THE LOST JOURNAL

Page 87: Hai Boey Seafood 海尾海鲜, Teluk Kumbar, Penang

2012-01-21T12:14:00.003+08:00

End of another year (lunar year; the solar year ended around 3 weeks ago...) & as usual another pre-CNY dinner. This time we went to Hai Boey Seafood Restaurant in Teluk Kumbar. I heard it is pretty hard to find, but in fact the large signboards made it very easy to find your way if you are lost.

First thing you'll notice there is the view. Situated at the beach, you cannot help but take a stroll down to the sand & (if you're wearing sandals & shorts) the sea. There are comfortable deck chairs & also a playground (with a swing & a slide) for your kids' pleasure. I'll let the pictures do the talking...

View of the sea... nearing sunset

The restaurant as viewed from the beach

After a little stroll, comes the food. It has some of the best dishes I've tasted. Most of the seafood is quite fresh, like crabs, lobster & fish (the tanks there prove it) & makes it better... I'll let the pictures whet your appetite...

Hai Boey...

Fried Eggplant in Meatball

This is spinach... cooking style no idea

Some tofu...

Pumpkin Prawns

Kerabu Mantis Shrimp (Hae Kor)

'Kam Heong' Crab

'Pai Kut Ong'

Fried Chicken with Onion Rings

Claypot Steamed Grouper... the whopper...

For 10 persons, all of the above dishes (plus rice & drinks) amounted to RM294.10... The price is up for you to decide but the environment is really a very nice one... always worth a visit.

Page 86: Of Trees, Leaves & Thorns

2011-12-27T20:54:00.000+08:00

Imagine coming across a tree. You see that at the very top of this tree there is a leaf that you truly desire to have, to own, to keep, to be made yours. Meanwhile, you also notice that there's a branch with a seemingly ordinary looking leaf at shoulder height. But you ignore it, since your attention is already fixed at the leaves at the very top. What do you do? For most of us, we will take the effort to climb the tree, hoping to get to the top & obtain that leaf that we so much desire...

Nearing the top now, you realize something else. There are thorns surrounding the leaf, this beautiful leaf that you so desired to have. Is it still worth climbing up more & hurting yourself just to get at your target? Or is it better to climb down & have that seemingly ordinary leaf at shoulder height just now?

I can dare say that a lot of us will continue on, hoping that the satisfaction of obtaining that one leaf will overcome the pain you endured while passing over the thorns. But think about it. What if after this leaf has been obtained, after all the nurturing & care you gave to it, it withers in a blink of an eye, without any warning? And what if you realize that the leaf that is at shoulder height, the one you did not have to hurt yourself obtaining, will be the one that will be fresh & green, blooming even, at the end of the day? Maybe if you had obtained this ordinary leaf, you will have grown to love it too in time, just like you had when you first set eyes on the leaf on top of the tree...

Will you make the right choices in obtaining your leaf?

In life there are a lot of thing that are akin to the choices you have in obtaining this leaf. Some things are really worth the effort put in to obtain, but there are a lot of things too that are of more value & are more easily obtainable, even though it seems ordinary at first, ignored by the majority... It is most important that we choose which leaf we want in what aspects of our life... Does your goal pay even when there is a bed of thorns you need to cross to achieve them?

Page 85: December 2011

2011-12-03T21:16:00.001+08:00

I have to write something here before it dies due to inactivity, though nowadays I don't have the will or drive to write even my own thoughts here anymore... this journal has become so... lost...

So, anyway... back to reviving...

Recently my standard of English has been deteriorating up the point that when I try to speak English... nothing comes out of my mouth... not even a stutter... maybe that explains why I haven't updated this blog for such a long time...

Oh well... it seems that should be all for today... will be back (hopefully)...

Page 84: It's a Very Small World After All...

2011-08-27T21:17:00.000+08:00

I feel that the world is getting smaller & smaller by the day. Lately I keep finding out that people I know have friends or relatives that has some connection to me, one way or another, be it another friend or having went to the same school or university. Some people say that as you go out into the world, the world expands. But to me, as I go out into the world, the world shrinks around me...

Well, holidays are around the corner, but I have never felt such a low holiday mood before... oh well, perhaps it will be over soon...

Page 83: August

2011-08-02T20:54:00.000+08:00

Dear Journal,

Won't life be simple if it were a game of coin toss? Just toss the coin when you reach some crossroads & that's all you have to do. No thinking involved. No feelings involved. No need to think about what will come after. All decisions made for you, even if the decision will screw you up in the end. At least you don't have difficulty in choosing a path to take.

Won't life be simple if it were a game of Snakes & Ladders? Just roll the dice & go where you are supposed to go. Reach the bottom of a ladder & climb to victory, or encounter the maw of a serpent & get screwed. The first one to 100 wins the game.

If only everything is that simple...

There won't be any dilemmas, no heartbreaks, no sleepless nights...

And there will also be no feelings; no love, no happiness, no sadness, no anger, no disappointments...

Alas, this is life.

Dear Journal,

It has also been exactly a year since I started working, & looking back, it seems like only yesterday everything happened. The interview, the first day, the unknown faces I see on my first day. All seems like a blur. Now, it is already August 2011 & I can say that I have changed a lot. I have found a lot of things in this 1 year & though I very much want to say I have found love, it is still the one thing that eludes me.

Maybe I should not fear what is meant to be, but face it with pride. After all, life may just be a game of dice played by powers far more superior than ourselves. Still, change is badly needed for me to succeed in this life. One way or another, change will happen...

Page 82: Malacca Food Diary

2011-07-17T20:57:00.000+08:00

That was Day 1. Now for Day 2.

For breakfast we headed to a stall called Bukit Cina Soya Bean House. This little shop sells stuff that has to do with soy beans, primarily soy bean milk & taufufah. The varieties here are also not limited to any normal type of soy bean milk or taufufah, but also has additions to the original tastes, such as Honey Soy Bean Milk, or Black Sesame Taufufah.

Bukit Cina Soya Bean House... the Menu...

Taufufah from Bukit Cina Soya Bean House... very smooth...

Breakfast was brief. Next stop was lunch (yes, you read right. Lunch right after breakfast). This time we went to a small little shop for its Nyonya Food. This shop, called Donald & Lily's, is situated just off Jonker Street & is pretty well hidden. Only the initiated will know that there's a shop there. Also an old house converted to a shop, it will always be full during lunch times.

Donald & Lily's Nyonya Food...

Small lil' shoppe...

Here, we ordered a variety of Nyonya Food, such as Rojak, Mee Siam & (best of all) the Ayam Rendang.

Rojak

Mee Siam

Ayam Rendang

After that short lunch, we headed over for some walk around Malacca. Before heading back to the apartment, we stopped by this shop, Nadeje, situated just outside of Dataran Pahlawan. This shop's specialty is its 'Mille Crepes'. These are basically different flavoured crepes stacked one on top of another & made into a cake... & the flavour is heavenly. There's just so many flavours to choose from, such as Double Chocolate, Tiramisu, Mocha & of course, original flavour...

Nadeje Cafe...

Double Chocolate Mille Crepe...

Choco-Strawberry Mille Crepe...

This is called 'Melaka'...

Mocha version...

I think I will continue the last installment on food in another entry. This entry already seem too long...

Page 81: Malacca Food Diary

2011-07-16T22:30:00.002+08:00

I've been to Malacca once before & came back not having tried any of the (reportedly) amazing food there. So when another chance came I jumped straight onto the bandwagon. And it was awesome...

Three day trip, one day spent in the car (to & fro, half day each way), two days spent eating (mostly) & I came back with a lingering aftertaste that will stay there until the day I die (hopefully). The food there makes Penang food look like an amateur chef's fare.

Well, first stop for food is the famous Chicken Rice Balls. Initially the plan was to go to the most famous Chicken Rice Ball stall in Malacca, but following a recommendation we went to another stall, which I have to admit is pretty standard fare.

Nam Wah Hotel Cafe & Chicken Rice, the stall we went to...

The most famous Chicken Rice Ball stall, our original plan... Just look at the queue...!!

Each of us got five Chicken Rice Balls to go with the chicken dish & bean curd/egg in soy sauce. Chicken's nothing to shout about & rice is normal. Maybe this would be a different experience had we gone to the other (more famous) shop, but I'm still grateful I got to taste these Rice Balls again. Good experience...

Chicken Rice Balls!!

Roast & white chicken...

Another dish... this tastes better than the chicken IMHO...

That was lunch. After that we headed to Jonker Street, not for shopping (yet) but for food (again) at the famous Jonker 88 stall. This stall is famous for its different varieties of Cendol & its Kari Laksa. I really like this stall as it is actually an old antique house converted into a stall, hence the inside of the building still has a sense of heritage of this old city. A lot of antique stuff are also on display so that you can feast your eyes as well as you stomach.

Jonker 88, the heart of Jonker Street

Durian Cendol

Mango Cendol

Kari Laksa

An old chandelier in the stall

Antique Clock

For dinner then, we headed to the famous Capitol Satay stall. One thing hit me when I was there: Malaccans like to queue up for their food. And not just a short queue. Long ones!!

The original & famous Capitol Satay...!!

Line up for Satay~!!

Well, the shop opened at 5 pm & we arrived at 6 pm. Queued up for almost an hour & got tables. This Satay Celup is special in a way that the spices & groundnuts are not mixed into the soup when it first comes. The spices will be stirred in after the soup has been brought to boil. After that, its dipping time...!!

Variety of Satay...

Satay Celup soup... before addition of spices...

Spices & ground peanuts...

Stirring the soup...

Celup!!

There's quite a lot of variety here on display, including fish balls, meat balls, vegetables & yau char kuai. No seafood is on display. But after around 20 minutes of eating, the stall will present you with the reason this stall is the most popular: the employees will give you huge prawns, abalone slices & cuttlefish for the final 'dip'. This supply is normally charged (80 cents per stick) but further orders will cost you RM6/100 g. Wow...

Prawns, abalone & cuttlefish...

That's all... for day one...

Page 80: Nibong Tebal Crab Porridge

2011-06-07T22:20:00.000+08:00

Never thought I would return to the place I spent four years at after I left last year. But then who can deny Nibong Tebal does have its charms? Everything is still so familiar (except a huge housing estate project that started recently) & I can still remember it as though it were yesterday...

Well, after having seafood at Pulau Aman, we went all the way down to Nibong Tebal to sample its famous Crab Porridge. Truth be told in four years of my university life I have never tried it before, nor do I even know the shop. But then when I went there last weekend, it all dawned on me: the famous shop is the one that I have frequented several times for its Tomyam!! Coincidence? I think not...

Familiar ol' stall... except for the expansion at the side...

Since there were 9 of us we decided not to order individually, but in a big bowl fit for few people. We ordered four dishes: Pork Porridge (bak moi), Tomyam Mee, Crab Porridge (chim moi) & also the blanched octopus (legs).

The bak moi is nothing to shout about. Though it is better than my own cooking (I can't cook), there are any other places that sell bak moi. Even then, the bak moi here is more fragrant & more filling (it is less watery). The portion we ordered is for 3 people.

Bak moi...

Next came the Tomyam Mee. The soury taste is just as I remember it, but it still lacks the spiciness to make up the whole package. But fear not, the cili padi provided there will make up for it, as one bite on the cili padi will make your eyes water (& probably choke).

Tomyam Mee...

Up next, the blanched octopus legs (or tentacles). At first sight, it is plain old tentacles. But one bite into it will tell you otherwise, as it is blanched to perfection: not too soft & not too hard either. It still retained its 'kiu-ness' & eating it with chilli sauce or rojak sauce is just heavenly...

Octopus legs...!!

Lastly came the Crab Porridge. With fragrance reminiscent of fresh crabs & sweetness of the porridge, what could one ask for more? The portion we ordered, which is for 5 people, had 2 crabs which come readily cracked. It also seemed that one of the crabs had roe... & I was lucky enough to get the shell that had it...

Isn't this just... beautiful...

All of those dishes (together with drinks) amounted up to only RM80+ which is considered cheap. Other than some screwed up drinks order, it is a memorable return to Nibong Tebal... a return to one of the food heavens...

Page 79: The Isle of Peace

2011-06-04T21:14:00.000+08:00

Pulau Aman.

Situated off the coast of Penang mainland & accessible via a ferry from Batu Kawan.

The name exudes a picture of a peaceful & calm island in the straits of Penang. Well, one could say that, except for the influx of tourists wanting to try the Pulau Aman famous Mee Udang & fresh seafood.

I went there with a group of friends yesterday since we've heard people talk about Pulau Aman & have not been there before (even as Penangites). So, we reached the jetty at Batu Kawan at around 9.45 am & have to wait a while for the ferry. The ferry arrived several minutes later & after a 10 minute cruise we arrived at Pulau Aman jetty. Since it is quite early when we reached (the restaurant does not open until 11 am) we decided to take a walk around the fishing village at the island. This village is a quaint little fisherman's village with tiled paths which serve as roads in the village. The cottages over here are all built without planning as is normal with these kinds of villages. There are no cars here, just motorcycles & a lot of bicycles.

The ferry to Pulau Aman

The island as seen from afar

Pulau Aman ho~!! The village is on the right while the restaurant is on the left

Fishing boats

Welcome~!!

Classic hand-drawn map

At the time we are there, there are actually very few adults around, only children & the elderly. I think that most of the men are out fishing while the women are doing chores. Whatever it is, the villagers seem used to visitors to their island & do not stare at strangers. Plus, some of the elderly are very friendly too. This island is also famous for its Buah Sukun. There are several of these trees in the village & there are chips made from these fruits on sale too.

Buah Sukun

We took the path out of the village heading towards the Telaga Mas (Golden Well). Along the way, the path skirts along the shoreline of the island & we can see people fishing & even campers having a dip in the water. After around a 30 minute walk, we reached the point where the path begins to turn into a jungle trek. Having no intention to go into the trees (we were not dressed for it too) we turned back the way we came & headed back to the village, towards the Restoran Terapung Pulau Aman, the main reason for the trip.

External view of the Restoran Terapung

There's a lot of variety at this restaurant but all of them have one thing in common: prawns. Three moderately sized prawns accompany each dish, be it mee, bihun, koay teow or fried rice. Each plate costs RM6 for the normal one & RM10 for the special one (I think is with extra prawns &/or mantis prawns, I'm not sure). You can also pick some fresh shellfish & ordered it to be cooked to your liking. We saw primarily mantis prawns. Moderate ones come at RM35/kg, while bigger ones come at a hefty RM80/kg. The other shellfish on display include flower crabs & horseshoe crabs.

My mee goreng udang (the extra prawns are from the girls...)

Mantis prawns on display

We bought 8 mantis prawns which approximately 1 kg & ordered it steamed (obviously the best way to enjoy fresh seafood). We each had 1 mantis prawn to ourselves & it is one of the best mantis prawns I've tasted. As with all fresh seafood, the flesh is still sweet & the aroma fragrant. Too bad mine did not have any roe...

Ready for eating

I remember we wondered what mantis prawn is called in malay, so we asked the serving boy.

Us: Ini panggil apa?

Boy: Hae Kor...

Lucky he did not say 'Udang Kencing'...

Page 78: Judgement

2011-05-21T15:27:00.001+08:00

May 21st, 2011.

To some, Judgement Day. The Apocalypse. The end of the world as we know it.

To others, another normal weekend.

Maybe it is best that the world ends now. Let the tides of destruction sweep away all the screwed up organizations in this world. Let all the cruelty & evil present in the hearts of mankind be carried away by its waves. Let all the greed in the world disappear in a day. Let all the corruption of the hearts of mankind be vanquished. Let all the disrespect be swallowed by the maw of the Earth itself. Mankind has already reached a point where if it is allowed to continue to thrive, the more its own kind suffers.

What of the innocent then? What will happen to kind & good in the event of The End? Well, if they have nothing to pay for, they have nothing to fear from the oncoming storm.

"Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely." - Buddha

Page 77: Time

2011-03-16T20:34:00.000+08:00

If only I could turn back time

If only I had said what I still hide

Can we ever turn back the hands of the clock? Can we go back in time to change some significant event in our lives? What a silly question. Of course we can't. This trait of time gives birth to the dreaded feeling of regret & the phrase 'If only' & 'What if'. But then why regret something which you did or did not do? This is because you had never appreciated the opportunity present at that time passed & when you look back at that moment, you see yourself in a different position had you grabbed that opportunity then. Another opportunity might come, but it might not be as good as the first one.

What if another opportunity is not able to appear? What if that window of opportunity is all that is available to you in your whole life? The only thing predictable about life is its unpredictability. Just look at Japan now. No one knows when a disaster is going to strike & you have only one chance to say the thing that matters, or do the thing that you have yearned for all your life. What if a disaster were to strike tomorrow & this is the last day of your life? You will surely regret that which you did (or did not) do.

Some might say to let go of that regret & find another window of opportunity, or let go of the past & live life like it is truly the end of the world. Yes, I admit that there is no use crying over spilt milk. Of course you do not want to live the last day of your life dreading about the past. But what if you can't? What if you know that by grabbing that passed window of opportunity you will not care about the end of the world, because you have already lived life to the fullest? Will you not dread that?

We only got 86400 seconds in a day to

Turn it all around or throw it all away

Page 76: Chinese New Year Writings: Tow Boo Kong Temple

2011-02-18T22:15:00.002+08:00

The 15th day of Chinese New Year, Chap Goh Meh. The last day of Chinese New Year. It is also the Chinese Valentine's Day. It is a day when there's the custom of single ladies throwing Mandarin Oranges into a body of water for guys to pick up (& hence beginning a courtship). Even though a courtship rarely begins like this nowadays, the custom lives on, with Mandarin Orange throwing becoming a national event.

Where was I on that night? I was at the Tow Boo Kong Temple, 北海斗母宫 at Raja Uda, Butterworth, where there's a huge Chap Goh Meh celebration held there. This celebration has many things, from concerts, to cultural dances, Lion Dances, food stalls, traditional Chinese games for kids & the kicker: a lovers' bridge for people to throw Mandarin Oranges into two huge tanks of water!!

I'll start with the concert. This concert is actually similar to any other event held by a Chinese radio station, with various artistes performing Chinese New Year songs. There are also cultural dances performed by some art school students. What's more there's also a hip-hop dance performance. I honestly think that the bass for this event is just too loud. The ground is actually shaking the whole night (especially during the hip-hop dance routine).

The lanterns of the main temple entrance

The entrance to the main shrine hall

The main arch of the temple... notice the singers on the stage

The arch & the lanterns

After mingling at the front courtyard for a while, we went into the temple for some sightseeing. It's by far the most beautiful temple interior I have ever seen, with beautiful wall carvings pillars, together with the beautiful architecture of its roof.

The temple structure actually comprises of a few halls & courtyards, beginning with the outer shrine hall (entrance which can be seen above), a second hall which houses the urn of the Nine Emperor Gods, an inner courtyard (the most beautiful temple courtyard I have ever seen) & finally the innermost hall.

A carved pillar

Another carved pillar, this one of the innermost hall

The dragon & fountain of the inner courtyard

The entrance to the innermost hall

Wall carving

After exploring the inner sanctum, we went out again & circled the temple towards the back area. The temple grounds has already been turned into a sort of pasar malam. I saw chocolate bananas & potato twists. There are also drinks sold but no meaty food. This is because this temple is strictly vegetarian.

Since it is also considered a Chinese Valentine's Day event, there are also cute girls wearing traditional Chines dresses, such as the Qipao & the Tang costume, walking around selling flowers. It might be worth it to be at the festival just to look at cute girls, with or without wearing traditional costumes...

At the back area, there is a place for children to play traditional Chinese games such as Batu Seremban & 'hopping'. But the kicker of course is the 'love bridge'. This is actually a wooden bridge with two huge tanks on either side. One side is for the guys to throw their Oranges & the other side is for the girls.

Outer facade of the temple

Cute... right?

For me, this is the first time I am visiting this temple. I could say that I came at the right time to witness the temple in all its glory & splendor.

Page 75: Chinese New Year Writings: Perlis

2011-02-12T16:04:00.003+08:00

So, after the short visit to the Lye Huat Garden in the previous post, we reached Perlis at around noon. I did not have high hopes of seeing any great sights at Perlis since our friend kept saying that there's actually nothing in Perlis to see. Well, I'll just have to see for myself what the northern-most state of Malaysia has to offer (a tourism brochure called Perlis 'The Northern Gem').

We stopped by our friend's house first (or rather, the daytime shophouse; they sleep at another house at night). It is a quaint little wooden shophouse right beside a main road. Most times busy with the cars & sometimes hot due to the sun, it is situated at a small town called Jejawi. Then, we headed to our first stop...

A cave Guan Yin Temple

Our first stop is a cavern Guan Yin Temple. It is actually a very nice & peaceful environment to be in after the hustle & bustle of the towns. Quiet with only Buddhist mantras playing in the background, one can actually stroll here all day.

A view of the main shrine hall

There is actually no Guan Yin statue in this temple, but rather a rocky pillar (or root, I can't tell) which resembles the holy Boddhisatva. Hence, people will come & offer prayers to the 'statue', & a temple is born. There many other deities in the temple but I did not take many pictures as it actually felt odd clicking away while other people are praying.

The exterior of the temple is also beautiful, as the temple is situated at the foot of a vertical cliff with overhanging trees.

A part of the rocky cliffs outside the temple

After lunch, we again headed out, this time to where our instincts took us (we were quite lost as to where to go next). Since it is a Monday, the Wang Kelian Sunday Market is not open so we had to give it a pass. So we decided to settle on the Perlis Reptile Farm. This farm is more of a snake farm as it features a large variety of snakes, from small Pit Vipers to the gigantic Reticulated & Albino Pythons. The farm is also not limited to reptiles as there are also primates on display. Since I've had quite a number of pictures of snakes from this morning, I decided to settle on these pictures only...

If I'm not mistaken, this is a Tarsier

Pygmy Crocodiles

After that, we headed off to Padang Besar. This border town between Malaysia & Thailand is famous (or infamous) for its cheap branded ware, such as Rolex watches. I did not buy much as we only browsed through the bazaars there. There are two types of bazaars, one selling foodstuffs (such as dried food, fruits & drinks) & one selling clothes (& accessories). We actually browsed close to one-&-a-half hours & left at around 5 pm.

Our next destination before heading home for dinner is Tasoh Lake. This is actually a lake resort with chalets & pondoks by the lakeside. It is actually a big lake & one can even row a boat out into the lake. The only downside (IMHO) is the grass at the lakeside... it spoiled the excellent view...

The horizon beyond the lake

The waters of the lake

Hills beyond the lake

A panoramic view of the pondoks & the lake

When we reached there, the sky was pretty cloudy. But fortunately, after around 30 minutes, the sky opened up & afforded all of us the most beautiful view of the day...

The sun peeping through the clouds

After that, dinner was a normal affair, & we reached home at around 10.30 pm. It is actually unfortunate that the bridge to Gua Kelam collapsed due to the recent flood & we had to give that a miss. But then without that this is already a wonderful trip as it is. Who ever said that Perlis is also a jungle?

Page 74: Chinese New Year Writings: Lye Huat Garden

2011-02-08T22:42:00.006+08:00

It seems Malaysia is full of hidden wonders. Most of us might not have heard of this place before & also where it is situated. Well, if not for this recent trip I will not even know that such a place existed. Without further ado, here's the journey's log...

Four of us friends decided to take a road trip to Perlis for the Chinese New Year, on the 7th of February. On the way, we passed through Kedah & decided to visit the Lye Huat Garden (since it is on the way). The Lye Huat Garden is actually a park situated along the North-South Highway, nearby Kubang Pasu & Changlun. It showcases a lot of things, but mainly animals, plants & stone carvings. Entrance fee is RM10/adult & RM4/child. It's doors are open from 9 am until 7.30 pm. We reached there at approximately 9.30 am, which is actually quite an ideal time for a visit, as the sun is not that sweltering yet.

The first exhibit on the agenda: Replicas of the Terracotta Warriors of Xi'an, China. These replicas are basically scale models of the original Terracotta Warriors & are made of copper (or bronze, I can't really tell).

Replica of the Terracotta Warriors

Replica of the Emperor's Chariot

The First Emperor of the Middle Kingdom, Qin Shi Huangdi

After the Terracotta Warrior hall, we passed through a man-made lake, full of carp. Over this lake is a bridge, which gives a peaceful & calm expression, much like the old Chinese paintings.

Bridge over calm waters

After that, we headed towards the Freshwater Aquarium. Here, a variety of freshwater fish are put on display. The water is slightly murky but the fish can still be seen pretty clearly. Here, I saw some of the biggest Arowanas I have ever seen before. They actually look scary up close.

Such a huge Arowana

More large fish

More species of freshwater fish

After the aquarium, the next agenda is the bird park & the Garden's mini zoo. Here, a variety of birds & beasts from all over the world can be seen in one small park, though rarely in their natural habitat. It is still wonderful though to see the colorful fauna of the world all in one convenient location.

Black swan

Huge crocodile

Colorful parrots

I could not believe my ears at first, but those parrots actually said a vague 'hello' to us!!

Gigantic Burmese Albino Python

The tiger enclosure, the best exhibit here

The tiger enclosure is separated from the viewers by a moat. Hence, sensing no danger due to the moat, we approached the enclosure, up until the fence. To our surprise (& horror), the tiger actually jumped into the water & swam towards the fence!! We actually ran for our lives there for a few seconds. Fortunately, the fence was more like a tall wall & it cannot pounce high enough, though we still kept a safe distance from then on...

Albino peacock

After visiting animals, now it's time for some still life. The Garden also has a Suiseki Gallery which features some of the finest carvings the art has to offer. I am actually amazed & mesmerized by the stonework here.

Some of the Suiseki on display

More unusual stones

Wood carvings

After the Suiseki Gallery, we went back out to the garden area to admire some of the miscellaneous artwork on display there. Amongst some of the more beautiful ones are the roman goddess statues together with Chinese vases & some unique bonsai trees.

Mixture of Roman & Chinese art

After visiting the whole park, we were actually tired & hot, since the sun is rising fast. Hence, we left the place after several more photos. I would have liked to stay longer here as there are still many things to see & admire but since time is against us (we still had other agendas), we decided to leave. From all those picture, guess how long did we stay there?

1 hour...

... and we are off to Perlis...

Page 73: Chinese New Year Writings: The Temple of Snakes

2011-02-03T02:30:00.015+08:00

新年快乐

恭喜发财

兔年吉祥

Let me start this post & the Chinese Lunar New Year with those greetings. It is the start of the Year of the Rabbit in the reckoning of the Chinese Zodiac. Another year which brings fresh hope to every Chinese in this world.

Now, almost every Chinese family in Penang has their start of Chinese New Year temple visit, usually to pray for good luck & health in the new year. For mine, it will be the Snake Temple (or Temple of the Azure Cloud). My family usually go to the temple for a short prayer trip at around 1 a.m. on the first day of Chinese New Year & it has been this way for the past 20 years (more or less). As is the norm for most temples in Penang (& the rest of Malaysia), the Snake Temple is also beautifully decorated with lights & lanterns for the New Year.

This time I decided to take some pictures (& glad I did also, the decorations this year are much nicer compared to the previous ones).

The whole temple complex consists of two main shrine halls: the main hall & the Guan Yin Pavilion. The main shrine hall is home of Chor Soo Kong, the resident deity of the temple. The main shrine hall also houses other deities such as the 18 Immortals & other deities (since I can't read Chinese I do not know what deities are housed there). In an annex of the main hall there is a small shrine dedicated to Tua Pek Kong.

The main entrance & stairway to the temple

The signboard above the main entrance... 蛇廟

Front view of the temple, with the rows upon rows of lanterns & the numerous giant joss-sticks

Just look at the joss-sticks (& especially the smoke from them)

View of the main shrine hall

Other than Chor Soo Kong, devotees will also pray to the Jade Emperor (Thnee Kong), with devotees lighting joss-sticks (some very huge ones at that) outside the main hall. The picture above shows some views of devotees praying to the Jade Emperor.

From the outside of the temple until the main shrine hall, your eyes will probably sting & water a lot due to the excessive smoke from joss-sticks & candles (especially during festive seasons & temple celebrations). Last night, I was unlucky enough to stand downwind from the huge joss-stick smoke. Guess how much my eyes stung...

The Tua Pek Kong shrine

A snake on a branch of a tree inside the shrine

Leaving the main shrine hall is actually a big relief for breathing & seeing, as there is far less smoke as you exit the main shrine hall & head for the Guan Yin Pavilion.

The entrance to the Guan Yin Pavilion

The Guan Yin Pavilion

This shrine hall, dedicated to the Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin) is actually very peaceful & serene (not to mention calming) as there is far less smoke, far less joss-sticks & candles, & the surrounding is cooling. The only sounds other than people talking is the soothing melody of Buddhist mantras & music. It sometimes seems to me that the dancing flames of the lotus candles can actually calm your mind after the hustle & bustle of the main shrine.

Though this temple is very small compared to the other temples in Penang, it has its fair share of devotees & decorations (not to mention sights & sounds). For those who enjoy temple-hopping in Penang, this is a recommended site. There is also a snake farm/zoo beside the temple but I feel that this farm is just a rip-off for tourists.

P/S: Sorry for the low quality snapshots. I am still using my 2 megapixel phone camera...

Page 72: Near? Far?

2011-01-30T20:45:00.002+08:00

I am so bored that I can write two posts in one day...

I am a Penangite. I have lived in Penang for a long time... since I was born actually. Unfortunately, I do not know Penang like the back of my hand. Not having gone out much until few years ago, my Penang directional geography is limited to my area, the South-East of the island. This has been a problem to me when my friends from out of town (especially those during university times) ask me for locations or directions. When I cannot answer or say that I don't know, I feel that I have let down my friends for not being able to help them. Is this because I expect too much of myself?

Honestly, I actually do not know the roads around Georgetown until a few years ago. The same applies to the road to Kek Lok Si temple. And today, I still do not know my way around Farlim & Air Itam. Well, maybe it's time to start learning...

Another thing when it comes to my Penang Geography is about food locations. As a food hub, most people expect Penangites to know which food is best to try in the island. Sadly again, I have quite limited knowledge of this. I don't even know that a stall selling duck rice 5 minutes from my house is claimed to be good until 2 days ago...

Maybe this is down to the fact that I rarely eat out & if I do, it will always be the same few (cheap) places. Also, maybe the fact that I am too used of the food around my area (after eating it for more than 10 years) cause me to not say it is any special or good. I have always claimed that a lot of people do not know good food near them, but know good food which is situated further. Good food is merely an individual perception & when you have been eating it for 10 years, it will be normal...

Is this another case of The Grass is always Greener on the other Side? Hopefully not...

Page 71: Pre-CNY Dining...

2011-01-30T12:05:00.007+08:00

The appetizer

Oat/Nestum prawns

Yin Yang chicken... one side mayonnaise, one side sour plum sauce

Steamed grouper in curry

Mixed vegetables in yam bowl

Aren't those pictures above nice?

Those are actually most of the dishes we had for our pre-Chinese New Year dinner. Last Friday my colleagues & I went to a chu char stall, which is run by my colleague's family, for a pre-Chinese New Year dinner. We actually had seven dishes altogether, though I took pictures of only five. The remaining ones was the pai kut ong & the chao pai tauhu. All of that for only RM30/pax. By the end of the dinner, I was bloated & did not feel like moving.

The stall is situated at the Desa Baiduri flats at Farlim. Exact address? I honestly do not know...

Page 70: Claypot Crab Rice, Bukit Tambun

2011-01-01T14:12:00.005+08:00

My first post of 2011 on the first day of 2011 is about... food...

