Blubber Wars 2....

The Biggest Loser Asia Season 2 started a while back and it definitely leave some really bad taste in the mouth the way some of the contestants were playing the game. After watching Shakira [ poor girl worked her socks off and she is really doing a fine job! ] leaving the health farm, I really felt disgusted with the kiasu fellas on her team. Man, she was your Blue Team teamate,man. I guess, my theory on Singaporeans are proven time and time again to be accurately spot on - scheming, manipulative, cunning, selfish, kiasu and kiasi included in the way down south package! To be honest, I NEVER like Raj. I find him to be extremely cunning, manipulative and a very selfish person. He may be the leader but definitely he should not dictate and pick off his own teamates one by one. The other thing is how stupid those people who were eventually picked off one by one [ Genghis will be picked off soon for having his eyes closed to blind allegiance with Manjit, another kiasu & Raj ] by Raj and his close ally, Jonathan. I guess, in the coming weeks, these contestants will know the shameful strategy concocted by this kiasu fella. I await diligently for the individual fares where I think, kiasu fella will eventually get strangled by his own schemes! BTW, did you see the kiasu gang trying to stay afloat by supporting one another? So, Leonardo, you better watch your back!

Actually, I was a little bit cheesed off by the stupidity of the contestants who should be concentrating in shedding more kilos off their bodies than strategised over the game plan. What game plan? To me , there is only one game plan - Shed those blobs,man! If one is shedding the blobs consistently, then weighing in is a piece of cake. Afterall, the other contestants would be chasing you rather than getting involved in some silly alliance and some sickening schemes.

It is a pity that Scott was picked off rather early or else he'll probably be giving these kiasus nitwits some whipping in their behinds! Yeah! I HATE schemers and I extremely HATE injustice and especially, manipulators. Now, why can't they fight it out honestly in the gym and see who can shed those blobs fair and square, right? I guess, my pick for a good run for the money in this year's event would be Nai, the Thai fella. For me, wild cards will be Fish [ another Singaporean - the better/worst kind, I dunno yet! ] and Saw [ likeable serious fella! ] I guess, what impresses me most is that these fellas work hard at shedding the kilos and that focus is important. It was sad to see Patty leave because there is so much more for her to do but eventually the competition strategy took it's toll. Peachy and Yana , well, another couple of fun people who were voted off by their own team. As for Hongkie, Lori, she busts her butt in the gym but not so likeable....so, it would be interesting to see how she survives next. Yunno, at the end of the day, the motivator is the prize money and not about losing weight for their lives. It is kinda anti-climax when I see these people not realising this fact. If they would think more about losing weight for health reasons and their lives, the prize money would mean so little to them. Instead, the focus is on how to get their hands on the money rather than their own well-being. It is very saddening but nevertheless, the ways of the world~

I think, personally, this is a life changing experience. Open your eyes. Learn as much as possible and hit those treadmills and what not as hard as possible. If you get the keys to getting good health through exercise and nutrion intake, you are well on your way to gorgeousness and you are already a winner. What you say people? ~

A Friend.....

Today, I want to dedicate this writing to a person whom I have come to know as a good friend despite many who would see it differently from me. You see, I am a firm believer that we should not say nice things about anyone only when that person had kicked the bucket or rather during eulogy at a funeral. I believe a person should be given due credit when he is alive and kicking rather than when he is resting quietly in the 4'X6' plot. So, I am going to write it out whether people like it or not.

In many ways, Joel How has shown to me to be a better person than he is perceived by many. I enjoy his advices and I am not spared of his straight-talking as well but I take it in good spirit because he meant well. Never with malice in his heart and this is one person I can share honestly without needing to put on masks. Straight-talking, precise and aloof at times, he is perceived as hard headed but in actual fact, he is a very nice man. That's his trait. Some calls him arrogant and a hard-liner but he is actually not. He is just putting his point across in all sincerity and concern. That's what I like about him. Personally, to me, many people has not seen his real heart. You see, we constantly jumped to our defence and shield our ego whenever we get straight-talking from people like him. In many ways, he is dubbed as the strong character and difficult to put up with. He is actually a man with a caring heart. His passion for God is something I see many of us would lack behind. No nonsense and definitely cannot stand injustice, many a time, he was made to look like the villain in movie plots but he is a man with a big heart. I know because I have seen his generosity towards the poor and the needy.

What I want to say is that as long as we are called homo sapiens or commonly known as human beings, we will never be able to run away from criticism, hard words, mistakes, hurting, difficult situations or even joy, laughter and fun. I say to all, hand out an olive branch and a dove. BTW, it is not all these that God looks into. He is and always will look into our hearts. That is what that matters to Him, right?
As my friend, Joel How is in the hospital for a heart condition, I would like to request that each of us spend some quiet time to stand in the gap for this man whom I have come to know as a good friend. Would you do that for me , please? I believe, your prayers will touch God's favour to grant my friend a speedy recovery and a complete healing in him. Thank you for your prayers and thank you for standing in the gap with me for Joel & his family at this time.

From the depths of my heart, Thank you very much~

Heartaches......

