Chinese New Year and A New Godson

This year's Chinese New Year has been quite fun and it's nice to meet up with so many cousins, nephews, nieces and my ultra-huge extended family. And I've a new godson this year!

My uni buddie, Huihui has just given birth to a little baby boy, at 11.59am two days before Chinese New Year and her little one weighs 3.345kg. The sight of his first grandson was enough to keep Huihui's dad smiling from cheek to cheek throughout our visit. The intended Mongolia trip with Huihui would have to take a backseat now that there's a task that's more important for the first-time mom. I'll have to find new travel mates to fulfil my Mongolia trip dreams, hopefully in the near future. :)

Interesting quotes

I was just randomly surfing the website when I came across these quotes which I thought were quite interesting and some funny.


"Oh shit, he's even dumber than I thought"



A problem is only as big as your imagination. Fortunately, so is the solution.
Forget what everyone around you thinks you can do. The only person who truely knows you is you. If you aren't sure whether or not you can do something, all the more reason to try.

Laughable Quotes
Two lions broke loose in the zoo and were eating a clown. One lion said to the other ... "Does this taste funny to you?"
Unknown

Whenever I see an old lady slip and fall on a wet sidewalk, my first instinct is to laugh. But then I think, what if I was an ant, and she fell on me. Then it wouldn't seem quite so funny.
Jack Handey, Deep Thoughts

Jakarta Birthday Trip- Girls' Night Out in Jarkarta 16 December to 18 December 2007

This year's birthday is a special one. Arlina and Weichean suggested going somewhere out of Singapore to celebrate my birthday.

Though it was a really short weekend trip, we still managed to maximise our time in Batam and in Jakarta, doing all the "girlie" stuff, going for spa, shopping, eating and roaming the streets. We stayed in a squeaky clean guest-house in Jalan Jaksa. The trip was short, but nonetheless memorable and fun.




10 things that made this trip memorable

1) Weichean getting oogled at by the Indonesian men on Day One when she wore her sexy tube top and Day Two, when she wore her see-through lacy dress which left much to the cheekopeh Indonesian men's imagination.
2) The walk around the slum-area near the railway station on the last day in Jarkarta. Unfortunately, Wei Chean couldn't come along coz she was running a little fever. The slum area serves as the home for many Indonesians who left their villages to come to Jarkarta in search of greener pastures. There, we met a green chick and a pink chick, literally, two children from Papua New Guinea, friendly residents.
3) Three grown-up gals sleeping together in a king-size bed in the ultracheap yet squeaky clean guesthouse (S$12 per night).
4) Yummy Cemara gado gado which is best served cold, with bitter keropok, cucumber, beansprouts, "longtong rice", nicely immersed in fragrant cashew nut sauce.
5) The talented musician-beggar who sang beautiful Indonesian folktunes outside the shop while we enjoyed our authentic gado gado
5) The spa treatment which costs about S$80, including one-hour massage, milk bath and a cup of hot ginger tea. Weichean and I shared a tub, while Arlina enjoyed her privacy in the room next door.
6) The unforgettable meal at the roadside stall. It was a meal of excitement and loads of activities. Indonesian teenagers suddenly surrounding us with their make-shift instruments and drum-sets, singing enchanting Indonesian songs with their loud and powerful vocals. A beggar lady, with a baby slinged over her shoulder in a sarong, poking Arlina on her back asking for money as she ate her satay. Another uncle carrying stacks of books and travel guides from table to table, trying his luck for a potential buyer to bring the books home.
7) The bright pink and green chicks we chanced upon in the slum area. These poor chicks must have been "dipped" into the agar-agar colouring that the Indonesians use to make their jelly.
8)Roaming the little lanes in Blok M, the residents' shopping paradise with Arlina and Weichean
9) Taking the domestic flight (Lion Air) from Batam to Jakarta at about S$270. The wordings on the plane- Fly is Cheap.
10) Taking the little transport vehicle which is the equivalent of the tuk-tuk in Thailand.

Thank you girls, for making this year's birthday an unforgettable one as I neared the big three-zero.

Dying Young - Unpredictabilities of Life

An sms came in yesterday at midnight. Xiuping, my secondary school classmate smsed me.

