My Jac of all Trades and My Friend For All Time

The few of you who read my blog know that I am now midway through recounting a trip to Malacca and that I very hardly ever slot an unrelated post in between sequential parts of a post on a certain topic unless there is something important - and there is now.

And hence begins a long, rambling story. Jac, if you are reading, this is for you...

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Marcus, I think was the name of my colleague who played a trick on a then fresh-faced pupil on her first day of work at the law firm. I think he told her that "Mr Yeo would like to see you..."

I was none too seasoned either, having been a lawyer for barely three days, when a tall girl walked in and said, "Marcus asked me to see you, Mr Yeo." It didn't take too long to find out that her name was Jacqueline ("but you can call me Jac", she said), that she was warm and personable and that Marcus had clearly played a trick on us. But since she was sat in front of me, I thought that I had might as well give her some of my thoughts about pupillage and upcoming practice. I can't remember what exactly I said but I clearly remember my most pertinent quip - "You can stop calling me Mr Yeo. And remember that you are in all probability smarter than me and most certainly meant for much bigger things".

You didn't believe me then but the truth of my statement is unavoidable when I see how well you have done for yourself and how you conduct your work with flair and aplomb. I sometimes delude myself into feeling slightly proud at having played some part in your somewhat meteoric rise in your career.

The more likely truth is that you were always there for me. You were my assistant for my first ever trial in 2003, a motor accident matter in which I fought valiantly but lost disappointingly. You were always willing to lend an ear when I at times broke down while talking about a long-term unhappy relationship in your room, though I never really understood why your reaction towards somebody who was crying was to offer him or her liquid hand cleansing lotion instead of tissue paper. You were the one who convinced me years later that I was making the right decision to leave practice when I began to have second thoughts and an agonizing dissonance. And I really appreciate you gritting your teeth through some very boring football matches in an S.League stadium just to oblige me.

It's been close to 9 years and over that period of time I have called you a number of names, from Padawan (which lasted only a short while, for what was there that I could really teach you?) to Hippo (though you heard wrongly - what I really said teasingly was that you needed lipo - but you get the drift) to simply 'my best friend'.

I sometimes wonder how nothing more developed, though you often remind that it might have something to do with the fact that yout nickname at one time was Hippo after all. I think it's because of the fact that we had grown, especially in the last few years, so comfortable as friends that anything else would just not be right.

Still, the last few years, when we were more entrenched in our careers and financially stable, have provided us some of the most enjoyable times as we took time to travel around the region. I don't think we will forget standing squeezed together for two hours in a bus which hurtled down Genting Highlands (I think I rather enjoyed that one, actually - so much so that I got a stomach ache) nor the ensuing 'Bangsai at Bangsar' fiasco. I was hardly as frequent a travel companion as your CEB but we still managed to find time to wander around the Peak in Hong Kong and go Dog Racing in Vietnam. I enjoyed all our adventures immensely - it was a laugh a minute.



Indeed, I'm a bit sad that such days are over, for in less than a few hours, you be wed and forever henceforth encumbered. But, and though I might have said some things to the contrary, I am also extremely happy for you as you deserve every happiness that you are about to experience in married life. I now know you made the right choice and found the right person.

What really upsets me, however, is that not only did my hard disk which contained a trove of pictures we took together calamitously disintegrate, the folder in my replacement disk in which I had stored most of what remaining pictures I had prepared for this post mysteriously disappeared as well. It appears my computer is as susceptible to viruses as I am.

But Jac, as you said so many times, though in so many ways so much will change, in others, nothing will.

Truly, we will always be friends and I will always be there for you the same way you have been for me (except maybe when I am watching football with my boss). Never hesitate to ask my opinion, as you have before, about the effect of the latest Skyla bras....



Or come to my place, drag me into my room, close the door, and play with my Pussy...



Though you may wanna let Andrew know before you plonk yourself on my bed without asking, no matter how tired you be...



It's been one hell of wild ride. Thanks for being my partner in crime...



Love,
The Slug

Trip To Malacca - Part 3

Dinner was at a Chinese restaurant. It looked pretty upmarket so once again, I was pleasantly surprised as I again wondered how far my $188 tour package fee would stretch.



The meal in the evening, however, was quite the antithesis of the one in the afternoon. Where we had to wait eons for the first dish to come for lunch, the food for dinner came almost too quickly. Although the spread was good and the food decent enough, one wonders if they had already prepared the food in anticipation of our arrival, in contrast to lunch where one could tell that it was painstakingly prepared so that it would be hot on our plates when served. Pros and cons, I guess.

To start, we had a mixed platter...



An unlimited supply of rice and plenty of what I imagined to be sharks fin soup, for it tasted generally like it, but I could not really feel the fins. You may also notice the Kang Kong in the background but again, no comment, no picture, for I am carnivore.




There was also Tofu....



Fried squid....



Pork chop....



Fried prawns...



Steamed fish....



And dessert!



Not too bad, right? Ok, granted that a lot of the dishes weren't piping hot and a lot of stuff was fried (if you get what I mean) but how much would this cost in Singapore? And the portions were very sufficient such that we could not finish everything.

