...dive trip may be cancelled..
Writing this during the stay in Renaissance Manchester Hotel.
Just an update - Unless I mentioned it myself, guys.. dun ask me abt it.. haix..
Have been telling quite many close fren that I'll be taking up diving lessons.. who knows.. I couldn't find the exact off days now..n i may have to give up the opportunity.. what a disappointment.
After paying for the lessons, which cost us $600(promotional rate) for dearest and me, L arranged for a date that could accommodate the initial six of us. I was ok with the Jul dates, but when i told dearest about it, he said he couldn't make it, and I decided to take the diving test on another separate date from L and her gang.
So when we tried arranging for the next date, the agent called dearest several times to arrange for a second date, despite the fact that I told dearest many times that any arrangements for the dates 'ASK THOSE GUYS TO CALL ME', since i'm the one harder to get off days. When they settled on those dates in september then, I was certainly quite frustrated then, bcoz my schedule wasn't out... and i can't confirm i'm free on those dates.
Dearest explained to me that i shouldn't be angry with him -
1) He did told the agent to call me.. but he said I might be in overseas.. that might be the reason that they'r not callin me instead. >>> I argued that that was not a valid reason as whether or not i wan to pick up an overseas call resides in me.. and not for them to judge whether to call me or not.
2) After missing the Jul dates, there's no lesson held in August due to 7th month.. and therefore the next available dates are in sept.. therefore he booked for the earliest slot in sep.
3) When I asked Dearest why can't we tell them the dates later, he explained again that bcoz those promotional vouchers expire in Oct.. and that WE'VE CHANGE MANY TIMES ALREADY. >>> Then again.. I was so unhappy when he said that.. we did not change many times.. the fact was they were forcing us to take a date we are not free and that they've been contacting the wrong person for the dates!!! They should be calling me instead.
When I said I wanted to postpone the dates the last time to Oct.. dearest said he was willing to give up that $600 if we really couldn't make it... and he didn't want to speak to the agent again...
He was obviously not interested to make an effort to go for our diving trip.
So tried very hard to change away my flt, msging other colleagues to change for my flt, waiting for reply.. and very quickly 2 months passed.. i still couldn't get any help on that. Feeling upset about it.. I told dearest about it.. and he finally called the agent again.. who says that it was too late to do a change since 'manifest has been submitted'. I admit I was slow in trying to reach them, but all bcoz of the waiting for replies from those colleagues.
Even till now.. i'm still trying my luck to change for off days. Nobody is helping.. sighzz..
It's either i get my off days to go, or i waste that $600 doing nothing and giving away my good flts. Either way.. its a bad experience..
Thinking back about it then, i felt everything was so NOT fated.. and i start to feel disappointed about gg for a diving trip.. and even in the future..
I shouldn't have included dearest in the first place. L and her gang had already done the dive and back with fruitful adventure...angry.
And I promised myself.. if i had to give up this diving trip.. and if ever i had another chance, I would go on my own.
Christchurch included in my fav list!!!
My fav countries are: Zurich, Christchurch *new*, San Francisco, Seoul
Was very lucky that sumone needed my off days and offered to exchange her Christchurch for my Johannesburg. Christchurch was abt 2x the allowance of Johannesburg and had a longer stay. There were 2 set of crew - one operating and the other set passengering.. making up a total of >20 crew. So we planned to go for snowboarding in Christchurch on our free day. After a nite of discussion, 9 of us agreed to book 2 cars to drive up to mt hutt and rent the equipments from then on. Some of those who've been there b4 offered to give the basic lessons so that we can save abit here and there.
Quarter of our way there, we stopby this cafe for breakfast and the 2 of my colleagues visited a ski shop opposite, only to bring back bad news of mt hutt was closed due to strong winds. Our excitement was gone with the winds then..
While deciding the next spot, little E suggested doing paintball.. so when everyone agree, captain lead the way to the location on the map. Then again, i find it fun along the way there, everyone kept the spirit high... We went through the mountainous road, slided in the car from left to right and back left, and little E suffered from car sicknesses.. can't stop puking..
Paint ball was interesting.. lolxXx.. we were splited into 2groups and shooting at one another with balls of paint, and some strategy of reaching enemy's camp and blow their whistles, while luffing at each other when being shot. Some got the paint on their shoulder, some on their butts, one directly on top of the head as she bent down, and one unlucky guy got shot on the nose when he adjusted his mask, despite being told not to remove the mask on hunting grounds. lolxXXxx.. i was shot within a distance of 4meters away, leaving me a blueblack marks on my arms then...
