Usually, this is the time of the year where I will review again my yearly aspiration. Since the economy is not at its best this year, more so from the 1st quarter onwards, it is good that I put aside my work stuff for awhile and pause to think again if I should go for different path in my life.
One possible route would be to go for an MBA course. This is necessary if I want to move up the corporate ladder quickly and more confidently. Going to the United States for my education would be a good choice since there are many established and respected institution of higher learning offering MBAs. However, getting into these institution is by no means easy, and it is necessary for me to prepare myself well with the right kind of training and consultation before I dive head on into this.
Getting the correct GMAT prep course is important because of the heavy investment of my own time and money into doing the MBA. There are just to many choices out there, but I think identifying the GMAT provider that is rated highly by international and local students are important as well. I was checking out the Veritas Prep that was introduced by my ex-colleague, and they happened to be one of the top GMAT provider, scoring high marks in the courses offered. Other than GMAT, they are also offering SAT test and providing consultation for would-be successful student in their pursue in the MBA, Law or Medical courses.
I have always thought that the GMAT tutors forms one of the most important element in making the education a success. They need to know what they are teaching, have the high passion in helping the students and they themselves are also high scorer in the GMAT test. This way, the students will be more confident that they are paying for a value for money course.
Hopefully, I can be one of those students who can proudly claim "I have improved and ready for MBA!" after undergoing the GMAT prep course.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Interesting Malaysian Fruits And Their Twins
In Malaysia, you can find many local tropical fruits such as durian, mangosteen, jackfruit, rambutan, dragon fruit, and etc.. We also import a lot of cold temperate fruits such as apple, orange, grape, kiwi, and etc.. Some of these local fruits are quite interesting in the sense that they have twins of their own. You may be mistaken by their look or taste.
1) Identical twin with slight difference in character: Duku and Langsat
> They came from the same family of Meliaceae. It is not easy to distinguish them, especially when they are put together, and I'm one of those who can't. They have yellowish skin, and taste sweet and sometimes sour-bitter. Duku has thicker skin than langsat, and langsat tend to have more blackish skin in a short period of time.
2) Identical twin with difference in character: Nangka and Cempedak
> They came from the same family of Moraceae. They are interesting in the sense that it is not easy to identify them to the untrained eyes without opening and seeing its flesh. The main difference between them is the texture of its flesh, where cempedak is fibrous, its not easy to be chewed and normally ended up swallowed, while nangka's flesh can be peeled off and bitten easily. Both of them taste the same, but cempedak is much sweeter and creamier. Nangka is sometimes tasteless and has low level of sweetness. Young nangka can be cooked in curry, while cempedak flesh is dipped in flour and fried as a whole. Even the seed is eaten after frying.
3) Near identical twin with same character: Rambutan and Pulasan
> They came from the same family Sapindaceae. The skin is reddish, with rambutan having hair while pulasan has short and blunt spikes. The flesh is white and wrapped around a seed. The flesh have the same look and taste, but pulasan is sweeter and easier to peeled off from the seed. Sometimes, you can only eat part of the flesh of the rambutan because the flesh tends to cling on to the seed. Usually, it is the rambutan flesh that is canned and sold in tin form.
1) Identical twin with slight difference in character: Duku and Langsat
> They came from the same family of Meliaceae. It is not easy to distinguish them, especially when they are put together, and I'm one of those who can't. They have yellowish skin, and taste sweet and sometimes sour-bitter. Duku has thicker skin than langsat, and langsat tend to have more blackish skin in a short period of time.
2) Identical twin with difference in character: Nangka and Cempedak
> They came from the same family of Moraceae. They are interesting in the sense that it is not easy to identify them to the untrained eyes without opening and seeing its flesh. The main difference between them is the texture of its flesh, where cempedak is fibrous, its not easy to be chewed and normally ended up swallowed, while nangka's flesh can be peeled off and bitten easily. Both of them taste the same, but cempedak is much sweeter and creamier. Nangka is sometimes tasteless and has low level of sweetness. Young nangka can be cooked in curry, while cempedak flesh is dipped in flour and fried as a whole. Even the seed is eaten after frying.
3) Near identical twin with same character: Rambutan and Pulasan
> They came from the same family Sapindaceae. The skin is reddish, with rambutan having hair while pulasan has short and blunt spikes. The flesh is white and wrapped around a seed. The flesh have the same look and taste, but pulasan is sweeter and easier to peeled off from the seed. Sometimes, you can only eat part of the flesh of the rambutan because the flesh tends to cling on to the seed. Usually, it is the rambutan flesh that is canned and sold in tin form.
Men's Badminton: Have They Tried Their Best Or Wrong Strategy?
Our badminton men doubles played and lost their last group match yesterday, losing to the Korean pair and ended up in the runners-up position in Group D. Though on paper, it was a pat on the back and they cruised into the quarter-finals, when you looked properly into the whole games table, you can see that it's a strategy that have caught themselves.
If they have beaten the Koreans yesterday, they will be in the lower half of the table and only meeting with the China pair of Cai Yun and Fu Hai Feng, who is the world number one currently in the finals. Now, they will be meeting the Thailand pair in the quarters, and definitely meeting a Chinese pair in the semis. If they have been careful, their path will be easier with opponents from Indonesia, Denmark and Taiwan.
We just do not hope to hear later that they give the reason of losing to a better team and take this excuse lightly. I think the coach should take up the responsibility also in making the incorrect strategy, and not claim later that they should not have lost, knowing very early the existence of this table.
If they have beaten the Koreans yesterday, they will be in the lower half of the table and only meeting with the China pair of Cai Yun and Fu Hai Feng, who is the world number one currently in the finals. Now, they will be meeting the Thailand pair in the quarters, and definitely meeting a Chinese pair in the semis. If they have been careful, their path will be easier with opponents from Indonesia, Denmark and Taiwan.
We just do not hope to hear later that they give the reason of losing to a better team and take this excuse lightly. I think the coach should take up the responsibility also in making the incorrect strategy, and not claim later that they should not have lost, knowing very early the existence of this table.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Disappointed With Malaysian Cyclists Who DNF in Olympics 250KM Road Race
The Summer Olympics has arrived in London and it will be held for around 2 weeks from 27 July until 12 August 2012. The Games has entered its 3rd day, and few Malaysians have completed their participation with not so encouraging results.
