Papers

I have two papers which I will be writing with my PI. We are trying to submit them for a conference in the USA next year. If time permits, I may want to submit a paper on my PhD as well. So that will be 3 papers that I have to work on. The deadline for paper submission is 15 July. You think I have enough time to write 3 papers before then?? Lol. Wish me luck! :P

Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child

I have finished reading Terminal Freeze. :) Although it is predictable in the usual style of Child lol, it is still really engaging. I just couldn't stop reading the book, one chapter after another, wanting to know what happens next lol.

Terminal Freeze tells of a group of scientists who found something astonishing up in the Arctic Circle. But the find was not what they thought and things started to go wrong... Child combined science and Native American mythology to great effect and makes Terminal Freeze a chilling thriller. No puns intended lol. :P

If you like Relic, you will enjoy reading Terminal Freeze. :)

Students' Reactions

It has been about one and a half weeks since schools reopened and the precautionary measures being put in place in schools.

I asked my counsellees how they felt the H1N1 flu has changed their lives. Some felt it is troublesome because they have to take temperature twice a day everyday. Some felt it is fun because they can miss parts of their lessons. Some felt it is annoying because they miss parts of their favourite lessons. Some felt indifferent. But all felt that they are now much more aware of personal hygiene.

See, as I said before, there is some good when something like H1N1 comes along... :)

Falling

into place... the new project is. :)

1. We have hired the RAs, some of whom have started work.
2. The various instruments to be used in the project are coming along.
3. Our project partner is compiling the list of schools, teachers and students.

I am feeling more relaxed now that things are falling into place for the project. But at the same time, I am also a little stressed as I am entrusted with more responsibility for this project. :P

1111

4D* number? Lol. No, that is the total number of confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1) as of today in Singapore. More than half of the cases were local cases.

I think sometimes it is good that something like H1N1 comes along. Hear me out first before you want my blood. I am not being evil here. :P H1N1 has created in people the awareness on how the disease is spread and it has also resulted in people being more socially responsible. I tended to notice more people wearing masks now-a-days. Of course the cynic would say those people are afraid of catching H1N1 so they don the mask. However, it could also be said that they aren't well and are donning masks to protect others. :) I also noticed more people washing their hands longer and more carefully in the washrooms and I also observed more people using hand sanitizers.

See, there is some good. :)

*In Singapore, 4D is a game whereby a person picks a lucky 4-digit (4D) number from 0000 to 9999 and if the number matches any of the 23 4-digit numbers drawn, the person wins a prize.

Pleasure and Work

Marieann has a birthday party to attend at Great World City from 1 to 3pm. We therefore decided to have lunch at Kenny Rogers. It was nice to have some good, old-fashion comfort food such as macaroni and cheese, potato salad, mashed potato, chicken soup, etc. :) After lunch, we left Marieann at the party while we browsed around in the shops.

Marieann, with her make-over, at her friend's make-over birthday party

At 3pm, the girls' father took Marieann to her lesson and brought Juliane home while I stayed on at Coffee Bean to do some work. I needed some peace and quiet to gather my thoughts lol. I could have worked longer but was beginning to feel a little chilled. :( Close to 6pm, the girls' father came to pick me up after picking up Marieann from her lesson.

I might just do a bit more work tonight or maybe I should just watch tv lol.

Flight Safety

How many of us actually pay attention to the flight safety video that is played just before the plane takes off? Now be honest. The truth is: very few of us do. (Well, I have travelled so often that I have actually memorised it and that's the truth lol. :P)

Air New Zealand has created a flight safety video for its domestic flights, showing the bare essentials of flight safety with nothing to hide, literally! Lol. :P Enjoy a good laugh while listening to the flight safety message.

Reading

Started reading one of my favourite genre again - thriller.

There is a new book by Lincoln Child, Terminal Freeze. So far, it has been pretty engaging. :) Give me another day, I should be finished with it. Yes, yes, I know, I should be writing instead of reading lol. But hey, it's the weekend, let me relax ok? Hahaha. :P

Writing

Have started writing again. Wrote about 500 words today. Not a lot but enough. If I can continue with this momentum and amount of writing per day for a week, ...

Water Beauties

My favourite flowers that grow in the water.

