Barrel of fun...

Kak Lina's family , SLing and Apang.....

As the year comes nearing towards the end, surprises will somehow appear out of no where to give a booster. However, surprises like visits and opportunity to meet up with friends and former colleagues are hard to give it a miss. The older folks used to say that meeting old friends will somehow bring about to a lot of joy than sorrow. I must agree that it sure does bring wonderful memories. Last Friday, SLing and I had the opportunity to play host to our former colleagues, Norlina Kamin and Rusni Jitah Singh and JWee's very first babysitter, Lusia Stevens a.k.a Apang. Meeting them put so much joy in my heart. It has been ages since I saw them and the opportunity to meet with them was an opportunity I would not miss. It was so kind of Norlina's brother to send our two Sabah guests down to see us and spend a night at our place while Norlina and family would go back to JB the very same Friday evening after meals.

Ikan bakar and colgate smiles.....

 I guess, I must say that it was such an honour and gratifying feeling being able to see all of them.I was so glad to see Kak Lina and her two children including her brother and mother who came along with them. I marveled at Kak Lina's strength and tenacity despite being in so much difficulty after her husband left her and her children in a lurch a couple of years ago for another woman. Knowing how much she had to pick up her life and re-built her life including caring for 3 growing up children certainly is one huge story of encouragement. My heart was filled with so much respect and marvel at her for picking the pieces of her life up and continue to live on for her children , care for them and nurture them. What a woman! Knowing that she is doing okay now brought much relief to my heart and also so much joy for her. 

Taming Sari Tower with me, Apang and Rusni....

As for Rusni and Apang, I am just so happy to meet this colleague of mine and my one time student in person. Both have grown so much in years. Rusni was my colleague when I started my teaching career in SMK Tenghilan, Sabah. She was awesomely fair, firm yet friendly person and still very much the same. Over the years , she has become family to me and SLing as we shared BBQ meals and great fun together. She and her housemates would be our temporary babysitter before we left for home In Melaka after finishing our teaching days in SMK Tenghilan. She was also the athletics field coach whereas I was the athletic team planner cum athletics track coach. We worked well as a team together with other teachers in order to bring glory to the school, district and the state we served. She is a great netball coach and netball player too.  

Apang & Rusni - River Cruise....

As for Apang, she was my student and JWee's babysitter. As a student, she was my hockey team defender and a good one too. She is also bright , studied well and eventually she is now a teacher. She has always been playful but courteous but also a person of strong and good character. She was a good babysitter to JWee who was a couple months at that time and she really took care of our baby. I am forever indebted to her as she took care of JWee when he was just a baby and she really took care of our baby. Today, she is a dedicated teacher in one of the rural school in Kota Belud , Sabah and she teaches hockey in her school and district. It was just so nice to see her and Rusni again as the last time we met was about 10 years ago while I have not seen Rusni since I came back from Tenghilan, Sabah which is about 20 years now.

Coconut Milkshake stall plus goodies

That evening as we ate and spoke about how well my former students were doing, I am so glad to hear that most of them had been working as teachers, educators, Govt.Departments and even as farmers manning their own lands. It was also sad to hear of the passing away of several former colleagues ( teachers ) and also what had happened to some of the teachers and students too. In my heart , I am so glad to meet up and have Rusni and Apang in my home. That night after dinner at Medan Ikan Bakar Pernu, Alai, we talked, laughed, had some sorrowful moments and also enthusiasm all thrown in a mixture of feelings as we spoke of our friends and colleagues. The ride of memories back to the yesteryears seemed so fun, close and funny yet poignant, sentimental and meaningful as we spoke fondly of everyone we knew. To me, it was good to know that everyone in one way or another is contributing to the raising of standards of knowledge and living in that Land Below the Wind state. I am so happy that many of my students had become teachers and creating good perspective of life there. That day, I slept at 4.00am in the morning and it was well worth the waking hours listening to stories of everyone I knew.

KakLina's family, Apang and SYuen

It was satisfying that I wasn't just another West Malaysia teacher in the school who was there just to fulfill my 5 years there. Most important was I wanted to encourage and help these students to better themselves and to be a changer in their society. I must say that I have always questioned myself if I had been an effective teacher in that sense. I must admit that I wasn't a good academic teacher but I was a good coach both in athletics and hockey. My methods of teaching these young one are not textbook stuff but more to unconventional teaching methods of school of hard knocks, hard words and plenty of heart. I don't know how else I can do it. I must admit that I tried my best in the academic and the sports field to inspire these young one to really make a change in their society. This is what that is always playing in my mind - did they make it? Have I played my role in encouraging them? or due to their "hatred" for me, they have finally succeeded? I guess, the greatest yardstick for me is when you get a former student like Apang and colleague like Rusni Jitah Singh coming by to see you and with warm embraces does tell you a lot! 

Rusni, SLing and Kak Lina

My heart was so overwhelmed with great emotions as I received hugs and embraces of such love. It does warm an old heart like mine la....I tell you! It doesn't need a thousand students to show that as it only needs one who will go out and inspire others with your passion. That day, I felt that rush of relief that students everywhere will be encouraged and loved by my former students who are now educators and leaders in life. The passion and love lives on....... It is a great feeling......

