Americans - Usually the loudest of the bunch. The ones I met were very open, direct and friendly. They were the 'life' of the group.
Brits - Gentlemen and gentle ladies. A few couples we met were very nice and soft spoken. They talked with a gentle intonation and a calm pace.
Aussies - Adventurous bunch. Friendly as always, and would normally stay for weeks (some, up to months) in a place like Hanoi.
Europeans - Mainly French. There was a Russian on board our Shuttle Bus when we were heading to Halong Bay. A few Germans and Scandinavians too. But since Hanoi (and Vietnam) was a French Colony (since the French took control in 1888), a lot of the city's architecture and designs were modeled to the tastes of the French people. This led to the distinctively unique aesthetic appearances of the city, leaving behind rich legacies of stylistic French heritage.
Thais - We met 2 Siamese Monks during our trip to Halong Bay, who barely spoke a word to us. I figured they did not know how to communicate with us in English. Personally, I felt that the Vietnamese language is so much similar to the Siamese language, although the Vietnamese would often like to emphasise otherwise. The lingo, the intonation are somewhat similar to me. And Vietnamese language is probably one of the hardest languages to learn...
Filipinos - Filipinos and Malaysians (especially the Malaysian Chinese) look the same. But once they start to open their mouth and talk, we could easily identify their origins. We made friends with 2 Filipino chaps during our visit to Halong Bay. One was rather friendly while the other is a rather silent type. We exchanged Cards and this chap, Ernesto, even invited us to his hometown and were prepared to arrange for our ground arrangements if we decide to touchdown at Manila one fine day.
Indonesians - I established a contact with a Torajan (a descendant from one of the Sulawesi Clans). He told me he had to travel and move somewhere out of his hometown in order to earn a better living. He is now living in Hanoi with his Sarawakian wife and son. He is currently learning the Vietnamese language in order to better understand their way of life. He shared with me the hardships of the people living in Indonesia as a whole, particularly the squabbles in Sulawesi among the Bugis Clans. We also shared our earnest thoughts on other Political Issues facing this region, citing Corruption and Nepotism being the number one contributors to the Political Instability in most Asean Countires. He agreed with me on many grounds. But the best was when he complimented our Malaysian Leaders for being kind and generous enough to provide all sorts of benefits and facilities to the people and most importantly 'Free Education' to all Malaysians. He was lamenting on how stupid it is if Malaysians do not grab the opportunity of studying and learning in the local schools and institutes, as not all countries are blessed with such 'a luxury'. Some interesting observations from an outsider... and yet we still do not consider ourselves 'lucky'...
Malaysians - We met many visiting Malaysians there, especially at the only Malaysian Muslim Restaurant in Hanoi, Nisa Restaurant. Some were there for a brief working stint (courtesy of Multinational Companies like Ericsson, Canon and such). And some were there for a short visit to the ever-populous city of Hanoi. Some even had the chance of traveling from Ho Chi Minh upwards. Anyway, Malaysians being Malaysians, nights in Nisa Restaurant reminded me of a typical Kedai Mamak scene anywhere in Malaysia minus the chilly weather. You can hear the shouts for a 'Teh Tarik' and 'Roti Naan', simply illustrating the notion that 'you can never change the way you are'...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday - 31st March 2010
What's So Important About The Day - It's my Birthday. The Day I turned 34. Yeap, 3 and 4. 34. I ain't getting any younger most definitely (as my body, without much of a haste, would agree) and I have reached the stage where I should already know by now what I want to do and must do in life. But I still believe that, regardless of how old you are, there are plenty of opportunities for you to try out something new, as life is a continuous process of learning... and this goes on until your last breath of air.
What's Different This Year - My stepmother, Mak Cik Normah, celebrates her birthday on the same date too. This would be the first time I am celebrating my Birthday with someone else within the 'Family Circle'. I had actually forgotten about her birthday until my father reminded me of it. So far, she has been very nice to us, and to my father especially. She is indeed a welcome addition to the 'Family Circle'. And I'm really glad that my Dad is so much happier these days. A testament of 'Youthfulness' that transcends age barrier.
What's For Lunch - Aidee treated me with a wonderful Lunch at The Apartment (restaurant) at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara. A scrumptious dining experience indeed as we were treated with one of the best Shepherds' Pie I've ever tasted and Slices of Chicken wrapped with Mashed Potato and Avocado. I was serenaded with a Birthday song by the Restaurant Crews and were offered a Cheese Cake as well. God of Mine... the cake was so delicious... The whole Lunch affair was exquisitely tasty, even the Tomato Soup tasted good. 'A birthday boy served with scrumptious food and delicacies is indeed a happy boy'...
What's Overwhelming - About more than 100 friends from Facebook greeted me with various kinds of Birthday Wishes. From long lost friends to dearest cousins and relatives, they were all lined up to convey their heartfelt wishes and remind me that I have now crossed a new age group. One chap gave me the best thought of the day - I can be in whatever age group chronologically, but mentally and emotionally I could still be as young as ever... It's a classic case of 'Mind over Matter'...