So, the Auditor General Report 2009 is out! So, abuses, irregularities & what not are being exposed! So, my next question is : What is the government doing about it? or What is the government going to do about it? So, like all usual "tidak apa" attitude and the usual government responce, our beloved PM says this..... [ drum roll..... ] " We are going to set up a high power task force to look into this matter ." How many years have we known the existence of the Auditor General Report and how many years all these irregularities had been brought up?

Read this responce from the PM, himself:

"I want to state that the reason ( for setting up of the task force) is not to launch a witch hunt but to identify those who intentionally and openly committed offences because we (the Cabinet) felt that they should not be allowed to go without having any action taken against them." [ You should know because every tender award for project has name of company and profile-lar! ]

"They will not neccessarily face legal action. They might face administrative action like surcharge, demotion, having their promotions frozen or be transfered, " Najib said. [ BTW, I want to remind the PM that this is blatant CBT and legal action should be taken against these people!!! ]

The task force would study in stages the irregularities reported and start with cases with clear signs of abuse of power or misappropriation. Asked if setting up of the task force was aimed at stopping corruption, he said, " Let's be realistic, there cannot be absolute zero corruption [ So, are you condoning corruption? What a confidence! ] but if we show seriousness ( in going after those involved), I believe we can bring the numbers down considerably, " he said. [Everybody knows there is corruption, Eradicate corruption-lar with clear conscience empowerment and enforcement! Bring in those big buayas not some small fry-lar ! ]

Ladies & gentleman, kindly take a good look at the red bold highlighted sentences and tell me that those sentences brings a lot of comfort and satisfaction to your intelligence. My God! I pray that God would have mercy and grace upon all of us for such a person who calls himself a leader. In the first place, it is the government departments that were mainly involved and the Malaysian public pays good hard-earned money as taxes to the country's kitty so that the funds can be governed correctly and without abuse! Here, you are telling us that it can't be governed correctly and without abuse?

Tell this to the students who got bread with margarine rather than bread with sardines or any other healthy food. [ BTW, in our place, a loaf of bread freshly baked from a nearby old fashioned bakery costs RM 2.30. I know because I used to buy bread from this bakery for my camps! Special price because I buy more than 5 loaves! ] If I am not mistaken the food programme is for RM 1.80 per child in Peninsular and RM 2.05 per child in Sabah & Sarawak. You do the maths,man. Yunno, I can't understand that if the contractor is not able to give what they are supposed to supply , why are the school heads, state education departments or even district officers are "unaware" of this or are they "aware" but keep both eyelids closed shut? To me, if you want to punish the contractors then drag down the entire corruption food chain of people involved in the first place. My point of contention is : Are you man enough to pull down such little Napoleons, Mr. PM? I am sore that such blatant corruption are allowed to net through and being carried out even at the expense of the children. Even in the prisons, they have the decency to whallop or whip the day lights out of child molesters and child rapist or any person involved in hurting children! What more, we are keeping quiet on those who ripped off food from the very hands of these innocent ones? I shudder at the mentality of people who shortchanged these little ones. Even the very fabric of religious foundation teaches us take care of the welfare of the children, the needy, the old and the widowed.

A friend once remarked to me that Malaysia is a rich country but pompous wastages is the main culprit for our "poverty". Yet, we are being virtually "robbed under our noses" day after day with occurrences like this. My God, when is our government ever going to wake up and see the abuses, plundering and the pilfering of our coffers? Some of the abuses highlighted are just too much for me. Once again, we are as guilty of championing the cause of corruption as any other person in this country. Why? Simply because we had voted in a government that is not serious about combatting corruption, malpractises and abuses. It is just words of which most of our politicians are top dog in being peddlers of words and a few small fish fry that got caught. I guess, it is okay to spend RM 84,640.00 on two computer laptops but not sending fresh milk or nutritious food to the young children in our schools. The list of abuses continues year after year. Where is the action taken or the inaction taken? For crying out loud, it is the public money you are talking about!

So, Please, Please call for General Elections. I am very sure where my vote will be and it would be very interesting to know where your vote will be too, right?~

Classic.....

The other day I was watching a Malaysian classic namely "Tiga Abdul" which had me in tatters of laughter, giggles and hearty fun. As a young boy, I've seen this timeless classic countless number of times and each time I see it, I enjoy the movie even more. Sure, the cinematography technology wasn't that sparkling in those days but the humour, slapstick comedy and even timely humanly lessons were significantly propelled. One timeless lesson value which had not changed was on the issue of corruption. This was potrayed very early in the movie when antique dealer, Sadiq Segaraga had failed to confirmed his attendance to the party thrown by Ismet Ulam Raja and had appeared at the party with his three daughters. So, he had to bribe the doorman to gain entry into the party. Known for his stinginess, the doorman stiff Sadiq with more than RM 5 which was a lot at those times. So, corruption and bribery starts early! Anyway, I kinda enjoy the songs too. Like I said, this movie is a timeless 1964 classic and the moral values potrayed were simple and straightforward. There were no difficult twist or turns in the story line - straight forward, lots of lessons to be learnt and some pretty nifty dance moves and creative songs too. Songs that we could sing along as the wordings are simple and easily recognisable.
I guess, I couldn't help laughing at the antics shown by Sadiq Segaraga over his voluminous greed, cunning and nifty ways plus the obsecenely greedy and gull gullibility of the two brothers, Abdul Wahab and Abdul Wahib . I must say that I really enjoyed the roles potrayed by P.Ramlee as the wise Abdul Wahub and Sarimah. I guess, I must say that P.Ramlee is truly one of the rarest gem in the Malaysian film industry. I just love his comedy films and the messages he sents through his movies. Absolutely pleasing to the eyes, the ears and to the heart. Yes, my family and I grew up loving P.Ramlee films , at least, the comedies. People at that time were able to relate to the issue and the messages he was trying to potray. I remember Dad would get some "kopi kong" [ coffee in the milk tin prepared by the mamak fella near my Dad's workshop ] and some "yue char kueh" ready whenever we have a chance to watch P.Ramlee movies over TV1 on Friday nights. Yup, Dad exposed me to two good things in my life - P.Ramlee movies and Liverpool football club! Liverpool FC was THE football club those days. Ah.....nice memories indeed.

