Are You Doing Great?

My dearest Gong Gong,

It has been a long long time since I last seen you. Last time when you traveled to Singapore, Hong Kong or China etc, I still managed to visit you when you came back after the latest a month. Now, it has been 2 years...

Are you doing great at the far away land? I bet you do. If not, you would have come back long time ago and complain to us, right? I ponder, how is the far away land look like? Is it the same like Miri? Or is it much more better than Miri? Anyway, I only hope it's a place that you really enjoy...

Gong, like last year, I would just update you about what's happening around us. I know you still care about us. I know you would still like to be around us. However, I know you just couldn't do so due to your own personal reasons...

For all of us here, we're all doing well here. We're all fit and healthy except for Mama who's still having the same problem like last year. However, I guess it's not that serious as she still visit the doctor whenever she feels unwell. We'll take care of Mama, don't worry, Gong.

I know you would like to know about my job. Rest assured, Gong. I'm doing great in that company and still learning a lot of things. My colleagues are all very helpful and willing to share me their knowledge. I learn a lot from technical to management. It has been a great experience working at that company. I've also experienced offshore life, which is totally different from working onshore. How I wish I could show you all the photos and videos I took...

You must be wondering if I'm still helping out in the business. Yes, whenever I'm free, I'll still help out in the business. The business is still doing well now. Sometimes good, sometimes not really good. There always up and down in business, as you know. If you're still here, you'll sit at the sofa and monitor all the work done. I know you would like to see yourself how the business goes...

Gong, sometimes I wonder how did you start this business? How did you grab this opportunity? How did you foresee that this business will have any future? I wish you're still here to share me your experience. I know, business is always not that easy. I regret I didn't talk with you regarding this when you're still here...

Oh yea! I forgot to tell you that I did make a visit to Singapore early this year with Hui Hui. Although it's a very small country, there are still lots of development going on. I went to the apartment and guess what? There are few more high rise apartments under construction. According to Hui Hui, when he was first there, there are only few high rise buildings around the apartment. I think Singapore has changed quite a lot since the last time you make a visit there. I like Singapore overall, but I prefer a much slower pace city. It's just too hectic to live there...

Gong, is the food there suits you? Do you miss the food here? Do they have your favourite Bak Kut Teh there? Do they have your favourite curry rice there? I hope they do as I know, you enjoy delicious food. How I wish you're still here so we can bring you to have some tasty dimsum. Hui Hui's family and our family often have dimsum together on Sunday morning. I know you'll like the Braised Chicken Feet and the Char Siu Pao there. That's the dimsum you always ordered when you're here. Do they have these at your place?

Gong, I know it's silly to ask, when are you coming back? I guess not only me missing you, but everyone is also missing you. Every time I look at your photos at Baba's office, I would be thinking that you're still somewhere near me, looking at me, protecting me... Honestly, I really miss you so much.

Gong Gong, you take care there ok? Send my warmest regards to Po Po. I miss you and you'll always be in my heart, Gong...

Love from your grandson,
Wei

Eh, Eh! Eh Poh Nim Is Out!

I'm not a bookworm, if you know me well enough. However, I somehow love reading books from this great local writer - Lydia Teh.

You might say she's a blogger friend of mine and that's why I always help her to advertise her books in my blog. That's not true. Even if she's not a blogger friend of mine, I still love her books and would recommend them to all. Good things must share, agree? If you don't believe how good is her writing, grab one of her books or frequent her blog and I'm sure you'll agree with me.

This is the book by Lydia Teh!

Lydia is currently having her newest book just published; Do You Wear Suspenders? - The Wordy Tales of Eh Poh Nim. It is now available at the bookstores, such as MPH Bookstore and Popular Bookstore, nationwide. Priced at RM32.90, it's a book which focuses on English (vocabulary, idioms and etc) and as usual, Lydia includes her sense of humour to the book.

Here's a great deal from Popular Bookstore - you'll get 20% off the price of the book if you're a member of Popular Card! (Promotion expires on the 7th of May 2009). You just need to click on "English Books">Pop Choice>In Title Box, search "Do You Wear Suspenders". Grab a copy now!

Here's a Bookertisement for the book. Believe me, Lydia Teh is a creative and a funny lady/writer. ;)

Tell me she's an awesome actress too! :)

Happy Valentine's Day...

Short Note: This is a backdated post written way back on Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day is celebrated by many couples or lovers in the world. It is a day for the lover to express their love to each other.

However, today, I'm not going to dedicate this page to my lover... I would like to dedicate this to the one whom I love, the one who has seen me grow up, the one who has left me for a better place on the New Year's Eve 2008. The person is no other than my beloved, Po Po (maternal grandmother).

