Canada's Kopitiam

Sometimes I really think that the cafes flourishing in KL are really not that good and way overpriced. On average, in some unknown cafe in KL with crummy decor and lousy brew is charging about RM8 for a cup of coffee. Over at TIMHORTONS, what I dub as Canada's Kopitiam, I can get a fantastic caffeine fix for CA$1.29. This average kopitiam is also conveniently located everywhere, it's clean, and..migosh...you really have to see the selection of muffins, donuts, timbits, croissants that they offer.

And I dunno about you, but I've always liked my coffee in a mug. They also have iced cappucino that downs well during the summer. It is really a very simple concept of kopitiam that people at all levels can go to.

And the muffins..well, they are phenomenal..I can have it everyday, my favourite being the Oatmeal Raisin :) Anyone can intro a good cafe in KL?

Best Coffee

Best coffee is no doubt Ipoh White Coffee. Starbucks can step aside. This coffee gives me the spell...the craving...and the best coffee experience. Get the authentic one at this kopitiam in Ipoh Old Town. Guaranteed satisfaction..

And it's served like this in Ipoh..with some spills on the saucer ..and foam on the top. Served with kaya toast...Truly Ipohian style.

Give me my Beano!

I don't know about you guys but I can distinctively remember growing up reading loads of Enid Blyton, The Famous Five, Nancy Drew, Secret Seven & The Hardy Boys-things deemed to be too corny now. But somehow, back then there was always some BEANO mags lying around, which is kinda strange considering that it's a Brit children's comic. I would read and reread the adventures of Dennis the Menace and his dog Gnasher(who goes *gnash gnash*, Minnie the Minx and the Bash Street Kids. I always thought it was better than Archie & Friends (it's too lame). ANyone remember the Dandy, it was the first one before? Well, just a jog down the memory lane.... visit BEANOTOWN

Napoleon Dynamite

I can't even begin to describe this 2004 movie, it's quirky, funny without trying at all, hilarious, a unique movie one of its kind. Jon Heder makes a convincing nerd called Napoleon,,,love his curly hair and awkward self.....right up to his incredible danceperformance....The other characters compliments him well, check out Pedro...I love it that it portrays real-life people..you know, those zombie-like people who are quiet, a little odd, with the can't-be-bothered look...I'm sure once you've seen this movie, you'll realize that yo someone like Napoleon, Kip, Uncle Rico, Summer, Pedro would have crossed your path. The movie takes you to an unpredictable journey in the life of Napoleon Dynamite...who's out to prove he's got nothing to prove!

PS: This movie won MTV Movie Awards best movie and Jon Heder (Napoleon) won Best Breakthrough Male....he was paid only USD1000 for this role

Watch Out...Double Parkers!!!

If there's one thing I hate about Malaysian drivers is that they double park...and they think it's alright to double park! Ask any KL drivers and any can relate to you a honking-like-mad-coz-a-car-double-parked-behind-my-car experience! The worst thing is that these double parkers when they get to their car, they give unpleasant remarks as if it is our fault that we're so impatient and angry over nothing.
Often the reasons for double parking are:
1) double parker went to 'tarpau' some food
2) double parker went to pay bills at the post office
3) double parker can't find parking so conveniently double park because he/she is in a rush
4) double parker is lazy to walk and because there is no nearest parking to the mamakstall/kopitiam, double parker rather just double park and be on a lookout in case need to remove car from double parking spot.
5) double parker went to buy 4-D, Toto, etc
6) double parker is too stingy to fork out few cents for parking since he/she wont be 'long'
I realize that double parking happens everywhere...even in Bangkok where double parking is a norm..people double park and leave their handbrakes down in Chatuchak and the shopping malls. AT least Bangkok ppl are considerate while Malaysians seems to think it is their RIGHT to double park.
Next double parker i see- expect some total damage on your vehicle.

Finally...Revamp on Education!

Revamp! article has really made my day. Ex corporate figures and civil servants would be reabsorbed into the education system. Having been in the Malaysia education cycle some years back, I really applaud this move. I've had 5 years in secondary school of many "DIY" or "Masa Sendiri" sessions where the teacher/relief teachers would be reading newspapers, cutting their nails, chatting with the "ampu" students while the rest of us are running amok in the classroom. Back in those days, we embraced happily this little 'arrangement' sometimes even collaborating with the teachers, we didnt know better...now when I look back, we've wasted so much time...
But really to make this work, someone's gotta look into the salary scale. See salaryreview . Really much rather have the 4.8bil allocated for upgrading credible teachers' salary than for upgrading police welfare. At least we've had SOME good teachers in the past. Anyone can name one credible policeman?

And let's not forget about some of the retired teachers already reabsorbed back into the system. Let's ensure the SELECTION CRITERIA for all levels (primary/secondary/university) are CLEAR to avoid any confusion amongst the teachers. Credentials are important so that the students can respect the teachers. Downfall on the Education system is that students like us, over the years, have lost respect and faith for the teachers.
Perhaps next time, we can have schools like SchoolofRock ?? Just kidding, although some variety of schools available would be most welcomed :)

Who's Protecting Who?