That day, JWee, SYuen and SLing were watching the movie with me on the Astro channel. When I noted that JWee & SYuen too laughed at the scenes and the various sections of the movie, I am glad that movies like this could still capture the attention and the imagination of my son's generation. I guess, P.Ramlee movies do touch hearts no matter whichever generation we may refer to. It's what we call a likeable movie and can appeal to any generation for that matter. The best part, you can watch this movie over and over again without having any difficulty in laughing or feeling sad or touched at certain parts of the movie. Anyway, there is one part that puzzles me all through the years - how did P.Ramlee played the electric guitar if it is not plugged into the amp or even electrical supply.... Hahahahahahhaaahahahahahhahhaaaaa..... that ingenuinity, I guess... who cares, right? The beat of the song was nice and we could even do the twist........Ahh..... That's what a timeless classic does to you!

Oh Dear! Sanitary pads...

"..... commercials on sanitary pads are openly shown on TV and this could influence the young to get involved in social ills." - Johor Puteri UMNO delegate.

Ladies and gentleman, I tell you one thing is for sure - I really pity our future generations if we ever have such a moronic delegate/leader as an elected representative and I WON'T be surprised if it happens one day! My God! How stupid one could get, actually! The level of stupidity has reached a level that it doesn't even rise to the dignity of an error! And I hear the leaders are discussing about brain drain in our country! It is no wonder that our bright and wonders are serving in other countries rather than serving in this country when we have political delegates like this! I must say, her former teachers, educators, maha gurus, lecturers or even professors better go and hide in a closet and don't EVER proclaim that you have taught this lady, man!

I don't understand how a sanitary pad can turn on ANY man for that matter when it comes to sexual matters. Take me for an example. I am as giddy goat as any man when it comes to choosing sanitary pads even for my daughter or my wife. I am not ashamed of this and I own up by saying that I am learning because it is a natural thing. It is not a freaking taboo or whatsoever your dirty mind can conceive! Honestly, I gave up after being told by the salesgirl one day " Wide wings, side wings, compact, normal, heavy flow, regular, large, ......." and the list goes on. But like I said, I am still learning and there is no shame in knowing. Like I said, I am NOT shy at all , as to me, there is absolutely nothing wrong in asking about the types of sanitary pads/tampons but I really wouldn't know which one to get, anyway. To me, having menstrual is a normal process in a woman's life and nothing that can so-call " excite" anyone for that matter. Hello, the womenfolk do "suffer" during this stage and it is bloody, sticky and dirty discharge too. That's what my wife says and it ain't a pretty sight either. It is a normal cycle in a life of a woman. Look! It DOESN'T excite me nor my wife sexually AT ALL lest getting me all excited about it! The mind MUST be sick if anyone conceived any ideas like our so-call learned delegate! It only shows the shallowness and the non-respect towards our womenfolk. Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!

Look, I want to ask our lady delegate, if you don't want to use sanitary pads, do you prefer banana leaves , mengkuang leaves or coconut leaves for your monthly menstrual ? Come on, we use to joke that we would probably get our daughters and wives to use durian skins then! It is thorny and our ladies folks will be very safe then! It is not only sickly to spew out such moronic statements but totally irresponsible indeed!

Talking about commercials, it's a business like any other businesses we have today. Look at hair shampoo commercials or milk commercials! Come on! You cannot be having 90 year old lady to tell everyone that her hair has softened after using this shampoo or that shampoo when she doesn't even have a strand of hair on her head, isn't it? Look at milk commercials especially the ones involving PYT ( pretty young things ), so that is suppose to "sexually " aroused me and get me slobbering & salivating like a bloody wolf over a PYT? Come on! You have got to be smarter than this, right? So, if there is bra and panties advertisements in our magazines or our advertisment signboards today, the men are supposed to be aroused too - parked their cars somewhere and get all riled up in excitement too? "Chee sin" mentality!

The sickest mind in our society today is the human mind who actually think/conceived such an idea in the first place, my dear delegate. Look, advertisements will always be advertisements because it sells the products and generate income to our economy today. It doesn't excite us sexually - well, at least to some of us , decent folks! It helps some of us to put food on our table if you care enough to know rather than blabbering your mouth off and be a blundering clown in the first place.

