Personal - Staff Bonding to JB

Hey Blog,

Today was my happy day as one of my wishes was fulfilled! What wish am I talking about? As stated, one of my wishes is to travel overseas with colleagues.

Gw got us a vehicle to fetch everyone, and they were fetching me from my place. That's convenient.

You know, I read or hear many stories of how overseas travelling together can ruin a relationship. For this case... I must say it comes with a condition...

The first condition is to build a good bond with your colleagues personally, I worked for more than 15 years, and most of my colleagues are just acquaintances and they always have their own cliques especially if their earning power is the same and have common topics to talk about... As for this group of colleagues, I needed to build trust and understanding with them to fulfil my wish. For this group, it was a group of oldies and yeah, no potential girl; but good enough for me.

Personally, I can't say it was a trip with friends, more like a staff bonding which was good enough.

Custom jammed of going Johor Bahru on the weekend is an obvious prediction.

Based on the jam... It will take two hours to get over this.

Time to clear some games with local data as overseas data roaming is limited. Trying to play a game that my mother is serious about so that we can have a common topic to talk about.

Oh my, I could not believe my eyes! To shorten the waiting, the driver speeded through the bus lane and cut right into the start of a splitting lane between bus and usual car; we were honked by Singaporean drivers who had been queuing patiently... Skillful driver to be honest but it was risky... Hopefully, he will be safe and have fewer conflicts with other people in future.

Feeling happy that we were able to cross the custom in less than an hour but not that proud.

Yippee! We arrived at the Opero Hotel safely!

Quite a standard lobby but definitely grand...

Especially when many beautiful lights are hanging around.

(Credit the guard) Group photo everyone! I don't know why, in the car, instead of calling out my name, they just addressed me as "boy boy". Seriously, I am a 45+ old man! 😂

Oooo! Since we were early before checking in, there is a shopping mall, Mid Valley Mall near Opero Hotel.

Let's go shopping and lunch.

In most situations, the majority will go for some meaty feasting and I will hunt my own food. Luckily, I found this vegetarian stall as it is well hidden inside a supermarket. Spicy noodles 😋!

While window shopping around, wondering what should I get for myself, clothing? It seemed meh... My attention was captured by these pairs of shoes as I was contemplating whether I should go for it or not... As it was beautiful - the comfort (the thick cushion around the ankles, a thick sewed sole thickness which promises its sturdiness and the overall simplicity is just like a salt bae moment.

On the opposite side of Mid Valley Mall, there are housing estates that look like Singapore flats. Anyway, shopping in Mid Valley was just like in Singapore.

Time for us to check in, to check out our rooms. Quite a standard layout for a hotel.

How classic to have simple sculptures along the lift lobby which guests can shift the items around to create a story of their own.

It is always a mystery to me how they can have a seamless carpentry which is impressive personally.

My hotel room for the night. How do you do?

The toilet is the first thing to greet me. Ah, clean marbled basin, lighted mirror like superstar and rain shower.

Oh my. People can watch you shower here! Do I have an audience?

(credit Mala) but as epic as Mala's family room which has a bathtub right outside the toilet. Very convenient.

Anyway back to my room, here is the overview of my room.

Yippee! This was my first time to own a room alone! Kind of like... My own high-class room! There were two rooms, and I separated them for two different activities: one was for sleeping and another was for anything random.

As I was looking down... They got a pool down here! The pool seemed like it had some form of magic which caused my clothing to disappear instantly! (it was perfect timing when my colleagues wanted to take a short break before going to another mall so I had enough time to have a quick drip)

Woooow infinity pool! Should be 25m in length. They even have a kid pool!

I was not surprised that no one would swim at this hour because it was check-in time and most people would exit for malls.

Or because they know there is an ugly person in a white trunk by the pool, so best to avoid this person!

Only this crazy and ugly one 🤪 focuses on the swimming pool.

Sadly, no one is here to help me snap a picture of me in the infinity pool but since the background was kind of meh, let's it slide.

I got up by the pool because the water was kind of dirty. Luckily, I wore a pair of goggles to witness it and protect my eyes.

But I did swim a few lapses and captured this untoned one doing the wrong thing.

And I thought I should take a nap.

But it was a nice pool.

Hmm... My goggles needed some cleaning.

Sad... This place doesn't have a sauna. Oh well... I will "napna" then.

(credit Mala) Around 5, we gathered at the lobby and from the look of it...

(credit one of the hotel guests) everything seemed so unreal... I could not imagine, it would happen to me... To my work life. Feeling so satisfied.

(credit Rani) Chinese New Year was coming up, and I will need some red boost.

Travelling in a Grab in Johor is very convenient. Next time I will give myself a chance to travel to JB alone.

Next mall - Paradigm.