My colleagues/friends & I took a food trip to Bukit Tambun yesterday (31st December) to taste the famous Cia Xiang Seafood Restaurant Claypot Crab Rice. I have actually visited this restaurant before almost a year ago & I can still remember the excellent taste of its fresh crabs baked to perfection in a claypot on top of rice. The rice is nothing to shout about, but obviously the crabs are the stars of the show here.

We had a booking for 8 adults for lunch. The pre-order was 4 crabs (equivalent to 2 claypots) & fried porridge. The smell wafting from the claypot when it is opened is enough to whet your appetite, & if that is not enough, the colour of the crabs that meets your eyes will. The taste did not disappoint. It is still the same as before. Sweet, tender & juicy crab meat within each giant claw. The best part of all? The crabs are very fresh (it did not make my hands itch... ).

The Claypot Crab Rice... just the perfect colour...

There was also the fried porridge, which was also excellent. Fragrant but not too burnt. The thickness of the porridge is just nice for me. The porridge also has generous helpings of dried cuttlefish (jew hoo), prawns & supposedly crab meat (this was claimed by my friend as I did not see any crab meat). So, a perfect compliment to the crab main course.

The fried porridge... huge portion don't you think?

The whole course was completed with a plate of vegetables & some kepah in sour soup (lemon presumably). All in all it amounted to a total of RM137 for 5 dishes (2 claypot crab rice, 1 fried porridge, 1 kepah & 1 vegetable dish), excluding drinks. Divided amongst 8 people, that amount is not expensive at all considering the taste of its food.

The business is operating from a small shophouse premise currently. But soon it will shift across the road to a larger premise (one which resembles an open-air aircraft hangar). This is because the place tends to be packed at night & during weekends. The small shop isn't going to fit all those people...

Current premises...

Future premises...

Well, it is quite a nice new year eve lunch for me as I can taste back one of the freshest crabs I have ever tasted. There are still some more places I'd like to revisit just to taste back the food there, but I guess there's still chance for me in the future. This'll do for now...

Page 69: Looking Back at 2010

2010-12-30T20:42:00.004+08:00

Ring out the old, ring in the new;

Ring, happy bells, across the snow;

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

- Alfred, Lord Tennyson -

Yes, 2010 is coming to an end. Another year flew by in a blink of an eye. But it just seems that so many things took place the last 363 days that it feels like it has been more than a year since those things happened. Or is it that so many things took place that it just seems only yesterday that those things happened? I don't know. All I'm pretty sure of is that these things that happened will stay in my memory forever... for bad or for good...

So let's look back on my 2010 & revisit some memories that are still so fresh in my head...

Project Rush:

The months of January to March is really madness, as it is the final semester of university & the project deadlines are so close. We were all rushing through three projects. I still remember the late nights in the computer lab, doing work while chatting away. Somehow it seems that several of us became even closer friends after these few months' nights spent camping in the computer lab.

The Final Act:

Come the first week of May, the final act of our Final Year Project (FYP) arrived: the final presentation. Believe me when I say that I have no idea whether what I did for my FYP was what's required, but I just went through with it. The presentation was faster than expected. Well, time does fly when you're nervous. After everything was over, two more days were left for us at before we bid sayonara to our campus. I still remember leaving the house that we stayed in for the past 3 years. It was... a mess...

Though a lot of us did say that we hated our campus, there are a lot of memories there which made me sad just to know that I am leaving it all behind...

Phuket:

Our final trip as coursemates. It was quite a fun trip. The end of it was the realization that I will not see my friends until the convocation ceremony a few months later. That really did make me feel very lonely, as a big part of my life has officially come to an end...

The Middle of the Year:

Unemployment sucks. I was waiting for calls for interviews every day for at least 2 months. None came until the end of July. During that time I took a trip down to Singapore for the first time. Not quite as much fun though. Like it is said: what's important is the people you are with. I really missed my trips with my coursemates. Those were the best.

Start of a New Life:

Come August, I've started my new job. It has been five months now since I've started & I am quite content there. Good colleagues make it all bearable, even though sometimes you just want to scream in frustration of overload of work. Up until now, I still do not know if I have made a right decision by staying in Penang or was it the biggest mistake I ever made... I guess only time will tell...

Convocation:

I have actually been looking forward to this day a lot, not because that I am getting my degree, but because I can meet up with my coursemates once more. Until now, I am still reminded of all the crazy & fun things that we have done over the course of 4 years that I can't help but wonder if we are able to go back in time to relive these memories.

Summing up, 2010 is the end of the best years of my life that I will truly miss. It is also the start of a new stage in my life which I will learn to appreciate.

To all my university friends out there: God bless for this New Year. I have truly missed our time together. Fate willing we will meet again.

To all my new friends & colleagues: God bless for this New Year. I am glad that I have you people as my friends.

For last year's words belong to last year's language,

And next year's words await another voice,

And to make an end is to make a beginning.

- T. S. Eliot, "Little Gidding" -

Page 68: Back to December, Part III

2010-12-25T11:51:00.002+08:00

December 2010, a hectic month for me... here's the 3rd chapter...

The Weekend of December 17th - 18th:

I written about what I did on December 17th. Now, I continue to the 18th... A Malay colleague was having his wedding on this day, so the five of us workmates drove all the way up to Seberang Jaya (or some place near, I wasn't quite sure). This will be my second time going to a Malay wedding, the first being years ago (how many years I forgot, could be 20). All I remembered from the first time was sitting at a long table eating nasi kunyit. Well, guess what? It is exactly the same this time around. Reached the place, started eating, chatted with friends & colleagues & waiting for the bridal entourage to arrive. We had to wait for close to an hour before the brides & grooms arrived (there were two couples on that day) & by the time they arrived & started eating we already had to leave as my friend driving had to be home early. So we had a few quick hellos, photos & goodbyes & drove off...

It is funny how technology has even evolved a traditional Malay wedding. Although I did not stay for the whole ceremony I was there when the entourage arrived & traditionally there will be kompang players. Now, there was the sound of the kompang but where are the players? You guessed it. The players are sitting in front of the computer with their headphones & controlling the MP3 sound file of the kompang rhythm. Modern, huh?

After that, there was still time to squeeze so we headed to Raja Uda for some snacks. First stop was the lok-lok by the roadside. At 30 cents per stick (flat rate) it is the cheapest lok-lok I have ever saw nowadays. After that we wanted to go to another stall to try the rojak there, but sadly it was closed on that day. Oh well, at least I'll know where to go for some out of town food next time...

I'll still crave for the Raja Uda tomyam mee though...

Well, that concludes my hectic weekends of December. Merry Christmas everyone... may all your wishes bear fruit...

Page 67: Back to December... again

2010-12-23T21:44:00.002+08:00

Now, for the second installment on crazy weekends...

The Weekend of December 17th - 18th:

December 17th was the date for my company's Family Day. Hence, we were given the afternoon off work. So, what do we do? Head straight to Queensbay. Whole group of us. After lunch, we split into two groups: one group comprising several girls went shopping... & never went back home until late at night (after the Family Day). The rest of us went to the cinema to catch The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, in 3D to boot. The show was not bad, compared to all the other half-baked offerings earlier these few months. But the thing about wearing two spectacles is the problem. The screen looks super small when you have both the 3D glasses & my normal glasses on. Good experience though...

After the show (& some wandering around QB) I went home, for an hour... & headed back to the factory for the Family Day festivities. Honestly, it's like being a small kid again, playing the game booths. Here, I found out something: I suck at darts... The night was the most fun I had with my colleagues since I started working.

Later that night, I received another call from my other friends for another movie, a midnight movie. Tron: Legacy. So I went to QB for the second time in a day. The movie was a feast on the eyes, but IMHO it's a bit lacking in the storyline department.

So after all these activities on a single day, I slept at 3.30 am... & woke at 10.30 am for another trip over to the mainland...

P/S: That tale is for December 17th... the 18th will come soon...

Page 66: Back to December

2010-12-18T17:53:00.003+08:00

Again, this is not about the song entitled Back to December (good song by the way). I just do not want to leave December without posting something here.

The last 2 weekends was a whirlwind of tiring activities. How so? Let's see a rundown...

The Weekend of December 10th - 11th:

My colleague was having her wedding at Alor Setar on this weekend. So how are we to make it?Well, we (almost 3/4th of my department) took a half-day leave (& so did several of other colleagues from other departments). After that we all headed North toward Alor Setar to attend the wedding dinner. Now a strange thing happened at this dinner...

Picture this scene: you are in a hall for a wedding dinner. The time has come for the bride & groom to enter the hall. When the music plays, what do you normally do? A standing ovation. Well, this time, only five tables stood up for the applause... & guess what? The five tables are occupied by people from the same company. Yes, our company... Does this mean that Kedahans do not give the bride & groom a standing ovation? Weird...

The next day, we all went to the bride's house for the tea-drinking ceremony. Well, being a guy at the bride's tea-drinking ceremony is pretty boring, as you can see us group of few guys sitting around while the girls (the bride's ji mui) are having fun cooking up ways to 'play' with the groom's heng tai. Imagine seeing the train pass 4 times before all was over. Well, we also did not have time to go back to groom's place for the bouquet-tossing ceremony, so we did it at the paddy fields. Believe me those paddy fields lightened up an otherwise boring day...

By the end of those 2 days all of us were so tired we could barely open our eyes... & yet I had a yumcha appointment at night again... how could I turn down the appointment when it was set up by a university friend whom I confessed I missed a lot? Well, all in all a hectic & tiring weekend... Where's the fun, you asked? It's somewhere there... I just have to find it...

You want to know what happened on the weekend of December 17th - 18th? That's a story for another page...

Page 65: Failure & Regrets

2010-11-29T20:10:00.002+08:00

"Failure is never quite so frightening as regret."

How very, very true that quote is. If you tried to go for something but failed, you can actually tell yourself that you have already tried, but have failed. If you have tried your best, then it is well. But if you did not try your best, then try & try again. But if you did not even try going for that something & now looking back at it in regret, what's the use then? You'll keep saying to yourself 'What if' & 'If only'. These words are meaningless as you cannot turn back time to go for it again. So if I had to choose between Failure & Regret, I'll definitely go for Failure.

Page 64: The Broth & the Broken

2010-11-14T14:12:00.002+08:00

November already. How time flies. In another blink of an eye it will be 2011, & it seems it will still be the same for me after another year. Well, let's just hope things will change soon.

I have been working for 3.5 months now & all is going pretty well. But then lately I have learnt 2 very important lessons from working that I have neglected until now. They are:

Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth

A very famous & very true quote. I have been experiencing this for 2 months now. I can say that I have 2 supervisors & 1 senior colleague who takes charge of most of our work. So, when I am not sure about something, of course I'll need to ask. Get this, I might get 3 different answers for the same question. So, I have really no choice but to adapt the same broth to 3 different cooks. The result? Same broth, same ingredients, different colour. Ahhh... luckily it still turned out fine until now.

If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It

Another famous (or infamous) one. We always like to do stuff that suits our preferences. But then sometimes the thing is already perfect, but we will still want to change it a little, due to our inescapable human nature. Then after we 'fix' it to try to make it better, the end result will usually backfire, badly in some cases. So why 'fix' a tried-&-tested thing?

Well, I will just have to suppress my OCD for my work. I hope I can do that successfully...

Page 63: Trapped

2010-10-16T20:25:00.002+08:00

For 24 years, I have been trapped in a cage I cannot escape from. A cage called Life. A cage where the only escape route is death. Lately I have been struggling to get free, but to no avail. The bonds tying me to this cage is strong, stronger than the strongest material on Earth. No matter how much I tug, pull or twist, the chains refuse to budge. I am shackled for eternity to this cage, a cage whose doors will only unlock upon death.

Who says an early death is bad? When your life is something you cannot escape from, when this cage is draining all the sanity from your mind, an early death is a welcome change.

A cage where all its other inhabitants drive you insane. A cage where the other inhabitants are as different from you as the ground from the sky. A cage where all the inhabitants piss you off with their slightest actions.

A cage where happiness, harmony, hope, freedom & peace are all lies. Nothing but lies. Nothing but words to describe the temporary reprieve one feels from the ugly truth at the end. The ugly truth, that is that happiness, harmony, hope, freedom & peace can only come through death.

Pull however I want. The doors won't open. I am still waiting for the day when the doors open to give me the temporary reprieve I desire, the temporary reprieve from the all the hatred & anger boiling below the surface. Boiling beneath a thin crust, about to erupt at any given moment. And when it does erupt, I will still be trapped in the cage & I will certainly be burned by it.

Will this never end?

Page 62: When September Ends...

2010-09-30T20:00:00.002+08:00

Summer has come & passed,

The innocent can never last,

Wake me up when September ends.

So sang Green Day. Yep, it's the last day of September. Nothing new to add from my side, apart from the fact that it is already 2 months since I started work (2nd month salary!!). Work isn't bad at all. In fact if not for a few factors I'll actually enjoy it. What are those factors? Well, I'm here t talk about it...

First factor: For those of you who don't know, I have quite the OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, or OCPD if you prefer the unabbreviated version). Furthermore, I work in the Mechanical design field. You might say that this is the perfect match: an attention to detail together with design, right? Not for me. Somehow for me, it seems that what I think is correct in my mind will not always be correct for the company. I know there are very strict rulings when it comes to producing drawings & I can't blame them for wanting to follow the set guidelines. When this happens I usually have to update a portion of my work. So, more hassle there.

Another thing with having OCD & working as a designer is the (excessive) attention to detail. And not very important details, mind you. I am ticked of by small details that doesn't appeal to me & I will spend quite some time changing them to suit me. Yep, more hassle & more time wasted staring at the computer monitor. As if my eyes aren't tired enough already...

Well, that is the most important factor. A less important factor is one I've felt for quite some time already. Yep, it's the language barrier. 90% of my friends at work are Chinese educated & can hence read Mandarin. Not me though. So when it comes to e-mail chatting I'll be let out halfway. Not that I can blame anyone for this. This is something I've realized already for some time. I'm always sandwiched by 2 sides of friends. On one side is the 'anti-Mandarin' group or the 'pure Bananas'. On the other side is the purely Chinese educated ones. So what does that make me...?

Yes. A peeled Banana...

Wake me up when September ends...

