Of the Internet and a beautiful day...

It is a beautiful Saturday morning here in Ampang. With clear blue sky and the morning sun, my spouse decided to go jogging with our eldest granddaughter. She walk to our daughter's house which is just about a kilometer away and from there would go jogging with the eldest granddaughter. They are by now somewhere having a wonderful walk along the jogging path at Taman TAR about two kilometer from our home. I believed they are having a great time together walking and chatting. Grandma love to do that.

I am here alone and as usual at this hour [8.30AM] after breakfast would be here surfing the net and watch the TV for news or just making the TV as a company to lighten the day. At this moment in time our youngest daughter in Boston who is still on Friday evening [8.30PM] must be studying diligently. Our nephew an engineer with an oil company is back in Huston, Texas after a holiday in Florida with his family. It is just 7.30PM on Friday evening there. And at this moment in time Louis, a Cyberpal in Seattle, most probablely is having tea or an early dinner. It is now 5.30PM [Friday] in Seattle. He had just send me the image on the left above from the same room his is surfing the Net.

Looking at both images, one from Seattle, USA and one from Ampang in Malaysia, you would find some similarity in both images. Both scenes almost look alike. In both images there is a mantel piece . In a way, its show that we both love things of beauty and fine living. I have not met Louis in person but I think I am beginning to know him already. In a way like the saying goes 'Great minds thinks alike and that only the fool differ'. In his image the mantel piece is where his fireplace is to keep him warm and here in my tropical home, it is there as an item of deco. In a way it warmth my little cube as well. What a way to live and enjoy life in our golden age. With the Internet lives soon became more colorful like never before.

As you can see the Internet has brought all of us so near in a way. We could be thousands of kilometers away but because of the Internet the distance just disappeared. Like the other day when our nephew and his charming spouse and their children were holidaying in Florida, we were in touch on the email and cell phone. It is the same with our daughter in Boston, Her cell phone and the email became our point of contact and with that we are actually never that far away. Distance in space is gone and that what made life so wonderful if you get connected with the Internet. Cybersphere takes away that distance and time. In cyberspace we are indeed in one timezone. What a wonderful world we live in now. Have a nice day and take care.

Let the works begin...

The dust of the election has settled, well somewhat settled. I believe those politician has got the rakyaat [people] message loud and clear. In this election the people shows who is the boss and I hope those politician come down to earth and play their role as the people's representative and to do their works wisely. Remember and always remember the political culture has change for good. No more those mindset that think only a particular political party could rule and that other political party could not. So let move on and believe that the status co has change for good and that the political scenario is no longer the same.

As for me who have seen all the election for the first one in 1955, knows that the voters are getting matured and smarter then ever before. I am indeed glad of the changes and hope that we continue to change and to believe that any political parties are not an indispensable entity. Let no one believe that the rakyaat is not smart. In this election [March 8, 2008] the young Malaysian voters has shown that they are not subject to any kind of doctrine but could decide for themselves what is right for their future.

I shall continue to watch and play whatever roles that I felt could be beneficial to the Malaysian society. At this juncture of my live I would continue blogging and would contribute positively in providing ideas and information to the Malaysia society.

So friends, I shall continue to blog the way I know best and hope that the reader would not only enjoy reading but would gather knowledge on the way. So from now let us move forward and do our part in making our country a better place to live and enjoy life. Remember your votes and my one vote do made the differences. Have a nice day..

Its life...

We really do not know what would happen next, like the happening last Sunday when we went to Putra Jaya and met the Prime Minister. We never planned it. It was an in pronto decision. And it just happened like that. In life nothing is sure and we must take it as it is and enjoy those moment in time.

I love to blog and it has so far enriched my life. The above image shows the place I would sit and blog while flipping the channels watching the TV. It is my ritual of living. Sometimes when I want a change of scene I would blog at the patio and at the same time enjoy the scene of my little garden. That has been my ways of enjoying life as it goes, for we actually never know what would happen next. Have a nice day.

Of friendship and Pak Lah...

