Of Fruits and health...

Above are some images of fruits that we get to enjoy in this country. Apples, Oranges and the Dragon fruits. Have a nice day and enjoy the weekend...

A blogger from Terengganu...

Sometime ago a yet to be blogger wrote to me saying that he was inspired by my way of blogging and enjoyed reading my posting. I thanks him for those kind words and encouraged him to blog. Gave him some ideas of how to start going with his first posting and wait to see the progress. From time to time he left comments in my blog. With every comments I visited his blog to see whether he has start blogging but saw that he has yet to do so. I kept encouraging him to do his first posting, like just post a picture of beautiful Terengganu, a state on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia with its picturesque beaches. He kept procrastinating for reasons only known to himself. Well, guess what!!. Today I received an email from this blogger saying that he has just did his first posting and wanted me to be the first to read it. Read I did. And I am indeed glad that he did well in his first posting. Changgeh is his blogger name, so Changgeh welcome to the blogging world and enjoy blogging. Friends bloggers, I hereby introduce to you the new blogger from the east coast. Here comes Changgeh A blogger from beautiful Terengganu. Have a nice day.

The colorful leaves....

It is Christmas Day and a holiday out here as well. I took it easy and blogging this today. The scenes you see above is not that of Anasalwa's autumn leaves in Boston during the Fall. I live in Boston some years ago and really enjoy seeing the scene turning from green to that wonderful colors of fall in the New England states. Those leave turning into gold, amber and yellow as fall progresses. And soon you would see those leaves in its multitude of colors scattered on ground. Indeed a sight that you enjoy watching. It is also around this time of the year that we would go for apple picking at some orchards in Boston.

For folks like us who are not used to seeing apples in that quantities, sizes and colors would really enjoy such visit. In Malaysia and countries in the tropic we see apples in boxes in the market places and not on trees. At that orchard you see it on trees like we see all those tropical fruits here when in season. For apples on a tree is similar like our Jambu Air when in season here . The apples fruits are everywhere and this includes scattered on the ground below and no one care to pick it up. I do pick it up for we do not see apples scattered like that but in boxes or containers in the stores or the markets. And you get to eat right from plucking it up from the tree. It taste real juicy and delicious. At one orchard that our family went we pay a fee and could pick as much as you want. And it is not much that we took home and eat at the farm. It is enjoying to be there that's matter most. A rare experience indeed for folks from the tropic. The owner of the orchard had a store that sell things apples, like apple tart, apples cakes, cyder and the like. We sampled some and enjoy before leaving for home in Brighton. Happy that we at last got to visit an apple orchard. The scene of joy especially of the kids that day do etched in my mind. A sweet memory indeed.

Coming back to the subject of the images above, it is the closes to the tree in fall in the New England states. These trees now line the Jalan Kolam Air Lama road that lead to Taman TAR. The Local Council had removed the old trees along this road some year ago and we folks were rather disappointed at that time seeing all those tall trees been cut down one by one. We did not know why they did that until now. After cutting all those trees they planted various new species of tree and this includes that one you see above. I an not sure what the botanical name of this tree but folks here says it is Merak dirimba or Peacock in the jungle. Perhaps Zawi could enlighten us with this and share with us some of his knowledge on the green. He is the expert on such things. Recently the trees that lines the road start to shows its true colors and I am now glad that they planted this kind of trees, that gives color to the area. It is real nice to see the leaves of these tree changes color from the green to that you seen in the images, yellow, amber and gold. What a familiarity with the autumn leave in the New England states. Except that these colorful leaves do not fall and scattered on the ground like what happened in Fall in the New England state. It look like every years come December we would see these trees changes color for us to enjoy and appreciate nature at its best.

I believe our cyberpal U.Lee know this place very well indeed. He told me that this area of Ampang was his playground during his youth in the sixties. To quote him " Yes, Ampang Jaya in the 60's was my fishing grounds too, so many ponds and mining pools. Used to go to the catchment area tangkup ikan haruan, Toman too...and quite often bring my girlfriends there too, ahemm. Ha ha. Yes, Ampang Jaya will always hold memories for me.". It is a place of his youth and his youthful activities. In a way it is still like that today. Young kids still would come to catch small fish in the stream at Taman TAR. It is also a place where hundreds of monkey made their home and playground as well. In the sixties this area was part of the jungle of the Banjaran Titiwangsa [Titiwangsa mountain range] and are forested right to the low lying area what is now Taman TAR, with its exclusive housing and the Darul Ehsan club with its nine holes golf course. Many expatriates live here now. It is a nice place to be, full of greens of all shades.

It is also a place folks around here including me would jog from time in the morning or afternoon. For the information of U.Lee and others there are still clear water streams here but I doubt there are much fish around anymore. Anyway it is still a great place to be, to jog around the three kilometers track around the golf course or play golf or just enjoy a drink at the club. Just to give some idea to folks who visit my blog to know of the whereabouts that I live, my home is just two kilometers away from the club. Well folks, I hope you all had a great time on Christmas day as much as I had enjoyed writing this post. And to U.Lee do come over for a holiday and I would be glad to play host. Have a nice day.[click on the image to enlarge]

Merry Christmas....

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2008 to all. May we all continue to enjoy peace and harmony in this country and the world. Enjoy and sharing the prosperity as well. The images above is of the happening at KLCC. Have a nice day and take care.

