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There are so many things I miss about Hawaii - the cool weather (hot but not humid), beaches (white sand and turquoise water), food (everything is served twice the portion of what we have in Singapore), friendly people (aloha and mahalo!) and shopping (everyone thinks I’m a Jap tourist) among others. But what I really miss is being able to end the day looking into the golden sunset with not a ship in sight along the horizon. I can’t remember when I last saw a good sunset in Singapore…

These pictures were taken along the beach at the Hilton Waikola on Big Island (Hawai’i).

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Had to go on yet another business trip - this time to Manila - on the weekend of 9 Jun 2007. This trip was made all the more interesting by the fact that I was born there and had not been back for almost 28 years. More specifically, I was born at St Luke’s Hospital in Quezon City during the time when the late President Fidel Marcos was still mayor of St Juan. I was too young to remember this, of course.

As I had not been back for such a long time, I knew that I had to take some nice photos to show my parents. For that, I armed myself with Merv’s trusty Nikon D80 DSLR camera and equally potent but intimidating looking 70-200mm F/2.8 lens. For those who don’t know how this lens looks like, it is almost as long as my forearm, and fatter! In fact, thanks to my equipment, I even got into an interesting conversation with an air stewardess as I was taking this photo.

One of Philippine’s many many many islands.

SIA Girl: Hi, are you a professional photographer?
Me: Noleh, I just take for fun.
SIA Girl: Oh, your camera looks very big and powerful.
Me: Yah! (I then spend the next 15 mins blabbering non-stop about the advantages of a DSLR and its system of interchangeable lenses and bodies)
SIA Girl: So complicated… (at this point politely excusing herself to avoid passing out)

In retrospect, I should have just suppressed the geek in me and asked her to help me take a picture instead. There’s nothing like fond memories of sitting in a nearly empty Business Class munching away on steak with a glass of champagne in one hand. Ok, so maybe it was just sparkling apple juice but still.

Jeepney! Cheapest form of transport in Manila.

Though my schedule was very intense, thank God, I still managed to squeeze in a few hours of time to take photos. Thanks to a colleague’s recommendation, we visited Intramuros, a famous historical area in Manila. We certainly weren’t disappointed, having had a chance to take pictures of Fort Santiago and Manila Cathedral. Later in the evening, we also headed down to Manila Bay, where the sunset is reputed to be one of the best in the world. Unfortunately, due to overly cloudy skies, there wasn’t much of one in the end.

Other highlights of the trip included the amazing buffet breakfast at Shangri-La Hotel, tasting authentic Filipino food and listening to live music at the Green Belt.

Lastly, more photos on my PBase album here!

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On 15 Dec, I had to travel to Hong Kong for a one day work assignment, my first time travelling for work! I stayed there for 3D2N and also managed to do a bit of sightseeing in the process. The weather was perfect for walking around and at approximately 15°C, it was like having aircon outdoors. Not only that, Christmas atmosphere was in the air.

Accomodation

During the trip, I stayed at this 5-star business hotel called The Conrad which is quite near Admiralty MTR and right next to Shangri-La Hotel. There is also a huge shopping centre called Pacific Plaza right below the hotel. The good thing about this hotel is that it is within walking distance of many places of interest like The Peak pram station, Star Ferry Pier, Central District, etc. However, the irony was that whenever I asked the hotel receptionist for directions, they would always tell me to take a taxi, even if it were only a 5-10min walk away!

At HKD1700 a night (that’s roughly SGD340 a night and all paid for!), I was able to enjoy a pretty nice view of the city from my Superior View Room on the 36th floor, albeit blocked by a lot of tall buildings; and a sumptuous continental buffet breakfast every morning.

The biggest hotel room I’ve stayed in so far. Too bad I had to travel without wifey…

(Click on the image above for more pictures of the hotel and Pacific Plaza)

Tsim Sha Tsui

Tsim Sha Tsui, which lies at the southern tip of Kowloon, is probably the best place to get an unobstructed view of the famous Hong Kong skyline. To get there from Hong Kong Island where I was staying, the cheapest and most scenic way to travel is by hopping on board a Star Ferry from Pier 7. I can’t remember exactly how much it cost but it was pretty cheap and the ride took less than 10 minutes.

