Quick visit to see Tanel in Singapore

I love having friends all over the world, meeting up with them at conferences and ACE events, but there is something very special about being invited into their homes.

 I first met Tanel Poder and his wife Janika in Denver two years ago, and recently saw him in Tallinn, Estonia which is where he is from, but for the past few years he has been living in Singapore. When Keepers Debra and Mogens were planing to go to Australia, the journey seemed a long way and they decided to stop over and visit.

A new friend Paul on the left

We are all frequent travellers so Debra and I were a bit pissed off with Mogens who kept turning up late for everything citing jet lag, but apart from that we had a great time.

I met Paul who is a business partner of Tanel's from New Zealand and he was very impressed I had been there to visit. I am hoping he will come to UKOUG this year, and meet more of our friends.

Just when I think he is my friend

We went to a Japanese BBQ restaurant and I was quite excited, I am from Vietnam and Japan is not that far away so I like this kind of Food. Mogens told everyone I love a BBQ and again I fell into that false sense of security when I forget that actually Mogens has only one aim in life, to make mine as difficult as possible.

Mogens shows off his handy work

He actually held me against the BBQ until you could smell my neck burning. I expected to find Singapore a little hot, but not this bad. It is hard to forgive him sometimes, but somehow I always do. On paper he is evil and untrustworthy, but like everyone else I fall for his charm and stay friends.

What a wierd shape, but at least I now have a hand

We did a little sightseeing and went to see the view from the Sands Skypark Hotel, the funny looking building is meant to be an outstretched hand, good for Feng Shui but still a bit odd looking to us.

Mogens has a beer

But I enjoyed my own more

 Up on the observation deck, Mogens had a beer, the local Tiger beer, but I have to say I enjoyed my own bottle better.

Having forced the bat on me the game begins

The next day we were round at Tanel's flat for a quick game of table tennis before we left. I don't think Tanel was expecting Mogens to be very good, but he was surprised. The game got a little heated and I had a bat forced upon me, ripping my pocket, so that I could join in the game. 

Janika looks on thinking 'this is mad'

Janika who is normally quiet watched on in disbelief, and when they had had enough of playing with bats they moved onto using Technical Reference Manuals. The OTTTTT or OakTableTopTableTennisTournament was dreamt up. And apparently this needs to be done in a Japanese style.




Mogens and Tanel enjoyed this so much it has been decided to open up the game to the public at UKOUG.