The Craftsman’s Forge

I did it!!! I finally went for a full body massage! Uh… before I continue, must say that this post got no pictures ok? Since it features me, I figured it would quite disgusting to some, and decided to spare everyone the ordeal. (plus…I’m a little colloquial in this post, so forgive me)

Now, now, now. Before you start thinking way off target, let me recount my experience.

Before my trip to Bangkok, Chris had told me to go get a Thai massage. I didn’t really think much about it, cos it didn’t matter to me if I got a massage or not. Chris had gotten a Thai massage before, and she said it was very good.

So, while at The Landmark Hotel, I saw that they provided traditional Thai massage. But, they don’t perform the massage at the spa, but they come right up to your room. Somehow, that freaked me out, and I didn’t try it. Besides, it costs 1,000 Baht, which is about S$40.

I then saw a couple of signs advertising Traditional Thai Massage for only 250 Baht! Wah… so cheap, but I don’t dare to try. Scarly its those hanky panky type, sure gone one. In the end, I left Bangkok without a massage.

When I checked in today at The Sofitel in Ho Chi Minh City, I saw that Sofitel had Traditional Vietnamese massage, and they had proper massage rooms on level three. US$18 per pop though. But should be quite safe. So, I decided to give it a try after office, just before dinner.

I popped by the 3rd floor at about 6:45pm today, inquired and booked a session at 7pm. So, I came down after a quick shower, and the masseur asked me to change in the shorts provided and the bath robe.

ok lor. Changed already, and went to the room. Wah… masseur slim pretty Vietnamese girl. A bit scared. But… never mind. One time only, and after that, she won’t ever see me again. So, no need to worry about people seeing me topless. Ha ha ha….

I was first instructed to lie face down, and she started to walk on me!!! Wah lau! Damn painful man! Can’t believe I pay for people to step over me. After walking all over me, she came down and started massaging my calves. It was damn ticklish, and she reached all the way up to my buttocks. I was almost cringing with my hands. How to relax?

After finishing my calves, she did my back and then each arm in turn. After that, she asked me to turn over. Then she started massaging my stomach and then my chest! At this time, the scene where Mimi Rogers got her pectorals massaged by Bryan brown in the movie “Full Body Massage” filled my mind, and then… it actually happened. The masseur started massaging my chest. Man!!! Damn ticklish, and I felt like Mimi Rogers. Very violated! I wish this would end, and at that time, wondered why did I put myself through this ordeal.

Cutting the story short, she proceeded to go through the front parts of my arms and legs and …erm…my chest. She finally finished off the massage by massaging my stomach. Then, she asked me the unthinkable, and I thought I heard wrongly. “Ok Sir, Finished. Do you want anything else?”…..I said “Huh?” Then, she offered again… “Do you want anything else?”

I knew where this was leading, and was frankly quite surprised, but quickly said no, and she helped me change like as if nothing happen like that. Wah… some more ask me to fill in customer feedback form. Ha ha ha ha…. I think this is the last time I go for massage alone without Chris. Too scary man….

Technorati Tags: Singapore, Bangkok, Thailand, Craftsman

So…. this is the new Suvarnabhumi airport. Just flew into Bangkok yesterday for work. Not too bad. Had low expectations, but cleared customs in 5 mins, and onto my taxi and out of the airport in 10mins flat. Definitely much better than the old Don Muang airport.

Can’t say the same about my flight here though. Was on SQ68, obviously my airline of choice, but there is an element which Singapore Airlines can never control, and thats their customers. I’m going to winge, and this is going to make me sound like a brat. But I’m gonna rant about it anyway. So there.

The worst thing that can ever happen on your flight, is if you get stucked on the same plane with 1) A tour group; 2) Crying babies; 3) More than one tour group or 4) More than one crying baby.

And, the worst tour groups you can ever get stuck with are either the Chinese or the Koreans. The Indians are bad too, but they’re alot better off than the Chinese or Koreans. Trust me. Here I go and get myself on a stupid flight with BOTH Chinese and Korean tour groups. Damn it! I must be damn lucky. Better go buy 4D.

The entire airplane sounded like a fish market. Damn lucky I got my ipod with me, and I managed to watch Dejavu, a really nice Denzel Washington movie. Savaged my flight after all.
And I thought that was the worst that could ever happen to me. After I got to the hotel, I started my laptop, and found that my laptop just refused to boot up properly. Damn it (sigh… I’m getting really vulgar. Please forgive me. I am in the midst of repenting)

I spent the next half a day fixing up my laptop while concurrently interviewing candidates for an IT position, giving a Security Awareness Training and meeting with ISPs. Not bad for a full days work. My windows is repaired now, which is why I can finally update my blog. Bloody Microsoft (oops..there I go again). If I could help it, I would use my Mac in the office.

