Closing one eye

Sometimes, closing one eye is better then opening both eyes to perceive the situation when looking at things. Occasionally, "mou gan thai" (closing both eyes) even provides better general state of things.

"Closing one eye" does have 2 conveyances. One is by closing one eye to look at thing, you'll definitely get a sharper focus and special emphasis attached to it. Just like the moment, when an aged person is supposed to pass a thread through the needle's hole; a shooter is aiming towards an object. Usually, they would close one eye to perform the job.

Another one is, appearing to be perceived with a fussy situation by closing one eye to look at thing. So that one may simply take a well chosen answer with "I don't know" when being asked for that particular thing. It does also have an implication of corruption when the term is used in political compositions.

The act of "closing one eye" is now largely exercised by many people as well as caretakers upon social services. Regardless of others, I am finding myself to be fond of closing one eye too!

It was a Monday blue this morning. Having been waken up early in the morning by the body clock, I could only manage to open one eye (in sleepy eyed) to throw a glance at the clock. Yet it was so reluctant to jump out from the bed....

A quick taking on the Guang Ming Daily enlightened me that 54% of Taiwanese didn't believe Ah Pian's "obscure" claim over the burgeoning corruption scandal. The scandal involving the Kaohsiung MRT project, according to an opinion poll made by UDN news in Taiwan. Otherwise stated that Ah Pian was all the while "closing one eye" on the issue. It provoked me to leer at the headline by using one eye (dubiously)!

When I supposed to bank, I found that it was a chaotic noon at Sbg. Jaya as where the order of parking had turned awry. And curiously, the seasoning blue-shirted summoners were not visible. My immediate assumption was that they might be "closing one eye" in favor of coming festivals. So I also "closed one eye" (regardlessly) parked my car elsewhere.

Bulging from the office, I was flopping with sleepiness and a sudden yawning had irritated one of my eyes with tear secretion that caused me unable to open my both eyes.

Back at home, Ping Pang Ping Pang, there was another "closing one eye" even for the availability of firecrackers.

Perhaps, It was an out of the blue "closing one eye" day!

Hutan Lipur Sungai Sedim

I was having a trek with my old partner this morning with good grace at Hutan Lipur Sungai Sedim.

A 40 minute driving from Kulim High Tech Park, heading north to Mahang, then turning left to Sedim took me to the destination.

It is a rustic recreation park covers over hundred of acres. The natural forest and stream remains unscarred. It is a thriving tourist destination, especially for family picnickers, hikers and back-packers, where visitors will be charmed by the natural body of running water flowing on and on; and the natural jungle.

Ideal for camping or just eating alfresco beside the stream offer complete exaggerated feeling of well-being amid the fore landscape. Desire of watery is just a foot way. Shady trees that shelter the park make it an idyllic spot for couple.

For an activity of exerting yourself, there are many small mountains for you to trek on. On top of that, night safari is also available for expedition too.

Pic 1 - my car parked at the core area (car park) of the recreation park.

Pic 2 - the "tree top walk" high ways offers a “jalan kaki" in the air.

Pic 3 - one of the spots of flowing water.

Pic 4 - one of the campsites.

We had sweat and senang-senang until sunset. Then in between the returning journey, we stopped at Hutan Lipur Ulu Paip (just located near Kg Karangan) where there is a lakeview seafood restaurant, we took our seafood dinner there. One deep fried fresh water fish + a plate of vagi + a plate of steam cooked fresh water tortoise = RM35.50 inclusive rice & drinks. Seronok!

Li Ao's another notation

This morning I met a writer, Mr Wong Hoey Yeam, the former Youth Secretary General of the Malaysian Federation of Chinese Assembly Halls, who is now a regular columnist for Nanyang Press.

We had a very good exchange of views on cultures, politics, peoples and renowned writers. I learnt that he used to read an average of 4 to 5 books a month, the ability of which is my inept at reading.

We were uttering from west to east and finally we'd descended our foci onto Li Ao.

Ong having acquainted with Li Ao since his social visits to Li Ao during the last Chinese Eighth Moon festival. Ong is also a devoted reader of Li Ao and has collected over 90 books of Li Ao.

Base on Ong's descriptions, I'd gained the diorama of Li Ao and had come to know more about the another aspect of Li Ao as follow:-

Li Ao (born April 25, 1935), who is a writer, social commentator, politician in Taiwan, satirist, scholar, former political prisoner, and is also a member of Taiwan's legislature.

He’s just returned from China for his 10-day cultural trip on Sep 19, 2005. Li Ao strongly supports the idea of "one country, two systems" proposed by Deng Siaoping. He believes that the unification of China would bring more beneficial for Taiwan.

Most people consider Li Ao as a writer of ladida, solitary, horse-shitted, goofy and lofty. But he hasn't regarded himself as a writer because his name is not listed into the 900 over pages of Taiwanese Writers Records Book which has been registered with 706 writers so far. Therefore he opts to become a social commentator cum actor.

Li Ao's life is full of fluctuations between hope and despair. He seldom weeps over his own unhappiness but he'll weep for the misfortunes of friend and love affairs.

