Hilton BBQ Lunch ... or how to get a sun burnt with a cocktail at noon

[Actual date is 15.10.09 but publishing for event of 27 Sep 2009 - no internet, busy busy busy - what to do, eh?]

After last weekend's really eventful weekend, everyone at Eden Holiday Villas (it is only a Holiday Villa if you like the fact that every shower will find your bathroom flooded, everywhere leaks whenever it rains, etc etc etc) decided to have a sleep in. So there I was up early and went to office for the free internet

After that, in a good mood, I decided to join the troops and we said we will go to Hilton Seychelles for lunch. Originally everyone thought it was brunch starting at 11:00am. So we rushed over there and reached around 12:30pm but to our shock and horror, it was 2:00pm instead. With nothing better to do, and the resort being really small with almost no public area to speak off, we decided to go to the little outdoor area in front of the restaurant

View is fantastic! Then again, almost everywhere in Seychelles has a killer view

However, sitting at the lower platform, underneath the shade of overhanging trees could not compensate for the blazing heat. We had only 1 drink each and my arms felt like they were positively being roasted. I knew in the next week, that would be sunburnt calling

So what else happened?

Lunch was a killer! Teeny tiny buffet in terms starters and desserts and taste-wise, for me, the Asian tastebud, it was a disappointment but the meats? That was another thing entirely

There was seafood and red meat. Being worried about the uric acid ... since I am looking at potential gout attack again ... I am writing too much now aren't I? HAHAHAHAHA

I had the white sausage (Yummy), skewer of octopus (one of the nicest ever!) and the gigantic pork rib - this is a killer yummelicious piece of meat. Too bad I was with sissy eaters. Otherwise I WOULD HAVE GORGED ON SECONDS AND THIRDS

And the fun continues

In this photo, it is part of the hiking trail from the first incident ... plenty of huge crosses/ crucifixes in this country now? Hehehehe!

Anyway we met in the afternoon and was to go for lunch but chef changed his mind and wanted to go for clean up of his wounds ... we met the rest of the gang who said they are going to North Beach for a swim ...

In the evening when we meet again for dinner ... chef asked if we heard from the other gang ... Marco called them ... and after much drama ... they came back and told us their tale ....

They were having a swim and relaxing time ... recreation manager Dustin went off to some rocky areas on his own ... he left behind his phone etc ... but to his surprise the tide came in and cut him off ... so without any way of contacting anyone he tried to hike up etc to get out as the current was strong and the place was rocky ... unfortunately he cut his feet ... and cannot continue ... so he decided to head back to the big rocks ... and wait for rescue ... he waved to a few passing by fishing boats but none heard him ... not surprised if they used outboard motors, right?

Next the gang at the beach ... they at first thought Dustin was going off for a while only cos he didn't take anything ... then they waited n waited n waited ... and still he didn't come back ... so they started to search and call out for him but no reply ... then as it got dark they were worried and called for the General Manager, Jean Marc ... he came and called Security, Agnes for help ... apparently the police was having an event in the city and couldn't do much ... so she somehow managed to find a small little boat and went out ... and found Dustin!

Dustin saw ... but the boat could not come in as it was then dark ... and rocky ... so he jumped into the water and back-swam until they could reach and pulled him in ...

Good thing he is a touch bloke!

So how was that for 1 Sunday? Eventful no?

Disastrous or Adventurous or Eventful?

[This is actually being typed on 3 October 2009 - reason is because for the past 2 plus weeks I have been relocated from Relax to Eden Holiday - where there is no internet in the room and the nearest point is our office - a regular downer!]

The photo this time is actually the first thing that hits you smack as you turned a narrow dangerous bend to the Eden! What a welcoming sight. There is a 1 word inscription at the base MISSION

Anyway why I am selecting an earlier date? Because that was one heck of a weekend. I got up at my usal time, enjoying the weather and muching down breakfast. Then Marco Frank and Chef Bruno (nicest Exec Chef I ever met in any overseas work location - not that I am slagging off the rest of those I met - hi guys and gals - yes you were my friends too .... Shamsul, Amit, etc). Anyway Chef left first for the hike. As we took the right path towards Port Glaud, everything was nice. Then we headed back. I chose the sea/ beach path. Marco wanted to do the slopes.