Oh! What a Sunday. A phone call starts its all. A friend call saying that why not we go and see Pak Lah. Yes, Pak Lah our Prime Minister. As we all know the BN which he led did not do well in the March 8,2008 election, so as his friends right from the early seventies [ We were then officers in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports], we felt that it would be a good idea to seen him as friends should, especially so at this time. Surely he would be happy to see some familiar faces. So early on Sunday morning I left my home, pick the friend and drove to Putra Jaya. Three other friends went on there own and all five of us [Tan Sri Sabki, Datuk Suffian, MohdKB, Halim and Me] rendezvous at 7.30AM in front of the PM Housing complex.

We thoughts that if we come early on this Sunday morning without an appointment we would somehow get to see him. Eventually after waiting for hours we got the green light and drive into the complex. We got to his home and was ushering in to a small study. So we sat and wait. Hot drinks and cakes/fruits were served. The snacks and the coffee was a great relief since we actually did not really have a proper breakfast this morning. Remember I left home this morning at 6.30AM in the morning. While we were enjoying the coffee, Pak Lah walk in with a smile and mentioned our names one after another and said he was please to see us. He smile saying that if we had told him earlier he would have got 'nasi lemak' for us. Anyway it was a meeting of friends in a cordial mood. Without much ado we congratulate him of his win in the election and him for been appointed as the Prime Minister for another term.

We chat on various issues on the happening especially of the result of the election. He touches on the young voters and the role of the new media like blogging. On this subject I told him that I have been blogging for four years already. He was taken up and surprise about me been a blogger. On this I took the opportunity to explain to him what the New Media means and why Blogging and YouTube are the media to watch and good for the Malaysian society. Eventually the TV would be the old media and replaced by the new media. Told him that like the television every household in this country would eventually have computer and access to the Internet and it would surely be an alternative media in the Malaysian home. It is already happening and it shows very well in the last election where the political parties that use the new media did have their messages across to the voters. He agreed that the government must embrace this new media.

I told him in the past there was no good words about blogging come from the government and he say that this would change. I told him that in neighbor Indonesia event the President accepts the role of blogger and that Indonesia now has a Blogger Day. I then explain to him that the new media is a very important media and that message gets across faster then the old media [the TV, Radio and the MSM Newspaper]. An example was when the result of the election was known to all Net users much earlier then to those that follow the MSM especially the TV and Radio. On this he say he too was disappointed on that night, while he got all the election result on his cell phone fast, the result of the election on the TV came late, just crawling.

I also told him that I had appeared on TV and featured on the MSM newspaper talking about the important of blogging but most of the time the government agency did not took it seriously and a numbers of time we were demonized including by a former Minister. He just smiles. I continue telling him that I had posted a numbers of articles in my blog on Why Malaysian must blog. See Bloggerhood. And that the blog culture would surely changes our lives. True enough in some small ways it do reflects in the effect of blogging on the result of the last election.

We were hoping to just meet him for five minutes but it went on for almost an hour. What a great day for us to be with Pak Lah at this period of the country history. It was indeed a meeting of friendship. Friends, rest assured that it is an apolitical visit. I strong believe in the the freedom of expression, which includes blogging [citizen journalism]. Have a nice day..

Simple folks, simple mind...

Folks, this is a true story. A story about simple folks with big ideas. It is a story of how the ordinary folks see the election and how the ordinary folks see the important of the election. In one stroke it is a story of Malaysian who love for the country come first. It is also shows that the citizen has come of age. This story is about a happening just a few days before the election and it would give some ideas of what I am talking about.

It all happen like this. I was at a hardware store nearby to get some parts for a DIY. I know all the workers and artisan at this store and as usual we got into talking of what we folks here call the 'coffee shop talk', and since it is just a few days before the election, the subject was on the election. The group in the shop were multiracial young people of my children's generation. A lady cashier ask me why is that many people seem not happy with the government. Another youth who was reading a vernacular newspaper nearby join in and says why not we change all the members of Parliament and the State Assemblies from the present one to a new set of the young and good people. Let them form a government and if they did not performed or they just get rich overnight or live beyond their means and arrogant, at the next election we just vote them out of office and replaced with new faces. This joke by that young man made all of us laugh. But then it got me thinking. It struck me that what he said was indeed a thought of wisdom. I just jokingly replied that it would be a good idea. After getting the items that I came for, I left with that thought hanging in my mind. What a brilliant idea that was. After all we are the people who put those elected people in those places and the power is with us and we surely could do the change.

