Destination: Segamat

13 March 2010

One cold saturday morning, a convoy of cars gathered at Yiew Mei Green. Amongst them were a group of people. From my hideout, I could see that they were planning something mysterious. Who were they, and what were they doing? Were they criminals escaping, or agents on a mission? Whatever it was, I was going to find out soon...

I followed them as the convoy of cars moved along in a long snaky line towards the Woodlands Causeway. As I followed them closely, questions flooded my mind. Had Mass Salamat escaped again, and was he hiding in one of their cars? There wasn't much of a jam at the Causeway, so I had no trouble in tracking them, but soon I made an amazing discovery, and that was, they were on a mission trip to Segamat!

I'm sure that you fell for that trick and if you had read in one of my earlier blogs in 2008, I had gone for a mission trip too. Well, we were going back to the same place again, and I was in my dad's car, the leader of the trip!

Once we crossed the Causeway, our CG, yet formed another line of cars and we headed into the long long boring road trip to Segamat. Of course we had a 'pit stop' at a state called Yong Peng for a short break and a snack. My brother and I had a drink called milo dinosaur! The top of the drink was covered with milo powder, and the rest of the drink, milo. We had two cups of this and it was refreshing.

After a quick visit to the toilet, we set out as a group again to finish up the road trip. This part of the road was my favorite, as it was bumpy, the road uneven, and there were plenty of slopes and red mud. It looked a little like a dirt track. Finally we reached the Golden Lake Hotel which was the place we were staying in no time at all.

Our hotel rooms 106 and 107 were very ordinary, unlike those that we stayed in during our vacations. We had a bathub to soak in and the hotel rooms' carpet was pretty soft and soothing to one's wearily feet. No more comments about the rooms here.

After one last rehearsal in Ian Kang's room of our song presentation, we went to a chinese restaurant for lunch. Then came my favourite part of the day, our visit to the Childrens' Home. Actually, it wasn't really the going of the childrens home that really aroused my enthusiasm, but the thought of playing games with my friends and of course, the children there. First we had some ice breakers to introduce ourselves.

The first game we played was about getting to know one another better. We played this game by telling each other what we liked or what we do not like. Then, the kids who had something in common would have to swap places. Another game we played was throwing the ball, in which we had to remember each other's names. We had to throw the ball to one another, until everyone had the ball thrown to them except the first, then we did it again with the same sequence. This was fun because after awhile, two more balls were added. But finally, we did it. Last of all, we were split into groups of five. We were to go to different stations, to play diffent games, and from these games we would learn something. My favorite game was untie the knot. At first we had some difficulty as one hand had to be held onto the rope while another to try and untie the knot. From this game, we learned the importance of teamwork. My group did it! Now are you bored reading all these, but I just need to blog about it as the games were really fun and we go to know the children at the home well Dinner was KFC, then we wearily drove back to the hotel.

Day two 14 March 2010

Our CG helped at a new church service in Segamat. Our parents lead the worship and my dad preached the message. The children helped out as ushers. But instead of welcoming the people, we seemed to be scaring them away! We also helped the younger kids in art and craft, as well as sang our song. I was nervous, but eventually we did it. Immediately after the service, we had to drive back to singapore as daddy had to catch a flight to Egypt for his business trip. Along the way home, we stopped at Yong Peng again to top up our patrol at the shell station. Mom also treated us to ice-cream! It felt good after being cooped up in the back seat of our MPV for a while. We were glad to be back home again!

A three day celebration of my birthday

5 march 2010

Finally, my birthday has arrived! Even though I was not so enthusiastic about it as last year. Probably since daddy has left on a business trip for India that morning, but still I had a great day. I got to do less work than usual, (it was on a Friday, a school day) which was a great relief to me. In the afternoon, we went to the Choa Chu Kang library. But the best part of that day was when we settled down for a mini birthday dinner at home together! I enjoyed the chicken wrap which we had with lettuce, and also loved the refreshing homemade watermelon soda drink. On top of all that, mummy also bought a birthday cake. This was no ordinary birthday cake though. In fact, it was two rectangular shaped cakes of flavors truffle which was my favorite, and black forest. So, in the end, it turned out to be better than I expected! This was my first time having a three day birthday celebration.

