Sunday afternoon blog

Chilling out on a Sunday afternoon - lazily at home..
What do u do? Write a blog.. that's what I am doing now. Nothing special - that's what blogs are for, isn't it?

I once discussed with a group of friends about diary and I said that's why everyone is blogging these days. Blogging is like writing a diary but in the open where everyone can read.
So why do we do that? I think in a way ppl wanted privacy but at the same time yearning for attentions. (opps.. is that me? )

Anyway is a fun thing to do and to be able to "communicate" with your friends that reads your blog.... makes me feel Good....

Cheers everyone ....here is my latest photo... with my new hair style. :) Cool right?

Ho Ho Ho - Merry Merry Christmas

Ho Ho Ho - is Christmas time again.

I love Christmas - because I can get presents for no reason. hahaha
Businessman love Christmas too - because ppl spend money to buy presents for ppl for no reasons.
But at the end everyone is happy - so Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas to all.

Goa Trip

Came back from Goa a month ago... but too lazy to write anything about it. Feeling guilty to my wonderful trip... therefore here u go.. about my Goa trip.

Goa is in south of India. Taken a 13 hours of train and finally we arrived in Goa.
Late at night.. but the road reminds me a lot of Kuantan, Malaysia.

Anyway the next morning we headed to our cottage hat at Riva Beach Hotel in north of Goa.
U can only have beaches and sunshine in the northern part of Goa. And that's what we were headed for - A perfect place for a lazy laid-back and relaxing holidays away from the busy city and hectic of Mumbai city.

No fancy hotels, no AC rooms, no fantastic cuisine, no phone calls (because no reception at most of the hotels) - only sunshine and beaches.
It was fine for a couple of days to get away, but not for long. At least not for me. Ok fine I am still the "city" kind of girl.... I missed my AC a lot...:p
Anyway the trip ended up pretty enjoyable.



They got plenty of semi precious stone's rings, pendent and other jewelry at the tourist market. In case u are wondering - yes I was doing what I do best - Bargaining!!

Now I understand why

I have two previous posts about:
I really DO NOT Understand them!! & Are u a Child?
The former one I talked about how I was angry with the Indians' working attitude and behaviour. The latter one I talked about how I feel when my Indian boss treat me like a child i.e. Indians.

When I combined these two articles - I have finally understand why.
Why do Indians like to control/ order ppl to do things? Why wouldn't they trust their employees? Why was my driver so slack? Why??
Because the Indians are "trained" to behave like that - To treat ppl like that & expect ppl to treat them like a child. (controlled and be controlled)

Indian employers have to control every lower class employees - which are the majority - because if they don't they would be the one who suffer.
Majority Indians are not well educated. Drivers will steal petrol from employer's vehicles; maids would steal money and things at home, coffee boys would "take" home some sugars, tea, coffee when their stocks runs out; courier boy would go somewhere else to chill out instead of dispatching your docs; when u put a project pipelines alongside the street, ppl would sleep/shit inside your pipe; steel/windows of an unfinished projects would get stolen.. etc
These are my daily encounters in India. It happened here....

Because of all these - employers are trained to control their employees, they just don't trust ppl anymore.
On the other hand, Indian employees would like to be told what to do.
They would not treat one foreigner differently, because they don't think that is anything wrong with this behaviour. I can understand it now.

Good news and bad news - the good news is I would not get myself angry/ pissed off when things like this happened again.
Bad news is - I WILL "educate" my employer. Sorry I am just not Indian.

No title

Don't feel like blogging these days....
Not sure why.. maybe work - busy .. maybe I am just too lazy. :p

Just came back from M'sia and HKG... feeling so good to be back to M'sia and HKG.
Back to "the civilization" I would call it.
I don't have to sit in the car for hours and hours to get from one place to another... I get the food that I like without worrying about the quality... fantastic shopping experiances.. wah lots more....

Of course most of all - I get to see my family and friends again!!
Nice catching up with my friends in KL and HKG. :)

But I am regretful to inform Limbo and May and all my best Singaporean buddies
That I would not be going back for Limbo & May's wedding.
Sorry again.... :(
Hmmmmm that's just for it now... see u guys again soon.... very soon.

