Au Revoir, Siem Reap.....

The road side stall.....simple makeshift stall

Places, food and people fascinates me. I have always said that to SLing and to all my friends that I just love being in a different place with different cultures, food and life style. Amidst the hectic schedule of temples hopping, I find it incredulously interesting to see the people that had came by to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Some of the tourists antics and crude ways may shock your nervous and patience system while some are really nice. The locals are generally nice, humble and soft spoken people while a smile is never far away from their faces. I guess, just like any other community, hard living and eking out a living are more intense than others especially in Cambodia.  I had come to understand that if anything was successful in garnering an income, many of the locals will jump into the bandwagon to the same work i.e. fresh juice stalls or even tuk-tuk business for that matter. There seemed to be a glut of such stalls and rides. Anyway, the tourists ain't complaining while it would be good for the locals, right? 

Me...at the simple table and chairs...

Anyway, one experience I would not forget was riding in town on my cousin m/cycle. Imagine the three of us hopping onto the Honda m/cycle and flying through the streets of Siem Reap with the winds caressing our faces. SLing and I could not stop laughing as it was a new experience for us. Looking at our sizes ( we ain't no Size 2 , okay? )  , I was sceptical if the poor m/cycle could carry our weights for that matter. With lots of maneuvering and upright sitting and some fine body contorting moves, the three of us were on the m/cycle. SLing and I thought that we were SURE to meet our Maker faster than we'll ever know but lo and behold we made it safely to our hotel and to wherever we wanted to go that night. 

Our ban chau meal.....deliciously simple, good and fulfilling...

Throughout the journey SLing and I laughed our heads out and the coldness that hit us in the evening was indeed a cold reality. That is one sick experience which I enjoyed so much in a good way! The traffic in Siem Reap was crazy but cousin brother was an expert in ensuring the right balance and avoidance of us landing into a ditch or any unpleasant situation on the road. I thought we would surely be landing on our bums or "jatuh terkangkang" on the streets of Siem Reap but hey, we were very safe in the hands of my cousin, Jerry. 

Lovely nom kruok......tasty & heavenly good...

We went through hectic traffic in the streets and passed by some of the nicest country side scenes ever. I did not come across these places during my first trip there. The simple sunset setting and the simple lifestyle setting captivated my attention. After some fine riding and twist & turns, we arrived at a places which was frequented by the locals. The sights, sounds, smell and colors were fantastic! At that time, the sun was toning down; signalling a rest for the day. The vibrant and contrastive orangery setting was the most welcome sight indeed. I love it very much. 

The accompanying raw vegetables platter......

You could see families laying our their straw mat and see the gathering of locals having their meal amidst the setting sun. The smiles etched on their seasoned faces and the laughters of young innocent lives was indeed the sight and sounds I was looking for in places like this. No 5 star hotel nor establishment would ever portrayed that innocence and spontaneous joy that I had witnessed. It was pure and raw template of life itself. I like that...I really really like that......

As SLing and I started to sample local dishes by the road like ban chau ( flat, roundish rice cake dipped into a nice whitish savory dip accompanied by a tray of raw vegetables ) , nom kruok ( yellowish eggish pancake like folded into half with fish & vegetable filling ) plus num pang ( baguette with BBQ chicken or pork or beef with pickled papaya, carrots and vegetables ), I couldn't have asked for more. This was food at its best - raw, nice and local.  I had many times warned Jerry that I do not intend to eat any other foods except authentically Cambodian street food or local food. 

Num pang...baguette with BBQ meats & pickled papaya...

I guess,  I am that weird in a sense that I wanna try only the local food where the locals eat as I want to experience that kind of intensity in food. The twist of lime or even a pinch of salt to accompany the local dish does make a big difference. I am grateful that the road side seller - mother , daughter and son took the trouble to ensure that we had clean and good food. All I could mutter to them was " Arkun" ( meaning "thank you" in Cambodia ) for a great meal. I enjoyed it very much and the meal cost us 7000 Riel or USD $ 1.75 and we were stuffed to the bream!!! The best USD $1.75 I have ever spent, actually. 

BBQ succulent beef cuts.....

I profusely thanked the family for churning out such wonderful meal for us that evening. I remember Jerry translating their concerns if we could eat their food as it was prepared by the road side. I put my thumbs up and told Jerry to tell them that it was a truly delicious meal and I seldom eat fish meat but that "nom kruok" was excellent. There was no hint of fish taste at all and I love it. I guess, that brightened the atmosphere and smiles spread all around the family. I am just so glad and thankful to Jerry for bringing us out here to taste the local food.

The setting sun view....