What's Different This Year - My stepmother, Mak Cik Normah, celebrates her birthday on the same date too. This would be the first time I am celebrating my Birthday with someone else within the 'Family Circle'. I had actually forgotten about her birthday until my father reminded me of it. So far, she has been very nice to us, and to my father especially. She is indeed a welcome addition to the 'Family Circle'. And I'm really glad that my Dad is so much happier these days. A testament of 'Youthfulness' that transcends age barrier.
What's For Lunch - Aidee treated me with a wonderful Lunch at The Apartment (restaurant) at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara. A scrumptious dining experience indeed as we were treated with one of the best Shepherds' Pie I've ever tasted and Slices of Chicken wrapped with Mashed Potato and Avocado. I was serenaded with a Birthday song by the Restaurant Crews and were offered a Cheese Cake as well. God of Mine... the cake was so delicious... The whole Lunch affair was exquisitely tasty, even the Tomato Soup tasted good. 'A birthday boy served with scrumptious food and delicacies is indeed a happy boy'...
What's Overwhelming - About more than 100 friends from Facebook greeted me with various kinds of Birthday Wishes. From long lost friends to dearest cousins and relatives, they were all lined up to convey their heartfelt wishes and remind me that I have now crossed a new age group. One chap gave me the best thought of the day - I can be in whatever age group chronologically, but mentally and emotionally I could still be as young as ever... It's a classic case of 'Mind over Matter'...
27th March 2010 - 30th March 2010
THE TRIP TO HANOI - Please refer to the following Website for more details about our little trip to Hanoi, the Capital City of Vietnam: - http://arisaideesadventures.blogspot.com/
15th March 2010 - 26th March 2010
What's Significant - After the 'Green Apples' Procedure, Dr. Zawawi advised me to take only 1/2 a Tablet of Losartan Potassium (i.e. my High BP Tablet) together with a 1/4 Teaspoon of Potassium Salt (i.e. K-Salt) 3 - 4 times per day, since my BP went down to 105/75. Sounded good, but 3 days later, my BP went up to 118/90 (again) and it was not wise for me to take only 1/2 a tablet each day. So, my BP Tablet intake remained status quo i.e. 1 100 mg Tablet each day. And the Doc told me to continue with the K-Salt until my BP gradually becomes more stable. *Sigh*
What's Exciting - Aidee & I couldn't wait to return to KL and prepare ourselves for the trip to Hanoi. we have been planning for this for months. We didn't intend to spoil our moods for anything irrelevant. We packed our bags early i.e. One Week earlier, and we made sure we didn't leave anything behind (i.e. Phone Chargers, Batteries, Make Up Kits, Adam's Necessities, Compass for Prayers, Additional Food Items e.g. Maggi Mee and stuff). The trip to Hanoi was the saving grace especially when it is supposed to coincide with My 'Big Day'...
What's Occupying My Time Mostly - Pelangi Sdn Bhd has been giving us a lot of things to occupy our minds at the office. We are now handling a few of their projects courtesy of their idea of engaging only one Agency in JB to handle the bulk of their A&P activities. Late night works and frequent visits to Client's Office were the norms of the days, and the creative juices began to flow again...
What Transpired Along The Way - I had to visit the Immigration once again to settle the Termination of Bibik Sumi's Contract and Permit since she no longer wants to stay with us. At the same time, Kamarul's sister, Ana, decided to engage Little Touches Communications for her Akad Nikah's Catering Services. Not a big number though. But, it's good especially during 'quiet times'. And since my brother, Caymee, will not be around on the 27th of March, and since Aidee and I will be off to Hanoi then, Daddy and Mummy were tasked to assist us in the Catering Services. It will be thier first assignment, should they choose to accept it. Simultaneously, Aidee's Kelisa's Insurance and Road Tax will be expiring soon. I had to call my good friend, Kannan of UniAsia to provide us with a quick service. All in all, March was quite a busy month for me and the whole family. It's good to be busy again...
What's Exciting - Aidee & I couldn't wait to return to KL and prepare ourselves for the trip to Hanoi. we have been planning for this for months. We didn't intend to spoil our moods for anything irrelevant. We packed our bags early i.e. One Week earlier, and we made sure we didn't leave anything behind (i.e. Phone Chargers, Batteries, Make Up Kits, Adam's Necessities, Compass for Prayers, Additional Food Items e.g. Maggi Mee and stuff). The trip to Hanoi was the saving grace especially when it is supposed to coincide with My 'Big Day'...
What's Occupying My Time Mostly - Pelangi Sdn Bhd has been giving us a lot of things to occupy our minds at the office. We are now handling a few of their projects courtesy of their idea of engaging only one Agency in JB to handle the bulk of their A&P activities. Late night works and frequent visits to Client's Office were the norms of the days, and the creative juices began to flow again...
