The Significance

Khalish, now.

Presenting the meaningful moments in Khalish's life, throughout those nine months sans his story here, according to the mommy:

He has been clearly calling Kamal 'daddy' since he first spoke. 'Mommy' never came until I was away for a six-day East Coast tour, during which I decided to leave Khalish in my parents' care because the tour required speed. The great news only reached me the day I made my way back to Rembau. Yet, he had been asking for 'ami' since the first day I was not in sight. Imagine my happiness when he woke up as soon as I entered his room past midnight, and immediately hugged me, all the while calling me "ami, ami, ami!" I actually cried. The next day, he surprised everybody further with a clear 'mommy'. How he has kept the best for last.

Indeed, his first word, which was 'eyes' somehow, repeated throughout the journey back to Kelantan one Ramadhan day, came before his first steps. In fact, he has been stringing words to form simple sentences since he was one. The first simple sentence being "nak shake."

His first steps? Precisely stable at one year and two months old. Others thought he was already walking then judging from his skills with the stairs. Rather late, but I perfectly understand that each child's development is unique.

Carefree Kamal and I are as parents, but we do wish for Khalish to have more interest in books. We make time for personal reading, and either of us, as well as the maid, has been reading to him on daily basis. However, he himself has yet to pick books that we have laid on the low cabinet for easy access. We are thinking of setting up a mini library downstairs instead of storing the books upstairs at the moment. Just like Azhan and Rose do at their place. Let us see his reaction towards a rack of children encyclopedias that Kamal and I will set up this weekend.

Nevertheless, we are aware that, yes, each child's interest, like their development, is unique. Alphabets might not be Khalish's forte, but he could count one to ten since he was one year and three months old. Since then, we discovered that he was into toys related to spatial abilities and mechanical skills. It commenced with the milk bottles that he picked from his diaper bag that surprisingly kept him still during one-hour long Aidilfitri khutbah. Afterwards, he started to pay more attention to a stacking puzzle, which caught the mommy's interest way before Khalish was born, followed by Zoob Junior, which caught the daddy's interest first. Then, the boy got hooked to Duplo. Now, the Duplo set travels with Khalish practically everywhere.

Aside from his obsession with the three aforementioned toys, he has found new pursuit in anything scribblish, using crayons et drawing pad and doodle board. The crayons, were of toxic-free and washable Crayola brand. A great investment since the boy experimented with them a lot, with his mouth and any surface within his reach, including the wall. Thus a new project for me: crayon-friendly corner on a stretch of wall in Khalish's day nursery downstairs. The doodle board was my impulsive buy, at a remote one-stop shop, in an attempt to keep Khalish occupied during a Maghrib congregational prayer, if he ever got tired of the same old Duplo. Cheap, but also a great investment, at least, at that time. Too cheap to last longer though. 

Other toys, in his imaginative world, are remote controls, ladles, keys, food containers, the parents' accessories, and actually, every single thing in the kitchen. All the activities would involve Mr. Garfield, Aunty Suzie and Uncle Fadzil's present, or Mr. Cow, my friend from university days. If I playfully asked him, "siapa yang selerakkan kabinet dapur Mommy?", he would playfully replied, "Garfield and Cow buat." How convenient. I did not let him go, of course. Not until he had lent me a hand with the mess. The maid had taught him similar lesson. His role was to pass the items to us.

Khalish has actually been a true domesticated Cancer, which I fervently hope will be a lasting trait. I once wrote about him cooking a storm with the miniature kitchen utensils belonging to the best cook among his uncles, Pak Su. And how he enjoyed folding the laundered clothes with the maid. Afterwards, when the maid was on a three-week break in Indonesia for her daughter's wedding, Kamal and I discovered that Khalish was really, really domesticated. He has been seen diligently sweeping the floor, dusting the cabinets, vacuuming the carpets, watering the plants, making the bed, scrubbing the bathroom floor, and we wish that the list was longer. Heh. In a toys list I have just created for him for fun: wooden toy kitchen and housekeeping toys. Boys need to know to be neat, too, and I am not proud of the fact that I was disorganised during schooling days.

