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed myself eventhough I was the odd one out. We laughed so much and were the last ones to leave at around 5p.m.


Calamari, Beef Rendang and Chicken Curry

Lamb Chops, Prawns; Beef and Chicken Satays

Lamb Chops, Mutton Curry and Chinese Styled Roast Beef

Mussels, Raw Salmon, Sushi and Jellyfish Salad

More Mussels, Raw Salmon and Sushi

More Sushi, Fruit Pavlova and Cheesecake

View of Outside from Cafe Boleh


View of Outside from Cafe Boleh