Special moment of my life (updated 25/9/07)

Leaving Home

Searching for a suitable career

Being borne in a family filled with lot of love and happiness, the first time when I was leaving home for my further education was the saddest time for me. Just imagined, everyday I have nothing to worry. Morning breakfast and the rest of the meals being prepared by my mum or the helper in the house. Clothings washed by the maid, and the rest the thing one can think of.

The only thing that my parent wanted us to do was to study hard and also to help them to sell grocery good to English speaking customer "Ah Mo Lang" ( Foreigners: During that time there were alot of Australian in Tanjong Bungah and also Hippies.) or to be around in the afternoon in the shop so that my Mum could take a short nab when my Dad was in the Orchard.


Home Sick

Other than this, there was the time when I landed in Iran and totally lost due to the different language. Very home sick and have to start cooking for myself even when I have an Iranian helper who I have finally trained to be our camp kitchen helper. Whatever my mum taught me helped me at this time.
Once when I was very sick in Singapore and fortunately my friend wife was there to help out. I remembered that she boiled ginseng drink and put them in the fridge and remindered me to drink at 3.00am in the morning so as to lower my body temperature.
The next thrilling experience that I have was during the flight from Kuching, Sarawak, to Bintulu
All the while I was flying from one country to another in the Boeing 747 and this particular flight was only by Fokker plane.

Well other than these was my first day to KL by the normal night Train couch. I was very tired for I could not sleep with the inclined sit. I remembered that I went down on the platform of the train to sleep and in order not to dirt my clothing, I laid a few old newpapers. Very fortunate, the passsenger in front of me did not disapprove for my leg stretched below his sit. During my first trip back to Penang, I took a day train, Rakyat Express to avoid my habit. For the rest of the trips to KL or back to Penang by train , I would book the train with berth or else travelled during the day.

Girl Friends

Questions popped up, how many girlfriends do you have? How do you meet your wife?
Well, at the very beginning, I felt that all these questions were very P & C but now it is not.
Share with your college for there are many boys and girls asking what do you do when dating. blur........................blur.

My first friend


Part of the team that worked in Drive In

I met a girl while working together in a Drive -In as a part time waiter. This was my first job after my Form Five examination. The school term break duration was from December to February. While working in this restaurant, built and operated by a very intelligent and enterprising lawyer, a funny thing happened on one of the night. During that night, when we have cleared all the tables and washed up all the dishes, the chief dispenser sat down with us and started talking about 'girl and boy friend stuff". He mentioned that two people that were fitted for each other was me and another girl ( his opinion). All of us laughed at it for we were not that keen to go into this relationship. But then things started to go along this way. One day, he asked all of us to go out for a show, called "The Seagull". But on that day nobody turned up and it was arranged earlier that I have to fetch this girl. Regardless of the condition , I went to her house to inform her of everybody decision . Upon arriving at her door, I knocked at her door and she was there all dress up. I told her about the actual scenario and she decided to go for the show . We managed to get the tickets and before going into the cinema, I bought a drink, Coke, and surprising the seller gave me only one straw!. I went back to him asked for another one and he smiled and said this words, "one straw more romantic lah". Well, I will never forget this first "date" . By the way the Chinese love story was called , "Hai O Fei Cho".

Time passed so fast and before going back to school, I asked her when was her birthday and she mentioned ,"30th February". I recorded this date and by that month I found that she has played a joke on me.
Well, I decided to bring her something in spite of the joke.
On the 28th February, I told my mum that I was going to visit a girl on her birthday and asked her where I could buy flowers . Without a second taught, my mum went out to the garden and trimmed a few Orchid for me to take along. Knocking on her door for the 2nd time, her mother was there to answer me and I was very scared but still murmured out her name. She came to door and I gave her the flowers and mentioned that it was a belated present for I do not know the actual birthday. She said thank you and after a few words ,I quickly left (Scare like hell,shivering too).
She came as a Top Student, 5A, in Penang for HSC. The last time I met her was when I visited her in her dormitory in Malaya University. She was taking a course in Medicine.

Did you see her after that visit? Second Question popped up

Yes, one fine morning right below her apartment with my wife who was pregnant ( with our first child)
We talked and then she left us . News of her where about came to me through the Senior dispenser, oh! she is now in India taking her paediatrician course . The last time I saw her was when we were on the ferry going over to Butterworth. My wife saw her first and we went over to see her. She looked very fit and cheerful and was a trip to Mount Kinabalu. We talked about my son medical problem that day in the ferry.
Well, the final news of her well beings was she was lecturing in the university and finally got married. All the best to her.

