The silver lining.....

Every now and then, amidst the doom and gloom, there would be some inspiring events which made the world not seem so grey after all. Today's Barack Obama presidential win is just one of them. When what seemed like impossible happens, we feel like we can take on the world.

The impending financial crisis may not be so bad after all.

In near future, our country would no longer be racial-based, or talk about social contract, or be filled with religious fanatics.

Global warming would not seem so unstoppable after all.

The ecstasy may be short-lived ... but there is still hope yet in this world of ours.

Taking for granted what comes by easily

Last weekend, I had to tolerate a pregnant mom's whining. I sat for hours listending to the incessant complaints, worries and nagging about her impending loss of freedom, worry about about her expanding waistline, about the kid's babysitter fee. Children are gifts from God, and one should be grateful to receive such gift, rather than perceiving a kid as a financial and emotional burden. I tried to emphatized, but I can't.

It dawned to me - that when things comes too easily to us, it is usually taken for granted and not appreciated. It is the same when mom lay food on the table, and all we just had to to is open our mouth and eat -- we complain the food is not tasty enough.

When parents are granted with a child, they complain about the cost of raising a child. They complain about expensive baby sitters and loss of freedom and mobility. Parents worry that they cannot afford to send them to international schools, or send them to overseas tertiary education.

Stop for a second and think of the tears of those childless couple who yearn for a child of their own.

Stop for a minute to think of those couples who had to endure IVF or test tube, who had to allow needles and tubes to be poked into their body -- in vain to get a child.

Stop for a while to think of a father who can feed his 5 kids with a mere RM1000 monthly income.

Stop and think ... and all these worries would seem trivial in comparison, and when we realised its time to count our blessings.

Restless wait. ..

Sept 16 came and go. Nothing really happened. At least, not what I have been hoping for.

Sept 18 came and go too. Still same PM, same DPM, same plan. Malaysia's politics is so uninteresting now.

3 arrested under ISA, and 2 released upon public uproar.

All this waiting is making me restless... when is anything significant going to happen at all ? Patience is waning... where is Anwar and PKR leading Malaysia to ?

How granpa became a Christian

I never really know what actually transpired as what I know is based on hearsay. Granpa was a loose Taoist believer all his life, i would say. Not that he goes to temple a lot, nor is he the pious type. In his younger days, he used to smoke, drinks heavily and does not hesitate to use vulgar words to illustrate his emotions. Not a strongly religious person.

A few years ago, granpa got very sick, and i really meant very critically ill. He got a team of 5 doctors looking at his case, none of them bet on him to survive. For a few months, he was struggling for his life in ICU and semi-ICU, with tubes and wires emerging from his throat, nose and mouth, and hanging everywhere. It was terrible.

One of my uncles is a Christian, and he is the type of Christian who is convince that all non-believers will go to Hell. One day, when no one was around, he quietly brought a priest to granpa's bedside, talk to him, pray for him tell him about hell and heaven, and baptisted him on the spot. The rest of the family weren't Christian, and when they heard about the sneaky way Granpa was baptised, there was an uproar. Everyone was concerned whether granpa was in groggy or fully conscious when he agreed to convert ? That incident further alienate uncle with the rest of the family.

Gradually Granpa got better against all odds. He vaguely remembered about the baptise incident. He didnt really remember whether he agreed to convert or not. To granpa - a promise is a promise, as he did not want to risk evoking the wrath of God. Surprising everyone, he decided to attend church every sunday with uncle.

I was reading a blogger relating how she became an atheist, it was a honest article really. It reminded me of my granpa's experience, so I decided to share as well. For me, religion is a personal thing that cannot be force upon anyone. Personally I believe uncle and those christians folks meant well. But trying to convince someone who is at deathbed to change his/her religion, in the promise of heaven, is rather disturbing.

Spending a great weekend alone ...

Last weekend, I had myself pampered nicely in a manner that would leave most of my girl friends gaping in astonishment ... had they known what I did. My friends would think I am the extravagant one.

Saturday morning, i went yoga class and had my bones & muscles properly stretch and relax after one week's inactivity in office. Always feels good after a yoga class.

Then I googled for a good place for a haircut. They were many recommendations on Snips @ The Curve and Mofa @ Manjalara. Initially I thought of going for Snips. I ended up in Peek-A-Boo .. which was next door. I was pretty satisfied. At least much better than my last hairdresser at Kepong, which I decided to dump. RM55 - Slightly pricey, but its worth it coz I am sick of getting my hair messed up by "un-professionals".

Come Sunday morning, I woke up feeling my body aching all over ... maybe from yoga and also maybe because of heavy work of packing up. Never mind the reason - I gleefully felt that it was quite justifiable to get myself the nice massage that I had always wanted. I have never done a massage in KL. I had massages in Bangkok and Cambodia, but never in my own country. Asking my friends to recommend a good massage place would be out-of-the-question. Most likely than not, they would ask more questions rather than answer my question. So what do I do ? I search for online testimonials at websites like Malaysia Babes and Lowyat forum. Really quite a lot of discussion on this topic. I randomly picked that was recommended, Bodhi Sense @ Plaza Damas.