4.8bilforpolice? cites of RM4.8bil allocation to the Police force. First of all, what police workforce? DO you consider them as a genuine police force? Some people consider them as bullies and opportunists. And not so long ago, there was a big hoo-haa on the earsquat scandal..still fresh in many 'rakyat''s minds. I have lost faith, really. The RM4.8bil is supposedly to improve the quality and efficiency of the police workforce...so why is the fund used for improving police welfare on housing and logistics? What about eliminating the so called 'few' bad apples, see badapples... ?? Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Bakri Omar states that the funds would be used to handle narcotic cases more efficiently by using new technology such as SMS. SMS???? You need 4.8bil for that? And, to improve the efficiency of the police force, all they could come up with is SMS? No other more substantial ideas? I can't imagine my neighbourhood policeman diligently sms-ing to report on a 'dadah' case... Didn't someone raise the question of who's gonna ensure that these bad apples don't strike? Who's gonna protect the rakyat from the so called 'crimebusters'? And..btw, wasn't RM365mil already allocated for the CCTV (yet another superfluous measure) cctv?? What gives?

Back Off!

coliseumcinema . First... take away the man's 2 pieces of land...then, impose the Land Acquisition Act to take away his family legacy...then give him 30 days to evacuate.....& THEN they have the cheek to say that they're willing to negotiate to lease it from him and saying 'it could be a good marriage' ? If there was no vast public outcry, would there have been this lease plan? Why didn't that come up in the first place before instructing an old man to leave in 30 days? Even if the reasons for acquiring the Coliseum was in fact noble and to preserve the culture- have the decency to layout a proposal and negotiate with Dr. Chua. That's how civilized people do things. Think before you Act.

Protect yourself. Read WhatisLandAcquisitionAct

My Weakness (5)

Since we're at it, I may as well recommend this, it's even in Wikipedia! It's multi-grain chips and it's suppose to be an 'excellent' source of whole grains. My favourite is the harvest cheddar when my system craves for ever so yummy MSG :)

Apple-chips, baked-chips, low fat chips, multi-grain chips - Aren't they all bs? I think chips are just as healthy as chips can be period.

My Weakness (4)

I have recently discovered that it's available at Sri Kota (near Tmn Desa)..used to get some from Singapore. It's really expensive though, about RM6.99 but it's APPLE CHIPS! ALMOST-HEALTHY SNACKING!

If Only ...

If only the world is free from war, poverty, disease epidemics, catastrophes, terrorism, corruption, homicides, robberies, scandals ...

And all you see in the headlines is this. Are we ever going to get to this day? ...

My Weakness (3)

NOTHING BEATS KETTLE CHIPS (honey DIJON)...

My weakness...(2)

These are my favourites. Can't go wrong with Miss Vickie's ...

What Gives?

Anyone seen ANY Sunsilk ad ? Sunsilk Tell me what's the logic....*eyes rolling*

So It Has Come to This.....

So, Mr. KJ is going to release a list of companies supporting the Israel regime Israelcomp. For what purpose if I may ask? So the 'rakyat' can make a choice of either to boycott these products /services or not. Following this, I'll have to do without my IBM pc, McDonald's, my weekly dose of Starbucks, my Nokia phone...wow..I'm gonna really have to re-invent my whole lifestyle. That's according to our Umno Youth leader...hmmm..i think not. What about this list? DinarStandard. What about the rest of the non-UMNO Youth followers? They're gonna have to abide and change their lifestyle based on this list? And here we are going towards Vision 2020, when everything's about globalisation and innovation....and we have to abide to these rules? Let's move forward.....not backwards.

My weakness...

Forget fancy-smancy chips or stylo-milo crisps.. give me this "kerepek ubi pedas" anytime..

Better than TVB series...........anytime (4)

Remember this one? ... I just remembered that Johnny Depp was in one of my childhood tv shows, I had to use google to help dig out the title of the show from my rusty little long term memory. 21 JUMPSTREET !! Remember that Nguyen guy too ? :)

Cocktails...(3)

Alabama Slammer......
Shake the whisky, gin, triple sec and Galliano with the cracked ice. Strain and pour. Top up with the orange juice. Garnish with the cherry and orange slice.













Making Your Own B-52
Just shake Grand marnier, Bailey's Irish Cream and Kahlua with ice....

does google really work?

How many times have you tried to google a 'how to ...' and 8 out of 10 results are some stupid ad pages that says '10 important tricks on how to ...' buy this best seller for only $9.99, shipping is free ! ...

SHUDDER..

Another heartbreaking news of yet another female raped and murdered in Malaysia. Read the news here. My heartfelt condolences to the families of these victims. We hope that the culprits will be caught somehow (amidst corruption and apathy that seems to distress the average 3rd world country) and the sooner the better. Let’s all be very AWARE of these incidents. We have received enough forwarded e-mails of recommended safety measures, alerts on dodgy cars or vans (some even with the car license numbers) and even pictures of the alleged criminals. Take them seriously if you have not and with a pinch of salt if you must for the exaggerated ones.

Here’s some Car Safety measures I picked off the net, may or may not be useful:-
1. Always keep windows rolled up and doors locked after entering or leaving your car.
2. Always have your car keys in your hand so you can get into your car immediately.
3. Always check the back seat before entering your car.
4. Never leave your keys in your car, even if you will only be gone a moment.
5. Never leave your purse in sight, hide it under your seat or in the glove compartment.
6. When parking, look for any suspicious persons loitering before leaving your car.
7. Always park in well-lighted areas.
8. If you’re being followed by another car, NEVER DRIVE HOME. Honk your horn in short bursts to attract attention and drive to a gas station, police or fire department.
9. Always keep your car in good running condition with at least half a tank of gas.
10. If your car breaks down, pull over to the right as far as possible, raise the hood, and wait inside for help. Do not get out of the car or unroll the window until the police arrive.
11. Do not pick up hitchhikers.