Malaysia Wildlife Conservation Awareness Campaign..

Fellow bloggers, I have been approach to help and spread the good words on this campaign. Personally I do believe there is a need to do something to save these inhabitant of our planet especially those that live close to us. In Beautiful Malaysia. So let us do our bit to help in this campaign. For further information please visit this site. As the saying in the blogger's world 'One blog might not do much but a thousand, ten of thousand of blogs would surely made an impact'. So fellow bloggers let us join in this campaign and help in any ways we could.

I love animals big or small. How would our world be without those gorgeous, beautiful and cute animals, it would surely be a dull world indeed. From time to time I posted images of animals that made its presence in my little garden. It presence in my garden do color my life. I felt real good when seeing these animals, birds and insects enjoying it selves in my little green world. Just like me I believe you all enjoy the presence of these animals. Like our species the animals in the wild do have the right to live in this blue planet of ours. The animals are part of our eco system. Together we made a wonderful world. So let us join in this campaign and do our part in protecting this species that share our planet especially so in our country Malaysia. Have nice day.

Happy Eid Adha...

Today Malaysian and Muslim all over the world celebrate yet another religious festival. It is the Eid Adha. So Happy Eid Adha to all. May we all continue to live in peace and harmony. And a prosperous life always.

Lives goes on....

Singapore, yes our southern neighbor, south of Johor, once a part of Malaysia. Got a call from our nephew saying the his step father is ill and had been admitted to the hospital. His step father is my late cousin's spouse. She and her only adopted daughter has since been call to the lord and the only person left is this old man of eighties. Since the depart of his loved one, he has been living alone at his apartment in the Public Housing at Al Junid in Singapore. It was lucky that his step son who once live with them and work in Singapore, now living in Kuantan would visit him from time to time. So the old man is ill and admitted to the hospital. We decided to drive to Singapore to see him in the hospital.

Early on the Sunday morning [December 9, 2007] we left the house and drove on taking the highway to the south. The weather were alright all the way until some fifty kilometers from Johor Bahru when it rain. I drove slowly and arrived in Johor Bahru just after two and then proceed to Singapore where our nephew was waiting at the Singapore side of the causeway to lead me into the city and look for a place to stay. We soon found that it was not that easy to get a room during the holiday season but luck was on our side and we got a room at a four star hotel at Victoria Road. Check in and had a good rest after that five hours of driving from Kuala Lumpur. The Honda Accord is a great car for long distance travel and I did enjoyed the drive from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, with a few stops at the R & R on the way.

At seven in the evening our nephew came and we went out to dinner at Arab Street, a great place to get the good old Indian Biayani. And then of we went to the hospital to see the sick relative. Well, at that age of eighty one we can expect anything to happen and we just took it easy. After a while we decided to get back to the hotel and rest for the night. The next day we wake up early and had breakfast at Arab Street and then went to walk around those rows and rows of old shop houses that belong to the Arabs and Indian Moslem from an era gone by. It is a textiles heaven of a sort and a great place if you are looking for exotic textile from India and other countries. We enjoyed the morning walk in this old part of Singapore where time stood still. It is just like before and has not changed much. The above images would give you some idea of what I am talking about, those old buildings dwarfed by the skyscrapers of Singapore.

At after ten our nephew came and we went to the shopping paradise of Singapore, the Orchard Road and had a quick look around of the shopping there and then after lunch went to the hospital again. On arrival we were told that the old man has just passed away. We said a prayer and get going with the funeral. Fortunately now they have various packages for such occasion. With that done and the difficulty of getting room for another night stay, we decided to leave for home and drive back. Since it was late in the afternoon and raining heavily we decided not to proceed straight to Kuala Lumpur but to stay a night at our condo in Malacca. With the rain and the darkness I drove slowly and arrived at our condo at just an hour before midnight. Had a warm shower and took a rest in our own home here. The next day after four in the afternoon drove back to KL and arrived just after seven in the evening. It was a tiresome journey but had to be made. My spouse and me are glad that we went to Singapore and saw him before he was called to the Lord.

Well friends, life is like that, one day you are around and the next day you are gone forever. The living must go on living for that is the nature of our species on this planet. So do not lament of the past but instead enjoy life to the fullest, for when our time is up we would have enjoyed living to the fullest. And like centuries before lives goes on and on, on this beautiful planet of ours. Take care. Amen.

The fountain @ KLCC..

I was at Kinokuniya again to get some books and while there I took the images above showing the splendours images of the fountain in front of the KLCC. In the background is part of the sprawling greens where there is a wading pool for kids to enjoy the water and parents to relax under the tropical trees. In the early morning many folks around Kuala Lumpur would come to jog around the garden or just sit to enjoy the fresh air. This area was once the racing ground of the Turf club and now it is one of the green lung of the city of Kuala Lumpur. So for today just enjoy these images as much as I had enjoyed snapping it. Folks, its summer as usual in this part of the world. And because it is the monsoon season on the east coast, the weather is a bit cool. Most of the time it is now below 30% Celsius. Have a nice day and take care..

Our Sun...