Bodhi Sense is a thai massage place, its quite a quiet nice place. The 1.5 hours session cost almost RM150. But what the heck, it feels so good. The masseur is a petite Thai girl, and she skilfully tries to massage away the stubborn knots on my neck. I'd always think that one of life's enjoyment of having a good massage. Massage increases one's endorphins level and sense of well-being.

After leaving the massage place, I ordered a simple Unagi Don and Cawan Mushi from Izakaya Ichiban @ Plaza Damas. It was really nice, have never tasted unagi that nice. The sauce is just slightly sweet and savoury enough. And the rice comes with 2 big servings of unagi. Totally unlike unagi don at Sakae Sushi or Sushi King, which has more egg slices than unagi. Totally satisfied my gastronomic appetite.

Conclusion, it is dangerous for a girl to wander out alone, lest there would be no one to control her weekend spendings. And I am supposed to feel quilty for such a heavy weekend spending, given that inflation and all. I am suppose to exercise some prudence in spending. To think of it, I don't mind being richer; then I won't need to sigh when I get my credit card bills.

What's in a mug ?

My favourite mug broke today.... sob..sob... :(

Perhaps the water was too hot, as I was holding it... it just split cleanly into 2 and crashed to the floor. I picked up the pieces, and attempted to piece it back.

My favourite mug was not just a mug. It has a Pentium 600Mhz logo printed on it. It represents a piece of my past. Those were the times when i was a rookie - idealistic, naive, honest, and trusting. Totally very green.

The mug reminded me of colleagues who were kind and helpful, and taught me how to fend for myself. I also remembered the colleagues who were bullying and abusive, who sought to make my life miserable every day. On hindsight, I am a stronger person today .... and I have them to thank for. Ever hear the line which reminds us that those who made us trip and fell, are the people who help us grow too.

Yea, I am gonna use some UHU and glue back my mug. Guess my mug wont be siting in my kitchen anymore. It will be sitting in my living room shelves for display instead. After all, I am a sentimental person.

What's real and what's not

There was people movement at the place where I worked. Unexpectedly, I was moved up to fill the vacuum .. call it a promo... moving up the ladder... temporary solution... or whatever you prefer to call it. Anyway, that's not what I want to dwell on today.

It is the obvious change in the way I get treated by my colleagues and customers that bothers me. People who dont usually lunch with me, now wants to lunch with me. Many more people drop by to chat with me, and I had to 'entertain' them when all I wanted to do was to finish the mountain of tasks at hand. People seems to be more polite than they were, i hear "t"s and "p"s so often that it is beginning to make me wiggle uncomfortably. More people pat my back, and shake my hands than I could remember.

It dawned to me how effortlessly humans adapt their behaviour and shift their attitude. Power attracts attention like magnet. With great power. comes great responsibility. I have no illusion about that. The day that you lose power, is the day all of these attention dissolves very quickly. In another way, this realisation upsets me.... and it continue to upset me for quite a few days.

It got me thinking... What happens to sincerity, true friendship, genuine camarade at workplace ? Does it not exist anymore ? How do I know what's real and what's not real ? Has my world transform into a unreal world like The Truman Show then ?

On tattoos and hypocrite ....

My brother came to me some day back, happily and obviously excited about the prospect that he is going to get a tattoo. He jabbered excitedly about not sure whether to tattoo it on his butt, his arm or his thigh.

I stared at him coldly, and said "Bro... are you out of ur mind ? You wanna engage in self mutiliation and make papa disown u, izzit ? " Whoosh... a whole bucket of ice-water poured over his head. The big smile on his face quickly disappeared, and you can see his excitement just fizzled off like a balloon. Trying to undo the damage, i lamely tried to console him ... "Maybe you can get the stick-ons ones. They are nice too."

And yes, my father is the kind who thinks that even highlighting one's hair is a unacceptable form of not appreciating what nature gave you. The idea of tattooing is definitely gonna make him drop his spectacles and choke over his cup of coffee. No way ....

But I did highlight my hair, and lied to my father about it. My father have a bit of colour blind. And I even thought of getting a tattoo for myself. Why then, was I so harsh on my poor brother ? I'd often thought it would be nice to have one nice tattoo on my hip. But the one time that I seriously comtemplated about getting a tattoo is when I was feeling down. My partner and I had our share of ups and downs in our relationship. At one point, when I look up, the sky looks gray all the time. The emotional pain within can only be allleviated by inflicting physical pain. Tattoo sounds like a good idea then. Its a weird idea that physical pain can contra out the emotional pain somehow. Its like some kind of psychological equation.

Fear is a good thing sometimes. The rational side of me won. But that makes me a hypocrite, doesn't it ?

Fading away ...

Last weekend I made a visit to my grandpa. It hurts to see grandpa look so frail and bony when he happily greet us at the door. He has been sick for some time. As mom and I were sorting thru his daily medicine intake, the packets of tablets, syrups on his daily menu is shocking. He is living on painkillers to make his journey bearable. I would have taken a picture of his medicine if I hadnt think it would be rude.

