typed thoughts

What's Your Hobby?

2012-01-06T22:34:00.000+08:00

as defined by Oxford Dictionary, 'an activity done regularly for pleasure'

My pet question to people as an ice breaker or to break a silence:

What's your hobby?

In this digital age, the young ones would give an almost similar answer - mostly computer related. Even if it is essentially taking up reading as a hobby. You know, reading newspaper on the net, reading e-book, etc. The other generic answers from them would be the typical facebook-ing (is there such a word?), blogging, blogwalking, playing video games and computer games, and such. I'd be surprised if one would give me 'collecting stamps' as an answer. That would be too 80's, and now becoming rare at least in my circle (yes, I mingle with younger people too). However, it is surprising that most of the time people would give me "I don't know what my hobby is" and "I don't have time for a hobby". And a lot of them would be quick to give "sleeping" as a valid answer. Well, no wrong answer because it is really subjective, right?

There are expensive hobbies and there are simple and cheap ones. Interestingly, a certain hobby could be either. Of course, because there's a really wide spectrum and it really depends on whether you're really into it (read: obsession) or just taking it as a way to fill your time and make you feel human. Take fishing as an example. It could be a simple activity down the paddy field with a bamboo rod, or a boating trip in the Philippines. Err... it applies to cycling, too.

I do get interesting replies to that one simple question. One guy told me that his hobby is hunting. Looking at me being amazed, he continued, "wild boar, porcupine, ayam hutan (partridge?)". Looking at this guy, you wouldn't imagine that he's that type. And then the floodgate suddenly opened. His face really lightened up and he went on and on with the details of it. I asked that question to him while I was sleepily driving on the highway from KL back to JB. So I would say that besides coffee, another person's hobby could also relief you from the torment of staying awake while driving. But I have to caution you, though. If his hobby does not interest you, than you're added with another torture. Then again, you could always reverse that by telling him about your hobby instead. Hehe...

Anyway, it's a tool for getting to know people and also sometimes you'd gain invaluable knowledge about things that you've never even heard of. To take Carnegie's advise in How To Win Friends and Influence People, getting people to talk about things that they are passionate about is one of the things in 'Six Ways To Make People Like You'. There you go, building relationships.

So what's my hobby?

To put it simply: Reading. I read books, and nowadays more of cycling and gardening (lesser of the two) magazines.

I'd love to have cross-stitching as an answer, but to stick to the definition perhaps it is not.

Cycling? Nope, it's an obsession.

;)

What's your hobby, my dear friend?

Measure of Sincerity

2012-01-03T19:33:00.001+08:00

Perhaps the measure of sincerity is that you do something happily without any fuss, and you don't expect any recognition or reward whatsoever other than Allah's blessings. You might not even remember about the good deeds you'd done for something/someone.

Perhaps.

Or you're just plainly forgetful.

Book: Michael Crichton's Micro

2011-11-04T17:34:00.001+08:00

I learnt a new word - posthumous.

MC did one-third of the eventual novel, while the rest is the work of Richard Preston. I've never read (or heard of) his books, but I'll definitely get this one solely because it has MC's touch. As always, I'll wait for the paperback.

Reading the synopsis, it is in MC's style. Like his State of Fear. This one's being compared to Jurassic Park, and it is interesting for we'll be shrunken and transported to the bigger world (I think).

MichaelCrichton.com

cbsnews.com

image taken from MC official site

2011-10-16T07:20:00.000+08:00

at the entrance

It has been a long time since I last entered Singapore. More than 5 years, surely. My children haven't at all. In March this year we made our passports, but only in October we made the trip to Singapore. So near yet if feels like it's so far.

In conjunction with Marsya's birthday, I decided to bring everyone to the Singapore Zoo. It was a busy weekend with not much sleep for me personally. On Saturday I went to Melaka for Burung Hantu 2011 offroad night ride, and back home right after the event ended. Took a nap at Machap R&R for an hour before Fajr and reached home at 7-ish Sunday morning. When I reached home I cleared out the dirty clothes form the night's ride, put things back to their places and did a bit of gardening. I woke everyone up at 8.30 so that we could go early because there are a few things need to be done before we could enter Singapore and head out to the zoo. Eventually, everyone got ready and at 11.00 the car started to roll out to Stulang CIQ.

While queuing at the Woodlands checkpoint, I noticed that somebody in an mpv on my right waving to me wildly. Haha... it was my cousin from Woodlands, Abang Man. He called me up and invited me to come over his place later on after the zoo visit and I said no promises. As soon as I entered the immigration checkpoint, my phone was without network reception. I had forgotten to activate roaming access. Was unable to call him to ask for address and directions to his place. Too bad, maybe next time insyaAllah.

It was the first time I bought an autopass for the car to enter Singapore; with tips from friends and the swiftness of Singapore immigration and LTA, it was not that hard. Just fill in a few standard details in the form, queue up and pay $10. The process took less than 10 minutes. My thanks to Reza for giving me the embarkation card, too.

The Singapore Zoo is not far from Woodlands checkpoint, and there are ample signs to get us there. We reached the zoo at around 12.00, parked the car at a nice covered parking building.

The zoo entrance fee for the five of us amounted to $66. $20 for adults, and $13 for children (3 - 12y). Free for Umar. Not too bad, as the park is big and the animals in there looks healthy. The areas are clean, too.

We spent a bit more that 3 hours in the park. While deprived of sleep and my legs are still tired from the ride the night before, it was surprising that the walk in the zoo did not make me exhausted. Sleepy at times when stopped, yes, but no complains of tiredness from me. Of course the children are.

We had our lunch late, at 3.30pm in KFC. Umar needed a nappy change and so we went off. The toilets at the zoo lobby are nice, but no faucet provided except for tissue rolls.

However, the nappy change room has everything. Washbasin, nappy change counter, faucet (without hose), shower and toilet bowl.

I asked the muslim lady at KFC if there are any musolla available, but there is none except for staff only. She mentioned that people would use cardboards. As it was reaching 4pm (end of Zuhr), we decided to solat at the parking lot. Went up to the uncovered topmost floor, and found a shaded area. Parked the car to cordon us, and we perform our solat. Soon after, we went out of the parking lot.

There's a mini drama happened to me while exiting the parking lot. Apparently, foreigners have to get a 'complimentary ticket' valued at $4 from the zoo counter. So, long story short, I went back to the counter (some 500m walk), bought the ticket and went out. Thanks to Diana the parking assistant over there for guiding me.

The journey back to JB was uneventful. Smooth ride all the way, alhamdulillah. InsyaAllah, there'll be more trips after this. Perhaps a weekend over my cousins' places, and mountain biking at Bukit Timah too.

More photos here.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 1432H

2011-08-29T13:40:00.001+08:00

Assalaamu 'alaikum warahmatullah.

I'd like to wish you a blessed Hari Raya, and Taqabbalallahu minnaa wa minkum.

May Allah accept (the fast and worship) from you and us.

I hope that we would foster the strength gained from our ibadah and good deeds made throughout Ramadhan; and continue on towards the rest of the year, until hopefully we could meet with Ramadhan again.

InsyaAllah.

Be safe, and remember that moderation is key, in everything.

Till we meet again, hope you had a good one.

Sincerely,

Akmal Hizam

image taken from here

X-stitch: John Clayton collection

2011-08-15T17:08:00.001+08:00

http://www.hcrafts.com/johnclaytoncircles.html

Breathtaking designs.

Note: my Summer Meadow project is still on-going, 4 years and counting :)

His other works (for Heritage Crafts) is here.

Check out the panoramas and a piece titled Harbour Reflections.

Lau Kaa Na Bainana

2011-08-10T13:12:00.001+08:00

TV Alhijrah - channel 114 Astro sekarang ni ada menyiarkan rancangan Lau Kaa Na Bainana (jika Baginda ada di antara kita). Masa siaran adalah 5.30 pagi dan juga 10 malam.

Baca di sini (ada video jugak) untuk maklumat tentang rancangan tu. Yang aku boleh tambah, ialah ianya meninjau sejauh mana pembawaan akhlak Rasulullah SAW ke zaman kita ini. Banyak yang boleh kita (aku) ambil iktibar, dan muhasabah diri sejauh mana kita ikut akhlak Rasulullah SAW.

Yang menariknya, cara pembawaan rancangan ini adalah segar, walaupun kaedah 'wakenabeb' digunakan. Kelainannya di sini ialah, ianya bersifat positif, bukannya menonjolkan yang negatif atau untuk mengenakan orang. Aku suka dengan gambaran visual 3D yang ditunjukkan untuk membayangkan kehidupan di zaman Rasulullah SAW.

Namun, yang paling pentingnya aku rasa ialah energy dan passion yang dikongsi oleh pengacaranya. Itu sahaja, rasanya mewakili separuh dari kekuatan rancangan ini.

Kena tengok dan hayati sendiri.

Ramadhan Kareem

Apa azam anda?

Waiting Game

2011-06-29T12:40:00.001+08:00

Is it a game? Well, it's a tough game if it is so.

If you know that the thing you're waiting for is going to come at a definite date and time, still it is a tough game. Because you can't really do anything about it, except for waiting for it to arrive. Makes you want to scream, really. If you do know that the thing is going to come, but no idea at all when it would arrive, then it would be doubly tough game.

For things that are uncertain, it's not called waiting; but still we are preparing ourselves for them. For the one thing that is certain, I'm struggling to prepare myself. I pray that Allah eases this journey to prepare for my last day, and not merely waiting.

E22 Fully Opened 10.06.2011

2011-06-09T17:25:00.001+08:00

http://www.e22.com.my/Latest/Lebuhraya-Senai-Desaru-Siap-Untuk-Dibuka-Kepada-Pengguna-Lebuhraya-Pada-10-Jun-2011.html

Great news to me, personally.

Now (errr... tomorrow), it will be much faster to balik kampung to Pengerang as I don't have to pass by Ulu Tiram and Kota Tinggi anymore.

May the area around Bandar Penawar, Desaru, Pengerang and the like would also flourish from this.

Shall we have our breakfast at Bandar Penawar this weekend, dear?

awek Celcom dan 1 Gb

2011-05-18T12:43:00.001+08:00

saya: apa kadar untuk capaian internet dari telefon bimbit, kalau tak daftar dengan pelan data?

awek Celcom: 10 sen untuk setiap 10 kb

saya: hmmm... kalau pelan data untuk 1 Gb?

aC: RM38 sebulan untuk 1 Gb

saya: kalau tak gunakan pelan data, jadi berapa ringgit untuk 1 Gb?

aC: maaf, saya tak tahu lah... tapi *tersipu-sipu*

saya: awak boleh tolong kirakan dengan mesin kira awak tu tak?

aC: *tersenyum manis*

Untuk awek Celcom, diri sendiri dan kawan-kawan:

1 Gb = 1,048,576 kb

(sumber)

Kalau 10 sen untuk setiap 10 kb, maka

RM10,485.76 untuk setiap 1 Gb.

Macam tak betul je pulak...

Membazir Ikut Kemampuan

2011-05-12T20:28:00.000+08:00

Artikel oleh Tawel, sila baca di sini.

Aku suka paradigma yang dibentangkan. Bernas!

Ketahuilah bahawa sebenarnya sama ada gaji sekadar RM1,000 atau RM10,000, kita semua berpotensi untuk menjadi seorang pembazir. Orang berada, bila melabuhkan kepalanya di bantal, mungkin akan menganyam mimpi untuk memiliki Ferrari walau di halaman rumahnya sudah pun dihinggap oleh BMW 3 series. Yang gajinya sekadar RM1,000 pula, ligat berazam untuk mengumpul dana dari gaji bulanan demi menceraikan Kancil dan lantas menikahi Inspira.

Membazir itu amalan syaitan. Aku harap aku tak membazir bila beli barang basikal.

Terima kasih kepada Dino, selaku penyampai maklumat

Bella and her 4 mice

2011-04-28T13:08:00.001+08:00

16.04.2011 Marsya's Spell It Right

2011-04-23T16:24:00.001+08:00

Marsya was among the 10 pupil chosen to represent her school for RHB-NST's Spell It Right (SIR) Challenge. The place: Danga City Mall, on a beautiful Saturday morning.

I sent her to school, and she went there with teachers and fellow pupils. I went back to fetch the rest of the family as they were still asleep when Marsya and I headed out earlier.

The competition was supposed to start at 9.00 am. I arrived there from home at about 9.30am and Wan Zaleha Radzi was still doing a mic check. Well, that's the most important thing for this kind of event. I didn't check what the time was when the emcee finally introduced her as the event anchor, but looking at my camera's timestamp, it must be after 10.00 am.

I'm pretty sure the audience (other than those who were nervous) were mesmerized with WZR's opening speech. She elaborated about the wonderful, weird and exciting world of the English language, before proceeding with the competition's details. Her spoken English is excellent. Being pretty is a bonus, actually. I wouldn't mind if it was Adibah Noor on that day, for I know she would fare as good, English wise.

There will be 9 - 10 pupil on the stage at one time for the first round, and only 1 will stand to go for the next. For that, each will go turn by turn according to their numbers. Those who failed to spell the correct word within 20 seconds would have to leave the stage (read: can already go back). Those who spelled correctly would have a go for another word if there were more than one who did so, until the last man standing, so to speak.

