nite ride: jln tun razak - titiwangsa

here's the reading for last night's ride:
ride: 17.3km
ave: 20kmh
max. speed: 35kmh
route - the forum (jalan tun razak) - taman tasik titiwangsa - the forum

not a long ride, just to see the functionality of my new meter.
:)

xs mini project - finished!

here's the finished project.
total 17 days. not too bad.

xs mini project - nearly finished

got my meter!

I've wanted one of those for years.
It's a bike meter. Or cyclocomputer, in bike geek lingo.
A Cateye Velo8, for rm58 from Zaidi aka mr.beskal thru BBS.
Apart from the cool appearance of having a digital gizmo on my cockpit, the real reason for it is to gauge how I'm doing on the bike.
Here's the functions that it boasts:
Current speed
Maximum speed
Average Speed
Trip distance
Odometer
Clock
Elapsed Time
Calorie Consumption

If you took the time to count, they are 8 functions altogether (hence the name Velo8... duhh!)

retracing the past

Through my yahoogroup, i received the article below.
On a personal level, i find it very true.
My posts starting around 12 months ago are about recollecting my past hobbies.
To name a few: cross-stitching, cycling and lego.
All those are hands-on hobbies - making something tangible out of my time.
And no, they do not give me stress - just simple pleasures. What hobbies are meant to be, in the first place.

As for this blog, I send posts for my kids and myself. I'm sure there'll be some use later in life.
__________________
It's knitting needles you want, not iPhones
As adults discover Facebook and Second Life, the cool kids are realizing that one reality is enough for anyone
By Rupert Steiner
Published: 18 November 2007
Britons might be the "social networking" champions of Europe but new research being used by some of the world's largest firms shows a backlash against Facebook and mobile phones in favour of what's being called "analogue living".

Young people, under pressure to communicate through so many media channels, still crave their gadgets, but also want some low-tech time out and one-dimensional products.

Pub chains have started re-installing black and white televisions; mobile telephone manufacturers are making handsets that just make phone calls; stressed-out executives are heading to craft fairs, and adult spelling-bee events have become big business in America.

Firms such as Procter & Gamble, Virgin, Nike and Diageo are being told the future is in back-to-basics designs, simplified packaging and linking up with events that used to be totally "uncool".

The findings come in D-Code, an annual study produced by Henley Centre Headlight Vision (HCHV), a strategic consultancy owned by the advertising giant WPP, which tracks youth culture. Due out at the end of November, the study is considered the manual for future trends. It forms the basis for brand campaigns and new product launches at leading multinationals.

HCHV's chairman, Crawford Hollingworth, says this year's findings were unexpected: "Young people's circuits are overloaded. They can't keep on top of their email, surf their Facebook, handle their Second Life avatar and upload their Flickr. They find all this technology that is designed to connect them is in fact disconnecting them. They are actually in multimedia meltdown."

The result is a knee-jerk reaction towards the less sophisticated, as young people seek temporary salvation from the cutting edge. They are being driven to activities reminiscent of their childhood and more familiar with their parents' generation. Out goes MySpace, PS2s and iPhones, and in comes knitting clubs, craft fairs and cloud appreciation societies.

London's Notting Hill Arts Club hosts a weekly craft night where young people congregate to drink tea, listen to music and knit together. They find creating something tangible and the sense of nostalgia relaxing.

Others are shunning eBay for some low-tech trading in second-hand garments, swapping unwanted clothes on the dance floor of a London nightclub. At the sound of a klaxon, party-goers at the monthly Swap-A-Rama Razzmatazz night at Favela Chic in London's Shoreditch place something they are wearing on a washing line strung across the dance floor.

They then put on an item left by someone else, and end the evening leaving in an entirely different outfit. The trick is not to start the night wearing your finest from Prada.

"This is a backlash to auction sites on the web," explains Liz Chernett, co-editor of D-Code. "It is a playful way to get rid of unwanted clothes – everyone has clothes in perfect condition they never wear. People live in such fast-paced, stressed lifestyles, with fixed definitions of success and an expectation to succeed.

"There is this need to have a counterbalance to stress and anxiety, and this is an antidote to new tech and new media. Young people are looking at the pastimes from their youth when they didn't live with the same pressures and responsibility."

And they are not the only ones benefiting from the trend – big business is cashing in with analogue products and campaigns aimed at connecting with the back-to-basics consumer.

Absolut Vodka recently launched a television commercial featuring hundreds of protesters in a stand-off with heavily armoured police. When one of the rioters hurled a cushion over the police line, the crowd erupted into a pillow fight on a scale of children's dreams all to promote the drinks company's "In an Absolut World" campaign.

There has also been a rash of print advertisements that involve Blue Peter-style do-it-yourself activities. Sports giant Puma promoted its new Train Away clothing and trainers kit with an advertisement comprising perforations that when separated made hundreds of tiny numbered cards. Put together in order, these formed a flip book that gave the illusion of a runner in Puma gear. This marketing approach was aimed at engaging with the consumer.

But it is not just commercials – the theme has even migrated to do-it-yourself products. Trendy footwear maker F-Troupe created a limited-edition assemble-your-own moccasin.

"Some of the world's biggest brands are tapping into this," says Ms Chernett. "Others are bringing out products with retro design and packaging with a low-tech look. But this is not a fight against technology – youths want to be at the leading edge, but they also need a time for back to basics, where analogue living provides some respite."

The trend is not limited to Britain. Americans have taken the shift to another extreme. In New York there is a cloud appreciation society where groups of adults get together and lie in a park looking at clouds and discussing the different shapes.

In Canada, the Retro Brewing Company has differentiated itself by adopting 1950s styling. Beer is delivered in an old school milk truck and the in-house bar is fitted with a black and white television.

In previous D-Codes, companies were told to associate their products with crime or criminals. This was because public attitudes towards immoral behaviour had softened so much that poster campaigns based around figures such as the Krays gave a product "criminal kudos".