Interviews

We had interview sessions again today. We are still looking for RAs for our project. One of the down side of scheduling interviews back to back is that we can't remember what was exactly said for each interview session although mostly would be the same lol. Must be old age, need to take lecithin. :P

Wonder Girls - Nobody

A good friend recently told me about this Korean girl group, Wonder Girls and the dance craze their song, Nobody created. I didn't think too much of it until I decided to look them up on YouTube. Oh my goodness, now I know why the craze hahaha. There are both the Korean and the English versions. I think I like the Korean version better lol. :P The song is really catchy and the dance steps pretty fun to follow. The Nobody MTV is really funny too. :)

Here is the original Korean version


Here is the English version


"I want nobody nobody but you! *point* clap clap *point* clap, I want nobody nobody but you! *point* clap clap *point* clap"

Now the chorus is stuck in my head lol. :P

Nature Walk: Pulau Semakau Intertidal Walk II

Juliane didn't go the walk yesterday because she was under the minimum age of 7 years old. She was very upset that she has been excluded from the walk and kept asking me why she cannot go.

Juliane: Why I cannot go?
Me: They set the rules, dear, under 7 years old cannot go.
Juliane: Why?
Me: They are scared it's too dangerous.
Juliane: Why?
Me: Because we have to wade through seawater and it can come up to your knees.
Juliane: Why?
Me: *Getting exasperated* You are too short?!
Juliane: I can wear your heels.
Me: ... *speechless*

When Marieann and I came back from the Semakau Walk yesterday afternoon, Juliane grilled us on every detail of our walk. She asked for the names of each marine animal and plant that I took photos of and she asked what they are and what they do. She was really curious. Marieann helped me out a lot by answering her sister's questions. Hmm, so Marieann has been paying attention to what Pei Ya (our guide) has been saying. Well done, Marieann. :)

Today, we were still being grilled by Juliane about our Semakau walk lol. By her bedtime, Juliane has seen the photos so many times that she could name me every marine animal and plant as if she had been on the walk herself hahaha. :P

I promised Juliane that I will bring her for the Semakau Intertidal Walk when she is old enough and Marieann said she wanted to go to Semakau again. I am glad that both girls take after me in that they are interested about nature and do enjoy nature. :)

Nature Walk: Pulau Semakau Intertidal Walk

This has to be one of the best nature walks I have ever been on! Hahaha. Marieann agrees with me totally. :)

I was kind of restless and didn't sleep very well as I was afraid that I would oversleep and miss the intertidal walk totally lol. I woke up first at 5:10am before waking Marieann. I then prepared breakfast for Marieann and myself. A good friend and colleague gave us a lift and we arrived at Marina South Pier at 6:20am. Gosh, not used to being up so early haha. :P We were split into 5 groups of 8 people (mostly my colleagues) and each group has a guide, who is a volunteer but with a deep passion and love for conserving our natural environment, for the intertidal walk. Our group is the Upside-down Jellyfish. :)

At 6:40am, we were on our way to Pulau Semakau by boat. As we were able to move about on the boat, Marieann and I went to the upper deck where we saw the sun rising from behind the clouds. It was a most beautiful sight. As you know, I always have a thing with sunrise and sunsets. I took quite a number of the sunrise photos. :)




Upon reaching Semakau, we walked about 2 km to the secondary forest. It was a good warm up exercise. At one point, Marieann rode piggyback on me because her shoes were chafing her. Gosh, she is heavy lol. I was also laughing so much that I could hardly carry her. After 3 minutes, I gave up hahaha. She changed her sports shoes into her Crocs for now and would change back when at the beach for the intertidal walk. :P Took a couple of photos while walking to the secondary forest.

Lallang in the morning sun

Mangrove swamp

The secondary forest trail was quite ok, not too long a stretch to walk and without mozzies! I was initially expecting to be attacked by mozzies so I had earlier sprayed Marieann and myself liberally with insect repellent. My friend had even wanted to bring Baygon along hahaha. No lah, he didn't. :P However, we were attacked by mozzies when we were at the beach! :( Marieann had to change her shoes at the beginning of the beach and while doing so, attracted a group of mozzies. Never seen mozzies so aggressive, kept coming at us despite being swiped at.

At the beach, our guide, Pei Ya showed us and explained to us about the things we saw along the way such as mangrove trees, hermit crabs and creeper shells, sea stars, acorn worm casts, and sponges. Marieann was initially apprehensive about touching the sea creatures. After encouragement from Pei Ya and my colleagues and friends, she plucked up the courage to hold a hermit crab in her hands lol. Bit by bit, she lost her apprehensiveness. Throughout the walk, she was more than game to hold the various marine creatures and plants in her hands. I am really proud of her. :)


A hermit crab

An acorn worm cast. Acorn worms are burrowing worms and the casts are the worms' excretion of swallowed mud and sand which the worms had processed for food.

Oysters!