I was never granpa's favorite grandchild. Nor has he been my favorite grandparent. But that day, oddly I sense a strong loving affection from granpa. He was weak, croaking hoarsely but still try to upkeep his sense of humor. There was a strange warmth in his eyes that is only found when grandparents look at grandchildren.

This is all-the-more heartbreaking to see him wilting away in front of my eyes. Saying that granpa have not been a saint in his entire life, has to be an understatement. He has done many wrongs in his life. But at that particular moment, all that's past does not matter - all is forgiven.

To see someone wilting and fading away causes such pain....... when I can only offer my prayers.

And the drama continues ...

As if Altantuya's mystery case is not tantalizing enough, there comes Anwar's sodomy allegations. Saiful is either exceptionally courageous to take on the giants, or the alternative explanation is that he is just plain dumb to allow himself to be manipulated in this manner.

Rocky Bru have a interesting finding about this " Mr-23-year-old-Saiful-Nobody".... it seems that he is "Quite-a-Somebody" after all. He is the distant relative of Pak Lah. Then things made sense somehow. Its quite useless to try to hide your family tree.

A Total Lie & Fabrication ?

Whether or not the story spinning around Baginda, Najib, Rosmah, Pak Lah or SIL is true, the damage to his political career is done. Cruel as it sounds.

I wouldnt be surprise if somewhere in the future, there would be a award-winning novel or movie build on this plot. Sure would be interesting to know the ending, who is the good-guy, who is the bad-guy and most of all, who is the master-mind behind the whole scandal. Were these guys as innocent as they claim ? Were they framed or do they have blood on their hands ?

Please join Donation for Breast Cancer

I received email from an old friend of mine, who is now working and living in California. She will be taking a 60 mile walk for Breast Cancer, one of the major killer disease nowadays. I decided to support her courage to embark on this walk to commemorate her aunts who lost their battle to breast cancer.

I too, paused to grieve and think of the friends, relatives and acquaintances who lost their life to cancer.

I hope you will read her website here... be touched, and donate for a good cause as well.

Stirring Odissi - stirring some thoughts

I like art galleries.

Much as I would like to believe, but it isnt because I have much artistic gene running in my blood. I just find art galleries refreshing. Like a breath of fresh air. A fresh perspective.

While I was waiting for my date to turn up, the KLCC Petronas Art Gallery caught my attention. Must admit the free admission made it more interesting. I had plenty of time on hand, so I just strolled in. My first time there. Never knew why I never notice the place before. Too busy shopping, maybe.

The theme was Stirring Odissi. I have no idea what Odissi meant until i read the brochure. It's one of the 8 type of Indian classical dance style. There are quite a few life-size huge portraits that i liked. Portraits of people with expressive, big eyes, nice cheeks staring back at you from the wall - so full of life, so real, so emotional. It's hard to explain. One must see to feel it.

These is one of the few that I like - I scan it off the brochure, so the quality isnt so good.



I had a primary school classmate, her name is Annakilli. Her parents send her to learn traditional Indian dance since she was young. And she has the passion. Sometimes, she will tap her feet around dancing when teacher is not around. Almost every year's teachers day, she will be up there for a dance presentation. I think it is a good thing to send children to learn classical dance, lest the culture dies off.

I rarely hear of Chinese parents sending kids for traditional dance class. They are usually send for computer classes and mind mapping classes instead. Pragmatic bunch of people, perhaps ?

Movie Review : Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull

Movie still retain the same cheeky old Indiana Jones flavour. But I must admit the flavour tasted better back then. Story line has no suprises. I guess, back then we were not so demanding.

My partner commented that The Kingdom of Crystal Skull is very much the English version of Hong Kong movie "Legend of the Golden Pearl" (卫斯理传奇) . Similar conspiracy. Same ending scene where the aliens went back home in a spaceship while Indy / Wesley watches on.

Fuel Increase ... for the better ?

From economics view, the removal of the fuel subsidy is a good thing. Subsidies and tax distorts the free market mechanism. All textbooks says that. Personally, I think it is true.

At this point, I sense that some people are ready to strangle me .. phew !

At a subsidized price, everyone continue to be in a comfort level, enjoying the fuel as if it is a renewable energy. There isnt an urge to change the lifestyle despite all the talk. This is just plain human nature.

Imagine this,

Fuel prices no longer subsidized, after the hoo-haa died down, people will do whatever they need to do to curb / reduce the usage of fuel. More people will be taking mass transportation. Then we'll have more disgruntled mass transportation users. When the collective voices are loud enough to call for an increase urgency for better mass transportation, then only our dear government will get things moving. Maybe the voice wasnt loud enough in the past or the govt is selectively deaf -- who knows.

In desperate times, human usually become more creative and resourceful, and performs his best. Maybe then, more automobiles will be designed to be more fuel efficient to meet market demands. Maybe then, solar cars will be in high demand in the country.

