About Me

I have done a lot of things in my life and have also worked in many different jobs to make a living and to experience life. This blog is just some of my musings, sometimes funny, sometimes inspirational, sometimes sad, sometimes angry, sometimes simple but all the time, it's just me.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

A lot to write but . . . .Happy New Year

I just do not seem to be inspired or motivated to write anything right now.

But I do want to write eventually of the nice dinner we had in Chalet on our anniversary.

Also about the nice little party we had in our home in KL.

I would also love to write about the days gone by in 2008 ... the new year is coming and I generally do not make specific resolutions except to be a better person every year.

I will write about this things, but not right now. As such, this is likely to be the last post for 2008.

So until next year then.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and let us all hope for a great year ahead.

Thanks for all the wonderful memories.

Here's something from the late Dan Fogelberg singing Same Old Auld Lang Syne


Take care and Be Well.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

12 years

On 27 December 1996, I was married to my wifey.

We had a church wedding at the St John's Cathedral in Bukit Nenas followed by a small lunch at the hall next to the church.

The service was conducted by Father Daniel Lim now a Monsignor.

We had about 45 guests and the food was catered by this Chinese vegetarian restaurant I frequented called Anywhere.

After a nice lunch, we rushed back to this budget hotel we booked in Brickfields for us and our guests.

Got ready for our Indian temple wedding which was attended by another 30 odd people.

The temple was in Pantai Dalam and is now surrounded by highways all over, above etc.

After the temple wedding, we again rushed back to our little hotel to get ready for dinner in Bombay Palace restaurant.

Again about 45 people came for dinner.

12 years ago, we were limited in cash but very much in love and after about 3 years of courtship we decided to get married.

Getting married to my wifey especially in church was a little challenging as we had to go through marriage course in the Roman Catholic church and I had to sign documents stating that my children will be brought up as Catholics.

12 years on, I am still very much in love.

Only wish is that work would not keep me apart as much as it does.

Oh well, this is something I have to continue hoping for, believe and hope that God will keep us closer together.

Time flies, we have had our ups and downs . . . but we have weathered through it all.

Congratulations to us. Here's a toast to us.



Take care and be well.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Dressed up and dressed down

Once too often I see this scene in Malaysia be it in Kuala Lumpur or Miri.

A guy and a girl go out dating, they may be just starting out, or boyfriend and girlfriend, or engaged or married.

They make reservations in a nice restaurant, they plan to have a nice romantic dinner, just the two of them.

The girls always look forward to this. They put on their best make-up, wear their best shoes and wear a nice dress. They are decked out.

And the guy . . . . guess what?

You know it, right?

Shorts, t-shirt, sandals, flip-flops or shoes without socks.

That is the idea of some guys taking their girls out for a date.

Okay, so I am generalising a little, but I see this way so very often that it is unbelievable.

Guys, common, dress up a little, put on an ironed shirt, jeans are fine but wear some shoes.

Geez, I tell you, when I went out dating (I have been out of the market for 15 years or so) but I used to dress up.

Take your girl to a nice place, please dress up, wear a nice shirt, do up your hair a little, wear nice shoes. . .

Take care and be well.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Ho Ho Ho and Fa La La La La...Merry Christmas


Come Let us Adore Me
Come Let us Adore Me
Come Let us Adore Me

He he he he he

Christmas for me is spending time with family and some friends... this year it has been mostly spending time with family and my wife, and sometimes, that is all that is required.

I have had a jolly good time and merry wishes from many people all around the world and it seems that is how it is going to be going forward in my life where I have friends and family members all around the world and sometimes being together is not possible.

I wish for Christmas all happiness in the world to each and everyone of my family members spread around the world and each and every one of our dear friends also all around the world.

Family in Poland, USA, India and Singapore and other parts which I do not know.

Friends in Malaysia which includes dear friends in Sarawak, Sabah as well as USA, Austria, Australia, South Africa, Finland, France, Indonesia, Philippines, Scotland, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, England, Poland, Czech Republic, Japan, China, Maldives and others.

Have faith and hope always.



Take care and be well.

Monday, December 22, 2008

And the song of the year award goes to.....

This was funny, I had to pinch it from Malaysiakini.

Sometimes just makes me go Da Da Da....



What you do and what you don't
What you will and what you won't
What you can and what you can't
This is what you got to know
Loved you though it didn't show

Da Da Da




Take care and be well.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Wedding Bells

The Bride's flowers enroute to Bintulu in Dungaboy's cupholder


The slightly nervous Groom.... is the Bride going to show up!!


The Bride and the Father ... seems the father is more nervous than the Bride?


The wedding and the dress that I help choose... really nice.