Then it was off to another stall for some BBQ beef strips. Again, the BBQ beef was accompanied by a tray of raw vegetable consisting of long beans, cabbage, cucumber, green tomato, red tomato and some herb plants like mint, basil and some other leaves. The beef cuts were succulent, soft and lovely to eat. However, the price wasn't cheap but it is okay. It was a USD $5.75 meal while SLing and I tucked it in nicely as we still had some space in our stomachs for some nice BBQ beef cuts. After that it was sight seeing along the way as the sun sets in further. I was excited when I saw a stall selling crickets, water roaches, silk worms and even paddy field or freshwater crabs. The locals seemed to like it very much and many were seen buying the silkworms and the crabs. Yup, those crabs will fit in nicely with the Thai Som Tam, I tell you!!!!!

One huge arm crabs.....

Crickets, water roaches, silkworms and weird delights....

From here it was off for bargain hunting as it was our last night in Siem Reap. With Jerry who could speak Khmer, it was good for some bargain hunting on some pashmina souvenirs. Then it was off to some night spots of fun - souvenir hunting and later supper. We could never thank Jerry enough for what he had made us experience. It was indeed a great way to see the other side of Cambodia minus the loud music, Muay Thai fights and drinking spree town. 

From the King's Library at Bayon.....I made it to the top, people!

For budget travellers like me, I am also keen for a great time minus the painted facade of the town. I always looked forward to the raw and the actual scene of everyday life of a new place. I prefer the genuine lifestyle rather the created ones. 

Yup, me and the pretty lady on the pillar.....

Siem Reap, Cambodia sits pretty close to my heart for being a place that I would come back to visit someday.....again. Maybe, it holds dear to my heart coz' it was my very first trip outside the comfort of my home after 5 decades of building a family.  A special place indeed......

Au Revoir, Siem Reap!

  

Majestic Ancient Ruins.....

My second day in Siem Reap begun as early as 4.30am when I shook hands with my tuk-tuk driver, HockLee for the day. I had told Jerry , my cousin that I want to spend as much time as possible at the historical sites and catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat which I found to explicitly overrated. I did not know why I so sucked in into the sunrise thingy until I stood by the lake catching the sunrise. 

Before this, we travelled along the highway to Angkor Archaeological Park and just like everyone else, at 4.45am, we got our pass to the Angkor temples after parting USD $20.00 each which I felt was a lot but well worth t he money parted, actually, after the end of my day here. By the time, I ended my time here, I was bumped out, exhausted and I could not feel my legs! Hahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa........ I must thanked Jerry for giving me a good tuk-tuk driver who ensured that we went as many temples and sites as possible.

As usual, SLing and I started our ancient city and temple tour at Angkor Wat. I must say that Angkor Wat never failed to impress me eventhough I've been here before. The sunrise experience was one to remember as the sun breaks through the dark clouds to sportingly splatter the skies with its lush golden rays  and streaky orange delight amidst the background of the silhouette of Angkor Wat. SLing was marvelled and impressed by the splendour and architecture of Angkor Wat. Wait till you go inside, I told her and true enough she was captivated by the sheer size, stone structure and the artistic greatness at the walls and pillar. We then lined up in order for us to go up to the Bakan, the top of the tower of Angkor Wat. 

The officers manning the steps of Bakan were strict and ensured that everyone was properly dressed and covered up. Some tourists were not allowed up the steps to Bakan as they were in shorts and sleeveless t-shirts. I guess, they did not heed their Cambodian counterpart advice on this matter and paid a heavy price for it as the view up there was awesome. 

It was the Guardians of  Angkor Thom bridge and Baphuon next. The view and stone greetings were nice amidst the flowing river. The Guardians of Angkor Thom stone figurines  looked menacingly fierce and big, I guess. 

Then it is off to Baphuon.  It was another exhaustive walk and climb. Steep steps seemed never ending and I was just happy that I made it up and enjoying the beauty of the view. from the top. The water pools on the left and right made it such a view too. I realised that every temple was beautifully built and harmoniously inclined. Each block of stones laid out and put together was intricately snucked fit. It was such an honor being able to be at the temples. 

The Bayon was next and I must say that this is the most beautiful ancient ruins I've ever experienced being in. The wall carvings were beautiful and SLing loved the view indeed. I managed to explain to her the historical side of the temple after some reading up before coming to this site. I guess, there is just no words to explain the splendour of Bayon. You just have to experience it to know the beauty of it. I fell in love with Bayon as the block of faces just made it all such a marvel, actually. 

From here, it was off to Phimeanakas temple which was still in ruins and repairs had not being carried out. As we were walking with a group of Japanese tourist, it was nice to hear the guide telling the history to the Japanese tourists. The guide went on to explain to the group in regards to the two huge swimming pools available as one moved towards Temple of King Leper. Again the beauty was the carving on the walls and the lower ground carvings on the wall. There are beautifully carved out it was a surprise at every corner.

