Anti-Lynas, I support!

Today, I want to lend my whole-hearted support to the Anti-Lynas movement who had been campaigning long and hard on the need to protect the future and the environment of this country. If at first, I had been bloody ignorant of their cause  ( forgive me for this! ) , I wish to say that after doing a lot of reading and research on this matter, I find there is an awful lot of truth in what they are fighting for and support is crucially important for the future of our generations. It is the scientific harms, ills and after effects of radiation exposure that had not been clearly explained by the government and the operators. To me , it is really shoddy work on the part of the government of the day and the Pahang state government. I seriously do understand what is so difficult for the Pahang state government to understand about the dangers that are involved. Forget about the job opportunities created and the monetary gains from it for the ones who are going to suffer the consequences and scientific ills are going to be the Pahang people themselves. We have had a disastrous precedent in the Bukit Merah plant incident and mind you, clearing and cleaning up works are still on-going since 1994. Well, if it is safe, why don't the state government build the plant in Pekan town or Putrajaya for that matter, just to prove a point that it is environmentally "safe" ? Heck! Might as well buy a house next to Lynas plant and stay there for a few years, inhale some lead plus consume some radon and get some radioactive sun-burn for that matter ! Wouldn't that be great then? (Sigh!) Logically, I believe these leaders had not done their background check and homework on this matter and blindly approved this project as usual without weighing the aspect of environmental safety for its people and the land. Look, the Bukit Merah plant which was started by Asian Rare Earth, the Mitsubishi Chemicals subsidiary is a good example of harmful environmental conditions. This plant which was started in 1982 was shut down in 1994 ( Ironically , after ripping the profits for 12 years too!!! )  when hazardous effects took its toll on the people who had worked in the plant and those living near the plant. There are plenty of articles to read from if one is hardworking enough to do some checking in the internet. Imagine US $100million clean-up exercise had been undertaken ever since and still on-going according to the electronic media today

The gist of it all is simply this: There is a lot of dangers involved in the processing of rare earth (RE) metals especially with the mixture of radioactive substances to extract the valuable RE ; leaving behind the harmful substances in Gebeng, Kuantan. That is my simple take on the matter and these harmful substances will be stored in Kuantan and THAT IS SCARY, folks! Pure greed , pure greed of money profiteering is what I see next! It is so sad that our land , the people's well-being as well as the country's integrity could be sold/traded for a fistful of dollars by the government of the day!  

The radioactive substances release radiation and two major toxic materials – radon gas and lead. Radon is a colorless, odorless toxic gas. When it gets into the human body through inhalation, it can damage cells and cause cancer. As for lead, many years ago petrol gas been changed from leaded to unleaded, as we didn’t want lead to be released to the air through our car exhaust. Lead can harm the nervous system, and cause brain and blood diseases. In short, two key hazards can be found in Gebeng RE plant – the radiation and the toxic materials.The RE raw material ( in powder or sand form ) arrives at the Kuantan port, then gets transported to Gebeng by truck, where it is unloaded, transferred and processed. Waste gas from chimneys, the waste water disposed into the Balok River, the solid wastes that are stored in Gebeng – possibly in all of the above we can find the radioactive substances, which can emit radiation, radon and lead, wherever and whenever they are present. Radon gas and lead in general do not affect our body externally, as we are protected by our skin. However, if these radioactive materials contaminate the solid waste, waste water and waste gas, they will be released to the atmosphere, water streams and eventually the food chain. Once the radioactive materials enter the human body via inhalation, ingestion and wound penetration, the radiation, radon and lead will be released inside the body and these can cause very serious consequences.

So wake up, people and let's lend our support to the Anti-Lynas group. Let's make our land a better and safer place to live in. Why? Simply because the next time you are in Kuantan town to buy a drink, you might think twice on getting a drink because you might not know where the source of the water is coming from...... Gebeng, perhaps? Afterall, contamination of water source knows no boundaries, right?

Unexpected....

Gaping wide opened mouths, wordless and stunned expressions greeted me when I told my colleagues that I made a trip to Kuantan and back all in the same day yesterday. They must have thought that I was crazy to do that and I also thought so too except that I was glad I made that trip with SLing, Din and LGin. When I explained to them that I went there to attend to a funeral sit-in, they were even more surprised. This time they thought that I must have lost a few nuts that was holding my brains together or even lost my marbles along the way and probably on my way to the shrink office sooner than they expected! Well, I was glad that I made the trip. There is no way that I am going to miss that funeral sit-in. It was Vive's father funeral sit-in. I may not know Vive's father personally but I know Vive & Sathy well enough to warrant them to be in  my family circle. 

