Recently, I have been listening to GFriend’s Yuju’s cover of Downtown Baby by Bloo on repeat. It is one of those rare songs (1) with good music, (2) is melancholy, (3) has a beautiful female voice (yes, I am biased), (4) sang by erm a beautiful girl, and (5) … is a song that can put me in a trance. Music that evokes emotion. Deep emotion. I feel alone when listening to it. I feel lonely when listening to it.
Oh, my beloved Yuju …
Last Friday, it was one of those rare moments when I was on leave and my wife wasn’t. Both of us are working remotely. We share the same workspace – home. She was working. I wasn’t. And it was one of those rare days when I didn’t need to speak. During working days, I talk the entire day, endless meetings. It was refreshing not need to talk. Funny thing though, one colleague at work commented that I talked too much.
Like. I. Wanna.
FFS, I even hate listening to my own voice at work. Things I said at work, either bored people or hurt people’s feeling. Because it is business. Work is just, work.
When I don’t need to speak, I self-reflect, listen to my inner voice. As a migrant to a country I wasn’t born into, left home with very little friends, if not for my wife, I would have been all alone. Making friends after graduation … I mean, making real and true friends at work is almost impossible. Work is an entity. People interact to make a living. Seldom people sacrifice for each other, do things for each other without strings attached. It is always down to, what’s in it for me?
Sure, I have made some friends in our decades of career. Those who stay on, may well be close to none. But that doesn’t stop me from desperately want to reach out, want to believe that it is possible to meet true and real friends at work. Don’t stop trying. When you do, you lose hope.
The most desirable things in life are those you can’t have.
Listening to Yuju’s cover of Downtown Baby, it is as though I am being transported into an alternate reality whereby, I am alone.
My parents live in a different country, whom I seldom contact. My sister lives in the same country like mine, whom I seldom meet. Perhaps this alternate reality is my reality.
Back to the topic of this blog entry, I really wish that this cover music was on Spotify. Putting a song on repeat is so painfully manual on YouTube. I wish that Yuju does more cover, even has her solo career. I love GFriend. But she is the best of all. I wish that I had her vocal skill. I wish …
Like I said, the most desirable things in life are those you can’t have.
Hello my friends. I have a few random things to share.
Hamilton is Really A Class of His Own
One may say that Formula One is boring because Mercedes wins all the recent championships. I don’t see it that way. To me, it is how the team wins that makes the viewing – or these days, reading (as it is getting expensive to watch a full race) – experience memorable and magical.
Hamilton is a true racer. He enjoys wheel-to-wheel fight on track; he enjoys catching up from behind in a championship. Being a six-time F1 World Champion at the age of 34, many would expect him to equal Schumacher’s record this year.
The stars seemed to have aligned. It is still the old rule and Mercedes dominates in this era. Bottas is still his teammate and unlike Rosberg, Bottas has integrity (i.e. nothing dirty on track). Mercedes even comes up with a brand new technology called Dual-Axis Steering (DAS) this season. This allows the driver to slide the steering wheel forward and backward and alter the toe of the car during racing. This technology was heavily challenged by rival teams.
DAS deems legit this year. But with Covid-19, at one point, it was not obvious if we would have a 2020 championship.
Fortunately, we do. Not unexpectedly, Hamilton lost the first race in Austria on July 5th earning only 12 points finishing at forth compared to his teammate who won and earned 25 points. Since then, Hamilton took three poles and three wins. It was raining on the Styrian circuit and Hamilton took pole with 1.216 seconds ahead of the best of the rest. It was in Britain and Hamilton took the win after a dramatic tyre failure at his final lap.
Some may say Hamilton is a lucky driver. I would say, you can’t be a Word Champion with bad luck all the time. But you can’t win a championship without some serious skill and talent.
To Quote Pyper in My Diablo 3 Clan: “And You Listened to StraightDope?”
For those who are not familiar with Diablo 3 (“D3”), it is an action role-playing game. In a nutshell, you hack-and-slash monsters day in and day out to be more skillful, more powerful.
For those who are not familiar with D3 seasons, it is very much like F1 championship. You start the season from scratch with zero progress. What you are given could be some redesigned items and/or mechanics, complete the season journey (a list of checkboxes), and try to push your character to as far as you can (you could compete with yourself, your clan, or the whole wide world).
D3 has a number of classes players can roll. The two weakest classes prior to season 21 in my opinion were Demon Hunter and Necromancer. This season 21 Trails of Tempests offers two new class sets for the two weakest classes in-game. The expectation was high. Most of the new class sets are great (if not, why bother?). Monk, Crusader, and Witch Doctor’s new sets are still powerful. Barbarian and Wizard new sets while so-so, they are playable and not terrible.