While we are at the topic, his favourite food is chocolate cereal taken with soy milk with brown sugar for breakfast. brown rice, fish, broccoli, and carrot combo still tops the list for lunch and dinner. Yogurt and apple for morning and evening tea breaks, as well as a mini tumbler of Herbalife Formula 1 shake that he requested every time Kamal and I had it for breakfast. Recent favourites have been Putu Bambu and unsweetened dark chocolate, that happen to be my favourites, too. Oh, when it comes to food, he loves what I love indeed. During pregnancy, I would ask for Lepat Pisang from my mother each time I went back to Rembau. Her Lepat Pisang is special because it contains minimal tepung beras and minimal brown sugar. Of all things, I have inadvertently bequeathed my love for my mother's Lepat pisang to Khalish. "Wan Imah, nak epat icang!" Which reads "Wan Asmah, nak lepat pisang!"

All in all, Kamal and I are simply thankful that Khalish has always liked vegetables and fruits. He also found medicine, if there was a need to consume any, pleasant. He loves water, too, preferring to drink from our Herbalife two-liter bottle with straw.

The food fuels the boy for innumerable physical activities. There are two fitness balls at home and one is treated like a soccer ball. Must be the influence from the bigger boys at the playground he frequents. He is definitely a parrot now. It was hilarious how he imitated the daddy executing push-ups and handstand. Or the mommy's front kicks. And us on the trampette. With Uncle Bern, it is always the split.

An additional fact: I regularly show Khalish photos of people around him. So far, he recognises them well. Uncle Bern and his wife, Mama Liz, being ones of the most recognisable.

Khalish and sitting still is possible. Just ensure there is either one of the following: Duplo , doodle board or crayons with drawing pads, a particular book with number figures, headgears, or children songs. He also sits still when he listens to John Lennon's Imagine or The Beatles' I Wanna Hold Your Hand on YouTube. Playhouse Disney airing Mickey Mouse has similar effect. I used to fancy Mickey Mouse, too, singing M.i.c. k.e.y, M.o.u.s.e to Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. So, it was not surprising that Khalish loves Mickey Mouse, up to the extent of wearing only Mickey Mouse pajamas every day, if possible. Oh, yes, he has realised the capability of authority. Thank God, the socks he chose to put on for bedtime always matched his respective pajamas.

Now, he also has a self-proclaimed authority over the shoe rack. It is clear to me why I did not donate the old sneakers. They are perfect for Khalish's imaginary world. Again, and even my parents agreed, I can't help from stating that he resembles me in many ways. With the exception of his obsession over numbers. That is Kamal's trait definitely.

Along the feel-good moments were heartbreaking ones. First being an accident on October 29, 2009, caused by the maid's failure to follow one simple instruction. Alhamdulillah, Kamal and I managed to stay calm about the whole situation, particularly about the maid, as she has been good with Khalish and us before, and more importantly, she is simply a good maid all in all. The scar on Khalish's chin has disappeared while the one on his chest is diminishing well, thanks to Herbalife daily soothing gel and a lot of concentrated vitamin E, with Mederma introduced a week ago. Second was an encounter with measles, when he was one year and six months old. A brief one though as he has had the immunisation. We enjoyed the view of him covered in calamine lotion, almost unbothered by the supposedly itchy redness. That kept him in the house for a good three weeks nonetheless.

There. Nine months worth of posts on Khalish, Khalish, Khalish. Last, but not least, the definitive photos of yes, Khalish, Khalish, Khalish:

Little Carl

Khalish, 1 Year 3 Months, October 2009.

Once, a friend linked my blog to hers as 'Little Khalish', not 'Chech: Eccentric'. All because of the endless posts on my son's milestones, in writing and in photos. 'Little Khalish', along with 'Chech: Eccentric', is back, friend.

Khalish. He is now one year and nine months old. The last time I dedicated a special post on him was in the month he became one year old. Nine months gap there.

I shall write about his significant milestones in another entry. For now, do enjoy more photos of Khalish, at one year and three months old, when he found out that standing on the two feet could bring him further in life:

Taiwan, Day Five

Our last day in Taiwan. Bakar, Kak An, Abang Zul, Kak Ima, Kamal, and I left the travel hostel right after sahur. We boarded an express bus that brought us straight to the airport. A lesson: be sure of the terminal for your flight as there are two terminals at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The silver lining: we had a taste of the sky train that connected Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Ever optimistic, yes.

Check-in was brief. We spent the time left to board the plane by exploring the terminal. That was when we met by chance the International President's Team members from Indonesia. Amiable. Kamal and I were also fortunate to meet Shahrulmiza, an old friend of Kamal who was working in Taiwan. He was at the airport to bid farewell to an international delegation.