What Transpired Along The Way - I had to visit the Immigration once again to settle the Termination of Bibik Sumi's Contract and Permit since she no longer wants to stay with us. At the same time, Kamarul's sister, Ana, decided to engage Little Touches Communications for her Akad Nikah's Catering Services. Not a big number though. But, it's good especially during 'quiet times'. And since my brother, Caymee, will not be around on the 27th of March, and since Aidee and I will be off to Hanoi then, Daddy and Mummy were tasked to assist us in the Catering Services. It will be thier first assignment, should they choose to accept it. Simultaneously, Aidee's Kelisa's Insurance and Road Tax will be expiring soon. I had to call my good friend, Kannan of UniAsia to provide us with a quick service. All in all, March was quite a busy month for me and the whole family. It's good to be busy again...
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Saturday & Sunday - 13th & 14th March 2010
What's Interesting - Tim Burton's update of 'Alice in Wonderland'. I have read many reviews - good ones and the not-so-good ones. But, I did not want to be swaggered off by any unwarranted opinions. So, I had to see the movie for myself. And so I went to the TGV Cinema at Tebrau City together with my son, Adam and my wife, Aidee. Aidee was the one who was actually more excited than me about seeing the movie because she has read the storybook (who doesn't, actually) and she has seen numerous other versions of 'Alice'. We both wanted to see what Burton and Depp could bring to this wonderul tale originally written by Lewis Carroll. Would it be a classic, joining the likes of 'Beetlejuice', 'Ed Wood' or 'Edward Scissorhands'? Or would it be as quirky as say 'Sleepy Hollow' or 'Charlie and The Chocolate Factory'? Burton is indeed capable of producing many gloriously 'weird' stuffs but I was always reminded by some of his abysmal outputs e.g. 'Mars Attacks!' and particularly the remake of 'Planet Of The Apes'...
What's The Verdict - The movie was so-so... Nothing great... For other references on movies, check out my other blog http://jerichojive.blogspot.com/. You can find some interesting reviews on local (i.e. Malaysian) as well as foreign movies. Personally, I'd prefer the 1976's version of Alice in Wonderland starring Kristine DeBell (i.e. for obvious reasons, if you know...).
What's Unforgettable - The Night when I had to finish off the ordeal of taking Epsum Salt with Water at 6.00 pm and 8.00 pm. The idea was conveyed to me by my brother, Rozman, who have had bouts of Stones in his Gallbladder. The method of eating 4 - 5 Green Apples per day for 6 days worked on him. It cleared off his tiny little stones. And so I tried. By 10 pm, I should be supplementing my internal organs with a 1/2 cup of Virgin Olive Oil and 'Limau Nipis'...
What Happened - Bountiful visits to the Bathroom, as predicted. More than 18 times, if I could remember. There were continuous visits within minutes. I actually cleared off my bowels.
What's Good Thereafter - My BP went down to 105/75, courtesy of the Epsum Salt (i.e. Magnesium).
What's Not So Good Thereafter - The trips to the Bathroom should have ended early in the morning. But it went on for the next 2 days, albeit at a lesser frequency. The pain was bearable but the 'trips' were kind of troublesome at times... *Sigh* Imagine the length I would go through to improve my overall health and well-being...
What's The Verdict - The movie was so-so... Nothing great... For other references on movies, check out my other blog http://jerichojive.blogspot.com/. You can find some interesting reviews on local (i.e. Malaysian) as well as foreign movies. Personally, I'd prefer the 1976's version of Alice in Wonderland starring Kristine DeBell (i.e. for obvious reasons, if you know...).
What's Unforgettable - The Night when I had to finish off the ordeal of taking Epsum Salt with Water at 6.00 pm and 8.00 pm. The idea was conveyed to me by my brother, Rozman, who have had bouts of Stones in his Gallbladder. The method of eating 4 - 5 Green Apples per day for 6 days worked on him. It cleared off his tiny little stones. And so I tried. By 10 pm, I should be supplementing my internal organs with a 1/2 cup of Virgin Olive Oil and 'Limau Nipis'...
What Happened - Bountiful visits to the Bathroom, as predicted. More than 18 times, if I could remember. There were continuous visits within minutes. I actually cleared off my bowels.
What's Good Thereafter - My BP went down to 105/75, courtesy of the Epsum Salt (i.e. Magnesium).
What's Not So Good Thereafter - The trips to the Bathroom should have ended early in the morning. But it went on for the next 2 days, albeit at a lesser frequency. The pain was bearable but the 'trips' were kind of troublesome at times... *Sigh* Imagine the length I would go through to improve my overall health and well-being...
Friday - 12th March 2010
What's My Regimented Diet - I have been taking 4 - 5 Green Apples per day in an attempt to clear off the Stone in my Kidney. Let's face it... I was never much of a Fruit Eater prior to this. Only after I was diagnosed with High BP and after that incident of Blood in my Urine, I was forced to consume more veges and more fruits...
What's My Method For Temporary Stress Relief - I had to go see Pak Cik Sahak Bomba at Kampung Pasir for a regular dose of 'Urut Jantan'... My body was aching immensely. I needed an expert touch to do what's necessary...