Demon Hunter’s new set Gears of Dreadlands (“GoD”) truly deserves the “Godly” status. When it first unveiled in Public Test Realm (“PTR”), which I participated in, it was terrible. Fans and testers provided feedback and in phase 2 of PTR, GoD has been redesigned and become godly.
Necromancer’s new set Masquerade of the Burning Carnival (“MotBC”) was also terrible when first appeared in PTR. Fans and testers including myself have also provided feedback. But there was very little to be done in PTR phase 2. And I have my theory on why: the failed season theme.
The theme of season 21 was terrible, and still is. The design is that every 90 seconds, a random elemental power would be unleashed. The visual effect is a distraction. The power vast majority of the time does nothing (and when it does – as I assume that it has to be at some point – I don’t notice any impact). There is a buff counter as mobs are killed. I doubt anyone would pay attention to it. This season mechanic is rumored to cause severe server lag and I have certainly experienced that. All in all, season 21 Trials of Tempest is a failure, a total and complete failure. The worst is that – now going back to my theory – it has taken away valuable development time as Blizzard team was trying their best to fix the season theme during PTR, valuable time that could have used to improve Necromancer’s MotBC. In Blizzard’s own words after throwing in the towel right before the start of season 21: With the adjustments coming in for a few past Necromancer sets and abilities, we will continue to evaluate the performance of the new set this season and may make additional adjustments in future seasons if we believe they are necessary.
Why investing time to fix the Demon Hunter and season theme but not Necromancer? It is simple. Everyone who plays D3 has access to Demon Hunter class and can experience the season theme. Only those who own the necromancer DLC has access to the new class set (read: not everyone). That is why.
In case you wonder, Pyper is our clan-mate from the US. StraightDope is my real life friend in Singapore, also in our clan. All four of us including my wife were supposed to roll a Demon Hunter and play GoD. But Dope wants diversity and convinced me to play the underwhelming Necromancer MotBC even though I have started my season with a Demon Hunter. When I told Pyper the story behind my choice, his first reaction was, “And you listened to StraightDope?”.
Oh yes, I embrace diversity, I welcome the challenge, and I am having fun … not!
Okay. It isn’t that bad. The struggle is real but that constant push to squeeze extra bits of performance is also real. I feel like I am piloting a Williams in F1.
I Love Hello Kitty & Aggretsuko But Vanilla & Chili Don’t Mix Well with Beer
At Cold Storage, I have stumbled upon cans of beer wrapped up with Hello Kitty and Aggretsuko artwork. The cans while somewhat looked cheap, they drew attention.
So attractive, how not to try?
I am not really a fan of Hello Kitty. But I love Aggretsuko. The former comes in apple and vanilla flavors (described as creamy). The latter comes in chili flavor (described as spicy).
I am an adventurer and I love to try new things. So I bought six cans. Three each. The price tag in the supermarket said – or so I thought it said – S$7 for any two (usual price is S$7 for one). The final bill was somewhat confusing. I ended up having 20% discount over 4 cans of beer and 1-for-1 discount for 2 cans of beer.
Huh?
Whatever.
Let’s start with the Aggretsuko beer. It does have a clean lager taste. The spice makes it tastes weird. Not the bad kind of weird. Just weird, weird. The problem I have with this Hong Kong crafted beer is that, there is a lack of gas in the beer. The beer tastes flat.
As for the Hello Kitty beer, it is a no, no. In my mind, I was thinking of cider beer. After all, we are mixing apple with beer here. But this is no cider beer. In my mind, when I think of ‘creamy’ beer, I think of stout. This is no stout either. It is vanilla mixed with apple flavor delivered in a flat lager base.
Just, no.
My Favorite Topic: My Hairdresser and I
Regular visitors of my site would know the long history of my hairdresser and I that has span decades. So I won’t go there.
These days, our favorite topic is henna. She is intrigued by the fact that I apply henna to my wife’s hair every month and the leftover, my wife applies to my hair every two weeks. She has commented that the color on my hair doesn’t seem natural. Dark red would have been good but mine is orange.
I am actually fine with partially orange colored hair. It makes me look like someone coming out from an anime. In my most recent visit, she has recommended me to try mixing henna with coffee instead of tea.
We did that. And it was strange.
The smell was weird. Tea smells good on hair. Coffee smells funny on hair. And the result? Just as orange.
This is a story of David versus Goliath. It was kind of embarrassing. And no, I wasn’t under the influence of alcohol or any medication. It was just instinct, reflex. The same reflex that caused me to lose balance and at the same time, saved me from a concussion. It could have been worse.
Our home is clean. My wife and I have spent a lot of effort to keep our place hygienic. When one late evening while we were watching Mystic Pop-up Bar on Netflix with our balcony doors wide opened, a gigantic cockroach flew into our home!
Unlike other flying insects that occasionally drawn to the interior lighting and visit our home at night, I have no idea what draws a cockroach’s attention. For other insects, all we have to do is to turn off all the light inside and leave the balcony light on. They would leave shortly, chasing the next light source.