I rest my case, people! BTW, please don't insult my intelligence and also, the intelligence of my friends - the womenfolks. I have a great wife, a great daughter and wonderful lady friends who would be very offended by such a view!~

Fun....

In the midst of hazy conditions and so on, I managed to catch some quality time with my daughter, SYuen. Incidentally, I was on my leave and so I thought it would be great if father-daughter could spend some time at the new Jusco. Afterall, I haven't keep my end of the bargain by spending quality time with my daughter and my son. I know that there is no end to work but sometimes, it is easier said than done. It is different if you are at the top of the food chain whereas if you are at the middle-rung or the bottom rung ( like me! ) , it can be quite a life for you. Say what you want, I know because I am at that rung right now. So, whenever I get a chance to rest or spend time, I'll take up on that. So, today, we started out by having nasi lemak breakfast in Bachang. Glad that SYuen like it and I called her favourite dish - sotong sambal! She loved it. It was such a joy to see her eat and talk. Earlier , while in the car, we sang to every song we knew together which was belted from my CD player in the car. Ahh! Such harmony and fun. Yup, I guess, it runs deep in the family that we can sing! Perhaps, I should distance myself as I am mainly the bathroom singer rather than at the fore front! Anyway, it was fun all the way.
From Daiso to Popular Book store, we go through things and chatted. We spend a lot of time at the book store as both of us like to read books. We also flicked through some of the CD's and DVD racks while I was mostly at the cook book corner. From here we moved on to Jusco departmental stores and then finally to the supermarket. We discussed on what we would do for tea time and we came up with chicken, sausage and mixed vege puff. We were like excited puppies as we shopped for the ingredients together. As we moved from one corner to another of the supermarket, I am genuinely happy to see the variety of food stuff and upgrading of food list. We both then stared at one of the worker who sliced a probably 5 kg salmon. We noted with interest that the head was gone but the fish guy just sliced the salmon expertly with the use of a sharp knife. Then it was off to another Jenak fish which was expertly cut up into fish steaks. We looked at the humongously big razor clams, NZ mussels and big size scallops. Nope, we didn't buy any of them but I gave some insights to SYuen on determining the freshness and the quality of the seafood products. We bought some bottled apple juice drinks, our pastry stuff and went back home. It was at this time that we were met with the worst kinda haze I've ever seen.

Anyway, upon reaching home, we started out pressing our pastry and developing the core for our filling. I then cooked the filling and soon. SYuen was rolling out the pastry and getting the stuff ready. As we work together, it was a fun time and soon, we had some chicken,sausage and mixed veg puff ready for consumption. The taste - love it. Our greatest home food critic had some general comments but overall, it was delicious. Ah! Once again, Father-Daughter combination triumphed again over the difficult terrain of culinary skills and masterfully countered the home food critic. At least, we won't be having the usual stuff anymore in our home. We can only climb higher and attained greater impact on the food prepared over the next few generations! One small step for the daughter is one giant step for the Father towards getting the daughter ready to take over the cooking duties from the home food critic! Hahahahhahahahhahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

In all seriousness, I would like SYuen to learnt to do some cooking and learn some cooking tips. At least, it would be useful for her when she needs to be independent one day. I may not be around all her life but the least I could do is to teach her some fine cooking tips and cooking treats for my children so that they too could be a blessing to others one day. To me, I must thanked Asian Food Channel for opening my culinary senses and really getting the food on the table for our gastronomical adventure in food. Sometimes, to be honest, simple food like steamed ubi kayu cecah gula or simple steamed keledek or sweet potato gives me a lot of pleasure indeed. I guess, simple things in life together with simple food makes me a happy man! I am contented today that I got to spend time with my daughter and we managed to make it a fruitful day indeed. That was fun!~

Haze hazard...

Rats! The neighbours are at it again! Sometimes, we get kiasu neighbours who jammed our streets like they own our streets, chirped like tweety [ "cheap, cheap, cheap" causing food prices to go up! ] and drive like lunatics or mentally-retarded drivers, sometimes, we get kiasi neighbours and sometimes, samseng neighbours! This time, we have to deal with samseng neighbours or rather "boh cheng hu" neighbors! It is also saddening that I have yet to see Bendera like group of people in Malaysia or Melaka particularly prancing, banner holding , bunching their fist, waving their parangs, shouting slogans of condemnation, burn some flags and even shout abuse when these neighbours of ours light forest fires , agricultural lands and even clearings on a hot and humid October month. This in turn brought about to a most horrendous haze I have ever seen! NIAMAH! [ Please mind my strong language! TBT - Tak Boleh Tahan! ]
The haze is very bad today and even my son is having breathing difficulties due to the bad weather. It was so unlucky that I was out with my daughter to have some time out when I had to confront this type of hazy weather conditions. I am having eye irritation and find it rather difficult with some breathing difficulties. I tell you, it is not only unhealthy but a potential hazard to our health as a whole if the hazy weather condition persists. With the sun shinning like a red ball of fire, I guess, it is going to be hot days again. The last few days had been exceptionally hot and dry. I fear that with this persistence of hazy conditions, it would make life quite a miserable for the Malaccan people. I can only pray and hope that a good downpour or strong winds to take the clouds of haze away from our land and go back to the original source in our neighbouring places! Then, we'll see what they have to say then. I tell you, if people continue to live in such primitive and selfish lifestyle, Mother Nature is going down the drain and more calamities are in store for all of us. I shudder at that thought! ~

Sis Wedding...

