Farewell, Desmond Lee!

I must say that I was shocked and stunned when I received a call from my colleague, Loh, yesterday morning informing me the demise of one of our colleague, Desmond Lee. They always say that we say good things of that person whenever someone passes away but Desmond was different. Sure, he wasn't a saint, so as to speak, but he was always a bubbly and such vibrant personality. He is a good father and his family well-being has always been his worry and concerned. Though not showing much of emotions, he is just being a Chinese - proud and no showing of emotions guy. One thing I know about him is that he is a good hearted person. Yeah, he can be irritating and difficult when it comes to money matters but he is really a good natured fella. Always smiling and bubbling with excitement. Sigh! I will miss having him around in the office.

I remembered the last time I had breakfast with him near his workplace in Muar. It was simple bee hoon with some tau kee pieces and kopi-o kosong for the both of us. We joked and laughed until we had to part our ways as we went to do our respective works. Always with a penchant to have great value eating place which is cheap and good, I really will miss him, though. I guess, he always likes being in a crowd and mingling around. He is what we would call the people's people.

I guess, I would have one kaki less when having tea this time around.

It was really shocking to me that he suffered a massive heart attack before his heart failed him that morning. I guess, life is just too short for us to grouse over it. Never in my wildest dream that I think he would be gone. I remembered him telling me that the doctors gave him a clean bill of health during the last checkup and he was really very happy. Then it's about sending his daughter to college, son's studies and college education for his youngest daughter. He is really a family man at heart.

As I reflect on his untimely death, somehow, we should all live our life as though each day is the last of our lives. In that way, we would appreciate life more and make our lives more meaningful. We are so jammed packed with work, worries and stress that it just ruined our lives. Like I said in my earlier articles, we can be healthy in body but it is the stress of work & worries that will stop your heart from pumping one day. Yes, STRESS is the No.1 killer of lives today. Hey guys! Money is NOT everything while neither position & power are important. Don't work till you drop dead and wait for someone to write your obituary one day. It's not worth it when you see wives without husbands or children without their fathers. I say this with malice intent to all uncouth, crap and downright moronic bosses & employers!

Farewell, my friend and may you have a good journey to the other side of the scenery.

Ryan & Ashley..

After spending some days in Seremban during Christmas, I really had a great time with the family. I enjoyed playing with Ryan while carrying Ashley in my arms somehow felt really good. It wasn't that I was great with children. It is just that I am meatier than anyone else on the arms and body and somehow, children seemed to sleep well in my arms! I keep comforting myself with this thought, anyway. In all seriousness, I really enjoy having baby Ashley in my arms. I guess, in a way, I get to feel what it's like to cuddle a small baby in your arms. [ It feels pretty good, actually! ] You could say that I kinda miss that feeling but I will not be branded as emo over such matters. Maybe, I didn't get much chance to do that with my own children when they were babies or smaller. Somehow, my children grew up so much that I miss cuddling them in my arms. Now, they'll probably rip my arm apart if I were to carry them. Well, Ahley is really a gentle baby but she packs a loud voice when she is hungry. She would wolf down the milk in a quick manner and ended up having hiccups. Then she would smile......aaargggghhhh.... that woudl melt even the hardest of hearts. As for Ryan, what more can I say about him - he couldn't care less about food nor staying still. Packed in that small frame of his is a power pack of shrieks, screams and a whole lot of lungs training! But I like this kiddo! He has a fantastic smile just like his sister, Ashley and they are mighty fine children.
I could not stop talking about Ashley & Ryan because they are really great children. Contrast in personalities and characters but each with his/her own unique ways of food habits, sleeping habits and even playing time habit. During Christmas celebrations, I tried feeding Ryan with cream cheese and half boiled egg which he enjoyed for a while and then it ended up as decoration on the baby chair. Guess, we still have to get the formula right for his eating habit. BTW, Jusco is his favourite place already while Toyland is must during his kingly visit there! All in all, he packs a barrels of laugh when is not shrieking or bursting his lungs out in screams, tantrums and tears. Well, all children does that anyway. I do really miss the close fellowship with him. Afterall, he is really a sweet child.