This year's report is more about times gone past, and the only criminality firms will need to embrace is to steal some ideas from yesteryear.

xs mini project - sequence

riding: road and off-road

i bought a bicycle in august. a mountain bike (or mtb). since then I’ve been riding the bike on KL streets every now and then. generally the streets are always with vehicles all the time. It’s just that the timing has to be right to ride safely.

i do take precautions for a safe night ride - front and rear flashers, helmet, long sleeve shirt with reflectors, side reflectors (on the wheel spokes). usually I’d go pedalling after 11pm. the streets are not as busy, the surroundings are quiet, and the air is cool sans dust and smoke.

one time during ramadhan after sahur i rode to jalan raja chulan, took a turn at menara kl and straight to jalan ampang via jalan p. ramlee. From jalan ampang i went home in jalan inai through jalan tun razak, jalan bukit bintang and jalan delima. one thing i hate the most: dogs. They’ll bark at me like mad.

my road rides are not that far. usually I’d take around 1 to 1½ hour each trip to and fro. from Jalan Inai, so far i had gotten to jalan raja chulan (near the weld), jalan sultan ismail, jalan bukit bintang, jalan pinang, jalan p. ramlee, jalan conlay, jalan stonor, jalan kia peng, jalan tun razak (and continue to jalan semarak). once i took jalan semarak right to the end (pulapol). turned out that it led to jalan ayer panas. man... that’s already setapak. the next road ride would be to taman tasik titiwangsa insyaAllah. I’d love to ride to sentul west area someday. and revisit jalan strachan. it would be best if it is during the day - perhaps during a public holiday that falls on a tuesday, wednesday or thursday.

i don’t know if i could do it, but I’ve had ridden a few times from jalan strachan to kampung pandan (nearby tesco ampang). those trips were back when i was young - 15 or so. i used to live in jalan strachan. i made the trips to kg pandan to learn play the guitar with my cousin. or just for the challenge of riding far. Here’s my route to kg. pandan: jalan strachan - jalan ipoh - turn at plaza pekeliling towards jalan tun razak - bulatan kampung pandan - jalan kampung pandan - kampung pandan (lorong C9). those trips were using a road bike (or we call it ‘racing’ bicycle) – a gift from ayah for my SRP results - pearl white Raleigh Rapide with 21 gears.

yesterday (public holiday - deepavali), i went off-road riding with Zulhisham (of Technip KL) and Shah Rafzee (the guy whom i bought my mtb from). we went to forest research institute of malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong. all my life, I’ve been there only once (and i can’t remember how i got there). yesterday was the second time. i enjoyed the ride. and the challenges that the trail offers. it has been quite a while since i last breath fresh air in the woods. riding in tranquility.

the weather was excellent. it was raining earlier in the morning. by the time we were in frim, it was all ok. the sky’s bright, with overcast - not hot and not humid, but breezy. The trail was damp. i had fun riding on the trail. we took the challenge of riding up a hill. Not steep, but long. soon after, came the reward: downhill riding. for this, brakes and poise need to be balanced. my rear tire skidded many times, but still in control. i really enjoyed the adrenaline rush. alhamdulillah, we came off safely.

for the next trip to frim, I’ll need better tires to grip the slippery trail - to steadily scale uphill and rush safely downhill. not bad for my first off-road riding. loved it! looking forward for the next one.

cross-stitch mini project

Masitah's wedding is approaching - well, in a few weeks' time, that is.

I have always had this 'i-don't-know-what-to-get-for-a-wedding-present' situation - and I hate it very much.
Well, I gather that she loves cross-stitch. And I have always wanted to do a project on an evenweave cloth.

And so, I started re-doing my finished project - one of the four cottages for Naza. I figure that it would be perfect: a 'home' theme for a wedding gift, in cross-stitch, on evenweave.

The size is just perfect for the Ikea glass & clip frame that I still have, stashed in a bag gathering dust on top of the bedroom cupboard.

Thus, the stitching began...

recycling has its perks - eventually

many months ago naza bought three big laundry baskets and labeled
(laminated) them:
plastic
paper
metal

from time to time, the household fill the baskets with wastes from our
everyday consumption.
papers - mostly newspapers and supermarket promotional booklets.
plastics - empty bottles and packaging/wrappers.

my job: to empty those baskets periodically.
destination: recycle bins at jusco permas jaya.

i know that what we are doing are relatively small scale towards greener
earth.
in any way, we know that we are saving quite a lot of energy than it would
take to produce our everyday things.
we are not that enterprising when it comes to dealing with recyclable
materials.
we did a few times at giant plentong - they issue coupons redeemable at
their supermarket. not that much, though.
well, i'd like to think of recycling as a charity. plus, doing it without
much hassle: unload, dump, and go off.

i went to jusco permas jaya friday afternoon before friday prayers, a day
before hari raya eidil fitri.
that's the only place i know where big recycle bins are provided. plus it
is on my way to run other errands.

the 'papers' bin is quite full, but not yet to its brim.
to my surprise, there are valuable papers in the bin.
no, not those banknotes (although it would be a nice treat especially on
the eve of eidil fitri).
they are in the form of books. and magazines.
lots of them. self-help books, national geographic magazines, and men's
health magazines.
without hesitation, i took those books. many of them. i ran through the
NGs, and many of them are already in my collection.
i took only 2 of them - one of them with a special report where Steve
McCurry found his subject after many years of searching - the Afghan Girl.
the books, among others:
kiyosaki: retire young, retire rich
don't sweat the small stuff for men
rowling: harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban
carnegie: how to stop worrying and start living
fish! tales
there's another by carnegie, one by dickens, and a few others.
i'd say total retail value worth easily more than RM250.
much, much better than measly coupons at giant (no, not saying that
recycling at giant is not good).
and the value of knowledge: who can put the price on it?

i didn't have the luxury of time (plus don't want to be a dumpster diver)
that afternoon.
so, i just grabbed only a few. there's a lot more in there.
sitting here typing this away, my mind went back to that bin thinking of
the other mags and books left in there.
i hope somebody else who appreciates good reading materials got his hands
on them.
and to the person who left (dump) the valuable papers in the bin: i don't
know what to say.
i have mixed feelings. happy, for i've found books that i wanted/wished to
buy.
regret, for those books and mags can be donated to institutions who needs
them.
they can always be left in a big box in front of a library entrance, or a
school.
slap on the box a label that says 'please take good care of them'.
much like harry potter was left in front of the door in a basket by his
parents.
perhaps he was in a hurry, or didn't know where to dump them, or tired from
packing things for moving away to some other place.
from the genre of those reading materials, and the fact that those are in a
recycled bin (not in just any dumpster bin), i know he's a learned person.
and must have a good reason why those books and mags end up there.
anyway, whoever it was, i would like to say 'thank you very much'.

petrosains @ klcc

If you love science in general, and especially petroleum-related science -
have a visit to Petrosains.
The entrance is on the 4th floor of Petronas Twin Tower in KLCC.
For the exhibits (many state of the art), the entrance fee is reasonable
(as the usual case - if it's free, you won't appreciate it that much).
I paid RM24 for 2 adults and 2 kids package (not sure what's the normal fee
- but with the package, kids get in free, sort of)

