It’s been a fulfilling break so far. The earliest I went to bed in the last seven days was 5am. I don’t know how I am going to retune my biological clock when I return to work next week.

CNY eve: Reunion dinner + Overnight mahjong

CNY Day 1: On Air + CNY Visiting + CJ7 + Overnight poker

CNY Day 2: Kungdu Dunk + Overnight mahjong

CNY Day 3: Shanghai Blues

CNY Day 4: Formula M

CNY Day 5: Recover from Formula M

CNY Day 6: What is Man

CNY Day 7: L Change the World

CNY Day 8: Juno + The Kite Runner

I have one more day at home before I head to Batam for a station retreat this weekend.

Who says my break is too long?

The only way to be away is to apply for annual leave.

Cruz:
I don’t wanna move. I’ll nua till 4.45 before washing up and meeting ya…

Lynne:
Sure. I also nua-ing.

Cruz:
If only we can nua everyday…

Lynne:
Will be bored one lor

Cruz:
Oh i won’t!
I have tonnes of unwatched VCDs (non porn)
And I can sleep for hours and hours.
Only thing, I might get so nua, I might resort to calling McD every single day and turn obese within 1 month.

Lynne:
Hmmm.. I shall give u all my laundry for u to wash then…Must hand wash ok

Cruz:
CHOY CHOY CHOY!
10mil toto coming!
I don’t wanna touch your underwear!

As I was about to log off, my colleague from Sales asked about my leave status.

Geri:
Take leave until dun wanna come bk liao huh…

Cruz:
Hahahha

Geri:
Was talking to my client this morning. He misses you on the morning show.

Cruz:
Woah. Ok ok, for him, I shall return punctually next week.

Geri:
Your CNY forever so happening…. Got win money this yr?
Or i shld ask…how much did u win this yr?

Cruz:
NOOOOOOOO!
been losing every single day since CNY eve

Geri:
WHAT?!
mahjong king lost money every day??

Cruz:
Major damage to my bank account.
I need an endorsement deal pls.
which client were u talking to this morning?

Geri:
wahahaha….canon

Cruz:
Great! I use canon cameras! LOL

Before the euphoria of Formula One hits Singapore this September, we had a party to get our pulses racing. FORMULA M Party is essentially a private Mahjong Tournament which follows the success of the 6 6 Da Shun Party last year.

We break the tranquility of Aloha Changi with our cries. We apologise.

Registration was to begin at 3.08pm. However, the advance party was late in picking up groceries, and had trouble locating the check in office subsequently. It’s a good thing people are never punctual. Haha.

Some came prepared- after reading the rules and regulations I dictated. Some were confused. And there were those who had the audacity to question my terms and conditions. They didn’t realise they risked getting banned the next season.

Thanks to Don and Jan who dutifully lugged the mahjong sets and tables from home.

It was a mad rush to score points within 28 minutes. For the record, I would have qualified for the Grand Finals if not for the phone call that distracted me in the last 3 minutes. Miss Lek and Miss Loo, you cost me my place in the finals!

Presenting the four finalists of the inaugural FORMULA M! From left: Gillian, San Chin, How Han and Puay Hoon.

The finals was surprisingly low key. After the initial phototaking, the sore losers (us all) went off to indulge in our own mahjong and blackjack. The finalists were left alone, and took their own sweet time to finish the East and South winds. They took more than 90 minutes. My gosh.

How Han emerged as the champion of FORMULA M! Apart from a crown, complete with rubies, sapphires and emeralds, he won 80% of the total sum. With 16 participants each contributing $10, his ang pow contained $128. In addition, he gains direct entry to the grand finals of the 2nd FORMULA M!

Gillian, in 2nd place won $16 (10%), while Puay Hoon and San Chin received $8 (5%) each. Congratulations!

The next FORMULA M will include a Wildcard Comeback Round! Till then, practise hard everyone!

大爷担任庄家时不顾［三七二十一］，拿了三张七！每人赔七倍！

小胖妞一小时内赢了四百多元！

恭喜老爷、贺喜夫人！

And oh, I finally own a pair of men’s slippers. The current (and only) pair was bought in Kuala Lumpur three years ago- despite the fact that it was meant for ladies. No one has ever exclaimed that the yellow and blue motifs on the brownish footwear looked feminine anyway.

Never mind the old jeans and old shoes. What the self respecting mahjong king needs right now is new red underwear, and I’m all set for CNY!

Mum:
“… Wah Biang. I’ve finished all the bak kwa before CNY.”

Don:
“… My mum likes the bak kwa. Finishing soon.”

Best Friend:
“… …”

He has recently developed a double chin and is staying away from bak kwa.

Bestest Friend:
“Finished liao! Morning eat bak kwa, evening eat bak kwa. Thank god I don’t sleepwalk, else I’ll be eating your bak kwa when I sleepwalk.”

I’m glad everyone likes the bak kwa I bought. And I’m definitely relieved to note that I’m not the only one suffering from the agony and shock of seeing ever increasing digits on the weighing scale. Susan’s summary was excellent. 独胖胖不如众胖胖！

Over the last couple of days, I felt like a bak kwa guru with smses, emails and phonecalls asking for the address of that shop. Because they run a small family business, I doubt I can ever join the ranks of Zoe Tay, Sharon Au and Cassandra See in savouring bak kwa on radio, television or print ads. Shuang Fu Yuan still made me feel like a VIP though. They had another kilogram of bak kwa delivered to me last week.

Thank you very much.

不想过个大肥年都难了。。。

*I still don’t have Photoshop installed on this MacBook, so this is the exact image posted last year.

I first stumbled on this bak kwa shop in Ang Mo Kio last year. After briefly mentioning this on air and online, I was surprised to receive a message from Steffie, a schoolmate from NP. Wah biang. We had been in the same lecture theatre for years and she actually hid the fact that her family was running this wonderful bak kwa business! (Ok, we weren’t exactly very close then.)

It appeared that I had directed some traffic over last year, and she wanted to express her appreciation. The pleasure’s mine, really. How could I have allowed my family, friends, listeners and readers to queue elsewhere for overpriced and/or less satisfying bak kwa?!

Just as we are about to welcome the Year of the Rat, I was surprised once again to see a query on the 72346 SMS system. Someone remembered my bak kwa tale last year and wanted to get the address. Oh my. He/she either has an elephant memory or is a bak kwa connoisseur like me. Because I couldn’t blatantly announce the address on air, I had people SMSing for the address and demanded they inform the good people at Shuang Fu Yuan that they got the details from me.

Steffie just reported a marginal increase in visitors, and offered to pack free boxes of bak kwa for me. Awwww. How sweet.

But I can’t.

CNY is the season for bak kwa buyers to get fat and bak kwa sellers to get rich. I’ll dutifully queue at Shuang Fu Yuan @ Blk 163, Ang Mo Kio Ave 4 for my kilo of undiscounted bak kwa. My listeners have informed me that each kilo costs $40 (as at this week). Come on guys, let’s all put on weight together! Muahahhaa.