The silver lining for all these events could be a better / more efficient use of fuel and reduce the fuel/capita usage, and indirectly reduce the air pollution. Then indirectly reduce global warming issues. Aint this a good thing after all :)

Of coz .. they'll be a period of darkness before the end of the tunnel. Then again, if it is the right thing to do. It should be done.

Note : PM just announced the fuel price will increase to RM2.70 per liter.

Nothing wrong...

I pinched the entire collection of Sex & The City from a friend, and was addicted ever since. I started right from Season 1 and increasing pace until the Season 6 completed. The entire addiction lasted 3 weeks. I finished Season 1 to Season 6 in a single breath.

Hidden along the lines of comedy and sex, there was some issues that could related in real life, that touches the heart. That's why I think its so entertaining. Carrie with her Mr Big. Miranda with Steve. Samantha with Smith. Charlotte and Harry. Luckily all emotional struggle has a happy ending. I like happy endings.

For one, I think our society unfairly alienates single women, and have that attitude that she must be something wrong somewhere. I had always thought that this kind of attitude is more prevalent in Asian societies than Western societies. I've gotten all kinds of uncomfortable stares when I was eating out alone. I used to think that I'd rather starve than eat out alone. The good thing is one gradually acquire immunity over the years..... :)

After note :

A very interesting article from Newsweek worth reading. Sexism and the City : What's up with this vicious bashing of the 'Sex and the City' movie?

Personal Space

Personal space is a very important thing that I had took for granted until recently.

Usually I come home from work, I will head for the shower or sofa and enjoy that "I am home" relaxing moment. Dinner will usually come later.

I have missed that quiet moment since my family came for a short stay last week. After I kicked off my shoes, i notice my mom was cooking in the kitchen, my brother is watching TV and my papa is occupying the bathroom. There was no place I could go to hide myself. There was a small sense of loss of personal space, somehow.

I'd always admire those people who can live with a lot of people in the house. How do they find their personal space ? Doesn't everyone need space ? Or is it considered a luxury ? I wonder ...

Some parents would be offended if their children is working in the same city and chose to get a place on their own; or at least I know mine would take it as a very serious personal insult. It takes time to learn to live on your own. Even two person living together requires some adjustment. More than two person living together .... hmmm.... that's tricky equation.

Of My Paranoia ....

I would like to think that most people have some sort of phobias of their own. That, somehow, makes me feel better.

Lift Phobia - After the last episode, I always quietly pray that the lift might not drop all the way down. Its a torture coz i gotta take lift to get home and gotta take lift to get to office. So the scare becomes a daily ritual.

Height Phobia -Afraid of heights since I was born. But its been improving since. I am now staying at high-rise building at 20th floor.

Needle Phobia - I would do anything to avoid the needles poking into my skin. The fear is worse than the pain. I remember feigning sick when the nurses came to school for German Measles jab during Standard 6. I told teacher I had fever. The happiness did not last, the subsequent week, the nurse and needles came again... and I was one of the few who had to get the jab over with. There was no running-away. Over the years I had 3 minor operations, try as I might, there was no running away. So I gotta grow up and face it.

Garbage Room Phobia - This is my latest phobia. I stay in a condo, and at every floor there is a Garbage Room. It is a small room located in front of the lifts and has a big, black garbage bin inside. We are suppose to throw our garbage bags inside. Everytime I push open the heavy door, I half expected to see someone .. a thief,addict, or some psycho fella hiding inside the little dark room. When I am certain there is no one else in the room, except me and the big bin, I proceed to lift open the big, bin lid. Another round of anticipation ... as I half-expected to see some gory thing inside. ( a result of watching too many horror movies ) So it is usually dump-and-run situation. Sure hate to take rubbish out.

Movie Review : The 11th Hour

I just finished watching The 11th Hour over the weekend. It was unlike any of the movies we watch at cinemas, its a documentary narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio. No wonder it did not made it to Malaysia cinemas... the cinema operators would be losing money coz its a pretty long and factful documentary, and there are too many people giving lectures.

Nevertheless, this is a good one that I would recommend everyone to watch. The first movie of this sort that I have watched was The Inconvenient Truth by US Former Vice President Al Gore. The 11th Hour is the second DVD that I watched relating to global warming and environmental crisis.

Its call the 11th hour bcoz human does not have much time left. I like the part where Leonardo says human tend to perceive events in a silo manner.. the Tsunami Disaster, Hurricane Katrina, and recently China's earthquake, Myanmar's Cyclone. Even Malaysia is no longer a safe haven with the recent earthquake at Tawau. All these are mere symptoms that our earth is sick, and something has to be done quickly.

The content is good, however it will be more effective if they film it like Armageddon kinda movie. In that way, the global warming disastrous effect will be better understood.

I particularly like the idea where every building must be self-sustainable, like a tree. A tree uses soil and sunlight to generate O2. Then when its leaf wither, it falls to the ground, and is absorb back by the tree as fertiliser. Similarly, each building must be like a tree. The future buildings must be able to generate energy from sunlight and wind or other renewable sources. Buildings would also have the ability to reuse waste and generate it back.