A friend has passed away suddenly. Reason: Breathing difficulties. He is only 30 years old. Leaving behind his 2-year-old daughter, his wife and a little one in his wife's tummy who will never have the chance to call him daddy.

I may not know him very well but it's still very sad to hear that someone you know has left the world so suddenly.

We knew each other by face for more than a decade. He was the left-marker of his secondary school SGT NCC. Tall and suave, he caught the eyes of many teenage girls then. I was the left-marker for my school. Our paths crossed again about 4 years ago at Clarke Quay. He came up to say hi and asked if I was from Cedar. We exchanged contacts and promised to keep in touch. We never really did, except for a few occasional emails.

The last time I met William was about 2 years ago at a friend's wedding. He was with his newly wedded wife then and both looked happy and in marital bliss. We chatted for a short while, he introduced his wife to me and then went back to our own circle of friends. That was the last I saw of him.


I've just seen his photograph in The Straits Times obituary page. His cheery disposition is vivid in the papers.

Life is so unpredictable. You never know what the destiny has for you next. I feel sorry for his wife and his children and hope time will heal their hearts.

Rest in peace, William
May your family find strength to overcome this challenging period.

My New Year Resolutions for 2007

How time flies. It's 2007.

I've just had dinner with Waileng's who's back from her Taiwan posting for a short two-week break at Vivocity. She asked me about my new year's resolutions for this year.

Strangely enough, I've thought about it briefly, but haven't quite put this year's new year resolutions in black and white. My twin sister is pregnant again. I will have another little niece/nephew by this year. It makes me wonder- What would I be doing by 2007?

Here's my little attempt for the 2007 New Year's Resolutions:
1) Calculate my finances
2) Visit India and Mongolia
3) Retake roller-blading lessons- Sign up for new courses
4) Go back to my pottery lessons at Whampoa CC
5) Read a book at least once a week
6) Conquer Mount Kinabalu with Arlina and Wei Chean
7) Make full use of my newly purchased Mizuno trackshoes- jog at least once a week
8) Learn digital photography- practise, practise and practise.
9) Improve my Mandarin by writing, or at least attempting to write in Mandarin
10) Learn to whip up a few dishes from mummy every weekend
11) Get involved in community work- Club Rainbow or others.
12) Take driving lessons- not sure about this-coz I'm still having second thoughts.
13) Write more, Read more, and most importantly, travel more:)

That's all for now :)

19th December: My Twin and I

19th December is a special day for me and my sister, Daisy.

We are born around 3pm in the afternoon in 1977, 15 minutes from each other. Two of us are twins, but our characters, interests, likes and dislikes are poles apart. Phew! Lucky I came to the world first, coz I can't imagine having such a girlish name that of a flower- Daisy.

I like olive green, blue, strips and avoid floral prints or laces of any sorts, and pink - yucks! Daisy loves Hello Kitty, pink, white and red, and her cupboard is filled with very "sweet" tops, floral-printed tops and dresses, things that you would never ever find in my possession.

I love bee hoon of any sort, given a choice between bee hoon or mee, I would choose bee hoon, no doubt. Daisy dislikes bee hoon, she prefers kuay teow or yellow mee over my favourite bee hoon.

I'm brown as the brownie and stands at 1.68m. She's fair as "tau-huay" and is half a head shorter than me, at 1.6m. Since young, we have maintained that height and colour difference.

I enjoy outdoor sports, whitewater rafting, camping and backpack trekking. Pulau Ubin and East Coast are my favourite haunts. Daisy hates going under the sun, she prefers shopping at Suntec City or just staying at home.

My ideal holiday destinations are exotic countries such as Mongolia, Nepal, Tibet and places that are lesser trodded by tourists. Daisy's definition of a holiday is one of a luxurious treat, with good hotels, fine dining and shopping, so places like Hong Kong, Australia and Taiwan are her obvious choices.

Backpack travelling is what I love most as it allows me to immerse myself in the cultures of the people in the foreign land, travel and see the sights at my own pace. I enjoy the uncertainities and the occasional surprises and discoveries along the way. Daisy once said that she would never ever go backback travelling, as she prefers to have her itnerary planned and the confirmed schedule at her fingertips.