As one exits , Temple of  King Leper, one is met by Terrasse of the Elephants. It doesn't take a genius to  understand that this temple was built in honour of the Cambodian elephants which were used in many of their ancient wars. However, I must point out that some of the elephant carved blocks had been restored and sometimes did not reflect the sculpture of the elephants. I guess, there ought to be more serious of this matter as putting things together for the sake of tourism will not help in any way. Correct and good restoration are important rather than dollar and cents emphasis.

Ta Keo was next and to see the big temple in the midst of restoration works was encouraging but taking such a long time for restoration wasn't good. We then proceeded to Chau Say Tevoda temple while was a place of two uniquely built temples. As it was blistering hot and tiring, we managed our best to give our best smiles as we posed for photographs. Again,the temple is a small one but no less ancient and lovely.

The next destination was Ta Prohm, the fame Tomb Raider film site. I love this site too as the roots of the tree resting on the temple walls were a sight to behold. Prior to arrival at this site, I had asked SLing to ensure that she is not cajoled by some child to buy the souvenirs as it would not help them. 

The explanation is that these children ply the Ta Prohm route to earn money for the family and thereby refuse to go to school to study. This would increase the illiteracy rate in Cambodia and would not help their people in the end. I tend to agree to the need to get these children to school rather than ply their trade at the street to Ta Prohm.  As I led SLing to the scenic views in Ta Prohm, 

I also showed SLing the spot where Angelina Jolie had acted out her scene in Tomb Raider movie. I was bushed tired and perspiring like someone who had just came out from a sauna. Then it was a good 30 minutes walk to our tuk-tuk against the  background of Cambodian musical sounds by a group of disabled folks who had lost their limbs due to ground mines during the Khmer Rouge regime.

Our last stop was Ta Nei. This was recommended by my cousin, Jerry. This is purely an untouched ancient ruin and it is such a raw experience indeed. The ruins was superbly peaceful and quiet. It was so nice to have some peace and quiet at last and basking the cool breeze that blows by. I was extremely intrigue by the wall carvings and I find one carving of a woman smiling captivating indeed. It was so soothing to see "her" smile and the untouched ruins was indeed relaxing for once. All my tiredness seemed to go away for a moment. 

All in all, we had explored 11 ancient ruins temples and it was more than we ever bargained for. We were supposed to go to another temple site for sunset photography but our legs just won't carry us that day no more nor will our physical bodies. We were tired and our old legs just won't budge anymore. 

As I reflected back the day after a good cold shower and rest, I am so blessed to be able to see such magnificent & majestic works of art and such simplicity. I know that this experience will last me a lifetime indeed. 

Yeah...sums up my feelings inside......

Second Time...Siem Reap

I was told that most people would do Siem Reap once in their life but doing it twice would be crazy as some put it to me. I remember the sneers and the quirky look when I informed my friends that I am going to Siem Reap....again and so soon. They questioned my rationale in going to Siem Reap so soon after my first trip but I must say that I am happy to be in Siem Reap again.

I guess, the lure of Angkor Wat and the surrounding ancient historical temples and places were just too difficult to resist. Incidentally, I had SLing going with me and I really wanted to show her the majesty and the beautiful architecture of Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples of great history. I hope to show to her that there is more to life than shopping at modern cities of the world. In all honesty , I wanted to show her the beautiful creation by the human hands and also the rich culture that comes with it. I must say that it was an adventure that would change her perspective of third world nation what beautiful landscape was available.

We started out early by hitting the road to the airport. It was a good drive and when I parked the our car at Tune Hotels car park, I was excited and ready for a great day of adventure. The two hours flight from KLIA2 to Siem Reap was easy and we arrived quite early in Cambodian time. It was quite disturbing and daunting when I realised that the hotel had not sent anyone to pick us up from the airport. Being here before, I knew where to get a tuk-tuk and get to our hotel. I did not want to stress SLing out and I just needed to remain positive. Our tuk-tuk driver, Mynangsari is a young man who spoke little English but was unsure where our hotel was. Luckily, I still had the direction to our hotel and I just wanted to get to our room and rest for the day. 