Anyway, I brought Rusni and Apang for some great food fare, sight seeing and Malaccan hospitality. We zig-zagged through the busy Saturday streets in Melaka and continued to show off great Malaccan food and sights before they board the bus to Kuala Lumpur for another adventure in that big city. We laughed a lot that day and we also had so much fun together. They had to tell me that they are stuffed full before I get them more food and more calories to their bodies! Sure, the Nyonya laksa, mee goreng, Hawaiian toast, special egg toast, pineapple tarts, kedodong juice, coconut ice-cream special, juices in bottles, the coconut milkshake, nasi lemak, ondeh-ondeh, samosa, popiah cili, crepe cake plus ikan bakar such as stingray ( ikan pari ), barramundi fish ( ikan siakap), cuttlefish ( sotong) and lala filled their food veins, pipes and stomachs! Taming Sari Tower , River Cruise , A Famosa , St.Paul's Hill climb plus night walk at happening Jonker Street were part of their simple tour diet during their visit to my hometown.

Me and my Sabahan beauties, Apang & Rusni

I guess, when Rusni & Apang stepped aboard the bus to KL, my heart was sad seeing them leave. I guess, parting is such a sweet sorrow in many sense. I really missed these two brave, creative, funny and happy-go-lucky women. They were young woman and girl when I met them. Today, they have become women of stature, strong and confidence. As I saw the bus leaving the terminal, I wished I could have more days with them so that at least, I could be transported to the days of fun, laughter and sheer joy. I will miss them, alright.... 

So, to Rusni Jitah Singh and Lusia Stevens, thank you for sharing your simple lives with me and the memories we shared in the last few days were truly memorable, fun and they do add up more years to my life! That's for sure! 

Breaks and reflection......

Today, I write with fond memories of the places I went in November as I took a break from work. Like all stressed out father,  such rest are rarity but when you get it, make sure you make the best out of it. I really did that and I just wanted to spend as much time as possible at some nice places and I did. I am always intrigued and fascinated by archaeological places, museums and places of interest plus the lure of good food. Yup! Nice places and the tummy rumblings go hand in hand when travelling......

We started out with a trip up north for my buddy, Rosli daughter's wedding in Bedong and a trip to Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum  nearby. It was a wonderful experience of understanding what took place at these places a long time ago. The best part is that the museum is free of charge and very well kept indeed. As for the outdoor upkeep, I must say I am equally impressed with the cleaniness and the well kept place. The model "candis" were exceptionally interesting and there is something mystical about them too. 

You may ask what is so interesting and mystical of such places and artifacts, right? Well, for one, you could see the strategic placement or the placement of balance in the building of such places of worship. A lot of emphasis was given to ensure that these so call "candi " is properly balance and depicts harmony flow. It is like the entire "candi" will be surrounded by harmonious flowing running water which will create the ambiance of harmony. From the stones cuttings to the art works and stone carvings, they were really interesting. It was really interesting to note the Buddhism and Hinduism influence to these "candi". Interesting indeed, I tell you. Well, this is just my perspective of things as I see it. The experience there was truly wonderful. One that I cherished a lot.

The other place which I truly enjoy was the trip to Bukit Mertajam to visit St.Anne's Church. I must say, this is truly one of the most beautiful churches I have ever been to. Never mind the denomination or whatsoever, the church is such a majestic one. 

As I sat at the old wooden pews in the church and with the gentle voices of choir singing from practising carollers, it was truly an experience of a lifetime. I must say, I was overwhelmed with such thankfulness in my heart knowing such beautiful church is in place. The architecture of the church is absolutely great and majestic. It is just so awesome being in this church and the experience alone is so worthwhile. I love the artworks especially the wood carvings, the bronze or metal works of art depicting familiar Biblical stories, the rustic wooden pews that adorned the congregation worship hall and the wonderful mosaic works adorning the historical wall. 

The worship hall was just great and I felt the peace in my heart and simple adoration for His presence that day. It was a great feeling. Even my sister felt she was at some overseas church and never knew it was such an experience. The other great experience is that one would get to know the Story of Jesus to the Cross through the works of art around the vicinity area of the church. What a great experience! Blessed and humbled are what I felt while at that place of worship!

Butterfly Farm in Teluk Bahang was the next destination my family and I went during our short break. Though the entrance fee was a little stiff as the area was quite small but it is still a great surprise for me. The butterflies are beautiful and I enjoyed them thoroughly. Maybe one would complaint that there are many of the same species of butterflies but I must say, there are truly amazing. Multicolored butterflies flying by and making a pit stop at your hand or head or shoulders can be quite an experience if you are a nature lover like me. However, it does get quite uncomfortable as the place was not that big and there are plenty of visitors to the farm. I noted pertinently that there are a lot of social photographers at the farm. Yeah, I must admit that this is a photographer's haven if one wants to shoot pictures of the unique butterflies.

Then , there is the over-rated Colmar Tropicale place in Bukit Tinggi. There was so much said about it and so on but sadly, to me this is just another theme resort. Incidentally this is a French theme place. Sure, the buildings are nice and so on. It is a little damper for me just like the weather then while the journey there was arduous and long plus there is an entrance fee too. I guess, there is so much hype in it but overall, it was still a nice cool place to go just to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, I guess. Anyway, I bought some pastries from one of the bakery and they are stone cold!  I really wished they could have warm the pastries a bit before packing them for us to eat. It would have been a better experience, I guess. 