Though these are only recommendations but I should think they serve as somewhat good guidelines in which we can learn to safeguard ourselves. It’s true that sometimes it’s a matter of fate and luck, but surely it's up to us to minimize our risks. Stay Safe people..

Be Mindful of What You Say

Malaysiaunhappy? This article bugs me. The fact that what that one person says is quoted as what Malaysia says. Politicians/Ministers don't realize that what they say or do inevitably reflects on the "rakyat". The fact that i found this MalaysiaPoliticians in Youtube, it's kinda saddens me what the general people in the world must think of us Malaysians. Politicians slander one another using harsh and crude language, what kind of example are they setting for the younger ones. Imagine them watching that. It's kinda sad when I do know of actually decent, polite, intelligent and tactful people amongst the 'rakyat' who are more if not better mannered than these politicians. Please leave us out of this shame. We're better than that.

THE INTERVIEW...

PAKLAHTELLSALL The 'rakyat' tuned in to watch Bernama chairman, Datuk AZ interviewing our PM. We waited in anticipation as the agenda looked intriguing enough- PM breaking his silence. I was expecting a fulfilling and reassuring interview..but maybe I was expecting too much. The issues were addressed alright...without little affirmation. The interview seemed staged with the AL-Quran quotes, football metaphors.... For an interview to be successful, interviewer must always counter question the interviewee based on possible answers that he would have layed out before the interview, but No, Datuk AZ simply obliged and seemed contented with ALL the answers...nodded and moved on to the next questions obediently. I say, if you want to make a staged interview, do it right, don't patronize the 'rakyat'.
PS: can we please end the spat between our PM and the ex-PM? Seems rather childish now that it has dragged this long. And...an applause to our PM's 'no comment' on this issue. We dont want our leaders wasting time in front of the journalist making spats that has no beneficial effect to the 'rakyat'.
Just as expected..a sequel to this interview, check this Mahathir's reply...and so the plot thickens. Expect some "kacau-bilau"....

Better than TVB series...........anytime (3)

Here's Macgyver for you. ANYONE KNOWS WHAT"S THE NAME OF THE DOG??

Ipoh Bites

Being a true Ipoh-ian, I feel it is my duty to inform that the best Shredded Chicken Hor Fun in Ipoh is NOT at Onn Kee Restaurant or Lou Wong Restaurant....it is for a fact that the best one is in Cowan Street (only opens for lunch). Second choice would be the stall at the Kong Heng Kopitiam.

Sake??

Nope..I'm not a sake enthusiast...I only had it because it was free during my waitressing days in New Jersey. Once a month we would have sake-tasting sessions and wine-tasting sessions..i was in glee. Our 'teacher" would teach us how to describe the sake and at what temperature it should be served. Visit typesofsake for different classification of sake. After the session, where we were all half drunk, we were told that we get USD1 for every bottle of sake/wine we sell. That seemed a lot at that time :)


For the untrained sake drinkers, I always recommended this one : Meibo YowanaTsuki- Junmai Ginjyo sake. For one thing, the bottle looks nice and the sake is light with a mineral and fruity feel.
My bartender then..he gets a little creative sometimes and take a bit of this sake to make a Sake-Tini..garnished with cucumber.




It's kinda odd but in Jersey City where I worked, the gwailos are sticklers to their favourite food or drink. They'll come in week after week having the same stuff - irregardless what the specials were. And there was one particular customer, who told me he was in the Vietnam war(showed me his scars...cool) and he always had the Otokoyama. It was kinda dry and burns slightly.

I knew my "sake" days were over when I came back here. You can actually get sake at Jaya Jusco but I've sniffed for some info from the Japs living here that the selection is not so good- plus it's way overpriced. Think I'll just stick to regular beer.....!

Cocktails....(2)

Here's a different perspective of cocktails- using micrography (photography with microscope). It's an absolutely beautiful way of looking at TEQUILA SUNRISE....
Mix of 1 1/2 ounces of tequila, 3/4 ounce of Grenadine, and 4 ounces of orange juice and voila!

And a tribute to the Japs- this Cocktail micrography is the Kamikaze. (ingredients are: ounce of vodka, 1 ounce of Triple Sec, and 1 ounce of lime juice)........

You can't get more creative with Cocktails than this.... :)

Cocktail dig of the week......MOJITO!

The original Cuban Mojito is with light rum, whereelse the Drink of 2006 would be the new Mojito with Bacardi..... see this link mojito on how to make...*booze on*

255 CCTVs to Fight Crime???

It can't get more ridiculous than this. 255 CCTVs purchased for RM365mil to ITS Konsortium to be used by the police to fight crime. City Hall and ITS will together monitor and reduce the crime rate in Federal Territory. Although I do applaud the use of technology, but is it really necessary to purchase another 255 CCTVs when about 14 are already installed at the Golden Triangle, I wonder where these 255 units are going to be placed? It is supposingly to be used also to monitor traffic offenses. Are we forgetting that traffic offenses comes in package with the infamous "duit kopi"? So, can it be used to reduce "duit kopi" too? Or is the CCTVs going to manned biasly? Who's gonna make sure it's not going to be abused? This is, I feel another sorry excuse for certain groups to gain revenue from this, for the people supposed to protect us to sit their lazy ass monitoring the CCTVs, or to hire more useless people to man this system. The higher crime rate in Malaysia is not only because of high invasion of immigrants, but I feel its because the 'rakyat' lacks respect for the police workforce, have heard of the notorious police workforce and thus the 'rakyat' has altogether lost confidence in them....Now that's what the govt should tackle...The real root cause of high crime rate, not by going behind the cameras.....

