Shifting Sand

How Much I Miss Thee

2010-01-18T18:22:00.003+08:00

Hi everybody. I have gone through a year of much soul searching and have decided to leave the cave and return to the land of the bloggers. I seem to find that many of my "old" blogger friends have also either left or have also slowed down tremendously. Of course there are also those "die-hard consistent bloggers". Anyway...*yawn...*stretch.... I do hope that I can return with the same kind of blogging energy I ended with a year back. Well, let us see ;)

2009-08-19T15:15:00.000+08:00

One Line Humor

2009-08-06T18:22:00.002+08:00

Seeing that it is a Thursday and the weekend is just around the corner, lets prepare for it with some one liners. Here goes :)

1) Regular naps prevent old age, especially if you take them while driving

2) Having one child makes you a parent; having two makes you a referee

3) Marriage is a relationship where one person is always right and the other is the husband! (must have been spoken by the wife lol)

4) I believe we should all pay our tax with a smile. I tried - but they wanted cash :(

5) A child's greatest period of growth is the month after you have purchased new school uniforms

6) Don't feel bad. A lot of people have not talent too

7) Don't marry the person you want to live with, marry the one you cannot live without, but whatever you chose to do, you'll still regret it later

8) You can't buy love, but you can pay heavily for it

9) Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote (wait, I got to think about this one)

10) Laziness is nothing more than a habit of resting before you get tired

11) Marriage is give and take. You'd better give it to her or she'll take it anyway...

12) My wife and I always compromise. I admit I am wrong and she agrees with me

13) Those who can't laugh at themselves leave the job to others

14) Ladies first. Pretty ladies sooner

15) A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person

16) You are getting old when you enjoy remembering things more than doing them

17) It doesn't matter how often a married man changes his job, he still ends op with the same boss

18) Real friends are the ones who survives transitions between address books

19) Saving is the best thing. Especially when your parents have done it for you

20) Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something

21) They all our language the mother tongue because the father seldom gets to speak

22) Man: Is there any way for long life?
Dr: Get married
Man: Will it help?
Dr: No, but then the thougt of long live will never come

23) Why do couples hold hands during their wedding? It's a formality just like two boxers shaking hands before the fight begins!

24) Wife: Darling, today is our anniversary. What should we do?
Husband: Let us stand in silence for 2 minutes

25) It's funny when people discuss Love Marriage vs. Arranged. It's like asking someone, is suicide better or being murdered

26) There is only one perfect child in the world, and every mother has it (awwwww)

27) There is only one perfect wife in the world and every neighbor has it

A great Thursday everyone :)

The Voca People

2009-08-06T14:40:00.003+08:00

If you like Acapella, this is group should appeal to you. A friend sent this over and I have been playing it everyday. Simply love how human voices can blend so well and this is truly beautiful.
The Voca People is a new international vocal theater performance combining vocal sounds and an acapella singing with the art of modern beat-box. http://lidorproductions.com/vocapeople/ Have a listen...

The Voca People - from YouTube

Twittering more than Blogging

2009-08-01T09:07:00.004+08:00

These days, I hardly have time to do much, ever since moving on from my previous job. The window left for me to blog, surf and just "run" around the internet has almost dwindled to less than 2 hours a day (and nite). But after saying that, I still found the time to "farm" at my favorite Farm Town place on Facebook (ok ok I have finally admitted that my frens Joyce and Daphne *smirk).

I used to be on Twitter also during my more active blogging days but since I am quite a "wind bag" - loves to talk and talk (and that is according to my ex Boss Rudi, or at least the impression that I got from him), blogging has always been my preferred choice of communicating. But these days, as I hardly have that much leisure time, I have turned to Twittering. It is actually not bad. Now that I have subscribed to the unlimited data access line, all I really need to do is to make sure that my mobile is fully charged all the time, and I can Twitter anywhere, whilst stuck in a traffic jam (opps, this is a no-no, so, please do as I say and not do as I do), sneaking in 5 minutes of office time whilst waiting for office meetings to start, during breakfast, lunch or dinner (especially when I am dining alone). I must really thank Twitter for saving my sanity. Surfing and getting online is really an addiction and I have to really accept this as a fact. Half a day without it and the withdrawal symptoms will start to kick in.

So, those of you who liked my blog (previously when it had more posts) and still like my blog, I am now on Twitter and I go by the name "Yozoranitesky" - (now why does that not surprise me - this is Patrick Ku's thought bubble - haha)

Alrighty then, I will see you all on Twitter then? Cheers and have a great weekend - I am sure I will.

Oh, by the way, those cutie little pups, they have all gone to great homes, Paddy, Benjamin, Eleanor, Magic and Cupcake. Hey, but that is only 5 of them... well the 6th one, MJ, he is with me now :). Hope to have a doggie meetup very soon. Any one of the doggie pals out that have any suggestion? Chester? Snoopy? Axel? Jake?Rusty?

Puppies for Sale - 3 Left

2009-07-19T22:10:00.006+08:00

Latest update : only 3 left

Since the post went out, 2 have been sold and based on first come first serve, there will be 3 more left to go.

These are some of the photos taken today. There are like little toys :)

Girl Girl 1

Girl Girl 2

Boy Boy.

A girlfriend who viewed these photos told me that the puppies are not very nice. I truly believe that it is my non-existent photography skill that is doing injustice to these cuties. Two friends who have seen them all today (Douglas and Patrick) might be able to give you their unbiased opinion on them :). If you are reading this blog, please comment guys. Thanks.

Urgent - Puppies for Sale

2009-07-18T10:22:00.007+08:00

These puppies need good loving homes to go to. They are growing up very fast and getting more and more adorable each day. I would want one for myself but not at this moment as money is really very tight for me. They are all micro chipped, vaccinated and is awaiting the processing of their birth certificates. They are fathered by an award winning Shitzu named Pongo whose owners are a Pet Grooming outlet. The grandfather on the mummy side is also an award winning Shitzu. The owner has indicated that the price for these lovelies are definitely below market price as she is not a breeder. Just an ordinary lady who loves dogs to bits. So, the future owners must also be true dog lovers too.

One has been grabbed already and only a few left.

If there are anybody interested, please contact me. There is a commission also for those who are able to recommend a successful buyer for these puppies. Please sms this number for more info : 012 727 8337

Meanwhile, have a look at them cuties :)

This last one has been sold

Lucky The Dog

2009-05-24T11:13:00.005+08:00

Anyone who has pets will really like this. You'll like it even if you don't and you may even decide you need one!

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky..'

Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.

Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease....in fact; she was just sure it was fatal.

She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders.

The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't understand that I didn't want to leave him!

The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, whining and miserable.

Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom.
Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap. Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called.
It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.

When Mary woke for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life.
He had covered her with his love.
Mary forgot about dying.

Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky He still steals treasures and stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

Remember....live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing from God. And never forget....the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most Credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care for us.
If you see someone without a smile today give them one of yours! Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God

Just for a Laugh - How Bad is It Now?

2009-03-09T16:24:00.005+08:00

Got this cute little photo through the email from a friend this morning. The email started by asking...

"How bad is "Hung Cheng" out there?" (Hung Cheng is Cantonese translated to mean financial situation)

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It is definitely getting bad!!

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Just For a Laugh - Know Your Customer

2009-03-09T15:45:00.012+08:00

A disappointed salesman of a Coke company returned from his Middle East assignment.

A friend asked, "Why weren't you successful with the Arabs?"

The salesman explained "When I got posted to the Middle East, I was very confident that I would make a good sales pitch as cola is virtually an unknown drink there. But the problem is, I don't speak Arabic. So, I planned to convey the message through 3 posters..."

"1st poster - A man lying on the hot desert, totally exhausted
2nd poster - The man drinking our Cola
3rd poster - Our man now totally rejuvenated.

And I had the posted pasted all over the place".

The friend said, "That should have worked very well".

The salesman said "I didn't realize that Arabs read from right to left" :(

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Watchmen The Movie

2009-03-01T06:36:00.005+08:00

As I was surfing for the movies a-coming into our local cinemas, I stumbled upon "Watchmen". The Trailer sure looks interesting enough. The movie is based on yet another comic book, with plenty of superheroes. The setting of the movie is in 1985, during Nixon's still president of the US. The crux of the story is about plot to discredit and murder the various superheroes that exist during the story's setting in an alternate 1985.

The plot summary put up at IMDB read....

"Watchmen" is set in an alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered, the washed up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion - a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the future. Their mission is to watch over humanity... but who is watching the Watchmen?"

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You can watch the Trailer at the official website of the Watchmen there or below and watch it below to see if it is interesting enough for you :). It is coming to our local theaters from next Thursday onwards I reckon.

I went to read more about the movie at Wikipedia and the more I read, the more interesting the movie looked. There are plenty of characters in the plot with vigilantes and villains abound to satisfy all personal preferences. The superheroes vigilantes include

- Rorschach - Walter Joseph Kovacs, the superhero with the trench coat, fedora and a mask, who continued his vigilante activities after they have been outlawed;

- The Comedian - Edward Morgan Blake, one of the most active vigilante of the group, who is commissioned by the US Government;

- Doctor Manhattan - Dr Jon Osterman, a superhero with genuine powers who is blue in color, and is able to see the future and alter matter all the way down to a subatomic level;

- Ozymandias - Adrian Veidt, "The World's Smartest Man" and a retired superhero who has since made his identity public;

- Silk Spectre II - Laurie Juspeczyk - daughter of a retired superheroine Silk Spectre - Sally Jupiter, youngest of the Watchmen who retired when she became involved with Dr Manhattan;

- Nite Owl II - Daniel Dreiberg - inspired by the original Nite Owl - Hollis Mason, Dan used his skills as an inventor to become more gadget driven Nite Owl. However, he retired when vigilantes were outlawed.

You can read more about these vigilantes' bio at the Watchmen's official website here.

As for the villians, they were not mentioned in the official website but at Wiki's site, they mentioned the following other characters :-

- Moloch the Mystic - Edgar Jacobi - an elderly rehabilitated criminal, know when he was younger as an underworld kingpin and magician;

- Mothman - Byron Lewis - who is not the main focus character but one who appears in flashbacks;

- Dollar Bill - a first generation crimefighter who caught his cape in a revolving door during a bank robbery and was shot to death; and

- The Big Figure - the dwarf crime boss whom Rorschach put in prison.

Perhaps there are no real villains to this story but lets go watch this movie to find out :)

Stingray Migration -- Gulf of Mexico

2009-02-24T21:48:00.007+08:00

This is actually old news but I just only received the email with the beautiful photos today. Haha.. it took almost 5 months for the news to reach my circle of friends. When I checked the internet, I reckon the first time this news appeared would be in June 2008. This is one of the earliest article I came across.

These stingrays looked like giant leaves floating in the sea. Apparently these stingrays migrate biannually to more agreeable waters. As they glide silently beneath the waves, they turn the blue water to gold off the northern tip of Yucatan Peninsula.

Sandra Critelli, an amateur photographer, stumbled across the phenomenon while looking for whale sharks.
She said: 'It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The surface of the water was covered by warmand different shades of gold and looked like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind.

Oh the video below has nothing to do with the Stingrays. I saw it and thought that it was a good reminder to us about global warming.

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How Do You Tell The Sex of a Fly?

2009-02-12T14:57:00.004+08:00

A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter 'What are you doing?' she asked.

'Hunting Flies' He responded.

'Oh ! Killing any?' She asked.

'Yep, 3 males, 2 Females,' he replied.

Intrigued, she asked. 'How can you tell them apart?'

He responded, '3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone'.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2009-02-04T22:22:00.004+08:00

I was having lunch with some of my colleagues this after and we were talking about the movies that are currently showing in the theaters. At the same time, we were also talking about some of the movies past. One of the one that we totally missed out was Transformers. I only remembered it when I was driving back. The sequel to last year's Transformers is called Transformers : Revenge of the Fallen.

This bit has been extracted from Wikipedia - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is an upcoming science fiction film due for release on June 26, 2009. It is the sequel to 2007's Transformers, which was the first live action Transformers film. Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg return respectively as director and executive producer, while Shia LaBeouf reprises the role of Sam Witwicky, the human caught in the war between Autobots and Decepticons. The film introduces many more robots and the scope has been expanded to numerous countries, the most important of which is Egypt.

This is the trailer from YouTube.

These are the latest 2 video updates of the Movie. I so love their team song :)

TF:ROTF Update 30 part 1

TF:ROTF Update 30 Part 2

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CyberClean - The Wonder Cleaner

2009-01-20T10:54:00.004+08:00

It seems that more and more people are doing little side businesses to help take care of their household expenses, which is ever increasing and I salute these people for being so enterprising. One of my dearest friend and ex-colleague has taken distributorship of this wonder cleaner called CyberClean. It seems to be a wonderful product especially for cleaning tight spaces and killing germs.

CyberClean is a high-tech cleaning compound using Swiss Technology that is a true revolution in cleaning when it comes to cleaning cavities where conventional cleaners face physical limits. One good example would be cleaning our computer keyboards. Apparently tests have proven that our keyboards have a very high accumulation of germs and dirt, such as hair, dead skin, food and dust. These apparently can cause harm to our health.

The CyberClean is highly efficient and easy to use by just pressing CyberClean on the surface of the device and all the dirt will be trapped in the material and the germs on the surface will be killed.

Here, I will let the videos speak for the product.

How it cleans your keyboards, your phones and your remote controls at home

How it cleans your shavers

How it cleans your cars

Their official website is here.

Their Klang Valley Distributor is my friend Melvin Kuo.
CX2 Communications (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Block D, Unit 11-06, No.6 Jalan Sri Jati,
58200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel +603 7781 7321 Mobile +6016 232 0032
Contact Person Mr. Melvin
Email melvin@cx2group.com
Web http://www.cx2group.com.my/

The retail price of the product is RM27 per cup. If you require a demo, just let me know or call Melvin direct. Just tell him you are my friend and he'll give you a good discount :D.

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The Mega Sales Past

2009-01-19T16:44:00.009+08:00

The Malaysian Mega Sale is over, for the time being. It will come back before you can even blink... haha.. in fact, it is now the Chinese New Year Sale. After this, there will be some other sale happening. Like they say, Malaysia is really a shoppers' paradise. I think it was reported in the media yesterday that Penang was voted as the 2nd top spot for visit by visitors of the world. I am sure Malaysia would be up there somewhere as the one of the top tourist spot for shopping.

Anyway, I caught these photos when I was shopping at Berjaya Times Square during the sale. It must be such a great coincidence for me to catch these photos as I hardly ever visit BTS. My favorite hangout place is still Mid Valley Mega Mall :). This must be my 2nd time at BTS in the entire year of 2008.

I love the pretty clown girl the best. She is such a natural :)

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Humor - Does this make sense?

2009-01-13T14:04:00.004+08:00

Was passing this on the way to the car park at The Curve when I looked up to check the car park availability. What does the number mean? -003 (minus 3) haha

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Sigh....People are Just Not Safety Concious

2009-01-12T15:20:00.005+08:00

This is just going to be a quick post. I just cannot "tahan" (endure) it when people are so careless about their safety.

I was driving along Old Klang Road over the weekend and as I stopped at the traffic lights, the first thing I noticed was a little boy squashed between his parents on the motorbike and he does not have a safety helmet. And I thought to myself, how much does his parents love him, if they could put his safety at such risks. However, that is something which is quite common in our country as people always put convenience and perhaps cost cutting above safety.

