10.10.10

Dear Diary,

I woke up today asking myself, 'Will this be just another day?' Then I realised NO. Today's the 10.10.10. We only get this day once in every 10 years. This marks another decade of my life that had passed me by. What have I done for the last 10 years? What crazy drastic changes have I made? A lot has changed about me, about the rest of the world.

Jo-10 years back would never write so much as she hated writing, essays especially. She would not even find the courage to walk into libraries, because that's the place she'd fall asleep on the desk. I still do sometimes. But at least I find myself loving to read and learn more about others' perceptions on life, love and work. I felt a little wiser with each words read. Ok abit too exaggerating. :)

Jo-10 years back was a pessimistic. Everything to her seems dull and not worth trying. She doesn't usually laugh at the silliest joke. Well, to her it was not worth a laugh. Today, I find myself living every day of my life, learning new things, never giving up, looking at the brighter side of life. I make silly jokes all the time. I'd laugh at my own jokes although it is extremely lame. I know but I couldn't help it.

10 years ago, the Jo you knew would never ever say a word 'No' to you. Though she knew there were times when boundaries had been crossed and some people just need to hear the word No to stop. She never liked seeing the upset looks of disappointment on others. All that was in the past. Rejecting people requires greater inner strength. It is much easier to just accept what others think than to put your foot forward to make your stand. I learned this lesson the hard way. Better late than never though.

All in all, the past 10 years was a journey. It had made me who I am today and therefore I had no regrets. I am blessed with so many great things in life. My family, a home, a man who loves me so, friends and a many doors of opportunities. 10.10.10 reminds me of everything I have. What about you?

And before I forget 'HAPPY WEDDED BLISS MR. LEE JIH HOUH!!' May you have your happily ever after....

Jo.

Motorbike blunders

Here's a few episodes of motorbike blunders by JIN & JO.....

Scenario 1
Jin was on his way to meet Jo in front of her block. That was his second time riding on a motorbike. (the first time was during a beginner's lesson from his friend). So sadly he was still unable to balance himself on the bike. While he was slowly trying to reach his destination, Jo waited patiently for her partner to turn up. She sat in a hut beside a group of unknown strangers. Jo was surprised to see him on a motorbike. She was thinking to herself, 'I thought he never knew how to ride a bike.' She was perfectly right about that. She did not budge from her seat as she watched him trying to park his motorbike in the parking lot designated for motorbikes only. Before she could blink her eyes, something HAPPENED......... he accidentally knocked the motorbike beside him, causing it to lean towards the opposite direction. One bike after another started to fall over just like falling dominos. He was seen rearranging all the bikes soon after. The group of strangers turned to look at him and said 'That's so embarrassing' . Laughing away.They didn't realised Jo was JIN's girlfriend. When Jin walked up to the hut to meet her, the group suddenly lost all words as though the cat has caught their tongue. They felt the whole series of events were hilarious.
Blunder 1 : Choose a parking lot with limited space.

Scenario 2
Jin and Jo was on their way to dinner. Suddenly they heard a loud *POP*. The rear tyre just exploded. Jin had to pushed his motorbike to the nearest shop for repairs. They didn't have any idea where it was. Lil did they know that the nearest shop was at least 1/2 km away. This was extremely far since he had to push the bike all the way there. It was dark when they reached.
Blunder 2 : Never to keep the phone number of the repairman in case of emergency.

Scenario 3
Jin and Jo was happily riding on a motorbike until they reached a road block. The policeman checked the road tax and found that it was expired 2 weeks earlier. Jin and Jo had no idea about this since they borrowed the bike from a friend. They were surprised to learn about the truth. Too bad... they were slapped with a big summon.
Blunder 3 : Borrow friend's bike without checking the validity of its road tax.

Scenario 4
Jin was fetching Jo back to her university. They were stopped by a group of policemen. Jin was getting restless but Jo did not have the slightest clue what they are facing. Jin suddenly whispered to her softly. 'My license is only valid for one passenger.' What a rude shock it was for Jo. 'Are you telling me that all this while you are not allowed to take passengers on your bike?' It was lucky for them as the policemen were only giving them warnings.
Blunder 4 : Take passengers on your bike when you have only an 'L' license

Scenario 5
Jin and Jo was on their first vacation abroad. They wanted to have a taste of riding amotorbike around town on their own. A day earlier, their tour guide was telling them that helmets were not necessary for bikers there. So being the innocent man he was, Jin didn't have his helmet on. Almost at the end of their ride around town, they were stopped again..... by two policemen. The police was trying to take away their license. They received another round of summon.
Blunder 5 : Trust everything your tourguide said and never to wear helmet (although it is for safety purposes)

♥Jin & Jo♥

KL Hop on Hop off Bus

Truth to be told, that was my very first time on the KL hop-on hop-off bus. I had been to KL town countless of times but I never noticed the existence of this double decker bus. I came to know of it through the organizers of a competition I was participating a week ago. My friends (other entrants of the competition) and I hopped on the bus by 9 am. Now there are a few things to keep note for those of you who are interested to give this service a go.