Check this link : cctv

is it true?

Men who are still single in their 30s .... are losers
Women who are still single in their 30s ... they couldn't find a man who could keep up

Look around you ... is it true?

Better than TVB series...........anytime (2)

Just too tempted to add a sequel to this post ... just too many more to add ...

How could we miss out the following:
- LOST ... the best series that I've seen so far. To fully enjoy it, you'll have to start from season 1, eps 1. People who didn't like it, listen - you have not been watching all the eps !!! Mind you, this is not some ridiculous TVB/Korean crap that you can follow even after skipping 10 eps.

- CSI ... ok, might have been overrated but hey, they didn't get to be the most popular show in the world for no reason

- Nip Tuck ... hhmm, ever wondered why there's an MJ look-alike dude in this plastic surgery themed series? ;)

- House MD ... another doctor's show. I'd say there is enough intelligent substance in there to keep you interested

- Travel Spies ... It's hillarious how they managed to convince the manager to let them perform a ritual in this hotel's lobby, in one of the eps.

- good ol' Ripley's ... always enjoyed it.

- the fillers ... Friends, Dharma&Greg, Will&Grace

Of course not forgetting those that we grew up with:

- X files ... you know you're a geek when ...

- 90210 ... yeah, i know ... gosh, what was I thinking !

- MacGyver, The Misfits (or something like that) ... now i'm embarrased and I shall stop here.

Better than TVB series...........anytime

I fear the Hongkong movie and tv industry has failed me over and over again for years, resulting in me not watching any TVB series for the longest time. I can vaguely pinpoint which HK movie is notable enough to be mentioned....perhaps maybe only Stephen Chow's Kungfu Hustle. With a wave of reality shows aired daily..there is really no reason to watch HK-based movies/series anymore. Just a while ago, a friend of mine just newly discovered 24, and he said it made him realize how crappy TVB series are. I mean..the actors and actresses are shuffled in many series, so u may see the same actors/actresses in a few NEW series. And comparatively, TVB series are produced on a low budget basis, which means cheap props (or no props), same repeated locations in HK (up to a point you can even see the same mansion being used over and over again for different series), bad costume/fashion styling and lousy dialogues due to cheap scripts. In view that I am Chinese, I should really be supporting the HK movie industry, but heck, I'm no saint. For I've found many interesting, intriguing series to keep me occupied the whole week...and every week.....Checkout this list
1) Rockstar Supernova (think readers are beginning to see I'm addicted to this) -2nd season
2) Grey's Anatomy
3) National Geographic - No Borders
4) Fine Living Channel- Made to Order
5) Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
6) 24- season 5 available now!
7) Project Runway - Malaysia still stuck at Season 2 (I know Chloe Dao won!yay)
8) America's Next Top Supermodel - (no..its not the Sports Illustrated one)
9) Oliver's Twist
10) Globe Trekker- has to be Ian Wright's...too funny
11) Travel Channel-Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations
12) Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives...well those kind..

And if those aren't available..there's always those tv sitcoms...give me Seinfeld anytime.

PS: For food enthusiasts, pls visit madetoorder to see what's Made to Order is all about....

Rockstar Supernova-Continued...

Week5 - one of the best performance by Storm Large, doing Changes-David Bowie.

Southern KL Waste Transfer Station ($KLT$)

Anyone who lives in the vicinity of these areas; Bukit Jalil, Bandar Puchong, Bandar Kinrara, OUG, have much cause to worry. If you don’t already know, there have been plans to build a “Solid Waste Transfer Centre” right where so many thousands of people have built their homes. That’s right. You have not read this wrong. The residents who live near this Waste Station, will have to live with the stench and breathe in the polluted air (carcinogen from the fumes?), have garbage trucks drive past their homes and as if the traffic is not bad enough already! What I don’t understand is why the “powers to be” decided to place this station right at the heart of a densely populated RESIDENTIAL area. Common sense will tell any “thinking” person that there will be a magnitude of possible problems; health being a glaringly obvious one. So, why? Is it because the persons who make these decisions are not staying in these areas themselves or perhaps they have no relations living anywhere near? Typical, isn’t it? Maybe they have been misguided into thinking that there is nothing critically worrying as technology will ensure that the stench is kept at bay, transportation will improve..blah blah blah.. But we know that a third world country such as ours can sometimes fail in ENSURING and MAINTAINING quality of the very technology we have paid millions for, rite? If I had to be crude, I’d say they are just plain stupid and will most likely have to face the wrath of these residents and not to mention the silent curses (those who are less crude) on them and on their future generations to come. Hmmph! Let’s be honest here. Everyone knows these areas are in fact a particularly-not-preferred-race-dominant area. I don’t mean to incite any politically sensitive issues here but if such things are done, such thoughts will come to an everyday citizen like myself. Frankly, I am appalled but also somewhat numbed. It’s no longer that SHOCKING. Anything can happen in Boleh-land.

Anyhow, for those who are curious and may even have interest to sign the online petition, please do visit this website: http://www.no-sampah.com. There has been recent verbal announcements of scrapping this abominable project, but you never know in Boleh-land. Thanks.

Google Earth

Am I the only one who doesn't know about Google Earth..well, apparently it has been around since 2004 but was previously known as Earth Viewer. For the geographically challenged like myself, I love Google Earth....especially when you're reading the news...I remember asking my colleagues where was East Timor (there were riots at that time), nobody knew or cared actually...well, now I dont need to ask anymore..just Google the street name/place/city/country/ and Google Earth takes you to a journey!

