Blogging from LCCT

Here I am, very early in the LCCT terminal waiting for my flight. It's now about 1712 and the flight is scheduled for 1845. I booked my seat so getting ahead of the queue is not an issue. But I am always paranoid. I firmly subscribe to Murphy's law. Once I was late for a MAS flight to Singapore and we took a Singapore Airlines flight to Changi instead of landing in JB. That cost a lot of money.

As I prepare myself mentally and emotionally for my training in Bangkok, I still a burden.

I have shared in a previous blog (in Chinese) and at the moment it is not permissable for me to share more details. I'd like to say I am prepared for the worst but I am not sure if I have.

When I was sitting for my SPM. a friend of a friend whom I have grown a fond relationship with considerd not taking the Biology paper because it was too tough for her. I told her I'd help. And that she could come to my school for some last minute revision on the day itself. I told her if she didn't take the paper, I would not. Not taking  paper would have dire consequences. She didn't turn up, my friends told me she would take the paper so I did too.

Being more 'mature' (really?) and have more commitment and responsibility now, I don't make such rash decisions anymore.

I have an idea how I would like things to turn out. But that's what I want. It may not be what she (my friend in the current situation, not the one who took her Biology paper) wants.

I saw this quote in the Burger King joint in Mutiara Damansara (the three of us went there two nights in a row for supper! So much for eating healthy!) Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. In this case, I can only pray for her to have both success and happiness.

I have lots of happiness as far as my work is concerned.

And I am using Happiness in Kingdom of Loathing. It's a gift from a clan member. It helped me tremendously.

I wish I could be as helpful as I want myself to be.

Shopping and Thailand

I just told my BHP sister my idea of shopping which is go buy what I want and exit the scene.

Yesterday (it's already 1:50 am MYT on Tue now, which is 12:50 am Thailand time), my Thailand colleagues took me to have Japanese food for dinner. It was a struggle for me. Not only I took the American buffet breakfast from the hotel, I had lunch with the management AND had dinner. Wow! No problem with my stomach at all except in my mind. Tomorrow, they will take me to the bazaar to have dinner and then shop!

Speaking of shopping, I did something that will make my wife hate me. She always complains I have no patience to shop with her and that she would rather shop without me. Yesterday, after dinner, my three colleagues took me to 'shop' around Esplanade and then Robinsons. And I spent quite a bit of time at the ladies' department with them! Siriporn told me normally people from KL will buy ahem, bra since they are cheaper than those in KL. I told her K already has a lot and quickly ended the discussion. I looked around the electrical departments and checked out some luggage bags with trolley. Some are quite nice. But I only have 1,000 Thai Baht with me. My Maybank card could not be used when I was back in KL last week. I didn't bother trying them.

I used my CitiBank card to make some purchases for the company, I don't think the cheque payment is cleared. I will check via the web when I get into the office today (Tue.) I was really angry. There I was (it was Thurday) in Low Yat. I had 1 dot matrix printer, seven LCD monitors (six 17" and one 19"), 1 mouse, 2 keypads selected. And both my Maybank cards could not be used! I have 99% credit in one card. I called the card centre and waited for 10 minutes before I gave up. I called up Citibank to increase my credit and got it done within 6 minutes. That tells you a lot.

Anyway, I don't think I'll be buying a lot of things. If I want to, Siriporn said she could get me good rate if I want to exchange my Malaysian Ringgit.

Truth be told, if it were three guys instead of three ladies, I'd have gone back to my hotel room with my food packed.

My accountant is right when she told me Thais are genuinely warm and hospitable. They really take good care of me. I kept getting asked if I needed anything. They think of almost everything. Siriporn perhaps could sense my tension with my stomach. Whenever we passed by a toilet, she'd asked me if I wanted to use it. Heh. And she bought me lots of bakeries and goodies to try since I would be here for many days.

BTW, I could hardly recognize her in the airport. Without her glasses and with longer hair, she looked so different. She wondered if it is because she is fatter. I didn't tell her she looked prettier (not petrifier, which is not a word.)