21 birthday thanx!

Dear friends,

Within a blink of an eye and I'm now 21. Makes me feel old... ... Indeed, it's been a long time since my last birthday was celebrated. It was not just long ago that I celebrated that I could watch M18 movies in cinemas, and now, I have moved on to the next category in the list---R21.

So, what's so unique about this 21 birthday anyway? I don't really know, but my friends around me treat 21 as a sacred no. or should I say they feel that 21 is an adult age. Andre and Edwin treated me to dinner on Saturday and they also got me a present with a Hallmark greeting card!!! Woah! I mean I don't really expect them to get me so expensive things... In fact, I was only expecting them to maybe say pay for my dinner or so... ... In fact, it would be better if we went Dutch, cos' I was intending to treat them. My plan failed, but they got complimentry Starbucks coffee from me nonetheless... Woah! The Bossini jeans which they got me cost them $45 and together with my free dinner, I guessed it would have cost them about $35 per person if they split the bill... Actually, I feel kinda bad that they got me such expensive stuff with their hard earned presents!!! I mean, money doesn't really come easily, but they got me such stuff??? I don't know what to say! Speechless! But from here, I sincerely express my heartfelt thanx to them!

My sisters got me something too! One gave me a key chain, and the other a TV game. Well, honestly, I feel that a simple wish will be good enough and stuff, but they paid so much for the presents???!!! ARGH! Again, it just made me kinda feel bad cos' they spent so much... I mean I rather they write me a card or something! It's better that way! Nonetheless, thanx to you all!!!

Matthew made a long distance call from Brisbane, Australia just to wish me a happy birthday! I mean WOAH! It really feels alot different when friends whom I have not seen for years just sudden gives me a ring on my hp and wish me a happy birthday! Indeed, I appreciate his effort, time and money on this simple Birthday wish call. But I tried to end the talk fast as I didn't want him to spend too much money on his phonecall. Again, thanx Matthew! I appreciate that and sms me again when you are back in Singapore!!!! :)

Oh yeah, still have another appointment with YT this coming week. Think it's going to be a lunch appointment. Unsure though. But I hope she doesn't spend too much! Maybe a simple lunch will be fine or so... In fact, it would be better if someone can ask me out for some exercise or so, then it can somewhat motivate me to keep fit and also a chance to meet up as well.

Sheesh... Have not got any sign from MY that she is gg to call me or what. Does she even remember? ARGH, well... ... I guess it's better if she doesn't know: at least can ensure that she doesn't spend $ unnecessary. But an e-card isn't too much to ask is it??? Rarely see her online these days though...

Oh yeah, there were friends who also msg me on my hp wishing me all the best and many returns of the day. I appreciate that too. Thanx alot guys! That is good enough. I don't expect alot cos' we are all still working for money and I suppose that is the best they can give me. It's a surprise that some of them even knew my birthday. Regardless of how u pple find out, once again, THANKS!!!! :)

From,
Pierre Lim ZG
17 July 2005
2359 hours

Back! CTU-SIN!

YEAP! I'm back from the Chengdu, Sichuan province and it's been a wonderful journey to go travelling with my good friend SQ. Jiuzhai valley was great with nice views of mountains and water everywhere! Simply breath-taking view! Superb! Mt Emei was nice too, except for the high cost involved. But nonetheless it was a great experience! Indeed, it would be nice to travel light once in a while and see what the locals see, eat what they consume and hear what they listen... ...

All in all, this experience was worth the while and every penny spent! Till the next time next destination!

CTU Day 5

Finally, we tried Traffic Hotel @ 110 RMB with COMMON WASHROOM AND SHOWER FACILITIES. Not as though we needed a personal toilet so badly though. The morning breakfast at Bing Jiang today was so-so, not as good as Garden City Hotel in terms of variety and taste. Leaving our backpacks in Traffic Hotel, we made way to Ba Bao Jie Carrefour which was the nearest outlet from the hotel within the city centre. WOW! Variety was evident from the 2 storey supermarket! Shopped for food to bring to jiu zhai valley assuming that it's going to cost alotthere! Paid 62 Yuan for all the items and walked over 3.5 km back to Traffic Hotel checking out on new accomodation en route. Save 10 Yuan in taxi fare. :) Currently in the room wathing a documentry featuring Dr Henry C. Lee who is a forensic scientist. Okay, gotta catch a 10 hr bus ride to Jiu Zhai valley tml. Better have a gd sleep today as I didn't have one the last night thanx to the stomachache which I had at ard 3am... ...