Marysa was number 049, and her turn was at 12.22pm. I could understand the nervousness and being bored at the same time, while waiting for her turn to come. Been there, done that, except for a much different setting. We used to have competitions in a school hall, or an indoor setting not really open for general public. Nowadays the large corporations behind all this decide to do it out in the open.

Her word that she has to spell infront of friends, strangers and the general public?

throaty

from the Concise Oxford Dictionary (10th Ed.) it means "(of voice or other sound) deep and husky"

Okay, that's not familiar to me at all.

She went "t, h, r, o, a, t"

Pause

Cleared her throat

"t, r, o, a, t, i"

Teeeetttt, the buzzer went off denoting the time limit.

Marsya went away from the stage.

Hmm...

Well, I must say that she did well amid her nervousness. Anyway, I'm sure the experience is the most valuable thing she got from the event. And I'll support her for every other such events in the future, insyaAllah.

All the best, Marsya.

More photos in here.

bus ride

2011-03-15T08:10:00.001+08:00

I'm longing for a bus ride.

So that I can read the whole book, uninterrupted.

Without the aircond blowing full blast, of course.

Book: Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton

2011-03-08T08:18:00.001+08:00

My review for MC's novel in Goodreads.

I had a 'like' yesterday morning, so I thought I'd share it in here too...

=====

It took me quite a while to get the momentum rolling at first. I find the book giving it's grip after more than a dozen chapters - thence I find it hard to put down, and always looking out for whatever spare time I could have to continue.

In the beginnning I was bombarded with characters who emerge, and new ones continue to be introduced, until a few chapters. Well, it goes to show that MC is crafty, and these different characters have their purposes. They play different roles, and as MC's narration to educate the reader on many aspects that he wishes to tell in this book.

This time, he tells about cannons and maritime warfare in old waters. Surprisingly, there's not much detail on piracy (or privateering). Seamanship and maritime jargon are abundant - make sure you know the terms, for there's no glossary provided.
:P
Thank goodness, having worked with a maritime project, I don't have to get a dictionary to understand the various terms.

As always, there's the plot of cunning, wit and bravery of it's main character, Charles Hunter, in his attempt of getting a considerable sum of loot while no one believed it to be possible. Of course, he's not alone doing the job. His accomplices are a team of colourful characters who complement him nicely, though at times are too good to be true.

Reading this is a reminiscent of The Great Train Robbery, a favourite of mine, and the modern day's Ocean's Eleven. Of course, this one is set on a different mode of transportation.

If Timeline introduced me to the trebuchet, greek fire and other medieval warfare, weaponry and war tactics, this one is about the same. I learnt a bit about ship cannons, sea warfare and its tactics.

Many characters are killed in this one and there are many events taking place, however I find that the descriptions are too brief, and they can be further extended, albeit they are grippy still.

Somehow I find it hard to believe that this is a complete work of MC, as reported to be found in his computer. It seems like there's something amiss; not really meaty and lacks a bit of punch. Nevertheless, it doesn't feel like it's not MC at all. For that, it is a great read. That is, when you've gone past the characters introductions.

=====

CD: Reza Salleh - Realize

2011-03-07T18:27:00.001+08:00

I bought his six song CD, Smoke City, released a few years ago at KLPac lobby, during intermission at KL Sing Song gig. Listening to him while admiring his fingerworks on the guitar, live, was breathtaking. Unfortunately I haven't got the chance to attend his Moonshine gigs as my stint in KL was over, just as I had gotten to know about Reza Salleh.

As the usual about me, I get to know about news very, very late. He realized and released his latest CD in November last year. From the listing of places available to get my hands on his offering, I had to resort to online order. Available in music stores only around KL, Singapore and Thailand. Well, that makes it easy for me to decide, then.

I placed an order and made payment on 1st March, and received it this afternoon. 4 working days is not laju at all. Compare that with having to go to KL myself, well...

There are 16 tracks on the CD, 5 of which appeared previously in Smoke City(underlined), either as demo tracks or acoustic version:

kasih

stracciatella

soultune

what the hell just happened i'm not really sure

sunsets with you

a relic is what i live in

the dotted line

angan-angan permata

ocean spanning sorrow

rest & relax

for her

need

50 down the way

battery

smoke city

for her (solo acoustic)

6 tracks in Smoke City can't give me enough of Reza Salleh. Hope that the newer 10 numbers are as good, if not better (I have only had a round of listening for now, and my favourites are sunsets with you, battery - the full version music arrangement is awesome and for her - solo acoustic). However, yeah, I bet it wouldn't top his acoustic, live performances.

I believe so.

36

2011-03-02T14:04:00.001+08:00

I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I logged into my gmail and got more than 40 new messages - mostly tagged as 'facebook'. I received notifications from fb on friends' (and relatives) messages left on my Wall. Whaddaya know, friends even those whom I have not contacted for a long time wished me happy birthday.

To all of you, thank you very much for your wishes and do'a. May we all grow wiser and better as we age, and may our ibadah and 'amal increase as years pass.

InsyaAllah.

You know, it's nice to have private messages from your friends and acquaintances once in a while (okay, once a year in this case). Y'all made my day, truly. Can't thank y'all enough.

Shall I get a birthday present for myself?

Hmm... tempting.

As of now, wishes kept pouring in. Nice. I'm enjoying it.

FASTer food at McD?

2011-02-25T18:47:00.001+08:00

Wanna get your McD meals without the hassle of standing in a line waiting for your turn to get your orders taken? Go to their drive thru whenever possible. You'll be sitting in your car, your orders are taken real quick, and best of all, you don't have to wait for long compared to standing in the line at their walk in counters.

After that, you may opt to stay in your car or bring the food into their premises to enjoy after you found a parking spot (free wi-fi, mind you).

Bonus: you get a brown bag and cup/drink holder too.

Neat.

Goodread's Barcode Scanner

2011-02-08T17:31:00.001+08:00

what a cool idea

You're browsing for books in a shop, and you're wondering whether the titles that caught your attention are worth a read (and/or buy). You know, we always have this feeling of getting highly motivated and a heightened sense of wanting to absorb the texts of all the books surrounding us when we're in a book store. Many of my trips would always end up with me tugging a book or two and lining up the checkout counter. However, there's no way to know whether the books are as good (apart from the words of praise in the book itself, which sometimes quite suspicious to me).

Enter the GR's Barcode Scanner app. It's developed for iPhone, and iPod touch too. Scan the barcode of the book's ISBN and you'll get the details of the book, plus (more importantly) the reviews and rating of the book by fellow GR members. Now we have a tool to help us make better choices.

Click here to find out more about it.

If only I have an iPod (or an iPhone)...

Pearl Jam's Ten Reissue

2011-01-24T13:02:00.001+08:00

lots of stuff from four different packages

Coinciding with the 20th Anniversary of their Ten album, PJ released a reissue of the album on 24.03.2009. In FOUR different packages. I had the cassette back in 92 I think. And was hooked with PJ since then. They'll reissue their Vs and Vitalogy albums this year, too, according to RTT's news on 22.01.2011.

Being me, I don't really have all their studio albums, but I do have loads of their singles. Rare collections which I treasure (sitting quietly in a Toyogo box under a desk in my room). Adlee gave me the Vs CD which he bought while studying in the States. I bought a Vitalogy cassette thereafter, and it was all blurry after that.

While in Manchester, I collected those singles. I'm not sure how many I have, and I'm not gonna list them here. However, I do have the Jeremy single which also features Yellow Ledbetter.

Ten Reissue is in my list of the CD to get. If you find one, do tell me. Deluxe or Legacy should be fine.

image taken from here

Plastic Bags

2011-01-21T17:55:00.001+08:00

tesco's green bag

There's a recent move by the government for supermarkets to 'sell' plastic bags on Saturdays. Well, that's the way I see it. The objective is to 'teach' consumers to limit their usage of plastic bags, and be more environmentally conscious due to the fact that plastic bags are a burden to the environment. They degrade slowly, if they do at all. Thus, on Saturdays, supermarkets would charge their customers 20 sen for each bag that they issue out.

However, let's look at the alternatives that are being offered by the supermarkets. No bag at all, or at 20 sen per piece, or you can buy the store's own nicely designed reusable shopping bag.

That's great. I myself has been reducing the use of plastic bags at supermarkets. Whenever the cashier loads the items that I bought into many different bags, separated according to types of items (food and laundry detergent, for instance, are never put in the same bag), I would try to stuff as many items that I can into as minimum number of plastic bags. I'd say the usual is about 20% of the bags issued are reduced.

During my days in the UK (1996-1998), Kwik Save and Aldi sells the bags at 2 pence each. That minimal 'penalty' is enough to deter people from using bags. However, paper boards and cartons were available to be reused in-store. An example of this can be seen in the film Employee of The Month.

Personally, for dry items, I don't need plastic bags. However, I still need plastic bags for fish especially and other wet items. Albeit, plastic bags are a little bit porous and thus need at least two linings in order to be totally drip-free. At home, I'm using plastic garbage bag for the kitchen refuse as they are almost always wet. That being said, I use only bio-degradable garbage bags.

Tesco and Jusco use oxo-biodegradable bags with TDPA additives from EPI. I don't know, but perhaps it costs more than the normal bags (like in Giant). The oxo-biodegradable garbage bags are comparatively more expensive than the normal ones, definintely. Well, with the 'no plastic bags' on Saturdays, they would save at least some $ for sure. And, at the same time gain $ by selling the 'eco friendly reusable bags' to customers. Of course, for this reason alone supermarkets would be giving thumbs up for the government's push. What more with the 'green' image. However, with the introduction of reusable shopping bags, my house is now finding it a bit scarce of the 'singlet' plastic bags. For a week's dry groceries, I need at least 3 of those reusable bags. And, would have no clean plastic bags to be used for wrapping my clothes and packed meals I bring to the office whenever I ride the bicycle to work.

My thoughts:

1. Plastic bags should be at 5 sen a piece, and they shall be of the oxo-biodegradable type. I still need them for wet items. 5 sen is still quite expensive, but that's the smallest change that we can pay. Or, it can be priced cheaper, at 3 pieces for 10 sen for example.

2. The expensive 'reusable bags' need to be scrutinised in terms of their eco-friendliness (how they are manufactured, will they biodegrade, can they be recycled, durability, etc.).

3. Supermarkets need to have the paperboard cartons made available for customers to use, in store.

4. Why only on Saturdays? Make it every day. People would just avoid shopping on Saturdays and hurt supermarkets that way.

Other thoughts:

The Malaysian Insider

Wall Street Journal

Organic Lifestyle Magazine - Paper vs Plastic

True enough, people would generally think twice to bring their Tesco reusable bags to shop at Giant. At least I do.

image taken from the star

Bella Delivered

2011-01-20T12:31:00.001+08:00

from left: A, B, C, D and E (tentatively)

Bella, the mother cat who invited herself to stay within our house compound some time ago, has delivered 5 healthy kittens 2 days ago. This is her second birth. Her first was a few months before this without any survivor among the 4 kittens.

Hopefully all A, B, C, D and E would survive and stay away from the warm car engine compartment, tires, and many other dangerous nooks and crannies loved by kittens all over the world.

Hmmm... I wonder what Marsya and Adam would eventually name them.

Boy Bawang

2011-01-10T13:48:00.001+08:00

boy bawang!

My Filipino office mates (and boss, too) went back to their hometown for Christmas and New Year holidays. As always, their return to office is accompanied with tidbits from the Philippines.

My favourite: Boy Bawang, of course. Some may dislike it due to its garlic flavour ('bawang' means garlic in Tagalog), but I just love it.

Can't get enough of 'em.

Corn nut, on Wiki.

Main Air - 31.12.2010

2011-01-05T12:30:00.001+08:00

anak cina mana ni?

no girls allowed

2010-12-30T17:33:00.001+08:00

guess on whose door?

Lebuh Raya Pasir Gudang dinaik taraf

2010-11-26T17:07:00.002+08:00

Ok, so expect takde lori lah, kat lebuhraya Pasir Gudang ni tak lama lagi untuk 'sementara'. Dan jem lagi, selama 'sementara' itu...

All the more reason to RTW.

------------------------------

Lebuh Raya Pasir Gudang dinaik taraf

Oleh ZULHISHAM ISAHAK

utusanjohor@utusan.com.my

JOHOR BAHRU 14 Nov. - Kerajaan akan menaik taraf Lebuh Raya Pasir Gudang daripada empat menjadi enam lorong pada tahun depan dengan kos RM150 juta bagi menyelesaikan masalah kesesakan lalu lintas.

Ahli Parlimen Pasir Gudang, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin berkata, kerja-kerja menaik taraf itu akan dilakukan secara berperingkat dengan fasa pertama projeknya membabitkan kos RM40 juta.

"Lebuh Raya Pasir Gudang akan menjadi tiga lorong di setiap hala yang sebelum ini hanya mempunyai dua lorong di sebelah kiri dan kanan.

