Selamat Hari Raya

To all Moslems, Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri and have a wonderful and joyous Hari Raya.

To all Malaysian, lets celebrate Hari Raya together.

BE SAFE!

Greetings From Beijing

Dear All,

I am writing this from Beijing. I know I know! I was supposed to be away for just 2 weeks but it has been more than that.

Anyway, Beijing was different from the last time I was here around one and a half year ago. Maybe the Beijing olympics game has a lot to do with that as I couldnt find my favourite moslem restaurant anymore in the area that it was supposed to be. I looked for it for almost 1 hour. Not that I know many moslems restaurant and when I couldnt find that one, you can imagine my dissapointment!

Havent really managed to visit those olympic village yet but will go there tomorrow. Am going back on sunday.

The weather here is nice, not so hot but just plain cool enough. The nights are around 18-20 degrees, the day around 27.

Take care everyone and selamat berpuasa to all moslem readers.

Bye

I Will Be Away

Hi everybody. This is to notify all visitors and friends that i will be "away" for around 2 weeks from tomorrow. I may login or I may not.

Best wishes to all.

LUCKY, LUCKY, LUCKY and YET!

I am curious actually. The no 8 is considered a lucky number by the chinese. Thats why we have many going after the number 8, 88, 888 or 8888 for thier cars, houses, tel no, road street that they stay in etcetc..

NOW, I read in the newspaper on saturday that although many tied the knot on that day of 8/8/08 but that day itself is considered not a lucky date/day to get married. How is it that a triple luck is still not lucky enough?

I and Bukit Mahkota

This morning it was announced that the mother of one of the staffs had passed away yesterday and that the burial will be carried out before noon. The staff`s house is in Bukit Mahkota Bangi.

They gave me the house address and I thought I`d pay the familly my respect so off I went looking for the house, first in Bangi and I was somewhere near UKM.After I asked around I was told that Bukit Mahkota is near Nilai, I headed for the Highway.

After getting lost twice in the area, i found the house but everybody has left for the kubur. I asked a few persons in the housing estate and some claimed they didnt know and some showed me certain direction.

Off I went and got lost again. It was already 1215 pm. I have been on the road looking for the house and the kubur for 1 hour. I finally found a guard house and asked a security guard there and he showed me where to go. I followed his instruction and later I found myelf at a T junction. I took the left turn and went on for 2 km and decided to turn back. I went the other way and finally found myself at the bandar Baru Bangi near the UKM, exactly where I was earlier before I found out that Bukit Mahkota is in Nilai.

1245 pm and I decided that the since whole thing was over by then, I gave up. Had my makan in Bangi and after that headed back to the office.

My Problem? Well I didnt see one sign at all to direct me to the kubur. Come to think of it, this is a similar situation in all kubur that I have been to.

MEMO to me: write to all State Islamic Affairs Dept and tell them to ensure that all kubur have signs to lead visitors to them.

WHAT DO YOU GET?

I was driving my sons back home from tuition last night. The youngest was exchanging sms about the WHAT DO YOU GET if you cross x and y jokes with his friends.

So just to lighten things up a bit I asked my 2 son WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU CROSS A CAT AND A DOG?

They tried to humour me by giving a few answers. All of them were tak boleh pakai ones ofcourse.

Finally I said "KUJING"

And they went WHAT? With a look of bewirlderment and followed by OMG, YOU SUCK!

Is It So?

I am extremely busy nowadays that I have so little time to spend on blogging and/or reading other people`s blogs. I have so many things to write about but have so little time. Thats why you have not seen any new entry lately or me messing up other people`s blogs!

Is it so? I mean, I have this general view that malay women nowadays are getting shorter and "rounder". I have not observed other races and thus my focus group/race will be just the malays. You see, I have this habit of looking at people and observing them. Singles, couples or groups and I am not sure whether it is just me or is it true that malay women are getting shorter and shorter and ofcourse more plump? Look around!

Everywhere I go now, I see more shorter and rounder women than they are lean/thin and tall. My thoughts? Well, short and rounder women are certaintly not as attractive/sweet to look at to me. I prefer them to be tall and not so big. My fear? That this trend if true will be the direction of the future.