After refreshing ourselves and a change of clothes, I became the unofficial tour guide for SLing in Siem Reap town. We waded through crowds of tourists and locals as well as we made our way to the wet market and a beautiful temple in town. It was a beautiful temple with a hugely Thai influence architecture. It was weird that the temple grounds was full of people and chanting was on going through the loudspeakers. It was like holiday like atmosphere and I realised that the Cambodians were deeply religious people as offerings of beautiful flowers and colourful rice cakes in multicolored basket were presented for prayers. For me, I just enjoyed people watching and enjoying the beautifully adorned temple pillar and architecture. I even took SLing to Charlie's, a local pub to sample Mojito drink (USD $1.50 or 6000 Riel) while I had a mug of draft Angkor Beer  ( USD 50 cents or 2000 Riel) to quench our thirst after a long afternoon. I told SLing that day that I ain't gonna pay USD $2.00 or 8000 Riel for a small bottle of mineral water. Yup, these are tourist prices and there is nothing one can do about it except if you have a local to buy it for you. I guess, the one thing that SLing seemed to enjoy a lot is the fresh juice (USD$1.00 ) of mango & passion fruit concoction and num pang ( 8" baguette with stuffed grilled meat (chicken & beef ) and some nice condiments of pickled papayas, cucumber and lettuce ) which cost USD 50cents when locals buy it or USD $1.00 when tourists buys it. 

I had taken the opportunity to show SLing the artistic streets whereby beautiful art pieces, paintings, clay pieces or even metal pieces were put on display and on sale plus the cafes around Siem Reap. I came to realise that Sister Srey Cafe was closed that day as it was Phcumn Benh Day sorta like All Souls Day holidays. Aha! That's why there was a crowd every where especially the market and everywhere in town! Anyway, it was fun to see the crowd of people as towns get alive because of its people, right?

Soon, it was time to meet up with my cousin, Jerry who has been in Cambodia for quite some time now. It was good to see him and passed him the apples and the Dettol products he wanted and we had to lug all the way to Siem Reap. I must say that it was well worth it as his smiles says it all.

Moreover, he helped us more than I could ever imagine for the following day trip to Angkor Wat and the temples. It was good to see him again. He came with a bag of goodies for us later in the evening after we came back after dinner and a night walk around the Night Market. I had shown SLing the crazy loud music Pub Street, bustling Night Market and changed some local Cambodian Riel for our usage here in Siem Reap. SLing was in awe as the money changer was the least perturbed by the ongoings at the street or even had any protection mechanism in place. It was a relaxing walk and people watching time as we walked in the town. Tourists were in abundance but it's part and parcel of the travelling world and places, right? Just avoid the Chinese nationals - they are a real nuisance ; any place they went - trust me!

Pho noodles @ USD 2.50 or 20,000 Riel ( Vietnamese type of soupy noodles with beef balls and beef pieces )  was our dinner that night before we packed two banana pancakes @ 3000 Riel or US 0.75 cents each ( more like roti canai pisang, actually )  for our breakfast for the next morning activity which would gruelling and tiring as I would put it. Yunno why? I was determined to see as many temples as possible and just enjoy the sights and beautiful surrounding at the UNESCO site. 

We slept early that night foregoing the night life at Pub Street plus all the noisy fanfare. Before that, I managed to show SLing , the type of bus I took on my journey to Phnom Penh the last time I was here.....ahhhhhh....sweet memories indeed........

Welcome to Siem Reap...for the second time......

Malaysia, My Home.

Today, 16th September is Malaysia Day but somehow when I woke up this morning, I just don't feel like any other Malaysians celebrating this day. Instead, I felt sad inside of me knowing that my status as citizen of this country is always being questioned and put under scrutiny all the time. My mom is a Malaysian Chinese by birth, my dad is a Malaysian Chinese by birth and why do I get the stick for being a "pendatang" and now, a "penumpang"? Well, this so-called pendatang and penumpang had toiled blood, sweat and tears in this country which we had called home all our lives and I have never ever felt the need to oppress anyone about it. Even when unkindness, unfairness and even racial slur being thrown right into our faces, we had perservered and worked as hard as anyone else to earn an honest living and eke a living in this place we call home, Malaysia. 

Mind you, I have a legal NRIC card that says that I am Malaysian and I am damn proud to be one. I am also a Chinese and I am proud being one too. It doesn't give me the opportunity to oppress others and call them names and threatened with violence, oppressiveness and more unjust ways. It is the sick minded people with harrassment mentality that keep getting us divided as Malaysians. I guess, that is the only way how corrupt leaders can stay in power all the time. But there is always one divine power that will answer to this someday....the One from Above.