Vive & Sathy have always been there for my family and I. For me, I have the greatest respect and love for the both of them. They are more than family to me. So, I would be inconsiderate and a fool if my wife and I did not attend the funeral sit-in. Upon hearing the news of Vive's father death on Saturday evening, my heart goes out to Vive & Sathy. I did not know what to do or say. I sent a word of condolence through the phone. I know that no words could comfort them at the grieving hour but to be present would be a greater comfort to them. That's why I made plans to drive up to Kuantan early Sunday morning and then try to make back in the evening which I did eventually. We ( SLing, Din, LGin and myself ) left at about 7.45am and by 11.00am, we were at Vive's house - that too with a stop for Tangkak pau & drinks for breakfast. It was good to see them and to be able to offer our condolences and hugs were essential for us too. We greeted Joe, Chitra, Kumar and finally Vive's mom. Din and I then paid our last respect. I guess, Vive & Sathy looked very tired by the all night driving since Saturday but they were serving people who came by to pay their last respect to uncle. There was a never ending stream of relatives and friends who came by the house amidst the blistering hot sun. Within a few minutes later, BA, Jessy, Kuna and Cheng arrived at the house. Mind you, these people drove 8 hours from Penang  ( Imagine - 8 hours !!! ) just to be there to pay their respect to uncle and to comfort Vive & Sathy at this hour of grief. Yeah, that's what friendship is all about and how lives are touched by Vive & Sathy. We greeted each other and chatted up easily. Then, about 30 minutes later, Steven, Wan Sin and Eddy from KL arrived at the house. It wasn't long before Bro.Chee Keong and his family arrived at the house later on. It was a gathering of good friends and once again, we chatted up easily. I was told that Siva and his family are also on the way from Penang to Vive's place while Sathy's family are also on the way from Banting. What friendship! What honour indeed!

As uncles, aunties and more relatives dropped by, more things were said to Vive and more headaches to handle. Anyway, I am glad that Vive stood very firm on a lot of matters and it was a good thing. Anyway, I just shared with him on my own experience in handling my dad's funeral matters and that he should stick to what is best for the family and just do it minus the unnecessary "input" from relatives and what not! Somehow, relatives that you have not seen for 25 years or more who are giving you ideas on what should be done and what not to be done can be quite a challenge to handle. So, SUMO it ( Shut Up and Move On ) is what I will say. Anyway, my heart aches knowing that Vive & Sathy would feel the loss but at least, the comfort is that uncle would not suffer anymore. You see, Vive's dad had been quite sick for some time now and it was very taxing for them to travel frequently from Penang to Kuantan. Yunno, it was never easy for uncle too as he breathes his last few days on this place. Somehow, I personally think that at least, uncle is at a better place right now!

Though it was a 3 hours journey for me to travel back, it was worth every penny, every ounce of strength, every piece of energy and heart. Yeah, I burned some rubbers on the road!  I may be exhausted from the driving and drained mentally, I was just glad to have traveled there. My only regret is that we could not have stayed to give uncle a good send-off as today is a working day for all of us. I do hope that our presence had been a comfort to both Vive & Sathy! That's the least we could do ~.

           

RR Malaysia - National Leaders' Conference 2012

I am not the type that likes to go for conferences and so on but when Royal Rangers Malaysia organised their National Leaders' Conference 2012, I must be honest that I wasn't that enthusiastic about it at first. Excuse me and forgive me for my bluntness but maybe, years in the ministry had hardened me a lot. Somehow God just had other plans in store and indeed good things were in store for all of us to learn and digest. I know that the Royal Rangers Malaysia are in the good hands and stewardship of a good leader in National Commander, Rev.Gideon Lee but somehow, I knew that I had to rally behind this leader and see what is in store for the future of this ministry. They say, years in the ministry will hardened a lot of people and I must say, in a balance of good and not so good ways. No! By no means, I am belittling the efforts and the hardwork carried out by the National Office staff but on the contrary, I must say, they DID A PRETTY WELL and GOOD JOB indeed in running the Royal Rangers Malaysia office. What a challenge!

