I've finally found a suitable 'recipient' for yet another small donation to the society. Been searching for an organisation for some time. I received this mailer from HSBC yesterday and decided that I can trust them. Firstly, it is stated clearly that ALL proceeds goes direct to the organisation. Secondly, I get a T-Shirt *grin*. Thirdly, my donations are tax deductible! Fourthly - I like that tiger :)

Let's start with a joke

An American, a Japanese and a Chinese went for a hike one day. It was very hot.

They were sweating and exhausted. When they came upon a small lake, they took off all their clothes and jumped into the water, since it was fairly secluded, Feeling refreshed, the trio decided to pick a few berries while enjoying their "freedom."

As they were crossingan open area, suddenly a group of ladies from town appeared.Unable to get to their clothes in time, the American and the Japanese quickly used their hands to cover their privates.

But the Chinese covered his face while they ran for cover.After the ladies had left and the men got their clothes back on. The American and the Japanese asked the Chinese why he covered his face rather than his private part.

The Chinese replied, "I don't know about you, but in my country, it's the face that people recognize."

internet UP!

H1 2007

It's almost end of June 2007. Can't believe the first half of the year is ending. Have you achieved anything yet? I just checked the World Vision child sponsors recruitment count - they have broke thru the 1,000 mark - meaning they only have less than 1,000 kid left before achieving their 5,000 sponsored children target in 2007! Re: the column on the left here..only 869 children left as as 20 June. That's an achievement. Well done!

So.what have you achieved?

As for me..life has always been like a breeze...I float to wherever the breeze brings me. So purpose-less.

Well, at least in terms of experience...I had some 'excitement' this year . The cancer scare, surgery, etc...seems like just happened though. Will be taking the last jab next week. Time really flies.

As a result..I lost some weight - hooray. I intend to go shop for some SMALL size apparels one of these days..as a reward.

I still go to the gym...but I am getting lazy. Taici is still on-going.

Not bad eh...

Loud Bang - Last Update

This will be my last update on the above because..the more I find out...the more the truth hurts. So..I do not think I want to ride further on the tragical incident regardless of how and why it happened. The whole incident was in fact a painful and horrifying experience for the family who happened to stay just a few houses away. We just found out that the child of the man ran out of the house calling 'papa papa' followed by the wife..who wailed uncontrollable when she saw the outcome of the explosion. I shall not go into details how it actually happened and what they saw. The man's younger brother who just graduated & was just helping out is recuperating in the hospital from serious injuries.

Loud Bang - Update

Man blown apart in lorry explosion

KUALA LUMPUR: A man, who was waiting for his brother in a lorry, was blown to pieces when the vehicle carrying engine oil exploded on Sunday in Kepong, here.
Police said Lee Gar Chin, 31, was ripped apart in the explosion.
It was learnt that a cigarette was the cause of the blast. Police have ruled out foul play.

The above appeared in The Star today. So uninteresting. Isn't my Berita Terkini much more exciting. Firstly, the facts are wrong..the explosion was on Monday not..Sunday. Probably, everyone is so busy with Altantuya's trial...they don't have time for such minor explosion case in Kepong ler.

Loud Bang

Last night while having dinner at home, we heard a very very loud bang. It's so loud that I felt the house shudder and some cars' alarm went off. My father thinks it's some rock bursting at the quarry - they are trying to clear the hill to build houses. But..I thought it's too late for that. Since, there wasn't any commotion, we carried on with dinner.

While on my way to my sister's house to pick her up for tai chi, I saw a crowd and police cars across the street. I stopped to ask on-lookers what happened. I was given several versions. In summary, someone was trying to fill some petrol manually and the tank exploded. Apparently, the impact 'broke' the man into half!

After a while, I left to pick up my sis but she has left on her own since she couldn't get me on the phone. When I arrived at the taici class..I broke the news..me the bearer of berita terkini :D We were all eager to finish the class so that we can go back and source more berita terkini.

After the class, all 3 cars (including my sister's neighbour) sped back to the scene. Well, not actually the scene...but across the street. By then, the fire brigade and more police were there. We had more summaries from people around there. Apparently, there was an activity of 'stealing' petrol. Some bugger drove over a petrol tanker for another party to transfer some petrol to another smaller tanker. Must be some sort of illegal transaction. Unfortunately, some sparks (some say from a lighter :o) caused an explosion and the poor fellow was blown to 2 pieces and we believed many other little pieces.

I was so curious...that I purposely drove pass the scene today. Everything seems to be back to normal. I saw some 'remains'' of what looks like bits of the tanker container...and the transporter (a medium size truck) with a host sticking out is left there. The kindergarten next to the scene seems to be closed. An indonesian maid was seen cleaning the garden. Hope she wouldn't find any human parts though.