During school, days, my closest friend, Jeffrey Khor Kok Wah, would even composed a poem for me in class just to make fun of me. Hee!Hee! Good old school days.

My Love

Kang was making history

The day that he was born

For then he could at once foresee

His partner- the pretty ..Love...

Everyday he'd sing a song

To pass the time, so long

Before the girl should come along

In the person of Miss ..Love......

Love ..,.Love........, listen to me

In my mind its only you I see

My love for you will not break free

It only multiplies by painful degree

In my mind I do not doubt

A feeling piercing right through

A love you cannot know about

That exists - still unseen by you

By the present cannot be more blessed

This time I will not resist

For now I hereby confess

A love that will forever exist.

Note: Word, "Love" ( name of the girl that I left out for personal reason )

The 2nd friend

The college mate

After getting my MCE, I went down to KL to take a course in a technical college and there I met my closest friend while studying there. We met when I visited my course mate in his house. They were all renting a house and sharing out the rooms. I do not recall how but she seem to click with me but whenever we went in a group, she and I would talk alot. As time went by when we were out together, she would also pay for the meal too. She was older by one year and I could remembered that she was 3 inches taller too. We have alot of thing in common. I felt very at ease even with the rest of our friend around. The strangest thing was that I never HOLD HER HAND. Do you call this dating, I think not. I did not visit her parent in her home town but she came to Penang one day without my knowledge. My parent was happy to meet her and even commented well of her.
Finally, the saddest moment came when I have to see her off in Subang Airport for she has to further her studies. I remembered she introduced me to her uncle who supported her education in Scotland and also all her relatives who were present that night. Time went by so fast and one dayI learned from her closed friends that she has completed her degree and was back in KL. I was very happy to see her. She asked whether I have a girlfriend and I answered yes, a normal friend at that time. When I asked her back, she said that she has a boyfriend and I responsed with a cheerful smile, mentioning that was good. She told me that her boyfriend was my relative. Surprised, I asked who and she mentioned his name. She told me that she has even told him about me too.
Finally, she got married. As for me ,on one of my R & R trip back from Iran, she was a witness to my marriage registration.

Time passed so fast, I lost her phone number ( mobile phone breakdown) but she and her family would always visit my house during Chinese New Year. My dad and mum would tell me that they were here when I was down in Setiawan, Lumut ( my wife home town) for my parent could remember her well.

The last time I met her was when I was down in PJ checking on my youngest son, Taylor college, for he wished to take a course over there. She introduced me to her youngest son and showed me her new office. Looking at her , I remembered asking why she did not dye her white hair, and as usual she smiled cheekily and asked me too.
Well, finally she passed away. During the wake, all her relatives spoke to me and I was very surprised that she kept up dating them on issues and happenings regarding me. For example. Kang has finally manage to learn and speak mandarin, he has got 2 sons. he is working in Indonesia now or back in Penang and again in Bangkok for another project, blah ........

Very sad that she has left us forever but she would always remind me to look forward in life.
How much care did for me? Well,I remembered that on one of my trip in KL, she took me to see a Chinese Physician , a very close teacher of her and got him to examine me thoroughly just to make sure that I was without any illness.
She finally left us for a better world or life.
Life goes on,she would remind me again.

My girlfriend

Well. non other than my wife. Met her in the swimming pool in PJ . A treat of A & W hotdog by her and friend started up the "PAI TOR"affair. Love at first sight!!!


My wife and me in our younger day

In marriage ,we always have our up and down but the famous words that my Dad and Mum would say to us when they were around, " If one of you were to speak less during argument time, then the matter could easily be resolved."

Why Do I Start Blogging

Strange Question Eh!