Sponges and a shrimp's burrow whose "doorway" has been decorated with various bits and pieces of stones

Marieann holding a sand sifting sea star

The underside of the sand sifting sea star

Soon we came to the seagrass meadow where we had to wade through the seagrass to get to the intertidal plains. It was actually very fun, wading through the seawater and seagrass that came up to our mid calf. :) Earlier prior to our arrival on the beach and the intertidal plains, the "scouts" looked out for various interesting marine creatures and plants and marked off the locations where the marine life was found as stations which we could visit, see and touch the marine creatures and plants. I never knew there is such a rich biodiversity of marine life on Singapore's shores! The Semakau intertidal walk is truly an eye-opener for me, for my girl as well as for my other colleagues. We learnt about and saw various marine creatures and plants, some of which we could touch and feel.

Seagrass meadow

Our group, Upside-down Jellyfish standing in the middle of the seagrass meadow

Marieann holding a type of seaweed called Mermaid's Fan. Isn't it a pretty name?

Can you see something in the sand? A sea star which has burrowed under the sand

A baby sea star on Marieann's palm

The underside of the baby sea star

Moon snail and its eggs in a sand collar

Err... can't remember what this is. :( Reminds me of spice worm from Dune lol.

Sea cucumber and a strip of its skin which dropped off

Sea anemone but no Nemo around

A pretty blue polka dotted nudibranch. Nudibranchs are colourful sea slugs. They are really pretty, aren't they?

A pretty pink polka-dotted nudibranch

A white with dark blue border nudibranch

Sponges, fluted clam and scallops

A beautiful heart cockle

The underside of a spider conch. Can you see a tiny eye peeping at you?

Fluted giant clam

Seahorse

A six-armed knobbly sea star


A orange coloured five-armed knobbly sea star

A cushion sea star

A sandfish sea cucumber

The underside of the sandfish sea cucumber

Righting itself. Jia you, jia you!

Ocellated sea cucumber, I think

Nature's condo - Coral

Red coloured coral

Corals

Beautifully coloured coral - green with gold borders

Blue coloured coral

Mushroom coral

Our group's namesake, Upside-down jellyfish

What you staring at? I am a crab, just happened to have teddy bear in my name too - Teddy bear crab.


Just as we were at the last station, we saw thick, dark clouds forming, the wind picking up speed and the tide starting to rise. Our guide and the "scouts", who stayed behind as they had to return the marine creatures back to their habitat after all the groups have observed, hurried us back to the "mainland". It was really surreal as we were wading hurriedly across the seagrass meadow and trotting back across the beach. On the right side of us, we could see the dark clouds rolling in fast and the cold wind whipping wildly at us but on the left side of us, the sun was still shining and was warm. On the beach, we saw how fiddler crabs were scrambling and scuttling about before the approaching storm. Unfortunately I didn't have time to stop and take photos of them as I was more concerned about getting caught in a downpour and in a potential thunderstorm.

Storm is coming

Dark stormy clouds

Soon we made it through the secondary forest and back onto the "mainland" where we could washed our feet and changed into a dry pair of shoes. I had to throw away my track shoes. While at the beach, I lost my soul. Oops I mean my soles hahaha. The soles of my track shoes came apart after wading through the seagrass meadow and puddles of seawater on the intertidal plains. Oh well, it's no wonder since the last time I wore the shoes was back in 2003!! Hahaha. It has certainly served me well. May it RIP. :P

A bus pick us up and drove to the southern most tip of the island to show us a landfill cell before doubling back to the NEA office where we watched a video on how Pulau Semakau came into being. :) At 12pm, we arrived back at Marina South Pier via boat. We lingered around to say our farewells and to thank one particular lady who made it happen, Belinda. Without her, we (my colleagues and I) would never have gone for the Semakau Intertidal Walk on our own! Thanks, Belinda. What walk next??!! :)

Taking a rest while waiting for the bus to pick us up


Marieann and I had lunch with my good friend (who gave us a lift) and his wife at Sakae. Marieann chose it. Looks like I can't escape from eating at Sakae haha. After lunch, my friend sent us home. I was so tired that I slept from 3 to 7:30pm! Hahaha.

I have certainly learnt a lot from this walk. It is truly an awe-inspiring experience.

Nature Walk

I will be bringing Marieann on a nature walk tomorrow. It is organised by the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. Unfortunately, there is a minimum age limit so Juliane won't be able to go. She was most upset but I promised her that I would bring her when she is 7 years old.

Now I am busy getting ready the items I need to bring for tomorrow - ponchos, insect repellent, sunblock lotion, torchlight, penknife, camera, hats, water, snacks, some cash, ...

Have I missed anything? :P

Movie to Watch

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is the movie I want to watch. I used to watch Transformer cartoons when I was young :P and I really enjoyed the first Transformer movie lol. Can't wait to watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on the big screen.