During 2003 & 2004, he suffered a great dismay. First was the departure of his beloved mother that had stimulated his feelings of being old shaped and had influenced him to retire from the screening of "Li Ao Tai Ko Tai" TV programs. But somehow he'd later on resumed his TV show as a host of "Li Ao has word to say".

Another incident was his operation of prostate cancer. Being a historian, his first astonishment was a self questioning of "shall I purportedly become the second Sima Qian?" (1st major Chinese historian who was castrated and jailed by Emperor Han Wudi. At the mere sight of his underlings he was seized with terror...).

His political inclinations are more controversial; he is an outspoken Pan-Blue supporter given much media exposure thanks to his popularity as a writer. Todays, he has found his own political dissidents from being a famous TV speaker.

Li Ao is interestingly known for generally appearing in public wearing a Fred Rogers-like cardigan sweater.

Li Ao also has a habitual usage of affixing his talks with numeral quotes such as Gandhi's "The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others"; Vladimir Lenin's "An unfaithful friend, is an enemy"; and one of his own quotes "Everyone does have weak point cum good point, my weak point is - I like to tell the truth; my bad point is - I'm becoming more joyful upon my weak point".

My abstract: His bitterly speeches against other Ah-Bian's followers has received much international attention and accolade from the papers as well as the peoples of China. Although Li is a dissident writer and popular cultural figure equipped with historical talent, he's inevitably not a good husband!

An effective "vul-glish"

Companies must be equipped with suitable people in order to function his/her jobs effectively.

What if an enquiry was putting into a dilemma of - Please hold on ... music ... hallows, please hold on ... music ... Mr Chin is not in ... hold on ... don't know where he's going ... hold on ... Mr Yong also not in ... hold on ... also don't know where he's going ... I've no idea on your case. In such a case, certainly the inquirer will be encountered with jagged teeth.

This happened to me this morning when I was calling a developer (whose logo is embossed with "Superbrands") in order to get my property be transferred quickly from procrastination.

After being juggled around, my anger was suddenly erupted. I then told the girl that although you're the innocent one but I still have to censure out my accusation.

I told her that since you all people didn't understand polite English, I'd no choice but to speak "vul-glish" (vulgar English) with you.

So I blurt out: "you pukima had to wait and see to tell whether your manager was in or not, what's the hell you all people are doing, go ask your motherfucking manager to call me back".

Few minutes later. The "vul-glish" was successfully comprehended with a fast returned call from the said manager.

Once I picked up the call and before he could make any answer, I immediately threw him another "vul-lish": "kanlineh, you wrote to my lawyer that the transfer couldn't be effective without any supportive reason. As far as what I knew, Strata Title had been given out many years ago yet you're defaulting Strata Title Acts, some more you'd collected consent fees from me, you thought you're a crocodile hak!"

"Sorry Mr Tan, because .......", he eventually explained.

Perhaps, that's the Malaysian ways of corporate (where white rats are reared) answering system.

Conception on Ba Jin's death

Ba Jin (Li Feiren), who born in Nov 25 1904 in Chengdu, China, has died on 19-10-05 at the age of 101.

He was honored as "the conscience of the Chinese people in the 20th Century" by The Sichuan Daily of Chengdu.

Ba Jin, was quoted as a writer who had engaged in a crusade for justice, freedom and quality as reflected in his masterly works "Family", "Spring" and "Autumn" and his "The Trilogy of Love" which were set against the background of oppressive feudalism.

The philosophy of his seeking neither money nor fame in his lifetime is what I'm looking up to. Together with Lu Zun (1881-1936), whose philosophizes about the study of the nature and meaning of existence, reality, knowledge, goodness and literary criticism etc., are profoundly delighted and grateful.

Lu Xun chose to begin writing the way people talk. Any scholar worth his salt would have written in this literary style. I'd read Lu Zun's The "True Story of Ah Q" sometimes 35 years ago and we, schoolmates, at that time, were almost practicing the spirits of Ah Q.

One of the spirits is "don't afraid of no-money, if you just have a justifiable heart". But this remark is not longer applicable in today's society. Now is - no money no talk world, where if you don't have money, you better walk into a side street. If you're still reckoning on "you're right-human right", you might be subsequently treated as a dog! Or else a chauffeur would simply run over you!

Another one is "once people spits on your face, never-mine, just rub it off and pretend that nothing has happened". I don't think now I have this kind of "small people" (belittled) Ah Q spirit. I would certainly fucking back for my self-regard against those shammed assaults.

The most reality one, is one of the revolutionary theories of Mao Zedong (1893-1976, former chair of Communist Party of China). It was quoted as “fills your stomach first, then talk about revolution".

So what? Find the salt to feed your stomach first before you could do anything!

Any man worth his salt will stick up for what he believes right, but it takes a slightly better man to acknowledge instantly and without reservation that he is in error. - Andrew Jackson

Reduce tension at home

"I admired PM Badawi's (who has lost his beloved wife yesterday) 40 year's marriage. And how you organize your marriage for 30 over years?" One of my clients asked me.