A few minutes later I heard him crashing through the top and I saw him in flashes as we both took different paths from North Beach to South Beach. A while down the line, I heard him call out. I shouted a reply but as I heard nothing, I thought he might be injured. So I scampered up this huge boulder and BANG slipped on the moss/lichen. Ripped both leg muscles I thought. It was sheer agony and I had to sit down and just waited and called out. But Marco didn't reply. So I hoped he was all right

I continued my track until I passed by some China and Indian workers. The China blokes were in the sea with pieces of wire poking and prodding for some shell fish and ruining the corals. I tried to talk to them but they apparently didn't understand Mandarin or pretended not to! Then I saw 3 Indians walking out of the jungle with machete. Dude - I panicked for a bit. Visions of THE BEACH there ... and some horror movie spoof. However, when I saw the final chap carrying coconuts ... wooooof!

I went through some hilly areas after that ... and stopped at a huge rocky area where there seemed to be no way forward ... at that time I saw Marco's SMS and missed call. I called back but there is no answer. So I messaged that I would make my way back to North Beach instead

Waited and waited and waited ... and to my horror Chef was coming shirtless and have cuts and bruises in several places ... apparently Chef had an even bigger event ... as he went hiking through the hills ... 2 blokes hailed him ... he tried to ignore them ... they followed him ... so he ran for it until he couldn't run anymore and called for Marco behind the safety of a rock ...

At that moment, Marco took up the tale. He was wondering what happened to both me and Chef. Since he got Chef's breathless call, he decided to go back to our construction site for security and assistance and dashed off. By the time he found chef, chef had pretty much recovered his breath and came out after the 2 blokes were no longer around!

So that was when Chef made his way to the beach and Marco went off to drop the security vehicle etc

What an eventful day for Sunday no?

But if you think that was it, boy, have I got more to share with you in the next post because something happened to our recreation bloke later in the afternoon that actually topped this incident!

Odd characters

Finally I can show you the right photo ... from this it makes the place I am staying look so good right? Hehehehehe ... it is ... I am not sure what the rating is ... more like a guest house ... small pool ... the great thing is that it is not posh but comfortable and great staff ... most of them are so friendly whether they are local or mauritius or even a few of the Indian chaps like the security guard and the kitchen blokes

Directly opposite the hotel Le Relax is a nice beach called Anse Royale ... oddest thing is that in 2007 we used to come here for swim like once or twice a week and always saw this hotel ... and now here I am ... I have yet to put one little toe in the seas yet in 2 weeks ... sigh ...

Today the weather was horrid - rainy then sunshiny hot then rainy ... and on and on and on ... I was having trouble sleeping ... up and about by 5:00am ... then it was off to the site to check out the construction etc ... and got sun burnt!

What I really want to share today is some oddities during the interviews I conducted today:

1. Chap comes for store position - when I asked him a question, he just says that he already wrote it in one of 3 documents he submitted! Can you beat that? He refused to explain. When I fobbed him off to F&B, he asked if that means he didn't get the job

2. Lady receives our rejection letter. She called up demanding justification! ARGH! Where do they find these people? Who is looking for a job here, right?

There are plenty more to go than this as examples actually ... hehehehhe ... you have to be there and it will be so funny. I don't mean to be nasty but I soooooooooooo want to type the full thing here ... but I am trying to censor and be tactful!

There are days ...

when you feel like slapping some people ... you know the feeling? I have one bad situation every single day since I joined this company this month ... talk about a bad experience ... no proper welcome ... no proper accomodation ... shoddy treatment ... no proper office ... no proper chair or table or printer or even lighting ... I know we are in pre-opening stage of the damn hotel but to have the basics so screwed up??? I have done similar jobs like these several times and we never have this type of shitty problems

And on top of it all, what I absolutely find annoying is the sheer waste of time ... I am asked to do something ... I finished ... then I am told not to do it and actually supposed to do something else

Now you know why I feel like slapping someone!

I have been so tempted to respond to those recruitment agents asking if I would like a job or not. I am seriously considering this. If things do not improve, I will proceed with active job search. No point hanging around a cock-up operations, right?

The photo for today is a shot taken from the pool at the sea across from our hotel early morning before 7am. Lovely country this!

W ... T ... F ...

[This is posted on 21.10.09]

Before we start with the usual ranting & raving like a lunatic until everyone says I have a nasty disposition ... let me share with you a nice calm photo ... this was taken from the Seychelles Training Academy during sunset in Sep 2009 ... awesome no?

Ok ... we were told over the weekend that our booking was until 15th and we (Me & David B) need to advice Relax Inn if we need to extend ... we chased the office ... they said they will confirm on 14th ... on 14th they said to extend ... but guess what? No one told the Inn! So they didn't do it ... so me and David B had a nasty ... we came back ... and spent the night driving around looking at potential places to stay ...