My girls also wanted to watch it lol. They recently watched my Transformers DVD and were really enthralled by how the machines transformed into robots. I may bring them to watch it if they behave themselves. Hahaha.

I have a good friend who watched it today and he said he might have to watch it a second time because it was so action packed that when he blinked his eyes, he missed some actions. Hahaha. I thought that was really funny.

H1N1 Pandemic - Singapore

The cases of H1N1 (A Flu) are on the increase in Singapore. Almost everyday now, it has been increasing by 2 scores, including both local cases and imported cases. :(

Some people have said it is nothing more than a seasonal flu as the death rates of it is almost on par with that of normal seasonal flu. I begged to differ. We still do not know how potent/ fatal the H1N1 flu really is. Medication is given at once when a person is diagnosed with H1N1. I think that would mask the severity of the flu.

Until the experts can finally come up with a cure for it, we must continue to be vigilant and continue with practising good personal hygiene.

Back to Work

I had a few colleagues surprised when they saw me back in office today.

The various alarmed responses were:
"Aren't you supposed to be on Leave of Absence?!"
"Why are you back?!"
"How come you can come back?!"
"Didn't you see the latest email alert about H1N1?!"

My responses:
"No, I don't need to be on LOA."
"I am back to work"
"Why I cannot come back?"
"Yes, but it doesn't apply to me because I was back before the alert came out"
"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH (sound)"

I could see them paled significantly when I "coughed". It was only when I started laughing that they realised I was pulling their legs hahaha. :P

Work from Home, Stay at Home

I decided to work from home today since I just came back yesterday from Phuket, Thailand which is one of the affected countries by H1N1 flu. Better be safe than sorry since our centre has plenty of projects with schools.

Already my girls' schools are anxious and have called me up. Juliane's pre-school requested that she be placed on Leave of Absence for 7 days which I can totally understand the pre-school's position. Marieann's school also asked if everyone in the family was feeling alright since our return from Phuket. I told the school not to worry and I would inform them if anything happens and that when Marieann returns to school next Monday, it would have been 7 days too.

So for the next few days, I will be monitoring my temperature as well as the girls' temperature.

Phuket: Day 5 - Farewell, Phuket

Today was our last day in Phuket. All of us were flying home. My parents were leaving on an earlier flight at 10:15am while the rest of us were leaving at 2:55pm.

I was awake by 6am. I was meeting my parents at 7am as I booked my parents' villa under my name so I had to do the check-out. I met my parents who were having breakfast at The Cliff before proceeding to the lobby to process the check-out. At 7:20am, our guide, Sam pick up my parents and sent them to the airport.

The Cliff Restaurant facing towards the lobby

The view from The Cliff


I went back to my villa to finish up with the packing, to wake the girls and to get them ready for breakfast. I was back at The Cliff again with the girls by 9am for breakfast. We had a really heavy breakfast. :) The restaurant staff was sad to see us go as they have been pretty taken with my girls. They said very cute haha. :P After breakfast, we went to Spa Cenvaree where I bought some spa products which my mother wanted. We then went back and lazed around in the villa until around 11:30am. We checked out and were pick up at 12pm by Sam who sent us to the airport.




Photo with one of The Cliff staff who found the girls adorable :)

Photo with Sam at the Phuket International Airport

After check in at the airport, the girls complained that they were hungry. We went to the airport cafeteria to have lunch. Marieann ordered a Seafood Spaghetti while Juliane had a Thai Fried rice with pork. I had a Thai Fried Noodle with River Prawns and the girls' father had a Green Curry noodle (without the spiciness). I finished my food first so I went to buy a few things at the shops because I wanted to use up all my Thai Baht lol. We cleared the immigration at 2:15pm and I was really excited to see more shops inside haha. When I was just thinking we still have time for me to shop around, we heard the last call for boarding! WHAT?! So soon??!! We ran to the gate which thankfully was nearby. Phew. We made it but we were the last ones to board the plane. Oh dear, it was really embarrassing. :S



Thai Fried Noodle with River Prawns

Green Curry Noodle

The flight back to Singapore were really packed too but the journey was much more turbulent which I didn't mind at all hahaha. Just like a roller coaster ride. :P I was really surprised that the girls could still eat their kid's meals when they came. They have bigger stomachs than I have thought! Lol.


The view outside my window

The kid's meal: Chicken with spaghetti

Adult meal: Chicken with mashed potato

The journey home always seem much quicker. We touched down in Singapore at 5:35pm. We were home by 6:18pm. :)

Phuket: Day 4 - Karon Beach, Spa Cenvaree

Today was a really relaxing day for all of us.