After a moment of informal conversation, I read from his eyes that he must be having some family problems resided. He finally told me that he had been cooped with "cold war" with his wife for many years.

For the sake of helping him, I shared him some tactics of how to reduce tension at home.

Couples who have great marriages aren't lucky, they were dedicated. It's a partnership of hard-work in common believe fabricated at the mercy of understandings.

First and foremost, I condemned him as an idiot of the total gross. Why? Because I know him well of his "bull" character (no talebearing).

Well, actually what's the cause of a high percentage of home tension? Miscommunication and lack of tolerance.

Soul mates are created over the course of day-to-day living. How to communicate well is a big lesson. Simple rule is first to evaluate each other's character, then use the "acid test" method to create a besting way of talking.

For example, if your partnership is just like a chicken and duck relation, you've to use a straight forwarding method to talk, in addition with body language. If your partnership is like a pair of professor and junior student, a theoretical way of talking will not do.

Don't completely believe what love guru's says and don't just take other's case as a blueprint. You've to approach communication completely different ways. The ways that’s applicable for your partnership relation.

A simple phase of requesting something - "pass me that thing" can be refined into hundred ways of expression. Do try yourself by attaching few affixes onto the space of prefix or suffix. Or using passive voices. The sensations will totally be different!

Chinese proverb said, "if you respect me 3 marks, I'll repay you with 4 marks of respects." It's a basic of courteous regard for people's feelings. If you use "please" then you'll get a return of "Ho" (okay), a human character of natural responding.

The next is tolerant. Anger is very real in all of us. A life without anger is unrealistic. Man used to @!&$% and woman used to gag with tear and blowing nose.

Quite often that I used @!&$ as a prefix into my talking with friends and I gained back a courtesy of another $&!@. And curiously friendship became closer. But the application of same way into your partnership life will only bring you a Vietnam war or Berlin wall.

Anyway, “self-control” is the keyword of good remedy.

Disagreements or conflicts wouldn't 100% be resolved with win-win situations. Otherwise there would be no Iraq war. When come to a dead-lock situation (where x+y=0), the healing way is one party should have to dissolve or absorb or taking a reverse gear (if x=0). Since it's of lady first, man gonna to take the loser's end! (therefore y=0)

Chinese depicting it as "zhik hwang lean“ (eating yellow lotus seed - takes it) of which is good for man's health! Why not, man, thinks it over!

When angry, count 3; when very angry, swear; when very very angry, go elsewhere; after angry, bring back some ware; finish angry, love affair. - put3put4.

Longlife learning

The main agenda of MCA nowadays is longlife learning. But most of its fronts are old folks. They want to learn something new, most probably the IT, Isn't it? I guessed.

The trope is "Can you teach an old bird to sing?" By rights you can. I tell you the possibleness within the metaphors.

It reflects the widely held stereotype that older people have difficulties in adapting to new methods and techniques.

Studies consistently demonstrate that older employees are preceived as being relatively inflexible, resistant to change, and less trainable than their younger counterparts, particularly with respect to information technology skills.1

But this metaphor is wrong.

The evidence indicates that older workers (typically defined as people aged 50 and above) want to learn and are just as capable of learning as any other employee group.

Older workers do seem to be somewhat less efficient in acquiring complex or demanding skills. That is, they may take longer to train. But once trained, they perform at comparable levels to younger workers.2

However, the ability to acquire the skills, knowledge, or behavior necessary to perform a job at a given level - that is, trainability - has been the subject of much research.

And the evidence indicates that there are differences between people in their trainability. A number of individual difference factors (such as ability, motivational level, and personality) have been found to significantly influence learning and training outcomes.3

Age, however, has not been found to influence these outcomes. Only they may take longer to learn.

1. L. Festinger, A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1957)
2. A.W.Wicker, “Attitude versus Action: The Relationship of Verbal and Overt Behavioral Responses to Attitude Objects,” Journal of Social Issues, Autumn 1969
3. Ibid., p.65

An inner peace

[This picture was taken on 19-07-85. The day when we were celebrating our youngest daughter's 6th birthday]

Life is an admixture and experiment of sour, sweet, bitter & chilly moments as the Chinese sages define it.

But there's always something that can bring a happy moment into our life in a way. Remembering and referring back to those moments will nevertheless help us get through the down times.

On a Saturday night I was in my little library (a very small corner in my room) making my family album in motioned VCD for the purpose of distributing to my grown children as a memento.

The job was interesting but was a bit tedium. A sequence process of scan-crop-resize-despeckle-view-save.

It was a rainy night, I was drinking while doing my work, and suddenly noted the night had turned very cold.

I supposed to heighten the degree of air-cond but on the spur of that moment (as I turned over) I noticed my wife was sleeping so deeply, revealing a peaceful but slight wrinkly face. A face of symbolical sacrifice - of whom had (suffered) married me at little 16. Ah, my indebtedness!

I then made a cat-walk to add on another sweater and went on to continue my work. Picture by picture to scan in, and suddenly I came across the picture (as shown), I held it and relished from it for quite a long moment. The picture figured in one of my happy moments, a happy moment that only a shilyshallying father can fully appreciate. My goodness.

