Hope..Malaysia team!

The other day, I was on the edge of my seat watching the epic World Cup 2014 qualifying match between Malaysia and Singapore. So, the Singaporeans had their "naturalised" players on the field and so on but it did not outshine the good match between the teams.  No matter how you look at the game, it ended 1-1 on the 2nd leg and eventually ( plus effectively ) ended our hopes of going further in the World Cup 2014 rounds. But one thing was for sure, it was a fantastic match and to see a sell-out game at our Bukit Jalil Stadium was another plus point. Who says we are not passionate about our national football team-lar? When it matters most, the people will jam the stadium. I think, the most important thing is the fact that the football team is presently playing well despite the results. Honestly, I have never been excited like I am right now when speaking of the football team.( It has been quite a while! ) I must say that the team under Mr. Rajagopal has improved tremendously but like any other teams, we are constantly plagued with silly technical mistakes and school boy errors. Nevertheless, taking no credit away from the boys, they have fought hard and tried their very best. I feel that gives us all, the footballing fans, a sense of hope and a sense of dare to dream again!

Personally, I feel this team can go far and hopefully, they don't get "big-headed" but stay very focused in their mission to bring honour to the country someday. Their spirit, their work rate and their commitment was pretty solid. At that minute when the first goal was scored , I leapt off my cushion , raising two hands above my head; clenching fist and shouted, " Goaaaaalllll! Yeeeeaaaahhh! " That feels good! It has been far too long when I felt that rush of adrenaline excitement over our national team. Then , the equalising goal came but it didn't dampened my spirit. It was a thrill knowing what the national team can do that matters. Seriously, I wish the players could have worked and chased every ball till they drop of exhaustion that day but their efforts were superb. I applaud them for that. I also wish that they could have moved the ball and play short passes rather than the long balls which was easily blanked out by the Singaporean defence.  Like I said, we can talk till the clouds come down on "what could happen if...." from the game but what is important is to look forward for the next game. Yes, they had shown good promise, good talent and good commitment. I tell you, the goalkeeper, Khairul Fahmi a.k.a. Apek was spectacular and easily the toast of the team together with  Safee & the rest of the team members. Yes, we have the talents and I think, we need to instill the winning mentality in our boys.

I remembered last year when I bought the Malaysian blue jersey from a street vendor in Haadyai for my son, I bargained with him on the price and got the Malaysian team jersey cheap. According to the vendor, it's a losing team and why would anyone wants to buy that colours. But, I remained patriotic to my country and believed they can come out tops the next time. They did and they did their country proud by doing their best. I am just glad that the Malaysian football team is finally waking up, cleaning and licking up their wounds, bruised and battered reputation. Like I have always said, when the head is right, the body parts are going to work just fine. GO MALAYSIA! 

Social Satire....

Today I almost fall off my chair when I read that our so-called "Barang Naik" MPs are "asking" (dirty word!) for more money allocations for their constituents before the next coming election. To me, it is a farce. Where have all the earlier money gone in the first place? Everyone from the street sweeper to the trishaw puller to the yuppies and the dumb-ass bureaucratic leaders knows that each constituent is allocated a certain sum of money to develop that constituent. Where? Where have all that money gone to? It is such a shame that with all the hype of elections, erections, blinding bright bling-bling from ring and South African diamond bracelets, curvy new wife and ballot papers war,  we still have places in our country that do not have clean pipe water, proper roads and even electricity supply. Worst of all, all food essentials are hitting the ceiling in prices. OK! Let's be serious. Maybe these folks need to drum up support from the young children on the need to save money during their children days so that they can donate their money to get these basis amenities to their kampungs or even villages. Maybe, just maybe with enough savings, we could use this money to lower down our food subsidies so that we can get cheaper price. Please-lar, Please-lar, please-lar, people, DON'T laugh-lar because if our First Lady can save money from her teen days to buy the beautiful ring - why can't the kampung folks and children do the same, right?  OK, in the first place we need to get the money first,right? Apamacam mau dapat duit? Hmmmmnnnnnnn....... 