As I was thinking this, then I notice that the mother probably does not love herself enough to protect herself sufficiently. I think in her case, she has put beauty above safety. She probably thinks that having long flowing hair is a symbol of beauty. And when you ride the motorcycle, to have one's long lovely hair flying must be a beautiful sight too.

Have a look at this picture and try to think of of the list of potential danger she might be putting herself in.

If her long lovely hair was to be caught in the spokes of her own motorcycle, if it might be caught by another moving vehicle, either way, it will spell pain, injury or maybe even death. I wanted to wind down my window and tell her to tie up her hair but as the light turned green, her motorbike hubby took off in a zoom and there was no way I could catch up. I seriously hope that somebody will tell her to put safety above beauty before an accident happens.

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Savings Vouchers To Ensure Continued Spending

2009-01-09T16:23:00.008+08:00

I was reading the newspaper today when I came across an article which wrote about continuous spending by the public, in order to avert a recessionary situation in our country. Many people might think that this suggestion is ludicrous but being an economic student, I remember studying the Keynesian Theory.

This is extracted from Wikipedia and I quote " To Keynes, excessive saving, i.e. saving beyond planned investment, was a serious problem, encouraging recession or even depression. Excessive saving results if investment falls, perhaps due to falling consumer demand, over-investment in earlier years, or pessimistic business expectations, and if saving does not immediately fall in step, the economy would decline."

As I was reading the article, it brought to mind something which I was given the other day as I was doing my grocery shopping. I do believe it was at Cold Storage, Ikano. This very nice cashier gave me this thick magazine (more than 1 cm in thickness) which looked something like the catalog Ikea used to give. As I had a fair amount of stuff to carry, I didn't really get a chance to look at the magazine. I just kept it together with my pile of magazines to be checked out later on when I am free.

The magazine turned out to be a book of savings vouchers. Wow.. the last time I saw one of these must be when I was studying in Australia. These vouchers really helped a lot, especially when you are a poor student with limited funds.

They have vouchers for Hardware, Car Accessories.. to Groceries to Baby Needs. Have a look at the list.

These vouchers are valid from the 1st of January 2009 until the 28th February 2009. I am not sure if you can still pick it up at the Cashier at Cold Storage or Giant. If anybody want some of the vouchers, do let me know.

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Thank You RedFM

2009-01-07T13:09:00.010+08:00

RED FM, Today's Best Music

One of my favorite Radio Channels is RedFM 104.9 as some of you may have already known if you have been following this blog :D. The RedFM DJs, Will and Shaz have always accompanied me to work each workday morning and JD and Dilly will accompany me back in the evenings. Long drives do not feel so bad with them as company. However, since mid December last year, Will and Shaz have left the station *sob but the station managed to get JD and Dilly to take the morning session. Terry is taking over the Evening Drive but I am still getting used to him. Oh well... like they say, the only constant in life is change.

Anyway, one morning, JD and Dilly were doing the Australia free movie passes thingy and I decided, oh heck, it has been a long time since I won something from them (4 tickets to Indiana Jones which I also won during JD's and Dilly's Evening Drive program), I decided to just send in my sms. In less than 2 minutes, my handphone was ringing and when I picked it up, wow... two of my favorite DJs were on the line. We chatted some and I told them that I was almost a stalker haha.. followed them from their evening program until their morning one :).

JD told me that I was the lucky 9th sms to come in and for a chance to win the RM400 Air Asia Ticket to Australia, he asked me to tell him why I would want to visit Australia and I told him this...

"I'd love to see the Men Down Under and have a Vegemite Sandwich with them whilst Waltzing the Mathilda. I'd be so happy that I'll be hopping alongside Skippy the Bush Kangaroo"... or something similar to that as I have already deleted the sms.

HaHa .. for that silly idiotic answer, JD and Dilly decided to give me the 4 Cinepasses to watch Australia the Movie but not the Air Asia Ticket. Instead they gave me a premium prize in the form of a bag. I only found this out when I went to collect the Cinepasses last week. Geez, thanks JD and Dilly.. *hugs.

4 passes, of which two have been given to Joyce and Jean.

This is the nice Australia bag I picked up too.

Heehee.. you see, I am easily bought and am totally bribe-able. I am now the RedFM 104.9 live supportable. Happy Happy start to a new year :D. Cheers!

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Manglish

2009-01-06T14:17:00.004+08:00

There were quite a number of good movies playing at the Cineplexes since the end of December last year and I had watched a number of them. I even went to watch Ip Man twice as it was that good :D.

There was this time when I was queuing to get some tickets for Bedtime Stories at the Cineplex at Sunway Pyramid when I spotted a sign in the foyer. I like the comment penned in at the top of the notice. Just had to take a snap shot of it.

I wonder if the person who wrote the sign gave it to his or her reporting superior for checking before it was placed at the foyer of the Cineplex. Or worse, the reporting superior after checking apparently found nothing wrong with the wordings on the sign hahaha...

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Wishing Everyone a Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T10:28:00.015+08:00

Today is the last day of 2008 and 2009 will be here in a blink of an eye. I would like to take this opportunity to wish my family, my friends and all the people who happened to drop in here a great 2009. After having done a few posts with poochies, I will end the year with one on kitties :). And just the right thing came along from a good friend via the email. I would like to share this will you.

As 2008 draws to an end....

We need to face up to 2009...

There may be risks involved...

Road blocks ahead...

So, do stay ALERT!

Remember to share time with Friends...

Jump over obstacles that you may come across...

with Care..

and caution...

Face challenges...

but always remembering to laugh...

Cooperate when you can...

Discover...

Make new friends..

And above all, remember always to have fun, be ready for new adventures... and you will go far....

Maybe not this far... :)

And always take time off to smell the roses along the way. Life is really a journey and not a destination.

A Very Happy & Wonderful New Year!!!

Straight No Chaser

2008-12-24T08:21:00.005+08:00

Have I ever mentioned that I love A cappella?

A cappella (Italian^[1] or Latin "From the chapel/choir") music is vocal music or singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato style. In the 19th century a renewed interest in Renaissance polyphony coupled with an ignorance of the fact that vocal parts were often doubled by instrumentalists led to the term coming to mean unaccompanied vocal music.^[2] In modern usage, a cappella often refers to an all-vocal performance of any style, including barbershop, doo wop, and modern pop/rock.(Sourced from Wikipedia)

I found a few YouTube videos whilst surfing around for this kind of music and I am sure many of you will enjoy the sheer talent of this group called "Straight No Chaser". They are a 10 man A cappella group from Indiana, US. There is another group also calling themselves "Straight No Chaser" but this is the "younger" version. This group is made up of 10 young men from the Indiana University College Group.

Pic from http://www.sncproductions.com/

Carol of the Bells

12 Days of Christmas

Silent Night

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A Very Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T16:19:00.003+08:00

A Very Merry Christmas to One and All! May the world be a better place for all of us to live in. Remember, every little Random Act of Kindness goes a long way.

A Gentle Reminder... Drink but Don't Drive

2008-12-22T10:40:00.011+08:00

The festive season is dawning upon us and I just received this gentle reminder from a friend which I would like to share with all of you.

Just wanting to wish you a Merry Xmas, a Great New Year and don't drive if you have been drinking.

Cheers!

Two Glasses of Wine

Three Martinis

One Bottle of Tequila

One Large Purple Haze

2 Bottles of Wine, Shared

3 Kamikazes

6 Beers

Captain Morgans (coconut flavor) and Coke

Too many Margaritas

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These Boys Are After My Heart... and Money :)

2008-12-19T22:40:00.008+08:00

It is a Friday evening and I had planned to do a little Christmas shopping. But before doing that, I had to fuel up and choosing one of my favorite Nasi Lemak outlet at Subang Parade, I selected a table which was just next to the walkway. As I was enjoying my Nasi Lemak, there was this group of boys, some with placards and others in vests with a million buttons on them. As I ate and watch them, they must have just started up their little stall. But then I could be wrong. They may have put up their stall since the day but it was just that they were looking a little reserved and restrained.

As the shoppers walked by, some of these boys would go "Buy for Charity"..."Do your bit for the Orphans!". So, that was what they were doing. They were actually doing their bit for the orphans. How wonderfully kind.

As I continued eating, I was watching the shoppers passed by. There were some who consciously made a little detour to avoid these boys. There were a few curious ones but somehow their curiosity never got them within 5 feet of the stall to see what the boys were selling. During my entire meal, which lasted about 15 minutes, there were only 4 to 5 young girls who stopped by and got a little gift item from the stall. I could tell as these boys will clap in appreciation for the girls' kind deed.

I felt rather sad though that these shoppers probably had an intention to buy something, since it is Christmas time and all. But they did not even stop, not even for a minute to consider if there was anything in the stack of things that the boys were selling that might be worthy of a gift to a loved one, but more importantly, doing a little bit for the orphans.

After I have swallowed the last spoonful of my Nasi Lemak, I went over to the boys' stall to check out what they had to offer. They have quite an interesting collection of stuff and I asked them if they were recycled products. Surprisingly these are new items, possibly purchased from kind suppliers at a very low price. I asked the boys if I could take a photo or two of them so that I can put them in my blog. Ha Ha.. I have never ever gotten a happier response before. All of them gathered behind the table and these were what the boys looked like.

I took 2 shots of them and 1 of their banner. They seemed happy that this created a little excitement and drew a little attention from the crowd. I got some bears, which are very nice as presents. A big one costs only RM40 and a smaller one costs RM12 (apparently the boys gave me a fantastic discount on this one haha) and two baby bears (RM15 each) stuck on a stick. They are still in the trunk on my car. Should have taken it out for a photo shot. I ran out of cash at this stage and told the boys that I will be back later.. and with a friend. There was much cheering from the boys. Such cheer, such joy.

Went upstairs and took some more money from the ATM. JW arrived not long after that. Asked her to withdraw some money and took her downstairs to stall. JW, being the kindest person in the world, without hestitation, brought out RM20 and bought somethings which she really did not need and probably didn't know who to give it too also. Bless her.

Well, it was a great end to a wonderful Friday... to have had the pleasure of meeting these group of young men... haha.. had to call them boys as they were greeting me as "Aunty.. Aunty!" Most young people of their age, normally will either just pay lip service when it comes to doing their bit for charity or probably, the thought might have never even crossed their minds to do anything which will take them away from their hacking and slaying in those RPG Role Playing Games of theirs. These boys' parents must be so very proud of them. If I have sons, I would love for them to grow up like this lot.

Merry Christmas boys and a wonderful New Year to you all. God Bless You All.

The boys and their stall will be at Subang Parade all through the weekend. They are set up just next to Uncle Lim. Please go and support them.

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Movie - Ip Man

2008-12-19T10:31:00.005+08:00

I went to watch Ip Man last nite. In fact, I was so kiasu about not getting the tickets that I rushed off to Sunway TGV on Wednesday immediately after work to get the tickets. Got very good seats as I think some may not have remembered that Ip Man started screening yesterday.

It is one of the better shows I have seen this entire year, if not the best one for me. The movie was so rich with everything for every one. Naturally, it is a movie rich with the technical kung fu stuff, but it had history and human values in it too. There was a little subtle humor thrown in too. It was truly a movie worth watching again and again. I am going to wait for the original DVD to come out to buy and keep. None of the el cheepo pirated one for me here :D.

Pop by to my earlier posts Ip Man - The Wing Chun Master to Bruce Lee for the Trailer and some other info.

I have yet another YouTube Video to share here

For those who are fans of Donnie Yen, this is one his man websites... enjoy!

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Daiso at The Curve is finally opened!

2008-12-16T11:34:00.022+08:00

Well they say that good things comes to those who wait.... well, I have been waiting since October for Daiso The Curve to open it's doors and finally, they are opened. The first thing that caught me off guard was their Green facade. Why Green? I thought Daiso's corporate color was Red? I must have been mistaken then.

I didn't managed to make it on their Opening Day on the 13th December as I was attending a seminar. I wonder if there were any freebies given out on that day :p. As I walked in, I really felt like a cat in a fish market.... wah.. goodies every which way I looked. I fished out my phone camera and started shooting. Since no one stopped me, I really had a great time looking and shooting. I will let the photos tell their own story...

I was there for almost 45minutes, truly enjoying myself. As I intend to keep coming back, I decided to limit myself to only 12 items (RM60) this time around. These are what I got.

I also told the supervisor there that I would like to see them have new items added every week as I intend to visit them weekly :).

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Conversations with God

2008-12-11T10:52:00.008+08:00

This is not a post on anything religious per se. "Conversations with God" is the title of the book which was recommended by Jerome, one my mentors last night. He said that after reading this book, his view on life took on a new perspective. I don't think he meant that he converted overnight haha. Apparently, this book gave him a lot of answers to the questions he has been asking all his life. Me, I am a practising Buddhist, but that has not stopped me from reading the bible 2 times over (even thought the 1st time was read almost like a story type of reading) and I think a friend has a Quran which is written in English, which I will borrow to read one of these days.

Anyway, getting back to this "Conversations with God" book, I managed to get my hands on the eBook. If anyone of you want a copy, just leave me your email at the comments or just mail me. You many be able to get this book from one of the local bookstores or at Amazon. The ISBN Code is 0340825901. I have not managed to get too far into the ebook yet but from what I have managed to read last night I find most interesting and relevant. The first question asked of God was this....

How does God talk and to who? God answers " I talk to everyone. All the time. The question is not to whom I do talk, but who listens". God communicates through feelings as feeling is the language of the soul. If you want to know what's true for you about something, look at how you're feeling about it. Feelings are sometimes difficult to discover - often even more difficult to acknowledge. Yet hidden in your deepest feelings is your highest truth. The trick is to get to those feelings. God also communicates with thought. In communicating with thought, God often uses images and pictures, which are more effective than mere words as tools of communication. God also uses the vehicle of experience as a grand communicator. Only when feelings, thoughts and experience all fail will God use words, which is the least effective communicator. Words are open to misinterpretation, most often misunderstood.

The questions get more and more interesting. It addresses questions we have asked and is still asking about life and love, purpose and function, people and relationships, good and evil, guilt and sin, forgiveness and redemption, the path to God and the road to Hell.. everything. It directly discusses sex, power, money, children, marriage, divorce, life work, health, the hereafter, the beforenow..everything.

Apparently there is also a movie on DVD too. It is available here for purchase at US$20.

There was something else I learned from Jerome last night. Before we parted ways, he said "Remember this. Spirituality Unites.....Religion Divides!".

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Insomniacs Should Find This Helpful

2008-12-10T14:09:00.003+08:00

My mum is an almost insomniac. Almost is a word I use on her as she normally only has problem sleeping when she thinks a lot and worry over trivial issues. She wants to sleep desperately but sleep eludes her during those occasions. Then I have a friend, whom I shall not name (coz I know he might pop by and read this blog and if he found out that I was writing about him, I will get an earful from him). He has all the time in the world to sleep but he forgoes sleep for the internet; surfing, gaming, checking out porn sites (haha … my guess only lah). He used to come to office looking like the living dead. Vampire is what we called him at the office.