Sekian berita terkini. *grin*
P/S: Latest Update - apparently they just found the missing hand ontop of the kidergarten's roof this morning

Signages

I thought these are so funny. Thanks Cowie for sharing these.
.

Rather Interesting Day today

Source of picture : NST Online

What an interesting world we are in - see above...the taxi accidentally wnet into into the swimming pool while entering a condominium to pick up his passenger. The driver claimed that it was raining heavily, the swimming pool looked like a path to him :-o

By the way, I had a rather interesting day today. Woke up as early as 6am to make sure that I can leave the house early to attend a 9am meeting. Was caught in a jam, took a wrong route, ended up late about 15 mins late. But..client was quite ok, didn't make a fuss about it. What else can they say right?

Being late wasn't my main highlight of this entry. I wanted to note down here that..today I met another good looking man (yet again!) . As good looking as the monk! It's been a long long time since I met someone like this. My definition of good looks -- unlike models / actors...those are untouchable...this is just man in the street but a cut above....don't know how else to put in words. I was so distracted at the meeting because I was trying to see whether he had a wedding ring on :p Think he caught me staring at his fingers a few times..dare not look anymore.

Secondly, another person in the same office whom I haven't met for about 2 years came over and told me that I look "totally different". I tried to probe further to determine what she meant:

• ME: You are not trying to tell me that I look older are you?
• X: No...you like a different person!
• ME: So..I look prettier? (gleefully..i expected a YES)
• X: NO..you like like a totally different person
• ME: Er..are you avoiding to tell me the truth? I looked uglier?
• X: No...no...you just look different!
• ME: No la..I did lasik.. (still hoping for her to say the word 'pretty")
• X: Oh i see...but you really look different ...how can it be so different
• ME: I also some weight...(still full of hope)
• X:...I see I see..(no sign of the word I am waiting for)

DOINK!!

Thank God

Today is one day that I felt lucky and would like to thank god that I am fortunate and not as Sui as I'd always thought so. Thank you to you up there for giving me this reassurance!

No..I didn't get any spritual growth from the handsome monk yet. And..no..I didn't survive a deadly accident.
Today at about 5pm..after leaving my car in mid valley megamall's car park for 1.5 hours followed by another 2.5 hours at Puchong Jaya...I suddenly remembered that I left the company's notebook on the backseat!!! I was so so sure that the notebook will be gone by now...judging by the numerous unfortunate incidences that i had experience before. I rushed t0 the car...expecting the window broken and notebook gone.

I was wrong. Window & notebook both in good order. I asked my colleague how I should thank god. She said.."just say a quiet pray in you heart"

THANK YOU...

Another Enligthening Conversation

I had an enlightening conversation with another of my taici mate last night. Her name is J. She joined the class with her sister 2 months after me. However, she is now THE model student and is always made to stand in front as our guide. She was picked because she is the only one who can remember and execute all the moves almost correctly. And it is very obvious that she is the only one who practices frequently at home.

I had a chat with her last night and found out that she is actually 40 this year but she doesn't look like one. And..what surprises me most is that...she is almost partially blind. She went on to tell me that she didn't take care of her eyes when she was young and her power increases by leaps and bounds through out the years. By now, her power is approaching 2000 degrees!

She had to switch to contact lenses long time ago as glasses has become too thick. Her doctors said that the veins in her eyes has gotten weaker and will deteriorate as she gets older. There is high chance that she will be totally blind one day. She is also diabetic and that makes things even worse.

It's too dangerous for her to drive. She is single and she helps her brother in his karp business. She takes life one day at a time and take life easy. "mo pan fatt la" -- she says. She reads alot to find out what else she can do to improve her health. Taici is one thing. And she spends alot of vitamins and stuff.

She has to try..she says..as she doesn't want to be an invalid so soon and had to depend on her siblings.

Sigh...meeting such people enlightens me on how lucky I am to have all that I have now.

Monk

As I mentioned in my previous entry...I read about this monk in an article from The Starmag (Sunday, June 3rd). Ok..I shall be HONEST..the catchy title that says "Model Monk" caught my attention and of course..the good looks. I did not believe that such a handsome monk exists.

As I read on..I find the article more & more interesting. His life story, his believes, his styles, etc. I did mention in my previous entry about his life story. The part where his guru said this - "...you need to let I go. You need to look at the positive things and not just the negative...." - this part really touched my heart.

The article introduced his website at http://www.tsemtulku.com/ and his centre's website at http://www.kecharahouse.com/rinpoche.htm.

