Dreamy December

December has been somewhat peaceful, considering I spent more than half of the month away from work.  And boy.... how I wish I could just win the lottery so that I can quit my friggin' job (I really hate my senseless workaholic team mates, shifty global service department and self serving product owner).  Travelling made me realize there are so many wonderful things out there to see and experience, instead of just being desk bound and work to fulfil someone else's agenda.  A true leader is someone who makes people working under him/her feel empowered and become prosperous, instead of just having them execute the boss' own designs.

The highlight of the month is of course, my Japan trip.  This year we started from Tokyo, then made our way through 4 cities in Hokkaido (Hakodate, Otaru, Furano & Sapporo).  I'll be writing on that trip in a separate post.

Checking Out Shimbashi On Our 1st Night - Galaxy S23+

Just last week, we visited Batam to check on the staff and the hotel.  This time we stayed in Ibis Styles Nagoya as I had to accumulate enough points to maintain my silver member status.

Front View of The Family Suite - Galaxy S23+

From Another Angle - Galaxy S23+

The hotel is actually quite nice, although the location is not so convenient and the noise insulation of the rooms is just terrible.   We could hear the noise from the main street just outside, and also noises other guests made in the corridor, and even the room next door.  I was awoken a few times on 2 nights by noises along the corridor when some drunk guests checked in.  The craziest thing was that they were already in their room and I could still hear them shouting and talking.  It was such a terrible experience for me, I'm not returning to that hotel for sure.

Love The View Though - Galaxy S23+

Same View at Night - Galaxy S23+

As for our own Batam Harbour Hotel, the newly renovated spa made some good progress, which is mostly due to the missus' handiwork.  The spa turned out very charming indeed, although it's still at around 80% completion.

The New Spa at Batam Harbour - Galaxy S23+

Lindsay also made a request to stop by Magna cafe in Nagoya Thamrin City for her favourite hot chocolate which I gladly obliged.

Lindsay's Favourite Hot Chocolate - Galaxy S23+

We also checked out Nagoya Hill after such a long time, when I had to buy a fan for the restaurant staff.  The place has really dwindled a lot...  

Nagoya Hill - Galaxy S23+

And on Christmas eve, we went for dinner at my sister's place where we were hosted to a raclette dinner which while the kids enjoyed, was a bit too heavy for me.  But it was good to just gather and catch up.

In any case, the year is coming to an end.  I've just went for the usual year end prayer at 莲山双林 monastery earlier this afternoon followed by a hotpot dinner with my parents, my sister and her husband at home.  Even as I posted this I've just sent my wife to her temple in Geylang for her new year prayer.  This year's December post is really cutting it very close.

I hope for a much better 2025 where my wishes will come to fruition, a healthier me (and my family), a wealthier me, a much happier me & my family and hopefully I can make the people working for me in Batam to become more prosperous too.  

Here's a closing shot for this month's entry (at the eleventh hour again): 

I want to return to Disneyland Again So Bad! I Really Love Donald! - Galaxy S23+

~ Photos Taken With Samsung Galaxy S23+, The Missus' iPhone 15, A7RMk3 + FE24mm F1.4 G ~