It is a given that our body needs to sleep in order to rebuild and restore the muscle tissue, our mental energy and other important repair works. In addition to that, we must sleep during the times between 11pm and 2 am as this is the must effective time for the body to repair itself. When a person lacks sleep, initially he may just feel tired, irritable or have trouble concentrating. But over time, this can lead to increased risks of diabetes, cancer, psychological problems, weight gain and also accelerated aging (HORRORS!!!)

It was reported that those who create a sleep debt will just have to sleep longer than usual to feel rested. However, there is a Chinese saying that says “That one night without sleep cannot be repaid by 10 days of sleep after that” (literally translated). Well, if it was lack of sleep caused by one’s personal choice, then I supposed that person is just asking for it. However, if a person has difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep, I have found a website which gives some tips on how to get your ZZZZs.

These were extracted from their site which I thought will be very helpful to insomniacs and also those of us who are unable to sleep due to the economic turmoil happening around us.

For more detailed information, please go to the website SixWise.com

1) Exercise, ideally everyday. This positive stress will tire out your body in a good way – just be sure not to exercise too close to bedtime (within three hours), as it could keep you up.

2) Drink a cup of relaxing tea, like chamomile.

3) Stretch a bit before you lie down. You can literally stretch some of the “kinks” and tension of the day.

4) Wear earplugs or an eye mask. If you can hear noisy traffic or see lights from outside, earplugs and an eye mask can give you the silence and the darkness that are ideal for sleep.

5) Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Take a bath before bed, brush your teeth, get into your PJs and turn on some soothing music to let your mind know that it’s time for slumber.

6) Once you are in bed, listen to a relaxation CD like the Sleep Easy CD to help you “shift gears” and relax into sleep.

7) Don’t drink caffeinated or alcoholic beverages near your bedtime.

8) Keep a regular schedule that includes a standard time to go to sleep and wake up.

9) Make your room “sleepable”. A very dark, cool room is best for sleep.

10) Get a handle on your stress. It is the number-one cause of sleep problems, according to sleep experts.

11) Put the kibosh on work before bed. If you work or do other mentally trying activities too close to bedtime, you may have a hard time relaxing for sleep.

And Now for Six Sleep Tips You May Not Know Of..

12) Get a new mattress. About 87% of people who purchased a new mattress say they are satisfied with their choice and its impact on their quality of sleep. Generally, a mattress’ life span is five to seven years.

13) Evaluate your prescription medication. Certain prescription and over the counter drugs such as steroids, decongestants and drugs for high blood pressure, depression and asthma can keep you up at night. If you are having trouble sleeping, consult with your doctor to see if your medications could be blame.

14) Make love. Sexual activity helps to relax your body.

15) Eat something. Feeling hungry can make it hard to fall asleep. A light snack, such as peanut butter on whole-grain crackers, can help you to get a good night’s sleep.

16) Massage your feet, especially with warm oil, right before bed. It is very relaxing.

17) If you smoke, quit. Nicotine is linked to difficulty falling asleep and problems waking up.

My own remedy for insomnia? It works every time for me. All I do is take a piece of motivational CD and listen to it with my headphones. In less than 5 minutes, I will be in lala land. So sorry if this is an insult to the speaker, but it must be that the sound of a speaker going on and on reminds me so much of my days in the lecture theatre. That accounts for why I am always chasing my friends for their notes: D

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Great to Be Back With My Other Family!

2008-12-09T13:30:00.010+08:00

I have been keeping in constant contact with a good friend of mine Andy and it was he who has been reminding me subtly that I need to go back to my other family. Many a times I have wanted to but I am not sure what it was that was stopping me. Thinking back, I reckon it was all just excuses, ego, laziness and some other lame excuse. Finally, I did go back last Sunday.

I am not sure if it was part of Andy's plan to get me back but it was almost a month back when he asked me to do him a favor. He sent me a lovely photo via the MSN Messenger and asked me to comment on it and to give him some suggestions on how to improve the setup.

When I opened up the photo, it was simply lovely. There was no suggestion that I could make to improve on it. And we left it at that.

Last week, I received an invitation via Facebook from Andy to come visit an event that was happening at the Chinese Assembly Hall. This time, the message was clearer. It spoke volumes to me when I looked at the invitation. It was not only from Andy my friend. But it was an invitation from my Kechara family, to come home.

I made up my mind to go on Saturday evening, when I was with my mum and family members. I told them that I will be going to the Chinese Assembly Hall on Sunday morning and I made sure I called them again on Sunday morning to remind them to come.

I arrived at the Hall on Sunday morning at 9:30am and the first persons who greeted me were Maple and her husband Tiki at the registration booth. We hugged across the table and suddenly, time seemed to roll back and it felt like I have always been with them. I believe that it must have been more than a year since I last saw them. But the warmth and sincerity of this couple never dimmed.

As I walked in, I saw them all, Wendy, Florence, Sio Chian, Crystal, James, Wan, Justin, Uncle Lai, Jamie.. and so many more. And all of them seemed to be saying the same thing "It's about time you came home!". It was a joyous occasion for me, that Sunday morning. I am truly back with my Kechara family. On the list of all the other Kechara family members that I have yet to meet and to tell them that I am back, there is this very special, very dear person that has always been in my heart and on my mind... all this time that I have been away.... that I would like to make reverence to, and that is my Root Guru, Tsem Tulku Rinpoche. He is currently in India, starting up some projects there. I pray to Lord Setrap, the protector, to clear my obstacles, be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual and to help me grow each day, and to help me work towards the fruition of my Root Guru's various projects, not only in this lifetime but in all lifetimes to come.

This is the actual stage photographed by me but apparently photo taking was prohibited. Didn't know that but managed to take a couple more before they stopped me.

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Dear Angie Tan....

2008-12-02T11:42:00.006+08:00

Dear Angie,

The last person in my comment box was actually you when the Superheroes Tagged me :D.

So, here’s my letter to you and I guess this is the most painful letter I’ve ever written to someone and it shouldn’t be for someone as sweet as you.

Whatever written is not very true, I’m only doing the meme all for the fun of it... since it is a boring Tuesday and I have done most of my work for the day :p hehehe.. and I really don't know if you are keeping a frog, especially with Rusty and Snoopy around the house :D

RULEs:
Do the “Letter MEME”. Tag no less than 5 other people, and leave them a comment, informing them that they have been tagged. Then copy the “How-to” Letter Meme, and finish your Journal entry.

-> How you do the Letter Meme:

Dear ________(the last person who left a comment on your blog/journal):

I don’t really know how to tell you this, but ___1___. I think I realized it ___2___ ___3___ and I saw you ___4___ ___5___. I’m sure you’re ___6___ enough to understand ___7___. I’m returning ___8___ to you, but I’ll keep ___9___ as a memory. You should also know that I ___10___ ___11___ .

___12___,
-Your name-

Basically just fill in the blanks on top based on the answers you are gonna choose below. ( I will put my result at the bottom of this entry =) )

1. What’s the color of your shirt?
Blue - Our romance is over
Red - Our affair is over
White - I’ll join the monastery
Black - I dislike you
Green - Our horoscope doesn’t match
Grey - You’re a pervert
Yellow - I’m selling myself
Pink - Your nostrils are insulting
Brown - The mafia wants you
No shirt - You’re a loser
Other - I’m in love with your sister

2. Which is your birth month?
January - That night
February - Last year
March - When your dwarf bit me
April - When I tripped on sesame seeds
May - First of May
June - When you put cuffs on me
July - When I threw up
August - When I saw the shrunken head
September - When we skinny dipped
October - When I quoted Santa
November - When your dog ran amok
December - When I changed tennis shoes

3. Which food do you prefer?
Tacos - In your apartment
Pizza - In your camping car
Pasta - Outside of Chicago
Hamburgers - Under the bus
Salad - As you ate enchilada
Chicken - In your closet
Kebab - With Paris Hilton
Fish - In women’s clothing
Sandwiches - At the Hare Krishna graduation
Lasagna - At the mental hospital
Hot dog - Under a state of trance
None of the above - With George Bush and his wife

4. What’s the color of your socks?
Yellow - Hit on
Red - Insult
Black - Ignore
Blue - Knock out
Purple - Pour syrup on
White - Carve your initials into
Grey - Pull the clothes off
Brown - Put leeches on
Orange - Castrate
Pink - Pull the toupee off
Barefoot - Sit on
Other - Drive out

5. What’s the color of your underwear?
Black - My best friend
White - My father
Grey - Bill Clinton
Brown - My fart balloon
Purple - My mustard soufflé
Red - Donald Duck
Blue - My avocado plant
Yellow - My penpal in Ghana
Orange - My Kid Rock-collection
Pink - Manchester United’s goalkeeper
None - My John F. Kennedy-statue
Other - The crazy monk

6. What do you prefer to watch on TV?
Scrubs - Man
O.C. - Emotional
One Tree Hill - Open
Heroes - Frostbitten
Lost - High
House - Scared
Simpsons - Cowardly
The news - Mongolic
Idol - Masochistic
Family Guy - Senile
Top Model - Middle-class
None of the above - Ashamed

7. Your mood right now?
Happy - How awful I’ve felt
Sad - How boring you are
Bored - That Santa doesn’t exist
Angry - That your pimples are at the last stage
Depressed - That we’re cousins
Excited - That there is no solution to this.
Nervous - The middle-east
Worried - That your Honda sucks
Apathetic - That I did a sex-change
Ashamed - That I’m allergic to your hamster
Cuddly - That I get turned on by garbage men
Overjoyous - That I’m open
Other - That Extreme Home Makeover sucks

8. What’s the color of your walls in your bedroom?
White - Your ring
Yellow - Your love letters
Red - Your Darth Vader-poster
Black - Your tame stone
Blue - The couch cushions
Green - The pictures from LA
Orange - Your false teeth
Brown - Your contact book
Grey - Our matching snoopy-bibs
Purple - Your old lottery coupons
Pink - How awful I’ve felt
Other - Your memories from the military service

9. The first letter of your first name?
A/B - Your photo
C/D - The oil stocks
E/F - Your neighbour Martin
G/H - My virginity
I/J - The results of your blood-sample
K/L - Your left ear
M/N - Your suicide note
O/P - My common sense
Q/R - Your mom
S/T - Your collection of butterflies
U/V - Your criminal record
W/X - David’s tricot outfits
Y/Z - Your grades from college

10. The last letter in your last name?
A/B -
C/D - Never will forget
E/F - Always wanted to break
G/H - Never openly mocked
I/J - Always have felt dirty before
K/L - Will tell the authorities about
M/N - Told in my confession today about
O/P - Was interviewed by the Times about
Q/R - Told my psychiatrist about
S/T - Get sick when I think of
U/V - Always will try to forget
W/X - Am better off without
Y/Z - Never liked

11. What do you prefer to drink?
Water- Our friendship
Beer - Senility
Soft drink - A new life as a clone
Soda - The incarnation as an eskimo
Milk - The apartment building
Wine - Cocaine abuse
Cider - A passionate interest for mice
Juice - Oprah Winfrey imitations
Mineral water - Embarrassing rash
Hot chocolate - Eggplant-fetishism
Whisky - To ruin the second world war
Other - To hate the Boston Celtics

12. To which country would you prefer to go on a vacation?
Thailand - Warm regards
USA - Best regards
England - Good luck on your short-term leave from jail
Spain - Go and drown yourself
China - Disgusting regards
Germany - With ease
Japan - Go burn
Greece - Your everlasting enemy
Australia - Greetings to your frog Leonard
Egypt - Fuck off now
France - In pain
=====================

Dear Angie,

I don’t really know how to tell you this, but I'll join the monastery. I think I realized it that when we skinny dipped, at the mental hospitaland I saw you knock out the crazy monk. I’m sure you’re frostbitten enough to understand how awful I've felt. I’m returning the couch cushions to you, but I’ll keep your suicide note as a memory. You should also know that I told in my confession today about eggplant-fetishism.

Greetings to your frog Leonard,
Yozoranitesky

I tag these people who I think are just like me.... nothing to do on a Tuesday, looking for a laugh (besides having to tickle ourselves at the ribs) or just dead bored ... heehee

Angie of Chasing Tails
Stumpbo of Life of Lopsided 8
Irene of Simple Life
Che-Cheh
and anyone else who would like to do it.... just for the heck of it :D

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Christmas Present For Your Poochie??

2008-11-27T16:28:00.004+08:00

Christmas is about 3 over weeks away and what have you got on your shopping list for your darling poochies? Jakey, Axel, Chester, Snoopy and Rusty... who else... Eddie, Sam, Nick ... I hope your human pets let you have a look at what I am about to show you.. haha.. sorry, Nellie and Yuri, Dino and Muffin ... mummy is on a very very tight budget this year.. so, we'll just roast a chicken and share that for Christmas .. k??

I saw this at Gizmodo The Gadget Blog and I asked myself.. wow, if I could afford to buy this, I will probably want to live in it myself. Check it out.

Apparently this is a purchase made by a Great Dane's owner in UK which costs $380,000. This doggie house has a spa, a 52inch plasma TV, temperature controlled beds, amongst other luxury items. Click here for the original post.

Some dogs have it better than humans.... sigh....

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Ip Man - The Wing Chun Master to Bruce Lee

2008-11-27T11:04:00.004+08:00

When I was at the cinema recently watching that terrible "Quarantine" movie, I saw this poster at the foyer which read "Ip Man".. and being the banana person that I am, I pronounced it as I read it.."Ip Man" and I could not have been more wrong. The trailer of the movie was shown and only then I said to myself "Hey, I know this person. He is the Wing Chun Master of Bruce Lee and his name is actually pronounced as Yip Mun.. and not Ip Man.. bah!".

The trailer that was show in the cinema

Went to surf around the net to find out more information and there are a lot of things written about Ip Man and Wing Chun on the internet. Apart from checking Wikipedia, I also found these few interesting websites.

This is the official ipman movie website. The loading of the site after you have selected the language preference is great.. especially if you have a slower line. You might be able to learn some moves from that little cartoon man whilst the page is loading up :D. Cool page when it eventually got loaded up on my PC.

Then there is the WingChunNews. com site which is apparently the site to be at if you are looking of news, happenings, announcements in the Wing Chun World. This is extracted from WingChunNews page.

Founded by Yim Wing-chun; took root in the hands of Leung Chun; blossomed under Ip Man…’ Ip Man is adapted from the life story of Ip Man, the grand master of the Wing Chun style of kung fu and sifu (master) of legendary kung fu superstar Bruce Lee.

Wing Chun has a history of more than 200 years. It was founded by Yim Wing Chun, took root in the hands of Leung Chun, and prospered with Ip Man. The art of Wing Chun has now become very popular with martial arts enthusiasts, especially overseas. It is a traditional Chinese martial art with a formidable reputation internationally.

Wing Chun Kuen is characterised by close body combat, requiring practitioners to show speed and power. Its Chi Sao or “sticking hands” is more similar to modern day combat skills and has a rich feel of genuine strikes. This is also why Ip Man differs from the dazzingly romantic and purely fictional style of previous martial art movies. Its explosive punches and aggressive close-range combat offer a new thrill never experienced by modern day audiences.