(credit G) Oooo, usually here will be packed by shoppers but no one is around so I will get my photo then!

This mall is huge and has many levels, but it's kind of boring after a while. I mean, how many shops can you look at when you don't even know what you want to buy? I was hungry and I wanted to eat something, but I couldn't find the place I was looking for. The address was vague and in Malay, which I don't speak. My colleagues said it was on the first floor, but when I got there, they had run out of rice. So I ended up with no dinner...

I should stay focused on getting the goodies that my mother and friend requested. Half of my budget was gone. I hope they will be happy about it.

The next mall was Angsana Mall.

It just got simpler and I realized that this mall serves the locals. I hardly see any foreigners here compared to the other two malls. Like Mid Valley Mall, it was filled with many Singaporeans and foreigners (based on the language spoken), and Paradigm was slightly a good mix, but Angsana was like 98% Malay. Nice shift of different shopping experiences and prices too...

OOO! Are there other versions of Chinese Tea Eggs? Telur Pindang (Javanese Tea Eggs) And I bought five of them...after eating then I realised it is not vegetarian because of shallot and garlic. No more again, as it tasted meh.

I believed this was one of our last destinations for the day, a Thai Festival besides Angsana Mall.

Check out these lighted mini cars, surely excited the kids.

It made me recall back to my younger times, how I wished to try and play there... the bright light and colourful prizes are so tempting to the young.

For the adults, what hooked them, was the lights and varieties of food..

Colourful balloons screaming out "fun" and "cute"

Walked slowly and squeezed through with the locals...

Like there is no COVID at all.

Hmm... But but... This was a Thai Festival but there were 85% of Malay stalls over actual Thai food.

Rani had fun with my selfie moment

Oooo... Red Dragon Fruit sweet drink? Thanks, HD for treating me.

Funny display with Gorilla and Trex to boost their stall's uniqueness.

Thanks, HD for treating me to the Mango Sticky Rice. Delicious!

It was late and we took a Grab back for a good rest. What a fruitful trip with colleagues. Thanks Heaven for fulfilling my wish.

Looking out the Mid Valley Mall, the car park had fewer vehicles.

You know what? While I was packing my stuff in my backpack. Guess what I found in there? My superhero suit! Yes, you heard me right. I have a superhero suit in my hiking bag. Usually, I will bring one while hiking if I can cosplay in it. I thought, why not have some fun with it? So I decided to put it on and take some selfies in the room. Hahaha!

Like a lonely, powerless superhero who had nothing better to do.

Just snapping photos for fun. If there was a spirit in the room confirmed facepalm and exited the room for ashamed of this weird guest.

Had a lot of dreams night rest but it was a quiet night. Thanks Heaven for a peaceful night.

Good morning Malaysia.

Why did I wake up so early for?

I just smiled and...

Got myself ready!

For an early morning swim!

Not surprisingly, no one was here to swim!

Funny to shock the security guard when I showed up so early for a swim. I remembered that he bumped into me yesterday while I was in the toilet.

Chilling moment

I imagined myself looking out at the ocean on a cruise.

Okay! Time to go for a good swim after the birds had done theirs.

The water was rather cold... But I just swam a bit and snapped some photos.

Because what a beautiful sky in the morning...

And while I was checking the morning sky ugily.

Thanks Heaven for embracing me.

Alright, I had done the swim.

Going back to my own room in the trunk, I doubt anyone will be around.

I wondered... should I get the pair of shoes I like...

Waiting for the time which we all agreed for breakfast together.

I would have a good bath and tidy my room.

Honestly, I never understand how to fully utilise the free breakfast for a hotel stay... My colleagues could sit there and have a buffet feast for hours.

Personally, I wanted to try one of the vegetarian stalls nearby but... it was closed permanently... a wasted trip and I went back for the breakfast buffet.

I went back to my room and dressed up to get ready for our last shopping.

I thought we had enough time for a short nap...

(Credit Mala) A group photo again and went for a last shopping at Mid Valley Mall

(Credit Mala) And I went for the shoes I loved at first sight.

I really love this one.

Feeling happy about getting something I liked!

The driver fetched us and on our way back. He got insider's news that there was a long jam at the North Customs, so he suggested that we would return to Singapore by 2nd Link (West side Customs)

I can't believe it was so smooth and skipped the long hours of jam.

Overall, I had a great time going on a vacation with my colleagues. It was like teamwork after work; usually, we spent nearly long hours during weekdays working together. To have this happen smoothly requires us to understand one another's strengths and needs; we need to make adjustments to compromise one another. Even though I wish to get to know one another better through this trip, it was not possible because it is not supposed to be forced.

At least, this trip made us remember the times together and something to be proud of. it was not easy feet to organise a trip for more than two people overseas trip. Thank you everyone.

Jeff