No 1. Be prepared to pay all your tickets in cash. Apparently, the man at the ticket counter do not know how to swap the credit card on the machine.

No 2. Foreign tourists pay twice the price of a local. Get your MALAYSIAN friends to pay for your ticket.

No 3. Never to sit outside the roofed area without sunscreen protection unless you are willingly getting a tan and sunburn.

The bus runs on a daily basis from 8.30 am to 8.30 pm, remember the tickets are valid for 24 hours after purchased. We may catch any of the buses at the 22 designated stops. Here's a map.

The glass roof panel of the upper deck made it possible to look through the top of the bus. This glass made roof is particularly useful for photo-taking of high rise such as KLCC without alighting the bus. Each seats are also prepared with a headphone which plays the pre-recorded guide of attractions around KL. Must-visit places includes Chinatown (for cheap 'branded' goods and food) and Central Market (souveniers). Now that you are ready, go get your tickets and you are in for a FUN ride. For more information, click on the following website www.myhoponhopoff.com

I Love Bali Day 5

Dear Diary,

Today's our last day in Bali. We had a motorbike with us so we were going around town on this little vehicle. We were at Kuta Beach again. This time we went in the waters for a swim. The waves were higher than the ones we have in Langkawi Beach, Malaysia. I wasn't familiar with swimming in the sea with such waves. They freaked me out every single time they came gushing to shore. Each time I felt like being pulled in deeper into the sea by the waves. He was beside me before the waves came in but every time I'd turn around to find him missing. He was rolled back to the beach with the 'help' of the waves. Lol. We didn't stay long in the waters. I was too tired trying to swim against the waves.

We went back to the hotel for a shower before checking out. After that, we went to a artcraft market near Sorgawi hotel. We bought some more things for ourselves. Last minute shopping before we headed for a short ride around the rest of Kuta and Seminyak.

Time for us to say goodbye to Bali. Our very first vacation overseas on our 4th year anniversary. I love you.

♥ Jin & Jo ♥

I Love Bali Day 4

Dear Diary,

This was beach day.

Beach 1 : Nusa Dua Beach
It was a beach famous for its watersports and other activities. They did not come cheap so we decided to take a short stroll by the beach instead. And guess what we'd found while strolling, a giant chess set.

We visited Uluwatu Temple, a temple located on a cliff. From the top, we saw the waves of the vast blue ocean formed white linings alongside the bottom of the cliff. As we walked about the temple, there were a troop of monkeys following us closely. We thought they were the innocent adorable creatures they should be. How wrong we were about them. We were warned about getting too close with these monkeys. They were famous for snatching bags and accessories from tourists. Yes, and you'd guess it. I was feeding one of the monkeys when woops... one monkey took my camera cover. It was super fast and it ran to a tree nearby. Luckily the fruit seller immediately throw some fruits to the monkey and grabbed the cover from the monkey back for me. Sadly I had to pay for the packet of extra fruits for a higher price. Seems to me those monkeys were very 'well-trained'. They'd be fed if they stole some things from people. Oh well. Lesson learn. Don't be fooled by innocent looking monkeys.

We had one of our best lunch in Restoran ayam tulang lunak. We ordered ayam tulang lunak (their specialty), crispy duck and kangkung masak sambal. I didn't quite understand why they called it ayam tulang lunak, not until I tried it. The bones of the chicken was extremely crunchy and edible. You can have the chicken with the bones. All of them. It was really expensive but was worth every single rupiah.

Beach 2 : Padang Padang Beach
Mostly rocky by the seaside. It was not a suitable beach for a dip in the waters. The waves were constantly pushing us towards the rocks. There were lots of tourists just sunbathing by the sandy beach though. On our way to Jimbaran Beach, we saw a surfer badly injured from surfing in Padang Padang Beach. That's how dangerous it was. But it was a nice spot to visit nonetheless.

Beach 3 : Jimbaran Beach
This beach was facing the international airport. This was the most romantic spot for a candlelight seafood dinner for two. Occasionally we saw planes heading towards the airport.

The music band who entertained us with a balinese song at dinner

Beach 4 : Kuta Beach
This beach was the nearest beach to our hotel. It was a walking distance away (about 15-20 mins walk). It was almost pitch dark by the beach at night. There were some fireworks breaking the silence of the night every once in awhile.

We rented a motorcycle from our hotel on this fourth night. We were riding the bike around town, having to stop to ask for directions several times. It reminded me of the moments we shared during our university days when we were riding on his motorbike and got lost.

♥ Jin & Jo ♥