Dearest Po Po,

Today is another Saturday. Like usual, we went to Gong Gong's house (maternal). However, the house is no longer the same like before. I could feel the emptiness in the house. Few months back, we could still argue with you in Hakka, we could still see you smiling or laughing, we could still have dinner with you. But this afternoon, we could only have Gong Gong to welcome us at the door step...

It has been two months since you left us. The day when you decided to leave us, I was still experiencing my first time offshore. That very morning, I went out to the platform to learn some of the things from my colleague. Just when I stepped back to the living quarter, my name was called by the Radio Operator and I was instructed to head over to the OIM's (Offshore Installation Manager) office instantly. I thought the OIM just wanted to have a talk with me. Unfortunately, I was told that you had left me and I was given the permission to fly back immediately using a special directed flight.

I was stunned for a moment. My mind went blank. All I could think of is to straightaway ask the Radio Operator to connect a call to Baba and told him about my flight back in the afternoon. When I recalled back, that morning, one of my eyes was twitching. Was that a sign given by you to inform me about your departure? I packed everything and couldn't wait to go back immediately. A lot of things ran through my mine at that time. I just couldn't believe I have lost you...

When I reached Gong, Gong's house, instead of rushing to your room to share my offshore experience with you, I saw some white clothes were hung up on top of the front door, your photo was put on a table in between two candles and some joss sticks were placed in front of your photo. Cousins were burning some "money" for you, uncles and aunties were busy with visitors, folding the "money" and etc. I knew I have to burn some joss sticks for you to pay my respect but at that very moment, I just had a blank mind. Luckily Ah Foon Yee Yee gave me a hint.

After burning few joss sticks for you and telling you that I was back, I went to take a look at you in your new bed. You were lying motionless as if you were taking a nap or having your sleep. Your mouth was wide opened... That was exactly how you sleep on your bench but this time, you wouldn't wake up anymore when I greeted...

Po Po, I know you wouldn't be around anymore. Gong Gong is so sad that he cried over and over again. I felt the same. I wanted to cry at times but I just couldn't do so. I know I have to be tough, or else, many would break down too...

Po Po, although you've left me physically, I'll never forget the memory you had given me. Besides Mama and Baba, you're one of the first few to look after me when I was born. You even stayed at Baba's house to take care of Mama and me during Mama's confinement.

I can still remember how you put me to sleep in my "yao yao" under the staircase. You sang to me and read me stories while I slowly fell asleep. I often prefer you to put me to sleep rather than Mama as you can sing better and you really made sure that I sleep before you stopped singing or reading stories.

Sis and I just love to go shopping with you. You never failed to buy anything that we want. Choc, snacks, breads, we wanted it, you would buy it. Remember Choon Cheong Supermarket, Chen Soon Grocery Store, Ng Sian Hup Supermarket or Sii Yi Jie Supermarket? Those are the supermarkets that you like to frequent for grocery.

As time goes by, your health was getting worse especially your rheumatism. It's the worst when Ah Tai (great grandmother) passed away. That was when I was 13 years old. I knew you were very sad at that time, just like how I'm feeling now. You cried days and nights... Your pair of eyes just couldn't take it. In the end, you had to have your eyes being sewn. I was like, "Oh no! Po Po is going blind? Po Po will not be able to see us again?" You were just too brave and had a strong will to recover. Within months, the thread was taken off and you could open your eyes once again. Nevertheless, your eyesight or vision was not as good anymore...

Not only that, your rheumatism was giving more trouble to you. You complained more about the unbearable pain on your pair of legs. Soon, you gave up walking. The whole day, you would stay in your room on your rattan bench. You ate on your rattan bench, you slept on your rattan bench. You could not even walk to the toilet. Only with the "modified mobile toilet bowl" and the help from Gong Gong to carry you and place you on the toilet bowl, then only you could do your daily relieve.

Po Po, I think you've really suffered a lot in these past 10 years. I just can't imagine how tough life you were having. Just imagine how much medicine you had to take would make me scare... Is that the reason that you decided to leave?

Po, although you've left, I would not forget the last few days when I was with you before I went offshore. I also wouldn't forget the day I spent with you before you lost consciousness. Remember I asked you what you want to eat and I would buy for you? You said you don't want anything. Then I teased you by asking you if you want any birdnest porridge. You replied yes if I bought it for you. I'm sorry I couldn't do so just before you leave...