For our after dinner activities, we were dropped of at Jonker Walk for some OT2 (own time own target {"But be back by 9.30 hor!").



Jonker's Walk at night is touted as one of the 'must-sees', especially to Western tourists. It is naturally very crowded and resembles Singapore's Chinatown, only with a more 'down-to-Earth' feel, without the subtle glitz and gimmicks which make it very obvious that the primary purpose of the vendors is to snare tourists.



Food is obviously a predominant source of the commerce that goes on around there, with an abundance of stalls lining the long street selling all manner of digestables.




But that does not mean that there wasn't anything else, for there were lots of other stalls selling souvenir items, from wired paraphernalia...



To general souvenirs....



To small cosmetic jewellery, accessories and trinkets...



And even replica (fake!) weapons...



Which could have something to do with the stall being right in front of the various guild and clan houses (synonymous with martial arts practice?)



These mixed very nicely with vastly different buildings such as niche art shops...



Which stood alondside more stately buildings...



There is also a lane where all the pubs and/or watering holes seem to be situated but it wasn't very occupied when I passed by. Too early perhaps?




Walk further down and one comes to the of Jonker Walk and the bank of the Malacca River, from which one can opt to go on a River Cruise.




Walk even further on and one comes to the Maritime Museum, which is in the form of a ship....



As well as the old town centre, where the iconic 'red buildings' of Malacca are situated...



Walk further on and you reach some sort of a market selling clothes, handicrafts and other items.





I know a few of my friends who would spend a lot of time looking for trinkets here but I was not one such person, so I walked on...

Trip To Malacca - Part 2

After our visit to the bee farm, we made a bee-line for a lunch at a Nyonya joint, which stands to reason, because of Malacca's rich Peranakan history.



It looked a decent enough place but we wondered why some of the earlier patrons looked less than satisfied. We were soon to find out, as after the customary of excited chatter in anticipation of the food, the conversation started to fizzle out as we thought of things to say. And then Ryan asked if we would want to have some Pocky Chocolate Sticks. We at first laughed at him and told him that food was at hand. And then we mercilessly attacked the unofficial appetizer.



As well as the official one....



I started doodling to pass time...



And then just as we were getting really restless, the floodgates opened and the food came. First was Buah Keluak Chicken...



Which went well with pineapple rice...



Which would be topped up freely by Pandan rice once one had finished that...



There was also fried Tofu, which was quite nicely done...



Peranakan radish rojak of some sort, which I cannot comment on for I do not really like such stuff and did not really try it....



Fried egg, which tasted like, well, fried egg. But seriously, it was well done, smooth, with a unique flavour...



This was followed by a mixed vegetable dish. Now you know I am carnivore so again I can't comment for I took nothing but the bean skin which came with it.



And then there was beef rendang....



And prawns with sour a sour, tangy sauce. How many dishes were there?



And spicy fish!!! And mind, it was of decent standard, fresh and the meat firm...



And finally, the dessert. I'm quite the glutton but even I heaved a sigh of relief when I realised the meal was going to end soon. The chendol was nice but not spectacular - still tasted nicer than the Singapore variety though. My friend says it has to do with the fact that in Malaysia fresh coconut is readily available but I opine that it was more to do with the Gula Melaka. Anyhow...



Now, remember that I said that the trip cost S$188. How much would such a meal cost in Singapore? Add in the transport and the bee farm tour thus far (okay, they probably have an arrangement for that) and the trip was already looking like a bargain.

"Maybe the hotel is a hole in the wall," a colleague said. Well, we were to find out.

But before we did, I was able to snap some pictures of some of the many shops around the narrow streets as the bus snaked round Jonker's Alley, which I had not seen in daylight before.






And then we arrived at our hotel, which was certainly not a "hole in the wall". It was a Holiday Inn after all. But disappointment and frustration, for despite us arriving a little late, our rooms were not ready, meaning that we would have to go out for our afternoon activities before coming back to check in. That may have been a good idea but for the fact that the sky started to look ominous the minute we arrived at the hotel.



These though, are some pictures of the public areas of the hotel as well as its surrounding environs.







Seeing that any outdoor activities would be highly unadvised, we proceeded to the shopping area and to a some rather spiffy malls which were in close proximity of each other...





The interiors, however, was what you would expect in any shopping complex and Singapore and Malaysia, though it has to be said that some of the bargain clothes prices were significantly cheaper than those normally found in Singapore. Not my usual idea of a hang-out though. Still, a good walk around for the novelty of being in a new place.




Which is why I did not buy anything but this dessert drink from an outlet (franchise?) which is springing up all over Malaysia.




There was also an arcade game centre which I visited. I found, however, that many of the games available were very old. After pasting my name all over the Top Scorers list of Sega Rally, a driving simulation game which I last played regularly in 1996, I was curious about what the cubicles at the other end of the arcade game centre were.



They were actually karaoke rooms - and they seemed quite popular with the locals for a significant number were occupied. They were not exactly soundproof but the set-up held the noise in quite well. Still, I couldn't really see myself enjoying belting out the latest hits (more like old numbers, if the age of the arcade games are anything to go by) in that confined space.



All in all, there could have been worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon but I was not complaining when it was time to leave and head for dinner.