The traditional group photo



The 2 angels at night - Ser and Mack



Me and Wifey

The Grrrrrrrrrrrroom and The Brrrrride ..... what a handsome and beautiful couple.


Congratulations Add and Wynn.

May your life be filled with all good things.

The first and only wedding I attended this year and it was a blast, fun and meaningful.

Take care and be well.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Ta..na..na..Won't you take me to....Bintulu

Have not blogged for a few days now, but over the weekend, we went to Bintulu for Add's and Wynn's wedding and what a surprise Bintulu was.

I will blog about Add's wedding sometime soon, but now about Bintulu.

A few months ago, sometime earlier this year, I wanted to drive to Bintulu just for the heck of it, but was discouraged - being told that there was absolutely nothing in Bintulu.

Bintulu unlike Miri, is not a city, but that's where any comparison ends.

I found Bintulu to be more modern, cleaner, better shops, better food and even a better mall and reasonably priced compared to Miri.

Miri in comparison seems a little run down.

Bintulu roads were mostly 2 lanes everywhere.

The shops had a cleaner, more colorful feel to them.

The food was really reasonably priced.

The only other thing that I could compare with Miri was that the beaches did not seem to be well maintained in this 2 places.

I think apart from that Bintulu is far more nicer to be in terms of quality of life and living.

The theme of the weekend.... how appropriate....

Gotta make a move to a town that's right for me
Town to keep me movin', Keep me groovin' with some energy

Well, I talk about it, Talk about it, Talk about it, Talk about it
Talk about, Talk about, Talk about movin
Gotta move on, Gotta move on, Gotta move on

Won't you take me to
Bintulu
Won't you take me to
Funkytown
Won't you take me to
Bintulu
Won't you take me to
Funkytown



Take care and be well.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

You Can Win If You Want

This is now Kupps favorite song, so this blog dedicated to him ... yes, you can win if you want.

You can win if you want
If you want it, you will win
On your way you will see that life is more than fantasy
Take my hand, follow me
Oh, you've got a brand new friend for your life

You can win if you want
If you want it you will win
Oh, come on, take a chance for a brand new wild romance
Take my hand for the night
And your feelings will be right, hold me tight


Modern Talking .... ahh the memories, used to love them. I thought it was a bygone era.

Pink carrot cut pants, band leader jackets ... it was cool then but seems funny now. Same like bell bottom pants, but you know what, I am gonna look or tailor carrot cuts and bell bottoms, just for the heck of it, bring back the 70's and 80's, why not?




Take care and be well.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Who-do Hair-do Vodoo?

Who do hairdo vodoo?
Mack do hairdo vodoo.
I do hairdo color.
Wifey and I like Mack hairdo vodoo.
Mack likes her hairdo vodoo too.
I think hairdo looks real cool, fresh and sweet.
Before
After


Take care and be well.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Chingo piao, chingo piao, chingo piao lock

Blog title courtesy of KC (His version of Ah Pek singing Jingle Bells Rock)







Take care and be well.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Fractured

My sister in law, wifey's sister, Sophie fractured her foot a few days ago.

She had an accident in the swimming pool from the swimming lessons they go for in the special school that she attends.

Yes, Sophie is special, she is down syndrome, and due to the lack of schools for special kids in Malaysia, she started attending school only a while back.

We found her a school which she could attend in Ampang.

And as all private special schools go, the lack funds to hire professionals and therefore, she had an accident in the pool.

The foot swelled up.

Wifey took her to a old clinic we were going to previously in Bukit Antarabangsa.

The doctor gave some medication for pain and swelling.

The pain and swelling did not reduce. So, my family doctor, B, told us to get an X-Ray done.

The verdict: A fractured foot - the 5th metatarsal is broken.



The poor kid has been living with a fractured foot the past few days without being able to communicate her pain.

Life at the moment really seems like Murphy's Law.

People say things can only get better ..... but can't they also get worse.

I think I am getting fractured .... but hey, things can only get better, right? Or worse?

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

Take care and be well.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Maggi Classic Curry Flavour

Something comforting about eating Maggi mee classic curry flavour.

Maybe it is a male thing or maybe it is not, I am not entirely sure.

But every time I am really hungry, all I have to do is heat up some water and make Maggi and it truly feels so fulfilling.



It may not be the healthiest food out there and I do it less and less as I get older.

Maybe it is down to once or twice a month at most.

But every time I have it, I feel nice, I feel full, I feel a burst of flavours in my mouth, I feel fulfilled, I feel gleeful and I am grateful.

It is one of those things . . . you just appreciate.

Take care and be well.

Monday, December 8, 2008

The Great TM

I really generally hate dealing with call centers especially one from a monopolistic GLC like TM.

I think that they are too scripted and never think outside of the box or go the extra mile to resolve an issue just because they don't have too.