It is about the sun, our glorious sun that we see everyday and at time we took for granted that it is there. Unlike the snow that I was talking about in my last posting everyone of us from any parts of the globe get to see the sun, at sunrise or sunset and throughout the day if it does not rain, whereas the snow only those people in the northern and southern atmosphere get to enjoy it. The differences between the Snow and the Sun is that we all get to see the sun wherever we are. It does not matter where you live, you would be able to see the sunset as well as the sunrise. The only differences is that if you live beside the sea you get to see the rising sun creeping up slowly along the horizon, making it appearance with a blazes of golden and amber color. It is the same thing when it is seen in the evening, it just slowly dip into the sea below the horizon and disappeared until the next evening.

Just a few days ago my spouse and me went to stay at our condominium in Malacca. Our apartment is just five hundred meter away from the shore of the sea facing the Straits of Malacca. Not far beyond is the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. It was a clear day and as evening arrived I saw the sun began to set. I took my camera and wait for it to do its daily disappearing act. With my camera I stood at the balcony and watch this wondrous red ball that would soon disappeared below the horizon. In that lapse of times I enjoyed the cool breeze of the evening and watch the horizon changes from one scene to another, like a huge moving postcard coloring the horizon with the gorgeous amber, gold, red and yellow, that we normally see when the sun began to set. Against the gray and white background and the blue sea below it is a picturesque as well a magnificent sight to watch and wonder. In between that moment in times I snap a numbers of shot, thus the images above. I stood there watching and enjoying the evening, while the sun disappeared below the horizon. Turning the sky into gray and with that the night began at this part of the world.

In about twelve hours from now the sun would raised on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, where I believe our friend the new blogger from the state of Terengganu changgeh, who has yet to do his first posting, would be watching the same sun rising yonder in the South China Sea, at yet another horizon. Watching it slowly rises from the waterline and brighten the morning with its ray of hopes. That golden, amber and sometime yellow glowing ball that welcome us every morning. For us living in the peninsular part of Malaysia the east coast and the west coast is not that far a part. The furthest is about four hundred kilometers and the nearest is less then one hundred kilometers. And if you want to watch both the sunrise and sunset at the sea's horizon on the same day, you could drive from Kuantan on the east coast after the sun has risen, have a great breakfast in Kuantan and then drove on using the Karak Highway to Kuala Lumpur. If you still have plenty of time to waste, do some shopping in Kuala Lumpur, have tea at KLCC and just then off you drive on to Port Dickson or Klang and you could see the sunset there. Have a great dinner beside the sea and watch the wondrous sunset. Well that is our sun and I did enjoy watching it whenever I am staying at our condo at Pantai Putri. Our apartment is part of the resort hotel which is now known as the Bidara Putri Beach Resort, Melaka [formerly the Mutiara Melaka Beach Resort].

The sun is the most important planet in our solar system, for without the sun there would be no life on this planet of ours that we call earth. It is the source of our energy. Just take a moment and think!!! Would there be life on earth if there is no Sun?. Surely not!!, It is this glorious sun that provides all the energy and without energy nothing could survived on the planet earth. Appreciate it and enjoy its presence for the sun gives us so much. But the sun alone could not save the earth if we the earthling did not take the necessary care and love for mother earth. If we all do our part together, like keeping the environments clean then we would be able to continue to watch this wondrous sun in all its glory forever and ever. And we could continue to enjoy life as well. Have a nice day..

The Snow fall...

Yes I am talking about snow. No, we do not have real snow in Malaysia but just a made believe scene like the one you see in the images above. It is actually a deco in the concourse of a shopping mall call the Curve at Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. It look so real isn't it!!, Just like the real one. The nearest you could see artificial snow is at the Theme Park at Genting Hingland. That's the way it is in Malaysia, come the festival time like Christmas, the whole shopping complexes would go mad with the deco of Christmas atmosphere. One thing about this country is that you get to enjoy all the great festivals of the races and religions. So now it is the Christmas season, thus the deco changes to meet the occasion.

Reading Ana's blog, a Malaysian lady professional living in Boston, bring me back memories of the great times that our family had while living in Boston, US. Especially so of the changes in the landscapes during the Fall and Winter. In the Fall the area in this New England's state turn into a sort of a paradise, the leaves of trees soon turn into amber and gold from the normal shades of green. With that kind of color scheme the whole landscape turn into a scenario of a wonderful strong and vibrant colors of brightness. Someone quips that when God created heaven a piece of it fell down and it became the New England states. Anyone who have seen these scenes of Fall [Autumn] in the New England states would agree that the scene of those leaves turning from the various shades of green to amber and gold is simply fantastic. A wonder of nature that only happen during the Fall. It is indeed a sight to watch and enjoyed. And when winter comes the whole scene changes into a totally different mood beginning with the falling of the first snow flakes.

To me the first day of snow fall is the best scene of the moment on our blue planet. The snow flakes drops bit by bit and slowly covering everything on its ways like a sprawling white carpet. At that moment in time, it shows how clean, peaceful and innocent the good earth is. Everything turned white as the snow flakes continue to falls. As night begin, with the background of the evening sky the falling of the snow flakes became majestic. The falling white snow flakes against the gray background of the evening sky makes the scene more astounding. I have walk in the snow before but all those times the snow has already fallen on the ground or still falling as you walk.