Page 61: 88 Ways to Know You Are Chinese

2010-08-30T20:47:00.002+08:00

I had quite a similar (but shorter) post as this before a few years back on my Friendster blog but since that blog is now obsolete, here's an extended version:

88 WAYS TO KNOW YOU ARE CHINESE

You unwrap Christmas gifts very carefully, so you can save & reuse the wrapping (& especially those bows) next year.
You only buy Christmas cards after Christmas when they are 50% off.
When there is a sale on toilet paper, you buy 100 rolls & store them in your closet or in the bedroom of an adult child who has moved out.
You have a vinyl table cloth on your kitchen table.
Your stove is covered with aluminum foil.
Your kitchen has a sticky film of grease over it.
You have stuff in the freezer since the beginning of time.
You use the dishwasher as a dish rack.
You have never used your dishwasher.
You keep a Thermos of hot water available at all times.
You boil water & put it in the refrigerator.
You eat all meals in the kitchen.
You save grocery bags, tin foil & tin containers.
You use grocery bags to hold garbage.
You always leave your shoes at the door.
You have a piano in your living room.
Your parents know how to launch nasal & throat projectiles.
You iron your own shirts.
You drive a Honda or Acura & are less than 5'8" tall.
You pick your teeth at the dinner table (but you cover your mouth).
You twirl your pen around your fingers.
You hate to waste food. Even if you're totally full, if someone says they're going to throw away the leftovers on the table, you'll finish them (Your mom will give a lecture about starving kids in Africa). You have Tupperware in your fridge with three bites of rice or one leftover chicken wing.
You don't own any real Tupperware - only a cupboard full of used but carefully rinsed margarine tubs, take out containers & jam jars.
You also use the jam jars as drinking glasses.
You've eaten a red bean popsicle.
You bring oranges (or other produce) with you as a gift when you visit people's homes.
You have a collection of minature shampoo bottles that you take every time you stay in a hotel.
The condiments in your fridge are either Price Club sized or come in plastic packets, which you save/steal every time you get take out or go to McDonald's.
Ditto paper napkins.
You wipe your plate & utensils before you eat every time you go to a restaurant.
You carry a stash of your own food whenever you travel (& travel means any car ride longer than 15 minutes). These travel snacks are always dried. As in not just dried plums, dried ginger, & beef/pork jerky, but dried cuttlefish (jew-hoo).
You own a rice cooker.
You wash your rice at least 2-3 times before cooking it.
You spit bones & other food scraps on the table (That's why you need the vinyl tablecloth).
Your parents vehemently refuse the sack of Gold Coin oranges that their guests just brought just to be courteous.
You fight (literally) over who pays the dinner bill.
Your dad thinks he can fix everything himself.
You majored in something practical like engineering, medicine or law.
When you go to a dance party, there are a wall of guys surrounding the dance floor trying to look cool.
You live with your parents and you are 30 years old (& they prefer it that way). Or if you're married & 30 years old, you live in the apartment next door to your parents, or at least in the same neighborhood.
You don't use measuring cups
You feel like you've gotten a good deal if you didn't pay tax.
You beat eggs with chopsticks.
You re-gift cookies or Christmas cake at Christmas (some could even be more than 5 years old).
You have a teacup with a cover on it.
You reuse teabags.
You have a drawer full of old pens, most of which don't write anymore.
If you're under age 20, you own a really expensive walkman if you're over 20, you own a really expensive camera.
You always look phone numbers up in the phone book, since calling Information costs 50 cents.
You don't tip more than 10% at a restaurant, and if you do, you tip Chinese delivery guys waiters more.
You're a wok user.
You only make long distance calls after 11pm.
You know all the waiters at your favorite Chinese restaurants.
You like Chinese films in their original undubbed versions. You love Chinese Martial Arts films. Shao Lin and Wu Tang actually mean something to you.
You tasted bitter melon.
You like congee with thousand year old eggs.
You prefer your shrimp with the heads & legs still attached - it means they're fresh.
You never call your parents just to say hi.
You always cook too much.
If you don't live at home, when your parents call, they ask if you've eaten, even if it's midnight.
Also, if you don't live at home, your parents always want you to come home.
Your parents tell you to boil herbs & stay inside when you get sick.
When you're sick, they also tell you not to eat fried foolds or baked foods because they are heaty (yeet-hay).
You e-mail your Chinese friends at work, even though you only sit 10 feet apart.
Your parents never go to the movies.
Your parents send money to their relatives in China.
You use a face cloth.
Your parents use a clothes line.
You're always late.
You eat every last grain of rice in your bowl, but don't eat the last piece of food on the table.
You starve yourself before going to all you can eat buffet.
You've joined a CD club at least once.
You know someone who can get you a good deal on jewelery, electronics or computers.
You never discuss your love life with your parents.
Your parents are never happy with your grades.
You save your old Coke bottle glasses even though you're never going to use them again.
You own your own meat cleaver and sharpen it.
You keep most of your money in a savings account.
You own an MJ set and possibly have a room set up in the basement.
You know what MJ means.
You've been on the Love Boat or know someone who has.
Your toothpaste tubes are all squeezed paper-thin.
You say "whei?" when anwsering your cell phone.
You are familiar with the term "aiee yah.....".
It take 3-4 days to finish sipping a can of pop & saving it in the fridge even there is only one drop left.
You know why this list consists of only "88" reasons.
You enclose your remote controls in plastic to keep greasy fingerprints off them.
You take this message and forward it to all your Chinese friends.

Page 60: Reminiscence, Part II

2010-08-11T21:22:00.003+08:00

The Second Half...

After the year-end holidays it is back to university life again. It is January of 2007 & honestly I still hate university life. Maybe the new semester will be better?

It started out as usual. Registration & new classes, new subjects & some new lecturers. Life has gotten less boring than the start of the first semester as I'm already quite close to most of my coursemates & little did I know that some closer bonds will be made come the end of the semester.

The second semester of the first year was also the time we started learning CATIA, a computer-aided design software. This subject requires us to use the computers in the lab. Hence, I made up my mind to spend quite some time in the lab (the air-con beats the heat in my room). A few of my other coursemates also had the same idea & this means we spent a lot of time in the lab. From this time on I actually became closer to a few of the Lembaran people & since we share some common interests (DotA was still a craze then) we became really close.

The rest of the semester was the usual stuff of classes & exams. But towards the end of the semester, I was actually invited to move out by a certain Lembaran group for the next year (they have had it with the hostel). Until now, I still do not what made them (or rather him, one of my coursemates & one of my best friends now) invite me. Even though it is already one year, the hostel gap was still there. I eventually accepted the invitation & hence moved out of the hostel for my second year onwards...

The closing week of the second semester found us in Ipoh for a trip down South. It is said that lightning never strikes twice. But it seems that our class is never far from trouble. After the infamous trip to Penang only 6 months before, an even greater tragedy befell our class. Suffice to say theft is always what you expect but the situation in which the theft is committed is not what you always expect...

In conclusion, a great first year of my university life. I was actually hoping that the great times will last until the very last moments of the university life. I was partially disappointed to see that even though I am content, not all is well in the years to come...

Page 59: Reminiscence, Part I

2010-08-09T21:11:00.002+08:00

In the beginning...

July 2006. A new beginning of a new life cycle for me. My first steps into university.

The orientation week was awful. I dreaded every single moment of it. I still remember waking up at 6 am to hear the news that Brazil lost to France (again... the World Cup was still going on at that time). Having a look around my new coursemates I spotted a guy with 'exotic' hair & swore in every sentence he said. I made a mental note to myself to avoid him at all costs. Now I deem him to be one of the best guys to hang out with... how time changes our perception of the people around us. Another thing I remember about that first week was I did not know one of my roommates is also my coursemate until another roommate told me... guess I really suck at recognising people at the first few glances.

The first semester was also awful. I hated some of the subjects, such as Engineering Mathematics & Bahasa Malaysia IV. The saving grace is that Introduction to Aerospace Engineering was quite interesting. We were put into groups & made to build model gliders & later, a model satellite (though with a different group). I still feel guilty for bailing out on my group members during a critical stage in our glider project. I do hope that they do not still keep this at heart.

Early on in the first year, there was this thing I liked to call the 'Hostel Gap'. Since we (coursemates) were separated into two different hostels (Jaya & Lembaran), there developed a gap of friendship between the Jaya people & the Lembaran people. News do not usually travel between these groups & most of the time, we will stick to our own groups from our own hostel. Hence, it is not surprising that interesting news about stuff that happened in Lembaran will not reach people in Jaya.

Later on in the first semester though, things were very much better. I still have a feeling that DotA is what brought the two hostels together. Towards the end of the first semester, we were all quite close to each other already, although there still exists little tighter knit groups within the course, something which is inevitable in any society. The first semester culminated in a Penang Island trip, which is infamously spoiled by a guard that said we had our music on too loud...

Page 58: Opposite Worlds

2010-07-18T14:24:00.002+08:00

The past year I've been to a few places. Out of those places that I've gone, two actually caught my interest, not because of the beauty of the place (which I can say is pretty common) but because of the lifestyle of people in these places, specifically children below 7 years of age. These two places are Singapore & the suburbs of Sarawak.

Two contrasting places, which means I can see the stark difference between the life of young children there (which actually surprised me the first time I saw it...)

Let's start with the city. This kid lives in a high-rise apartment (very common is Singapore). But what really surprised me is that he's a big fan of Justin Bieber & knows how to search Youtube for "Justin Bieber Baby with lyrics". I did not even know what a computer is at 7. Furthermore, he spends a lot of his free time on his Nintendo DS (even when we were outside & on the MRT)... such tech savvy at his age... and according to my friend he does not know what cendol is...

Now we move to Sarawak. This kid lives in a farm house in the middle of a fruit plantation. His days are spent running around the porch of the house (& sometimes even to the plantations), playing with their pet dog & cycling around the house. He sometimes spends time with some toys & educational books. I have a feeling the only technology he knows is the TV (though I think he knows what a computer is, but not how to use it)...

I actually grew up in neither the city nor the suburbs, so I cannot compare my childhood to theirs. But I am actually more surprised by the kids' lifestyle in Singapore (Youtube!? Justin Bieber!?). I honestly feel that lifestyle in Singapore is really less healthy that the one in Sarawak. Do you really want your kid to be sitting in front of a computer or console all day rather than playing in the fields?

I do not know what a kid's lifestyle in KL is. It might be the same as the one in Singapore. But then saying all that, a kid growing up in Penang or even Ipoh nowadays might even know Youtube at 5... anything is possible now...

Page 57: Singapore

2010-07-08T15:20:00.004+08:00

I took a trip down South last week, down to Singapore. Went with two other friends who really can't stop bickering 80% of the time. Lately it seems I'm surrounded by a lot of medical students & when two medical students get together, what will happen? The engineering guy gets left out... (incidentally my favourite Facebook status update for the past month)... XD

Anyway I mustn't complain about these things so much. I have more problems myself but I'll put the problems aside first.

4 days in Singapore is really not enough if you want to take in every single sight & sound of the island. Went to Orchard Road on the first day & spent the whole day walking the length of Orchard & its numerous shopping complexes. My legs were sore enough by day's end but the walk was quite interesting in certain aspects...

I forgot where we were on the morning & afternoon of the second day but the night was spent at the Singapore waterfront, along one of the Quays. The view was actually quite beautiful there as there were lights & buildings the like you've never seen before... Later that night I decided to drink some alcohol (from those juice-liquor bottles, the cheap ones with 5% alcohol). Huge mistake. I got so dizzy & drowsy during the MRT ride back that I learnt an important lesson: Never drink & ride... =P

The Singapore waterfront area

The third day was bad. Not disastrous. Just bad. We visited the Singapore Zoo. It rained cats & dogs (pun intended). Drenched to the skin, we needed raincoats to complete the tour, but all in all, the Zoo was an interesting visit...

The polar bear in the Zoo

On the last day, we took a trip down to the southern part of Singapore to visit the Marina Sands resort area. The Marina Sands hotel is one of the most beautiful building I've seen so far & though we did not have a chance to go to the Skypark, it looked amazing from where I was standing...

The Marina Sands Hotel & Skypark

Oh, and we did not get to enter the casino as we did not bring our passports along... oh, well...

Page 56: Mixed Emotions

2010-06-18T14:15:00.002+08:00

Dear Journal,

It's the middle of June & all I can say is that my feelings inside of me can be summed up by a few words: anger, frustration, sadness & loneliness. After two months at home I realized again the ugly side of my family, which I had almost forgotten after all my time away at university. Believe me that my family gets uglier & uglier by the day & if I can get out of this life without becoming mad it'll be a miracle. Furthermore I cannot do anything about it, except to sit & watch, having to stand all the ugliness as I am still an unimportant person there...

Angry & frustrated at the ugly side of my family.

Angry & frustrated that I cannot do anything to help.

What's more, dear Journal, is that I have an aim. I aim to be able to provide for myself & my family ASAP after I graduate. Since I am the only child, I have a big responsibility for that. Yet, here I am, all my job applications gone unanswered. I might be able to get something at Selangor or KL, but after thinking about it, it is more trouble than it's worth. I am still not that sure where I want to work at yet, near or far from home...

Frustrated & sad that I cannot provide for myself independently yet.

Frustrated & sad that I cannot provide for my family as a responsibility of an only child.

And I am all alone, dear Journal. The only outlet for all of these feelings is you. Thank you for listening to all my ramblings & never once answered back. Though I know you also cannot help me, I appreciate you being there for me.

For now, I have a song in my mind right now...

I'm a loser baby

So why don't you kill me...

Page 55: Intermission

2010-05-22T15:26:00.002+08:00

Well, I can say that I am at the intermission between many of my life's chapters. I am still waiting for that next chapter to be written & I really hope that chapter will be as good as the previous chapters...

Ever realized that your mind tends to wander & imagine strange things when you're rotting at home? It seems that when your mind is too free, it really starts to imagine things. Worst of all, the things imagined are bad most of the time. All the 'what ifs' will start to form in your mind. Furthermore, these 'what ifs' might be those that you fear greatly. You will then have to live with that fear in your mind... I just hope I can clear those thoughts soon...

What if there really is a 'Time Warp' that allows you to turn back time & undo what has been done, or change the course of history? Well, I really do wish that there is something like that so that I can go back & change the course of my life: my actions, my decisions & many other stuff. Then, I will be able to change my situation now, for better or worse, I do not know...

I also realized that I happen to be very blur these days, ever since last week (even at Phuket). I do not know why but I think it is just because I am too tired during (& after) the trip that I tend to seem blur... I even had a (sort of) panic attack when I woke up in my Phuket resort room in the middle of one night & wondered frantically: Where the hell am I? Whose room is this? Luckily I realized where I was soon & everything was soon back to normal...

I don't even know why I am writing this... Just too many stuff in my mind I guess... If this seems weird to you readers & you don't understand it, don't worry... Even I do not understand what I'm writing...

Page 54: Thief

2010-05-01T14:06:00.002+08:00

Saturday, 10.30 am.

He was upstairs in his room, facing his computer with his earphones on when he heard some weird sounds. Loud sounds. Like metal banging on metal. Knowing without doubt that his friend was downstairs, he ignored it.

'He must be doing something,' he thought, thinking about the sounds. 'Either taking out the trash & finding the door stuck or somewhat...'

He could never be so wrong.

Suddenly, a scream echoed up the stairwell. He was surprised. Grabbing a shirt, he put it on & practically ran down the stairs.

'Someone was here,' his friend said, while looking at the back door.

Sure enough when he looked at the direction of the back door, there was someone leaping on a bicycle & grabbing a bag beyond the back gate. After a second he was gone.

What was more surprising was the condition of the back door. He knew that it was made of metal & it could be easily deformed. But he never thought that the thief would be able to bend a corner of the door, thereby prying it open, leaving about a foot of space between the floor & the door. He will have to see it to believe it.

Page 53: You Are So Blessed

2010-04-18T11:44:00.002+08:00

If you woke up this morning

with more health than illness,

you are more blessed than the

millions who won't survive the week.

If you have never experienced

the danger of battle,

the loneliness of imprisonment,

the agony of torture or

the pangs of starvation,

you are ahead of 20 million people

around the world.

If you attend a church meeting

without fear of harassment,

arrest, torture or death,

you are more blessed than almost

three billion people in the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator,

clothes on your back, a roof over

your head and a place to sleep,

you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank,

in your wallet, and spare change

in a dish someplace, you are among

the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still married and alive,

you are very rare,

especially in the United States.

If you hold up your head with a smile

on your face and are truly thankful,

you are blessed because the majority can,

but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them

or even touch them on the shoulder,

you are blessed because you can

offer God's healing touch.

If you can read this message,

you are more blessed than over

two billion people in the world

that cannot read anything at all.

You are so blessed in ways

you may never even know.

Page 52: Life Unexpected

2010-04-09T13:23:00.002+08:00

Unexpectedly, I got hooked on shows that I will never give a thought to 2 years ago. Let me introduce to you people out there the newest drama series to hit US television (and downloads here): Life Unexpected.

This series revolves around Lux, a 16-year-old who is reunited with her birth parents after being abandoned as a baby 16 years ago. Having grown up in different worlds and lifestyles, the series focuses on the trials and tribulations Lux and her parents, together with the people around them, face in their everyday lives.

Now, the value of this show does not lie in normal people trying to adjust to their superpowers, nor does it lie in suspense thrillers involving detectives and shady characters. No. The value of this show (to me) lies in normal people going through their everyday lives, and the issues they face in their lives.

The issues faced in the characters in the show are so real that some of us might even be facing the very same issues with our own daily lives. Issues such as friendship, trust, parenting, acceptance, tolerance and jealousy are present in the series. But there is one issue that takes center stage in the show:

Yes, the issue is Love.

But not only love between a boy and a girl, but also love between friends and also love between family.