Love is.....

second date

if you don't kiss the girl on a first date, you're a gentleman ....
if you don't kiss the girl on the second date, you're gay ....

Keane-My latest music dig

Courtesy from my friend Sam, ever resourceful, this is a wonderful band! They are an English Piano Rock band from England...one of a kind i think...no guitar shit at all. And the leadsinger's (Tom Chaplin) calming voice compliments well with the piano. One of those bands that you just don't get tired listening to. They were more famously known for "Somewhere Only We Know" and "This is the Last Time", but checkout their other songs, "We Might As Well be Strangers"....the pianoworks are incredible and "Can't Stop Know" and "Bend and Break". It's really refreshing and wonderful how they've infused piano with indie rock......I believe there's more to be expected from this band....Stay Tuned!

Recommended album: start with Hopes and Fears album....

it's a small small world..

Six degrees of separation is the hypothesis that anyone on Earth can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances with no more than five intermediaries. -courtesy of Wikipedia.

good grief.. and I thought my social circle was small.. small enough at least.. damn

Sometimes in April....

A good movie to start off with before watching Hotel Rwanda. Hotel Rwanda is of a much bigger scale but the impact from Sometimes in April is just as powerful. The name implies the Rwandan Genocide that took place in April 1994, where an estimated 1 million people were killed in 100 days. The movie implores the failure of humanity and the despair of the Tutsis when they were killed in masses by the Hutus. The movie also shows of how the UN reacted to the situation, wherehumanity was put aside merely because Rwanda has no whatsoever political benefits. One cannot help but think what if this happened in Malaysia, what if it happened to the Chinese Malaysian, afterall it's always something trivial that is used as an excuse to trigger something like that. Look at World War 1, that started because of the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne in Sarajevo.
I must say this movie is not a comfortable watch...but it does makes you stop and ponder...what to do if the same thing happened in Malaysia? Time to start on a contingency plan for no one knows for sure what tomorrow brings.

oily chinese

Why do people associate 'chinese' with 'oily' ? ... Be it human face oily or chinese food oily? :)

TO DIE FOR

It used to be only available at Starbucks....now you can get this everywhere...I get my daily dose at the supermart near my house called Sri Kota (yar..it's a branch of that dirty Sri Kota in Brickfields)..for RM4.30!!! Grab one today...you won't regret it!

Farewells...do we really mean it?

It's a week of farewells at work, with 2 colleagues leaving for yet better hellholes. And it got me thinking....
1) Why are we giving farewells when those colleagues are leaving for better job with of course better salary (or else they wouldnt have left)? We should be CELEBRATING and those who are leaving should be buying US ...and not the other way round! Think about it, you give false congratulatory remarks..when deep down you're wishing you're the one leaving..hahaha..and cursing the guy's luck thinking you're WAY more qualified than him.
2) DO we need to give farewells for colleagues you are not close to? I mean...you and her/him never hung out together BEFORE he/she resigned...so now you have to attend his farewell party? Doesnt make sense...does it matter if you attended or not? Would he/she even NOTICE if you weren't there? And if you weren't there, do you care if he/she is gonna be offended?...afterall, you're never gonna EVER see him again.....hehe
3) And if you were close to the person leaving, is a farewell then necessary? Are you gonna cut friendship ties just because he/she is leaving the company? If so, what does that maketh of your friendship with him/her? SO friendships made at work are ingenuine?? You leave the company and we're no longer friends...our friendship expires here......! Makes you really ponder WHO in your company are JUST COLLEAGUES and who are FRIENDS...
4) I always thought farewells are like funerals ...not a fan of it...but more recently I just think of it as an excuse to 'makan" and get together.

Well..I dont usually bid farewells...or wish them better luck..blah blah...say it when you mean it. and mean it when you say it.. I think farewells are really for saying goodbyes to the dead..coz you're NEVER gonna see them again (in human form anyway). The rest of y'all leaving this rathole, well...you're leaving for a better place...so you're not getting a farewell treat from me!

What did you say again?????

WE seriously need to review the way we Malaysians communicate!! The way we speak, influenced by Malay, Hukkien, Cantonese, Tamil language, has somewhat evolved to some rojak language that I can't quite grasp anymore. I used to think our language is unique..one in a million...now I think we were just fooling ourselves, because even if we were multi-lingual , we most certainly are not living in "harmony" as most travelogues would say.

I had a meeting yesterday with my suppliers that comprises of a Malay, a Mamak and my colleague who was a Malay. We had a coffee session, and I swear, I only understood probably 40% of the conversation, and most of the time, I was giving very general comment like "Oh, yar, yar....", " Oh really?"... And, we were all speaking in a common language, Malay. Even I made an effort to converse in Malay. Throughout the conversation, I fine myself zoning out and wondering if this was caused by bad conversation skills or by the rojak language the Malaysians created........

In much contrast, I came upon this group of well English speakers in the TESOL class I'm undertaking. I mean, they're really good, some are teaching English in International Schools so go figure! The lecturer encourages constant interaction among the students, and there was a live and animatic discussion. But, even so, even with that kind of fluency, there was one particular lady who kept missing the point in ALL our discussions. And mind you, in this class, everyone's expected to speak proper English, so we weren't exactly speaking Manglish. And then there was one who was a teacher but he uses the BIG vocabulary in the wrong context...and this guy is supposed to be an English teacher!!! Have mercy on his poor don't-know-better students!