My first experience of the first day of snow fall is simply awesome. For someone who had never seen the first snow fall, its indeed a sight to wonder. When I first saw that first day of snow fall some years ago I was simply fascinated with the changes of the scene, from the normal color of the fading rainbows in the last days of fall to that simple pure white when winter arrived. Never had I thought that white and whiteness is so beautiful. The first day of snow fall is a day that I felt is such a wonderful and unique day of the year. So very clean in every aspects. For once the whole world look so clean and innocent. The blue marble is tranquil and at peace with itself. All of a sudden white became so beautiful. A color that we normally took for granted soon became so grand in that moment in time. The first day of snow fall is yet another piece of heaven fallen to the ground for us to enjoy. A rather short moment in time indeed. The first day of snow fall is indeed a glimpse of the wonder of nature. The scenes of the days after as the snow been tramped is a different story all together. Have a nice day.

A KVK dinner...

So what is this KVK. First let me explain what is this all about. KVK is a name of our club in the Malaysian national Language. It is an abbreviation of the Kelab Volvo Klasik or the Volvo Classic Club, whose members are those crazy folks who own old cars of the Amazon series, the Volvo 122, 121, that was produce in the sixties and sold millions of units all over the world. We are the owners of these classic and are very proud of it. There are now some hundred and fifty members as registered in the club manual but the active one are but a few. Anyway the club did well to gather those folks and from time to time held get together as a mean of meeting and exchanges notes. Like going on a trip to nowhere or to somewhere like the National Parks. At time we would have a breakfast do to just enjoy each other company. Most of the time our spouse would follow along making it a sort of a family get together. For those of us who has retired these events gave us chances to rejuvenated and enjoy a better quality of life. So in a way the activities of this club is actually a mean to an end and it served it purposes well. It keep us folks active, thus bring enjoyment that we would otherwise could not do it alone.

On the evening of November twenty seven, we all attend a dinner at the Lake Club, a club which is a reminiscence of the British colonial era. This dinner was organised as a sort of a farewell get together to the club president Mr. Simon Suresh who would be going on a new adventure in the white man land, to take up a new position and perhaps getting richer as well. A lawyer by profession he is the founder of the club and since he was rather young at the time the club was registered, other veteran took over the presidency until recently when the club decided that it is time that this now not so young lawyer take over leadership of the club. And as years passes by he decided to look for a new and greener pasture and eventually found one in the UK, the former colonial master of our motherland Malaysia. So soon he would depart for his new world and before he left we the club members decided to give him and his charming spouse a farewell party, thus this Dinner at the Lake Club. As usual with such event, it became a sort of a family reunion, part a happy occasion and partly a sad one. Parting is always like that. Anyway in life that is the nature of things. So for the enjoyment of everyone that evening we had dinner of Chinese food. As usual with such dinner some would not go without the wine and hard liquor. One such person that I believed enjoyed most is our friend the veteran owner of a classics is a Mr.Michael who were enjoying his drink to the fullest. I told him that if he drink too much he cannot drive. His reply was that he would just walk home. So that would solved his problem with the law and I believe by walking he must have arrived at his home in PJ early the next morning.

As usual over dinner we chat and yarns with jokes thrown in between making everyone laugh, especially so to those who had one too many. We chat on various subjects like the recent happening such as the Bersih, the Hindraf, the Proton and about the recent election in Australia where the ruling party lost and the opposition would be the next Australian government. Changes are always good and we always hopes for the best when things changes especially the government. I am not sure that would happen in Malaysia but in a democracy anything could be possible. Well let see when the next election come, maybe early next year and see what changes it would brought about. In the meantime we all could dream and dream of a better Malaysia tomorrow. Not that Malaysia is not better already but that has been the nature of our species, we always yearned for some changes, hoping for a better better. So while enjoying the sumptuous foods we yarns along and like any great time it has to end.

Before we parted one of the spouse on behalf of the club presented a mementos to Mr.Simon and he was asked to unwrap the present. To add some excitements to the evening and before the gift was given to the outgoing President of the club, Mr. David a veteran member and also the VP of the club gave a short colorful speech, which in a way trying to throw light as to what is in the package and at the same time trying to confused Mr.Simon as to the real content of the gift package. And because of this I believe it in some ways worried Mr.Simon in unwrapping the package in front of his spouse. What if it might contain some items that might embarrassed the ladies. Remember members often do such thing just for the fun of it all. So it actually took him some doing unwrapping it before it came to the real gift, which turn out to be a watch. I not sure why a watch was chosen as a gift, perhaps as a token to remind him of his friends in beautiful Malaysia if he ever got lost after a drink in a pub somewhere in the UK. Anyway it does not matter to me since a gift is a way of showing our appreciation of his tenure as the President of the club. Like a big Thank You with something solid like a ticking clock. And at the same time would made him to remember of the joke that I told of the man and his watch back in rural Africa in a era gone by. I believe he would laugh if he reflect on the hilarious moment at the party that night. Laugh on hearing the last part of the joke. I believe the next time he is in an English pub, this joke would makes others laugh as well. And of course it would remind him of the great time we all have had as members of the Kelab Volvo Kelasik Malaysia that evening.

Friends. the party went well indeed and we all really enjoyed the evening. To Michael, the angle I believe by now is quiet sober and would be able take his classic car for a spin around the town without flouting the law. That my friends was a great evening with the KVK members. Have a nice day.. [Please click on image to enlarge]

888 posting to date...