Largely it is about science related to petroleum. many are hands-on, which
brings appeal to the young ones.
from the formation of hydrocarbon, to drilling, to processing, to
transporting, to refining, to the end product.
there's a drilling platform, right after you step right out of the
helicopter simulator (Marsya thought it was real). among many others, the
platform bears life-sized replica of the xmas tree, lifeboat, cabin, galley
(kitchen), surau, drilling activities, separator vessel (smaller scale),
pipings with valves and fittings, pig launcher/receiver (not that obvious),
riser (with the 5D bends for pig to negotiate).
there's also a hands-on LED sim of petroleum refinery station.

well, you have to have a visit yourself. understand better about the role
of petroleum in modern life.
highly recommended.

oh, and be prepared with strong legs and full tummy. we took more than 3
hours to finish all the exhibits. plus a mini exhibit 'space' - in
conjunction with the recent and ongoing angkasawan program.

building blocks

Adam's birthday is on the 21st September.
for this year, i gave him a 'lego' present, in the shape of a bulldozer -
like 'bob the builder', he said.
it was not the actual expensive original blocks from Lego of Denmark.
rather, it was inexpensive copycat blocks from Ligao of China (where
else?).
i bought it from a stall in tesco ampang for rm8 - real cheap.
the quality of the pieces? on the good side. snaps quite tight as you'd
expect from the original lego.
the plastic parts are without burrs on the edges - really, really important
for blocks.
of course, the models are limited, but perfect for a novice.
one setback is that the roof of the bulldozer comes out quite easily.
i suppose it is the poor 'construction' design of the model. not related to
the block pieces.

legos are my favourite when I was growing up.
my brother and I had a few models in our collection.
It was very expensive, back then (even now, still).
one of my distant cousins went to london furthering his studies when i was
in the primary school.
when asked what kind of souvenirs we would like from london, we asked him
to buy us legos.
my father went to korea for one of his training stints with ktm. he brought
back 'kawada' - much like legos.
when i did my degree in manchester, i bought a lego technic set (big one)
at a flea market - for 5 quids - very cheap! (retailed at rm200++ in
m'sia).
was overjoyed with it, but my mates couldn't understand why.
too bad, i didn't have the opportunity (rather, the drive) to go to
legoland in windsor.

the special thing about lego is that it shaped my thinking and creativity.
i could also very well agree that it also influenced my character.
legos are only pieces of plastics. it is the thinking, creativity, and
vision that makes up the models.
in the lego instruction booklet, you can learn to make a few different
models out of the supplied pieces in the box.
it is flexible in nature - the message is that things are not limited, and
you may explore to make different things.
i learnt to make out things out of only the pieces that i have in hand.
if you've seen the movie Apollo 13, there's a situation where the engineers
in houston have to figure out to make something out of available limited
resources to help bring back stranded astronauts in space.
that's problem solving with use of creativity - helped me in countless
occasion.
perhaps because of lego, i go for things that have multiple usage, although
not necessarily 'all-in-one'.
i'm sort of 'kill two birds with one stone' kind of guy.

Adam and I enjoyed the 2 hours following the instructions in the booklet
and the bulldozer came out just nice.
He's very happy with it, and i'm happy to know that he can do it very well.
just that he hasn't got the grip yet on snapping the pieces together.
within those 2 hours, i learnt quite a few traits of my 5 year old boy.
he's attentive to details (even i missed out on them).
he does things neatly.
he can judge quite well.
i love his determination and perseverence. he didn't give up when it is
difficult.
sometimes i felt like doing it for him, to make it finish faster, but i
learnt that being patient has its rewards.
he needs time, and my confidence in him.
i think i'll get a few more for him and his sister Marsya.
and i hope they'll enjoy the adventures with those blocks.

polygon xtrada

This is my mtb.
An imported 24-speed Polygon Xtrada. It's imported from Indonesia, that is. Bought it secondhand from a friend's friend for a few hundred. Would cost me RM900+ brand new. For now, I'm not ready to fork out that kind of money. Well, I don't have that much, anyway... :)

So far, it's been a good purchase. Although there's a little annoying sound coming from the crankset. I suspect that the crank is a bit hammered. Anyway, for the sum I paid, there's nothing much to complain, really.

Well, here's the spec:
Frame: Aluminium 6061
Fork: Polygon
Handlebar & Stem: Polygon
Headset: Ritchey
Grips: Tioga (upgrade)
Saddle: Selle Royal Energy
Seatpost: Polygon Alloy
Drivetrain: SR Suntour Crank, Shimano C050 FD, Altus RD
Controls: Shimano Brake + Shifter combo
Brakes: Front - Tektro IO Mech Disc, Rear - Tektro V-Brake
Wheelset: Araya rims, Shimano hubs, Kenda Kwick 26/1.95 tires

Layang-layang in Pasir Gudang

I promised Marsya to play kite, and so last Saturday we went to Bukit
Layang Layang in Pasir Gudang.
I had bought a RM6.00 kite like a month ago, with the string and a spool.
Total: RM10.

At 10.30am it was quite windy at BLL, it made us forget that the sun is
baking our skin.
A few tries were not successful, but soon after (well, about 20 minutes
trying) we managed to fly the kite quite high.
I think it was the highest I had flown a kite in my entire life.
Marsya & Adam enjoyed the outing. We had the entire BLL all to ourself and
another professional guy with his manouverable kite.
The kids had their turn holding the spool and I helped them fly the kite.
Alhamdulillah it was windy and the day was bright.
Too bad, we forgot to bring along the camera.

We went into Muzium Layang-layang an hour later. Entrance fee is dirt
cheap. RM2 for adults, RM1 for children.
There's a collection of beautifully crafted traditional Malay waus, as well
as kites from all over the world, especially in the Asian region - most
notably from Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia.
Also in the collection are huge nylon shell kites.
What I like most is that there are info on how to make the traditional
kites - wau. from the basic - getting the material, right to the finish.
there are also technical info on how to fly kites.
There's also an area for a wau maker to demonstrate how the intricate
details of making the beatiful wau is done. The guy was not there, though.

A video presentation is always shown on the top most level of the museum.
Mostly showcasing the previous Pesta Layang-layang.
In the video, there was this stunt kite demo from 5-man Perlis team. It's
awesome!
Like watching the Red Arrows minus their engines and coloured smoke).

An annual event, Pasir Gudang International Kite Festival is held during
February, drawing participants from around the globe.
There are corporate kite flying contest, international contest, and many
other categories.
Also, there are exhibition shows like the stunt kite.
Being there and watching colourful kites of many shapes and sizes is simply
breathtaking.

I rate the museum 4 stars both for the info and its collection. If you do
live around Pasir Gudang, do at least get in there to learn something about
our heritage.
If you're from elsewhere, I invite you to the annual Kite festival in
February. It will be worthwhile.

I'm looking forward for our next kite outing. And we'll be prepared with
sunblocks, caps and sunglasses insyaAllah.
On, and the camera too.

musical friday, jalan strachan and short of cash

I went with Tamyiz to KL PAC for the KL Sing Song on Friday 20th July.
There were two parts, separated by an intermission.

