A Marathon Coffee @ Coffee Club, Kino...

It all started when I send a note to Thamrong a facebook friend to meet for coffee at KLCC. So yesterday April, 28 at 2.30PM we met. He came with his spouse.  Asmah my spouse could not make it.  Without much ado the threesome sat to get acquaintance. We had been strangers and only known one another in cyberspace through facebook. Over three bowls of hot steamy black coffee [the club served its coffee in bowl instead of cup] we sat to chat as thought we were all close friends. In fact this is the first time we ever met in the real world. We had been discussing and bantering on various subjects on the wall of our facebook. It was the intellectual discussion on facebook that brought about this coffee meeting in person at the Coffee Club @ Kino that day. Like a blogger meet this meeting of facebook folks soon exploded into a marathon of chat on various subjects that comes to our minds. We talk and banter on one subject after another and I do not think we ever stop talking over the whole period we were there except to sip and enjoy that black coffee. There was sure some great chemistry between the three of us. We talk freely about family and other subjects that just pop up as we go on with the chat. With such an atmosphere of frankness and understanding we were too absorbed in our discussion that we lost track of times. Looking at the watch it was 5.30PM and that mean we have been talking there for three hours and it felt just like a few minutes. Indeed a time well spend with such a wonderful couple, the Thamrong whose spouse Azimah is also a blogger. We parted with a promise to meet again. Well folks with this meeting we are strangers no more. The Internet does made things easy for like-minded folks to get to know one another, not only in cybersphere but in the real world as well. Have a nice day.

The AGM of the Owner's Association of the BPBR Malacca..

We were in Malacca for the weekend. This time was to attend the AGM of the Owners Association of the Bidara Puteri Beach Resort [BPBR] formerly the Mutiara Malacca Beach Resort] of which I was the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee. The meeting on Sunday April 25, 2010 at 2:00PM went out very well and as usual the old committee was reelected, with Col.Yap as the Chairperson and I as the Deputy.

This time we invited the Representative of Commissioner of Building [COB] to attend and brief the members of the function of this new Government agency that was established recently by an Act of Parliament. Mr.Mohan, the representative of the COB gave us a wealth of information on the role of the COB as well as that of the Joint Management Committee. On the advise of the COB we elected a Joint Management Committee to manage the Condo complex. Under the new Act all Condominium or Apartment complex had to form the Joint Management Committee by law. Once this Committee is registered with the COB it would became a legal entity to manage the complex professionally and with legal backing under the act.

The Joint Management Committee would work hand in hand with the Association to manage the complex. In the past the Owners Association as an NGO does not have the legal backing to manage it professional. With the Joint Management Committee [JMC] which has legal status under the COB, the JMC would be able to provide better management to the complex. Thus would be able to provide better benefits to all the owners.

That Oranges...

Above is a close-up image of an orange that shows the juiciness of this wonderful fruits of the citrus family. It gives us all the vitamin C that we need to protect us from certain sickness and kept us healthy all the times. But have we ever thought of how this wonderful fruit could be on our table everyday of the years and delighted us with its goodness.

So for this posting I would like to give gratitude to all those workers who made this possible; from the growers to the pickers who sweats in the sun and everyone else involved in getting this fruits onto our tables, thus giving us the pleasure of enjoying this wonderful fruit, the Orange. I say Thank You folks, for without your contributions we would not be able to enjoy it. With globalization we in the tropic get to enjoy the fruits from the temperate region and those in the temperate region could also enjoy the exotic tropical fruits from this region.

We live in a wonderful world and could continue to do so if we appreciate the contributions of all those who made that possible. Let me say this, that I did enjoy the fruit as shown in this image. You Madam/Sir could have contributed in giving me that pleasure of enjoying it. Thank you and do have a nice day.

Of photography and changes...

One of the greatest invention that gave perpetuity is the camera. In the past one had to draw or paint if one wants to keep an image. Today with the sophistication of the camera especially digital camera we could easily take a picture of an image and keep it forever. In the convenient of our home we could continue to enjoy the scene although the scene is no longer there.

In a changing world, the landscape changes all the time and because our lifespan is so short that we would not be able to notice the micro meters of changes that happened in front of our eyes all the times. Only if we care to photograph the scene over times that we would notice the changes.

The landscape of our horizon changes too but because it takes years before it is noticeable, we actually did not see the changes. To me the only way for us to see those changes is to photograph it over times and keep it for the next two or three generation to watch it. I believe they would notice the changes of the scene if they compare with the same scene in the photograph in say a hundred years from now.

The above image is a simple scene and I am posting it here for all to enjoy. Even in this photograph, as we move things around it would not remains the same as it was when this image was taken.

