Tuesday, September 11, 2007

19th Thailand International Swanboat Race 2007

Was an entirely smashing new experience for me, being the first time competing against other nationalities (in the arena of dragon-boating that is). Other teams from HK, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, USA and of course, Thailand, were representing their own nations. Feels kinda weird competing against the 3 teams sent from HK though. They're really good.

The Phillipines national team won the race in the end (was it even surprising? they're muslces like, 2-3 times more hypertrophied than I am...) hands down, even the Team Thailand's standing-row strategy was no match for them. So floored by the power of their strokes...if only the standard of the local teams would push it up till...oh stop dreaming.

It'll be insane if you step into thailand without doing any shopping. Things here are hella cheap (a few cents for a bottle of bottled water!? omg.), and their markets are gi-normous to the point of the possibility of getting lost in there forever. The ever helpful teammates who frequents Bangkok took the team around these massive shopping areas, but the most intriguing parts was the Chatuchak weekend market, where there was this huge section selling pets. I've never been surrounded by so many bunnies in my life.

Stuffed myself silly trying out all the Thai food, to which my teammates would sadly shake their heads and mutter that I've only tried less than 5% of what Thailand has to offer, cos well, Im a wuss to spicy food. Im thoroughly contented by getting to eat mango sticky rice on a daily basis though, so its all good!

It so difficult to blog nowadays, now with working full time, studying part time and training for the November race...will try to blog about the significant events though. Stay tune people

P.S: wanna check out more photos? its at facebook. seeya

Posted by hamsterphile at 9/11/2007 11:55:00 PM

Saturday, July 28, 2007

People of note while bumming back at HongKong.

tried to do everything this time while Im back, sightseeing with Amber&co., major shopping and catching up with everyone else. Which was awesome cos I got to meet everyone this time, from Michelle whos back from Sydney doing her final year in vet med, Doc kw doing her final year in med and wand*** whos recently graduated (congrats ar!), grams has gotten so much thinner since I last met her (poor thing), and here are the pictures immortalised on my blog for all to see, I so dont have time to blog in detail!

One of them has GOTTA be my idol, what a rare chance for me to catch her within this week of me being back, and there she was at the primiere of The Simpsons movie (shes behind the voice of Bart Simpson...in cantonese, no less!) totally cant get used to her short cropped hair though, she is so much prettier in longer hair!

Doc kw and Joey (whos extremmmmmly shy) and Wand*** whos as usual, wayy fairer than I'll ever be. the camera-person has evidently not held a sony digicam in her life before, check out her finger in the corner of the pic...

my dearest grams! and a super-rare glimpse of my grands, whos has given "full face" to come out from his hermit house to have dinner with me at this grand-looking 酒樓

Last but not least, the good people whom I've travelled back with, here is Amber&co., and we took a miraculous 15min to queue up and take pictures with the famous Mickey and Minnie mouse of HK Disneyland. Fun times which will be unforgettable....

so need to go back when the weather is cooler!

Posted by hamsterphile at 7/28/2007 12:07:00 AM

Friday, July 27, 2007

Where did all that motivation come from?!

This has gotta be the first time that I've finished an important assignment TWO WEEKS ahead of the deadline. Perhaps its gotta do with the fact that I'm flying back and I didnt want to be bogged down by the vexation of an impending report, or that I just decided that I'll give myself a challenge to see how fast I can finish it up.

So I did, from last Sunday till today I been sleeping after 3am, the latest one being 5am, so you could imagine a zombie trundling her way to work for the past few days. Didnt help that there was an oversease speaker for which I've to attend every single lecture, and I had to struggle to stay awake under the bosses prying eyes.

Results: complete of Evidence Based Practice assignment in 5 nights! -need a well deserved pat on the back-

props to Cindy aka prince william's princess for vetting and advicing me on my clinical question!!!

Posted by hamsterphile at 7/27/2007 11:59:00 PM

Monday, July 16, 2007

The Never-Ending Annoyance of Local Service Standards.

