Nice day out with the fly boys

27 MARCH WE CATCH A  LRT AND MONORAIL RIDE TO Bukit Bintang and this is the first time I am in a monorail ride. I am surprised how big it is and how many people it can hold. Basically it is stuffy and is full of passengers traveling to the happening area of KL. But it is very convenient for us and stress free to be able to use this mode of transport. Miraz is going to meet me at the Pavilion at noon to catch up. He is my fellow instructor at Bintulu and he is completing his twin engine IR training at Subang airport so he can apply to AA for an airline pilot position. 

We meet there and I take him to Jalan Alor for 黄酒鸡 lunch.

I also manage to change some TWD and HK$.

I tee up with Mitch and Jonathan Khoo for an afternoon coffee at Starbucks Tropicana Mall with me and Miraz. Both Mitch and Khoo are Snr. FO's with AA. Basically we talk pilot stuff and our lives; Mitch is happy with the income he is drawing now but not with AA. He bought a corner two story house at Sg Buloh last year and did it up nicely to his liking. He also just bought his dream car 2 weeks' ago so he seems to be reasonably happy at this stage of his life. 

Khoo on the other hand, is aiming very hard to emigrate to Wanaka, NZ in order to live out his dream life there. He is lucky his mom owns a restaurant there and has a farm just 20 minutes out and he can't wait to be there. He is an outdoorsy person and prefers such lifestyle rather than getting stuck in an airline pilot job. I am very happy for Khoo that he has just done his medical check and police check and he should be on his way to becoming a PR.

And he is leaving tomorrow night to Wanaka to spend 2 weeks holiday there and to see the Warbirds Over Wanaka 2012 airshow.

We also get to see his unit up above the Tropicana Mall. The location is fantastic and his unit, though small, is very cosy and comfortable. I like it for its location and convenience to retail, entertainment amenities.

Later on I treat them to a Malay/Nyona dinner at Mum's Place in Damansara Perdana. This is Mitch's and my favorite restaurant. We order food without needing the menu: cinjaruk chicken, four angle beans, foo yoong omelet, and chilly petai fish. 

The fly boys in front of Mum's Place

We adjourn to a local pub around the area and have Hoegaarden beer by the pint. RM68 for 3 pints which we share in 4 large mugs. I am not a beer drinker but I do enjoy its taste. It is low in alcohol I am sure because we soon order another 3 pints. And the pilots talk shop again about their flying and their experience.....

10.30pm I am back to Bayu, tired but enjoyed the boys' company and time..... We share a common interest and passion for aviation. The common bond is strong and interesting and I believe we benefit from listening to each other.

Skype

Recently I have got this craze about Skype. Ever since I got back from my Asian tour I signed up to Skype (skype.com) in collaboration with my good friend Kee Mun. And I have been wondering ever since why I did not use Skype earlier (it sounded so technical, isn't that familiar) or that I will live without it in future. The facts are the picture quality is very good, the voice quality is very good and it's free! A friend of mine Lian Lee Har who lives in Egypt tells me that her husband plays Backgammon every day with his dad who lives in the UK, on Skype! I can imagine me playing 象棋 with my friends on Skype!

The only thing at the moment is that I have not got Skype credit yet and so I cannot use it to call someone's phone or mobile. Once I have the credit the world is my oyster. And I can see myself getting a mobile phone already loaded with Skype software or a Skype WIFI phone that I can buy off the shelf from Dick Smith @ A$200 that I can use like a normal phone without having to be on the computer to call someone anywhere in the world.

I have taken some snapshots of us on the Skype. Hilarious! I can't wait till Kee Mun sees this post and comment on it!

Kee Mun Is Outdated, He Is Using A Headset. Lives in Ipoh.

Kee Mun Pretending To Work!

Can't Kick The Habit

Kee Mun's Darling, Jun

Another Friend, Shao Wen. Lives in Ipoh.

Cousin Yeen Li. Lives in Penang.

Friend Tuck Cheong. Lives in Ipoh.

Cousin Kok Choong Lives in Penang

My dad who lives in Northcote but is visiting Singapore

My brother who lives in Singapore

Sam Tet old class mate Boon Chee from KL

Old Malaysian flying mate Mitch

Mitch Wong from KL

Sam tet old classmate Kin Fong lives in Glen Waverley

David and kids who live in Glen Waverley

Kevin

Sister and Kevin

Nephew Victor and his Daughter Rhiana ringing in from Kuching

Old classmate Chun Ngan who lives in Penang

Friend Kee Mun showing off his packet of duty free cigarettes to me

All My Bags Are Packed I am Ready To Go

I am ready to go on a few weeks' holiday to Asia. As I am not bringing my notebook I will be out of action for the time away. The truth is I would have loved to bring my notebook so that I can stay connected. But I am thinking I am not really sure how to get my notebook hooked up to the local network and it would be such a burden to carry it around. Maybe one of the easiest ways would be to use an internet cafe computer to upload my posts and check my emails.

On the other hand I am slightly concerned about internet security if I use a public internet access. Such is the dilemma we have in the modern world.

Anyway I am looking forward to seeing some old friends this trip. Amongst them Kee Mun, my buddy in Ipoh, and my flying buddy Mitch in KL. I am also looking forward to catching up with my ex-colleagues in KL, Penang, Bangkok and Singapore. A new agenda for me this trip is to catch up with some of my Sam Tet ex-class mates and at least one ex-teacher.

Back in March. Arrivederci! Oh yeah! I am not leaving in the light plane!