I once did an experiment with my twin. Given $3000, would you use the money to go for a holiday or buy a diamond ring or necklace?

Sister chose the diamond necklace without hesitation. Why? Her rationale: Memories will fade, but if you buy the diamond ring, you'll get it keep it forever. As for me, I would choose the holiday trip over the diamond ring anytime. Coz I don't like diamonds, think it's a waste of money and I love travelling. Even if memories fade eventually, at least the experiences are eternal. More so, then any stones or diamonds can offer.

It's amazing sometimes how two persons who are born to the same family, spent six years of education in the same primary school, eat, drink and breathe the same kind of air can be so distinctly different.

Daisy's newborn, Baby Shermaine is now almost 8 months old. Sis will be spending her birthday this year, with her husband, Peter and her beloved baby Shermaine.Here's a look at my twin sister's blog and baby Shermaine, http://www.our-humble-life.blogspot.com/our-humble-life.blogspot.com/

As for me, I've just returned from a weekend trip to Jakarta with Arlina and Weichean. It was a short holiday, but nonetheless, meaningful and enjoyable. We did the usual girlie stuff, going for massages, spa treatment, tried the infamous Cermara gado-gado, ate at roadside stalls and restaurants.

Arlina also brought me to the slum area near the railway tracks to see a contrasting but real sight of Jakarta, where many families live in poor living conditions, in small makeshift shacks along the tracks. These people are poor, but nonetheless, happy and friendly. One Indonesian "ah-peh" warned us not to go to a certain area, for fear of pickpockets.

Sometimes we lament about our lives and how it can be better. But when one goes beyond the comfort zones of Singapore and witness the harsh realities of life and see how people survive in such dire circumstances, it makes you rethink your life again.

My birthday resolutions this year- To travel and see the world, to document my travel adventures and involve myself in more charity projects such as the Club Rainbow's Camp Sunshine project I've participated last year.

PART SEVENTEEN: True Confessions of The Solo Traveller

Confession One
I slept with a 23-year-old Canadian boy, Justine, two days after I've known him. With Justine, in the same room at Mae Hong Son, coz it was 200 bahts per room and there are two beds inside. We had a great time chatting with two German gals who were teaching English in a nearby village school who were staying in the same guest house. I was greatly entertained by Justine's numerous "no thanks" and a Thai lady's persistent attempt to convince Justine to go to her house to spend the lonely night.

Confession Two
I followed three strangers on their motorbikes less than 20 minutes after we chatted on my first day in Pai and downed three shots of Thai herbal whisky, something I normally wouldn't even lay my hands on back home.

Confession Three
I drove the scooter without a licence. I had no clues how to ride a scooter. I befriended a 31-year-old Thai man while eating at the roadside stall and made him my "teacher". In Pai, they don't even ask you for your motorbike licence. All you need is 100-120 baht per day, and you'll get the motorbike for the entire day. You can do whatever you want and visit some of the nearby villages, hotspring or just cruise around the little town.

Confession Four
I drooled over my Thai rafting guide, secretly. With a neatly tied pony tail, tanned and atheletic hot bod, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the famous heart-throbber, Takashi Sorimachi, who acted in GTO and The Beach Boys, at least to me. I'm sure he will sell like hotcakes and will swoon many girls over if he's born in a different land, I thought to myself.

Confession Five
Muddleheadedness is a trait of mine that many close friends of mine would know. I left my favourite Nike trackpants in the Lahu village in the Northeastern part of Thailand after the two-day-one-nighttrek in Chiangmai. For one who had left my small haversack at the airport in Rome, after carrying my huge haversack and realising the "boo-boo" only 150 metres before I left the airport, and who had dropped my passport, without even knowing it, the loss of my trackpants during this two week break was considered a huge achievement. Hopefully, the tribal villagers would be able to put my favourite trackpants into good use.

Confession Six
I receive a marriage offer and an boyfriend offer, one from Mr Potato, a 60-year-old village man,and when told that I am single, he said, "how about you be my wife?" We had a good laugh and I confessed in an almost Thai-style fashion, "I like Made-in-Singapore, not Made-in-Thailand.