A very hopeful and interesting idea, dont you think so ?

Ever tried Aburaya Tama Go Kani ?

Ever try Aburaya Tama Go Kani ? Its somehow translated as Crab Egg on the label. Dont ask me why.

Plaza Damas do really have a lot of Japanese food, including one japanese food specialty shop. It was there I found this yummy, crunchy crab crackers.

On first look, these small little crabs are really too cute to be eaten. Can even see their little eyes. Isnt it cruel to eat them ?

I gather my strength, held my breath, close my eyes and finally find courage to pop one into my mouth. And then OMG.... its so so delicious. Its just like eating crab, just nicer and crunchier.
After the first one, just cannot stop. Japanese people are really good at making tasty food..... Should really try some day.

Trading friendship for money

Ever received those email from friends asking if anyone is interested to rent a room, rent a house or sell a house ? Guess many of us would have, at some time or other, received mails like these. Most of the time, I just forward along to more friends to spread the news.

This time around, I was at the other side of the river. I found myself to be the one drafting a email asking friends to fwd to anyone interested to buy my house. This is the first time I write such mails. Its really very sweet and nice to find that lots of your friends are very much enthusiastic in helping you to find a buyer. Most friends just forward along, and some of my good friends even add a personal note to help promote my house. Some replied mail asking for more details on the house. Sigh, these are the times when I think that friends are really important in life. Real touching ...

There are always surprises in life. One email I got was from my ex-housemate who lived with me for a few years. She matter-of-factly asked how much commission she would get if ever any of her friends seal the deal with me. I was first shocked. It sounded so distant, like a question from a stranger. She sounded like a housing agent. Then I was totally upset ! Is she asking for remuneration for something that can be done with just a click of the finger ? Then i realised that I was not her friend. I was just a prospect client who could bring her extra income. Sad, isnt it ? I was just a $$$ opportunity to her.

When one's value is messed up... one's perspective of life and friend become totally distorted. Would you trade friendship for money ?

Like Father, Like Son ?

How much does a son actually takes over his father's character ? Tonight i ponder uneasily on this question.

These kind of thoughts usually does not occured during dating time. Until you meet the family, get to know his family and then regretfully wonder if your hubby would turn out to be as bad as his father. It is like a horror movie unraveling when there are increasing signs that he seems to inherit the bad habits.

I remember in one of the Desperate Housewives episode where Susan Meyers found out that Mike's father is actually in prison for murder. She freaked out thinking about who the baby will takes after. Would Mike be a cold-blooded murderer like his father too ? No wonder in olden times, the Chinese actually checked the family's 18 generations ancestry before agreeing on a marriage. On hindsight, it is not without its own wisdom .

One does wonder and it is a nagging, troubling thing, really. Then again, these are private thoughts that should never be thought aloud, lest it triggers some irreversible damage on the relationship.

Skeletons around....

These kind of news, more often than not, arouses curiousity of concern citizens. Makes one wonder how big is the skeleton in the closet .... The more you try to hide, the more you fail to hide. I hope justice will come soon.....

The Star Online > Nation Wednesday May 7, 2008
Blogger Raja Petra taken to prison after declining bail on sedition charge
By M. MAGESWARI and MANJIT KAUR

PETALING JAYA: The editor of news portal Malaysia Today, Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin, claimed trial in the Sessions Court here to publishing a seditious article in its website on April 25 while businessman Syed Akbar Ali claimed trial to posting a seditious comment.
Raja Petra, 58, became the first blogger to be charged under the Sedition Act, making it a test case.
He is accused of publishing the article “Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell” in the website www.malaysia-today.net. The article is alleged to have contained nine paragraphs of seditious words.

© 1995-2008 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)

Subtle Change

There was much buzz and excitement about the new blogger on the street - CheDet

Dr M has always been a man who speaks his mind and now he speaks via his blog. Blogs are indeed changing the political landscape nowadays. Many politicians are jumping on this blogging bandwagon.

Someday from now, there will be a research paper to analyse how blogs came into the political world. Maybe even a degree course on Political Blogging subject. That should be very much interesting.

Getting to know ....

Citroen cars does not have good second car value, as I was told. I dont know much about cars, really. I got this 3-year car for half the original price the owner paid. Good thing he is a rich guy .... and was upgrading his car, and din mind much about it.

The coolest nice-to-have feature are the light sensor and rain sensor. Imagine you drive thru a tunnel and the headlamps gets switched on. When you are out, it off the lamp. Raining time, the wiper will detect the raindrops frequency and determine the wiper speed. Haha... kampung people like me who only use Proton and Perodua cars did not imagine that one day my car will have intelligent features like that .. haha. Overall, we are happy with our new toy.