What's My String of Medications and Supplements - I am currently taking 3 types of Herbal Drinks each day i.e. 'Herba Pati Madu Sawda' early in the morning (before breakfast), 'Teh Herba Mas Cotek' after breakfast, and 'Habbatus Sawda Jintan Hitam' after dinner. That should help improve my Blood Circulation, and eventually reduce my BP, and hopefully get rid of my Kidney Stone. I am also taking Omega 3 6 9 and Garlic Oil as additional supplements. And that does not include my BP and Cholesterol Medications i.e. Losertan Potassium and Simvastatin. Purgghh!!! What a life... :-)
What's My Method For Temporary Stress Relief - I had to go see Pak Cik Sahak Bomba at Kampung Pasir for a regular dose of 'Urut Jantan'... My body was aching immensely. I needed an expert touch to do what's necessary...
What's My String of Medications and Supplements - I am currently taking 3 types of Herbal Drinks each day i.e. 'Herba Pati Madu Sawda' early in the morning (before breakfast), 'Teh Herba Mas Cotek' after breakfast, and 'Habbatus Sawda Jintan Hitam' after dinner. That should help improve my Blood Circulation, and eventually reduce my BP, and hopefully get rid of my Kidney Stone. I am also taking Omega 3 6 9 and Garlic Oil as additional supplements. And that does not include my BP and Cholesterol Medications i.e. Losertan Potassium and Simvastatin. Purgghh!!! What a life... :-)
Wednesday & Thursday - 10th & 11th March 2010
My Thoughts On American Idol 2010: The Male Contestants - What the hell happened to Andrew Garcia??? From "Straight Up" to the bottom of the sea... I guess he may have peaked too soon... And as people's expectations began to pile up, he lost focus... And the biggest setback of it all, he may be one heck of a musician and a talented singer-songwriter, but he definitely has lousy tastes in song choices... "Genie In A Bottle"??? Auwww!!! Come on, dude!!!
My Thoughts On American Idol 2010: The Female Contestants - I would put my money on Crystal Bowersox and Siobhan Magnus. Two very talented singers with two varying styles and interpretation of music. Siobhan, in particular, surprised me a lot with her high-pitched voice and her unique appearance. These two, in my own personal opinion, are the ones to beat...
My Earlier Predictions vs. The Final 12 - I was right in my predictions for the Male Finalists. Toddrick Hall and Alex Lambert finally said goodbye to their hopes of being an American Idol. Shaky performances from the two may have resulted in them being voted out. 100% agreeable. But I was actually kind of surprise when they announced the two eliminated contestants from the Female Group - Katelyn Epperly and Lilly Scott??? Lilly Scott??? Lilly??? The two-toned silver haired hipster with an unconventional voice??? What were the Americans thinking??? It should have been Katie Stevens and Paige Miles... not Katelyn and most definitely not Lilly...
What I Think - What a waste... American Idol would have benefitted from the originality and the type of music that Lilly Scott is capable of producing. Underneath all that sugar-coated mainstream talents that have often been the product of American Idol, Lilly could have been 'the refreshing' agent we needed. After all, Lilly did ever so well during the Hollywood Week Auditions, earning high praises from all the judges on her originality and vision as an artist. This simply served as a pleasant reminder to us all that despite what usually transpires, music can exist and thrive beyond the mainstream. Last year, we had Adam Lambert. This year, it could have been Lilly Scott...
My Thoughts On American Idol 2010: The Female Contestants - I would put my money on Crystal Bowersox and Siobhan Magnus. Two very talented singers with two varying styles and interpretation of music. Siobhan, in particular, surprised me a lot with her high-pitched voice and her unique appearance. These two, in my own personal opinion, are the ones to beat...
My Earlier Predictions vs. The Final 12 - I was right in my predictions for the Male Finalists. Toddrick Hall and Alex Lambert finally said goodbye to their hopes of being an American Idol. Shaky performances from the two may have resulted in them being voted out. 100% agreeable. But I was actually kind of surprise when they announced the two eliminated contestants from the Female Group - Katelyn Epperly and Lilly Scott??? Lilly Scott??? Lilly??? The two-toned silver haired hipster with an unconventional voice??? What were the Americans thinking??? It should have been Katie Stevens and Paige Miles... not Katelyn and most definitely not Lilly...
What I Think - What a waste... American Idol would have benefitted from the originality and the type of music that Lilly Scott is capable of producing. Underneath all that sugar-coated mainstream talents that have often been the product of American Idol, Lilly could have been 'the refreshing' agent we needed. After all, Lilly did ever so well during the Hollywood Week Auditions, earning high praises from all the judges on her originality and vision as an artist. This simply served as a pleasant reminder to us all that despite what usually transpires, music can exist and thrive beyond the mainstream. Last year, we had Adam Lambert. This year, it could have been Lilly Scott...
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday - 9th March 2010
Back To Square One - Back to the usual Advertising Late Night Work. A couple of visuals to review and a Presentation Deck to be prepared made me spent some time at the office slightly later than usual.
What's Rewarding - Good home cooked food.
What's Interesting - Watching the Finals of the Biggest Loser Asia reality show. Was rooting for Carlo (from The Phillipines) but unfortunately, David (from Indonesia) won. The four finalists looked great as they all managed to reduce tonnes of weight and somehow managed to make themselves slimmer. Great stuff! But a bit worrisome when I looked at David's rather frailed and Bulemic-like figure... perhaps, he was too focused on winning the USD100,000 that he forgot to ensure that his body needs to retain a certain degree of balance too. Imagine what money can do to you...