Nonetheless, I threw myself willingly into this arms, literally, as the kind Potato gave each of us a good Thai massage and literally tucked us into bed, under the comfort of the mosquito nets. The other marriage proposal was from an old Romanian fella, who asked "Hey lady, where are you going?" while I was walking along the street. "Going down the street, I replied. Are you looking for friends, a lover, or a boyfriend?" I said, "No, thank you, but minutes later, I was sitting around with them, chatting about the atrocities of war, the Thai people's culture and everything under the sky.

Confession Seven
I was offered to smoke marijuana by a South American traveller, who had been staying in Thailand for several years. I must confess that I was tempted. Drugs is a taboo in Singapore and I have no clues where to find marijuana in Singapore. But I decided not. I thankfully declined this one in a life-time chance for the heavenly puff.

PART SIXTEEN: Dos & Don'ts

1) Follow your heart. Don't feel obliged to visit the must-see temples, or follow the guide book to go the must-go places unless you really want to. You're on holiday and so long as you are enjoying your holiday, it doesn't matter what you do.

2) Don't forget your flashlight. One night in Pai, a little hippie town, 3 hours drive from ChiangMai, we experienced 3 blackouts within the same night. The torchlight would have come in handy, but incidents can sometimes be nice, because I met the wonderful owner, Amido, the best pizza-maker in Thailand, as quoted in the Lonely Planet, when both of us were standing outside the provision shop. We ended up having a very nice conversation, about his life experiences, his deceased wife and his daughter whom he has never seen for the last 14 years.

3) Don't expect punctuality, except when you are travelling by the railway train.
My guide told me to wait at 8.30am at Mae Aw, the Chinese village, as he would be bringing tourists to the Chinese village and would be able to send me to the bus station at Mae Hong Son. I waited till 10.30am but still see no sight of my driver.

4) Do switch your "brain" to a different time zone, Thailand is one hour
before Singapore time.

5) Don’t use this phrase easily, “Bar Bar Bor Bor”, though it sounds really nice. It means Crazy Man. Unless you are absolutely sure that the person is out of his mind, refrain from using this phrase.

PART FIFTEEN: My Last Day in Pai- Zero Stop

I booked my bus-ticket at 550 bahts, from Pai to Bangkok at the Duang GuestHouse just about a 5-minute walk from the bus station. The bus was scheduled to depart at 2pm. In the morning, I went to visit Amido at his restaurant for the last time.

I had wanted to eat his pizza but he told me that it was not possible, because he usually only heat the oven at 6.30pm in the evening. He suggested me having beef lasagna instead. I had the refreshing lemon grass tea as well for the last time.

Amido and I had become good pals just in the last couple of days. He did not allow me to pay for my breakfast despite my insistent requests. We took photographs together with his scrambler bike and I promised that I will send the photographs to him when I return to Singapore. Amido offered me a ride on his scrambler, even though the hotel is only a 5-minute walk away. I took up his kind offer, and went for a brisk ride on his "grasshopper-green" scrambler bike.

I went back to my villa, packed my bagpack and headed to the main street. I went for my final massage in a run-down Thai salon. The Thai lady was very nice and was busy spraying repellent for me to prevent me from getting bitten by the hungry mosquitoes. Language was a big problem. The Thai auntie couldn't speak English much, but she was very kind, conscientiously spraying her home-made insect repellent from a make-shift bottle onto my feet, muttering, "Mochito, mochito. Ooooh.....mochito...".


I had wanted to do the bare-backed elephant riding and river crossing but couldn't manage to do so as I did not have a partner and would need to pay double the price, (600 bahts) instead of 300 bahts.That was equivalent to 24 Singapore dollars for the 2-hour ride with the elephant.I had a little mental debate with myself, and decided that I would the elephant riding out this time.

The combination of friendly locals, relaxing pace of life, meandering river, lush-jungles, great restaurants and cool nightspots, make Pai a magical gem in Northern Thailand, and my favourite place in this trip.

Bye Bye PAI. (read as Bye) And as for riding on the elephant bare-backed and
crossing the river, I'll do it the next time.

I can't wait to get back to Singapore to whip up an authetic Thai papaya salad
for my family and friends.