Cockroaches don’t seem to do that. As one that flew from one side of the living room to another side refused to leave, I have attempted to brush it out of our home using a duster with a very long handle (I clean ceiling beams with that). Instead of flying out, it flew towards me!
I have zero intention to kill a cockroach inside our home for good reasons. First, we didn’t have an insecticide (as we haven’t sighted a cockroach for a very long time, but now we have bought one). Second, it is messy to kill one. Third, I don’t feel like killing anything so long as it peacefully exits our home.
But no, it flew towards me! That contradicts everything I thought I knew about cockroaches – that the primal DNA has dictated them to move to the opposite direction of the imminent threat.
Looking back, I could have stayed still. Let it smashed onto my body, crawled around me perhaps. But no, I retreated. One step backward at a time, till I …
… tripped over the sofa. And at that very instance, I lost my balance, head down to the floor. The very instinct that caused me to lose balance now kicked in to save me. As I fell, I was thinking, if I was to fall on my back, it would be a pretty heavy hit on my head. Perhaps, concussion.
So, at the split second, I managed to turn my body and attempted to land on my hands and avoid the head injury.
But alas. I have grown weight due to the Covid-19 lock-down. I have become heavier. Gravity is a bitch. And I fell faster than I had anticipated thanks to my heavier body. What this means is that I have landed hard on my right shoulder. My head smashed onto the ground. My wrist was twisted.
As I got up, instinctively covered my face, I smelled iron. I smelled of blood. There was blood on my face, blood on my hands, blood on my shirt, and blood on the floor. My pair of glasses laid flat onto the floor, twisted, not wearable.
There was a sharp pain, especially on my face. I managed to open my eyes. At least, my eyes are okay. I then went to the mirror in the living room. There were two cuts on my right brow. One cut more severe than another. Blood streaming from my wound. From my past experience, I needed to lie down and press against the wound in order to slow down the bleeding.
I did not know if I required to be stitched up. But I must say, my first reaction was: man, I looked mean. I looked like a gangster, a bad boy. That’s nice. That was one cool look. I am a tough guy!
My wife dressed the wound. I have got a swollen cheek, a sore shoulder, and wrist. And I didn’t sleep well (nor did my wife as she was worried). Other than that, I am fine. It could have been worse. Much worse.
An artistic view of my two cuts at my brow and a swollen cheek
Looking back at my two-plus decades of working life, I can recount three periods of my career when I am truly happy. All involve me having a phenomenon rapport with my team. All involve me being able to operate at the peak of my performance. There must be a correlation between the two. Or three, if counting opportunity or luck as well. At one point in my career, I have stopped socializing with people from work. Because corporate life can be brutal. It is not unlike a playbook written by Shakespeare. Full of tragedies and treacheries. At one point, I have decided that the best way not to get affected by the transient work entity is to detach myself from the people within. In retrospect, life is about taking risks and accepting the consequences of the decisions made. To the least, I have lived. And not just zombied my way through life.
I Was The Architect
Rising up the ranks from a new recruit a.k.a. fresh graduate to a lead architect of enterprise-level trade finance software was quite a feat. Started off my career with Accenture as a support consultant on a job that no one wanted (read: maintenance), I managed to learn everything I needed to know about trade finance. From accounting to interest and commission calculation, from letters of credit to banker guarantee, from front end user interface to batch programs, reporting (back then, it was line printer) and invoicing, from visual C++ to C to PLSQL to Oracle Report Writer and many more. I was so good with version 4 of this proprietary Accenture / Deutsche Bank joint venture that I was enlisted to implement version 5, which was an object-oriented design by the same partnership.
Technology evolved. Accenture has decided to create her own trade finance product using the latest technology from Microsoft. Since I had been persistent enough to survive through version 4 and version 5, I had landed the job to be the lead architect in designing and building version 6 with a large team of people working with me. Looking back, while I seriously do not recall implementing the final product, I had fun building it. My team from diverse gender, social, and academic background was fantastic. I really connected with my team. Many have become my friends and some, I still keep in touch with. Many crazy, crazy things we have done. There were happy times; there were sad times. Memorable nonetheless.
I Was The Trainer, Facilitator
Good things don’t last. That’s a universal rule. After Accenture went public, it wasn’t the same organization I have grown up with. There was an office move. And I left.
For a long time, I was detached from the people in the workplace. Because eventually, the organization will disappoint (that could go both ways too, I suppose).
Then I met a group of the younger crowd at Ernst & Young Associate whom I enjoyed coaching them (perhaps that’s my calling?). We got close, almost like a family. There were peers too, whom I still keep in touch with today. The peers, we formed a band. I remember the days when I shared my recorded music in the car with my juniors. Oh yes, we were that close. I was the trainer and the facilitator as I moved to the defense industry. Absolute freedom. We could be in one military camp in the morning, had lunch at Sentosa (as I drove), and headed to another military camp in the afternoon. We were seldom in the office. The clients loved us. But the people at the office didn’t.