So, it's definitely time to review and re-evaluate the way we speak. Is it the language we are using? Is it our inability to decipher and analyze when in a robust conversation? Is it the lack of general knowledge? Until we are able to pinpoint at least our own flaws, we Malaysians may never make it to the "international" scene to discuss "properly" with the *big boys*.

Is it wrong ...

Is it wrong to be in a conversation thinking, gosh these people have such ridiculous mindset on the topic, you don't even feel like joining in & explaining your point of view because you think they won't 'get it'?

Is it wrong to feel that some people need to get out and see the world? - yes I'm judging people by their lack of exposure to other cultures.

Is it wrong to judge people just by the topic of their daily conversations?

Is it wrong to be judgemental at all? Well, we hear 'thou shalt not be judgemental' all the time. But realistically, who doesn't judge? At the back of our head somewhere, somehow we are judgemental ALL THE TIME. Racism, sexism and the like exist everywhere. One cannot claim that he/she is 100% non racist or non judgemental because such person does not exist in this world. One who exerts this ridiculous claim of course is subject to being judged by moi :). Indeed everyone tries to be less racist or judgemental and thus one can only be measured by the severity level, thats all.

Is it wrong to choose your friends? Again, we are 'suppose' to treat everyone equally as friends. But that doesn't happen in this world! Everyone chooses their friends/gang/clique whatever you call it all the time. Is it wrong to have no interest in hanging out with a certain group of people? You will be branded as arrogant/stuckup/cocky and the like IF-AND-ONLY-IF you admit it. But the fact is, everyone does it all the time but by not admitting it and be politically correct about it, they're saved from being labeled. Have you ever heard someone say 'I don't wanna hang out with him because he's dumb'. I have. I know it's not the nicest thing to say, but hey I'd give him credit for having the guts to say it out. I'd prefer someone who's blunt on facts than otherwise.

Is it wrong to label something as 'This is soo Malaysian'? Unfortunately, in the Malaysian work scene, people still stick in groups and talk about people and engage in meaningless conversations. And yes, this is 'sooo Malaysian'. Maybe I'm just too cocky to find value in joining the crowd, maybe I'm the one who just don't get it ...

Best Slogans..

It's fascinating when you think about all the wonderful and most celebrated ad campaigns have done over the century..and here i've picked some of the best slogans...
1) The Power of Dreams- Honda
2) I'm Loving It!- McDonalds
3) Just Do It- Nike
4) The World's Local Bank- HSBC
5) BMW- The Ultimate Driving Machine 6) Diamonds are Forever- Debeers
7) M'm M'm Good- Campbell's
8) Let Your Fingers Do the Walking- Yellow Pages
9) M'&Ms melts in your mouth, not in your hand -M&M
10) Connecting people- Nokia
11) Think Different- Apple
12) 1,000 songs in your pocket- IPOD Nano
13) Every little helps. - Tesco
14) Screw yourself. —IKEA
15) The World On Time — FedEx
16) Shift_xxx— Nissan ; where "xxx" varies
17) We're number two. We try harder. — Avis
18) Buy it. Sell it. Love it. — eBay
19) Invent- Hewlett Packard

Mentality

I came across once again, the Evidence, of the typical degenerate mind of certain Malaysians. This time around, the person is supposed to be an Educationist.. the Bearer of Knowledge.. of our country.

Anyone went for the recent Postgradasia Fair which was held from 14th to 15th July, just last weekend? Were you as unfortunate as I was to have only managed to attend the last talk, which was on what one of our LOCAL UNIVERSITY is all about and its postgraduate offerings? If you did, much heartfelt pity for you. If anything, the talk has affirmed my conviction that so MUCH of our tax money is going to complete WASTE.

What seemed to be the focus of the talk was the speakers’ REPEATED adulation for foreign university professors. Over-glorification of everything foreign, how far superior foreign universities’ courses are, their valued comments, their state-of-the-art resources; I think I’ve painted a clear picture. While I am in agreement that foreign universities are certainly top-notch and that they deserve to be so highly ranked due to their commitment to education, their unmistakable dedication, and yes, I have full confidence that it would do us a great deal of good to learn from them, it does not particularly sit well with me that the speaker seem to adore quoting foreign lecturers, the comments they make. I can’t believe we have to get the foreign universities to FORMULATE the courses for this local Uni. Shouldn’t this have been the local professors’ duty? And should this not have been the rightful outcome after they have spent hours (& plenty $$$) VISITING foreign establishments to determine the best education system to emulate (if we are so crippled in designing our own system)? Call me crazy but this is a form of kow-towing for me. If this is where we’re headed, we might as well not have fought for MERDEKA! Are our educationists so inferior that they are UNABLE to form opinions and comments of their own that they need to quote others? One or two mentions is forgivable, but more than that shows the terrible state the education system is in; that among the many fine educationists in Malaysia, are some who are incapable of developing their own thoughts. How can we en-task such persons to educate the brains of Malaysia? And we talk about VISION 2020? No wonder the ‘brain-drain’ syndrome afflicts us..

It makes me laugh that the speaker can mention that the library is modeled after some top foreign university’s library. Is that important? The point that is clearly being missed is that if we have resources that can match the greats, why are we NOT as outstanding as them in academia? All that money spent on housing 500,000 books, and buying those 500,000 books.. goodness, can u imagine how much ALL THAT would have costs?

If you want quality, if you want to be able to stand at par with foreign universities, then it is time to abolish the QUOTA system and have truly deserving students maximize the potential of a 500,000 volume library. After all, plenty of good students are whisked away from the island down south and we hear of so many news of Malaysians doing well in foreign universities. Abolish academia-racism, and perhaps one day we can whole-heartedly shout “Malaysia Boleh” in a more deserving context..

what a storyteller..

