Pressure

I can't say much about it but I have just had someone hinting to me to do something that I don't think I should do. I hate this... need God's guidance here. The good thing is that the thing has not happened yet. Since it is still in the future, I trust God to help me overcome this situation. I know there are things I can't do, only God can.

Thank you Father for your assurance.

A Christmas greeting

Blessed Christmas one and all...

No good christmas commercialism...

Just found out that this guy who sells toys in 1-Stop increased his price of a toy I was interested in by almost 50%. Why? Cos he is expecting the christmas gift buying crowd to increase... hence the increase in price to cash in on the rush... :(

Isn't Christmas a time for goodwill? Obviously not to businessmen... :(

Ramblings part 231205

Willie is back from Australia... and is now in front of the computer... again... :)

Watched King Kong on Wednesday with Su Yin... paid only RM6 per person for a 3-hour movie. Not too bad lah for that price. The show made me cry! Never in my life would I think of empathising with a CG animal... but let me tell you. it was THAT good... Hated the scene with the bugs though... oh yeah, its not a show to bring your children really... got to cover their eyes lots of times and you've got lots of explaining to do about why the people had to kill such a nice gorilla... yeah, like you don't know that King Kong dies in the end... :P

I'm on holiday but I am marking my student's papers at the same time... don't ask... :(

Bz like a bee

Today is just so hectic. Students coming to see me endlessly to complete their coursework. Its rushy but I like it when I am bz, as long as there are intervals between the questionings... otherwise I am fine. Thank God that I would be on holiday for 6 days after today... At least I can spend some time with Su Yin.

Willie is coming back. Can't wait to see him again. Hopefully we can have a family Christmas dinner...

Korean dramas

Korean drama serials are really funny... funny in the sense that most of them are so formulaic.

Take 2 men and 2 women, mix them about by making one like the other but the other likes another... if it is a comedy, then make them get into funny situations that will let the 4 people chase each other endlessly, or if its a serious drama, then give them a lot of impossibly difficult situations to go through... like the couple almost get together only to be torn apart by guilt or obligation.

Why like that ah? Its frustrating watching it sometimes and yet, it is so very popular. They have virtually taken over HK and Japanese drama serials as the thing to watch. Its on TV almost all the time. Can someone tell me why are they so popular?

Another one for the wishlist

The above radio is the Grundig FR200 Emergency radio. It works without even needing a battery because it can be powered by turning a crank by hand. 60 cranks in 2 minutes allows 1 hour of listening pleasure... pure genius! Unfortunately can only buy in the US. If anyone knows how you can get one elsewhere, please let me know. Thanks.
This one is even better... the Eton S350DL. A lovely travel radio... nice? Anyone interested in getting me one? :) Eh... Michael? ;)

MU dumped out of Europe

Mu was dumped out of ALL European competitions last night after they lost to Benfica 2-1, finishing last in their group. Wasted my time waking up for the so-called crunch match. I think this is the final nail on the coffin of Sir Alex Ferguson's management. Sighs...

Transience

Recently, I received a call from my friend... telling me that one of my former colleagues had just contracted cancer. When I heard of it I could not believe my ears because this guy would be the last person on earth you think would contract some kind of serious illness. He looks healthy and fit, without a hint of fat his body... and he IS healthy, plays badminton a few times a week, goes for walks and exercise during the weekends... how could it be him!?! but it was... as difficult to believe it.

It proofs that life is really fleeting... must make the most out of it. If you can wake up in the morning, take a breath of air and get out of bed without any problems... then one must really give thanks to God.

Please keep my friend in prayer... I understand that he just accepted Christ and so as fellow brothers and sistes, lets support him with our prayers. We pray, doctors treat, God heals...

2 days of suffering

I miss my dearest... after 2 long and agonising days, I now realise how much Su Yin means to me... that she is such a big part of my life. She's now somewhere in the jungles of Sarawak collecting prawn samples for her Final Year Project and there is no way for me to contact her. Sighs... :(

I am using this time for some ME time... That's just an excuse really... I think its more like I dun like going anywhere and seeing all the couples everywhere, then realising she's not with you. Its hard not to have your beloved with you...

So, I'm trying to use this time wisely for myself and enjoy it with my grandma, which is good, AND allow God to use this time to talk to me, which is good also. Still, I really, really miss my baby...

Being thankful...

Today I had a timely reminder that having Su Yin as my fiancee is a privilege, not a right. Many a times I have taken her for granted and caused me to be a little complacent, expecting her to be here all the time. But all relationships are fragile in nature and has to be carefully nurtured, just like life itself. God giveth, and God can take it away in an instance.

This is just an entry to give thanks to God not only for Su Yin, but for my family and relatives, friends and acquaintances that He has placed around me, throughout my life... and to those readers I know personally, it includes you too... :)

I have been waiting to get this for a long time...

PC Fair is coming up (between 2-4 December at the PISA) and this is THE thing I will be getting there (here's to hoping that they are still selling it!)...
Presenting... the Storm MP-8000 MP3 Player. I know it does not look like much but the thing about this is player is that it has a SD expansion slot on it... allowing you to bump up the memory on this baby... sweet! :)

Greatest footballer on the planet?

Do you want to know why Ronaldinho is regarded as the best football player in the world right now? Check this video out... he just got his new football boots and goes for a test run... watch his ball skills... cool but that's not all... suddenly he does a volley and BAM! the ball ricochets of the crossbar and comes back to him... and to prove this is not a fluke, he does it again... and again... and again! Is he good or what?!

What does this say about him? He can put the ball anytime into the net man... we hit the crossbar because we were "lucky"... he hits the crossbar because he WANTS TO!

How to replace a legend

The big question floating around the footballing world right now is this... who's going to replace Roy Keane at Manchester United?

Thank you for the memories...

Roy Keane has finally made the decision to quit Manchester United with immediate effect. It is sad to hear the news that one of the best midfielders in the world in his generation and the most successful captain MU has ever had, has decided to quit the club that he has loyally and whole-heartedly served for 12 and a half years.

To me he is the best midfielder, ever. A box-to-box combative midfielder, his style, his skills, his character, his determination and leadership quality puts him above the rest. Yet, age has been catching up with him, and maybe it as apt as anytime for him to move on and have a clean break with the club he has served for so long. Where does he go from here? Nobody knows for now but what is certain is the fact that Roy Keane has left a great legacy in MU...

Thank you, Roy Keane, for what you've given to the club, the fans and the game of football.

Its been awhile...

Wah... its so good to be back! :) Its been so bz at work, with work piling up (due to my own laziness and the fact that exams are coming) and also with the long Raya holidays making me rather lethargic.

Anyway, I realise that I have quite a number of loose ends to tie up. Like my Sarawak trip and also the trip to Pedu Lake that I went with Su Yin...


A few updates...

1. As you can see, I am an uncle now... first grandchild in my family... nice! :) Just that I won't be able to see him personally until he is 8-9 months old. Hrm... I wonder if we will click...
   
2. Well, Su Yin and I have finally managed to come up with a date for our wedding... more or less... we think the middle of 2007 would be nice. Just don't know if we can get everyone back, so much planning would have to be done. How will I get it done? I dun really know, trust God for that I guess :)
3. God is still at work in me... though many times I only realise it after He has done something with it and NOT before or during... hmm... need to work on my sensitivity.
   

Like that lor... the key to life is the simple faith that we have, trusting God to see us through. It is not something that is achieved after many years of theological studies... in fact, that may blur the fact that the Christian faith is simple yet profound. Many Christians in the most impoverished, destitute and oppressed countries, have known this fact all along, that all we need to do, at all times, is to trust in Him.

Sad stuff, happy stuff

Su Yin left for Sarawak yesterday... having her come and go so many times, you'd think we have already gotten use to this type of separation and thus, make it easier for us... actually, the opposite is true. It gets harder and harder everytime. I just pray and hope that this will end soon and that we would have a period of time where we can just be an ordinary couple... Nevertheless, I must admit that these separations has done us alot of good too, keeping our relationship fresh and exciting. The pain of separation is always coupled with the joy of reunion...

We had an eventful 2 weeks where we held 2 engagement parties... we'd probably do another one for the family, I think...

I would like to thank all of Su Yin's and my friends who graciously attended either one of the parties. Thank you all who also gave us gifts for the occasions. Thank you. We are very happy that you've decided to celebrate our engagement with us. Thank you.