"Melalui projek naik taraf ini, kesibukan dan kesesakan di lebuh raya itu akan dapat diatasi," katanya pada sidang akhbar selepas merasmikan Program Komuniti Polis Daerah Seri Alam, di Dataran Alhamra, Menara Aqabah di sini semalam.

Turut hadir Ketua Polis negeri, Datuk Mohd. Mokhtar Mohd. Shariff dan Timbalannnya, Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman.

Pada Mei lalu, Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak semasa melawat Pasir Gudang berjanji yang kerajaan akan menyelesaikan masalah kesesakan di laluan tersebut.

Khaled berkata, apabila kerja-kerja menaik taraf bermula, semua kenderaan berat boleh menggunakan Lebuh Raya Senai-Desaru dan tidak dibenarkan menggunakan Lebuh Raya Pasir Gudang.

Beliau yang juga Menteri Pengajian Tinggi berkata, langkah tersebut adalah untuk sementara waktu bagi mengurangkan kesesakan sehingga projek menaik taraf siap sepenuhnya.

Terdahulu dalam ucapannya, beliau meminta penduduk di sini supaya memberikan kerjasama penuh terhadap program itu untuk memastikan kegiatan jenayah dapat dibanteras.

Katanya, ini kerana bilangan penduduk Pasir Gudang bertambah setiap tahun dan pihak polis tidak boleh berada di setiap tempat untuk menjaga kesejahteraan dan keamanan.

Sementara itu, Mokhtar berkata, indeks jenayah di negeri ini dari Januari hingga bulan lalu menurun sebanyak 24.25 peratus iaitu dengan mencatatkan 5,942 kes.

Bagi tempoh yang sama, katanya, indeks jenayah jalanan turut menurun sebanyak 38.62 peratus dengan bilangan 5,942 kes.

"Kadar jenayah bagi tempoh tersebut yang berjaya diselesaikan ialah sebanyak 42 peratus atau 7,678 kes," katanya dan yakin melalui program itu kadar jenayah di Johor dapat dikurangkan lagi.

SUMBER : UTUSAN MALAYSIA

Nubhan's Album is Out Now

2010-10-19T08:58:00.001+08:00

Ada dalam email inbox aku pagi tadi:

Subject: DAPATKAN ALBUM ;LANGKAH NUBHAN' SEKARANG!!!!

Dearest Nubies,

Eksklusif untuk Nubies dan fans, anda boleh mendapatkan album sulung Nubhan iaitu 'Langkah Nubhan' sekarang dengan harga RM24 yang telah ditandatangani oleh Nubhan dan disertakan bersama poster sekiranya anda membeli melalui Nubhan FC.

Untuk mendapatkan album ini, anda boleh menghubungi AJK-AJK Nubhan FC di bawah dengan memberi nama, nombor telefon dan alamat (jika memerlukan penghantaran terus ke rumah). Bagi Nubies atau fans yang berada di sekitar Kuala Lumpur, Selangor atau Negeri Sembilan yang ingin mendapatkan terus album ini tanpa penghantaran ke rumah, anda juga boleh menghubungi nama-nama di bawah mengikut kawasan:

1) Harney (012-6341952) - Seremban
2) Kak Kikey (012-2444290) - KL

3) Angah Ruzi (012-3201819) - Puchong, Subang

*Bagi Nubies atau fans, yang memerlukan penghantaran ke rumah, anda boleh membuat pembayaran di akaun ini 164017119309 - Shamsida Mustafa (Maybank).

*Kos penghantaran RM 5 (Semenanjung Malaysia) & RM 10 (Sabah/Sarawak)

*Sebarang pembayaran yang telah dibuat, hendaklah diberitahu kepada salah seorang AJK di atas.

So Nubies & Fans, apa tunggu lagi, jom dapatkan album Nubhan sekarang, eksklusif untuk anda melalui Nubhan FC. Selain mendapatkan album ini melalui Nubhan FC, anda juga boleh mendapatkannya di pasaran mulai minggu depan dengan harga RM 25.90.

Sekian, terima kasih. Teruskan menyokong Nubhan! :)

Amacam? CD edisi bertandatangan dengan poster, RM29 termasuk penghantaran.

Aku dah order kat Mak Ngah Rozi tadi.

Nak rip? Takyah lah... beli aje. Sehari singgit, sebulan dah cukup $ dah.

An hour with Hazami

2010-09-29T12:58:00.001+08:00

I sent an SMS the other day:

Hazami,

Would like to purchase your albums Nyata and dbl album Yang Pertama/Running to complete my collection. Surfed your website, but no online purchase facility.

Akmal Hizam

That was replied by a call from him, and we ended up chatting for an hour (and a little bit). Such a pleasant surprise.

It has been more than 15 years since A-Level years, and that hour was filled with trying to locate the whereabouts of my 12H classmates, and talk about the things during those 2 fantastic, crazy years (being with a bunch of crazy people). Well, my memory still serves me good. Of course, if I have facebook access it would be much easier.

He's not sure if Nyata is still available, and he doesn't have a copy for me to buy but he has copies of the double album. However, he would not accept $ from me if I were to get it from him.

Now there's my dilemma. The reason for me to buy from him is to get a signed copy, and to support local artiste*. If I get it from him, I would definitely get a signed copy, but surely I have to keep my $.

Hmmm...

Anyway, to grant a man's wish, I sent another sms to him with my home address.

*artiste (in my dictionary): at least singer songwriter. usually able to play musical instruments. ability to dance or act merely a plus e.g: Reza Salleh, Mei Chern, Yuna.

Haji: Mari Mengumpul Duit

2010-09-28T17:19:00.001+08:00

harga pakej haji THTS 1431H/2010M

sumber

Borak-borak dengan Mak pagi tadi, aku tanya dia berapa harga pakej untuk dia pergi kerjakan ibadah haji tahun ni.

Katanya, "dalam 10,000 camtu lah, hotel dalam 200 m (dari Masjidil Haram). Satu bilik 5-6 orang gitu lah".

Lepas tu Mak menambah, "itu tak termasuk (Bayaran Haji) yang Tabung Haji tu".

Bayaran Haji: Info kat laman web TH tahun lepas ialah RM9,980.Ada juga yang letak RM7,704. Apa pun, maknanya, tanpa guna kalkulator (mesin kira), lebih kurang RM20,000 jugak lah nak kena ada tu.

Ulp! Dah naik RM5,000 berbanding 5 tahun lepas...

Aku cuba juga tengok-tengok kat internet, betul ke macam tu. Betul lah tu, lebih kurang. Sebagai perbandingan, aku letak harga pakej yang Tabung Haji Travel & Tours letak untuk tahun ni (1431H/2010M). Ada kat atas tu (harga pakej dah termasuk Bayaran Haji). Link kat sini. Itu kalau nak kerjakan ibadah haji & umrah dengan selesa lah. Untuk pakej-pakej lain yang ditawarkan, rujuk sini.

Boleh saja kalau nak ikut muassasah, cuma lebih kurang RM10,000 dah boleh kerjakan haji & umrah dah, termasuk dalam kuota. Kira basic aje lah, dan keselesaan tak terjamin. Itu aje. Tapi kalau nak 'add-on' perkhidmatan khas di Arafah & Mina, ada disediakan. Rujuk muka 8. Apa pun, itu cuma minima. Kena juga standby duit untuk mereka yang ditinggalkan (termasuk lah rumah dan kereta - masih kena bayar tiap bulan juga tu), dan juga belanja runcit-runcit bila kat sana tu.

Pendek kata, mengerjakan haji & umrah itu memang kena ada duit puluh ribu punya. Tak murah. Dan, aku yakin kita mampu, kalau kita letak niat dan mula tabungan.

Dengan niat yang ikhlas dan bersungguh-sungguh tu, akan datang rezeki yang tak disangka-sangka. Tapi bila dah dapat tu, kena sendiri mau hingat le, jangan joli beli/hapgred beskal (atau kereta, renovate rumah) pulak.

Kewajiban haji

Rukun Islam yang kelima.

Wajib bagi mereka yang mampu.

Kupasan bagi 'mampu':

1. Berkuasa membayar segala perbelanjaan bagi mengerjakan ibadat Haji sehingga selesai dan kembali ke tanah air.
2. Ada kenderaan pergi dan balik.
3. Disyaratkan mempunyai bekalan yang cukup untuk saraan nafkah orang yang di bawah tanggungannya.
4. Tidak mengalami kesulitan teruk semasa berada di dalam kenderaan.
5. Aman perjalanan.
Manakala bagi perempuan pula ditambah: Terdapat kawan perempuan berserta wanita Islam yang boleh dipercayai.

sumber

Makin lama umur bertambah, kederat tak tentu lagi. Dan yang hampir pasti, kos makin meningkat.

Selamat beramal, serta mula pasang niat dan menabung.

Photography Contest II

2010-09-07T12:55:00.001+08:00

Okay, nobody submitted anything for the first contest.

How about this one:

Title: karipap sardin

You are to submit a photo of karipap sardin from any Bazar Ramadhan.

Only those which shows distinctively the sardine, packed full without any room for air in the karipap pastry.

Oh, and the percentage of onion shall be less than 10%.

Preferably showing the price RM1 = 3

How about that?

I have yet to find one.

Darjeeling from Darjeeling

2010-09-07T12:54:00.001+08:00

My office mate Kartini handed me the nicely packed Darjeeling tea yesterday morning. Her husband went to India for a short stint for a project he's attached to (yes, 3 months is considered short), so I asked if he could bring back some Darjeeling for me. Although it's not what I wanted (loose leaf), I treasure it because it's authentic India Tea from Darjeeling. The brand is Golden Tips Tea.

If not for Ramadhan, I would have made a cuppa yesterday, right then. Eventually I made some for Naza and I to sample last night. She boiled the water and I prepared the tea.

Perhaps I put too little of the tea leaves in the water, it's not quite as black as I wanted. However, the body is there, and I like the aroma. Darjeeling is touted as the 'champagne of tea' by aficionados, but I think I have yet to attest to that. Well, I favour tea nowadays compared to coffee for a beverage, but I have yet to sample the whole spectrum of teas available, except for Earl Grey which I love (only from Twinings, though) and our (Naza and I) current favourite - Boh Cameronian. Will make some more, and perhaps I'll try the tea recipes too.

Did I mention that Tini refused to take $ from me for the tea?

Thanks, you both.

More info on Darjeeling tea:

http://www.darjeelingtea.com/home.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darjeeling_tea

Minum Air

2010-09-06T08:06:00.001+08:00

Adam: Saya minum air sebab tadi saya dah korek hidung dalam sangat

Alhamdulillah, tahun ini Adam lebih banyak berpuasa penuh berbanding tahun lepas, terutamanya masa hari sekolah. Masa cuti hari minggu aje gagal siket lah, agaknya pasal mudah nampak makanan kat area dapur tu.

26.08.2010 - Umar is 1!

2010-08-28T12:31:00.001+08:00

Alhamdulillah, Umar is one on Thursday. Time really flies. He was born early Ramadhan last year, and he turns one in the middle of Ramadhan this year.

Not much of a celebration on Thursday night, just a small gathering and we shared the small cake bought from Jusco.

I pray that all my children would grow healthy and bright.

Dan mendengar kata.

Happy Birthday, Umar.

We love you.

TI is closer to home

2010-08-20T15:20:00.001+08:00

Not only the local club I'm joining is close by my house, the First Vice-President is also closer to home.

Congratulations to Sarawakian John Lau for the appointment.

***

Quoted from The Star, today:

S'wak politician does Malaysia proud

KUALA LUMPUR: A politician from Sarawak, John Lau, has done Malaysia proud by being the first Asian to be elected to the coveted post of First Vice-President of Toastmasters International. He is now in line to head the organisation in 2012.

Toastmasters International, established in 1924 with members in 113 countries, specialises in communications and leadership skills development and has so far groomed and helped four million people.

Lau, a supreme council member of the PPP and a businessman, has been a toastmaster for 20 years and has held many posts in the organisation before his election.

He said Friday that he was excited with his new role and would do his best to assist the organisation in further developing and grooming future leaders worldwide.

He added that he would also help project Malaysia's positive image abroad. - Bernama

DFP 2010/2011

2010-08-13T16:57:00.000+08:00

I received the latest MPO concert brochure in my snail mailbox yesterday (okay, I'm not that green).

Flipping through, a few that caught my interest:

Amir Yussof - 21st Feb 2011 (Mon)

Reza Salleh - 27th June 2011 (Mon)

Age of Elegance Baroque Bon-Bons (it features Pachelbel's Canon) - 21st & 22nd May 2011 (Sat & Sun)

It'll be a huge effort on my side to attend. I'm really hoping to go for the AoE in May, though. Perhaps a musical date with the missus.

Hopefully there won't be a bike event clashing with that date.

Finally, a CC

2010-08-09T13:06:00.002+08:00

Last Thursday I've completed my 10th speech project for the TI's Competent Communication manual under its Communication Track. With it, I'm no more merely Toastmaster Akmal Hizam, but Competent Communicator Akmal Hizam. Quite a mouthful, but I'm happy with it. The rest of the club members and I would have to adapt to this, I would say. Amazingly, I'm the first member of Seri Alam Toastmasters Club to be a CC. There were two CCs back in the days of MMHE Toastmasters Club, but then we have evolved to be SATC since then.