After which, we returned for dinner and rested for the day.
Day 2.
After one whole day of travelling on the previous day, most of them were tired n din want to go out. However, i've decided not to waste my time in Christchurch. And so, alone... i did what i intended to do there - BUNGY!!!
Booked the Bungy tour(NZD$135) and transport(NZD$60) to Hanmer Spring. The travel was about 2 hours to and fro. When i reach, the coach driver said, 'it's good to start with a small one..', which was onli then i realised the one that i jumped was only 35m compared to the one in Queenstown which was 100m high.. hmm..haha.. Anyway Queenstown was about 9hrs drive away from my hotel and way impossible to accomplish within a day.
Nevertheless, i reported to the counter filled with courage.. took my weight measurement and prepared for the activity. I was queued 13th behind some japanese student, as I watch each of them jump down with some encouragement from the frenz ard.. I was thinking then how can i manage to get myself off those edge.. i should be think of something that upset me that much that i feel like knowing wad's the feeling of dying..
When my turn came.. i couldn't think of anything else.. no sad incidents.. nothing.. my mind was in a blank.. or perhaps thinking of how to get pass and moved on.. I'm definitely not qualified as a sucidal type!!! lolxXxx... So as they counted 3 2 1.. and a second time 3, 2, 1.. i jumped off the edge.. without being pushed or support.. and there i went.. flying down as though nothing's stopping me.. The scary part was the initial stage of jumping down, and it wasn't as scary when you'r already hanging in the mid air.. or perhaps it was the height that ends the excitement sooner.. haha..
After the bungy, met keng's brother, who offered to bring me around the city of Christchurch, the usual place where he'll bring his crew fren around.. like it's a routine to him..lolxXx... he brought me to Mt Cashmere, to catch the falling sunset, beach sumner, dinner, Cathedral Church and catching the nite scenery of Mt Cashmere again. Breathtaking scenery..i was so close to the nature.. how i wish i could have stay there a little bit longer.. took some pictures that is never comparable to what i've seen there.. plus the cooling weather.. I wan to be in Christchurch again..!!
My next trip to Christchurch, I wan to do snowboarding, skydiving and bungy jumping at queenstown.. if time permits.. luffs!!!
...Aftermath of the killer flu...
Writing this during the stay in Corpthorne Tara Hotel, London
Being hungry is the worst thing that can happen. You can see, smell, taste the food. But no matter how much you love the food, you throw up everything you've eaten and you'll feel sick and hungry again. That's exactly what happened to me!!
I swear I'll never make myself hungry anymore, not at the expense of my health, even though I'll gain a little weight.
I'll tell myself, and anyone who's on diet: Please don't try to make yourself hungry and not eating. Taking 3-5 small meals a day will still make you slim so long as you don't take supper or overstuff yourself with ever meals.
Aftermath of the killer flu...
1. Abstinence from coffee -
Used to be great time coffee lover and if i passby any cafe, I'll definitely sip a cup of aromatic coffee to past my leisure time.. a wonderful relaxation.. It started when I was studying and i fell in love with coffee, which successfully holds my focus for few hours, lift me away from migraine, especially during peak exam periods. I was thinking then - the wonders of coffee. I even develop a kind of perception that drinking coffee will make me loose weight...
Then when i fell sick at times, I realise my body was weaker and i experience several heart pain attacks. Even though, it didn't stop me from loving coffee. And till then, whenever I touchdown from any flight outstation, I'll hunt for chilled coffee to prepare for the flight going back. It used to be my RULE for a cup of coffee before every flight.
Thinking back, I had a bottle of double strength coffee before my sydney flight back home, which was when I started vomiting, experiencing grinding stomach etc. Coffee killed me then.
2. Avoid stomach damaging food.
I stop taking food/drinks that gives me the perception of able to slim down - Used to take lime juice 5x a week, kimchi noodles 2x a week, plus usual over-ordered dinner. I thought i enjoyed the food.