We wanted a safer car, as we are travelling long distance more frequently now. The usual stuff like dual airbag, ABS.The Picasso has the ESP (Electronic Stability Program), it kinda automatically force change the gear to low gear when descending down a slope. The number of road accidents these days are getting scarier. But then again, safety comes with a price. The Citroen car may be cheap, but i have no doubt that the fuel and maintenance will be a costly one. The next car that I hope to buy is a environmental car like Toyota Prius. Hopefully, by that time, it will be affordable to man-on-the-street like us.

Years from now, will Proton still be surviving ? I wonder

Love at first sight

a 2

I have been car-hunting for quite a while - ever since I decided to bade goodbye to my Iswara. Shopping for my car is quite like a love affair ... it was love-at-first-sight. My hubby and I almost immediately fell in love with the little-known red colour Citroen Picasso. We were very excited about this 2.0 liter car ! It was a dampener when almost all the people I know responded like ... " huh ... what kinda car is that ? ". Cant blame them, I myself also first-contact with this car.

Its French car.... an european car... beats me why they call european cars as "continental cars". Europe can hardly be considered as a continent... doesnt seem to make sense to me though. Anyway, no matter... :)

My parents almost dropped their jaw and shake their heads when they found out that we didnt test-drive this second-hand car that we were buying. I am no technician, even if I do test-drive, I doubt that I would be able to detect any faults or what. So why bother... right ?

After that it was all the documentation hassle, and a 2 month wait before I actually get to drive my Picasso.

My childhood memories..

I vote Facebook as the social network web of the century !

Today i have a nice surprise in my facebook mailbox. My primary school friend found me ! She was my best buddy during the six years. We were 'sisters' then, the 6 of us solemnly swore as sisters. Haha.. those memories that I cherish came flooding back !!

Few weeks back, I went back for the very important event of the year -- voting !! The voting center was my primary school. My school looks pretty much the same as in my memory, except the lalangs were taller than I remembered.

The classsroom looks the same. The padang, where we had our sports and netball sessions were the same. I was always the goal keeper bcoz of my height; and it was not too fun. One year, after continuous rain for few hours, the padang flooded a few meters, cutting the school off from the main road. I remember excitedly watching the water level rose.

The room where the sister gave us bible study lessons was still there. Sister was an old nun from England. Her face is quite vague in my memory but I always remember that she is always calm, kind, full of love and taught me to draw a pigeon holding a leaf in her beak. My interest in Christianity started back then.

The hall where we do 'pendidikan jasmani' also still there. There was where one of my classmates did 'lompat tinggi' and broke her leg. She was the best in the class at that time, I was the 2nd (being lanky that I was). After that, I too, freak out and din do my best anymore. I purpose allow my feet to hit the pole so that I wont have to jump at the higher height.

The toilet was still located at the far-end of the west side, a separate building near the fence. Over the fence was the cemetary. It was no longer a cemetary, got some new structure over there. That toilet brings back much memories, especially the horror stories we heard about 'hantu' in those dark, smelly toilet. The horror did turned into a real event when a snake was found coiled up in the toilet bowl. In the end, the gardener was called in to 'tackle' the snake.

The school canteen looks smaller than I imagine. When we were young, things around us seems bigger. I remember my first experience of eating a green colour kuih, which is made of sago. Back then, I was told ( forgot who ), that the kuih is actually a stack of frog eggs ...!! Eeeeww.. u can imagine I stayed away from those kuih for many many years, until the truth is known .

I like my school. Time seemed to stopped there. Nothing changes much. Constant, can be a good thing. The next time I go back there, I will make sure to bring my camera along.

An Interesting Conspiracy Theory

A very intriquing conspiracy theory at Jeff Ooi's blog .....posted by one of his readers.