If you think you’re possibly the UNLUCKIEST person on earth, how you must have the worst job in the world, or that you have the most unfortunate childhood ever.. I strongly recommend that you read these 2 books, which were true accounts of the life of the writer, Frank McCourt:-

1. Angela’s Ashes
2. ‘Tis

He was Irish. You might wonder how an Asian person could possibly relate to him. But it is the way he tells it. So honest and direct. It is so devoid of any self-pity and at times even ground-shakingly hilarious that makes his books so interesting. But please be fore-warned that it can also be so heart-wrenching that you can't help but shed a tear for him. Such page turners they both were that even when I was supposed to be concentrating on whatever I should be doing, I found myself thinking of the lines in his books.

I hate to spoil your experience, should you decide to read them, but let me share with you the very start of the book that got me instantly hooked..
“When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood." – excerpt from Angela’s Ashes

Happy reading..

What I miss ...

I miss walking in the snow on a clear moonlit night by the canal. It's a quiet christmas night. The streets are empty and silent. Yellow street lights lit the path and christmas lights lined the homes. Christmas trees are displayed proudly by the windows. I could hear a faint christmas tune coming from one of the homes. The air is crisp. It's only -18C, perfect for a walk. As the xmas tune fades, came an all too familiar sound of shoveling. Ah, the perfect time to shovel the driveway - while the snow is still fresh & soft. For me, this is the best time for a walk. So peaceful, so very comfortable as I stroll along snug in my winter jacket, scarf, hat and oh so warm gloves. There's a green flag by the canal, indicating that the ice is safe for skaters. There are couples, kids, even babies comfortably secured in sledges pulled by mummy & daddy. A fine winter night will not be complete without a Killaloe Sunrise BeaverTail pitt stop + a warm hot choc or Kettlemann's sesame bagel with homemade blueberry cream cheese.

This is what I miss ...

SUPERNOVA fever!

Well..i'm a fan of last season's Rockstar INXS. Step aside American Idol! This is where true rockers are discovered! While Rockstar INXS found the lead singer for INXS ..JD Fortune..it also discovered Marty Casey, whose now with the LoveHammers..checkout their new single, The Trees. One of my favourite songs that Marty Casey re-arranged was Hit Me Baby One More Time by Britney Spears (*puke*). His rendition was awesome...totally unexpected..now that rocks!

And so..this new season,,,Rockstar Supernova..3 great legends get together to form a band - Gilby Clarke (Guns N Roses), Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) and Jason Newsted (Metallica). And now..they're looking for a lead singer...And so the search begins. I've seen probably only 2 episodes now..and I'm totally rooting for Dilana- she made Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash work...how many can do that? It's a great song..but Dilana made it work....awesome...

Before Sunset....

It's definitely the ultimate love story, only because it is so real and endearing. I've seen this movie probably 3 times, and each time, there is new discovery, new insights, new interpretation. Only 80 minutes but the dialogues are superb, and it's reflective of how people actually interact. The movie made me realize how we are always trying to hide our flaws and insecurities, so we lie when we don't really have to, we say things we don't really mean, we never reveal our weakness but instead we decorate it with superfluous stories.
This movie is a sequel to Before Sunrise that was made in 1995. This sequel tells of their reunion after 9 years. And the 9 years is significant, as the two have evolved, from relationships to career, all the works. And one thing that Celine (Julie Delphy) said that hits me is that we sometimes let go of the person who we maybe at that moment was the perfect match, because you were young and you thought better ones will come along. And then, only to realize, in later years, that you just let go of THE ONE. I think most of us in some relationships one way or another have that fear. A must-see definitely..defines how a love story should be told.

Knuckle Heads

Has anyone caught this article yet:- http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/10/nation/14789867&sec=nation or click the image on the right.

The gist of it:- Perak MCA Chief, Ong Ka Chuan made this comment "Study hard to achieve excellent results or you may end up cooking and washing clothes at home for your family." to the 'boys' as there are currently more girls enrolled in universities.

Is it just me or does every other female (especially the homemakers) in this country find this remark absolutely tasteless/insulting and downright stupid? People who are minding the country, should really think hard before they shoot their mouths off.

Why am I so peeved, you ask?
Well, for starters, why should there be anything wrong with a man cooking and washing clothes at home FOR the FAMILY? Especially at this day and times, there are in fact many men who do help their wives or moms with the household chores. I'm sure even you yourself can name a few men you know who actually does this, and who do it without any complaints to boot. Anyhow, how can they not when women are also helping to supplement the household income. It isn't like the olden times when the males are often the sole breadwinners. With that said, I don't see why a woman who decides to be a homemaker, is doing anything less important than her husband who brings in the money. Someone needs to take care of the children, rite? Even without children, you still need somebody to turn those dollar bills into actual FOOD to eat, correct? Ask any homemaker what his/her day entails, and you will be surprised with the amount of energy they have just to accomplish their tasks. They are such skillful multi-taskers that I don't believe the title 'homemaker' is actually suitable. Instead, they are really the "Family CEO". They are the ones who cook the food we have every dinner, who has to queue up to get the bills paid, who makes sure we have clean clothes to wear, who educates the kids.. the list goes on. I'm sure every one of us are grateful for what our "Family CEO(s)", be it female or male, have done for us. Are we not thankful that we can head-along to the office, freely, knowing that someone will be taking care of the home? Maybe some of us are no longer staying at home, but do we not appreciate our childhood when our "Family CEO(s)" always seem to be there for us, for all our times of need, when we scrape our knees, when we need someone to hold our hand on our first day to school, when we need someone to listen to our heartaches and rants? I'm sure we are all more than thankful..