Being a self-paced program, it actually took me more than 4 years to complete. Hehe... talk about procrastination... For the record, my first speech was on the 17th February 2006. Here's my timeline: 5 speeches in 2006, 2 in 2007, 1 in 2008, nothing in 2009, and 2 in 2010. Well, I'm like wine, perhaps.

So what's next? I'm forging on with the Advanced Communication Manual and be an ACB - Advanced Communicator Bronze. Take that, a much longer salutation! Wish me all the best, and lesser procrastination.

:D

Oh, and for the club, I hope that more would follow suit. This is just the beginning.

photo from TI website

What's Your Favourite Classical Piece?

2010-07-16T12:49:00.001+08:00

I listened to Symphony 92.4 FM last night, and it was playing a piece from Johann Pachelbel. Dubbed by the DJ as the one hit wonder by the composer, Canon in D.

It has been quite a while since I last heard it on the radio. Has been my favourite classical piece of all time, it was a love at the first hearing. I heard it first during my A-Level years, from a Baroque collection cassette (okay, that was back during the dino age) produced by EMI (can't remember it was played by which orchestra). I bought the cassette in Ipoh during a short stay at my buddy Akmal Hisham's place (yes, Akmal Hizam's buddy is Akmal Hisham aka Imam).

I was pleasantly mesmerised right from when I heard the opening of the track, with the low notes subtly heard and progressively joined by other strings and it goes up and down and sort of the strings are having a relax and joyful conversation on a splendid summer evening.

It almost seems like it started with a simple 'Hi, how do you do?', and followed by a string of conversation (pun intended) between strangers about things; not too complicated, just plain subjects that everyone would agree upon, instilling harmony in the breezy air. That experience was in Imam's car on the way back to Shah Alam. Well, who doesn't listen to Baroque music, anyway?

Canon is actually quite popular, I'm sure you've heard it too without realising it. It's also the inspiration for numerous other songs, including rap and even rendered in rock, too. Basically because it is quite simple, and being a piece of Baroque music, it is widely acceptable to the 'commoners' ears.

You can find a list of songs derived from Canon in here.

My favourite among them: Coolio's C U When You Get There, a soundtrack from the movie Nothing To Lose (1997).

I heard it live played by string quartets at least twice. One was in front of Boots store in Manchester (at Arndale Centre) with Naza, and another was in London with Amri and Ibu nearby a market. Really breathtaking moments, they were. Goosebumps on both occasions. I bought the self made CD from the London string quartet ZHL String Ensemble, and that's the only Canon I have on a CD. However, I still think the piece rendered by the orchestra in my lost EMI cassette was the best I've heard so far.

Whoever took my Coolio CD single, please return it back to me. You're already forgiven.

links for sheet music, and the electric guitar rendition video clip in Wikipedia's page.

Family Portrait 2010

2010-07-09T12:21:00.001+08:00

left to right: Nazahiya, Akmal Hizam, Marsya, Adam.

sitting: Umar

CD: Maher Zain - Thank You Allah

2010-07-08T13:38:00.001+08:00

album cover from Inteam Mobile site

Bought it online from Inteam Mobile last Friday, and it arrived yesterday (Wed) via poslaju. All in all, it took 4 working days counting from the day order placed.

How did I get to know about this bloke? Well, my colleague Syed Idrus introduced me to him about a month ago, and another office mate Hidayah shared a few of the music videos with the whole office last week.

I was hooked with Insha Allah and Open Your Eyes, right from the first hearing. The same feeling as Dawud Wharnsby Ali's The Veil and Madinah Tun Nabi. Another favourite is Hold My Hand.

I googled after viewing the videos, and a link brought me to Inteam Mobile's site. They have it online, in local currency and accepts payment through Maybank2u. And so...

Pricing:

Subtotal: RM27.90
Postage & Packaging: RM3.63
Tax: RM0.00
Grand Total: RM31.53

I don't mind paying the postage, plus the 5 days waiting, considering that I'm not spending as much $ on fuel if I were to go to the music store. Plus, I'm not sure if it is sold in just any music store. Of course, there's also more saving on the highly possible impulse purchases next door to the music store.

Toyota Supra for sale

2010-07-06T13:48:00.001+08:00

carbon fibre hood and spoiler, 21" OZ superleggera rims, bodykit, the works. interested?

My lunchtime ride, now for sale.

Single owner, race proven, excellent condition.

A bit dated, though.

Thinking of getting a Skyline.

image snapshot from EA's Need For Speed Carbon

Keep Out!

2010-06-30T09:07:00.001+08:00

Pasted on Adam's door last night after a small fight with his sister.

Can't help but laugh about this one with Naza.

Re: finger dance II

2010-06-25T14:47:00.001+08:00

My speed test result. Quite miserable, I would say.

Wanna know how fast (and accurate) you're typing?

Head on to:

http://www.powertyping.com/#pt

Here's the link for the speed test: http://www.powertyping.com/typing_test/typing_test.shtml

Interestingly, there's an alternative keyboard layout other than the normal (QWERTY) ones that we're using. It's called Dvorak. I only knew it now.

Dvorak keyboard layout:

http://www.powertyping.com/dvorak/keyboard.html

From http://www.powertyping.com/dvorak/dvorak.html:

Dvorak keyboard

the keyboard designed by August Dvorak in 1936, an efficiency fanatic, a professor of the University of Washington, and a cousin of Antonin Dvorak - the composer.

Dvorak arranged letters according to frequency, placed common letters on the home row and made the stronger fingers do most of the work. It significantly reduced fingers movement which is the reason for increased comfort and speed and diminishing RSI syndromes.

Rough typing rhythm is supported by placing vowels on the left hand home row and most common consonance on the right hand home row.

--------------------------------

Weekend (and more) Travel - 5th - 8th June 2010

2010-06-23T13:49:00.001+08:00

whoa! in my draft box for quite some time already

School holiday.

Kids were pestering,

"Ayah, cuti ni kita tak pergi jalan-jalan ke Ayah?"

"Ayah, nanti kita pergi rumah Aunty kat KL jumpa Byron tak?"

I have registered for a ride in FRIM on Sunday 6th June. It's about time for a visit to Senawang (to see my parents, not the bike shop).

Wifey wanted to go to Kluang to sample the coffee at the railway station and Ayer Hitam to 'visit' Claytan factory outlet. Plus, I wanted to have the Ikea meatballs with her.

Oh, and Umar needs a high chair - Ikea's Antilop is quite cheap.

Okay, then, seems like we have enough reasons here.

***

Friday 4th June

At midnight I stuffed the car with Umar's pram, my bike and riding paraphernalia, and left ample space for 2 luggages plus more.

Saturday 5th June

As usual, we went out an hour (plus more) later than planned. Detoured to Kg. Melayu to get some murtabak for Ayah and Akak/Azeem. Unfortunately, the favourite outlet was closed and the other not so nice outlet already ran out of dough. So we went straight out to the PLUS highway, destination Ayer Hitam.

It was a short visit at Claytan, just looking at what they have in store, and for Naza to weigh the options for her dream stoneware stock. Me, I bought a big bowl and 2 serving dishes for Ibu. Ok lah tu.

Went to Kluang heading for the railway station to have a taste of their toasted bread with kaya, and of course, coffee. Not our luck, we were there at 1.30pm, their break time. Resolved to revisit on our way back to JB, and we moved on to Senawang.

Reached Senawang in the evening, and stayed only for a short while. Amri was also there shortly after we came, and it was quite merry. Wanted to stay longer, but have to move on to the final destination - Kuala Lumpur.

Wanted to go to Ikea for dinner, but instead we went to Jalan Gombak to sample Uzbek dishes offered at Le Chateau de Puah, as it was already late. It didn't take long for our food to be served, and they're delicious, all of them. The ambience of the place is nice too. Relaxing. Oh, and they've got this one big orange tabby too. Always a plus to have a cat lazing around at an eating place.

Took a turn to Jalan Sentul after leaving Kg. Puah, for a brief visit to my primary and secondary schools to feed Marsya's curiosity. My oh my, the area is now very different from what it used to be. The school itself, it looks like a prison from the outset.

The next destination was Akak's place to stay for the night - nearby Jalan Kuching. We headed there via the Sentul Link. Also for me to know how far I walked to school during my day, so I showed the kids my walking route from school to home in a drive tour. It was nearly 2 km one way. If my memory serves me well, it was about 15-20 minutes walk, sweating and chat with my route mates. Reached Akak's place and settled down for a good rest quite close to midnight.

Sunday 6th. June

Went out in the morning for my mountain bike ride at FRIM in Kepong. The event ended at about 1pm and I headed to a friend's place in Taman Melewar to say hello and check out his new small bike shop - basically a small area in his house.

Back to Akak's place to fetch Naza and kids, and we went to Legend Hotel KL. It was a very short drive, and we checked in our room in a whiff. The room is spacious, and the upholstery is nice. I love the bathroom. Big.

After a proper bath and solat, we headed to Ikea for our dinner and 'therapy'. Bought a few household items including Umar's high chair, and that's it. Back to the hotel for a good night's rest. I really need it.

Monday 7th. June

I woke up early and got ready for the much awaited breakfast (yay!). Packed up things while waiting for the others to get ready. We went down to the dining area around 9.45 am. 45 minutes for a good whip of buffet breakfast. I have to say that I'm quite impressed with the friendliness of the staff. I had a wonderful breakfast. The dishes are delicious, especially the sambal for their nasi lemak (considering for a hotel, that is. Ibu's sambal is the best, still). Managed to sample everything, including the made to order omelette. Oh, they have tosai booth also.

Bottom line, I'll check in into the hotel if I have the opportunity next time.

After breakfast, went with Marsya, Adam and Umar to the pool. Well, I'm babysitting Umar on the pooldeck while Naza prepping up our stuff in the room before we check out in the afternoon.

We checked out eventually at 1 pm and went to The Mall for a quick stroll. Nothing much to see, but Naza was in a wonderland down in Cold Storage at the basement. Good selection of fine foodstuff there.

After that we went to USJ for me to fetch a collection of unwanted old bike mags. Planned to have our lunch in Subang Parade's food court. When we arrived, Umar and the others were sound asleep. So I left them in the basement parking and get the food tapau. It must have been quite some time since my last visit there, and much to my dismay, SP don't have food court (read: cheap food) anymore. Food are available from a comprehensive collection of 'branded' eateries decked out on the ground floor, though. I settled for Chicken Rice Shop, and headed out to USJ 11. While I was in USJ, I went also to Rodalink outlet in Taipan USJ. A good outlet, but not knowledgable staff.

After solat Asar, we headed to Senawang, the transit before final destination JB. Ayah called and informed that he prepared soup for the children's dinner. How thoughtful; and made me thinking: would I be like that with my grandkids?

Reached Senawang around dinner time, and I was a bit tired by then. That's when I decided to stay for the night, much to Ayah's delight of course.

Tuesday, 8th. June

After breakfast we headed out to Kluang. Need to be there before 12 noon if we were to sample the coffee and toasted bun. Not to miss it again this time, so we went out early. Well, ti was around 10.30 am when we left Senawang. It was drizzling when we arrived, and alhamdulillah we got a nice parking spot within the small parking lot at the train station. Unfortunately, many of the items in the menu were already finished, except for the main attraction.

The coffee? Worth the visit. The toasted bun with butter and kaya? Reason good enough for a revisit.

After Kluang, we went to Ayer Hitam to get Naza's plates. One happy lady she was.

Went towards Batu Pahat for our late lunch after that. I read about Bisik-Bisik, and tried to look for it. There it was, on the right side towards Batu Pahat about 12 km out from Ayer Hitam. It was only us and 3 other people patronising the outlet. A very nice place, but the food could be improved (a lot) much better.

Finally, that's the last stop of our journey. We went home straight from there and reached home at night.

All in all, when I looked back at it, yeah, it does make a difference to go out and travel once in a while.

Leave the $ factor aside, though :)

Photos are here.

Thanks for your visit.

Have a nice day!

DSLR

2010-06-12T06:36:00.001+08:00

DSLR = Digital Single Lens Reflex (camera).

Senang cerita, kamera yang saiz besar tu lah, dengan lensa bear tu; bukan jenis kompak yang muat nak masuk poket. Mengikut pengamatan, kalau pergi kenduri kahwin sekarang ni dah merata orang gunakannya; bukan sahaja oleh jurufoto profesional yang dok ambik gambar pengantin dengan bersilang kurang-kurang 2 bijik di bahh, bahkan termasuklah awek-awek (selalunya model yang basic aje lah). Macam mudah digunakan pulak.

Sekarang ni harga dah mampu milik agaknya, ataupun rakyat dah makin berkemampuan. Alhamdulillah. Harga untuk permulaan dengan kit lens lebih kurang separuh pakej umrah yang basic, ataupun boleh beli mountain bike yang agak hebat spesifikasinya. Ataupun boleh bawak famili pegi bercuti sakan di hotel/resort lima bintang.