Anyway, take not the beauty and attraction away from this place as the idea of it is good. Looking at the pictures of it, I too would have given my mom and dad a hard time by constantly harassing them to bring me there for my holidays! As for the Japanese garden, I must say that the road towards the garden is horrendously steep while the steps ( I hate steps!) up to the garden was my nemesis indeed! The Japanese garden was well kept and clean but just too little to see. 

I guess, my next memorable experience was hopping in and out of hotels like E&O and Rasa Sayang Shangri-La Resort.  These are truly beautiful hotels. Rasa Sayang Shangri-La in Batu Ferringhi has a truly beautiful beach front and nice relaxing lawn to go with it. The facilities are great though I wouldn't afford to stay here, to be honest. Everything was nice and cosy. I just truly love the feel of this place and being able to walk around the place with SL and SYuen are just as good. 

However, Chi Spa did not sound that nice in Hokkien and so, I did some signs which disgusted SLing but we both burst out laughing at the end. Guess, just two old people having a lighter moment in life!!! It was just a nice day enjoying simpler things in life. Yeah, we had so much fun just visiting hotels and E&O is the other great hotel too. We walked from the old wing to the new wing and got a shock in our lives when we enquired about the room rate! Thank God, my heart did not skip many beats or else, you'll probably know where I will land........

Anyway, thanks to my brother-in-law, Tee and my sister, we were able to sample the Seberang Prai food fare again which was a real delight to us. Thanks to Felicia, we got our coffee fix together with some nice bread while spending time with son, JWee and also with Felicia were priceless. I never could understand how one could live by a 780 sqft apartment and still go to work sane each day. There space is simply too small but obviously there are people who still could do it. I shudder at the thought of how on earth is JWee gonna have his own place if prices of apartments/condo in Penang keep rising to the 600k to 700k range. 

I often wonder if there is any hope at all for the citizens of Penang unless you already own a place n the first place.  I guess, I am pretty lucky in the sense that I do have a landed property which I could call home and snug nicely each night at my rustic bed. I guess, I should kiss the ground called home and wished I hadn't complained too much. A roof over the head is better than none, right? Yeah, breaks like this makes you realised just how blessed you are in your life and so I have learned! And so I have learned.............

Bedong Wedding...

About a month or two ago, I received a Malay wedding invitation from my buddy, Mohd Rosli Hj.Osman who is in Taman Lembah Bujang, Bedong, Kedah D.A. It was quite a shocker at first but after realizing that it wasn't his wedding but his daughter, Ieda's wedding SLing and I were invited to, it was a sigh of relief! Honestly, I could not remember driving such a far way to attend a wedding but I was determined to attend this one. The prospect of meeting again my buddy, Rosli is indeed the greatest reward for me at this stage of my life.

You see, Rosli was my flat mate and fishing kaki when I was teaching in Sabah. Rosli is small built in nature, soft spoken, calm and a man of few words. He was a real friend to me and he introduced me to catch fish with drift nets in the shores of Mantanani or some sea shore near Kota Belud those days. He would take me and Cikgu Malijin Lagoh with him to the sea and we would put on our drift nets and gathered whatever fish which hit the net and divide our share equally. He was like a brother to me during my early years in Sabah and he often taught me a lot about life. He is a good man and he gave me a lot of encouragement when we were in Sabah. We caught river prawns together and fished for fresh water fish in the creeks and flowing river near our school flat. It was simply marvelous being with Rosli and his wife, Kak Zan. 

This couple always welcomed me and my housemate for meals with them whenever we could and we were close friends. The hospitality shown by Rosli and his wife gave me a lasting impression in my heart. The BBQ sessions, the mahjong session ( taught them  how to play mahjong ) and our "going out to the sea session" were really fun times. The bounty was always good and we were always thankful. I learned what it meant to be thankful from these two great teachers of mine namely Rosli and Malijin.

So, coming back to the wedding invitation, I was more than willing to drive down to Bedong just to attend the wedding and catch up with my buddy , Rosli. I immediately told SLing that I am not going to miss this wedding date. Days passed and soon, I made my way to Bedong , Kedah but not before stopping at Lembah Bujang for some archaeological lesson at the Lembah Bujang Museum. I did not inform Rosli that I was going to make it for the wedding just to surprise him. 

So, imagine the shock and the joy of his face when he saw us as we walked to his home in Taman Lembah Bujang! I immediately hugged my small frame long lost friend while SLing embraced Kak Zan. For once, tears filled my eyes as I hugged my good buddy, Rosli. Maybe it was awkward for the people at the wedding to see us like that but I really missed this good friend of mine. He also felt touched and we told each other that it has been too long we have not met up. I shook Kak Zan's hands and I told her thank you for inviting us for the wedding. I could see that there were tears in the eyes of Rosli and Kak Zan as Rosli took us to a nearby table. He repeatedly told me how happy he was to see me at this wedding and I told him that the joy is mine and it was a real honour to be able to come by.

I then chatted freely with Hafiz , Rosli's son who was just 5 years old then when he was in Sabah. I spoke fondly of his dad, Rosli while he spoke of remembering me and SLing when he was a boy then. I was honored that he could remember us and we chatted about work, life and his mom and dad. I remembered Hafiz being a young limping child then but he had soon went through an op to rectify the limp and now, he works as a bus driver for an express bus company. So proud of him helping out the family on his sister's wedding and he spoke fondly of a lot of matters which had happened while we were in Sabah. 

