bleached 'mind' .. 'cleaner' post

have bleached my 'mind' ... so can get a cleaner post, me hope :)

Average 5.8%
... that's how much salary increase likely to be in Malaysia in 2006
quote : The Sun, Mercer Human Resource Consulting
self talk : and how's that supposed to be enough for us (me in particular)
.. no need to eat & yam cha ah? no need to put petrol ah? no need to buy clothes, shoes & 'ban leng leng' ah? no need pay bills meh? no need to ....
consider yourself lucky if you get more than that :)
however, if you are in the following industries, you may get a higher average
power sector : 6.9%
pharmaceutical sector : 6.3%
consumer goods secotr : 5.7% (this one lower abit)

6.25%
the BLR (Base Lending Rate) w.e.f 4/12/2005
previously it was at 6%.
rise in BLR will translate to higher cost of borrowings for consumers with housing & car loans as well as for business. Commercial banks are likely to raise their BLR after BNM's (Bank Negara Malaysia) announcement of hike in OPR (overnight policy rate)
don't ask me what is OPR ... yet to check what's that yet :p
However, deposits with the bank (savings/fixed deposits/any form of deposits) may earn you higher interest rates :)
self talk : had not been saving, so shall make 'saving' one of my resolution for 2006 :p
now me know, one man's meat could be another man's poison..

T+7
.. the new time frame for settlement of share purchases (soon to be implemented, decided 23/12/2005)
previously it was T+3 (meaning transaction date plus 3 trading days)
source : The Sun 24/12/2005
brokers can finance their clients for the period between T+4 and T+7.
It was believed that this will eventually lead to
... higher volume of shares traded when market sentiments improves by wooing retailers back to stock market
... benefitting momentum trader or speculators more
... more contra trading (where traders doesn't pay full cost of shares, just paying for loss or receiving from profit of the trafe)
... better trading volumes

1 second
the time delay for new year day 2006
Source : The Sun 29/12/2005 - Reuters -
23:59 on 31/12/2005 .. we will enjoy a minute with 61 seconds :)
scientist are delaying the start of 2006 by the first "leap second' in 7 years, a timing tweak meant to make up for changes in the Earth's rotation.
how? you ask
By sticking an extra second into atomic clocks worldwide at the stroke of midnight Coordinated Universal Time, the widely adopted international standard (US National Institute of Standards and Technology)
self talk : me try not to blink my eyes. doesn't want to miss this 1 second.

女人不坏，男人不爱

女人不坏，男人不爱

need not re-read the above phrase =p
you didn't read incorrectly
neither me wrote wrongly

me never really like people who smoke until recently
but me tried smoking
.. but regretted me didn't finish 1 whole batang
.. and didn't got the technique right
thinking of trying again =p

last time in the 'car wash' post ..
me think me left some important points
me .. besides like to wash car .. actually like to climb car too =p
err... not climb INTO car but climb ON TOP of car
* hehe..if can prance & dance around, better =p
and climb ON TOP of someone's car me did
the owner angry or not me not sure =p
what me sure ... the feeling was great

that night, me was very happy =)
accomplished 2 feats =)
and discovered that
' 我本来就是个坏女人啊， 不必去扮 ' =P

Santa was very kind to me

Remember what they used to say ...
'you don't get present from santa if you're naughty'

even in the song of 'santa claus is coming to town' ... it sings
.. you better watch out
.. you better not cry
.. you better not shout
.. I'm telling you why
.. santa claus is coming to town
.. he's making a list .. checking it twice
.. gonna find out who's naughty n nice **note this sentence =p **

me have been naughty all year long
especially so on christmas eve =p
yet santa was very kind to me ... gave me much more than me asked for
Thank you very much, santa claus =)

ps. were they lying when they say 'you don't get present from santa if you're naughty' or it doesn't matter because those present doesn't come from santa =p

“Pearl of the orient? Not food court of the orient meh?”

Day 2 ...

sleep .. sleep .. sleep
some very noisy handphone were stuck to the tent
play.. play.. play
no idea what 'wake up' songs were played
wake..wake..wake
but me actually need more sleep !! =p

no brush teeth .. no wash face .. no comb hair
eat bread, use nescafe to gargle =p while smiling happily for the camera =)

pack..pack..pack
chee seng asked " where's the tent plastic cover?"
find ..find.. find
not found
see..see..see
the tent cover is in his bag ... aiyoyo

walk..walk..walk
breathe.. breathe..breathe
came out of the jungle liao

sleep..sleep..sleep
reach cheese's home liao
queue..queue..queue
take bath liao

then we go
eat.. eat .. eat
then sleep..sleep..sleep
reach kek lok si
pray.. pray .. pray
hope everyone safe & healthy

sleep .. sleep .. sleep
reach market selling 'tambun biscuits'
negotiate.. negotiate ..negotiate
bought 13 boxes of tambun biscuits
find..find..find
found stall selling famous 'teow chew cendol'
cough .. cough .. cough
also don't care .. makan juga

talk .. talk .. talk
suddenly want go Tambun for seafood
wait .. wait .. wait
finally got ferry
blow..blow wind
reach mainland ferry terminal
sleep .. sleep .. sleep
reach seafood restaurant liao

round .. round..round
then only got parking
stand.. stand .. stand
then only got table to sit
order..order..order
then only got foods to eat
knock.. knock .. knock
tear .. tear .. tear
then only got crab meat eat
count..count..count
then only 'mai dan' (pay)

sleep..sleep..sleep
reach island
remind .. remind.. remind
'someone' to buy toothbrush
pusing .. pusing .. pusing
then only go yam char
choose.. choose .. choose
then only settle for starbuck
chat..chat..chat
then only realised coffee sudah habis
chat..chat.. chat
then only willing to leave
snap..snap..snap
then only realised digicam no battery

sleep..sleep..sleep
reach cheese's home liao
watch.. watch..watch TV
movie..mandarin speaking
wash..wash..wash
everyone got ready to sleep
sleep .. sleep .. sleep
cannot sleep (coz daytime sleep too much liao =p
look.. look.. look
ceiling nothing to see
then disturb .. disturb chai yee
think .. think .. think
drink cough mixture to sleep =p
drowsy..drowsy..drowsy
and it works !!

sorry if the sleep..sleep..sleep appeared too many times. but me afraid that's the frequency it occured. can't help it =p
' duo duo yuan liang '

“Pearl of the orient? Not food court of the orient meh?”