Welcome to the family

People, say hi to the latest member of our family... introducing, Isaac Cheng! :)

Is he cute or what?! Looks like the mother right? :)

Back from the Land of Hornbills

The past weekend was truly eventful... I went to Kuching to visit Sarawak on Friday and came back with her on Sunday. It was a tiring trip... had lots of good memories to bring back but one bad memory too... well, its not too bad cos it really reminded both Su Yin and I about the goodness of God and how He really watches over us.

So why was the trip eventful??? Here's what happened on Friday...

1. The AirAsia flight from KLIA to Kuching was delayed for 2 hours (according to some passengers, this has been happening quite frequently on AirAsia flights, dunno if it was true...).
2. The delayed flight was further delayed cos some silly family decided to take the grand tour of KLIA and the whole plane had to wait for them! Then, another Ah Pek decided to test his mobile phone in the plane... silly old man, I had to go tell him to turn it off! Sighs...
3. During the flight, it was quite uneventful until the very end of the flight, when the plane decided to encounter some very, very bad air turbulence, causing my stomach to turn upside-down... there goes my Burger King's Whopper brunch... :(
4. Still feeling queasy from the flight, Kuching decided to welcome me with a rain and wind extravaganza... the wind was so strong that the clouds just flew by when I looked up to the sky... I have not since such a sight since I returned from Australia or UK. Clouds in Malaysia are usually slow moving...
   
5. Managed to get Su Yin's friend Grace to lend me her BF's car... unfortunately she forgot to mention to me that the brakes didn't work too well... had a couple of scary moments but no accidents. Whew! :)
6. Arrived at Unimas early, so I had to wait for Su Yin to finish class to see her again... the tension was so unbearable! You don't know how its like not seeing your beloved for so long and though I'm now just a stone's throw away from her, I still could not see her! It was one of the longest 30 minutes of my life.
7. Finally, I see her again! It was such a wonderful feeling... indescribable!
8. Both of us were very hungry... nothing to eat since breakfast. So we headed down town to have dinner. Had the best Fried Oysters in the whole world! Anyone who's going to Kuching must try Restoran Venue's fried oyster that comes with fish sauce dip. Yum! :) You also must try the Ulam Midin (Midin is a type of vegetable that looks like fern... nice!).
   
9. Then we went back to Su Yin's friend's place to rest and bathe. After awhile, I was feeling a little hungry again (what else is new about me eh?!). I managed to persuade Su Yin to go to this noodle store that we saw earlier driving into her friend's place. Her friend mentioned to her that it was very nice but did not have a chance to try as it was always closed. Anyway, it was open and so we went and try... it was Kolo Mee but the noodles was home made.The place was also very nice... old style atmosphere. Brought back alot of memories of my childhood. Nice! :)
10. We went for a drive, with Su Yin driving... and it conclusively proves that she has a bad bad bad sense of direction! :)
11. Went to Coffee Bean for a Malibu-Dream Ice-blended... so nice! :) Found out that both of us liked the same kind of coffee - Cafe Mocha!!! So cool! :)
12. Then we went back home to take a deserved rest... Zzz...

Will write more tomorrow... sorry, no photos... I was too bz enjoying my time with Su Yin... Will see what I can post up... until then... tomorrowlah.

A minute's silence

Our PM's wife, Datin Seri Endon Mahmood passed away this morning after a nearly four-year battle with breast cancer. She was 64 years-old. The country will mourn the passing of a couragerous First lady.

I would like to extend my condolences to Pak Lah and his family for their bereavement.

As a mark of respect, I request that anyone reading this post would observe a minute's silence for my country's leader's wife... Thank you.

This blog will also not be posting anything until Monday as a mark of respect.

Going to Kuching

I'll be going over to Kuching over the weekend to see Su Yin and to have our engagement party over there. We have been planning for one since we got engaged but could not find the right time for me to go and see her... until now. Its long overdue and so I am very happy to be able to celebrate our engagement with her friends there.

Will also have another one here for people on this side of the divide during the Raya holidays. I have alot of work from the college as well... deadlines moved forward or stuff I have procastinated for far too long. Finally, they have all caught up with me. :/

So I think I will be very bz over the next few weeks. Oh well, I will enjoy the good times... I'm can't wait to see Su Yin again, miss her badly... :) and I will persevere through the bad... deadlines, deadlines, deadlines... :( Still, thanks be to God, who leads us into triumph! :)

Ultimate 4WD experience

If Su Yin and I were ever to fully dedicate our lives to research work, this will be the vehicle to take along on our trips!

Introducing the MaxiMOG, based on the Mercedes Benz's MOG. Cool huh?

A song for grandma...

This song is dedicated for my dear, dear granny... ;)

Super Gran

Stand back Superman, Iceman, Spiderman, Batman Robin too,
Don't wanna cause a ruckus with B A Barracus have I got a match for you,
She makes them look like a bunch of fairies, got more bottle than united dairies,
Hang about, look out for supergran.

You can stick your heroes, your Robert De Niro's, Al Pacino too,
Lex Galone's just another phoney, couldn't lace her shoes,
After her they're all big girls' blouses, got more front than a row of houses,
Hang about, look out for Supergran.
Sup-Sup Supergran,
She's a serious granny,
Sup-sup Supergran,
a serious granny, she'll do the things that you never saw your granny do ...
is there nothing that she cannot do?

On your bike Wonderwoman, lets just say you had it coming, this one is for real,
Charlies angels pack it in before it gets embarrasing, this lady's solid steel,
She comes on strong like a Bengal lancer, she makes you all look like a bunch of chancers,
Hang about, look out for Supergran.
Sup-sup Supergran,
Hang about, look out for Supergran.
Sup-sup Supergran,
Sup-sup Supergran,
Sup-sup Supergran, To end.

[ btw, thanks Alvin for giving me the source of the song! :) ]

WA Fm is no more

After today WA.fm, one of the Chinese radio stations here, is no more... Why? I dun really know also, just wanna blog about it. It was very interesting listening to the station. The station, using good programming coupled with good DJs, had managed to capture a small but loyal following. Alas, some of the phone-in talk shows were deemed to controversial for our tastes by certain parties. Hrmm...

Super-gran

My granny (Mom's mom) is really a Super-Gran. Why do I say that? Cos even though she is already nearer to 90 years-old and her movements are noticeably slower, her brain is still as sharp as any well-polished knife! I realised this recently as I noticed that my usual banter with her as increasing becoming more funny. Her responses are really sharp and quick and her comebacks are really, really funny... something you'd normally not associated with someone of her age, and I am so proud of her. I really love her to bits.

Btw, Super-gran was this UK show that I used to watch as a kid. It was about a very old, bent-over lady who can become a super-powered grandma when some yound kid is in trouble. It was hilarious as she could perform feats that would shame even Superman! :) Moreover, she was also armed with a wicked sense of humour... just like my very own Super-gran!

Home alone... sort of

Mom and dad leaving for Adelaide on Saturday as Mei is due anytime now. Yeah, my baby sister is going to give birth to her own little "terror". My sis was quite the terror when she was born... still is actually. You think my temper is fiery? You've not met Mei Ching yet! :)

Anyway, as they are going over, I will be home alone for about 2 months. "Whoopie!" you'd say? Well, that would have been my reaction 10 years ago but now, actually I am kinda sad that they are leaving, the house would be a lot more quiet without my mum's nagging and my dad's 24-hour TV. Its left to me, my very own super-granny and Seong, my cousin, to hold the fort.

Hrm... looks like I'd have to start thinking about meals, laundry and other household chores liao. Just like my Uni days! :) Its spaghetti/pasta for dinner again! :) The only thing I dread is remembering to pay the bills. Thank God there is Seong and super-gran around.

Chicken dung grown cold

I know the title is not one for putting up during lunch but its just something that I want to rant about. It is a sad but true fact that the blogging fever has died down among our circle. Many who enthusiatically started a post a day has now trickled their postings to a post a week, some even a post a month!!! Don't want to name names here but you know who you are :P

Its left to the few pioneers who are managing a few posts a week, especially Alvin (good job, keep it up!) who consistently deposits his crap in his "toilet bowl" except on weekends where he remains constipated for 2 days until he relieves himself on Mondays! ;) I guess that is the reason why it smells especially bad on Mondays! :)

Admittedly, I myself has slacked alot lately. Its purely down to laziness and indifference on my part and the lack of response from the part of the readers (if there is any... hehe) but do I really need to blame myself for lack of postings? Do I really need to keep asking people to update their blogs? I think something's just not quite right when you ask someone to update your blog... its their blog anyway... so for those whom I've asked to update your blog, I'm sorry ok? And update your blog lah... why? Just lor ;)

What is a blog really? Should I take the effort to make my posts interesting readings or ensure regular postings? I think if we take too much effort in doing something as frivilous as blogging, then we've lost the plot. Really... that is unless you have a wide readership like some bloggers... So I will continue to keep to my random thoughts and whatever that my heart inspires me to write (not that it does that alot anyway :/) Be it rants or raves, I will write for myself and my few loyal readers... and maybe a little for Su Yin, so that she knows what is in my heart... putting down things that I might find too difficult to say with my mouth. Otherwise, you can go read someone else's blog ler...