Today I am a very happy man. It is time like this that I wish my dad could have seen how beautiful his favourite daughter was. Yeah, I am talking about my sister, Lee2. Mom is beaming beautifully with the early morning make up make over while Lee2 is a radiant bride. I am a man with not much words when it comes to things like this and so, it would be better for me to keep quiet and do the stuff I usually do which is the background work for the wedding. However, mom & brother had been doing nicely without much help from me and it's really nice. The house is ready and it may not be much but it's been our home for some years before I moved. Anyway, after months of preparation, everything is on the spot light today.
My family and I have been the least interested in relatives comments, "suggestions" and what not but I believe in my family to do the right thing for my baby sister. Honestly, I have never been so proud of her. She is capable, strong and has been very independent all her life. I am so happy for her and deep in my heart, I am really proud of her. As the games and charade of the morning teasings were over, Lee2 & husband , Tee looked beautiful as a couple. As cousin sisters, cousin brothers, relatives, uncles and aunties came by to give their best wishes to the couple, mom and I shared some poignant moments as the couple served tea to us as family traditions. It was really a great moment for me. I guess, we all did the very best we could for Lee2 to have a great time and a great wedding. Yup, we ain't filthy rich nor hopelessly poor either and so, doing what we could afford as a family for Lee2 wedding was superb. Everything seemed to come into place and everyone was nicer to us. The family had great help from Ah Hoi, Ah Girl plus Ah Siang who helped our family through the wedding ceremony in the mornings and later, the wedding banquet. Mom looked great too and so did some of my cousin sisters who were a real treat especially during the singing time during the wedding banquet. They made themselves happy and all of us had a great time. It is said that the Foo clan knows how to have a party and a great time rings very true indeed!

As for the wedding banquet, it was the usual stuff of getting the people to sit at the allotted places and have a good time. Praise God, it worked out nicely and everything went on as schedule. Food was surprisingly good and it was important to us as a family to treat our guest with good food. At the end of the day, I only sample two dishes and I missed my favourite dish - roasted pork as I had to go off for some family work and joining the banquet later. All in all, I am glad everything worked out for my sister, Lee2 and latest addition to our family, my brother-in-law, Tee.

Today, I am just very happy. I know, Dad would be smiling too if he was here today. Here's to you, Dad!~

Saved - 33 lives!

Praise God! All 33 miners who were trapped for 69 days in a mine shaft in Chile's Atacama Desert had been successfully brought out of the shaft. Yunno, it is a real miracle that they survived that long after the collapsed of the mine 69 days ago. When Florencio Avalos first appeared from the specially drilled manhole size chute, it brought hope and cheers to the Chilean people and the world. I was elated as so many people from all walks of life brought in their expertise to help these men in the collapsed mine. It was the greatest unified efforts from various countries that had led to this marvelous collaboration in saving lives. Even though it was informed that nearly 22million dollars were spent on rescuing these miners, it was worth every dollar of it. Families, children and relatives are re-united, lives will never ever be the same but the sovereignty of God will never be doubted on this occasion. From the 7 years old son of the first rescued miner who did not give up hope when all others doubted him to the very last person standing on Camp Hope, every one was touched in one way or another.
As Luis Alberto Urzua, the shift foreman who was the 33rd and the last person to be pulled out of the shaft arose from the 700 metres abyss, the entire world erupted in thanksgiving for His Grace and mercy upon these precious 33 lives. I will never be able to imagine what these people have to go through but I know one thing is for sure, their unity, the steady leadership, the togetherness spirit , the believe to stay alive and the strength & faith in God had made it all happened. I believe with all my heart that the prayers of the Chilean people and the saints around the world, the candle light virgils , the constant prayer petition to the Lord had led to this marvelous rescue. Yes, the mourning has turned into dancing of laughters, love and joy!