Some of them has completed their games and got eliminated early. However, it was encouraging when we heard the guys competed professionally and bravely to overcome their stronger opponents. Frankly, other than badminton and cycling, we are no where near the top athletes and far away from their standards. We know our limitations and I believe the fans don't blame them.
But, it was not a good thing to know that our cycling athletes for the 250km road race who did not finished the race. One of them dropped out at round 7 and the other at round 8 of a 9 rounds circuit. I don't understand why they chose to stopped in their quest to compete when their team manager has given them the task to at least complete the race.
We can't accept the reason that they are young and can be forgived. We are paying for their trip there and they are supposed to compete and come back with what ever result that they are capable of getting. But now we are seeing 2 DNF in their score card and what are they going to say when they come back to face the Malaysian public? Is this the typical tak apa attitude that we commonly see in the Malaysian athlete's?
Heard of Eric "The Eel" from the Sydney 2000 Olympics where he completed his swimming race double the time of the winner? Why can't these 2 guys persevered and did the same? This is not BOLEH, this is BOLIAU!
Some of them has completed their games and got eliminated early. However, it was encouraging when we heard the guys competed professionally and bravely to overcome their stronger opponents. Frankly, other than badminton and cycling, we are no where near the top athletes and far away from their standards. We know our limitations and I believe the fans don't blame them.
But, it was not a good thing to know that our cycling athletes for the 250km road race who did not finished the race. One of them dropped out at round 7 and the other at round 8 of a 9 rounds circuit. I don't understand why they chose to stopped in their quest to compete when their team manager has given them the task to at least complete the race.
We can't accept the reason that they are young and can be forgived. We are paying for their trip there and they are supposed to compete and come back with what ever result that they are capable of getting. But now we are seeing 2 DNF in their score card and what are they going to say when they come back to face the Malaysian public? Is this the typical tak apa attitude that we commonly see in the Malaysian athlete's?
Heard of Eric "The Eel" from the Sydney 2000 Olympics where he completed his swimming race double the time of the winner? Why can't these 2 guys persevered and did the same? This is not BOLEH, this is BOLIAU!
Friday, July 27, 2012
They Are Mr 4Malaysia
We are seeing these 2 guys appearing in the news very often lately. One is the opposition MP for PJ Utara, Tony Pua and the other is the PKR strategy director, Rafizi Ramli. I believe they are both the most loved and most hated politicians nowadays.
It is interesting and refreshing for Malaysians, especially those on the "other" side of the politics hear and see the issues they brought up and the argument they put forward. Though many people will claim what these guys are fighting for is populist and meant to beg for vote, at least they are saying with conscience and on the behalf of the people.
From the recent episodes of the cowgate, watergate and cargate, they are alarming the Malaysian populations about what we have been through and the shortcomings we are receiving all this while from the government. On the other hand, the government side retaliated and rubbishing by rubbish reasons in the name of defending the industry and kedaulatan.
Therefore, I salute these guys and they should be nominated for the Mr 4Malaysia title. It is easier for laymen like me to accept 4Malaysia than to understand the meaning of 1Malaysia.
It is interesting and refreshing for Malaysians, especially those on the "other" side of the politics hear and see the issues they brought up and the argument they put forward. Though many people will claim what these guys are fighting for is populist and meant to beg for vote, at least they are saying with conscience and on the behalf of the people.
From the recent episodes of the cowgate, watergate and cargate, they are alarming the Malaysian populations about what we have been through and the shortcomings we are receiving all this while from the government. On the other hand, the government side retaliated and rubbishing by rubbish reasons in the name of defending the industry and kedaulatan.
Therefore, I salute these guys and they should be nominated for the Mr 4Malaysia title. It is easier for laymen like me to accept 4Malaysia than to understand the meaning of 1Malaysia.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Suspicious Logo Appearing in Damansara Jaya
I have been seeing this logo of a man wearing a hat with arrow on his back popping up around Damansara Jaya, PJ area. It looks like those sprayed ad that we often see, either on massage, flat tyre or money lender. However, since it doesn't have info other than a logo and 2 names in English and Chinese, it gives us the fearful thought that it could be link to a cult, robber group or just some itchy-hand young kids who likes to show off their design talent. However, many of these appeared on the side wall and drain, and seldom on the premise wall.
Not long ago, we read from the internet that there are some symbols in which robbers mark on premise that they have "visited" or targeted. Could this be one? Wonder if there's anyone who can correctly explain the meaning of this symbol.
Not long ago, we read from the internet that there are some symbols in which robbers mark on premise that they have "visited" or targeted. Could this be one? Wonder if there's anyone who can correctly explain the meaning of this symbol.
Logo Hari Merdeka That We Don't Like At All
I was wondering if we had a National day logo competition this year. Today is the first time we are seeing this year's logo, and similar to what has happened to the slogan, it got hammered from all directions.
The only thing I thought was OK were the colors used, meaning that the designer has complied to our standard 4 colors of blue, yellow, red and white. However, beyond that, this is really bad, lousy, amateurish and downright not reflecting our progressive country.
The above picture was taken from Malaysian Insider, and it is really good to show and compare how bad looking is this logo. It gives me the feeling that it was designed from a simple software, with possibility that Microsoft Paint was used. There is no special design elements, and the message came out directly and left no room for people to interpret. The location of the words and font are too many and haphazard.
If this logo came out top in the logo competition, I would not be surprised as we are seeing again that whenever there is a competition, the best would not win. This has been happening very frequently in government tenders.
Besides, I personally think that the slogan, "55 Tahun Merdeka, Janji Ditepati" does not fit to the occasion at all. Usually whenever or whoever refers to the independence day (Merdeka), people will think about unity and progress, and it is in a form of ushering people. But this years slogan sounded very much like a statement that needs people to acknowledge and accept. We have heard Ministers defending this crap, and soon it's time that other aligned NGOs will come forward to defend it with whatever crap reasons. The worse will be for them to freely branding those who criticize as pengkhianat negara. I fear for this day...
The only thing I thought was OK were the colors used, meaning that the designer has complied to our standard 4 colors of blue, yellow, red and white. However, beyond that, this is really bad, lousy, amateurish and downright not reflecting our progressive country.