As for Ashley, well, I miss her already when I am back in Melaka. I guess, all fathers always have a sentimental spot for baby girls. Even SLing misses the "baby smell" [ that's what she calls it! ] of baby Ashley. Yunno, there is a really nice feeling when you get a baby like Ashley to sleep. They look so...................serene and at peace. I guess, seeing Ashley sleeping in my arms makes me feel mushy inside and really at peace. She is such a sweet little girl. SLing and I can't wait to see her in those nice little clothes. She would look dainty, missy and beautiful. Yeah! I do have a soft spot for daughters, that's to be honest! Probably, they are the reflection of your inner soft being of your life. That's how I would put it anyway. I really love those two tiny tots - Ryan and Ashley! Yeah! I am missing them already!~

It's Christmas Eve!

Spending Christmas in Seremban has been a real joy. Not only was my family and I able to bless our families lives, we were able to have a great time of food, fun and fellowship. SLing and I had been planning this Christmas dinner with the family for some time now. However, due to my busy schedule at work and tiresome days, SLing and I had been able to get down to the menu and the shopping days for the ingredients. I was adamant in doing my roast pork belly and several other stuff while SLing was agreeable on something simple. So, our menu consisted of roast pork belly with apple and cinnamon sauce, spaghetti with meat balls, bacon roll baguette, creamy mushroom soup and chicabegg spring rolls [ minced chicken, cabbage & eggs ]. I didn't have plans for dessert coz' I didn't know what to do for dessert anyway. I guess, I must say that I am ready as ever to cook, dish and serve up the meals I had planned. I was pretty confident and I really want to bless the family with really good food. I am glad SLing and I were able to do that.
I must say that I woke up quite early to get the preparations done. It was fun dicing, splicing and getting the things done before plating up the dishes. It was also good to have SLing, mother-in-law and Jade helping out at the kitchen. Everything went on smoothly and on time but there was a lot of making sure that everything would be ready by 7.00pm. I started out with making of the spaghetti sauce. I know that I would have to get this right and it went on alright. I was happy with the taste and the texture. Next, it's the creamy mushroom soup and the apple & cinnamon sauce while SLing did her fruit salad dish expertly. Finally , later in the evening, it was the roast pork belly and the chicabegg spring rolls. It turned out well and I am blessed indeed. YES! I am freaking happy for all the dishes which had turned out well. There was a lot of laughter and a lot fun working together on a time constraint and plating up the dishes. I was extremely pleased when plates come back to the kitchen cleaned and gleaming!
I know one thing for sure - if you cook the food with much love , passion and from your heart, you will have a lot of success from the food you serve. To me, I just equipped myself with that thought and I really wanted to get the love food out to the family. I am forever grateful to have SLing supporting me all the way. It isn't easy getting her to the kitchen anyway but she helped me big time especially her husband doing the cooking without a single piece of paper or planning in sight! Yes, I did the cooking , spicing up and all that by experience and by seeing the food stuff being made on Asian Food Channel [ AFC ] ! Thanks to AFC channel, I was able to improvise and see it happening on the food. I guess, I must say that I "visualised" the food that I was going to cook and "seeing" it on the table. That was my motivation and that is what happened. There is no fancy stuff nor extravagant ways. It is see-visualized-get it done!

I give thanks and all glory to the Lord for enabling me to cook these wonderful dishes. Afterall, it must be Him who guided me through every step of the cooking process. I know it sounded far fetched to you but that morning when I woke up, I just prayed that He would bless my hands and my heart as I prepare to cook for the day. Yunno what? HE did just that! Everything I did was just right. I didn't burn the kitchen , have any mishap or even have difficulty in knowing what to do next. I know it in my heart that HE has guided me through. Though I am happy and blessed for what has happened, I just wanted my family members to know that the GOD I serve is a good GOD and I know it for sure. So, thank you ,Lord!

That night, I received a Christmas gift from Wei & Jade who blessed me with a Jamie Oliver - American Adventure Cookbook! I am truly blessed coz' I've always wanted one. I have browsed through Jamie's books at bookstores many times but never had the opportunity to own one. Now, I own one of his books and I am really really blessed. Thank you so much , Wei & Jade!

To cap off a fine night, I slept soundly that night. SLing told me that I dozed off at about 10.15 that night while slipping off to the baby room downstairs. I didn't realised that as I was drained and felt tired but happy. I guess, it is the most satisfying day I have ever had. Truly the best!~

Merry Christmas, everyone! Remember, GOD loves you!~

Tak Nak...Tahan!