Though SLing and I weren't able to see the bersanding part of the wedding, we were just happy to see Rosli and Kak Zan. As we posed for photographs and were introduced to all their children ( they have 6 children ), four of their children could recognised us while 2 of the younger ones couldn't as they were born in Kedah. I felt so much joy in my heart as I get to see my buddy and like most Malaysians, there weren't any barrier between us. We are just good friends breaking through all the nonsensical barriers that had burdened us all our lives. 

As we bid farewell, I guess, SLing and I felt so much joy and honour to be able to regain the sweet memories of friendship, love and respect for this couple, Rosli & Kak Zan. What an honour! What sweet memories! Rosli said it right when he said, " See you again, my friend. I've got 5 more to go! " Yeah, I look forward to attending my good buddy's children wedding in the future. 

Be blessed, Rosli & Kak Zan!

My Woman....

We all heard and loved inspirational stories and how they could help us re-live or get inspired in life. Well, I have one for you today. This is the story of woman who inspired me through the years. That woman is Wang Soon Ling. ( Aiyoo....dare not mention any other names or else.....become sup ayam potong-potong,okay?) She is my better half and partner in life for the past 25 years and come 18th November, it will be her birthday. 

Let me tell you a little something about SL. She is truly a remarkable mother to my children and she has been a great support in my life. When it comes to finance, she is as tight as a close-knitted dress but needed as we needed to budget for our commitment to the children's studies and all that. On top of that, she is patient and kind. She seemed and look aloof at times but she is actually a very nice person when you get to know her. She is unusually witty at times and caring in many ways. I remembered when I was in the hospital , she did not leave my side mainly because I could have signed off suddenly but then again she was there right to the very end - praying or was it sleeping? Hahahahahaaaaaaaaa......either way, it was good for her. 

Through the years, she has been quite a woman of faith and strength. She took heart to the promises of the Lord and she keeps faith in our family well-being. She took care of the family's needs, laundry, house cleaning and most chores in the house and she was such a strength. Many times, I marvelled at her for she took it upon herself to ensure I was comfortable and relaxed while we ate dinner quietly or even in my troubled time, she was there to comfort me. Whenever she was angry, it would be days before I am able to speak to her but then again, there is some peace and quiet at last....hahahahahhahaaaaaaaaaaaaa........Seriously, whenever she gets angry, it would be for some reason of interest and though sometimes, she can be quite adoring when she is angry. Most of  time, the source of her anger would be me as I would be the main culprit of her discomfort. Anyway, it is definitely good for either one of us to defuse when the other is on the verge of exploding!!!!  Yeah, over the years, we have our difficulties and hardship along the way but we've always supported one another , cared for one another and comforted one another no matter what the situation would be.  

Most of the time, SL is quiet and she does her stuff quietly and without complaint. The only time I saw her so stressed up was when she did her marking on the PT3 test papers and all the rest of the junk stuffs the blundering buffoons in the Education Ministry dumps on the teachers! A good hug and a dose of comfort helped a long way in getting her back to perspective. It took her days and nights to finish the test scripts and she seemed happy enough at the end of the day. She is dedicated to her work and she is a good, dedicated and dotting mother. The children benefited a lot from her as she speaks to them. Somehow, she becomes an inspiration to them as they move on in the lives. 

SL is a loving and caring person. Sure, she has her meltdowns at times just like any other woman as they also needed to be "sayang" la....but overall, she really is a loving and caring person. I guess, no one know her better than I do, right? She has been inspirational to me and the children. She prays for her friends and colleagues who would often asked her for prayers eventhough they are of different faith & religion .I am so proud of her as she does what she does for her colleagues and friends. The other day, when we visited her colleague's husband, she told me that she felt burdened to pray for her colleague's husband and she just asked her colleague about it. She then said her prayers to her colleague's husband as I laid my hand on his shoulder. It was great to see her exercise her warmth, love and faith to others. That is what so special about SL. I couldn't have asked for a better person as my wife and partner in life. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY,my dear , SOON LING! 

It's 25 years!

Someone told me long ago that marriage is a covered dish and you will never know what you will get in it until you go through that length of experience in marriage that you would finally understand. For me, I am still understanding it and still find it puzzling after all these years despite being in this collaboration and institution for such a long time. Compared to some who had more experience than I have, I find that each year I am still in the learning mode about my marriage and the very institution that drove some many to the walls of craziness, despair and pain while to some it can be rewarding , happiness and joy. 

My little story started 27 years ago at that hallway at the former Maktab Perguruan Lembah Pantai in Kuala Lumpur  ( The teaching college no longer exist present day ) when a scrawny, thin, fragile looking young woman equipped with an old squarish bag ( I came to know that it was her father's travelling bag years later ) stood rooted together with some freshies ( young aspirt teachers in making ) during the Orientation Day in 1987.  Like any good "senior" fella , I was in the Orientation Committee and I scouted around for a while for suitable friendly friend but somehow, that scrawny looking woman in Wang Soon Ling caught my attention so much. Say what you wanted but to me, it was love at first sight, I must insist but then she did not know me nor knew of what would have happened then, right? Somehow, I courted her and the memories of it were so funny though but we really had some good times together while in college. The stories wouldn't have fitted the pages though.....we were young then..... Soon, my days were up in college and I had to leave to Sabah for my deployment of work there and it was goodbye again.  