PART FOURTEEN: My First Attempt on the MotorBike in Pai- Scootering in Pai,12 October 2006, Thursday

After spending several hours in the comfy Pai villa hut, I decided to take a breather and grab a quick bite before returning to the room to continue on my travelogue.

When I was enjoying my fried rice at a roadside stall underneath the tree, a young man, Pong came up to me and started talking in Thai. "Chan Mai Chai Kong Thai (I'm not Thai in Thai language)", I replied swiftly, whipping out the phrase that I've mastered over the last few days. I told him I was not Thai and we chatted. He asked if I had visited the hot spring which was only 6 kilometres away from Pai. I told him that I didn’t know how to ride the scooter. He suggested that I could rent the motorcycle from his friend’s shop and he could bring me to the nearby waterfall, hotspring and the Chinese village and teach me how to ride the scooter.

I said yes to Pong’s suggestion. Not because I really wanted to see the waterfall, or the Chinese village, but I wanted him to teach me how to ride the motorbike. I have been eyeing the scooters for the past few days. Pai is probably the only place in Asia where you can rent a motorbike or scooter without a licence. Knowing myself, I would most likely crash into some flowerpots or knock some poor dogs down if I handle a scooter on my own. He rode the first part of the journey, and when the road was smoother, I said, “Okie, now we change. I want to learn. You teach me.” We switched positions and I took over the bike. Pong was holding on to the brake most of the time, but kept giving words of encouragement, “You learn fast, you very good.”

Poo brought me to the nearby waterfall and we stopped at a local pub owned by his fren, Boo, a cool Thai lady, who married a Frenchman. Boo was playing pool with a few of her customers from Italy. One of the Italians recognized me and said that we have met at Amido’s Pizza Garden the night before.

I bought Pong a bottle of coke and he had a pool match with Boo. Boo invited me to go to another part of her little pub which offered a spectacular view of the mountains. I was happily using my camera to capture these beautiful moments, when I felt a tug at my pants. I looked down to realize that it was a kitten. I have a phobia for cats and the little kitchen freaked me out. I took a step back and it thought that I was playing with it and gave chase. I ran further. I turned my head to check on the furry one.

I kept a safe distance of about two metres from the kitten. The kitten stood still. Some people say that animals can sense emotions of human beings. I decided to engage in a short yet intense staring session with the kitten, to exert my authority over the little creature. My attempt failed miserably, the kitten sprang towards me. I think it sensed my fear more so and I had to forsake my beautiful scenery.

It soon started pouring and we had to seek shelter before we go back to Pai. Pong and I made a pact to meet at 7pm for dinner outside Pai de Villa, my guesthouse. After 10 minutes of waiting, I decided to walk to the main street on my own. He was having his dinner and didn’t realized that it was 7pm. I told him that it was alright and I would walk around on my own instead.

Soon after, I bumped into Amido, the Pizza Man and Terry, sitting at the same place we met the last time along the main street. Terry is from England and teaches English in Bangkok. We had a nice conversation about the atrocities of war, discrimination and Thailand for about an hour, before I made my exit to go back to the room to continue with my travelogue while the rest of the folks made their way to Be-Bop, the popular live-music pub in Pai.

PART THIRTEEN: Pubbing in Pai- The Buffalo Exchange & Quirky Shops in Pai

For Singaporeans who are on a shoe-string budget but enjoy pubbing, Pai is a
great place to go. No cover charge, for ladies night. Everyone can just come
into the pub, and you only have to pay for your drink, the cheapest of all, the
Singha beer, which costs 50 bahts. I went to The Buffalo Exchange, an intimate
cool pub. No fancy decorations, or super stereo surround-sound systems. It was
Open Mike session in the evening. In this cozy pub, musicians or aspiring singers flaunt their vocals and guitar skills to a hippie audience who are willing to give them a shot at fame, or simply a listening ear.

Quirky Shops in Pai
Check out MU and Saibadee Gallery along the main street of Pai. These two quirky
shops which sells an electic selection of T-shirts, jewelleries, postcards and
artworks by two young talented Thai designers. I went window-shopping at MU and Saibadee Gallery numerous times and got some really cute keychains and postcards for my dearie friends and colleagues.

PART TWELVE: A Beautiful Tale About Amido, The Pizza Man

In my two weeks’ backpacking trip, I’ve befriended Amido, one of the most interesting person I’ve ever met in my life.