Technorati Tags: Singapore, Bangkok, Thailand, Craftsman

Today, I finally found some time to look at my iphonenet system. After 10 months!!!! My phone always had its lights blinking, and I’ve always ignored it.

I finally got hold of the iphonenet quickguide this morning, and tried retrieving my messages. Oh My God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have 72 NEW MESSAGES!!!!! The earliest message was all the way back in April 2006. Ha ha ha ha……Goodness me….I’m clearing my messages now.

Technorati Tags: Singapore, iphonenet, Singtel, Craftsman

It’s the Chinese New Year again. This is the first New Year after Dad’s stroke. I recall last year, he was showing symptoms of stroke, and we were so worried. This year, he has recovered to the point where we can send our maid back, and he is so happy to be visiting our relatives again!

Anyways, Elkan picked 4 lucky numbers for us last night, and we headed out to Yishun Ave 5 to pick up our Toto and 4D bets. Why Yishun Ave 5? Well, this outlet happens to be an extremely “Lucky” outlet. It has performed extremely well many times before, picking out winning numbers from its Quick Pick system.

I bought all 12 permutations of the four numbers Elkan picked (2 numbers were similar), and bought a couple of Quick Pick tickets for the Toto draw for this evening and this coming Thursday. A total of S$132! As I made my way back, I realised that I forgot to buy Quick Pick numbers for the Hong Bao Draw which has a top prize of S$10,000,000!!!! I will be back, and wish me luck!

Technorati Tags: Singapore, 4D, Toto, Singapore Pools, Craftsman

Ahmedabad is the largest city in the state of Gujarat in Western India. Historically, Gujarat traders were tremendously successful in East Asia, and Gujarat is well known for its textile industry. However, despite the lofty heights of historical achievements, some are now saying that its extreme poverty now matches its past grandeur.

The sights and scenes in Ahmedabad is once again surfacing in me, a wonder of how hopelessly wide the gap between the rich and poor is in India. It is also helping me realise how wonderfully blessed and fortunate we are in Singapore. On my way to the office today, the driver went on a route I don’t remember taking the last time I was here, and saw a sight of Ahmedabad I never saw before. You could literally see the city zoned according to the poor, not so poor and the rich. According to India’s census, there are approximately 440,000 who live in the slums around the city. The roads were worse than Makati City in the Philippines, it is sandy and dusty and traffic is extremely disorganised and chaotic, much worse than Ho Chih Minh City in Vietnam.

In fact, I should charge the Ahmedabad city government for clearing their sand on the roads, and then ship it to Singapore, and sell the bloody sand to the Singapore government! Ha ha ha ha!

But…I digress. There are dogs, cows and goats roaming freely on the roads, and small houses made of canvas, mud and hay by the side of the roads where entire families lived side by side with trash. The poor scavenge among the trash for anything of value, and the animals eat any vegetable matter. What’s left is burned, adding to the already severe pollution. Scenes you’d see out of a movie on Africa. Young children carrying their even younger siblings walking in the morning sun by the road evokes a sense of incredulous wonder at what the city government is doing. Heres a short video of the slum area taken from the car as I was traveling to the office

On asking one of my Indian colleagues about how the city government is doing, he said that they were doing a “Marvelous job!”. I didn’t comment further after that. But, still did wonder how on earth can this happen on God’s good earth.

I mean, how can the city government be doing a good job when there are homeless on the streets? Why are most Indians (comfortable and successful Indians) quite nonchalant about the homeless and the poor? I think to understand that one needs to understand in some measure the Indian Caste system. Yes…the caste system is still very much alive in modern day India.

I don’t profess to know very much about the caste system, nor its deep complexities, but it was extremely clear to me the indifference most Indians have about the poor, and why the poor are still so poor, and why they are on the roads, and why no one helps get them off the streets and to build a better life for themselves and their children. The general feeling is that these poor are a lazy bunch who do not want to work, preferring to beg on the streets and to laze about and not work for a living. “Work is readily available”, my colleague told me. “These people are lazy and don’t want to work.”