Why? I guess its the food and the lifestyle that we lead.

The men? Havent look at men so much as I looked at women but I think the men are still ok i.e. 50-50.

Something to Ponder About

The other day, as I was leaving for lunch, there at the lobby, I saw this man. He is around 50. He was using a walking crutch (?) (an apparatus that one uses to assist one to walk). I was taken aback and just stood there on my track looking at him. His wife who was driving was leaving the area. He was walking so slowly.

Now, I always saw him because he works in the building. I have always known him to be someone normal and healthy. Seeing him like that day made me realised how really fragile life is. Ofcourse I always knew that but withnessing life at its lowest point jolted me. He was the opposite of who he was, walking quickly and looking strong and robust. Now he was a frail man. The "life" was taken away from him. How does that made him feel? Does he feel helpless and "useless as well as a burden"?

And we have some people doing crazy stuffs and stunts and got away with just a scratch maybe until that one day when the "life" is taken away.

At this age, I look at life quite differently than when I was younger. I value and treasure life more now, not just mine but everybody else`s.

Serban and Bikes

I like to believe that I am a good driver. I follow all the signs and regulations. I am always curteous and very observant of my surroundings when driving.

Now this serban and bikes issue to me is something awful to be made an issue by certain quarters. As far as I am concern, when you are on the road, wear the helmets. If you are going to the friday prayers, wear the helmet when you are on the road and wear the serban when you enters the masjid, period!

I guess some of us would comment that let them wear the serban because when they get lanyak and thier head is all smashed up, the serban can be use to cover the head!

Spare a Thought

I have seen this scenario many times. In shopping complexes. Kids pleading with thier parents to have KFC or McD mealsor pizza hut. The parents will say it is too expensive (these are expensive food to have for a familly of 5 for example) or lets go to this shop first and later come back (they never did) or the parents say something bad about eating fast food to discourage their kids.

Many a times I saw sadness and sometimes tears in those kids eyes. A look of dissapointment. But these kids knows no better. All they want to know is the taste of those fried chicken and burger or pizza in thier mouth. We cant blame them for thier innocense and ignorant of thier parents not having much money to splurge on.

I am writing about this now because in this current environment of the shrinking value of our money, the above scenario will play itself again and again in many shopping complexes all over!.

Do try not to be a player!

Anwar and Sodomy

The Star reported today about the sodomy allegation, about Anwar taking refuge in the Turkish Embassy because he/his party/his familly claimed he/they have received threatening notes to cause bodily harm to him and his familly etc.. They claimed that the notes were received since the GE. Thats why he is absent from the 2 PCs.

He is not worried about his wife and childrens?

They are not worried about their safety?

The sodomy allegation!. Conveniently missing? Excuse? Why hide now and not when the notes were first received?

I really cant rationalise these events and I took maths as a major years ago.

LONDON, the week of 14-21 June 2008

Went to London during the period. It has been a routine for me to "be" in London, on the average, 3 times a year, at least 2 of those times being a 1 week visit. Touched down on Saturday afternoon and by the time I reached London city, it was around 615 pm. Decided against going for my dinner at the JomMakan Restaurant as I was too tired to go restaurant hunting!. Had an Indian meal somewhere near the Edgware Road.

On Sunday, went to the Trafalgar Square and spent 45 minutes looking for the restaurant. Couldnt find it and I didnt bring the address. I gave up after my legs gave up, my stomach got hungry and my mind went off to things more important than looking for a Malaysian Restaurant.

My recent London trip was another boring trip to london. I have never been a tourist to those places that I go. I have never been to any of the famous landmark of London i.e. the museums, the stadiums, Parliament, Big Ben, the Big Ferris wheel etcetc. I dont know why I have neber been attracted to them. I have never taken the Tour Bus, I have never ...... I have told myself to savour the sight and sound of places that I go many times but it remain just a thought!