He worked as a spy for the Algerian Army. He was the boxing king in Europe for three consecutive years, in 1976 and was a renowned chef. He owned his own restaurant, his hotel and was much sought-after for his culinary skills.He had a beautiful wife and lived in a big house.He owned posh cars, such as Lamborghini, Porsches. He had loads of money.

But he didn't spare time to enjoy them. He worked non-stop for 35 years in the kitchen, everyday, round the clock. His luxurious cars were a mere mode of transport, bringing him just 6 kilometres to and fro from his home daily. He decided to call it quits, sold all his properties back home and came to Southeast Asia for his first time seven years ago. He brought 18,000 million bahts to Thailand, and lost most of it in less than 4 months.

The Thai Conman and Conwoman

He befriended two Thai lawyers and they encourged him to invest in land in Bangkok. Thinking that it was a worthwhile investion, he forked out a large amount of his month after they showed him beautiful images of the land that he would soon be the owner of.

He signed the documents (in Thai) and weeks later, went to his new "home".

When he was walking towards his "new" house, he saw a police car and two army trucks parked just outside. As he neared the gate, a short, moustached General approached him and asked what he was doing there. He told the General that he had bought the land.

The General sneered and laughed. "I have the documents," Amido said,as he dugged into his briefcase for the documents.

"Ok, you show me," said the General. When Amdo finally showed him the documents, he laughed.

The contract that Amido had signed actually stated that he is entitled to 2 weeks' motorcycle rental in Phuket. Amido tried to seek for assistance. "You wait, I call my lawyer friends", he said, pulling out his handphone.

"You no need to call," said the General. There is no lawyers." He pointed at the police car and said, that is my daughter and that is my son. Amido's supposedly lawyer partners are in cahoots with the General.

Amido had no choice, but to leave the house, carrying nothing but his briefcase, and a heavy heart."I didn't have a choice, and I didn't want to go to jail," he recalled.

He called some of his friends back home for help, and some flew to Bangkok to help him tide over the difficult period. He then went to Pai and established the Amido Pizza Garden, doing what he's best at.

Settling Down in Pai

He is happy now, in Pai, with his little Amido Pizza Garden. Lonely Planet rated his pizzas as the best in Thailand." Thailand, I'm not sure, but in Pai, oh yeah, I'm sure."

His wife died 15 years ago but he chose not to remarry. Many Thai people in Pai questioned why, they asked him, “Are you gay?” Do you like boys?“

Amido said, "No, I’m not gay. I’m perfectly straight”, and his Thai friends argued that,“It’s not normal”. :What is normal?", he asked with a cool expression. "So long as you feel happy, it is alright. She has died, 15 years ago, but I cannot get her off my mind, he shared, pointing his finger to his mind."You can put the most beautiful Thai woman in front of me. I would say yes, she is very beautiful, but I can’t do nothing with her.”

Many friends tried to persuade him to go back to Europe but he declined.He sells a good 33-cm inch pizza for about 150 bahts to 200 bahts, made using the best imported ingredients he can find. He only earns about 40 bahts per pizza, but he is happy. "I don't care, if I want to make money, I would not be in Thailand, I would be in Europe."

Spying during his Teenage Years

Born in Algeria to a father who worked as a colonel in the army, Amido was selected to be in the special squad to work as a spy during his teenage years for the Algerian army. He witnessed death, and killed people, all not within his choice. He witnessed deaths, war atrocities and experienced war two times in his life. The special squad moved around in groups of five. Each leader was appointed, depending on the specialization of the leader and the task assigned.

Recalling the past, Amido, said, “ When the chief says, "Clean the village"- it literally means to wipe out everyone and killed everyone. Amido is a great man with a big heart. Despite all the ups and downs in his life, he strongly believe that life is beautiful. At times when he had no choice, he had to follow the leader. “When he had the choice, he secretly let the innocent women, old folks and young children off. He recalled once when he was tasked to clean this village, when he reached the village, all the men were out working. The only people left in the house were the helpless women and old folks and innocent children.

