Happy Birthday Missus Renstrom. You’ve made it this far, now keep swimming another 33 years and more to get your prize at the end. Which according to Sree is a pair of Eastern European leather shoes on sale. Also, Happy 36th Anniversary Atok and Opah Irfan! Ain, Irfan and I thank you for your love and support all these years.
Continue readingMonthly Archives: January 2008
The Last Time…
… I saw my phone was when I powered it down before getting on the flight at Gate 316, Stuttgart Airport. So long, faithful communication device. That ought to teach me to bring my mobile phone with me everywhere. What?
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The Mercedes-Benz Museum
After the second day of training, we were all brought on a bus through the cold but sunny afternoon weather from our training centre out near Hausen to the city of Stuttgart where we came upon this futuristic looking building: The Mercedes-Benz Museum. The entrance door of the museum greeted us like some Federation building of the 23rd century. After paying for the tickets you have to take the awesome looking lift there which will transport you to the top floor. From there you will have to slowly walk down the building which is engineered in a double helix structure on the outer walls, taking you past some fantastic Mercedes-Benz vehicles from old to new. There are also pictures on the wall that show famous historical events pertaining to the era of the cars featured. From 1895 is the Benz Omnibus. It only goes up to 12mph so I have […]
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Kehren Sie Nach Deutschland Zurück
It was a cold Sunday morning when we arrived in Germany. It wasn’t as cold as it was two Februaries ago when snow surrounded Munich airport, but it was chilly enough for a bunch of Malaysians. But instead of staying over at Tiefenbronn (which was close by) I was given a room at Hotel-Gasthof Hirsch. And no, I can’t speak, read or write in German. The title came about after a quick visit to an free online translator website. Here I am freezing my butt off on a Sunday afternoon, when the town seemed as if it was totally deserted. I wish Kuala Lumpur would be like this every Sunday morning: The Hirsch is a series of three buildings. The middle and the main building (where reception and the restaurant is situated) is where the sign hangs with the figure of the hart. The balcony is connected to Sudriman’s room. […]
Continue readingBoy or Girl? DON’T TELL US!
This is Vin’s and my new project. If you can tell the gender, please don’t tell us because we want this to be a surprise, something we will find out after (s)he arrives in the world. Here’s what (s)he looks like as of today (14 weeks and 3 days), and (s)he weighs 3 ounces: [[image:likely_macarena.jpg:Facing us, one arm stretched over the head:center:0]] Doesn’t it look like (s)he’s doing the macarena?? And this one: [[image:likely_flexing_bicep.jpg:Head down, showing off one arm and fingers:center:0]] Flexing the biceps?? 😉 (S)he was very active when being scanned, and was just dancing and turning around and around! It was just amazing!
Continue readingPerth – Part 4
It’s now our third day in Perth, and it is one day before EJ and Indra’s wedding. We start off the day when EJ came to pick us up in a rental van. We then drive down to Cottesloe where Hsu and David are staying. [[image:oz45.jpg:EJ and Vin by the van:center:0]] [[image:oz46.jpg:View from the street:center:0]] [[image:oz50.jpg:Beautiful beach:center:0]] [[image:oz47.jpg:Pete, David and Hsu admiring the view:center:0]] [[image:oz48.jpg:EJ and Vin by the beach:center:0]] [[image:oz49.jpg:Group photo:center:0]] We did have to walk on the beach and feel the water (which was a little cold). [[image:oz51.jpg:Walking on the beach:center:0]] We decide to have lunch by the beach. Can you blame us? [[image:oz54.jpg:EJ and Hsu:center:0]] [[image:oz55.jpg:Pete and David:center:0]] [[image:oz56.jpg:Vin, EJ, David and Hsu relaxing after lunch:center:0]] [[image:oz53.jpg:Unexpected and rowdy guests:center:0]] I guess, Down Under, pine needles grow upwards for a reason? [[image:oz52.jpg:Pine tree:center:0]] This one is for Abah: [[image:oz57.jpg:Some kind of MG?:center:0]] After we hung out for […]