The only crazy thing I did once, many many years ago in London was to go to Soho alone (back then Soho was still a sleazy place), hang around at a place, and when I realised it, it was 3 am. I went out of the place that I was in, looked around, there were not many people, those who walked passed me were suspicious looking and BIG , and most stared at me like a lion looking at a lamb! I waited for a taxi, none came, I walked a few hundred metres, finally saw a taxi, took it and went back to my hotel relieved and swore never to be that stupid again.

My next trip is planned for this August to Norway. It will be for a week. Have been there twice if I recall correctly. Not excited but if I go, I go and will try to be a tourist for once.

I arrived in KLIA on Sunday at 530 pm.

MAS food is getting bad, the service is getting bad.

I DONT GET IT!

YUP, I am back from you know where! Will write about that later.

Since ATM was invented, I have avoided queing up at banks and will only go to banks IF there are transactions which requires me to be physically there.

The problem I have is with those people who dont use thier head when using ATMs.

Often I find many will check the balance of thier account. Once they have noted the amount, they will then proceed to cancel the transaction. Instead of LEAVING, they will then resinsert their bank card and go through the motion of making a withdrawal. Oh do tell me why!!

You know the ATMs have this fast cash screen when you make the withdrawal prompt where it will list spesific amounts that one can choose to withdraw ranging from RM100 to even RM1500 (depending on banks). What happen is that, many, after pressing the withdrawal button will see the fast cash screen comes out. They will then proceed to press the other amount button. Thats fine!. They wanted a different amount that are listed!.

The next thing you know, they enter one of the amount listed!

No wonder Qs are long.

I have been to many countries. The Qs at ATMs in most of these countries are not that long! Why? Because they use thier head?

Oooooo

P. Ramlee the Musical 2

I am not a theatre fan and have never been to one show locally or abroad. A few days ago, I was offered the oppurtunity to attend the PRamlee the Musical show. What the heck I told myself. Go and try to see what is theatre all about. So I am going tonight. The show starts at 830 pm and will ends at 1130 pm.

I will reach home most probably around 1230 am. My flight tomorrow will be at 1005am. I am not going to have much sleep! Oh well, I will have plenty of time to sleep onboard as it is going to be a 13 hours flight.

Today is my 525 days of smoke free period. There were times when I really feel that I would like to take one stick but I know if I do that, I will be a smoker again. Dont worry. I am still able to remain smoke free!

Jom Makan Restaurant

I am to fly to London this saturday (unless...). The good news today is that there is a new Malaysian restaurant recently opened in Trafalgar Square. My ETD in Heathrow is 415 pm on the same day and should check in at the Cumberland Oxford St by 6 pm.

Will immediately go to the JomMakan Restaurant after checking in to check the place and food out. Have a good dinner and probably walk back to the hotel whilst checking on whats hot on sale.

Will try to blog from London.

Vietnam, Cebu and London

It has been quite a while. I have not made any entries simply because I have been so very busy with work, with life!

But to keep you updated, yes I did go to Hanoi as planned in April. Was there for 4 days. Hanoi of today is different from the Hanoi that I knew from my trip before. More motorbikes now compare to more cyles before. The roads are packed. Things are so expensive. I had 3 meals on 3 seperate days in a newly opened Malay restaurant and paid my makan with the US bills. Not many modern buildings etcetc.

Then I went to Cebu Phillipines. That trip was also for 4 days. Didnt venture out that much. Makan was a problem.

I will be leaving for London this saturday if everything is ok. I will be there for 8 days. Looking forward to the trip as my last trip was in November last year which was a 14 days trip. I was told that the wheater now is much better than the past 2 weeks. It is getting warmer and less wet.

The RM versus Pound Sterling was better the past 2 weeks though. It was around RM6.35 versus 1PS. Oh well, one cant have everything!

VIETNAM

The first time I went to Vietnam was in 1992. Vietnam back then was still very much under developed to me. The trip to Vietnam involved 3 days in Hanoi and 3 days in Ho Chi Minh City. I was in Hanoi first and it was very backward in so many ways compared to Saigon which I went later. The main mode of transport was bicycles and motocycles. Very few vehicles could be found on the road.

