Just wanted to share my experience on a solo trip to Johor Bahru by bus.

This trip was a last minute thing so I could not find any kaki to go with me.

I decided to leave the car at home and take the bus route on this trip.

I set off at 7.15am on Saturday, 28 March morning.  Took a bus to Parkway Parade bus stop to catch the 966 Trans Island bus to Woodlands Bus Interchange.  From there, I board service number 911 to the Woodlands Checkpoint.

Breezed through custom and immigration. Then I boarded SBS 170 and went over to JB.   Breezed through custom and immigration again.  Walked across the bridge to City Square.  It was still closed as it was only 9.30am. Had to do a detour to the taxi stand.

Walked to the taxi stand and went to the hairdressing salon and the ride costs me RM6.  I went for breakfast of wanton mee first. I love the noodles swathed in the black sauce and chilli.  And loads of pickled green chili.  A pity the coffee shop does not serve teh C.

After brekkie, I went to get a two-hour massage (RM100) and my hair washed and coloured (RM60).

I took a 15min brisk walk to the Lien Ho shopping complex (thats where I get my cheongsam done) and did some window shopping.  Had a plate of fresh fruits and did my walkabout after that.  It was already 2pm and time for lunch.  I decided to walk down to the famous bak kut teh shop.  Had a pot (comes in small clay pots) of the soup.  Ordered a serving of chicken cooked in ginger and wine.  After the bak kut teh, I had to da bao the whole serving cos the soup was a big serving. Lunch cost RM14.30 (including a bowl of rice).

I decided to buy three of the paper wrap herbal chicken (RM13 each) which my daughters and my nieces and nephews enjoy.  Then I made my way to the main road.  Boarded bus 10B which took me back to City Square.  I decided to walk the mall for an hour.  By then, it was already 5pm and I was tired with all the walking.  I headed home.  It was a breeze through again and then I boarded  SBS 170 back to Singapore.

This is when the drama begins.  Immigration, no problem until I reached the custom.  I placed my back pack and my carrier bag to be scanned. Then the officer spotted my chickens and told his colleagues to search my bag.  Then she pulled out the chickens and it went like this:

Officer:  Do you know its an offence to bring in chickens into Singapore.

Me:       Yes, I know but my sisters always buy me this chicken when they go to JB (I forgot they went by car)

Officer:  You mean you knew it is an offence and you still do it.

Me:       Yes, I mean no.  I thought if it is cooked and with herbs some more, its ok to bring it over.

Officer:  No you cannot whether its raw or cooked.  I have to throw the chickens away.

Me:       (Then my eyes started to turn red and tear - the hum bao cry baby).

Officer:  Dont cry when I am talking to you (not serious reprimanding tone).

Me:       (I started to cry)Its very malu to cry but the chickens cost me RM39 and its a lot of money.  I have many children at home and  the chicken was their dinner.  And I kept saying the chicken cost a lot.

Officer:  (Turns to her colleague) Apa macam, dia menangis.  (Turns to me) Next time you cannot bring chicken in again.

Me:       I promise next time I wont do it again.  If I do, you can summon me.  But please dont throw my chickens away.

Officer:  This time I let you go but dont let me catch you buying chicken back because I will send you straight to the office.

Me:       Thank you thank you very much.

I grabbed my bag and ran as fast as I could before she changes her mind.  The more I think about the what if’s, the more scared I am.

I took 911 to my sister’s place to give her two chickens and brought the third one home for my girls. By the time I reached home, it was 7.45pm.

I am telling my story so as to warn those intending to bring in chicken, dead or alive, to think carefully.

It was an eye opener and an adventure for me.

I am thinking of doing it again, I mean my solo trip to JB, minus the chickens heee!

Cheers!

Caroline Gee

 Hi Guys ie. Lily, Bira, Norlinda, Ah Nee, KC Lau & Tian Soo, am pleased that all of you had a nice time.

 Probably when the "round island" road in Karimun is ready in a year’s time hopefully (you guys would have notice that from the incline of the hillside Hotel Gloria, the new road is less than 50metres ready) we shall make another trip to Karimun.

 Meanwhile, as soon as the travelling logistics are correctly certain, Lily will assist in organising a ONE DAY/ONE NIGHT Free & Easy trip to Segamat town, central Johore state.  Maximum pax is TWENTY persons including myself and with AT LEAST Seven males in the group for the purpose of "showing off muscle".  This excursion is slated for mid or end July where we can savour seasonal fruits of durians and mangosteens.

 Regards 

 Abel Tan

Lim Geok Suan (EO)

Date of Visit: 1st May 2009 (Friday) Labour Day. Time: 9.45am to 12.30pm.

Location: St. Joseph’s Home. 921, Jurong Rd, S’pore 649694. Tel: 62680482. Fax: 62684787.  From Boon Lay Interchange, take Bus 157 and alight 4 bus-stops away at back gate. Those going by car are requested to car-pool due to shortage of parking space; about 8 lots only.

Website: www.stjh.org.sg

Helping the less fortunate in society is a blessing. In this respect EO Lim Geok Suan, on behalf of the Cannosian Alumni Mission is undertaking a project to visit St. Joseph Home to provide 100 residents with a Lunch treat and some form of entertainment for their enjoyment and happiness.

We hope like-minded SHCians will volunteer to come forward with Cash donation or volunteer their time to this good cause. 

To  begin with, we need 10 volunteers to help to serve the residents. 12 volunteers to help feed the residents who are unable to eat by themselves.

SHCian LIM TIAN SOO has generously agreed to give a $500/- cash donation to start the ball rolling.

Oi Cheng will be the appointed member assigned to take care of this cash donation drive.  Bank details of Oi Cheng as follows:

Name : Lum Oi Cheng
POSB Saving A/C# 117-00132-6 
The closing date for the transfer will be set on 21 April 2009.