I am sad that each day, we fight a losing battle of people who would continue to use racial slur, racism, religious sentiment and even crate chaos & fear just to be in power today and gets away with such inciting ways. But we mustn't lose hope and we must continue to perservere and fight these corrupt ways.  When things go wrong in the country, the Chinese are blamed . The Christians are blamed. The Indians are blamed. Practically every race in Malaysia are blamed except the leaders themselves.  Unfortunately, I am a Chinese and a Christian as well. So, I feel the brunt of it and yet I asked the question that plaques my mind, "What have I done to deserve this treatment?" I am sad that each day we are all put under fear of violence erupting, fear of racial clashes and violence, fear of food high prices, fear of rising daily living cost etc.etc.  Are we going to stoop so low in moral and integrity so that we could stay in power rather than doing the right thing by cleaning up our own backyard of corrupt practises and immoral behaviour? Where have all the good and righteous men gone? As I looked at the happenings around the country today as the "reds" gathered ,  I asked the question of " Why are you so hell bent on creating such a divide between the people in Malaysia?". The placards says it all,actually. Have you no shame for saying the filthy words and ideas that passes through your lips? Does our religion teaches us to harm and kill? Wouldn't your hands be filled with innocent blood of the people if something happens? Wouldn't your soul be troubled with such bloodshed? What if your hands are running with the blood from the bodies of your family members? Wouldn't that be tragic for not just your family but the people as a whole who may be losing their innocent loved ones because some crazed leaders spewing and inciting hatred and bloodshed? I believe our leaders today have not that conscience but as rational Malaysians, we are well aware of this. Let us not get "trapped" in such evil play. When push comes to shove, our leaders will be the first ones on the plane out of the country while you and I will have to pick up the tragedies of our lives and our country.

Is the price for the loss of our loved ones confined to a pack of rice, a bottle of mineral water, a t-shirt and a RM 100 "donation" money? I have grown up with so many wonderful friends from the Malay, Chinese , Indians, Sikhs, Ibans, Dusun, Kadazans, Orang Asli, Portuguese and many other communities. I believed in living in harmony and no one is questioning about the rights of the Malay community at all.  The rights of the Malay community are already enshrined in the Federal Constitution and even as a young child, I have been made to understand that and I understood it well. So, why bring this up and stir so much hatred and pin the blaming to certain communities? This I could not understand except that I believed it is for the leaders own selfish end to stay in power and further corrupts the society and bankrupt the country of its resources by careless governing. 

Why not look into the missing millions and billions from the country kitty? Why not look into the RM 2.6billion "donations"? Why not look into the murder and missing prominent righteous people from our country? Why not look into the financial scandals in this country? Why not look into the millions of unpaid study loans given out? Why not look into the reason why flood areas did not get the allocated food and drinks? Why not look into the houses and aids that were promised during the floods but did not materialised or went missing? Why not look into scholarships given our to ministers and "kenalan" children rather than the deserving 10As or 9As students? Why not look into the wastages and corrupt practises that were highlighted by the Auditor General Report? Aren't these more pressing and important questions? 

When I was young, I recited these lines below with so much love, respect and with great pride because I believed in my heart that I am home with the multi-racial people I call Malaysians. I still believe in it very much. MALAYSIA, this is my  beloved country and my home. Please, do not let these selfish and corrupted people to rob all of us of the opportunity to live in harmony, respect and love.

KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA TUHAN,

KESETIAAN KEPADA RAJA DAN NEGARA,

KELUHURAN PERLEMBAGAAN,

KEDAULATAN UNDANG - UNDANG,

KESOPANAN DAN KESUSILAAN.

I still believe in those lines....very much. SELAMAT HARI MALAYSIA.........

50 is here!

Some people say that life starts at 40 and gets better when you reach 50. For years I have been in that 40s bracket until the number 4 fell off and replaced with the number 5 a few days ago. I guess, I have to expect that to happen as we often aged gracefully into the 50 bracket. Yes, I would like to say that I have embraced my 40's transition to the 50 transition with much dignity and grace. Yes too to the fact that being termed  as "Uncle" seemed inevitable and the greying of the hair seemed to be progressively on course to total whiteness soon enough. So, the question on everyone's lips and mind is "how did it go for you?".

Well, first of all, I must say that I am not heading to the 6'X4' plot any sooner while I am improving nicely medically though my sugar reading still raises the eyebrows of my beloved & concerned doctor, Dr.Jaswant. Thank you so much , doctor, for all the support, encouragement and deep concerned for the state of my health and for wanting me to get the best of health minus the ever growing pill list. Other than that, I am just fine. Occasionally, the concerned of fatty liver traces and the need to lower down the bad cholestrol readings seemed to be the stressing point of every tri-monthly check-up, I will do my best to overcome these concerns though I doubt it very much that I am gonna give it a miss to the roasted pork and char siew fare from the shop downstairs my office. ( It's staple diet lar , doc! Gotta have that to "oil" all the right parts of the body like car engine parts! hahahahhaaaaaaaaaa................. )

I realised too that I have "changed" for the past two years. I have taken a different outlook of my life and I am beginning to enjoy the little things of my life which I had taken for granted all these years. BTW, I have learnt to stand up and say "NO" when it matters! (Yippeeeee! Very important to be able to say "NO" as sometimes we are all just too nice and people take advantage of us, right?) I am a lot calmer now and happier, I hope. I am still stressed up as usual about work and so on ( who isn't , right?) but I guess, I've learnt that I can't satisfy everyone and anyone plus, I am really doing my best. I have learnt too that being happy makes things easier to digest even if it is a bad situation. I guess, positive thinking and less expectations have helped making thing easier for me for this 50 transition. 

