I wonder what's wrong with me recently....have been really down on my luck ever since after Chinese New Year. Things weren't going smooth for me at work ( lots of hiccups ), my body wasn't feeling well recently and worse still, I met with a minor accident in the bathroom in London !!!!! While reaching for the towel on the rack next to the bathtub, I slipped and fell with my lower body in the bathtub and my upper body outside. Fortunately, my head did not hit the toilet bowl which was just next to the bathtub ( I swear my head is just inches away from the toilet bowl )....otherwise, I may be in the hospital now or lying motionless in the coffin...who knows. Guess what... the commotion was so loud that Evon who was staying in the next room claimed that she heard a loud thud while using the bathroom. Just a big bruise on my left thigh...Lucky!!!! I just cannot believe that I am that sway...who have I offended...I must really visit the temple to pray. Mum mentioned to me that I (the rat) must go pray 'Tai Sui' and that its a bad year for the rat....haiz. It's really a series of unfortunate events. Hope things will get better soon.

Was in London for the past few days and I simply love it. Not sure why some people hate to go there. One thing for sure, there are so many things to see and do in London. The beautiful parks, the many tourist attractions and famous landmarks, the vibrant shopping scenes and the list goes on. I doubt I can finish London within a week.

Did not do much this time in London...merely went to some flea markets and shopping areas with 2 of my other colleagues. Initially wanted to visit the Windsor Castle with Daniel and Joy but decided to give it a miss in the end. Kinda regretted now...haha.

1st Stop.... Portobello Market (which comes alive during weekend)

Does the station name rings a bell in your head ?

Guess where are we now ?

You will find many antiques along the street

Scottish Cashmere, anyone ?

I love this shot...a couple deciding what to buy @ Portobello Studios...They are really sweet and loving, don't they?

Even the car can be used as an advertisement to attract patrons.

It's Teatime...Cakes & Cupcakes are available

2nd Stop : Camden Town

Introducing my 2 other khakis...Sharon & Evon

It gets real crowded on a Sunday afternoon @ Camden Town

Camden Town is similar to Harajuku in Tokyo. You will get to see some youngsters dress up in these gothic costumes with some weird make up and roam around the streets. If you are lucky, you may get to see a vampire...hahaha...Interesting eh.

The food market at the end of the street. Lots of good food can be found here.

Pit Stop : My 3 pounds (S$9)lunch - Rice with fried Chicken Chunks, squids and prawns. Kinda of cheap considering you are in London.

I like this name very much....The Horse Hospital...very unique and kinda catchy.

Bidding goodbye to Camden before heading to Covent Garden, our last stop for the day. Oh yes, I was really happy that I managed to buy a pair of leather sneakers from Aldo for just 10 pounds (S$30)....its really a very very good deal !!!!

3 tetra pack juices for just 5 pounds from M&S....Its really nice....a must try!!!

A Walk through Kensington Park to Bayswater for our Duck rice...I love the park....serene and beautiful. Did not have the chance to roam around...shall do so when I go on my next visit.

Time to hit the sag...Heading to London again later and will be back on Monday afternoon. This time round, I hope to visit the Parks and Harrods!!!

Oh yes before I signed off, I realised that I have yet to post my long overdue Moscow photos...my sincere apologies...shall do so when I am in London...my promise. New schedule is out and I will be going to Beijing with Faith...yes with her again!!!! Looking forward to that.

In London now..took this photo while on our way from our hotel to Bayswater for our Duck rice. Simply Love this scene...if only Life can be like this - Quiet, Relax and Calm.

Either I am getting older or my body is getting weaker or both...somehow I am down with flu AGAIN...What the...it's so damn irritating. Argh... I guess I really need rest, rest and more rest.

Here's a short entry on my Dubai trip while on my way to Moscow before Chinese New Year.

This is the best time to visit Dubai because of its weather. The weather is so cooling and comfortable unlike the rest of the year when Dubai really feel like the oven.

As Melissa wanted to snowboard at Ski Dubai, she brought us to this Mall of the Emirates which I guess was the biggest mall in Dubai. Wanted to visit this mall since my previous trip here but decided to give it a miss due to poor response and the long distance from the hotel. One thing I hate about Dubai is the difficulty to get a cab especially during peak hours. You can wait as long as 2 hours for a cab. Anyway the mall is real big and houses many big brand shops. It's worth to visit I would say.

Guess this is the main attraction @ Mall of the Emirates besides its wide array of shops and restaurants plus a cinema. Only Melissa went to snowboard, the rest of us merely went shopping around the area. Reason being : Its admission fees aren't that cheap and that we will see the real snow anyway in Moscow.

This baby loves Faith so much that he kept smiling at her when she played with him. Plus wherever Faith goes, his big sparkling eyes would follow. Haha...So adorable.

Decided to visit the place where (Strongly recommended by Melissa) we could have a good view of the Burj plus a place where we could have our dinner and unwind....Madinat Jumeirah...which is about a 15 minutes ride from the mall. A very nice place I must say. Oh the place was real hugh and offers many restaurants...I would sat something similar to Clarke Quay except its much bigger and much more beautiful.

Came across this makeshift store which sells some wigs, big sunglasses and all sorts of funny accessories. Yea...Can you recognise who he is ? Hohoho...

This is where we had our dinner. I really love its ambience. Calm and relaxing. Plus this restaurant is just next to the beach and offer unobstructed close view of the Burj ! Very nice interior and somewhere where you would not want to leave soon when you have sat down on its super comfortable sofa and seats. Very very very cozy.

