One Of 1000 Places To See

I would say that the Intercontinental Samui Baan Taling Nam certainly lives up to its reputation as among the New York Times' bestseller '1000 places one ought to see in their lifetime'. The views are stunning. Whether viewed from a vantage point perched higher up or on the beach itself, one is constantly drawn to the seascape that unfolds before one's eyes at every turn.

 

I was very recently at the resort in Koh Samui, spending a couple of days of quality time with my cousins from Auckland, London and Singapore. Sited on a more private enclave, away from the touristic stretch, it served as the perfect spot for us to catch up on old times. Sure there were some glitches in service every now and then, but the beautiful vistas and ambience more than made up for it.

 

The setting puts one in a relaxed state of mind. It inspires us to appreciate the beauty of natural surrounds, it encourages us to be grateful for the opportunity to be there. Most importantly, it served as a catalyst for all of us to enjoy our time together, re-living our childhood memories, reveling in the present, and looking forward to what the future may hold.

 

 

Photo shot at Intercontinental Samui Baan Taling Nam in Koh Samui, Thailand.

Time With Siew Yoong And Family

I was in Singapore over the weekend for the Singapore Sprint Triathlon, well a long weekend actually, consider-ing I arrived on Friday morning and left only Monday evening. Racing the triathlon aside, I had a wonderful time with my cousins Siew Yoong and San, as well as my little nephews Tian and Jin.

Siew Yoong and I grew up together in Petaling Jaya and we share a special bond. That has now extended to her other half and sons as well. Now that they have been living in Singapore for the past few years instead of Auckland and Sydney, we've had a chance to get together more often, although we could do better. Sms-es, phone calls, emails and Facebook can never, ever come close to meeting in person and spending time together. So we made full use of my short trip. We trained for the race together, we did the swim leg for our teams, we had breakfasts, lunches and dinners, we went for a foot massage, we prayed at a temple on Wesak Day, we hung out at their home. We exchanged tales of recent happenings in our lives, we updated each other on the extended family. We enjoyed each other's company.

Staying in touch is a worthwhile effort. Seeing each other in person maintains the bonds that we nurtured from a young age. Thanks for a fab time!

Here we are having cakes and tea at K Ki in An Siang Hill, Singapore.

Siew Yoong's Birthday

We celebrated my cousin Siew Yoong's birthday whilst in Singapore. She's been based in Singapore for the past few years which has enabled us to get together more often.

We are pretty close. We grew up together in PJ, her siblings Wui Ken and Kiat Ken included. We spent many, many weekends together as children, went on holiday, you get the drift.

Wui Ken and his family now live in Auckland whereas Kiat Ken is this happening advertising executive in London. Still we meet up as often as we can, mostly on holiday. We also rack up pretty hefty phone bills every now and then.

San, Tian, Jin and Siew Yoong, shot in Singapore.

Concern

A friend called me up today checking to see if I was alright. Apparently I have been sounding relatively depressed in some of my blogposts. Must have been this post, or perhaps this, or maybe this.

Like most people, I have my ups and downs. Those who know me well can attest to the fact that I can be prone to mood swings. Just ask my biz partner Anna or some of my colleagues who work with me every day. I am not that an easy person to get along with at times.

To set the record straight, I am doing fine, could be better, but fine nevertheless. In any case, my 3 cousins, 2 spouses and 3 little nephews fly in from Singapore, Auckland and London for a few days next week, so that should cheer me up! Woohoo!

Photo of my cousins Kiat Ken and Wui Ken, my sis Suk Harn, cousin Siew Yoong and I, shot last year in Langkawi, Malaysia.