I was fortunate enough to visit right before Christmas as Harbour City, a really long mall next to the pier, was decorated very beautifully. I was also able to catch the daily light show where lights on major buildings on Hong Kong Island facing Kowloon would synchronize to music.

Night view of Hong Kong Island from Tsim Sha Tsui.

(Click on the image above for more pictures of Tsim Sha Tsui)

Mongkok

Mongkok is characterized by its many shops, food outlets and bustling night markets. It reminds me a lot of our Bugis Street back in Singapore, except many many times larger. To enjoy shopping here, one must be quite aggressive in bargaining. Unfortunately, not knowing Cantonese was a big handicap for me and I left the place empty handed.

Still, Mongkok was one of the highlights of my visit to Kowloon. If you’re one who draws energy from crowds, this is the place to visit!

If people call Hong Kong a city that never sleeps, it is probably because of Mongkok.

(Click on the image above for more pictures of Mongkok)

The Peak

The Peak is what the locals call Victoria Peak, a mountain situated on Hong Kong Island. Victoria Peak is about 550m tall and is one of the busiest tourist attractions in Hong Kong. I’m not surprised, judging by the spectacular view of the city and bay if offers. You can also see Kowloon Peninsula from up there. I heard that the best time to visit is at night when all of Hong Kong is lighted up. However, the late morning view I saw was no less stunning.

To get the The Peak, I had to take The Peak Tram, which runs every day from 7am to midnight. A return ticket costs HKD33 for adults and is a must to experience this enduring emblem of Hong Kong’s history.

I could sit here for hours just admiring the view and the cool breeze.

(Click on the image above for more pictures of The Peak)

Central

Central District is located on the northern part of Hong Kong Island and it is the financial centre or CBD of Hong Kong. There are many tall buildings in this area, especially banks, but the most interesting thing is how rows and rows of old shophouses lining the back alleys juxtapose against such a modern landscape.

My main goal of going to Central was to hunt for one of the most famous restaurants in Hong Kong called Yung Kee. Hong Kong is the home of dim sum and what better place to try it than at this restaurant. Besides, that was what the hotel receptionist recommended so I wasn’t going to argue. I must say it was really worth it!

Exploring the city is fun and it is impossible to get lost (unless given wrong directions like me!).

(Click on the image above for more pictures of Central)

At the end of the trip, I can definitely say that Hong Kong is a shopper’s and foodie’s paradise and I wish I could’ve spent more time there. If all goes well, I might be going back again in March 07 together with wifey, Ashley and some HopeIslanders! Really looking forward to that.

For all pictures of the trip, browse to my album here:
http://www.pbase.com/inkyneil/hongkong2006

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(Finally finished this post!)

Here are some pics from our first ever 3D2N Unit Retreat in Bintan. Though many of us have been together as a unit for almost 2 years now (INK’s, Chris’ & KC’s CGs), we have never had any chalet outings or retreats before. This was one of those rare opportunities for us to just hang out, free and easy style, and let our hair down (doesn’t apply to me for obvious reasons). It was also through this trip that I got to see the crazy side of some IslandHopies (you know who you are!). More on that later! *Heh*

The morning we were supposed to meet at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal started uneventfully enough. All seemed to be going smoothly until it was Juergen’s turn to cross the checkpoint. Suddenly, he realized that one of his green cards (either the Student Pass or Embarkation & Disembarkation Card) was missing. After much panic and many a silent prayer from us folks who could only watch helplessly from across the checkpoint, there were sighs of relief all around when he finally emerged with his card. The lady at the check-in counter apparently dropped it on the floor while she was processing our huge bunch of passports earlier. The first miracle of the trip had occurred!

Us on the 2nd deck of the ferry on what was to be a 1 hour ride. We passed the time by doing what we do best - taking photos!

We arrived at Teluk Sebung at around half past noon and didn’t take very long to clear customs. While queueing, we again did what we do best - take photos. It also helped that Ashley was having a lot of fun with her mum’s oversized hat.

IslandHope’s Cover Girl

Thankfully, there was no drama this time around and when we got through, a friendly resort staff was there waiting to greet us.