By then , we had been close and we would write to each other faithfully and I would be back during the holidays to be with her. Those were the good ol' days and it was really fun. Soon, it was time for me to tie the knot as it would be the right thing to do to make a decent woman out of SL and I did it in 15th November, 1989. It was the happiest day in my life and it was also dad's happiest day as his son was finally getting married!!!! But we would still be apart as SL was doing her teaching practical in KL and soon got her posting in Old Klang Road .  By that time, I flew back to Sabah to teach while she taught in KL for two years. We were apart for two years and the distance did not make us feel parted at all as we constantly wrote to one another. Yeah, love was so much simpler, easier and faithful in many ways. There weren't complicated issues nor head banging headaches to deal with. I must admit it was much easier then and the main thing was that life was so much simpler, actually. It only gets complicated as we grow older..........hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa............yeah, old people think a lot......hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa.....

I remembered the day I broke the news to mom & dad that I have a girlfriend in SL. They gasped and fell silent for a while. Out of the blue, Dad broke the silence and said in a jest, " You are sure that there is someone who actually wants you? ". Mom then chipped in , " Yeah, you mean there is a woman who actually like you?". I didn't find it insulting nor amusing but it hurt a bit la...hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa...... I am sure my mother-in-law would have been in a greater shock, I presume! But those are the popshots in life that one would not forget.

So, year after year, we trudged along bringing into light two wonderful children in JWee and SYuen and doing our best as partners in life and responsible parents.  I guess, from friends to partners to married couple to parenthood to two older folks now, we have gone through so much thick and thins together. I must admit, it is not a bed of roses or a straight path for us all along. There are many thorns, scrapnels of fiery quarrels, knives, hurtings and tears too. There are true days of pain, days of turbulence and trials in our road together but together, SL & I have weathered through it for the past 25 glorious years. It took a lot of patience, a huge dose of love, massive prayers and a strong heart to make our relationship work. It is not a fly by night process nor a quick fix remedy for all your problems. I must say, being silent, lots of prayers and a lot of silent tears helped to make the relationship a better one. It made us better people in life and it made us realised that being together helped us weather this hardship easier than any other days. 

As I looked at my bread the other day, I realised that as I spread the butter on one side, I then took the strawberry jam that I made on my own and spread it on another piece of bread. As I put the two slices of bread together , they tasted sweet, smooth, slightly sour and fragrant ( I added rum and vanilla extract to the strawberry jam when I made it! ). That what my life had been with SL for the past 25 years. I must be the first to admit that I am not a good husband yet and that's why I am still in the learning and refining process of being one. I try my best each day to be who I really am and what I want to do in my life with SL.

To Soon Ling, CHEERS , babe for 25 years of bliss, fun, love and togetherness! Here's to the next 25 years IF we can still reach that far la...... hahahahahhahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!  

Ashley is FIVE!

I've always enjoyed the times when I get to celebrate Ryan or Ashley birthday as these two young fellas surely bring a lot of joy to my heart. Last week, we celebrated Ashley's birthday and the theme was "Frozen". I guess, I must take my hats off in admiration and all gratitude to Ashley's parents, Wei & Jade ( my brother -in-law and sister-in-law ) for really taking the trouble in making it a really nice birthday party for their daughter, Ashley.

As my colleague wanted to exchange /switch working weekends with me, SL and I travelled back earlier and managed to join in Ashley McD party with her friends. If I am not mistaken, there were about 11 of them joining in the party together with some parents. From the very first 5 year old that arrived at the party, I told myself " Oh! Oh! here comes trouble!!!! " I can safely tell you this - those 5 year olds and younger ones can be a handful and heart /lungs stoppers too! They have energy level like some raging bulls on steroids while their actions, words and minds can be quite filled with TVB crime busters series moves!     

I guess, when you have a kid's birthday party, the best thing to do is to get out of their way but "Smart Alec" me and SL tried our best to accommodate them at the McD children's indoor playground and what a wrong move we did!!! They trampled, jumped, flew, squeezed, raged and even "fight" with one another as they slid down the tube tunnel. I thought these are gonna be "nice" children as their grandparents & parents sent them off but alas, after the "coast" is clear - all hell broke loose,man! Sincerely, I must say , it was fun to see children being children but it was sad if you could identify just how much TVB series had influenced the children's mind, actually. There are , of course, some very well mannered children and they are a great joy to play with especially the girls la..... The boys were "hopelessly" drowned in their games of "beating the daylights" out of each other and  I thought, WWF Wrestle Mania is child's play, man when it comes to these boys! You should have seen some of the piledriver moves, head butts, armpit squeezer and leg pin moves! Anyway, it was fun being with the children and Jade's mom baked some very creative and delicious cupcakes indeed! The cupcakes were inspiring and very nice to eat. 

That day, to control my nerves ( hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa......) I had a cup of Cappuccino and a cup of Americano as I faced the daunting task of playing with the energetic children. Of course, I was careful not to get my nuts being kicked by these young ones because you never know when they get into a frenzy of Bruce Lee act, right? All in all, it was a great birthday bash and everyone had a great time that day. For me, seeing both Ryan and Ashley and spending time with them made me very happy. After all, children are  the  real delight and a joy to the home. They are simple, honest, truthful and say things as they see fit with no malice intended. They speak from their hearts and out of their innocence. So, love your children and teach them to love God too. Cheers!

Beans Cafe.....