[Note: as you can see, my thoughts are rather random right now... I myself don't know what I just said!]

Stories

Lately I have been reading this blog alot. It is written by this guy name Viewtru and he has a real knack in telling stories. I like his postings (much more than kennysia nowadays!) and as he posted something today about entering a storywriting competition and he left a story hanging at the end, asking his readers to continue the story in the comments section, I thought this would be an appropriate time to introduction his blog to you.... just click on the link HERE and go have a look, and maybe even continue his story... :)

[ Edit: I have also contributed a number of seqments to the story... click here to go directly to the posting. :) ]

Just curious...

This question is posted out of curiousity: Would you leave your car at home and take the public transport if it is well-organised? Leave your answers in the comments section...

Penang desperately needs a well-organised transport system and there are calls recently to quickly set up the monorail system to help elevate the problems. There is merit in having a monorail system but such a system needs time to be built and I don't think it will help much in the short run. Actually, what needs to be done is just to better manage the current system available. So that when the monorail system is built, the feeder systems (buses and taxis) needed to support the system would be in place already.

Here are a few suggestions that the Penang government may want to take note of:

1. Get your backyard in order. It is not the facilities that are available that is important, it is the way it is managed that is important. The Underground system in London is one of the oldest in the world but it is well managed. Its facilities are not the most modern but it is well organised. Get a good management and support team in place.
   
2. Unite all transport companies under a single transport board. Like all well-run transport systems, they come under the umbrella of a single transport board that oversees all the different aspects of a transport system. Employing the same colors and motifs will help users, especially tourists, when using the system.
   
3. Get the feeder system ready. All rail systems need a system of feeder transportation such as buses to take people from the stations to their destination as monorail/LRT/MRT systems cannot reach every area whereas buses can, on the existing road network.
   
4. Have standardise rates and introduce day/season passes. This will reduce confusion for travellers when it comes to paying for fares and day/season passes will make it easier for regular commuters and tourists to use the system.
   
5. Standardise the timetable and introduce time-based incentives to the drivers. Meaning if the drivers can make the timetable with some allowances (usually 2-3 minutes before and after the scheduled time), they are given extra incentives for their efforts. This would make them more conscious of the time and make them more on time.
   
6. Have a team of inspectors that check for problems faced in the system. Both for users who evade payments and for buses or drivers that are not well maintained.

That said, I realise that most well-run transport systems get alot of financial backing from the government, local and federal. This means that we may need to pay more in terms of tax to get it set up properly. However, if it is done properly, I really wouldn't mine not taking the car to work and I am sure most of you wouldn't mind too right? Moreover, it would free up the roads alot more and maybe even allow and encourage people to use alternative mode of transport such as the bicycle since there is less traffic on the roads then...

What the?!

"Cops foil robbery at cigarette hoarder’s house" This was the headline that accompanied this picture featured in today's edition of theStar newspaper. What is your initial reaction after looking at the picture? You'd think that the police driving the Waja crashed into the MR2 driven by the robbers to prvent them from escaping right? WRONG!!! Here's the accompanying caption to the picture:

DESPERATE ACTION: The sleek silvery Toyota MR2 driven by a police officer was rammed by fleeing robbers at Taman Seputeh in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

After reading that caption, the first thing that pop into my mind is this: what is a policeman, earning a government servant's salary, driving a sleek sports car like this?! Either the policemen are very well paid nowadays (meaning there should be less corruption right?) or something is very fishy here. Hrmmm... maybe they are mimicking Miami Vice, where the police gets to drive fast cars and dress in fancy clothes....

What do you think?

Picture courtesy of the Star newspaper, dated 6 October 2005.

Smokers and Bombers

there is a distinct similarity between smokers and suicide bombers, both carry out acts that not only hurt themselves but also other people around them, even those who explicitly not condone their acts...

To both groups of morons... get a life... figuratively AND literally...

Piousness or hypocrisy

I was going to work today and I had to pass through Pulau Tikus. Guess what, because it was the Nine Emperor's Festival, there were a number of roadside stalls that were set up to sell vegetarian food and the people who are buying them had the audacity of parking not only on the road table, but on the road itself, causing a massive, massive jam! What is going on here, people?

I am not against people observing and pursuing their beliefs but I don't understand 2 things:

1. Why do people eat food that mimics meat and non-vegetarian products such as eggs? Doesn't it defeat the whole purpose of cleansing the body AND mind? To put the thoughts of having meat away from our minds??? Strange...
2. Why do people who observe this period so religiously, can be so inconsiderate as to park their cars indiscriminately, even on the ROAD, blocking the traffic and causing a jam?! If they want to be pious and pure, why are they still acting this way? Doesn't it goes against the very thing they are striving for???

Obviously something is not quite right here... Are people just doing this as a trend or are they doing this just to create an impression that they are pious or are they truly repentant? If they are, then I doubt the above 2 points would not happen liao right? Piousness or hyprocrisy? I dunno, you tell me...

A song that really makes you cry...

I needed a break from my notes making. So I just went to Willie's blog (go listen!) and there, posted on his blog, is this song that is the most heart felt one I've heard in a long long time. Tears rolled down from my eyes... in full view of my colleagues! But I could not help it... I was reminded of the One who put His arms around me when I was lowest... the One who was sad when I was. The One who smile when I rejoiced in His goodness. The One whose heart broke when I was callous and disobedient. The One who promised nothing but Himself to me...

Thanks, Willie, for that timely reminder... Thank you Lord.

Chasing after the wind

What is going on in this world? What is the most important thing in life? Is chasing after wealth, power and fame really so gratifying? I propose that the opposite is true. There is never enough wealth, power and fame for a person to chase, the more you have, the more you want, the less satisfied you are!

Apostle John knew this, and he wrote to warn us:
"For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world." - 1 John 2:16

King Solomon when writing Ecclesiastes got it spot on, if you really deny yourself nothing, you end up with exactly that... nothing. Pastor Isaac's series on the Treasure Principle is a timely reminder to evaluate ourselves. In the end, as Solomon found out, it is only chasing after the wind.

Reality shows suck

This is my 2 cent's worth of this reality program... I don't like it, well, maybe with the exception of the auditions where contestants would attempt to perform their versions of their favoured song. Their antics are funny! :) But when the actual elimination rounds start I usually would just not bother. Why? I don't know... maybe because you get eliminated not because you can't sing, its usually because you are not cute enough. :/

Anyway... I have a feeling that the contest's popularity will wane sooner or later. Malaysia's pool of aspiring singers are only so big.

Generally I don't really like reality shows. With the exception of the Apprentice and the Amazing Race, which I watch periodically, the rest of the reality shows are really so boring and so fakey... Have you noticed that every one of the contestants for these shows are usually very nice to look at? Be it the guys or the girls... why can't they have some ordinary guy or girl to be in the show???

These shows gives me the impression that if you want to make it, you have to be good looking in order to do so. Furthermore, these shows all emphasises one point - everyone is motivated by GREED! The worst of human behaviour is brought forth by GREED. All those tears when someone is eliminated are tempered by all the scheming and conniving that goes on behind people's back and is just so sucky... don't you think?

Ramblings part 240905

Random thoughts again...

1. Su Yin shared something she had never shared with anyone before. When I first heard it, I was surprised by the revelation but then I thank God because I realised again how much we were made for each other. Now I realise Su Yin truly is my soul mate...
2. I also realised that it is possible for me to flee temptation... that all I had to do was to turn towards the very thing temptations were trying distract us from.
3. Its not easy trying not to chase after monetary gains. When I saw a new Mercedes SLK500 on the road today, something inside me felt envious immediately but I quickly realise that I am in a car that's air-conned and that's fairly comfortable, what else can I ask for? A car is a car... a vehicle that takes me from point A and point B.
   Its not the mode of transport that is important, it is how thankful I am for what I have. This is not easy because we are constantly bombarded with messages that tell us to get more and more... only when we remember the Giver can we be grateful for what we have.

Car for my baby...

If there was a car i want to buy for Su Yin, this would be it... the Daihatsu Copen ZZ. Nice huh, baby?


picture courtesy of paultan.org

Are you sure or not?

