I guess the day would eventually come. After all, the developer gave us fair warning that by 1st January 2017, the app would taken off.
I have been seeing server this error script since Friday upon launching Jackpot Slots on Facebook. So for real this time? My only regret is that I did not see my final last points scored properly. Oh well.
To be in the Top 20 is good enough I suppose. Goodbye app, it was fun while you were still online to be played. I will surely miss you.
Over the years whenever we return to hubby’s hometown for the Reunion Dinner, we would also play a round of golf at the nearby golf club. This year, the customary routine had to be modified slightly because we came back a day earlier than our usual four days, three nights stay.
We are playing at our golf club today. Looking forward to some good golf to work off all that food consumed!
I was at the hair salon last Friday to get a haircut in preparation for Chinese New Year and there was this lady, sitting on the opposite side and being such a show off in her conversation.
Yes lady, I heard you when you bragged loudly about the gemstone you intend to purchase.
Yes, I heard you when you asked if the stone was 12 carats and gushed about the color and clarity of it.
Yes, I also heard when you praised the vendor for the quality of the gemstone yet complained that the price was exorbitant.
Gee… There was no one else besides me and my regular hairdresser, you didn’t have to speak so loudly to let me know. Unfortunately I heard you loud and clear even though I did not want to.
Any person doing something like this should just be discreet. Openly bragging would just invite trouble.
Who was she trying to impress? Certainly can’t be me? I should have plugged my earphones in to drown out the conversation. It was distracting my reading the gossip tabloid about the UK Royals.
When I was done and at the counter to pay, there she was again, at my side, talking loudly. This time it was about a 15-carats stone.
What an obvious show off.
I started reading the book ‘How to Think Like Da Vinci’ a Christmas gift from hubby. It sure is an interesting eye opener not because of Da Vinci himself but more of the fact it made me recall my encounter with the Mona Lisa.
I have been to Paris twice. The first trip when we wanted to visit the Louvre, we didn’t know the museum’s schedule well enough. It was closed and we were due to fly home the next day. Disappointed, we vowed that if we ever went back to Paris, we have to make the museum trip.
Went back we did, a few years later – 2013. During the second trip, hubby and my sibling were off for a business meeting, so I was left to my own devices. I decided to visit the Louvre. Thankfully, it was open.
And like every other tourist, I had to see the great painting. It was such a huge crowd, I couldn’t get any closer. And having a barrier and protective glass over it, it sure was hard to have a good look at the masterpiece.
Was it worth the hoopla? Depends on which angle you look at it. For me, it was merely a ‘been there, done that’ moment; didn’t move me. Give me a Monet anytime, I’d be totally inspired.
So back to my book, maybe reading it and trying to think like Da Vinci may move me better.
After playing Jackpot on Facebook for so long, the app announced at the beginning of December last year that it will be taking the app off come January 1st 2017. Awww… I was devastated.
I have been a loyal Jackpot player since its inception eight years ago. And for all my effort, I am proud to say I climbed up the ranks and was #20 among the group of players from all over the world. And on December 18th 2016, I finally made progress, coming in at #19.
It’s one mindless game that I somehow enjoy. There’s no need to think or strategize like the other virtual games that I indulge in.
But it is January 9th 2017 today and the app is still up and running! Maybe there is still time to make further progress to chase down the pack.
With only four hours of sleep the night before, it was hard to function yesterday. I have forgotten what and how it’s like to dig deep into the reserves to function normally.
But we had no choice because M1’s flight was 8.00am and we had to wake up by 3.00am. Our body system and morning rituals were messed up a little because by 6.00am after checking in, we had two breakfasts already, once at home and another at the airport whilst waiting with her!
Thankfully it wasn’t an emotional farewell. There were some tears I’d admit and I managed to hold them at bay. But the void in the heart, it started to build and felt heavy. Sniffle…
After the goodbye, we headed straight for the office, dropping off M2 at school on the way (yes, she was late). I tried to work to keep busy but found myself constantly checking flightaware.com. By 1.00pm, I gave up and decided to channel my energy elsewhere. Otherwise the void would envelop me with more anxiety. Playing my virtual games didn’t help because I had the computer in front of me.