On the way from the airport to the city, I saw kilometers after kilometers of padi fields and people working them including children. It struck me then, in Hanoi, you can hardly find any fat people at all because they work so hard and do back breaking jobs to live. Amnenities and infrastructures were at best rudimentary and basic. They were ofcourse still recoveing from the devastating was and money was scarce. It was like Malaysia in the 50s and this was not my impression alone but also the views of those who were with me. [Massage was cheap at USD 1. I gave tips of USD 5 because you pity them and USD 1 then was just RM2.20. It was an eye opening trip to hanoi.

Then I went down south. Saigon was totally the opposite. Modern and alive with so many things. Modern buildings and lots of vehicles. Like Malaysia, be careful when you are trying to cross the road. Things are more expensive, many fat people, shopping heaven etcetc. Massage was more expensive so there was no much tips given out. Night life plenty.

I have never been to Vietnam since then. BUT I am supposed to go there (Hanoi) sometime in the third week of April. I AM looking forward to the trip as I am curious to know what 15 years have done to it. I have read many tales of Hanoi in magazines and newspapers. I am excited once again, just like I was for my first trip abroad.

My First Time

My first time flying involved also my first time going abroad. That was in 1987, some 20 years ago. I had never being in a plane before that.

Apart from the excitement of flying for the first time, I was also extremely excited for the oppurtunity to go abroad. I was going to be in Belgium for 4 months for a course. I cant describe how it felt to "fly" and several hours later found myself in a foreign land.

I cant really recall what season was it back then now. Early spring I think. There were 12 of us from Thailand (3 women), Malaysia (3 men), Indonesia (3 men) and the Phillipines (3 men). The Thais were so-so la. From Brussels, we were driven to Brugge, a 40 minutes drive if I recall correctly, arrived at our apartment complex, shown to our respective room and thus began a 4 months adventure for me. I was naturally thrilled that day and absorved the surrounding and the environment.

The apartment complex has also a big kitchen and a dining area. All of us cooked our own meals. Now here is the interesting part, a turning point for me!

After we had settled down (we arrived at the complex around 10 am), it was time to eat. We the Malaysian decided to go to the city and looked around as well as have our lunch. It was an interesting experience indeed for me that day as I had never been out of the country let alone to a western country. Everything was different, the people, the environement, weather, food, behaviour and habits etcetc. . For that first day, we had fish and chips! Later on we bought our groceries and supplies, fish, meat, chicken, eggs and other stuffs.

That night, we had our first cooking session. Each group from the different countries would need to cook their food for themselves. Our dish was curry chicken, vege, rice and some potatoes. Since I have never cooked a proper meal before, I was tasked to cut and clean, whilst my other 2 colleagues cooked everything. My other 2 colleagues have stayed outside of Malaysia before.

Been a first timer out of the country butstill conscious of the requirement of eating halal food, it was not a dilemma for me to know that I cant eat the chicken curry. I fried a few eggs and sat down with them and had my dinner. Ofcourse I was also observing how delicious the curry chicken looked as my friends devour everything. They did try to rationalise with me about being in a place where halal food is not available, about being musaffir etcetc but I just couldnt bring myself to eat the chicken.

So, that was the beginning of my 1 week of breakfasts of eggs, lunches of mainly eggs and dinner of eggs and sometimes suppers of eggs. Occasionally I had fish if it was the menu for the day. During those times, my friends had chicken and beef and lamb. I also began to experiment cooking for myself and soon began to cook for the group. Well, it was not really that difficult but ofcourse those dishes that I cooked wasnt exactly 5 stars. But the temptation of eating those lamb, beef and chicken!

After 1 week of eggs, I was beginning to tell myself that I cant live on just eggs for 4 months. I need protein and stuffs in my mouth other than just eggs. That was the day when, as we sat in the dining room for lunch with the chicken curry and fried beef dish infront of me, I decided to take my first bite of non halal meat. It took a lot to put the first piece into my mouth.

I know and I really dont have any defence!

My first 4 months abroad!. We visited a few of the Belgium cities. For those who have never been to Belgium, thier architecture is really a wonderful sight to behold and appreciate. Lots of things happened. In the kitchen for example, when the Phillipinos and the Thais were frying/cooking pork and we were beside them cooking our own dishes, it was hard to avoid stuffs flying from thier pans into ours. But we generally get along well.