After the incident at the Jelutong Expressway in Penang where 7 people were killed when a car lost control and rammed into a police blockade, Penang's CPO Datuk Christopher Wan mentioned that he would direct the police personnel manning the road-blocks on expressways to use sandbags to protect themselves. Its sounds ok initially but then when you think about it, there is just something NQR with that statement...

1. How in the world are the policemen going to carry the sandbags when riding MOTORCYCLES??? Chia lart man... how can?! Next thing you know, you will see policemen driving lorrys/trucks around on their patrols... cos need to have sandbags to protect them.
2. Sandbags are HEAVY! What if the policemen kena hernia when carrying the sandbags to set up roadblocks??? Then it will be really qua qua qua qua for the unfortunate policeman liao! :/
   
3. Don't you think it is better for the police to man proper roadblocks where cones, lights and signs are placed up before and near the roadblocks for drivers to see from afar and they where reflective clothings and lightsticks??? People cannot escape on expressways on wat, right? Moreover, it will not frighten/shock/confuse the drivers while on the expressways, which was exactly what happened in this incident when the driver of the car was "shocked" to see the roadblock and lost control of his car (not my words but the words of the sole survivor from the car). I am sure many of us would have experienced this also when driving on Malaysian roads where the policeman would suddenly jump out from a tree/bush/dark hiding place and flag us down, giving us the shock of our lives.
   

Hence, I wish and hope the authorities would really heed our calls to have the police man proper roadblocks, instead of using sandbags, to prevent such things from happening again.

Buying success

Chelsea notched another victory AGAIN, and while I can understand that they played well and their coach is one of the best around, I can't help feeling that without the money, they won't be having the success they are having right now. Why? Cos without Roman Abramovich, I don't think they would have attracted Jose Mourinho to the club, nor many of the players that are in the club. Other clubs would not even bother listening to their offers because they would not be able to offer the ridiculous amounts of money for players.

Most other Premiership clubs are facing major financial problems from increasing player wages, the collapse of TV deals and dropping attendances but not for Chelsea, every year they would splash out 50-60 million POUNDS... and that's just for players! Even clubs like Man Utd and Arsenal are becoming careful with what they have.

I have just read that they are looking at one of the most exciting defensive talents in Europe, Vincent Kompany, and his club, Anderlecht, are happy and willing to listen to a deal from Chelsea, while rejecting a deal of 11.75 million pounds from Sevilla for the 19 year-old. Obviously they are holding out for much, much more and the only club out there with such buying power is Chelsea, not even Man Utd or Real Madrid can afford to spend so much.

No doubt a number of clubs have benefited from having their coffers filled with Chelsea's money but in the long run it will just make the market very uncompetitive. Everything Chelsea's name is mentioned, the asking price rockets. Some might even argue that clubs are courting Chelsea to look at their ware just to balance their books. Is this really healthy for football as a whole? I don't know really.

Even though the season is only 6 matches-old, I am getting a little bored of Chelsea winning all the time. Its really becoming a 1 horse race. I wonder if that's how most other clubs felt when Man Utd was dominating the Premiership during the 90's but even then Man Utd stumbled every so often to allow clubs such as Blackburn and Arsenal to dominate the league and it was exciting. I have a feeling a lot of football fans are willing ANY team to trip Chelsea up and give them a beating. In reality, this is easier said than done.

As for Man Utd's chances of winning, unless Chelsea DOES trip up badly somewhere along the line and Man Utd plays VERY consistently, the best bet would be in a football management simulator such as Football Manager 2005! :/

FF7: Advent Children

Is it me or is he holding a Panasonic mobile phone??? :P

Just finished watching this movie... it is the best CG movie I've ever seenm, the details and movement of the characters and their environment is WOW, but the thing about CG movie (or maybe its just Japan-made CG movie) is that the facial expression still cannot be 100% captured... that's my opinion anyway.

If you get a chance to watch it, do... look out for the movement of the character's hair and clothes... you will drool.

Sighs...

I just found out from Su Yin that there was 2 cases of rape that recently occured in the Unimas campus she is staying in. One happened to the a friend of her friend's. The other case was covered up by the Uni authorities. These things are bound to occur because the Uni campus has not been completed and there are still construction going on within the vicinity of the hostels that the girls are staying in... why would they let the girls hostel be located near the construction site, I have no idea. Trust our local people to have the sense NOT to think about all these things before making arrangements for accomodation... Great! :(

I really feel helpless cos I can't be there to protect her. Times like this we really have to believe in God's promise to protect His children. Nothing else I can do except to advise her to be extra careful and vigilant and to pray for her. I think that's the best thing I can do for her, don't you think? Please pray with me for her safety and the safety of the girls staying there, and also for the authorities to take appropriate and thorough action to safeguard the students' security. Thank you, much appreciated.

Anniversary

Wow... I din realise it but I've been blogging for more than a year now! This blog came into being in August of 2004 but then I only blogged sporadically over the next 9 months until things began to pick up speed in May 2005. Things really got going in June 2005.

So I guess a greeting is at hand: Happy Belated 1 Year Anniversary, my dear boy... :P

Happy Malaysia Day

Did you know that today, 16 September, is the day Malaysia was formed? 42 years ago, in 1963, Malaya, Singapore (which pulled out eventually to form its own independent state), Sabah and Sarawak came together to form Malaysia.

Funny thing is we, in the Peninsula, never, ever celebrated this day... for the people in Sabah and Sarawak, this is to them their true independence day... where they became part of an independent country. Until now, the 2 states are still retain some autonomous rights such as separate immigration controls (which is why we from Peninsular Malaysia, until recently, still have to carry our passports when travelling to these 2 states and we have to apply for a work permit in order to work and reside over there...) but in every other sense we are part of the same country. Moreover, these 2 states has contributed alot to the economy of our country due to its vast natural resources. Its time we recognise the contribution of not only the people in the Peninsular but of Sabah and Sarawak as well.

I think its time we celebrate this fact, seeing that its because of this day that we are no longer Malaya but Malaysia? Anyway, as a MALAYSIAN, I am going to do my bit by remembering this special day.

Happy Malaysia Day everyone! :)

Ramblings part 150905

1. Popularity contest:
Funny how some bloggers become so popular that their blogs become a little impersonal... you have to be extra special to get a respond from them (I am not naming names cos there is none to name, it is just my general observations).

Of cos, there are some who are really nice and respond to you though... so I guess it balances it out.

So I guess its ok-lah, since most bloggers don't really get much readership wan... for every popular blogger, there are hundreds more who gets a readership of a handful of people...

2. Fetish:
Do you think I have a watch fetish?

3. Missing her:
Its time for "I miss my fiancee" show again...

4. Not blogging:
Still don't know why I don't blog as much... another theory: Too much Football Manager 2005?

5. Debt:
My sleep debt is way too high... need to repay it a bit... now if only the clock would wind faster...

Malaysians to space?

Malaysian in space by 2007? Wow... and apparently you can vote for the person to be the first Malaysian astronaut/cosmonaut ala Malaysian Idol... Hrmm...

Much has been made about the requirements for a potential spaceman/woman... one of which is that you have to run 3.5km in 20 minutes. Sounds tough huh but being a space-person is not easy you know... you have to be fit to float around! :P Seriously though, the heavy G-forces you will feel when going up AND down will test the strongest person... so I guess its only far that the fittest is chosen... but then what about the space-person's intelligience? Is that not needed? Hrmm...

Yeah, lots to ponder today... :P

Which one do you prefer?

This is for Su Yin... (but if you want to add your comments you are welcome...)

Which one would you prefer?

This one (1)...

or This one (2)?

I want, I want! - part 3

Another one for my wish list :P

Casio MSY-501L

Noticed that recently I have developed a liking for Casio watches??? Yeah, they are cheap, durable and really nice looking... Those who still owe me a birthday present, you know what to do ok? :P

Be careful what you pray for...

Had a very, very nice and meaningful talk with Su Yin last night. We realise that it can be scary asking God to help us love our neighbours and help us grow in our patience with others. Often when we pray that kind of prayer, we hope God to change the annoying and unlovable people around us so that it is easier for us to love. However, this is not how God works is it?

Instead He surrounds us with exactly the type of people we don't like in order to change OUR perspectives... He does this so that everyone involved will benefit, if we would only listen to Him and do as He says... We will gain because through testing our patience and trying our ability to love unconditionally, we bear the fruits that He wants us to bear, people He surrounds us with will be touched by Him and sees Him through us and our actions and finally, God gets the glory ultimately...

Truly, His ways are higher than ours...

Is this true for you too?

Thinly spreaded...

