To Chin Chin

Chin, congratulations on your engagement. May you and H enjoy a lifetime of happiness together!

Tanabe, here I come!

After a good 10 days in Malaysia it is time to pack for another trip. Apart from feeling restless sometimes with too much time to kill, I had a very good time. Went places and met new friends. There was training and there was training. Some of you will know what I am talking about. Met up with some friends last night and was just enjoying the company. My flight is tonight so I have the luxury of sleeping in and taking my time. One whole week of nothing but aikido...bliss.

My sensei texted me to tell me that he injured his left hand with a hammer during Raya preparations and also injured his heel. Ouch! He is attending the seminars with me while others are attending the conference. I was looking at the seminar timetable and was so so happy. Amongst the Shihans conducting the seminar are Tissier shihan http://www.christiantissier.com/, Sugano shihan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiichi_Sugano, Yamada shihan http://www.aikido-yamada.eu/, Fukakusa shihan http://www.thaiaikikai.com/eng/sensei.html and Smibert shihan. I just hope my body can last the entire seminar. I have rested my arm for 2 weeks (which translates to no training whatsoever) and I have a feeling that I will be revising techniques with my sensei at Changi airport tonight hahaha!

I am more or less packed for the trip. Most importantly is that I have my 3 sets of gi (or as Conrad so aptly puts it, kung fu suits...) so I am good to go!

Tanabe e ikimasu yo!

First day of Raya

Met up with Jeje Elain for her Raya open house at auntie Safiah's place. She is looking gorgeous as always and so does Kyri. Auntie Safiah was busy buzzing around in the kitchen and Jeje was busy serving. As usual I got to eat the yummy beef rendang and chicken curry auntie cooked. Apologies fr not taking any photos as I was busy whacking the food.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Khaw from Universiti of Malaya and had a most enjoyable conversation. Dr Khaw was very friendly and effervesent. It turns out that she knows Mr Ahmad and Mrs Aisha back from the ASEAN IP days! What a small world. Mental note : Must remember to convey her regards.

One happy family.


Auntie Safiah entertaining guests


Yummy snacks



The very comfortable sofas that auntie Safiah has since the PJ days.


With Dr Khaw who just published the third edition of her book on Copyright Law in Malaysia.

Je, it was great to meet up with you again. I'm very happy to see you doing so well and will be looking forward to Langkawi and diving with Kyri and you! Sai Mui, another diving desitnation!

Night out at Sid's

Daniel, Conrad and Alan


Audrey and Sai Mui


Mins, HiMe and Marina


Marina, Mins, HiMe, Audrey and Sai Mui


Marina and HiMe


Prez and VP of Posers Inc


Keeping a safe distance in case accidents happen...

It's been a few days since I came back from the Redang AWARE diving trip (I shall blog about that later...) and I am feeling the effects of not having internet access whenever. I met some very nice people and made new friends. Some of us got together at Sid's before the Raya holidays to catch up and...as Chong put it, to go on my orientation course, after having gone through my induction course. To cut it short, he congratulated me on doing well in my orientation. Chong, congratulations on your pending nuptials!

There were many photos taken at Sid's but for the sake of propriety I shall only post the "prim and proper" ones here...



CYL trying to emulate the HiMe look


CYL and HiMe, kawaii desu ka?


With my beloved Sai Mui


With Mins, Marina and Audrey

I am really enjoying my long break and am looking forward my next trip to Tanabe this Saturday. I like to pack light when I travel but couldn't do so on this trip because I had to pack my scuba diving gear, aikido gear as well as thick clothings all under 16kgs ( you guessed it, Airasia) I managed a respectable 18 kgs paying only BND18.00 for sports equipment. I can't even begin to imagine what my luggage weight would be when I fly back to Brunei on the 20th October so I won't think about it at all.

It is the first day of Raya in Malaysia today and I wish my Muslim friends and their families in Malaysia Selamat Hari Raya and much enjoyment with their families and friends in this fesive season. I will be going to JeJe Elain's place shortly for Raya visiting and I am very much looking forward to it! Zareena's not in town during Raya so I will be meeting up with her after Tanabe.

I just realized that haven't been to a KTV this time around...hmmm.