Continue readingPerth – Part 3
After our nice outing, we hung out some more with EJ until he dropped us off at Mei’s place – he was off to the airport to pick up some more people. Can you guess who they might be? 😉 In the evening, Mei, Colin, Vin and I piled into the mini and drove to EJ’s for dinner. BTW, when trying to fit Vin and 3 other people in the mini, always place Vin either in the front passenger seat in front of Mei, or behind the driver’s seat if Mei is driving. Everyone has plenty of room with this arrangement! 🙂 Here are the pictures at EJ and Indra’s place (please mouse over the pictures for captions): [[image:oz29.jpg:Vin and Colin:center:0]] [[image:oz28.jpg:Peter and a bit of Hsu-Yi:center:0]] [[image:oz44.jpg:Mei manning the barbecue:center:0]] [[image:oz30.jpg:Hsu doing the dishes:center:0]] [[image:oz31.jpg:EJ and Mei:center:0]] [[image:oz32.jpg:EJ gawking at the tomatoes:center:0]] [[image:oz33.jpg:Sasha and Boris:center:0]] [[image:oz34.jpg:Indra on tippy-toe and […]
Continue readingPerth – Part 2
After a good night’s sleep, Vin and I were ready to tackle the first full day in Perth. While poor Mei and Colin had to go to work, EJ picked us up and took us to see the sights. [[image:oz05.jpg:EJ and his car:center:0]] *Note – please mouse over the pictures for captions. [[image:oz06.jpg:Perth across the Swan River:center:0]] [[image:oz07.jpg:Perth Skyline from the Swan Brewery:center:0]] [[image:oz08.jpg:Vin and EJ:center:0]] [[image:oz09.jpg:Pretty Tree:center:0]] After lunch at the Swan Brewery, we headed to Kings Park. We decided to feel the wind in our hair, drive with the top down! [[image:oz10.jpg:EJ driving:center:0]] [[image:oz11.jpg:Vin enjoying the sun:center:0]] Here we are in Kings Park. Look at the lovely trees: [[image:oz12.jpg:Tree-lined road:center:0]] EJ pointed out some interesting Australian flora: [[image:oz13.jpg:Kangaroo Paw:center:0]] [[image:oz14.jpg:Blooming plant – I forget the name:center:0]] [[image:oz15.jpg:Vin and EJ with Perth Skyline in the background:center:0]] [[image:oz16.jpg:Cenotaph – A War Memorial:center:0]] [[image:oz17.jpg:Vin and EJ by the Cenotaph:center:0]] [[image:oz18.jpg:Inside the […]
Continue readingPerth – Part 1
Just a short entry on our arrival in Australia. We arrived in the late afternoon in Perth, and my best friend Mei picked us up from the airport. We stuffed the luggage and ourselves into the mini (Note: Vin fits quite nicely into a mini cooper!) and headed to Mei and Colin’s place. We settled in, and then met up with Eu-Jene, Indra, Colin and some of Mei’s work friends for drinks and then dinner at EJ’s favorite restaurant: Uncle Billy’s. [[image:oz04.jpg:Vin, EJ and me:center:0]] [[image:oz01.jpg:Vin and Colin:center:0]] [[image:oz02.jpg:Mei and EJ:center:0]] [[image:oz03.jpg:EJ and his (then) future bride Indra:center:0]] As you can see, Vin and I are looking a little rough – we’d flown from the US to KL just a couple of days ago, then another 6 hours on the plane to Perth. Whew! We needed a nap after our dinner. Tune in later for more adventures in Perth!
Continue readingMalaysia Trip – Part I
I know I’ve been quiet. I don’t know why but somehow I sort of slipped into a bit of a hibernation period. I haven’t really done very much, haven’t swept the floors either (that’s next on the list). I really have to get started on sharing the pictures from our awesome 4-week trip (3 weeks in Malaysia, 1 week in Australia). So here it is, the beginning of the sequence. These are the pictures that I took the first few days we got home. I admit it – I was pretty exhausted and didn’t take as many pictures as perhaps I should have, plus then the camera battery conked out and all kinds of excuses. We were only in Malaysia for 2 and a half days before we had to set off for Perth. So we stayed on the 10th floor (enjoying the view) with Hisham and the rest of […]
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