Wah, so many days never blog already (actually, it has only been 2 days). Furthermore, I cannot give excuse that Su Yin is around, cos she's not. In fact, it was she that commented that I have not been blogging for awhile. Yeah, I guess so. Hence the next logical question should be... WHY?

I don't know really. Maybe its a combination of laziness, bz-ness and tiredness. It was a bz weekend cos I had to run around town for some reason and I was replacing someone for sound duty on Saturday night and Sunday morning. I've also been spending more time reading people's blogs than writing my own. Novelty's wearing off on me maybe? Burn out? I don't know ler...

Nevermind-lah, this is my blog and I shall blog at my own pace. If I feel like walking, I'll walk. If I feel like doing a marathon, I shall do that too... :P

Anyway, I finally figured out how to play Diablo 2 on my home network... Woohoo! Just as Xe Hui came back from KL... Timing is so perfect! One day later and Leslie would be plonked here in my home... bugging me to play with him. :P

Hmm... I was just thinking, should I continue to use people's real names on my blog? I noticed that some bloggers will use pseudonyms/nicknames for people mentioned in their blogs... should I do that too? Let me know what you think lah (especially those who frequently appear as guest stars in this drama-blog of mine)....

Snatch-theft solution

I was reading Kenny Sia's blog about Patriotism and he mentioned that one of the endemic problems that our country is facing is snatch theft and that got me thinking... how do we get rid of this scourge?

After 2 seconds of thinking... I came out with the solution: GET RID OF THE SCOOTER/KAP-CHAI/MOSQUITO-TYPE MOTORCYCLES!

That way, people will either carry out the crime on foot, by bicycle or by car... all of which are abit silly cos if you carry out this crime by foot, even the auntie whom you just snatched from would catch up with you and bash you on the head. If you do it by bicycle, people can also easily stop you. By car??? If you can afford a car, why go snatch theft? Go rob a bank or something! At least you can DIE in a blaze of glory! :P

What do you think? Can?

Getting my attention

Boy... God really knows how to get my attention... and lately He's been trying very, very hard... in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Don't know if it is a good thing but I'm glad to know that I'm still in His thoughts...

Old?

Officially I became 1 year older yesterday... just want to say thank you for all the wishes and blessings conveyed to me last night. I really appreciate it... alot. As you get older, my birthdays doesn't seem to hold such a huge significance to me anymore... hmm...

I am beginning to feel the effects of growing older... can't eat that much, feel sleepy earlier in the night and you feel tired more easily that say when i was in my teens but on the other hand, you begin to enjoy and appreciate the simpler things in life. I thank God that He is still my strength and the supplier of my needs. Thank you Lord for Your faithfulness...

Well, another year ahead... hopefully it will be as wonderful as the last. It doesn't matter if there were a few bumps here and there, it was still a good year and worth giving thanks to God for...

I want, I want! - part 2

Another for my wishlist... Nice???

Casio Pathfinder Triple Sensor Titanium, Model:PRG-70T-7V

Description :
-Electro-luminescent backlight
Full auto EL light, afterglow
-Solar powered
-Low-temperature resistant (-10°C/14°F)

-Digital compass
Measures and displays direction as one of 16 points
Measuring range: 0 to 359°
Measuring unit: 1°
20 seconds continuous measurement
Bidirectional calibration and northerly calibration function

-Altimeter
Measuring range: -700 to 10,000 m (-2,300 to 32,800 ft.)
Measuring unit: 5 m (20 ft.)
Memory capacity: Up to 41 measurement records (month, date, time, altitude, and altitude indicator);
one maximum altitude record (month, date, time, altitude, and altitude indicator)
Reference altitude setting
Altitude indicator
*Changeover between meters (m) and feet (ft.)

-Barometer
Display range: 260 to 1,100 hPa (7.65 to 32.45 inHg)
Display unit: 1 hPa (0.05 inHg)
Measurement timing: Daily from midnight, at three hour intervals (8 times per day);
Every five seconds in Barometer/Thermometer Mode
Atmospheric pressure tendency graph
*Changeover between hPa and inHg

-Thermometer
Display range: -10 to 60°C (14 to 140°F)
Display unit: 0.1°C (0.2°F)
*Changeover between Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F)

-Duplex LC display
-1/100-second stopwatch
Measuring capacity: 9:59'59.99'
Measuring modes: Elapsed time, split time, 1st-2nd place times
Others: Minute indicator, seconds indicator
-Countdown timer
Measuring unit: 1 second
Countdown range: 60 minutes
Countdown start time setting range: 1 to 60 minutes (1-minute increments)
Others: Auto repeat, progress beeper, minute indicator, seconds indicator
-Daily alarms
5 independent daily alarms
-Hourly time signal
-Battery power indicator
-Power Saving (Turns off the display when the watch is left in the dark)
-Auto-calendar (to year 2039)
-12/24-hour format
-Regular timekeeping: Hour, minutes, seconds, pm, month, date, day
-Accuracy: ±15 seconds per month
-Approx. battery operating time: 6 months on CTL1616 (Operating period with normal use without exposure to light after full charge)
23 months on CTL1616 (Operating period when stored in total darkness with the Power Save function ON after full charge)
-Size of case/total weight: 56.0 X 48.2 X 13.9 mm / 113 g

Taking a break

I realised that it is possible for me not to blog for a long, long time... :) Did not really blog much during the week when Su Yin was back. Now that she's gone back to Kuching, I am not so inclined to blog. :) Not bad eh? Hmm...

What a week!

Su Yin left for Kuching on Saturday... and I miss her so much already. It has been an uneventful and yet very eventful week at the same time.

It was uneventful cos for the first time in a long time, we managed to do what most couples do when they are courting... that is to go dating! :) Its weird I know but we have hardly done that for a stretch before... like everyday also go out on a date... its so rare for us cos everytime we see each other we can only meet for a short period of time and we try to do something more special such as travel. This time we managed to do something normal couples would do, such as window shopping, having dinner dates and the like. Hence it was quite eventful... everyday I'd go home tired but happy...

I'm still having a hang-over from the whole week... I missed out on the regular evening naps and I was out doing stuff in the evening with Su Yin so I guess it did not help but I really didn't mind... since she was back for only 1 week. Sighs... I'm off to bed now... 2 months to recuperate! :)

Sticky posts by Improbulus

For those of you who have been thinking about creating a sticky post on blogger but never figured out how to do it... here's your answer: sticky posts.

All credit goes to Improbulus for providing this tip to me. Go visit her blog. Its full interesting facts and helpful hints and tips about the technical side of blogging. Really cool... especially for those who's always asking "How do you do this?" or "How do you do that?"... this is the site for you! :)

climateprediction.net

I'm currently participating in a network computing project that processes the climate/weather data accumulated throughout the years to predict what the climate/weather would be like in the future. The project is called climateprediction.net (click on this link here to go to the website).

This project began when a number of universities in the UK and the Met Office (short for Meteorological Office, responsible for monitoring the weather/climate in the UK) embarked on this project to chart climate changes in the past and predict what may happen in the future. Instead of using a supercomputer in a research facility or a university, they decided to harness the power of the Internet by using the idle time of a lot of computers that are connected to the Internet.

You'll be given a small portion of the total data to be processed and you can either run it live or you can run it as a screensaver. Instead of me trying to tell you what is going on, just go to the site to have a look...

Spending time together

Su Yin is back for a week and as you can see, the rate of posting is down to almost nil. So bear with me ya?

I just want to spend as much time together as we see so little of each other. Everytime we do, its like starting to date all over again... its a nice feeling I guess but this is cancelled out by the fact that we have to be away from each other two-thirds of a year. Sighs...

Nevertheless, I'm counting the blessings and I am very, very glad that we still have the chance to see each other for the other one-third. There are couples who see each other even less often. Its all a matter of perspective - whether the cup is half full or half empty... and I'd like to think its half full. :)

Noise

I've decided to take down the radio player. Why? Cos most ppl think its a little annoying and intrusive cos I am forcing people to listen to it. Got an email about it actually... hehe. So I'm not exactly winning any popularity votes here but who cares eh? ;) Moreover, most of you would have some kind of music/noise playing on your comp already...

The thing is, I'm kinda getting tired of it too already. Furthermore, Firefox doesn't seem to respond to the autostart="false" command. So being your friendly neighbour and all... no more loud music.

Anyway, I'm still leaving the link there so if you want to listen to some good christian songs online, just click the link at the sidebar or click here lah...