I woke up early at 6am because I wanted to catch the sunrise. Unfortunately, the sunrise was behind our villa. But I tried to get a photo or two of the sunrise from the pool area. After that, I went back to my villa to get another hour of sleep lol. :P



We went for our buffet breakfast at The Cliff around 9am. After breakfast at 10am, the girls, my parents and I took the free one-way shuttle service to Karon beach to do a bit of shopping. The girls' father opted to stay behind at the hotel. I think he had some work to do and more importantly, he can't stand the heat! Lol.


Within 10 minutes, we were at Karon beach. :) My parents went ahead to shop first while I took the girls to the beach to walk around and to look for more seashells. We took more photos on the beach and we also saw more of the tiny sand crabs scuttling around. :) Almost 30 minutes later, we joined their grandparents in shopping. :P My father bought the most among all of us and us being girls too! Lol. He bought the wooden handicrafts. :) The girls got paper crafts such as notebooks and I got myself 2 tube tops and a tube dress lol. Who knows, they may come in handy when I go to a beach place again for holiday haha. :P

The dragon on Karon Beach







We returned to the hotel around 12pm. My mother and I went for lunch at Bayview Restaurant while my father took the girls back to my spa villa. We had a simple lunch as we were having our spa treatment at 2:30pm. My mother had a Pineapple Blended and a Club Sandwich and I had a lime soda and a Caesar Salad. Simple meals but delicious.

My mother's Pineapple Blended

My mother's Club Sandwich

My Caesar Salad

I went to Spa Cenvaree earlier than my 2:30pm appointment to take some photos of the beautiful ocean view. By 2:15pm, my mother and I were relaxing before our 2:30pm appointment. We were served with a cup of cold Lemongrass Ginger drink with a ice cold towel. We were in the couple room, Aruna for our Head to Toe spa package (4.30 hours) which began with an exotic Sea & Tea Body polish, followed by a Tranquility Massage, a Jurlique Cleansing Facial and the finishing details of a manicure and pedicure. :) We both felt so pampered hahaha. :P The whole spa experience was really soothing, relaxing and rejuvenating. :) The oceanfront-facing location of Spa Cenvaree certainly helped too in relaxing us, being able to hear the lull of the waves on the rocks, to see the waves. Ahhh... so peaceful and relaxing. :)






Our cold refreshing Lemongrass Ginger drink and cold towel

The couple spa room, Aruna where we had our spa treatments. See the outdoor shower and tub? :)


Sunset as seen at Spa Cenvaree


We went to dinner at The Cliff around 7:30pm. By now, the staff knew us very well lol. :) My parents and the girls' father all ordered Kao Phad (B160): fried rice with seafood haha. Marieann was full with the fries I brought back from my lunch so she just drank the complimentary soup: Pumpkin Soup. Juliane ordered a Crabmeat and Corn Soup (B150) while I had a Pork Medallions (B490) which was wrapped in pancetta with port wine cherry sauce, served with risotto and vegetables. The corn soup and my pork medallions were really tasty. :)

Complimentary Soup of the Day: Pumpkin Soup

Crabmeat and Corn Soup

My Pork Medallions

We went back to our respective villas after dinner. I started to pack our luggages as we were leaving tomorrow. The girls seemed a little reluctant to leave lol. Oh well, we can always go away to another resort holiday. :) In the midst of my packing close to 10:30pm, we heard fireworks going off at Karon town area. The girls were so excited that they called their grandparents to tell them about it. The girls finally fell asleep close to 11:30pm. Phew.



I should be sleeping soon too. I have to be at the lobby by 7am to process the check out for my parents.

Phuket: Day 3 - Southern Phuket

Our guide, Sam was going to pick us up at 9am to bring us around the southern parts of Phuket. We didn't have to wake up so early like the previous 2 days when we left Singapore and when we went to Phang Nga Bay. So we were able to have our breakfast most leisurely.



Sam brought us to the different beaches: Karon beach, Kata beach and Kata Noi beach. The girls really enjoyed walking on the beach and they also tried to look for seashells but couldn't find any.






Next, we went to Koh Chang Safari. It is the first time the girls were so close to elephants. Well, my first time too. We went on elephant trekking for 30 minutes. Marieann and I were on one elephant while Juliane and her father were on another elephant. On the jungle trek, Marieann and I talked about the rubber trees and rubber tapping we saw along the way. I am surprised that she knew quite a bit about rubber tapping. :) We saw giant spiders sitting in the middle of their webs *shudders*, family of squirrels moving amidst the trees, we also heard monkeys chattering but we didn't get to see them. Juliane and her father was on the elephant behind us but she didn't look too happy cos I think her father was holding her very tightly, perhaps scared that she might fall out of the seat. The girls' father also didn't look happy. Actually he had a perpetual frown and look of fear on his face. Sigh. He is not a nature lover. We came up to an opening where we saw the coastal bay. It was beautiful!