Yesterday I check my dashboard and found that it shows my posting as 887 and with this posting it is now 888 posting. Well, it look like that I had done 888 posting to date since I started blogging in the year 2003. To the Chinese, eight is a lucky number and since the Chinese has somewhat influence the culture of this country, it do affect the way Malaysian believe and think. I am therefore happy with that numbers and I felt lucky. I have been blogging for more then four years already and happy with it. Making new friends from all the corners of the globes. The young and the old. In the process of communicating in cybersphere I felt that all those bloggers friends whom I met are very close to me, although most I am yet to meet. The Internet has made that closeness possible that no other means of communication could made it. In a way time and distance does not exist anymore. It just evaporate into thin air. I have met bloggers or some strangers from faraway land because of blogging. Like that Frenchman from Brittany. At first he contacted me for some information and then after a lapse of time, out of the blue he call from sunny Langkawi saying that he is there and enjoying his holiday basking in the sun on the beach of Langkawi. Since he has a few hours in KL before catching his flight back to paris, I told him that we could meet and sure enough we met. Had lunch at KLCC and then I took him and his girlfriend to see Putra Jaya and then back to KL, leaving both of them to wonder on their own in KL before getting to KLIA for a flight to Paris. Well with that meeting we are no longer stranger. Of recent because of the Cupcakes I met in person another local blogger Wiz.

I thought that after I retired I would just lie low and enjoy life as it is but with blogging everything changes for the better. It is just like starting a new adventure into the unknown. This time in cybersphere where most of us have never been before. With blogging I began to get into the limelight again and with that getting to know more people of all ages which I never thought possible. When I was working in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports getting into the limelight was a normal things. But after retiring I thought that there would be no more of that. So getting back into the limelight is a sort of a surprise to me at first. I began to get more exposure and soon get to know more people, as well as people getting to know me. I believe in a way it has to do with my bloggers friends, like Rocky and Jeff who from time to time link my blog in their posting. By doing that gave my blog more exposure. Thanks buddies, that is what bloggerhood is all about. And because blogging at time hit on the raw nerves of the authority we get more and more publicity. It in a way makes me happy as well.

Had it not been for blogging I would not have known, to mentioned a few those bloggers like R.Ho who live in one corner of the US and Wwi in a land call the Golden Sand. Soon I would be meeting Wwi in real life. Probably sometime this month when he and his spouse are on duty to babysit at his children's home in KL. Well at this age Grandpa and Grandma love to do it from time to time. Once my spouse and me did just that in Boston, US for one year and enjoy doing it. Only from time to timelah as the Malaysian says and not alwayslah. And then there is this blog that I frequented, who at time would get lost in a faraway land in the Antarctic or somewhere and write beautiful anecdote or smash the authority with her kind of blogging. When her blog get idle I got worried. Maybe she forgot to wake up from hibernating in the North Pole. Hi!! Rox, hope you are OK and enjoying life. Actually I am yet to meet her in person. Perhaps one of these days who knows!!

Some people ask me what do I blogs. I told them that I write anything that comes to my mind and that I do not write much on politic or religion. Let leaves all the politic to the young bloggers like Rocky, Jeff and the others, who are good at it. I would just do a little of politic my way and go on blogging on the reality of living and enjoying that. When I am in cyberspace of course I visit as many blogs as possible and enjoy those creative and powerful writing of bloggers from all over the world which includes the like of Ruby, who happened to be a Leo like me. She is well articulate and interact very well when people posted comments in her blog. I notice that she never failed to reply to all those posting, which sometime became sort of a chatroom happening. I would have written like her had I been her age but now in my golden age I would just prefer to color my posting the way I like it. Hay!! Ruby go on and blog your mind and enjoy doing it.

Then there are the good people out there who includes my blog in their Blogroll. One of such person is Lynn. Thanks Lynn, I do enjoy your blog. And of course our own blogroll like Sopo and BolehBlogs. It provides a one stop avenue to get to read blogs in the other region of the world as well as the local one, without doing the Search!!!. And then we have the Project Petaling Street site [PPS] where we could ping our posting to get more exposure. The good people of PPS were the first to organised a Get Together cum Dinner some years ago. Hay!! what about organising another one. The last time we all met it was really great!!.

Blogging is here to stay, so I hope that the authority especially the Information Ministry would realised the important of the Citizen journalists [bloggers] and works with them to get information and ideas from everywhere in the country. By doing that stories and news in the mainstream media would reflect the actual thinking of Malaysian everywhere. Well it has been great blogging all those years and I am enjoying it. So it look like the number 888 do bring happiness to me as well. Have a nice day.

A Petite lady, Colorful cupcakes and Joy!!!...

So what is this all about you may ask!!. What does Joy has to do with a petite lady and the colorful cupcakes. First let me clarify as to the meaning of Joy that I pick up from a dictionary "emotion of great happiness". It has to do with Happiness which is so important to all of us. Well, it is like this. It may sound to be a rather complicated story but yet it is not. It is a story that has to do with the ingredients of creating Happiness. It is just one of those happening that happen in life. Real life is like that. It is a story yet to be told. So this is one of the story that unfold as its goes.