Maybe I will write about some significant stuffs that I experienced whilst in Belgium later.

Belgium was the beginning of me going to many many other countries, south, north, east and west!

In The Meantime...

Before we had the election, we had demos and protest acts. After the election we also have those things. Except now we also have demos and protests against 1 or 2 of the so called opposition state govts. Lets see how these new govts handle things now that they are the target . But thats not the purpose of my post here.

I wrote in several blogs before the election of my hope that these protestors and demonstrators will organise their activities in jungle or mountains far far away from civilisations in the future so that the general public is not harmed and inconvenienced by thier actions. How much businesses were affected, how many appointements, dates and meetings were disrupted, how many of the sicks and those giving birth were deprived of urgent medical attention because they got stuck in traffic jams etcetc.. Lets not have anymore of these in towns and cities. Go to the jungles and mountains. I am sure we will have monkeys joining you people when you are doing your things. And I am sure there wont be as many curses thrown at you by the thousands and thousands of people as before!

WHY?

I have always wondered why demonstrators burn cars, buses and buildings, destroy public amenities etcetc.. I see these acts all the times in Paris, Kenya, in Tibet currently, in many parts of the world including even in Malaysia . What is it with this people? Are they angry with those establishments that they are protesting to or with those private and public assests and amenities/facilities.

Chimps/gorillas` instinct/behaviour? Chimps/gorillas, they do trash those trees and anything near them when they are showing off or letting steam you know. I guess Mr Darwin based his theory on his observations of these acts by his fellow human all over the world back then too. Must have many demonstration back then too.

The problem with these demonstrators or protestors, they dont bring thier own cars to burn or trash and neither do they burn thier own houses or buildings. WHY DONT THEY?. They will never be able to understand and/or appreciate all the hardships that they bring to those owners of things that they have destroyed.

I challenge everyone of them in Malaysia to do just that. Each one of them should invite thier intended fellow demonstrators to trash and burn thier cars and houses/buildings. In the case of houses, make sure they are stand alone building ok.

STUFFS

A long long time ago: First day in Form 4 Science IV - the principal came in and ASKED us whether we wanted to take up Additional Mathematics. He REMINDED that most of us had a so so result in maths. Ask a bunch of hooligans and you get the resounding and perfect answer of NOOOOO. We only took up modern maths. I did so so 2 years later.

In form 6 (remember this was a long long time ago and the system was different) , being in a science class, I had to take mathematics. Couldnt take principal maths because I had a weak basic. Took up subsid maths and didnt do too well in that subject 2 years later.

[Hey I was put into a boarding school for Form 6, MCKK, had a tough time adjusting to a regimented sytem]

Nevertheless, went on to U, {still science based meaning in the first year had to take the 4 sciences}, and in year 2 dropped physics. In year 3, I had to drop 1 subject. Didnt want to do 2 tech subjects i.e. chem and maths so, I dropped chem although I scored 4 As from 6 chem units.

The point being, if it hasnt crossed your mind yet, I took up maths!

Year 3 also required me to major. Guess what? I took up maths.

Year 4 came and passed by and I graduated! Not first class though, just 2nd!

[Hey I finnaly found a woman crazy enough who wanted to be personally attached to me at the end of year 3 and thus year 4 had me dating more than studying - that is my defence]

The moral is that: ONE CAN! It was a personal achievement that surprised me even to this day. I took up maths as a personal challenge. Of course I studied hard, spent hours and hours doing maths problems so much so that during that period, whenever I was given a problem to solve, all it took me was a reading of the problem and I will write the solution on the spot.

That was back then. After I graduated, I had a job which had nothing to do with my major subject. Now, I am hopless in mathematcis just like I was way back in form 4 and 5 and 6.

p/s: I have PASSED the 400 days without ciggaretes period. Looking forward to more ciggs free days!