I then told my friends and my relatives of this conversation and they all seem to be of the same opine and agree that it was also the thoughts of most Malaysian and a very practical one too. I eventually found that others had that idea as well but was still wondering whether it could happen in this election. The reason is that some of my generation are die hard loyalist with a particular political party. There are even jokes that if you pricked their fingers, it would bleed with the symbol/color of that particular political party. These people have sort of a feudal mindset and would support the political party that they believe, come what may. But after fifty years these group of people are old and a diminishing group of people. Anyway I kept wondering but somehow knew that change would happen but did not really expect that it would comes like a tsunami. It swept across the board. Malaysian no longer votes along racial or religion line. The just went to vote as Malaysian. A cultural changes indeed. Good for Malaysia, we are a multiracial country and in this election we all votes as Malaysian for the love of the country. They just votes in protest of the present government and vote for change. Just in a way like that young man in the hardware shop suggested. A joke that turned into reality. Indeed from across the country these simple folks with that simple mind did create that tsunami. With that changes, Malaysian are moving forward with confidence into a new era in politic.

The Federal Government as well as the government at the states level has already been formed and this time five states have became a non BN government. I hope the BN government as well as the once opposition party like PKR, DAP and PAS that became the new government in the five states [one state Kelantan they had governed for the last eighteen years] got the message of what the people want loud and clear. And start serving the people and not to be arrogant with their power. Remember that the real power is with the People. Have a nice day..

What a great time!!...

I am back to the real world after that wonderful holiday in fantasy land call AFamosa. Indeed it was great to be with the family in another environment, a different world then the one we are used to. The AFamosa concept of holiday is something that is good for the family. It does not matter whether it is just between the mom and dad and the kids or just like ours where we the grands are also around. Our children and grandchildren are close to us and the bonding has always been great. With love flowing both ways. So when we told them that we are glad to come along, the were delighted with joy. So off we went in two cars, they in one car and me and grandma in another.

We left earlier than them and take our time driving. The car was packed to capacity with things that we need to enjoy, like supply for cooking our own food and the this and that to give more comfort while living in the bungalow, with a swimming pool at AFamosa. With past experiences we got ourselves well prepared this time, so that we do not have to leave the vicinity of the bungalow when we need some small items or to have breakfast, lunch or dinner. Grandma took upon herself to take care of been the chef during that holiday period. She love to do that and with that we are left assured to be well fed during the four days there. As usual I just help with the this and that, in a way making a nuisance of the situation and enjoy doing it. That is the advantage of been an old man of the family.

We arrived just before seven in the evening and after our son in law got the key to the bungalow we drove straight and start to unload all those things from both cars. With that the holiday began. Grandma had prepared dinner and it was just heating and dinner is done. The kids especially the three youngest one were eyeing the swimming pool and were all the times asking their mom and dad when they could go for a swim. It was drizzling so it was not possible for them to get into the pool. Moreover it was getting dark. We enjoyed our dinner and with two laptops, one of the kids got into cyberspace with ease and enjoy his fantasy there, care less of what the others were doing. As for me I surfed the net trying to find out what is happening in the real world of politic since the election result is still warm. I call the night off and woke up to the sound of the kids splashing in the swimming pool.

They had wake up very early and went straight to the pool. This brought back memories of my childhood whenever we planned to go camping in the woods, the day before I just could not sleep thinking of the adventure the next day. I believe those kids were like that the night before and wake up early to get to the pool. And that's what they did now in the pool. Happy that, what they had wanted all along in this holiday came to reality. Both their parents and the elder sisters took turn to be on guard at the poolside. One should never leaves kids in the pool alone even for a second. So this ritual goes on like clockworks all the time we were there when the kids are in the pool. For the three days and evening we were there the kids were almost all the time there splashing with joy, enjoy the water like those duck and fishes in the watery environment. Well, kids are kids and the pools soon became an extension to themselves. Indeed their kind of joy. Those wonderful kids, life would be dull indeed without them. Remember we were like them before. Tempted I jump into the pool and the situation became hilarious. That's my friend is the reality of life.

