For almost 12 hours, like courting couples, we sat and walked, breathed and talked, shopped and rested, drank and dined in close proximity and in togetherness. I thank God for these precious close up moments, a step closer to getting to know you better. Without you, the trip would have been less colorful and less exciting. Thank you for making this trip so memorable, fun and enjoyable.
Love is in the air
The couple almost started the trip on a wrong footing. He could
not resist the soft, mouth watering ice cream. He bought himself one but forgot about
her. When she saw him licking, she started fuming. There was a small crossfire.
Then, silence. 
Shepherd of the sheep
Dorothy was so conversant with the place that she knew every
corner and back alley. She weaved in and out of the streets with great ease and
gentle brisk and was always found several steps ahead of the troop. Honestly, I
had problem keeping pace. She tour guided like a pro with hands waving franatically
for us to follow, giving oral commentaries, making verbal endorsements and
hurrying us to adhere to itinerary. Her swift decisiveness in leading and
managing the group kept our feet moving and tolled us in line. It effectively
helped us to cover several places of interests within the 5.5 hour schedule
without which I think we might have to stay over for the night. Hurrah for the
shepherd of the sheep. Salute to the leader of the band.
I was astonished by the enormous serving size of the steamed fish head for lunch and even doubted if we could finish the dish. But I underestimated some of our fish eating prowess. They worked in tandem and with much co-operation. If you needed a team to set the world's record, approach them. Poh Gek dug out and finished off the eyes. Carol picked and slurped up the collagen. Kam Foong tore and licked the bones to its last piece. Amazing appetite of the piranhas.
Greenies and their veggies
While Mee Fang, Susie and Elsie love their greens, the power of
their veggies was no match for the demanding energy boost for the day. Mee Fang
seemed tired out and was found sitting at the pharmacy. Susie was dazed by the
cashier’s calculation at a check-out counter. Some days, she was high but today,
she was definitely all mixed up as she celebrated her birthday on a Children’s
Day outing.
Elsie beat us all to it and had the climax of the day. The
greens might have distorted her thumbprints. As she checked into the
Singapore's Auto Clearance Customs Counter on our return journey, the alarm
screamed that her passport had several failures of thumbprint mismatches. All
attention was on her as she was profiled as a highly suspicious illegal
immigrant. She was escorted to and held back without the cuffs at the Customs
Office for questioning. We were worried but stayed together, silently praying
for her. By God’s grace, she was released unharmed and without further
detention. After the half hour ordeal, she shared that something prompted her
to bring along her NRIC before she left the house this morning and it came in
useful as proof of her REAL identity. Don't leave home without it.
Caffeine Addicts
As George and myself disciplined ourselves to only 1 cup of
coffee per day, we had to sacrifice our morning cuppa and delay our
gratification to the afternoon. Like all good stuff, we waited in great
anticipation. But we went up in arms and vehemently barked at Dorothy’s
suggestion that we might have to give coffee time a miss due to time
constraints. Finally, she relented. For everything else, caffeine addicts need
their fix.Alexjoshua
1 October 2009
