My year end holiday

Finally had the chance to take a break from my work. Went for a short trip to Malaysia before the year ended. A trip to relax and destress...

Malacca was not in our planned itinerary but we needed a place for lunch. I been to Malacca 2 years ago but did not have the chance to visit its historic site.

I believed this should be its famous tourist site - Jonker Street. Its like Chinatown in the 70- 80s. Lots of Chicken Rice shops here.
I havent seen these stuff in Singapore for a long time. Those red colored clogs, I used to have them at home too.
Me at one of the chicken rice shop. The shophouse looks very much like the ones in The Little Nonya. It was filled with people at the time we were there.

This is the "famous" chicken rice balls in Malacca. Honestly, after eating it, I think it is not fantastic. The rice is too sticky and the chicken is just normal. I think I tasted better in Singapore. Lol. National pride.

Opposite the Jonker Street is the famous historical site - Christ Church Melaka

This red building was built by the Dutch when they colonised Melaka, taking over from the Portuguese.

A touch of Holland. There was a windmill near the church.

Venturing up the hill behind the Church, we reached the St Paul's Church. Built before the Christ Church by the Portuguese, the Church became a graveyard after the Dutch took over.

Slabs of tombstone sits in the interior of the church ruin.

From the top of the hill, you get a spectacular view of Malacca.

**

After filling our stomachs, we continue our way up Port Dickson, about an hour plus journey from Malacca. Got a little lost along the way but eventually we managed to reach safely.

The Avillion Resort at Port Dickson turned out to be a really nice place. A good getaway from the busy citylife. Just relax and enjoy the sun, the sea and the peace and quiet.

The water chalets, sit just along the coastline are really great. Fitted with a small balcony facing the sea, the view is incredible. The rooms are cosy and the outdoor shower is just great value for money. A night stay cost only about SGD 90 and it comes with a 30min neck and back massage.

The resort have a small area where you can get close to pigeons, dove, chicken, rabbits, turtle and guinea pigs. It was great fun, feeding, holding these animals, or simply watching them hurtling around the area.

The beach during low tide. The full view of the resort.
I cant resist doing this. Haha.

A surprise during the low tide. Tonnes of small crabs filled the beach, making it red. As we approached, they will burrow themselves into the seamud.

Close up of the crabs.

The resort have a nice pool which is big enough for some decent swimming. At night, it looks even better. Just lying there enjoying the view makes you feel so relaxed.

From the balcony, you can view the sunset. Its a pity it was overcast and we didnt manage to get a good view of the sunset.

It was a good place to chill out. About 4 hours drive from Singapore. Great value of money.

Surprise

Got a surprise email ...

:: Schmap Los Angeles Ninth Edition: Photo Inclusion

Hi Vincent,I am delighted to let you know that your submitted photohas been selected for inclusion in the newly released ninthedition of our Schmap Los Angeles Guide:

Schindler House http://www.schmap.com/losangeles/sights_westhollywood/p=8033/i=8033_15.jpg

Cant believe someone actually looked at my flickr photographs and selected my photo to be included in their street guide. Hehe

Singapore Flyer Revisited

This is my second time up on the Singapore Flyer. This time round, the integrated resort is nearly complete.

Got a nice view of the new Singapore Skyline.

A walk down memory lane ...ACJC

After almost 11 years, I finally took a trip down to my alma mater - ACJC. I had a lot of fond memories there and the trip back brought me back in time. The building have gone through a lot of major renovation since I graduated. Stairwell have been relocated, new blocks, airconditioned classrooms and covered walkways.

The main block at the center is new. It wasnt there 11 years ago. It was just a carpark where we assembled every morning. The iconic smiley there has been relocated. See below..

ACJC Smiley
The canteen is no longer the dark, smelly canteen with long rows of wooden tables and benches. Now it looks so bright and clean with those nice colorful chairs.

The assembly hall. The only place that looks almost the same as what it was 11 years ago.