Politics.
Project Management Was Born During Egyptian Era When Pyramids Were Built
Good things don’t last. That’s a universal rule. Office politics doesn’t exist when it is working for you. Office politics becomes prominent when it is working against you. There was an office move. And I left.
After EY, I joined Standard Chartered Bank. For a long time in my career, I have stopped caring for the people at work. There is a line clearly drawn between colleagues and friends. There were nine to five. And I detested socializing with my colleagues after working hours. When you live through the countless disappointments at work, the natural defensive thing you could do is to have a clear mindset on what is work versus what is life.
And then something magical happens. I am gifted and blessed with a team of good people with a team size surpassing anything I have had in the past.
I guess, looking back, putting your heart out there can be risky. It doesn’t always pay off. But when it does, it is memorable; it is magical.
My beloved team sent me a bunch of gifts and written messages for my birthday, in the time of Covid-19.
You know that pain and frustration of almost. You almost passed your driving test. At the last turn back to the driving center, you forgot to signal. Hence, you failed. You almost got married or at least have a longer relationship with that someone. But a third person came along and your loved one left you. Your favorite Formula One driver almost won the race. But a mechanical failure at the final lap robbed him of that podium, which in that case, not only the fans suffered from the pain and frustration of almost, the car team too.
And etc.
A couple of days ago, after a 2 hours casual catch-up with my friends online and since I have failed to find a driver to deliver dinner ordered online, my wife suggested that we shall cook instead.
I enjoy cooking – love is a strong word – and the process is therapeutic to me. It is seldom about the destination. Because I often take 5 to 10 minutes to consume my meal. Cooking takes longer. It is the journey, not just the destination.
I chopped red onion, peeled the garlic, sliced the ginger, deseed the chili, and diced the tomato. I dried and marinated the fish fillets and fried them to golden brown. The smell was so good.
After the fish was cooked, I removed the fillets from the fire, washed the wok and stir fried the onion, garlic, chili, and tomato. I added water, covered the wok to soften the tomato, poured in the rest of the seasoning, and just when the dish was almost done – all I needed was to put the golden brown fish filet onto the tomato sauce when …
… a bottle of chili flakes fell from the kitchen cabinet as I accidentally knocked that off the shelf. That bottle of chili flakes fell onto the plate that held the beautifully and perfectly fried fish fillets, shattered the plate into pieces.
I attempted to clean up the fillet under a running water and continued to cook – much like how an F1 driver continued to pilot his car after a mechanical failure. But as I looked at the tabletop, there was really a lot of shattered colored pieces. I even bleed my hand as I clean it up. Can you imagine what if some of these pieces got stuck onto the fish fillets and then we ate them for dinner?
I sulked. Genuinely sulked. I nearly cried. Not sure why. Perhaps the food waste. Perhaps the effort made. Or perhaps I felt sad about that home-cooked dinner on a late Friday evening that we almost had.
After making a joint decision with my wife, I threw the dish into the bin, took out the trash, and went to a food center nearby to buy dinner.
Looking back and as of now, I don’t feel that sense of pain and frustration no more. That’s what time does to you. That almost driving test, didn’t matter no more. That almost relationship, didn’t matter no more. That almost F1 victory, didn’t matter no more. But at the moment, when the reality dealt its hands, that really hurt.
I am not really a refined wine drinker. I can hardly tell one from another. Having said that, once in a while, I do come across some really good wine that I wish I have recorded it somewhere, have a repeated experience. These days, I have French wine ordered online.
Well, that’s why I have my own website, yes? I will update this post as I go.
Chateau la Marjoliere, Cahors Tradition Red 2014
South West, 80% Malbec, 20% Merlot, lots of black fruits and plummy notes.
OK. Both Cynthia and I love this one. I can really taste the plummy notes. I love the fruity aftertaste. Though my wife was like … how does plum taste like? I am happy that she doesn’t have … erm … that problem. Once in a while, I do take in plum juice for its natural laxative effects.
Domaine Martin, Mediterranee “Le Petit Martin” Rose 2019
Rhone Valley, 60% Grenache, 40% Cinsaut, light, citrusy and refreshing.
I am not that into rose wine, but my wife does. This one is pretty light and refreshing. Very easy to drink. I did experience a headache the day after. Probably nothing to do with this wine, but rose wine in genera.
Chateau Palene, Bordeaux White 2018
Bordeaux, 50% Semillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Muscadelle, a dry and fruity white wine.
This one is interesting. I have no idea how French wine works or if the wine is blended. I like Sauvignon Blanc. That is my go to white wine. But this one though, is lighter than the usual Blanc from say Australia or New Zealand. It is very accessible. Perhaps a bit too light for me.