Day 1 ...
"Rain rain go away, come again another day" best sum it all
It was literally raining for about 24 hours alternating between drizzle, showers and raining cats & dogs .. and that according to Addy's was because he was singing all the way

• Chai yee route : her home – my home – keef home – foong ling home. Don’t know why but girls couldn’t help comparing … including sizes of luggages :p however, our main concern was whether addy’s car can accommodate all ?
• Tmn Segar petronas station : fill petrol, buy tid bits & Saturday The Star newspapers .. that reveals that everyone is looking for some new job opportunities.
• Kampar : this is where we stopped for breakfast .. the ‘duck thigh herbal soup mee’ is really delicious especially on a rainy morning. Me think me can gulp down another bowl if not because me reserve my stomach for more food in penang :p
• Penang : penang bridge is much longer than me thought and we paid 7 bucks for it :) just arrived and we travel around town like pro. Thanks to our ‘KL – turned - PENANG DRIVER’ :p
• Giant – Pragin Mall : where we got our food stuffs for camping tonight … bread & tuna spread, cakes & biscuits, snacks, muesli bars, mineral water … wanted to get more but since me not willing to carry them hiking, so has to eat lesser loh =p
• Pragin Mall : ‘Cheese’ our unofficial tour guide was working half day thus we are to meet him after work. Me lost count how many times we past 'that' shop and took the escalator before we settled at Metrojaya. But by then, sorry gals, me really no more energy liao to look at the nice clothes…me need to eat (was hungry) & sleep (thanks to the cough mixture) And when Chee Seng finally arrived and said "ngor dei hui sik yeh shin" (we go eat first).. me was the happiest person around :D
• Makan place near cheese’s home : we eat, eat, eat & drink. Since the ‘renter’ didn’t managed to get us the camps, the guys has to do the hard work of getting the tents from TESCO while we gals go home, bath & pack. All were drenched wet except me..hehe :p why? because me selfish lo.. doesn’t let others shade under the umbrella that doesn’t belong to me :p
• Chee seng’s home : cheese’s friend (that time still dunno name) came but seeing us (very noisy gals) inside, refused to come in.. despite numerous attempts to invite him in :p now, we wonder…are we that scary??
• Tmn Negara Pulau Pinang : it was about 5pm++ and we were sort of rushing as we want to reach the beach before it gets dark. Got ourselves registered before embarking on ‘journey to the west’ =p pity the guys, they had to carry all the heavy heavy things, some more had to take care of us =p nevertheless thank you very much =) in the jungle everyone is ‘ah bingo’ and surprisingly ..we still have energy to take photos =) At one point, foong ling slipped and twisted her ankle with the ‘crak’ sound, we were worried but she is definitely one brave girl, continue hiking with us to the beach.
• The beach : It was dark when we arrived. Mosquitoes are chasing us around happily …it’s their feast day =p me learnt to set up camp =) we decided to have our camp under the open sky instead of the hut. While the guys are busy looking for fire woods on a rainy day?? we gals attend to foong ling’s injured feet. The foods were tasty. Weren’t they? Sorry but I need to tell you all this … I prepared those tuna & salmon sandwiches with the same pair of hand me used to massage foong ling’s legs. And you wonder why you can’t help but have a second piece =p
• Round-fire camp : honestly, me really enjoy the time when we sit around the kerosene lamp (made-belief campfire) eating, chatting and singing our hearts out. Only then we got to know cheese’s friend’s name is Jeff. He really can sing like our local talent ‘Pin Guan’ and our friend Addy was not bad either :p even our shy friend Chee Seng started singing chinese songs too :p allow me to say this : at one point of time when the 3 guys were singing, me felt like we are a bunch of lucky gals being serenaded with songs .. yah, me know that’s silly :p singing is a temptation, me think me forgot I’m a girl, threw my cautions to the wind and started singing never mind the missing lyrics =p
• Jetty at night : it was windy & chilly there. A lot of people were fishing and ketam’ing. The walk at the beach was romantic =p but the trip to toilet wasn’t. Imagine going into a dark filthy toilet with your torchlight along =p no simple feat.
• Inside camp : if it's not because the rain was getting heavier and camp started to collect water, we wouldn’t have moved back to the hut. Chee Seng and Jeff went to sleep in the rain, holding the umbrella on top of the tent with his leg .. salute =p we played cards, and being one of the loser, me posed ugly for photo but nothing beats Addy’s ‘gam yu lou’ look =p
  With Addy and a deck of cards around, you’ll hardly not have tarot reading :p so we started to see who’s the …. Ranging getting rich fastest, changing jobs, getting married, most children, who’s the most dislikeable person, most clumsy, most ‘dai tao ha’
• Tidur time : " I’ve been robbed off my innocence" that’s what you get when you put 4 gals & a guy in a 6-men tent. Now we wonder what happened?? =p

“Pearl of the orient? Not food court of the orient meh?”

Me feel there’s a need to mention this… :p
Me have been receiving SMSes for me to update the blog.
I’m sorry oh.. as compensation me try to give a more detailed itineries :)

Year-end holidays will not be complete without a trip … well, for me at least =p
So when there was a suggestion to go on a ‘makan’ trip … there’s no way me not joining =p

Prelude
As with any other days before me going for trips … anything at work doesn’t and cannot affect me, not even nasty customers =p me was nastier * sneaky grin *
Waking up every 2 to 3 hours to look at the time wasn’t a fun thing to do especially when lack of sleep.
Pai seh :p my father has to wake up 5.30am just to make sure me not still sleeping. Yah..me know me can sleep better than pig :p

a more-spacious home

a more-spacious home ...
not me, but my tortoises really need it.
It dawn on me one day, that they can sue me for negligence ... because me not looking after their welfare :p torturing them by not providing a conducive living environment :p
try imagine 2 palm size tortoises in a standard small plastic aquarium, they can't even stand side by side without being on top of each other. don't think they have much spaces left to move about. now you know how horrible me can be :p

have thought of buying a new more-spacious home for them ... but just didn't know why days passed and me had still not bought them their new home. me guess me thought me was buying a home for myself gua ;p

the tortoises are lucky :) fortunately at last, someone ... a good samaritan actually bought me to look high and low for their home, then only found a more-spacious home for them. else the tortoises may have to suffer in the cramp aquarium for another - don't-know-how-many-days - ( or weeks)

here i'm .. on behalf of my tortoises (n myself :p) would like to say 'thank you' to the 'good samaritan' :)

ps. this good samaritan taught me something as well ... "it's the thought that counts" :p

no more ...