Gong Xi Fat Chai to all

COLD Japan

I am back from my Japan trip. Before I left for Tokyo, I was monitoring the temp through the CNN programme and it was showing temperatures of between 8-10 centigrade. Fine I thought as I can handle anything around 10 without any winter clothes. These are bulky things which I can do without!. Thus I didnt bring any.

Imagine my surprise when it was hovering around 2 and 3 degrees in the day and dipping below 0 at nights. When I was going home, there was snow around the Narita airport as it snowed heavily the night before.

It was a torture to be in the open and thus, I stayed indoor most of my free time.

My previous trip to Tokyo last year was more memorable and it was pinkish Tokyo as it was during the period of cheery blossom. Check out my previous entry on this.

Its good to be back home. I took 2 days leave after I came back from Tokyo. 2 days of just lazying around and doing stuffs I like in KL.

Cheers to all.

JAPAN

I am off to Japan this Sunday and will be back on Thursday. Looking forward to some genuine Japanese food, selected however as I am not that fond of Japanese food in general. But after having been to Japan for 5 times so far (if I counted the trips correctly), I am begining to like certain dishes.

It is going to be quite cold this time of the year in Tokyo. 10 C the last time I checked. Not too bad however as I am quite used to this cold season whether.

Will probably not go online.

Cheers to all!

Hope Not

I posted a comment in the barkingmagpie.blogspot.com regarding the azan.

The blogger was so pissed off with me and some f word were used. He was probbably in an agitated state.

The problem is that he DIDNT get my message. I posted a reply saying exactly so!

Why am I writing this in here? I did this because he promised not to open my message if I bother to reply. Just in case he comes here, hopefully he will see this.

I also hope he didnt used the f word when he "cursed" the muezzin everytime the azan was called in which the azan didnt sound "sweet" to his ears like when he was growing up in Kg Baru I think.

HOPE NOT!

ME, a WOMAN, a Bus and What Went On

The last 2 days or so, some bloggers wrote about some perverts in trains sexually harassing women.

This is my story.

When I was younger and just started working, I used the bus a lot to go to work, to go back home and moved around as I havent bought a car. One day (lucky or unlucky is subjective), I was in a bus going back home from the office. As usual the bus was crowded and packed with all kinds of people. It was an uncond bus and there were many back then.

I was sitting in an aisle seat. At first it was just a routine bus trip. Then it happened!

A 20 something woman was standing beside me. She was quite beautiful and she was wearing a baju kurung. She had her crotch (is it the correct term here?) against my shoulder (top part of my arm). Right on the bulls eye! And as the bus moved and swayed, I could feel her "v" rubbing against my shoulder. I guess one can imagine what kind of contact that I am talking here because a baju kurung is just a very thin layer piece of kain unlike a jean! At first I thought it was an accident but it went on for a period of time. She didnt do anything to avoid "contact". She had every oppurtunity to shift her position so that there wont be any contact involving that part of her body.

Well being young and a hot blooded man back then, it was just like "orang mengantuk disorongkan bantal". How often do you get that to happened to you. I allowed it to continue because it was just "incredible" that it happened and the sensation that I felt. There were moments when I could feel her "v" pressing hard against me and I knew that was done on purpose because the bus and her movement was not in sync!. All in all, there was contact for a good 15 minutes.

Finally, my conscience took over and told my bloody self to shift my position a little bit so that there was no longer any contact. As much as it was an "undescribeable experience" I was brought up generally well.

The moral? I DONT KNOW!

Lesson learnt? There were 2 perverts that day and NO VICTIM

2007

The year of 2007 was a good and a wonderful year for me in general. Money was never an issue. I got to go to new places overseas. Work commitments were fulfilled and in some cases exceeding expectation. I didnt smoke for the whole of 2007 (and am still abstaining). Apart from the occasional headache, I was generally healthy in 2007. Life was kind to me. I feel so blessed.

I dont have any resolution for this year. Last year I only had the non smoking thing in mind. I think I will just strive to be a better human being. I have always wanted to do more social works. Currently it is almost nil. I will try to improve on this this year.

I still have some demons in me and from time to time, I do GILA things. Got to reduce the sin part!

I hope your life is full of happiness and I wish it is blessed too!

Have a wonderful life.