Happy faces here

Contrasted with frown and pouting here

Rubber tree tapping







I was caught on camera patting the elephant





After the elephant trekking, we went to Karon View Point where we took plenty of photos of the entire Karon bay. We proceeded to Nai Harn beach where the girls and I walked on the beach and picked up a few seashells. We also saw little fishes and a sand crab which was really tiny and blended right into its beach environment. I am really glad that the girls find nature interesting, and that they are really enjoying and appreciating the nature around them. :)












Busy looking for seashells

Juliane and our guide, Sam



Next we went to Promthep Cape, another view point which is famed for viewing the sunset. A pity we weren't there at sunset. I would have loved to catch the sunset. We also took some photos of the scenery at the Promthep Alternative Energy Station.










We went to Rawai Beach where we had lunch at a local Thai restaurant. My parents and Sam ordered Green Curry Chicken, Curry Crab and Curry Fish to go with their rice over at their Spicy food table. At our Non-spicy food table, Marieann had Thai fried rice, Juliane had Thai fried noodle, the girls' father had Thai noodles and I had Pineapple rice. The food was most delicious and really reasonably-priced. :)








The cashew nut factory was our next destination. We saw what cashew looks like when it is still on a tree, it is really interesting. We also saw how cashew nut is processed. As cashew nut is healthy, we bought many cashew nut products, both for our own consumption and as gifts for friends. :) We then went to Patong to shop. We didn't stay long as it was very warm but I still managed to buy dresses for the girls and a batik dress for myself lol. :P



Sam and my family

When Sam sent us back to the hotel, it was just after 4pm. We lazed around a bit before deciding to take a dip in our jacuzzi. The girls were most excited. It is the first the girls and I experienced a dip in a jacuzzi. :) It was really fun hahaha.




At 7am, we had the Andaman Sea BBQ buffet at The Cliff. There were various salads and starters, live cooking stations of fresh seafood and meats, grilled seafood and meats, Thai and International dishes and desserts. We were most full by the time we were done with our buffet dinner at 9pm+. :)




Tomorrow will be a rather relaxing day, just roaming around on our own.

Phuket: Day 2 - Phang Nga Bay

Today we went for our 4-in-1 Phang Nga Bay canoe trip.

We were at The Cliff Restaurant for our American Breakfast Buffet by 7am as the mini-bus was coming to pick us up at 8am. We had a really good breakfast. :)

Waiting at the lobby for our transport to Ao Por Pier

We were at Ao Por Pier just after 9am. We boarded our cruiser boat around 9:30am and left for our first destination - Panak (Phanak) Island or Koh Phanak. The girls were excited as this is their first boat ride. :) Thank goodness, none of us were doing the Merlion (suffered from seasickness) haha. :P The girls were moving about on the boat as were my mother and I as we took photos of the beautiful scenery along the way.

Waiting for our cruiser boat to set off







We arrived at Panak Island around 10:30am. We were going to visit and explore the caves and inland lagoon at Panak on canoes! Initially the girls' father and my parents were against the girls going as they deemed it dangerous. However as I wanted to go on the canoe ride, the girls insisted on tagging along. Finally my parents came along on the canoe ride while the girls' father opted to stay on board as he had no interest in nature at all and much prefer to sleep instead lol. Each canoe had a staff to man it. My father, Juliane and I were on one canoe while my mother and Marieann on another canoe. It was MOST FUN being on the canoe!! :) It is the first canoe ride for all of us. The girls were most giggly and so was I hahaha. We went through the partially underwater caves in order to get to the inland lagoon. With torch lights, we saw rock formations and stalactites and bats too in the caves! The girls went "ah" and "wah" lol. There were mangrove trees in the lagoon. It was a pretty awesome experience: canoeing in silence and marvelling at the beautiful greenery surrounding us in the inland lagoon. It is definitely a wonderful memory for all of us. :)

All of us in our canoes! :) My mom and Marieann in the background


The cave entrance



Light at the end of the cave into the inland lagoon in the middle of Panak Island












Out of the cave

Going back to our cruiser boat

We returned to the cruiser boat all smiles and the girls talked non-stop about their first canoe ride. :) We arrived at the second destination, Hong Island. The girls were most game to go for the canoe ride to Hong Island. But it started to rain. We opted out of it as the sea had become choppy, we had no extra change of clothes and we didn't want to get sick! While waiting for the others to come back, we all had a little snooze lol. When the others returned, we had lunch while the cruiser boat proceeded to James Bond Island and Khao Ping-Kan.