There was one day when you lost your consciousness, I fed you with water using straw. You thought I was fitting your fake teeth. You kept asking me when did I fit the fake teeth for you. You thought I fit it in while feeding you. When I asked you why you want your fake teeth in. You replied, "If not, how to eat?" Not only that, when I told you that you look prettier with your teeth, you agreed!

Po ah, have you reunited with Ah Lan Yee Yee and also Ah Tai and Tai Gong (great grandfather)? I guess Ah Lan Yee Yee is now taking care of you eh? Do send my regards to them. Now I think you can walk around, shopping here and there and enjoy your favourite food! Have you had your Braised Pork Leg or your "Khou Rou"? You can now have as much as you can. Oh, I think you're planting some flowers in your garden now eh? That's one of the activities you like most besides singing. Don't forget to let me picture your garden in my dream ok?

Don't worry about Gong Gong and Ah Woon Jiu Jiu. They're fine here. We would take care of them. Gong Gong seems not really that jovial anymore without you here. He just misses you a lot just like how everyone of us here does. Now that Ah Foon Yee Yee has come back to Miri, at least, there's someone to look after Gong Gong. She also always brings him out so that he could be happier...

Po, in this letter to you, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for being such an awesome Po Po. You're the most wonderful Po Po one would hope for I must say. I will remember the thing that you've taught me and also the memories that you've left for me. I would also like to apologise to you if I didn't do enough as a grandson. I know, compare to what you've done as a Po Po, what I've done as a grandson would never be enough...

Till our next meeting... take care, Po Po. I love you...

Always your grandson,
Wei Wei

I would like to end this post with a short video clip - Po Po's singing. This video clip was taken one or two weeks before I went offshore. She had lost her consciousness and she just kept singing non-stop...

Now, do you agree with me that my Po Po could really sing?

P/s: Thanks for everyone's concern in my previous post. I haven't fully come back yet but I guess one day I will. Please bear with me. I need more time...

Eoe Online Is Fast, I Was Slow...

Some of you might not know that my Po Po (maternal grandmother) has passed away during New Year's eve. That's one of the reasons that I didn't update my blog till now. I just couldn't accept the fact that I've lost both my Gong Gong (paternal grandfather) and my Po Po (maternal grandmother) within just about one year time. I just don't know what to write...

One thing I regret most is that, I didn't manage to show my graduation photos to my Po Po before she left. Remember eoe online which I've mentioned it before? If you can't remember (since I haven't updated my blog for long), this is the post - Photos Printed At Fingertips.

After ordering my photos, I waited them for about a week. Unfortunately, there wasn't any parcels directed to me. So, I sent an email to the person in charge to enquire about this. Samantha Siah from the eoe Online Team is one very helpful staff I have to say. Normally, some staff would just tell you that they've sent the product to you and ask you to call the courier company to check. However, Samantha worked professionally by checking the date of delivery and then, also checked with the courier company about this. She even asked the courier company to contact me! Not only that, she responded very quickly to my email. Two thumbs up for her great service!

Skynet Courier.

The courier company did call me and told me that they were unable to send the parcel to me as I was not at home. They didn't call me although my mobile phone's number was clearly written on the envelope. Ok, never mind. At least, they kept the parcel and sent it to me.

Cardboard wrapper.

After I unwrapped the parcel, there's another cardboard wrapping the photos. I'm not sure if they used this Kodak Premium Matte Paper for the photos or not but they're very thoughtful to make sure the photos were not folded or spoilt during the delivery.

Two albums.

There were two beautifully designed albums in the wrapper. All the photos were stored in the albums. Nowadays, most of the photo shops in Miri don't help the customers to store the photos inside the albums anymore as it requires some time to do this extra work. However, eoe online still does this! I mean, all this little extra work will reflect how good service a company could offer their customers.

Photos.

As far as most people are concerned, the photos quality is great. The photos are printed on some high quality papers with a smooth finishing. The colour of the photos is almost the same as shown in my monitor. For only RM0.30 per 4R print (current promotion), I think it's all worth the money!

Overall, I'm satisfied with their customer service and their photo quality. For those who just want to sit at home, "send" their photos to be printed and have their photos delivered to their door step, eoe online is the company they should look for.

Eoe online is fast at printing and sending the photos, but I was just too slow to show my Po Po my graduation photos...

Exhausted...

These few weeks have been tiring for me. A lot of good as well as bad things happened. I have a lot in my mind. I've "written" them all in my mind.

However I'm exhausted mentally and physically (more on mentally actually). I'm just trying to stay strong at the moment... I need a break... a break to restore everything back to normal...

P/s: Happy New Year to you all. Thanks for the wishes in the previous post.