A peculiar thing happened today. I wish I could laughed out loud but somehow, I will keep it to a smile. I was at a car service centre today to do my work when I was made to wait for my appointment. While awaiting for my appointment, I seated myself on a row of comfortable looking chairs amidst two elderly ladies and one young yuppy guy probably in his early 30's. The ladies were talking loudly as though the rest of the people at the row of seat were deaf or mute. They then spoke to the young yuppy in regards to their car condition and problems. Obviously, the young yuppy and the elderly folks knew one another as they spoke about the young yuppy's mother and so on. They then went on to speak about their trips to Genting and so on and how they are now being upgraded to Platinum Card holders at Genting. As usual,I was non-chalant about such talks and I usually deafen my ears to such talks.

Then, the conversation went on about their winnings on the casino tables and how they have managed to get on the right formula to place their bets and so on. The stories goes on and on and on. They even went to to tell the poor young man how to get his bets right and who not to play with at the casino table. I guess, it was their boastfulness that irked me a lot. I could tell that the elderly women are rich by the thick gold ornaments they wore and all the blink-blink but who cares anyway...as far as I was concerned! Probably the weight of the gold ornaments adorning their necks and hands could have caused them to have hunched back or back injury! Then, I cannot 'tahan' when I was made to wait again for my appointment and the conversation between the ladies and the young yuppy goes on and on.

It came to a point where I became untahanble with what I am stuffing down my ears. It's like the infuriating and offensive buzzing of mosquitoes in heat. So, I stood up and said gently, " Excuse me, ladies. If you have been winning so much at the casino table, why don't you do some good and donate some of that winnings to some old folks home, children's home or even to some needy people? I am sure they would appreciate your gesture a lot, wouldn't it?". I didn't wait for a reaction nor required any for that matter. I lifted my butt, scooted to the Manager's office and told him that I needed to see him to clear up some matters. Somehow, I guess, I've been placed under the statistics of difficult and "bad" people category again! Who cares....anyway! I am very sure - Christmas at some shelter homes would have been much brighter with greater donations from these ladies!

Oh! BTW, I meet the young yuppy as I came out of the office and headed straight to my car. He offered his thanks to me for keeping the ladies quiet and for putting them in their place! I told him, it's my pleasure indeed! We both laughed and we parted after exchanging our call cards. Now, that's a fun, right?

Simpler...

Have you ever felt that life could have been simpler? Well, I have and I really wish life was simpler. I know, I know, that I can't run away from the hard facts and facets of life but I really wish life would be simpler. Nope! I didn't have a bad day today. It was just that I wish everyone would just be nicer to another person, be generous to another, be considerate to another and somehow bring some smile back to the faces of the people. Let it be the people you work with or even with your friends or even the ones you have not known yet. Show some love, show some concern or even show some kindness. The world today is so harsh that even a tiny ounce of goodness will help someone along the way. It is not everyday that you get some one to greet you in the morning or even treat you a cup of coffee but simple gesture like this would help to make your days much brighter indeed. Show some love, man! That's the message I want to bring forward today. Probably this is an irony from a man who has known hard knocks all his life until the Heavenly Father showered His grace upon his life and opened up an entirely new perspective in life. Everyone can lament, sneer and even turn disgust over their life but life can offer more when we give a little back to life. It's call care!

Maybe we may have gone wayward and got caught up in the turbulence of a twisted & sick world but we definitely can make a difference in life if we had taken the trouble to care a little. Maybe, life wouldn't be that complicated or be an utter mess. Once again, I am okay today but I just felt that the world has really gone cold and so are the inhabitants of this world. Hearts are so hardened while smiles had turned into frowns and grouch. It is hard enough for the Eskimoes to live in their harsh cold environment, so why should we still want to live in such coldness and harshness? Even Eskimoes knows how to smile amidst the cold conditions what more for people like us who lives near the Equator. This puzzles me a lot when it comes to human beings.

