Wo-Men continues with its strong tradition of hosting another Carnival, an event cherished dearly by the group . . .
(this blog is a bit loooong but hope you will bear with me)
This program this year brought the group together for glamping at Boulder Valley, surrounded by the pristine environment of nature and lush greenery, away from the hustle and bustle of our hectic daily life. A really ideal setting to recharge the soul and rekindle the bonding and friendship of Wo-Men. While not every bro was able to attend in person, the buzz created in the chat group, ideas and words of encouragement says it all . . . . our bonding transcend physical boundary. We remain connected though we are not present physically.
The spirits started to get in the air from the moment the idea was mounted. The utter of a few simple words or chat were transformed into actions in no time. A few loosely framed words were well-understood and messages in between the lines were interpreted with rich imagination. A rookie like me who has never attended a single carnival, let alone plan one, sometimes felt lost but the invincible hands were always busy in the background making things happen. My worries were always answered with outcomes that exceeded my expectations! When the day finally arrived, I was simply blown away by the spirit, the level of preparation, the amount of food, snacks and drinks contributed/brought over by the bros. Transportation to get everyone to the site was seamlessly arranged.
The journey started with a pitstop for a quick lunch at 2 Acres . . . . another new discovery for many of us. Food was fine but it was the conversations, laughter and "suan" that made it such an enjoyable and nutritional experience. There was recollection of memories from our days at Uni, . . . teaching How Kor's son how to use his "privileged" position as a tutor to sian liao, listening to Prez's schedule for the day to get his villa a new coat of paint, we talked about "sabbatical leave" that we should have taken , . . . . and valuable advice from MDKW to disable our bluetooth function if we ever decided to watch our favourite movies at home! (#hinthintwinkwink#)
Just as we thought lunch was over and it was time to proceed to our destination . . . . . we just need to make the journey complete with a hallmark of Penang . . . . two Or Chi liu lian to satisfy the taste bud.
Not long after that, we were finally at Boulder Valley. Several buggy appeared and chauffeured us to our campsite. It was fun on an upward trajectory from then on. Some laid back with engaging kap siao while food & snacks were being dished out. Fun expanded into the pool area with our certified life-saver MDKW and super-fit tattoo diving into the pool with the kids. MDKW was able to helped CFO Phong's son extend his stamina of swimming underwater to 12 seconds ! MDKW also slipped and took a painful fall as he was playing with the kid. A true young-at-heart person at full display.
Something not in our plan . . . . 2 fellow female glamping neighbours walked by our group and tried to "sian" us by inviting us to replenish our water supply with them. As gentlemen, we greeted them, thanked them for their kindness and declined tactfully . . . . a decision which we regretted later on!
By 6pm, the stomach had to be satisfied and we had a really sumptuous BBQ.
After dinner is done some bros had to part for the day and the remaining super 6 +1 adjourned to cabin A5 for a night of wine + cheese plus more kap sio. Ideas for CP was explored . . . with Manila as a potential candidate. 2024 Carnival was also explored . . . with great suggestion to go on a yacht cruise by tattoo. The chat carried on till 1am and we called it a day.
We were greeted by soothing chirping of early birds the next morning . . . . hope this is how I get to wake up in the morning for the rest of my life. I also reflected on those moment as the song of the bird reminded me while I took a morning jog around the site . . . . cho gu cho beh ui liao hamik? Always give family your utmost top priority. This is what really makes this life worth living.
Not before long, we have to pack up, head for breakfast and check out.
If you think that was it . . . . no no no. We did a small detour to do a site inspection of a future elderly care home construction site . . . made possible with the expert consulting service of GH Tag.
The last 40 min or so spent riding in a BoBo EV, we talked about Korean War, WWII, Boon Siew estate, the dynasty of Chinese rulers . . . . . may many more . . . story to continue at the next gathering.
So, , , , that was my first experience of Wo-Men Carnival. It was more than just glamping, kap siao, eating and enjoying great snacks and food. It was the companionship, the bonding, the "gel" effect, the valuable lessons I learned about brotherhood friendship that withstood the test of time. May we have many many more priceless moments together. . . . cheers to the Wo-Men brotherhood, I know you always have my back!
Last but not least , , , thank you all once again from the bottom of my heart for making this outing so enjoyable.
Bye bye 2023 . . . we look forward to a better 2024, Stay healthy everyone. Take very good care.