Bukan tak berminat. Cuma tak boleh nak masuk dalam poket, dan tak senang untuk dibawa semasa berbasikal (boleh tu memang boleh, macam brader ni). Amat sesuai untuk merakam peristiwa penting dan tempat menarik semasa percutian (dan umrah).

Tapi tak apalah, buat masa ni aku tak perlukan lagi. Bukan boleh nak ambik gambar sendiri pun. Lagipun it's merely a tool for art. What's important is the composition.

Cheh... konon. Sour grapes la tu.

DVD: An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

2010-05-11T08:44:00.001+08:00

I was on duty for MMHE's booth for Iskandar Malaysia Career Expo a few Sundays ago. My first time taking part in such event, and it was quite a good experience. A chance to contribute something for the company, while my riding Sunday being compensated justly (at least for me) in various ways. The expo was held in a spacious exhibition hall sited next to Danga City Mall in Johor Bahru. Not many participating companies; less than 50. Many visitors, though understandably most of them are fresh graduates. Enough to make the booths busy, I would say.

In my day-to-day in the office, I'm sitting most of the time. Standing at the booth for at least half the day, my 9 to 5 duty ended with me feeling a bit exhausted. Not eventful, but not boring either.

I took the chance to browse around the mall after the expo wrapped up. Found a charity shop selling second hand items. Also a nice second hand book on level 4. I must have spent more than an hour in there browsing the shelves.

Curiously, the books are arranged by the authors' names. Normal? Nope. For they arranged it alphabetically using the authors' first names.

Besides books, they also have dolls (Barbie & Ken with accessories), magazines, CDs, DVDs, Coke collection (cans, bottles, other Coke items), and selected second hand collectibles (for those who collects old junks).

I found a 2006 original DVD without a price tag in its original packaging sitting lonely on a CD rack. The plastic cover has frayed, though. I took it to the counter, and the shopkeeper inspected before deciding that the price for me to pay is RM5. That's just great, an original 'An Inconvenient Truth' DVD for only a fiver.

Only a few days after that I managed to watch it. Quite dramatic, eye opening, and it shows the whole picture of what's Global Warming is all about.

Sneak peek of what's inside: melting ice (why, how, where), global temperature arising consistently with CO2 level in the atmosphere, Katrina (how, effect), extreme rain and drought, propaganda, and many more.

If you'd like to know what's happening to the earth with Global Warming, and have 95 minutes to spare for watching a presentation by Al Gore, I can lend the DVD to you. I assure you, GW won't be a cliché anymore.

For now, browse here: http://www.climatecrisis.net/
wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Inconvenient_Truth
review: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/

Oh, I love the credits at the end. They presented tips on how to help with GW. I smiled when 'ride a bicycle' is mentioned.

Like I said, the Sunday was compensated in various ways, and this DVD is one of them.

My Name is Red, Pirate Latitudes and Famous Five

2010-05-04T15:03:00.002+08:00

I went to MPH City Square JB last Sunday to get Marsya's Famous Five book; to fulfill the promise I gave her for getting good results in her exams. Well, originally it was for the morning school exams, but she compensated for the Sekolah Agama's results instead.

I spent quite some time at the Junior Readers/Series collection shelves looking for the book, before I finally went to the query counter and asked the girl to check if there are FF books available in the store.

Duhh!

The books are currently out of stock, being ordered, and would take some time to arrive in the JB outlet. Asked how long, she returned "about 1-2 months". Well, knowing Marsya, she certainly wouldn't be able to wait that long (and I'll suffer the unending nagging). Instead, I asked the girl to order cases 1 and 2 (2 mystery cases in 1 book) from other MPH stores and have it delivered to JB for me to fetch it later on. It'd take 5 working days, and I guess Marsya would be okay with that. Hopefully.

Okay, so I browsed around, after placing an order for the FF book...

First to the 'buy 3 pay for 2' selection; none caught my fancy. Then to the magazine racks. Flip upon unwrapped cycling magazines, and drool over the latest sexy road bikes and monstrous mountain bikes. RM30+ is a bit too pricey for me. I've got the cheaper local cycling magazines at home, anyway... So...

Aha! My eyes saw Crichton's Pirate Latitudes on the New Arrivals shelf. The paperback edition is finally out. Two versions, actually. One is the international edition, and the other one is (I guess) the normal edition. I chose the slightly thicker 'normal edition', solely for the quality and feel of the paper.

Three things made me buy the fiction:

It's a Crichton's novel; and I've been waiting for quite some time for the paperback edition.
20% discount for MRC member, making the price down to less than RM30.
Comparatively cheaper than an imported mountain bike magazine

The day before that I went with Naza (and Umar on tow, of course) to Harris (Popular) bookstore in Jusco Tebrau after sending Marsya to Ulu Tiram for her motivation camp thingy.

Was hoping to get her FF book in Harris, actually, but they don't stock them at all. I browsed around and was contemplating for quite some time if I should get that Orhan Pamuk's book My Name is Red. I know a few friends in Goodreads Malaysia who are reading it, and also Uncle has read it. Plus, it's by a Nobel laureate. The novel seems to be good, so I thought why not. It has been quite some time I haven't read a fiction, anyway; other than Crichton's, for that matter. I got myself the paperback edition, of course (read: cheap).

There were long lines at counters in Harris, I managed to finish a chapter (a few pages only, actually). Well, it's quite good. The storytelling is something I haven't experienced in my lifetime. It's different. Okay, I read a bit of Sidney Sheldon, too, besides MC. Orhan's style in MNIR is something new. I continued at home, and am up to my 6th chapter now. I'm enjoying it, albeit only a few pages at a time.

My Name is Red on Wikipedia

Orhan Pamuk's official website

Enid Blyton's Famous Five

Punctuation and Spelling (plus cats) at theoatmeal.com

2010-03-27T12:34:00.001+08:00

I bumped into these pages the other day on theoatmeal.com, a brief stop at Khairul H's blog (a friend from Goodreads Malaysia).

I love the comic illustrations and also example sentences.

Have fun!

For cat lovers, while you're there, check out these posters too:

Hehe...

Thanks for stopping by. Have a good weekend!

Gurgling

2010-03-19T08:30:00.001+08:00

I was feeding Umar last night, and he was wriggling his hands and legs while repeatedly throwing his body to the back. This went on for a while, and it was quite hard to feed him.

While the food was in his mouth, he discovered something new as he was trying to squeal: gurgling.

Umar seemed to enjoy it, for he gurgled and experimented different variations for some time. Hehe...

Of course, the messy feeding session was cut short but continued later, by his mother (the best person to do it, it seems...).

16 more bags

2010-03-12T18:04:00.000+08:00

Out of 50 of Tesco Finest Earl Grey teabags, I have 16 more to go to.

Have to endure this one, for I don't want to waste it. If you'd like to help me out, I'm glad to share with you some of the 16 bags. Come around my office for a cuppa.

I'm switching to Twinings' next. Much better aroma and taste than Tesco's. If you have Dilmah's Earl Grey, can I buy one teabag from you for a sample?

There are mixed reviews for Tesco's Finest Earl Grey. Compare the two links I'm providing here:

http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/drinks/tesco-finest-earl-grey-tea/

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews9766.html

Me, I'm not buying Tesco's anymore.

Oh, darn it. I have a few more of Tesco's at home, too. Come around this weekend, we'll have a chat over a cup of Earl Grey. Bring your own biscuits.

Blowing Raspberries

2010-03-11T13:14:00.000+08:00

Umar's favourite thing to do nowadays, since last week: blowing raspberries.

He does it very intently, complete with wrinkly forehead.

Fun to watch.

Nasi Ayam

2010-03-10T13:25:00.000+08:00

Marsya: Adam, awak dah belikan untuk saya lead 0.5 tu dekat bookshop?

Adam : tak, saya tak beli...

Marsya: kenapa? kan saya dah bagi duit dekat awak.

Adam : dah tak ada... saya dah beli nasi ayam...

Tickling Without Hands

2010-03-10T12:32:00.000+08:00

It's genuinely uplifting when Umar giggles squeakily when I made funny faces.

Especially because he laughed without me having to tickle his ribs.
:D

My FOUR Birthday Cakes

2010-03-03T18:06:00.000+08:00

the 4 yummy birthday cakes, from Naza and kids.
clockwise from 12 o'clock: custard pudding wrapped with sponge layer, earl grey with walnut, walnut choc and blueberry-vanilla.
yes, it's earl grey!

My mailbox was overwhelmed with notifications from Facebook on my virtual wall yesterday. It started on Monday with a birthday wish from Smé (thanks heaps, bro). Until today, the birthday wishes kept coming in. Thank you, everyone.

I didn't really celebrate my birthday, to be honest. It was a normal day as usual. Albeit, I was elated with the birthday messages that I received from friends through Facebook, Google Buzz, Geni and SMS. Hmm... all digital.

At home Naza prepared for a nice celebration with the kids. She went to Jusco Permas Jaya with earlier in the evening. Adam relayed this as soon as I entered the door to bring my bicycle in after the ride from office.

"Ayah, we went to the Body Shop just now, mak was looking for massage oil", he excitedly quipped. I managed to maintain a straight face while smiling inside.

After Maghrib, I set the nice looking cakes on the plate and we ate them together (after I shot the photos). It was simple and nice celebration.

True enough, Naza gave me a nice box from Body Shop. There's a massage oil (no surprise there), a tub of Kistna hair and body wash, and a bottle of Kistna EDT. Marsya gave me a key chain, wrapped, with a small card that she made herself . Adam bought me a cheese loaf which I brought to the office this morning. Umar gave me a sweet smile when he saw me, awoke from his sleep.

Couldn't ask for more. Thank you, y'all. I appreciate it very much.

Now, if you do want to give me a birthday present... hmm...

Cow

2010-02-21T12:41:00.000+08:00

Adam : Aunty, you're like a cow.

Aunty: Cow? Why, why do you say I'm like a cow?

Adam : Ya lah... you give Byron milk...

Google Buzz

2010-02-11T12:50:00.000+08:00

A nice feature I added into my Gmail this morning.

http://www.google.com/buzz

Much like twitter and facebook's status messages, but with so much more - links, photo thumbnails.

I'm learning the ropes by using it, and to discover its features as I go along.

Battle of Cape Rachado 1606

2010-01-29T13:23:00.000+08:00

Dutch VOC with help from Johor versus Portuguese (Malacca).

The lighthouse at the cape witnessed the fierce battle involving 31 ships with cannons and numerous hands aboard.

If the story narrated in the link below is true, I can imagine how precious the resources of this great land were during the days in history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_Rachado

I wish to bring the family and pay a visit to the lighthouse in February during Ahad's Family Day insyaAllah.

a baby's smile

2010-01-27T09:19:00.001+08:00

such a wonderful thing

when he smiles innocently

to me

RM5 Chicken Chop, My Friend's Tom Yam & Kenny Rogers Roasters

2010-01-20T18:28:00.001+08:00

I guess it was not a good decision to haul the whole family to Hutan Bandar last Saturday night. The aim was to sample the cheapest Chicken Chop in JB. While Confucius said, "good thing no cheap, cheap thing no good", I reckon this might not be the case, as the owner of the business is a hotel chef. High chance he would adhere to some decent standard, if not spectacular.

The place was featured in Utusan Malaysia a few days prior, and Naza too, has been telling me about it much earlier than that. Factor in Saturday night, and the open air dining over there was packed with no table to spare. We came at about 9.45pm, and I could easily park the car. Quite a surprise at the beginning, for there are not many parking space available. Looking at the tables full with patrons but only with drinks, then only I realized that people may have opted to go off empty handed (and stomach). Such was the case with us, eventually. Naza met a friend from Ulu Tiram who had ordered since 8.50 pm. It was around 10 pm at that time, and she still haven't receive her order yet. She went to ZZ Restoran for her dinner, by the way, before coming back to Hutan Bandar for her Chicken Chop to-go. So that was it.

Wondering where to go at first, we ended up at My Friend's Tom Yam Restaurant. Quite nice, as there were not many people around. Plus, we could order western menu if we really want to eat chicken chop... Naza ordered seafood tom yam (with crab), salted fish kailan, buttered prawn, battered squids, siakap 3 rasa, nasi goreng cina for the kids, and drinks. Mak ordered mi ladna for herself, and the waiter said that it would take some time. Mak didn't mind with that, for she really wanted to sample the dish.

In about 2 minutes, we were served with the white rice and battered squids. And followed by Mak's mi ladna very soon after. Not quite as long as I had imagined it would be, after all. For that, I awarded 4 (out of 5) stars for their quick service. In less than 10 minutes, everyone else's dishes were all ready on the round table. It impressed me straight away.

We ate (me, a bit later - babysitting Umar) and it was time for the bill. Total was RM107 for 3 adults and 2 children. Not too bad. Well, it beats dining at Kenny Rogers Roasters having Kenny's Quarters (RM15) and drinks (RM7) for each, plus taxes. At least for the variety of tastes.

2010 - a new decade?

2010-01-14T18:13:00.001+08:00

Mathematically, it's a misconception.

1.1.2010 is the beginning of the end of a decade. As simple as that. Not that simple? Read on.