It was 2 at the late-night. The sweet moment had eventually postponed my work.

"Being happy and making others feel happy is the most providential thing." I thought.

"The moment of that kiss contained every happy moment I had ever lived."
(Paulo Coelho quotes, Mystical author, one of Brazil's most successful novelist).

It's a #$%! man's domain!

Abstract: This is a digest of hearsays that has been taken heed from a coffeeshop arena (an unintentional dictation from whom an exchange of gossips between A (a Chinese) & B (a Malay) happened).

Warning: This article contains absurd wordings. The blogger is wary of the vulgarity and has tried to plugin as close meaning as possible to make it becomes sensible.

The chitchat starts:

A: "Pu#%ma sekarang apa tu orang pun boleh buat, u tengguh tu bom di Bali, bunuh tu orang tak'berdosa saja." (what's the hell all these people possibly could do any harm, u see the case of Bali bombings where only those innocent people are killed.)

B: "Banyak bahaya sekarang, fasal Itulah dendam yang tak akan henti serupanya yang mana ada tuhan, mana ada hantu." (very dangerous nowadays, because their revenges will never stop as if where there is god, there will be an evil exited.)

A: "Na, lu tengguh paper hari ini, pu#%ma tu orang buang batu-bata ke atas kereta yang jalan. lama lama dia orang buang bom pula." (U see today's paper, there is brick-throwing incident, in such a likelihood they'll throwing bomb in future.)

B: "Hey! ini cuma kerjadian nakal saja, tak sama dengan itu terrorist." (Hey! it's merely a juvenile delinquency and not the same with those terrorists.)

A: "Lu ingat c%b# kerja ni boleh selesai kah?" (do you think that this kind of thing could be solved?)

B: "Tak mungkinlah fasal itu orang sudah hilang akai." (that's impossible because these ppl have losing their brains.)

A: "Wah! sekarang ha tu nyamuk boleh mati orang loh." (wah! nowadays mosquito can kill people.)

B: "Ceh! bukan mati orang, orang boleh mati kalau dijankiti dengan kuman dengue" (by no means of killing people, It's it could infect deadly dengue bacteria to people.)

A: "Dengue belum habis, mai tu sakit ayam lagi" (dengue is not yet finished, now bird flu is coming again.)

B: "Itulah virus-virus berbangkit macam virus komputer" (it's like computer viruses which are rising up.)

A: "Lu tengguh tu perumpuan besi bolehkah menangis lagi dalam kabinet lepas dicucuk belakang oleh tauka DAP?" (what do you think the iron lady could have crying again at the cabinet after the boss of DAP tapped on her?)

B: "Hang penah tengguh wayang kulit kah? Itulah kita cuma dibayangkan dengan cumbu-cumbunya, apa kita boleh tauh." (have U seen the skin show? we're just being shown by its endearments only, how can we get to know from the inside out?)

A: "Lu tengguh sekarang tu lanch@$u syer boleh belikah?" (what do u think that silly share can be purchased now?)

B: "Aku takut dibakar tanggan fasal yang ada syer-syer sekarang mungkin boleh dijatuh sampai bawah, hanya tertinggal beberapa sen saja." (I'm afraid of getting my hands burnt because some of the shares now could even fall down to a mere few cents.)

A: "Eh wa ada satu kawan, lulu dia beli 6 ribu biji tu Mxx, sekarang ha hanya tinggal lebih kurang RM125 saja loh!" (I got one friend, his previously purchased 6 thousands units of Mxx, now only left with a value of about RM125!)

B: "Itu biasalah" (It's very common.)

A: "Er sekarang ah apa barang pun naik harga, orang kuli kerajaan dapat gaji tambah, ada lu dapat?" (now it seems that all prices of goods are going up, government servants are getting pay-rise, how about you?)

B: "Tadaklah, apa kita boleh buat. Hari-hari U mahu makan. Orang miskin sebagai kita mampus saja." (Not at all, how can we do about it. We need to eat everyday. Poor ppl like us are suffering only.)

A: "Rokok pun naik, wa ingat mau tukar itu bangkali rakok loh." (price of cigarette have also increased, I'm considering to change to a cheaper one.)

B: "Ha! Ha!, nasib baik, ini bukan akunya fasal kerana aku ta'hisap" (haha! it's none of my business cos I'm not smoking.)

A: "Lanch@$u, U ta'hisap u adalah untung jimatkah?" (shit! have u save up some money from being a non-smoker?)

B: "Kosong, duit macam air, sini tak pergi, sana pergi pula." (none, money is like water, it has its own way to flow to.)

A: "Wah! cakap cakap sudah pukul 9, kita kena zoom loh, nanti tauka kan sama kita." (wah! time has flown fast on charting, it's now nearly 9 o'clock, we got to move now otherwise our boss will blame us later.)

B: "Zoom, zoom cepat" (move, move quickly.)

The free and brassy radio end. It is a #S%! man's domain!

Hardly live without bogus

Yesterday, one of my clients pinned the blame on my network scripts that has given to him the other day. In his phone conversation he complained, "Rob, LP lah! your scripts was a bogus one, it hung my network only." I explained to him that it was my production and was not a bogus one, it was non-functional due to typical error. But he argued that whatever thing that is producing mistake is bogus!