The story of Wing Chun began in the 1920s and 30s, in wartorn China. Ip Man was martial art’s unyielding follower, devoted whole-heartedly to the free learning of wushu. The fight to be top between the Wushu schools in the southern and northern regions of China had not stopped him having goodwill matches with other practitioners. Nationalistic bad feelings and racial hatred had not lessened his respect for Japanese kung fu warriors. In this great era of hatreds and tragedies, Ip focused only on wushu. His enthusiasm for martial arts saw him having devastating street fights with various elite practitioners.

To date, there have neither been movies nor publications about Ip Man. This movie will be the first important record of the master’s life. Ip’s persistent devotion to Wing Chun is a classic example of the love and respect shown to wushu and the freedom and spirit it represents. This movie will see the making of a modern wushu master representative of Chinese people worldwide. Ip Man is a concept, a spirit, a way of thinking – and it represents a new peak in Hong Kong’s wushu movies.

The website can be found at http://www.ipman-movie.com

This is the Promo Video which is slightly longer than the Trailer.

I also found this short little video with some stills of the real man Ip Mun.. not Donnie Yen.

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News Break on Daiso at The Curve

2008-11-26T16:20:00.006+08:00

Hi peeps. I know that some of you are like me.. have been making visits to The Curve every other week to see if the Daiso there has finally opened its doors. The last time when I caught wind that there is a Daiso opening in Petaling Jaya, that was in October last month. Since then, I have been back a few times to The Curve checking up on it... and also my friend Mumsey has also been keeping me updated.

Last Sunday, I called up my friend JW and together we made it to The Curve, took the few escalators up and from a far, I did not noticed anything different on the outside of the boarded up area except for this little notice.

WAAAAAAHHHHH.. it is going to be soon. Have a good look at this picture and if you cannot read it clearly, just click on it to enlarge it.

The best part is there is a 2nd Daiso Branch too at IOI Shopping Mall... I am so excited.

Daiso at The Curve is opening this 13th December, which is a Saturday.. awwww.. I will be at the EAP Business Opportunity Fair (more about this very exciting event later) but first thing on Sunday morning, I am there before they open the shutters.

Daiso at IOI Shopping Mall in Puchong will be opened on the 15th January next year.

And oh.. they are interviewing Housewives and Students tomorrow at 3pm to 6pm at The Curve. If only I am financially free, I would love to work at Daiso.. haha.. and end up being their number staff and number one customer :D

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Cataracts

2008-11-25T11:21:00.004+08:00

The reason why I am blogging this is because of late, many of my friends' family members are having cataract surgeries done..and at the same time, I also noticed that some of them are not as old as I expected them to be. I used to think that only people over the age of 60 or so will be requiring cataract surgeries but these days, people as young as those in their 40s are also requiring them. So I decided to do a bit of research on it.

Oh, by the way, the costs of doing a laser surgery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is between RM3,000 to RM4,500 per eye, depending on the hospital selected and the cost does not include pre and post surgery visitations and medications.

I have found out that there is an eye formula which contains potent antioxidants to protect the tissues of the eyes, promotes blood flow to the eyes which then offers optimal nutrition support for healthy, normal eye function. No doubt this does not guarantee one against the possibility of ever developing cataracts, but if you could slow down the process or for those of us with family members who are diabetic, this option is clearly the best option to possibly prevent deteriorating vision or even blindness. Click here for more details.

Sources for the photos and information are from Wikipedia and eMedicineHealth's website

What is a Cataract

What are cataracts? Cataracts is the clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye and it varies in degree from slight to complete opacity, thus obstructing the passage of light into our eyes. Normally, early in the development of age-related cataract may cause the increase in the power of the lens, it may cause near-sightedness (myopia) and eventually the gradual yellowing and opacification of the lens. Cataracts typically progress slowly to cause vision loss and potentially blinding, if untreated.

Causes of Cataracts

The lens is made mostly of water and protein. Specific proteins within the lens are responsible for maintaining its clarity. Over many years, the structures of these lens proteins are altered, ultimately leading to a gradual clouding of the lens. Rarely, cataracts can present at birth or in early childhood as a result of hereditary enzyme defects, and severe trauma to the eye, eye surgery, or intraocular inflammation can also cause cataracts to occur earlier in life. Other factors that may lead to development of cataracts at an earlier age include excessive ultraviolet-light exposure,diabetes and smoking, or the use of certain medications, such as oral, topical, or inhaled steroids

Cataracts develop from a variety of other reasons as well, including long-term exposure to ultraviolet light, exposure to radiation, secondary effects of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and advanced age, or trauma (possibly much earlier); they are usually a result of denaturation of lens protein. Genetic factors are often a cause of congenital cataracts and positive family history may also play a role in predisposing someone to cataracts at an earlier age, a phenomenon of "anticipation" in pre-senile cataracts. Cataracts may also be produced by eye injury or physical trauma.

Cataracts are also unusually common in persons exposed to infrared radiation. Exposure to microwave radiation can cause cataracts. Atopic or allergic conditions are also known to quicken the progression of cataracts, especially in children.

Cataracts may be partial or complete, stationary or progressive, hard or soft.

Cataracts symptoms

Having cataracts is often compared to looking through a foggy windshield of a car or through the dirty lens of a camera. Cataracts may cause a variety of complaints and visual changes, including blurred vision, difficulty with glare (often with bright sun or automobile headlights while driving at night), dulled color vision, increased nearsightedness accompanied by frequent changes in eyeglass prescription, and occasionally double vision in one eye. Some people notice a phenomenon called "second sight" in which one's reading vision improves as a result of their increased nearsightedness from swelling of the cataract. A change in glasses may help initially once vision begins to change from cataracts; however, as cataracts continue to progress and opacify, vision becomes cloudy and stronger glasses or contact lenses will no longer improve sight.

Cataracts are usually gradual and usually not painful or associated with any eye redness or other symptoms unless they become extremely advanced. Rapid and/or painful changes in vision are suspicious for other eye diseases and should be evaluated by an eye-care professional.

Prevention

At present, there is no real effective way to prevent the formation of cataracts, so secondary prevention involves controlling other eye diseases that can cause cataracts and minimizing exposure to factors that promote cataracts.

Wearing sunglasses outside during the day might reduce your chances of developing cataracts or having problems with the retina. Some sunglasses can filter out UV light, reducing exposure to harmful UV radiation and might slow the progression of cataracts.
Some people take vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts to decrease cataract formation. No scientific data prove that these remedies are effective. No topical or oral medications or supplements are proven to decrease the chance of developing cataracts.
A healthy lifestyle might help, just as a healthy lifestyle helps prevent other diseases in the body. Eat a proper diet, get regular exercise and rest, and do not smoke.
If you have diabetes, tight blood-sugar control can delay the otherwise accelerated development of cataracts.

Conclusion

Early symptoms of cataracts include blurred vision, glare, and difficulty reading.
Cataracts will affect most people and become more prominent as we age.
Cataracts can be diagnosed when the doctor examines the eyes with specialized viewing instruments.
The decision to proceed with surgery is primarily based on the amount of difficulty you have performing your daily activities.
Treatment for cataracts is surgical removal of the cataract with implantation of an artificial lens.
There are a variety of intraocular lens types that can restore vision in different ways.
Cataract surgery is a safe and effective way to restore vision with serious complications occurring in less than one in 1,000 cases.

Understanding Osteoarthritis

2008-11-12T09:38:00.005+08:00

Photo source : CV Technologies Inc

I heard of this word last night at the hospital. Apparently osteoarthritis is a condition that affects mostly elderly people. It occurs when the cartilage that surrounds the joint area becomes frayed and in some instances, becomes completely worn away from age, years of use or injury. Without the cartilage, which acts as cushion for the joint, the bones will rub together, causing pain, swelling and possible loss of mobility.

And that was probably what happened to my mum yesterday morning in the hospital. She was checked in the hospital the 3rd time since she was first admitted in August. On Monday, she was admitted for the 3 round of endoscopy to ensure that the bandings have worked and there were no more new lesions. She was scheduled to do it on Tuesday morning but when she woke up in the morning, there was no water at the toilet at her end of the ward. So, she was asked to walk over to the other end of floor. Apparently she could not sleep the night before and having "sea-legs" and coupled with the fact that she has terribly weak knees (have been complaining about knee joints pain since a while back), she fell in the toilet. When my brother arrived at the hospital, he found her bed empty. As he walked out of her ward, found her hobbling back with blood streaming out of her face. Man, that really gave him a fright. SMSed me and the other brother. My 2nd brother went to see mum at the hospital during lunch. I was stuck at work :(

Apparently osteoarthritis is common among older people, it does not discriminate of age groups, sex and geographic areas. Regular symptoms of osteoarthritis includes the following:-

joint soreness after periods of inactivity or even overuse
morning stiffness that usually does not last more than 30 minutes
swollen joints and accummulation of join fluid
pain from weakend muscles surrounding the joing
decline in coordination, posture and movement due to pain and stiffness

The usual treatment for osteoarthritis normally involves therapy to strengthen the muscles through exercise, application of hot and cold compresses on the painful join, oral medications, use of supportive devices such as crutches and weight controls.

Surgery, such as joint replacement surgery or arthroplasty, can be an option to consider for those experiencing severe pain, joint damange and very limited mobility.

However, I am likely to start mum on an alternative therapy, which includes chiropractic therapy and vitamins such as C and E and also glucosamine. According to a friend of mine, glucosamine is a nutritional building block required in the formation and repair of cartilage. Although naturally occurring, the level of glucosamine production in the body decreases with age. The higher the level of glucosamine, the faster the rate of cartilage formation. Studies have shown that glucosamine was able to provide pain relief similar to that of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and aspirin for people with mild to moderate oeteoarthritis.

Glucosamine is extracted from crustacean shells like crab, lobster and shrimp. Read more at wiki. But there is also glucosamine to avoid. Read more here. Meanwhile, I will check with the nutritionist at the hospital for more information. If you need more information on this, let me know.

Mum before her fall and yesterday after her fall at the hospital.

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A Furniture Hunting I Will Go

2008-11-11T14:34:00.010+08:00

I guess it is that time of the year again, Christmas time.... which means holidays and shopping. Shopping for gifts for loved ones is most enjoyable but let us not forget who loves us best…. us of course :D So, what do we normally buy for ourselves? In my case, it is not clothes or shoes but always something for the house. Why? Because it is the place I love best and I want it make it as pretty and cozy as I can.

Sure, there are some stores which I have frequented in the past but sometimes it is great to go online and surf around to get new ideas and that was exactly what I did. I found several great sites where they have the most beautiful items you can imagine. I was thinking to myself, if only I could afford to buy every item I saw and liked, wouldn’t that be great. Ha Ha.. Then I would have to get myself a bigger house to put all those new stuff.

I spent my entire lunch hour checking through the internet and I came across some very nice looking bookcases. I am sorely lacking these in the house. Currently my books and magazines in the house are stacked up on tables, on chairs and on the floor. A few times, in my haste, I have nearly managed to killed myself when I tripped over them…sigh.. I think it is high time I got a bookcase, for my sake. It is not that easy to look for bookcases as a lot of them will not able to stand the load of the books and in my experience, teak is the sturdiest. And I do love all wood that the pesky little termites hate. However, I saw the bookcase that I am looking on the internet.

I have seen how an old chair can be given a new life with just a cushion and a couple of soft throws. I think that is exactly what I will do. I don’t think it is worthwhile for me to lug the old chair to the furniture repair shop to get it upholstered and lug it back again? Nah.. I think getting a few throws is a much better alternative. A piece like this is quite lovely. Ah, can you imagine it… with the rain falling outside and you are tucked in your old-new chair with a good book….mmm.. Now that is what I call life.

That reminds me, my reading room is also my Tara Room. Tara is my special idham but more about this another time. I will need some new candle holders for the altar. They have to be special as they will be my offerings to Tara and I found a pair of Lotus candle holders which I really like. There are many very lovely candle holders here but as I like all things unique, these are very appealing to me.

Now, all I need to do is to send an nice little email to my dear friend in UK to bring them back to me when he comes home this Christmas and that will be my Christmas present to ME :D.

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Beware! If You Like Ramen

2008-11-09T18:10:00.014+08:00

These pictures were from a email which I received from a friend, and just as I have finished a bowl of home cooked Japanese Ramen at home. When I first read the title of the email, I was a little bit skeptical about the truth in that email. But after looking at the photos, it reminded me of an incident long time ago when a local "low shui fun" noodles factory in my country made the noodles yummy by adding boric acid. Anything to make the noodles yummier and tastier.

Anyway, have a look at the pictures which were sent to me and the text and decide for yourself as to whether this could be fact or not.

There is a restaurant located in Fushan, China serving very popular Lanzhou Ra-Mien (noodle) with daily sales of 700-1200 bowls.

According to the boss, to make such "nice" noodles, some chemical tenderizer have been added during the mixing process. All Lanzhoa Ra-mien contains this chemical.

This chemical is packed in two different packaging. RM3 for the white and RM5 for the blue.

If you could read Chinese, you may be able to tell what is in the contents of the packets.

The function of the chemical is to tenderize and improve the elasticity/softness of the noodles

Experiments were conducted with this chemical in a paper cup and you will see the damages it caused.

On the 2nd day, the chemical has seeped out through the paper cup and caused damage to the floor.

After washing the floor, this was left

The damaging effect was still visible after a long time.

I reckon that if one were to ingest this chemical continuously, problems will arise. But before you throw out all your bags of noodles, perhaps you ought to do a little bit more research first.

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All Things Obama

2008-11-09T00:42:00.005+08:00

It is almost 1 am local time. Not able to sleep just yet as I still on MSN chat with an ex-Golfing partner. Ex on my part only as I have temporarily hung up my clubs. He is still actively playing and improving his handicapp by the day :D.

So, whilst chatting with him, I was also surfing around the net when I saw a post entitled "Obama Waffles". I first stumbled upon it at Gosublogger. I was telling myself "Is this for real or not?".

After searching a bit more, I found this little video (http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1463341016/bctid1790977147) where the creators of the Obama Waffles were interviewed. They are Bob DeMoss and Mark Whitlock of Franklin, Tenn. If you have nothing better to do, just go have a look here ... or here whilst the waffles are still hot.

But of course there are many who are not amused by this at all. Caught this off YouTube - Obama Waffles Causes Outrage

I wonder what Mr Obama has to say about this? My bet is that he is big enough a man to see the humor in this.

Latest edit - thanks to munytang for pointing out to me about the McCain Cereals, I found these at Super Punch's website... cool...

Good nite folks.. I mean.. good morning :D

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How My Boys Celebrated Obama's Win

2008-11-07T13:55:00.003+08:00

I loved these boys ever since I first mistakenly bought one of their VCD homes, thinking that it is just a little cartoon for kids.... until 10 minutes or less into the show, they started to sing their first song.... "Unca Fu*ker". Yikes.. what sort of a cartoon show is this.. haha.. but soon my like turned to love for these little boys. Immediately after Mr Obama's win at the latest US Presidential election, I knew that they will be celebrating it too. And guess what, I am right. Picked this up from YouTube. It is entitled....

South Park inhabitants celebrate the win of President Obama

Yeah!.. Still haven't gotten over the euphoria yet :D

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Mr Barack Obama is the new US President

2008-11-05T12:10:00.003+08:00

Local Time : 12 noon. CCN has announced at their website that Mr Barack Obama is the new US President.....the 44th US President hhuuuuuuu... another political Tsumani has occurred. Catch the latest updates here. Black has always been one of my favorite colors... yeah....