Posted by: myop101 March 15, 2008 12:03 PM

First of all, thank you for offering yourself to serve Penang and our beloved country Malaysia. In actual fact, you have done that as a blogger even before you get elected. Now it's just added more responsibilities on your sholder. Please for the sake of the people, take sufficient rest and take good care of yourself.
I always hope that our Cabinet or state exco can be assigned to the right people with relevent capability. Instead of based on the party background. For example, could Penang exco assign a BN candidate who really capable and work for the people? Probably this is just a dream that I will not be able to see in my this life. And surely I am asking too much as we are just at the infancy of Democracy.
Btw, my wife has a conspiracy theory about the result of 12th GE. Please remove this conspiracy part from the post. Thanks.
The theory is Abdullah is the one that anonymously help and support the winning of DAP-PKR-PAS. In such doing, he could clean up the bad blood in BN and able to carry out changes in BN. Even though Abdullah was chosen as the successor to Dr M but actual power are still not available to Abdullah. He can get the real things (such as corruption, abolish unfair policies, kick out 'dead wood' etc) done. There are a few reasons for this: 1) The cronies resist to change because it means they cannot continue to get the wealth that they have already enough since the reign of Dr M. 2) He does not have strong tie to the supporters that support him. Most of the supporter might not support him from the bottom of their heart because supporting Pak Lah means no more money for the pocket in future. This is because Pak Lah tried (and failed most probably because of this reason) to fight corruption. Those people have some dirt on them. Supporting Pak Lah means they eventually might get to visit BPR office. 3) He can't kick the 'dead wood' out from the game directly as well. Because this will create too much unknown and consequently too much risk to the stability of the country. 4) As a person who has been as ambassodor for so many years, he knows what are the right things to say and not but he made so many mistakes during the period of campaign such as the TV show at the eve of poll and allowing his SIL to bark around which gather the anger of the general public. 5) Abdullah immediately admit BN accept the loses after the poll result. He had demonstrated the spirit of Democracy. Do you think Dr M will allow these to happen? There are lots more 'mistakes' (e.g. ISA on Hindraf leaders etc) that were shown by Abdullah which ultimately wakes the political awareness of the general public.
All in all, even Abdullah did not have the good intention, it is not deniable that he had demonstrated the good spirit of democracy by accepting the poor result of BN in 12th GE and he has moved the democracy of the country one step forward. It is amazing that to see my colleague taking leave to go back to home town in order to cast their vote and the general public were discussing the current situation of the politics.
Please stay focus and build a Malaysia for Malaysian, irregardless of party background and race. Like the Chinese saying 不集细流, 无以成江海. Absorb all the good from everyone, only then we can be strong.
One last comment, I felt that DAP sometimes can be too racist too e.g. LKS's initial statement about boycotting the swearing-in of Perak MB. We should get rid of the mentality of race. To me and a lot of Malaysian, who becomes the MB or CM does not really matter as long as he / she is capable and works for the people.
May everyone well and happy...

-end-

Could this be really possible ? Then I would have to deeply salute Pak Lah as one of the best strategist and actor. He fooled the country, and he fooled the entire world. How about that...

What's ahead...

Bad news from US economy ....

Weakening US Dollar....

Unstable local politics.....

Flu outbreak in Hong Kong ....

Hmm... this is not good. This seems like a recipe for share market to weaken further ...

Start Squabbling Already ?

DAP uncle Lim must be 'nyanyuk' a bit for releasing his statement about boycotting the Perak MB swearing in ceremony. Bit disappointed with this kind of childish behaviour.

You may not like your working partners, but still should be able to work well with them. DAP has everything to lose, and nothing to gain by giving this kind of attitude. Opposition have won 5 states, and before even starting to work, they fight over who is the boss. How can like that ? Compromise in this matter is necessary in the delicate situation that our country is in. Rakyat wants change. But too much change at too short a time could tip the balance.

Hope he changes his mind, coz lots of ppl protest on his blog too. He should listen to the voice of the people. Else we all know what can happen.

Mourning for a friend...

While I am writing this, I have not managed to stop the weeping or the choked sensation at my throat . I just got sad news that one of my ex-classmate passed away. We studied MBA together some years back. He & his wife, a lovely couple, attended classes together. We still bumped into each other at shopping malls and cinemas off-and-on. He was a wonderful person - kind and helpful and jovial and friendly.





This is the second classmate that lost the battle to cancer. During my first semester, my team mate got ill and quickly within months he succumbed to cancer of the lungs, and bade goodbye to us.





HA, may you rest in peace.

To all of us, may we always appreciate life and our family and friends...

Election news !!

I have been following election results on Malaysiakini since 8pm with my family. It is so exciting .... Forget about TV, TV news is so so slow, and we suspect that the information flow of certain states are planned to be announced later.

We shouted in joy when we saw that our beloved Samy Vellu lost !! He is a joker, but still didnt expect him to lose. This shows that people do use their vote to "send a message".

Another big clap when Sharizat lost to Anwar's daughter, Nurul Izzah...

Another 'woo-hoooo' when Koh Tsu Koon, and his 3 candidates for Penang Chief Ministers, did not even make it to the elected list. So all the hassle about who is the next Penang Chief Minister is all-for-nothing after all... How funny !

Really curious to know if Jeff Ooi will win the Jelutong seat. Our very first blogger-turn-politician.

So now, Kedah, Kelantan and Penang state confirmed lost to Opposition. The BN should really take some deep soul-searching to repent on their wrongs. No more throwing away tax-payers money, no more corruption and start doing some real work. The people have spoken !

What is brewing ?

I have been hearing the police siren wailing by every hour or so since last night. I am guessing something big is brewing at KL. My place faces the Jalan Kuching main road, which leads to the KL city. I can hear ambulance, lorries and police cars very clearly, much so at night. Yup, noise pollution is very high at the place I stay.

Today is saturday, and it has become a fashion to demonstrate on saturdays. Tommorow is the nomination day, not likely that these few days will be a quiet and peaceful day. So, I usually stay away from KL on weekends. I still din see any news yet online.

The Fong Po Kuan fiasco is quite disappointing actually. Another political tactic to gain sympathy votes ? Why politicians are so predictable one ? This is like a kid throwing tantrums, gaining attention, playing hide-and-seek -- very immature behaviour, if u ask me. I'd rather they use their energy to do more things for the rakyat.

Ever got stuck in a lift ?

Yesterday, I had a big scare of my life.