Domaine de Noire, Chinon Soif de Tendresse 2017
Loire Valley, 100% Cabernet Franc, light-bodied, fruity and mineral.
My experience with red wine is very limited. Because my wife prefer white to red. But thanks to this box set concept, my wife is keen to try. Again, very light and accessible. Fruity indeed, kind of playful (maybe the label). Great for some casual catch-up, which I did open this one during my chat with my friends online.
Domaine Buisson, Meursault “Les Climats de Marguerite”
Burgundy, 100% Chardonnay, rich and complex with a long finish.
Yet to try!
Domaine Burle, Vacqueyras “La Muse” 2015
Rhone Valley, 75% Grenache, 25% Syrah, round and powerful.
My hairdresser and I have known each other for a long time. It must have been 22 years. I always go back to the same one because the result does not vary. I like consistency when it comes to haircut. For 22 years, she delivers the same result without failed. That is why even as she moved to another location, I followed. That is why even as I have moved house, I still return to her.
I can’t tell your her name or which branch she is at right now. What I can say is that she is from Jean Yip, one of the chains in Singapore. She seldom takes leave. The only time she takes leave is when she returns to her home country during major festivals or when she takes an oversea trip with her friends. For more than two decades of working as a hairdresser, she had accumulated close to one year worth of leave.
To cash out her leave, she would need to take a 30% penalty. That is Jean Yip’s policy. She cashed out some. Because who knows. Policy changes all the time.
In the time of Covid-19, the service industry is being hit the hardest. As part of ‘circuit breaker’ phase 1 here in Singapore, basic barber service was still allowed. As someone who has leave balance, she was asked to take leave. And as ‘circuit breaker’ phase 2 kicked in, barber serviced is no longer allowed.
It must have been a stressful period for those who are in the service industry, as I can imagine. Imagine not knowing when one can resume work.
Each crisis affects different segments of people. I feel blessed that I still have a job, and working from home. I will most likely look like a caveman when life goes back to normalcy. Perhaps I shall take this opportunity to grow my hair long and have a different hairstyle for a change.
In the time of COVID-19, we seldom head out. And when I do, I hurry to the wet market nearby to buy fresh produce or pack lunch and then back. I don’t usually get out of bed early on a weekend. But these days, the line between weekdays and weekends has been blurred with the working from home arrangement. If there is one thing I look forward to these days, that would be the opportunity to walk out of my apartment, even for a simple act of buying groceries. A 5-minute walk to the wet market, through the rows of 4-story tall and old, yet well maintained public housing. There is a playground – now closed due to the outbreak. Trees along the pavement. Those who live on the ground floor naturally inherited a piece of grassland in front of their homes. Most have turned the public area into a garden with a perimeter set up to gain some level of privacy.
One of the homes on the ground floor lived a Western couple. Artists I presume as I have seen homemade furniture at their ‘garden’ decorated with lines of small light bulbs. Plants meticulously well placed, which form a perimeter. As you walk past the apartment, you can see what happens at the front porch. But you would avert your eyes even though you know you are looking into a public area for it is an extension of someone else’s home. If you were with me on that day, you would also see a shirtless young man sitting by the front porch. Shortly after, another man passed by – with a mask on of course like everyone on the streets these days – walking a dog. I don’t know the name of the breed. The dog was handsome. A bit of white, a bit of brown. Short frame with short legs. The dog would pee onto one of the trees. Upon finishing its business, giving a few forceful pushes onto the ground with its hind legs, it went on finding another spot to pee.
At that moment, I was thinking, would I be fine having dogs of others peeing at my front porch though technically speaking, it is the public area? I probably wouldn’t like it. But hey, free fertilizer I guess.
By the playground, there was someone else walking the dog. This time, I wasn’t paying attention to the dog. I was observing the girl who walked the dog. Somehow, there is a heightened mystery when a girl puts on a mask. What does she look like? It is fascinating. Because what you see may please you. But what you can’t may excite you more.
At the gate of my condo, upon finishing my daily visit to the wet market, there was a man with a white singlet walking a white poodle. I am not a big fan of poodles. But this one was special. It was playing with the grass and when it saw me, it looked deep into my eyes. I sensed a connection, between a human and a dog. That look of longing and perhaps, a sense of loneliness. Its owner was on his wireless phone all the time playing a mobile game. Beep, beep, beep at maximum volume. The dog was ignored. I was annoyed. The pet owner was there. But at the same time, not there.
And for that brief moment, through our connection, I was thinking, perhaps walking a dog also means that one should be with the dog. Not just literally walking the dog. I am not a big fan of poodles. But I wish I could walk this one instead while its owner was busy playing his mobile game.