So we went to play golf.
And I played horribly because I couldn’t focus. A far cry compared to my December game where I hit 6 pars and every department worked so well. This time every department was not functioning. And not only the body was tired and sapped of energy, my mind kept wandering. I also kept looking at my iPhone whenever we had to wait, to see where the plane was! Silly me.
I was creating my anxiety further when Flightaware showed the plane had landed in Narita but we didn’t get an update from M1. Knowing full well the transit time was barely sufficient and the security process was probably very stringent with the inbound flight to the US, there may not be an update. Yet I was wishfully anticipating one. Silly me.
By the 15th Hole, a relatively short 100m across-the-pond-Par 3, the silly me changed from my usual iron to a shorter one just because it was a red flag. What was I thinking? Already tired to the core and a shorter club?? Big mistake. I dumped my shot into the water. Twice! Silly me.
After that, I told hubby we should just give up the last three holes because both of us had no more energy left to continue. Also I had no focus at all, it was pointless to carry on. Came home so drained…
By 10.30pm, I don’t know about hubby but I was knocked out and didn’t see my phone until 7.00am this morning that M1 finally updated. After close to 24 hours of travel, she had arrived safely but still one more car ride to get to campus. All that unnecessary anxiety. Silly me.
With New Year’s Day being on a Sunday, Monday was a replacement holiday, so we didn’t have to work. But the day wasn’t wasted being a couch potato like most times.
I was determined to get back in shape with the start of the new year. After all those intensive eating with M1 back, my waistline has happily expanded. Sigh… the will has not been strong enough to resist the temptations of our local food, Vietnamese food and more of local food.
My trainer obliged us with a gym session at an earlier time from the usual time slot – hubby, myself and M1 went but M2 opted out. Dang! It was torturous. After three weeks laying off exercise, suddenly going back at it was quite a challenge.
Thankfully we survived. With that, I’d say it’s a good start to begin the year!
Our van came at 4.30pm as scheduled and we made our way to the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre for the performance. And I must say it was quite entertaining and hilarious despite not understanding what they were talking about.
The movements of the puppets were as if they were on a high, jerky and unexpected, and had us all in stitches. And the accompanying vocals, sometimes bordering on pitch high hysteria was very comical.
Very entertaining indeed and one should consider this in their itinerary when visiting Ho Chi Minh City.
The air con at Takashimaya was very refreshing and we were reenergized so the mall rat in us explored the place a little bit. Although we felt that purchases from outside were better, hubby did buy a pair of Doc Marten’s which were 60% off.
We went back to Saigon Square soon after and felt more comfortable there compared to Ben Thanh Market. I think the reason for this preference is that the vendors are not too pushy and the lanes between the stalls are wider, easier to navigate without being pushed from behind. Plus it’s cooler with air conditioning. We bought some fancy soap this time.
By then it was slightly after two and we stopped by the Street Food Market again for a late lunch. We had two bowls of Pho, a spicy noodle and a rack of ribs, something different from this morning’s Bahn Mi, Sticky Rice with Mango and dessert, eaten here too.
Sated we went back to the hotel to rest and be fresh again by 4.30pm. Such fun we are having!
I’m gonna love smelling like grapes!
Pho with shrimp
Spicy beef noodle
BBQ ribs
Sticky rice and mango
Mung bean dessert
Ben Thanh Market is a very vibrant place but I find the vendors there very aggressive and intimidating to a certain degree. It’s very crowded and competitive. One cannot simply make any eye contact with them. The minute they see you looking at them, they latch onto you, that’s it!
One should not also touch any products on display if you have no intention of buying. They think you want to buy and they latch onto you, that’s it!
But buying is also a skill. You must not show interest otherwise you won’t get a good deal. We did not buy anything this morning from the market. And honestly I find haggling too much, it’s not in me.
After a while, we left and headed to Saigon Center for some cool air.
Fancy some fresh seafood?
Maybe veges instead?
How about frogs?
I think seafood would be good
Crabs looking crabby, all lined up
Peeled crabmeat
Angieneering 
Remarks