So if anyone of you out there who is tired of watching lame or unrealistic shows and crave for something closer to your heart, I highly recommend this show. It is a show with a heart.

Page 51: They Walk Amongst Us!!

2010-04-07T18:20:00.002+08:00

I'm not sure whether you guys have heard of all these but I'll just share this out...

NEW YORK - Resident Kathy Evans brought humiliation to her friends and family when she set a new standard for stupidity with her appearance on the popular TV show: 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.'

Evans, a 32-year-old wife and mother of two, got stuck on the first question and proceeded to make what fans of the show are dubbing 'the absolute worst use of lifelines ever'. After being introduced to the show's host Meredith Vieira, Evans was posed with a typically easy initial $100 question.

The question was: 'Which of the following is the largest?'

A) A Peanut

B) An Elephant

C) The Moon

D) Hey, who you calling large?

Immediately Mrs. Evans was struck with an all consuming panic as she did not readily know the answer. 'Hmm, oh boy, that's a toughie,' said Evans, as Vieira did her level best to hide her disbelief. 'I mean, I'm sure I've heard of some of these things before, but I have no idea how large they would be.'

Evans made the decision to use the first of her three lifelines, the 50/50. Answers A and D were removed, leaving her to decide which was bigger, an elephant or the moon. However, faced with an incredibly easy question, Evans still remained unsure.

'Oh! It removed the two I was leaning towards!' exclaimed Evans... 'Darn. I think I better phone a friend.' Mrs.. Evans asked to be connected with her friend Betsy, who is an office assistant...

'Hi Betsy! How are you? This is Kathy! I'm on TV!' said Evans, wasting the first seven seconds of her call. 'Ok, I got an important question. Which of the following is the largest? B, an elephant, or C, the moon. 15 seconds hun.'

Betsy quickly replied that the answer was C, the moon. Evans proceeded to argue with her friend for the remaining ten seconds. 'Betsy, are you sure?' said Evans. 'How sure are you? Duh, that can't be it.'

To everyone's astonishment, the moronic Evans declined to take her friend's advice. 'I just don't know if I can trust Betsy. She's not all that bright.

So I think I'd like to ask the audience,' said Evans.

Asked to vote on the correct answer, the audience returned 98% in favor of answer C, 'The Moon.' Having used up all her lifelines, Evans then made the dumbest choice of her life..

'Wow, seems like everybody is against what I'm thinking,' said the too-stupid-to-live Evans. 'But you know, sometimes you just got to go with your gut... So, let's see... I'm going to have to go with B, an elephant... Final answer.'

Evans sat before the dumbfounded audience, the only one waiting with bated breath - and was told that she was wrong, and that the answer was in fact, C, 'The Moon.'

*****

Some guy bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: 'Free to good home. You want it, you take it...'

For three days the fridge sat there without anyone looking twice. He eventually decided that people were too mistrustful of this deal. So he changed the sign to read: 'Fridge for sale $50.'

The next day someone stole it!

*****

I stopped at McDonald's and ordered some fries.

The girl behind the counter said 'Would you like some fries with that?'

*****

One day I was walking down the beach with some friends when someone shouted....

'Look at that dead bird!'

Someone looked up at the sky and said... 'Where?'

*****

While looking at a house, my brother asked the estate agent which direction was north because he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning.

She asked, 'Does the sun rise in the north?'

My brother explained that the sun rises in the east and has for sometime.

She shook her head and said, 'Oh, I don't keep up with all that stuff.......'

*****

My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria, when we overheard an admin girl talking about the sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the beach. She drove down in a convertible, but said she 'didn't think she'd get sunburned because the car was moving'.

*****

My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car which is designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the car trunk.

*****

I was hanging out with a friend when we saw a woman with a nose ring attached to an earring by a chain. My friend said, 'Ouch! The chain must rip out every time she turns her head!'

I had to explain that a person's nose and ear remain the same distance apart no matter which way the head is turned....

*****

I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area and went to the lost luggage office and reported the loss.

The woman there smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and said I was in good hands.

'Now,' she asked me, 'Has your plane arrived yet?'

*****

While working at a pizza parlor I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for some time then said 'Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don't think I'm hungry enough to eat 6 pieces.'

*****

A noted psychiatrist was a guest speaker at an academic function where Nancy Pelosi happened to appear. Ms Pelosi took the opportunity to schmooze the good doctor a bit and asked him a question with which he was most at ease.

'Would you mind telling me, Doctor,' she asked, 'how you detect a mental deficiency in somebody who appears completely normal?'

'Nothing is easier,' he replied. 'You ask a simple question which anyone should answer with no trouble. If the person hesitates, that puts you on the track.'

'What sort of question?' asked Pelosi.

Well, you might ask, 'Captain Cook made three trips around the world and died during one of them. Which one?'

Pelosi thought a moment, and then said with a nervous laugh, 'You wouldn't happen to have another example would you? I must confess I don't know much about history..'

May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare and FRIENDS that care

Page 50: Mr. Lazy

2010-04-05T22:58:00.001+08:00

Here is another Buddhist folk story that I'd like to share...

Mr. Lazy went to see a renounced astrologer to see what lied ahead of his life. After examining his horoscope, the astrologer told him, 'Congratulations, you will become a millionaire at 40 years old and will live to a long life of 95 years old.' Mr. Lazy was so pleased that he returned home dancing merrily on the way. 'Hurrah, I will become a millionaire at 40 years old,' he thought, 'I don't have to work hard'. From then on, even though he was very poor, he just dreamed of being rich and did not bother finding work. Finally, he became so poor that he died of hunger at age 39.

After his death, he went to see King Yama (Lord of Death in Buddhism), and filed a complaint against the astrologer. King Yama looked at his Record of Karma and said, 'This is very strange, according to my calculations, you do not have to die at 39 years old. In fact, I have examined your Karma and found that you really should get rich at 40 and thereafter will live to 95 years old.' King Yama then ordered two of his Officers to investigate the case.

Several days later, the two Officers came back with the following report:

The Heavenly Emperor had decided to give Mr. Lazy one million dollars, so he asked the God of Wisdom to carry out the task. The God of Wisdom went down to earth and looked for Mr. Lazy in all the graduation lists of all the schools, colleges and universities, in the hope that he can arrange to pay him the money in the form of a big salary as a very senior civil servant. But, Mr. Lazy was not in any of the graduation lists, nor as a candidate for the civil service examinations. The God of Wisdom thought: 'Mr. Lazy is nowhere to be seen in the civil service examiantions, may be he is in the military services. Let me asked the God of War to help him out.'

The God of War took the money and started looking for Mr. Lazy in all the Military Services, including the Army and the Police. He could not locate Mr. Lazy anywhere in the rank and file either. Unable to help Mr. Lazy to get a big military victory and a big award, he ask the God of Wealth for assistance.

The God of Wealth, responsible for commercial prosperity, went down to the business world to look for Mr. Lazy. He went through all the trading places but, again, Mr. Lazy was no where to be seen. Unable to give Mr. Lazy the money in the form of a big profit, he turned it over to the God of Land for help.

Finally, the God of Land located Mr. Lazy in his home and he devised a scheme to hand the money over. He left the money in the backyard, and then tried to get Mr. Lazy to do some gardening and therefore find the money. But, Mr. Lazy was too lazy even to clean up his own backyard, and so the money was still remained there untouched.

Upon reading the report, King Yama told Mr. Lazy: 'Sorry, the Heavenly Emperor really did want to give you a million dollars during your life time. But you did not make any effort to get it. Case dismissed!'

Page 49: The Weird and Small World...

2010-04-02T11:51:00.003+08:00

Ever wondered how weird & small the world is?

Well, I just read the papers & I saw a report: Mechanic Falls to his Death...

The victim's name? Saw Oon Oon.

Coincidentally, I actually knew him for a few years from our time in SXI. Even though he is not a close friend of mine, I sympathize with his family and offer my condolences.

May Oon Oon Rest in Peace...

Page 48: King Yama's Decision

2010-03-30T13:43:00.002+08:00

One day, two residents of Hell (let's call them A & B) were summoned before King Yama (the Lord of Hell in Buddhism).

'You two have finished serving your sentences here in Hell & are now eligible for parole to be reborn as human beings on Earth,' said King Yama. 'But remember, if both of you follow the Buddha's teachings, to do all the good deeds & avoid doing the bad deeds, you do not have to come back here.'

'Thank you for the instructions,' replied both A & B.

'Now, before you go, I have two lifestyles for you to choose from when you go back to Earth,' said King Yama. 'The first one is a lifestyle that someone will always give you money while you are on Earth. The second one is a lifestyle that you will always give away money throughout your life. Now, you are welcome to make your pick.'

'Of course I want to choose the first one,' said resident A, thinking that it is a good choice. 'I like people to give me money all the time.'

'Well, since resident A has chosen the first lifestyle, then I will choose the second one, that is, I will always give away money to someone else,' said resident B.

'OK, I will arrange resident A to be born to a very poor family & resident B to be born to a very rich family, as a multi-billionaire right from birth. You both can go now.'

'What!? Why do I have to be born to a very poor family?' resident A protested to King Yama. '& he will be born with a silver spoon in his mouth?'

King Yama replied, 'Sorry. You want someone to give you money all the time, & poor people on welfare are just that. He wants to give away money all his life, & the only possible way to do it is to be a rich multi-billionaire.'

This is an interesting Buddhist folk story that I thought I'd share out.

Page 47: The Apricot Tree and the Fortune Grass

2010-03-27T11:39:00.003+08:00

A long time ago in India, there was a man by the name of Anathapindika. He followed the Buddha, & he often donated money to the poor. He was rich & of high rank, but he was also kind & treated all people equally, regardless of their background.

One of his good friends was a slave. At that time, the caste system in India was very strict & slaves belonged to the lowest class. This slave was honest & Anathapindika trusted him very much. But when he asked this slave to manage his property, his relatives & upper-class friends disapproved & told him to stay away from the slave. Anathapindika only replied that all human beings were born equal. However, he was bothered by the stubborn attitude of his relatives & friends, so he went to ask the Buddha for help.

The Buddha praised Anathapindika for his belief in human equality, & then He told him a story.

A long, long time ago, there was a king who had a very beautiful garden in which he grew many rare plants. Among them were some clusters of 'Fortune Grass' that grew very well & swayed serenely in the wind, & also a large apricot tree with lush foliage. Because this tree was the tallest in the garden, it was called the King of Trees.

One day a servant reported to the king that one of the palace buildings called the Single-Pillar Hall because only one large pillar supported the roof was very old & might collapse. So the king instructed his carpenters to use the very best wood they could find to replace the pillar.

The carpenters searched through the entire country, but they were unable to find any suitable wood. They finally decided that the apricot tree in the royal garden would be the best choice. The king was very fond of this tree, but the Single-Pillar Hall was a very special building. So after a great deal of thought, the king ordered the workmen to cut the tree down.

People at that time believed that all plants were inhabited by spirits, so the carpenters prepared fruit & other offerings & prayed to the spirit living in the apricot tree: 'Our Single-Pillar Hall is about to collapse, so we must cut you down & make you into a pillar. Please forgive us.' After their prayers, they left.

When the nymph in the apricot tree heard that her home was about to be cut down, she cried & cried. The nymphs in the other tress shared her sadness, but they did not know what to do.

The nymph of the fortune grass was a good fiend of the nymph of the apricot tree. 'It is no use for all of us to keep sighing,' she said. 'We should think of a way to help.' The other tree nymphs were very arrogant & looked down on the nymph of the lowly grass. 'Even we can't think of what to do,' they said. 'How can someone like you be any help?' The nymph replied, 'If we just try, we can find a way.'

That night, the nymph of the grass called on her insect friends & asked each of then to take a mouthful of soil to the apricot tree. With little bits of soil here & there all over the tree trunk, the whole tree looked as if it had been infested by insects. When the carpenters came with their tools he next morning, they were astonished: 'What happened to the tree? Insects have attacked it, so we can't use it.' They gave up on the tree & walked away.

The nymph of the apricot tree was grateful. 'The other tree nymphs always told me not to be friends with the little nymph of the fortune grass. But when I was in need, only she could help me.'

When the Buddha finished the story, He said to Anathapindika: 'You are the nymph of the apricot tree & your slave is the nymph of the fortune grass. Situations in life are sometimes good & sometimes bad, but all human beings are equal. Both of you have been helping each other during all your past lives, & you have become good friends. You should truly cherish this friendship.'

People normally judge others by their wealth, power or education, & they despise anyone who is in a lower social position. Actually, fame & power cannot last forever, so they are not the real values in life. We should love everyone equally - that is the real wisdom of life.

Page 46: Sleeping Positions

2010-03-21T20:31:00.003+08:00

I read this in The Star today & thought I'd share it with everyone, especially those that do not have the luxury of a newspaper...

What does your Partner's Sleeping Position Reveal?

If you want an insight into your partner's true personality, take a peek at the way they sleep next time you bunk in with him/her. The sleeping patterns are:

Foetus: More women than men adopt this position, & are most likely to appear tough on the outside but sensitive deep in their hearts.
Log: Lying on the side with both arms down. This tells you the sleeper is an extrovert who trusts people easily but could be naive in nature.
Yearner: Sleepers with both arm out in front are believed to have an open personality but could be indecisive.
Soldier: Lying with both arms/hands pinned to sides. Soldier sleepers are quiet & reserved but tend to be loyal to their friends & partners.
Freefall: Lying on the front with hands around pillow, head turned to one side. Sleepers like these are loud, brash & don't often like criticisms.
Starfish: Lying on the back with both hands around pillow. Starfishers tend to be good listeners & attract many friends who seek genuine advice.

Note that I do not know if the above are 100% true. I am just sharing it out. Also, it says for your partners so it might not apply for your friends... =P

Source: http://bedzine.com/blog/bed-news/health/sleep/what-does-your-partners-sleeping-positions-reveal/

Page 45: Some People...

2010-03-21T15:07:00.002+08:00

Thought I'd write something here, so as not to let the Journal be stagnant...

Some people are sick of all the attention; some people crave for any attention...

Some people don't share because they do not need to share since they were born; some people don't share because they are sick of sharing things since they were born...

Some people have what they don't need; some people need what they don't have...

Some people complain that they have all the time in the world; some people complain that the world does not give them enough time...

Some people complain about the food put in front of them; some people wait for food to be put in front of them...

If any of you people reading know what I'm talking about, then good for you. If not, then it is high time you figured it out...

Page 44: Small Talk

2010-02-28T10:37:00.003+08:00

A point came around lately concerning 'soft skills' & after a friend of mine Google-d/Wiki-ed the term, he found out that 'maintaining meaningless conversations (small talk)' is part of 'soft skills'. This comes to my point of the day...

Lately, I've realized more & more that I can't talk a lot in front of my friends anymore.When we have gatherings or just normal outings with more than 5 people in a group, I tend to fall silent most of the time. Some people might realize my silence & might wonder why is that so. Well, I myself also wonder why I am so weak when it comes to small talk.

One of the reasons that might cause this is maybe because of my stutter. I have been stuttering since young & while my stuttering has decreased when compared to 15 years ago, I still do from time to time. So, when I wanted to say something but the words just can't come out (due to my stuttering), other people will already have said something else, making me allow them to talk. This will rob me of the chance to talk & hence, I will stay silent until the next chance I have.

Another reason that I stay silent is that a lot of times, my mind is blank for things to say. When there is an awkward silence, what is there to say? What do you say to start a conversation? I really cannot stand silent moments especially when I'm with friends but then I just cannot find a topic of conversation which is fun & exciting (but not lame & boring; such as studies...).

If soft skills are important, then I fear that I will be lacking that certain aspect of soft skills, namely small talk. Is this aspect something that can be trained? Or is it natural to just have the skill to have crappy ideas for a conversation? I just hope that it can be trained, as I would very much prefer to have this type of skill now...