The other day, I was having some coffee time at Doi Chaang Cafe and it was quite relaxing. I guess, in a mad rush world we live in, it is always good to slow down and just enjoy the simpler things in life. It was interesting that as I look at the simple drawn art on the wall of the cafe, I noted with interest that the meaning of "doi chaang" simply means "elephant mountain" in Thai. I then asked myself if this is gonna be one of those "from the behind matter" or simply put as "ass matter" flowing from the behind of the elephants that I am sipping!!!! Reading on, my anxiety calmed down considerably as further explanation confirmed that the coffee beans came from the coffee plants at the chilly mountains of Chiang Rai, Thailand and not from some animal's backside! That's all that matters to me, actually. Feel kinda gross if I am sipping some droppings from some animal, you know what I mean. It is not that I have not had such coffee before but in reality I do really enjoy a good cuppa coffee from the tree and processed properly for once.

I did not order my usual Americano double shot but instead I chose the Iced Doi Chaang instead while the rest took the Iced Melon, Iced Green Tea, Flat White and Errol had Americano double shot instead. I find my Iced Doi Chaang to be quite alright but I would rather have the robust and strong coffee taste, actually. I kinda miss my Starbucks Americano in many ways but some say, a burnt coffee beans gives you that bitter, burnt aromatics volume to it. I just dunno, some people love that while others love the subtle onslaught on a mild tasting coffee. Me, I am all for the robust, burnt and bitter sweet coffee taste. It's ...............coffee la.....

Anyway, while the coffee was alright, the company with family and friends were equally alright. I just love the break for the moment and I guess every one should have their own breaks. It would do you a whole world of a good, actually. It was at this time that Errol who suggested that why don't we try to run a cafe then.The idea sound absurd at first but as we talked on, it seemed so viable and doable. Sure, it got it drawbacks and so on but the prospect of owning our own business eventhough it will be a partnership is truly and invigorating thought. The thought warms the mind, the heart and even the head as far as I was concerned. Yup, they sound so inspiring and so challenging that it tingles my senses of wanting to try something out and just do it.

Nearing 50, spurned, twisted, wringed, hung out,  dried & fried by working our ass off with horrendously ridiculous bosses and deadlines plus ever prevailing sickening thoughts of burying someone under the six feet of gravel grounds ( that's me lar..... ), working a cafe is a welcomed thought. I was already thinking of doing the scones, the cinnamon rolls and even getting some nice cakes from enthusiastic home cooks to show case their culinary baking skill. Yeah, I really thought of giving opportunity to talented people to sell off their products like good ol' nice kaya, home made jams and home made goodness as these are served with breads or other nice fares. Yeah, I would love to bake my own bread and showcase them in the cafe, man.

Yeah, that really got me excited and I guess, a good cup of coffee does make a great day. Yunno, if I do own a cafe one day, the first thing I wanna do after establishing the business is to implement the "Bless a Cuppa" program. I have read about this cafe somewhere who would served coffee and food to the poor or needy by having a take away from them. One of the cafe proprietors implemented this campaign after having the satisfaction of seeing the impact of a customer who paid for the coffee and bun for one of the poor on the street. So, the proprietor started this program whereby customers can participate in helping the poor by buying their coffee and food plus pay/sponsor a cup or bun for the poor or needy who will walk into the shop. This is the way society gives back to the people. How it works is that the poor would asked if there is a sponsored coffee or  bun. If there is none, then, he gets nothing but if there is someone who had paid for the program then the poor takes back a cup of coffee and a bun. Wouldn't that be sweet? You'll probably say that I am little bit crazy or loco , right coz' Malaysian will always be poor, right? Well, I really believe this is workable, man. Kinda have to make sure that the coffee and buns go to the right people, that's all. We have too may kiasus and "free makan minded" people in this country who will just take everyone for a ride or make us all a sucker , right? Well, I guess, we'll just have to be wise as one walks in and ensure that they do not "rob" the genuine poor. Hate these type of cheapskates!

I believe my cafe would appeal both to the young and old. Anyway, I feel elated and nice thinking if I could own a cafe together with my fellow friends. Honestly,  I know nuts about running a cafe but I am willing to learn hard for the trade.I guess, in life, we all need dreams to stay alive in our heart, body, mind and soul. Yeah, I would be surprised if I take that chance to open up a cafe but it is one good dream indeed. What do you think? 

Cameron Highlands... a breeze of fun....

I always told myself that when things bogged me down big time like stress at work or had too much things on my mind or even if I felt a little cranky, I would take a short break, step outside, change my environment and just chill out for a while. And so I did....this time I chilled out at Cameron Highlands with the family. Who have not heard of CH, right? It is probably the most notable highlands get away ever as far as I was concerned. I must say that CH has not failed in its beauty, it's British heritage goodness, the easy going chills and refreshing air.

However, strawberries, scones, apple pies, strawberry tarts, masala tea, dark tea, golden blend tea , chicken pies, strawberry cheese cake, lemon cake, oranges, vegetables, fruits and a huge dose of fun plus laughter filled the days with family. Sight-seeing and jostling with people over food, drinks, spaces and fruits seemed very impolite but needful -only to get the best of food, the best of view or the best scenario possible. I kinda sound more kiasu than the already ultra-kiasu Singaporeans!

Anyway, be rest assured that my manners, my personality and my humble nature are still intact despite all the hustle and bustle of jostling done. I guess, I am very thankful to be able to travel with Errol & family whom I have regarded as family all these years together with other wonderful "families". This time I had Wei & Jade plus MIL and the two fun loving children, Ryan & Ashley following us for the trip to Cameron Highlands. To me, it is always good to travel with family and start introducing places of interest to Wei & Jade. I hope they have enjoyed the trip with us as all of us really wanted to give them a good time in CH.