A female colleague of mine gave me a gift today. It wasn't so much for the gift but the thought of it. I have always made it a point to get something for her during the festive season she celebrates. Somehow, it slipped my mind or I conveniently forgot about it. I know that for the past few years now, I have always made it a point to get something for the ladies in my office before the year end but I have never expected anything in return. I gave the gifts with all my heart and I really wanted to bless their lives. Somehow, today when I received a gift from my colleague, it kinda warms my heart. Like I said, it wasn't the gift. It was knowing that someone else care for you and that brought a lot of cheer. Yunno, care and love goes beyond the color of our skins, the conviction of our religious backgrounds or even our political stands. Care and concern shows the condition of our hearts.We rummaged through our lives in the rat race of financial standing , fame and status that we forget where we stand in the first place. Have we been kind to our neighbour or shown genuine concern to our neighbour?

In this coming holiday season, we can all start to play our roles to make this place we live in more hospitable, more friendly and a little more conscious. We have to stop our selfish and self-centred ways and start living our lives with dignity and good volume of love. Never mind if others won't smile with us or change their mindset. Let the changes start with us and we will see how it can affect others. We must be advocators of love and care. If we fail, we failed miserably. So, start anew and start looking at life in a whole new different perspective in life.

BTW, I would have wanted to be a farmer. So, anyone out there who has a big piece of land for vegetable planting lease?

Blast mayhem...

I can't even describe what I want to say in the midst of the explosion tragedy which rocked one of our newest shopping mall in Melaka yesterday. I attended at site immediately upon receipt of a friendly call and what I saw not only shocked me but kinda terrified me a bit. Seeing corn-like broken glass pieces, crumpled & twisted aluminium metal strips in a vast area is not a good safety sign. The first question that came to my mind was , " how could such an incident occurred?". Well, as usual, in the Malaysian context of dissecting theories whether fact or fiction, theories of the blast came fast and thick ranging from suspected bombing to carelessness to business rivalry and finally to gas piping leakage. In all fairness to the people around, it was a complete state of confusion for a while and the authorities were no help at all. There was plenty of jostling over who actually have the absolute control and powers over such matter and soon, it became a huge snowball of further confusion. No one actually dared owning up to responsibilities and it's like one minute he is in-charge while the next minute , it was another person. I guess, in such matters, the authorities really have to work together to ensure there is law and order. Lives are at stake and firstline of operation is to save lives. Thank God, there are still some conscious and sane people in such situations whereby many lives were saved while there were casualties - 19 of them to be exact. One guy lost his life while 3 others hanging on precariously to their lives as they were critically injured. The rest suffered light injuries and thanked their lucky starts for surviving the blast. By then scores of policemen, fire brigade officers, security personnel and reporters were jammed pack at the area. Bomb squad, police forensics, fire brigade forensics, DOE officers and officers from every imaginable departments were in attendance making this tragedy like a circus-like environment. What was missing was most probably the kacang putih seller, ice-cream seller, curry puff and goreng pisang stalls! This is said with a hint of chagrin distaste!
I was rather amused when the bomb squad came for their inspection. I guess, if you look at the explosion pattern , you would have known immediately that it was not an intentional or attempted malicious bombing or whatsoever. Malicious or intentional bombings would have caused the the main column or main structure to collapse but on this occasion, there was none to indicate this. Anyway, precautionary measures taken by the Police were indeed commendable. However, their extremely large volume of presence wasn't very impressive as far as I was concerned as the manpower could be put into better use like catching up on snatch thieves, robbers , rapist or even drug dealers! Seriously, there must be a conscientious effort to know the difference between a tragedy and getting oneself onto the cameras of the media hype.

As I looked at the scenario of the blast, the broken glass, scrapnels, aluminium hanging ceiling pieces, ceiling boards, ductings and pipes, I can imagine the horror one goes through while fighting to save their lives. With good contacts with the Police and the Fire Brigade officers, I was able to have a close view of the devastation from one point of the building. I can tell you safely that it wasn't a pretty sight. If the blast won't kill you, the glass scrapnels and remnants from flying debris would have easily wounded you. Then, after being around for a while, mingling with the officers, rescuers, building owners, building managers, contractors, workers, reporters, shoplot owners and curious onlookers, I saw the infamous blame game shift in full swing. To me, someone had screwed up big time and this does not involved only one person but an entire chain-link line of command - that's for sure! It's a matter of who pulls the trigger first bringing down the entire chain of lackadaisical practises. Well, like all good Malaysian tragedy, a cover up is definitely around the corner or in the making. Sometimes, I am resigned to the fact that the ugly truth may or may not prevail. We'll probably get the sugar-coated version of the cause of the tragedy. Afterall, "I scratch your back and you scratch mine" mentality, mah !