Raining in the distance amidst the islands


We took the small boat over to visit James Bond Island or Koh Tapu and Khao Ping-Kan. Of course we all know James Bond Island where one of the James Bond movies, "The Man with The Golden Gun" was filmed. Khao Ping-Kan, also known as "Leaning Island" is named because of its peculiar arrangement of a smooth rock slab resting some 50 metres high on other rocks. We took plenty of photos during our 30 minutes stop here.

James Bond Island and Khao Ping-Kan in the distance

The long boat we rode over to the islands

Khao Ping-Kan or Leaning Island

James Bond Island or Koh Tapu


Soon, we went to our last destination, Naka Island where we could either swim in the sea or feel free to try our hand in canoeing. We decided to take it easy and stay on board the cruiser ship eating fruits and drinking tea. :) By 4:30pm, we made our way back to Ao Por Pier where we took the mini-bus back to our hotel.





The girls enjoying fruits before returning to Phuket Island

After arriving back at our hotel, my mother and I freshened up and we went to Spa Cenvaree for our 1.5 hour spa treatments. I had the Sun Lovers package which included a Pre-Sun Body Glow: a body polish of my choice - Tropical Papaya and Coconut Glow (45 mins) and a After-Sun Soother (45 mins): a cooling wrap followed by a yoghurt splash and included my choice of scalp massage. My mother had a Therapeutic Head & Shoulder Massage (30 mins) and a Jurlique OPC Anti-Oxidant Rejuvenating Facial (60 mins). We both felt really relaxed and revived after our spa treatments lol. :) We joined the rest of the family at The Cliff for dinner. We all had an early night after an exhausting but exciting day! :)

Our guide, Sam is taking us round Phuket tomorrow.

Phuket: Day 1 - Old Phuket Town, Centara Villas Phuket

Our flight, MI752 took off at 9:05am. The plane was really packed but the journey was really smooth. The flight duration was 1 h 40 min.

Kid's meal

Adult meal: omelette with chicken

We arrived in Phuket at 9:40am (local time which is one hour slower than in Singapore). Once we exited the airport, we were greeted by our guide, Sam whom we engaged to bring us round Phuket. Since we could only check-in at 3pm, we asked Sam to show us Old Phuket Town and maybe do a bit of shopping lol. :P We were shown the old streets of Phuket Town where most of the Sino-Portuguese building are. They are similar to those we can find at Emerald Hill in Singapore. Sam later brought us to a shopping plaza in the town area. We roamed around a bit. Just as we assembled at 12:30pm, we realised my father was lost. He had gone off to have some Bak Ku Teh on his own while we window shopped. After almost 20 minutes later, we found him. Phew! He had made the wrong turn, went off in the wrong direction and couldn't find his way back again. He gave all of us a scare! Sam brought us to this fish ball noodle place, which makes fish ball noodles without MSG and preservatives, for lunch. I thought the fish ball noodles was superb and not oily at all. So was the fresh spring rolls which we ordered. :)




After lunch, my parents went to a Kipling shop they saw on the way while Marieann and I went to buy some souvenirs such as postcards, magnet and key chains. After which, Sam sent us to our hotel, Centara Villas Phuket at Karon Beach. While processing our check-in, we were served with a welcome drink and an ice-cold towel. Real refreshing! :) We are at the Spa Villa, Room 212 while my parents are at the Ocean Facing Deluxe Villa, Room 122. We took the mini-car to our respective rooms. The Centara Villas Phuket is built in a natural jungle environment and upon a hill so it is too hilly to walk for unseasoned legs like ours lol. :P Each room or villa is a separate unit and fairly secluded and private from one another. Each has its own private walk-way serving it. :) We could almost see the entire stretch of Karon beach from our room's balcony.


The drive way down to the entrance of Centara Villas Phuket

The bridge link from entrance to the lobby

The lobby

The Cliff Restaurant beyond the lobby

Taking the mini-car to our Spa Villa


The private walk way to our Spa Villa












View of the ocean from my balcony

After having rested a bit, the girls and I went to see my parents while the girls' father slept like a log. Their room is almost similar to ours except that it was slightly smaller and there is no jacuzzi. After the girls finished exploring their grandparents' room, my mother and I with the girls went to explore the grounds. We saw the two-tier swimming pool, the spa centre and the ocean-facing lawn. We took plenty of photos lol. :)

View of the whole stretch of Karon Beach from the pool area





Around 6:45pm, we went to The Cliff Restaurant for dinner.
We were served with complimentary soup of the day (which was Phuket Lobster Bisque) and bread before our food orders arrived.