The second day of my celebration (6 march 2010)

I was elated to hear that daddy would be coming home this morning! When he did come home,we were so happy that we gave whoops of joy! On top of that, dad also bought a camera for me! It was actually from grandma, but daddy helped to buy it for me as dad knew which camera would be more suitable for me. I went for my chess class that morning, followed by Uncle Basil's house. I had a great time playing with my friends there. Actually, we were there to have a rehersal with the CG on the songs that we would be singing at a church in Segamat. Anyway, since singing is not my cup of tea, I enjoyed more of the playing then the singing. In the evening, our family headed to grandma's house to have another celebration dinner. My favourite dish was the asam fish which grandma bought and after receiving my present, we drove home wearily.

Day three, yet another celebration, this time at Han's

(7 march 2010)

By now, my hand is already getting weary from typing, so I'll just get straight to the point...

This dinner was probably my first time eating an appetizer, main course, and dessert, at the same place, and all in order. At first when my parents introduced me to Han's, I had thought it to be Hunt's. They have the same pronunciation, but different meaning and spelling. For the appetizer, I had a generous helping of mushroom soup, and a slice of garlic bread. Then came my steak, the main course. The meat was tender, and soft as it was 'medium well.' I loved it. Although there were some parts which were too chewy for me to chew. Then came my dessert, which was a canned peach. The full peach was round and at first glance, I thought it to be an egg yolk! The meal was so delicious and for such a complete meal, they only charged our family around $53! Well, I am sorry to say that my celebration is over, but maybe there might be another birthday celebration next year, which would be better!

How I spent Chinese New Year

14 Feb 2010 (Chinese New Year)

The night before Chinese new year, I could not sleep. Even though it was way pass my bedtime, my mind was still buzzing with excitement. After watching a bit of TV with my parents, I had finally drifted of to dreamland.

The next day after church, we visited grandma. There, we ate lots of delicious new year goodies, and received our red packets. A while later, we went to Po Po's house to celebrate Chinese new year with our cousins. I did not eat much for I had stuffed myself with goodies at grandma's house. In fact, I was so full that I did not eat lunch at all! Anyway, I still had lots of fun playing board games with my cousins which I had brought. We also watched lots of TV. After a long, tiring but exciting day, we drove home.

15 Feb 2010 (At Marina Barrage.)

I am blogging about this under the title 'How I spent Chinese New Year' because we are still in the Chinese new year week.

It was a beautiful windy evening. The perfect weather to fly a kite. Daddy brought grandma and us to Marina barrage. The place was awesome. There was a walkway which widened as it went higher and higher. In the middle was a long patch of field, and along the sides were pathways probably for bicycles. The sky was swarming with kites, some flying high, and others low. It seemed so easy, the way other people flew the kite, but it was easier said then done. we had tried it a number of times but to no avail. And guess what the problem was? We had tied the string on the opposite side of the kite! We tried it again, this time with the string tied the right way, and I finally managed to get it into the sky, although only for a few minutes, before it came crashing back to the ground. By now, it was getting late and we were all hungry, so we all set off for dinner. I can hardly wait to try and fly a kite again!

My Hobby

Chess is one of my hobbies. I love playing this exciting board game because it makes you think ahead. I also like the challenge to try and foil your opponents plans as well as checkmate him using strategies. I have a goal, which was to get into the Chess Junior Squad. Finally, after 3 tournaments, I qualified. My dream has finally been fulfilled.

National Age Group Championship (2010)

I think it was the second day of my chess tournament when I played the longest game in my life. My opponent was probably around 11, he wore glasses and an orange T-shirt. He was an opponent whom I challenged in one of the earlier tournaments. Just before the game, I felt butterflies in my stomach and my palms were sweaty. I was extremely nervous, for I had lost to him before. This time round, I was in a winning position, but in the end he won.

During that 2 hour match, Jabez had already finished his game, and had gone with the rest of the family to Yishun Park. What I heard later that afternoon was that Samuel had a close encounter with a snake at the park! Oh, how I wished I could see that snake. It would have been my very first encounter with one.

My afternoon, game, was an opponent who was different from others. His name was Fabian. I was seated waiting for my opponent when I saw a boy in a wheelchair. He was to be my opponent! His head was tilted to one side, and his arms were weak so I had to help him move his pieces and press the clock for him. I have to admit that I thought he would be an easy opponent, but he certainly proved me wrong. He was better then I thought, and in the end we had a draw.