Page 43: Past Goals

2010-02-12T15:09:00.002+08:00

Isn't it weird that childhood ambitions can just come back &, well, not haunt you but revisit you somehow? I don't know about others but for me, it did just recently...

I remember when I was in Standard 1 & my teacher asked me what my ambition was. I answered 'a teacher'. Apparently, this answer was weird (or different) as no one else had the same ambition. Do not ask me why I wanted to teach. It just popped into my mind that that was my ambition.

Fast forward to maybe Standard 4 or 5 & suddenly my ambition was to be a doctor. Why did I change? Well, I don't quite remember but maybe it is also the prospect of doctors in the world.

Then, in around Form 2 or 3, my ambition was to be an engineer. This ambition stayed until now.

Interspersed between all those years I have many other 'side ambitions' such as graphic designer, game designer, artist, architect etc. etc. I noticed that all of my 'side ambitions' involve creative artistry but I have now realized that creativity is not that present or obvious in me. Hence, I don't know why I wanted to be those people...

Anyway, a few weeks ago while I was contemplating on furthering my studies, I talked about these childhood ambitions with my friends & one of them said: 'Wow... If you really did get a PhD & become a lecturer, then you'll be all three!! Teacher, Doctor & Engineer...'

=.=|||

If it really comes to that, then I have nothing to say...

Page 42: Pissing Me Off...

2010-01-30T14:22:00.003+08:00

Can't help but blog again after what I experienced last night. Even though it is only for 30 seconds I feel that this will change my perception of things...

So I was in BJ with my friend. He was browsing for an External HDD & after some time we finished browsing (I didn't really mind if he got what he wanted) & we headed for the elevator.

The elevator arrived at the 4th floor & it opened. We let some people come out first before we went in. There was someone standing beside the button panel in the elevator & surprisingly, that guy did not even bother to press the 'door open' button for us!! We had to stop the doors from closing with our own hands & nobody in that elevator bothered to help.

Isn't it common courtesy to old the doors open for a while? Is it because we are both guys? Maybe if we are girls we will have received some courtesy in return, but I doubt it now. Some people just could not give a s*** to what other people need.

How can I be proud of Penangites now?

Si pek sia sueh Penang nia ar!!

Page 41: Crossroads

2010-01-29T09:24:00.002+08:00

My Facebook horoscope said for today: 'You have a lot of drive for success, just make sure you go in the right direction'.

This is quite true, honestly. I do have that drive to succeed in a lot of things that I do, but strangely studies are not at the top of my list for my competitive drive to show. Not that I'm boasting that my studies are very good, I just don't mind a lot when my friends get higher grades than I did (this may be because I admit that I did not study a lot). I apparently am more competitive in the more mundane area of entertainment (games, movies etc.). Don't ask me how I do though, I myself don't actually know...

Which brings me to the second part of the horoscope, just make sure you go in the right direction. I'll admit that right directions are always my weak spot, especially when it comes to my studies & my future. This is quite apparent this semester (even now). I am actually torn apart between furthering my studies & working.

If I further my studies right after I graduate this year, I'll most probably have a Master's Degree & maybe a Doctorate (if I plan to go that far). If I start working instead, I'll have an income & will be more independent on my family's finances (also lessening their burden). I have heard that people with Master's Degrees have a higher basic salary & may be promoted much easier, but at the cost of another 1 - 2 years of studies. Both directions have their own pros & cons. This makes choosing between them difficult for me...

Here's hoping that I choose the correct direction on this crossroads of mine...

Page 40: Change

2010-01-26T22:10:00.004+08:00

When we all first entered university for out 1st year, we are still who we are for the past 15 or so years of our school life. The same hobbies, the same preferences & the same dislikes to name a few.

Fast forward four years into the future & take another look. Do you still see the same you that you see four years ago? For me, the answer is no.

During our primary & secondary school years, we usually tend to hang around people who are similar to us, having the same likes & dislikes. But then, enter university & there will be every single variety of people around us. Undoubtedly, we will surely try to find people who are similar in tastes to you to be friends with, but then with people from all around the country converging on one place, the odds of finding such people are low.

So, what do you do?

Obviously, in an effort to find friends, we try to fit in.

But fitting in is not that simple. You will need to change some of your habits to fit in & adapt with this new environment. Some habits needs to be discarded, while others needs to be suppressed.

If somehow these habits aren't changed & they annoy the people around you, you will find that people will slowly drift away from you, little by little. Most of the time, habits that need changing are habits that are annoying.

But then again, if you do not mind or are about being left alone, then by all means there is no need for you to change anything. If these changes are so hard to do that you had rather be left alone than having friends, then sometimes that's the way it is.

I, for one, have changed a lot these past three years. From someone whose passion once was games, now this has changed to movies & hanging out with friends outside (games are still considered passion once in a while). I used to think that all I'll need in life is some entertainment, but now I know that I need something more: the human presence.

It is said that a leopard does not change its spots. That may be true for some cases but not for all. There are some spots you can change & some that can't be. I've changed a lot of those spots, while still leaving some untouched. I can say that my life is more fulfilling now (though it is in no way perfect).

Page 39: Footprints

2010-01-23T14:54:00.007+08:00

I discovered this little known song by Leona Lewis the other day. This song is the official song for the Sport Relief charity in which Lewis was involved in. The song is an adaptation of the old Christian poem Footprints. Here are the lyrics:

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND

by LEONA LEWIS

You walked with me

Footprints in the sand

And helped me understand

Where I'm going

You walked with me
When I was all alone
With so much unknown
Along the way

And just when I
I thought I'd lost my way
You gave me strength to carry on
That's when I heard you say

I promise you
I'm always there
When your heart is filled with sorrow
And despair

And I'll carry you
When you need a friend
You'll find my footprints in the sand
When I'm weary
Well I know you'll be there
Cause I can feel you
When you say

I promise you
I'm always there
When your heart is filled with sadness and despair
Oh, I'll carry you
When you need a friend
You'll find my footprints in the sand

[choir]

When your heart is full of sadness and despair

I'll carry you
When you need a friend

I promise you
I'm always there
When you need a friend
You'll find my footprints
In the sand

It has meaningful lyrics & although some might find the lyrics repetitive & boring, it is still a good tune by Lewis.

Page 38: The New...

2010-01-20T10:53:00.002+08:00

My first post of 2010.

If I'm saying I'm enjoying my first few weeks of 2010 I will be lying a huge lie. My course mates & I are being burdened by ridiculously tedious projects. It is like having to do 3 or 4 FYPs in one semester.

Kill me please...

I always believed that being nice, or rather, being a hypocrite, can get a person somewhere. But lately I've been losing that belief more & more each day. I've tried being nice for so long that I feel that I can burst inside when I'm faced with people who are 'not that nice'...

I always thought that being nice means peace. But that is not what you get in return most of the time...

Doesn't it seem by being too nice, people will take advantage of you in the end? The point may come when you are just forced to do stuff you won't like just to maintain the peace you so desire.

I also believe that one must stamp one's authority in certain situations. Show people who's Boss, in other words. This is to make sure that no one takes advantage of your 'nice-ness' (if you're nice in the first place).

Like everyone says now: To be respected, you must earn the respect.

Are you willing to maintain the peace you desire while doing things you really don't desire?

Page 37: Lost in Translation

2009-12-17T14:33:00.002+08:00

After watching Storm Warriors I just have to write this.

You know how we always laughed at some silly & literal Malay translations for movies & shows? Who could forget the famous Lusa & Orang Besi (for the uninitiated, those are the Malay translations for The Day After Tomorrow & Iron Man, respectively).

So I was watching Storm Warriors & guess what... Wind is translated into 'Penjejak Badai' & Cloud is translated to 'Penjejak Awan'... A bit weird don't you think?

Several years back I even remembered that The Lord of the Rings is translated into Ketua Segala Perhimpunan (if I'm not mistaken) & The Two Towers is Keajaiban Dua Menara...

Fortunately these days the titles of movies are not translated anymore or we might get Bulan Baru (New Moon) or Naik (Up)...

Some weird translations are present in books too. Here are some Harry Potter titles when translated into Malay:

Harry Potter dengan Piala Api

Harry Potter dengan Kumpulan Phoenix

Harry Potter dengan Putera Berdarah Kacukan

Harry Potter dengan Azimat Maut

Also, Frank & Joe Hardy of the Hardy Boys became Faruk & Johar Hadi of the Budak Hadi...

But sometimes, the translations are perfect & logical & not weird at all. Take some manga for instance. All of us will certainly remember Mutiara Naga. Luckily they did not literally translate Dragon Ball into Malay (or we will have Bola Naga, which might give the impression that the story talks about something else). Another manga which has a logical Malay title is Budak Getah. It is of course impossible to name the local version after the official English name, One Piece. Imagine a manga entitled: Satu Keping...!!

It also sometimes bums me how Misteri Naga came from Dragon Quest & Dik Cerdas came from Crayon Sin Chan. Luckily they did not translate Doraemon into anything...

Page 36: Weird Night

2009-12-11T14:32:00.002+08:00

So last night I had a class gathering with old friends and classmates at Gurney Plaza. We set 7.30 pm as the meeting time. I left my house at 7.30 pm (I know I'm not punctual when I'm at home). After picking up some stuff on my way there & making through some slow moving traffic, I reached Gurney Plaza at around 8.10 pm. While I was searching for my friends, just guess who I bumped into: Alex, Su Yee & Siti Sara!! What a coincidence...

So after spending around 20 minutes talking with them, I went up to meet with my friends (I already told them that I'd be meeting other friends first while they're a dinner). Caught a movie and that was the end of normal stuff happening.

We left at around 12.15 am and while I was driving home I suddenly realized something was wrong. I looked around & realized I ended up on...

the PENANG BRIDGE...!!

I did not know how I turned onto the bridge. Maybe it was the lateness and my tiredness, or maybe because it was reflex action that made me take that turning. So I had to waste another RM5 - 10 on petrol, RM5.60 for toll and another 30 minutes of my time to turn back...

The night cannot get any weirder...

On another note, I did not fail my CFD as I thought... I just got a 'TH'...

Page 35: Happiness is...

2009-12-09T14:35:00.002+08:00

Ever wondered where people find true happiness?

Some people find it in food (Baskin Robbins or some Chocolate Indulgence from Secret Recipe, maybe?), others find it in new gadgets (a new iPhone or a high-end PC for some), while others may just find pure bliss in being alone (less interruptions, understandable...).

But for most people, I think the thing that brings them true happiness is being around the people they love and care about (it certainly is for me). They can be your family, your lover or even your friends.

It is normal to feel happy when you're with family. Of course it is even more normal to feel truly happy when you're with your boyfriend/girlfriend. But when t comes to friends, they cannot be just any friends. These friends have to be the very close friends that you get along very, very well with. It is like what my friend's (actually, my ex-lecturer's) blog said: it's the human contact that counts.

It is true that ever since I came back from Sarawak I've been feeling a little different. A bit more lonely, which I haven't felt in all my previous holidays. Might be I'm feeling the need for human contact more than ever...

Some of you may say that true happiness comes from doing what you like best. Well, for me, I like being with people I love and care about best.

Page 34: Life Media Player v1.0

2009-11-20T22:27:00.003+08:00

Introducing the Life Media Player, an interactive media player that can play any of your requested songs in a split second. You think it, it plays it.

What if you do not have a song in mind? No worries as the Life Media Player also connects to your mood. When you're feeling sad and down, it plays sad and emotional songs. When you're happy, it will play upbeat songs. When you just feel like partying, it will play party and dance songs. Let the word know your mood!!

For example: For now I have no song requests, but I have a certain mood. Here are the following song samples that will be played for me now:

Perfect (Simple Plan)

OK this song is chosen to express my very deep feelings.

Hey, Dad, look at me

Think back and talk to me

Did I grow up according to plan

Deep inside I feel that my parents do not believe that I grew up to what they expect of me. I may be wrong here but all children and parents do have that feeling.

Secrets (OneRepublic)

I need another story

Something to get off my chest

My life gets kinda boring

Need something that I can confess

... and...

Tell me what you want to hear

Something that were like those years

Sick of all the insincere

So I'm gonna give all my secrets away

These few lines really do reflect my feelings now.

Empty (The Click Five)

OK this song's lyrics does not reflect my feelings now. It might be chosen because I feel like my life is very empty right now.

We're empty

Time for Miracles (Adam Lambert)

Baby you know that

Maybe it's time for miracles

'Cos I ain't giving up on love

Maybe it just is time for miracles and sudden changes. I am not giving up on finding the one.

I'm Just a Kid (Simple Plan)

I woke up it was seven

Waited till eleven

Just to figure out that no one would call

I think I got a lot of friends but I don't hear from them

What's another night all alone

... and...

I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare

I'm just a kid I know that it's not fair

Nobody cares 'cos I'm alone and the world is having more fun than me

Most of the time I do feel like that.

Aren't these song samples perfect?

What are you waiting for? It's free!

Download it at www.yourownheart.com.

Page 33: The End is Nigh...

2009-11-12T21:44:00.002+08:00

The date is Thursday 12th November 2009. No prizes for guessing what date and day tomorrow is. Right. Friday the 13th. While no mishaps have befallen me on all the Friday the 13th's so far, there's no telling what tomorrow might bring. Furthermore, I have the final exam paper of my degree life tomorrow morning at 9 am. Everyone might joke about the bad luck this will portend for this exam. Even now my mind is not on the exam but wandering to who knows where. After tomorrow only one more semester remains for my degree and it will be a very fast semester. I only hope it brings more joy to the final half-year of my university life. Still, there's time until the real end so I will try to enjoy the time I have now.

Lately, I have a (sort of) new policy: Do not wait and ponder too much. When it comes to a decision on whether or not to go for it, never think too much too decide. If you do think too much, such as weighing the pros and cons or asking around, you might miss the opportunity of a lifetime. It is true that some life changing decisions needed to be pondered and weighed for a considerable amount, but most things in life are not meant to be. I myself have made few mistakes by thinking and pondering too much and have missed out some opportunities, and so I felt bad or guilty, sometimes even sad. So, grab that opportunity before it flies away out of reach, as who knows, it is meant for you.

That's all for this short post. This is just to keep my mind from wandering and staring blankly at notes and the computer screen. All the best to all of us...

Page 32: The Night

2009-10-29T14:29:00.002+08:00

He looked out into the darkening night and thought of life. He gazed up into the sky and saw the outline of clouds on the horizon. 'The moon will not show his face tonight,' he said to himself. Even though it is past sunset, the light of the setting sun can still be seen, lighting up the heavy rainclouds. As he looked, a flash of lightning split the sky open, and in the distance, he could hear thunder. Through his window he could see the crows flying across the sky above him, heading home for the night. 'How nice it is for the crows,' he thought. 'They have such a simple life. All they need to do is to survive and breed. No choices to make.'

He turned his eyes to his room and his gaze fell upon the table, pushed up against the wall. The oil lamp sitting in the middle of the table illuminated the several scrolls of parchment littering the table. Beside all the parchments he can see a leather bound book, a bottle of ink sitting on top of it and a quill, with its tip dipped into the bottle of ink. He was supposed to study for his exam in a week's time, but he just can't do it. It is not that he's not interested; he just does not have the drive to do it.

His mind raced back and forth, to the past, and then to the future. What if he had chosen differently? Will his life be less worrisome now if he had not being so eager and impatient back then? He did not know why he had been so reckless, jumping on this expedition without a single second thought. While his other friends had been thinking about which expedition they are going to choose by asking around, he had been writing the request letter to this expedition offered to him by its leader without getting any other information pertaining to this expedition and the other expeditions. Not that he can blame anybody for this, it is certainly his own fault that had landed him in this position now.

Today, four months later, even though the expedition has yet to start, he has been worrying about it for some time now. He is worried that this expedition might not be the one that he will enjoy being on, even though the rewards might be fruitful. What if, a few weeks from now when the expedition officially starts, he will find that his mind is just not into it at all? With this thought, he sighed and turned his attention to his feather beds on the other side of the wall. He is comfortable here at home, but his heart is just not at ease.