Apart from the lunch treat to be given to 100 residents of St Joseph Home, whatever balance left over after deducting this expenses will be donated to St Joseph Home at the end of this event.

We hope this good deed will receive a good response from all the kind-hearted SHCians. We need everyones’ support to make it a success. In giving happiness to others is a joy to ourselves. Thank You.

To begin with, the following has consented to help on that date.

Volunteer Helpers and Donors: 

1. Lim Tian Soo - $500 (Rec’d)
2. Dolly Lim - helper and $100 (Rec’d cash)
3. Oi Cheng - Appointed Treasurer
4. Patrick Chan (music and singing )
5. Ronnie Sow (music and singing)
6. Jennifer Lim - helper and $100 (Rec’d cash)
7. June Lim - helper
8. Lilian Chua - helper
9. Jassmine Teo - (hokien CD for loan) and $100 (Rec’d)
10. Wee Chin - helper
11. Maria Tan - helper
12. Chan ChristinaWH - helper
13. Charles Chua - helper and $100 (Rec’d)
14. Boon Liang - $50 (Rec’d)
15. Tan Seok Wah - helper
16. Jean Ong - helper
17. Lee Peng Peng - $50 (Rec’d)
18. Thomas Loh
19. Jane Tan
20. Nelly Soh

Click here for photos

Calling all shutterbugs……there will be a free practical photography at Singapore Botanical Gardens on 11th April 09 from 9am to 12 noon.

This will be conducted by my instructor who is an avid and experienced photographer for many years. He had just led and group of us to Java and Bali for 11 days of photography trips where he also shared a lot of tips with us. You can check out some of the photos taken during this trip at http://s265.photobucket.com/albums/ii240/sockie_sg/Indonesia-Feb09/?start=0

Topics to be covered:
Understanding the various funtions of the cameras, understanding P, A, S, M (Program/Auto, Aperture, Shutter, and, Manual Modes).
Basic compositions.

For those who are interested, please meet at the food court in the basement of the main entrance.

Sockie

Members confirmed to attend :

1. Sockie
2. Ronald Lee
3. Karen Thio
4. Lee Patrick
5. Dan Huang
6. Joy Chuang
7. Lilian Teo
8. Edwin Ong
9. Annie Loh
10. Lydia Chin
11. Ella Tan

Click here for photos

I only came to know about "Earth Hour" today.  At the strike of 8.30 pm on Saturday night, everybody switches off the lights and other power supply in the house, the office and in the entertainment spots.  Some suggestions, I thought was interesting.  Sleep naked, because the airconditioning is off.  Time to sneak off the restaurant without paying.  Give someone a smooch, cause you won’t be reognised.

If you know what is Earth Hour, share here what you will be doing?

Terence Seah

How many of us can say that they have lived a fulfilled life? Guess not many dared raise their hands. A simple life can be a good and fulfilled life. Sounds that simple. Everyone of us is able to live a life of simple happiness and contentment. But the reality of our existence cut short many sweet dreams into nothing. Why is this happenning? Is it so difficult to pursue  our lifestyle to our wishes, and live a simple life.

Nothing is impossible. But many wishes of a good life may not be realised. Human existence through the ages has fought for survival. Each stage of our  life, we qualify ourselves and our family for the best in living.

Humans are never satified with a simple life. As we move up the ladder of success, our lifestyles move up in tandem. There is no safety marker to what is a good life. You may feel good but you want it to be better because the neighbours car is a Mercedes, whereas yours is only a Hyundai sonata ( in E minor). So due to peer pressure and  face-value to level up or excel, a simple good life becomes a living unreality. Huge loans on housing, big cars, greater ostentation of lifestyle, eventually transformed a simple good life into a life of total debts. The stress factor sets in. The sad truth of living beyond one’s means.

Everyday is a comparison. The yardstick never ends. The frivolity of life’s wanting for the impossible dream and unrealistic pursuit of extravagant nothingless, created a hollow to live a simple good life.

The temptations of life luxuries, the materialistic pursuit of unnecessary needs, brings about the truth in human weakness of what is the actual essence of simple good living. We lose ourselves in the wilderness of pseudo achievements by great showmanship but living a stressful debt-ridden existence. We lose our rational judgement to recover our senses and plough deep into great financial chaos and catastrophe.

The comparison of living and life, leave much to be desired. And desire it is, in the wrong gear of overdrive. Nevertheless, as humans we are exposed to the elements of wanting all the best in life, better than others and maintaining a status quo of great success and achievement all in the name of  fabulous living.

In consequence, many a simple living and life devastated by its own hurricane of destruction, goes beyond  the rationale of homo sapiens that choose to self-demolition.

We begin to ask: how can a simple good life becomes an agony of living beyond ourselves.

The source of transformation lies in one’s unrealistic dream of despair.

A SIMPLE LIFE IS A GOOD LIFE,  A SIMPLE GOOD THOUGHT IS WISDOM.

Lee Patrick

Hi Everybody,
I am Genet (simply pronounced similarly as “Janet”). I have been called “Gar-net”, “Ger-net”, “Ge-net”, “Jeanette”…the list goes on.

Just joined SHC on 20th March and am looking forward to making friends with everybody and also to enjoy myself with the numerous activities here.  I am still reading up the many posts from all of you and figuring my way around this site.

Now to introduce myself and hope that you will bear with me (for being so lor-soh) :

Personal
Marital Status : Married
Age : ermmm…dun say can? Shy shy lah but definitely above 45

My looks can be described as “1661” ie 16 when you c mi from behind, and 61 when u c mi from the front (hee hee) but seriously, please dun faint (from shock) when you c mi horr

My Home Sweet Home is in Clementi

Working in a German MNC in Kallang