Ipoh – LCCT bus ticket : ADA!
Flight web check-in : DONE!
Boarding pass : SIAP!
(Heh! If I forget any of the above, none of my office-mates will be going anywhere!)
Hotel booking confirmation : GOT!
Return flight booking confirmation : ADA!
What else? Oh yeah, DUIT : baru dapat gaji beb, ada la!
Okay, will NAIK BELON tomorrow morning. Taking a 3 day break from office work, voluntary work AND blogging. Be back in Ipoh Sunday night and back blogging on Monday, insyaAllah!
It’s already the last day of the CNY holidays. So what have I been doing during the long weekend?
Of course, my tukang kebun routine – that goes on whether or not there’s a holiday. I did manage to sweat it out more than usual since I didn’t have to rush to the office after that, so I had more exercise.
I’ve done all my reports for my NGO AGM next month, but I still need to brush up a bit on the chair’s report, which I am still not satisfied with.
A call came in from a student of a private college – requesting for a talk on HIV at their college next month. I forgot to ask him where he got my number from, but looks like it will our first awareness programme for the year.
House visits? I decided not to visit any of my clients during the break as I needed the break myself.
Actually I spent more time on the internet – doing some homework for my office trip at the end of the month. Just like my Bali trip last year, I did all my homework online before going so that I’d know where to go and what to do. Air tickets booked and paid much earlier. Hotel rooms booked, but there’s still time to cancel if we wish.
Why would we want to cancel the rooms? Well, boss #1 did mention she prefers if we all stay in one house/apartment – but the ones within walking distance to the city attractions are rather expensive (the hotel we booked is a budget hotel). However, over the long weekend, my search for home stay came up with some results. Not only are they cheaper, we will also be able to stay in one house – which would be good for fellowship purposes. Only thing is these home stays are about 10 minutes drive from the city, meaning we may also need to rent a van, or we may have problems going around.
Transport from Ipoh to LCCT? Well, we could either go in 2 cars and park our cars at the airport parking, or we could also opt for the Ipoh-LCCT bus service. With 8 of us going, the total cost comes up to just about the same. The pros if we go by bus is… we don’t have to worry about driving. The cons? Well, we don’t have much choice when it comes to the timing, as the bus schedule is fixed. So we either have to go as early as 5 am, or take the next bus at 8 am which is scheduled to reach LCCT just slightly more than an hour before departure – a bit risky.
I’ve compiled all the options with the costings etc. Tomorrow at the office, will need to discuss with boss #1 before I finalise things.
So yeah, I made use of the CNY break to plan for our coming break.
Where are we going? Clue – we are going to “naik belon”.
I've been rather busy with my voluntary work since May. That was when Sharifah's case was first handed to me, followed by Sofie's case. Due to the nature of their cases, both of them needed extra attention. With our retreat in Cameron Highlands in June, and our Family Day coming up in early August, plus all the hurdles we had to face in my little Cek Mek's case, (and not forgetting my ICAAP poster which I have yet to finalise) there seem to be so much to do.
But despite being rather busy, did you notice that I have also been updating my blog more often since June? Well, that's because other than using this blog to create awareness about the trials and tribulations of the PLHIV families, I'm also using this blog to de-stress. When people share their problems with me, I'd need to share their problems with others so I don't have to keep so much inside me. And what better way than to blog about it, eh? I still get to protect the identities of the families I'm dealing with, I get to share their problems with blog readers, and I get to de-stress! Woo hoo!
Well, there are still problems that have yet to be settled (and I don't think can be settled in the near future) but for now let's take a short break from all those problematic cases. Today, to de-stress, I'd just like to share with you my grandma moments!
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The first PLHIV I was introduced to was Wani. Wani has two 'loud' young boys who scream at the top of their voices when they talk because one of them has a hearing problem. I remember the first time I went alone to visit them (after I was confirmed as a Buddy - before that I'd just join Wani's main buddy during visits) , when I wanted to leave, they shouted loud and clear, "Bye Opah!" Wani quickly told them, "Heh, makcik lah!" That was the first time I had children calling me Opah. And that's why I sikit pun tak heran describing myself as Opah Pi to my little Cek Mek. Hehehe...
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When arwah Rina was still alive, I remember visiting her at the hospital. A makcik, occupying the bed next to Rina's, saw me, and said, "Hah, ada maknya!" She thought I was Rina's mom! (FYI, Rina was just 3 years younger than me!) I guess that makes me her child's grandma, huh?
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I was at a carnival organised by a particular company. My friend who works with that company, came all the way from KL so I made it a point to attend to meet up with her. While we were chatting with a group of her friends, some of whom brought their children along, one boy, about 6 or 7 years old, saw my compact camera which came in a unique shape. He was so curious as to what it was. After staring at it for some time, he finally got the courage to ask, very politely, "Nenek, nenek, tu apa?" Hah? Nenek engko panggil aku???! Of course, my friends had a good laugh. Me? Well, couldn't beat them, joined them lah...
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I was accompanying my sister to meet up with her then bakal besan. Since my nephew had always been telling them about his Mak and Opah, they were actually expecting his Opah (my mother) to come along. With her knee problems, my mom didn't go lah. I was the one who accompanied my sister. After my sister introduced herself as my nephew's mother, they then looked at me, and asked, "Ni ke Opah nya?"
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OK lah, I give up, ngaku je lah dah tua... :)
"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 15 tons."
--Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
--Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year."
--The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957
"But what ... is it good for?"
--Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
--Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."
--Western Union internal memo, 1876.
"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?"
--David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.
"The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C,' the idea must be feasible."
--A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"
--Harry M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.
Aaaah, great predictions indeed, weren't they? :)
