Cafes

I like visiting cafes, be it in town or when I am traveling. Thing is, I don't drink coffee but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying a chocolate or tea. I sometimes work in a cafe, writing, answering emails, but most times, I am happy just to have some solitude, reading a magazine amid pleasant surrounds.

Lately, I have had a craving for cakes, don't ask me why, the result of which is that I am finding myself being drawn towards spending more time in such establishments. Looks like the calories are inevitable and are a foregone conclusion.

I guess what this means is that I'll have to swim more. The sacrifices one has to make to indulge.

Photo of Bitter Sweet in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Buble

I had wanted to go watch Michael Buble's concert but as usual left it to the last minute and was told that tickets were sold out. Then I saw a friend's status on Facebook indicating that she wouldn't be able to attend and had tickets to sell, fairly pricey tickets too at RM850 a piece.

An afternoon tea and some business talk later, I had my tickets. Suffice to say whatever deal I made was worth it. Fab singing, fab songs, fab moves, fab cajoling. My only complaint - below par air conditioning and needless to say, the toilets at the stadium. I was also hoping to hear this song live but alas it was not in his repertoire that evening.

I have in the past missed many a concert because of procrastination. I've learnt my lesson. In future, I'll be quick to pounce on tickets. Slap me if I don't!

Michael Buble's Crazy Love Tour.

Appreciative Winners

Congratulations to Samantha and Gavin, winners of the recently concluded Splendour Of Nature contest in which both weddingsmalaysia and That Special Occasion were sponsors.

Their story is one that inspires, one that encourages hope, one that reinforces our trust in fate and destiny. I did not have the pleasure of meeting Gavin in person but I did have the good fortune of designing a wedding gown as well as a cheongsam for Samantha. I say good fortune because Samantha is one of the most gracious brides I have met in my decade in the business. It's winners like Samantha that make our participation in such contests worthwhile.

I'd like to think that I speak for my fellow sponsors too when I say that an appreciative winner really makes our day. We put in the effort and when the effort is appreciated and recognised, it makes our work all that more enjoyable. Here's to the both of you Samantha and Gavin! Read about their story here and here.

Photo of Samantha and Gavin by Kid Chan Studio.

Ah Yei's 3rd Anniversary

17 March 2011 marked the third anniversary of my paternal grand-father's passing. As we do every year, the extended family gathered for dinner to celebrate his life and the joy he brought to all of us.

Ah Yei was a fantastic chef. It is therefore apt that we remember him with a lavish meal. The photo says it all. We had steamboat with a variety of meat, vegetables and condiments; 3 tables in total at the family home. The secret is the stock - chicken stock boiled over a coal fire for numerous hours before being transferred into the steamboat. Cut mango and homemade 'tow foo fah' followed as desserts. We eat as only the Wongs know how.

We remember Ah Yei fondly. His culinary skills, his affable disposition, the unconditional love he had for us all.

Photo courtesy of cousin Ruth a.k.a. Perut Besi.

Good Food In Hatyai

You know the food is good when every dish is wiped clean at every meal. That was the case during our company trip to Hatyai recently. Good food always makes a trip more enjoyable. Good food with good company I might add.

I have been going to Hatyai since I was about 7. My late father worked for Bangkok Bank all his life and we often visited Thailand, be it Hatyai, Bangkok or Chiangmai. I've in the past year or two added Phuket and Koh Samui to the list. Going back to Hatyai, since we are almost always creatures of habit, I like to go back to the same restaurants that I have so enjoyed dining at over the years. I rely on my mum who keeps a stack of business cards which come in handy when giving directions to tuk-tuk drivers. And we are never disappointed when we get to these restaurants.

This time round, we averaged 8 to 10 dishes during every lunch and dinner. Add that to breakfast, afternoon tea and supper, plus snacks from roadside vendors in between, well, you do the math in terms of calories! But that's what holidays are about ain't it? Makan!

Photo shot at Kaneng Restaurant in Hatyai, Thailand.

Team Work

Teamwork is important in any organi-sation. Although I may rant and complain, I value my team, both at weddingsmalaysia and at That Special Occasion. I am demanding yes, because I expect all of us to do the best that we can. Those who fall short need to be told, myself included. Only then can we improve.