We looked into each other’s eyes, into each other’s soul. As I entered the condo and closed the gate behind me, I hurried back to my home. It was just another day, in the time of COVID-19.
My job revolves around many weekends of work. Close to half of the weekends in 2019. During weekdays, there are numerous monthly forums and meetings that I have to attend. In short, it is rather hard to find a good day to go on leave. I am happy that both my wife and I were able to take Monday and Tuesday off. And the last five days – counting the Friday evening – have been amazing. Here is a list of random recollection.
It all started here.
Nov 1st (Friday) was a very significant date for the fans of Blizzard. It was Blizzcon 2019. Now, of course, due to time zone difference, it would only officially start my Nov 2nd at 2 a.m. in the morning. So let’s rewind a bit.
Nov 1st was All Saints Day. It has been a while since I have visited a Church. I was happy that my wife could join me for a lunchtime Mass at the Cathedral. Fun fact. I was trying to get my buddy Jeremy – also a fellow Catholic – to join us. The response was: which Cathedral? I was like … dude, there is only one [Catholic] Cathedral in Singapore (I didn’t feel the need to specify)! He responded, “St. Andrew”? I face-palmed. Ours is Cathedral of the Good Shepard. St. Andrew’s Cathedral is an Anglican Church. “Does it really matter?” asked Jeremy. Long story short, eucharistic intercommunion is not possible. So yes, you may. And no, the communion doesn’t count.
Hero’s is a bar in Singapore CBD that has a lovely live band. I have been there so many times that the band knows me. Miraculously, my wife has agreed to visit Hero’s on a Friday night with me. Her first at Hero’s.
The 10 p.m. party was amazing. Way better than the one we have attended earlier on. We stayed close to the very end (past 2 a.m.).
My wife and I watched the Blizzcon 2019 opening ceremony live via YouTube on my wireless phone while we were partying at Hero’s. It was our first time tuning into the event live. The announcements and the trailers were amazing. Diablo 4 – a game we care about a lot and will buy when it eventually releases. Overwatch 2 – a game we had fun with and since O2 will have PvE content, it is a sure buy. World of Warcraft new expansion Shadowland – love the trailer but for sure we will not play that game again.
I have finished reading The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott. After returning the books at the library, I have borrowed not one but six books! All six books are from the same author called John Straley. Some Alaska bizarre private investigation. I have to finish all the books within six weeks. That means I should not spend more than a week to complete one book. Uh oh.
It was my wife and my first time trying out Mbar Mini KTV. It is a small Karaoke booth charged by 15-minute blocks. The booth comes with one TV (duh), two stools, two microphones, and two headsets. English song choice is so-so. Pretty decent recording and sound system. Clean environment. We sang for half-an-hour and we had fun.
Talking about being spontaneous, after Sunday’s dinner, I have suggested visiting a real KTV and my wife gamed for it. There was a promotion at Party World. Twenty-odd dollars per person for not one but FOUR hours of Karaoke. We sang from nine till one in the morning. Again, we had fun.
And we have finally mastered the art of not-over-ordering at a Korean restaurant. Celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary at Big Mama (in actual fact, we celebrated our anniversary throughout the entire long weekend). We had BBQ boneless beef short ribs and ginseng chicken soup. Yummy.
2019 has been a fun year. Some asked if we are doing something special for our anniversary. In our own way, we are trying to make every day special.
Imagine this. It took me 8 years to process the photographs I have taken during our family holiday in Spain back in 2011! Again, the results are always very rewarding. It is as though my wife and I get to relive a holiday day-by-day. To see the pictures, check out my photography page.
13 albums in total for our Spain holiday in 2011!
Again, I have managed to recover my travel journal. Unlike the one from Tasmania (see my previous post), this one was handwritten. So, I am trying my best to type out what I wrote, which may not make sense for sentences that I can’t read. My handwriting is notoriously horrible.
Day 1 – May 16 (Mon) – Barcelona to Gran Canaria
Direct flight [from Singapore] to Barcelona. 3 hours transit to Gran Canaria. 24 hours door-to-door [from home to our first stop]! [We rented a car from] Eurocar. Took us a while to get GPS working. [The volume of the navigation was ] very soft.
The hotel was Meliatamarindos by the beach. A nude beach! Dinner at Playa der Inglés and we had tapas. We rested for the day. The sky was still bright at 10pm! Windmills (note: huh?). I have finished reading Wild Sheep Chase [by Murakumi].
Day 2 – May 17 (Tue) – Gran Canaria
08:50 Las Pasadilla
Woke up at seven but since Gran Canaria is one hour behind Madrid so it was still dark outside. And it was too early for breakfast! No wonder the staffs were not too happy.
Roque Nublo – a volcanic rock in the island of Gran Canaria. It was quite a walk up and it took 40 minutes to come down.