Mesmerized by the performances, I grabbed a couple of CDs on sale at the counter during the break. One from Mei Chern, and another from Reza Salleh. Well, Reza was yet to perform on the 2nd part, but I'm convinced that he's good. Indeed, he is.

The organizer planned the performance sequence quite well. Saving the very best for last. Too bad, I didn't have any more cash to buy Mia Palencia's single CD 'Sayang'.
Well, sayang sekali....

The show ended around 11.00pm. Tamyiz let me drive the car, and so we cruised along the colonial buildings around KL PAC area. They were painted with memories of my childhood. A lot have changed, though. The memories remain, vividly. There used to be an oval field in front of an office building. I used to play football with my friends there, although it is not a playable field -
its existence was pretty much for creating a green landscape. Imagine playing football on a golf course - pretty much like that.

There were numerous KTMB office buildings at the end of Jalan Strachan - I used to play skateboard with Mike over there, and rode our bicycles around the buildings. Heck, we also did have a '100 meter' dash around the oval field. Complete with relay runs with batons. There were also hide and seek, and police and thieves, and tag - on bicycles.

Jalan Strachan used to be lined with KTMB quarters. I used to live at No 40 Jalan Strachan. Kids used to play everything along and on that road. BMX freestyle, tag, tennis, badminton, skateboard, roller skate, football, relay runs, marathons, bicycle race, police & thieves, kites, slippers & cards, rounders, chop (where you aim a running target - your friend - and shoot him with the tennis ball). It was not that busy, except during the morning, lunchtime and evening. It was the main road KTMB workers used to get to their offices and workshops, and go back home. It was a peaceful area, with lots of trees and many neighbours.

Now that most of the houses are brought down, the long stretch of road seems short. I couldn't locate the tree in front of my former dwelling. Thankfully, they still preserve the big trees lining the road. I hope that big old tree that provided shade for our house is still there.

Perhaps one day I could stroll along Jalan Strachan, and soak in the memories of my adolescence. Personally, I learnt how to ride a bicycle on Jalan Strachan. I had a fight with Devan on Jalan Strachan. We go to our neighbours houses during festives along Jalan Strachan. And I lost a cat on Jalan Strachan. I grew up with my friends on Jalan Strachan.

That night, as soon as we turned into Jalan Ipoh, and my memories of Jalan Strachan left something for me to smile, my stomach grumbled. Tamyiz and I were famish. We wandered to find a place to eat, and eventually brought us to an eatery in Gombak (yes, we wandered very far...). The food was quite good, and that is not because we were hungry and could eat anything.
It was a little bit after midnight, when the unthinkable happened. We were simply short of cash. Well, 3 ringgit short for our meals. I stayed at the eatery while Tamyiz went off to find an ATM to withdraw some cash.

Before going to the show, Tamyiz was from Shah Alam to fetch his car from his sister, and thought that he would withdraw cash on the way to KL PAC. As for me, I had some cash enough to pay for my ticket and dinner, and left much of my cash at home. Well, it was past midnight, and it didn't occur to us that all the ATMs are out of service.

Tamyiz drove to Setapak, even as far as Jalan TAR to look for an ATM that would churn cash. To no avail, he went back to Forum to get the cash. I was at the eatery in Gombak, until they are closing up. I went to the counter and paid for the meals, asking for an IOU of RM3 to be paid later ASAP. The man said ok, and they are closed for the day.
Damn.
If I had used my charm earlier, I wouldn't end up stranded here in Gombak.

I waited for another 15 minutes, and Tamyiz finally arrived - with the'hard earned' 3 ringgit. Lesson learnt - pride could make you suffer, while other people aren't that interested in your pride, anyway. If you want to keep your pride (stupid ego) still, be well prepared, and have lots of cash to back it up!
;)

There you go.

For the record, Tamyiz went to the eatery the next day for lunch - and paid the 3 ringgit.

eventful weekend

Last Friday (20 July), i had a chat with Alwie during breakfast in the
office pantry.
I gave a remark, asking if he had been to Dewan Filharmonik Petronas. He
was mildly surprised as to how I knew that he's been there.
Well, it was rather obvious, as he has his beverage in a mug that says
'Dewan Filharmonik Petronas'.
He is actually a subscriber of DFP. So, he frequented the hall.
It came to my knowledge that depending on the performances, the ticket
price is not that expensive. It could start from RM10.
For international series, that would be pricey. Starts around RM50.
Well, Alwie said I'm not the only who has that perception. Most people
think that events and happenings in DFP are expensive.
It is already end of July, and the season is coming to its end. The new
season will start in August.
I tried to look for more info on the net. Unfortunately, their site
requires latest Flash player, and the pc in library is not updated. And I
would need admin privilige to be able to install the latest player.

But, there's a silver lining.
I found another happening at KL Performing Arts Center (KL PAC).
Only for Friday and Saturday, they're hosting KL Sing Song 2007. Showcasing
Malaysian singer songwriters.
Live performance in acoustic setting (see http://troubadourskl.blogspot.com
, or search in www.klpac.com.my)
8.30pm, RM25 free seating. Well that's great, provided I could confide
someone with a car to go with me.
And someone who loves music.

[ Musical Friday ]
I have long lamented about how 'artistes' in Malaysia are not really
artistes.
They would only sing songs penned by famous writers, and would be
considered 'wow' if they could pen the lyrics.
An achievement if they could include a self-written song or two in their
upcoming fourth album (fourth being arbitrary number - those artistes in
Malaysia learn to be an artiste while making few albums).
Then they would learn how to play musical instruments. Master the English
language, as well.
I often compare them with musicians from the States. Billy Joel, Gary
Moore, Axl Rose (of G N' R), Diana Krall, Eminem, Alanis Morrissette,
Counting Crows, and many more to mention.
These guys are good and accepted because of who they are. They write the
music and lyrics about what they feel, and their ideologies.
And people love them. Their personality, and their stories.
In Malaysia, singers sing for the demand of listeners. If this year they
think dangdut is in, they'll sing dangdut.
Switch to R&B for the next album if the chart shows the demographic demand
has switched (and/or if the money is in certain genre).
Anyway, it is not quite a fair comparison. US music market is second to
none, for they have millions of listeners for any genre that their artistes
wish to explore. They could always have their share of audiences.

Strictly musical, I found it refreshing to know that we have talented
musicians in our land.
I have a certain degree of respect for them because of their talent, weaved
with their own personalities, expressed in their own style of musical art.
And they master it very well.