Welcome Priscilla Tham & … who? Who?! What does the sign say?? It’s been bugging me all night! *hyuks*

I don’t remember that eagle being there the last time Zhiyi and I visited.

Happy slapping - this is how it should be done.

After another brief ride on a bus chartered by the hotel, we arrived at Nirwana Gardens Resort only to find out that a huge crowd had just checked-out and many of the rooms wouldn’t be ready till much later. Nonetheless, time flew by pretty quickly as we passed the time by snapping pictures and having lunch.

Our accomodation in the background.

I like how the pool looks like it is stretching out into the ocean.

A rare photo with me in it! I spent a lot of time in that pool thanks to some people…

As it was raining in the afternoon, we spent most of the day in and around the hotel. Merv and Chris went to try their hand at archery and I must admit that they were pretty good at it. I was a little disappointed though that they didn’t try any tricks like shooting blindfolded or two arrows at once.

It’s pretty obvious from the photo below that I’ve never tried this before. Just look at that wussy way I draw the arrow!

Right next door, the air rifle gang were doing their rounds. It’s ironic that though you expect guys to be good at guns, they were summarily out-gunned by the girls. Leading the way was “beginner after beginner luck” Pris who popped one tin after another and Zhiyi “I used to be in NCC” cooly hitting the target on ALL tries!

This lady definitely deserves her stripes.

All that exercise carrying the baby has definitely given Zhiyi steady arms (all the better to hold a gun with!)

Gab’s really much better at this in Battlefield than in real life (thank God!)

While we were busy doing target practice, Ashley managed to keep herself entertained looking at a fountain nearby. I don’t know what’s so hilarious about water sprouting up from the ground but she was in stiches for a good minute or two.

And when was the last time something so simple in life could make you laugh so hard?

The afternoon shower eventually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Once the rain had cleared and the sun came out, we were able to enjoy beautiful blue skies and clear fresh air.

Not a trace of the haze in sight.

This is sure to give Ashley a tan.

From there on, the day passed pretty quickly with a game of Captain’s Ball at the pool followed by dinner at the poolside cafe. Half of the unit folks decided to go out to the kelong for dinner (seafood!) while half of us chose to remain at the hotel. I guess after the really tiring workout at the pool, I wanted to be within walking distance of my bed! Dinner was not too bad and we were able to enjoy live music from a traditional instrument and dance group.

Romantic poolside dinner for seven. Can you make out the traditional music band in the background?

After the performance, some of the dancers gave out flowers. Seeing how Ashley is too young for earrings, this will do for now!

We ended the day by taking a short stroll by the beach. The tide happened to be coming in and the sound of the waves lapping against the shore with the cool evening breeze blowing just filled us with so much tranquility. How nice to be able to stay in a house that is facing the sea and being able to hear the sound of the ocean every night. *Yawn*! I guess this is what those people who paid millions of dollars for bungalows at Sentosa will be able to enjoy…

This hammock isn’t big enough for Pris and Ashley, so guess who got kicked off!

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We started off the second day of our holiday by visiting my old church. Indeed, there were a few old faces I was hoping to see but it seems like almost everyone is working overseas now! Still, it was a nice experience seeing Ashley go through her first sabbath school class (the equivalent of sunday school for kids) without any major incident except for a diaper change halfway. Oh wait a minute, that is a major incident! Also, can you spot my dad teaching Bible study to the adults in the picture below? Hmm, I seem to be following in his footsteps!

Sabbath school with the rest of the kids.

After that, our family headed down to Padungan to have lunch at a chinese restaurant with Dawn’s family. Padungan is situated in the middle of Kuching city and the rows of old two to three storey shophouses on either side of the road don’t look much different from how they were like in the 80s. And yes, that old non-airconditioned blue bus is the same one I used to take home from school in my younger days. I still have fond memories of how the bus conductor would collect coins from us and give us colourful paper tickets in return (which I used to collect). Anyway, I heard that they are going to replace these buses with air-conditioned ones soon.