This is a picture of a little girl who’s home is on the side of the street. Opening the car window to take this shot, a whiff of cow and animal manure just swept into the car. It smelt like I was on a farm. This is the type of squalid conditions they live in.

Some of these poor folks do not even have a concrete roof over their heads. Like this family who is living just with the barest amenities on the side of the road.

There is a complex social strata in Indian society called the caste system, used extensively by the British (during colonialization) to segregate society and manage India. These poor folks likely do not belong to any caste, and “un-touchables”, meaning that they are considered filthy and would defile a person if they are touched. This is the deep rooted segregation that exists in the Indian psyche.

For a person who has come from safe and sterile Singapore, where people discuss the increase of a 2% GST with gusto and resentment towards the Singapore government, this environment in Ahmedabad yanks you back to the reality of what basic needs really mean. In all honesty, Singaporeans should fly to Ahmedabad to take a look at their poor. They live in derelict and appalling conditions, often with either a zinc roof or a canvas tent over their heads, and have to endure temperature extremes of 4 degrees Celsius in winter and 47 degrees Celsius in summer. It becomes almost laughable when our poor have the means to 3 meals a day, clean clothes on their backs and a decent roof over their heads, and still clamoring for goodies and berating the government.

By all accounts, Singapore is like heaven to the thousands in Ahmedabad. We should count our blessings.

Technorati Tags: Singapore, India, Poor, Ahmedabad, Craftsman

Guess who I saw on TV in India? You wouldn’t believe it. Its former Channel News Asia television presenter Vidya Shankar Aiyar, who was convicted of rape in SIngapore back in 2004.

He’s obviously ran back to India with his tail between his legs, and joined CNN India. He’s now hosting a program on CNN India called “Face The Nation” How interesting.

Technorati Tags: Singapore, India, CNN, Channel News Asia, Shankar, Craftsman

I touched down at Mumbai this afternoon, and was a little shocked to find that the temperature was 24 degrees Celcius. Hope it wouldn’t be windy. But, my worry was unfounded as I stepped onto the Mumbai airport. The air was still, and the air felt just right.

We walked out to the arrival area, and my boss and myself were the only Chinese in a sea of Indians! Many of them, seemed to be Muslim, and appeared to have just returned from the Haj in Saudi Arabia. Our driver was suppose to wait for us at the arrival hall. Our instructions were that a driver would be waiting with a placard with our names. But…. no one leh. We waited for a while, then made the calls. There was a flurry of calls, and to cut the long story short, my boss and I were at the wrong exit. Apparently the SQ arrival hall was at Terminal 2C, while we were at Terminal 2A. Wonder how we got lost!

We were finally reunited with our driver, and while we walked to the car with him, we were accosted by a young boy, who can’ t be older than Kyla. He came straight to me begging for money. Even identified us as Singaporeans! Noticed that he was with his mother, but she disappeared once they noticed us. Know that giving money to him wouldn’t solve the problem for him or his family. It’ll just be used for gambling or booze. But, still pity him, and gave him a couple of rupees.

We finally got underway, and arrived at the Domestic Terminal safely. After the necessary checking and ticket related stuff, we headed to the Jet Airways lounge. The lounge had a little spread with sandwiches, salads and desserts, but decided against eating anything just in case I get the runs. Have been through this before, and am not keen to be down with stomach virus. So, I just got myself a sealed mineral water and a diet coke.

As I checked in, Jet Airways upgraded me to Business class. That was a really nice gesture. Thanks! By then, it was already past 12 hours since I left the house this morning, and I was really tired! My goodness, traveling for the whole day is damn tiring man.

Touched down to 31 degrees temperature in Ahmedabad, and totally tired out. Thankfully, my home for the next two days would be at the Taj, which in my opinion has one of the best linen and bedding in comparison with the hotels I’ve stayed with in my travels. Their soap, is simply the BEST! AN will be bringing us out for dinner tonight, and I’m just going to take a well deserved sleep. Pictures will follow when I get back to Singapore.

Technorati Tags: Singapore, India, Craftsman

I’ve got just a couple of hours of sleep ahead of me. Its midnight now, and I’m taking the 7am flight to Mumbai. In fact, I just finished packing my luggage. Heard that they only allow you one cabin luggage in India. And because I’m not gonna check in my luggage I’m packing together a smaller laptop bag, so I can squeeze everything into my cabin trolley when the time comes for a transit flight from Mumbai to Ahmadabad.

All set to go. India, here I come.

Technorati Tags: Singapore, Craftsman