My favourite weekend hang out

When u r far away in India, you do not have much choice in terms of weekend hang out.
So what do I do then? Lots of ppl asked me....
Here is where I hang out.... A shop called - Bagel Shop.

The Bagel Shop is near to my house, served nice bagel, nice environment and most of all - lots of free entertainment magazines.
This is where I would spent most of my Sunday morning.


Above me at the Bagel shop (left) and on the right - me at the Bagel shop again, reading magazine with 100% seriousness. No kidding.

Are u a child?

Why do the employers always treat employees like a child?
What do I mean? - I mean they will be very "concern" about you...
- Are u coming to work?
- What time u coming to work?
- Where r u?
- What r u doing?

I am one of them that was being treated like a child. These are the questions my branch manager kept asking me.
Sigh - I am an adult not a child, moreover I am in biz development - I have to go out!!
What is wrong with all these ppl? Or that is the way Indian treats their employees? Maybe more from Indian but most of the employers do behave like that - one way or the other. Come on, I am sure u guys will agree with me.

I have becoming more and more appreciative of the concept put together by Ricardo Semler in his book called Maverick. A fantastic book that gave me an eye opener of what we could achieve!
He talks about treating each employee as an adult - he promotes industrial democracy. Yes that is the word.

His "survival manual" consist of only 17 pages of survival "rules" in Semco (his company). Instead of using 200 pages of employee handbook that nobody read, he wrote something really interesting. He used cartoon and very little word to elaborate. Check out on the book and u will know what I mean.

I have introduced this book to my boss, I hope he reads it and that could change his mind set about employees.

I really DO NOT Understand them!!

Who don't I understand?
Indians - the way they work, their culture and their attitude towards working.

Yesterday I told my driver that I need the car at 3pm for an appointment at 4pm. (I am using tourist car at the moment, because I am still looking for a reliable driver.)
At 3pm, I called the driver and he said 15mins. I was not very happy but still I could make it on time if he comes in 15mins.
3.15pm - I called again and he told me that his eyes is paining him so he couldn't come.
SxxT!! U can imagine I was already "boiling". Then I asked who will come and pick me? He said "Yah madam, the other driver is on the way" - another 15mins.
Somehow after half an hour, no one has come and I became really pissed. I have my receptionist to call to the boss and complained. He apologised but he blamed me for not letting him know the schedule before hand - that's why all the delayed!! Can u believe it??
Anyway to cut the story short - at 4pm, my "original" driver came (the one with the paining eye) and he wasn't happy at all. Showed me a "black face", because he has to work despite his paining eye. He must be blaming me for so demanding.
Gosh - I mean I didn't need him, arrange other replacement.
Not do-it-only-when-I-called-and-complained. Isn't that the way to work? Or just me? The ppl here just do not understand the meaning of Responsibility??? Do they want me to treat them like a child? Scold them and tell them what to do?

This morning, no driver come at all!!!! Yes I am still at home.
Great great great! The situation with the "un-understandable" driver just became more and more "un-understandable"!


I am extremely angry now. I could just stay at home, but I have an appointment in the afternoon. And I understand the meaning of Responsibility at Work. So no matter how angry I am, I will still go to work. Not like them!!
I really DO NOT Understand them!!

However after these incidents, below is what I gathered:
For me/ or other expatriates the "procedures" to get a pick-up are:
1) Tell the driver what time and place for pick-up
2) Then driver will arrive on time.
2.1) If driver not able to come, he will arrange replacement.
3) No need to call again to confirm, driver will be there.

But for the Indian drivers, they would think like these:
1) Tell me the time, and call me again an hour before if u want me to come on time.
2) If I am not coming, I just would not come. Don't hope I will arrange replacement.
3) Talk to my boss for replacement
4) I will reply: "I do not understand you, Madam."

Ganesha Festival in India

What is Ganesha Festival?
Ganesha, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati, is widely worshipped as the supreme god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. For the knowledge of my dear far away friends - Lord Ganesha look like this:

Maybe u better known it as Ganesha by the cartoon - Lord Ganesha. I posted below one of the stories for cartoon Lord Ganesha.