 Taiwan, Taiwan, Taiwan. Oh. Kami banyak tertawan di Taiwan.

Taiwan, Day Four

Day four in Taiwan. Again, Herbalife shake for sahur. The best Ramadhan for Kamal and I, really. Back in Malaysia, the shake sahur kept us energetic throughout the day. I even managed to workout with my fitness trainer friend three times a week, during the day. In fact, Ramadhan marked our first month of consuming Herbalife shake with discipline, instead of merely having the shake for breakfast, with certain days skipped. 

So, Taiwan, day four. Entering the training hall on the first day of general training was easy for Kamal and I for it was placed on the same level as the registration hall. Reality check for us on the second day though. General qualifiers were divided according to their respective levels in Herbalife business. We entered the building through 'World Team' entrance. At the escalator leading up to the main hall, we found out that it was best to qualify for the VIP seating as the qualifiers had their own entrance. Much less people, of course, with exclusive restroom provided. Lucky us we had Bakar, a Global Expansion Team member, with us. He had a different entrance with lesser people. Therefore, he was able to secure seats for us.

While waiting for the queue at the escalator to subside, Kamal and I walked around the ground level to get to know fellow Herbalife distributors. That was when we met Felicia Wong and her parents, hailing from Ipoh, Perak. Love, love their spirit. We were also fascinated by the barter trading. As an example, as Formula 1 Cappuccino is only available in Malaysia for Asia Pacific market, distributors from other countries with flavours unavailable in Malaysia would exchange those with Cappuccino. Among Malaysians' favourite flovours to be exchanged with Formula 1 Cappuccino were Cookies 'n Cream, from Taiwan and Korea, and Mango, from India.

Back to the event hall. Again, we were enthralled by the energetic sessions. Our favourite session was presented by Susan Peterson, US Business Woman of The Year 2005, number one Herbalife distributor for six years in a row. Her faith and vision in Herbalife were truly inspiring that I, who had doubted my own abilities to conduct a business, suddenly saw my potential vividly.

Towards the end of the whole session, Kamal and I received another surprise. We had qualified for a new promotion: llimited edition watches. That made us happy despite the fact that Herbalife University 2009 had ended. All the while, our business coach, Bakar, accompanied us at the back although he had a better seat in front. Just to ensure that we stayed informed. Thank you, coach.

The session for Suzie Tan-Fadzil Muda's circle was concluded at iftar, with special shake for us, concocted by Fadzil himself. Kamal and I look forward to attending the next Asia Pacific event: Extravaganza, to be held in Singapore, May 14-16 2010. See you there.

Taiwan, Day Three

Taiwan travelogue continued. Day three, day four, and day five left. I notice that I write at the beginning and at the end of the month. Good progress than nothing at all, eh. About progress, here is Taiwan à la Chech, day three:

Herbalife shake for sahur on the third day in Taiwan, courtesy of Bakar. To Kamal and I, the shakes Bakar and Liza prepared were still the best in the universe for now. We stopped by their place at dinner hour the previous week for a business discussion and Liza prepared French Vanilla and honeydew shake, which we thought was out of this world. We simply love Herbalife. The reason we were in Taiwan, for our first Herbalife University.

September 12, 2009. General meeting for all qualifiers, namely World Team members and above. The six of us took Taipei Metro to a designated stop, where a shuttle bus would bring us to Taipei World Trade Center.

At Nangang Exhibition Hall, Bakar guided us through the registration, during which Kamal and I discovered that we also qualified for the party that very evening. That added to our excitement of being with 12,000 fellow Herbalife distributors from all over Asia Pacific, including Australia. Not inclusive of those who did not qualify but chose to learn by listening to the radio broadcast, available through translation program me at the lounge.

Once inside the hall, Kamal and I absorbed the aura of positive people from all walks of life, who were united by one mission: wellness. Indescribably incredible. Both of us, being the last-minute qualifiers, were happy enough to share a radio with one side of the earphones attached to his right ear, and another side, my right ear. An unfavourable arrangement as the person who needed to answer Mother Nature's call would not be able to listen to the translation while queueing up for the restrooms. 

Restrooms. Superbly clean despite the facts that there were more than 12,000 people in the hall and the kiosks were not equipped with bidets. Another interesting fact that was foreign to me then: people brought the Formula 1, Formula 3, and tea everywhere they went. No shaker cup? No problem. Simply use mineral water bottle. Refer photo mosaic 2, bottom left.