So, ok, let's go and speak to our our elected MP or WR and let's try to get some allocation from them. Let's not get the funds from the PR ones. They constantly have to have gatherings and dinners to raise funds. It is just like what we are going through in our religious establishment today too. Everything buy coupons or pass the biscuit tin around.  If all things failed, let's try to cook up some story that they are siphoning off our constituent monies and get our MACC involved but we have to pardon them a bit because they are only 3 year old establishment-mah. That's what our PM said. But wait a minute, aren't they called ACA the last time? As far as I know, they have been around for some time now but ok-lor, someone "messed" up their establishment alphabets and so, they look like ACA, talk like ACA, sound like ACA but they are not MACC,ok? Anyway, better get them involved in event we fail to get our money. Afterall, if all things fail, we can still, at least, sell bodies or even body parts that comes off from  the MACC building or from some recreational forest somewhere. The market for such parts are quite a fair bit and lucrative. There wouldn't be much problem getting these parts for export as all relevant export forms can be processed and assessed. Nothing is secret-lar. If the First Lady ring can get through, this one is kacang putih one, baby! If cannot, these spare parts can be hand carried as we are champion-lar in ensuring the entry and exit datas are erased without trace. Anyway, we have to be careful a bit when wrapping these part ( no yellow cloth, please! ) because we don't want to arouse the suspicion of our Wildlife and Game Dept. They might mistaken them for some animal parts and all will be lost for time is the essence in raising fund for our constituent. 
The other way is to raise awareness of the people for a rally. We don't wear yellow-lar. It makes us look bad in yellow-mah. We don't protest nor take stones to throw at people or take penknife to such rally. We take flower only and make sure it is not yellow colour. Cannot clash with royal colours-mah.  We should all find a place like near Tung Shin Hospital and everyone empty their pockets of loose change or ringgits so that they can be collected for this purpose of cutting down the subsidies-lor. We should also register ourselves at the special counter using our ICs and make sure we re-register over and over again so that we look like a big group-lar. Age from 21 to 101 , who cares. As long as our names are on the list , can already. Small-small group, nobody will notice. No one will check one-lar. We should also welcome our enforcement officers who will generously toss us a few cans of perfume-scented tear gas canisters to ensure we cry a bit to look pitiful for the newspapers and this will catch the world's attention that our country really need all the loose change and ringgits so that we can help reduce our country subsidies. They will also spray all with black pepper sauce-like water to remind us that stepping on a few cows head is not a good act because black pepper sauce goes well with cowhead meat and brains! It is also food. No good to waste food.  This is to ensure the whole world can take an example and follow our lead in food conservation - good to the last skin!Maybe, just maybe, we could actually sell some cowheads meat to raise funds for this cause too........something along Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution movement........hmmmmnnnnnnn......interesting, kan?  What to do-lah, desperate times means desperate measures for the survival of our kampungs, tamans and society-lor, right? Malaysia Boleh-mah! What you think? OK or not?   

Sleepless...sleep less

The other day I was having quite a day. So, the first thing I wanted to do was to get on the comfy of the bed and have a great slumber. Somehow, I twisted and turned so much that my sommersaulting exercise on bed irritated my poor wife a lot coz' she too felt the tremors of my constant shifting on the bed. It is not that I am small in size but the shifting part can be quite a thing. I guess, I was really very uncomfortable and this was robbing me of my sleep. Trust me, I counted sheeps from white to black for all I know and I even tried imagining counting stars ( from honey stars to dunno what stars are available! ) but to no avail. Eyes were wide open like crystallised marbles in the middle of the sunny day. I keep staring at the asbestos ceiling and I remembered doing  mental paintings of  Picasso and Michelangelo pieces too. Somehow, the eyes and mind just won't shut down!

Then I prayed and they say, if you can' sleep you better pray. So, I prayed, put my hands to my chest and crossed them. Then I felt really morbid as I felt as though I am lying down on my casket with the way I lay straight, arms cross - sheez! I burst out giggling at the thought and my poor wife gave me a nudge and grudgingly said , " What's the matter with you? Do you what time it is? It's 11.30pm! Why aren't you asleep?". I turned to her, opened my mouth  and wanted to explain what I had felt but I guess, I couldn't. If I did , I probably would have send her into a hysterical streak - probably some wailing can be heard but some hairs strands would definitely be found on the bed edge the following morning.