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Have Another Poochie Melting Moment or Two

2008-11-04T11:49:00.007+08:00

Source :Wikipedia

It is my lunch time now. Quickly went into YouTube to see what the movie Quill was all about. I am sure it must be another one of those tear jerkers. The first video which I clicked was this one. Aaawwwww... a melting moment... a puppy that will melt the hardest heart..Have a look...since it lunch time now.. so, it should be ok :D

Quill ~ Guide Dog from YouTube.

"All About My Dogs" another poochie film which Angie mentioned. Most of the sites that I visited did not have the synopsis for this film except for HK Flix. This was copied from HK Flix " Yamada (Shidou Nakamura, "Be With You") is an ad man who had a bad setback on a dog food advertisement, thus he recalls having a dog buddy Pochi when he was a child. They met in an open ground and developed true friendship with each other, but an unpredictable accident made them apart. Then Pochi started his journey to find Yamada... "

Source : www.Impawards.com

All About My Dog - YouTube

I will go to Speedy Shop this weekend and try to look for these videos. The only problem with people at the Speedy Shop (also depending on which outlet) are not too well versed with film titles or CD titles or even artiste names. JW and I still laugh about the time we went into the Speedy outlet at the Weld and asked for "Andrew Lloyd Webber's" CD collections. The guy at Speedy went " Andrew ?? Paper". "No. No..Andrew Lloyd Webber". After repeating about 4 times, the guy asked "You want Andrew Boyyed Paper ah?". We said "Never mind" and left the shot.

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10 Promises To My Dog

2008-11-01T09:59:00.004+08:00

There is a Japanese movie in town, entitled "10 Promises To My Dog". I went to see it yeseterday and even before I watched it, I already expected it to be one of those "Kleenex required" movies. But I didn't realize that it would be a "whole box of Kleenex required" type of movie. I have this love-hate relationship with movies of this genre. I love them because they talk about real life and the characters (especially the non-human ones) are normally so cute that you just want to hug them to bits type. But I hate it when they make my eyes and nose leak.

This is the synopsis of the movie taken from MovieExclusive.com.

Akari is a 14-year-old schoolgirl living in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido. One day, a puppy wanders into her yard, looking lost and frightened. She is a Golden Retriever with white paw markings. Akari names her Socks. Akari's mother consents to her keeping the dog but only after she agrees to keep 10 Promises to Socks . Akari enthusiastically assents and the two begin their journey of growing up together. Akari finds herself having to overcome many changes and challenges: the tragedy of her mother's death, father's sudden resignation, coming-of-age, first romantic feelings, career ambitions and her independence. But at every step, Socks is there to provide unquestioning love and support.

This film was inspired by the poem "Ten Commandments to Dog Ownership" by an anonymous author. The poem reads like this.

My life is likely to last ten to fifteen years.
Any separation from you will be painful for me.
Remember that before you aquire me.

Give me time to understand what you want from me.

III

Place your trust in me.
Remember that before you aquire me.

Don't be angry at me for long and don't lock me up as punishment.
You have your work, your friends, and your entertainment.
I ONLY HAVE YOU!

Talk to me sometimes.
Even if I don't understand your words.
I understand your voice when it is speaking to me.
Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget.

Remember before you hit me that I have teeth than can easily crush the bones in your hand,
but I choose NOT TO BITE YOU.

VII

Before you scold me for being uncooperative,
obstinate, or lazy,
ask yourself if something might be bothering me.
Perhaps I don't understand what you ask of me or perhaps I am not feeling well,
not getting the right food,
been out in the sun too long,
or my heart is getting old and weak.

VIII

Take care of me when I get old,
you too will grow old.

Go with me on difficult journeys.
Never say "I can't bear to watch" or "let it happen in my absence".
EVERYTHING IS EASIER IF YOU ARE THERE.

REMEMBER I LOVE YOU!

In the story "10 promises", they reworded some of the commandments above but basically the meaning is all there. Gosh, even as I read the poem again, my eyes are misting up again.

I truly recommend this movie to all pet owners (especially doggie owners like JW of My Random Thoughts, Jean (boss to Jake), Mumsey (my Daiso friend), Fishman of Fishdiary Resurrection, che-cheh, Angie of Chasing Tails) and all the rest of you. If you already love your doggies, after watching this movie, your doggies will become your world and you will want to throw out the spouse and the kids.

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Take a Coffin Nap to Fix Your Karma?

2008-10-31T16:22:00.003+08:00

After putting up the previous post about The Coffin movie, I just could not get it out of my system that people would actually sleep in a coffin. Was almost wondering if the director/producer of the movie was really exaggerating about such a ritual. When I went into the wonderful web, wow..there were quite a fair bit of write-ups about this ritual. Indeed this ritual exists in mystical Thailand and people are reportedly queuing up to lie in a coffin especially during these dark economic times.

Newser reports " Thais Takes Coffin Naps to Fix Karma - (Newser) – As Thailand's economy slows and its government falters, growing numbers of deeply superstitious citizens are jostling into a pink coffin to "die," the Telegraph reports. At about $5 a head, monks in a monastery outside Bangkok officiate over the "dead bodies" in the coffins, before ushering in the next group of people hoping to rid themselves of bad karma.

Telegraph.co.uk reports "Thais queue to 'die' in pink coffins and be 're-born'" -

Every week thousands of customers flock to Wat Prammanee monastery in Nakhon Nayok to get a fresh start in life. They pay around £3 each for floral offerings and a cash donation to the monks.

Inside the monastery hall nine pink coffins with gaudy gold mouldings are lined up.

"It's five minutes sleep in the box," explained a teacher at the monastery school who gave her name as Mrs Laddaman. "People want to be happy."

Analysts say that in uncertain times, as the Thai economy slows and the government wobbles, there are growing numbers of people with problems they would rather leave behind. "Dying", they believe, allows them to get rid of their bad karma and move on.

A stroke victim passes a young girl preparing to perform a traditional dance and offerings of cherry aid to the gods at the entrance to the main shrine Photo: THOMAS BELL - photo source Telegraph.co.uk

Found a very interesting comment by Oceanos at the SgForums. Oceanos wrote...

'Die' for a better life

NAKHON NAYOK, Thailand, Oct 10, 2008 (AFP) - Namfon Mamuenwai says she died for the man she loves - if only for a moment.

The 39-year-old Bangkok resident climbed into a coffin in a Buddhist temple, experienced a "spiritual death" and was resurrected with purified karma - all in the hope of joining her foreign boyfriend in the Netherlands.

"I want to get to another country but cannot get a visa," said Namfon.

A week after seeing the ceremony at the Wat Prommanee temple on television, she drove 112 kilometres (70 miles) from Bangkok to become one of around 2,000 people who each week climb into a coffin to "die" and be "reborn".

"I think this can help me a little bit because now this temple is popular," Namfon told AFP.

The coffin ceremony is the latest religious trend to sweep Thailand, and the saffron-clad monks at Wat Prommanee promise money, love - or, in Namfon's case, a visa to the Netherlands.

"Everyone who came here, who prayed here, who came to make a wish, they got what they wished for," said Charuay Thanavaro, a monk at the temple.

Wat Prommanee has been running the coffin ceremony for four years, and officials say that over the last two years attendance has almost tripled from the 100 people who trickled through the door each day in 2007.

At first, participants got into non-specific boxes as the monks tried to get people used to the idea of willingly climbing into coffins, but now people happily jump in for a chance at improving their fortunes.

A spell in a coffin costs 100 baht (nearly three dollars) for about two minutes, while the whole ceremony will set you back 180 baht.

Charuay recommends participants pay for the full package if they want their wishes completely fulfilled.

"If they just want to attend the ceremony and pray that is fine, but then they will only get 80 or 90 percent results," he says. "If they lie in the coffin, they will get 100 percent results."

After 90 minutes of chanting, the hopefuls queue for the nine oversized coffins, each marked with a random three-digit number which can be used for betting in the lottery, organisers say.

Once in the coffins, visitors hold a bunch of flowers, whisper some more prayers, then lie down and "die".

Monks pass a white cloth over the nine coffins, triggering the symbolic death and sucking the bad karma. Attendees are advised not to stand on the side of the coffin where the bad karma is dispelled.

Amulets and rituals promising protection, wealth or to fulfill wishes play a big role in the culture of the 95-per cent Buddhist kingdom, despite not being mentioned in Buddhist doctrine.

A few years ago, the nation scrambled for amulets featuring King Rama V.

Last year, a 51-year-old woman died as a crowd swarmed for a different talisman, which was believed to bring wealth and protection from harm.

These booms and busts for rituals, temples and amulets are not just fads, says Milos Hubina, a lecturer at the College of Religious Studies at Thailand's Mahidol University.

Rather, they reflect a widely-held belief that magic and luck can be used up over time and once they have been drained from one place, must be sought in another spiritually-charged object or ritual.

"This view of temporal efficiency or a temporal magic charge within the object is quite common in Thai culture," Hubina said.

"I think this is one of the reasons they have no problem with going crazy for an amulet one year and forget about it completely the next year."

As with many of the worshippers, money woes brought 50-year-old Thanyathon Iamnaimuang to the temple, and her initial success prompted the widowed mother of two to bring her friend Laongdao Chaiyasat.

"At first I was excited, shaking and I was afraid," the 42-year-old pharmacist said. "But the monk told me that if our mind is strong, we will progress steadily, so I wasn't afraid any more."

Patacharawarai Sri-on, 23, came to the temple out of curiosity and snapped pictures of the ceremony before stepping into the wooden box.

"I think it helps," she said after her "death" and "rebirth" were complete.

A fellow blogger Meeklamb wrote a great post with pictures which I wanted to borrow :D but need Meeklamb's permission first. Whilst waiting, do pop over to Meeklamb's post here and have a read.

Phew.. finally got that out of my system.. haha.. must be the Halloween feeling..

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Tempt Fate, Cheat Death - The Coffin

2008-10-31T15:44:00.005+08:00

Picture taken from TheStarOnLine - Courtesy of The Coffin producer

Last nite was the eve of Halloween and guess what? Just for the heck of it, I went to watch "The Coffin" with Tobiyama. I actually had very little clue as to what the show was going to be about except for the fact that it would have something to do with a coffin. Boy, was I wrong. There were a whole bunch of coffins in the show.

The show started with a girl in a coffin and sure enough, a thing that most of us dread when we see a corpse in a coffin do is for the corpse to open its eyes and make a grab for us. Sure enough, the corpse did open her eyes and a beautiful pair of eyes at that. She is not dead. In fact, she was introducing to the audience a true Thai ritual of lying in coffins to get rid of bad luck and to prolong life. And so starts the supernatural thriller about a young man and a young woman who decided to go through this ritual with very personal objectives of doing it.

Extracted from The Coffin's official website.....

Chris, a claustrophobic architect does it in the hope of saving his fiancée who's dying of terminal cancer. Sue, a nutritionist visiting Thailand from Hong Kong does it to save her own life after being diagnosed with a lethal brain tumor - one week before her wedding.

After the ritual, Chris and Sue experience what appear to be miracles in their respective lives. But soon, they find themselves confronted by a series of bizarre and terrifying incidents. With the help of a professor specializing in paranormal cases associated with the ritual, they set out to exorcise the ghosts that haunt them, and attempt to reverse the wheel of karma.

Thrilling, mysterious and ultimately moving, The Coffin is a spine-chilling horror about the beauty of life and death, and coming to face to face with living and dying.

The casts includes Karen Mok, Ananda Everingham (quite a hottie), Andrew Lim, Aki Shibuya, Kapakpapha Kakprasitte.

This is quite an interesting watch.. even though quite a lot of what I saw was seen between my fingers which were covering my eyes. Actually, it was not really that scary (sure, now that it is broad daylight), it is just that dread of seeing dead people in your closets and that every time you watch Karen or Ananda turn around, some dead girl and guy is sure to jump out.

Go watch it, especially if you are quite sick of all those macho stuff like Bangkok Dangerous or Maxie Pane hero type shows. I would rate it a 6/10.

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Why That Lying Cheating Scum Bag!

2008-10-29T21:25:00.004+08:00

Have you ever been cheated by your boyfriend or your girlfriend before? And did you actually find out by accident, or a friend told you that he or she has seen your other half with some one else? When you question him or her about it, he or she will either turn all innocent and sweet and profess undying love to you or turn angry or defensive, so much so that you become afraid to push on?

No need for that hard core Gestapo like questioning any more... since I found this little nugget on YouTube. It is called "Is He Cheating? Use CSI to find out!"

The next question is " Should I Dump Him?" or "Should I Dump Her?" Hey Grissom.. give me a hand here!

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A Fart A Day, Keeps Your High Blood Pressure At Bay

2008-10-27T16:13:00.004+08:00

Do you agree that everyone learns something new everyday? That is what exactly happened to do me. I never knew that farting (excuse me) could possibly save my life :D.

I read an article today at the Live Science blog which reported that the smelly rotten-egg gas in farts controls blood pressure in mice. This unpleasant aroma of the gas, called hydrogen sulfide is actually expelled by the bacteria living in the human colon.

The article further goes on to read “Now that we know hydrogen sulfide’s role in regulating blood pressure, it may be possible to design drug therapies that enhance its formation as an alternative to the current methods of treatment for hypertension,” said Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Solomon H. Snyder, M.D., a co-author of the study detailed in the Oct. 24th issue of the journal Science.

To read more, click here.

So, how to make us fart more? Haha .. if you find this post rather disgusting, please force yourself to read on. It might save your life. And more importantly, it will make you more tolerant to those who needs to fart for their good health..haha.

Apparently all humans, as long as they eat and drink, are likely to fart. Some more discretely, some are proud to do it aloud and admits to it. Sometimes, there is no ordour but we now know that these are not very healthy farts. Healthy farts must be those fragrant ones, as they can only be produced by the colonies of bacteria in our intestinal tracts. To be most effective in creating large amounts of these "fragrant" gas emissions, one should take more sugary products.

This is extracted also from the Live Science blog. Read on my friends :)

Although the gaseous response of bacteria to food differs from person to person (as every one has a unique collection of their own), the biggest gas-generating ingredients are sugars, especially the following four:

Fructose – A natural ingredient in plants like onions, corn, wheat and even pears. It's often concentrated into a sugary syrup for soft drinks and fruit drinks.

Lactose – Milk's sweet natural ingredient, also added to foods like bread and cereal. Some people are born with low levels of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose, a fact that inflates their gassy susceptibility.

Raffinose – The secret gassy ingredient in beans, which is also found in broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, asparagus and other vegetables. Products like Beano, designed to reduce gas production, break down the sugar before it can reach eager intestinal bacteria.

Sorbitol – Found in almost all fruits, this indigestible sugar is also used as an artificial sweetener in "diet" and sugar-free foods. Yes, sugar-free gum, candy, soda and anything else deceptively sweet can cause gas.

Other fart-forming ingredients include fiber and starches found in foods like corn, potatoes and wheat. While fats and protein don't cause gas, they can make a meal take longer to digest—and give bacteria more time to generate gas from other ingredients.

Just about the only food that doesn't give us gas? Rice.

Fighting flatulence takes trial and error to figure out which foods excite your intestinal friends and cutting back on them. As a general rule, taking anti-gas products like alpha-galactosidase (Beano) or lactase enzyme (Lactaid) with problematic foods can curb some flatulence—simethicone (Gas-X) only helps relieve bloating by passing gas faster.