It was indeed a joy to be able to meet some of the finest leaders I've seen from Selangor and KL while notable absentees from Johor, Pahang and Perak were felt. I also felt a tinge of sadness knowing some leaders had gone off the grid while some had left the ministry over the years. But I was really glad to meet up with one of my patrol mate ( Bear Patrol ) during my NTC days, Comdr. Reuben Ponniah - still serving with great enthusiasm and great disposition. Coming back, my leaders and I felt blessed that we are the only surviving outpost outside of Selangor and KL after all these years. We were in our easily noticeable luminous green t-shirts and we stood out easily among the crowd of young and mature commanders. Watching some of these leaders in their full regalia of medals and ribbons of achievement on their finely pressed uniforms were a total delight. Good for them indeed! 

We started off with the Praise & Worship session and suddenly I felt very old as the music were simply for the young leaders,man. That's all good because the ministry simply have to move forward to a better groove and direction. Then, there's the message from National Commander, Rev.Gideon Lee. The boss touched on the theme, direction and the need to re-brand the Royal Rangers Ministry as a whole. For once, I sat upright to hear what he has to say and the way to move forward in this ministry.  I must say that he has definitely inspired me in more way than he'll ever know. Before coming to this conference, I was thinking of hanging up the boots for this ministry after being involved in it for about 14 years now. I NEVER had a day of regret while serving in this ministry as this is the BEST MINISTRY of all times. It is just that I felt very much of handing over the mantle of leadership to the younger leaders.  I really felt that it was time to pass over the torch bearing duties to our future leaders. Yeah, the pep talk was inspiring and the re-branding of the ministry is a welcoming indicator. Then, the good times further rolled with young leaders such as Comdr. Kwang Yew (MC), Comdr. Terence Ooi, Comdr. Deborah, Comdr. Eric and Comdr. Eddy sharing about the 30th Anniversary celebrations, Camporama, Advancement Trails, Rangers Give Back Program ( RGB - truly a good program) and LMA Advancement and so on. 

I was very glad and elated to see young leaders like these finest young men and women taking up responsibilities in the National Office and pouring out their best to this ministry. It was exciting and truly refreshing. I say with all honesty that this is the right direction of this ministry. A good mixture of young and mature leaders. In that way, the ideas of the young people would not be stiffled while the mature leaders could lend a good guiding hands instead of promoting "taichi" master workout. In a ministry like this, it is so important for fresh new ideas to flow and to curb wastages in resources and finances which occur quite rampantly in many ministries out there. It is good that even for the coming Camporama, there is a lot of plans to bring a lot of fun to the children. I am all for it if the camp fee is structured towards providing great outdoor fun and adventure for the participants especially the young children. Afterall, when a small outpost like ours planned for a camp, we usually get out more and provided more than what we make the children pay for camp fees. We have been truly blessed by the beautiful big hearts of the commanders and our supporters over the years. I believe that all this is possible because GOD enabled each and every one of us. When you put forward the ideas in blessing children with good things, GOD would truly honour that because children/youth are such dear souls to Him.  I know and I firmly believed this is the secret success ingredient for our camps thus far and for many years to come. You wouldn't believe what budget we have to start with at times but with GOD's grace, He sees us through AND He ALWAYS prevail!

To say I come out of the conference with a better feeling is truly an understatement. I actually came out feeling refreshed and with a sense of gladness. I am truly happy that many young leaders are now stepping up the plate to serve whole-heartedly and taking up the challenges in their roles. I see the enthusiasm, I see the passion, I see the commitment and I see a change. That is a good change. The road ahead may not be easy for these leaders but perseverence and patience will pay off eventually in the long run. I have said it many times in our outpost that the accolades, praises, the sugary words and approval of men are not important at all and mere words. What is important is the approval from the one they call the  Master Ranger! 

So, to the National Staff of Royal Rangers Malaysia, I salute you and I say thank you for making this conference a success. Well done and I pray that may the Lord's peace, joy and abundance of love surrounds you as you serve in this ministry faithfully and with great passion.  So, will I still step down ? ................... Your guess is as good as mine!

Sanity check or checked....