Thank you, Lord for saving these men's lives!~

101010 Tragedy...

Looking through the electronic media news, main stream media and printed media today, the tragedy of 10/10/2010 involving a six vehicle pile up graphically and tragically adorned the front pages. This is not only a tragedy but one of the worst motor vehicular accident I have ever seen in my entire life. The pictures of death are so gory and saddening. My heart goes out to the victims of the accident tragedy. As usual, finger pointing, blame game and shifting of responsibilities in regards to the accident understudy are truly being played out by the relevant authorities. My God, when are the government agencies are going to own up their failures in checking such blatant "tutup satu mata" thing. It is a shame and mighty disgrace for the Transport Minister, the JPJ, the Police and all the enforcement units to keep mum over this matter when tragedy after tragedy involving express buses are on the rise. This is not a new matter anymore but like all good Malaysian sicknesses, these things are swept under carpet and left dormant for a while when the "heat" has cooled down. In the mean time, some authority clowns will shout for "blood and murder" for all the mishap that had happened. Look, the citizens of this country need to be protected when using express buses when travelling, you nitwit, Don't you get it in your head that people's safety are the No.1 priority and not make "making money" as your priority! These days, it is the other way round and it's time for some shake up! Passengers pay good hard earned money for safe travel and not land in some black body bag-lar!
Look, the point is this. A bus would not flipped and overturned if it is not travelling at an excessive speed, ok? Look at our highways today and you will see that the buses are still travelling like they own the damn highway and cars would have to give way to them. If you don't believe me, take a drive on the highway in the evenings and see those merciless F1 bus drivers "cruising " along the highways. This is also the stupid mentality of bus drivers who thinks nothing but getting to their destination at all cost to make more trip lest more money for the month. Look, for a bus to get to the other side of the road on the highway, you can do the maths and calculate the excessive speed it was on. I am appalled and angry that there are so many people lying in body bags last night and many more lives are scarred for life as they are being treated in the hospitals in Melaka. Some may find themselves in the smooth body bags today because of the reckless driving of a so-call bus driver. Nobody deserve to die in this manner and nobody deserve this if only the authorities do something about this. Like I said, these people just won't care unless their parents, their siblings, their sons or their daughters or even their relatives are travelling in that tragic express bus. What "Ops Sikap" are you talking about if the drivers are not "educated" enough to understand that his priority is the safety of the passengers at the final destination? The only "Ops Sikap" I know that is happening is being pulled at the sides for some traffic offence and the nice sentence being blurt out, " Boleh jadi kawan-kah?" Come on, don't look so innocent as though it had never happened before!

Catch those express buses out of the "Ops Sikap" time zone if you are serous in stamping out these type of accidents. See how many summons you can get or are you afraid to issue summons because some big shot nitwit is behind those corporations and it is 'I scratch your back and you scratch my back" kinda thing? When I look at tragedy like this, it really saddens me because those accident are preventable in the first place if rules of engagement are tightened and only really efficient drivers are given the reigns to drive those buses - not some "chin chai boh chai" driver with 365 summons under his belt! Can you imagine in one of those bus tragedy early last year and the driver had been summoned countless number of times and still driving the damn bus? Get a competent driver, pay him WELL and see if the bus will turn turtle again! I would get very afraid if the next time I board an express bus and the driver is someone holding a red NRIC, smoking kretek cigarettes like the entire bus belongs to him or someone who had just failed a urine sample for drug test! Where is the damn logic and where are enforcements of rules & regulations? Or is it the papers with the Agong insignias rules again? Come on, Mr.Ministers and so-called the aristocrats of the government, how many more have to die before you really take an effective action over this matter? Like it or not, those in the body bags are Malaysian from all walks of life and they may be a brother, a sister, a mother, a father, a grandparent to some Malaysians who would be balling their eyes with tears and crushed over losing their loved ones!

I can only pray that God would bring His peace and comfort to these people who had lost their dear & loved ones at this hour of grief. God, may You apply Your balm of love, comfort and console the broken & grief stricken hearts out there and may their lives be re-shaped in a greater reverence of Your love. Departed souls, rest in peace!

For the living, guard your life well and be aware that being alive each day is a miracle indeed! God bless each and everyone of you! I mourned for the departed and I will continue to pray for the recovery and healing of the injured ones. Would you care to join me? Amen!

Breakfast1

Prepare whole meal bread

Shred up cooked chicken pieces to fine/chunk shreds ;

Lightly fry some sliced Red onions, add with the shredded chicken and some black pepper sauce,

Serve it on lettuce inlaid on the bread pieces,

Put them together , slice into triangle and chow down!

YUUUUUUUMMMMMMMYYYYYYYY!

[ From the wealthy kitchen of SLing ]

Solace in a book....

My heart leapt with joy today as I received the book " The Hiding Place". This book was a gift from my buddy , Vive for my birthday and I can never thank him enough. Thanks to Kuna & Cheng for taking the trouble to hand carry it from Penang to Melaka and deliver the book to me. This book is the astonishing memoirs of one great lady of Christian faith - Cornelia a.k.a Corrie Ten Boom. The first qualified lady watchmaker in Holland. Born and raised in a quiet watchmaker's family in Holland, her family had risked everything for the sake of others and for the love of Christ. Despite the dangers and threats of discovery, they offered shelter to persecuted Jews and how they themselves were caught and brought to Nazi concentration camp in Ravensbruck. Raised by a great role model in her father, Casper Ten Boom, a distinguished watchmaster with a heart of gold and an even greater compassion for people, Corrie had grown up to learn from the best in her father. Casper was a man of distinguished faith and his early Bible laying foundations on his family had led to this unprecedented love for persecuted Jews at that time.

As I read on from the first page to the very end of the book, I am overcometh with the feelings of faith, hope and trust in the Lord. However, there were times, I could related to the family's difficult times and shed tears too as I visualised what Casper, Betsie and Corrie had to go through especially during their imprisonment in Scheveningen, Vught and Ravensbruck. In many ways, the happenings can be universally felt while the problems of yesteryears are still in a problem in our society today - cruelty, wickedness, treachery, proudness and a host of other brutalities of life. The deceit and wickedness of the heart, the sufferings, the hope, the aspirations, death of loved ones, lessons of life are all still contained and circulating in our world today.