Anyway if u want to know more about this festival - Ganesha Festival , check out on the wikipedia (my favourite encyclopedia on the internet)
It's quite an important festival of the year here. It was started on 15th Sep, Saturday last week. Today is the 5th day of the celebration. I guess there must be some sort of celebration on the 5th days?? (need to clarify that with my colleagues) But today lots of ppl came out to the streets, singing and dancing, music is very loud at my background now (if u can hear).

As u can imagine, normal day in Mumbai (or the whole India) has already created tremendous traffics on the road during peak period. Today it's worst. Traffic police blocked some streets for public celebrations, stages were built for singing and dancing crowds. And of course lots of Ganesha stature were seen everywhere on the road.

Yes it has created an "inconvenient" for me - traffic jam x 100 times more!!
But there is one good thing - coming Tuesday - 25th Sep - is a public holiday. Yeah!!
Why holiday? Because worshipper will all gather around and "send" Lord Ganesha "back" to the nature (means lakes, rivers or sea). It also means - perhaps 1 billion Indians would be on the streets on Tuesday. Hence that would be impossible to go to work.
Give me an excuse to stay at home and rest. :) Good good Ganesha

Still love it and hate it

I love my cats and hate them at the same time.

They just spilled my precious lunch!! It was 3pm and I was extremely hungry. Made myself a two minute cup noodle. Is was not an ordinary cup noodle - for u maybe it is ordinary. Why?
Because that flavour - xo prawn - was from Hong Kong and India don't have!!
I was so looking forward to my lunch. While waiting for the egg, I took out the noodle and placed it on the table. Like u have expected, my cats came and knocked over my precious cup noodle.
The horror on my face was unexplainable. There goes my lunch. I have nothing else in my fridge, too long to wait for delivery. In the end, I can only settled for two eggs + little bit of the left over cup noodle that I salvage. (I know it's disgusting, but hunger has taken over my "conscious". :p)
Yes that was my lunch for a depressing Sunday afternoon.

I still love it and hate it.

(no no ... this pic was taken long before my depression Sunday. As u can see - I had a good meal. hihi :) )

Love it and Hate it

Busy Busy Busy - have been flying to Delhi-Mumbai every week.
I love it and hate it.

My boss likes to fly Jet Airway but for me - I prefer Kingfisher. The airhostesses are all very beautiful and sexy!! Yes u hear me right - they are "desirable".
A male friend of mine likes to fly Kingfisher too. And he will choose a seat at 19E. Why 19E? Because there will be a seat next to 19E for the airhostess. Oh yes - I just tried it (I mean "the seat" this time round on my way back from Delhi). Not bad at all, I love it but hate it when all the men only looking at the airhostesses but me.

India is such a conservative and open country.
Richard Gere get arrested for kissing the Bollywood star on the cheek in public. (Arrest warrant out for Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty)
While the Bollywood movie shows all kind of sexy scenes - ladies in skimpy dresses, kissing and teasing sex scenes in the movie.
Magazines & billboard full of sexy and teasing messages. So what's all these?
This is what I called - Double Standard!! People love it and hate it.

I reckon the sexy scene in Bollywood movie is far far more than u could imagine. Just watch the trailer below - Doom 2 (yes I watched it - I find it sexy and funny. Why funny? Can't help they are just different from what I know and they are funny. )

I want an iphone!!

Apple has reduced the price for iphone!!
Isn't the iphone beautiful? And co-incidentally my old Sony Ericsson - W300i has failed me. Broken just in time when the warranty expired. Can u believe it? All the cunning phone manufacturer!!
Pity Asia will only get the iphone in 2008, if not that gives just the right reason to switch to iphone.

