CNY eve

Clean clean clean, dust dust dust and jam jam jam!

Well, finally all done and ready for the "Niu" Year!

Well, had our family reunion dinner at 6pm and i even have to time to go up to Kek Lok Si to snap a few quick shots. Waiting for Ivan they all for the 2nd round then i can really take my time to compose and shoot!
I know all the shots are kinda slanted. I was kinda dizzy.. well, it is caused by my bro's infamous driving and also the heavy dinner.:P

新年快乐！

Merry Xmas!

Ching Gay in Georgetown Penang - 21st Dec 2008

Watched the Ching Gay Parade this year with Botak and Ivan in front of Gama. It's being years since i last watched this parade, usually i am just too plain lazy. Went as this was something new for the 2 guys (i grew up assuming everyone has seen Chingay and also Thaipusam) hmm... anyway, me and both my tourist ( both were tying to accuse each other of looking like Japanese Uncle!) Haha... Go check our facebook photos and let me know!

Anyway, for this year parade, they started off at Datuk Keramat Padang and make their way to Penang Road and then later all the way to the Esplanade. I watched the amazing agilty of some the participants in balancing those towering flagpoles, considering the strong wind that night, it was no easy feat! What strike me most from these parade is that this parade is indeed a showcase of the multi-race, culturalisms of Malaysian. You see chingayrians of every race! Well, there was Lions, Dragons (some of the dances were performed by non-chinese), Santa, snowman. I mean where in the whole can you get Santa, Snowman, Lions and Dragons all at 1 go! In penang, you can.

We saw this rocket, it was quiet cute, but why is a rocket in this parade? maybe someone trying to please our current state government? Anyway, it was still cute and it was also moving.. so i ain't complaining. At the finale of the parade was this dragon, that was quite an angry dragon, it kept blowing of fire! As it was at the end of the parade, i was trying to run infront of him to capture some shots, and somehow i lost Ivan along the way. He called and Botak told him to chase the dragon. He tot that botak must be high on drugs... why chase what dragon. Anyway, he managed to catch up with us in the end! Haha.. All in all, the 3 of us enjoyed ourself and managed to capture a couple of nice pics. :)

Trip to Jitra

Jitra is CC's hometown, well, we had nothing better to do... so off we went to Jitra! CC wanted to take us to Duty Free shopping, Lai Huat Garden, Boating and lastly a nice yummy Thai Dinner!!!

ST and Evian picked me and TT up. TT was all dressed up to play at the waterfall, all of us were wondering where she got that idea of "waterfall" from...

Anyway, we reached Jitra about 11.30am and then CC took us to teh Bukit Kayu Itam Duty free. There's a long queue for cars, so CC suggested we walked. Errr... as it has been drizzling, there were puddles of water everywhere! TT has dirt all over her legs.. Poor girl, as she was the only one with jap slippers and shorts! We bought lots of keropok back! And i do mean Lots here, till the makcik that sells us stuff got confused!

After buying all the keropoks, we were hungry. CC didn't know where to take us to eat in Changloon.. Err.. we went to this restaurant in a shopping complex.. and err.. CC ordered Fried Rice, that was edible, i ordered Fried Udon, edible too, ST order fish and chips, you can't go wrong with that i suppose and TT ordered special HK noodle.. err, which taste horrible. Everyone tried 1 noodle, and that's about what everyone could stomached! Yup, it was that horrible!

On the way, we went to buy pomelos... It's is somthing like Ipoh ones in the old days.. Only difference is that for the Ipoh ones, you get Leng Lui lining the road, Errr.. In kedah, all the Makciks and Pakciks manned the shop... Of course, we bargained again till the Makcik was also confused.

Err, We went to Lai Huat Garden after taht, as it was raining, all of us didn't want to pay RM10 entrance fee! So, we wandered off, hopping to do some boating. We soon arrive to the lake (man made???) err... but eveything was close! No boating can be done so we just took some pics and left...