We arrived in Cameron Highlands after an arduous drive of turns and ascending hill slope maneuvering from Simpang Pulai, passing towns like Kg.Raja, Kuala Terla, Tringkap, Brinchang and soon, Tanah Rata and Royal Lily Apartment which was our accommodation for the two nights. The air was refreshingly cooling and a temperature of 19degrees Celsius greeted us. Honestly, I wasn't particularly interested in where we were sleeping but rather where we were going. Ryan & Ashley seemed excited enough and it warmed my heart because I really wanted these two tiny delights to enjoy a good time with their Ironman (me) and their favourite Ku Mah (SLing ).

This time, our first destination we visited is the Cameronian Valley observation deck near Bharat Tea Plantations. We sampled their famous, Masala Tea and Cardamon Tea delight. This was the great start as scones and strawberry cheese cake opened up our palate for many wonderful times ahead. We wanted to take the children down to the tea plantations but our attempts were thwarted by passing drizzling rain that fell that afternoon. Then it was off to Kea Farm to get the vegetable goodies for our own creation of steamboat bounty. By this time, it was raining cats and dogs but we waded through the sweltering heavy downpour and managed to get our vegetables and headed home for our steamboat preparations. I guess, the preparation was a whole load of fun and the fellowship was marvelous. Food was aplenty and we really had a great time together. That night , we decided to get out to Tanah Rata town and get filled up with our favourite coffee brew from Starbucks Tanah Rata, of course. So many young people (visitors ) there and even after we left the place at about 12.30pm, guests were still streaming into the place. Guess, there are still many people who will NOT sleep at that hour, huh? Interesting, isn't it?

The next morning, it was breakfast at Uncle Chow Kopitiam and what a breakfast time we had. The proprietor, Mr. Chow is a very interesting, bubbly, smiling and good mannered man indeed. He certainly lightened up our day there while the morning sun was a welcomed sight indeed. Uncle Chow uprooted from his place in KL and moved to Cameron Highlands 8 years ago and started out with this kopitiam serving local breakfast fares with a twist of charm and smileys. It was fun and heartwarming talking to this man and I really enjoyed my conversation with him. He even recommended us a nice local place for dinner that evening which we went and found it to be good too. Then , it was off to Boh Tea Plantation at Sg.Palas. The road was narrow but tarred. The sights were spectacularly green and the breeze was good.

We truly enjoyed the platform experience at the Observation Deck and also the educational tours at the tea making facility. I soon realised that the tea making machines were really amazingly old yet still functioning in churning out tea leaves by the tonnes. Raju Strawberry Farm was next and we managed to get a taste of their famous chocolate strawberry ice-cream delight. Then, Wei & Jade, MIL and our tiny tot friends had to leave us as Ryan was picking up a fever. We were sad to see them leave as there is so much more to see and do but I guess, i is the best thing to do looking into the situation they are in.

The rest of us then headed out to Restoran Kumar to settle our crave for Indian food. As we were quite hungry, we wolfed down our food rather rapidly. Then after some rest, we decided to hit The Lord's Cafe. This was truly the gem cafe amongst the places we have been. The strawberry scone, apple pie, chicken pie, lemon cheese cake and regular scones were such a delight. The place was terrifically rustic and had great ambiance. Really love the whole experience there! We then went off to Big Red Strawberry Farm for some wonderful experience of feast for the eyes especially on the flowers, cacti plants, vegetables and strawberries, of course! We took lots of photographs and soon, it was time for dinner at one of the recommended restaurant as mentioned by Uncle Chow. He was right - our dinner consisting of salted egg calamari rings, dragon beard vegetable, salted vegetable soup, marmite pork ribs, minced meat tou fu plus bittergourd with sliced pork belly were heavenly nourishment for a cold chilly nite.

By this time, news of the imminent passing away of Errol's uncle in Kluang made us realised how fragile life can be each day. Midway through our slumber in the 17 degrees conditions, SLing and I were awakened in the wee hours of the morning by some hysterical shouting of some schoolgirls who were staying in one of the units. O God! What a ruckus it was but soon, sleep had evaded me. By 6.00am, my eyelids could not and would not shut and I was dead awake to face another day. As Errol and family needed to be back in Melaka and to facilitate another journey to Kluang, we checked out from our apartment early and we went on separate ways. We still wanted to visit some places and get some fruits and food stuff to take home. SLing and I headed towards Strawberry Park Resort ( supposed to be our honeymoon place when we first got married but we did not make it! Our wedding dinner cost wiped us out la...! hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaa....... )  Copthorne Hotel , formerly known as Equatorial Hotel and some nice places to have some photographs taken and the we headed to Kea Farm to get our strawberry, corn and some fruits.

When we finally reached home that evening, it was such a wonderful break and I missed Cameron Highlands the minute I stepped into my home. Somehow, holiday breaks does this to you and messed your mind up big time, right? I learnt a lot of invaluable lessons this trip while my joy was enormous seeing Wei & Jade plus the two children joining us for the trip. Errol & Jessica plus the two girls, Josephine & Jocelyn were wonderful  especially the selfies activity and the fun at the various places of interest.