I was quite disturbed to hear (well... mostly, read) people saying "Happy New Year 2010. Welcome to a new decade".

1st January 2010 is the first day of the year. But, it's not the first day of the decade.

A decade is a period of 10 years, a word from Greek 'deca' which means ten.

How do you count from 1 to 10? I have never heard people start counting from 0. Do you?

We count from one. 1 is the beginning.

Following the same rule, the first year of the decade should be the year 2011.

The first month of the year is January.

The first day of January, well, you get my drift now...

So, to state the obvious, the first day of the next decade would be the 1st of January 2011.

1.1.2011 - not that nice.

1.1.11 - much, much better.

As I said in the beginning of this entry, 1st January 2010 is merely the beginning of the end of the decade. Got it now?

2000 - the new millennium?

This was also a misconception. Ehm ehm... a miscalculation.

So the whole world celebrated the new millennium 1 year earlier than it should be. There were cries from people who knows how to count that the celebration was premature. But heck, 1.1.2001 as the new millennium? The numbers are not that tasty. 'C'mon, give us a break, you nerdy people', they said.

Anyway, democracy sometimes may mean that all the idiots are united.

By the way, 1.1.11 is quite catchy.

My prediction: come that day, marketing people will tout it as 'the beginning of a new decade'.

Surely, that day will see lots of weddings and newspaper headings like 'new decade babies', 'wedded on a new decade', etc.

We'll see...

photography contest

2009-12-23T13:02:00.001+08:00

I wonder if there would be any entries for a photography contest, if I were to hold one.

The subject is 'police officers in Malaysia wearing seatbelt in patrol cars'.

So far (at least in JB) it's hard to find one.

Dewey the Library Cat

2009-12-07T13:01:00.000+08:00

His full name is Dewey Readmore Books, very apt for a library cat, adopted by staff at the Spencer Public Library, in a small town of Spencer, Iowa.

A chat with Nassim over teh tarik after last Friday's night ride in Larkin, triggered my bookstore visit yesterday. It's been a while since I read a novel, so I'm hunting for one to read.

I was in MPH City Square Johor Bahru browsing for a Crichton's Pirates Latitudes. They only have it in hardcover (read: expensive), so I guess I'll just have to wait for the paperback version. I picked up one of Azizi Ali's book on property investment, looked at the backcovers of all books Toyota management (because they are all plastic-wrapped), while holding Umar in arms. Man, he's getting heavier day by day. Naza took care of selecting the children's educational books, and the payment at the counter (of course, with my $).

I lingered at the non-fiction (Albom, et. al.), and I saw Dewey posing innocently to the camera on the book cover. The backcover stated his full name (yes, this one's also was wrapped in plastic), and I'm hooked just by reading his name. So, I brought his story home as well. A true story would be much better than a novel if it involves cats, I think. Paulo Coelho (probably The Zahir) just have to wait until next month to reside on my bookshelf.

A quick research this morning returned the links scattered in this entry. Interesting, indeed. Especially for an ex-librarian (in MBS Sentul), book lover, and feline adorer in me.

Up to this point, I'm only at the first chapter. I'll continue reading during lunchtimes. Meanwhile, have a load on Dewey's photos in Spencer Library's website. He's also on Facebook, by the way.

photo credit goes to Spencer Public Library

selamat hari raya aidil adha 1430H

2009-11-26T12:35:00.001+08:00

A few of the guys in the office left for their kampungs already, although my Kelantanese colleague seating next to me is still in his seat staring at the computer.

I guess since last evening, my mind too, have left for Senawang. Aidil Adha had never been a big celebratory occasion for me, subconsciously regarding it as the lesser hari raya, second to Aidil Fitri. Perhaps I need to experience it in Kelantan and Terengganu, where they say the celebratory mode is the other way around.

It has been quite some time since we went back to Senawang. That's why i'm eager to go back this weekend (tonight, insyaAllah). Aidil Adha being the occasion, Ibu's house is expected to be full, with Hafiz my younger brother and his family making the trip from Ipoh and Akak with Azeem and Byron from KL celebrating the day. Oh, and this will be Umar's first trip to Senawang.

For Naza and I, we'll be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary on Saturday. That's another big occasion, too. Should I get her the Casio digital piano or a solitaire diamond ring or a pair of diamond earstuds? The keyboard is not prone to being lost, although it is very much less sparkling than diamonds. Still scratching my head for the fund, though...

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to you.

Al Insyirah

2009-11-10T13:15:00.000+08:00

Bismillahirrahmaanirrahiim

Al Insyirah
Bukankah Kami telah melapangkan untukmu dadamu?,
Dan Kami telah menghilangkan dari padamu bebanmu,
Yang memberatkan punggungmu?
Dan Kami tinggikan bagimu sebutan (nama)mu.
Kerana sesungguhnya sesudah kesulitan itu ada kemudahan,
Sesungguhnya sesudah kesulitan itu ada kemudahan.
Maka apabila kamu telah selesai (dari sesuatu urusan), kerjakanlah dengan sungguh-sungguh (urusan) yang lain,
Dan hanya kepada Tuhanmulah hendaknya kamu berharap.

Surah 94, Al-Quran Kareem

Jangan Merokok

2009-10-30T13:13:00.000+08:00

Kapal ni dulu siap belayar keliling dunia dok promote kempen jangan merokok. Tu diaa… punya la besar dia punya tulisan.

Kawan-kawan, jangan merokok.

BT-ing

2009-10-28T13:00:00.000+08:00

I'm sending/replying SMSes from my office PC lightning fast, thanks to Bluetooth connection, and Nokia PC Suite.

Ultra cool! Well, that's one of many things that I could do differently (faster) with my handphone via BT.

With NPS, I could also manage my handphone data, faster. Backup, organise or deleting data has never been easier.

What needed are

a pc
good internet connection (to download the NPS software)
bluetooth USB dongle - got it for RM30, I bet there are cheaper ones elsewhere

Check out what's behind the 'Bluetooth' name - wikipedia

Okay, I'm lagging waay behind in terms of embracing the technology. That being said, it means that I'm using it at a time when the technology is matured and the cost of the hardwares are relatively cheaper :)

What's next? Perhaps a BT earpiece for handsfree communication while driving (only).

sore arm

2009-10-26T12:54:00.000+08:00

We went for Umar's first immunisation on Saturday evening in Pasir Gudang. The doctor didn't chart his growth, but we did a check on his weight.

He weighs 4.3kg, on his 60th day. No wonder my arm is sore this morning. I guess from carrying him around the house, for his time being awake is a bit longer now.

Other obvious signs: puffy cheeks, double chin (hiding his neck), rounder butt cheeks (used to be flat as a chopping board), and his head is filling the beanie hat now.

We are happy for this. Alhamdulillah.

Seri Alam Toastmasters Club

2009-10-01T07:54:00.000+08:00

The Seri Alam Toastmasters Club is a continuity of MMHE Toastmasters Club. Established since 2005, as a company club it was open primarily to MMHE employees, while also accepting members from outside the workplace. It has gone one step further, and now it is a community club. Meaning, you can also be a member.

For the time being we are having the meetings in MMHE's office in Bandar Seri Alam (read: free venue), with the courtesy and support of MMHE.

Currently, yours truly is the Sergeant-At-Arms for the club. What is Toastmasters? Find out more about it here.

--------------------

Club Information
Club Number	00856876
Club Name	Seri Alam Toastmasters Club
Club contact phone	017 7151881
Club contact e-mail	wan@mmhe.com.my
Meeting Information
Meeting Day	1st & 3rd Thursday
Meeting Time	7:00 pm
Meeting Frequency	Twice a Month
Meeting Place 1	MMHE Seri Alam office
	Jalan Suria 2, Bandar Seri Alam, Masai
Meeting City	Johor Bahru
State	Johor
Zip	81700
Officer Terms	Annual
Advanced	No
Club Type	Community Club
Is your club	Open to all interested parties
Charter Date	12/01/2005

Aidilfitri 1430H 2009

2009-09-28T07:57:00.001+08:00

(L to R): Adam, Nazahiya, Umar (on lap), Akmal Hizam, Marsya

Selamat Hari Raya from all of us.
Mohon maaf, zahir dan batin.

Ben 10 in Malay

2009-09-28T07:56:00.000+08:00

Ben 10 was just starting on Cartoon Network over Astro that Raya morning. I was entertaining local kids coming over our house in Plentong. Without hesitation one of them said:

“Eh, tukar Bahasa Melayu lah”.

I did not know that it’s served bilingually. It did not matter to my children, and so we were not bothered with the technology. Five minutes later I heard Ben uttering Malay words.

Splendid. We learn something new every day.

Image copyright Turner Media Innovations

Evening Sky - 02.09.2009

2009-09-28T07:53:00.001+08:00

I just had to stop at the roadside en route to Plentong when I saw the sky that evening.

It was fantastic.

Subhanallah.

Norzah the writer

2009-09-27T12:49:00.001+08:00

He's an old hand when it comes to writing. Only this morning I discovered that he's been blogging since 2007.

He's my uncle, by way that his wife is Ibu's cousin. A retired government servant, I have high respect upon him. I still remember that morning while at the neighbourhood mamak shop buying things that Ibu asked me to buy. I caught a glimpse of his face on the front page of a newspaper (memory not so fantastic, can't recall which newspaper). I was only 9 at that time, and buying a newspaper was never in my shopping list. I bought that paper (instead of the usual Kiki chewing gums), for Uncle's face was on the front page giving his thoughts on something, as a somebody from MAMPU.

I guess he's one of my role models (also his wife, Aunty Bong) when I was growing up. You know, a kampung boy (and girl) who went to further their studies in universities overseas, hold high ranks in government, successful, makes folks at home proud. Drives a Volvo. That sort of thing.
Only very much later I found out that he's an avid writer. He gave me a thick novel as a gift when I visited him after I graduated. A Malay novel that he wrote - Saga.

As a tribute, I put his blog link in my blogroll. Love to read your thoughts, Uncle.

Eid Mubarak 1430H

2009-09-17T13:07:00.001+08:00

Here’s wishing all of you:

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri

Mohon maaf, lahir dan batin

Have a blessed Eid Mubarak.

Enjoy your festive holiday wherever you are, and come back safely.

greeting graphics taken from Institut Memandu Bunga Raya pamphlet

Masjid Abu Bakar Johor Bahru

2009-09-14T12:43:00.000+08:00

It’s been my favourite masjid in Johor Bahru since I first stepped into its courtyard. That was 19 years ago, when my cousin steered his van with us inside for our solat, en route to Singapore.

The architecture and finishing of the masjid is amazing, while being simple. The black small domes are distinctive, and I really like the brass fittings adorning its white doors and windows.

I would never miss the chance to go for solat Jumaat in this very place, and 3 weeks ago I did. The parking space is always crowded, so I went there quite early. Parked only at the sides of the entrance way, to ensure my easy way out after the solat. While it may seem that the masjid would be congested, it is actually not so. There’s ample space. Another thing I like about it is that there’s an array of water faucets for ablution along the covered pavement leading towards the side entrances. Seldom I have to queue for my turn.

These facts below I gathered from an information board erected on the masjid grounds:

Located atop Bukit Kecil, overseeing Selat Tebrau. You can see Singapore from here, and the view is simply breathtaking.
Construction took 8 years to finish, sice 1893, costing $400,000. I’m not sure whether the sum is based on current value, or the amount at the time of construction. If it is from 1893, that’s an awful lot of money.
First opened in 2^nd February 1900, officiated with a solat Jumaat.
The marbles are from Italy.
The mimbar is from Turkey.

No info on the sparkling chandelier, though.

Photo by Pasha Razak Photography

Ikea raya ad

2009-09-06T23:41:00.004+08:00

Fuhh... makin bertambah lawa rumah kampung kat Juasseh.
Mak Lang pun sekarang ni nampak makin berseri-seri.

Err... agak2 Ikea nak amik aku buat commercial utk hias rumah Ibu kat Senawang pulak tak?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n95qbcMaQIM

ehh... tapi macam bukan rumah arwah atuk je tu. rumah sapa eh? Uwan Acik ko?

kemaskini 14.09.2009:
Setolah berburak dongan Ibu, rumah yang dalam iklan tu sebona'eh rumah dokek Gombak yo... sobab eh, rumah kek Joseh tu tongah di renovate buat tompek mandi ngan tandeh.

Umar is a week old today

2009-09-02T09:26:00.000+08:00

I guess I'm like any other young parents with their new babies.

What I observe is that when you ask these young parents (usually for their first and second child) 'How old is your baby now?', they would almost invariably give you the answer in term of days (some with hours).
2 weeks and 3 days.
4 months and 15 days.
9 days and 4 hours.

Perhaps I am still a young parent...

Anyway, I am recollecting my skills in handling Umar. I'm glad that I found myself able to handle his fragile body - change nappies, his (now) baggy clothings, and bottle feed him.

One thing I'm still struggling to keep up with: sleep deprivation.

Above all, we are truly grateful for he is a no-fuss baby. Alhamdulillah for this blessing, and numerous others, so far within this 6 days and 22 hours.