Going on a trip together helps us bond and we do one every year, except last year when I felt we were not up to the mark in our performance the year before. We did pretty well in 2010 and hence our company trip recently. In Hatyai, we shopped, we gorged ourselves with food, we relaxed with massages and reflexology sessions. By spending time together, camaraderie was also enhanced.

It's now back to the grind but there is always next year's trip to look forward to. We ought to do well this year!

Group photo shot at lobby of Novotel Centara Hatyai, Thailand.

Company Trip

I've just returned from our company trip to Hatyai, a combined trip for my teams at weddingsmalaysia and That Special Occasion. We've been doing this for the past couple of years - Penang, Siem Reap, Bali, Phuket. It's an opportunity to bond, to have some fun after a year's worth of hard work.

I chose Hatyai this time round as I felt shopping and food would do us good. No worries about planning any sightseeing itinerary. Shop till we drop, eat to our hearts' content were top priority. Throw massage and reflexology into the equation and you have it, a truly enjoyable couple of days.

Come the end of the trip, we always look forward to the next one. The destination for 2012? Well, it will really depend on how well we do this year. I guess we are all motivated in a way to do the best we can. The better we do, the more attractive the destination I suppose. Here's to closing more deals in the months ahead.

Here I am shopping in the Old Market in Hatyai, Thailand.

Little Pleasures

The little pleasures during a business trip is what makes the trip an enjoyable one. True, I am pleased when I get to close deals; they are the raison d'etre that I go on such trips in the first place. But when I find time to squeeze in some leisure, that makes it even more worthwhile.

Lucky are those who get to experience something new and I make sure that I do on every business trip. Such an experience can take many forms. A new place to eat. A new attraction to visit. New acquaintances.

Making an effort does yield new experiences. The question that begs to be asked then is 'will you make the effort?'

Photo of me having drinks with Suan Bee, C Hun, Hai Liang and Mong Ling at Yeng Keng Hotel, Penang, Malaysia.

Love Carnival In Penang

I was in Penang over the weekend to participate in the Love Carnival held at Chymes. I had great fun catching up with industry friends such as Suan Bee, C Hun and Beatrice of Touching Hearts, Jason of Floralsense Creation, Alishia of One Tree, Ke Wynn of Whizarts, Sharon and Kee Sitt of Wedding Story and Ween Nee of Love-A-Cupcake. Other than meeting potential clients, including Angelina and Albert, we also let our hair down with photos and props from Ke Wynn's latest venture Say Cheese!, as evident in the photo here.

I also found time to meet up with my friend Elisa of Hard Rock Hotel Penang as well as Suleiman of Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa over a drink and lunch respectively. It's always nice to catch up on the latest - professionally and personally - and I appreciate them making the time to meet. Whenever in Penang, Suan Bee and C Hun always make it a point to take me for a taste of Hokkien Mee or as it is known in KL, Prawn Mee. We have now decided that one of my quests would be to try all the best Hokkien Mee in Penang. I have done four so far - Lorong Bangkok, opposite the police station on Burmah Road, in Island Glades (can't remember name of coffee shop) and Super Hokkien Mee (again my sense of direction fails me as to where this place is) - and there are apparently quite a number more to conquer.

This trip, I found more time for social gatherings. Suan Bee, C Hun and I also had dinner with Mong Ling and Hai Liang, friends and clients of ours, at Nyonya Breeze on Abu Siti Lane which was fab. Even more fab was a visit to Yeng Keng Hotel, a boutique hotel fashioned from a beautifully refurbished colonial building on Chulia Street. Drinks at the courtyard was very much enjoyable and I guess we gave the waiter quite a headache by demanding he capture us in a perfectly composed photo. Last but certainly not least, I never fail to meet up with my friends Ken Lin and Sally when visiting Penang, even if it is only for a quick supper at Gurney Drive. I have Lin Chee Kang from the same stall every time. Creature of habit I am. Thanks Penang for the good time, every time!

Photo of Love Carnival participants.