My gysy life ...

It has never stop amazed me as how clean Switzerland was and how efficient the customer service in Hong Kong was while I lived in Swiss for 3 months and worked in H.K over a period of 2 years.

While my uncle was one of the vice presidents for Bank Utama in Malaysia in the 90's, I told him if he ever wanted to have a business model for his bank's customer service, he need to look no where than the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank @ the central district in H.K.

It has never ceased to amaze me about America's marketing , either online or off line.

While walking to the grocery store yesterday, I saw this US$100 note on the street. I thought , oh goodness me, whoever dropped this note must be in panic as the store I was going into was a discount type of store : Save-A-lot. It is one of those store you see a lot of new immigrants who buy lesser brands to make end meet.

I picked up the note and waited outside the store in case the owner of the note realized his/her lost and came back to the store. I had a very dramatic experience in New Zealand airport when I took my a year round-the- world's backpack trip. Auckland was my first stop. My kiwi girlfriend Heather picked me up on the airport. I was so excited to see her because she was the 1st familiar face after I left the place I stayed for over 20years. Nearly 2/3 of the the church which I attended over 15years came to the airport to sent me off. I hugged everyone and did not know when I would be back again to see them.

I cried all the way from Sydney airport to Auckland airport (the air steward was very sympathetic of me, I think he must have thought someone in my family must have found dead or something along that line, but I looked quite young for a widow :):), he kept coming to check if I was alright. He probably had not seen anyone who cried so much in his life. It was one of the difficult decisions for me at that time, to leave or not to leave, to say yes to the Kiwi guy who was very interested in me or went back to Malaysia for the potential Malaysian boyfriend ! At that time, I really did not know if I had made a right decision to go back to Malaysia but then I bit my teeth and went and made the decision I thought was the best. (Luckily I always have very good teeth :):):).

The minute the plane touched Auckland airport, the first familiar face I saw was Heather. Nothing beat a familiar face when you are home sick. Yes, Heather reminded me of my Australia home, we spent many years in our church youth fellowship together. She was such a nice girl, a very easy going nature kind of girl. She decided to return to New Zealand after staying in Australia for more than a decade. Her move had broken Basil heart to many many pieces.

We hugged and kissed like 2 crazy women. After the hugs, I went to the bathroom. After I came out of the bathroom, with my tear wiped and my face cleaned, I told Heather I wanted to take some pictures of the airport. Then I realized my video camera was gone, gone, gone .... I must have left in the bathroom. I was so panic that I felt like I am going to faint !!!. During those times, video camera was very expensive. I think I must have spent a few thousand Australian dollar for my movie camera. The thought of not having my video camera for my once- a- life- time kind of trip made me so sad so sad !. And I don't think I have budgeted to buy another video camera, of course, unless a rich man came to my rescue because he had fallen madly in love with me over the journey, but that was a not even on my mind then because my kiwi boyfriend Warrick Savage face was hunting all the way from Sydney to Auckland :)-. Anyway, Heather said, "Don't worry, let's go to the lost and found counter, I am sure someone would leave it there." . I thought Heather must be crazy, who on earth would return such an 'expensive' gift from heaven ?

I was wrong ! Someone did return the camera. The kiwis were really honest people, I have to say. They were a lot laid back than Aussies then !

This picture was taken in 1990 with Heather in Auckland, New Zealand.

After I returned to Malaysia, I had lost contact with Heather. But, the internet is an amazing world,if you think Heather's face look familiar and if you know the where about of Heather, please write to my email. I will be eternal grateful to your kind gesture.

With that experience, I have a soft spot for returning any lost object to its rightful owner, and that include a male friend to his girlfriend, ha ha ha ha.

Anyway, we need to return to my US$100 note, while looking for if anyone was coming to look for their US$00 note, I opened the note and guess what I saw !