Lastly, it is my imminent wish that one day, our great scientists are able to formulate some sorta weapon that is able to selectively destroy the knuckle heads such as those who make idiotic comments as exampled above. Amen..

The Germans did win afterall ....

Despite the disheartening loss to Italy in the semi-finals. I think Germany has achieved something far more precious than the CUP. For the first time since WW2, the Germans now feel more comfortable expressing their patriotism in public. They have been a great host and have done a tremendous job in showing the compassionate side of Germany to the world. They have earned a place in the hearts of the world - this time in a positive way. Hence, it is comforting to see the world's gradual acceptance of them overcoming their remose and to once again be proud of their country. Of course, the history can't be denied but hopefully will be acknowledged more graciously.

The World Cup has also probably played a role in bringing the somehow-still-divided post-reunification Germany together.

So, the Germans did win afterall - a finer reputation and a positive national spirit ...

A quote from a friend 'I am proud to be German, now even more' ...

Noodles Galore in Taipei

Here's a series of Noodles variations I had while I was in Taipei.. Top one is 100 Yuan with 2 other side dishes, in Taipei 101 foodcourt. Gosh, I wish the food in Malaysia's foodcourt was this good! The middle one is Beef Noodles, real popular in Taiwan-this one I had in some pariah shoplot nearby my hotel..but was pretty good..and only for 65 Yuan. The last one is "Shuen Lat" or Sweet and Sour Noodles. The noodles were scrapped off a giant dough- was only 50 Yuan..

You've got any noodles experience to share??

Sex: Then and Now

In my late 20s now..and I've seen how the perception of sex has changed over the years that i've existed.
Then, sex was...
1) only after marriage, where the groom and bride waits in anticipation for the night of the wedding- like a deflowering session...a very big deal..
2) only happens when the guy and girl are at least confirmed a couple
3) less usage of contraceptives and sexual aphrodisiacs
4) its usually 1 to 1

Now, sex is...
1) i've heard of people doing it during lunch time, break time, office hours, weekdays..or just about whenever possible...
2) happens to almost any type of relationships- strangers, acquaintances, casual friends, close friends, even cousins..(yucks)
3) have you ever been to a sex shop? or have you checked out what's available in the pharmacy these days..i found a goddamn pack of Viagras available in the supermarket in Cambodia..!
4) well, my gay fren is a self confessed orgy participant..and it goes on and on the whole night..

I take it as just a metamorphosis of the definition of SEX now..and its getting weirder, more interesting, more intriguing..and also all the more confusing!!! You can have SEX now minus LOVE , but u can't have LOVE without SEX now.. and i quote my friend " Sex is like a sport without love"!

Here's a Little Reminder

I'm the purple bit and my friend is the white bit. Was a picture taken by a fren from the top of Angkor Wat. Just a reminder of how small we are indeed in this world.....so don't fret, don't overwork, don't be petty...for we live only a small portion of the world, AND when God look at us from way up there, we're just like ants!!!

Go Angkor!

Why you should do Cambodia...

1) Because Angkor Wat is there..one of the ancient wonders of the world. And i've SOOO conquered my fear of heights there!
2) The kids are charming..streetwise..and real entrepreneurs.
3) Flight from Malaysia (KUL) to Siem Reap is only RM400....by Air Asia of course. Terminal is located at the LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal) much further from KLIA but there's an RM9 bus shuttle from KL Sentral...
4) I would choose Siem Reap over Las Vegas..anytime
5) Beer is USD0.60 per Angkor Draft!
6) Ta Prohm,one of the temples I visited there, was where Tomb Raider was shot..most breathtaking with the tree roots eating into the structure.
7) For a Cambodian experience, staying at the guesthouse is great..only USD15 for 3 in a room with air/cond, hot water, tv,...and ohwell, you won't be in the room most of the time..
8) For massage go-ers, you'll be happy to know that 1 hour foot reflexology is USD6 and a full body massage is USD10/hour...
10) Cambodia is still culturally intuned- check out the Apsara dance, that is performed nightly in certain locations and is inexpensive.

Definitely the spot to go for a trip away from the city..

Life is worth it ...

When do you get that best feeling in the world? ...

- When you listen to the best part of your most favourite song - with a good pair of headphones - volume up and eyes closed ...

- When you sink your teeth into something that is absolutely delicious that just melts gradually in your mouth ...

- When your dog jumps up to your bed, curl up in your arms, take a deep breath and give out a big sigh ...

- When you wake up next to the person you love ...

- When you know that there is someone out there who loves you so much and would do ANYTHING for you ...

Staying in Focus

Staying in Focus- This must be the hardest thing ever to do. Just think about it. We've been trying to stay in focus ever since we were tots. When we were children, we fought hard to ignore video games, cartoons and tried to concentrate on books (non-comic ones). When we're older, we try to fend off vices and temptations and focus on getting a degree. When we finally graduated, we try to stay focus on our career...

Seems like such a hard work when life's really short. Why do we wanna put ourselves through such painstaking task? Yah, sure..it's ONLY responsible to do the right and SENSIBLE thing...but we oughta let loose once a while to smell the roses! Go on a trip once a while, binge once a while..sleep late once a while....

Key to staying in focus is to reward yourself once a while.