Apart from the reduced of the price for iphone, Apple also launched a couple of new designs and new product.
The new design for ipod shuffle, ipod classic, and ipod nano.
What interest me more is the ipod touch. U can have all the functions for iphone except no phone and no camera. Isn't that cool?All the products are excellent but it creates a problem - How about my old ipod nano? or my old ipod (in whatever range)?
"Mr. Steve Jobs, can u please take trade in for the old Apple products?"
I personally love this brilliant idea - public can trade in the old Apple products and add a little bit more (ok - maybe more than a little bit) for a new one. On one hand, Apple's sales increases, on the other, Apple can recycle the old products and save the environment. One stone for two birds.

On another note - Steve Jobs - If by any chance you read the previous point then you might also read the next one - Please unlock the Iphone! Is AT&T paying Apple enough to cause overseas Apple Fans so much pain?

And one last thing - if you're reading these points, Steve, can you comment? No one seems to comment on my blog. A comment or two by you would really add something special.

I am back!!

Just came back from an excellent trip. It was great!
A little bit of site seeing, lots of beers and drinks, lots of food, lots of shopping... Wah! what more would u ask for?

Not only packed and back to India, but also "packed" my holiday mood and back to work.
For me is a whole new beginning again. Wonder why good times always seems to pass so quickly, while working is the other way round.

It would be good to take a long backpacking holiday in Aus again. Maybe six months in a caravan with some friends... that would be excellent.

Anyway some pics below - Guess which one was when I first arrived and which was after two weeks? Come on u can tell - the better-fed-face would be after two weeks of good food. :) hihi
"Don't worry about the weight - "India" will take care of it" That's what I told myself to make me feel better. :p
Also the photo taken on my bd - :) All that u see are my presents - not bad at all.

For My No. 1 Fan

I have decided to post something for my no.1 fan - E-may. (although I have already posted the "Heartless Limbo-May" for them)


Here u go - Present to u - My photos.
Am I a narcissist? I think so, maybe just a little. Who's not?

On the Left - Vivian with her beautiful Anna Sui umbrella.
On the Right - Vivian again with her umbrella.

Of course I have to take the umbrella with me!!
India is so "hot", no choice but to "cover" my pretty face.
Oh yes - all the Indians looked at me like I am an alien. I am an alien, to Indian.













Stay tune for more Oh Oh Oh... updates :)

"Helpful" Indian

I had a minor car accident the other day. It was in the morning and my driver was going quite fast at the bumpy lane not far from my apartment. A women pulled out in front of us and we hit her car straight away and my driver accelerated (I wonder why he do that?) and we slammed to the wall on the right.

Immediately after the accident, lots of Indians came out from everywhere and started their little morning "entertainment" performed by us. Some was still in their pajamas, two were still brushing their teeth!! ( How do I know they were brushing their teeth? Isn't it obvious - they have their toothbrush in their mouth)
Indians started giving advices, some inspecting the damage on the cars, some touching the car (maybe they feel more "involved" by touching the car??) and lots of ppl talking. Where the hell did all these ppl came from?

Anyway, the women denied that it was her fault and drove off. "Helpful" Indians helped us remembering her car plat number, where she stayed.... To be honest, I quite appreciate this "helpfulness". :)
But what do u do at the end? We just drove off, I mean what else can we do? We wouldn't go knock on her door and asked for compensation. Besides, I don't want the trouble and don't want to waste my time. I think the car will be covered by the insurance. :p Not my car anyway.

So there u go - a little incident regarding cars and the helpful Indians.

If it was in M'sia or Hkg, ppl wold come out have a look, "8" a little bit - but they would not help. I tends to convinced myself it was because of the "busy schedule" they have ahead of them. (makes me fell better) Or maybe it is true - Indians take-things-slowly i.e too free.
Oh come one - maybe they are just a bit of everything - helpful, too free & slow. hmmm that doesn't sound too good, does it?

This is not your homeland, far away, u will experience different cultural behaviour. That's the "good" thing about being far - Different experience, joss - :)

"Heartless Limbo-May"

This blog dedicated specially to Limbo and E-may.

Here goes:

Heartless Limbo-May;
Wedding want us pay,
But we are still without invitation le;
Is the wedding in Boon-Lay?

Both me and I-lyn agreed that we do not know where is the venue of your wedding except we have to go back to Singapore.
Guys - keep us posted ok?