Yesterday morning, I managed to catch up on my breakfast at my favourite pau shop in Tangkak.  As I stepped into the shop the pau lady squealed in delight that she has not seen me for ages.I mumbled something about how work constraint that had restricted my journey there when in actual fact, I did not have the opportunity to pass by this shop for my work. Anyway, I ordered my usual meal and enjoying the freshly brewed coffee minus the sugar. As I sat there dreaming into oblivion, I must admit that for the past few days, I don't know what I was doing and what I was feeling inside my heart and my head. At times, I could feel as though the canyon of my mind is empty while at times, it is fully packed to the brim and spilled over. The guys called it  " kueh teow over fried" period! I guess, the mind is the only sane part of a human being like me. Lose your mind and you'll definitely line up and collect your dues for being an "invalid" and be decoratively labelled as a confirmed lunatic, though, in these days we are already lunatics in this crazy exasperated world we lived in!

My mind had been crammed so much these days that I just wish I could remove them for while and compartmentalised them accordingly. Somehow, everything seemed to be urgent, super urgent and dead set urgent! Then while I was having my meal, a couple with two kids asked if they could share a table with me as there were no seats available at the other tables at that time. Without hesitation, I said that they are free to join me at the table. The young couple and their two kids sat down and ordered their food. Within minutes, food came and the ruckus started. Yunno, for once, I was amazed with myself that I did not react instead I was stoic-faced. Somehow, I just didn't care what they do. Rice fell off the plates, drinks splatter on the table while the lady was scolding her husband for staining his pagoda t-shirt with coffee drips and the ruckus continues. What's wrong with me? I guess, a part of me died inside of me. I just didn't want to care anymore or should I say, I have become ...... numb. Hmmmmnnnnn.... so have my fuse finally blow out on me? Seriously, I don't know. I ate my food quietly but I couldn't help it. The messiness irked me. Or perhaps I am getting old and senile?! Then I kinda checked myself mentally- I am still able to bring the food in the spoon to my mouth, chew, swallow and do this countless number of times. So, THANK GOD , I am still young and capable!

Anyway, the mess was unbearable and the bickering couple is something I would rather miss. As I tasted every piece of chicken pieces I put in my mouth, I eye-balled the kids on my table. Somehow, the stare stopped them dead on their tracks at what they were doing. I kinda take every bite of my chicken slowly and purposely crunched and grind the bones so that the  grinding part is audible to the kids ears. Yup, the "harassment" stopped. No more messy food and the kids were eating their food quietly. At every possible angle, I would eye-balled the kids intently each time they tried to be funny. So, my ordeal or their ordeal ended as I finished my meal. I chugged down the coffee, cleaned my area and left the table but not before I left another stare at the kids. The parents seemed oblivious of what were happening and I liked it that way. Can't stand indiscipline kids!

I was just trying to have some peace and quiet while having breakfast and evaluate the position I've been in these few days. Somehow, the kids broke the monotony of life a bit but seriously, I can't stand "sotong" parents. Yup, the kind that just say nice things or so-called "positive" things to their kids and spoil them to rots! Felt like saying to them what an elderly nurse in Sabah used to say to such parents : " Buat anak saja pandai tapi jaga tak tau. Anak macam hantu!" Yup, spare the rod and spoil the child! Anyway, someone in my office remarked that I was mean to those kids and especially those stares are actually mean too. Well, I wouldn't know, actually. Hey look, if you really must know, I don't actually possessed a face like Brad Pitt or Al Pacino or any movie star ,ok? So, of course, I looked seasoned and those lines on the face are real testament of times I have gone through, ok? So, yeah, I scare the daylights out of children with face like mine but that kept them in line and that's all that matters, yah?  I tell you, there are some kids who are like mini-monsters instead of mini-ministers of good will, man! Wait till you meet some of these mini monsters and you tell me whether I need to use my face or the rotan! Yeah, just as I thought - the ROTAN and some good spanking, right? Hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa......... just another day , another test of my already fragile sanity!     

The hour of truth......

Look God:

I have never spoken to You,

But now I want to say,

"How do You do."

You see God,

they told me You did not exist;

And, like a fool,

I believed all of this.

Last night from a shell hole

I saw Your sky;

I figured right then

they had told me a lie.

Had I taken the time

to see the things You made,

I would know they weren't calling

a spade a spade.

I wonder, God,

if You would shake my hand;

Somehow, I feel

that You will understand.

Strange, I had to come

to this hellish place

Before I had time to see Your face.

Well, I guess there isn't

much more to say,

But I am sure glad, God,

I met You today.

I guess the zero hour

will soon be here,

But I am not afraid

since I know You are near.

The signal - well, God,

I will have to go;

I love you lots,

this I want you to know.

Looks like this will be

a horrible fight;

Who knows, I may come

to your house tonight.