Then Relax said they can keep me in different rooms but David B had to move out ... we called our nice GM, JMM ... he said that cannot be right and he will check with Jemma ... did we know what happened? Was the problem resolved? Nope

So the next morning, David packed his bags, checked out and went to office ... we subsequently found out that now it is okay for David to stay but after moving my rooms ... I will be out of a room in a few days ... so it was my turn to panic and search for rooms ... wow! What a nice team! Less than 20 people and the people doing this couldn't even handle this. Shows what a nice, sincere and caring team I am working with ... best be on my guard!

End of first formal week in Seychelles

Well ... you may be wondering why I am posting this photo ... the reason is I don't have anything new yet to share ... it has been a busy week interviewing people locally in Seychelles plus online emails and skype etc from morning until night ... first time in my life I need to re-charge my phone day time ... battery ran low!!!

So rather than give you other people's photo, I went through the stuff I randomly took at the Singapore airport on the way to Seychelles ... see? Related, right? I had about 6 hrs and was very fortunate that my elder cousin, Linda and her mom, Annie ... took time out to visit me ... we had a lovely lunch at this Korean restaurant ... so many restaurants at the airport are doing set lunches for SGD10 only ... good value for money as the portions are huge ... the food is tasty ... sign of a weak economy

As for the photo, I was in the bookshop trying to find something for my reading on the plane ... there was this man constantly hogging the maps section ... he had a tag so must be working somewhere in the airport ... probably planning his vacation ...

3 more days to my other half's birthday ... sigh ... wish we are together ... SIGH!

Okay ... I better stop here, eh? Hehehehehehe

Too Busy for ...

My second post within a week ... hehehe ... yesterday I celebrated my 37th birthday ... this is the third year in a row in which I celebrated in different countries ... 2007 was Bahrain ... 2008 was Malaysia and now Seychelles ... still thanks to the 4 hour timing difference ... I woke up several times early in the morning ... when my phone vibrated with messages ... to ALL who msg me, I thanked you once again for your wishes ... when I am new to this country with friends yet to be made ... it was very nice

Unfortunately thanks to work, I had no time to go out or even buy a slice of cake ... so tonight I decided to head down to Anchor Cafe on the way home ... my Resident Manager was having a bit of a "day" himself ... and I decided to ask if he wanted to hang out too ... since the last 2 times he asked I had to decline ...

Anchor's prices had certainly shot through the roof ... I guessed they revised accordingly after the devaluation ... a simple meal of pork chop, apple pie minus ice cream and a coca cola stiffed me for about EURO24!!!!!!!

Ugh ... but it was a nice place, the people are as friendly as ever and the food was lovely ... and now I am so bloated while typing this out ...

The photo once again is consistent now ... it is taken from the room I am staying at Le Relax ...

Nite all

I am Baaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!

My last post was in Jan ... I had a peek ... and ironically it was a post about procrastination versus discipline ... and I proved my lack of discipline by not posting? Hehehehehe!!!!

To all the people who emailed or msg me about the long period of silence between blogs, I HUMBLY THANKED ALL OF YOU AND APOLOGISED

From now on, I am back and here I am posting again ... I am still undecided on whether to post backward and forward to fill it all up ... and if I do, only you regulars will know that I have filled up the gaps ... it won't have the same sense of urgency but what the heck? Completionist ... mentality, that's me ... thanks to a lifetime of collecting comics ...

Anyway, the photo I am putting on this post is taken from my tiny room in Seychelles ... yes I am back in Seychelles after a 2 year absence ... I have signed up with Constance Ephelia Resort ... and temporarily holed up in Le Relais Hotel on Mahe Island, Seychelles ... it's a view of the tiny pool next to the tiny restaurant

Today is Sunday. I had great plans. I wanted to go out and checked out what's been happening in Victoria since I haven't been here for so long ... I woke up ... I peeked through the windows ... and darn it all to blazes ... it's drizzling, raining, strong winds blowing ....

So what did I do?

I over-ate ... stuffed my face and bloated my stomach to the max ... I had my first taste of bacon n eggs ... been years since I last had bacon ... then around 1pm ... I decided to go to Victoria ... and went to the Pirate's Arms restaurant ... ambience unchanged ... thank goodness ... less than speedy service but when you get the waitress' attention ... it is still warmth and friendly ... thank goodness yet again ... pork chops ... yummy!!!!!!

Well almost dinner time ... so I am going for the max again ... heheheheh ... will post something on all my other review links too ... and back here again soon ...

All the best to all who read this