So, I went to KL PAC at Jalan Strachan last Friday night for the show.
It served two things for me.
One, to savour the live acoustic performance by talented Malaysian true
artistes.
Two, to go back and see what Jalan Strachan is like after all these years.
Down the memory lane. The memory of Jalan Strachan (more of this, later).
Well, I could say I killed two birds with one stone.

There were 5 solos and 1 duo that night, over 2 parts.
First was Mili'z (singer & keyboard duo), Jerome Kugan and Mei Chern
(www.myspace.com/meichern).
Mei Chern's sultry rendering is particularly pleasing to my ears, reminisce
of Lisa Loeb. Plus her stringing on the guitar is excellent.
After the intermission, the second part featured Reza Salleh
(www.myspace.com/rezasalleh), Melinda William and Mia Palencia.
Reza's relaxed but complex stringing, with his soulful voice was very
entertaining. Mia's jazzy voice and excellent guitar playing was the top of
the night.
Truly, RM25 was well worth it. Oh, and another RM9 for Mei Chern's 3 songs
CD, RM10 for Reza's 6 songs EP. Well, the live performances are better.
If Friday's were that good, I'm pretty sure that Saturday's show would be
better. It features Pete Teo, and I'd like to know how the other 5 would
fare - Meor, Tan Sei Hon, Estrella, Shanon Shah & Azmyl Yunor.
Too bad, I couldn't go for Saturday's show. Was in JB by then.

[ Futsal on Saturday ]
Saturday morning, I took part in Technip Futsal Tournament 2007.
Sports Planet in Ampang. Played for Mechanical Engineering Department team.
That morning, only 6/8 of us were there, and we went on playing for the
group matches.
First game against Instrumentation B team, we lost 0-1.
Second game against Free Stars, we were reduced to only 5 as one of the
players need to go back to attend to his ill wife.
We forged on, and lost 1-3. Half the time we played with 4 men. One pulled
out due to injury.
2 more matches to go, we decided to pull out of the tourney. It would be
too taxing for the 4 of us left.
Personally, I think that's enough for my teamwork. At least I was there,
and to my own satisfaction, I scored Mech's only goal in the tourney this
year.
Well, at least....

I took the 3.30pm bus from Puduraya to JB. The PLUS highway was smooth, and
reach Larkin at 8pm.
Three reasons for getting back to JB even only for a short while - a little
more that 24 hours:
1. to see my family
2. to attend Naza's cousin (Bud) wedding on Sunday
3. to collect my claim cheque from Rawani

Naza, mak and the kids fetch me that night. Oh, how wonderful it was when
the kids are happy to see me. Felt like a superdad.
Sent mak to Mummy's (Bud's mom) place for her to 'rewang' while the 4 of us
went for our family dinner at an eatery nearby.
11 pm and we were back in Plentong.

We went for the wedding on Sunday, and I collected my cheque in the
evening.

It was a rainy Sunday, and it poured throughout the evening until night. To
my surprise, my bathroom ceiling was trickling with water.
the floor is flooded. Luckily, it was flooding the bathroom (wet, anyway),
and a bit of outside the bathroom area.
It could be from either leaking roof, or overflowing tank.
Bought a tochlight at giant (and went for a haircut with Adam), climbed up
the ceiling, and discovered the cause of it.
It was the tank PVC piping - the glue holding the tee gave away and the
pipe disconnected.
Quick solution - connected back the pipe to the tee.
Picture paints a thousand words. So, took few photos of the leakage and
printed them.
Mak could use them to explain to Mr. Foo (renovator contractor) on Monday
for repair.

10.30pm and raced down to Larkin bus station. Reached just in time for my
bus to Puduraya.
Well, it was an eventful weekend, and I feel exhausted.

PIBG (PTA) AGM 2007

Naza and I attended Marsya's school's PIBG annual general meeting end of
last month.
Well, it's the first for us.
I have forgotten how it was, PIBG meetings.
The meeitng proper started only at 11am. after a bruch. and before that, a
parade of performances from the school pupils and award presentation.
Marsya took part in the fashion show segment. I was quite reluctant with
it, but it was okay for year 1. Actually, I'd rather her to be involved in
music/orchestra/choir if she really needed (and want) to participate.

Guest of honor: Dato' Nur Jazlan Mohamad. he's the parliamentary member for
Kulai, and a chartered accountant (apparently in the dewan rakyat, there
are only 2 members who are chartered accountants). His father is the late
Tok Mat (Tan Sri Mohamad Rahmat), and the mother used to be a teacher in
that very school.

Sekolah Kebangsaan Infant Jesus Convent Johor Bahru (SKIJC) is Malaysia's
NUMBER ONE school for last year.
and this was evident with the long line of award recipients for 5As UPSR
achievers. 62 of them. i remembered my school having 10 or so students
scoring straight As during our Peperiksaan Penilaian Darjah Lima. Well done
to the students, and here's praying for more achievements for the school.

SKIJC herself is selected as a Cluster School (there's another one school
in Johor. By that, it is quite a privilege to be a part of the school.
And, hard work for the pupils, teachers, and parents. Moving forward: to be
a Gemilang School by 2009. Whatever that means, I have to find out.

Oh, and for the newly elected committee, they're good with relevant
backgrounds.
Together we work towards a Gemilang School.

The Prisoner of Zenda

We went for a school play in Naza's school.
To be honest, i've never watched a school play, and it is quite
interesting.
Naza bought tickets for all four of us - RM15 each. It's a bit expensive
for 7 and 5 year olds. But hey, it's for charity.
The play was an adaptation of a classic literature - The Prisoner of Zenda.
I had never read the book, so it is quite interesting to find out what the
story is all about, through a play.

The cast are entirely girls, so they have to put on costumes and make-ups
for male characters. and the costumes, they are nice and perfect. although,
i am quite reserved about young girls wearing barebacks and low necks. Naza
mentioned that they got those cinderella dresses and male suits from bridal
boutique. how befitting.

I enjoyed the play, and at times it felt quite touching and mesmerizing. i
felt the regret of not taking Naza to a play or panto while in Manchester
(and London West End).
Apparently the play is quite different from the plots in the novel. And it
was not actually about the prisoner in the place called Zenda in Ruritania.
More of the story of a doppelganger taking over the role of the king of
Ruritania, and going through a series of misfortunes. and the real king is
hidden in a prison in Zenda. and kept hidden in the play. so, for me, the
title is misleading.
Alas, it was quite a good experience. Perhaps i'll get to go to a play in
Istana Budaya while in KL one of these days.

KL International Book Fair 2007

Okay, this entry is waaay too late.
Anyway, this is my personal account/view/etc on KL International Book Fair
2007.
I spent quite a lot of time and visited most of the booths in all of the
exhibition halls.
10 hours, to be exact. whew!!