Today, Miss Fong was in my house trying out the new 3D Cad software called Sketch Up with my computer and at the same time trying out video conferencing with my son who was in Petaling Jaya. My wife managed to talk to her sister over the net with the webcam.I started to show Miss Fong my blog and she asked me why I started blogging. I read through all the posted items and found that none of them explained the main reason for my blogging.
Well, in the first blog, Mr Mah, an architect , attached with my technical department was teaching me how to start off.
Most of the time whenever I sat down with my staff, I would start to tell a story related to an experience that I have gone through. To my surprise some of the listeners, audiences would say that I am telling lies or making up stories.
In one incident at University Place,a project by Ivory Group ,I was telling some friends about how in Iran, our team of Senior Mechanical and Electrical supervisors would help the mechanic in creating a tool to remove the piston lining out from the Generator Set because this Generator set has never been stripped. The Gen Set broke down during winter time and in order to repair it immediately all of us gave the fullest help. The only help that I could do was to collect woods and started the fire to warm up the room and at the same time cleaning the external body of the engine with diesel. I have no choice for under the Project Organisation chart I was put in charge of this mechanic section.
After narrating the story, my friend left and not knowing that I was following behind them, one of them happened to tell the other friend that I have learned a lot of things and to my surprise the other person replied with these words, Do Not listen To Him Bullshitting. All of a sudden, he realised that I was behind them and I could see the colour of his face changed.
From that day onwards, I started to realise that all the truth happenings that I have spoken might not be believe by some people. Well, after narrating the incident to Mr Mah and Miss Siow Yen ( Both Architects), they suggested to me on the blogging idea for I could scan the pictures and together with the stories I could get it posted, it would help me to prove what I have spoken.

Going back to my house, I started to search all the photographs in the albums and on most of the free nights, I started to scan the pictures after my dinner. I started to get new idea to improve my blog. Special help was also given by a Mechanical Engineer, Mr Wong, from another company. For Multimedia, Eng Keng and Sharon gave me further advice on how to use Photoshop software for editing my photos . Special thank to everybody who in one way or another helps to improve my blog as a better web site to visit.
It was at this moment in time that I started to read books on how to write and also to collect ideas from authors.

Tsunami In Penang (26th Dec 2004)

The Beach I used to jog in my younger day

Chooi Im in Tanjong Bungah, Penang
( "Chooi im " in hokkien dialect means flooded)

On this day, my family would be enjoying snorkeling in one of the beaches in Krabi, Thailand. We normally go there for in Malaysia it is a long stretch of holiday. Well, we did not take this trip for one of my niece will be getting marriage on 31st of December 2004 and we decided to change our trip to Kuala Lumpur. Anyway, we still have our holiday today for it is Sunday and one day after Christmas
My younger son and us decided to go to Town after our breakfast and as we reached Fettes Park, mid way to town we decide to drop by a stall that sell pork roll ( Lok bak). Half way eating this delicious food, we heard ambulance with the siren on passing through. Oh, that must be another accident again. All of a sudden, another passed again, and thinking to myself, that accident must be bad!. After finishing our food, we went to a shopping complex, One Stop, in Pulau Tikus. As we were entering the complex, my cousin called and asked me to help them to clean her house which was beside the beach. I told her not a problem but by that urgent. She told me over the phone that the sea water has reached the main road of Tanjong Bungah. ( Koh Koh, High Chooi Im Cow Law Liao) I got a shock and asked her to repeat what she has spoken and the same words were heard over my Siemen ME45 ,mobile phone clearly.

Turning to my wife and son, I told them of the incident and we decided to go straight to my cousin house. On the way there, I told my son that we should change into our swim trunk since the house was flooded. My wife asked me whether the sea water has reached that high during my younger day and I answer her NO, never happen before. Well, during my younger day, my dad,mum and all of us have stayed beside my cousin house before we shifted over to my present house which was on higher ground.

We parked our car at the new , Maybank Office, just diagonally across the road and walked over to her house. Upon reaching her house, I asked her where was the water? She asked me to trust her and took me to the sea front and look at the beach. Wah! no water and surprising no mud at all on the sea bed and strange I could see that the sea water has retreated to abnormal far distance and this has never happen before in my life along this beach. She pulled me by my hand and we went straight into her house. Mud every where and hopping through to avoid my feet getting soil we reached the front door of her house. She pointed to me the mark that was left over by the sea water and true enough the sea water has reached a height of approximately 2.1 meter., the top of the door jam.

Suddenly, I heard a cried that we have to get out of the house for the sea water has returned. I quickly left the house and headed straight to the sea front. Standing beside my wife and son, I saw for the first time of my life the water was returning from horizon very fast.(I found out that water was traveling at the speed of 160km/hour the following day on the Local Newspaper). This was the (2nd) Aftershock. I turned around and pulled my wife and son and headed for the road which was on higher ground. Upon reaching the road I turned around and saw that the sea water has hit the low wallreached an approximately height of 1 meter as indicated by the height of the low wall. The reason why this house was still standing there was due to the perimeter constructed low wall. It could have been gone.
All of us stood there and was amazed by the sea water for within a few minutes it started to retreat back to the sea. My son who was standing beside me mentioned a simple statement: Daddy why are you afraid of the sea water? You are wearing the swimming trunk for what.
I did not answer my son but this has never happen before in this place where I was born, Tanjong Bungah, Penang.
All of a sudden, everybody was concentrating on a new issue that was an old lady who was leaving next door was still in the house and not coming out. I asked my wife whether she was there to collect her jewelry or money. and she uttered she was not sure. I quickly went into the house and immediately ask on the guy of this house to turn the main power for it could be dangerous as all the electrical appliances were flooded. due to the speed of the water retreating, everybody was able to get the old lady out of the house and asked her to lock the door as an assurance for her that nobody can go inside and steal her thing!