So how do I start this story that has yet to get an ending, I believe all writers write as its goes along with their thinking process. You continue to write as the ideas flows on, like water flowing on a clear mountain stream. It flows and at time when it get into an obstacle it divert itself but yet it flows. Ideas in writing is just like that. This story start with the talk of a birthday party of our granddaughter Adilah. She is having a party to celebrate her sixteen birthday over the weekend. To kids at this age birthday is real special, so I decided to give a sort of a helping hand to her party. After discussing with here mom, I decided to order some cupcakes from a fellow blogger. This is the first time that I had ever ordered anythings through the Internet. After looking at her blog with Adilah, the birthday girl, without much ado, I placed an order.

So on last Friday evening a petite lady with her spouse came to the house to deliver the cakes. We have not met except in cybersphere. Like me she is a blogger. In a way we are just cyberpal until this evening when we met in the real world. She delivered the cakes that I ordered and met my spouse, the Nenek. In just a breeze they left. My spouse and me then sat to look at the cakes she just brought and admired at the works of art.

Immediately after they left we took the cakes to our daughter's house nearby. On seening the cakes everyone including the tiny tot were exited with the jewels of a cakes. In an instance they fell in love with the cupcakes that comes in three containers. So without much ado we sat to sample the cakes for as we often knows that looks could be deceiving. We soon found out that not only that it look great, it taste great as well. Everyone especially Adilah were delighted with these special cakes for her birthday over the weekend. In that instance happiness and joys brighten the home. It was like love just exploded. I am indeed happy to have ordered this cakes for the special day of our granddaughter.

And on the day of the birthday party these colorful cupcakes stole the show. Everyone were full of praises of the quality of the cakes and the taste as well. You know how kids are nowadays, they are rather sophisticated on their taste, their likes and dislike. And when they say the it is great then it must be great. I agreed. So my first order through the Internet did come out well indeed. Thanks to Wiz for a job well done. The cupcakes was a mean to an end 'Happiness'. That my friends is the end of the story. Have a nice day.[click to enlarge images]

That elusive squirrel....

There you are, I got it!!!. That elusive squirrel that frequent my little garden. I had been feeding it with cut apple for years already and has never had a chance to get a snap of it until that afternoon [Thursday November 15,2007]. Every days and for years I had placed a plate of cut apple to feed the family of squirrels that I know live somewhere around my garden where orchids and other greens turn it into an eco system of a sort. Little birds, butterflies, dragonflies as well as other insects seem to enjoy this little paradise that I had nurtured. It is my ways of bring back nature to my doorstep, the patio in front of my house.

There is a kopitiam table there where we would sit to enjoy the days. At time with friends who come to visit or just with our family. It is a small place but it is a place that we could call our our paradise, where orchids blooms and green plants grows in harmony with each other. There is a small fish pond there with water flowing into the pond. This provide the sound of water splashing all day long. We all have to find a way to bring back nature as well as the Kampong [village] atmosphere to our surrounding in the city, so this is my ways of doing just that.

As I was about to go out I saw that squirrel sitting on the wooden fence munching it meal of apple. This time it seem not to worry so much. I believe after all those years it has became sort of use to my presence. So I quietly went in to take my camera. Got it ready and went to the front door again and sure enough it is still there eating the apple. I aimed the camera and managed to take two snaps before it move on. It was indeed a great moment for me. I got this elusive squirrel digitized after all those years waiting for the right moment like this. So my years of waiting has finally bear fruit. I am sharing this great and beautiful moment in time with all to enjoy. Have a nice day..

The Book... We're All Journalists Now....

That day when I went to Kinokuniya while trying to kill time and browsing the rows and rows of books, I was not sure of what book to buy. I just had to buy a book since I have just finished reading a book and had non to read after that. So I thought that I might as well browse along and have a look of what new books are around or just look at the noticeboard which shows the bestseller of the week. While doing just that I notice this book which is so relevant to what I am doing now, Blogging as well trying to get more Malaysian to understand what blogging is all about. As a Blogger I have written many articles on Why Malaysian must Blog, Appeared on TV, Featured on a mainstream newspaper The Star and interviewed by a few students. All these efforts are to pass the messages that Blogging is good for Democracy as well it is good for the bloggers.

What a coincidence that I found this book ' We're All Journalists Now' by Scott Gant' and reading through it found that my thoughts on this subject are in tune with what this author wrote. I have just gone through the book on my first reading and have to do a second reading before I could digest all the thoughts and ideas that have been put so brilliantly by this author. For now let me summarise that it is a godsend book for our time especially so for Malaysian where blogging is beginning to made its impact on the socio political scene. Although the contents of this book are of the American socio political/cultural scene, I found that there are so much in common with our ideal. The need to have a free flows of information and ideas especially from the ordinary folks. In the past it is not possible to do that but blogging has made the flows of information and ideas now possible. To quote the author "a Marketplace of Ideas, which provides the best chance for uncovering truth". And the New Media [Blogger] would be playing that part well. The new Media, Blogging or Citizen Journalism is a term use by the author Scott Gant in this book.