What if he had chosen a different path? Will life be different now? 'No doubt it will,' he thought. 'But not much I reckon.' He had still not found the secret to true happiness all these years and even though he knows he'll find it in the future, for now he is not that hopeful. With that, he turned to the table, sat down, opened his book and flipped its pages, trying to absorb its contents.

Page 31: Another Full Circle

2009-10-22T22:37:00.002+08:00

All those tiring days and sleepless night finally culminated to the last few days of this week (and this semester). It is only with some sheer luck that I got through both my VIVAs in one piece (but not unscathed). I cannot say that my design projects are flawless to the point that I deserve no questioning, but some of the questions aimed at us are really pretty tough (try explaining why an aircraft must fly at 35000 feet when it is a given requirement)... Anyway, all that is behind me and I have two weeks of 'study break' ahead of me. Hope I can get some Engineers in Society in my head before the final paper (since I know near to naught what this subject is all about)...

I know that everyone has their own degree of selfish-ness and tend to think of ourselves more than others, but being selfish to the point of being pissed of when you don't get what you want? Pretty ridiculous isn't it. Maybe not, but to me it is...

This is because I know a guy who will be quite pissed and complain-y when things don't go his way. When someone says that he/she can't meet up with him just because of some other issue, he'll start complaining that that person doesn't value friends and the like. Furthermore, he'll find any reason to reject an invitation if he doesn't want to go, but if anyone rejects him, he'll find a lot of reasons to 'persuade' (better word than 'force') that person to join him. Doesn't he understand that other people have a life too?

Don't get me wrong. That guy is still my friend. If not for the above 'qualities', he'll be even a better friend than he is now. Guess that's how some people are and you just have to live with it. Not all people are like you. Live and cope to your surroundings.

Page 30: The 30th Entry

2009-10-14T22:47:00.002+08:00

It has been a week since that day, but the effects I think still lingers. Ever since my team and I did not sleep for a night (28 sleepless hours for me) I have been having headaches and sleepiness for the past week. This is basically normal for me during the last few weeks of a semester when everything is packed into 3 weeks.

This time it is far worse. All the assignments and projects require us to use the aid of computers in design. I have a feeling that my headaches are caused by my overuse of eyes and brain for the projects. I have been staring at CATIA drawings for the past 3 weeks and it is not even over yet. Worse, I have to be in the lab to use CATIA and this means less rest and sleep in my house. Lack of sleep and rest added with overuse of eyes and brain. This spells a recipe for disaster.

There are one-and-a-half weeks left until the official end of semester. In this period, there are 5 datelines to fulfill, not to mention 2 presentations and at least 4 reports. With any luck I'll live through this period unscathed and I'll be happy to still be alive.

Page 29: Rain

2009-08-26T23:09:00.002+08:00

Been raining every day for the past several days and although this is a great change from the roasting heat Malaysia is famous (or infamous) for, it might get a little shivery at night, especially when I'm asleep (my blanket is too thin...).

Anyway, here's continuing my rant about Scenarios that Irritate Me...

Scenario 3:

You've made a plan to go out with a group of friends on Saturday. This plan had already been made on the previous Tuesday and it is all set. Then on Friday evening, you get this call:

Another Friend: Free tomorrow? We go movie...

You: Can't le... I've already got other plans in store for tomorrow. Next time only ba...

Another Friend: Why la... Go out until very late? What time?

You: Quite late also... Don't think I can join you guys ba... Next time sure can...

Another Friend: Come la... Next time they all go back already... Ask your other friends until what time la...

You: No la... Next time la...

(That conversation went on for around 10 minutes... Another Friend is trying to persuade you to join him/them)

My friend once said before: Asking someone out at the last minute is indirectly asking them not to go. While I do not agree fully with that opinion, I do agree that asking people out at the last minute is bad. Why must you ask someone at the last minute and then get frustrated when your friend got other plans? If you want to plan an outing, do it earlier when everyone has a free-er time. Don't get frustrated when you are rejected. The fault is yours to ask so late...

That's all for my rant today... Until next time...

Page 28: Boredom

2009-08-23T15:57:00.002+08:00

As the title implies, I am bored. But then sometimes it is better to be bored when you are given the chance. otherwise you'll be complaining about the mountainous workload in front of you... as high as... well, Penang Hill...

I do not know why but sometimes I get irritated by little things. The following are two example scenarios that irritated me in the past month or so...

Scenario 1:

You are a student and you have the chance to go abroad to do something (project/study for example). But then you just think that you are quite contented with your current life as a student, so you forgo it. Then, a week later you tell your friend about it.

Friend's reaction?

'Why you so stupid wan? Got chance also don't want go... aihyo...'

=.="

What are you supposed to say to that? Does that friend of yours have a right to say you are stupid just because you want to live your life the way you like it?

Scenario 2:

You were away from home for a while now (take 2 months for example) and then you go back home to see that something's not right. A family member of yours is not eating regular stuff. You try to ask but they dodge the question. You discuss the matter with your friends and one of the answers your friends gave is: 'They do not want to worry you.'

While I admit that not wanting to worry others is noble in its own way, but then the case might be different with a family member. Aren't you all family? Aren't families supposed to share all burdens equally? That might not be the views of people nowadays but I still believe that some things should still be shared amongst the family, especially serious issues like illnesses and financial burdens.

That's just two example scenarios that irritate me (not a lot but still some). I might post more stuff that irritate me next time but for now this will suffice.

Be an angel to someone else whenever you can, as a way of thanking God for the help your angel has given you.

Page 27: Words

2009-08-22T10:05:00.007+08:00

What a week that was. Three datelines to meet. I was lucky to get through the week still in one piece. Now is but a temporary reprieve from the barrage of assignments and projects expected to come our way in the next few weeks. I must say whoever said that 4th year is a free year surely had it easy. With the change in the school management, everything changed. But this is mostly unavoidable and these works might even do us some good in the future. You'll never know when you really need to provide an Aircraft Requirement Review to Airbus... =P

Anyway, here are some quotes I looked up:

No man means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought are viscous. - Henry Brooks Adams

Man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that he sometimes has to eat them. - Adlai Stevenson

Be generous with kindly words, especially about those who are absent. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Words may show a man's wits but actions his meaning. - Benjamin Franklin

There are tones of voice that mean more than words. - Robert Lee Frost

Words without thought never to heaven go. - William Shakespeare

Watch your thoughts, for they become words,

Watch your words, for they become action,

Watch your actions, for they become habits,

Watch your habits, for they become character,

Watch your character, for they become you destiny.

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr Seuss

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. - Maya Angelou

Words are the voice of the heart. - Confucius

Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning. - Maya Angelou

Words can make a deeper scar than silence can heal.

Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. - Mother Teresa

However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do if you do not act upon them? - Buddha

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. - Buddha

Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill. - Buddha

Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another. - Napoleon Hill

I think that is enough for now. These quotes are just something interesting to be shared out. I just hope they'll benefit all.

Page 26: Hokkien? Malay?

2009-08-08T22:23:00.005+08:00

It is supposed to be the 6th week (or so) of the 7th semester of my university life but guess what? It seems my mind is an empty, hollow, cavernous chamber. Devoid of any knowledge that is supposed to be there after 6 semesters of study. The worst part? I have a mountain of projects/assignments to complete in 2 weeks' time. Coupled with headaches due to lack of sleep & you have the perfect recipe for... well, not disaster, but maybe laziness and blank looks while typing assignments.

Anyway I remembered a conversation my friends & I had back when we were doing our internship. This conversation concerns the use of some Malay terms in the Hokkien language, with Hokkien-like pronunciations (you know: r is pronounced like l...).

Here is a small list of Malay-like words used in Penang Hokkien that I know of (just to satisfy everyone's curiosity and to add some laughs...):

loh-tee roti (bread)

tee-moon timun (cucumber)

too-mee tumis (to fry lightly)

sia-kap ikan siakap (what's this called in English?)

loo-lian durian (maybe this doesn't count but it's still Malay-like...)

ga-lek garik (scratched; as in glass)

bu-lek brek (brake)

mo-to motosikal (motorcycle)

wai-ya wayar (wire)

jam-boo jambu (guava)

su-kak suka (like)

That's all I can think of now. Maybe I can think of more next time. Until next time...

- Tomorrow belong to those who prepare for it today -

Page 25: Chaos

2009-07-29T14:25:00.003+08:00

My first blog in a month & I have bad news.

After three deaths related to the A(H1N1) flu virus & the closure of a number of schools including a few universities, I thought that it'll not get any worse.

It seems I was very wrong.

USM Engineering Campus recorded several confirmed A(H1N1) flu cases (as far as I know) & is closed for a week, from 29th July to 5th August. A mass evacuation is under way this morning, together with a body temperature screening. In short, it is nothing short of panic & chaos as everyone is rushing to leave the campus grounds & get to the safety of their own homes.

I do not know if I should be happy or sad or worried about this issue. Happy due to the extra holiday? Sad or worried because of the killer flu? I really do not know. I am happy that classes are cancelled to be honest, as I have no drive for classes or studying at all. But then, there are a lot of things that still needs to be done such as our Internship Poster Presentation. What if it is rescheduled to a date when there are many other deadlines? I guess I have no choice but to bear with it. The flu epidemic is fated.

Well, you might say that the flu outbreak is the worst news on this day. But guess what, it did not stop there. When I was starting on my journey back home, I realized something...

BREK TAK MAKAN!!

Luckily I made it back home safely by driving slower & not the usual 120 km/h. Well, the day is still young & more things can still happen. Let's just hope good things will come my way today...

Page 24: The E.N.D.

2009-06-21T20:19:00.009+08:00

This post is not to tell you about The Black Eyed Peas' new album (which includes the cool first single Boom Boom Pow) but about something else.

Saturday, June 20, witnessed the retirement of the last Brother Principal of a La Sallian school in Malaysia, Bro Paul Ho. His retirement marks the end of an era of Malaysian education where the numerous La Sallian schools in Malaysia have been headed by a Christian Brother as the principal. With the retirement of the principal of St Xavier's Institution (SXI) in Penang, all the La Sallian schools in Malaysia will see a civil servant in the principal's seat. Some of you have come from La Sallian schools and some of you are not. Here's a little bit of the history of the La Sallian Brothers in Malaysia, as information I thought I will share as tribute to all their work for the past 157 years.

The La Salle Brothers' work in Malaysia has come full circle after 157 years. It was not plain sailing throughout. They overcame the odds, the result of which was setting up more than 60 Brothers' schools which benefited countless Malaysians.

The story of La Sallian education in Malaysia began with the daunting sea journey of 6 La Salle Brothers. They boarded the Le Julie in the River Scheldt on 8 December 1851 to set sail to the Far East at the persistent request of Father Jean-Marie Beurel, a Catholic priest who, for a very long time, was a an admirer of the Christian Brothers' School in France. Father Beurel began writing to the Superior General of the Christian Brothers as early as 1844. In his letter dated 3 November 1845, he begged the Superior General to help the children of the East & concluded: “I hope that through the grace of God I shall have the ineffable consolation of seeing before my death the Brothers of the Christian Schools on the soil of Malaya.”

The Le Julie reached Singapore on 29 March 1852. Three of the six Brothers stayed on in the island while the other three travelled to Penang, reaching the British colony on a fair morning in April 1852. They inherited the existing parish school which then had no more than 80 students. Their hard work resulted in the establishment of the first La Sallian school in the country: St Xavier’s Institution, Penang.

The early & mid 1900’s were boom years as the Brothers opened up schools in the key towns one after another. Soon, the Brothers’ schools proliferated throughout the country with no less than 60 schools established, among which are: St Xavier’s Institution, Penang; St George’s, Taiping; St Michael’s, Ipoh; St John’s, Kuala Lumpur; St Paul’s, Seremban; St Francis, Melaka & La Salle Sacred Heart, Kota Kinabalu. Many of their students go on to become leaders in the government as cabinet ministers & administrative heads & as captains of industries in the private sector. The Brothers commanded great respect from the government, teachers, students & their parents.

As a testimony to their contributions, the Official Year Book of the Federation of Malaya 1967, when reporting the quality of education in schools run by the Christian bodies stated: “... the Mission schools, particular those under the direction of the Roman Catholic Christian Brothers & the American Methodist Church were chiefly responsible for the rapid advancement in English education. And by 1914, some three-fourths of the boys receiving education were in those schools... It is a striking tribute to the selflessness of these men & women that they should have gained the ready confidence & affection of both parents & teachers despite differences in religion & culture...”

However, it was not plain sailing over the years. The building-up was a struggle & painful at times. Funding posed a great obstacle. This was overcome through hard work of the fore-fathers and the generosities of philanthropic well-wishers.

The war years of 1941-45 were particularly difficult as they caused massive disruptions. A number of schools were either destroyed, or used by the occupation force as imperial army head quarters or simply stopped operating. It was mainly due to true grit & determination of the Brothers that the La Sallian schools were “revived” and brought to greater heights after the war.

That was a brief history of how it all started in Malaysia, covering only the early years of La Sallian history in Malaysia. There's much more in the history of the La Sallian education in Malaysia but I will not write it here as it might bore people to death.

The retirement of Bro Paul does not mean that there are no more La Salle Brothers in Malaysia. The Brothers are still here, albeit not as the principals of the schools.

The statue of St John Baptiste de La Salle, Patron Saint of Teachers, in the grounds of SXI

Hence, we can say that this is the E.N.D. of an era, but the Energy Never Dies as the legacy of the La Salle Brothers will be in every student that has ever studied under them.

Page 23: Bad Day...?

2009-06-06T14:26:00.004+08:00

It is so hot today. But it doesn't quite matter as I'm back home in Penang for the weekend. The last week was quite a bad week, I might say. It seems that all that bad luck culminated to one day: Friday (yesterday). It is not even Friday the 13th but Friday the 5th!! I'm not superstitious but that is just idle talk. It has nothing to do with pure bad luck. Heck, I got a lot of bad lucks even on other days & dates.

So how bad was it? Here's the story:

It all started in the morning when I had to take the public bus to work. Usually the bus will arrive at an average of 7.40 am which means that I'll reach my office at around 8.20 am, right on time... But then yesterday it arrived at 8.00 am. I reached my office at 8.45 am. Well, I'm late for work by 15 minutes. That wasn't so bad...

Having asked to leave early so that I can get to the tickting counter early, I left at around 1.15 pm & all went smoothly until I reached the ticketing counter at around 4.00 pm. The 4.00 pm bus was (obviously) sold out, but the bad part is the earliest bus to Penang Island with seats still available is at 9.00 pm. What's even worse is that I have to wait for 5 hours!! Well I did get the 9.00 pm bus but it is more expensive than what I'd wanted (& hoped) to pay (RM68 Nice. I wanted an RM35 Plusliner). So, this ended up with me reaching home at 2.15 am.

I know you might say I should have bought the ticket beforehand. But get this, I cannot confirm that I can get to the bus station in time to board the bus if I had bought it earlier. Between the time inconsistency of the public transportation (probably caused by massive traffic jams) & wanting to get the earliest bus possible, it is quite dangerous to do that. Well maybe this is one of the hard leassons in life that teaches us something. At least I'm at home now, back to where I belong...

Maybe I should not have complained about my day as it may not have been as bad as others. Well, I'll judge how bad it is after hear about other stories.

Page 22: Half

2009-05-31T19:43:00.002+08:00

I just thought I'd post something on the last day of May. Not that I need to say anything but just that I am (once again) bored with nothing to do at all. Well, at least there is a silver lining with today being the end of another month: it means that my Internship is exactly half-way through!! Time really flies. I remember that we always say that time crawls when you are doing something not much to your liking. But now, time actually flies. So, does this mean that I like this job as an engineer? I am not very sure. But what I am sure about is that I'll be glad when the next 5 weeks is over. For now, I can say that I pretty much prefer university life.