Seeing my children grow up has also helped me realised that I have done my responsibility ( I may not have been good at what I do - first time father lar...but I learnt along the way ) and it is up to them to help themselves by choosing their own career paths, dreams, goals and life path. So , what is left for me is to just enjoy the little small pleasures in my life. Like they say, to wake up and smell the flowers in the garden and to grow old gracefully. Yes, I am contented that eventhough I may not be a millionaire or a billionaire ( still hoping to get some Arabs to donate generously to my retirement fund, yunno! ), I am happy with whatever little that I have. The word is I am thankful - THANKFUL to the Lord for extending the "contract of breath " to my life and the very grace for me to continue living with whatever I have in this life of mine. I may not have the very best of life but I intend to use whatever little life I have to be a blessing to anyone who is willing to be a friend of mine.

So, I am thankful for my 50th birthday "celebrations" though I would have loved a quieter one where I could sit by the beach alone ( Damn! Those beach in Melaka are being filled up for land development!!!! )  and reflected my 50 years in life. Yeah, if you do not know me by now, I am one of those old fashioned bugger who would like to have some time for himself during birthdays to sit down reflect on the goals set and even re-examine what I have done over the years.  Yeah, I am like that. It helped me stay sane and focus on my life.  I am not the proud, arrogant, pompous or even the crazy odd ball. I am just who I am - simple bloke from a small town with simple needs. 

What I like about turning 50 is the chance to turn 60 in 10 years time! Hopefully, this old man can reach that ripe old age and still enjoy the simple things in life. I am thankful for all the presents, the kind words, encouragement and support given to me all these years. I truly appreciate the friendship of each and everyone of you. You people make me so alive with the things you do or say each day or each week or even each year. I am thankful that I could still blow out candles to my cake without making a mess out of it or my dentures falling out !!!!! Thankful too that I could share a little of my life with each and everyone of you who had colored my life so immensely over the years.

So, there you have it - my 50th memorable birthday celebrations - my inner thoughts. Yunno, when the cakes are cut , distributed and eaten ....when the good words, wishes and blessings are given...when the gifts and heartfelt presents are unwrapped and marveled......what else is left ? Memories and colourful joy of a lifetime for the heart remains......that is what I am after every time I celebrate my birthday. Nothing gives me more joy/pleasure than  that fond memories, joyful time and that certain happiness in the heart. THANK YOU , everyone.........

Yellow is the COLOUR!

I would like to start my article today by saying that we have a troupe of "dungus" and clowns running our country today. I haven't seen such a "messed up" bunch of  idiotic, prideful and arrogant people who are all about preserving their position in the government Cabinet rather than being concerned about the well being of the people and stand for truth & transparency in governance. To me, the present government is a farce and a real annoyance to the public in general. With so many stupid and idiotic statements and counter  statements, wastages and failed plans/schemes, I find both the government cabinet and opposition leaders to be equal clowns in this charade of "Best Cover Up Moves Ever" of the century. The rot starts from the top of the food chain and flowing down to the bottom section.  

As the bickering is on-going between these two sets of cows and morons, the general public suffers in terms of rising cost for food, petrol and general every day expenses. I cannot comprehend nor understand how increase in petrol prices and gas prices can "help" the general public! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that we have ultimate morons running our economic planning and our so-called economy. Explanations given were not just haphazard but of half baked potato answers which doesn't even qualify as an answer. While the general public laments of this indirect cost increase which will ultimately affect the everyday lives of the people of this country, the government of the day is hell bent in diverting attention to support the RM 2.6 billion donation funds in the PM's account. Get real lar...... Geez, now every child in our household wants to open an account and wait for "donations" to be banked in....looks like it is going to be a profitable profession from now onwards... duit Raya, Duit Deepervalley and CNY angpows ain't gonna make it no more.....it has got to be sizeable lar!!!!!! 

Wake up lar, crocodiles, alligators , caimans and monkeys! The public is suffering with these hidden cost increases. We cannot be eating "kangkong" everyday or try to cultivate our own vegetables as every piece of land is being sold to "kawan-kawan"/ friendly developer for housing or money making enterprises! Why don't you yourself, as cabinet ministers and ministers eat kangkong everyday , yourself together with your family?   If you cannot walk the talk, then , don't open your big gab to talk of this. It is frustrating for the general public because it is pure hypocrisy and "cakap tak serupa bikin" stand. Hari-hari makan "chai seam" can "kek seam" also, you know!

