Genting Getaway 9th - 11th April 2006

Day 1: 9th April 2006 Sunday

Liquid Kitchen Serangoon Gardens BBQ Lunch Gathering
I was very late to meet up with Jeanie and Audrey. The initial plan was, to adjoin Jeanie at Novena MRT and from there take a cab, to convene at Audrey's place before, moving on to Liquid Kitchen Serangoon Gardens for the BBQ. But, the usually late me was in an unusually utter disbelief after waiting 45 mins without getting on a cab! I SMS Jeanie to go ahead to Audrey's place and to further proceed to LK Serangoon by themselves after Junior called me to pick her up. So I finally got on a bloody cab after having to take a bloody bus to Jurong Point taxi stand! BTW that was 1 and half hours later after being in the bloody long taxi queue. That Serangoon Gardens is such an ULU place.

So we congregated at LK Serangoon hoping for a nice and sumptous BBQ lunch. It was really a nice but sweaty and hot BBQ lunch that afternoon. We got to prepare the food ourselves under the menacingly hot sun! The food was good though, all the stingray, dory fish, beef, hotdogs, curry chicken and BEER! It was like an Eski bar gathering we haven had in a long while. Alot of people made the effort to come despite LK 4 was located in such an ULU place. It was also surprisingly good to see old familiar faces like Nicholas Tan CB and Terry working for Octopus now.

We had a merry fun time with the food, drinks and small talk sessions until we were about time to leave. This trip to Genting, was supposed to be "confidential", as past experiences with Eski staffs taking leave simultaneously raised some unhappy issues that kept bugging our managers, until they sparked sarcasms and let flew their angers. To avoid the ulgy scene again, Jeanie, Audrey and I had to stoop low to decieve the rest about where and whom we are going. Nonetheless, only a few "trustworthy"(keeping my fingers crossed) people knew of our whereabouts.

To avoid any further suspicions, (which was already in the air when Serene saw the three of us were carrying such big bags and asked Jeanie where she was going....) Jeanie and Audrey left LK first to wait for me at the bus stop further outside.... I continued to chat and BBQ food for Rinah because she just arrived.... after Ting, Serene and Cloris left due to Papa Ape's presence, i left too... soon after. We met up at ther bus stop and took a cab to Lavender Bus station.

Singapore to Malaysia and back again!!
We hadn't got ant RM prior to just entering Malaysia cos we can't find any money changers and we ain't got time to go change(nearest to Lavender is at Golden Mile). We just boarded the Transnasional Bus bounded for Kuala Lumpur at 5pm thinking we can change money when we reached KL.

The bus ride to Tuas Second Link was about 45 mins and we all cleared the Singapore customs and proceeded to clear the Malaysia's side when our dear Jeanie first made her classic of the day- She lost her Passport!! Both Audrey and me had already cleared customs when Jeanie realised too late.... Her anxiety was already overwheming her excitable thoughts of going on this trip in 10 years. So she was turned back to Singapore and we decided to go back with her. Well, our bus certainly wasn't gonna wait for us so it left without us....

We walked over to the departure hall to exit Malaysia's customs before waiting for the second link bus to return to Singapore. I asked the in-charge custom officer for the contacts of the Singapore side counter parts but that fat Malaysian Pig just turned me away, saying they don't have the numbers and shooed me away with all the impatient no noo nooos even before i can explained the situation to her. What kind of service attitude is that???!!! On that thought it really makes me fueling hot! So we just waited for the bus, hoping for an absolution that maybe our Singapore side can be more helpful. We were starting to worry becos we don't have RM to pay for the bus fare until we realised it's a free ride to Singapore Customs. We board the Bus at 7pm and arrived Singapore Customs 10 mins later. We approached the ICA officer at the front desk and explained our situation and he brought us over to his superiors where they put in their best service attitude to try and help us. It was really a relieve when Jeanie's passport was found at the departure hall's toilet and handed over to the custom officer in-charge for safe keeping. We were being "escotted" from the arrival hall to the departure office to reclaim Jeanie's travel document. Wow, I felt uneasy when all eyes were upon us as though we had infringed some immigration laws. Thanks to Jeanie... ha ha

Yes Mom!
Ok we reached the departure hall and then the officer there returned Jeanie her passport at the same time commenting that he thought "he saw the mother with the children clear the customs earlier" softly... i was like huh? what was he talking about?? I didn't understand so i just dismissed it... anyway nobody else commented.... it was then Jeanie recieved a phone call from Ting, so she went out of the office as she didn't want our voices to be heard. Audrey and I was talking to the officer when he asked out loud this time to request "OUR MOTHER" to pls come in side to sign the papers upon receipt of her passport. I exchanged look with Audrey until i couldn't contain myself and burted out laughing loud exclaiming: " What Mother??! ha ha ha"
This is the second classic of the day about Jeanie.

The 3rd classic immediately happened here after we thank the officers and just left the office when the officer said: "Hey you want to come back Singapore again ah?" We turn and saw our ever forgetful Mother forgot her big fat furry clutch.

So the Mother and her children waited at the departure hall for the next available transnasional bus to arrive at 9pm. We were allowed onto the bus after doing some explanation and we arrive at the Malaysia Custom again to see another Jeanie Classic. She walked backed the way she came after the custom officer approved her travel documents.... I just happened to turned around to see where she's headed when the officer exclaimed, " Hey you want to go back Singapore again ah?!!" I burt out laughing yet again and the officer joined me, as the embarrassed country pumpkin quickly hastened her pace down the arrival hall.

Away to KL at last
Finally, we were able to hop on and enjoy a smooth ride to KL. We stopped somewhere in Johor where we exchanged for some RM... The buy rate was 1.7(normally in SG is 2.28). They were out to chop us! Ok this was the first encounter at being chopped like a carrot after we entered Malaysia. We exchanged S$30 for RM 51 nevertheless cos we need to get some food.

Day 2: 10th April 2006 Sunday

Retribution of a "Carrot chopper"
We reached KL Putru Jaya at about 1.30 am and as soon as we disembarked from the bus, we were swarmed by Taxi drivers.