I could get used to opening a small bakery and cafe at Cameron Highlands if I get that opportunity. Afterall someone commented a long time ago that I have baker's hands. Would I succeed if I opened up a cafe there? Honestly, I wouldn't know but it is a great thought though.....I guess, it is not so much of the money to make or whatever, it is just the simplicity of life that I am after. BTW, most shops/cafes closes up at 3.00pm or 4.00pm in Cameron Highlands.

Yeah,  I like the cool, breezy and chilly weather up there.......yeah, sometimes, these are just screen savers in our life as the reality is not too far away. Great holidays with great family and great family friends. Looking forward to the next trip..........

Scavenger Hunt 2014....

"My girl was reluctant at first and asked who registered her for the Scavenger Hunt. But after finishing the hunt , she told me that she is registering again for next year's hunt! She could not stop talking about the hunt when she arrived home." - Parent

" My friends whom I have invited to join me for this hunt told me that this was a better Scavenger Hunt than the other church one who run this program earlier in the year. They said it was so much fun, challenging and create greater friendship." - Participant

" My children enjoyed the hunt so much that they were amazed by what they had to do and get to move around the town with minimal supervision and public transport. Thank you so much." - Parent

" It is a real joy to see the smiling faces of the children. They truly enjoy the hunt and keep up the good work." - Parent

" The challengers were great but I was really tired due to the walking. It was really fun and I enjoyed myself. My group members were sporting and fun plus crazy at times! YES, I would like to do it again! Hopefully, the challenges would be tougher the next time!" - Participant

" I am amazed of what the youths have to do as their challenges! Taking public transport was a new experience while being in Melaka Sentral was also something new for my children. The whole experience was an exciting one! Thank you so much! " - Parent

The list of comments goes on and on. These are some of the feedback comments I had received following the recently concluded CCC/CLA Youth Ministry Scavenger Hunt 2014. What an awesome hunt it was! We had 34 participants / youths who actually registered and turned up for the event. Three youths who signed up did not start at the starting as the three of them did not remember that 13th September, 2014 was the day of the hunt while five (5) others simply did not turned up after signing up. After a short briefing of what not to do and what to do during the hunt, Pastor Joanne prayed for the groups ( 7 groups ) and the well being of the event. Groups like Cool Puma ( Leader -Jocelyn Gan ), Eager Cougar ( Leader - Joel Tan ), Steady Panther ( Leader- Nahshon ), Brainy Tiger ( Leader- Bryan Chiew ), Zany Leopard ( Leader - Charlene Lim ), Smarty Jaguar ( Leader - Foo Shwu Yuen ) and Feisty Cheetah ( Leader- Garrett Quek ) graced the occasion with their youthful enthusiasm and energy. Within minutes, they were off the blocks and hitting on the first clue marker. Enthusiatic, energetic and young, the threaded along Keluarga Ku building to work out their riddles and questions before proceeding to find the next route marker. It was interesting to see these young people doing their best for the group. The spirit of camaraderie, teamwork and togetherness were fantastic. As they moved along the route of Sentral Melaka, TESCO, AEON Melaka, Jonker Street and Dataran Pahlawan, you could feel the joy, the competitiveness and the tired but joyful faces all around.

I was extremely proud of the participants/youths as they carried out their task at Jonker Walk. Part of their challenge was to interview 3 foreign tourist and record down their view of Jonker Walk plus a spicy Mamee eating time at Mamee Jonker House. It was fun to see the youths finishing their bowl of spicy Mamee plus one with the special ingredient of cili padi. They also had to move around Jonker Walk to find clues to their task. It was such a delight to see our youths behave well, good mannered and truly Malaccans. I had two Singaporean asking me at Mamee Jonker House what were the youths doing. I explained the young couple that we were having a scavenger hunt for our church youths and they seemed pleasantly surprised that our youths were well-mannered and very courteous too. Some angmo couples did asked me too about our event and I explained to them what we are trying to do and how fun can the activity be. It was truly an honour to hear these foreigners spoke of how well mannered our youths were. To me, that is a great compliment to the youths parents and also the leaders and the church as a whole. So, BRAVO to you, parents and leaders!

As SLing and I travelled from places to places to ensure that everything went on good and without a hitch, I am blessed knowing that the leaders did their job well. The tasks were difficult and arduously meticulously challenging but the leaders did it for the youths. I am so proud of the leaders and I felt very blessed by the way things have turned out. Even when we were at the finishing point and Dataran Pahlawan, gathering in big group could pose some difficulties but thank God, everything went on smoothly.

At the end of the day, the tired but happy faces says it all. Though there were winners in Feisty Cheetah, Zany Leopard and Smarty Jaguar, I believe that GOD won BIG TIME that day. I am blessed that the weather was exceptionally good and clear while there were no untoward incidences as the youths were in public places. To me, every participant was a winner that day. I just wished that somehow, the leaders and this activity had touched the lives of the youths.

To me, nothing is sweeter than hearing that the youths would want to register for next year's hunt and vehemently told me that they want more challenging tasks, questions and physical challenges!

To the leaders, THANK YOU SO MUCH for your cooperation, help, team work and great effort. WE DID IT!~  ( CLA team - Chai Yen, Lewis Raj, Sefena, Abbigail, Odelia and Alex.  CCC team - Pastor Joanne,  Kenneth Pang, Jonathan Lim, Aaron Liu , John Ng, Jenny Liong. David Lee, Stephen Raj & Stefanie Sim )