Something that I had really been looking forward to during the trip was to feast on seafood which is quite affordable in Kuching compared to Singapore. In fact, we were pretty lucky as I heard from my mum that some other relatives who visited just a few weeks prior to us didn’t get to enjoy any crab as it wasn’t the season. Oh, and there is also this special vegetable called bilin which grows near rivers and tastes heavenly when fried together with belachan. Great, I just made myself hungry at this ungodly hour!

After the sumptous dinner, we were off… to get even more food! My dad brought us to this cake shop that is supposedly famous for its chocolate cake. With all the good food in Kuching, now you know why Kenny complains that it’s near impossible to lose weight in Kuching. Thank God man I was born with skinny genes or else I’ll be twice the man I am today, literally!

Ok, after spending the whole day eating and eating, there was but one thing to do - relax on the sofa and watch TV.

Watch soccer or the cat? I can’t make up my mind…

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Just shy of her 7th month old birthday, wifey and I brought Ashley back to Kuching to visit my parents, especially my dad who had yet to see her. At the rate Ashley is growing, I thought it would be important for dad to see her before she outgrew her “babyhood”. In addition, I was really looking forward to taking a short break after an extremely hectic past few months at work! Oh yes, and lest I forget, it had actually been years before I last went back to Kuching (that was when I brought Zhiyi’s family with me for a parent-meet-parent session right before our wedding). Yeah, it was that long ago.

A few nights before we were due to fly back, my mum called with news that Kuching was blanketed with haze thanks to mass “slash-and-burn” activities being conducted illegally by plantation owners in Sarawak and Kalimantan. Zhiyi and I were very worried as we didn’t want Ashley to develop any respiratory problems during the trip. If I recall, the last time Kuching was so severely affected by haze, people could barely see beyond a distance of a few meters and everyone except emergency personnel was ordered to stay at home. However, we really praise God that the night before the flight, it finally rained (and pretty heavily too!), and as a result the haze was gone the next day!

The Kwok family at Changi Terminal 2 getting ready to head towards the boarding lounge.

Ashley trying to wear her seat belts without much success.

I’m leaving on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again… (anyone don’t know this song? heh)

After a pretty uneventful one and a half hour flight, we finally touched down at Kuching International Airport. My first impression was “Wow!”. Compared to the last time I was in Kuching, the airport had transformed into a full-blown muti-story fully air-conditioned airport with glass walls giving it a very modern look. It’s encouraging to see that Kuching is modernizing its infrastructure!

We have arrived!

Home sweet home! Ashley with my dad in the living room.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon shopping for baby food and another teether for Ashley. Her favourite flower-shaped teether was accidentally destroyed when we tried to sterilize it with water that was too hot. We ended up visiting many many department stores and supermarkets but many didn’t stock Ashley’s favourite Gerber brand. When we finally found a supermarket (Parkson) that carried this brand, we loaded up with more bottles than we needed to take back to Singapore since the price was rather cheap. Ah, kiasu-ism… Haha!

After dinner, Uncle Wilfred came over with a huge bag of durians (it was durian season apparently) and mum and daughter just went crazy with them. I swore not to get anywhere near Ashley’s diapers the next morning after seeing how much durian she ate (at least it seemed quite substantial for a baby!).

Till this day, I’m still amazed at how quickly Ashley took to liking the taste of durians. Definitely not due to my genes!!!

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As 4 of my buddies - Changky, Merv, Princess & Guppy - are going to Japan in one week’s time, I thought I’d put up some pictures to provide further inspiration for their itinerary. As they are travelling there during winter, what better than to show photos from my Dec 2001 Osaka ski trip!

Thanks to my hamster memory, I can’t quite remember the name of the ski resort that I went to nor how I got there. But, what I do remember was taking a half a day’s journey from Osaka just to reach Yoka station (I vaguely recall this being north of Osaka). From Yoka, it was another 1-2 hours bus ride up the mountain to a small village where I spent the night in a ryokan (aka traditional Japanese inn).

Me standing outside the Yoka train station - full of energy and anticipation despite the long journey.