The ritual of cooking...

Obviously we all love food and like you I too love to eat. To me one must enjoy whatever one do and that includes cooking and eating. I love to cook too but since my spouse has taken over that part of getting the foods on the table, I would just help in the cleaning up of the mess that are often made when one cook. Personally I do not like to see my kitchen in a mess or untidy. So every time there are plates or other utensils that are used for cooking left in the sink while my spouse doing the cooking, I would just washed it. That would make everyone especially me happy.

Well, in cooking one had to prepare the A too Z of it so that the process of cooking would go on smoothly. That is what a good chef did all the time; everything must be ready for that adventure into cooking. The process of turning vegetable, fish, poultry or meat into a great dish might look easy but it is not; for to turn the cooking into a culinary heaven one must have the patience and the skill of the ritual of cooking.

It is often said that mom cooking always taste better. The reason is simple for mom always cooks with love. So if you want your cooking taste like mom's then sprinkle your cooking with Love. It is only with the skills plus love that one could turn out sumptuous meals at the end of the process of cooking.

Have a nice day.

Of Golden age...

Folks, This is from an email I received from a friend who now live in Bali. It is a message full of wisdom. I enjoy reading it and am sharing it here for all to enjoy it as well:-

THIS ONE IS SOOOOOOOO TRUE -Old age...

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.

They, too, will get old.
I know I am sometimes forgetful.
But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.
So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it).

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RAINBOW OF SMILES ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR HEART FOREVER AND EVER! FRIENDS FOREVER!

It rains...

Yes, folk it just rains cats and dogs, heavy with storm and thunder and lightning. It kept on raining for hours starting at 4:00PM here in Ampang Jaya where I live. I could hardly see the road in front of the house and the sideways soon became sort of a stream with fast running water. It does remind me of the days of my childhood on the east coast when it rain during the monsoon period. In those days it would rains cats and dogs for days at time.

I love the rain today as I had always loved the rain during my childhood. I went out to my patio which was wet now and watch the rains bashing the translucent roof of my patio. It made me happy and I believe the plants are as happy too. It brought fresh air and that freshness smell of the rains. I just love that smell.

I then took my camera and did a few snaps of the image of the wet plants. It does show the plants look as fresh as it could be. Here are some images of those refreshing scenes at my patio. Enjoy it.

Have a nice day. [Please click on image to enlarge]

Of joy and flowers...

The white flowers above grows in my little garden. This flower plant never failed to flowers and it blooms all through out the years. It has no smell and it is the whiteness of the flower that became its attraction. Enjoy this closeup images. Have a nice day.[to enlarge please click on the image]

Some wise thoughts....

Folks, I got this email from a friend, with this note " This should be posted in every school...". Since it is an important message that would surely benefit all, I am sharing it here:-

" Love him or hate him , he sure hits the nail on the head with this!
Bill Gates* recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world doesn't care about your
Self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault , so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning yo ur clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you' ll end up working for one.

If you agree, pass it on.
If you don't agree stick your head in the sand and take a deep breath!
If you can read this -Thank a teacher!
If you can read this in English thank a soldier!!! " .

May I add: If you do not know English, go and learn it. *[Please also see the comment column]

Little wonder in the garden...

It is the first of April folks. In those days we would be playing April fool but now that things have change, so is the culture of jokes. With that there are no more April fool jokes like we are used to in those bygone days. Anyway, let start this beautiful day with this posting that in someway do colors our lives, the flowers.

Last Saturday we decided to visit the park at the Taman Tasik Ampang Hilir. This new park is just two kilometers away from our home. On arrival we found there are many people already enjoying themselves jogging or just playing with their kids on the lawn. The weather was gorgeous with clear blue sky all over and with the cool breeze from the lake it was a perfect place for an enjoyable evening. My spouse and our daughter Lin went to jogs around the lake while I decide just to laze around and enjoy the fresh air. I had brought my camera along then went scouting for some object to photograph, sort of an adventure with my camera in this wonderland of nature.

In a garden this large there are many plants and flowers everywhere one look. So I just walk along and saw that little lily like plants that blooms three colors of flowers. There are the usual white and the purple one but here I saw the not that familiar color which is Yellow. So I decided that this would be my subject of today's macro photography. These little lilies like plant grows on both sides of a pathway and it did beautify the sideways. Those folks who have no interest of plants and flowers would not see it as it is just a small plant but to those curious eyes who love flowers like me, that rows of plants did attract my attention. I sat down as close as possible to the flowers and take a number’s of snaps. Above are the flowers as seen through the macro lens.