The whole event was held from 27th April through 6th May 2007.
Went there on Wednesday 6th May.
There were 4 exhibition halls, plus booths in the concourse area.
I went in at 10am and out at 8pm. Phew! body ached - legs tired and
shoulders bruised from my heavy backpack.

Took rapidkl B114 bus from The Forum at Jalan Tun Razak to Titiwangsa bus
station. PWTC is just a short walk from there.
I remember walking from Sentul (Jalan Ipoh) to PWTC to go to the book fair
when I was 13. Just so I could save a few cents to buy books.

So, went into PWTC, and started with the concourse area. I spent quite some
time in Truewealth booth. There were Azizi Ali's books, reports, and some
other stuff.
Went further in and there were (among others) booths for Arkib Negara,
Balai Seni Lukis Negara, and Perpustakaan Negara.
I registered as a member of the national library (Perpustakaan Negara) -
it's free, and convenient. They don't issue out any membership card.
Your amazing MyKad does the job (if you're registered, of course).
While I was filling my membeship form, I met a P Ramlee fan who was looking
for song manuscripts.
He found what he had been looking for quite a long time now - complete
manuscripts of P Ramlee's songs from Arkib Negara booth.
So happy he was, he sang for us a verse from one of the songs. Good voice,
too.
Oh, and later on i went back to Truewealth and bought Azizi Ali's
'Millionaires Are From A Different Planet!'.

I found Dr. Fadilah Kamsah's book (RRP RM19.90) sold at RM15 after
discount. elsewhere being sold at RM18.50.
Good bargain if you're willing to tire your legs walking around in and
between all the halls.
And that being said, i wonder if people could really strike it rich being a
writer in M'sia. RRP 19.90!! Anyway, good for us, local books are cheap.

there was a copy of Playboy magazine being displayed. no kidding!
well, displayed as 'banned publications' section in one of the govt
agency's booth. can't recall which one - Jabatan Keselamatan Dalam Negeri
or Kementerian Dalam Negeri.
also on their display is the 1962 edition of Napoleon Hill's 'Think and
Grow Rich'. There's a writing in the book about Prophet Muhammad SAW which
is not entirely okay with the govt (and Islamic scholars).
Later on i found that very book being sold (cheap) in another hall
upstairs. duhh!!
there were also printed Al-Qur'an which do not have the permits to be
distributed. It could be because of any of these:
errors in printing, usage of unislamic materials for the binding of the
Qur'an, etc.
The lady behind the counter also told me that only ONE digital Qur'an has
been approved so far (as at 6th May).

I found another book by local publisher (Ameen) and writers. They're cute,
and quite good contents. I bought one by Salmiah Ahmad - '101 Malaysian
Stories'.
Well, she was there and she signed my book. That's the other reason why i
bought that book. See, if you're there, it would add value to your
products.
There was another book by them - about the world according to a cat's view.
Cute, and enlightening. Didn't buy it - not in my budget (and the writer's
not there to give me an autograph...).

There was a booth showcasing M'sian made comic. they held a panto that
evening down at the lobby stage. I would say that the quality of the story,
illustration, artwork, and right down to the material (paper) is on par (if
not better) with those in the international market. and that's just where
they're aiming at - going international. They have live comic illustration
sessions. things like these gave me inspiration and ideas when i was
growing up.

When i was in my secondary school (13-15y.o.), i frequented the book fairs
around kl.
a must visit is to the Creative Enterprise Sdn. Bhd . (CESB) booth. They're
the ones who publishes Gila-Gila and a host of malay novels and satires.
What's special about their booth is that the cartoonist would be there and
ever so happy to give out autographs for you. Their autos are special, as
they include their famous cartoon characters from GG, and your name too.
heck, if they're in a very good mood, they could do a live sketch of your
caricature - all for free. I had lots of Ujang's, Rejabhad (Allahyarham),
Long, and a few others. I wonder now where i keep my autos...
It has been years since i last visited their booth (and the book fair in
kl). They've grown big (altho GG is not that hot anymore nowadays). too
bad, i missed Jaafar Taib doing his live painting. The easel was there,
with a painting done halfway. If you've seen his paintings (oil),
particularly the bird series, they are absolutely awesome with the amazing
details painstakingly rendered.

Karangkraf conquered a whole big hall for themselves. here i see a lot of
people buying (guess what) Malay novels. Datuk Syarifah Mazlina was there
to give out autographs and taking pictures with you. She had her book
launched during the book fair. Karangkraf publishes a lot of magazines.
some 50 of them. imagine that. name a malay mag (and there are a host of
english mags too) that you have heard of, and it might probably be
published by them.

there's a lot more to write about the fair, but i'm going to stop now.
i went home satisfied, and lifted.

i love books!

summer meadow

i'm starting a new cross-stitch project this morning.
it's a beautiful design by John Clayton.

Here's the description (copied from the web):
Poppies and daisies, wild flowers in the sunshine.
This landscape from the Circles collection produced from the watercolour paintings of John Clayton by Heritage Stitchcraft makes a very attractive picture.

long weekend (and this is a long entry)

i took an annual leave on monday 30th april, while wesak falls on labour
day.
so it was a long weekend starting from saturday 28th April, thru wednesday
2nd May.

went back to plentong as usual.

bad things first:
friday evening. it was a very long stretch of traffic jam southbound PLUS
highway. on THREE separate segments.
first was on the way to sg besi toll. it took about 1.5 hours to get there
from puduraya.
i have no qualms about it, for i'm not the one driving the bus. besides, i
had the evening sun as my aide reading my book.

second was the usual jam on the seremban-senawang stretch. there was an
accident on the northbound barrier - an SUV climbed on top of it.
i didn't bother to check how long it took us to get through that stretch.
took my sweet time for a nap.

for the third jam - on the radio there was a warning earlier on while i was
enduring the first jam. there's a stall on the plus highway - in tangkak.
the accident was so bad, it blocked the southbound h'way, and plus had to
make a contra flow on the northbound - effectively making a long stretch of
traffic jam to both north and southbound users.
again, i ddin't bother to take note how long (time and distance) it took us
through the jam.
however, i was annoyed with it. here's why:
the news about the accident was heard at 6pm, and we got to tangkak at
around 11pm - that's around 2 hours late.
by that time, there's no more contraflow. the highway is now cleared and
only were little signs of the accident. no problem for cars to speed
through southbound.
and get this: there were police cars, and other officials cars with their
beacons on the side of the highway.
that's the reason why the unnecessary long stretch of traffic jam
southbound - and northbound (although it escapes my imagination as to why
they have to suffer as well!).

i reached larkin 1.30am. pity my dear wife, she waited extra 3 hours at
home for my hugs and kisses.