Staying in a ryokan is quite an experience. Firstly, you get to rent a very nice and huge room for a fraction of the price you would pay for a hotel room. However, unlike a hotel room, the rooms tend to be very sparsely furnished, providing only the bare essentials like a heating table, some mattresses and a television set. The ryokan I stayed in did not have an adjoining toilet and I had to walk a good 50 metres just to get to the bath area (it was quite a long ryokan!). For first timers in Japan, don’t be alarmed if you can’t find any cubicles for bathing. Communal bathing seems to be a part of Japanese culture. Furthermore, ensure that you’ve properly soaped and showered before jumping into the hot tub/pool/springs.

It was an amazing bus ride up the mountain as my arrival at the village coincided with the first snowfall of the season. Snow is soft and fluffy when it lands on you; and, it leaves you feeling all soggy after that.

Another highlight of staying in a ryokan is that you get to enjoy a nice home cooked meal prepared by the hosts. I’m not sure if this applies to ryokans in the city but it certainly applies to those in the countryside! During my trip, I had the pleasure of feasting on a traditional steamboat meal consisting of shitakke mushrooms, beef, winter crab and other assortments of vegetables.

After a full night’s rest, I proceeded to the foot of the mountain (which was just a 5 minute’s walk away from the ryokan) to take a ski lift up to the ski resort.

Unlike better developed ski resorts, the ski lift from this particular base station was quite antiquated, with each seat consisting of a mere pole and a 30cm by 30cm plank! Picture me clinging for my dear life with my oversized butt spilling off the edges of the seat, feat dangling in mid air 10-20 metres above 45 degree inclinations, arms delicately balancing metre long skis while nimbly trying to snap photos at the same time. All these without insurance coverage!

Me enjoying the majestic view of the mountains from the safety of the beginner’s slope. Sunglasses are highly recommended as the glare from the snow causes sunburns easily.

Finally, after reaching the top, there were only a good 2 hours of skiing left before having to ski back down in time for sunset. There were other resort buildings at the top and thanks to the year end holidays, the place was packed with parents and kids. In fact, it was quite embarrassing skiing at the beginner’s slope as the kids there kept on overtaking me left, right and centre. There were a couple of accidents too prior to me mastering the V-shape breaking technique, resulting in me landing many times in the soft and fluffy snow. Believe me, it is not easy to get up when your body is halfway deep in the snow and your metre long skis somehow found a way to knot themselves around each other.

Skiing down the mountain slopes, whizzing past the towering trees on both sides of the road at a blistering speed of 1 km/h. What to do… scared of going too fast and skiing off the edge.

And that’s was my winter vacation in 2001! I can’t wait for the next chance to go skiing again with my buddies whenever and wherever that will be! Oh, and here’s a great resource for anyone planning a ski trip up to Japan:
SNOW JAPAN

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Zhiyi and I made a short getaway to Phuket on the 13th to 16th Aug for much needed break. Although I’ve never really been fond of Thailand (despite never being there!), I’ve heard many great things about its beautiful islands and experience as a shopping paradise. True enough, I wasn’t disappointed after this short excursion!

Upon arriving, we were taken for a city tour as we could only check into our hotel at noon. One of our destinations was the Phuket Gem Centre which is one of the biggest in the world, if their slightly outdated looking marketing video is to be trusted. Not only that, Phuket happens to be one of the largest producers of pearls in the world.

The workshop where gem cutting, polishing and setting is done.

Phuket’s most famous tourist location is Patong Beach, a few kilometre stretch of beach that is packed with hotels, eateries and shops. In fact, our hotel was a mere 3 minute walk from the beach (which also meant it was quite badly hit by the tsunami of 26th Dec 2005).

Not much watersports going on due to the huge waves caused by the monsoon season.

We were fortunate enough to be able to get accomodation at the Bura Sari Hotel as we found out later on that the hotel was fully booked. There were a lot of Western and Japanese tourists on the whole in Phuket although the number of Chinese tourists paled in proportion. I guess it has something to do with this being the ghost month or something like that. Despite there being over 2000 deaths in Phuket during the tsunami, I am glad to say that nothing went bump in the night and we slept very soundly in our beautifully decorated hotel room.

The pool right next the the hotel lobby. Some rooms on the ground floor even had steps going directly into the pool!