As TT was hungry, we then went to Ah John Kopitiam (Quite similar to Old Town Kopitiam), we ordered kopi and different types of bread while we played Big Two and deciding where to go next! Botak keeps suggesting Lai Huat Garden.. It will go like this" where you guys want to go next?, Option A: Lai Huat, Option B Lai Huat, Option C: Lai Huat!" Haha...
Anyway, since non of us wnated to move, and then finally ST suggested to see some Siamese Temple, he agreed. We went to one river ( apparently is it not a river, but a manmade irrigation Channel) by the river. Quite an impressive temple actually... Next we went off to see the famous keday paddy fields. Oh ya, on way, we met lots of Lembu's, Goats and even sheeps... No wonder we call Kedah drivers -Kedah-Gu!


Well, our last stop was of course our dinner! It was yummy! Botak was right... The Dinner was indeed splendid!

Our Dinner

Sleeping Country..zzz...zzz...

I haven't blog for a month! Time flies.. time to wake up!

well, i did, but my country is still sleeping...

Najib: Malaysia on track for 5% growth this year Najib said the target of 3.5% growth next year could still be maintained.
Pretty optomistics... Our economy is OK.. our fundamentals is still strong.... Blah blah blah...


In this same article: “The statistics released by the police show that the crime rate is actually lower than Hong Kong or Japan and only slightly higher than Singapore,” he said.
Wow... Mr. DPM, what statistics you are refering to? i knew i felt safer walking down the streets in Japan and HK at night, but i dun dare to do that in JB and most places in Penang!

My country is still dreamland, well i suppose reality sucks! better off in Dreamland aka Bolehland I suppose!

Much Ado about Road Names

I used to think a rose by any name smelt just as sweet....Until these recent spate of events...

On Jalan Alor/Kejora
Extracted from The Star (18/10/08)...
"Jalan Alor’s name was changed at the request of the National Economic Action Council following decisions made in its exco meeting.
With regard to that, DBKL’s Road Naming Committee concluded in its meeting that the name of Jalan Alor be changed to Jalan Kejora to go with other roads in the vicinity named after the stars.
The change is also to meet requirements under the road naming guidelines."
So surprise to see that we have a road naming committee to do things in accordance with requirements under road naming guidelines! Dun play play....

On Chinese/Jawi/English/Malay name of Penang street
Extracted from The Star (28/10/08)...
"Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said that multi-language road signs would disunite the people."
Err... How??? You mean the ppl will beat each other up if someone name a certain road Jalan Keldai or Donkey's Road??? Scared lor...

Extracted from New Strait Times (28/10/08)
Shafie, who was urged to streamline the use of the national language in road signs by the ministry’s former minister, Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, said the issue would be endless if Penang decided to use the three languages.“We live in a multiracial society and I’m sure other races will question their rights.
Err... What rights is that, and why would any race protest? Who will protest, questions against Jalan Keldai aka Donkey's Road aka Ass Road?

Btw, since we are in the topic of names, how about our Capital City, Kuala Lumpur ( the Muddy river mouth if you dun know) Err.... How does it reflect on our country??? We are muddy and murky? Hahaha

On Penang road names, by the way, there's 3 Jalan Zoo in the Air Itam (Black Water) area... 2 of them is seperated by Sungai Air Itam and the other one is in Farlim (Bandar Baru Air Itam)! You know how confusing it is for us Penangites trying to tell our non-penangites friends ask for directions to "Jalan Zoo, Air Itam" Anyone from any road naming committee can help to answer this question?

Bai bai to my little friends!

Just received this email...

Dear Brothers & Sisters in the Dhamma,

First of all I would like to say Maha Sadhu to all of you who have contributed and help make it possible to the purchase of new clothes for the Myanmar cyclone affected children. Those children will be receiving your dana through a group of devotees leaving on 8 Nov 2008.

Also I would like to say Maha Sadhu to those who have contributed and also helped in the collection for the Khatina at Ariyamaggin Monastery, Yangon, Burma. This is however still open if anyone of you wish to contribute as they are still short of funds for the Khatina. Last date for this collection is on 2 Nov 2008.

I am now assisting them to look for any used unwanted soft toys to be given to those ophans in Myanmar. It has to be soft toys only as these will be hand carried by the devotees for the children. Please call me at 012-4278088 or email me at ritateoh@hotmail.com to arrange for collection of your toys.They can only carry about 4 cartons - medium size. Last date for this collection is also on 2 Nov 2008.

Please pass this message to your friends or relatives who can contribute in one way or another . May you "see" the serene joy that lingers throughout your breathe in all your Metta givings.May you "touch" the essence of freedom in your actions of parting all your goodness unto others who are less fortunate. Maha Sadhu to all of you !!!