A while ago, I entered the sites with the intention learn more about his teachings. But his good looks caught my attention more wor :p You tell me la..how can a monk be so handsome. I may drop by the centre one day, it's in Sunway Mas Commercial Centre - one of my favourite makan place, who knows I may bump into him ler. ANd then, I will be torn between learning dharma and his good looks - DUH!

Looking At The Other Side

I was telling the urologist about my history with transverse myletis and he made this statement - "oh..so you are one of the lucky ones who recovered with no major complications" My respond was..."or rather I was one of the very unlucky few who have it?"

It is all a matter of how you look at things isn't it? The negative side or the positive side. I pulled out an article about a young monk (but I forgot to bring it to the office). This young monk was treated very badly by his adopted parents when he was a child. After running away..he ended up with his master a tibetan monk. His master encouraged him to call up his adoptive mother to 'apologise'. He asked WHY..since she is the one who made him suffer??

The master said something like this (based on my memory) - "it is your karma. you may have done something very wrong to her in your previous life. If you continue hold this grudge against her you wil not be 'free from this..."

Hmm..what am I trying to say here? It is all about how you are able to accept things and move on. Istead of asking why and being angry at certain events...we should just accept it, learn and move on.

Today I read a chain email about Maya Angelou who was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey on her 70th birthday, and pulled out two of my favourite quotes:

• "I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights."

• I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one."

Continuation from previous entry

Ok..I am back. My car fixed & I finally visited the urologist too. Car - fine..problem was due to some loose fuse connection. Me - fine according to the urologist.

..back to Sekeping Serendah. Well...the resort is somewhat quiet. Imagine this..we reached tha place at 3ish.. finished exploring the place within an hour. See below:

...Swimming pool

Our neighbour..somewhere inside the jungle..and yes...their 'nest' is much bigger and nicer than ours.

Outside the 'resort' we caught a glimpse of some orang asli houses...and visited the waterfall. Note the multi-racial elements...truly malaysia!

Hanging aorund by the waters...away from the 'multi-racial' crowd..

By 5ish..we were back in our 'nest'. Wet and bored...so bored that i lied down doing nothing - i took a pic of the only things I see..around me..all 'greens'. No TV, no books, no newspaper, no radio, no internet, ..just greens. I even spotted an animal..which moved like a monkey but doesn't quite look like a monkey!

6ish..hooray! BBQ time. Imagine..starting to BBQ at 6 and ...we dragged our only activity for the night till...bed time around 10.

Woke up to pee..and was shock that it was only ONE AM! And.. ..we had to share our toilet with these two living things & god knows how many others types of ceatures ...

Breakfast - BBQ sausage with toasted bread!

After a hearty breakfast...we chilled out for abt an hour at the pool before packing up.

Our friend still there when we checked out at 1ish.

Rather Adveturous Weekend

I had a rather adventruorus weekend. Spent a night at this peculiar place called 'Sekeping Serendah' - directly translated as 'A piece of Serendah'. Serendah is a suburban town near Rawang, Selangor. And Rawang is about 30-40 mins drive from Kepong, KL. Was back home by 3ish on Sunday. I went out to do some banking and dinner with my father at night. Realised something not right my car alarm system but..since I could start the car..I went ahead.

As if my weekend wasn't eventful enough...the remote control couldn't unlock the car after I came out from the bank. And it was raining. I used the key to open the car but of course it refuse to start ...cars nowadays equipped with smart alarm system ma. I tried to dis-arm the alarm as per instruction in the manual..but failed. Finally, had to call AAM for help. The mechanic was here within 15 mins..and managed to start my car and reassured me that I can go for dinner still...just don't use the remote and get it checked out the next day. By then I was wet all over.. Nevertheless..I went ahead with Dinner at D'sara Uptown Hokien Mee...very nicde...but very very oily.

Guess what...my car refused to start again after dinner. The alarm activated itself. So smart ah. While waiting for AAM to come again...I managed to dis-arm it myself. This time the mechanic didn' turn up so fast. I called the AAM centre almost 20 times but the line was perpetually busy. I left the 'scene' after 30 mins.

This morning the alarm is armed again. Luckily the spare remote works. But I think I will still get it checked out.

Ok..looks like I have no time to write about Sekeping Serendah. See pictures below la..self explanatory...

Entrance to Sekeping Serendah..like no money to make proper signboard.

Road leading to the resort...before and after entering the main entrance.

This is our 'nest' for the night.

Equipped with mosquito netting and 'dressing table'. And beds of course.

Sink & toilet...natural setup

Bathroom!

TO be continued...

p/s: my car is acting up again..gotta rush off to the workshop..it is now 3.45pm. Was stucked in the car for an hour after lch.