By rational too, how could the fall of Malaysian ringgit helped the public? Our "not-so-genius" Tourism Minister says it is good for travel industry and people will flock our country and generate income for the locals. I want to tell the "not-so-genius" Minister that in todays' times, travelling local is more expensive for a family than going overseas. Don't lar purposely choose Japan, London, Paris or New York.... choose lar Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar or even Vietnam.  I would rather travel to countries in our SEA counterparts except Singapore as their accommodations, food and services are cheaper la, Mr. Minister! You try and bring a family of four and trying booking a normal travel together with accommodations to Langkawi for instance. You will be surprised that the cost is far so much cheaper to go to Siem Reap than to stay 3D2N in Langkawi, our own backyard tourist spot... Cheaper locally, you say? Think again lar, boss. I say, I have travelled quite extensively throughtout Malaysia and I can safely say that it is so much cheaper lar.  5D4N for Siem Reap & Phnom Penh at RM 489.00 per person- not cheap enough -kah? Over the sea trip, okay?Accommodation & flight some more, okay? How? Jeng! Jeng! Jeng!........I believe , there are other Malaysians who had spent much less than me when travelling to these places with Zero fare promotions and what not promotions, right? BTW, the rate is for travelling alone........Ah! Don't say we are not patriotik pulak........ Macam-macam ada......

Yeah, sure, you can bluff your way to the "orang kampungs" and those in the "ulu" areas but you cannot lie and try to get away with things which are not right to the urbanites as we have seen your antics of deceit and lies. People from all walks of lives are fed up with these sub-standard answers and morally corrupt statements. Whenever these leaders lose out or have no way to stand or had their foot in the mouth statements, they play the racial and religious cards to scare the general public. This is purely wrong and politically corrupt tactics. Look at who is robbing who these days!

Please, to all rational Malaysians irrespective of you being a Malay, Chinese, Indian, Punjabi, Dusun, Kadazan, Iban, Portuguese and others, let us not be cowed into such a dirty, corrupt and bias political game. We have been through this so many times and each time, this is used to pit against each other, making us all afraid of each other and make us wary of each other. Let us unite to tell these leaders that we repel this racial divide, unfair statements, unwanted religious tensions and also untrue happenings just to make us all tow in line with their biased and corrupt views. I find these "games" played by our political leaders to be deplorable, disgusting and shoddy. It is an old tactic being used again and again and again to scare us........

I would much prefer for them to tackle the issue of increasingly high food prices, fuel prices and unemployment. What is the bloody rationale of bringing in foreign workers for employment in this country? Except if you want to have more Bangladeshi baby boom or for election purposes! Other than that, I only see one party being fed by "donation" money again!  I feel our leaders also forget that most economic trading of import or export of raw materials and materials as whole are traded in US dollars! Our currency is not worth at all in international trading - make no mistake about that. It is only worthwhile in Malaysia and that too has taken a big tumble. Like I said, don't try to "sweeten" us with such sweet lies and misleading infos. Maybe you can do that to the orang kampungs who are your die hard fans but they too will die of diabetics, gangrene and heart attacks if you constantly feed them with your so-called "sweeteners" or "donations" of BRIM giving and what not! 

I believe most Malaysians are hopeful that this country will turn around someday and many of us would not run down the country the way we are doing but truth must to be told. It is the sad reality of the state of country today. You can rest behind you big fat dining table with a splash of food on it but what about the hardworking individuals, middle income, low income and poor people on the streets today? Please, don't give me the crap that we will always have poor people among us! I agree but we can always close that gap or at least make the gap smaller , right? Do something about it rather than keep robbing and raiding the country's kitty for your own selfish purposes and fancies.

Every freaking year the Auditor General's Report will highlight the "wastages" of spending from the respective government agencies. This one tell no lies. It is blatantly in the open for anyone to see and read. What has been done? What clarification was sought? Why are the prices not checked? For crying out loud, these are monies from the rakyat's pocket! People, these are your monies which you have put into the hands of these people. They, the immoral people hiding behind the cloak of so-called government of the day, had spent your money at their whims, fancies and at exorbitant prices!!! Gosh! Is there no accountability or "malu" on the part of these defalcators?  Yup, nothing was done as wastages and corrupt practises are being carried out year after year without fail and everyone is turning a blind eye on it. BTW, where are the multi-million ringgit Scorpene subs? Functional? Commissioned for duty? What? Or cannot question also like 1MDB ( One Mamat Dapat Billions ) scheme? Just one of the many questions that we should ask, people! 