I was not pretty sure on his statement, since my rusty mental lexicon could have just only translated it into "fake" or "fraud". However I was not compromised.

In order to screen out the fact, so I immediately fired my Firefox, threw my inquiry "what's the meaning of bogus" to Answers.com and popped! Briefly were the definitions flashed. I explored into it. Bellyful humph! I cognized that I've been all the while living in a bogus world that's full of bogies!

Be it amboguous (having multiple bogus interpretations); bogotissimo (in a gloriously bogus manner); and bogotophile (one who is pathologically fascinated by the bogus), is extant and is inevitably happened in this globe.

Then it is non-functional; useless; false; incorrect; unbelievable; silly; fraudulent; fake; sham; fraud; pretender; and phony. That's in either way could has been just lived through by us.

Oh my god! That means I'm a bogus human and so you are too! Just because we're same living in a bogus world! On top of that, we do carry many bogus things in the course of human events and activities, perhaps.

OK, OK! let me think and count how many bogus things I have ... (by non-idiomatic words)

I've one bogoBolton degree (sorry Bolton! I meant here); I've another bogoFPNA award (sorry NIA! here only); I've one bogofila shoe; I've one bogoumbrella shirt; I've one bogopc (without bland); I've ... Aiyo! many leh!

In our society, I'm sure that we've came across many bogus things, such as credit card, currency, policeman, datoship, doctor, accountant, saleman, cds, software, helmet reported today and .... countless.

Contrastingly, bogus thing can be a good one also. For example, lies to kid to prevent his juvenile delinquency; bring dishonor upon oneself's financial inability against borrower; telling unsubstantial story to subsist being late at work; orientated bluffing to prevent conflict between couple and .... is also countless.

Oh yes, may be my says have just triggered your bogometer! But by chance you could have some too!

Anyway, who dare to confess that he has no bogus thing or bogosity (bad or good one) in his life? Maybe an alien from the other planet!

Going Nowhere

Everyone has visions in his life. But many of us go through life not clear about which direction we want to go.

The visions for our life come in various degrees of intensity and timing. Visions often shift and change with systems in our lifetime, and with movement from one stage of life to another.

What we want in our life can be planed and organized into agenda. So that we could have a life of excitement and fun and knowledge. But the philosophy of planing ahead of what we want in our life sometimes went futile. The fruitless plan is something somehow exclaimed as "Faith" by those forks who have had a failing life and those who believe in allegory.

One bankrup said, if you could predict and get to know who would be you youself in future, then there would be no beggars in this world. But quite often a wealthy people would acclaimed that his successful status was because of his prior good planning.

Hero makes the phenomena of society OR the society makes hero? The inexactitude makes it difficult to be answered aright.

If you scoure through this reality world. The unjust fortune set the scene for another worldiness. There are rich people scattering money on big houses and luxury cars. At the other end, there are poor people scavenging for food. In between, there are bourgeoisie working like a hell just for surviving. Is it the decent willing of god?

As children, most of us truly believed we'd grow up to become a rich people and do unique things. The trial and error of growing up never quite fulfills our ambitious. Although some call it a faith, yet ambitious or visions ignite many of us and rekindle our spirit of aliveness.

When I was 17, all adults I knew seemed to teach, "Young man, work harder and one day your head will breakthrough the sky liner." At that time I was dreaming of futuristic events of having a comfortable house, a nice car and a beautiful girl. So I worked like a donkey in believing the silly axiom.

After 13 years, no augmentative income. I found myself was still thirty nothing. Then I begun to realize that life is not a "saving box", of which is end-rewardable. I asked myself: was I living the life I'd wanted to live or was I the victim of the society? Living a life of "thirty nothing" requires a very tough kind of self-questioning.

Decades of donkey's life has passed. Now only I see the fruit, akin a pumpkin of small size but not like the one weights 557kg auctioned at the annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin which has shown in today's Star paper. And now only I've learnt to realize where shall I go next!

Did I went through the early part of my life with plans? No really. Although I had plans, I had dreams and I had visions but they just couldn't be favored with right outcomes. As if I'd been sailing a boat in the ocean and luckily found a shore at the end.

I've considered myself as "lucky" because most of my friends were used to sent me a kudos: "Wah! Rob, You have a good faith to live like that" but none of them would express: "Wah! Rob, You're smart to plan your life like that".

Chinese proverb cited that, "life is given by 3 marks depend on god; 4 marks reckon on hardworking". Could we control our life? Could we go beyond that 4 marks?

Perhaps, between health and whelth, there is a difficult tradeoff as yet to be made.

Crazy Wheel of Man's Life

In this world, most men were prompted crazy from time to time during their life's cycle (historical period). The realization of balancing in life comes only when they are getting old. And me is not the exceptional.

The elements that caused to interrupt the wheel of man's lifecycle are inevitably the behavioral inclination of somethings that people have been repeating to us over the years.

These included; Games, gamblings, womanizings, reputations, cars, alcohols money, actions & ....

