EATING A HEALTHY DINNER WITH AN EX-SCHOOLMATE

The last time we went out to dine in together was on 14th December last year. Another eat out session was set today after 2 long months with my ex-dormmate/ex-schoolmate [of SMS Muar].

The venue chosen was Plaza Angsana and we finally went to Kenny Rogers Roasters for our early dinner. I at first wanted to get a buffet dinner at this one place but my friend was quite full so we went to KFC. Unfortunately, we were told at the door the chicken were all sold out.

The roasted chicken were good and we tried the new sauce: salted egg and satay. It was just a short meeting but hopefully we will get to see each other again at another eating place soon.

OF COFFEE, A MOVIE AND GRILLED CHICKEN

It was not easy to get back to work after all the fun time I had had during my short break. Then an ex-student contacted me for an outing and that should be the acclimatization session I needed.

So we went to Paradigm Mall for coffee and cakes at Secret Recipe while waiting for the movie to start and it was concluded with grilled chicken at Kenny Roger's, all in Paradigm Mall.

As for the movie "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil", it was worth the watch. Even though I did not know what had happened at the beginning as I did not watch the first movie, I could understand the story line real well. It was the usual good vs. evil kind of thing but the whole screening was indeed entertaining.

Thanks Mr. Hamzah Hamdan [SMK Taman Universiti's SPM batch 2006] for the invite and glad we still could make it even though it was a last minute plan.

MOVIE REVIEW - "JOKER"

"Joker" told the story of the protagonist's bitter past, what had happened to him much earlier - about his sick mother and his sad childhood. There was no fighting like what you always see in a superhero movie but there were very graphic and violent scenes, hence the movie is rated 18. And Batman did not make his appearance at all on the screen.

"Joker" is a heavy drama and could be in the genre of psycho thriller. I believe we already have a nominee for the best actor for the upcoming Academy Award.

Thanks Mr. Musleh for the time and company at GSC Paradigm Mall. We should do this next time when you come home for your semester break.

early dinner at Kenny Roger's

Then there was this short reunion with two ex-students of SMK Taman Universiti who are siblings, Mr. David Leong and and Mr. Leong Jing Chen.

BOYS' DAY OUT ONE SATURDAY AFTERNOON

31st MARCH 2018 ~ There are days on weekends when I am free and have to go out or I will just sleep in the afternoon at home. So an outing was set at AEON Bukit Indah with Mr. Mohd. Nazafee, ex-student of SMK Taman Universiti from SPM batch 2017, to watch a movie and then go for a late lunch at Kenny Roger's Roasters.

Thanks Nazafee for the time and company. I just wonder how many more outings can be done with him after this. Will he also disappear just like other people? That I have to wait and see.

MEETING THE STUDENT I NEVER TAUGHT

4TH SEPTEMBER 2017 ~ On the last day of the one week mid term break, I finally met Mr. Muhammad Hanis Hanafi before he went back to his medical college in India. Interestingly, he was an ex-student who was never in my class or school, but we used to be in the Johor Bahru Chess Team for many years before this. I think we got to know each other quite well after all.

The service at Kenny Rogers in AEON Tebrau City was really slow, the chicken took hours to be served and we were even given a complimentary bowl of mushroom soup. I guess we had enough time to catch up what we had missed within the one year period of not seeing each other (as if we frequently saw each other all this while). The last time we met was like a year ago before he started his first year studies abroad.

I am still not sure whether it would be possible to visit him in India and things did not sound encouraging at all. However, you will never know of the things I could do to surprise you. Thanks Hanis for the time and the insight of the place you are in, may we see each other again later, if not soon.

FRIDAY IS MEET-THE-EX-STUDENTS DAY

Friday, 20th February 2015 ~ As I could not meet an ex-student from SPM batch 2013, Mr. Ng Ching Khai, for our annual well-wishing and gifts-giving session for Chinese New Year, so we set a date to meet on the second day of the festive season. It was kind enough of his father to drive him all the way to Aeon Tebrau City. The mall was full of people and most of the eating outlets were fully occupied so we had to settle for Secret Recipe and managed to secure a table for two.

full house

It was a short meeting over (honey lemon) tea and we had to bid our goodbyes. Good luck Ching Kai in your new college in Kuala Lumpur. Hope to see you again when you come back for your semester breaks.

Then a surprise awaited for me as I was descending down the escalator. Two ex-students who are siblings were working as part-time promoters at a booth on the ground floor. It was a small world after all. Thanks Ms. Sakinah and Ms.Ainaraihan for the extra special offer given for the coffee packets bought as well as the extra coffee sachets to bring home. :)

And the last date of the day was with Mr.Syazwan who came back for the polytechnic's mid-term break. To avoid the crowd like what I had encountered earlier in the afternoon, we just met at Kenny Roger's Roasters in Tesco Tebrau and we were the last two people eating in the restaurant.

  

That was how I spent the third day of the CNY break. And I am not complaining.

And more people to see after this...

THURSDAY IS MEET-THE-FAN-SESSION DAY

SESSION #1

Thursday, 12th June ~ We had a plan to go for an outing and I had an urgent need to buy some things. There was a Member Card Sale at AEON Kulaijaya so we made our way there and managed to kill two birds with one stone. Surprisingly there were not many people at the mall but that should be good news. And this outing was in a way to bid goodbye to Mr. Syazwan who will be going away to continue his study at a polytechnic in Ipoh.

SESSION #2

The second session was much shorter. An old friend from college, Puan Anita Abdul Rahman, was here with her family for a holiday and I was always happy to meet my ex-UPM TESL coursemates when they were in town. We just met at the KSL Mall for coffee at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and managed to suggest a few eating places in Johor Bahru. I could not think of interesting places for them to go except JPO and Zoo Johor.

Thanks Anita for coming over to Johor (now I sound like a representative of Johor Tourism Department) and for the short chat.

AN OUTING AND A TREAT FOR TEACHERS' DAY

Someone was telling that he did not have the time to go buy me a present for Teachers' Day. Instead, he wanted to give me a treat during an outing. Did I have a choice to say "no"?

Some people have little money so they give small presents. Some people have a bit more so they give bigger ones. However, some people they just don't care. THANKS Syazwan for the treat, you are one of the people who has made me think life as a teacher is not that bad after all.