1. Open your wallet or purse
2. Look into it ... do you see any more gold coins denoting RM1 or $ 1 ?
3. If you find any, well they are now souvenirs :p

Me was digging out coins to buy chinese newspapers (night edition) when me found a few gold coins. Then only it strike me that ....
Effective 7/12/2005, RM 1 coin is no longer legal tender.

will miss those gold coins ...
but me happy because go supermarket, trolley no need to insert coins liao :p

photos

today after attending norhayati's wedding reception, we went to chai yee home ... memang sengaja sibuk sibuk.
me couldn't believe me occupying so much of chai yee's time to look at her photo collections... ok, mine was never complete ... some here, some there, some dunno where.

as we look through the photos ... both hard copies & soft copies ... stories unfold, trying to remember what happened when the photo was taken ... trying to relive the emotions during then .. trying to remember how fun was it and what we had been through
it is true that they say "photos capture the moments"

still not enough, at night, me even looked through the photos again ...
photos, they can be addictive ... especially those with happy smiles ;)

who?

got experience before?
... got sms from someone which you had given your number to, but can't remember who? =p
especially sometimes when you met someone in a rush, you gave them your number and ask them to either miss call or sms you,
then only receive the sms a few days later
by then, me cannot remember who is who liao, might have asked a few people to do same thing within that few days ...
me think next time better ask people give me their numbers, then me miss call them or sms them =)

open house that open minds

me really enjoy open house, not only can have opportunity to try nice foods
also opportunity to meet back alot of friends ... some we didn't meet for years

was at zarul's open house last saturday, meet alot of schoolmates last time ... it was a wonderful day never mind the heavy rain ... would have regretted if me was not there.
strange ... how friends can remember our names and me kept mismatching their names & faces =p
ahmad fadzly became ahmad fadzil
lutfi became hanafi
couldn't remember rizal, azrin, aishah ...

we talked about so many things, about everyone we know .... last time till present, also about future
suddenly feel that everyone is progressing very fast except me
Nur Affendy studied aerospace & currently with NASA Malaysia...
'Ah Pai' actually qualified to the 3rd stage (9 candidates left) under the pemilihan angkasawan malaysia nationwide
nadiatul syima is working as enforcement officer
forgot who became lecturer
rizal came with wife ayu ( a down to earth girl me enjoyed talking to)
a few street away, Riyas was having kenduri kahwin

also to share ... pretty girls do get more attention =p
because the very first thing our guy friends asked me is this
" thong siew leng sekarang macamana? lebih cantik dari dulu? "

next time me know, me can't be so 'chou lou' =p
a girl has to learn to duduk bersimpul (if sitting on the floor) ... both legs together folded one side either left or right and not with the legs crossing one another

will try to post the photos when adilla email to me =)
and we plan to have a 'huge gathering' for all of us =)
was told they had organised a 'buka puasa' gathering earlier and met alot of long-time-no-see friends

why do stars twinkle?

why do stars twinkle?

because it is a long long journey =)
stars twinkle because their light has to pass through several miles before it reaches the eyes of an observer
remember last time in physics we learn about 'pembiasan' =)
eg. how a coin at the bottom of swimming pool seems to wobble from side to side?
similarly, stars twinkle because their light has to pass through several miles of earth's atmosphere before it reaches our eyes.
It is as if we are looking up at the universe from the bottom of the swimming pool

modified from "ask the expert" column - The Star, Sunday 20/11/05

if got time, try looking at the sky for stars, you'll find them smiling & twinkling their eyes at you ;)

happy

visited http://chengkim.blogspot.com/
me guess these few days are happy days ...
me happy too ... also don't know why =)
happiness is so simple yet sometimes we think it's hard to get =)
ironic isn't it?
read somewhere " we thought comfort & luxury were the chief requirements, yet all we need to be happy is something to be enthusiastic about (look forward to)

fridge n now washing machine

fridge ... washing machine
me guess they need rest & rejuvenation too =)

just around 2 to 3 months back, the fridge at my home was not a fridge =p
... was basically just a storage area which consume electricity
... doctor (the foreman) say "your fridge need to 'masuk gas' and change organ 'thermo-something'
... and the hospitalisation & surgery fees cost about rm500++ (got kena tipu or not ... me dunno)
... me suggest maybe buy new one better loh... but my mother say 'give fridge a chance, maybe after fridge recover, it'll be better"

and now
washing machine also 'fall sick' liao
refused to help wash our clothes ... perhaps too tired from so many years of washing.
now me considering whether should let go this and get a new one
one thing for sure ... any one me choose will also need money

haha...me think fridge & washing machine 'pakat' one ... they know usually bonus will come near year end ... so clever =p

Sparks fly

It’s Friday night and sparks fly …… from the electric cables in front of opposite row of homes.
The same thing happened before near a friend’s house in midah http://p4n6.blogspot.com/2005_03_01_p4n6_archive.html
There were sparks flying … at one point traveling across the cable from right to left (it was a sight to behold actually but I didn’t managed to capture it like pang did)
Lucky nothing happen to the cars park below the cable.

As busybody as I’m … I go sibuk, aunties opposite house asked if me can call TNB.
So ‘103’ me dialed to get TNB no. ‘15454’
A report was lodged and my details taken … they afraid me making pranks call gua =p
Cik Siti : kita akan hantar technician ke alamat cik
Me : agak-agak bila ye? (asking because need to go fetch my sister)
Cik Siti : secepat mungkin

True to her words, less than 30 minutes, a medium TNB service vehicle came with 3 techicians looking for me. So me let them know what happened.
As soon as me finish talking & pointing, I was surprised when they got back into their vehicles and one of the guy said " kita balik report dulu" …. Off they went.
I stood there at the gate for a while … did nothing … at that moment, my mind couldn’t register what happened.
Remember me came into the house telling my mother " ask them to come repair, they go minum kopi woh"

Around 10.30pm++ after come back from fetch sister, someone pressed doorbell looking for me … thought friend … only to be informed he’s from TNB.
That guy is on motorbike … what can he do? I was puzzled??? Did the 3 technician ‘balik report dulu’ and now they send a technician on motorbike???
Again, me ‘replay’ the story … wondering the earlier 3 technicians ‘balik report dulu…report apa??’

Then me purposely mentioned "tadi sudah ada orang TNB datang, tapi sekejap sudah cabut loh’ =p
Poor chap explained "oh, itu tadi medium size, nanti kita hantar truck besar datang"
Me : ini sudah lewat ada kerja lagikah? 24 jam ah? Servis banyak bagus woh =)

Me don’t care lah… tomorrow me no at home =p hehe
If they are coming, should know what to do when ‘truck besar datang’
… I sudah cakap ulang 3 kali loh, encik =p


ps.. haha… me think either my communication skill very bad that no one understand what I say OR me must be a great liar that they need 5 people ….the telephone operator, the 3 technicians and another technician on bike to check whether I’m telling truth before they can take action =p kekekek

your money & you

me sleepy so couldn't think of anything better =p
___________________________________________________________
come this 12 - 13 November 2005
there will be a FINEX ... FInancial Expo 2005 at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, Hall 3.
time is from 10am - 8pm

" how to be sen-wise and ringgit-smart : for once, you can pick the brains of the experts"
" finally, all you want to know about making money work for you and taking prudent steps to protect your resources. Come talk to the movers and shakers of the industry and find out more about the latest development in the financial world. Be money-savvy!"
"learn more, earn more"
____________________________________________________________
source : The Sun 10/11/05

most probably me going on 13/11
anyone??

