Blogging from Diao Yu Tai

I am now in the state guest house......of China. Putin was here last week to launch the Visit Russia Year. Nice place, great lakes and landscaping.....but crazy security. Each of us have an entry pass.....which hotel needs an entry pass for its customers??!!

Apparently only connected people gets to stay here, so I was told. But am now falling sick....I think a flu is coming my way....miss my bed so much...have been here for about a week now...should be going home Wednesday.

It has been around 5 degree celcius here. Midnight that is.....went out for McD......geeeze nearly froze to death.....that is because me only brought a thin wind-breaker.....okie going off line now......bye bye...

Major stress

Am panicking big time......pimples popping all over my nose area, cos I am arranging a company delegation to China. Thousand and 1 thing to sort out....and as always Murphy Law regins supreme......the travel agent left out 1 airline ticket...so I am helplessly waiting here.....hence this blog to basically take my mind of the agony of counting minutes......

Leaving by 0030 tomorrow morning, supposed to be at airport at 9.30pm for group check-in looks like will be rushing mad home and mad to the airport with 6 boxes of materials to go with 4 of us......cheeze ok now....back to panicking........ :( :(((((((((

My poor old travelling bag

My poor old travelling bag had chipped 1 zip handle (dunno what's the proper term for it) when wife used it the last time. It could still be used i.e. locked with the zip handle from the "extension" zip and the main compartment zip.

But something really funny happened while in India.....when I reached Chennai, the zip handle were cut...both of them and placed next to my bag on the baggage carousel??? I was thinking what is this?? Then a fellow Mlaaysian delegate mentioned that in flights to US they would open bags to check.....and if your locks are somehow not able to be open discreetly by airline/security personnel they will just cut it or damaged your lock??!! Was tired and late and didn't want to hold up the whoel delegation so I didn't complain or anything.....wonder if anyone has the same experience. Nothing was missing and it doesn't looked like the bag was ransacked. and the fact that the zip handle is placed next to my bag lends some truth to it??!! But thot the airline/security should inform passengers so a least I can unlock the thing......now my poor old bag has no zip handle, so it was quite a chore unpacking my luggage.

Luckily wife found this shop that does bag repair in KL....quite reasonable too RM 18 for all the zips i.e. 2 for a 20/24 inch bag, can't remember the size. Hopefully it will be like new after the repair.

Vegetarian or vegetarian??

Huh??!! That was exactly what the air stewardess asked me when I was on Indian Airline enroute to India. She meant vegetarian - Indian or Continental style. From then on I knew I am in for a week of vegetarian food.....I was mentally prepared for 1 week of curry but VEGETARIAN??!!

Well, looks like whole of India are vegetarian, on the street, in the restaurant....everywhere there are stalls with loads of vegetable cooking.....

Some shocks from India...it looks like a huge construction site, much like KL was 10/15 years back. Everywhere there is a highway or building coming up. Any walls are potential sites for answering natures' call.....the small one opcors but yeah by the roadside, next to highway...everywhere??!! Drivers drive with 1 hand on steering wheel and 1 hand on car horn......endless honking......slow down honk, change lane honk, pedestrian crossing honk....everything also honk??!! Honking capital of the world???