“Nobody in this village dies, we let them off, if you go back to camp and tell this, I will kill you myself.”,he threatened. Amido saved hundred of innocent lives, putting his own life at risk. He could have been killed if he was discovered.

Despite all the ups and downs that he has faced, he said to me, "Life is beautiful. It is sometimes the stupidity of people that makes it otherwise."

PART ELEVEN: Cooking Up A Feast At BeBe Wok n Roll with Tee & Carlos

Impress your mom with your new Thai dishes by taking a one-day course at Bebe Wok "n" Roll.

You'll learn how to make your own chilli paste, the 7 different kinds of Thai curries and best of all, be entertained by the smiley hippie chief, Tee and his assistant, Carlos who bears a striking resemblance to Santana. Bearing a moustache, a goatie, his long mane of hair neatly tied into a long pony tail, Tee looks more like a hippie rocker than our stereotypical perception of a typical "Bebe" in the kitchen.

The class usually comprises only 4-6 students and the best part is you'll get toinvite a few guests for dinner. His lovely dog, Ginger, affectionately called his "daughter", is one of the most human-like dogs. A cross bred between a Golden Retriever (her dad) and a Dalamation (her mom), it explains the beautiful golden mane, and distinctive white spots. Ginger, is very friendly and loves to be patted and caressed. She walks around in between the gas stoves and pots at ease.

Accordingly to Tee, Ginger is a food connoisseur herself. She loves chicken and Tee has to mix the chicken and rice well, if it’s not well-mixed, she would just take a consolatory bite and walk off. Many times during the lesson, she would just place her face on your lap, waiting for a nice stroke. At times, when you are stroking her, she would even put her paw onto your hand.

PART TEN: About Pai- The Backpackers' Haven

It's no wonder why the much-trusted travel book Lonely Planet says that Pai is a backpackers' haven.

Romantic, Relaxed and Charming.

Pai has an irresistable charm that makes backpack travellers slow down their pace. Pai is almost like a fairytale land come alive, where people are always smiling, stopping to catch up with one another and "farangs" and natives living harmoniously together.

In fact, you can be walking along the streets on your own one second, and sitting with complete strangers who are just chilling out by the roadside, for a good one-hour chat, the very next second. This is one of the unique charms in Pai. The little place is like a crossroad junction where travellers from different continents of the world meet and befriend one another. It's no wonder, they have T-shirt with the word, 0 kmPai- meaning everything begins in Pai. Pai is especially nice for couples on honeymoon, or big groups of friends who just want to chill out at pubs filled with like-minded travellers. For the foodies and pubbers, you'll never go hungry or thirsty in Pai. There are loads of restaurants and roadside stalls to whet your taste buds.

PART NINE: Sleeping in the Chinese Village, Mae Aw Chinese Village

Mae Aw- A Chinese Village in Thailand

22km north of Mae Hong Son, on a mountain peak at the Myanmar border, Maw Aw is a Chinese KMT (Kuomintang) settlement. The scenery from Mae Hong Son to Mae Aw is breathtaking, with lush tea bushes neatly nestled on the plains of the mountainscape.

Being a Chinese, I had initially planned to go to Chiang Rai, and head to the Mae Salong Chinese village. I thought it would be fun to meet Chinese people, speak Mandarin and feel “Chinese” in Thailand. I was hoping to speak to the old comrades and hopefully can get a real-life account of how these soldiers and their families have moved from China to settleThailand. As time was not on my side, I decided to explore the smaller-scaled version of Mae Salong, Mae Aw village instead.

Savouring Yunanese Delicacies at Mae Aw

Most tourists would come to Mae Aw for the specially brewed Chinese tea and the Yunan cuisine. For me, eating infamous stewed pork with herbs and the man tou (steamed rice flour cake) on a rainy night was a great treat. But chatting with the Chinese restaurant owner and getting a personal invitation to visit their house was the real highlight for me. I have always wondered how a typical village house would be like whenever I travel in the jeep, peering through the window, as the vehicle cruises along the dirt tracks of the villages. It is a great feeling when you feel the sense of trust for strangers and them for yourself.

Meeting Kind Souls in Mae Aw- My New Friend, Ah Zhen & The Restaurant Owner

Ah Zhen was the restaurant helper I met during dinner at the restaurant. I had initially hoped to see some old Chinese comrades and listen to their war-time stories and how they fought the war, but I understood from Madam Lin that the earlier generations, like her father, are mostly deceased or in their late 80s.