WATER – what’s water to you?

Once, there is a small ‘fish’ living in an aquarium yet doesn’t know the existence of water.
Only upon having the opportunity to jump out of the aquarium, small ‘fish’ discovered that it has been living in water.

Youth to some people is like water in the aquarium. Upon losing it, only realized youth & time were wasted. We only come to realize its preciousness when we no longer have it.

What about you, my friend?
Have you neglected your youth?
Live life to the fullest..so that life is ‘mo yin mo fui’ …no regret

I love this short voice tag aired over MY fm cause it strike me hard, right at my heart.
Pardon my no-good translation. However, if have chance, catch it over radio

Mirror in lift – what are they for?

Ever thought what are mirror in lift for?

Some say it’s for us to adjust our clothing before stepping out of lift.
Some say it’s to create a sense of vastness in the lift
However, it’s actually to enable handicapped persons on wheelchair to maneuver themselves without the need to turn around.

No matter how open our minds are, we tend to view things from our perception first.
(sorry…I forgot what was the last line lah)

Another short voice tag which me think is true especially the last part…
This one is by Lee Chung Shen, also aired over MY fm.
There are more but meanwhile these are the 2 me can remember

Woke up LOL

It could be the holiday mood
Me didn't know me capable of waking up LOL =D
Had a hilarious dream … one that made me LOL in my sleep and find myself laugh till wake up.
It was 4.39am.
ps. me woke up liao and watch a cantonese movie "ngor zor ngan gin do guai" translated "my left eye see ghost" .. nice watch =)

Me don’t think had experienced this previously (maybe I had but I didn’t wake up)
Strange ... me laughing but couldn't remember what made me laugh non-stop.
just remember last scene was
I swayed my hand towards a guy head and said ‘soh ga lei?’ translated ‘gila wan ah u?’ or ‘crazy wan ah u?’

Tried to recall while brushing my teeth but nothing came back.
Guess it’s best left that way.
How nice if we get happy dreams like that always =D

Happy Deeparaya

wishes all our friends .. Happy Deepavali & Selamat Hari Raya Aidifitri !!! ; )
me know a bit late =p
what's nice about malaysia ... we get longer holidays & more fun when they are joint celebrations =)
read in THE STAR the other day that neighbours ... a muslim family & a hindu family eating halal 'loh-sang' .... that's the beauty =)

as usual, some nice quotes from print advert

Astro : time can never dim the light. It can only make it shine all brighter. Happy Deepavali
Calsberg : An ancient tamil proverb says "When blesses with benefits, share it round, so the world is improved too" Happy Deepavali
Petronas : Tunaikan tanggungjawab dengan ikhlas, tanpa mengharap balasan. Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Honda Malaysia : hari raya aidilfitri kunci penyatuan, maaf dipohon dan restu dipinta, raikan bersama sanak saudara dan rakan taulan, semoga siralturahim erat sentiasa.
TM : united we stand, divided we fall. TMcelebrates the spirit that is uniquely Malaysian.
Digi : because there's no limit to a child's imagination in traditional story telling. For this year's joint celebration, share this tradition with your children and you will give our past a future. besides entertainment, story telling also helps bond families and friends.

to say ‘I love you’ one more time

err… that’s the title of a chinese movie me watched on Friday 28/10/05 starring andy lau, charlie yeung & charlence choi.
Beautiful actor & actress aside, me find the message conveyed through the movie was real.
It tells about love … love in relationship & that of parents – child.

There were 2 parts that gave me a lasting impression
1st .. a story
once upon a time, there were an old couple. The grandpa (gong gong) always walks with fast pace while the grandma (po po) strolls very slowly trailing behind her husband. Gong gong doesn’t understand why po po walks so slowly. Po po always wonder why gong gong always walk as though he’s in a rush, that at times she finds it difficult to catch up with him.
Although so, gong gong & po po never gave up on each other, they walk together. And that’s because they love each other.

2nd … a sentence a father said at his daughter tomb
" You have serious short sightedness… I don’t.
Don’t worry. No matter what, I’ll look for you in next life"

…. Which reminds me of another story, it just came to mind as me typing
…………..while a father & daughter is crossing a hanging bridge
father : hold my hand, dear. Then you’ll not fall
daughter : no daddy, you hold my hand!
father : but why can’t you hold daddy’s hand, dear? Isn’t it the same?
Daughter : No. If I didn’t hold on well to your hand, I might fall. But if you are holding my hand daddy, I know you’ll make sure I never will fall. And if I fall, I know you’ll never let go my hand.

Isn’t it amazing how little stories can remind us a lot about realities in life? =)

启程

启程
nice song they play over radio on my way back =)

每一天 都有一些事情将会发生
every day, something will happen
每段路 都有即将要来的旅程
every road, there will be a coming journey
每颗心 都有值得期待的成分
every heart, will be something worthwhile to look forward to
每个人 都有爱上另一个人的可能
every people, will have possibility of loving someone
想爱 就不能害怕会有伤痕
to love, then shall not be afraid of getting hurt
没有人完整 却有人能信任 才找到永恒
no one is perfect , but we can trust someone, then 'forever' found
想到达明天 现在就要启程
to reach tomorrow, have to depart now
只有你能带我走向未来的旅程
as long as you can lead me to future journey
想到达明天 现在就要启程
to reach tomorrow, have to depart now
你能让我看见
you can let me see
黑夜过去 天开始明亮的过程
the dawn after dark

How the heaven wept …

There are people who make the world special just by being in it
and Allahyarhamah Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmmod was no doubt one.
beloved wife of Pak Lah (Y.A.B Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi)

It was this gentle yet strong lady that touched our lives… her courage, her resilience, her strength, her generosity & thoughfulness, her smile.
Let her legacy endures and her spirit multiplies.

We are reminded again as a nation the fragility of life & its precious contribution.
Last Thursday, as our tears flowed, the sky wept with us ..
However, perhaps ‘our pain is heaven’s gain’

May God bless her soul.
Al – Fatihah

how good is your temper

LIBRA : September 22 October 22

Did someone say that you`re the charmers of the zodiac?
Well, it`s true. Few have ever seen you ruffled or angry.
You`re very conscious of your image, and you believe that anger distorts your face and personality. You also think you are above things like anger.
But wait before you get into self-congratulatory mood.
Your family or those very close to you know you better. You have an unmatched temper amongst all the zodiac signs, and what makes it worse is your capacity to justify it.