Metta

Rita

This is the happy family group of soft toys i have collected over the years and am parting with them this time. Well, this group of little friends have acompanied me through thick and thin during my UK days and hopefully they will now bring more cheers to the Burmese kids who will receive them! I will definitely missed my Tiger, 2 Pickachus (bigP and fatP), Pingu, 3 Looney Toons, Goofy, Mr. Sneeze, Me2You Ping, Purple Sharkey, and Tweety Fairy!

Tiger always light up my days and Mr. Sneeze always bring a smile to me whenever he falls off and hit me and ai aichu aiiiichhhuuu. Big P is the oldest among all, he is the Tai Ko as he has been with me since my Sheffield days. A couple of them like Mr. Sneeze and the 3 Looney Toons was always sitting in my office watching over my simulations and electrons! As i was taking them out from their boxes, memories kept flooding back. Hence this little tribute to them! I will missed them but i am sure they will bring more happiness to more children like they have brought me!

A good deed today by the TAO-ians

KY started the ball rolling by forwarding the email out from Silver Jubilee Old folks home that they needed some essentials urgently. Then, she also took the effort of passing the hat about and collected a total of RM 410+ something. Clap clap clap! Kudos to her and to all the ppl (including some non-TAO ppl)! Clap Clap Clap...

So today during lunch, we (Kim Yen, Ivan, Theng Theng, Yee Lin, Boon Khim, Kai Nian, Chia Sing) proceeded to Tesco Extra to get the items, 2 trolley full of diapers, Milos, oats, and soap powders! BK, Ivan and KY was busying zig-zaging to look for all the items, YL was holding the money, TT was our financial controller..Of course Kai Nian and Chia Sing are the expert in choosing the items and which one is the one more economical. Lazy me was just watching. Haha..After shopping, of course we delivered all the goods to the home. We took a picture, with 2 persons ( guess which 2 thin persons) hiding behind 1 person (guess 1 not-thin person). Answer is in the picture loaded in my facebook! Haha...

Before we went back to work, we detoured abit, to buy Toto, as Ivan dreamt of collecting toto money last night! and all of us dreamt all the way back to work with our soon to get 28 millions! Haha... What a happy bunch of lunchmates today!

Oh ya, if you want to know more and want to help, here's the link http://silverjubileehome.org/
Which reminds me of 1 girl guide song, "if you are happy and you know it, clap your hands! Clap clap!"

Pain Pain Pain

Ouch Ouch Ouch!
3 weeks ago, before the raya long hols, i slipped and fell down the stairs at work. Well, the good thing was that my laptop hit the step first and thus saved me from rolling all the way down. i was lucky to escape with a badly hit right foot at the ankle area! No broken bones, no sprained mussles or tendon! Just some ice and rest on the foot and i was up and about almost the next hour!!! Though i suffered the pain for a week.. kinda minor pain, as i didn't rest my poor foot enough, was running about all over the place, weddings etc etc etc...

Finally when i tot my suffering is over, last night, i managed to whack my right elbow into the pillar at home! Ooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuchhh!
Yup.. it's that painful! With a drop of tear appearing at the corner of my eye! Was too tired.. went to sleep instead. Should have put some ice last night!
And now i am in severe pain... Ouchhhhhhhh!

THis post is getting painful even for me to read... with lots yells and moans and "ouch"es!!!
But i am really in pain. The lucky thing is that it doesn't hamper my normal activity like typing, carrying stuff etc! i also managed to play ping pong tonight! A couple of things i can't do are to brush teeth and pull the safety belts in my car! oh, btw, just in case you are wondering, i do brush my teeth, with my left hand! but i think i sprained my left wrist just now brushing my teeth! OUCH!

pain in right elbow, pain in left wrist.... How how how! Any sifu to recommend me? Any quick remedy?

Pain oh pain, when are you going away?

What.. are you staying away from politics!

hmm.. a friend commented that he was surprised i am blogging so little on politics these days, considering the happenings (especially with my idol RPK under ISA). I think he just like to see me being angry and showing my fists in the air... and me all worked up and red-faced

haha...well, i haven't read any political blogs/ newspaper really for the last 3 days! Well, did read up a bit before writing this post, actually. I still read the BBC daily, and trying hard to understand some economics, like the US recession, and all the happenings to Europe and across the world, all except Malaysia.