3. Love my mum and dearest more...
Dearest is always there taking care of me, my every meals, time of rest, outings, relaxation. Before this, I used to think he'd been too sticky to me, not giving me enough personal space. Now that I realise when I needed him, he was there.. like anytime!! Bought nice fish porridge with extra fish slices when he has something else to attend to, accompanied me until time to sleep or sending me to flight. Why did it take me sooo long to understand his point? And to neglect him, ignore him, taking him for granted, or even reject him despite that I know he needs attention as well. I ever once believe he was the best, and I really didn't know when did i shift away from that idea...
Mum is equally good, prepared food that i can only take, especially when she know she isn't around, and i'll not cook for myself. So she'll prepare plain porridge, my favourite preserved lettuce, green/red bean soup for me everyday till even when i got well. All these simple dishes somehow make me feel like i'm being well looked after, like i'm the luckiest girl in the world, and i definitely want more.
...flu attack - gastric...
Writing this during the stay in ITC Maurya, New Delhi
It started on my flt to syd. without slp, catching a flt to sydney rite on the evening on my arrival day from phuket. Worked with inconsiderate colleagues.. was feeling so sudden attack of hunger.. YES HUNGER!!that can nearly made me shout at seniors and pull a long face!! then i told a senior colleague C that i'm just going to grab a quick snack bcoz my stomach was really churning badly. Then suddenly this more senior leader H pop up to see me eating while C was working.. and made the comment, "Can't u see ur senior is still busy??" when i just explained that it would be a quick bite.. and that my stomach is really churning badly.. she said,"y dun u help her clear her work first?" i din care much though.. i finished the quick bite and went off to work.. by the time near to off time, i was totally famished, and going crazy.
DAY 2: the next day i felt the same thing happening.. stomach churning non-stop.. but this time i have got really no appetite. tried to eat biscuits and drinking milo.. hoping it would help.. but i just felt unfamiliar unwell. it's not diarrhea.. it's not cramp.. it's just so unfamiliar.. then i told the another leader who spoke for me to the big boss so that i can get rest.. when i rejected his kindness.. the big boss even came down to persuade me to go for a rest.. how sweet some ppl can be... and so i got an hour rest and went back to work.. as i thought i felt better and my appetite came back, i took a cup of instant noodles happily.. it didn't take long for me to vomit out the instant noodles after about 2hrs..
DAY 3: Then for the rest of the next day.. i din dare to eat anything.. i was afraid of the feeling of hunger.. but again.. i was even more afraid to throw up anything i ate.. by the end of the day i thought, maybe i should take some food since i haven't been eating the whole day.. so i thought kimchi noodles would be appetising..
DAY4: Was enjoying my off day to the fullest so i had to slp the whole day onli to be awaken by a sense of uncomfortable weird churning sound from my stomach.. Then as immediate as i opened my eye.. the next thing i looked out for was plastic bag!!! And once i got hold of one.. i threw up again like nobody's business.. feeling sick is something i ever hated most!! i know I had to see a doctor immediately. Q-ed up for about 1.5hour, threw up 2nd time for the day in the clinic.. and finally met the doctor.. who diagnosed that its a flu attack.. gastric flu i suppose though he never mentioned. then according to him i can't take products with coconut contents, milk and coffee and definitely no oily stuff.. he did gave a MC which is dated 31st Jul, definitely not knowing my work actually requires me a report on 0015 of 1st aug.. i din thought of declaring it to him either.. since taking MC in my co is equivalent to killing promotions..
DAY5: Reported to work dreadfully.. and my destination was to New Delhi. What can you think of? Its curry curry and curry place.. full of coconut milk especially...i'm not saying that i'm well prepared, but i do bring some drystores with me just in case. But this time round colleagues are nice people who called me out for early dinner..and so i thought of not to be a spoil sport. True enough, they had indian food.. curry chicken, lamb biryani, spicy paprika.. to me.. it's stomach torturing.. i took a little of garlic naans, and a little tablespoon of chicken curry, which was all it need to set me vomit again back in the hotel. How genius can dr.chua be??
DAY6: Now still in the hotel, flipping through those menus.. hated myself for spoiling my own stomach.. i realllyy wonder how long my stomach is having war with me.. stopping me from those masala chicken and lamb biryani, margherita, penne pasta, alfredo.. shit.. i can onli live on my own raisin bread.. how pathetic!! Will i recover and ever able to drink again? Can my stomach take it in the future.. ..i worried...
...phuket is FUN...