The above picture was taken from Malaysian Insider, and it is really good to show and compare how bad looking is this logo. It gives me the feeling that it was designed from a simple software, with possibility that Microsoft Paint was used. There is no special design elements, and the message came out directly and left no room for people to interpret. The location of the words and font are too many and haphazard.
If this logo came out top in the logo competition, I would not be surprised as we are seeing again that whenever there is a competition, the best would not win. This has been happening very frequently in government tenders.
Besides, I personally think that the slogan, "55 Tahun Merdeka, Janji Ditepati" does not fit to the occasion at all. Usually whenever or whoever refers to the independence day (Merdeka), people will think about unity and progress, and it is in a form of ushering people. But this years slogan sounded very much like a statement that needs people to acknowledge and accept. We have heard Ministers defending this crap, and soon it's time that other aligned NGOs will come forward to defend it with whatever crap reasons. The worse will be for them to freely branding those who criticize as pengkhianat negara. I fear for this day...
Illogical Argument on Defending Syabas and Proton
Today we saw the argument on slashing the tax on automotive coming out from Perkasa. As usual, they with their 2 sen arguments defending what the government is doing and hammering what the opposition is saying. Earlier on, the Pakatan Rakyat revealed that they will slash the tax so that people will not be burdened by absurd and unnecessary tax on imported cars. Then, came Khairy to say that the national car maker, Proton will go under water if this is imposed.
What these people is defending is just a company, not the people of the country. They are putting focus on the wrong thing and expect people to follow suit. These are the people who always say about being nationalistic but yet they themselves not doing it. Try to see if they are driving Proton or not.
This is the kind of funny things coming out from Malaysian politicians, where there is no concrete reason behind their hoo-haa. The other issue that we heard recently was about defending Syabas and hammering the Selangor state government about the water issue. The same argument goes that they have to defend the concessionaire and transfer what ever burden to the people.
It's time we should save Malaysia from all these crapsters. No point giving out millions to foreign consultants to better Malaysia's image when in the country, we have these rascals doing the funny things to memalukan kita.
What these people is defending is just a company, not the people of the country. They are putting focus on the wrong thing and expect people to follow suit. These are the people who always say about being nationalistic but yet they themselves not doing it. Try to see if they are driving Proton or not.
This is the kind of funny things coming out from Malaysian politicians, where there is no concrete reason behind their hoo-haa. The other issue that we heard recently was about defending Syabas and hammering the Selangor state government about the water issue. The same argument goes that they have to defend the concessionaire and transfer what ever burden to the people.
It's time we should save Malaysia from all these crapsters. No point giving out millions to foreign consultants to better Malaysia's image when in the country, we have these rascals doing the funny things to memalukan kita.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Entrepreneurship Lesson : Don't Have To Be Something Big
Got a chance to have a quick read on mywifequitherjob.com, and picked up the following pointers from the author that I think everyone should learn about entrepreneurship. I'm sure he will be more than glad for more people to read and adopt them.
> Entrepreneurship isn’t really about what you do, it’s about how you do it and whether you are meeting your own personal goals and expectations.
> We all need to decide early on what our business goals are and stick with them.
> The last thing I want is to run a business that consumes all of my time with only a small chance of a big payout.
> We didn’t want to quit our jobs while our business was unestablished so we resigned ourselves to something we could create only during the weekends. We chose to open an online store because of the following benefits.
> The important thing is to get up off of your ass and do something about it. Be proud of whatever you are doing and feel a sense of purpose.
> Entrepreneurship isn’t really about what you do, it’s about how you do it and whether you are meeting your own personal goals and expectations.
> We all need to decide early on what our business goals are and stick with them.
> The last thing I want is to run a business that consumes all of my time with only a small chance of a big payout.
> We didn’t want to quit our jobs while our business was unestablished so we resigned ourselves to something we could create only during the weekends. We chose to open an online store because of the following benefits.
- You don’t have to meet with any clients during the day.
- You can work at your own pace, decide when to launch or add products at your leisure
- You can sell your products directly on the web with very little customer intervention. Of course this depends on what you are selling but we chose products that met this criteria.
> The important thing is to get up off of your ass and do something about it. Be proud of whatever you are doing and feel a sense of purpose.
I Am Not Interested Because I Can't Be The DG
I just saw this funny news, at least according to Malaysian standard. The Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) is making a plea to get non-Malay to join the government. He said that only 2% of the total recruitment belonged to this group of people. He also mentioned that they are working on relaxing the recruitment ruling so that it is easier or attractive for non-Malays to apply.
If you ask any non-Malay for the reason, especially my group of people, I can say 100% of them will give the same answer. There is totally no need to revamp the recruitment and waste the money to do all those stupid studies. They just need to ask back their own people, are they willing to promote a non-Malay to higher position and what is the number? Most likely some group of NGO will make noise and threats, and it is back to the square one.
He doesn't need to put up a play and lie to us, especially when the Ramadan month is coming tomorrow. Just say you know the reason and work on it.
If you ask any non-Malay for the reason, especially my group of people, I can say 100% of them will give the same answer. There is totally no need to revamp the recruitment and waste the money to do all those stupid studies. They just need to ask back their own people, are they willing to promote a non-Malay to higher position and what is the number? Most likely some group of NGO will make noise and threats, and it is back to the square one.
He doesn't need to put up a play and lie to us, especially when the Ramadan month is coming tomorrow. Just say you know the reason and work on it.
Mi Sedaap or Mie Sedaap ?
Mi Sedaap Goreng Asli flavour is my favourite instant mee goreng. I particularly like the bawang goreng (fried garlic) that will be added into the noodle during serving.
Previously, I have seen from an advertorial published in The Star that announced Mi Sedaap has a clone by the name of Mie Sedaap. If I'm not mistaken, the clone was from Indonesia. Even on the website, the spelling should be Mi Sedaap. What surprises me was that I found one of the sachet has Mie Sedaap logo, instead of Mi Sedaap.
So, am I buying a clone product, or there is a typo error on the wording? I will lodge a complaint to the website of Gentle Supreme and see what is their response.
* Added: 24/07
Previously, I have seen from an advertorial published in The Star that announced Mi Sedaap has a clone by the name of Mie Sedaap. If I'm not mistaken, the clone was from Indonesia. Even on the website, the spelling should be Mi Sedaap. What surprises me was that I found one of the sachet has Mie Sedaap logo, instead of Mi Sedaap.