Announcing the Arrival of Umar Bin Akmal Hizam

2009-08-26T23:38:00.003+08:00

Alhamdulillah, praise and gratitude to Allah swt for His unending blessings bestowed upon us.

About 12 hours ago, at 11:26 am our latest addition to the family has arrived.
Our dear Umar was born via cesarean section, weighing 2.1 kg at Puteri Specialist Hospital, Johor Bahru.

He appeared to be in a surprisingly healthy and normal state, despite being brought in earlier than scheduled. Well, we plan but Allah's plan is greater. Naza is now recovering and resting in the hospital.

I'm a bit tired now, but my heart is filled with happiness. And so I found myself typing out these words for the world to know.

We had pictures of Umar taken by the hospital personnel (thanks very much!), right from his entry to this world, out from the comfort of his mommy's womb. Will be uploaded soon, insyaAllah.

Please welcome, Umar Bin Akmal Hizam.
Let us pray that he grows to be a good Muslim. Ameen.

Sunscreen song

2009-08-14T12:56:00.000+08:00

Heard this song this morning on the radio. Been more than 10 years since I last hear it. Some are good advice, the rest, up to you to judge.

It’s actually a newspaper article eventually turned into a song.

Original article (now lyrics) by Mary Schmich of Chicago Tribune.

The quite interesting history of the ‘song’ is here:

=====================

Lyrics:

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ’97:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

setem?

2009-08-13T13:21:00.000+08:00

Amri is my elder brother.

Oman is my cousin’s son.

Amri: Oman, bak sini email address.

Oman: Ada tiga. Nak yang mana?

Me: Fuhh… banyak tu…

Amri: Bagi je lah yang mana2 selalu check. Bagi semua pun boleh.

Me: Oman, pernah tengok setem tak?

Oman: Setem? Apa tu?

Me & Amri: duhh…

I hope he knows what a Post Office is. But then again, kids nowadays might think that the PO is now a place for paying bills and other stuff not directly related to sending letters.

enjoying my morning cuppa

2009-07-11T11:00:00.001+08:00

I brewed Twinings’ Lady Grey Tea this morning.

First, there’s the refreshing aroma. Perfect for rainy days, served hot with biscuit.

The taste – somewhat stronger than Earl Grey.

The description on the box:

“A fragrant, bright and light black tea infused with orange, lemon and bergamot flavours”

Yup, that’s right. Perhaps the stronger citrus aroma is from the orange and lemon. Earl Grey contains only bergamot.

I like this one.

worried

2009-06-24T19:46:00.001+08:00

My colleague in the office told me about the news that H1N1 found a victim, and she's in JB.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/Frontpage/20090624081505/Article/index_html

I was worried when I came to this paragraph:

She said Health department staff would also be sent to the schools of the student''s siblings -- Sekolah Menengah Datuk Jaafar and Sekolah Menengah Infant Jesus Convent -- because the two attended school yesterday.
"We will check the two schools to prevent any spread of the virus," she added.

I hope Naza in particular, and the whole school in general is okay. I'm going there this Saturday for Marsya's open day. Well, her school is just beside the secondary school, sharing the same area.

anglicised Bahasa Melayu?

2009-06-24T19:39:00.001+08:00

An article by NST's Azmi Ashar.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/Frontpage/20090623185341/Article/index_html

It is basically my view on English and Bahasa Melayu at their current trend in Malaysia.

Well, actually back when the first time I heard the word 'Bajet' was used instead of 'Belanjawan', which had been used for all these while.

His English vocabulary is respectable. Albeit, he could spare them so that I (and many other readers trying to get a grasp on English) would be able to read fluidly without having to refer to the dictionary software.

what's your cup of tea?

2009-06-23T12:47:00.000+08:00

Lately at the office I'm quite fond with tea compared to the usual instant coffee and chocolate drinks. My draughts(wo)man also make a jug of tea for a few of us to enjoy. This morning, the jug is upgraded to a bigger one so that many more could share.

Last night Naza and I were shopping for groceries, and we were looking for teabags. Usually we go for Lipton, but last night she wanted to have those 'top shelves' kind of tea. Tesco (being British) stocks quite a good array of tea selection, including their house brand. We narrowed down three brands - Dilmah, Ahmad Tea and Twinings. So many different kinds of tea. We took home Twinings, for we could have assortment of teas in a box.

It costs about RM8 for 25 individually wrapped, 5 types of tea. That comes to about 30 sen each. Imagine how Coffee Bean & Tea Leaves, Starbucks, et. al. make when they sell you a cuppa.

We tried one in the middle of the night - Earl Grey.

Superb! Love it. With a hint of citrus, it's refreshing but not in the lemon tea kind of way.

Here's a list of what's in the pack:

English Breakfast
Prince of Wales (apparently a blend of tea from China)
Earl Grey
Lady Grey
Darjeeling

The flavours range from 'light' to 'medium' strength.

There's also 'Afternoon Tea', but we'll get that and some other types later.

begitulah acuannya

2009-06-11T13:05:00.002+08:00

Seronok sekarang ni perhatikan perangai anak-anak.
Banyak yang sama macam mak dan ayah diorang.
Tapi bila tang perangai yang tak berapa bagus tu, jadi risau jugak :P
Masa tu kena lah muhasabah diri.

Agaknya itulah satu lagi rahmat Allah bagi kat ibubapa melalui anak-anak.

Semoga kita semua terus berusaha untuk menjadi manusia terbaik, insyaAllah.

Aussie T-Shirt

2009-06-09T17:06:00.005+08:00

My friend Noraidalin went Down Under and bought me a t-shirt.
Okay, I asked for the t-shirt. For free.
:)

And sure enough, she gave me a piece. Quite nice. Very comfortable. Unlike the usual thin, low quality type. I like the color too.

The thing that makes it special is what printed on the t-shirt.

I'm a bit of a collector, and so it's nice to have a collection of Australian slangs in one piece of cloth.

Here's the list:

wally
gone walkabout
chock a wobly
stone the crows
no worries
bloody oath
stunned mullet
crikey!
hows that!
sheilla
you beauty
bonza!!
down under
fair crack of the whip
turn it up
mug lair
too right
amberfluid
footy
flatout like a lizard drinkin
strewth!!
onya
yobbo
she'll be right
g'day mate!
fair dinkum
spot on
tinnie
flamin heck

I've heard a few, like the familiar "Down Under", "G'Day Mate!","spot on", "no worries" and "fair dinkum".

Totally no idea what the rest means.
Go and figure them out:
http://www.aussieslang.com/
google 'aussie slang' or 'strine' and you'll get quite a handful of hits.

Thanks for the t-shirt, Lin!
Where'll you be going after this?
;)

Ferrari II

2009-06-04T14:28:00.001+08:00

Adam: Mak, nanti bila saya dah besar macam awak, saya boleh hantar Ayah pergi MMHE. Lepas tu saya boleh hantar awak dengan Marsya pergi Convent. Lepas tu saya pergi dekat Sekolah Sri Tebrau.

Naza: Bestnya...

Adam: Jugak saya boleh letak saya punya beg dengan baju sekolah agama dalam kereta.

Naza: Adam naik kereta apa?

Adam: Ferrari lah...

Akmal: Ferrari Adam warna apa?

Adam: Merah...

Cool...

Thoughtful, isn't he?

And right choice on the colour, my son. Other than red ain't quite a Ferrari.

Ferrari

2009-06-03T07:46:00.002+08:00

Adam: "Kenapa awak tak beli Ferrari, Mak?"

Naza: :p

Adam: "Saya suka..." *dengan nada hampa*

I'm not quite sure whether he's referring to Shell's miniature Ferraris or the real deal.

Note: he refers Naza's maroon Avanza as Lightning McQueen

photo from here

Adam

2009-06-01T12:40:00.000+08:00

A budding photographer.

Naza always find lots of photos taken by Adam whenever she 'lost' her camera for a few hours left lying around in the house. Sometimes with no more space for other photos. Most of the time, with exhausted batteries.

self-portrait, 2009

It is good to support his keen interest. Perhaps it's a good idea to buy him a Nikon D90 now.

While he learns to compose good photos, I could use the DSLR for other stuff.

Yeah, a good idea indeed.

Have I mentioned before that's he's a bit of a joker, too?

You would've guessed, anyway.

Man United is the biggest English football club

2009-05-29T07:53:00.001+08:00

United was beaten 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League final in Rome this week.

What's the big fuss?

From the talks going on around my friends (who are against MU), it actually proves one thing:

Manchester United is the biggest football club

And naturally, people envy United. Their success, and even their existence. With winning seems to be a second nature, it would be a tremendous news to see a giant fall.

And they fell big time to Barcenola.

The talking point of the match result is not that Barcenola wins, but Man United's lost.

Here's my take:

In English football, either you are a Man United fan or you're not.

If you're not, choose among other 19 teams in the league.

Whatever they are, it didn't matter. As long as you could vent your envy and loath against Man United.

Simple as that.

In the CL finals, many football fans who hate Man United watched it to see Man United fall. It doesn't really matter if Barcenola (or any other team) wins, actually. As long as Man United lose. These sad people will be happy. And happy they were.

Good for them. They need that once in a while.

And it doesn't seem important that I spelled Barcenola correctly or not, right?

neglected stereo

2009-05-20T22:56:00.007+08:00

These past few days I suddenly had the urge of listening back to Counting Crows. Can't really say my favourite band, but I do like their songs. Out of their eight albums, I only have two.

Their first album August and Everything After (1993).
Across A Wire: Live From New York (1998) - bought because it's a value package - 2 CDs for about RM40.

Okay, and also a few CD singles, mainly from their second album Recovering The Satellites (1996).

After dinner just now, I decided to have an hour round of cycling around Seri Alam, for it has been more than a week without cycling. That decision was overthrown by the sudden thought of listening to CC on the stereo at home.

Popped in the August CD into the DVD player. What awful audio coming out of my floorstanding speakers! I made a quick check, and found the source of that poor audio quality. The left speaker's tweeter unit is not working. No treble coming out of it. Hence, the song doesn't come out right, losing it's balance on the high freq audio output.

Well, to think of it, my poor stereo system (we call them 'separates' in the UK, short of Hi Fi Separates) is neglected since a few years ago. Not really being looked at, a far cry from my student days - the time when I acquired the set. Used to check for dust and corrosion monthly (or weekly, depending on my mood). The funny thing was, the separates hype for me sort of ended some time after I came to Johor and started working here. A classic case of lack of environment filled with enthusiasts, diminishing the flame. Seems that I'm alone in the separates world over here.

It was very different while I was in Manchester (and it seems at that time, among friends across Britain). My peers are proud owners of separates. Wealthy people (like Shell and Petronas scholars) own high end systems, while those with not so deep pockets like me own entry to mid level systems. But yes, most of us would have our own separates. So a house with 3 or four students would have 3 or 4 different sets of separates.

Wherever we go and whenever we chat, there would always be an exchange of separates component models being discussed. Usually a blend of long alphanumeric codes decipherable only to the avid students of What Hi Fi (okay, other Hi Fi mags too) and Hi Fi store frequenters. Yeah, I can still remember a few: SL-PG 580A, CD-63SE MkIII KI Signature (that's a Marantz sweet CD Player - drool...), 733i, AE109, Alpha 7, Coda7, Talk4.1.

Back to my problem with the stereo. I have another pair of speakers, bookshelf type that I have not used since my days in KL with Technip. Took them down from the shelf, dusted a bit and propped on top of the floorstanders. Plugged the speaker cable leads into the speaker lugs. Hey presto, Adam Duritz and his band's music plays oh so beatifully coming out from the small speakers.

Time for a repair, that decade-old Mission 733i speaker of mine. I wonder how much it would cost me.

---------------

Here's my current setup for the home theater/stereo separates system:

Amplifier: Kenwood KR-V6080 Audio-Video Surround Receiver. Basically a 60 Watt Dolby Surround amplifier that functions as a radio tuner.
Video Source 1: Pioneer DV-366 DVD Player. Plays DVD, VCD, CD, CDR. Has dimmer function for the dot-matrix display (for ultra better sound quality when playing CDs - no apparent distortion or noise of electrical signal from the electronics. Kononnya).
Video Source 2: Astro decoder set top. Well, for watching Astro.
Display: Samsung LA32A450 32" Series 4 LCD Display. Okay, its an LCD TV. Sheeshh...
Speakers: Mission 733i Primavera floorstanders, Mission 731i black ash bookshelves, Acoustic Energy AE107C center speaker.
Cables - interconnect: Cambridge Audio Pacific (Yellow) for DVD Player, QED Qnect2 for Astro decoder.
Cables - speakers: Cable Talk Talk 4.1 Bi-Wire (fronts), QED Qudos Silver Micro (rears), QED Qudos Bi-Wire (center).

The intention initially was to have it set up as surround home theater. With Naza always changing the layout of furniture in the house (used to, but not anymore now), it would be a problem to set up the rear speakers in the living room. Anyway, I have only a Dolby Surround amp. The rear speakers would only give mono quality audio output. Nowadays the minimal norm would be Dolby Digital 5.1 which would give independent audio for each speakers for that realism. The center speaker's tweeter dome was poked by Marsya when she was smaller and experimenting his hand-eye co-ordination skills. With that collectively, I settled for only stereo setup for video and audio.