I will try to come back just to attend to this to-be-the-most-spectacular event* before end of 2007.
* Conditions apply
* Without Vivian as the MC, I doubt it. :p
Hi hi anyway - Joss

Blessing from India

Feeling much better

Has not been feeling well for two days, and now finally better. But still suffer a little bit from headache.

Anyway is good to be "back". And suddenly realized money can't buy health. I mean u can use the money to see the doctors, but u can't use the money to buy your health back.

Is monsoon period in India, and Malaria is also widespread during this period in India.
For a moment I was quite scared that I might get infected, as I got bitten by mosquitoes couple of times at home. It was scary and I hate to live in fright!! But don't worry I don't have malaria. :p Thank God.

Really looking forward to my trip to Australia. Please no sickness or whatsoever, I want to be able to leave the country and enjoy my long waited holidays.


Don't have any shots of the mosquitoes, but plenty of flies. Equally bad - I hope my cats can help me eliminate these "threat". :P
I hope I hope.....

Have u eaten rice?

Who is Emily? - my cute little niece.

Here is her photo - cute right?
Haven't seen her since April 2007- and she is a big girl now. My sis was telling me "of course Emily grow la, she eats rice one ma". haha very Chinese-style-kind of expression.



I am currently reading a book - Noble House by James Clavell.
A great book describing Hong Kong, the Chinese society, Tai-pan etc back in the early 60's. (great book - must read!)
When my sister told me about Emily - the very-Chinese-style-kind-of expression, I have link that with this book.

In Chinese we often greet ppl when we first met by asking them - "Have u eaten rice?"
For Chinese, to have enough food and full is very important. Means u r not starving and doing ok. So it became a form of greeting in Chinese society.
It has sound so strange when we translate it into English but that is how we, Chinese, say it in our very own language.

Emily - Have u eaten rice? Please grow healthy and happy. :)

Missing u from India

What do u do? Part III

Part III - What do u do?

U keep a PET!! When u r far away.

I have never never in my entire life thought about having a pet.
First I think I can't take care of them and I hate cleaning-up "shit". Having to have to clean-up enough "shit" in the co, I don't want to do that in my own house too.

But well.... the most unbelievable things happened in life.

Yes ladies and gentleman - I am the proud owner of a cat now.
Actually sometimes I think two cats.
Me and my housemate each has one but I feel like I am having two pets now.

They peeing and poo pooing all over my furniture apart from trying to destroy them.
Anyway, really apart from that, they are just so so adorable.

What makes me changed my mind? That just life - people change when they are at different stage of life. Maybe I am old (not quite but old enough) and I want to feel belongs to.
If u know about cats - they will purr when they are happy, healthy and ready to be sociable. I don't know much about cats, but that's what my understanding is. My cats have just learned how to purr and they seems to be quite happy. I am happy that they will come to me for attentions and I feel warm myself to be able to do that.

You wouldn't believe how happy I was to look at them to enjoy the food I prepared for them, happy and growing everyday. :) So far so good.
My love for them is growing everyday - quite happy with the decision to adopt the cats in the first place.

A 5 Star++ restaurant in Mumbai

I just went to a restaurant with two friends in Mumbai - PURE at Taj Land Hotel.

What can I say - the food was superb, wine was good, services were excellent and the head chef was quite good looking. :)
No Complain except the bill.

Of course by that I mean - Good things don't come cheap.

I think this theory apply everywhere in the world - Good things don't come cheap, cheap things not good.
By good things I mean literally GOOD. U might get some discount for your good-stuff you purchased, u feel worth the money. But worth-the-money doesn't mean cheap, that is because u could afford it.

In Mumbai this good-things-don't-come-cheap theory couldn't be more accurately described. Good restaurants are located at 5 stars hotel, expensive area (like the area bollywood stars stay), etc - oh no it wouldn't be cheap, believe me.
What about other stuff apart from food? Yes - they are all expensive with the same theory.

When u r far away,
Still wanted the top-goods anyway;
U just have to pay - aye?