Biggies...

I came home early today, flip flop some mouthful of food morsels and tried catching up on some TV programs when I chanced upon " The Biggest Loser -Asia" after watching "Royal Pains". I wasn't expecting a lot from reality shows but the drama and action is really pretty real, man. The big surprise of all is that these people have serious weight problems and they are in ASIA. I could see their nationalities ranges from Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Boy! These are people from our nearby countries and we ain't actually angels lugging our extra pounds of weight around our legs, bodies and tummies! Yup! We could actually end up like them somehow one way or another. That's why this show is really relevant in our lives minus all the manipulation and the worldly what-nots during elimination period, of course! That to me is the humanistic manipulation of survival . These people seriously worked their socks off trying to shed the extra pounds they have gained over the years. Obesity is a really serious stuff. OK now! All those vain ladies who weighs just nice can stop looking at the mirror and complain that they are fat! Yup! I have seen too many ladies who look absolutely gorgeous complaining that they look fat when they are really good -looking. So, to those ladies out - Stop the nonsense and have some self esteem, ok? You need to look good for your man! As for the men, we need to work out indefinitely -not because we want to look good but mainly for our health and NOT to chase some Chinese nationals floozies or shall we call it United Nations skirties, ok? If you have that intentions, you might as well take some potent aphrodisiac capsules prepared by some quack medicine man with you so that you can have one big heart attack and die gracefully atop your China doll or dolls or skirties, whichever you prefer! By the way, I just want to make my stand crystal clear that I can't stand men who are not faithful to their wife! Note that I used the singular form call 'wife' nor not wives! Yup! We may all have our naughty moments in life but being faithful and staying faithful in your marriage is equally important - no lame excuses , no buts and no ifs!
Coming back to the show, I really had a good time watching the program especially with Dave Nuku and Kristy Curtis [ the trainers ] drilling the participants in shape. These are really practical exercises that could be carried out. Things like weight training, boxing moves , runs and exercises could all be carried out by all of us effortlessly. It was also quite dramatic seeing the participants carrying out the challenges of climbing up the sliding water tower. It was excruciating for them especially with their weight around to get hold of the steel railing to climb up to the top of the water slide tower. I guess, that's the moral of the story - lose the pounds, cut the fat & slobbery and start to live! Like all reality shows, there will be elimination and so on. I guess, on this show, everyone wins because they get the finer tips on how to lose weight indefinitely in a systematic manner and that's priceless, man. Everyone loves a winner but I find that in such a competition, everyone is already a winner - they get to keep their lives and live healthily! One up for the once-upon-a- time biggies!

My niece - Ashley

Last weekend, my family and I spent the day celebrating Jade's liberation day from confinement food and also, celebrating my niece, Ashley, one month old journey into the world. Though she looked so fragile and small in our big hands, I have a special place in my heart for Ashley. When I held her in my arms and feeding her milk, it was asuch a joy being able to hold such a beautiful baby in my hands. I must say that I was terribly out of place as it was such a long time since I last held a baby [ that's Ryan and he's 2 years old now !]
What can I say about Ashley? Well, first and foremost, she is really a beautiful baby. [ again congrats to Wei & Jade!] She is so much different from Ryan. She is quiet and really a delight. She is also quite strong as burping her after milk can be quite a task. She hardly screams except when she is hungry , of course, just like any other baby. I felt a sense of connection with her in a way that she smiled at me when I held her. I guess, that brought a lot of cheer to this old heart of mine. Afterall, it is not often you get a beautiful girl smiling at you, right? So, as usual, I held a little prayer for her and pray for the Lord's protection over her life as she grows up. I know deep in my heart that Ashley is going to be a real delight to Wei & Jade. Now, I really look forward to spend sometime with Ashley and Ryan when I get back to Seremban. As for Ryan, well, he is at his usual mischief self but constantly a delight to be with especially with his antics and crying schemes!

Gosh, I really miss holding Ashley and playing with her. Hope to go back more often to play with her......soon!