My mind rushed through the discussion of my colleague, Ooi Say Chin, with his friend of going out into the sea for fishing today. I picked up my phone and called him. He answered my call and asked why and I told him of the sea water flooding along the coast of Tanjong Bungah to Gurney drive. He told me that he was already back home sleeping at this moment. Very Very glad to hear this. He told me a few day later that the captain of their boat was very uncomfortable with the sea condition and decided to head back for home early that day.
After helping to clean up the house, we left and during the walk back to our car we could still hear the public announcement coming from the public services patrol asking everybody to leave the sea front and be on higher ground for there will be an aftershock again. After our dinner, my wife and I decided to drive up to Batu Ferringhi and checked for more news. All along the sea front, there were ambulance, and army personnel ensuring that the public were given help. Sad to say there were those searching for dead corpse with their torchlight. No to forget, my Eldest brother called me on my mobile to check that all of us including his in law were okay in Penang.

He has just landed in Taipei after their trip to Phuket,Thailand. As usual worry for the family in Penang.

Thailand (Krabi)

Went to Krabi for a short holiday with my relative and asking people around there, I found that

Tsunami hit hard at certain beautiful places. Upon looking carefully around, I found that they have put up signages showing the way to run in case the Tsunami Siren goes off.

Go this way, Tsunami Signages, 24th December 2006

Midnight Express New At The Project Site

Where were you last night

The Heavy Downpour ( 15th September 2007)

Could not sleep but keep on worry about the surface water discharge at both projects, Moonlight bay and Island Resort. Since this afternoon the rain has not stop at all and before leaving the site, Island Resort, at 7.00pm water started to pour it way down from the top of the hill and was at the guard post discharging into the sedimentation pond. Before leaving the site my assistant construction manager and I were diverting the traffic at the entrance for there were 8 trailers and 2 mobile crane . The road was very jammed for these trailers were bringing test pile blocks , BRC and also diesel etc.

Still worrying, I asked myself, why don't I go up to the site. The time was 1.00am

Took my mobile phone and a new umbrella for the rain was still pouring down heavily outside and better wear short in case of stepping in muddy water like the last trip a few month back

As I drove pass the traffic junction at the Chee Seng Junction, I saw policemen with the patrol car flashing the siren and slowing down I was informed by the police that the road was flooded in front of us about 50 ft from where we were. I noticed that a few car pass and with confident mind, I drove the company ,Mitsubishi Storm ,through the flooded stretch. I started to be cautious from then on and upon reaching Miami beach all traffic came to a halt. In front, I could that there were two Fire Brigade trucks blocking both side of the road. getting down from my Storm I started to walked to the commotion place. As I passed the bus stop, I asked two people who were taking shelter from the rain on what was happening over there and they mentioned that trees has fallen and the firemen were chopping up the trees with the chain saw. Waited for hour an hour and the traffic started to moved again. As I passed the location where the tree has fallen, I also saw that there was slight landslide.

As I drove up to Island resort, a dog from the two bungalow started to chase and bark at me. This verify what the workers has mentioned earlier that the dog was loose during every night

Upon arriving the site, the tyre basin was filled with sand and also the temporary drain. Water could be seen rushing down to the hill slope .Luckily my staff has filled the erosion area with stone this morning. Met the night guard and he informed me that Moonlight bay was in a bad condition too. The guard post was splashed with water from the hill.

After going through the condition at Island resort, I left and drove quickly to Moonlight bay. The guard at Moonlight bay showed me where all the water was rushing down from the hill top and he and I have to temporary divert the water at the guard post. Further checking and removing some debris which clogged the water outlet, I decided to leave the site and started my slow drive back to home.

By the time I reached home, the clock on the wall showed 2.30 am and I quickly took my bath and have to washed my hair since moving around the site earlier.

In order to dry my hair,half an hour, I decided to write this blog

The following morning when I arrived at both sites, I found that the condition were slightly worse as before I left site in the night.

Well, I am wondering when the rain will stop. For this time , normally there will be sunshine and everybody will be complaining on the heat.