FART for HEALTH! my friends hahaha

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The Festival of Light

2008-10-26T09:19:00.005+08:00

I would like to wish everybody of Hindu faith a Very Happy Deepavali.

This lovely picture from India Travel Forum IndiaMike.com.

Deepavali or Divawli is one of the grandest and most important festival celebrated in India. It is an atmosphere of joy and festivity. It is basically a festival of light, symbolizing the victory of good over evil, of righteousness and the lifting of spiritual darkness.

This glorious festival is to celebrate the return of Lord Rama's return to his kingdom, Ayodhya after completing his 14 years of exile.

In the homes of every Indian of Hindu faith, you will find it decorated with many beautifully lit lamps which gives a sense of magic and fantasy. It is a time for fun and revelry. And it is also a time for prayers and tradition.

As in all the other religions festivals in the world, celebrations do not end at sun down on the first day. It goes on for 5 continuous days and each day has its significance with a number of myths, legends and beliefs.

The first day of Divali is known as Dhanteras. This day signifies wealth and holds utmost importance for the business houses. And there is also a legend of how the young bride of King Hima's sixteen year of son was saved her husband from his impending death.

The second day of Divali is known as Choti Divali. The legend behind this day is about generosity and wit. The legend tells us the story of King Bali of the nether world.

The third day of Divali is an important day of Lakshmi-Puja, a Goddess. It is believe that on this auspicious day, Lord Krishna discarded his body.

Padwa is the fourth day of Divali. Again according to the legend, the people of Gokul used to celebrated a festival in honor of Lord Indra and worshiped him after the end of the monsoon season. One particular year, a young Krishna stopped them from offering these prayers to Lord Indra, who in his terrific temper, sent a deluge to submerge Gokul. Krishna saved his Gokul by lifting up the Govardhan Mountain and holding it over his people as an umbrella.

The fifth and final day of Divali is known as Bhaiya-dooj. This day is observed as a symbol of love between sisters and brothers. It is believed that on this day Yamraj -the god of death visited his sister Yami and she put the auspicious tilak on his forehead, they ate, talked and enjoyed together and exchanged special gifts as a token of their love for each other and Yamraj announced that anyone who receives tilak from his sister on this day will be blessed. Since then it has became imperative for the brother to go to his sister's house to celebrate Bhaiya Dooj.

The extracts above were taken from DivaliMela.com, the world's largest site on Divali since 1st July 1999

And for more of this lovely Deepavali greeting cards, click here!

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Again, Hell hath no Fury

2008-10-24T21:58:00.003+08:00

Life really does go in a circle. It was last year and a little bit when I put up a post on Hell Hath no Fury like a woman scorned when just a hour or so ago, I found this bit of news about a Virtual Murder.

Apparently a woman has been arrested for committing a virtual murder. Interesting hor? I caught this from "The Inquisitr". Apparently this Japanese woman was arrested because she virtually murdered her virtual husband. Ha Ha.. This story goes like this ...

The Japanese woman — or, more accurately, her avatar — had married another player in the online role-playing game “Maple Story.” Apparently, the virtual couple had some real problems. Long story short, he divorced her, she got mad, she killed him. (His character, that is.)

“I was suddenly divorced, without a word of warning,” she told investigators, according to CNN. “That made me so angry.”

The woman is being held on suspicion of hacking. Police think she used her pretend hubby’s password to log in to his account and delete him. For that oh-so-heinous act, she could face five years in prison or a fine as high as $5,000. Officers took her a full 620 miles away from her home to detain her in the city where the man lives (also in Japan).

Bet that guy will think twice before he marries some chick just for the cybersex again.

Story was taken from The Inquisitr.

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Eating Well for Heart Health

2008-10-23T15:16:00.005+08:00

I spent dinner with a friend last evening and amongst some of the topics we talked about was Heart Health. I should know as my dad passed on, due to heart failure. It was not a heart attack. His heart just could take the load anymore, it just gave up.

My friend gave me some reading materials, which he happened to have with him and the first paragraph read " Heart Disease affects about 9million adults, killing one every 37 seconds in the US. It is the number 1 killer in Malaysia and number 2 killer in Singapore. What research has shown is that 90 percent of heart diseases can be prevented by changing one's diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking.

Currently, I am working on a personal project in collaboration with a few people to come out with a 3 prong approach to a better health, maintaining a desired weight and fat levels without having to starve (I for one love food to much to ever want to give up on eating all those yummilicious foods), with an exercise routine that you can incorporate into your daily life (without having to pay fees to join a club, if you don't want to or have the extra money to throw away) and an overall good health program.

These are just a few things to think about in the mean time.

1. Carbohydrates is something you need, in order to ensure a balance diet. But you can choose whole grains instead of refined ones. Whole grains such as brown rice, wheat, whole-wheat pastas contains more fibre which slows the conversion of starch to glucose and fats. Desserts and pastries which are normally made of refined flour often contain a lot of hidden fats and unwanted sugar.

2. Saturated Fats vs Unsaturated Fats. Saturated fats leads to plaque buildups in the arteries. Cut down on butter, sour cream, margarine, fatty meats. Instead go for olive oil or canola oil which contains healthy monounsaturated fats.

3. High quality proteins. These provides the essential amino acids necessary for a healthy heart. Natural protein comes in the form of soy, legumes and marine fish.

4. Vegetables and Fruits. Eat vegetables and fruits in as many color as you can. These color vegetables and fruits are a natural source of phytonutrients that neutralizes free radicals in our bodies and prevents premature aging of the heart, the arteries and the cells.

5. Supplements. In our fast paced lives, we will find it hard sometimes to have all the necessary food types to ensure a balanced diet, which is essential to maintain a healthy and fit body. Supplements like fish oil and vitamins as red yeast rice, omega-3 fatty acids and multivitamins do provide valuable benefits for lowering cholesterol and protecting the heart. Make sure that you get them from reliable manufacturers that ensure safety, efficacy and integrity.

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When Grandma Goes to Court!

2008-10-22T10:39:00.004+08:00

This is just a little humor, to break the monotony of the midweek routine. You may have to click on the picture to maximise the words. Enjoy...

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Daiso, Japan's No 1 Livingware Supplier is coming to Petaling Jaya

2008-10-21T13:20:00.009+08:00

The first time I heard of Daiso was through my group of Bento Blogger friends. Before that, I thought the 100Yen shops in KL and PJ were the fantastic. But when I went to Singapore in August, I managed to drop in at the Daiso in Plaza Singapore and I thought I found heaven on earth, haha.. where cookingware was concern lah.

Daiso at Plaza Singapore

When I came home, I realize that Malaysia has only 1 Daiso outlet and it is all the way over in Kota Kinabalu. Hey, Daiso has more than 2,500 outlets across Japan and more than 470 shops in the rest of the world. These are the countries where one can find Daiso outlets.

In Singapore, you can find 3 Daiso Outlets. So, what happened here????

Name	:	Singapore IMM shop
Address	:	2 Jurong East Street 21 #0385 IMM Building 609601
Floor area	:	30,100ft²(2,800m²)
Opened	:	23 March 2002

Name	:	PLAZA SINGAPURA
Address	:	68 Orchard Road, Plaza Singapura,Singapore 238839
Floor area	:	7,300ft²(700m²)
Opened	:	18 September 2006

Name	:	VIVO CITY
Address	:	No.1 Harbour front walk #03-0616A106B
Floor area	:	12,200ft²(1,130m²)
Opened	:	1 December 2006

Then, I heard from my friend JW that Daiso is having a year end sale or something in Singapore right now. True or not? Sob... this is so unfair.

Anyway, whilst walking around The Curve over the weekend, looking for nothing in particular, I saw this....

It is on level 2, next to nichii.

YIPPEE! Guess where I will be spending my weekends soon :)...ok ok.. Sunday will be still dedicated to my favorite Mid Valley Mega Mall. So, Saturdays will be at The Curve, Level 2. I am so happy :D

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Send in the Clowns

2008-10-17T15:57:00.006+08:00

Did I mention that I love all things cute and unusual?

I was walking around the Weld during lunch and decided to check the non-food outlets in the complex, which I hardly do these days, as lunch times are either spent watching seminars off the internet or gossiping and bitching with colleagues haha. But today, everyone seemed to be busy and had their own personal errands to run, which left me to spend lunch time on my own. Decided to pack some food from the hawkers who operate their stalls only on Fridays along Jalan Tengah and run back into the air conditioned complex to cool off.

I was walking on level 2 when I saw a sign which read "SALE".. haha.. that is like a magnet to me. The shop's name is "Southern Pottery" and it sells crockery and ornamental items. Most of the items are very interesting, with price ranging from very reasonable to the slightly upmarket and pricey stuff. As I was checking out the wares, I saw something very cute and I just had to get them. When I first saw them, I thought of cake toppers. They are simply something I must get... so I got.

Not one....
.
.
.
.

Not three....

But 5...even though 3 were of the same design. Well, they were only RM2 each.. and I will use them as cake toppers for a child's birthday cake. But definitely a big cake as the clowns are not exactly tiny.

Took this one next to the puncher to show the size of the clown. But look at the price tags.... RM2... what a steal

They still got plenty (for the moment) but some of the other designs which I didn't get was because the clown either looked too fierce or a little creepy..*brrr

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HandBag Competiton - Results are Out!

2008-10-17T14:37:00.002+08:00

The contest results are out at the Handbag Planet. If you have participated, then go have a look. But there are only 3 winners from Malaysia and the handbag I wanted.....

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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went to someone else. I will have to carry my old handbag around for a long while more....BOOOHOOOOO!

Win a Free Handbag! Completely Free

2008-10-13T17:23:00.003+08:00

Would you like to win a free Handbag - no strings attached? I would. Anyway, I saw this first at my Bento friend Pat's blog. The minute I finished reading her post, I rush to the website Handbag Planet to see if what my chances are of winning a free handbag. All I had to do was to key in my name and email address and after doing that, this was the handbag I selected.

Bag No. 14, Big, Red and Beautiful. I hope I win this one :D.

Go have a look. The last time I checked, the counter reads 1 day 18 hours 28mins 48 seconds

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Old Movies and Rainy Days throws up Richard Pryor

2008-10-12T14:03:00.008+08:00

As you know, it has been kind of a rainy weekend and having really no place to go, I decided to clean out my stacks of old VCDs. Have not really had a good look at these for a long time, since the day the DVD came in and the VCDs took a back seat.

As I was going through the stack, I realize that there have been quite a number of good actors which are no longer with us today. One of them is Richard Pryor. He passed away in 2005. He was really one of those comedians who only had to appear on a show without many lines and still be able to make me laugh.

I still have VCDs of his "See No Evil" and "Superman III". Wanted to play them but I think I must have left them in a damp place as there some bits off it seemed to have grown moulds. Dare not it into the player for fear of spoiling it. But I am sure I will be able to find these in the local DVD shops for I believe that they are truly classics :)

Plot taken from Wiki " Richard Pryor plays a blind man named Wally Karue and Gene Wilder plays a deaf man named Dave Lyons. They meet in Dave's shop, where Wally wants to get a job. After a few complications, Dave hires him. As Wally goes outside to get the newspapers for Dave, a man (Wally's bookie) comes in and asks Dave for some antacid (Dave reads lips). Playing for some time to hide a valuable coin, the man asks Dave to read the back of the packet to him. As Dave is reading it, the man slips the coin in a cigar box (for tips), hoping that nobody would find it. After he does it, a tall lady dressed in red comes looking for the coin. While Dave is reading, she shoots the bookie when he fails to give it to her. She slips away and disappears out of sight. Dave didn't hear the gunshot and Wally didn't see anybody but he heard the gunshot. Soon after finding that there is a dead man on the floor and with Dave holding the murder weapon, the two of them are put into jail for questioning. Wally and Dave become the prime suspects and the police refuse to believe them. The two then cunningly escape from the police station. On the run from the law, they are also tracked by the real killers, played by Joan Severance and Kevin Spacey, who want the gold coin in their possession. Dave and Wally must be each other's eyes and ears to stop the criminals and clear their names."

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The Humble Little Petai

2008-10-08T16:15:00.008+08:00

Do you like Petai? I love these smelly little fellas in sambal(chilli) and udang (prawns). The funny thing is that they don't emit any smell in their raw form. But after you have taken them in, and the body has processed it and purges it out.. yucks! Stinks to kingdom come I tell ya.

This is extracted from Wikipedia "Parkia speciosa (petai, twisted cluster bean, yongchaak, zawngtah or stink bean), is a plant of the genus Parkia in the family Fabaceae. It bears long, flat edible beans with bright green seeds the size and shape of plump almonds which have a rather peculiar smell, characterised by some as being similar to that added to methane gas"

My friend sent this one to me and after reading it, I will never look at the humble little Petai in the same way again.

Petai contains three natural sugars -sucrose, fructose and glucose. Combined with fiber, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai. This is because petai contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS(premenstrual syndrome): Forget the pills - eat petai.. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anaemia: High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power : 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. Undrstand that bananas contain lot of potassium too so eat more banana. Just look at those monkeys, they are really active, alert, smart and funny too!!

Constipation: High in fiber, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness : Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites : Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight: Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report c oncluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases.. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control : Many other cultures see petai as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In holland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) : Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking: Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack. Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%".

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, as you can see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A Petai a day keeps the doctor away".

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I Have Finally Seen The Light

2008-10-07T13:50:00.009+08:00

It has been exactly 1 month since I graduated from the Entrepreneurs Action Program (EAP) Boot Camp and having involved myself in a small business with an eLearning Portal called SkyQuestCom (CEO, Richard Tan also owns Success Resources, the largest seminar organizer in Asia) with low startup capital, low risk and potentially high returns, I picked up my first cheque of RM420 for one week of effort. Nothing to shout about but a start nevertheless. I have also been invited to make a presentation to some workmates and condo mates (4 fellas and a couple with 2 children) of one of my business partner. These were complete strangers to me and it was really my pleasure meeting them. Anyway, after the presentation, 2 of them signed up, one of the fellas and the husband of the couple. They were convinced that it was something they wanted to have a go at. And I say to them, congratulations for having that belief in themselves.

As I was eating lunch just now, I was thinking to myself. I may have just started on this business but I am sure as hell going to make it the right one for me. And I have already seen the money coming back to me, so, this business is real and its potential is limitless. But when I tried to share this with my family members and friends and colleagues, some of them listened out of sheer politeness (being Asian, I reckon) but some will cook up all sorts of excuses to end the conversation or change the topic and if it was over the MSN or Yahoo chats, they just "hang up" on me ... sigh.....They are not even giving themselves a chance to listen to what could be an opportunity or a solution to them to create the extra income that they want. Not that I am going to walk up and hold them at knife point (nope... I don't have a license for a gun) to sign up. Just that chance to see if it was something that could be right for them.

Then it dawned on me. My family, my friends and my colleagues are not desperate people. They have a secured job (until retirement), they are happy with their lot (they can buy everything they want to without having to prioritize their money) and they really have no financial worries. That is why I have not been successful even up to the point where they want to give me 10 minutes of their time to listen to me.