---------------

Choosing other old CDs to play, I picked up Gary Moore's Ballads & Blues CD. And, found inside the jewel case the SRAM and Rock Shox small stickers that I've been looking for all these while. Woohoo!

...yeap, there's always something related with cycling, my world nowadays.

lower your taxes, give away books

2009-04-27T18:55:00.004+08:00

April is nearing the end. Are you being a good Malaysian? Have you filed in your tax forms?

Among other things, we can lower our taxes - or at least get back our pre-paid PCBs, by buying books (and magazines). You can get tax deduction by claiming up to RM1,000 expenditure on books and magazines. That's a big sum, and could lower by quite an amount from your taxable income. When it comes to taxes, a ringgit is a hefty sum, isn't it?

Even if you don't enjoy reading books, once in a while you'd buy a copy or two of magazines to kill time while waiting for someone, school books for your children, yada yada yada...

Or, you could buy books as gifts. C'mon, you do give away presents to someone, right? While it may be nice to buy those small things your loved ones have been hinting on you all-year, giving away books would work for you, too. It's a win-win thingy. You'll not only enrich someone's life (great people reads, and leads), you'll also be doing yourself a favour. Everyone would be happy, because of you.

Err... here's a list of books that I want this year. Well, at least one of them.

http://www.bike-maintenance.com/maintenance-books.htm

Make my day. Save the receipt(s) for next April (and make your day, then).

who's your favourite painter?

2009-04-21T12:47:00.000+08:00

I like Vincent Van Gogh's paintings, although not all of them.

Why?

Because his brushstroke is unique. I'm no art buff, but I know what I like when I'm looking at it.

My favourite of his all must be 'Irises'. There's a mystery to the single white one, amongst the other 'normals'. The overall colour blend is nice - blue/indigo and green, the accompaniment of oranges on the top left corner, dashes of yellow, and earth on the bottom left corner.

On the subject of art, my kind of art is more towards geometric and definite. No wonder why among my past ambitions was to be an architect. Well, I guess a mechanical engineer suits me too. Once in a while I get to draw, those geometric and definite lines with Autocad. If I really have the time, I'd go old school: pen, paper, ruler, stencils and geometric stationeries.

I remember during art classes through my school years , I'm more keen towards letterings/typesets, logos, posters and such. I guess that's why I'm into XS - because of the definiteness, while offering a work of art when it's finished.

Some time ago I attempted to convert Irises into XS sheet so that I can make it a major project. However, it turned out to be quite massive and requires many, many different colours. Well, having the painting as my office PC desktop wallpaper is okay too.

Earth Hour 2009, and beyond

2009-03-28T12:34:00.000+08:00

I'll switch off the lights in the house tonight, in support of Earth Hour this year.

However, let's take our 'votes' for earth beyond that, beyond tonight. Let's rethink our impact to the environment, and take steps to care for our earth more.

I borrowed Jafa's copy of National Geographic magazine March issue, and a lot can be learned in it.

Search online for ways to reduce energy usage, so you can know how to do your part. Well, borrowing (instead of buying another copy) is one way for reducing energy by itself, too.

Related entry:
recycling has its perks - eventually

How Fast Can Your Fingers Dance?

2009-03-27T18:03:00.003+08:00

If you could send SMSes without having to look at the keypad of your handphone, kudos! That's a skill that many are still trying to learn, and not all could master. I am one of that many. However, it's only using one thumb. So, not an all-fingers-dancing there.

Touch Typing (TT) is an essential skill modern people should have. It uses all your fingers. Well, I'm using only nine - my right hand thumb is spared from the keyboard dance. Most of us who work in the office would have a computer on our desks. The means of communicating with the computer is via the mouse and the keyboard.

There are many associated health risks related to the usage of these two. Essentials for our work, we can't do without them. The risks can be minimised, by taking steps to make better the ergonomics. The physical design aspect is one of them. Another step that we could take is to minimise the nodding movement while typing. That is, to minimise the eye (and head) movement when we have to glance at the keyboard every now and then to make sure that we're hitting on the correct keys. With TT, this is minimised, or eliminated altogether (if you're an expert).

Reduced health risks aside, it is much more convenient to TT. Lunchtime is a lights-off period in my office. So, the ability to TT is essential if one is to send emails (not work related, of course...) or chat online during that period.

Old school Autocad users are familiar with TT, but not to the full extent. Give them a mouse to work with, they'd prefer a QWERTY keyboard instead. After all, the numbers are still on the keyboard, right?

That being said, TT also includes the ability to key in numbers without looking at the keypad. By the way, that set of numbers to the right of a full-sized keyboard is called a keypad.

I could only TT at about 45 words per minute (WPM) at accuracy above 90%. However, throw in symbols in the sentences or words to be typed, my accuracy (or speed) would drop a lot.
I learnt how to TT when I was 15, using my cousin Azizi's PC. Those days, the OS was MS-DOS (no, I'm not old), so the graphics was not as awesome as nowadays. Still the essence is the same. After finishing school, while my friends were attending driving classes, I sat at home learning TT on my brother Amri's PC (Windows based already by this). Four hours a day, for three weeks, I finished the basic lessons - not that hard, eh? Well, the PC was not with captivating computer games(solitaire, pacman) that I could play with, so I took the challenge of TT.

The intention was for me to be able to type efficiently, knowing that I would have to hand out reports and assignments for college and university. So, I started 'early' learning how to TT to prepare for that, and I guess I set the goal right back then.

The only bad thing about being able to TT is that my eyes would stay fixed on the computer monitor for a long period of time. Oh, and me learning to TT and forgoing the driving lessons, that's another story.

Google for 'touch typing' (or here), and you'll get enough help to get started. There are many sites offering free online tutoring. Have fun, and may your fingers dance gracefully, and faster.

jemput makan?

2009-03-17T12:51:00.000+08:00

While having his nasi lemak in the office one morning, a colleague invited:
"Makan?" ("Eat?")
It's a shortened question for "come and join me with my meal".

It is a courtesy invitation, practiced by Asians. We politely offer to share our meals with others. This is so as not to be rude, enjoying the sumptuous meal alone while others would be left watching enviously and trying hard to ignore the tantalizing aroma floating around the area shared by those around.

This courtesy is practised almost anywhere, even with strangers. If you're on a bus for a long journey and about to enjoy your food, it is deemed to be normal (and somewhat expected) for you to extend this courtesy to the person seated next to you. Even if it's just a plain slice of bread. It's the thought that counts.

Almost all the time, this 'obligatory' courteous invitation will be welcomed with a smile (absent all the while before that), and replied with one of these stock answers:
"Silakan",
"No thank you, enjoy your [whatever]",
"Bismillah" (I like/prefer this one),
"Eh, takpe, takpe",
and et cetera.

I said 'almost', because sometimes I'd like to tease my friends (and strangers) with this unexpected answer:
"OK, leave some for me that chicken wing and the ice cream", while rolling my sleeves up.

That begs a question:
Do we offer our food to be shared with others around because of mere courtesy, adab berbudi bahasa, making it as cliché; or doing it out of pure sincerity and kind thoughts?

During college years, a close friend of mine usually would enjoy his food by himself quietly, and never would offer the courtesy to people around. His take on it is that he wants to eat it all for himself (food on his plate is just enough for himself), and would never be a hypocrite. I agree with him on this.

There's a hadeeth about sharing your food:
"Food for two is enough for three, while food for three is enough for four"
(Abu Hurairah r.a.)

Rest assured, I'll always be sincere while being courteous whenever I ask you to join me with my meal. Though I'll keep mum if I'm only a spoonful away from finishing my [whatever].

cousins

2009-03-04T18:49:00.012+08:00

I received these photos from my cousin Liza 2 days ago. The exact date of the photo taken is July 19th last year. It's from her elder sister Lin's (Kak Long) camera, who is technologically challenged :)

The occasion: Nubhan's fan club inaugural meeting cum get together.

I was around KL at that time attending meeting; and so were Ibu, Ayah, and my elder brother Amri's family. Amri fetched me from Crown Princess hotel upon checking out and we went to Low Yat to buy a laptop for Ibu.

Ibu were at UTM Jalan Semarak attending IT related course. We fetch her and had lunch together. Little did I know that they came to KL also to attend NFC's function. I followed them anyway, to Bora Ombak near Ampang Sports Planet.

Although there was a long table reserved for 'family', I still felt uncomfortable to be there. I didn't pay anything, while members have to fork out a certain amount. Another reason being: I was the other person besides Auntie Bong wearing green in that occasion. Really felt so out of place :).

The way out: took Kak Long's camera and went to shooting frenzy mode. Hahaa... Win-win for her and I. Problem is, it took this long for me to get the photo of myself with Nubhan from her. Perhaps Kak Liza could teach Kak Long the simplest way ever to download photos from her uber sophisticated camera someday? Using a card reader is a simple way to do it.

Ayah, Ibu, me, Kak Lang, Kak Long

Of Nubhan, I didn't quite notice how lanky he is. Upon seeing the photo, well, he's a lot taller than I am, and a lot slimmer than I remember when he's younger. And little did I know of his hidden talent, for he's a quiet guy all the while.

be the boss?

2009-03-03T07:27:00.006+08:00

Anyone would be perplexed whenever I tell them that I don't have any desire to be a boss, head of department or the like.

I would ask them back why would anyone want to be a boss. The common and usual answer would be 'better salary'. Ahh... the very reason why people are busting their delicate bottoms everyday at their workplace.

$.
Not just $, but $ if you're the boss.

Yes, it is bigger but not necessarily always. Once a former boss of mine said that it is also not unusual for bosses having lower wages than their subordinates. This of course depends on the industry and the line of work. You don't have to be in the management ladder in order to have a big salary. For technical companies, if you have the right technical competency, your salary would be upscaled accordingly. Unfortunately for me, my company doesn't have that. Thus the only path to have better salary is to be the boss.

Does it have to be that way? The boss is the leader, period. That's how companies would flourish, and people get better. When people wants to be the leader because of the $ factor, things could go ugly. Corrupt politicians are examples. Naturally, a leader is a leader not because of the benefits for himself. He should be focusing on others, beyond self. Improving the lives of others, for example. Hence making the $ factor not the prime motivation, rather downgraded only as a side benefit.

You would always also hear bosses say that 'money is not everything'. Well, if you already have tons of it, and that's completely another topic altogether.

summer meadow update

2009-03-02T07:35:00.006+08:00

Last Sunday Naza requested for me not to go offroad, and have a recreational activity with the family instead. I obliged, and as usual they enjoyed the extension of last night's sleep. Meanwhile, after Subuh I picked up my XS project and continued on.

This morning I took a photo of the project so far, and it is showing very much progress since my last entry about this. The white daisies are starting to show up between the spots of green & khakis.

It would finish very much soon, if I'm willing to trade it with my offroad rides. Well... the project can always wait.

And yes, we went to Hutan Bandar for the family activity - after the brunch.

mei chern's CD

2009-02-15T12:37:00.000+08:00

She's a singer-songwriter. She plays her guitar beautifully.

I get to know only last week that Mei Chern released her 7-song CD (and that happened last year). I have with me a copy of her homemade CD featuring 3 songs in July 2007. Got it when I went to KL Sing Song at KLPac. I have always liked those 3 songs, her guitar playing and her singing voice.

Immediately I sent an email to her asking if she could send me a copy of her CD. After exchanging a few emails, with the magical money transfer through Maybank2u, she sent me the CD. I received it on Wednesday via Poslaju, with personalised autograph on the CD cover with my name on it.
Cool!

I'm writing this while listening to her songs. I'd say it's suitable for a lazy Sunday morning at home, and for a carefree drive along a quiet country road.

However, this one song from her homemade CD is still my favourite so far - Feels Like Falling.

Summer Meadow Revisited

2009-02-04T18:35:00.009+08:00

I went to Senawang over the recent Chinese New Year holidays to spend some time with my parents, and celebrate Ayah's birthday too. Ayah proudly showed me his completed Masjidil Haram cross-stitch work. and, he asked me about the progress of my xs piece.

It has been a very, very long time since I started my ambitious xs mega project - Summer Meadow. It was supposed to be finished by the time we move to Seri Alam, and hung on one of
the walls as a memento.

Since June 2007, now it is already more than one and a half year! Still a work-in-progress.
Been busying myself with my other hobby-turned-obsession, and this one hobby been neglected to a lower tier. Albeit, recently I did spend a little time on weekends over in Senawang. Make that 4 hours over the last 2 months
:D

No latest photo of my progress, but here's one.

Photo taken on 3rd October 2007.
Hahahaa... a major neglect.

I can pretty much say that it is quite close to what it is right now (read: little progress).

As for the memento, well, there'll always be other occasions in the future that can suit the finish date of this project. Hopefully not for my retirement.
:)

fat cat bed

2009-01-30T07:47:00.002+08:00

Hehehe...
I read about this just now, it's cute and funny.

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2009/01/bedtime-for-titina.html

Hope you cat lovers out there like this one too!

Miao!