This was different when I was growing up with those phones with the dial and the only communication tool you had was the fixed line telephone. Those days, the technician would even come on a Sunday if the phone lines were down.

My phone line has been down a week and Internet Streamyx has been intermittent during that time.

Every time I call them I get the same scripted questions even if I give them the case id.

No difference in their replies or questions, 5 different people but all the same questions.

Then I am informed that a technician named Happy Dick with a certain hand phone has tried to call me.

I see no missed call or message from this number, so, I ask them where he has been calling.

Guess where?

To my home number - which I have reported does not work.

This is the magnificence of the monopolistic mega GLC's which rakes in millions in profit every year.

Take care and be well.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!

Time to put up the Christmas Tree.

So, had a some friends over and ask each of them to bring one decoration each, so there is now a part of them on the tree.

Angel brought a gold Angel bearing a gift of a wreath, Kupps brought 2 red gold stars, JoJo brought 2 origami socks that she decorated herself and I put up a Merry Christmas sign decoration.

I made eggnog which tasted a little too strong of rum, gluehwein that actually tasted good, some sandwiches, some mashed potatoes, some minced fruit pies.

We also had some cookies.

The evening ended early as Mack's mum just came over out of the blue and she had to go back.

I am glad they showed up though and really appreciate everyone who came and made this special. When wifey comes, she too will add her deco and hope that whoever else comes will also add some of their own personal thing.


Mack and her lil Angel. So cute, both of them.



JoJo and her self made Origami Christmas socks, as bright and beautiful as the person.



Kupps and his gold red star, like a lil boy who got a star from his teacher.



Me with the look the reindeer has when he sees the car headlights approaching.

The tree came with a cheap looking plastic star which JoJo and I managed to remove and replace with this classic wire and bead star.



Al E, my lil boy contributed too, he gladly put up his bone on the tree.


O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
Not only green when summer's here,
But also when 'tis cold and drear.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging!

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can'st give me;
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can'st give me;
How often has the Christmas tree
Afforded me the greatest glee!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can'st give me.

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!
From base to summit, gay and bright,
There's only splendor for the sight.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
Thou bidst us true and faithful be,
And trust in God unchangingly.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!

Take care and be well.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Malaysian Registration Department Website

This is the state of English in Malaysian government departments.

This website from the Malaysian Registration Department or is it Ibu national registration department ' office.

This had me in stitches, laughing out loud and spraying water out of my mouth.

I could not believe it. This link courtesy of YAB.

Check it out: The website




Take care and be well.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Metrics

I come from a generation that used both the metric and the older system.

Anyone remember what it was called?

The imperial system.

Will go to the market and buy a 'kati' of vegetables, a dozen eggs, a pound of curry powder etc.

Eggs used to come in very environmentally friendly pack made of some recycled cardboard waste material which we would reuse. You could buy a dozen or a crate. For those of you who do not know how many a dozen is, one dozen is 12 pieces. One crate usually would be around 24 eggs.

For festive seasons, my dad would also buy crates of soft drinks. The crates were simple wooden crates that contained 18 to 24 glass bottles of the soft drink like Coca Cola, Kickapoo, Fanta etc.



The country and the world in general than moved to the metric systems, simpler, easier but gone were the imperial days.

For a long time, eggs now come in plastic cartons.

For a long time, I always thought I was still buying a dozen eggs. It was familiarity.



A while later, I realised a plastic carton of eggs did not contain a dozen eggs but just 10 eggs.



Metrics at work, I have been getting 2 eggs less for many many years and I feel cheated....

Take care and be well.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

So this is Christmas

Just pimped up my website for the festive season.

You can play songs, play a game by decorating a Christmas tree, look at my rocking Santa, see the countdown to Christmas, enjoy my singing Snowman and just enjoy the Christmas Tree and lights on top as well as bottom.

And here's wishing all my friends Merry Christmas in more than 100 different languages. In bold are just some of the ways different people say it in Malaysia. I am still adding more.