What I Should Be Planning For - Once the boss is off to KL for good, I should try to do a lot more networking without much control and strenuous scrutiny. Need to start planning for new businesses now...
What's Rewarding - Good home cooked food.
What's Interesting - Watching the Finals of the Biggest Loser Asia reality show. Was rooting for Carlo (from The Phillipines) but unfortunately, David (from Indonesia) won. The four finalists looked great as they all managed to reduce tonnes of weight and somehow managed to make themselves slimmer. Great stuff! But a bit worrisome when I looked at David's rather frailed and Bulemic-like figure... perhaps, he was too focused on winning the USD100,000 that he forgot to ensure that his body needs to retain a certain degree of balance too. Imagine what money can do to you...
What I Should Be Planning For - Once the boss is off to KL for good, I should try to do a lot more networking without much control and strenuous scrutiny. Need to start planning for new businesses now...
Monday, March 8, 2010
Monday - 8th March 2010
What's Worrisome - No pain, no aches... all of a sudden, easy said, I pissed blood... Seriously, my urine that morning contained a little too much blood in it. I was worried to bits. Had to put a pause to all my on-going work and went straight to the General Hospital. Took a blood sample, urine test and an X-Ray - to which the GP's confirmed that there's a stone in my Kidney. A huge stone that was visible via X-Ray. Nothing severe though, as there was no pain physically on me.
What's Frustrating - Initially I was scheduled to see the Urologist on 26th April 2020 - that's like almost 2 months from now. I urged the Nurse to re-look at the schedule and I managed to squeeze in for an appointment @ 12th April 2010. WTH!
What's Bothering Me At The Moment - Could the Kidney Stone be a contributing factor to the High BP I've been facing thus far? Possibility is there...
What I Should Be Doing - Start taking supplements and medications to cure the 3 Main 'Blocks' in my body i.e. High BP, High Cholesterol Level & Kidney Stone.
What's Frustrating - Initially I was scheduled to see the Urologist on 26th April 2020 - that's like almost 2 months from now. I urged the Nurse to re-look at the schedule and I managed to squeeze in for an appointment @ 12th April 2010. WTH!
What's Bothering Me At The Moment - Could the Kidney Stone be a contributing factor to the High BP I've been facing thus far? Possibility is there...
What I Should Be Doing - Start taking supplements and medications to cure the 3 Main 'Blocks' in my body i.e. High BP, High Cholesterol Level & Kidney Stone.
Sunday - 7th March 2010
What's New - We went to Gelang Patah to 'pick up' our New Maid i.e. the one who would be replacing the ever-so-reliable Bibik Sumi once she leaves for Batam in early April. At the outset, the new maid a.k.a. Bibik Siti looked like a pleasant lady, albeit a bit talkative at times. I certainly hold no grudges against talkative maids but sometimes, I do believe one must know when to stop talking and when to ponder. Nonetheless, I was glad that she exceeded my personal expectations and thankful to God that she is quite religious and was ever so willing to teach Adam Al-Quran Recital.
What's News - Bibik Siti sat down with Aidee and I upon reaching our domain at Permas Jaya. We discussed the crucial points i.e. the salary, the stay, the scope of work, the do's and the dont's. I was kind of relieved to know that she can cook, she loves kids, she treated Adam well (at the outset) and she is happy with our financial and logistical arrangements... Glad, we sorted out a few things...
What I Didn't Realize - You will never realize someone's contributions until the day he or she is about to leave... :-)
What's News - Bibik Siti sat down with Aidee and I upon reaching our domain at Permas Jaya. We discussed the crucial points i.e. the salary, the stay, the scope of work, the do's and the dont's. I was kind of relieved to know that she can cook, she loves kids, she treated Adam well (at the outset) and she is happy with our financial and logistical arrangements... Glad, we sorted out a few things...
What I Didn't Realize - You will never realize someone's contributions until the day he or she is about to leave... :-)
Saturday - 6th March 2010
What's Exciting - Out of the blue, I suggested to Aidee & Adam that we should all go to Singapore for a quick ride and explore some new places we've never been to. Knowing what a wonderful idea it was, Aidee & Adam agreed without much hesitant. After all, when was the last time we crossed the causeway to Singapore? The Singapore Zoo Tour was probably our last visit... so, it was one refreshing opinion for a quick getaway on a Saturday...
What's Even Better - We actually had no specific place to go in Singapore, although Aidee actually did mention Clarke Quay... So, I decided to explore the East Coast area of Singapore i.e. a journey through the towns of Punggol and Pasir Ris... and seeing the Coastlines of Singapore made me wonder why on earth didn't the Johor State Government do something about Johor as a whole? Johor is a big state with massive land potential. Why was it not developed and planned properly? If Singapore can do it, why can't we? Don't tell me we don't have the money. That's utterly and stinkingly bull!!!