Want to know why? Our (i just can't type leaders, leaders should be ppl i respect), well, a couple of morons running this country at the moment, still think that "our country is OK, doing fine, no problemo....." Ostrichtssss.. ( i know , i can't spell, i think blogger needs to give me spell check!)

what the people say, they can't listen, can't see, can't feel, as their whole head, hmm. ( if they have one) is burried so deep that it will take ages to dig it out. maybe after a while, i dun really bother anymore!

Anyway, back to economics, i find it really interesting to see the bailouts etc, and also how giant economy of the world ( US, UK, Europe. Japan or even China) are taking steps doing something. i am very curios to see the results 6 months down the road really. Everyone is making such a pessimistic prediction, that some how i think things won't turn out that bad... :) why? Becos everyone country in the world knows there is a problem, and working their hardest to solve this problem.

Except Malaysia! Malaysia Boleh!

Bleak times ahead... and a day of lots of alcohol!

"No pay increament for 2009!" Bill announced today. :(

Everyone of us were so disappointed and all we could talk about was Toto (20 Million), Tiramisu in the evening and of course, our celebration in Soho playing ikan pangang (fusbal)!

Well, i haven't drank for quite a wee while.... tonight was payback time. I think the chef must have sensed our depression when he prepared the tiramisu.. all i could taste and smell was the contreau or kahlua or whatever alcohol he used. Well, after dessert, rain was pouring cats and dsogs, we couldn't proceed immediately to our next destination, so i had a calypso coffee, (espresso mixed with dark rum and Tia Maria) which is much stronger than i expected. I was kinda high after that really! Especially after "bottoms up" But i still managed to win a couple of rounds playing "chor tai ti". TT was really "ong" or the TI queen, she keeps getting all the TIs!

This is what i was drinkign to get high.. haha

Anyway, just as i was feeling slightly high, the rain finally calmed down and we went to Soho to play fusbal, fondly known as "peng hu". Haha...
Of course we had fun. and of course the highlight of the evening. Me and TT beat ST and KB in a nail biting match (9-8)! Yippee!

Just to make Botak jealous, as he didn't want to join us this time... ST now has an ingenous way of playing peng hu cheaply, making the game last twice as long... Can't say it here . :P

Oh ya, we also sort of plan our next year journey to my boss wedding in KL. Better trained a bit first, before embarking in that journey, as we (i think we were high or really carried away) plan to club crawl from MOS to Zuek to Lunar Bar to Sky Bar to Westin and pubcrawl back to whichever hotel we will be statying for the night. Ivan has offered his house for us to camp as well. All planned and ready to gooooo..... haha.. kincheong lor..

We Won!!! Yippee!

Happy Marriage to 3 couples!

Happy Marriage to Theng+Boon, Mei Yun+Chong Keat, and my cousin LingFong+Yen.

2 holes on my arm

No, i was not bitten by a blood sucking vampire! Just by one one the largest blood sucking group in Penang, haha... They gonna thump me hard for calling these group of really amazing, most dedicated and extremely friendly and helpful group of Blood Donation Campaigners by this nick. Now i can proudly claim to belong to them and as i managed to be a donor of my first pint out blood out today! Yippee... Finally found the courage and the right timing, with sufficient sleep to make it today!

As most of my friends know, i have been helping out with the HYS blood donation group for the pass 3 years. Yup, it has taken me that long to take the 1st plunge, or rather the first needle. Of course, thanks to lots of encouragement from our chief, JH and some other BDC comrades!

The first pint of blood I'd ever donated in my 31 years on this planet. It's a good feeling knowing that I had surrendered 8-10% of my body's supply of circulatory fluid to some unknown strangers who needed them. As we all know or being told repeatedly, there's fewer than 1% of Malaysians donate blood (give or take) and that most of those people only donate once per year, I felt pretty good.

For those who yet to take the first needle, i challenge you to do it now! :)

Remain CALM

THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING, OR RATHER TRYING TO DO!

AND I AM SO CALM THAT I AM SITTING AT HOME, TYPING IN CAPS, VENTING OUT THIS LITTLE BIT AMOUNT OF STEAM!
ARGGGG.. IT'S SICKENING..