She just turned over and started rambling, " What's the matter with you? Are you okay? ". I stared at her almost in oblivion and then I decided something on the spot. I told her, " I really can't sleep and I have not being feeling well since this evening." She was rather awake now and with softer tone, " So , what is wrong? Have you taken your medicine? Hey, don't scare me ,ok?"." We need you , yunno! " " Yeah! I know. Who is going to pay the bills, right?", I answered. Well, it was my way to humour her, actually! She just rolled her eyes back and sauntered to her bedside.  Well, I told her that I am fine and I have had my medicine. I added " But I have this heart palpitations since evening." " So, is it a good thing or not so good thing?" followed by a string of questions. By now, she was eyeing me suspiciously if I am playing a trick on her. She said, " You better don't play tricks on me or else you are going to get it from me." Hmmmmnnnnnn..... sound familiar but I assured her that I can't sleep ( I did NOT lie! ) and it goes on off with times. " Ohhh.....so what are the symptoms and so on?" " I dunno, sometimes it comes and sometimes it doesn't happen." I said. She asked , " So, when did this palpitations started - for how long , how many times a day....." and the list goes on and on. 

I looked at her intently, searching my inner self, gathering my thoughts and answered, " Every time I see you." She looked at me and said , " You #44%4%8910! Go to sleep! ". I laughed my head off and hugged her. She muttered something and then gave me a kick and missed a very vital part of the human anatomy ( Phew! That was close! ) and asked me to sleep down where the spare mattress was located! Gladly, I scrambled to the spare mattress and the next thing I knew,  2 pillows flew my way and then I heard her said, " The next time you do this - you sleep in the bathroom!" Ah! It was fun, though and at least, I still have my sense of humour, right? Did I get to sleep that night.....well, I did....at about 2.30am with a smile on my face. It is good to turn an unpleasant situation to one that is quite fun,don't you think so? It helps to strengthen the relationship, right?
Yunno, I have told myself countless number of times that if one day I were to konk off without much hu-ha, I would rather wear a silly smile on my "not-so-nice looking" face than looking like a grouchy ol'man!~

  

Nice Ashley.....

 What cha looking at? ( "Engine" not yet warm -up! )

 Warmed up - the jolly good goodie!

 Yo! I am at my happy best!

 I am sweet, ain't I ? Finger licking good!

Hmmmmnnnn......this is as sweet as you can get from me!

I wonder if my brother is looking at me! Of course, I am prettier-lar!

Yo! Yo! I've got the "look"-lar!

Prayer Of Getting Old.....

Lord, thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and will some day be old. Keep me from becoming talkative, naggy and from the particularly fatal habit of thinking too much.

Keep me away from the habit of I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs.

Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details and do keep me sane. Give me wings to get to the point. I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of others' pain. Help me to endure them with patience. Seal my lips on my own aches and pains - they are increasing and my love of rehearsing them is becoming stronger as the years go by. Help me to stay strong so that these legs would not creak and tweak while the body would not be the subject of endless strips of medication pills.

 

Teach me the glory lesson occasionally, that it is possible that I may be mistaken. Keep me reasonably sweet, I do not want to be a saint - some of them are very hard to live with - but a sour old man is one of the crowning works of the devil.

Make me thoughtful but not moody, helpful, but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all--but thy knowest, Lord, that I want a few good friends at the end  of the day beside my 6' X 4' plot.

Father's ABC....

Always trust your children to God's care.

Bring them to church.

Challenge them to high goals.

Delight in their achievements.

Exalt the Lord in their presence.

Frown on evil.

Give them love.

Hear their problems.

Ignore not their childish fears.

Joyfully accept their apologies.

Keep their confidence.

Live a good example before them.

Make them your friends.

Never ignore their endless questions.

Open your heart to their love.

Pray for them by name.

Quicken your interest in their spirituality.

Remember their needs.

Show them the way of salvation.

Teach them to work.

Understand they are still young.

Verify your statements.

Wean them from bad company.

eXpect them to obey.

Yearn for God's best for them.

Zealously guide them in Bible truth.

Character...

The circumstances amid which you live determine your reputation;

The truth you believe determines your character.

Reputation is what you are supposed to be;

Character is what you are.....

Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community;

Character is what you have when you go away.

Your reputation is made in a moment;

Your character is built in a lifetime.....

Reputation is what men say about you on your tombstone;

Character is what the angels say about you before the throne of God. - William Hersey Davis