The Burj with different colours ...

All taken from different location at a different time.

As we need to stock up on our foodstuff before we head to Moscow, we went to Carrefour at Deira City Centre the next morning.

Nice Arabic desserts/pastries. They are popular for the pistachio, cashew, almonds and dates etc.

followed by ....

A Sumptous lunch @ our favourite Silver Eagle Restaurant

The Four Gluttons : Roy, Faith, Magaret and yours truly

What we ordered ...

The omelette and the small bowl of fish curry was complimentary. Many thanks. I strongly recommended the Chicken Pepper Fry and the Special Chicken Biryani...its really nice and tasty. They are a must to order whenever I patron the restaurant.

Went to this famous Chicken Tikke Inn when we were back in Dubai from Moscow on our last day of the whole trip.

This is what they are famous for...

BBQ Chicken Tikke...their meat is so tender and juicy. Plus its very well marinated. Oh if you are one of those who can't take spicy food, fret not, you get to choose from very spicy to non spicy ( like Nandoes) ...its entirely up to you. Nice...Really delicious.

Besides the Chicken Tikke...

One should try their Fried Prata...crispy and fragrant.

Bon Appetite !

That's it folks for my Dubai trip...more coming on my Moscow trip...stay tune eh.

Anyway, I will be extremely busy this month due to my very hectic and tight schedule. Be heading to Brisbane and then to London. So you guys won't see me anytime soon till 26 February. We shall keep in touch through MSN though...Take care everyone.

Wishing Everyone a

HAPPY & PROSPEROUS RAT YEAR AHEAD

&

MAY EVERYONE PING PING AN AN & HUAT AH

Had barely 5 hours of sleep before heading to Grandma's place to Bai Nian. Though I was feeling a little tired and sleepy ( due to lack of sleep for the past 1 week and having to work overnight on CNY Eve ), I was looking forward to seeing all my close cousins, aunts and uncles and needless to say, my dearest Grandma. Miss them to bits as I haven't been meeting up with them for almost half a year due to my hectic work schedule and personal commitments.

First thing that greeted me when I entered the house...

The young gamblers playing their Mahjong...They seemed to be hooked on it. Hahaha. Used to like Mahjong very much but now have totally NO interest in them...hahaha. Don't ask me why the sudden change because it beats me too! I have absolutely no interest in gambling :D

The tiles are so small...look at the comparison of the mobile phone and the mahjong tiles...such a big difference. Good for travelling but bad for the eyes especially for those who are long-sighted...haha.

Up Next...

The All-time favourite game during CNY.... Blackjack aka 21-points. Xiao Gu will get very excited each time she won the game. Her scream will just get louder and higher whenever she got her 'Buan Luck' (Picture with Ace) 0r Double Ace!!!! Hahaha...

With so much time to spend with one another and nothing much to do, we did

CAMWHORING

Part I

People : Wan Ee, Jamie, myself

Location : J & J Bedroom

Part II

People : Yang Shun, Jolene, Wan Ee, Wendy, Jamie, Grace, Xiao Gu, Caleb & myself.

Location : Dining Area

Part III

People : Jamie, Ayden, Wendy, Wan Ee, Jolene and myself

Location : J & J Bedroom

It's Dinner Time !!!!

Must really thank Grandma for preparing the super sumptous and delicious Steamboat with lots of our favourite dish - Abalone, Pigs' stomach etc etc

What can you judge from our facial expressions with regards to the food ?

Can you make out what number this is which was done by the Lion Dance troupe?

JOY !!!!! One month plus old and she is getting cuter each day...Gorgeous Babe !!!!

Ayden, my god mum and myself!!!!

Just hope that our upcoming family excursion...be it cruise, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kelong etc...will materialise.

Anyway, the past 9 days that were spent in Dubai and Moscow were really great. Though the places weren't that exciting, the people whom I went with made the whole trip just seem so great and wonderful. Unforgettable. I must admit it's one of those trips that I will remember for the rest of my life and will miss the most. I just hope that the few friends whom I have made during the trip will not just be 'hi and bye' but people whom I can really rely on. Shall talk more about the trip in my next entry :D Miss the chilly weather in Dubai though.

Before I end this entry,

Jeff & Bernard...All the best to your SEP in Zurich...Take great care of yourselves and remember to enjoy your once-in-the-lifetime experience. Am truly sorry that we could not send you off later due to the super early timing but trust me, I will see you in Zurich real soon.

Read a few blogs recently and this topic made me ponder...

FRIENDSHIP

" You cannot say you have lost a friend. If a Friendship is capable of ending, it is because it never existed. "

"When we slowly sieve out people and choose the reminding to be good friend/best friend, its because sub-conciously these people benefit us in some ways. "

"Human are actually very selfish creatures. "

"When friends lie or disappoint me time and time again,I get a little tired.But I still go along with them,Accept the lie,Continue listening to their mistakes,Struggle to be unaffected by the hurting words, actions, decisions,Just because i want to be there for them "

Does Friendships really exist ???

I really don't know.

One thing for sure : I am losing faith in them. Or do I really have friends ?

Recent happenings really make me ponder over and over again...Are they really my friends ?

Yes, maybe during my school days they are but not now...again this bring me back to the 1st quotation...if its capable of ending, it's because it never existed !

Well, all I can do now is to follow the flow...go along with them...pretend nothing has happened.

One thing for sure, I know I have my relatives to rely on. They are the ones who will not ditch me.

Friends...humph...if only I have REAL friends.

Off to Dubai and Moscow. Sign off.