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 )

49er this week......

A couple of days ago,  I turned 49 and very soon, both digits are going to go off and the big  number 5 digit will appear at my double digit numbers in life. How do I feel? What do I feel? Am I fine with it? Any breakdowns so far? Am I pausing? Do I need to pause? These are some of the questions posed to me by concerned friends practically  Ali , Ah Kow , Ramasamy , Balbir, Daun ak Basong or even Ervin ak Sikau! I want to say that it is intricately interesting to see people getting all uptight when the numbers start to change unless you are single or bujang terlajak as they say it. That too still got hope because somehow God would have some plans or so to get that person to get hitched nicely. No one can say anything because that is His plan and His Will , right? 

For me, I take it all in good stride as the second digit turned over the years. I guess, I am not unduly worried about that as my hair somehow still find it's way to stick to my head while many others have started losing them quite early in life. I guess, the only thing I am unduly worried is the constant visit to the dentist to get some tooth extracted somehow. Well, I've got a terrific idea for that - compensate with the latest hairdo to distract the people's scrutiny and substitute it with a smile without opening the mouth or showing my teeth then! Other than that I am fine for a 49er, though!

I can't really comprehend all the ruckus of getting into shape and all that for I ALWAYS believe that round is a shape, people - a damn good one too for that matter! Hey, it is not easy to have such a shape,ok? It takes skills, time and finesse to be in such a lovable shape and usually we are bubbly figures too! You don't see too many laterally challenged people fighting for a SUBWAY sandwich or fighting for a cuppa of lean expresso , right? Yup, we, the 49ers, are usually more dignified la.....we dig into chocolate lava to get the real taste of chocolate and enjoy some succulent roasted piglet with nice side garnish such as potato salad with Kewpie sesame mayo or even have green lettuce , cucumber, carrots and arrowhead at the sides; drizzled with olive oil and pesto. Hey, that's healthy enough indeed, man.See, all the food family hierarchy are all in place. We do eat healthy, man. Sure, we are also conscious of greens in our diet la.... 

However, I must say that the daily swallowing of Metformin, cardiprin and a host of other "magical tablets" ain't fun to start with but essentially 49er!!! The other accompanying gadget for a 49er is the contraption we call the spectacles! I am blind as a bat without the glasses when it comes to reading and for the night vision , no astique powered glasses make me stick so much closer the the white centre demarcating line to guide my path! Phew! NO accidents so far. Thank God for that! Never mind if it is a RM 15.00 reading glasses or a RM 550.00 reading glass ( optician/optometrist/spectacle shop owners are making tons of money, people!!!!! ), wearing glasses are now an essential part of life for a 49er! Sure, I used to be quite particular about specs design but nowadays, to get a specs that can show me the alphabets clearly is good enough for me!  I used to hear one fella in my office who tells me that he/she has good vision and will not need any glasses, period. But today, that claim of Superman/Superwoman vision turned out to be Superwimp vision,okay? Wear the damn glasses if you can't see well and started acting your age plus piss properly IN the toilet bowl and NOT OUT or ON of the bowl, please!  Some people just won't understand the difference and they blame it on the difficult English Language!!!! I'm telling you  - It's the eye sight, people and the physical skills to do it properly! Please for crying out loud, get it right, will ya?

I have also experienced that sleep is a luxury while keeping awake is another way of life as a 49er. I am frustrated to my bones that I am unable to sleep early despite downing my favourite brew, coffee. People, let me get it straight to you, coffee calms me and make me sleep. It is not the other way round. I guess, my biological organs in my body got struck by lightning or some high electrical voltage currents during my 17 years of work in the private sector that led to such phenomenon. I have taken the nocturnal role in the night and try sleep on my job in the mornings and afternoons! Hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa....... Ok!Ok! I was just kidding about sleeping on my job but an occasional forty winks beneath the tree can be quite refreshing though........  I guess, the other factor is being worrying about the progress of children's lives , right? Well, what can I say? They will always be a constant worry for any parent for that matter!!

Guests, friends, doctors and quack doctors ( self proclaimed doctors without the actual medical cert but experienced hand at modern medicine and Chinese herbals/medicinal herbs & spices )  in good friends had explained to me seriously that because the mind activity is very active, thus, it led to me being awake most of the time. Some recommended yoga ( the art of getting all the legs and hands twisted in all sorts of contortions - No thank you,baby! ) , simple walking in the evening or morning , pole dancing for relaxation ( hhmmmmnnnnn....interesting thought but twisting myself around a pole looks weird for a 49er la! ) and getting into an exercise mode and eat well. Sure, I am all for the eating well part, especially with char siew, siew york, siew mai and all that is siew and the york! It is the best staple ever. Then comes the exercise, hey, waking up and going to the bathroom and getting dressed for work is exercise I tell you especially if you have to iron your clothes and so on! That's fine with me. Guess, gonna do more exercise then.

Seriously, I am fine for being a 49er. I look forward to life and I certainly felt good turning 49. I guess, I was really blessed by the early morning breakfast prepared by SLing and the gift from the children and missy. What more could I have asked for? Honestly , my only wish each year is to be happy internally and it will be propelled externally. Honestly, I am just happy that I am alive each day and living every minute of my life to the fullest. I may not be rich materially but I felt very rich already with great family and great good friends around. Some may say that I am too simple minded, too idealistic and have no vision in life then but isn't being happy a vision itself?

I intend to live out the remaining years of my life no matter how many years I may have with the same vigor of life, enthusiasm with love with and for the the family and hope. Not hope to get younger la....but hope that this country of ours would be governed and ruled by clean, honest and leaders of integrity. Sick of corrupted, racist and moronic leaders! Well, fat hopes, some may say but there is always hope, right?