The university. Enlightening in every sense. The topics were presented by experienced Herbalife distributors and the company experts. Sitting at the back of the hall did not deter us from focusing. One habit that I was glad to practise again was writing notes. Then, there was also the 70-200mm lens to thank.

When the first day of the general training ended, Suzie Tan and Fadzil Muda's business partners, including us, proceeded to a cafe within the building for iftar. We shared kurma. Other meal? Iced soy or juice for our shakes. Refer photo mosaic 2, bottom right.

Fadzil actually got ready for the party that evening at the cafe itself. Suzie applied the make-up. Kamal and I admired Fadzil's energy. Later on, we discovered that he was life of the party indeed. As for us, the party qualifiers who did not know we qualified for everything was going at the speed of light, we were relieved to find out that the party theme was 'career'. Fadzil went as an entertainer. We went as, well, photographers.

How we had fun photographing the party. The photographers in us first noticed the brilliant concept of having various backgrounds for photo purposes, all career-related. Then, the entertainment provided kept everybody on their feet. The food and beverage were healthily delicious. The revellers were "wow!" And, I fell in love with Dr. Luigi Gratton, Vice President, Medical Affairs and Education of Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Board. Refer photo mosaic 3, bottom left.

All in all, it was a vivacious evening!

Once the party was over, Kamal and I tagged Fadzil and his tour guide along. The tour guide did not have any transportation. He was hired to ease the travelling while providing information on the places of interest. Refer the last photo mosaic, bottom left.

As Kamal and I checked the credits left in our respective EasyCards, we discovered that they contained the history of the routes and transportations the holders had been taking so far, by then. Little details made our travelling experience more meaningful.

We wrapped the evening with another fun detail: the compulsory photo, for this particular trip, in the elevator.

Taiwan, Day Two, Part Two

The first fellow guests whom I noticed at the travel hostel the six of us resided in were a group of muscular tourists, communicating with each other in sign language. Muscular, yes. They were indeed athletes, competing in the 21st Summer Deaflympics. Before leaving Taipei 101, another group of athletes asked for my favour to photograph them. My pleasure. I then asked their favour to be photographed with me. Oh, beautiful people.

Next was the night market. We planned our journey based on the Taipei map that Abang Zul and Kak Ima brought along. With differing agendas in mind, we decided to split. Bakar, Kamal, and I boarded Taipei Metro to Shinling Night Market.

Herbalife shake for iftar, of course. Colourful meal one hour later. I never expected any challenge to find a healthy meal there, but there was. Preferring not to dine too late in the evening, we settled for the nearest food stalls there were, choosing tofu and egg, which were sadly, deep fried. We consoled ourselves over the unhealthiness of our only colourful meal for the day by walking and walking and walking, burning the unnecessary fat from the oil. Please excuse the pathetic tone. Our health awareness came rather late, so we had better counter that pronto ;).

And walk and walk and walk we did. A long, long, long stretch of bizarre stalls. First, Bakar and Kamal ordered a handmade glass sculpture: Herbalife logo. Bizarrely cheap. Then, Kamal and I photographed Bakar at a fun-fare like ball-pitching stall. Bizarrely engaging, as one after anoter spectators cheered for the multi-talented Wellness Coach. Among the audience was a little boy who resembled Khalish. There were also rows of puppies in glass cages. Bizarrely pitiful.

Kamal and I could still feel the aftertaste of the deep-fried tofu and egg, so we were thankful to find a fruit stall of fresh strawberries, rose apples, sweet turnips, and lots more. The perfect dessert. Nevertheless, they were bizarrely expensive. As we savoured the fruits, Kamal and I tagged Bakar along. We have always preferred photography to shopping while travelling, so, we found it amusing that Bakar was bizarrely great at haggling. Among his loots were sunglasses, denim pants, and tops for Liza. All appeared exclusive despite the bizarre discounts. My loots were bizarrely discounted Nike t-shirt and bag. All authentic. Oh, bizarre bazaar.

We concluded the evening with a business discussion back at our hostel room. All six of us. Nonetheless, I retired earlier due to stomach uneasiness. It could be the menstruation, but I suspected it was because of the deep-fried tofu and egg.