Another aspect that I found to be in agreement with the author is that Journalism should be part and parcel of a good governance. The author address this issue at length and I find this part is very important...In the past government has always been referred as the sharing of power between the Executive,the Legislative and the Judiciary only. The author pointed that the role of Journalism especially Citizen Journalism could made government more accountable and transparent. So a good government in a democracy should be the sharing of power that includes Journalism/Press, first dubbed as the Fourth Branch by another author Douglass Cater in 1959. Thus the four branches should now be The Executive, The Legislative, the Judiciary, and the Journalism/Press. With the element of Journalism in it, it would made information and ideas flows both ways which surely would create good governance for any country and in turn would be good for its citizen too. To me this is a tall order indeed but if it is good for the country, why not!. After all what the people want is good governance and with that provide for a better quality of life for its citizen.

That the old media would still there and continue to play its parts in the dissemination of information and ideas. And as usual with things it would evolved in its own ways. Citizen Journalism would play its role and evolve as it goes. Changing the ways we get news. Quote from the book " The days of the mainstream media as the "voice of God" are over, declared Dean Wright, a vice president at Reuters". The author also highlight one very important aspect of journalism, much debated in the US and already implemented in some States. That is what he call as the 'Shield Law'. He also pointed out that Journalism should be an endeavor and not just a job title. And that Journalism should be look at as an activity rather then a profession. As for the future of Journalism, the author wrote "Journalism is essential" and that it is a vital part of sharing information needed for the functioning of the socio political systems.

In most countries including Malaysia before Blogging news has always been a one sided affairs. What the Publishers want us to know and that's is. And because in Malaysia you need a licence to start a Newspaper, only a few got it. Thus the limited numbers of Newspapers in the country. The author stated that in the US no licence is needed to start a newspaper. So in Malaysia with Blogging, the citizen journalists has open up the Pandora box on the flows of news. Now the information and ideas comes from the people as well. The status quo has changed. The flood gates of news has been open by bloggers and there are no ways of stopping, except with the truth. It is a fair game now, the playing field is getting even day by day. Those who refused to accept these facts would surely be swept by the new waves.

Friends, this is a good book for us Bloggers. It is about us and our involvement as the pioneer of this new media. The understanding of the power of Blogging [citizen journalism] in our [Malaysia] young democracy. I believe we the Malaysian Bloggers could made the differences in the coming years in making democracy works as democracy should. Have a nice day..

A Pak Blogger lunch..

It was a Sunday, Pokku had SMS me earlier suggesting a lunch at KLCC on Sunday with Pak Adib. I replied saying that I shall be there. So at eleven on the beautiful Sunday morning we met at the Dome KLCC, and got an outside table since both Pokku and Pak Adid still smoke. I had quit since 1981 after smoking for almost twenty four years. Well since they still enjoy smoking and enjoying life, why not!!. But then you are not allow to sit inside and that is the disadvantage. Well life is like that. We sat there and enjoy our lunch as well chat and yarns of subjects that comes to our minds, especially so of the demonstration/rally the day before [November 10, 2007], in the heart of the city where not less then forty thousand people participated despite without a Police Permit. They wore yellow T.Shirts and you could see seas of yellow. It was indeed a sight to watch. Had the police given them permit and not cordoned off the city, there would be more attending the rally, to me part of democracy in action. If I were the authority I would have given them the permit to hold the rally, after all we Malaysian are peace loving people who treasured peace and harmony. After their leaders had handed over their memorandum to the Palace, they all dispersed peacefully. Of course there are a few arrested for attending an unlawful assembly, but I found that they all have since been released.

Of course we talk about other subjects like the coming election and about the price hikes, the news of another price hike on petroleum. There was so much to talks about when blogger meet. We all know too well the reason why blogger write, it is because they love to talk, so when they meet the talks never seem to end. While they puff on I enjoyed my lunch and the company. As the day goes on the place became crowded. Hardly we knew it, it was past two in the afternoon. Well, with that we call of the lunch meeting and promise to meet again some other time. Have a nice day. [The above image shows Pokku on the left and Pak Adib in the centre].

A colorful day at KLCC..

It was a Tuesday, I had an appointment with a young student from University Tunku Abdul Rahman [UTAR]. She wanted to interview me on Blogging. Part of her thesis on Journalism. She had interviewed Rocky earlier. As usual with me I went early and spend my time browsing at Kinokuniya, the biggest bookstore in the KLCC. I like this bookstore, first it is near my home and second it has a large collection of books, including the latest.

I went into the huge bookstore and soon found that the place has just had a sort of rearranged. I browse along and eventually got myself oriented to the new arrangement in the store. I went to see the new section that house the Japanese and Mandarin Books which together occupied half of the bookstore space, right to the back of the store where the windows faced the KLCC Pool and Garden. On my past visit I did not notice these windows. I walk near it and look outside. Looking through the window now you can clearly see the Pool and Garden from various angle. Wow!! The sight is simply magnificent. A panoramic views of the Pool and the Garden below. Amazing I never had the opportunity to see it this ways before. It is not always you get the opportunity to see the Pool and the Garden below.

I did not bring my camera but do have my Dopod and its has a camera. The Dopod 838Pro is an all new Window Mobile Smart Phone that my daughter gave me on my sixty eight birthday August this year. It is indeed a wonderful gadget especially so it has a Mobil Window software. With this I could surf the net anywhere using 3G or GPRS. So I am now connected with the Internet all the time. What a world we live in now.