Kenny Sia also wrote an article about what not to put in a blogsite... go have a look here. So if you are new to blogging or is interested in spicing up your site (yeah... I'm talking about you, Leslie), go take a look... it will give you some insight on what not to do. :)

Ramblings part 240805

I am almost nothing to write about... I have yet to start writing my 3rd instalment in my food trilogy but I am so lazy... just don't feel like doing it! :(

Anyway... Su Yin is coming back in a couple of days time... :) I can't wait to see her again! I wonder how she'd look like... my whole being is abuzz everytime I think of her... I wonder if that is normal???

My grand-uncle passed away a few days ago... my parents was suppose to go down to Seremban last weekend to visit him after attending a dinner in KL but he died the night before they went. He was recovering from nose cancer and was getting better but he was giving up. My grand-aunt passed away last year... and all he wanted was to go to be at her side with God. Its really sad but really so touching and loving. My mum told me that he was really peaceful and their children was also ready to let him go. So the funeral was more or less a peaceful and joyful celebration of his life and his legacy... I hope that is how I can live my life.

An interesting question for men and women...

I was listening to an interview recently about Men and Women and the interviewee described how men and women responded differently to the concept of love.

I'm going to describe 2 bad feelings, and I want you to tell me which is the least bad...

1. Would you rather feel alone and unloved in the world? or...
2. Would you rather feel inadequate and disrespected?

Apparently almost all men would rather feel alone and unloved and almost all women would rather feel inadequate and disrespected...

I'm not saying that men do not need to feel loved or women do not need to feel disrespected but rather choose one option that is less bad...

Hmm... interesting isn't it?

The funny thing is that this ties in with wat the Bible says about how men should treat their wives and how women should treat their husbands...

"...however, each one of you alst must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect the husband." - Ephsians 5:33 (NIV)

Isolation

I'm going through some kind of enforced isolation. I'm actually home alone for 2 days because my family's away in KL and Seremban for some family matters.

You know something? Coming back to an empty home is not nice at all. Its not that I have to take care of the whole house but its the lack of people that depresses me. I realise how hard it is to keep my spirit up when you have no one to talk to. I have the tv AND radio on but its still different. Sighs...

Great passing game but...

Arsenal plays arguably one of the most stylish sides in the Premiership, playing direct, fast flowing attacking football with alot of sharp passes and quick movement. Arsenal players pass to the feet more than any other team I've seen but I think that's the core of the problem with their football... they pass too much!

I was watching last night's match between Chelsea and Arsenal (1-0) and I realised that almost all of the balls into the last third are ground balls... where Chelsea, arguably the best team in the world right now, could easily handle because the back four were also very quick on their feet and they have holding players like Makalele and Essien that block and kill off all attacking moves. They just sat back and absorb all that Arsenal were throwing at them... and counter attack really, really well.

Arsenal should have had a more varied style of play with maybe some aerial bombardment mixed in with the passing game. This is partly why Arsenal has not really succeeded in Europe. The players in Europe are more technically/positionally aware and is not just all running, and is willing to absorb all that Arsenal throws at them.

Another thing was after Ljungberg was taken off injured, there was so little attack down the right wing... Arsenal should have exploited the fact that for the last 10 minutes, Del Horno (Chelsea leftback) was injured and Chelsea had used up all their substitutes but they keep pushing on the left where they were ably cut off by Chelsea so easily.

I also noticed that Henry was playing so, so deep. Is that good tactics? How can he run at defenders when he also have to navigate pass the packed midfield?

Btw, the goal was a fluke but that's all Chelsea needs to do... get the 3 points. It doesn't matter if the play is ugly... the ultimate goal for all team is to GET THE 3 POINTS and Chelsea have proven that they are very, very good at that.

Who says I'm not objective in my reporting eh? :)

Pic: Phil Cole/Getty Images

My favorite kind of burgers

Let me tell you... one of the 2 best burgers around is....

1. Burger King's Whopper!


2. MOS Burger's MOS Rice Burger
   

But of cos... nothing can beat the wholesome, made-in-malaysia RAMLY Burger! Woohoo!

Ass-u-me

Someone made this statement: Never assume about anything cos it would only made an ASS out of U and ME!

How true! I made that mistake recently and it really made an ASS out of ME... :(

Too long... far too long

Its been awhile that I've felt God's presence in my life. When you don't fill your life daily with God Himself, there is such a void and emptiness that you know only He can fill... yet we still try to fill it with so many other things: work, leisure, relationships... and you know in the end, you come full circle and return to where you started... you and God.

Only God knows and understand the constant struggles that I endure everyday to live up to people's expectations. It can be so, so tiring sometimes that I really feel like giving up.

When people ask you whether you are ok? Do you say, "yeah, I am fine" or "no, I am struggling with life itself"? Its so easy to wear a mask and reply the former to others. Only God knows, how often I have done that... and oh, the smiles you put on your face even though you are hurting so badly inside... you've got to be strong... but for what reason???

In the end, you realise the only source of comfort is in our Heavenly Father. What comfort to hear these words from Him:

Tell the fearful souls, "Courage! Take heart! GOD is here, right here, on His way to put things right and redress all wrongs. He's on his way! He'll save you!"
- Isaiah 35:4 (MSG)

Yeah, I am still struggling with so much, but it is so comforting to realise that there's always someone you can run to. God will keep calling you back to Him... and He never, ever gives up.

Misunderstood

Sometimes I only wish that I am given a chance to explain before being shot down... maybe its retribution for shooting other people down in the past.

I am much maligned and misunderstood... :(

Ramblings part 170805

Leslie bugged me to play Diablo 2 last night... He very 'keng', got work the next day still can play till late (until 2am). Yeah I know, some of you, young cikus are thinking... so early! I realise I can't stand much late nights anymore... signs of old age I guess :(

Playing D2 again brought me back to the time I played loads and loads of it when I was in Australia. The bunch of friends that I had was totally into D2 and we played and played and played... my best partners was Anson and Alister, the homeys from Kuching!

Anson liked to use Paladin and Alister liked to use Barbarian, I was the Ranged player... the Necromancer! Yeah, this character is a little puny at the beginning but when you reach the Nightmare and Hell level... hehe... he comes real handy. Moreover, I had 2 friends who loved absorbing damage. So I don't really mind. :)

Sighs... I miss some of my friends. :( Good thing I am still talking to Anson on an almost daily basis. :) Now to find Alister's contact...

Headache

I just realised something... Serene's blog is definitely not for early morning readings (or for any other time for that matter)! Ouch... headache now... too much to digest. :/

Its like eating nasi kandar in the morning or eating 8 'man tou' - chinese dumplings and then drinking water after that (someone in China actually died doing that, the 'man tou' swelled after absorbing the water in his stomach... yeesh).

Benglish translator

I was doing my usual routine of reading my favorite blogsites when I came upon Kenny Sia's site... you know what? This guy has an English to "Benglish" translator. Its so funny! :D

Now, I must warn you that this translator does not make an effort to keep the language clean. In fact, it does the exact opposite and makes whatever it transnlates as Ah Beng as possible! So it may offend some of you. So you are forewarned! :)

If you want to see how your blog is translated into Ah Beng-speak. give it a go here.

If you want to know how my site was translated, then click on the link here.

Expandable blog posts

My recent posts about blogtiquette has courted some controversy. Its partly my fault, wrote that without thinking. Hence, some people are thinking that I'm really nasty and selfish... that I made something that's a molehill into a mountain. I guess I did, so those who are unhappy with the way I dealt with the situation - I am sorry.

Whew... with that off my chest, lets turn to something more interesting...

I was talking to Michael yesterday about finding ways to reduce the length of our posts when displayed on the main blog page and guess what? I found a way to do it! Someone shared this on their blog and so I'm gonna share it with you (see I'm not such a bad guy really...).

This technique is very useful if you are the kind of blogger that likes to write very long posts. It saves space (meaning more posts can be displayed on your site) and helps your blog load faster. If you are interested in the technique, go to the blog posting >> here.

As you can see I do also "borrow" code from people, just that I go beyond just the copy-n-paste process and modify it properly for my own site. Its really fun once you get the hang of it... its like modifying your cars or decorating your rooms or customising your computer desktop... it makes the code yours.

That's what I'm encouraging people to do. I don't mind copy-n-paste, that's how most people learn about HTML, CSS and the like anyway... but try and go beyond that, and in the process you'll learn something new and at the same time have fun making your blog unique, really... :)

MU 2-0 Everton

Good start, MU... I think by now you know which EPL team I support. Hehe...

The 2 new signings both had their debut and played well. Park Ji Sung, who replaced the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, was really lively and troubled the defenders to no end, popping up on the left and right at the same time. Edwin van Der Sar gave much needed stability between the posts, with nothing much to do except when he had to make a brillant save against Tim Cahill during the first half.