Believe it or not, read on the following conversations between me and one of my friends, who is a grandfather of 4 sons, hereafter refferred to as Fang:

Me: "Congrat, old Fang, now you've got a good life. Got many sons and many grandchildren. No worries lah."

Fang: "Lampah (shit) lah! 4 sons 4 patterns, one is gambling ghost, one is mad with women, one is alcohol ghost, last one is a bookworm. You see, sooisiau (unlucky) or not!"

Me: "Aiya! don't bother about them lah, later on they will automatically change to good lah."

Fang: "I hope so. they changed now and then. Like the eldest one, formerly he was fond of womanizing, after marriaged, now became gambling ghost pula."

Me: "How about the 2nd one?"

Fang: "This one ah, don't talk lah, last time very crazy in doing business, after having some money, playing cars and playing women, lulu siausiau! (hanky-panky). You talk, he won't listen."

Me: "Take it easy lah, naturally he'll retire from womanizing soon. How about the 3rd one?"

Fang: "Aiyo! this one champ (worse) loh! drink from morning until night. Almost every midnight he has to be carried home by people. But he holiau (is good), he could go to open shop early in the morning."

Me: "Mai hiam bey phai (no bad) ah, at least he's caring his business."

Fang: "Yongest one leh, whole day reading. Sampai (even) his mother called him to eat, he also don't think of eating. Everyday he's playing computer. Don't know he is whether truly studying or looking at charbor (porn). I afraid one day he could become mad from reading."

Me: "Is good wah, at least he got learning to deal with. Is better then those who are doing notting but sucking white powder only."

Fang: "You see, all no 3 no 4 (unevenness), but luckily none of them was mixing with bad people and went for robbing."

Me: "Aiya! mai haim bey phai (pretty good) lah! The most important thing is, do they give you money for eating kuih (money for living)?"

Fang: "Hengchai (luckily)! ka ka kiam kiam (some) lah. Eh! how about your children?"

Me: "Not like you got so many watertaps. My 2 daughters have already let other people to feed. My eldest son, almost same with yours lah, he is loving his business and car."

Fang: "hi! men are all like that one. Don't talk about them, last time we were also same sama like that. Ha ha ha!"

Me: "Don't be tortoise laugh at turtle lah! This is called an [innate man's world]."

disclaimer: views expressed are not necessarily of the blogger.

Fresh Maxims

New set of maxims will slow me down but will make me more purposeful.

I do indeed lose some short-term memory as I getting old. This natural decrease in memory function causes me to slow things down particularly in remembering to do things and keep vocabulary.

Typing and looking at the computer screen is now tending to produce a negative result. Both of my index fingers are employed frequently instead of using all fingers on keyboard. Notepad's font is set at 14 points to please my undiscerning eyes. Spelling becomes loose. Sometime even a simple word such as "film" has to be rely on querying "f???" from the e-dictionary. Anyhow I don't think that my ability for abstract thinking or concept information is now compromised.

So far, I've been believing that the most insatiable killer is not heart disease, smoking, or alcohol it's "Inner Kill". This is the art of dying without knowing it. It's when routine living seems to have dulled your emotions. It's feeling like you're coping without being fully alive.

I know I gonna to find a new set of maxims to fertilize future redos such as keep reading & learning new skills, keep exercising my memory. Stale work is gonna to be renewed by fresh play. And most importantly the power of my self-esteem is to be recharged. That's why I choose to keep my blogs writing to help prevent memory loss.

As a reminder, a new PDA is now engaged to jog down instantly of thing-to-do and thing-to-buy. Important memos are encoded into *.pdb (palm's file extension) and loaded together with plenty of ebooks for slow digestion. And of course few mp3 songs for refreshing. Outing now become more purposeful.

Routine time table is changed to have less commitments with broadened time-gap. So that I can have long enough time during the day to collect my thoughts, calm my mind, and regain perspective.

In order to put me into a singular vision of learning rather than multiple tracks, I've hived away those daunting and bittering law books off-site, and displaying only those interested IT books on-site.

It is a grace to cut-off Astro to regain times (concurrently save money) for husband and wife togetherness and for running horse & seeing flower (sight seeing). It's now the "just the two of us" world! I'd said this to my wife.

Opting for fund writing is now become crucial. Less writing on those articles which must be accommodated with deadening references of Acts & regulations. But more on blog's forum. The replacement of which is joyful and the liberty for correctness is there to be much flexible. I have been to the jungle of blogs and enjoyed many blogs which were amazingly blog with much muses.

I'm not gonna to strive to achieve perfection which is now tended to be ultimately counterproductive. I gonna to remind myself that achieving excellence, rather than perfection, is the nobler goal.

Screen people. It may be necessary to reevaluate my relationships, so I can spend less time with the people who don't really matter and more time with the people who do.

Eating less and selectively (to prevent the excessiveness of urine acid) and resume cycling; an added maxim from my doctor.

And of course, I gonna to balance myself into these maxims. Balancing, as individuals, each of us is a system unto ourselves. In the course of day-to-day living, we interact with many other systems. If any interaction becomes dysfunctional, problems are inevitable.