The ACJC swimming pool. I can still remember my swimming classes there.

I am so happy I was able to sneak into my old classroom. Everything has changed. Our wooden tables have been replaced. I am sitting at the place I used to sit.

I was there with Ken. We were in the same school but not the same class. The building in the foreground is our secondary school - Fairfield Methodist. What a great day. Brings back so much memories.

2000 - 2009

Ten years, so many things have changed. From a 20 year old NS boy to a 29 year old working adult. During these 10 years, 4 years of tertiary education and 4 years of working life, I have grown in many ways...for better or worse, I do not know. Still learning to adapt, to fit in, to be more capable, more independent, and to be a better person.

So many things changed around us..

From owning a simple nokia phone to getting the cool iphone. Zoe Tay / Fann Wong era have passed, replaced by the so called 7 princesses era. Faye Wong /Sammi Cheng are no longer popular..replaced by Jay Chou, Jolin and Stefanie Sun. The park beside Orchard Mrt have become a mall. The Star Wars prequel came to an end, thankfully. Spiderman, Transformers took the world by storm. I watched the three kids grow up in the Harry Potter movies. I bought my last Harry Potter novel. From Friendster to Facebook to Twitter. Singapore River is now a fresh water lake. Gambling in a casino in Singapore will soon become a reality. From a CRT Television to Plasma, to LCD to LED Tvs. My Discman gave way to the ipod. I no longer needs to develop the photographs I took.


So many things have happened these 10 years, some have a direct impact on me, some not that much...looking back, these are the things that made an impression..

January 15 2001.. I moved from my home of 20 years in Clementi to my new apartment in Boon Lay.

September 11 2001..I dont think anyone can forget this day. I remembered watching it on TV as it unfolds.

October 12 2002.. My birthday. I remember sitting alone at the esplanade, anxiously waiting for the official opening fireworks performance. It was a great show, perhaps the best fireworks display Singaporean will ever witness. On this very day, in Bali, 20 people were killed by suicide bombing.

February 29 2004.. The year Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Swept all 11 Oscars it was nominated for. I like the series and was happy it was honored.

December 26 2004..Asian Tsunami. I learnt about tsunami when I was in school but I only fully understand the power of it on this day. The fury of nature unleashed in an instant..250,000 lives lost.

July 12 2005..My graduation. After four years of hardwork, I finally got my degree. The start of my working life.

June 16 2007..My first USA trip. Stepping out of Singapore, flew to the other side of the world to see places I have been seeing only on television. Las Vegas, Hollywood, Statue of Liberty..all came to life in front of my eyes.

July 4 2007 ..Transformers, The Movie. Watching my favorite childhood cartoon characters come to life on this day was an exciting experience for me.

January 22 2008.. Death of a great talent..Heath Ledger. Was shocked to learn about his death. So young, so sudden. Totally blown away by his performance in The Dark Knight later in the year. He totally deserved the Oscar.

February 27 2008.. Escape of Mas Selamat..Made a joke out of the Singapore internal security force.

August 8 2008.. Beijing Olympics. The most anticipated sporting event in 2008. Beijing put up a fantastic show during the opening ceremony. Singapore got their second olympic medal in 48 years..woohoo!

January 20 2009.. First black American president assumed office. A milestone in the history of America.

June 25 2009.. Michael Jackson departed. Never been a fan of him. Always thought of him as a weirdo. However, he is still undeniably the King of Pop and his achievements cannot be ignored.

December 18 2009.. Avatar, the most anticipated movie of 2009. From one of my favorite director, James Cameron, this movie is the IT movie. It totally lived up to the expectations.

2010..Looking forward to the opening of the integrated resorts and the circle line, World Cup 2010 and Singapore Youth Olympics Games.

2010

2009 passed in a flash. It was a busy year for me. Increased workload and responsibilities made last year a particularly stressful year for me. Today is the first day of 2010, a new start, hopefully this year will be better. Happy New Year everyone!