Though I wasn't friendly

with you before,

I wonder, God,

if you would wait at the door.

Look, I am crying,

me shedding tears!

I wish I had known you

these many years.

Well, I will have to go now, God.

Goodbye

Strange, since I met you,

I am not afraid to die.

~Author Unknown

Flavors...innocence...

I must say that watching " Junior Masterchef Australia " Season 2 is a whole lotta fun than watching the adult antics and dramas. Boy! We have had a lot of those over the week - whether it is at home, at work or even in our country! Anyway, it is so much fun looking at the children who are competing in a cooking competition while retaining their sanity and innocence. We, the adults, could actually learn a thing or two from these children. I tell you this, I am very impressed with the dishes they put on the judging table. OK, you may say that the judges are just "sweetening" their comments but there are criticism though not as harsh as the ones we get each day. To be fair, I personally think, the comments given by the judges had been encouraging. Afterall, it is a competition and there are bound to be winners and losers at the end. 

I kinda like Harry  ( I nicknamed him the fatboy ) who is very competitive and annoying sometimes while Chandler speaks word by word and I nicknamed him the OKU but he is a cute bloke. Greta, Lily, Indigo and Miraede are sweet and positive while Zac and Steven are cool. I guess, the one I like the most is Jack, super hectic, loony but sure can cook. Anyway, the episode I saw was a group challenge in a farm and you could just see the competitiveness minus the usual selfishness and all the bad behaviours found in human beings. In fact, when the Red Team lost their ingredient list, it was Jack from the Blue team that found the list and returned it to them. That was class act,man! I guess, I REALLY enjoy seeing these kids do the stuff for the day. The cutting , the preparation, the cooking part and the plating part were really superb. These kids knows their stuff and the dishes came out really well. I was very impressed especially the fried lamb rack encrusted with herbs & spices coat plus the pan-seared kangaroo meat. The desserts looked real appetizing and mouth-watering. I am really amazed by what these children could do. I used to joke to my friends that even our 10's - 12 year olds can't even fry an egg without making a mess out of the kitchen.

Yunno, that's what wrong with our society today. There are many boys and girls who can't cook a decent meal for themselves. Cooking Maggi Mee in a cup doesn't count as cooking, ok?  Convenience of food stalls, restaurants, fast and  food joints had sorta overtaken our culinary ability. No wonder mother-in-laws are fuming nowadays! Hahahahahaaaaaaa......... Yeah, I was just joking. Maybe ,we should sometimes take so time off just to get some basic meals on the table. There are plenty of recipes around and if one just take the time to cook up a meal, that itself is a great achievement. For me, my mom was a stickler that the boys/men should be out there earning the bread & butter but I stuck around to learn some of her cuisines.I learned by watching her doing it rather than writing in down in a recipe book. It may not be much but those are some of the best dishes I've tasted in my entire life. You see, whatever your mom cooked up, it was the best dish ever for you, right?  Likewise, I could never duplicate them the way they were made by mom but at least, I could do it with my own twist.  Never compare it with another person's dish because each to his/her own taste. I remembered that even a simple steamed beaten eggs with some grounded pork would taste heavenly on any day when it is done by mom. I have learned a couple of dishes as mom was more willing to teach me in the later years but I must admit I still lagged behind whenever I come up with her dishes. I still like mushroom and chicken in oyster sauce dish which was the very first dish I learned from her. My thoughts are simply this : Take time to learn to cook something from your memory of yesteryears. Visualized it and visualized how good it is going to taste and you'll get it right eventually!

Never be afraid to learn by watching cooking shows on TV ( Jamie Oliver gives a lot of good tips! ) becoz' there's tons of tips there and it is so satisfying when you can get the dish/ cake/bread or the broth right. It doesn't mean that you're a sissy if/when you learn to cook. Well, real and macho men cook,ok? BTW, some of the best cooks in the world are men. So then, put on your best apron and fire up. Hahahahhahhaaaaa.............. Go ahead, fire up your passion for cooking and get a good meal done for your family. I may not win a whole lot of battles in my life each day  but for one day when I am in the kitchen trying to get out the best dish/cake/bread or new creation, I know that I am a winner each time. That is a satisfaction no one can take away from you....each time.

So, go out there to your kitchen and get inspired! Your creation is as good as you can imagine it and get it done! Me? I am learning plait chocolate bread and croissants this week. Visualizing it and hoping to get it on the table soon!~ Be inspired,friends!~          

Rolls of sweetness!

