3 typhoons and an earthquake

This trip has got to take the cake in terms of natural disasters! I have survived, like the title says, three typhoons and an earthquake since coming to Taiwan 3 loooooooooong weeks ago! When I landed in Kaohsiung International Airport, the tail end of the third typhoon of the year to hit Taiwan was being felt. Halfway through training in hot Pingtung (southern Taiwan), Typhoon Bilis hit us, causing a major training to be cancelled and on the first day of our R&R (yes, FIRST day of R&R), Typhoon Kaemi hit us! And just now, about 4 hours ago, an earthquake hit off the coast of Taiwan and the effect was felt all the way in my hotel room in Taipei!!!

All I can say is that I am thankful Singapore is sheltered from all these 'natural' phenomena. Yes, that's what travelling does to you. It makes you realise how lucky we are, how thankful we should be...

But Taiwan is not without it's beauty...In my next posting (I am currently writing this from the Evergreen Lounge, a complimentary stay mind you, of Chiang Kai Shek Airport while waiting for my 2020hrs flight back home), I shall put up some pictures of the beautiful sunsets and mountains in south Taiwan.

Gotta go now, let's pray for my safe flight back to the arms of my loved ones...amin...

35 years on...

And so it came...the light that will re-illuminate Mak & Abah's abode...

Julie & Mars had discussed getting Mak & Abah new lights for the living room which had been there since 1986!!! It was to be an anniversary gift from all the children, in-laws, future in-law and grandkids!

A recce was duly conducted by Shah & family along the standard place to get lights in Singapore...Balestier Road! Surprisingly, it did not take long for my Better Half to spot a chandelier she thought would look right at home in Mak & Abah's living room...The original crystals, Swarovskis (!) cost a cool 2K!!! After much haggling, arm-twisting and plain pleading, we managed to knock it down all the way to $970 ($900 + $20 GST [supposed to be $45, but the man say give chance one!] + $50 installation charges [the man showed us a broken chandelier that was self-installed to convince us that it was not a good idea to self-install!])...

Long story short (it's 2222hrs...I haven't bathed, nak terberak, nak tidur - wanna catch the 0300hrs France-Portugal game(go Portugal!) - and I gotta do my nightly bedtime story-telling ritual with the girls...)...once again, long story short, it was delivered and installed without Mak knowing - she was out at Spotlight, shopping sakan! The pics doesn't do it justice...gotta see to believe...

Happy 35th Anniversary Mak & Abah...may you guys have many more happy ones...we love you lots...

Chilling out...

Well, l am writing this from Starbucks @ United Square - one of the icons of consumerism! Which brings me to my topic at hand. I finally upgraded my Palm! From my trusty old Tungste I bought way back in 2001, I've finally given in to its frequent resets, difficult-to-calibrate screen and small memory.