As usual when your are in a situation like this times passes by fast. In the evening there are regular fireworks display at the Cowboys town in the resort. The whole gang went to watch the fireworks as usual. Grandma and me just stayed, she watch the TV and me on the net as usual. The next evening we all decided to visit the Cowboys Town where there are entertainments for the kids as well as the adult. For the kids it was something they enjoyed with laughter and joy. The evening again ended with the fireworks display.

Indeed this resort is a great place to get lost for a while from the hassle bustle of the city life. Living in this bungalow is like living in a community of the rich and famous. So for a while you can just do that and enjoy life and care less of what's happening in the world. To me while I am on a holiday I just switched myself off from the other reality. In doing that I do enjoy my holiday. Above are some images of the bungalow area of the resort. I am sure you agree with me that this enclave do look like those that belong to the rich and famous. Have a nice day..

A day with the kids...

We are in Malacca, not at our condo at Pantai Putri but at the AFamosa resort, just about an hour drive from KL. We are spending a holiday at this resort with our grandchildren and their mom and dad. It is the school holiday now and once a year they would come here for a short holiday. It is a different kind of a resort. Here that are many type of accommodation like condo living and bungalow. We got a bungalow with four rooms and a private swimming pool. It is because of the private swimming pool that our daughter and son in law rented this place. It is the pool that became the mean to an end. It is the pool that those kids love to spend their times. This time the kids want grandma and grandpa to come along, so here we are, tag along and soon this bungalow became crowded with the three generations of us. Us the grand, our daughter, the son in law and their five kids. Actually it’s the kids who are having a field day here, enjoying their kind of holiday in the pool all day long and even at night. What! With the pool nothing else matters to them. Enjoy playing with water. Our species love for water never end. Remember we evolved from there once.

To me it is a break from monotony of home living, so this place is a change of environment. A bungalow with a swimming pool to ourselves. This place is packed to capacity during the holiday season, with neighbor Singaporean coming in drove as well the Arabs, who find this a tropical paradise!. So you would see people of many nationalities holidaying here. As for us it is also a sort of a celebration for the changes the election brought, as well to celebrate the success of our eldest granddaughter in her final year Secondary School examination. She got 9 A1. Indeed a straight A's student. She did very well in the examination beating everyone in the history of our family. Now she is heading to the University and wanted to pursue a degree in medicine like her mom and dad. Looking back it was just like yesterday that we got news that her mom got a good result in her Secondary Examination. That was in the mid eighties. Now it is her kid that just got the best examination result that any parents would be proud of.

Now our grandchild is going to the University, what a day in our lives. I had always told our children and grandchildren that education is their future and they are doing just that. So these few days we would be enjoying our days celebrating their achievement. What better gift then this at this moment of our lives. It is the happening like this that made our lives so colorful and beautiful, as we journey on in our golden age.

I am blogging this at the resort and got connected to the Internet using the latest gadget by Maxis Malaysia. A small broadband modem, the size of a credit card and it is wireless. Just plug it to the USB port and you are on your way. So with this connection I could now get connected to the Internet anywhere and anytime. What a way to go blogging. Image above shows the grandkids enjoying themselves at the swimming pool. Have a nice day.

Bloggerhood....

A new day...

It is a new dawn. So let get back to the reality of everyday life. The election has been successful and changes are happening as I write this. The ordinary folks has done their job, so now let the politician get going with their job, like all politicians do. And hope that the days ahead would be better then before. There are much to be done. For now just enjoy the image above and have a nice day.

The change...