Taiwan, Day Two, Part One

As I am typing, the television is airing Fun Taiwan. How apt. Back to September 11, 2009, Bakar, Kamal, and I commenced our second day in Taiwan with Herbalife shake, the best sahur. The fruit juice used to blend with the formulae was courtesy of Bakar's wife, Liza. She even prepared Serunding Daging and Sambal Ikan Bilis, of the best, healthiest ingredients, to be savoured by the clique, namely Bakar, Kak An, Abang Zul, Kak Ima, Kamal, and yours truly, for iftar. 

The six of us played tourists firstly by converting more of the Ringgit Malaysia (RM) to New Taiwan Dollar (TWD), to no avail. Apparently, RM was not accepted by the currency changers there. Thank God for HSBC. Kamal asked for his colleague's favour to transfer an amount of money into his account to enable withdrawal in TWD.

Then, the tourists proceeded to Taipei Main Station to buy EasyCard, a smart card mainly for public transportations within the city. There, we crossed paths with more Herbalife distributors. This time around, from Japan.

The photo of us with our new Japanese friends in their 70s above was shot by a Taiwanese volunteer guide at the station. Great help. Next destination: Herbalife Taiwan, Nanjing East Road.

We went there by bus, with a little walking. My, I loved the public transportations system in Taipei. Nonetheless, walking was more interesting, mainly for photography opportunities. My personal favourite photo is of an old bicycle with a mounted seat at its back, meant for a child. Naturally, I thought of Khalish.

Others were more enthralled with the bustling activities along the street. Food preparations were done openly. Roadside stalls offered unique items. One of them was hair brush specially designed for Guasa therapy. Oh, such eccentricity is always a tourist's delight.

We knew that we had reached Herbalife Taiwan when we saw people of various nationalities in the building. The lift was full of Herbalife distributors, which was perfect for our compulsory lift shot at each tower the six of us were in. Fun.

The ever composed Kamal knew how excited I could be with new experience, so he let me made my first international purchase: Formula 1, Cookies and Cream flavour, not available in Malaysia or other South East Asia countries. Too bad the aforementioned money transaction through HSBC was delayed. Otherwise, Kamal and I could buy Herbalife Kids products for our son, particularly the shake mix.

Also on sale were perfume for women and men respectively. They smelt heavenly. I can go on and on about the products not available in Malaysia yet, pardon me. On the same floor where the products were displayed was a wall of fame, where every aspiring agent of change flocked to feel the aura of successful Taiwanese health and prosperity distributors. In Malaysia, similar wall features President's Team Members and Millionaire Team Members. In Taiwan, the wall boasted a photo of Chairman's Club Members and the rest were photos of President's Team Members. It was too full to include photos of Millionaire Team Members.

For the clueless, Millionaire Team members earn around RM30,000 a month, with a record of RM100,000 a month. Imagine the numbers involved for those in the President's Team and Chairman's Club. 2009 marked the 14th year of Herbalife Taiwan by the way. A note: at Herbalife Taiwan, I was mistaken as an Indian national, again.

Next in our list was any Nutrition Club, really. Not your usual tourist destination, but an essential one, particularly once you are in Taiwan. Nutrition Clubs in Taiwan offer Herbalife health and weight management programmes by glasses, consisting of Herbal Aloe Concentrate, Tea Mix, and Formula 1, with optional Formula 3, shake. The country led Herbalife Asia Pacific market because of Nutrition Clubs. In fact, many of them have duplicated the system in Malaysia. We did not have a list of such club and only depended on strangers' directions for the nearest one. The co-owner was about to close it, but he opened the doors wide again for us. Upon seeing him, we realised that he was at Herbalife Taiwan branch with us. Refer the fourth photo collage. He was the one with bicycle.

There, we exchanged testimonies. The Malaysians also bought recipe book specially for Herbalife shake, Taiwan version. Kak An and I were not fasting due to menstruation, so, we gladly ordered Cookies and Cream shake, with the recipe based on the aforesaid book. I wanted the brilliant sports t-shirt our new friend was wearing, but it was out of stock.

Energised, thanks to the positive aura of fellow Herbalife distributors the six of us met along the way, we boarded a bus and then walked to Taipei 101. Kamal was particularly thrilled when he chanced upon a Google Street View vehicle on the way to the tower. At the tower ground, we met more Herbalife distributors from Indonesia, Thailand, Korea, and Japan, among others. It surely felt like a family outing.

While Bakar queued for the tickets to enter the observatories, the rest of us posed for the cameras. Kamal spotted a display that provided colourful bokeh for a brief portraiture session. The rest had fun.

