Hey rob! Hey lucky balaraman! Hey edhuron!

Now I seem to get one comment per post! All connected to some form of advertising. Looks like I now play the role of the internet version of the poor stay-at-home person who gets pested by the phone marketeers. Does anybody ever just read to enjoy, then respond to the writings for what it is? Sometimes I dont even understand what is being sold. Cad drafting? Web hosting?
Anyways, I am now imagining that the cyber world is made up of a few people like me...who enjoy writing about happenings around them.....and a whole lot of money making advertisement sellers who disguise themselves as readers.....telling the writers they write well and get the poor fools to go visit the adverts. (hehehe.....I AM the poor fool)
However, I still welcome you guys here. As I have said before, I am audience-friendly. Ed, bala and rob.......write more comments to me......and less adverts, please.
What I would like the cyber reader to be is just someone who reads and responses in the manner of another human being. Just tell me that you are out there. You may find my writing boring or having lack of action.....but you read it anyways.
Ok...some more info into my dull little life (wink! wink!.......dull is only a relative term). My buddy is still on 'waiting' mode. His ex (mentally described, physically separated) is still procrastinating to sign the divorce papers to become his ex (legally defined). Why do people need to make lives difficult for themselves? When things go bad between you and your once loved ones......check to see if there's anything worth saving.....if you cant find a strong reason to be together, pack up and leave. Begin a new life, no matter how much it hurts at the beginning. This world has over 6 billion people in it. That last person might not have been the right one. You are still likely to find a better fit with the next one.

main decision done

Main decision on vacation plans made. Will go visit my internet mate. Booking flight tickets for December is like trying to get movie tickets for a Class A+ Blockbuster movie. Be on the waiting list even though its three months to the flight date! I am lucky enough to get help in finally securing confirmed tickets. Next I have to apply for my selected vacation time. I am entitled to the vacation but someone else gets to decide if I can go spend MY own money??? Life isnt always fair. I shall not get high blood pressure seething about unfairness. just follow the rules until they cramp you.....then......explode.....and show the side of you that is in control.
LA is a good starting point for a holiday. Maybe we will travel southwards this time. We have gone north, east and nort east. Will write more on this later. Now I have to get back to work.

advertisements and audience

Wow! A first comment! (see my previous blog on my vacation)... a edhuron38410820 and he/she thought my blog is cool. Yesssssssss. Well...THAT was my initial reaction. Then I clicked on his/her suggested website.....only to find that it was a online dating agency.
Ok...I laughed.
So now thats how they advertise. Go to a blog, write an appreciative message then get the blogger interested to go to a site of advertisement. Clever but deceitful at the same time.
Dont get me wrong. I am not against online dating.
In fact I have an online relationship. Its one of the best connections I have made in my lifetime. But I made the connection in a chatroom. I didnt go thru an agency. I joined in a discussion that interested me. Met many people online thru the discussions. Got to know many interesting characters and then.............connected with one particular soul.
We live across the world from each other. Thank God we have the resources to make several real life meetings since. We have gone from a cyber connection to a real life physical, mental, emotional and spiritual connection.
So I do believe that connections CAN begin online; just as in real life. But I am not ready for a dating agency connection real life or online. So, edhuron.........thanks but no thanks. If you are a real life blog reader, please continue reading my blog. Its nice to have an audience :)

Vacations and air/sea and land sickness

It was a good break. The train ride was exciting...there was a vomitting episode by my little niece as she learnt to adjust to being on the train. There was also the visits made by people from the other coaches to see how the 'elite' rooms looked like. Mostly we were too excited to sleep much. O yeah, prior to the train we had a problem gettingTWO cabs to take us to the station. That was heart pounding as after finally getting the everybody in the cabs, we faced a traffic jam. We got to the station with just enough time to buy some burgers before we had to board the train.
We were offered a van for the trip to the hotel. Hey.....thats what we should look for instead of two cabs...except that the van was an oldie and it sounded more like a boat! The driver though was a friendly and efficient man and he made the trip seem short.
The hotel we stayed at had just been renovated. Mom and I had stayed there before but now it had been improved.
Yup. Did lots of shopping since the hotel was situated right where the main shopping area was. Bought some sweaters just in case I get to go somewhere cold in December.
We took a boat cruise along the river the next morning. That is definitely alot more excititng than being on a busy road with traffic. The boat man was a 63 year old Chinese and he correctly guessed Mom's age. (I dont think that made her happy though ....hehehe)
Mom, my sis-in-law and I went for a foot reflexology session. It was painful as the masseuse would rub each area of your foot to 'relieve' the pain of your body. Surprisingly it actually works as you leave feeling relaxed and refreshed. The next day mom and I went back for a full body massage. Now that was heavenly.
We managed to find several delicious food serving restaurants. THAT makes the holiday. We returned to one for dinner after experiencing its lunch. We even practically ordered the same stuff.
The journey home was exciting too. We got to see the sights as that was a day time travel as opposed to the night view for the going journey. We got a an MPV ( a large car) to fit us all in. My brother and I sat facing the oncoming traffic.....we both ended up feeling awful and dizzy by the time we reached home.....almost like how my little niece must have felt adjusting to the train ride!
All in all we had a happy vacation. I am already thinking of my next break. Maybe with my bestest buddy.

Train ride break

Yet another month has passed. I am planning to take a short break with the family next week. Yup, we all need a break. Work has been good but after three straight months of just work , everybody needs a break. We'll be taking a 9 hour train ride. This trip will be my little niece's first train ride. She is eight months old and I doubt if she'd even remember it when she gets to the "Oh I remember that" age. But it will still be fun. Her grandma is 70 and it will be a pleasure for her to be travelling with part of her troupe. We are travelling first class and our rooms on the train will have its own private bathrooms. Thank god for that!
Hey...I am excited already and I still have to wait a couple more days before my short vacation begins!
By the way, my bestest buddy's problems has not yet been solved. Its the "waiting-period" time, i.e. its when he's done all he possibly can and is required to do but he has to wait for the other party to respond. I believe he deserves a break. Hopefully so does God.