SCORPIO : October 23 November 21

Of course you don`t lose your cool. But your very demeanour (manner) projects haughtiness (arrogance, pride), pride and grand disdain (disregard) for lesser mortals (humans).
Others are often found saying > that anger sits on your nose, and you are raring to give your peace of mind to the 1st person who tries to act funny with you.
You are selective in the choice of your friends, and have a low tolerance for the superfluous (extra) types.
Your tongue-lashing (attack) is generally in a soft hissing tone, for when you scream, your voice tends to get shrill & loud, & you do hate drawing attention to yourself.
When upset, you are angrier with yourself for having shown weakness, for the last thing that
Scorpio wants to show is being out of control

SAGITTARIUS : November 22 December 20

You`re insensible and generally have no complete control over your emotions.
You do get angry quickly and others marvel at your anger levels even when provoked.
Actually, you get tongue-tied when angry and you will remove your anger waiting for the other person to calm down.
Then you will reason with your opponent and convince the other person in a very gentle manner that the whole thing was just his mistake. You`re also likely to totally sever ties with someone when you`re upset with them

CAPRICORN : December 21 January 19

Few will believe that a hardcore practical and materialistic person like you is capable of sensitivity and genuine emotions.
You project a hard exterior but are actually very sensitive, a trait you successfully hide from others.
U can be seething with anger but will not betray your feelings.
But then, there are times that even you cannot control yr temper.
Under such circumstances you can shout and scream, more with frustration at the situation than with anger at any particular person. Your outbursts can shock others and can make them feel guilty too

how good is your temper

LEO : July 22 August 21

If anyone has total control over their emotions, it is you.
But then, you can be described as stiff, cold and uncaring.
You are known to lack spontaneity but you really don`t care about opinions.
You don`t like to create scenes and will never accept invitations to a party where you suspect the presence of an unruly lot.
But your very presence seems challenging to some and they take vicarious pleasure in your disquiet. When angry you can use very critical language.
A dressing-down can humiliate yr opponent, causing a strain between both of you forever.


VIRGO : August 22 September 21

Most of you are gentle and have full control over your emotions, but those of you given to temper tantrums can certainly get violent.
When see thing with rage, you yell and shout and tend to break things lying close at hand.
You can even harm yourself by banging your hands on a glass top table or wall.
You should never get into any argument, for you are a sore loser.
You feel that others are trying to persecute you and don`t quite respect yr opinions.
When hurt, you can also hold grudges forever

how good is your temper?

GEMINI : May 21 June 20

You`re recognised by your cheerful disposition & yr jovial nature is not easily susceptible to anger. In fact, you`re the best person to have around when there is an ugly scene at a party
cos you can bring the warring factions together quite diplomatically.
But when you lose your cool, you yell and scream and will not listen to reason.
You must have the last word in a wordy duel.
Your capacity to argue aggressively is matched only by your seductive charm

CANCER : June 21 July 21

Considering how charming, caring, and kind you are, you dislike unpleasant scenes, much less creating one yourself.
You have great tolerance & rarely get provoked into losing your temper.
If someone`s unreasonable or trying to create trouble, you are more likely to walk away quietly.
But that does not mean you do not have a temper. When angry, in yr effort to control yr emotions, you tremble, your hands get sweaty, and sometimes you fumble for words.
Tears roll down your eyes easily and the opponent is touched by your innocence and will seek an apology immediately.

how good is your temper?

ARIES : March 21 April 20

Nothing seems to ruffle you more than a lack of discipline, disloyalty and decorum.
But Arians are also known to go into a rage very easily when challenged.
Those of you who`ve been on the receiving end of the Aries temper know that if not calmed down they can even get violent.
But one thing is certain if the opponent remains calm and does not react to their outburst, Arians cool down very fast. They will be also the first to apologize which makes them easier to forgive

TAURUS : April 21 May 20

You are generally quiet and have control over your emotions.
It is difficult to predict what will upset you, so when you do lose yr cool, people don`t know how to react.
Your temper is like that of a raging bull, and anyone trying to pacify you`ll be the first one to get a > verbal bashing.
You generally get upset when you are cornered or when people accuse you of doing something wrong. You also hate being reminded about mistakes you`ve made in the past. You also have the potential to be terribly vindictive if rubbed the wrong way

how good is your temper?

how good is your temper?
you decide whether true not true? =)

ps. me will post 2 hororscope a day ... trying to test your patience .. hehe =P

AQUARIUS : January 20 February 18
You are noble and kind and dislike losing control over your emotions.
It`s very rare for you to get angry. You are also the pacifier in situations that involve arguments.
It is always your endeavour to be perfect and socially correct in your behaviour & attitude, but if misunderstood and slighted you can give in to an angry outburst.
You`ll shout and scream and then walk out from the scene.
You cannot easily forget the situation and will be bitter about it for a long time.

PISCES : February 19 March 20
The only thing that can be said about you dreamers is that you appear even more attractive when angry.
You are very sensitive to others` feelings, so you rarely hurt them.
But when others tend to hurt you, then things take a nasty turn. You`ll yell and use harsh words, and feel inclined to shake everything and everyone up.
Your creative imagery is at its best when angry, & you tend to get pretty dramatic.
When upset, you refuse to listen to reason & wish to be left alone.
But once you have calmed down, you repent your tantrums and seek forgiveness.
So nobody can be upset with you for too long

NKF

had just finished watching NKF Charity Show held in Arena of Star, Genting Highland ... telecasted live over NTV7.
NKF ... National Kidney Foundation

The amount of effort by the artistes was commendable but it was the kidney patients that shone.

Although many cases are slotted during the 3 hours plus programme,
there are 3 cases which moved me
1. A mother who want to live on for her child but refused to accept her daughter's kidney
2. A young boy who had to undergo dialysis at such a young age. Imagine the heart sick of a parents.
3. A lady who's blind and had to undergo dialysis struggle to live on because she still has a mother to care for.

They are strong people that strive to continue living despite their conditions & difficulties. They never gave up no matter how hard. These are the people with courage and perserverance more than any one of us.

If you wish to lend them a helping hand,
TM Fixed line donation, dial
13777 - rm5
13778 - rm10
13779 - rm30

SMS donation
key in nkf5 or nkf10, send to 36881
nkf5 = rm5
nkf10 = rm10

on-line donation
www.maybank2u.com

(16/9/05 - 8/10/05)

How come I could never get it right?