What's Memorable - The trip to Clarke Quay made all the difference. I was tired after a whole day of walking and exploring the roads of Singapore. But, Clarke Quay was indeed a treasure to behold. Something you can never find in Malaysia. How did the Singpore Government do it? Beats me... We, Malaysians ought to be ashamed of ourselves for not stepping up to the challenge and do something to compete with Singapore.
What I Should Be Doing More Often - Go for surprises... Don't just rely on routine chores and been-there-done-that stuffs... Do something silly... Explore 'strange, new worlds'... Be bold, be daring... Be different... Avoid the norms... yeah... AVOID THE NORMS...
What's Even Better - We actually had no specific place to go in Singapore, although Aidee actually did mention Clarke Quay... So, I decided to explore the East Coast area of Singapore i.e. a journey through the towns of Punggol and Pasir Ris... and seeing the Coastlines of Singapore made me wonder why on earth didn't the Johor State Government do something about Johor as a whole? Johor is a big state with massive land potential. Why was it not developed and planned properly? If Singapore can do it, why can't we? Don't tell me we don't have the money. That's utterly and stinkingly bull!!!
What's Memorable - The trip to Clarke Quay made all the difference. I was tired after a whole day of walking and exploring the roads of Singapore. But, Clarke Quay was indeed a treasure to behold. Something you can never find in Malaysia. How did the Singpore Government do it? Beats me... We, Malaysians ought to be ashamed of ourselves for not stepping up to the challenge and do something to compete with Singapore.
What I Should Be Doing More Often - Go for surprises... Don't just rely on routine chores and been-there-done-that stuffs... Do something silly... Explore 'strange, new worlds'... Be bold, be daring... Be different... Avoid the norms... yeah... AVOID THE NORMS...
Friday - 5th March 2010
What's Historic - A historic day for me, as I am now officially a High Blood Patient. I have been regularly checking my BP level for the past one week or so, and I don't see any signs of my diastolic pressure going down below 90. Not a good thing for a man who have yet to reach 34...
What's Bothering Me At The Moment - High Cholesterol Level, High BP, what else??? I am not too sure whether it is hereditary or due to my Dietary Intakes. Either or, I have to start taking medications and precautions, relax, exercise and try to look at life from a positive (and rainbow-filled) viewpoint... :-)
What I Should Be Doing Much More Than Ever - 'Berdoa' and 'Bermohon Kepada Tuhan' so that I would be cleared of all the symptoms affecting Hypertension. It is not such a good thing to keep on walking about on this earth trying to find remedies for your continuous health issues, and it is certainly demotivating at times to have a strange discomforting feeling in you that you would not know what to do with it any longer. And the struggle to fight against the 'discomforting' feeling continues to disturb you no matter how hard y ou try to ignore it... or am I actually repaying for all the wrong-doings I have been exposed to all these years... ???
What's Bothering Me At The Moment - High Cholesterol Level, High BP, what else??? I am not too sure whether it is hereditary or due to my Dietary Intakes. Either or, I have to start taking medications and precautions, relax, exercise and try to look at life from a positive (and rainbow-filled) viewpoint... :-)
What I Should Be Doing Much More Than Ever - 'Berdoa' and 'Bermohon Kepada Tuhan' so that I would be cleared of all the symptoms affecting Hypertension. It is not such a good thing to keep on walking about on this earth trying to find remedies for your continuous health issues, and it is certainly demotivating at times to have a strange discomforting feeling in you that you would not know what to do with it any longer. And the struggle to fight against the 'discomforting' feeling continues to disturb you no matter how hard y ou try to ignore it... or am I actually repaying for all the wrong-doings I have been exposed to all these years... ???
Thursday - 4th March 2010
What's Frustrating - I had to visit the Immigrations Department to quickly renew my Passport. I arrived rather early i.e. circa 8.00 am. To my surprise, gosh, what a long queue!!! Apparently, some things never changed. Whether you are in KL or in JB, the Immigrations Department have always been a 'popular' spot for Malaysians (and non-Malaysians alike). I was given a no. 134 (and imagine the long wait)...
What's Improved Tremendously - The last time I was at the Immigrations Department (and that was about 5 years ago), I had to wait for 3 days to get my passport done. This time around, I didn't have to wait that long anymore. The passport was ready within 2 hours. A tremendous improvement in service and efficieny (especially for a Government Agency in Malaysia). Now, I don't have to visit the Immigrations Department again... but wait! I still have to settle Bibik Sumi's termination matters... damn!
What's Great - With a new passport, I can sneak abroad to Singapore on weekends... hooray!
What I Should Be Doing - Plan for an 'unplanned' trip to Singapore... :-)
What's Improved Tremendously - The last time I was at the Immigrations Department (and that was about 5 years ago), I had to wait for 3 days to get my passport done. This time around, I didn't have to wait that long anymore. The passport was ready within 2 hours. A tremendous improvement in service and efficieny (especially for a Government Agency in Malaysia). Now, I don't have to visit the Immigrations Department again... but wait! I still have to settle Bibik Sumi's termination matters... damn!
What's Great - With a new passport, I can sneak abroad to Singapore on weekends... hooray!