Yunno, here is a classic example of a man of faith, Casper and his three children namely Betsie, Corrie and Willem ten Boom who risked all they ever had for the sake of others , hid the Jew refugees in one section of their rooms, getting help for ration cards, sharing and surviving on the meagre meal with others and their deep compassion for others. How I wished we had more ten Booms in our generation today.

Taking an excerpt from Pg.97 of the book :

" Then he straightened. " No! Definitely not. We could lose our lives for that Jewish child!" Unseen by all of us, Father ( Casper Ten Boom ) had appeared in the doorway. " Give the child to me, Corrie," he said. Father held the baby close, his white beard brushing its cheek, looking into the little face with eyes as blue and as innocent as the baby's own. At last , he looked up at the pastor. " You say we could lose our lives for this child. I would consider that the greatest honour that could come to my family." The pastor turned sharply on his heels and walked out of the room. "

My heart was wrenched when I read Page 191 :

The guard's plump cheek went crimson. "I'll decide who's to stop" And snatching a leather crop from her belt, she slashed Betsie across the chest and neck. Without knowing I was doing it, I had seized my shovel and rushed at her. Betsie stepped in front of me before anyone had seen. " Corrie!", she pleaded, dragging my arm to my side. "Corrie! Keep working!" She tugged the shovel from my hand and dug it into the mud. Contemptuously, the guard tossed Betsie's shovel toward us. I picked it up, still in daze. A red stain appeared on Betsie's collar; a welt began to swell on her neck. Betsie saw where I was looking and laid a bird thin hand over the whip mark. " Don't look at it, Corrie. Look at Jesus only." She drew her hand away; it was sticky with blood.

What a testimony indeed! How many us would be able to respond in that way? Like I said to Vive earlier on the phone, this is the most compelling book I've ever read. I have never yearn for a book as much as I wanted this one. Somehow, the One Above just wanted me to read this one and comprehend His greatness amidst adversity, difficulties, prejudices and complacency. Mind you, this book was first published in 1972 and it is STILL being published. This is a 38 year old memoirs but the messages are still beautiful as ever. Go to the nearest Christian book store and ask for this book. If you like, you could be like Vive who searched high and low for this book as he wanted to bless me with this book. Thank you, my friend. I appreciate it and this book is really an inspiration to me. Yes, I have finished reading the book!

I leave you with this thought which are the words of Casper Ten Boom - " I will open my doors to anyone in need.........."

My question is and will always be - How many will do that? ~

Farewell, Auntie Anna Kok....

A few hours ago, I attended the wake service of a beautiful lady named Auntie Anna Kok. It was after work and I decided that I should at least go early and have one last look on Auntie Anna Kok. As I arrived at her home , I was greeted by Kathleen and Chin Meng. I then clasped the hands of Uncle Kok and expressed my condolences. It was a firm handshake and one that I was very familiar with. We hugged and I felt for him immediately. Then I went over to Florence and expressed my condolences. I asked her about how it had happened and after listening to her, I was glad that Auntie Anna Kok did not struggle nor had any loud expression before she went home to be with the Lord. As I looked at the motionless Auntie Anna Kok, she was beautifuly dressed while she had this serene calmness expression on her face. It was an expression of peace and though I was sad, I take heart that she is at a better place today.
I guess, in many ways, it would fulfilled my day when one day, I would just closed my eyes in supreme calmness and be with the Lord too. I guess, that's the way I would want to exit the world one day.

In all honesty, I cannot lay claim that I knew Auntie Anna Kok that close but I know that she was a prayerful person and a woman of great faith. She was soft-spoken and quiet at times while a ready smile is always available whenever I greeted her. I think, the one thing I will always remember her was her well mannered ways. I am comfortable with the fact that she is a very motherly figure...someone you can only bestow nothing but respect for a woman like her. As for Uncle Kok, he was still with his hearing problems and obviously, it agigated him a lot when I spoke to him or rather he spoke to me about this. After a short conversation, I asked him how he was doing. He looked at me, pause for a while and muttered, " I'll manage." It was at this time I saw the frailty of this retired policeman. I prayed in my heart that God will bring a lot of comfort in his heart at this hour of grief. I must say that he handled the situation very well as friends, relatives and church members poured in to register their condolences. The family members especially Florence, Kathleen , Chin Meng and even Pater & David were handling the situation well. I know for a fact that the reality of missing your loved one had not sunk in yet but may the rain of God's comfort comes to their hearts as they lay their beloved mother to rest in the coming days.

Auntie Anna Kok, your memories are most treasured and may you rest in peace in the arms of our Heavenly Father!

Zanybandz....

Step right up, folks.... I am helping out a good friend of mine who is currently marketing this new craze in town for the children, youth and even adults. It is called Zanybandz. It is basically nicely shaped rubber bands that glows in the dark when you wear it on the wrists and ankles. I must say that they are really beautifully made and yunno what, they don't break so easily and they get back to their original shape of the theme easily. I guess, that's the beauty of this creation.

Themes like Piratez, Bag O Dogs I and II, Water Creature, Noah's Ark, Retro, Sportz, Spring, Nystic, Dragonz, Bugs and Bees, Camp Wig Warm, Moonlight, At the Beach and many more are available to suit one's preference and so on. Well, what can I say except that if you haven't got one, get it because it is a whole lot of fun indeed. It is attractive and they are a hit right now! They are inexpensive and comes in a pack of 24. Try it out and wow the night, people!