Seriously, me do not know why? how come? Me still very bad at parking especially reverse parking.
Me .. the type that rather park far n walk than to squeeze in tight or ‘ngam ngam’ space.
Trust me it will take longer to squeeze the car in than for me to park further and walk =P
(ok lah, if not longer, maybe same amount of time)
and the ‘too sensitive’ car sensor didn’t help either =P

Me find it a handicap more so in KL where parking spaces are all ‘limited editions’.
With the increasing number of cars on the road, finding a parking space at Bandar Tun Razak LRT is a challenge every morning especially when you’re running late in the morning.
Really admire drivers who can park in spaces of any size without much hassle & at first attempt =) life is so much easier =)

Better not let my dad know, else he’ll say ‘park so far, dangerous when you collect car ah’
That’s because he didn’t know why me park so far in the first place =P

REITs

REIT … in case you are wondering, is not the abbreviation for Rapid Evolving Information Technology.
You know me not that tech-savvy wat =p
Me only have dollar sign in my eyes =P

REITs … stands for Real Estate Investment Trusts
Another possible avenue to park your extra cash, a minimal amount of rm1000 or less is needed per investment unit.
The returns are rather steady ranging from 6% - 8%p.a besides having potential for capital gain appreciation. As merchant & investment banks handle the investment, there’s a minimal 1% commission fee charged.
Merchants & investment banks manage 3 areas of property namely – commercial (office buildings), retail (shopping complexes) and industrial (factories & warehouses)

Would like to find out more about REITs & how they can work as a strategic tool in gaining wealth?
grab a copy of "Road to Riches with REITs" by Sherilyn Foong from major bookstores.
Priced at RM25 a copy, all proceeds from the sale of the book will go to struggling single mother under WIM (Women’s Institute of Management)

Modified from source : The Star 14/09/05

Workers are human too

They may be foreign workers but they are human too! They are just trying to earn a living like any of us. Yesterday, during lunch hour at KWSP building, me witnessed a shocking incident …
a dangerous fall and a nasty boss (nasty in a sense of being very inconsiderate)

From far, as me walking toward the automated glass door of KWSP building, I saw a male foreign worker standing on a ladder lean against the wall doing something to KWSP logo.
To me, it looked dangerous. The ladder was lean against the wall, the guy is high up (about 4m -5m high) and no one is holding the ladder base, nothing to block ladder from sliding too.

Never did I expect what I fear was about to happen. As I walked past, I heard a loud thud, the sound of metal hitting the ground and someone shouted. I turned back and saw the foreign worker laying on the ground. The ladder was laying on the ground too.

The foreign worker cried in pain. His boss, a Chinese man, scolded him with vulgar words in Chinese & something about him so ‘no use’ and other rude remarks. Never did he even help the poor worker, he just walked off instead, swearing.

Hey, I mean, this guy didn’t fall off from a chair, he fell down from about 4m - 5m high ladder. If he had a choice, he wouldn’t want this to happen. For god sake, he’s a human too. He might have family to care for at home. Being a boss doesn’t give you the right to treat others unwell.
However, what serve as a consolation was that there were many good souls around. Some security guards, KWSP & Public Bank staffs went to help this poor guy & informed the clinic on 1st floor.

Witnessing the incident left a bitter taste .. the fall, the worker, the boss.
Me think ‘everything does happen for a reason’

What happened, my dear eye?

My right eye … the pain is like being ‘boxed’ except this doesn’t come with blue back marks nor red eye. just a bit watery.
Don’t know why, it just came suddenly since Saturday morning.
Pain every time I close my eyes, like being punched in the eye.

No I didn’t peep ‘leng chai’ take bath =p Didn’t cry either. Didn’t simply rub my eyes. Didn’t fight and was not punched. Don’t remember being punched in my dreams also =P Didn’t seem to have any allergy … not that I know of. Didn’t play games on PC for pro-long hours =p and wasn’t lack of sleep.

The worse .. me didn’t go to doctor. I thought it will go away after a while at Cameron, but it didn’t.
If still pain tomorrow, I think me need to go to doctor liao.

What happened, my dear eye??

深呼吸

深呼吸
曲：宇恒 词：宇恒

我紧紧握着方向盘 开车在回家的路上
空气很凉 摇上车窗 一个人好慌张

不知道拐了几个弯 经过了绿色的收费站
空气中听见我的歌唱 熟悉旋律在回荡
什么时候眼泪开始打转

我要我自己坚强
我知道我能做到
我就要活得比从前更好
123深呼吸 就感觉这力量 叫做翅膀 准备飞翔

我的想法很简单
没有他们的复杂
我背负一个伟大的梦想
123深呼吸 我呼吸爱的力量 学着让自己勇敢

我知道 你知道 还要全世界看到 我的真心和希望

cam's - cam - cam - pics ... read camillia's camera cameron pics

all cameron pics courtesy of cam
this is halfway up the hill .. where they have the waterfall, our first 'stop'

we should have ask someone else take for us and carmen to join us.
another nice place for tea

why was foong ling giggling?? hehe =P

taken from apartment balcony early morning ... nice accomodation

me love this pic, cam .. dunno why

yummy .. even just look. no, no rice in rice cooker, it's salad in there .. specially prepared foong ling & cam =)

it's makan time ... these ladies are actually removing the 'burnt' portion so that we can have safe n tasty food. how 'sai sum' =)

group photo .. at another Boh tea plantation

calm n cool

nature is beautiful ... very

beautiful .. need i say more?

This is my fav Boh tea centre, Sg Palas ... note of the simple n nice design ... those round round blocks are actually wood blocks inserted to the metal frame

see the extended balcony .. my favourite spot

the background
a clearer view of the balcony (my fav spot) .. we were seated right at the end of the balcony facing the hills. I think it will be a nice place to stand when it's windy =)

A night to remember

16/9 – Annual Dinner & Dance 2005
It was a fun-filled night .. there were Freebies, Fun, Foods & Free Flow of drinks

Left office at 5pm sharp. Yin Yin ask me "you wearing these shoes? How to match cheongsam?" "Unfortunately, this is the only pair of high heels I have wo" I told her matter of factly.
"tak ge ler lei" yin yin snided…haha

Mandarin Oriental ladies were pack with staffs from UOB .. changing, make-up, styling hair.. it’s fun to watch ladies jostling around for the mirror spaces .. ok lah, me included =P can get a lot of make-up tips also =P if me not wrong, we spent average 30 minutes in there.