Moving on with life

Often ppl will move on with life with a little help from "time".

I remember there was once a friend told me, so quoting from him now - "Things seems very important and serious now, at time of occurrence, but it will fade and die down faster than u thought. This particular "incident" - if u might call it - will seems so insignificant when u look back in times. It will become a tiny little part of your life."

Yes...now I fully understand and agreed - All wounds will heal by itself, as time-goes-by.

Maybe I said it to make myself feel better. But anyway blessing to all and moving on with life.

Running Out

When u r far away at a country like India, u have to - I mean u have to stock-up on your favorite cosmetics brand! That would be my advice.

My favorite cosmetics are running low.. and out soon.
I thought I have been smart enough to stock-up enough before I leave M'sia & HKG, but I was wrong!!

There are international brands available here - like Lancome, Clarins, H2O etc....
Reasons I don't want to buy the cosmetics in India?
1) There are way wayyyyy too expensive - (fxxk why the hell government taxed so much for imported goods?)
2) I am using Herbaline - wish to continue to use it, but will only substitute it for something that is not so ex. :p at least not the Indian price.
3) then I am leave to no choice, but local brands - shhhhh - maybe other time

In view of that "critical situation" of my cosmetics supply, I will have to stock-up from overseas. What to do when u r far away?
1) Ask your beloved mummy to send to u - hihi
2) Or travel overseas to get it yourselves

I have decided to travel myself. I will be going to Australia sometime in July/ Aug - yeah!!
Apart from my no.1 mission (cosmetics stock-up) I also need to do some shopping. India - nothing interesting about shopping. Been spending weeks looking around for some interesting shops - then I realized how I miss M'sia & Hong Kong.
Looking forward to my get away.

For those of you who are curious about India's life - do come and visit me some day. I have nothing to show u - but u will see....

Keeping Promises

How hard is it to keep your promises?

In Indian - it seems very hard.
I asked the locksmith to come and repair the lock - for two days now - still missing in actions
I asked the plummer to come and repair the leaking - for a week now - still missing in actions
Other examples are like fixing the washing machine, dryer, AC, fan - I reckon I will need two months to get all these fixed.

Why is it so hard for them to keep their promise? I fully understand the traffic in India is horrible and very congested. But taking days and weeks to get to my apartment? That seems absurd.

However living far away, in a different culture - U just have to cope with it - that just life.
Wait a minute - do I go with the flow, or I fight?


Beautiful Mumbai Sunset - with my "Hmmm India" look.

What do u do? - Part II

Hi.. here comes part II

What do u do when u r far away?

U blog very often - like me. Why?
Maybe home sick....
Doesn't matter how busy u r in the day - U just feel home sick. hmmm at least that is me.

The main reason I started my blog here is also because I feel bored and home sick.

Never felt it so strongly before - even I travel and live in a lot of other countries before. Maybe that just happen in India.
India is a challenging place - environment, culture and people - all seems so different from what I used to experience. Completely new to me.
I remember when I first arrived at the airport - believe me the no of dark color eyes starring at you were just too many like u wouldn't believe. What is it with all these ppl at the airport? And can u believe that the international airport is without air-condition?? Yes u heard me right. Maybe the government has to implement some extreme measures for cost saving. :p

Will I give up? No - I think I will stay and see how things goes. Ofter all this is an experience of a life time. Come on...

What do u do?

Like the title of the blog has suggested -
What Do u Do when u r far away?

Far away from home, far away from your family and friends, far away from the places u r familiar with - like shopping mall, cosmetics, your favorite shoe brand, your favorite fashion etc...?
Just what do u do?

I am one of them. I have to admit I like to travel and work in different countries when I have the opportunities. I have traveled and live in - for the past 5 years - Sin, M'sia, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong and China. Not too many but enough.

And now I am living in a completely new environment - Mumbai, India.
Just what the hell am I thinking to even come to India?

Nothing - Nothing at all - "obviously u haven't been thinking when u choose to come to India."

So now I have to ask myself - Just what do i do now when I am far away?

You will find out in my next blog. Until then "A-plus" - ( in French - it means see u)