I have been staying at high-rise buildings for at least 5 years. Maybe I was lucky, but I never got trapped in a lift before or heard friends got stuck in lift before. So it seemed like a very far-fetched thing that only happens in movies. But, there is a first time for everything... i guess

I was making my way to the lift, and then there I saw the dustbin was obstructing the entrance to the middle lift. There are three lifts in the place I stay. "Must be someone's prank" - I thought. So I moved the dustbin back to its original place, being a civic-minded citizen that I am.
"Ding" .... finally the lift came, and the lift in the middle opened. After moving a few floors down, the lift suddenly jerked to a stop, as it something stuck in its path. My heart almost stopped too. I looked up - it was 18th floor. At that moment, what flashed through my mind was... " no one would survive a 18 floor drop". My hands and heart felt chilly. I was alone in the lift. I dunno if it would felt better if there was someone else.

I frozed for dunno how long, holding my breath, and half expecting the lift to succumb to gravity any time. Then, I regain my senses and pushed the emergency button. I was so so relieve to hear a voice coming through... you have no idea how relief that was.

"Lif berhenti la..." i meekly said.

"Block mana - lif mana ? " the guard asks

I was so shaken at that time, that I couldnt recall which lift it was. Shouldn't their system know the intercom is coming from which lift ?

While I was trying hard to recall, the lift starting moving again.

" Lif jalan dah" I told him. Then all was quiet. I looked up, it was at 15th floor. I quickly press the 13th floor and hopped out soonest possible. I was so shaken that my knees felt weak.

Later I complained to the guards about the incident, and why they did not ward off the lift.

Lesson learnt : Next time I see a dustbin obstructing the lift door, maybe it means that the lift should not be use. I wont try to be busybody.

Fickle Minded ?

Not very wise.... i would say, for our PM to have to eat his own words in a matter of hours. Its like slapping your own face.

Could it be our PM can't make up his mind about elections matter ? Or just wonder if someone else was twisting his elbow.

Do you sense any winds of change ?

What a day...

This is my first time celebrating bday in Spore, as far as I can remember. I had an unavoidable business trip.

I always try not to work on birthdays, if I can help it. Birthday is the perfect occassion to pamper myself & I believe everyone should do the same... hehe. Usually I would laze till I wake up naturally. Then enjoy facial and massage, then have a enjoyable shopping. To be nice to one-self.

This morning, I reluctantly drag myself out of bed at 7am, then prepare to go to work. Had a marathon meeting, but luckily things went well. My handsome guy was at the meeting too, and I couldnt help but catch a few more glimpse at the manager who have such a boyish look. His smile and looks is very captivating. Mind you, this is just pure innocent admiration, nothing more.... :P

Things wasnt so bad altogether. So happen hubby was on the same island, so we managed to meet up for dinner. Since childhood, I had this impression imprinted in my brain that Spore's taste bland and yucks and eeeks. Ever tasted chee cheong fun with watery ketchup sauce ? So I must have severely underrated Singapore's food, seems like there are good food hidden in this little island too. Tonight, tasted the most tasty braised duck, and salted egg crabs opposite Sim Lim Square. Real yummy....

At my age, simple sms wishes from friends & family meant a lot more than it used to. ( see.. i sound so old liao) Maybe I have learnt to cherish the simple things in life. May all my birthday wishes come true (hopefully that's not too much to ask for)

Catching my breath

Its only the 3rd day of the second round of requirement studies, and I am almost exhausted. So thankful that tommorow is a holiday. Not that tommorow I dont need to work, but at least get to catch my breath.

In my new job, the work culture is such that a 3-hour meeting is acceptable. This kind of marathon meeting would not have been entertained in my previous workplace. Waiting 20 minutes for the attendees to arrive is a norm. Then starts off with some small talk. Then start agenda proper. Then beat around the bush a bit when asked on a very straightforward questions. Oh god, i have tons of complains !

I am used to working in fast-pace environment. With everything in slow-mo, patience is wearing thin. Feels like working in a government department or living in a underwater world. To be fair, some govt dept such as KWSP, Income Tax are pretty efficient nowadays. There is so much to do, and so little time given. Sigh....

I secretly wished everyone would walk faster, talk faster, work faster, be nicer and less sarcastic. Guess I have to tune my pace down .....

Study room is finally up

I have waited for almost half a year for my slow-coach hubby to setup the study room. I hate the sight of boxes lying unpack around the house. I would have unpack all the boxes and put them onto the shelf within the hour. But hubby was adamant that the study room is his room, and he would be the one who is allowed to 'design the layout'.... as he describes it. I relented, coz i have had my 'final jurisdiction' over our master bedroom.



I almost turned myself into a nagging old frog waiting for him to take his own sweet time to this task. Luckily, the long wait was worthwhile, the study room turn out to be nicer than I expected. He just drilled a few holes and assemble the shelves unit together. Even got a special allocated shelf just for his toys, another shelf for his CD collections, another shelf for comics.... sounds more like a kid's room than a study room though.


A peek into the study room.