Freebies … yalah, me cheapskates .. no harm being one, I thought, since it’s free =P
Caricature … it’s worth queuing to have your ‘face’ drawn. You get a chance to look at yourself from other people ‘eyes’. Bravo to the 2 caricaturist who draw non-stop for more than 50 people. They say the ‘picture’ look a lot like me =P but I think the caricaturist did a great job drawing foong ling’s eyes .. so bright and sparkling =)
Free make up & hair styling booth .. if only I knew they have these, I definitely give a try instead of fumbling in the ladies. I should let the professionals help me instead .. sigh =) didn’t get to try as priority was caricature =)
Polaroid photos – how our photo appears on Polaroid is like ‘magic’. We were literally chasing the photogals to help us take photos … also ‘borrowing’ beautiful ladies & handsome men for photos.. hehe =P Also chance to tap shoulders with ‘boss’

Since it’s free sitting, we venture off from our department’s table … strange that these people still want sit together during dinners although sitting together for the rest of working days.. that would defeat the purpose to socialize during dinner, wouldn’t it? =P
There were only 4 of us (for a table of 10)… haha ..we’re eating for tomorrow’s dinner as well that the waiter serving us was shocked too =P

Got get compliments "the dress is beautiful" alas not the person wearing it =P (note that adjective is used to describe the dress not the wearer =P …you know what me mean? … for instance, if they think you are beautiful, they will say "you’re beautiful" and not "the dress is beautiful" =P hehe …

Met Vee Voon, very ‘ying’ in oriental shirt & hair stylishly combed.. in fact he saw us first. Our friend is darn lucky guy .. he got a Samsung MP3 player for lucky draw while we holding to our ticket stub hoping our number will appear =) he must be too happy clicking away, that by the time want take photo together, that’s time his digicam battery low =P

The performances were superb .. judging from my reaction. I seldom let go ‘eating’ to watch performance .. however me just did that. I was clapping, singing along and laughing non-stop that foong ling started looking at me one kind … as though I’m drunk =P
The performances … about this order (wanted to bring home the itinery but left on table liao)
24 drums, puteri gunung ledang, CMT drama, Buddy Loren … who impersonate many entertainers and sang in many language including hokkien, mandarin, Cantonese, malay, English, tamil, Hindustan and etc. he brought to us a lot of laughter and memories of some very nice songs. Last but not least …Dama Ochestra with Tan Soo Suan belting out Teresa Teng’s classics and some English classics.

Haha… was coaxed to join the dance floor by some ‘people’. Me think everyone also a bit ‘high’ after a few drinks. Me guess we work hard, we play hard too … no harm letting go once a while.

Indeed an enjoyable night =)
It doesn’t take a lot to make a person happy, really =D

No use …

The other night, my younger sis who’s having her trial exam, came to ask me add math questions.
I tried to recall by looking at examples but I couldn’t figure out how to solve. Me don’t know how to do at all, what more to explain.
I told my sis ‘sorry mei, ah jie really don’t know how to do. Try ask ah hsien"
She asked me "why you don’t know geh?"
This question lagi I don’t know how to answer =P

Really, me had returned all to Mr.Nio already.
If you are wondering who’s Mr.Nio, he’s our add math teacher who emphasize on ‘jalan kerja’ systematic.

Feeling ‘mo yong .. no use’ me flip through the add math book..
Pengertian & penyelesaian masalah, sukatan membulat, Janjang, Geometri koordinat, Fungsi, Persamaan kuadratik, Fungsi kuadratik, Indeks & logaritma, Hukum linear, Statistik, Persamaan serentak, Perbezaan, Pengamiran, gerakan pada garis lurus, pengaturcaraan linear, fungsi trigonometri, penyelesaian segitiga
Taburan kebarangkalian & vector.
But the problem is me remember some don’t remember some so can’t solve the question.. sigh

me? bad temper? let's see .. coming post

beuatiful lady with beautiful heart

It’s easy to find a beautiful lady but I found one with even more beautiful heart =)
Caring, understanding and giving =) I’m touched by her gesture & act of generosity.

Come this Friday 16/9/05, annual dinner & dance is back again.
The theme for the night ‘Oriental’…
Knowing how ‘wai sik’ I’m, me didn’t want to miss this sumptuous dinner at mandarin hotel although me didn’t have any attire that matches the ‘oriental’ theme…

While some of my collegues resorted to buying or renting from bridal shops, me didn’t … not because don’t want to but because no money lah. It cost about rm100 – rm300 per night depending on your selection.
So me quietly decided to wear the ‘baju kurung’ that was presented by Mai … may be not so oriental lah but again that’s the best I have mah.

Just when everything seem to be hopeless, I received a sms from this beautiful generous lady saying she has an extra cheongsam which she can borrow me. Me didn’t think me need to trouble her but as generous as she is, she actually brought the cheongsam all the way to Cameron Highland for trying. Needless to say, I was touched by her kindness.
Later, I got to know that the dress was one of her mother’s wedding dress which had been kept in good condition for about 25 years.

I really want to say ‘thank you very much Foong Ling' for everything

Mooncake, mooncake at the mall, which’s the tastiest of them all?

Off late, I think instead of asking ‘Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?’… Chang Er (Lady of the Moon) will be asking "mooncake, mooncake at the mall, which’s the tastiest of them all?’ =P

there are so many new mooncakes in the market that me would like to try, greedy me =P

For instance :

• Rum & raisin with nuts
• Snow skin chocolate whiskey
• Italian mooncake
• White lotus + white coffee
• Green tea or Gingko
• White lotus seed + ginseng
• Snow skin forest berries
• Snow skin cheese + honey + walnut
• Raspberry cheese
• Toffee Banana
• And also ice cream moon cake … slurp =P
• Agar-agar moon cake

Eating aside, mooncake festival is a beautiful night. When else can be play lantern, play candle and chit chat while enjoying the colourful sights of lanterns aka tanglung.
Come this Sunday 18/9 … happy moon cake festival .. enjoy everyone =)

Bon Simpanan Merdeka

For sharing
.. if some of us may like to take up this bond investment for our parents / grandparents or disseminate this information to elderly citizens =)

Offered by : Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) through authorized financial institutions / banks
Return : 5%p.a. paid quarterly (tax free)
Min investment : RM1000
Max investment : RM100,000
Penalty : No penalty if bonds are redeemed before maturity after 1st profit payment
Based on syariah principles
Eligibility : 55 years & above, not employed on full time basis
: retired on medical ground (not employed on full time basis)

Some banks offer eligible customers to switch over from FD (fixed deposit) to this ‘Bon Simpanan Merdeka’ as current FD rates are between 3%p.a to 3.7%p.a depending on tenure.

For more info, http://www.bnm.gov.my

Cameron trip - 2/9

need to type it down before I forget =)

2/9 – Friday

1. Alas, me couldn’t join Camillia, Chai Yee & Foong Ling to shop for the trip… what to do? Had to work. Received call from them confirming things like fridge, pillows & blankets, BBQ sticks, cooking utensils and ASTRO too =P

2. Foong Ling’s house is our starting point. As Cam put it .. "Addy is coming in his myvi to fetch his bride, Ms.Rose =P hahaha…

3. After finish loading the people, foods & luggage bags into the car, we headed towards Bidor for ‘Gai Zai Beng’ aka chicken biscuit. Also to try duck herbal soap mee and wantan mee.