So, am I buying a clone product, or there is a typo error on the wording? I will lodge a complaint to the website of Gentle Supreme and see what is their response.
> Here is the reply:
>> For your information, Mi Sedaap is registered in Malaysia. That is
why all communication, product packing and etc are used to communicated
as "Mi". However, Mie is the original brand usage in
our Headquarter in Indonesia and others part of Asia country. We use to
communicate as "Mi" is to prevent any parallel importer that import
products direct from Indonesia. Hence, we like to known ourselves as
"Mi" rather then Mie.
In addition, all our product are produced in
Indonesia, thus, the inner sachet packs will be still using the mother
brand due to cost saving issue. Only the outer packing will be uses Mi
which has been trademark in Malaysia.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Massimo Bread Is Better
There was a time where Malaysians, my type of people especially were drummed up to boycott Gardenia bread and to support Massimo bread. The argument was that Gardenia bread and some of its ingredients, which are flour and sugar came from a particular businessman whom many knew were politically linked.
For me, I don't see this boycott necessary. But still I will choose to eat Massimo bread rather than Gardenia mainly for the below reasons.
1) Massimo is tastier and more fragrant
2) Massimo is cheaper for the wheat germ variant, and not more expensive for the normal variant
3) Massimo costs cheaper when bought at the 99 Speedmart and some sundry shops
Therefore, there is no need to hoo-haa around and boycott with madness. I don't do it because I don't have to. Gardenia by itself is no good at all, and Massimo is the better one. Case close!
* added link (20/07)
For me, I don't see this boycott necessary. But still I will choose to eat Massimo bread rather than Gardenia mainly for the below reasons.
1) Massimo is tastier and more fragrant
2) Massimo is cheaper for the wheat germ variant, and not more expensive for the normal variant
3) Massimo costs cheaper when bought at the 99 Speedmart and some sundry shops
Therefore, there is no need to hoo-haa around and boycott with madness. I don't do it because I don't have to. Gardenia by itself is no good at all, and Massimo is the better one. Case close!
* added link (20/07)
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Olympics 100m : Antara Hussain Dan Johan
This will be one of the most interesting event to watch out for in the coming London Olympics, besides than the opening and closing ceremonies; the athletics men 100 meters. In the previous edition, we saw how Usain Bolt created the world records in the 3 events he participated.
This time around, there seems to be a new challenger for Bolt. His name is Yohan Blake, also from Jamaica. He managed to beat Bolt in the 100 meters at the recent Jamaican Olympic trials where he clocked 9.75 seconds to Bolt's 9.86 seconds. Yohan also beat Bolt in the 200 meters in the same trials, 19.80 seconds to Bolt's 19.83 seconds. But this was far off from Bolt's 2008 world record of 19.19 seconds.
Anyway, I think there is no reason to worry for Bolt. I believe in him peaking at the right time. He will definitely win, and could possibly with another few world records. We saw from 2008 that he slowed down towards the finishing line because there is no one to push him run harder. This was a natural human reaction. With Yohan by his side, Bolt will surely bolt further, faster and greater.
This time around, there seems to be a new challenger for Bolt. His name is Yohan Blake, also from Jamaica. He managed to beat Bolt in the 100 meters at the recent Jamaican Olympic trials where he clocked 9.75 seconds to Bolt's 9.86 seconds. Yohan also beat Bolt in the 200 meters in the same trials, 19.80 seconds to Bolt's 19.83 seconds. But this was far off from Bolt's 2008 world record of 19.19 seconds.
Anyway, I think there is no reason to worry for Bolt. I believe in him peaking at the right time. He will definitely win, and could possibly with another few world records. We saw from 2008 that he slowed down towards the finishing line because there is no one to push him run harder. This was a natural human reaction. With Yohan by his side, Bolt will surely bolt further, faster and greater.
Shadow Play or Hand Origami
Here's something for daddy to learn, especially if your kid is in the pre-primary school age. It's also fun for young guys who likes to go outdoor or camping, because it can provide entertainment for your camping mates. Or better still, to attract the girl you admired.
You can also make it a class play if you get 14 of your other classmates to team up, and make a collection of animals.
You can also make it a class play if you get 14 of your other classmates to team up, and make a collection of animals.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Tying A Necktie
I found something very useful to everyone, especially the guys. Somewhere throughout their adult life, they need to learn this skill, that is the tying necktie skill. I got this while surfing through taobao.com. Ladies should also learn about this, but of course one or two styles will be enough to last a lifetime.
Looking at the list, my usual style is Simple Knot. I think I should learn up Windsor Knot or Cross Knot as they are tidier and doesn't look senget.
My apologies to those who can't read Chinese. Please blame those who opposes vernacular schools, and yourself if you are too lazy to pick up a second language.
Happy learning and trying!
Looking at the list, my usual style is Simple Knot. I think I should learn up Windsor Knot or Cross Knot as they are tidier and doesn't look senget.
My apologies to those who can't read Chinese. Please blame those who opposes vernacular schools, and yourself if you are too lazy to pick up a second language.
Happy learning and trying!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Red Lady's Finger
A relative gave me some red lady's finger, and we thought that it was an out-of-this world kind of vegetable. We are more used to the green colour version that can be found abundance in our local pasar. The beauty of the thing was that it is dark red on the outside, green on the inside and it has less slimy fluid.
The other outstanding thing was that once you cook it, either steamed or fried, the red color turned into green without leaving a trace of the red colour. It just did not behave like red spinach, beet root or red dragon fruit is.
A check on the wikipedia showed that the lady's finger is known as okra in other parts of the world, and this red version is part of the okra family.
The other outstanding thing was that once you cook it, either steamed or fried, the red color turned into green without leaving a trace of the red colour. It just did not behave like red spinach, beet root or red dragon fruit is.
A check on the wikipedia showed that the lady's finger is known as okra in other parts of the world, and this red version is part of the okra family.
3rd Wave Is Coming
I see a 3rd wave is coming into my life. I had the past 2 waves back in 2000 and 2002. By my definition, a wave is something that I really want, I feel that it is worth my sacrifice and I need to work towards achieving it no matter what. My motto in meeting and winning this wave is to stay positive and be persistent.
Give me another 1 month, and I shall turn out victorious. The feeling is very strong for me to act, and I see myself is in a very good position to seize this opportunity. Though I had an early knock last week, it was just a minor hiccup. Most important thing is to continuous think I can, and eventually I will succeed.