My patience is usually on a level that is way above others in comparison, but this totally made me blew my head off the moment I got the news. Not that it was the best time to get this kind of news (I just got home from a super-loaded day at the wards + 3.5hrs of intensive lectures), but the incredulity of it renders me speechless for moments.

I had placed an order almost 3 weeks ago with COURTS for the installation of air-conditioning cos my skin condition was very near the range of "cannot make it". So there I went with my folks, paid for the whole thing by credit card, and arranged for the installation to be on the 9th this month.

Then 2 days later they called up, saying that the orders were overflowing, and that they will only be able to do the installation on the 17th instead. Already slightly annoyed 'cos they are delaying it by almost 2 weeks, I just agreed, asking my dad to take a day off on the 17th to oversee the operation.

More annoyance arrived when they called up yet again and tried to push it further back to the 19th of the month. Dad then did the right then and hollered over the phone that they had better get their furry arse over on the 17th and get the installation done and over with. They agreed.

The last straw came this evening when I got home, and mom came up to me in a fluster, trying to break the news as gently as possible. Apparently my mom called up the ever-so-friendly COURTS to confirm the timing of them arriving tommorow, only to hav her waiting by the phone for almost FIVE FRICKIN' HOURS, and when she finally got to talk to someone, they told her that the air-conditioner we had PLACED AN ORDER AND PAID FOR MORE THAN A FORTNIGHT AGO had RAN OUT OF STOCK. They made absolutly no attempts to salvage their rapidly declining reputation in my mom's perspective and it had to take my mom to ask them when will be the earliest date of arrival of the new stock, only to hav the answer spat back at her as "no lei, aunty we dunno whether we can...or we cannot, cannot make it in time" (or something to that effect). Mom made the smart and prompt move to cancel the order, stat.

So my poor folks had to scurry over to Gaincity to place another order, whom this time round, at least sounded more friendly when they hav confirmed the stock, but installation will have to be on the 13th of August (CRAPPPPPPPPP.) as the orders for installation were on a long waiting list.

So tell me, with this kind of abysmal service that is provided in a supposedly reputable electrical appliance store, how can I ever give positive comments to friends from foreign regions? When I scoff at the local-service here; Im often perceived as being arrogant, but my aloofness does not come without justification.

Now imagine if this had happened to you instead. How would you have reacted and what would you have done?

I detest words that comes without any meaning attached to them. so very much.

Posted by hamsterphile at 7/16/2007 10:28:00 PM

Monday, July 02, 2007

Japanese in an English Cottage.

Is what Ma Maison is, when I first checked the place out with Amber (who unfortunately has gone there before but didnt tell me! eeks). Originally in Bugis Junction, it now has a branch over at The Central@Clark Quay, where we had dinner last friday. Love the interior decor the moment I stepped into the place, the entire establish is based on the concept of a cosy little inn, where patrons 'checks in' to dine and overlooking at the cashier are a series of pigeon holes, where the guests would present their 'keys' to the manager where they'll 'check out' and pay for their meals. Tried their famous doteni hamburger steak, where this awesome beef/pork patty would be topped with a slightly seared sunny side-up, glazed with a beef stew which has been simmered for an entire month. This thing just melted right into my mouth and the beef flavour isnt too over-powering, and the runny sunny side-up makes it smooth on the palate. Awesome! Amber had the omu-rice with beef stew, which was equally good, but she mentioned that I could make better scrambled eggs than them. Ha, perhaps I'd one day open an egg-based concept restaurant, specialising in cooking eggs in everyway known to man. It'll be called...Eggs-tronomic. Random thoughts flitting through my mind again!

The crave for this taste got to me so much so that I went with Jaz today for post-race dinner in less then a week's time. And in the future, I'd go only on mondays cos....when we both got seated down (Jaz was exctedly gazing around the cosy furniture and decor), there was a shiny placard on the side saying "For Ladies, 20% off on all ala carte items" so to my dearest female friends, do go there on a monday if you ever wanna try their awesome food, male friends too, just make sure you have a friend with XX chromosome with you to enjoy the same discount...

One more exciting dinner coming up next week...can't wait!