4. We are attempting to ascend Cameron Highland with full stomach… a great feat as everyone was still steady when we reached our first stop at waterfall Hutan Lipur ‘something something’. Must praise both our professional drivers… the up-and-coming drivers for Initial D sequels =P

5. Took some photos at waterfall, were introduced to ‘buah larat’ .. a mangosteen like brown skin fruit.

6. Reached Cameron Valley .. a place where you can sit, enjoy tea and breathtaking sceneries. The market here is monopolised by ‘BOHBUCKS’ and ‘TEA LEAVES’ franchises. No wonder we can’t find STARBUCKS nor COFFEE BEANS here…hehe. But got SECRET RECIPE at Brichang woh =)

7. Further up Tanah Rata before Brinchang, all eyes were busy looking for blue roof apartment blocks. Went to see landlady at B3 (block B no.3) and was given K8’s key. On a scale of 10, I would give 7 for the apartment…hehe knowing how high my standard are =P

8. After unloading, we load people back to car .. proceed to brichang for charcoal and some ingredients for salad (Cam& Foong Ling makes delicious salad..mmm). Went to Cactus Valley .. saw cactus of all species, colours, shapes and sizes. Also many other types of flowers. Also fruits. Basically, these are the things you can expect to see a lot in Cameron.

9. Night market … we were walking thru and fro, surveying where can get best deal for the bulk purchases tomorrow night. However, what me can remember most is the yummy strawberry ice cream sticks. It's addictive =)

10. Back at apartment, the ladies prepare the food while the guys diligently start the BBQ fire in the moist atmosphere (did I mentioned there were only 2 macho guys on 1st day before Cam’s bf join us 2nd day =P . Do you think it will work if we try a switch next time on the responsibilities? =P

11. It was fun BBQing in the cool atmosphere .. good food to fill stomach, warm fire to warm ourselves, breeze to cool ourselves too.

12. We cleaned up (we did messed up the kitchen and almost everywhere too =P) took turn to take bath while some watch ‘Malaysian Idol’. Had more comments than the judges =D haha

13. The first night, my first time …………
playing ‘mahjong’ loh =P
I had always wanted to learn to play mahjong… trying to activate my ‘terbantut’ brain and wash out all unnecessary worries. Thanks to all my patient sifu Foong Ling, Addy, Carmen & Harvey, Cam & Hung Gee … I know it’s not easy explaining again & again to a slow person =) It was pretty addictive that me forced others’ to continue playing even though it had way past sleeping time =P

14. Me and Chai Yee chatted at hall … two sleepless people talking while staring at the ceiling with the radio on. We must have talked too loud that Foong Ling later joined us at the hall. Slept about 2pm++ …

Cameron trip - 3/9

3/9 – Saturday

1. About 6.30am, me can hear people upstair & downstair waking up. People start to take bath, going out for morning walk. Unable to sleep back although me tried, decided to wake up and go out for fresh air about 7am+. Me walked around the whole area, there were 16 blocks in total from A to P. Even played swing at the playground, singing as I swing… silly but it was so relaxing and me felt so free.

2. Around 8.15am+, Chai Yee called and asked me ‘where are you?’. Me left a small note on the mahjong table but guess no one sees it =)

3. Breakfast, our friend Addy & Foong Ling make great ones, scrambled eggs with potatoes, tuna, margerine with breads. Milo, tea or coffee? Cup mee? Also have =)

4. Today, going to visit uncle’s farm … Me told friends they will need to help to cut the vegetables & wrap them.. bad of me leh =P . We went to uncle house at Ringlet, uncle took all 8 of us in his ‘tutu’ car up to his farm. ‘tutu’ car is like a small open air lorry that people in Cameron use to carry their goods. It was quite bumpy ride ascending and descending slopes that are about 45degree to 60degree was exhilarating. Carmen even had tears from laughing =) the farm was usual but unfortunately it is not the flower blooming stage now. We eat ‘buah cinta’ (love fruit) and mini red guava pluck fresh from trees.

5. Uncle brought us to one of the BOH tea plantation. We had the opportunity to be briefed & view how tea leaves are processed. Some of us brought some tea packs. Was informed that there’s a better scenery tea plantation after Equatorial Hotel.

6. We had lunch with uncle, aunty and Mei Mei before proceeding to visit strawberry park … found self plucking farm, however rm40 for 1kg (min 1kg). We find it not worthwhile or downright expensive.

7. Proceeded to Butterfly Farm, Bee Farm and Rose & Orchid Farm. At the butterfly farm, we were introduced to many types of insects & snakes besides different species butterfly. We visited Equatorial Hotel too, using their washrooms, sitting at their lobby read newspapers and bench outside to enjoy the breeze. Cool weather is great.

8. Camilla is the heroine of the day when she displayed her prowess in negotiation .. price haggling. She’s great …getting the best deal for us .. the lady seller can only say ‘ok la, bolehlah’ =P. We were smiling non-sstop after she successful lower the price. None of us went back empty handed. In fact, we were spending as though we can print money =P but it’s alright because we are buying for our family & friends also.

9. Had steamboat for dinner .. tom yam & herbal soup. However, we thought it was a bit too costly ie. Rm15 per person (with the type of ingredients served). Make a quick round at the handicraft centre before we dashed to secret recipe for our supper. Bought 5 pieces of cakes ranging from chocolate mud, marble cheese, tiraimisu, chocolate banana and ‘I forgot’ flavour.

10. Back at apartment, we started calculating who paid for what and who’s supposed to pay who back. It was hard to really keep track and pasar malam traders don’t issue receipts =) In fact, we should have used the method we used for kuantan trip .. let treasurer pay all the money.

11. We gals had a interesting session of chit chat about marriage, about giving birth, about labour pain, about in-laws, about confinement, about scars, about problems, about a lot of things. As Hung Gee put it "last time, when go for holidays, people use to share ghost stories. Now modern already, gals talk about all these"

12. It was about 10pm+ when we played lanterns & candles (yes, you hear me right) and indulge in the cakes from secret recipes & mooncakes courtesy of Foong Ling =). We were not afraid of mosquitoes because Foong Ling & Carmen bought mosquitoes repellent plants =P

13. Mahjong session started after that, due to the addiction, me joined Carmen & Hung Gee at the table. 2 very experienced and smart players. Needless to say, my chips were gone after a few round. Carmen was very kind, she reminded me when I forgot to ‘touch’ new block. I felt very bad as it took me long to organize my blocks and know which to ‘dispose’. In short, when I don’t know how to win.

14. When Carmen went to sleep, Addy took over. Alamak, lagi cepat mati because earlier I was asking Addy when I’m in doubt. Now I got nobody to ask already. With my slow absorption rate, panic, poor probability skills, poor attention, poor understanding of basics all add up, chips were depleting like flowing water tap. Lucky the 2 gentlemen are not playing money, else I ‘hutang keliling pinggang’