Give me another 1 month, and I shall turn out victorious. The feeling is very strong for me to act, and I see myself is in a very good position to seize this opportunity. Though I had an early knock last week, it was just a minor hiccup. Most important thing is to continuous think I can, and eventually I will succeed.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Crime Rate Increase Is Real
I just saw a news in the Malaysian Insider saying that expatriates have voiced out their concern during a local conference on their safety and the crimes that are happening very rampantly and often appearing on the headlines each day. This is the true voice of concern that our Ministers, either the Home Minister or the Pemandu chief chose to ignore. Will they say that these expatriates are bought by the opposition to make noise?
Instead, they chose to claim that Bersih demonstration was the root cause of complaint from foreigners and affected the FDI slow down. While, also saying that the crime news that we saw in the newspapers are sensationalized. Besides, I don't know how the police worked out the statistics that the crime rate has dropped. As long as we still see crime news and none of the criminals are caught, we think our tax has been wasted on these bunch of people with no good job done.
I believe they will only move when one of the Ministers or their relatives were hit, else they will still think that it's not a national problem. Don't you think this is Masalah 1Malaysia?
Instead, they chose to claim that Bersih demonstration was the root cause of complaint from foreigners and affected the FDI slow down. While, also saying that the crime news that we saw in the newspapers are sensationalized. Besides, I don't know how the police worked out the statistics that the crime rate has dropped. As long as we still see crime news and none of the criminals are caught, we think our tax has been wasted on these bunch of people with no good job done.
I believe they will only move when one of the Ministers or their relatives were hit, else they will still think that it's not a national problem. Don't you think this is Masalah 1Malaysia?
Malaysian Planning To Estonia
There seems to be a chance for me to visit a relatively unknown country, Estonia soon. For me, it's not unknown, but rather unfamiliar. I will start to make to make the trip plan on my own, just like my other trips to Europe. This will be quite a challenge, since I'm not sure if they are as advanced in the infrastructure as their Scandinavian neighbours, and if the city of Tallinn, its capital is safe enough for foreign walkers like me.
A check on the Lonely Planet and Visitestonia.com shows some interesting facts about Estonia.
1) Estonia was occupied by the Soviets for decades but Estonia sees itself as more influenced by Nordic tastes and traditions - Scandinavia with a twist.
2) Tallinn is our medieval capital and by far the biggest city, with a population of around 400,000. In 2011 Tallinn will be the European Capital of Culture.
3) It is the closest capital city to capitals of Finland (Helsinki, 80km); Latvia (Riga, 315km) and Sweden (Stockholm, 380km).
4) Euro is the official currency beginning 2011.
5) Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport is the main airport.
6) Estonian and Russian are the most common languages, though you won’t have any trouble with English (especially in the service sector) and German and Finnish are quite widely spoken.
7) Recommended things to buy from Estonia: Estonian handicraft, textile, wooden kitchen utensils, and traditional Estonian jewellery.
I think I will most likely end up within Tallinn, and this should be a good opportunity to plant my footprint into an unknown land. Another quick check on the airfare shows that the cheapest to date for travel from Kuala Lumpur to Tallinn would be by KLM via Amsterdam, and the cost is close to RM5,000. Not a cheap destination to fly to, but hopefully, things are cheap within the country. Within Tallinn city, there is a possibility of doing hop-in-hop-off, and this should be one of the option to choose from if the city really look unsafe. Else, it will be a solely walking trip for me.
To save the time and minimize the hassle of travelling back and forth between Sweden and Estonia, I don't discount the possibility of doing open jaw flight. Meaning that, flying in to Tallinn and flying out from Stockholm Arlanda. In case I'm adventurous enough, I could even fly out via some other spots such as Helsinki or St Petersburg.
A check on the Lonely Planet and Visitestonia.com shows some interesting facts about Estonia.
1) Estonia was occupied by the Soviets for decades but Estonia sees itself as more influenced by Nordic tastes and traditions - Scandinavia with a twist.
2) Tallinn is our medieval capital and by far the biggest city, with a population of around 400,000. In 2011 Tallinn will be the European Capital of Culture.
3) It is the closest capital city to capitals of Finland (Helsinki, 80km); Latvia (Riga, 315km) and Sweden (Stockholm, 380km).
4) Euro is the official currency beginning 2011.
5) Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport is the main airport.
6) Estonian and Russian are the most common languages, though you won’t have any trouble with English (especially in the service sector) and German and Finnish are quite widely spoken.
7) Recommended things to buy from Estonia: Estonian handicraft, textile, wooden kitchen utensils, and traditional Estonian jewellery.
I think I will most likely end up within Tallinn, and this should be a good opportunity to plant my footprint into an unknown land. Another quick check on the airfare shows that the cheapest to date for travel from Kuala Lumpur to Tallinn would be by KLM via Amsterdam, and the cost is close to RM5,000. Not a cheap destination to fly to, but hopefully, things are cheap within the country. Within Tallinn city, there is a possibility of doing hop-in-hop-off, and this should be one of the option to choose from if the city really look unsafe. Else, it will be a solely walking trip for me.
To save the time and minimize the hassle of travelling back and forth between Sweden and Estonia, I don't discount the possibility of doing open jaw flight. Meaning that, flying in to Tallinn and flying out from Stockholm Arlanda. In case I'm adventurous enough, I could even fly out via some other spots such as Helsinki or St Petersburg.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Petaling Jaya Owns The Smallest Roundabout In The World
You will not know this if you are not a PJian or someone who's familiar with roads in Petaling Jaya. Little did people know that Petaling Jaya (PJ) actually owns 2 of the smallest roundabout in the world (I guess). Both of these are tucked in not-so-familiar area of PJ.
The smallest (or ex-smallest) is roughly with the diameter of 3 feet. However, owing to the rapid development and redevelopment around PJ old factories, I need to check it out physically if it still exist. It is located at the industrial area of Section 51, near to the housing area and next to Malaysian Oxygen (MOX) factory. Very often, people will just drive through the roundabout, thinking that it is just a hump on the road from shoddy roadworks. Besides, due to the interlocking tiles used in that area, it is also difficult to differentiate the height of the hump. I'm hoping it is still there to clinch this title.