It was late afternoon, yet we appeared resplendent in the portraits. Yay Herbalife shake for sahur as it kept the 100 trillion cells within each individual revived throughout the day. At the lift that would bring us to the top of Taipei 101, we met yet another group of Herbalife distributors, from Korea. One of them was a President's Team Member, a lovely lady in her 50s.

Refer to the photo collage below, top right. I thought she was in her 30s. Energised, resplendent, and inspired!

At the top, we toured the indoor observatory at our own pace, thanks to the mobile guide provided. The clear weather enhanced Taipei's beauty. I actually spent a longer time at each section compared to the others, oohing and aahing at the postcard sceneries, with my camera. Towards the end of the self-tour, the rest had made their way to a different floor, leaving me and another kindred spirit, Kamal, who also oohed and aahed with his camera.

There were plenty of activities, too. Being easily amused, I pranced like a child through an illuminated walkway. The same way I was amused with the starry display on the ceiling of the lift that brought visitors up to the indoor observatory. The lift, by the way, was powered with the fastest ascending speed.

Then, there were other amusements. From a 730-ton tuned mass damper to minute coral carvings. Reading facts on the former, I realised that the tower was engineered to withstand earthquakes, typhoons, and even fierce winds. No wonder it was annouced as one of the Seven Wonders of Engineering by Discovery Channel in 2005. I highly regard the architecture. Taipei 101 resembles a sturdy bamboo stalk, with segmented sections. Each section is a series of eight floors. Lucky number.

Please excuse my limited architectural jargons. I was only trying to express how I applaud the incorporation of respective traditional values in a building. Photos tell the stories better than I did though, eh.

The best feature was of course the outdoor observatory, at 91st floor, two staircases from the indoor viewing deck. My hair was the wind indicator, the others joked. Aside from offering breathtaking panorama, the outdoor observatory also proffered philharmonic-hall experience as the wind produced mesmerising music when it passed through the safety fence openings.

Again, Kamal and I spent a longer time here, compared to the others, to capture Taipei's charm with our cameras. It was mesmerising to be on the second tallest skyscraper in the world, at 1,671 feet. Yet, we have not done so from the sky bridge at Petronas Twin Towers. One fine day, ya.

Above is a personal favourite photo of Kamal and I, courtesy of Bakar, whose composition reveals a latent talent.

We wished to stay at Taipei 101 longer, but there were other areas for us to explore.

Taiwan, Day One

Kamal and I are set for Singapore this May 14-16. Surely I can't write the travalogue for Extravaganza 2010 if I don't document our Taiwan adventure in September 2009 though. Yes, I miss writing that much, and yes, I am eccentric. So.

September 10, 2009. Bakar, Kamal, and I found ourselves at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, boarding China Airlines bound for Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei. Why China Airlines? The only one with vacant seats then, and best of all, they were priced at our budgets. Wait. The best of all was actually its overall offer for such price. Spacious seat with ample leg room, excellent in-flight entertainment, delectable food and beverage, and amiable cabin crew. 

And, why Taiwan? As Kamal and I decided to pursue Herbalife business with more and more people requesting for our weight-loss programme, we religiously followed our Business Coaches' step-by-step instructions and voila, reached a level that entitled us a course in Taiwan, namely Herbalife University. All completed a week before the event.

Now, back to the travelogue. From Taoyuan International Airport, we boarded an express bus to Taipei Main Station, which was adjacent to Taipei K Mall Travel Hostel and HoLo Family House, our accommodation for the next four days. Thanks to Abang Zul and his wife, Kak Ima, as well as Kak An, for booking the room for us. Again, the best deal for the lucky three. At a minimal rate, the room was equipped with an air conditioner, a refrigerator, and an attached restroom, complete with toiletries, as opposed to the common restroom on the floor that accommodated Abang Zul, Kak Ima, and Kak An. More importantly, it was clean.

While waiting for the three of them at K Mall entrance, Bakar, Kamal, and I were greeted by a local Independent Herbalife Distributor. He was very happy to meet Malaysians because he has recruited a Malaysian Chinese, whom we met later, who now owns Nutrition Club in Batu Pahat. Yet, he has never been to Malaysia. Interesting.

The rest of the evening was spent traipsing through the hustle and bustle of people and lights. I have never been a fan of crowd, but Taipei was an exception, like Singapore's Orchard Road on Christmas eve. To be continued: Taiwan, Day Two.