The dust has began to settled after the election. The result to me is a win win situation, for the Rakyaat [citizen] of this country as well as the country. Personally I am happy. I senses the wind of change before the election and even told some of my friends that there would surely be an upset. Sure enough, once the result kept coming on the Net, the change has just began. The National Front or BN which all the years got a two third majority did not get that this time but got more then enough seats to form the government at the Federal Level. At the state level five states went to the opposition of PKR, DAP and PAS and one of the state is Selangor where I live. We in this area got a new Member of Parliament from PKR and a State Assemblyman from PKR as well. It should be noted that the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur which is adjacent to our area also fall to the opposition members of Parliament. I believe the people especially of these areas are happy with the changes and hope it would brings changes for the better for everyone.

Let me get back to the subject of my happiness. I said I am a happy man, first because I now notice that democracy is progressing well and it do works in this country and the second reason is that I now know for a fact that the generation of the post Merdeka [independence] especially those of my children's generation are already matured in the ways of Politic. The result of this year election shows that this generation of Malaysian do know of how to use the power of democracy which is in their hand. And in this election it is their votes that made that changes. Have a nice day.

Congratulation...

Well, we have gone through another election and it was a successful one. The power has been returned to the people and the people has shown that they are matured in the process of democracy. Some candidates was elected and some was not. So in any competitions there are winners and there are losers. To the winners who would be the Yang Berhormat or the Honorable Member of Parliament and the States Assemblies, congratulation of your success and to those who lost, please take it easy and do some soul searching. For that is the way of democracy, a political system that we had embraced. The whole idea of the election is to form the government of the people, by the people and for the people. All politicians elected should understand they are there because the people want them there and they should work for them. They should works with all sincerity and go on a straight path.

Personally I hope the new government both at the Federal level and the States would takes into account of what the people want and to manage a government that is transparent and accountable. Let us bury our hatchets and proceed on to built a more prosperous Malaysia. Have a nice day..

The morning after...

Well, I slept at 3.30AM last night after watching the result of the election. Most of the election news I got through the Internet which provides the fastest result then the TVs. I flipped channels and most of the time glued to the Internets various sites. And by midnight it was sure an upset for the ruling collation the BN or the National Front. The BN lost it two third majority in Parliament but got a comfortable majority to form the Federal government and the opposition PKR, DAP and PAS won five states Assemblies.

At the end of the day it is the wisdom of Malaysian of all races that won the day. So let us now move forward with confidence. The changes has started. It is the beginning of the new Malaysia in the next fifty years. Have a nice day.

The Malaysia Election result...

You did votes with wisdom. Have a nice day.

Voting completed..

Well, on the dot at 5PM today the Polling stations closed and counting has began. So we all are waiting for the result. According to the Election Commission the overall turnout was 70%. And in some areas it is higher then that. So Malaysian let us wait patiently for the result to be announced. Meanwhile take it easy.

Done!, Vote...

Well, like I had advice people to go early to vote, we went after a quick breakfast. The Polling station is not that far away, so in just five minutes we have done our responsibility to the nation. As usual everything was organised like clockworks.

I parked my car, been early it was easy to find a parking place. So we just walk to the Polling station, greeted by the friendly policeman who took care of the security of the area and since we knew through the Internet which lane to take, we went straight to lane One [this lane is specially for senior citizen like us]. Not many people at this hour at this lane but on the next lane, lane Two there are already voters queuing to vote. We were greeted with friendly faces of the official of the Election Commission and my spouse went in first and after the ritual she got her ballot papers and went to vote. I followed and got mine.

The procedure is that they look at your Identity Card [Identity Card is mandatory in this country and an offence if you do not carry one] and check against the election roll and if your name is there you get to vote. They ask me whether I know my roll number, I told them I knew and with that it was easy. They shouted my name so that the observers from the contesting parties could hear and marked their roll as well. They handed two ballot papers, one Orange in color [for the Parliament] and one slightly yellow [for the state] to another officer who punched the papers with a machine and hand it to me. I just walk to the kiosk and did what I had done before. Just put a cross against the symbol the I so choose. I did that with a clear conscience. I then walk a few steps and put the ballot papers in the two transparent ballot boxs. One for the Parliment and the other for the state seat. My spouse has done her part just a minute before and we both walk out of the Polling station, happy that things went right. The arrangement were superb and I am happy that we did our duty to the country in just mere minutes. I do not know which party my spouse vote and I never ask her. Voting is strictly confidential.