The next smallest (it still exists) is located at Section 51A, next to the MCIS building. The diameter is roughly around 6 feet, and this is easier to identify and notice by drivers. Due to the fact that the nearby government office are no longer in use, this roundabout has become less useful nowadays, other than forcing the cars to move along its perimeter.
Too bad, I do not have the latest photo to share, but I hope to get them as soon as I have the time to visit them. You will also noticed that they are not easy to be located from Google map.
The smallest (or ex-smallest) is roughly with the diameter of 3 feet. However, owing to the rapid development and redevelopment around PJ old factories, I need to check it out physically if it still exist. It is located at the industrial area of Section 51, near to the housing area and next to Malaysian Oxygen (MOX) factory. Very often, people will just drive through the roundabout, thinking that it is just a hump on the road from shoddy roadworks. Besides, due to the interlocking tiles used in that area, it is also difficult to differentiate the height of the hump. I'm hoping it is still there to clinch this title.
The next smallest (it still exists) is located at Section 51A, next to the MCIS building. The diameter is roughly around 6 feet, and this is easier to identify and notice by drivers. Due to the fact that the nearby government office are no longer in use, this roundabout has become less useful nowadays, other than forcing the cars to move along its perimeter.
Too bad, I do not have the latest photo to share, but I hope to get them as soon as I have the time to visit them. You will also noticed that they are not easy to be located from Google map.
Monday, July 09, 2012
Malay Songs That Will Kekal Selamanya
When you ask majority of the malay song listeners, many of them can name songs from the past era, but not those from the current batches. Even if they can, most likely they are songs from senior artistes such as Jamal Abdillah, Ning Baizura, etc..
There are a few songs that I think will last forever or kekal selama-lamanya due to the message contained in the song.
1) Fikirkan Boleh by Metropolitan
> This song appeared back in the 1980s, and it can be used in any events that needs to drum up for support and prep up the Boleh attitude.
2) Tanggal 31 by Sudirman
> This is a very fast and catchy patriotic sung by Sudirman. This will always be used as one of the Hari Merdeka song.
Trust me, you will like them the moment you listen it for the first time.
> Updated with link to the songs (09/07)
There are a few songs that I think will last forever or kekal selama-lamanya due to the message contained in the song.
1) Fikirkan Boleh by Metropolitan
> This song appeared back in the 1980s, and it can be used in any events that needs to drum up for support and prep up the Boleh attitude.
2) Tanggal 31 by Sudirman
> This is a very fast and catchy patriotic sung by Sudirman. This will always be used as one of the Hari Merdeka song.
Trust me, you will like them the moment you listen it for the first time.
> Updated with link to the songs (09/07)
Friday, July 06, 2012
The Sorry State of Our Lagu Melayu
The local music scene, especially the malay songs are in a pathetic state, according to my observation. I was a net malay song listener from 1989 to 2007. Similar to the Malaysian soccer condition, the current state is really parah (sick in Malay).
The first song that got me hooked up was Suci Dalam Debu by Iklim. At that time, Juara Lagu was a show that I always looked forward to each week. This was way back in my secondary school times. Then, I knew more and more songs, singers and bands from TV and magazines. It was fun to hear band names such as Mega, Gamma, Metafora, Sera, Ekamatra, etc.. Then there was a time when the government ban local bands from adopting English names, and those related protested because it will be funny for Search to change to Mencari and Wings to Kepak.
As time goes by, slowly the quality of the songs began to drop. At one time around the year 1992~1993, there were only a few famous songs, and they kept on repeating on the radio. Songs from singers such as Fotograf, Nash and Jamal Abdillah became the chart topper each week for many weeks, even months. Much later, more and more younger bands came up and created a healthy replacement for some of the older bands. They are such as Ukays, Slam, Exist and Samudera.
When KRU and 4U2C came out, the music scene has seen a big leap out of slow rock, or known locally as rock kapak. This was the time where Malay rap was introduced, but too bad, I think they failed miserably. Raps are best in English, and never good in Malay and even Cantonese. Surprisingly, when the nasyid groups came out, they suddenly became a hit. I don't deny that I once liked some of the songs, especially those sung by Raihan and Saujana. This genre lasted for at least 5 years, but it became history now.
As of now, in this 21st century, I have totally lost touch with the current batch of singers, more so the songs. I think the last good malay song was Spider's Relaku Pujuk and the last good band is Spider. It sounds quite irritating for those songs that uses Facebook as their theme. It definitely sounds out of place when you hear "like" and "share" words in a malay song.
I just can't help but felt sorry for the current state of the malay songs that I once adored. Each time when I was looking through Youtube, I would only search for rock kapak or those songs that was from 80s and 90s, to early 2000s. Anything from 2007 onwards are not my cup of tea anymore.
The first song that got me hooked up was Suci Dalam Debu by Iklim. At that time, Juara Lagu was a show that I always looked forward to each week. This was way back in my secondary school times. Then, I knew more and more songs, singers and bands from TV and magazines. It was fun to hear band names such as Mega, Gamma, Metafora, Sera, Ekamatra, etc.. Then there was a time when the government ban local bands from adopting English names, and those related protested because it will be funny for Search to change to Mencari and Wings to Kepak.
As time goes by, slowly the quality of the songs began to drop. At one time around the year 1992~1993, there were only a few famous songs, and they kept on repeating on the radio. Songs from singers such as Fotograf, Nash and Jamal Abdillah became the chart topper each week for many weeks, even months. Much later, more and more younger bands came up and created a healthy replacement for some of the older bands. They are such as Ukays, Slam, Exist and Samudera.
When KRU and 4U2C came out, the music scene has seen a big leap out of slow rock, or known locally as rock kapak. This was the time where Malay rap was introduced, but too bad, I think they failed miserably. Raps are best in English, and never good in Malay and even Cantonese. Surprisingly, when the nasyid groups came out, they suddenly became a hit. I don't deny that I once liked some of the songs, especially those sung by Raihan and Saujana. This genre lasted for at least 5 years, but it became history now.
As of now, in this 21st century, I have totally lost touch with the current batch of singers, more so the songs. I think the last good malay song was Spider's Relaku Pujuk and the last good band is Spider. It sounds quite irritating for those songs that uses Facebook as their theme. It definitely sounds out of place when you hear "like" and "share" words in a malay song.