I browse along the rows and rows of books and eventually found one with the title ' We're All Journalists Now by Scott Gant. I check the content and it look good. It is in a way about the evolution of this media and the future of Blogging. Interesting I bought it. The price RM96.88. Books are getting expensive but what can I do for reading is one of hobby. So there goes my Ringgit!!!. Happy with that purchase I went to the Bookstore's Coffee Club [Tell us how you feel]. I ordered a black coffee and took a corner table and wait for that student to arrive. I waste no time and start reading the book. From the first page it got me hooked. As I was immersed reading and sipping my steamy hot black coffee, she arrived with a friend. We made contact and she introduce herself, showing her University ID card. She thanks me for accepting her request to interview me. I told her that I am glad to do my bit for her. The future of Malaysia depend of professional like her. In a way it is an investment in the future of my country. She says that she is in her final year doing a degree in Journalism. Well, as we all know Blogging is the In Things now and our Universities are preparing the future Journalist to be a Citizen Journalist as Well. I am using the term Citizen Journalist, a term use by the the author Scott Gant to mean Blogger.


So we sat there. She is just one of the student of the generation of my grandchildren and me from the generation of the cave that got quantum leaped into the present, the ICT world of today. She is the future and I am from the past. Well she start saying that she would need at least two hours to get through all the questionnaire, which she placed in front of her. I told her not to worry and that I have all the time in the world. She ask me whether she could record our conversation. I told her it is alright with me. She then took out a tiny iPot, the size slightly bigger then a thumb and placed it on the table and said that this gadget could records more then two hours. Well another gadget of our today's world. So we sat there care less of what's happening around us, Me seeping coffee and she wrote as I speak. Hardly we knew it, the interview went for two and a half hours. Well like Einstein says Time is Relative, how true. When you do not relate it to anythings it just passes by just like that. And that ends the interview. Yet another fruitful day on my journey of life. Adding more colors to my already colorful life.

Soon she would get her Journalism Degree and journalism would not be the same anymore. Another Liz Wong or MarinaM perhaps. Well, folks that is life and things are bound to change whether we like it or not. Journalism would never be the same anymore. And Citizen Journalism [Blogger] would surely be in the fore. Have a nice day.

Happy Diwali...

Happy Diwali to all. May we all continue to prosper and live in peace and harmony. Have a nice day..

The Mall, the cakes and cookies...

Well, what shall I write today. Let me see. I am not sure of what to write. I am thinking while I write this. OK then, I shall write of a new shopping paradise that just open for business in my city of Kuala Lumpur. It is call the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. A very prestige name for a very prestigious shopping mall in the heart of the city, the famous Bintang Walk. Been curious like everyone else in the city, my spouse and me decided to go and have a look of what is this new mall is all about. We knew of the building but has yet to see what is actually so special about this new shopping mall call the Pavilion.

So on one fine Sunday afternoon we drove to the mall taking the Elevated Highway, to Jalan Tun Razak [south] then got into Jalan Bukit Bintang. Just after the junction of the Jalan Imbi is that imposing new building of this new mall. This huge complex is situated between Jalan Bukit Bintang, in front the Star Hill Mall and Jalan Raja Chulan. Actually it sit on the land that once was the Bukit Bintang Girl school. I believe those of you who got their education there know this spot very well indeed.

Since this is our first visit, I drove slowly as I approach the building, looking for all the signboards so that we do not missed the car park. I found it and drove into the basement and fortunate for me I got a parking space at the the first basement. Parked my car there and then went looking for the entrance to the mall. Since it was not only us that are looking, there are others as well, the first timer like us, we just follow the crowds and got into a lift. Out of the lift on the ground floor we soon wonder along, again following the crowds. There are many eating places all around us at this floor. We move on and eventually found the lobby. Got my bearing right and start to have a look around. Soon I found that this mall is really huge. It is seven storeys high with a large retail spaces all over. Just imagine the space that once occupied the Bukit Bintang Girl school, it is that large. We took our time to look around and I believe the others are doing the same and eventually got to the anchor tenant, the Parkson which occupied six floors on one side of the mall. Next to it is The Tang.

The interior architecture is interesting, making it look real grand and cosy. The foyer and the lobby is spacious with a grand entrance from Jalan Bukit Bintang, just in front The Star Hill complex and the Marriott Hotel. If you approach it from the Bintang Walk, you would find a grand stairways toward the main lobby. You walk down this grand stairways and down there you would find the huge concourse. We wonder around and then found a great place to have dinner. The sign says Tony Roma's..Ribs, Sea Food,Steaks. Hungry, we got a table and ordered grilled white cod. Soon the place became crowded with diners. Our orders came and we sat to enjoy it. While doing that a passer by asked is the food good. I told him that indeed it is great. He thanks me and move on. That was that at this new mall and we shall be back again to do some shopping here, the next time.

And now lets looks for something colorful. It is about Cakes, Pastry and Cookies. Just have a look at this site Whiz. It belong to a young homemaker who in her spare times bakes cakes, pastry, and cookies. The array of cakes and cookies in her blog look so colorful. What a creative person she is. From the look, all those cakes, pastry and cookies look great and tempting. I believe it should taste great too. She takes orders and deliver it too. So if you think those colorful cakes are great and want to have a taste of it, her email address is there for you to get in touch. Friends that's what blogerhood is all about. Have a nice day and take care.