Patong is also famous, or should I say infamous, for its nightlife. Transvestites and scantily clad women prowl Bangla Street and discos blare loud thumping music all around. However, what we really enjoyed was the fact that many shops stay open until midnight and we had a great time shopping for clothes almost every night we were there.

The start of Bangla Street, the most crowded and happening street along Patong Beach. There was a huge two story disco called Tiger Disco that I couldn’t resist taking a photo of for my good friend (you know who you are!).

Seafood in Phuket is also very cheap compared to Singapore and we took full advantage of it by feasting on tiger prawns. Tiger prawns are HUGE, and they cost over $10 in Singapore. However, over there, they only cost around $3-$4 for one prawn (70-100 baht for 150 grams to be more precise and 100 baht = approx $4). Still expensive but just two of those deliciously fried critters are enough to fill our stomachs.

Sunday night: Tiger prawns steamed in garlic sauce and fried in butter sauce. Monday night: Tiger prawns fried with dried chilli and butter sauce. *BURP*

Finally, the good part! Our day trip to Phi Phi Island - one of the most picturesque islands along the west coast of Thailand. Our boat ride there took over 2 hours as we couldn’t travel by speedboat which would’ve been too bumpy for pregnant wifey. However, I found out that slow isn’t too good either as the smell of engine fumes and people smoking can also make one nauseous after awhile! Two very famous beaches on Phi Phi Island are Maya Bay (where the movie The Island was filmed) and Monkey Beach (where families of monkeys call it home). We had a chance to go snorkeling along Monkey Beach and the experience was simply breathtaking. Never in my life have I felt the sensation of so many fishes swimming alongside me as I explored the beautiful corals a few metres below.

Look at how clear and blue the waters along Phi Phi Island are. Imagine hundreds and thousands of those fishes you see in saltwater aquariums swimming right below!

Stopping at Phi Phi Island for a quick lunch and some shopping. Note: Jame Born was here!

The beautiful and intricately designed soap carvings really caught our eye. They look good AND smell good!

Sad to say, our wonderful adventure had come to an end. But, the fun activities, beautiful islands and hospitality of the people are some of the things that we definitely look forward to visiting again one day!

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After suffering from many days of braindeadness, I’ve finally managed to muster up enough willpower to make another post, this time using the power of pictures to help me along (though, how I managed to be braindead for the last eleven days without anyone pulling my feeding tube is beyond me).

Anyway, da-da-da-dum, here are some funny pictures I took of Engrish in action during my recent trip to Tokyo. For the unitiated, Engrish refers to “humorous English mistakes that appear in Japanese advertising and product design.” (definition taken from Engrish.com)

Who needs coffee when you have burgers that can do the job! Really needed this after a 7 hour overnight flight.

I wish all my snacks were produced with natural light and “wind in the greenery”.

Yes, Tokyo already feels like my hometown. Just a century more advanced…

I never cease to be amazed at Japanese innovation, like how they keep their used eggs fresh.

Ok this is not really Engrish, but it’s amazing how much Japanese love smoking that they even have bars for that.

Now, just what do you mean by hair “cut”? Am I MAD enough to find out?

Can’t stand being the other guy? I can’t even stand myself!

Happy bathday to me, smell me once and you’ll flee…

Speaking of bathday, I mean birthday, today we celebtrated the birthdays of Yixi and Alfred, a dear sister and brother in our caregroup. I must say how joyful it is to have these two folks in our CG as they are always so gentle, honest and sincere. Congratulations and Happy Birthday guys! Hope this coming year is the year that the Lord has made for you both, as you continue to walk and put your trust in Him.

Photos are up on PBase! Click on the pic below for the pictures.

And to wrap up this very Engrish post, this one’s for you guys:
Only one candle for each,
Only one decade apart,
Only one lifetime to outreach,
For the one God that lives in our heart.

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Ever since seeing Charlie Sheen in Hot Shots say “I’m going to Disneyland!” after successful saving the world, I knew that Disneyland was a magical place that I simply had to visit in my lifetime. And what an adventure it was! We spent the whole day at Tokyo DisneySea lapping up the rides, performances and great scenery, all for the price of only 5500Y! How I wished we had a theme park like this in Singapore instead of the new proposed casino.

Click on the image below to view pictures of our day three adventures.

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