and so begun the good things:
saturday morning was adam's kindergarten sports day. besides, toastmasters
meeting in mmhe was postponed.
took adam to taman rinting. it was post raining, so the weather was fine up
to the afternoon.
spent a few hours there, and got back home quite tired - from the day
traffic jam the night before, and the boring sports day.
it was more like a sukaneka than a sports day. anyway, i had a good few
hours with adam. although he was not quite fond of the sports day at all.

took a long nap, and did a few work around the house. including my cross
stitch project - finishing up a few threads.

there was a united game versus everton on tv. by the time i switched on the
telly, united were down 0-2. out of nowhere, suddenly i assured myself that
united will pull their socks up and trash everton 4-2. well, actually i
replied with that to zaki's sms. he said united are being trashed.
well, united did turn around - in half an hour. o'shea scored one, and i
sms zaki - okay, three more to go. ronaldo being brought in, and that's a
good sign. another goal belted by united, and they're level. another sms to
zaki - 2 more to go. soon followed by a winner by rooney - and yet another
sms to zaki: 1 more to go (of course, no reply from him). in went chris
eagles, and he scored one for united. and that was during the end of the 90
minutes. and i smsed zaki. by that time, he got bored with my smses and my
prediction.
damn, i should've entered the nokia scoreboard game and win something from
espn. only 2% predicted such result.
anyway, what a bliss... great game, marvellous turnaround.

marsya had been pestering for weeks to bring her to the local club swimming
pool.
sunday morning we went to de'stella water theme park in starhill golf
resort. it's in kempas area, on the way to seelong (towards senai airport,
using the old road).
the rate should've been RM13 for adults and RM7 for kids below 12 (free for
below 4), because it's a sunday.
well, the cashier told me it's only RM10 for adults and RM5 for kids.
happily i paid RM30 for the four of us.
the place was quite impressive.
there was a massive pool with artificial beach, and a big wading pool with
two water slides.
i liked everything about the place. it is well kept, and quite clean. one
thing they can improve is the toilet.
the thing i liked best was the water slide for the massive pool. quite a
long stretch, and you don't have to pay extra for the buoys. yeehaaaa!!!
marsya was a bit reluctant at first, but only for the first ride. after
that she was game for few more.
well, adam spent most of the time on land (he's not fond of water).
when the three of us asked him to join us in the pool, the 5 year old said
"i want to relax...". hahahaa...
i think we had a good few hours there. and definitely we'll be back
insyaAllah. now i know where to recommend people to go in jb.

we had lunch in larkin. nearby the fire station. naza brought us there to
try kacang pol Haji. it seems that it is famous, but i've never known about
it. what i do know is that the most popular kacang pol in jb is at wisma
persekutuan. i'm not that fond of kacang pol, but the ABC there seemed like
famous.
turned out that the ABC is quite mediocre, and kacang pol is like chili con
carne. and so i explored.
anyway, one more place to recommend people to sample food in jb.

monday was a school day for naza and marsya.
and it's april 30th - the last day to submit income tax form (and payment).
yes, i procrastinate when it comes to submitting the tax form.
i drove naza to school, and went to lhdn jb next to angsana.
turned out there were many more procrastinators. well, we have our own
reasons (yeah, right...).
i went in to submit the hardcopy form (borang BE), and suggested by the
officer to do it online (eFiling) instead.
so i took a queue number for my PIN (took me only 10 minutes), and another
queue for the eFiling (took me another 10 minutes).
filled in the necessary fields, and after 5 minutes, it's done!
i even have the softcopy of my forms copied to my USB flash memory.
the officers there were helpful, and the system is quite good. of course,
as it goes to everything else, the initial nudge is quite a hassle -
getting the PIN part. you can't get it online via web, email or sms. you
have to take it yourself in lhdn offices (the same with EPF online system).
anyway, i was a happy man early in the morning.

went home, did a few stitches on my cross stitch, and went out to fetch
naza after zuhr prayers.
we went to jalan dhoby to get traditionally baked buns. it was good,
although quite expensive compared to the normal packed buns as you could
get from supermarkets or local sundry shops.

6pm, went out again to school to fetch marsya. massive jam in permas jaya
and bakar batu, i decided to take the jalan tebrau route. no luck, also jam
there. with traffic lights.
7.30pm reached home. and poor marsya, she dozed off.
i guess i was tired too. lots of driving throughout the day.

tuesday - labour day.
did some work around the house, and went out to pasir gudang to send azah
my shoes to be brought back in kl, while fetching my ceiling lamp from her.
we went to pusat bandar to repair my watch. and sat for a snack - cakes
(plain butter cake with strong colours) and drinks. i'm not fond of those,
but the smell of the cake brought back memories of my childhood hari raya
days.
on the way back, we wanted to go to the newly opened tesco sri alam, but so
were virtually everyone else in pasir gudang. we cancelled the idea, and
instead went off to see showhouses in sri alam (what else, on an
afternoon?).
that evening i went back to kl by bus.

wednesday.
went out to pwtc - kl international book fair.
this, in my next entry.

whew! i warned you this is a long entry.

x-stitch: materials galore

i went to Ampang Park during lunch yesterday for banking purposes.
took a short stroll, window shopping.
and i saw a shop on the 2nd floor having lots of DMC materials.
i was so happy, i went nuts! but of course, i didn't show it.
they cater all kinds of strands with full range of colours. normal cotton
strands, linen, rayon, multi-colored.
you name it, they'll most likely to have it.
and there are DMC & Zweigart Aida cloth, and linen evenweave. there's also
waste linen available.
many types, many colours.
there are also coloured charts by DMC as well as other individual
designers.
these are much better compared to the black ink charts copied on red papers
commonly found in neighborhood craft store.
on displays are completed projects on 14 HPI Aidas, 25 HPI evenweave. looks
realistic and pleasing.
(if you're wondering, HPI is holes per inch. 14 HPI cloth has 14 holes in a
length of one inch).

here's the address (yes, free advertisement):
Haby & Wools
Lot 316 & 317, 2nd Floor
Ampang Park Shopping Complex
Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2161 5346
Fax: 03 2715 7217
email: habylee@pd.jaring.my

calling mommy - phones for the golden aged

i was asked by the tea lady while making instant coffee in the office
pantry, to assist her with her brand new handphone.

now here's the scenario:
she's no techie
she speaks and understands Malay only
she's using prepaid
the phone is supplied by her daughter
purpose of the phone: to get connected with her daughter (rather, her
daughter to connect with her - usual stuff: asking about health, her
welfare, emergencies)

by 'no techie', i mean:
she's not technology-savvy
she's intimidated by electronic gadgets - easier to say no to learn
about the complex features of the gadget
can basically live without such gadgets

reflecting upon the local trend of handphone connectivity provider (maxis,
celcom, digi, etc.), they focus upon the young ones.
look at their ads and promotions.
i can't really remember a package that is tailored to suit the elderly and
the non-techies.
or a handphone with simple enough features to fit her needs, for that sake.

connectivity have to go in tandem: the hardware (the phone) and the
connectivity package (postpaid, prepaid).
in the case of the tea lady, her problem rests much upon the hardware. the
handphone.

getting back on her circumstances, she needs a handphone that would be:
simple, straightforward to use
having very minimal features
user-friendly GUI with large iconic menu - and without trails of
submenus: they'll get lost at the bottom of the menu, and panicking to
get back to where they started off

in short - something that resembles a public phone, or a house phone.
they'll be very comfortable with that.
to make calls: pick up, hear the dial tone, and press the numbers.
once finished talking, put it down.
to receive calls: pick up the phone, and speak.
simple. hassle-free.

to sony-ericsson, nokia, motorola, and the likes:
if you like my idea (in whole or in part), we can discuss further about
this, including my royalties.