10.00 Pico de las Nieves (ball ball, aloe vera car) (note: huh?!)
13:30 Artenara. We had lunch at a restaurant inside a cave!
Tapas: (1) cuera de Molino and (2) morsilla de teror (black in color!).
After lunch, we returned to our hotel and called it a day. We walked by the beach and had paella at a restaurant near our hotel. The waiter was chatty about Android phones!
Day 3 – May 18 (Wed) – Gran Canaria
Woke up at 8am because Cynthia was not feeling well. Breakfast was so full of people. And Cynthia had her tea this time around. Deliberating on where to for our camal ride, we have decided to visit the one at Maspalomas because of the dunes. At Maspalomas, we were approached by three Spanish students. A short survey on where we came from, how long we planned to stay in Gran Canaria, and what we liked about the place. The interviewer was a girl and she spoke in English. My wife replied in Spanish. Both were trying to practice a foreign language.
After our interview, the young boy showed us the way to the camel farm. The ride cost us 12 euro for 30 minutes. The camel behind ours was hallowing in pain. Perhaps because the passengers were large in size and heavy in weight. It was a pretty funny sight in a sad kind of way. Camels are docile animals. It was hard labor for them, unfortunately.
After our camel ride, I took an hour’s walk to the dunes under the sun (note: my wife must have been waiting in a bar or a restaurant avoiding the sun). The weather was lovely. Cool breeze. Some women sunbathed without tops as I got closer to the nude beach.
We had pizza and salad at Maspalomas. After lunch, we drove to Las Palmas. There were many narrow and confusing streets. I did shopping (Zara) and bought two books (boxset) by Mathias Malzieu (the version we saw in Barcelona was in Catalan). We dined at Las Palmas Pollo Kiev. I had a revelation at the diner. Perhaps my purpose in life is to take care of this woman in front of me.
Day 4 – May 19 (Thu) – Gran Canaria
Caldera de Bandama / crater / school kids.
Arucas / cathedral / Mountain de Arucas / lunch / paellas and apple tart.
Cenobio de Valerón / dig site / craters / racing blue car / staring (note: huh?!) food similar to Northern Africa not preparing women for wedding (note: what?!).
Gildar / walk the town.
Agaete / Dedo de dios / raining / lost but saw the cliff.
Back south / Puerto Rico / scenic.
Puerto de Mogán / seafood with wine / best chocolate cake with 3 layers!
Drove in the dark / slept just before midnight.
Day 5 – May 20 (Fri) – Sevilla
What a hard day! Woke up at 5.45am for the 8.45am flight to Sevilla. We miss Gran Sevilla already. Such familiarity. So tourist-friendly compared to Sevilla.
Sevilla is a big city. Roads are complicated outskirt. In town, the roads are unforgivingly narrow … so many traffic lights. Rested a bit in the afternoon. But we managed to tour the palace (7.5 euro). Things are expensive in Sevilla. Parking was 2 euro per hour or 14 euro a day in the hotel. So many cars on the street. Late at night, we walked out to buy bottled water and have resisted the temptation to dine at Burger King. We didn’t feel safe … “The Time is Now” (note: I believe I was referring to a Spanish song).
Day 6 – May 21 (Sat) – Córdoba & Camona
This silly song kept on playing on the road … or that Rihanna song.
I wanna boom bang bang with your body yo Were gonna rough it up before we take it slow Girl lemme rock you rock you like a rodeo (Its gonna be a bumpy ride)
A song by Mohombi
New hotel and no breakfast. It cost 14 euro. What a joke!
Bought pastry at a petrol station. Fuel needle not working. Car smelled like banana cake inside (note: what?!). Dented. Golf VW. Engine stopped at the junction (ps. clutch down to start engine). Rather easy to find parking space in the morning.
Misty. But a clear blue sky in the late morning. The temperature went up from 24-degree C to 35!
Next, drove to Camona. Wedding! Lots of wedding.
BK for lunch. Oxtail/fish for dinner.
Day 7 – May 22 (Sun) – Andalusia Crazy Driving!
Arcos de la Frontera / Cynthia asked the policeman where the church was and the policeman asked the local instead! Lol. Managed to park before the hill up to the church. San Pedro / Santa Maria.
Ubrique / nothing!
Zahara / lake / lunch time / a ruin up the hill but we did not go / driving in the town was tedious enough.
Ronda / city on a cliff / we didn’t park inside / had icecream and coke – 7 euro.
Gibraltar / can see Africa from here / unpaved road / Cynthia has to open the gate! (note: huh?)
Jimena de la Frontera / tried to drive […] / had dinner by the mountain / see the horse!
Took us 2 1/2 hours to return / through the mountain area / small road / pitch dark / not a soul nearby / nearly hit the cows / reached the hotel at 00:40.