For further information and if you want to land some of this great stuff, please do contact:

Mr. Uzziah Quek /Linda - 012- 802 6251

Do better now....

There are days that I am often reminded of this short poem:-

He came to my desk with a quivering lip, the lesson was done,

Have you a new sheet for me, dear teacher, I have spoiled this one,

I took his sheet all soiled and blotted,

Gave him a new one all unspotted,

And into his tired heart I cried,

Do better now, my child.

I went to the throne with a trembling heart, the day was done,

Have you a new day for me , dear Master, I have spoiled this one,
He took my day all soiled and blotted,

Gave me a new one all unspotted,

And into my tired heart He cried,

Do better now, my child.

Simple Dinner 2....

Pan-seered Lamb shoulder marinated with terayaki marinade infused with Italian herbs & spices

[ Add twigs of rosemary and thyme for great aroma ! ]

~Thank you Errol & Jessica for their marinade secret ~

Abundance of lettuce leaves drizzled with mustard, a pinch of sugar a touch of lemon sauce & olive oil

Quick blanched "or kwee tau" and dressed with sesame oil, soy sauce & sauted onions

There you go -another simple dinner!~
Saliva drooling, right? Well, try it out yourself!~

Story....

When I was a young child, I love reading about folk tales and stories. I was never bright in my studies but I just love to read. It is a habit I unearthed in my early days. I love folk tales, local stories and fairy tale stories from Han Christian Andersen collections. One of the early magazines which I was able to read from the old Indian uncle book stand were "SHOOT", " Movie News" and even " National Geographic". I remembered running to the school library so that I could spend time reading books and magazines but I never could get a good grade for my maths, science and so on. Allow me to narrate to you a story from Cambodia and I will let you draw the conclusion of the story yourself.

The story starts with a young beautiful couple who was newly wed and so much in love with one another. They took a walk at the lake side park when the Prince saw the beautiful young lady and was immediately captivated by her. The Prince then ordered his men to take the young lady to his place and shoved the young man aside. The Prince then took the young lady to the side and told the young lady, " If you do not come with me, I will have the young man killed immediately. The young man pleaded with the Prince, "Please , Your Highness. Please do not take my wife away. We have only been married a few days ago and I love her." The Prince sneered at him and shoved him aside. He then beckoned the young woman to follow him and uttered, " Do as I say or the man dies!". The young woman was now in tears and gazed lovingly towards her husband and to the Prince. She then followed the Prince and all the while turning her head to gaze at her beloved husband. The Prince, the young woman and his soldiers then went off to the Palace leaving the young man at the lake side. The young man thought to himself, " What shall I do? What shall I do? I know, I will go to the Palace and plead with the King. " So, he went to the Palace and being a commoner, it was difficult to get an audience with the King. However, with his sheer determination, he managed to get an audience with the King at his court yard and he presented his case to the King. " Your Highness, your son , the Prince, had taken my young wife away from me this evening. Please, Your Highness, could you please asked the Prince to return my wife to me?", said the young man. " Silence! You imbecile! My son would not do such a thing. You commoner! How dare you accuse my son of such things! Are you not afraid to be beheaded? Now, off with you! Guards! Take him out and throw him out on the streets!" The wise priest quickly stepped in and said, " Your Highness, I believe that a commoner such as this would not have the courage to come to your palatial precinct just to bring to you such an accusation. Anyway, My Lord, I have a portion of truth here and whoever drinks it will reveal the truth in 10 minutes time and we will have the ultimate truth." "Alright! Give this portion to the commoner and my son, the Prince." The wise priest added, " As either of them is going to face death, let us give them a few minutes in solitude to spent with each other." He then drew out a long bamboo and there were two rings attached to a wooden barrel in the centre. Each person was to carry one end so that there is a wedge between them. So, the young man took the full weight of the bamboo and barrel as they were led in a room. The young lady confessed that she was threatened by the Prince that if she were to tell the truth , they would kill the young man. So, affectionately, they confessed their love for one another and professed their undying love for one another.

Then it was the turn of the Prince. He immediately let the young lady bore the entire weight of the bamboo and wooden barrel. He was a proud Prince and again, warned the young lady that should she say that she was taken against her will, he would have the young man and his entire family killed immediately. The young lady shooked her head and understood her predicament. As they were led into the King's court, suddenly, the barrel burst opened. A young boy came out from the barrel and he had taken notes of the conversations and hands over the notes to the wise priest who read the transcript aloud. The priest then told the King , " Your Highness, Your son, the Prince is not telling the truth. The young man is the young lady's husband."

At this point, everyone was amazed and was relieved at the revelation. They were seen nodding their heads in approval of the young boy's deeds and the wisdom of the priest. However, to the horror of everyone in the Palace, the King shouted " This is all a lie! You are all traitors. You are all plotting against royalty!" The King then ordered the priest, his advisors , the young boy and the young man to be killed for treason and seeing this happening, the young lady was so devastated and distraught that she took out her sharp hairpin and stabbed herself to death.

This is where the story ends. I shall leave it to you to draw your own conclusions and discussions. Life can be a tragedy or joy at times. It depends solely on your interpretations!~