These are all an effective fresh maxims to help me function better on a daily basis.

And lastly, my exhortation "Yeah! I am alive!"

She Is The One

Upon receiving my car's insurance renewal notice, I went to Ambank of Bagan Luar branch this afternoon.

Having wasted my time and money (toll+parking+petrol) to go there. Instead of getting my insurance and road tax renewed, the episode came out in this way:

When I reached the bank, the guard asked me to clik for a queue-ticket, so I clicked and having a number of 2451. I then sat at the waiting place awaiting for my turn. About 15 minutes later, the number was called, so I proceeded to the counter.

I said: "Cik, can u please calculate and renew my car's insurance for 60k and renew road tax for me?"

The lady: "Do you have your policy?"

I said: "It has been a year your agent haven't sent it to me, BTW here it is the renewal notice I've received"

The lady referred my question to another lady and came back to me yet couldn't give the answer immediately but was keeping her keyboard busy.

I couldn't wait anymore so I interrupted: "Can I paid by card?"

She said: "No, cash or cheque only."

I then asked her: "U see, at the back of the renewal there is an availability for card's payment"

But she still said: "No, cash or cheque only"

I was starting getting hot, so I asked back the renewal notice and said: "In this way forget about it." Then I made a move unhappily.

Back to my office. I called another insurance co to serve me. They promptly faxed me a sample authorized letter in order to redeem my Grant from Ambank and they said they would provide a one-stop service by sending their man over as soon as I've finished my letter.

While I was preparing the letter, I was keeping to ask myself "Ambank is so big, shouldn't its service be so bad."

By having a feeling of no compromise. I went through the renewal notice again. There I found a telephone number of Penang's office and so I called.

"Good afternoon, is it Ambank?" I initiated the phone conversation.

"Yes sir, how can I help u?" a Malay lady replied.

"Oh I want to renew my insurance and my car's number is ...." I said.

"In this case, please hold on, I'll pass u to Shidah" she responded.

"Yes, Mr. Tan, good afternoon, u can fax over your completed renewal to us for renewal." said by Shidah who has taken over the line.

"Actually my problem is your people in Bagan Luar branch don't want to accept my card payment ... and I supposed to change another ins co......." I complained.

"No, Mr. Tan, u shouldn't do that. My apology, actually there don't have card machine, or can I pass u to another branch to make the renewal? or I fax u the quote, u confirm later and give your card's details, then I'll do the rest for you and I'll ask our man to deliver the whole thing to u sir." She nicely explained.

In the meantime, she has asked my office location detail and tel numbers.

"OK cik Shidah, thank you very much for your service" I answered gracefully.

All of all, she is the one who has actually endowed with experience to feed her place.

BECAUSE HE LIVES

I first heard these words, shortly after the loss of my dear youngest brother-in-law, Brother Albert Mah Choong San. The gentleman who used to call me "Khuan Brother" I got shook.

During the funeral, I attended this morning [6 Oct], I kept asking myself "Why did he have to die so young?" Ah! Probably he has found a home in a peaceful land. Resting all the things. All is well and will be all well.

I hereby extend my sympathy & condolence to console the pains that Alice (sister), Joyce (niece) and Kah Yong (nephew) have suffered. Especially Joyce, I see you one day to become a lawyer.

CHORUS:
And because He Lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He Lives, all fear is gone.
And because I know, I know He holds the future,
and life is worth the LIVING,
Just because HE LIVES.

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS:
Have we trials and temptation?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

At the rising of the sun and at its going down,
Brother Albert Mah, We remember you.

Go Get Gang Rape For Wealth?

"If you think of making money and traveling abroad, just go to get a gang-rape" a remark purportedly made by Pakistan's President, Musharraf not long ago after his assuming presidency. The remark was made against Mukhtar Mai, a woman who went public about having been gang-raped few years ago.

His remarks have been outraged with utter words of protest wisely by the society. Mai's bravery in her fight against women's humanity in Pakistan and in other parts of the world should be appraised. And not only that, she has so far using her case's financial gain to build 2 schools in her village.

Instinctively, this guy may have something wrong with his mind and his mouth. He was once narrowly served with a roasted-pig alike treat - a narrow escape from an off-targeted bomb attack few years ago.

Came across another dark headline: "Girl, 16, endures incest to save her younger sisters" Star reported dd 04, Oct.

I am distressed upon the upside-down mankind. The one who have done this kind of acts is a soul of evil.

What can I say; !@#$% nah!

Remark: Chinese characters shown hereof [headlined by Oriental Daily News (www.orientaldaily.com.my) dd 03,Oct]

I am still alive

Last night, I was managing some cockup digital images. When I was in the midst of archiving work for the 10 gigabytes of picture shots that has recently taken during my Europe and Shanghai's vacation with my wife. My phone rank.

"Wei, are you Chen? can you remember me? I'm Eng Hock." Said the guy at the other end.

"Ya, I'm Chen. am sorry that I can't recognize you. Who's Eng Hong you are? I replied curiously.

"Aiya! You remember Chung Ling (the name of my secondary school)? We are school mates at that time." He replied.