Mt Emei-CTU Day 4

The journey back to the city took 3 hours due to the fact that they made many stops along the way to fill it's bus capacity to the max. Took a more luxurious bus with air-con, but it doesn't mean that they didn't smoke inside. I think the older generation of Chinese still needs more education of health education and hygene. For today, we stayed at Bing Jiang Hotel which cost me 160 Yuan with breakfast inclusive. Went to shopping centre and surfed net at 3 rmb an hour. Then it rained and we braved the rain and got super drenched back in the hotel. Shoes, socks, shirt and all!!! Watched TV for the night. Still wondering if we should go for the organised tour to Jiu Zhai Gou as I heard it might cost alot gg alone! Well... see how!

Up Mt Emei Day 3

Was rudely awakened by an old senile hotel staff at 5 am banging and shouting outside my room door telling me to wake up as it's 5 am. Such idiocy is one of a kind and it has never happened in the civilised world and for a moment, I felt that I was teleported to the past during my Tekong Army training days when there was a lunatic waking up at 4am plus to be 'on the ball' (*puke* ya... right...). Instead of answeing the door to stop this maddness of the old man, I just laid there on my bed, hoping that SQ would simply just answer the door, or, at least hoping that he goes away after he has his share of fun doing this. The latter event happened but that was only after 10 minutes of raving maddness. During this time, I wondered if this hotel has a policy of ensuring that guests check out at 5am...

Tried to sleep again but was awakened by SQ's alarm soon after at 730am. By then, there was another mentally challenged person knocking and shouting(which I can't make up) just outside my room. Boy, this hotel is filled with crazy lunatics waking people every hour or so, breaking the silence of the Emei district every morning... As there was no way I could continue sleeping due to the din, I answered the door to find the hotel attendent whose intention was to house keep my room.

Took the 9am bus up to Jin Ding which was the peak of Mt Emei. Well, not exactly the peak, as we had to trek up for another 2 hours to save on the 40 RMB cable car fee up over 2000 metres above sea level. Luckily we had lunch first before we ascended the climb or I would have starved. BTW, the bus ride took 2 hours to travel the windy road of 60km if we had climbed up those stairs. Along the climb up, we met local elderly citizens of Emei district climbing up to the top temple to deliver scriptures. The oldest woman was 78 years! Visited Wan Fo Si (3099m above sea level) which was the highest pt in Emei shan. The only way to get there is via a monorail ride which cost 50 Yuan with and attached tour guide.

Just then, a dizzy spell started to hit me badly in the afternoon around 4.30pm and that made me take the 30 Yuan cable car ride down from Jin Ding. My feet wabbled every step as I walked down to the bus station. When we reached Wan Fo Si bus station, it was a disappointment that the last bus back to Chengdu City has left at 6pm and we were only 15 min late. As such, due to the bad headache I had, I just checked into another cheaper hotel with WORSE facilities. In fact, it would be the worse accomodation ever in my China trip I suppose... Can you imagine that the staff wanted me to key into their computer system to "self check-in". MADE ME DAMN PISSED. There I was trying to settle such admin stuff ASAP while that stupid receptionist was figuring out how to input entries in his computer. How @^#&%@*&^#%@*&^#%@&^%!!!!

Feeling alot better after the short nap of an hour, we went to Teddy Bear Cafe for dinner and to realise that they have better facilities at cheaper prices!!! I would have been using their internet service now if I have chosen their hotel!!! 80 Yuan a night! Even have enough space to display their 2 teddy bears!!! What to do? I have chosen such sucky room, not to mention the toilet... it's worse! ALOT WORSE! Looks more like a 10 Yuan room not 100.