I just can't help but felt sorry for the current state of the malay songs that I once adored. Each time when I was looking through Youtube, I would only search for rock kapak or those songs that was from 80s and 90s, to early 2000s. Anything from 2007 onwards are not my cup of tea anymore.
Ten Brothers 十兄弟: My Childhood Superheroes
There is another Chinese movie that is considered quite a legend is the Ten Brothers (十兄弟). It was about a family of ten brothers who were born with supernatural powers. A check on the internet showed that the original story came during the Ming dynasty era, but over the time, the story line underwent several changes, especially on the type of supernatural powers each brother has.
It is a fascinating story because rarely can we see a family-oriented movie that involves Chinese superheroes. Besides, you don't see the special powers copied and applied in the Western movies on super or action heroes. Other than Fantastic Four, it is not often that we see superheroes come out in a bunch.
So far, there are only 4 movies or drama series that has been written on the Ten Brothers, and the latest being the TVB version in 2007. In this drama, the superheroes actually came from heaven and was born by the mum who accidentally ate the 10 heavenly pearls.
Each of the ten brothers have their own superpowers that one will find interesting and amusing.
1) 1st Brother: Thousand Mile Eye (千里眼): Able to see through walls and far away
2) 2nd Brother: Distant Hearing (順風耳): Able to hear through walls and far away
3) 3rd Brother: Strong Three (大力三): Has super strength
4) 4th Brother: Stretchy Four (奀皮四): Able to stretch the body and invincible
5) 5th Brother: Flying Five (飛天五): Able to fly
6) 6th Brother: Iron Head Six (銅頭六): Has a hard and strong head that is able to knock down anything
7) 7th Brother: Long Legs Seven (高腳七): Able to extend his height
8) 8th Brother: Digging Eight (遁地八): Able to drill into the ground and travel underground
9) 9th Brother: Big Mouth Nine (大口九): Able to shout to far away
10) 10th Brother: Crying Ten (大喊十): A cry baby and his tears can heal sickness
I was wondering when is this drama going to be picked and adapted into a Western movie.
> Added: 7 July 2012
It is a fascinating story because rarely can we see a family-oriented movie that involves Chinese superheroes. Besides, you don't see the special powers copied and applied in the Western movies on super or action heroes. Other than Fantastic Four, it is not often that we see superheroes come out in a bunch.
So far, there are only 4 movies or drama series that has been written on the Ten Brothers, and the latest being the TVB version in 2007. In this drama, the superheroes actually came from heaven and was born by the mum who accidentally ate the 10 heavenly pearls.
Each of the ten brothers have their own superpowers that one will find interesting and amusing.
1) 1st Brother: Thousand Mile Eye (千里眼): Able to see through walls and far away
2) 2nd Brother: Distant Hearing (順風耳): Able to hear through walls and far away
3) 3rd Brother: Strong Three (大力三): Has super strength
4) 4th Brother: Stretchy Four (奀皮四): Able to stretch the body and invincible
5) 5th Brother: Flying Five (飛天五): Able to fly
6) 6th Brother: Iron Head Six (銅頭六): Has a hard and strong head that is able to knock down anything
7) 7th Brother: Long Legs Seven (高腳七): Able to extend his height
8) 8th Brother: Digging Eight (遁地八): Able to drill into the ground and travel underground
9) 9th Brother: Big Mouth Nine (大口九): Able to shout to far away
10) 10th Brother: Crying Ten (大喊十): A cry baby and his tears can heal sickness
I was wondering when is this drama going to be picked and adapted into a Western movie.
> Added: 7 July 2012
Thursday, July 05, 2012
Interesting Buildings People May Have Missed
I have seen many postings and articles on interesting buildings, and I'm also joining the bandwagon to create my own list. I'm not sure if the authors were really evaluating based on their preference, or just copying from the first author that published this list.
As for my list, I have been to some of these buildings, and some of them are in my wish list. I have also included a local favourite, Petronas Twin Tower in my list, reason is because of the aesthetic value rather than national pride. It looks like a poster look when you stand just beneath it and look upwards towards the twin towers at night. Just simply amazing! For those who are familiar with the China people, this building is one of the icon that made Malaysia known to them.
Some of the interesting buildings I saw was in Barcelona, especially those that was designed by Antoni Gaudi. Buildings such as Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Battlo and Casa Museu Gaudi surprisingly were not listed at all in any of those so-called interesting building lists. Besides, you can also find other interesting buildings in Spain such as the Twin Tower in Madrid and Museu Dali in Figueres.
I also thought that Mont St Michel in Saint Malo, France is an interesting and beautiful building, especially for the fact that at high tide, it turns into an island with a land bridge, and when it's low tide, it's back as a hill. It would be an interesting idea to walk from the mainland to the castle during low tide. The distance is just close to 2km that should take approximately 30 minutes by walking with a backpack.
As for my list, I have been to some of these buildings, and some of them are in my wish list. I have also included a local favourite, Petronas Twin Tower in my list, reason is because of the aesthetic value rather than national pride. It looks like a poster look when you stand just beneath it and look upwards towards the twin towers at night. Just simply amazing! For those who are familiar with the China people, this building is one of the icon that made Malaysia known to them.
Some of the interesting buildings I saw was in Barcelona, especially those that was designed by Antoni Gaudi. Buildings such as Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Battlo and Casa Museu Gaudi surprisingly were not listed at all in any of those so-called interesting building lists. Besides, you can also find other interesting buildings in Spain such as the Twin Tower in Madrid and Museu Dali in Figueres.
I also thought that Mont St Michel in Saint Malo, France is an interesting and beautiful building, especially for the fact that at high tide, it turns into an island with a land bridge, and when it's low tide, it's back as a hill. It would be an interesting idea to walk from the mainland to the castle during low tide. The distance is just close to 2km that should take approximately 30 minutes by walking with a backpack.
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
My List Of Interesting Moments in Olympics
London 2012 Summer Olympics is coming soon. The opening ceremony is scheduled on 27 July, just 25 more days to go. For the sports mania, this few weeks will be a good break after following closely on the Euro 2012 in Poland-Ukraine for 2 weeks. For the Europeans, especially Swedish and some other countries that observe summer breaks, it's a whole 2.5 months of fun and activities throughout June, July and August.
I began watching Olympics in 1988, when I was still in primary school. Each Olympics have dished out some interesting moments and highlights, and I can recall some of them because I watched them myself. Hopefully, there are more to come in the coming edition in London.