Day 8 – May 23 (Mon) – Cádiz
Woke up late (10.30pm). Had coffee at the cafeteria. Cost a fortune. Didn’t take long to drive to Cádiz. 1 1/2 hours. Cynthia missed the pharmacy by 1 minute. 3 hours lunch break. I think I like working in Spain.
Plaster = tirita.
Bought sandwich and ate at the cathedral (windy!). Beer is cheaper than juice. We walked through the beautiful city. One old lady spoke to me in French. Throughout the day, people were very friendly to me. Cynthia wondered why.
Day 10 – May 25 (Wed) – Baeza & Úbeda
Bubble bath with milk?! Think of the number of calfs deprived of milk makes me fizzy (note: the young me did not make sense at all!).
Breakfast at the hotel was a bit costly. But it was a great way to start the day. I am quite excited by the trip. A UNESCO site with lots of history. Baeza is about 1 1/2 hour drive from Granada.
During lunch, we have decided to visit a UNESCO site nearby as well called Úbeda. Úbeda has more life in it.
Not sure why GPS took us back through small roads. We got lost in a town called […] Dinner at the hotel. We just wanted to take things easy.
Day 11 – May 26 (Thu) – Las Alpujarras
Lanjaron / spice town.
Orgiva / Thursday market / parking was insane / millimeter away from hitting the cars on the side.
Capileira / lunch.
Pórtugos.
Trevélez / had coffee and dessert.
Cadier.
Yegen.
Válor / met an old man in a pub and he was with a dog / quarreled with pub owner because he has a dog inside the pub / the old man offered to buy us a drink / he said Spain is not only beautiful but also marvelous.
Puerto De La Ragua / rain / condition of the road was quite poor / electronic road sign that said, “drive with extreme caution” / drove up to a mirador / saw the snow capped mountain (and a caravan).
Guadix / ruin & church / McDonald’s.
Day 12 – May 27 (Fri) – Barcelona
Woke up at 6am. Drove to the airport. If not for Cynthia asking the receptionist, we might have missed a turn. 5 hours it took to reach the hotel in Barcelona. The airport was just so far away. Headed directly to Picasso museum (had Subway lunch). Most of his work in the museum were unsigned and undated. More like work in progress. Next, we headed to Plaza Catalunya. Tons of people protested on government. We shopped and had Hard Rock Cafe for dinner.
Day 13 – May 28 (Sat) – Barcelona
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. We have been there two years ago but it was closed. This time, we got to visit the museum. Spent five hours inside. Most of the artworks are from the local Catalunya artists.
Next, we took a bus to Park Güell. We boarded the bus at the wrong direction. An old woman was kind enough to speak to the driver […]
Park Güell is huge. We took the [momument] path. “Museum” cost 5.50 euro per person. Rather expensive for a two-story house.
Next, back to Plaza Catalunya. Walked through Las Rambla. Had dinner there.
Day 14 – May 29 (Sun) – Barcelona
Woke up ridiculously late. Attended the 1pm Mass because Cynthia so wanted it. Made up of mostly old people. The Mass was in Spanish of course.
May 30 (Sun) – On an SIA plane
Hola! We are back from Spain. Spain again, you may say. Haven’t we visited Spain like 2 years ago? True. But since we have been dipping in and out of the language for three years – to me the word ‘soaking’ would have been a vast exaggeration – touring Spain thus becomes one of our favorite choices. Fortunately, there are lots to see in Spain. This year, we have visited one of the Canaria islands so far off that could well be part of Africa. But they are significant enough to be printed onto the 50 euro banknote. We have also visited the southern part of the country where the territories were lost to the Islamic Moors from Africa and were re-conquered by the Christian Spaniards. Majestic Islamic influenced architecture can still be seen in Spain today. And since we flew direct from Singapore to Barcelona, we have spent some days to cover the points of interests that we would love to see but did not manage to in our last trip. To my avid readers, after failing to visit the museum of Picasso in Barcelona with two attempts in 2009 and the museum of Picasso in Paris in 2010 (under renovation), we have it covered this time. On top of it, we have added three more UNESCO sites to our travel list.
To be totally honest, while I always look forward to a long break, I seldom look forward to the physical demand of traveling in Europe. Maybe I am a lazy traveler. A cruise would have been my ideal holiday. The planning and logistic arrangement of the itinerary and hotel and car, the rather long traveling time – traveling from Singapore to Gran Canaria took 24 hours – getting used to the left-hand driving and to drive through the narrow roads in around the city area and through the mountain (one time at night we nearly banged onto the cows and deers, hiking the mountains, and that heavy photography gear of mine … my body ached throughout the trip. Less so on the second week as my body was conditioned for the physical demand. Having said all of the above, every trip to Europe has always been a rewarding experience – both in the culture and nature departments. I hope to share the journals and the photographs soon. Preferably a faster turnaround compared to our last trip. (note to the 2011 me: it took 8 years in the end).