This chess tournament is one I would never forget. For after many days of praying, God has finally answered my prayer. Now I have qualified to become a member of the Chess Junior Squad!

A Malacca Vacation

Five days before Christmas, we set out in high spirits with our cousins for Malacca. There, we visited museums such as the Cheng Ho Cultural Museum where we learned about the culture and history of Malacca. We also visited the Maritime Museum, which was a replica of a Portuguese ship. Another historical site was the ruins of the Al Famosa fortress that was built by the Portuguese after they conquered Malacca.

One place I particularly liked was the Butterfly and Reptile Sanctuary which we visited on the 2nd day. The butterflies there were a lot more colorful than the ones in Singapore. Best of all, they were friendly and easily attracted to us! It felt itchy as the butterflies crawled on my body, but it was kind of fun. Besides butterflies, there were other amazing creatures such as scorpions, alligators, snakes, emus, peacocks, electric eels, otters, weasels and even a bearcat! I think it is called a bearcat because it looks like a bear, and climbs like a cat! So much for a butterfly and reptile sanctuary; it looks more like a zoo to me.

We walked a lot around the town but we also tried the local transport, like the trishaw. It is called a trishaw because it has three wheels. We sat in what looked like a carriage while a man cycled us to our various destinations. On the last evening, we took a boat ride along the Malacca River. I enjoyed the ride very much for the weather was breezy and the river was lighted up with colorful lights.

We spent the last evening at a shopping mall. I am talking about this not because I love it, but because of what happened there. It was pretty late in the evening when we finished shopping. We decided to take a trishaw back to the hotel for we were weary from walking. You might think that it should not have been a problem but guess what? They charged us RM 50 for just a short ride to the hotel! This is five times more expensive than the offer we had earlier. It is most ridiculous! Finally, we decided that it was better to walk back to the hotel. By the time we reached our room, I was exhausted and after a shower slept almost immediately.

A retreat in Changi

It is about a week since we returned from our CG retreat to Changi Village. I have decided to talk about our trip, for I loved the activities we did there...

I awoke with my head buzzing with excitement for today is the BIG day. We are going to Changi Village with our CG! After a wait which seemed like eternity, we started off. The hotel which we were staying in looked a bit like an office to me. However the inside was more welcoming. There was a mini house made of all sorts of delicious goodies, but of course, it was not edible. After brunch, we went to our rooms. At first, our rooms were on the smoking level and I did not want to stay in it for the smell of smoke was unbearable. Unfortunately, there were no other available rooms, and we had to wait till 5.00pm. We past the time by watching a movie at Noah's room with the CG and before we knew it, our rooms were ready.

The following day, we woke up bright and early for our guided tour at Chek Jawa. The tour was excellent. We got to observe and identify many creatures unknown to us, like the Oriental Tree snake and the male wild boar. They looked pretty scary too! After a session of drawing, we started back to the jetty for the ride back to mainland in the bumboat. Lunch was delicious for it was a buffet. I drank mushroom soup, ate rice with curry, chips and tomatoes. I even tried olives! Dessert was ice-cream. In the evening, we went for a stroll at the Changi beach. I did not really enjoy the walk but it was through the walk that I spotted a lizard hiding behind a rock and a White Bellied Sea eagle soaring high in the sky. We also spent some time at the beach digging a deep pit. Come to think of it, I actually enjoyed the walk after all!!

Upon returning to our hotel room, I immediately prepared a soapy bath in the bathtub. This also was one of the favourite things that we did at this Retreat, for the water was warm and soothing against the cold November evenings. Eating dinner under the stars in the open courtyard was another novelty, only there was not a single star to be seen that night! We had to rely on Samuel's torchlight but it soon blacked out, and we had no choice but to eat in darkness. Of course there were some light from the hotel corridors but it was inadequate. Our eyes soon adjusted to the darkness and all in, I kind of enjoyed it! A while later, I could not eat anymore probably because I could not really see what I was eating! Soon my friends, brothers, and I were in our room watching TV.

Time certainly past quickly when you are having fun, for the time came for us to check out. The highlight of the day was a swim race with my friends and the adults. We challenged our fathers to a race and guess who won? Us! Actually, it was not a fair race for our fathers swam breaststroke while we swam the frontcrawl. I was famished after all the workout and was glad the lunch was pizza. I ate three big slices!!

This is one trip I would never forget.