Just about getting out of the station I chat a bit with the policeman and ask him whether he has voted. He says that he has done it two days ago [The Army and the Police did a postal vote before the election, since they would be on duty during polling day]. Before leaving I took a few shots of the place as seen above. Well, I really felt good after that. Back home just after nine thirty this morning. Have a nice day..

Polling Day...

8.00AM to 5PM - Go and Vote.

Go Vote...

Tomorrow is the Polling Day, so go early to the Polling Station near you and do your duty to the country. Cast your votes, one for Parliament and one for the state seat. Then get home and just take its easy. You have done what you think is right as a citizen of the country. And then wait for the result to be announce in the comfort of your home. Once it is announced just do not get emotional but just accept it as a fact of how democracy works in this country.

Those elected to Parliament, the Party that get the majority would formed the government of the day at the federal level and the same would be at the state level. We have done it before and I hope this time it would goes smoothly as before. Malaysian, I know are very concerned with the peace and harmony of the citizen, the vital components that made this country tick. So Just take it easy and enjoy the day as you have always done it before after the the Polling day. Have a nice day.

A day to contemplate...

I am posting this image just to take away my thoughts off the election campaign especially the war of posters and banners that are everywhere, turning the once beautiful sights into such an unsightly scenes.

Water, Yes water!! The source of life. Without it we would not be here, on this beautiful blue planet call earth. When was it the last time you give it a second thoughts. When it is there most would just took it for granted. As thought it is not important at all to our survival. Most of the time one just did not give due respect and at time just do not care to give love to this most important resource for our own survival. One just use it and sometimes just pollute the water as though water is just unimportant. The image about is a bowl of water that is always there at my little garden.

Water, from the first time I knew what it is I always gives it due respect. I would always have a container like the one about to store water all the time. In this case it is an old ceramic container, that the Chinese used to store salted eggs for export from China to the other parts of the world. I got this one some thirty years ago from a China man shop and has since kept it in good condition. Now it is placed magnificently at my little garden. Always with water to the brink and I use a coconut shell as a bucket to draw water. A fusion of two cultural items. The containers, one made of ceramic from a faraway land China and the other of the versatile and hardy coconut from tropical Malaysia. In a way this big container with water reminds me of the well I used to bathe during my childhood when running water was non existence. It now served as a container for watering the plants as well for me to enjoy playing with water like a child did. I believe its the child in us that made us do that at this age. Have a nice day..

Another kid blogger...

Well, it look like it runs in the family. After little Azib got his blog into cyberspere, his elder sister wanted to be a blogger as well and now without much ado she has become another blogger in the family. Here is her blog the PRINCESSADIBAH and I am sure you would agree with me that they both are good at arts. It look like artistic runs in the family. This elder sister is in formal school already. I am indeed glad they both blog for I always believed that blogging is one way of doing creative works which includes arts and writing. So folks we should encourage our young to blog. They have so much talents and it should be nurtured from an early age. Have a nice day.

Of Chili and the Election...

The Malay has this saying 'Those who ate Chili knows that the Chili is Hot'. This blogger has this to say. He is a friend of mine and a Pak Blogger like me. We are in our golden age and I believe have more wisdom then those that has yet to reach this golden age like us. We are good at giving advice and like the man say after that we can go to sleep. After all we do not have anything else to do but to enjoy life and getting to sleep whenever we like is the luxury that only folks like us have. And we are not complaining except that at this age we could not just kept quiet all the times if things are not right and that is why we sort of became a professional advisor to the public. Whether one like to be advise or not is in material. We just give and since we all are still in the best of health and of sound minds our advice are often of quality, moreover it is Free. So friends go and read and then comes March 8,2008, that is next Saturday, Go Vote the candidate you like. It is your responsibility to vote. And friends do vote with wisdom. We surely do not want the wrong person as our representatives in Parliament or the State Assemblies. Have a nice day.