Overnight in Singapore

It was a meeting I was invited to in Singapore, and it involved an overnight stay. Initially I was not very keen but I thought I might as well go.

I left after my rounds on a Thursday, flew over reaching Singapore in time for dinner.

Then I had a free morning for myself - enough time to prepare for my talks on a later date. The meeting proper only started on the Friday afternoon after which I had to catch a flight home straight after.

A full day, not really much time to do anything else but to read, sleep and read some more ...

Good thing that the hotel was cosy and there plenty of malls next door. Not that I could afford to shop with the state of Malaysia Ringgit! I was then greeted with a busy Saturday morning clinic as well as a couple of talks to give upon return, not to mention being on call on the Sunday! Happy times!

MSH 2017

I only managed to stay a single night of the MSH Meeting this time as I wanted to have some downtime after the trip. For the first time, the meeting was held in JB and it was a resounding success. Most of the participant stayed at the same venue making logistics straightforward.

The venue presented itself with some unique issues. Trying to fit into a medical conference configuration and demand was not straight forward and we ended up having the poster in the main hall while the Pharmaceutical booths hidden away in small little rooms, away from the normal flow of traffic. I ended up only visiting half of them since it was rather difficult to navigate around to visit them all.

There was also a nice auditorium where some of the satellite talks were held. Again, it was not design for free flow of participant, with the delegates ending up entering through next to the main stage - the only entrance - while the speakers were at the rostrum. Not exactly ideal. Then came the temperature control of the venue. It was freezing in there ....

After the meeting, I was told that I would be the organiser for next year's chapter. I planned to hold it somewhere near work and the hotel next door to SJMC looked like an enticing prospect.

Timing would be tight thought with Ramadhan starting mid May. Some of the speakers were reluctant to attend during Easter and the local speakers has local University exams to supervise during the period. I have decided to cut it fine and hold it on the second weekend of May next year, just before Ramadhan.

Best to sort out the venue soon ...

Hemmant Trail

*I took this trek back in September 2016 during our holiday at Fraser's Hill*

I went on this trail alone as Anita decided to stay in bed. In was on our final morning in Frasers Hill, and set out before breakfast.

The entrance to the trail was very near Bishop's although it went to the opposite direction. It skirted around the golf course, taking you towards the town center by the mosque as you exit.

I parked my car at one of the shop lots, had some roti canai and teh tarik before making my way around the hill past the entrance to the Bishop's Trail. I then entered the Hemmant trek which were flat for the first half. A really nice relaxing walk before a steep descent towards a valley before going up again towards the exit.

Less challenging compared to Bishop's and much safer as well. Thisnmaybbe good for the beginners, and those with big children. There were hand rails a plenty to help you.

I then exited near the town center, hung around for more photos before climbing up the hill to where my car was parked. All covered within 45 minutes...

Snaps of Jonker

An Old World Charm. The colonials meets Peranakan. The fusion of the East and the West. That was what the Straits Settlements had in common. It was a theme we could explore in all three areas. Penang, Malacca and Singapore. They have this row of house and dare I say a different ways of living their lives. Seemed that the modern era effected them in a special way, to only enrich their culture rather than change too much with the time.

From the rows of colourful cafes, the warmth of the locals - apart from the obvious fact that the local merchants were now replaced by the foreigners - the brightly painted shop facade, the laid back eateries and bed and breakfast littering the town. It all added to the potpourri of feelings you had when you visit the City. And there were gems to be found in unexpected corners if you dare to explore. Be it a specialty shop or a rustic restaurant. Just bring your camera along and pray for great weather.

I had the same feeling when I travel to Penang as well but somehow things moved at a faster pace there. Here, it was more easygoing, although weekends were nightmares. Too many people. Too many cars. Driving into Bandar Melaka can be an ordeal.

But if you were willing to spend a couple of nights - better still at the charming bed and breakfast they had around Jonker - you could absorb the charm as they come. And that was a good thing.

Traveling there for a day trip really fit not make justice to the city. After negotiating the hundreds of traffic lights from Ayer Keroh where you exit the highway and finding a parking spot in town, you could only afford a few hours walking around before it was time to go again.

We plan to spend a night here in the future. And really explore the place .....

Day Trip to Melaka

We reached Melaka just before 11, stopping for breakfast in Nilai R&R and was treated to some delightful nasi lemak at one of the stalls. We didn’t realise how gorgeous it was. Traffic was a breeze and we could’ve reached Dataran Pahlawan much earlier if not for the crazy number of traffic lights between Ayer Keroh and Bandar Melaka. It was borderline ridiculous!

Parked our car, and then walked to Jonker Street. Anita was more interested to explore the nice little hotels and B&B they had scattered around the area. None of which actually offered much parking spot! I snapped the photos away and the weather was really great. In fact it was too warm and we decided to have an early lunch and rehydrate ourselves.

We couldn’t find many outlets around there that we were sure as Halal, so we settled for the comfort of Hard Rock Cafe. While we were dining and enjoying the drinks, we heard some thunder coming from outside.

We couldn’t believe it! It was raining cats and dogs. And that went on until about 2 pm. It was still drizzling after that. We had a choice to make then. Should we brave the drizzle and go deeper into Jonker Street taking the risk that it may be raining heavier later. Or head back to the car and enjoy a quiet drive back to KL.

We decided for the latter, and drove past Sungai Udang - towards the entrance of Kem Terendak. We stopped at Klebang along the way for a touch of coconut shake. No time to break at Sungai Udang as Idlan had called my handphone as soon as arrived home!

The traffic coming back was heavier as it started raining when we reached Sungai Besi. A nice outing, but shame about the rain though. We could’ve spend a bit more time looking at stuffs for the apartment .... May be next time!