I AM SO BLOODY CALM THAT I AM SITTING AT HOME, THINKING WHAT THOSE IMBECILES GOING TO DO NEXT..THEIR NEXT MOVE... SHUTDOWN ALL NEWSPAPERS? ARREST ALL BLOGGERS, ARREST ALL OPPOSITION LEADERS, ARREST ALL CURRENTLY UNDER BN BUT SPEAKING UP AGAINST THIS DRACONIAN LAW? WHILE THOSE THAT ARE REALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR INCITING ALL THESE RACIAL TENSIONS ARE HAPPILY HOLIDAYING IN TAIWAN OR GOD KNOWS WHERE!

ANYWAY, SINCE I AM STILL SO !@#$% CALM THAT I AM READING HARIS IBRAHIM ETC FOR UPDATES.

" Situation in Bukit Mertajam is quite tense. Just came back from BM police station. Received call from friend that people in Raja Uda, Butterworth (Chinese area) are extremely angry. Went to the Berapit Kampung Baru to see a friend and he informed me that the mood is the same. They know where to push the people to make them angry. Please help put up a post to calm down the people as Malaysia Today, People’s Parliament and Malaysiakini has the widest coverage. I just don’t want the people to walk into the trap they have set. "COMMENTS FROM VIVEG AFTER MIDNIGHT LAST NIGHT

Big Bang Day!

Amazing, this really mega project, a 27km-long tunnel which houses the Large Hadron Collider that took 30 long years and 4 times than the initiall budget is finally complete and up and running

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7604293.stm

It is indeed an exciting frontier in science, i think eveyone of us are eagerly waiting to see the first results when the protons collide. i wonder what surprises would nature throw us this time.

Anyway, a salute to all who worked on this. Looks like we will indeed one day hitch hike out to the galaxy, yeah, i am sure Douglas Adams's fans would.

Comedy

i think we all need something to relax under these stressful, Taiwan study trips, KTK picture-tearing days.

This video from 2 very talanted Malaysians (who cares if they are Malays, Chinese, Indians or dll)?


For more videos...check out.. I would love to load more from utube here, but then it will take forever to load my webpage. So here's the link.
http://www.comedycourt.com.my/index_00.html

Health Test and a really bland day!

Went to do a blood test - health check yesterday. Well, eveything is fine,was given a clean bill of health. :)

Told my mum that, however, today since breakfast, i only get to eat only the low fat, no-sugar, low cholestrol food for the whole day.. err.? why?

Had a no oil, steam bun for breakfast, followed up a really bland (no salt) lunch, just some fish porrige with some vege, then i went to play badminton, when i get home, my mum gave me some low cholestrol, no sugar biscuits, which taste like nothing, with a cup of no-sugar soya drink!

Dun understand my mum...i am puzzled!

Grow up! and Happy Merdeka!

Err...The decision to block Malaysia Today is getting to be another big joke! Block it, and then 3 or 4 mirror sites pop up. Everyone is still accessing what RPK is writing. So. what is this hoohaa about anyway?

Can't understand why our datuks in gov. can't see this simple fact. Even the kids, at least every Harry Potter fan can knows this, remember what brilliant Hermoine said when Umbrigde ban the magazines. By banning it, it will ensure each and every student read it. And i think most adults, teachers know that the best way to make teenagers do something is to forbid them to do it. Forbidden fruits always taste sweeter. Rebelling against authority is an exciting thing. Especially when the authority acts unfairly and is too controling.

If you monitor the traffic to RPK site, i am sure there will be an increase of traffic since the ban.


now, what is even more laughable and insulting to the intelligence of the Rakyat is the reasosn/excuses given by our ministers,

"Blocking Access To Malaysia Today Website Is Not Censorship", Says Syed Hamid
Then what is censorship?

Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor has said "It was not the Government’s decision to block access to the Malaysia Today news website but a directive from the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission." He also said that this year alone, 127 blogs and websites, among them get-rich-quick schemes sites, were blocked by the commission for contravening the Communications and Multimedia Act.
Riddle: What has RPK has in common with get rich schemes? Both are blocked by MCMC!

Happy Merdeka! my area is all jammed up, hence i am sitting here bloging...