1) Florence Griffith Joyner in 1988 Seoul Olympics
> The US sprinter set the Olympic and world record in 100m and 200m that are unbreakable until today. Besides, she's also famous for her long and colorful fingernails and unconventional sports attire.
2) Ben Johnson in 1988 Seoul Olympics
> The Canadian sprinter broke the world record in 100m, but was later disqualified for drug. He was on the spotlight because he managed to break the domination by the USA, but ended being infamous, instead of famous.
3) Greg Louganis in 1988 Seoul Olympics
> The USA diver was a diving champion, but he hit his head on the springboard in the 3m event. It was just funny that an established diver can do such a thing, though it was an accident.
4) Anthony Nesty in 1988 Seoul Olympics
> The swimmer won the 100m butterfly event by beating Matt Biondi, and he came from a lesser known country, Suriname. I believe not many know where this country is located.
5) Lighting of opening ceremony flame cauldron in 1992 Barcelona Olympics
> The lighting of the cauldron was done by an archer, Antonio Rebollo who shot with an arrow with fire.
6) USA Basketball Dream Team in 1992 Barcelona Olympics
> The basketball team of USA consisted of professional players playing in the world famous NBA.
7) Razif and Jalani Sidek in 1992 Barcelona Olympics
> Malaysia won the first Olympics medal, a bronze through badminton. However, no datukship was awarded after this success.
8) Lee Lai Shan in 1996 Atlanta Olympics
> She's Hong Kong's first gold medallist, by winning the sailing event. Though it's a not so famous event, it is actually a huge achievement knowing that "yellow skin" people, other than Chinese, Japanese and Korean can do it. She's also the only one athlete to win before Hong Kong's return to China.
9) Joint gold medallist in 2000 Sydney Olympics
> Anthony Ervin and Gary Hall Jr won the 50m freestyle in identical time of 21.98. This was an unbelievable result, and even the photo finish technology could not identify the clear winner.
10) Eric Moussambani in 2000 Sydney Olympics
> Eric represented Equatorial Guinea in the 100m freestyle heats and became famous when he finished top in his heat, but at a time more than twice the time of the gold medal winner. It was his countries' best time, and also his personal best.
11) Michael Phelps in 2004 Athens Olympics
> He won 8 medals in swimming, where 6 was gold medals and 2 was bronze. He almost equalled Mark Spitz 7 gold medals record.
12) Lighting of opening ceremony flame cauldron in 2008 Beijing Olympics
> The last torch bearer was Li Ning, an ex-gymnast. He was suspended mid-air and mimic the running around the stadium before lighting the fire cauldron.
13) China beat USA in the medal tally in 2008 Beijing Olympics
> China's medal tally was 51 golds, beating USA at 36 golds. However, in total number of medals, USA still topped the chart by extra 10 medals.
14) Usain Bolt in 2008 Beijing Olympics
> It has been awhile since the last person who made a great impact in sports as Usain. He became the currently undisputed fastest man on Earth, with his gold medal and world record feats in 100m, 200m and 4x100m track events. What was so special was the distance he beat his opponents, and he seem to be able to do even better.
I began watching Olympics in 1988, when I was still in primary school. Each Olympics have dished out some interesting moments and highlights, and I can recall some of them because I watched them myself. Hopefully, there are more to come in the coming edition in London.
1) Florence Griffith Joyner in 1988 Seoul Olympics
> The US sprinter set the Olympic and world record in 100m and 200m that are unbreakable until today. Besides, she's also famous for her long and colorful fingernails and unconventional sports attire.
2) Ben Johnson in 1988 Seoul Olympics
> The Canadian sprinter broke the world record in 100m, but was later disqualified for drug. He was on the spotlight because he managed to break the domination by the USA, but ended being infamous, instead of famous.
3) Greg Louganis in 1988 Seoul Olympics
> The USA diver was a diving champion, but he hit his head on the springboard in the 3m event. It was just funny that an established diver can do such a thing, though it was an accident.
> The swimmer won the 100m butterfly event by beating Matt Biondi, and he came from a lesser known country, Suriname. I believe not many know where this country is located.
5) Lighting of opening ceremony flame cauldron in 1992 Barcelona Olympics
> The lighting of the cauldron was done by an archer, Antonio Rebollo who shot with an arrow with fire.
6) USA Basketball Dream Team in 1992 Barcelona Olympics
> The basketball team of USA consisted of professional players playing in the world famous NBA.
7) Razif and Jalani Sidek in 1992 Barcelona Olympics
> Malaysia won the first Olympics medal, a bronze through badminton. However, no datukship was awarded after this success.
8) Lee Lai Shan in 1996 Atlanta Olympics
> She's Hong Kong's first gold medallist, by winning the sailing event. Though it's a not so famous event, it is actually a huge achievement knowing that "yellow skin" people, other than Chinese, Japanese and Korean can do it. She's also the only one athlete to win before Hong Kong's return to China.
9) Joint gold medallist in 2000 Sydney Olympics
> Anthony Ervin and Gary Hall Jr won the 50m freestyle in identical time of 21.98. This was an unbelievable result, and even the photo finish technology could not identify the clear winner.
10) Eric Moussambani in 2000 Sydney Olympics
> Eric represented Equatorial Guinea in the 100m freestyle heats and became famous when he finished top in his heat, but at a time more than twice the time of the gold medal winner. It was his countries' best time, and also his personal best.
11) Michael Phelps in 2004 Athens Olympics
> He won 8 medals in swimming, where 6 was gold medals and 2 was bronze. He almost equalled Mark Spitz 7 gold medals record.
12) Lighting of opening ceremony flame cauldron in 2008 Beijing Olympics
> The last torch bearer was Li Ning, an ex-gymnast. He was suspended mid-air and mimic the running around the stadium before lighting the fire cauldron.
13) China beat USA in the medal tally in 2008 Beijing Olympics
> China's medal tally was 51 golds, beating USA at 36 golds. However, in total number of medals, USA still topped the chart by extra 10 medals.
> It has been awhile since the last person who made a great impact in sports as Usain. He became the currently undisputed fastest man on Earth, with his gold medal and world record feats in 100m, 200m and 4x100m track events. What was so special was the distance he beat his opponents, and he seem to be able to do even better.
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