Yesterday evening after work, I decided to get creative and horned my baking skills. Earlier, I got myself some cinnamon roll recipes and I was just toying with the idea of getting creative with the rolls. I visualized the rolls and then I just get the ingredients. It wasn't hard and I believe, everyone should at least have a hand in baking as it would help lessen down the temper thermometer, stress level and ridiculous pricing around. Jokes aside, I really love biting into a cinnamon roll and the one in Rainforest Bakery, Penang gave me a lasting and unforgettable impression.

Anyway, I started out by mixing the dough and seeing the techniques performed by Jamie Oliver in his cooking programs really helped a lot. Yeah, I improvised and do what I can to get the mixing done nicely. Having a great helping hand in my daughter , SYuen helped a long way. After getting it all bunched up nicely in a roundish dough, it was time to rest it till it. I think, the greatest ingredient of all was the positivism to ensure that the dough would turn out great. A little prayer, a little bit of positivism and a lot of de-stressing hand work helps in ensuring the dough turned out great. 

Then it was time to lay out the filling comprised of brown sugar, cinnamon powder and raisins. I had a great workout in ensuring it was smoothly applied. With that in place, I started rolling the dough together with the filling and ensured that the sides were pressed in to ensure that they are in place. Then with the use of the fillet knife, I cut it to the right size and did some touch up. When the rolls were ready, they look fabulous. I learn one thing over the experience is that the food had to look good to ensure it is good to eat. After that, it was all a nervy anticipation on how it is going to turn out. As the first batch of rolls came out of the oven, I was thrilled. It came out nicely browned, fluffed up nicely and a delight to the eyes. I actually made tea to go with it and I was eager to let my wife have the first bite into the warm and nice roll. She made some comments as usual but it's all good. At least,something which I had visualised had materialised. That was more important for me. Now, I can mix match it with chocolates delight or even savoury delights.The important part was to get the dough right and once that's done, filling is what you want it to be. I am one happy dude! I am humbled by the fact that I still have a lot to do and a lot more to learn when it comes to baking and food making. 

What will I be doing next? I dunno, honestly but I've always liked croissants too! I could hear my wife saying "NO" as she reads my article over my shoulders as I am writing this! Well, she's just jealous of my "hidden" and "sunken" talent! Hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa..............

Woof!Woof!...

They say that each and everyone of us has a "dark" side of us that required some taming exercise. Well, I must readily admit that I REALLY do have a "dark" side of me that is seldom seen by the naked eyes of the people. I have what you call the "duck" side. Yeah! I love steamed and braised 5 spice powder plus star anise and cinnamon stick duck, barbecued crispy Peking Duck, Salted Veg duck soup and as long as it is duck, I like it! Jokes aside, yesterday night , my the other "dark" side of me was about to be raised up like a sleeping giant. You see, I was getting ready to slumber on my soft pillows when my sleep tranquility was broken by the constant barking of the front neighbour's dog. Ok! So, I have lived with this for quite some time but when your body is at the brink of physical exhaustion collapse and screaming for some inner peace, quiet and sleep, the constant bark by the tuberculosis-like neighbour's dog can be a real pain in the "yunno where"!

So, there I was , tossing , turning and trying to get the best position to muffle the heinous barking sounds and somehow, my mind has now been wide alert. My eyes seemed to be synchronised with my mind  and the grand shutters of eyelids popped wide open! Oh! How I wish I could poison the dog or at least, skewered it up under some burning coal! ( Sorry, SPCA, NFC, NPC or whatever animal lovers organisation! Didn't mean to upset you people but this is really unbearable! ) I make no excuses for what crossed my mind! You would think the way I think if you are in my shoes! It is like having someone slapped two pieces of rubber slippers at the close proximity of your already ageing ears! If you still sympathised with the dog and say "poor dog!"; try saying that to five houseowners near the vicinity of my neighbour's house. I tell you for sure they will all probably smoldered your face with a massive thick pillow plus reinforced with a big bolster just to ensure that you meet God faster than anticipated! It's that irritating,man!    