What I Should Be Doing - Plan for an 'unplanned' trip to Singapore... :-)
Wednesday - 3rd March 2010
Stop Press - I am reminded of one particular song I wrote that was meant to be a Duet... entitled "Di Celah Langit"... (copyright: Aris Abdillah Mohamed Kamal)
P : Di depan ku ... ada hitam
Di mata ku … ada kelam
L : Di bahu ku … ada parut
Di sisi ku … ada kamu
P : Di dahi ku … ada sangsi
Di lidah ku … ada pasti
L : Di tangan ku … ada pandu
Di dada ku … ada kamu
Chorus 1: Kau memberi kekuatan
Kau membawa keyakinan
‘Tuk hadapi segalanya
Dengan hati penuh tabah
Chorus 2: Pandangan ku pandangan mu
Di celah langit bertemu
Kala hati sedang rintih
Mimpi yang datang menyisih
Chorus 3: Laut dan langit membiru
Di dasar cinta bersatu
Ku abadi dalam hati
Sentuhan terkunci mati
Senikata & Senilagu: Adam Mikael Aris
Susunan Muzik : Adam Mikael Aris
Recorded at Berkeley Park Studio, Kuala Lumpur
P : Di depan ku ... ada hitam
Di mata ku … ada kelam
L : Di bahu ku … ada parut
Di sisi ku … ada kamu
P : Di dahi ku … ada sangsi
Di lidah ku … ada pasti
L : Di tangan ku … ada pandu
Di dada ku … ada kamu
Chorus 1: Kau memberi kekuatan
Kau membawa keyakinan
‘Tuk hadapi segalanya
Dengan hati penuh tabah
Chorus 2: Pandangan ku pandangan mu
Di celah langit bertemu
Kala hati sedang rintih
Mimpi yang datang menyisih
Chorus 3: Laut dan langit membiru
Di dasar cinta bersatu
Ku abadi dalam hati
Sentuhan terkunci mati
Senikata & Senilagu: Adam Mikael Aris
Susunan Muzik : Adam Mikael Aris
Recorded at Berkeley Park Studio, Kuala Lumpur
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Tuesday - 2nd March 2010
What's Interesting - My visit to see Dr. Fauziah at Poliklinik Sarah was accompanied by Aidee for the first time. She took that opportunity to check her Blood Pressure as well as enquiring about some other things which she had wanted to ask a Doctor earlier but couldn't find the time. Alhamdulillah! My BP went down to 120/84. Aidee was even better - 96/60. We both realized that of all the things in the world, health remains a priority to us all...
What Came Up - A brief discussion with Bibik Sumi with regards to her contract termination and the other arrangements we had to make to accommodate her departure. Things are tougher and harder nowadays as the whole process of hiring a new maid could easily chalk up to almost one-months salary... purgghh!!!
What's Bothering Me At The Moment - For a while, I sat down and re-look at my Financial Encumbrances... almost everything in this world points towards a single nomenclature i.e. MONEY...
What I Should Be Doing - To source for other source of income that could at least bring some smiles back on our faces and reduce all our worries...
What Came Up - A brief discussion with Bibik Sumi with regards to her contract termination and the other arrangements we had to make to accommodate her departure. Things are tougher and harder nowadays as the whole process of hiring a new maid could easily chalk up to almost one-months salary... purgghh!!!
What's Bothering Me At The Moment - For a while, I sat down and re-look at my Financial Encumbrances... almost everything in this world points towards a single nomenclature i.e. MONEY...
What I Should Be Doing - To source for other source of income that could at least bring some smiles back on our faces and reduce all our worries...
Monday - 1st March 2010
What's Overwhelming - After sending Adam to Real Kids, Aidee and I rushed to SRK Taman Sri Tebrau to register our son for next year's Primary School Session. It struck me for a moment then that my son, Adam, will now be experiencing a whole new world of schooling once he steps foot onto a 'real' school. Fortunately enough for him, he has had some kindergarten exposure prior to the 'new era'... And how time really flies, as we looked back in retrospect at all the things that we've gone through as a young family trying to find a firm footing on the grounds, and struggling to work our way up on the steps of a successful life. I realized that in our continuous attempts to reach a certain plateau, we should always strive to persevere and never think of giving up. True enough, challenges will fall on our ways, probably giving much hindrances to our on-going effort. But that should not deter us from moving on with our lives... And one fine day, Adam will have to learn all that by himself... it's the cycle of life... :-)
What's Sickening - The processes and the procedures (i.e. the bureaucratic Red Tapes) we had to go through to get the School Registration fully complied. My wife had already called the school earlier and was notified of a few things to be prepared prior to Registration. Come the day, more things were needed e.g. wrong value of Stamps were informed, Pay Slips were required, and Employer's Stamp and Endorsements were needed before we could submit the Main Forms. Why didn't the school inform us all earlier when we called them up? Why wait until the very last moment to highlight to us all? Why all the unpleasant 'unnecessaries' and 'stupidities' appear to be coming from people who have been working with the Government Sector for ages? How the heck can Government Departments improve themselves if they continue to do such silly things after all this while? The Prime Minister and the Ministers can only do so much... what about the rest down the hierarchy? Sleeping? Too happy and contented?