Mars, Venus

I went to a warehouse sale in Petaling Jaya last two weeks and bought a
book there (yes, they sold books).
A few titles caught my attention. Initially I got hold of them (Tuesdays
With Morrie, Dale Carnegie's title - forgotten), but then I resolved to
buying this book:
Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray, PhD.

I've seen the book every time I browse any good bookshop. It must be good.
But then again, perhaps it might be cliché as well. I don't really like
clichés.
As it was sold at RM28, I decided to get it and have a read.
The first chapter is enlightening. How simple the behaviours of Martians
and Venusians are!

If I hadn't be so ignorant all these years, I would have read the book and
save unwanted bad feelings towards the opposite sex (or win their hearts).
This applies especially to my beloved wife.
Now I'm up to chapter 3, and would continue on, insyaAllah.

I encourage you to take up that book, and have a read - at least chapter 1
(you'll want to read chapter 2 after that, believe me).

Science and Islam Exhibition - KL Convention Center, 8-14 January 2007

I went to the exhibition yesterday.
3 hours was not enough (for me). Was there until it closes at 10pm.

Small exhibition, but of high distinction.
great place, great knowledge, great presentation - and those great Islamic
scholars inventions top it all.
personally, it is a top notch presentation. must've costed MOSTI a lot.

As an engineer, I was very intrigued with the high quality working wooden
mechanical models on display. And there were many, many interesting
inventions by a Muslim mechanical engineer - Al Jaziri, in the forms of
water fountains, irrigation pumps, etc. Aesthetically pleasing, as well as
doing the job very well.
For chemistry buffs, there's a video presentation on lustre process
(ceramic), and a lot about distillation.
A lot on astrology, geography (mapping/cartography, exploration),
mathematics, modern medicine, military science.
Also a booth on Program Angkasawan - getting to know what exactly the
program is. No batu seremban on display, though.

pity that not many are interested in attending it. perhaps it costs next to
nothing to get inside the exhibition.
they give out souvenirs, by the way:
pens, memo pad, poster calendar, bookmarks (with lucky draw stub - prizes:
hamper, thumbdrive, handphones, laptop, plasma tv. i missed 2 digits
yesterday for winning a handphone).

Dato' Jamaluddin Jarjis (JJ) was there for quite a while browsing through
to see how things are going on. He's quite deligthed that many young ones
(IPT students) taking their time attending the exhibition. He chatted and
pointed out why the exhibition is organized, and brought to Malaysia from
Frankfurt (UN's request to have the same exhibition was rejected, btw).
I had the opportunity to thank him for working out on this exhibition as
well.

It will end in KL Conv Ctr on Sunday (there'll be lucky draw for plasma tv
that day). After that, they'll move to National Science Centre - a bit far
from city center.
I urge all of us to attend the exhibition. Not to be missed.

a hobby long-forgotten

while waiting for the bus to JB last friday, i browsed thru a magazine
store in Bukit Bintang Plaza.
in the past-issues section, i saw a very interesting needlework magazine.

cross stitching.

it has been years since i last did any.
the particular magazine (british publication) is quite good, in many
aspects - contents, x-stitch designs, and useful information - especially
for beginners.
it was a pity i couldn't locate any craft shop that night. for surely i'll
be having my supply of threads, needles and the cloth to start work upon
during the weekend.

my parents taught me how to x-stitch when i was a teenager. in fact, i did
sign up for x-stitching class in mrsm for my elective course credit hours.
and being the only guy in class. asked the Pn. Toriah if i can be excused
from attending the classes, with the condition that i would submit my work
(quite big, compared to others) completed in time.
nowadays ayah spends his time at home doing x-stitch in his room in
senawang.

i asked my brother Amri where in KL i could find x-stitching materials. so
yesterday i went to Macy in KL - petaling street-kotaraya-puduraya area -
in front of former Rex cinema. they've got all i need, except for 4 threads
of different colours that i need. anyway, with 20+ threads (8m each), it
would take some time before i even need those 4 to work with.

the price of those threads has gone up now though - RM1.20 per skein. so,
if you do get a present in the form of a x-stitch work, do appreciate it.
the workpiece consists not only the expensive materials (count the colours,
multiply RM1.20), but also time, dedication and meticulous attention to
perfection by the person doing it.

i like x-stitching because it challenges my patience - something i'm short
of. it requires attention to detail, and dedication to perfection - traits
needed by my day job. end of the project, there's an eternity of reward to
have the finished hard work mounted on the wall.

i guess from now on, there's only one place to find me during lunch hours
in KL - sitting in my room, stitching for the full hour.

xxxxx
akmal hizam
xxxxx

The Secret of Success

This was given by Samhanin, my sis-in-law.

The Secret of Success
1. Ask Determine the end results that you want. Focus only in
the end results
2. Believe Believe strongly, do affirmation – in preset tense and must
have passion. Act on your plans.
3. Receive Believe that the end result is already happening now even
though it's not there, no matter how impossible it may seem, have faith and
trust (berserah).
for more - visit www.thesecret.tv

My addition:
In Napoleon Hill's 'Think And Grow Rich', he wrote that 'desire' is the
most important thing in achieving what you want. It's the first
pre-requisite that you should have, and have it strongly.
Covey says in his '7 Habits' that you have to 'Begin With The End In
Mind'. Picture what the outcome is before you start working on it. Like
an architect having those blueprints and conceptual renderings on
computers, before the actual building is worked upon.
In Islam, you should have a niat (niyyah) - telling yourself what you
wanted to do, before doing something. Especially, when it comes to a
specific ibadah. Above all, it should be for the sake of Allah.

test email blogger with photo attached.

this is a test for writing my blog using email. with photo as attachment.
if it's here, that's even better. yay!

(See attached file: DSCN2484.JPG)