I do not know what has gotten over me. Maybe it is the job or the lifestyle as an engineer but I had been thinking of a different career path in the past couple of weeks. Since I was small I had always liked drawing & art & although I cannot say that my drawings are beautiful (to the point of Picasso's) I can say that art & drawing is in me. So I have been thinking: should I be an architect then? This may be due to How I Met Your Mother (a comedy series where the main character is an architect) but it may also be due to the fact that I prefer drawing/illustrating more than I prefer calulating. Is this a correct choice? Maybe there is no correct choice after all.

It is just like what Lily Aldrin said: You cannot design your life like you design a building. Sometimes you'll just have to let life design itself. We must sometimes take the leap & go for it. Well, looks like I will still have 1 more year to consider what I want to be for my future. I just hope that everything will be clear come next year.

Thus every action must be due to one or other of seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reasoning, anger or appetite.

- Aristotle -

Page 21: Human Nature

2009-05-21T20:26:00.004+08:00

It is a Thursday night. Time really flies as this already the Thursday of my 4th week on internship in Cyberjaya... So this means 6 weeks to go!! Though this seems like a long time it is actually very short. For us, 14 weeks will just pass in the blink of an eye.

Human nature is really weird isn't it? If you don't have something, you want it badly. Then, when you already have it, you'll complain that you are tired of it. Best example happens these few days to myself. This week, my supervisor is not in the office due to some work in Semporna, Sabah. This means we are quite free in the office with nobody keeping their eyes on us. This also means that we have less work to do than usual. Hence, human nature reveals itself...

When I'm given too much work, I'll complain a lot (who doesn't). Then this week, I have practically no work to do. I complain I'm bored out of my wits... What can you say to that? I know what I'm doing is not right but who can help it? It is human nature after all... Though I must say that without anyone breathing down our necks (OK, I'm exaggerating) there's no pressure on us, & I personally prefer that... who doesn't, right? Yet again, human nature...

I'm just writing this because I'm bored (to use a better word: very free). So until some other time...

Be the change you want to see in the world
- Michael Scofield -

Page 20: I Do Not Know What to Put as Title...

2009-05-17T11:48:00.002+08:00

Truly I do not know what I should put as the title of this post. I had a plan of writing a blog every week of my internship reporting what I did during internship but it seems that I did not stick with the plan. The problem is after every weekday (after work I mean) I'm just too tired to write anything. Combine that with all those 'company trips' & you have a very tiring internship.

Well, here's more about my internship. I might as well write something about it now that I'm blogging. Internship's been under way for 3 weeks now & most of the time we are in the office doing research, paperwork & analysis. It is pretty boring but then we had a 'company trip' to do some fieldwork every Tuesday for the past 3 weeks: went to Melaka twice & getting roasted by the sun once in Kajang. I will admit that it is very tiring after all the work & I still have an 'I-do-not-like-to-work' feeling. The point is I'm OK with working as long as it gives me ample rest time. Getting home every day at around 6.30 pm, I only have around 4 hours of rest each weekday to do leisure activities. Is this the life on a working adult? If it is, we are in for a torrid time.

As for the weekends, I can't complain much about it as weekends are more fun. Although most of the time I am outside (mostly in some shopping complex) the time spent out is well-spent. At least I get to do some fun activities. Fun activities means heavy spending. Trust me, I've spent more here (KL area) in 3 weeks than what I'd usually spend back home or Parit Buntar/Nibong Tebal in 2 months. I may be exaggerating here but I think it might be true. But I'm not complaining. 4 movies in 3 weeks? Bring it on!!

First movie: Fast and Furious
Second movie: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Third movie: Star Trek
Fourth movie: Angels and Demons

All that in 3 weeks. Not too bad, right?

Another thing I observed during my office hours: do engineers have any life at all? I mean all I see my supervisor do is work, work & work. The only time I see him relax is during lunch hour. But even then, he still will talk about work!! Maybe I'm not used to this type of lifestyle but then I just feel that humans need some breathing space, even Senior Engineers. Well, if you ask me will I still choose this path for my future, I would seriously say that I still do not know.

That's all for now. I might write something new soon but I will need to see my time. Until then, have a nice day. Live long & prosper.

P/S: I am not criticizing anyone or anything. The above post is all in my own opinion.

Page 19: May

2009-05-01T20:48:00.002+08:00

I just realized that i haven't written anything in my blog for a whole month! As usual I could not find anything to write about so I just left it blank for a while. Anyway it is a new month (May already!!) & my Industrial Training has already started. My two friends & I went through a lot of stuff just to get these training places for ourselves that although the training is very tiresome I am thankful & appreciating it.

So what is all this trouble, you ask...

It all started last November (2008) when we were asked by our Industrial Training advisor (is he called that?) asked us to pick our choice from a list of available companies. I thought: What the heck. This company sounds nice from what the seniors said. So I picked it. The company name was AVCEN Ltd.

One week later, the news came: My two friends & I were accepted!! So that is one problem solved... or so we thought...

Five months passed & the time is fast-forwarded to this March. We have yet to receive our confirmation letters regarding the placement. Most of our other friends have already received it. So we did what we thought was sensible: we e-mailed the company.

A few days passed. Still no reply. We went to Dr Rahim (that's out Industrial Training advisor) & asked him about the situation. He said that there will be no problem whatsoever with AVCEN (with a lot of confidence I must say). So we let the matter rest.

A week passed. Still nothing. So we called AVCEN. The reply was surprising, but not unexpected: they are not sure if they want to accept trainees yet. So what do we do? We went to Dr Rahim again. With confidence, he said he will look into the matter for us. So yet again we let the matter rest, but not with an easy heart.

Come the end of March. The worst happened. AVCEN rejected the three of us. So what do we do? We started looking around for other companies. We did not do this immediately after the news as Dr Rahim still assured us that he will persuade the CEO of AVCEN to accept us. Well, as expected we did not get the place.

So as April arrives we are busy with our final exams. But then I was also worrying about my Industrial Training. Up until the exam week we have tried several other companies but to no avail. Good news arrived during the first exam week (we had two) when we contacted a company called Unmanned System Technologies (UST) Sdn Bhd & the person-in-charge said that he will think about our request.

With our final paper done, the answer came the following day. We were accepted. Relief flowed into our hearts as we knew we will not be the outcasts that may be doing Industrial Training with a lecturer or even delayed Training.

So this is where I am working for these 10 weeks: Unmanned System Technologies (UST) Sdn Bhd. One week has already passed in the Training & all I can say is that it is damn tiring (& not to mention boring most of the time). But even though that is the case I gladly accept it as this means that I will not have much worries (at least not until July.... 4th year!!)

Page 18: The Imperial Language of Ancient China

2009-03-24T10:45:00.004+08:00

Ever wondered how the Ancient Imperial Language of China sounds like 1500 years ago? Mind you, it's no way similar to Mandarin. Ever wondered has this ancient language survived? If it has, who speaks it today?

Well, you'll be surprised. You have heard it. You, your parents or your grandparents may still be speaking this ancient archaic language!!

Guessed it yet? It's HOKKIEN..!! (also called Fujian/Minnan Hua)

Hokkien is the surviving language of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), China's Golden Age of Culture & Arts. The Hokkien we hear today may have evolved from its original form over 1500 years ago, but it still retains the main elements of the Tang Dynasty Language.
Hokkiens are the surviving descendants of the of the Tang Dynasty. When the Tang Dynasty collapsed, the people of the Tang Dynasty fled south & sought refuge in the Fujian province. Hence, Hokkiens call themsleves T'ng Lang (Tang Ren or people of the Tang) instead of Hua Lang (Hua Ren).
Hokkien has 8 tones instead of Mandarin's 4. Linguists claim that ancient languages tend to have more complex tones.
Hokkien retains the ancient Chinese pronunciation of 'k-sounding' endings, for instance, Hak Seng (student), Tua Ok (university), Thak Chek (read a book/study). The 'k-sounding' ending is not found in Mandarin.
The collection of the famous 'Three Hundred Tang Dynasty Poems' sound better when recited in Hokkien/Teochew if compared to Mandarin.
Consider this for a moment: Today, the Hokkien Nam Yim ochestral performance still has its roots in ancient Tang Dynasty music. Here's the proof: The formation of today Nam Yim ensemble is typically seen in ancient Tang Dynasty paintings of musicians.

More astonishingly, although not genetically related, Hokkiens, Koreans & Japanese share many similar words (which are different from Mandarin). This is due to the fact that Hokkien was the official language of the Imperial Tang Dynasty whose influence & language spread to Japan & Korea (or Koguryo at that time). Here are just a few words in Hokkien, Korean & Japanese for your comparison:

ENGLISH-HOKKIEN-KOREAN-JAPANESE
News-Sin Boon-Sin Mun-Shinbun
Thanks-Kamsia-Kam Sa-Kansha
Exercise-Oon Tong-Undong-Undoo
Progress-Chim Por-Chin Bo-Shinpo
Lover-Ai Lang-Ae In-Aijin
Safe-An Chuan-An Jon-Anzen
University-Tua Ok-Tae Hak-Daigaku
Marriage-Keat Hoon-Kyol Hon-Kekkon
Simple-Kan Tan-Gan Dan-Gan Dan
River-Kang-Gang/Kang-Gang/Kang

To all 49 million Hokkien speakers:

Be proud of your ancient Hokkien heritage & language! Speak it loud & clear. Teach your future generation this imperial language, lest it fades away. Be proud children of the Tang Emperors.

To all Mandarin-speaking friends out there: do not look down on your other Chinese friends who do not speak Mandarin, whom you guys fondly refer to as 'Bananas'. In fact, they are speaking a language which is much more ancient & linguistically complicated than Mandarin.

Keep in mind that Mandarin is just:

A northern Chinese dialect (heavily influenced by non-Han Chinese) that was elevated to the status of National Language by Sun Yat Sen for the sake of China's national unity.
Mandarin was never spoken by your proud, imperial Tang Dynasty ancestors. It was probably spoken by the Northern (Non-Han) Jurchen, Mongols & Manchu minority. Start speaking the language of your ancestors today.

This post is not meant to brag about Hokkien. It is just here as information to others. Even though I cannot find the original source of this article I believe it to be true. Bear in mind too that the Hokkien stated here is the original language. There are many versions of Hokkien nowadays & Penang Hokkien is merely one of them.

Page 17: Neutral

2009-03-19T17:51:00.002+08:00

... and I thought life could get better...

2 more weeks left until my study break & this had to happen. Is life not satisfied at throwing challenge after challenge, obstacle after obstacle at me especially during this peak of times? Tests, labs & a project are still waiting for me to attend to them, not to mention the issue of where I am going to stay for my Industrial Training this May & June. If I said the previous several weeks was weird, now it has taken a turn for the weirder (or should I just say worse?).

First of all, most of the people who know me know that I am a very peaceful person. I will always try to avoid starting any fights or arguments with friends or family, or even getting into fights or arguments. I'll just mind my own business & observe how the argument goes. Honestly, I must say that I am scared to get in a fight or argument. I can say that this is because I am afraid of losing that friend or family member due to an argument, sometimes forever. This is due to the fact that I have not many close friends or family members. Losing one might mean losing a lot. This may be where it will all go wrong...

Because I am so 'peaceful' & 'neutral', arguing parties will always see me as a way out of their predicament (the parties here are, or were, friends or family). So what do I do when I am friends with both sides of the war? I'll have no choice but to listen. The thing is these parties will usually criticize the other (as will happen in wars) & sometimes, things turn ugly. Being friends to both sides mean that I am torn between two: supporting one will mean abandoning the other. What will the abandoned side think? Do they think that I am also their enemy now just because I choose to support their enemy?

When this happens, usually I'm on the receiving end of even more flak than what is passed between the two parties. Maybe you all do not know this but flak directed to me is worse than flak between the two arguing parties. What's more I'm being blamed for something that I did not even do. After years of this, I am beginning to tire of it. If being on the peaceful side means having to endure more than being on the warring factions, is it even worth being neutral? So does this mean that I have to be a mean guy to be left alone in peace? Sometimes, I think the answer is yes.

All might be OK if I know about the war. What will happen if I don't? What will come out of my mouth because I assume that they are still close? What will both sides think if I request them to come together as friends while I'm being left in the dark? This might even complicate the situation even more. They might think that I'm trying to get them back together when they do not even want to in the first place!

These are all my personal experience & feelings. Even I need to have some breathing space. When the Allies & Soviets go to war, where do the civilians stand?

Page 16: March

2009-03-08T17:35:00.002+08:00

I can't believe that i did not write anything for more than a month (the whole of February is empty in the case of my blogs). Well, now it is March already & things are getting closer & closer to reality... I can't relax that much anymore! Anyway I'll live through them somehow...

Lately my life has become weirder & weirder too. It seems these past few weeks has seen a change in my lifestyle that may (or may not) dictate what my life would be like in the future. For one thing the faith I've put in my friend(s) may have been misplaced. I've always heard (or read) that real/true friends are fake. I've (sort of) disbelieved that until recently. Now I can say that there's no such thing as a real/true friend. All we've got are best friends, good friends etc. Why do I say this? Well, it seems that a friend of mine may have treated me only as a replacement friend or a friend for need. He may only see me as a close friend when other friends of his are out of town. Or maybe I am only there for a certain purpose, such as gaming. I might be mistaken here but that is how I feel now.

You might ask that who do I 'replace' as friends. Well, the answer might be a bit obvious as I definitely know that his first priority for movies are girl/female friends & not me. You might say that it is normal for a guy to prioritize girls first over guys but maybe the priority should be a bit more balanced. Does this mean that once a guy has a girlfriend all his guy friends are forgotten? To some, I think the answer is yes.

Another thing about friends is that you will never get enough appreciation from them that you deserve (or want). OK, I might be exaggerating here as I rarely ask something in return for what I've done. But sometimes I just feel that only a rare few really appreciates all that I have done for them & only they have the right to be helped. I think this also includes those friends who only befriend you for what you can provide, knowledge for instance (in this case, knowledge means answers... LOLz).

Example scenario:

Friday night:
Me: You watched XXX: The Movie already?
Friend: No.
Me: Wanna go tomorrow?
Friend: I though we had activity tomorrow afternoon?
Me: After that la... night time...
Friend: See first la...

Saturday noon (while doing said activity):
Me: So tonight how? Wanna go watch XXX?
Friend: Dunno leh... might be busy...
(After that heard him talking on the phone with someone we both know that he'll be a little late tonight)

Sunday morning:
Friend: Wanna come my house tonight?
Me: Why not go movie? I know you watched already last night but then I've always went to movies when you asked... How about now that I ask...
Friend: The problem is I'll be watching again with my campus friends tomorrow when they come over... Please don't make me watch it 3 times although I must say it is good...

So I must say that I might have misplaced my trust & faith in him all these years. So now even though he will still be my good friend I will not place him as a high priority for candidate of my Best Friend. That slot is still open by the way... So anyone of my friends out there who wants to be my Best Friend, you know what to do...

Page 15: An Ox named 2009...

2009-01-30T15:17:00.002+08:00

So it is Chinese New Year again (I know it is the 5th day already but it is still CNY isn't it)... I have to admit that CNY is not my favourite time of the year (though a lot of people will beg to differ from me regarding this point) & though I do not particularly hate the occasion I just find some parts of it not too my liking.

For one thing I am not that close with my cousins (I can't blame anyone else except myself for that) & house visits always turns out to be boring. Although I talk more these past few years the situation will not just change. Also, this is my second year in a row that my angpows received are cut by half due to unforeseen & unfortunate incidents. Not that I am compaining much about this point as it is unavoidable.

Admittedly I have eaten more food in these past few days than I have in the past month (OK I know I'm exaggerating here) but that's the point of having food all over the house... I see kuih kapit, kuih bangkit, beehives & various cookies around my house... Not to mention the mini-popiah with the chicken floss filling... Just can't help myself... Again I'm not complaining because I had better eat when I have the chance...

Well, I think that is all I can say for the CNY this year as most of the time my CNYs are mostly uneventful. I just hope that this year will bring a better prognosis for all that we do...

P/S: Don't get me wrong as I don't hate CNY... It is just not my favourite time that's all...