What's 'Happiness' To My Soul - The boss was down with fever, and suspeted of being infected with the Dengue Fever. No feeling of empathy whatsoever, just a deliberate and delightful display of wicked contentment... :-)
What's Good - Johor Land called us up for a meeting, after a long silence. Hopefully, we could work something out for the year 2010.
What's In Store - For the month of March, apart from my Big Day at the end of the month, we will be looking forward to our Trip to Hanoi and settling some things with regards to hiring of a New Maid to replace Bibik Sumi. And March is also the month where all the Big Expenses will start to pile in - car repairs, car insurance renewal, holidays, new maid hire, Adam's Piano lessons... sigh!!!
What's Sickening - The processes and the procedures (i.e. the bureaucratic Red Tapes) we had to go through to get the School Registration fully complied. My wife had already called the school earlier and was notified of a few things to be prepared prior to Registration. Come the day, more things were needed e.g. wrong value of Stamps were informed, Pay Slips were required, and Employer's Stamp and Endorsements were needed before we could submit the Main Forms. Why didn't the school inform us all earlier when we called them up? Why wait until the very last moment to highlight to us all? Why all the unpleasant 'unnecessaries' and 'stupidities' appear to be coming from people who have been working with the Government Sector for ages? How the heck can Government Departments improve themselves if they continue to do such silly things after all this while? The Prime Minister and the Ministers can only do so much... what about the rest down the hierarchy? Sleeping? Too happy and contented?
What's 'Happiness' To My Soul - The boss was down with fever, and suspeted of being infected with the Dengue Fever. No feeling of empathy whatsoever, just a deliberate and delightful display of wicked contentment... :-)
What's Good - Johor Land called us up for a meeting, after a long silence. Hopefully, we could work something out for the year 2010.
What's In Store - For the month of March, apart from my Big Day at the end of the month, we will be looking forward to our Trip to Hanoi and settling some things with regards to hiring of a New Maid to replace Bibik Sumi. And March is also the month where all the Big Expenses will start to pile in - car repairs, car insurance renewal, holidays, new maid hire, Adam's Piano lessons... sigh!!!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Sunday, 28th February 2010
What's Interesting - Although I was not Golfing, I had managed to squeeze myself some time to join my Batch Members for an Annual Inter House Golf Tournament for MCKK Batch 89-93. There were 3 Flights overall and the usual suspects were Pogym, Rezany, Sule, Pron, Kude, Mile, Amhari, Jiggs, Mijoe, Qaiser, Mok Niza and Marul. A few people didn't turn up, hence Mohd Shah House (my Sports House) was not truly represented. By the end of the day, Sulaiman House emerged victorious, followed by Ahmad. And Qaiser bagged the highest point in a game determined via Stableford Point Scoring System. Mile and Pogym came in 2nd and 3rd respectively. All from sulaiman House... heishh!!!
What's Also Interesting - We had a good lunch as we rekindled bits of the past years' glories and naivities. I was also hoping to let bygones be bygones. We are all matured adults now, aren't we?
What's Surprising - Met Ridza and a few Iskandar Investment (IIB) chaps who were also Golfing that day. Had a quick drink with them and introduced myself accordingly. Ridza is no longer with IIB as he has now joined CD Communications as a Client Servicing Director.
What's Bothering Me (Tremendously) - While driving back from KL to JB, somewhere in Pagoh, i had a sudden bout of Chest Pains, never experienced before. Aidee had to take over the wheels and continued driving home towards JB. Once we've arrived in JB, we headed straight towards the Hospital Sultanah Aminah's Emergency Room, where normal ECG's and stuff were carried out. No cardiovascular abnormalities were recorded, but the Blood PRessure was alarming i.e. 143/95. I pray to God that my life won't be taken away so quickly, as I wish to see Adam growing up before me...
What I Should Be Doing - Find strength to be positive about things and look at ways to bring me back to the top of my health.
What's Also Interesting - We had a good lunch as we rekindled bits of the past years' glories and naivities. I was also hoping to let bygones be bygones. We are all matured adults now, aren't we?
What's Surprising - Met Ridza and a few Iskandar Investment (IIB) chaps who were also Golfing that day. Had a quick drink with them and introduced myself accordingly. Ridza is no longer with IIB as he has now joined CD Communications as a Client Servicing Director.
What's Bothering Me (Tremendously) - While driving back from KL to JB, somewhere in Pagoh, i had a sudden bout of Chest Pains, never experienced before. Aidee had to take over the wheels and continued driving home towards JB. Once we've arrived in JB, we headed straight towards the Hospital Sultanah Aminah's Emergency Room, where normal ECG's and stuff were carried out. No cardiovascular abnormalities were recorded, but the Blood PRessure was alarming i.e. 143/95. I pray to God that my life won't be taken away so quickly, as I wish to see Adam growing up before me...
What I Should Be Doing - Find strength to be positive about things and look at ways to bring me back to the top of my health.
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