"OIC, It has been long long time about 35 years by not seeing each other, but I still can't remember your face, why not let's find one day to get together and cannon (chitchat) our old stories, and at the same time to see our "lampah" (ugly) faces?" I replied delightfully.

"OK, OK, I think I'll find some more mates to meet too! but I'm not sure whether they are still in this world!. Anyway I'll contact you for the date before hand" He replied and end the line.

After that I was thinking and asking myself: "Why not let me show some news about "I'm still alive" to some old schoolmates? By the way, my vacation's pictures which have being archived just now brought back lingering memories of my love with my the-other-half of 30 years.

Well, my dear folks there, I append herewith 2 selected photos to show you that I still can do......., at the same time taking this occasion to mark our 30 years' marriage.

A true cigar price comparison

Increasing the price of cigarette is arguably the most effective method of curbing the consumption of cigarette. Coin is two sided. The cigarette's price increased would trigger the elaboration of tobacco plantation and also induce the activity of smuggling. Viewing from the angle of economic, governments of most developing countries saw the wealth of duty thus allowing the existence of tobacco planting and manufacturing activities in their countries. On the other hand, since they've realized that smoking was no longer an adult's activity thus they want price control to stop the growth of young smokers. The conflict is there. What is the objective and who is actually committing the sin?

Price of cigarette and liquor was increased due to the heighten of duty after the announcement of the Malaysian 2006 budget. The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said: "To encourage Malaysians to adopt a healthy lifestyle, the Government proposes that tax on liquor and cigarettes be increased". His statement looks good by using the word "encourage". Smokers and drinkers will at least feel comfortable. Not like TheSar paper, putting such a headline "Paying more in sin taxes" inside their Nation's column yesterday. It is absurd to signify that smokers and drinkers are all the sinned people! They've never the less impinged the human right of smokers and drinkers! There at least an exception that smoking and drinking are not violent and excited activities in the spirit of atheist.

After the price increase of cigarettes, politicians are applauding to say that the price of cigarettes in Malaysia is still lower if compared with those Asian countries. Take a look on the graphical comparison chart of a local newspaper. It's only a simple price comparison chart in RM only and topped the Singapore with RM24.50; Hongkong in third place with RM12.50. In fact, Hongkong's cigarette-price is the lowest!

In order to serve the objective of true price comparison in terms of Purchasing Power Parity. I have come out with the following version to share with smokers.

I roll I roll!

Last night I was in a open-space coffee shop. At the next table there was a not so pretty young woman with a tissue in one hand covering on his nose and hand-fanning in the other. Where I come from that situation, I immediately realized that she was trying to avoid my smoke. I immediately put up a fivefingers sign as a gesture to note my apology and at the same time damped and dumped the balance of my stick worth 20c. But she didn't consider my apology yet still gazed at me by using both of her left-steered eye balls.

I know I've unintentionally infringed her air! So In order to have my next appetite, I then moved to the another very end corner table. Alah! At the next table there was a nice looking madam seeping her drink while having an eye contact with me. I immediately felt uneasy but in order to comprehend my conscious of over clouding. As a compliment I then shown my smile and asked her: "Aunty, no, Ah Yi ah! could I have a blow there?" surprisingly the Ah Yi cordially replied: "Er sai er sai (can can)! Bo boon teh (no problem)! Chu lu siow (go ahead), wa er ung siow pi lu che (my old hubby burnt more than you)". Then she added: "Kooi pau lu siow chi jit? (how many packs you'll smoke a day)". I replied: "one". She then laugh and said: "Chio lah! Wa er ung siow 2 pau chi jit leh (you're less, my hubby will burn 2 packs a day!)". "Oh! Thank you Ah Yi" me said in order to end our conversation.

This time I felt delighted for such kind of warm respect or esteem for being a smoker. Her remark has never the less inspired me to only dare-talk with nice girls in future.

Under the sensational pressure of general public and the general warning of "merokok membahayakan kesihatan" by government. Nowadays smokers are mostly feeling as if they've been discriminated. Not only from the society but from the family at large. It's gotten this bad. Sometime a good (behaved) smoker would feel like no where to stand!

Take me as an example. I'll be blamed if not taking my puff at the very end of my garden. I'll be blamed if not blowing outside the office. I'll be stared if not cordially pleasing for clouding...... and public toilet is more likely became a place for me to have the hangdog smoking.

In fact, smokers are paying more tax then non-smokers in terms of duty. From today onwards, after the national 2006 budget, the price of tobacco will be increased tremendously.

People all say that smoking will spoil our health. But I believe that smoking would only spoil our health lesser if compared with my own statistic hereof:

• a haul of (Puspacom passed) public vehicle's exhale is equivalent to 400 sticks of cigaret.
• a breeze of smoky cloud from an activity of public burning is equivalent to 200 sticks of cigaret.
• a haul of twostroke exhale from motorcycle (such kind of motorcycle has already banned in less developed country like Vietnam) is equivalent to 300 sticks of cigaret.
• inhaul of excessive ammonia in public toilet is more harmful than a double sticks of cigaret.

So I keep on rolling.