The restaurant owner, 61-year-old Madam Lin Chang Zhi has been staying in Thailand for more than 50 years. She got married at a late age of 38 years old, and has two children, one elder daughter studying in the university in Chiangmai and a teenage son. Her husband was from the 93 Battalion and many of them came from Yunan to settle in Thailand. Many chose to stay in Thailand after the war instead of going back to the communist state motherland. Ah Zhen, on the other hand, is born in Burma and was married to her husband at the age of 18 years old. Her husband is from the Akha village, and both couldn't write a word of Mandarin. She's thirty-two years old and has two sons, one 13 year old and another 8 years old. She has spent most of her time taking care of their vegetables, their pigs and chicken.

She now works in the restaurant and can whip up authetic Yunan cuisine, without batting an eyelid. She earns about 1700 bahts a month (about S$78). During the peak season, Ah Zhen sometimes have to work till the wee hours of the morning, around 2am before heading home for a night's rest and to get back to work before dawnbreak. Her house is about a 25-minute walk from the restaurant and the city centre. My guest house was at the midpoint leading to her house.

Peaceful Life in the Village & A Special Invitation

Life is the village is very tranquil. By 8.30pm, most of the people are already nestled in their own homes. After dinner and a nice conversation with the smiley restaurant owner, Mdm Zhang, Ah Zhen offered to walk me to my guesthouse as it was dark and I had no torchlight.

When we reached my guesthouse, she asked if I would like to go to her house, since I was planning to leave tomorrow. I didn’t quite get her invitation at first because of the language barrier. When I realised, I was thrilled by the unexpected invitation. Shyly, I told her that I would need her to walk me back later as I would not know how to find my way back to the guesthouse in the dark. I asked if she would be too tired to do so. Ah Zhen, smiled, and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll walk you back again.”

Like a happy lamb, I followed her and her husband and we chatted about her children, her husband, her family along the way. Her husband keep a distance, but was faithfully and sweetly, tailing behind us, shining the torch on the dirt-track, to point out puddles of water and muddy spots to avoid. Their newly furnished cement house was built by Taiwanese craftsmen.

No fancy decorations or plush sofa set, but nonetheless cosy, in a very primitive way. Her two sons were at home watching television. I tried to “chat them up”, but they were extremely shy. I guessed it must be the first time they have ever seen a foreigner in their house.

Feeling the Chinese Warmth and Hospitality

Ah Zhen disappeared for a short while and re-appeared with a plate of western sponge cake and specially home-brewed Chinese tea.I guessed it must be her way of reciprocal to the plastic bags of tomatoes I had given her during dinner. During my “chat-up” attempt, a wrinkled face appeared from the bedroom, with a wide sincere smile. I guessed I must have been too noisy, and woke Grannie up, as she walked out from her bedroom.

Grannie is Ah Zhen’s mother-in-law. We couldn’t understand each other, but the body language speaks it all. Grannie came to the table, where we were sitting, just outside the house, to offer me a pack of biscuits. Without speaking, she gently took out a few pieces of biscuits from the plastic bag and placed them onto the plate which holds the sponge cake. It was her humble way of extending her hospitality to a foreigner like me. I was touched. Ah Zhen shared their family photographs, of her deceased father and her brother with me.

One interesting fact I've learnt from Ah Zhen is that it takes about three months to grow and harvest the maize plant. Once harvested, the maize plant will die and the planting routine repeats itself again. I have always wondered why crops of maize plants often wither together and Ah Zhen’s explanation helped solved this mystery. I took numerous photographs of the family and promised them that I would send the photographs to home when I returned to Singapore.

After staying in the house for about an hour, I baded goodnight to the family, so that they can have a good night’s rest. I was deeply touched by the family’s hospitality and warmth extended to me, a complete stranger. The visit to their home made the stay in Mae Aw worthwhile, better than what any packaged tour can offer. To make my trip for memorable, I accidentially slipped and landed on my butt while trying to catch a glimpse of the twelve pigs that Ah Zhen reared, just 2 minutes before I left their home.