I tell you, I just don't know what's wrong with the owner of the dog. I think, they are a family of deaf people! It is just so irritating and really annoying when you are trying to get some sleep and quiet. Honestly, I tried sleeping amidst the squealing barks and my mind started to play tricks with me by devising plans and ways to slaughter the dog or even massacred it indefinitely. It is like an every night thingy and the orchestra of barks will start at about 9.45pm and end well over 2.00am. By that time, usually, I'll probably be thinking of massacring the family that owns the dog too! Aw-man, why can't people just be a little considerate if they want to keep dogs/cats as their pets? I know there are a lot of responsible  and good pets owners but really, being a nuisance in your neighbourhood can be quite a devastating thing for your other neighbours. That's not including the poohs and the scratches these pets can cause to your lawn yard and your car! I recall with fond memories when my immediate neighbour had kept a stray cat. Somehow it was a real torture for me each day as for some reasons and some awful nights, the cat would meow and would be sitting at my car bonnet. You could see new scratches mushrooming each day. It is like using a Scotch brite metal sponge and running it through your car bonnet. Anyway, to cut the story short, the cat went missing one day and it never appear ever again. Thank God for that! Don't look at me! I didn't do anything to the cat - sanely, insanely, intentionally or non-intentionally! We will never know what had happened to the cat but it was a welcomed relief!

OK! Hopefully, tonight, I would get some sleep and be really civil about things that will be happening. No worries, no dark side is gonna be sprung up but I wouldn't know what I'll be doing if the dog barks again! Hopefully, this time, the dog won't be disappearing in the next few days. It would be a shame to the animal kingdom,yunno! 

  

Nuts & Gravy....

The other day I went to the bank to make a rental deposit amidst the hovering dark fully pregnant clouds which eventually pelted large droplets of much awaited rain water. I guess, in many ways, I was "blessed" by the hard hitting pelting raindrops. No sooner as I get out from the car, I was already in the midst of getting the outline of my sublime big-rounded body shape clothing sticking to my skin. I was drenched wet and I thought to myself, "What could be worse? Live with it-lar" So, drenching wet, I squeezed whatever parts of my clothings I could get on hands on to get the water out. The cold air-conditioning at the machines area sorta made the situation quite a sticky one while there were 3 persons at the CDM ( Cash Deposit Machine). There are two CDM machines there but one was out of order! What a day! 

As usual, I lined up and waited for my turn patiently. Then I saw one elderly man and one  middle-aged man taking their turns to do their deposits. By looking at them , both of them were in khaki pants, they must be some company boss and I was already feeling cold by the billowing of the cool air-cond breeze. Then, I saw them taking out a list of about 10 account numbers and I knew I was in trouble. Of all the days and of all the scenarios, it was like a repetition of my last experience in the bank. I was still sane at that time until I saw the list of amount they are going to deposit to their workers. Being rather cynical, I asked the middle-aged man what was the list of deposit for and he replied it was for over-time/incentives payments to their foreign workers. My God, the amounts were generally below RM 100 while the lowest deposit was RM 50. I was just dumbfounded for a while and I wanted to give some nice flowery words to these clowns! What is the matter with these people? Why can't they just pay cash as usual to their workers?  Then I thought to myself, maybe, just maybe, they are afraid that their workers might skin and hang them alive or get themselves killed while giving out the paltry incentives! Anyway, I kept myself calm despite the fact that droplets of water from my hair and clothes are hitting the floor and when it reached the electrical points of the machine, hopefully, the bank staffs and clients will be electrocuted  to death! 

Just as the list ended, the elderly guy took out another wade of cash and smilingly said that it was the business cash. I rolled my eyes, moved my head from side to side and muttered some flowery language. The other guy in front of me just lost his cool and left hurriedly out of the bank. Now, I am directly behind these two clowns/goons. The middle-aged man turned around and apologised for the delay. I wasn't gonna be a nice guy and so, I told the fellas sarcastically, " Boss, my nuts are going to freeze and come out gravy already! You better hurry up, can-ar?" in the Hokkien language. I wasn't smiling; hair dripping with water, face looking like some mortuary after life and three quarters of my shirt was out; dripping wet. I guess, they got the hint and within minutes, their transaction was over and I did my transaction as they stood aside.  I then went out of the bank and headed straight for my car - all drenched wet again.

I am constantly reminded  on how disturbing the world of the "have" and the "have not" can be for people such as this. It must depressingly painful for their staff to receive such pittance incentive. I guess, it is the law of the concrete jungle, huh? Maybe, just maybe I should start a company and call it NPC ( National Pork Centre ) or PKK ( Pusat Khinzir Kebangsaan ) just to compete in the concrete jungle. Ain't life porky?~