Ruud van Nistelrooy is beginning to show his former sharpness in front of goal and Wayne Rooney is Wayne Rooney. He is just so strong, skillful and brave. 3 or 4 Everton players will go towards him when he gets the ball, demonstrating how dangerous he is to the opposition.

Paul Scholes did enough with some brillant passing but his tackles still sucks, with one of them earning him a yellow card. Roy Keane imposed himself when needed and his vision is still very good but his dominance is clearly waning. The heart is there but his body sometimes showed its age. Darren Fletcher played well but I think he is more of a central midfielder than an out and out winger, a future Paul Scholes maybe?

Gary Neville was his usual self, defending coolly and full of running supporting the attack on the right flank. John O'Shea was good going up, supplying the cross for van Nistelrooy to score but his defending is a little suspect. He was switched to midfield when Gabriel Heinze came on for Fletcher and only then was the area better defended. Heinze is showing that he definitely worth more than the 6m pounds that MU paid for his services. Rio Ferdinand seemed more focused, calm and alert after penning his new contract, marshalling the defence really well. Mikael Silvestre played well but at times his rashness would have gotten him a card, had Graham Poll decided to be less lenient with him. Poll helped kept the play flowing but there were a few controversial calls at both ends of the goals.

Alan Smith came on for Scholes but I'm still not convinced that he can do well at the centre of midfield. He was his usually fiesty self, getting himself in a war of words with Tim Cahill. Kieran Richardson was full of running but he came on late in the match and did not have much time to impress.

The Everton players that impressed me were Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta and Marcus Bent. All three looked threatening when Everton attacked, with Bent harassing the defenders to no end, Cahill making his runs from midfield and Arteta making dangerous crosses. A special mention from the Everton side has to be Phil Neville. His home debut Premiership match for Everton, he played the holding role well but he has to execute his tackles more cleanly. Rooney, van Nistelrooy and Park all at the receiving end of his tackles. These players must have had experienced this before during training matches at MU but it really looked funny because you never thought that he would be anything but a MU player. It's now down to only Scholes, Giggs and his brother Gary as the remaining members of Fergie's Fledglings. Sighs... its bound to happen I guess.

Hopefully, if they can improve on this match's performance, seeing this is the 1st match of the season, and with Cristiano Ronaldo coming back from injury... they might probably have a good chance to knock Chelsea off their high horses... fingers crossed.

Match pictures: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Blogtiquette

I just found out someone just copy and pasted my stuff and placed it on their blog... Normally I don't mind if the person would cut, amend and the paste the work... and also acknowledge where you got it from. I also don't mind if you ask me how to do it or ask me to show you how to do it... cos I myself have referenced plenty of people's blogsites when trying to make mine. That's fine... but I get really cheesed off when people copy my stuff and don't amend and paste it nicely... its sad... its like seeing your work trampled on...

I think its proper for you to just say to me: "I'd like to copy this stuff from you". Sighs...

Btw, I just found out that someone also blatantly copy Mike's stuff and pasted it on their site without even amending stuff they were not supposed to have...

Guys, just ask lah... we are nice people... right or not, Mike?

P/S The "offender" approached me liao and apologized. I realised that I may have misunderstood the person and so, now I feel bad. Funny how people are like that huh? :(
I have to admit I was not tactful and hasty in my handling of this situation. I should not have made judgment before finding out the facts. I hope that person will forgive me... "I am sorry". You know who you are. ;) Oklah, case closed. Over to you, Mike.

The haze is here... in Penang

Yeah, its here in Penang and its quite bad... smelly air and all...

Here's a shot of the area around my place (Tanjong Bunga) at about 10.15am:

Usually, u can see the hills just beyond the house opposite mine... Now, that's all you can see...

Another view of the area around my house.

And you know what? This development company is still carrying out earth-moving work behind my housing estate. Stupid, money-minded people...

Btw, why can't the DOE give us more regular updates? Now they are only taking 2 readings a day... I think this should be done more regularly right?

EPL restarts... what a relief!

Finally I can get my weekly dose of the English Premier League football again. This year is so fast eh? The break was so short but its so good as I was getting tired surfing thru Astro channels 80, 81, 82 and only to find pool, motorsports, American team sports (boring!), X-games and golf, golf and more gold... Arrghhhhh!!!

Tomorrow... the agony ends! WOoHOo!!!

This year, its gonna be exciting cos there are 4 teams vying for the No. 1 spot. Ignore the stupid comment made by the so-called self-confessed MU supporter, Peter Kenyon (shame on you!). This year, Chelsea, MU, Arsenal and Liverpool all have a chance to win the top spot. 4 great managers fighting for the crown of the most-watched football league in the world!

Spurs also quietly building up its squad strength, so is Newcastle (though they still badly need a striker... Owen?) and Bolton (old but talented man's club, with Nakata coming soon!). Everton (sorrylah... european-quality team they are not - yet), Middlesbrough, Portsmouth, Blackburn, Birmingham and Aston Villa are all very hard teams to beat. So its really, really going to be an interesting season ahead for all football fans. Hence, my excitement.

Well... let the games begin!

Haze, haze, go away!

Almost everyone in blogosphere seem to have a posting on the haze, I might as well add mine to the growing list.

Well, i would like to announce something...

PENANG IS RELATIVELY HAZE FREE!!!

I know this will not last long though... the haze will drift over here sooner or later. I also forsee some of KLites will be moving to Penang for the weekend. Ho-hum... there goes the Penang traffic.

I cannot really celebrate as I really sympathise with the people in the Klang valley. I remember the terrible haze in 1997 and 1998. This is supposed to be the monsoon period for the West coast but leh... there have been no rain for the past 2 months, albeit the intermittent showers here and there. Moreover, the wind is now blowing from the South. Something is very wrong with our weather. This is made worse by the opening burning that is happening in Sumatra.

Stupidlah... Why do they need to carry out slash and burn to clear the land in Indonesia? Maybe we should bill the Indonesian government and the companies that are responsible for the open burning for every cost Malaysians incur that are directly and indirectly related to the haze! What do you think?

Write to your local newspapers and MPs. Let them know how you feel. If not, by the time October comes, we would all be sick by then.

Follow the doctors advise: Drink lots of water, eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Stay indoors.

Btw, someone has started a anti-haze pictorial petition here. Malaysian still have sense of humor in times of adversity. :)

Types of blogs

I have noticed that more and more of my friends and acquaintances are beginning to blog. The blogging phenomenon has been around for a few years but recently I've seen a spike in the number of blogs among my friends. I've also noticed that I can basically categorise blogs into a few styles. Of course most blogs will have some elements of each style but are categorised as so when most of its content follow a particular path and they are:

1. News/Information blogs (e.g. paul tan, jeff ooi) - this could be your regular CNN-type news, quirky news, reviews and commentaries on various issues such as current events, politics, technology, etc.
   
2. Life Reflection blogs (e.g. peter tan, danny chen, serene yeoh) - provides reflects on what is going on around the bloggers, instead of just describing it. Sometimes such blogs can be quite long winded especially when they are ranting about something.
   
3. Life Description blogs (e.g. lainie, Su Yin, joel chin) - the opposite of reflective blogs, describing instead of reflecting on their experiences.
   
4. Humour-oriented blogs (e.g. kenny sia, viewtru, alvin looi) - this type of blog uses humor to relate their reflections/experiences. This category is becoming more common because it encourages repeat readership.
   
5. Cut and Paste blogs (e.g. john keong) - most of their posts are taken from somewhere else, not much original content.
   
6. Hybrid blogs (e.g. micheal ng, willie chen) - a mix match of a variety of styles. One day reflective, one day descriptive... but fairly consistent in this manner.
7. Literati blogs (e.g. claire, shari) - aspirants of Byron and serious literature...
   
8. Self Promo blogs (e.g. furongjiejie, steven lim, LESLIE!) - main focus is on themselves and not their experiences. Usually vomit/nausea inducing... at least leslie's not so bad.
   
9. Unfocused blogs (e.g. again LESLIE!!!) - Cannot even make up their mind what title to apply on their blogs. enuf said! :) (sorry, couldn't help aiming a dig at him!).

Though I have created categories for blogs, it is perfectly normal for blogs to change the direction of their postings (so you are forgiven, Leslie). Its their blogs anyway... :)

Best friends...

Funny how you go through life having many "best" friends... I mean, it does not make sense! You can have a best friend but how can you have best FRIENDS? Well... because I could, and I did!