BTW, for those of you who has Astro services, there is an interesting program called " Hoarders" and I believe our leaders should see that program for the more rubbish you keep in the house, the more it is going to be a health hazard and a community hazard! They should learn from that program and learn fast if I may say so! "Feel good" factor ain't enough these days, man. In fact, it has backfired and failure as the shine of diamond rings on the fingers of the fat lady ain't that easy to hide nowadays! 

Hmmmmnnnnnnnnnnnnn..........BERSIH 4.0 - what are you waiting for, people? Now, where is my yellow t-shirt?............... 

David Lee Chin Meng - my friend...

Pst. Joanne, David Lee (second from right), SLing and myself. 

It is very often that one get all sorts of accolades and praises when one is lying down in the 6' X 4' plot of dirt land but this time, I wanna do something different. I want to speak good words and honour to one very special young individual whom , I believe, will make a difference in our society today. People say that good & nice people passes but once through your life and more often than not, you would recognised them immediately. I guess, I am fortunate enough to have that opportunity to meet those nice people in my life. 

That one individual that I want to honour today is David Lee Chin Meng. He is a budding houseman /doctor who is going for a new adventure in his life in Miri, Sarawak for the next two or perhaps longer years ahead. He is one of the nicest, compassionate, dedicated and caring person I've ever known. I have not seen a young individual with those qualities for such a long time, actually. I guess, I am just being honest when I say this as I have also seen some really nice people along in my life but seeing the good qualities in a young person is rare indeed. 

In a little historical background retrospect, SLing and I got to know David Lee when I served in CCC Youth team in 2013. At that time, David Lee had attended medical studies in Manipal Medical College and had volunteered to be one of the Youth Leaders in the church. Soft spoken, respectful and resourceful, David Lee had been a great youth leader with lots of cares in his heart. His passion for the Word of God and his passion to teach the young people were very evident. He went through extra lengths of hard work during the Cafe Night and I appreciate such dedication a lot. In all the work given to him, he came out tops with flying colours while his serving heart is the one that impressed me the most. He worked well with the rest of the committee members who were equally fabulous in helping the young people. There isn't an iota of pretense under his breath while honest hard work is the story of the day. The only way he avoided a conflict is always to smile through it, say his piece and walk away.  

I must admit that I did not know much about David Lee but slowly but surely as SLing and I observed him from afar and from the things he does , his good deeds did not go unnoticed. The nicest part of David Lee is that he is always humble, smiley and fair. Even when he disagrees with you on certain matters, he would reasoned it out by being curt and courteous about it and never imposing. One who is always pleasing to be called a friend, SLing and I have found David Lee to be a person of great substance and of great personality traits. 

When he spoke to us about his new charity work on FB called " Charity on the Go ", I was impressed with his dedication and passion of bringing clean water to the poor and needy in Cambodia. That, to me , is the heartbeat of David Lee - bringing the simplest form of goodness to the people and seeing him talking dedicatedly over such project is a joy to my heart knowing that the experience in Cambodia had rubbed in a good effect on him. He spoke with such clarity of this work of bringing filtered water to the Cambodians that SLing and I were really so proud of him for the work he does. He also shared the experience of cooking for underprivileged children while in Cambodia and how much fun he had while he was there. 

The one thing that made me marveled at this young man is the fact that he cares for his patients a lot. Last Saturday, after spending lunch and tea time with him, he shared with us that one of his terminally ill patient whom he had the opportunity to share his apprenticeship while in GH had passed away. He spoke kindly of the woman and the other patients he had nurtured during his stint at the Melaka GH. He then asked us to send him to Melaka GH so that he can catch up with some of the staff and patients before leaving for his new assignment in Miri. That showed a lot about a person. I see good qualities in a man like that. Any woman who is to be his partner in life would be most grateful and loved. That is a good man, women! BTW, ladies, he is still very much single and he is simply a marvelous person. Yup, applications and registrations are open! Hahahahaaaaaaaaa.........Really, David Lee is simply a man with a great heart and correct values in his life. 

Yunno, SLing and I were amazed when he spoke of his travels in India too. Boy, he sure does have a lot of stories to tell you about India and most of all, I am impressed by his survival skills in India and visiting places after places during  his travels. I am thoroughly impressed that despite his quiet ways , he was able to travel places with ease and still be safe even at the most difficult places on earth. I guess, his qualities doubled with his survival skills helped him so much in his adventures at places, his personal life and at work.

So, to David Lee Chin Meng, all the best in your new endeavors in Miri, Sarawak, be good, take good care of yourself and be blessed in everything you do, my friend. You know that anytime you are in Melaka, our house is open to you and may your life be filled with great blessings.

Go out there , David and be a blessing to the people around you. Have a great life ahead and know that two old people in Melaka ( Aunty SLing and I )  will always remember you for your kind words, encouragement and love all this while. Carpe diem, David Lee Chin Meng!