Afrikaans: Geseënde Kersfees
Afrikander: Een Plesierige Kerfees
African/ Eritrean/ Tigrinja: Rehus-Beal-Ledeats
Albanian:Gezur Krislinjden
Arabic: Milad Majid
Argentine: Feliz Navidad
Armenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Azeri: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun
Bahasa Malaysia: Selamat Hari Natal
Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!
Bohemian: Vesele Vanoce
Brazilian: Feliz Natal
Bengali: Shubho borodin
Bidayuh: Selamat Andu Krismas
Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat
Bulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo
Catalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!
Chile: Feliz Navidad
Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan'Gung Haw Sun
Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan
Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito
Columbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth
Corsian: Pace e salute
Crazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La Roo
Cree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi
Croatian: Sretan Bozic
Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok
Danish: Glædelig Jul
Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak
Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar! or Zalig Kerstfeast
English: Merry Christmas
Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!
Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon
Estonian: Ruumsaid juuluphi
Ethiopian: (Amharic) Melkin Yelidet Beaal
Eritfean/ Tigrinja: Rehus- Beal- Ledeats
Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!
Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad
Finnish: Hyvaa joulua
Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar
French: Joyeux Noel
Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!
Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!
Galician: Bo Nada
Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!
German: Froehliche Weihnachten
Greek: Kala Christouyenna!
Haiti: (Creole) Jwaye Nowel or to Jesus Edo Bri'cho o Rish D'Shato Brichto
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hebrew: Mo'adim Lesimkha. Chena tova
Hindi: Baradin ki shubh kamnaaye
Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!
Hawaian: Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou!
Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket
Iban: Selamat Ari Krismas
Icelandic: Gledileg Jol
Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal
Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah
Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat
Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.
Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie or Buone Natale
Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto
Jiberish: Mithag Crithagsigathmithags
Kadazan: Kotobian Tadau do' Krismas
Kayan: Selamat Do Krismas or Selamat Dau Krismas

Kelabit: Doo aco Krismas
Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha Lao: souksan van Christmas
Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!
Latvian: Prieci'gus Ziemsve'tkus un Laimi'gu Jauno Gadu!
Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto
Lettish: Priecigus Ziemassvetkus
Lithuanian: Linksmu KaleduLow
Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un 'n moi Nijaar
Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik
Maltese: IL-Milied It-tajjeb
Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa
Maori: Meri Kirihimete
Marathi: Shub Naya Varsh
Navajo: Merry Keshmish
Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul
Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado
Papiamento: Bon Pasco
Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu
Pennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!
Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo
Philipines: Maligayan Pasko!
Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie
Portuguese:Feliz Natal
Pushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha
Rapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua
Rhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn
Romanche: (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!
Romanian: Craciun Fericit
Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom
Sami: Buorrit Juovllat
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou
Serbian: Hristos se rodi
Slovakian: Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce
Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou
Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh
Serbian: Hristos se rodi.
Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa
Slovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok
Slovene: Vesele Bozicne Praznike Srecno Novo Leto or Vesel Bozic in srecno Novo leto
Spanish: Feliz Navidad
Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År
Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko. Masaganang Bagong Taon
Tami: Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal
Trukeese: (Micronesian) Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!
Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai or souksan wan Christmas
Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym or Z RIZDVOM HRYSTOVYM
Urdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho
Vietnamese: Chuc Mung Giang Sinh
Welsh: Nadolig Llawen
Yoruba: E ku odun, e ku iye'dun!
Yugoslavian: Cestitamo Bozic

Take care and be well.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Dec 1 - World AIDS day and Wear a tie day

Monday, a bunch of us, the usual gang decided that we should wear a tie just for the heck of it.

So, Mack, Add, Kupps and me decided to wear a tie to work. Mack and I even wore a red ribbon for World AIDS day. KC was in defensive driving, and not sure if he did wear a tie.

We all met for lunch and we all looked really smart.

We may have got some stupid comments throughout the day, but in general, I think those people who gave us stupid comments were jealous at how good we four looked. Most people had a pleasant smile and curiosity about it.

Unfortunately, did not take any pictures, everyone was busy, then I was rushing back after meetings and my car stalled and that is a whole different story.

Will I do it again, wear a tie to work? In a blink.

We all looked really smart, fun, and like a nice group of friends. So, yes, in a blink, I would do it. In fact, may propose another wear a tie day on Jan 5, which will likely be 1st day of work in 2009 for many of us.

I do have some pics that Bu Bu took of me, here they are:-

Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Timbadia :-P
Having a laugh

Bending over forwards laughing out loud

Biting off Mike Wojkowski's head

Take care and be well.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Untitled

Stuck in the fast lane;
Cars zooming by, some swerving to avoid me;
Sweating profusely, heart beating fast, calling everyone and anyone for help;
Looking for a friend, friends, mechanic, tow truck, a kind hearted stranger, anyone;

Stuck in the fast lane;
Cause Dungaboy stopped and refused to restart;
Could not push it aside because it was heavy and heavy traffic;
HELP ME! I NEED SOME HELP!
Push, tow, restart, push aside, send me home, anything, something;
Finally buddy came over to help, as well as boss, and another;
Some relief, some help, some calmness, some confidence but
Stressed, tensed, upset, disappointed, sad, relieved, safe, everything, whatever ....

Take care and be well.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Be who you are and say what you feel

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

AH, the wisdom of Dr Suess.

Have some green eggs and ham, read some Dr Suess, enjoy life, relax, have an open mind, try new things, be who you are, say what you feel, take care and be well.



Take care and be well.