The 2 persons who set up EAP, Jerome Tan and Wendy Quek. Now, those 2 were desperate people. Jerome was declared bankrupt in 1997 and Wendy was apparently retrenched. Now, when one is bankrupt or retrenched, that would definitely make a person desperate to listen to any opportunity opening and to decide which one will give them the best potential to redeem themselves. Jerome and Wendy are both multi millionaires today.

But is it necessary to be successful and rich only after one has been touched by adversity? Why can't one take it upon themselves to want to succeed before such a crisis happen? Then as I was listening to Dr Jeffrey Goh, one of Asia's leading success coach speak at a seminar, he told this story of 2 monks crossing a river. Half way through the river, the older monk, who was walking in front, turned around and with both hands on the younger, shorter monk's head, pushed the younger monk's head under water. After letting the younger monk struggle frantically for a while, the older monk released the younger monk. The younger monk immediately jumped up, sputtering. Then the older monk asked the younger monk "During the time whilst you were under, were you trying your hardest and using whatever method you can think of to come up for air".

The younger monk answered, still heaving "But of course. It is a matter of my survival". The older monk said "If only you worked as hard in every facet of life, you would be extremely successful" and he turned around and continued walking.

Now I have understood. Only when people are desperate, when they are almost at their limits, then will they decide to take action to better the life they are in. If my family, friends and colleagues are happy and contented with what life is offering them now, it is with my sincerest wish that they continue to be happy and contented for the rest of their lives. I will only seek out those who are either desperately needing that helping hand or those who want to do have that chance to value add to their current financial situation, be it for themselves or for their family. I HAVE FINALLY SEEN THE LIGHT!

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How To Kill Creativity

2008-10-04T10:28:00.007+08:00

It is still very much a time of joyous festive merrymaking at the moment for we have just only started our Hari Raya celebrations with our Muslim brothers and sisters. I have been invited over the last three days to several "Open Houses" ( a term which is used loosely to mean a party that everyone is invited.. literally.. and you can be a friend to a friend who has been invited to the party and you'd be very welcomed by the host and hostess of the house).

Open houses means a lot of fun and a lot of food, but nothing beat the 2 "parties" I had over the last few days. The first one was at my friend and teammate, Jeffrey's condo. It was on the 1st day of the Hari Raya celebration. I was invited to give a presentation on the business that we are both in and all the guests present were from the Philippines. In just 3 hours, I got to meet and made friends with more foreigners than I could have done in a year. My current circle of friends largely consists of only local Malaysians and the only foreigners that I have met of late were from across the causeway in Singapore. So, this was really a great time for me.

And then, last night, I went for a "party" which I was invited to attend by a friend also in the business via SMS on the eve of Hari Raya. She just wrote in her SMS that I have been invited to meet up with Richard Tan at Citidel, Mid Valley on Friday at 7:30pm. I had no idea whether this was going to be a dinner or a coffee-session or a full-blown presentation. Anyway, subsequent to receiving the sms, I went to google on Richard Tan and found his personal blog. Quite an interesting blog, I must say. And from his blog, I picked up this little lesson.

"How to Kill Creativity"

Always pretend to know more than everybody around you.
Get employees to fill in time sheets.
Run daily checks on progress of everyone's work.
Ensure that highly qualified people do mundane work for long periods.
Put barriers up between departments.
Don't speak personally to employees, except when announcing increased targets, shortened deadlines and tightened cost restraints.
Ask for a 200-page document to justify every new idea.
Call lots of meetings..
Place the biggest emphasis on the budget.
Kill any idea that is not your own

We need to remember that creativity is what keeps things growing, keeps the mind sharp and keeps people enthusiastic in all their endeavors, from home to work to personal life. So next time you have the opportunity to stifle creativity – Don’t – whether it is in the workplace, the kitchen, or from a smiling 3 year old. Thinking out of the box is what brings society its leaders. Restricting creativity only hurts oneself.

Many would not know who Richard is, unless they are in the business or they have been attending seminars organized by Success Resources Pte Ltd. Well, I must say that meeting with a person such as Richard was really my privilege and good fortune. In fact, I have been toying with so many ideas as to how to introduce this man to all of you the entire night and morning after my meeting with him. So, I realize that to do this right, I will have to make the introduction of this man at my "business" blog (haha.. bet some of you didn't know that I have started a 4th blog). If you are interested on who the man is and how he is destined to change many people's life, do hop over to my blog http://successthrulearning. wordpress.com in a while.
One of the reasons why I was so inspired by him is that when he shared his life story with us last night, I see this multi millionaire, who's beginnings in life had been that of a son of migrants from China, a father who was a trishaw puller and mother, a laundry woman, after going through many turbulations in life, became the multi-millionaire that he is today, never once forgotten his humble beginnings and to want to share and teach those who desires to succeed in life. He willing shares his views, his words of wisdom and all of himself to help others succeed.

Now, let me ask you this question, many of your current employers and bosses could be millionaires themselves. How many of you can honestly say that your bosses and employers are willing to make you rich and successful? They are more concerned with how you are going to make them rich. Some could have given motivational talks to the staff, you included. But most of these talks are on how to make you more committed and hardworking and successful.... EMPLOYEES! Am I right or am I right?

This is Richard holding the Apple MacBook Air which he is planning to give out as an incentive

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Facial Tics

2008-10-03T17:37:00.009+08:00

Have you met a person with a facial tic? As a person from Chinese decent, I have heard stories from my grandma that a person who has a facial tic was probably hit by an evil wind whilst he was making faces at another person. That is just an old folk’s tale. The common cause for facial tics is a nervous disorder.

I had a colleague from my previous company who has a repetitive, spasmodic movement involving his eyes. When I first met him, I found it very distracting. It felt like he was perpetually winking at me. However, with time, I got used to it. I was also working with a General Manager of a bank who kept making this grunting noise which I thought was caused by his weight issue (as he was rather overweight at that time). But then, subsequent to his losing quite a bit of weight years on, the grunting was still very audible. It was actually another form of tic. All this came back to me when I was at the local McDonalds having my lunch and I saw a little boy who kept wrinkling his nose.

These days, it is not very often that we come across people with facial tics. Perhaps it is due to the fact that as tics occur most often in children, the treatment may have been already been administered to the child. Most of the treatment for children is in the form of medications.

I happen to chance upon this website on facial tics which has a solution to treat a child’s facial, vocal and motor tics without dangerous medications which can cause harmful side effects. The more I read what was written at the website, the more I was convinced that no parent would want to put his or her child at the risk of medications which will likely caused the child to have queasiness or vomiting, plus a whole list of other side effects. If there is an alternative to having to ingest dangerous drugs, parents will definitely want to consider it.

This was extracted from the facial tics website.

It almost seems that every child who suffers has their own unique tics since they can be extremely diverse.The most common tics are usually:

Eye blinking
Mouth twitches
Eye squinting
Throat clearing
Facial contortion
Wrinkling nose
Compulsive grunting

Children who suffer from these facial tics might find them hard to live with (especially older children) because it can be frustrating, embarrassing and even a little scary.
But for most parents, prescription drugs can be very scary since they have side effects like:

Extreme depression
Queasiness or vomiting
Hostility or violent behavior
Exhaustion
Tardive Dyskinesia – a condition that causes involuntary movements to worsen

If you have a child who may have what you think is a facial tic problem, or a friend’s child with such a problem, do hop over to facialtics.com. There is indeed an easier, safer and more effective treatment than drugs.

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Selamat Hari Raya

2008-09-30T16:39:00.002+08:00

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my Muslim friends Selamat Hari Raya. Maaf Zahir Batin!

Cosplay and Anime

2008-09-28T22:35:00.008+08:00

Cosplay, which is shortform for Costume Play is rather interesting. I am told that it is really a performance art, where people dress up, complete with accessories and makeup and clothes, to portray a character from medias, which includes manga, anime, video games, etc etc.

In the begining, I was only familiar with Manga and Anime. That is why I love going to visit Kenny's blog. Codename: Dreams. Over the past month, I have learnt quite a lot manga and anime characters from his blog. It was Miow who introduced me to Cosplay. The first time was venturing into a shop called iSock or something like that at Berjaya Times Square. That is where I learned about the Lolitas and her friends. Some of the costumes were nice and sexy. Others were really wierd, dark and scary.

Anyway, I was at MidValley Mega Mall on Saturday and Sunday, helping out my friend at his booth in the 2008 Diet and Beauty Exhibition. By the end of the first day, as I was about to leave the exhibition center, I saw this one fella walking towards the other exhibition hall.

He looked suspiciously like one of those characters I saw on the Anime channel on Astro. So, I followed him in to the next hall and wow.. there was a whole bunch of them. They were really out of this world. I guess you either like them or you don't. I find them fascinating. To actually take the effort to dress up, complete with makeup and accessory, guys and girls alike.

As I was rushing to get back as my legs were killing me, I could only stay to snap shots of a few of them. As I left the hall, there were still several trouping in. They did not have their make-up on yet, so, I didn't bother to take their photos.

Mmm.. very interesting.

The crowd contrast was so obvious. This hall were filled with the young people. I think the average age must be around 20 years old to 22 years old.

In the other hall where the Diet and Beauty exhibition was being held, I think the average age would have to be around 35 years and definitely more.

When I went back to the exhibition halls this morning, I made sure I stood around Hall 1.... where the young people were... haha.. even though I am old in face, I am still young at heart.

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How To Get More Traffic To Your Website

2008-09-24T10:26:00.003+08:00

There are many ways to generate more traffic to one's website and I have actually gone to many bloggers' websites to read about it. Just this morning, I just happened to check into my Spam email folder when I found a little "gold" nugget in the form of a totally FREE report from this one guy called Justin Michie. Only for a limited time, he is giving out this free Traffic Tips Report.

This Traffic Tips Report gives a whole list of ways to improve traffic to one's blog. I have downloaded it and some of the tips may just work. Some of them however may not work so well here, but then what do I know haha. Anyways, there are quite a list to go throught with new traffic generation methods and as many good ways to do it as you possibly can.

This Justin Michie is an internet marketer and I have heard of him mentioned during my EAP Boot Camp recently. I think he was the Lemonade Chap. His report doesn’t just show you a few ways to generate website traffic, it delivers 247 unique ways to get traffic to your site. Right from the start that’s something that any website or blog owner can use. On top of that, the report is actually free!

And even though it’s free, the methods outlined in his report should be able to increase your traffic significantly in just a matter of days. The great thing about this report is that it includes both free and paid traffic generation methods. So whether you are just starting out and you have time to invest but little money, or you’ve been making money online for awhile and have the money but not the time – there are plenty of ideas in here to up your traffic stats.

Just don’t let the amount of ideas in here overwhelm you – don’t try to do it all at once, pace yourself! Some of the methods will result in short term traffic and others will result in long term traffic. If you start with a few of short term and a few long term methods from this report you can give your site a quick burst of traffic right away while building long term traffic. This will help your traffic grow quickly and still sustain itself so you’ll be getting plenty of visitors month after month.

The report has been reviewed by some of the most successful and well known internet marketers. Joel Comm and Willie Crawford both highly recommended it, when Justin was charging money for it. (It had been selling at the discounted rate of $7 at http://www.TrafficTipsReport.com.) Joel calls it a “really valuable resource” that all internet marketers should have. And Willie “recommends it to all of his clients and subscribers.” When you have endorsements like these you really can’t go wrong!

Another great thing about this report is that it will work for any type of niche. It doesn’t matter if you have a website on puppies or a blog about day trading. There are traffic generation methods in it that will work for everyone and every niche.

So if you are looking for unique ways to drive more traffic to your site, you really need to look no further than the Traffic Tips Report. If you want a copy (while it’s still free) you can download it here.

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Alert! Milk Based Food Recalled

2008-09-22T16:49:00.004+08:00

Just got an sms from my cousin sister in Ipoh and one of my baker sifu regarding the dangerous foods to beware of as a result of the current Milk Powder issue in China. The email reads as follows:-

For your information, the following items have been recalled due to China's milk scandal:

1. M&M
2. Snickers
3. Mento's Yoghurt Bottle
4. Dove Chocolate
5. Oreo Wafer Sticks
6. Dutchlady Sterilised Milk
7. Wall's all natural mango
8. Mini Poppers Ice Cream
9. Magnum Ice Cream
10. Moo Sandwich Ice Cream
11. Mini Cornetto
12. Youcan Ice Cream

Stores have been asked by AVA Singapore to remove them. If u have any of these items at home, don't eat them.

Going to surf the site and check the information. Meanwhile, if anybody has any updates, please put in your comments. Thanks :D

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Making Money Simply by Emails?

2008-09-22T15:16:00.007+08:00

It is kind of boring in the office right now. Could it be because a lot of people are already in the Raya mood? Actually, Raya is the start of the year end festivities here in Malaysia as we have Deepavali following that, then Hari Raya Haji, Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. I can sense my waistline expanding already haha.

Well, festivities also means extra money needed to buy new clothes, presents and loads of other stuff. In fact, I have been eyeing the ACER Aspire One for several weeks already. Sigh.. why are there so many things to buy with so little money?

If there was a way of earning a bit of extra money without too much effort, I would be very interested. Wouldn't you be too? Anyway, there is an eLearning Portal which allows one to make money by sending emails. I reckon that if one is already spending so much time on the internet, why not make it worthwhile$$. And sending emails are what we do quite well already. Don't we already send all sorts of things to our friends and acquaintances via email. Well, I for one has been receiving loads of stuff from my friends, jokes, motivational and inspirational thoughts, alerts and warnings.. haha.. during lunch time, an ex-colleague came on the Yahoo Messenger to warn me about the danger of the latest drug in the market Burundanga. BEWARE! he warns. I just said "Thank you for the Warning". Will tell him later to go read my blog :)

Well, if you receive an email from me in the next couple of days regarding the eLearning Portal, please humor me and read the mail.... please.... trying to earn my way to the new Acer Aspire One by Christmas. A Christmas present to mua from mua :D.

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Thoughts

2008-09-22T10:07:00.012+08:00

Monday morning? Hey, where did the weekend go??

The one thing that I really look forward on Monday mornings is checking through my mail boxes for mails from friends. And I got a very nice one from my friend Phillus. He sent me a email full of Thoughful messages. There are many a time in this fast paced world of ours that we forget to stop to smell the flowers and contemplate on life and it's meaning. Anyway, I'd like to share these wonderful thoughts with all of you.

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FEAR - False Evidence Appearing Real

2008-09-19T14:57:00.006+08:00

Remember in my previous post, I mentioned about attending this Entrepreneur's Action Program Boot Camp? Well, there was one thing I learnt and probably remember forever is how they broke down our fear. What do we fear? Apparently fear itself.

They told us at the Boot Camp that FEAR is really false evidence appearing real. And this has stopped many people from doing a lot of things. When we were kids, our parents have instilled this fear in us that if we didn't study, we will end up like the poor man(or woman) who has his cardboard home underneath the bridge. When we were in school, our teachers instilled fear in us by ridiculing us when we got the answers wrong and our schoolmates laugh at us.

When we are adults, there are a lot of things we want to try but because FEAR has been ingrained in us, we hold back. A lot of times we play mind games with ourselves. One part tells us to go for it, the other part warns us about the negative possible outcome.