A trip to phuket was all you need for a break! wdy and i reserved our dates for this vacation since about 3weeks back. Even till one day before the flt departure day i ask her, "so wad's the plan?? wad will we be doing there? wad do we bring?" well her reply was "i don't know either.. we sun sand sea, at nite we drink and relax.." Then i can't imagine a boring 2D phuket with 2 bored gers roaming around the island at late nite..
then when the day finally arrived, we took an air asia 320.
DAY1: Touch down @ airport, that's where wdy took out her 'notebook' for the trip! Can't believe that smart ger actually did the research!! I was totally carefree and left all the mgmt to her care.. haha.. so we, or rather she bargained for the cab to hotel. the hotel again was fully paid for via internet booking.. then after check, we were ready for area familiarisation. So we walked along the beach, recki some good stalls for touring, and had the famous pad thai and tom yam koong!!! Din't wan to waste time, we found some plans for the nite and for the next day. We were going for the famous simon cabaret show followed by a drink, and the island hoping tour the next day. Both of us were having some eye wandering.. but sad to say ppl who goes phuket are mostly couples esp those having honeymoons.. gosh..
DAY2: On our 2nd day, we had breakfast @ the hotel and waited for our pickup for the island hoping tour.. we took a speedboat, medium size as compared to 2 other boats - one larger the other one smaller. Thinking that the speedboat would actually bring us to more place at the short time.. forgeting abt the bumpiness until we finally come to face with it.. gosh.. wad a ride. Went feeding monkeys, snorkelling, swimming, sun-tanning with sun screen lotion (wad an irony)..haha.. and by the end of the day, we took the same speedboat back, just that this time we are sittin at the head of the "viking ship", the waves was even much much stronger.. and u never wan to lift your hands off the bar.. (bcoz anytime u might just flew off the boat!!). By end of the nite, both of us were sooo tired that we were fast aslp instead of our agreement to drink every nite!!
DAY3: Had a same pathetic breakfast @ the hotel - food wasn't tasty, but still i ate more than wdy.. haha.. she's a small eater.. while i can only explained that i had an 'anacondo' in stomach.. i just din wan to get hungry along the way.. haha.. then we waited for our next tour agent to pick us up for - AVTs and rafting!! ITS REALLY A GUYS SPORTS!! and both of us really wan to give it a try since everyones say its fun!! So first was AVT and out of 8ppl, we were the onli 2 gers.. we raced from 3rd and 4th positions to the last 2 positions.. hahha.. it was like driving.. with 5 gears onli that we were not taught the reversed gears.. so 2 of us got stuck either halfway through the downslopes, or dead engines.. wadever u can name for ladies driver.. but as we passby this ladies tourist who sat on those AVTs as passengers.. we felt totally great and high esteem..!! Then followed by the rafting, which initially our group of 8 was divided into 2groups of 4s, but wdy and i totally reject this particular fat guy who never keeps still and keeps behaving like monkey.. wdy and i starts to have this illusion of being thrown out of the raft bcoz of him and we never wan to spoil our vacation this way.. so we told the agent secretly to separate us.. who knows the results was that we had to raft on our own!! (with help of 2 instructors though) Unbelievable fun trip!!!
It was SAT NITE, which is also our last nite in phuket, and so we thought we must enjoy and drink all we can.. but as we walked along the club street to a weird finding.. the pubs/clubs are all closed.. and onli to our disappointment when we realise they do not sell alcohol after 6pm on this particular SAT NITE!!!!
reason being they will be having elections the next day. wdy and i cursed ourselves for missing the party the day b4. Then after our dinner, we entered 'Rock City' @ about 1230am, a place where they sing rock music. Only thing different this time round was that they serve non-alcoholic drinks. And by 1am, which was onli half an hour from our entrance, the lights was up.. both wdy and i thought there was a regular check but nope.. they are CLOSING!!! wad a boring sat nite this could be we thought, as our hopes flashes by.. this server who stood right infront of us caught our attention. We had a little conversation and he actually offered to bring us out. We were both comtemplating.. whether is there a undergound market for alcoholic drinks.. we are craving!! But as we waited for him to change.. we weigh the fun against the risks.. and..immediately we ran out off Rock City without waiting for him to come back.. hahaha...
How adventurous trip for us both!! i need more of this kinda trips ger!!!