My parents both ordered Tom Yum soup (B250). My mother ordered Roasted Duck Breast (B450) with ginger orange sauce with chicory risotto and broccoli. My father order Kao Phad (B160): fried rice with seafood. Both dishes were delicious.




I had Phuket Lobster Bisque (B175) which came with a piece of grilled salmon and Rock Lobster Tails (B560) which served pan-seared lobster tails with bouillabaisse emulsion and spinach risotto. I really enjoyed my lobster! :) The girls' father had Pumpkin and Prawn Risotto (B295): arborio rice simmered with pumpkin in chicken broth and served with sauteed prawns. The girls didn't order any food but had their fill just eating the bread and drinking the complimentary soup.




After a sumptuous dinner, my parents and my family returned to the rooms while I stayed on in the lobby to access the Internet. There is a problem with the wireless Internet in our room. I think there are too many trees and I couldn't use the lan cable too. The hotel personnel said they will sent a technician to look into it tomorrow.

Tomorrow we are going to Phang Nga Bay.

Flying Off

Soon. My family and I will be leaving for the airport in 4 hours' time at 6:30am. Yes I am still awake lol. Guess I am too wired up to rest. Not entirely because I am excited to go away for a break, but more that I am worried about work stuff. :(

Anyway, our flight to Phuket will take off at 8:50am and we will reach Phuket around 9:35am local time. We will be in Phuket until 21 June. I will try to update my blog daily. If not, do bear with me. Hopefully I can get Internet access in the hotel room so that it is easier for me. Then I can be in my pj when updating my blog hahaha. :)

By the time most of you read this, I would be on the plane to Phuket or already in Phuket shopping! Hahaha. :P Anyway, I will talk to you guys later. Meanwhile, do take care.

Interviews

I was one of the interviewers today for the RA interviews. Conducted 4 interviews in one day. Feeling pretty zonked out by the end of the day. It was pretty fun being one of the interviewers though lol. :P But I did my best to make the interviewees feel comfortable by chit-chatting with them first before the interview started. :)

Got at least 2 more interviews lined up...

A Flu Pandemic

WHO officially declared H1N1 flu (also known as swine flu, A flu) a pandemic on 12 June 2009. It is the first global flu epidemic in 41 years. Although the A flu is not lethal, the virus is still deadly as it could mutate into a more dangerous form. Therefore, we can't be too complacent and must continue to maintain high standards of personal hygiene.

As of today in Singapore, the number of confirmed H1N1 flu cases increased to 47, with the greatest jump of confirmed cases yesterday - 13 cases.

We decided not to take any chances too, especially my father as he is diabetic. My parents and I went for the flu vaccination on Sunday. The girls had taken their shots two weeks earlier. I think we should be fine as we are now vaccinated against flu and as long as we continue to practice good personal hygiene. :)

Packing

The girls are pretty excited about the coming Phuket trip. They helped me to pack the luggage. They started to take out all the clothes that they want to bring to Phuket. Oi Girls, we are only going away for 4 days, you don't have to pack your whole wardrobe into the luggage! Lol.

The girls' packing are done, mine is almost there too. I think we are ready for our trip. :)

Realisations

I realised that my family trip to Phuket is next week. It is so SOON! I haven't started packing for the girls and myself yet. But I guess it would be pretty easy since we are only going away for four days. :)

I realised this trip is a number of firsts. It is the first time that I am going to an ASEAN country. It is the first time my parents are coming along with us for a holiday and it is also the first time they are going to Phuket. It is the first time I am treating my parents to an all-expenses paid holiday. :P

I realised I am looking forward to the trip and at the same time, not looking forward to it. I am looking forward to it because I need a break. I am not looking forward to it because there is still work to be completed and I am the main contact person. Thus I feel bad going away. Hopefully, as a good friend said, I would feel differently when I get to Phuket and would not feel bad going away for a break which I deserved.

The Search Continues...

I have managed to find three potential candidates and have scheduled interviews for next week. Plus the two interviews scheduled earlier, that is a total of five interviews. However, we still need to look for more candidates, in case of unforeseen circumstances... So I can't heave a sigh of relief yet. :(

Stubborn like a

Cat haha. Well, that's according to the Blogthing quiz "What pet are you like?". The quiz result reflects quite an accurate picture of me. :)

You Are Like a Cat

You are independent and a bit stubborn. You are content to do your own thing. You are curious about the world but still an individual. You prefer to be a solo explorer. You enjoy your alone time, but you also like some quiet company from time to time. You crave companionship, even if it means just spending time in the same room together.

What Pet Are You Like?