Have you lived to regret not taking action sometimes to go for what you wanted. One good example is that during seminars and events, normally, the presenter would ask for someone to volunteer to answer a question or do something up on stage. A lot of times, the question will turn out to be either ridiculous simple or the action is just going up there and doing so equally simple act. But because of our fear of being laughed at, we have always held back. I *raises hand* have always had that fear. But after that Boot Camp, I have learnt that FEAR is really at the end of the day, just false evidence appearing real.. and the best remedy for it is to take action. The EAP Boot Camp has really done wonders. I would definitely recommend people to have a look at their program. They have free previews every now and then, and it is totally without obligations. If you do go, please give Wendy Lai and Tammie Lum my regards. These girls are really very nice people :D.

Oh, found an interesting website here on Making Money. Have a great weekend everybody.

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Money (Still) No Enough!

2008-09-19T09:50:00.014+08:00

Official Website here!

It has been a rather good week for me, despite having so much to do. Decided to go treat myself last night to a movie but the timing was a bit off because as my friend and I finished our dinner, it was already 9:30pm and the only other show available at 9:45pm was this Mandarin movie "Money No Enough 2". I think it was 10 years ago when I watched the 1st show, "Money No Enough". Back then, I had to read the subtitles all the way as I cannot understand any other Chinese dialect except Cantonese. Anyway, 10 years on, I found out I still had to read the subtitles throughout the entire show :(. But I think the few Malay girls in a few rows in front were probably also reading the subtitles. But I could be wrong as I know some Malay neighbors whose children are schooled in Chinese schools and coming top 3 in class every year - so shy to call myself Chinese sometimes :(

Jack Neo's film has always appeal to me because the story comes from the heart. This one again talks about human traits and relationships. As I was watching the going ons in the show and reading the subtitles, many emotions came up very strongly. First the feeling of sadness, then rib tickling laughter, then tears....wow.. what an emotional rollercoaster. I am not sure if you will get the same effect if you were watching it on a DVD at home, but last night, I knew the people in the cinema were all on this emotional rollercoaster ride with me. The laughter was obvious but when the tears came, I heard sniffles and there was this guy who kept saying "F@*k".. mmm.. trying to cover up the tears??.

I would say, go watch this show. It was anytime better than some of the previous brain numbing snorables I've watched in the recent past.

Synopsis :
Ten-years since the first Money No Enough, local celebrity auteur Jack Neo’s “Money No Enough 2” returns to bring attention to the common man’s life in Singapore where the pursuit of money is a never ending passion .

The story revolves around three brothers from a middle-income background in contemporary Singapore. These are characters who are representative of the business owners, white and blue collar workers of Singaporeans.

The oldest brother Yang Bao Hui (by Henry Thia) represents the lower income group. As a child, Hui left school at an early age to earn money to help support his poverty stricken family. He has been working as a delivery man in the same company for the last 30 years. At the persuasion of his younger brother, he strikes out as an entrepreneur to sell health supplements. As business improves, he quits his dead-end job and puts all his time into the business. Unfortunately the business is forced to a standstill when the health supplement is deemed unsafe for public consumption, which inadvertently brings Bao Hui close to financial ruin.

The second brother Yang Bao Qiang (by Jack Neo) portrays a well-heeled successful businesman. As the owner of his own business, he and his wife flaunts their wealth in typical Singaporean fashion, with designer clothes, a flashy car and a big house to put it all in. However in a moment of greed, he allows himself to be cheated out of his fortune and gets into a very difficult financial situation.

The youngest brother Yang Bao Huang (by Mark Lee) represents the ordinary middle working class. He earns a good salary working as a regional supervisor for a health supplement trading company, and spends lavishly to maintain his ‘wannabe’ lifestyle. When the health supplement business goes bust, debts pile up and Bao Huang too, faces financial ruin.

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Be Alert and Cautious - Burundanga

2008-09-19T09:50:00.004+08:00

I know that sometimes we mean well when we send out alerts and warning messages to our family and friends. In fact, this morning alone, I received a few emails with the same message, which read "Be Alert and Cautious when you are given a name card by a total stranger on the street". The email message continued to tell a story of how a lady who was handed a name card by this stranger at a petrol station, offering his services as a painter and as the woman was being polite, just took the card with her and left in her car after she has finished filling in the petrol. The story went on to say that the lady started feeling dizzy and the source of it came from some ordour that was coming from the hand which held the business card. Apparently, there was a drug wiped over the business card and the drug is called Burundanga".

In the past, when I received such type of mails, my first reaction was to forward it out to my family and my friends immediately. But having been told by some of these friends that the mails which I sent out are not true, these days, I do try to do a little checking first.

My checks on this claim has revealed several things.

1) Definition: Burundanga is a drug made from the plant called either cacao sabanero or borrachero. It is used to drug unsuspecting tourists in order to rob them. This was taken from About.com - South America Travel

2) From a medical source: Scopolamine can be used as a pre-surgical drug for the purpose of impairing memory of surgical trauma. It provides an initial knockout effect, before the anesthesia proper is administered, and has the added benefit of preventing long term memory formation during the period of time. At one time scopolamine was given to women during childbirth. This was taken from earthops. There was an excerpt from the Wall Street Journal Article dated July3, 1995 which tells of how people in Columbia have been drugged and have lost their precious belongings and money to unscrupulous people using that drug. The article is here.

3) From snopes.com, the claim that criminals used Burundanga-soaked business cards to incapacitate victims is FALSE. They have an example of the similar emails which I received except the mail which I received, the woman has no name, the place where it apparently occurred was also not identified. One of the mails which I received read like this....

Must Read and Please be careful out there. A man came over and offeredhis services as a painter to a female putting gas in her car and left his card. She said no ,but accepted his card out of kindness and got in the car.The man then got into a car driven by another gentleman. As the lady left the service station, she saw the men following her out of the station at the same time. Almost immediately, she started to feel dizzy and could not catch her breath. She tried to open the window and realized that the odor was on her hand; the same hand which accepted the card from the gentleman at the gas station. She then noticed the men wereimmediately behind her and she felt she needed to do something at that moment. She drove into the first driveway and began to honk her horn repeatedly to ask for help.The men drove away but the lady still felt pretty bad for severalminutes after she could finally catch her breath. Apparently,there was a substance on the card that could have seriously injured her. This drug is called 'BURUNDANGA'and it is used by people who wish to incapacitate a victim in orderto steal from or take advantage of them. This drug is four times more dangerous than the date rape drug and is transferable on simple cards. So take heed and make sureyou don't accept cards at any given time alone or from someone on the streets. This applies to those making house calls and slipping you a card when they offer their services . PLEASE SEND THIS E-MAILALERT TO EVERY FEMALE YOU KNOW

I suppose we just have to remember, however much we want to save our family and friends from danger, we should do a little bit of checking first before we scare them silly. What do you think?

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2008 Diet and Beauty Fair

2008-09-18T16:08:00.007+08:00

I met up with an ex-colleague for lunch a few days ago and he asked if I was interested to go to a Diet and Beauty Fair. Ha Ha.. I am sure many women (probably some men too) are interested in anything to do with diet and beauty... maybe not all.. but many, mua included. This fair will be held at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre next weekend, starting from the 26th September until the 28th. As we were eating and talking, he also shared that his company will be having a booth at the fair and asked if I was willing to part with RM10 for a full face product trial. Mmmm??? What full face product trial? That was when he fished out his product flyer. I think most of you would have heard of this thing called Galvanic Spa.

As I was looking at the brochure, I must say I was pretty impressed about some of the pictures. But being rather skeptical, I was already wondering if these were just photoshopped pictures. That was when he did a 6 minutes demonstration on the back of my right hand. As I used to golf, I have always been rather embarrassed by the fact that my right hand is of a darker shade than my left hand. Why? Cause when I golf, I only wear a left glove (for better grip).

When he was done, I noticed a stark difference in the shade of color on the back of my right hand. WAH! Impressed lah. Then he asked if I wanted to have a demo on my face. But only 1/2 the face, so that I can see the difference. WHAT! Crazy ah... in the middle of an eatery and having to go back to the office after lunch. What would my colleagues say? What would my boss say? No lah, I told him. Next time.

I would have liked for him to do the demo on my face this weekend but he will be traveling *sigh*. Hence, I am now trying to round up some of my gal pals for next week to do the demo. No exactly sure which date to pick yet. But for those of you who are interested, just drop me a comment.

I have found this video on YouTube. Actually there are a few more, but some of them talk and talk .. not much action BAH!

I have appended a flayer with the information regarding the 2008 Diet and Beauty Fair at Mid Valley. If you are there, for whatever reasons, do drop in. He told me that there mystery gifts and promotions. I am sure there are plenty of freebies too from the other booths :D. I am going to bring my big Jusco RM4.90 bag to collect the freebies....heehee..damn "tham sum"...greedy.

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Calling for Blood Donation

2008-09-18T10:19:00.004+08:00

It is the fasting period now and it is normally during this time that I realize that many of my Muslim brothers and sisters are the ones who actually make up a large number of blood donors. Most of the time, we do not see calls for blood donations by the National Blood Banks and Hospitals. But each time we are in this Holy month of Ramadan, the cries for help to replenish the blood banks are loud. In fact, there is one which will be carried out in our office this week.

I just received this from a friend.

BLOOD URGENTLY NEEDED

PLEASE HELP IF IT IS IN YOUR CAPACITY

Name of Patient : Madam Cheah Poh Chan @ Lee Poh Chan

Age : 74 years (Female)

Ward : ICU. Bleeding due to road accident

Blood Group Type : B + (Other blood groups are also accepted since there is a lack of blood due to the Puasa month)

Telephone : Assunta Hospital 03-76807000 Ext 3303

Please call the Hospital before going to donate blood.

Thank you for donating to this meritorious cause.

May you be blessed with Good Helath, peace and happiness.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE A POSSIBLE

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Cows NOT humping in the Carpark

2008-09-17T12:27:00.008+08:00

I wanted to post this yesterday but there was something more important and pressing that I had to get off my chest. After reading a comment from my blogger friend Gargies "Cows humping in the car?" in her respond to my post yesterday, haha.. which really set me off laughing, I knew that I had to set the records right.

I was parked in Basement 3 of MidValley Megamall's carpark the other evening and as I was walking towards the escalators, I did a double take when I passed this vehicle. Firstly, it was not parked in a proper bay and secondly, it was virtually overtaken by cows...

Big ones, small ones, fluffy ones.. wow.. this person must be so into cows. I know that the owner is chinese by the chinese talisman hanging in the front. Not sure if the owner has a milk production factory or a something along that line.

Some of the cows are so cute. There must have been quite a fair bit of effort involved in collecting them. I so love the big ones here.

When I finished my shopping, the car was no longer there. But 9:30pm is probably too late to be out for any decent, well brought up cow(s) teehee. Anybody know where the big cutie cow is sold?

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Free Teresa Kok Petition

2008-09-16T16:43:00.003+08:00

I wanted to post something I saw recently at the carpark of my favorite shopping mall but it would seem so trivial in the light of bigger issues.. of which one of them is to FREE TERESA KOK, ABOLISH ISA! I would not be doing what my heart tells me to do if I went ahead and posted something about a bunch of cows inside somebody's car in a carpark..sheeesh..

So, what are you waiting for? Quick Quick... go over to FREE TERESA, ABOLISH ISA! petition site and sign the petition. I have done it .. a little late for I am the 17,659th person to do it... but better late than not doing it at all. Tell your friends, fellow countrymen.... let us stand united in our vigil for Teresa and all the other ISA detainees. Read more at Tony's blog.

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How to Prevent a Sore Throat from turning into a Cold

2008-09-15T09:33:00.006+08:00

I think this is the season to be coughing and sneezing. A lot of people seem to start of with a sore throat before they progress to a full blown cold. A friend of my Suzan shared something which I thought would help to prevent a sore throat from turning into a cold. This remedy was also practiced by my late dad as he really hates visiting doctors. No harm trying I reckon, if it will save you a bit of money and the ordeal of sitting in an air conditioned place with a stuffed nose.

What Most Doctors Won't Tell You About Colds and Flus... if you don't know, read on.

You just won't get this information on why colds and flus can
help you stay healthy over the long run from medical textbooks
and mainstream media - please consider sharing it with family
and friends.

Although experiencing a cold or the flu once in a while can help
rid your body of your weakest cells, I'm willing to bet that there

are times when you would really prefer to delay such a period of

cleansing and malaise.

Here's how you can stand a good chance of preventing a cold from developing:

As soon as you experience that sore, tickly feeling in your
throat that precedes a full-blown cold, gargle with warm salt water.
And when I say gargle, I mean really gargle; take in a mouthful
of warm salt water, look up at the ceiling, and gargle aggressively.

You may want to tap at your throat (the Adam's apple region) with your fingers while you gargle to encourage the warm salt water to trickle

deeply into your throat.

Gargle like this several times with a glass of warm salt water, and

repeat as often as possible throughout the day.

Warm salt water can remove viruses from the tonsils and adenoids
that line the back of your throat region. Viruses that cause colds and flus typically get caught by your tonsils and adenoids before they spread through your body. Your tonsils and adenoids are important parts of your immune system because they are located near the entrance of your breathing passages, and they serve as a first line of defense against undesirable airborne microorganisms and substances.

This, by the way, is why it is best not to remove tonsils and adenoids from your throat region. Chronic swelling of tonsils and adenoids is best addressed by reducing sugar intake, adopting a minimally processed diet that is rich in fresh plant foods, and supporting immune system health by getting plenty of rest, exercise, and exposure to sunlight and fresh air.

Cold salt water may also help to remove viruses from your tonsils and adenoids, but warm salt water tends to be more effective. Warm water may help to melt the fatty coating that protects viruses that cause the cold and flu.

What if you gargle for all you're worth but still end up developing a full-blown cold?

Get lots of rest, drink plenty of fluids, and take comfort in knowing that countless viruses are at work destroying your weakest cells. And don't forget to blow your nose as often as it runs; help your body get rid of what it wants to get rid of.

P.S. Free Brian Tracy Video worth $97...

P.S.S. Lucrative eLearning Biz Opportunity ... that can change your Financial and Life Destiny!

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How to Talk so Women will Listen

2008-09-12T11:56:00.007+08:00

This is the continuation post.. where I share Allan and Barbara Pease's book.

"How to Talk so Women will Listen" - Womenspeak

1. Participate in the conversation
Don't wait for your turn to talk. Female brains are wired to both speak and listen simultaneously., which is why women often seem to all talk at the same time. This is because they can. If you wait for your turn you'll just get older. If you don't actively participate in a conversation with women, it is perceived to be a lack of interest by you or that you hold a critical opinion.

2.Use facial expressions when listening
A woman's facial expressions reveal her emotions so, as she talks, mirror her expressions and gestures to create rapport. Never do this with another man.

3. Give her personal details and appeal to her emotions
Female brains are organized for reading the emotions of others and for evaluating relationships between people. Reveal to her, personal information about yourself and your family and volunteer your personal feelings about things.

4. Use indirect speech
Women's spoken sentences are longer than men's and may contain several subjects including her feelings and emotions about those subjects. Avoid getting to the point quickly, pushing for a fast solution to a problem, or "closing the sale". Be more friendly, relaxed and agreeable.

Well, do you think you agree with Allan and Barbara. I do and I think with if I keep this in mind, I will face less frustrations when I am trying to get through to the guys in my family *grins*

This is Brian Tracy. I will be starting on his book tonite :)

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