Now, I must clarify that I did not have more than one best friend at a time but over my 31 short years (yes, yes... I'm THAT old!) on this planet, I did have a best friend, someone who spends most of their time with you and loves you for being you, from time to time.

Here is a selection of some of them. For those of you who think that you were my best friend but I left you out, I'm really sorry ok? :)

My first best friend was Kin Keong. Met him in kindergarten but really bonded when we were in primary school, where we were in the same class for awhile. He left for England for a couple of years but when he returned, we picked up where we left off. Both of us dig the same things (one traits of best friends huh?) like comics and storybooks (he was the one who introduced me to Biggles and LOTR! Yes, he bought me the book and asked me to read it... bless him!). Both of us were also day-dreamers at heart and thus we clicked. We kept in touch over the years (his family moved to Manila for a few years in secondary school) but we never were in the same class again. Lost touch with him lately... :(

Another best friend of mine would be Wann Kiat. This guy could not be more different from me. I'm big, tall, loud and speaks without thinking most times. He is not-that-tall (*grin*), slim build (last time lah), soft spoken and is one who thinks before speaking. Again we liked the same thing, football (Arsenal) and cars, and we were even partners, playing as centrebacks in defence, for our church's youth football team once. We could talk and talk for ages, meaningful and thought provoking conversations. Then he left for UK to further his studies, found his love in Edinburgh and now is staying there but I've lost touch with him recently also.

Bari was my housemate from Hong Kong when I was in Melbourne. Funny how we met. He and his girlfriend was supposed to be my housemates but his gf decided to break up with him even before he came back from his holidays from HK (he was studying in Melb for 3 or 4 years already). Bummer... and I was caught in the middle. Well, the ex decided to move out and he was devastated. Somehow I really felt for him cos I knew how he felt, being in his shoes twice then! I also really don't know how but we clicked. I offered my feeble words of comfort and even more feeble cooked meals. Found out he's a very nice guy to talk to, doing media studies and loves football (Arsenal again! Why is this Man Utd fan so drawn to fans of that team eh???) too. I taught him how to cook spaghetti, and like the chinese saying, "green comes from blue. becomes better than blue, yeah", his spaghetti was even better than mine! Says alot about my so-called cooking skills. One of our favourite pastimes is to go to the nearby 24-hour Coles supermarket late at night to do our shopping (our record: 3am in the morning! The shelf stackers were at full swing at the time!). I cried when he finally left for HK permanently... :( Again, (why is not surprising?) I've lost touch with him... he has not been replying my mails lately... its me right???

Anson is the cousin of my new housemate, Elvin, who moved in after Bari left. This guy is one cool character. He sleeps early, keeps my apartment sparkling clean (he comes over to my place for dinner and just to lepak), only eats certain kind of food (but loves chocolate bars) and just loves his Gameboy! But he also have a very very big heart, unassuming, genuine and easy going. I really love him as a friend and we were really, really close... he was certain MY best friend. We love talking about manga and anime (for once this is one who is so-so about football!). Again, I was a sounding board to him, for a relationship that did not work out. However, he is a big hearted person and got over relatively fast and now is in a loving relationship with a wonderful girl. Don't worry... I am still in touch with him. :) (Whew! What a relief! I still have a heart!)

Finally... my current best friend. Who is my current best friend? Well... it can only be one person... my soulmate and my love, Su Yin, God's wonderful gift to me. How else can I describe the one that I really share everything with? My heart and my thoughts, my struggles and my triumphs, my joys and my pains and God-willing, my life and my all. It is an honor and a privilege to love her and to be loved by her. We share the same likes, such as Japanese food and shopping, but we also have had our fair share of disagreements but both of us has managed to walk out of it together. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with her and I can only thank my Father for chosen both of us to be each other's partners in this journey called life.

Somehow God puts me among my best friends to be a blessing and to be blessed. Shared Christ with Kin when we were in Std 5 but he was non-commital. Then when he was in Uni, he received Christ and even became active in OCF! Wann Kiat was really a blessing to me and I really learned how to be more careful in my actions and think about the consequences before doing anything. I managed to share Christ with Bari but he was kinda philosophical about it, still the seed is planted. Anson was also very open about his faith and was willing to listen to me talk about my faith. Again seed is planted. Su Yin? I cannot describe how she has blessed me... how I have grown as a person and in my faith in God since I met her and started this journey with her. I cannot thank God enough for her.

God sends best friends as companions for us at different phases of our life... someone whom you can share your heart with for that moment in your life. To show you that someone really cares for you and enjoy your presence, and you theirs. Treasure them cos some of your best friends will only be with you for a short time only. They are God's precious gifts in this sometimes difficult journey call life.

I've been spammed!

Guess what? I was invited by some stranger trying to sell me so University degree... via Blogger comments! I've been spammed!!! Spam has invaded into every area of the Internet. No place is safe... :(

So what should I do? Remove the comments just because of spam? I don't think I want to do... it'll mean giving in to the spammers and prevent legitimate readers from giving comments. I've now limited the people who can leave comments to registered users only... hopefully that helps.

Is there any way of reporting this to Blogger? Any suggestions? Stupid spammers...

Canvas

I found an interesting illustration to describe a relationship (most likely I heard this illustration somewhere but I'll claim it as mine, for now... hehe).

I gave this illustration of what a relationship is like when I was talking to Su Yin's brother about girls (what else occupies a teenager's mind the most than that eh?) yesterday. I told him that its very hard to find the perfect girl/guy to start the perfect relationship because such things do not exist and that every relationship is like painting... with God as the painter.

When we start a relationship, its like a starting with new white canvas, ready to be painted. Then together with us, He starts to add a little colour to it, here and there... and slowly, slowly bit by bit, the painting is revealed. Sometimes its hard to see what the painter has in mind but we must learn to trust Him, allowing us to guide our decisions we make as a couple. Then, in the end, your painting will be regarded as truly beautiful... not only by yourselves, but by others too.

The same can be applied to each of our lives. We are the canvas on which God paints His masterpiece and He will not only paint our lives but together with us, paint the relationships we have around us... only if we let Him, that is.

In the hands of God

There are times in my life that even the people closest to me do not know or understand the struggles that are going on in me. Sometimes I just could not tell them because they too have their own struggles and issues to deal with... feeling that I am not right to burden them further with my problems.

Its then when God's still small voice will call out to me. Funny how we never seem to hear it when we first encounter those problems. Yet God is so faithful, when we are faithless... never giving up, always calling to us. I realise that even if we can't or don't share our struggles with our loved ones, there is always One who sees everything that I go through, and knows and understands me. Not only that... such peace surrounds you when you realise that God has always been there.

Thank you Heavenly Father for Your unfailing love, everlasting peace and eternal faithfulness.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, that transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

"...if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself." - 2 Timothy 2:13

Never a trial that He is not there,
Never a burden that He does not bear;
Never a sorrow that He does not share—
Moment by moment, I'm under His care. —Whittle

Friends... and Family

Just came back from a night out with a few of my friends... went to PC Fair to do some scouting before the main assault on Sunday and then went to Air Itam for bak kut teh, because one of them had a craving for chinese food with rice.

Anyway, that's not why I am writing this post... just want to reflect on something that cross my mind just now - it is so weird for friends you've known for a long time to start courting each other... seeing them hold hands and all.

Now before you start throwing your stones, I must qualify that I am very, very happy that they are together... cos they have been procastinating it for a long time (don't worry... there was a good reason for that... what, you ask? Go ask them :P). Just that I've seen the girl grown up from a cute young teenager to a beautiful young woman... and in my eyes, she'll always be this girl who's like a sister to me that I want to protect (and a spiritual daughter that I've nurtured in one way or another). She's like family to me. Of course, she is now in capable hands (I hope! Hehe...) but still... I have this funny feeling that I cannot explain, kinda like a mixture of pride and discomfort at the same time. I wonder if this is how parents would feel when they see their children start courting.

I guess I have to learn to let go... and it would be the second time I'll be doing that... cos there's another one of my "daughters" (this one in more ways than one, but not literally of course! Hehe...) whom I recently had to learn to go too... I had to learn to call them less and leave them to carry on with their lives, to learn not to feel anxious if they made the right decision, just learning to allow them to grow up on their own.
Its so beautiful when you see them so happy in their relationships and life but its also painful when they get hurt too. Still, I'm so glad because even if I let go, there's one person who will never leave nor forsake them... and He is our Heavenly Father. He has not only watch me grow up but every person since the beginning of time. He knows when to let go and when to draw us close. Hence, my heart is assured that they are in good hands, very good hands.

Hmmm... I wonder if this is what it would be like when I have my own children. :) I guess its like a good practice, eh?