THE MAN OF THE HOUSE

Words cannot express
How much you have done
How much you have sacrificed
To make me who I am today

Since my adolescence period
Until my adulthood today
You have always stood by my side
Catching me when I fell
Holding me when I cried
Hugging me when I needed comfort
Guiding me when I failed
Supporting me when I was down
Comfort me when I was depressed
Showing me the right path when I was lost

Now that you have grown older
More fragile and forgetful than ever
I will always be there for you seven days a week
To serve you in whatever ways you want me to
I will be your eyes to drive you around
I will be your legs to help you run errands
I will be your hands to help you carry things
I will be your head to remember things for you

Thank you for
Your patience in guiding me to stand up on my own two feet
Your time for teaching me to be the person I should be
Your laughter to make my life brighter and better
Your comfort when things seem to go wrong for me
Your encouragement to make me stronger
Your enlightenment to make me realize what a jerk I was before

Without you
I will still be a lost child
Never ever get out from the wild
You are my inspiration
To help me finish this dedication
You are none other than my friend, my mentor
My ever loving father

I love you Dad…Happy Fathers’ Day

Come this third Sunday of June, the whole world will celebrate Fathers’ Day. It is a day where all fathers expect at least some acknowledgements from their children for their fatherhood. How do you plan to show your father that you value him in your life? For those who has lost your father when you were young, step-fathers, god-fathers or whoever that act like a father figure to you and brought you up until today would also appreciate being acknowledged. No doubt the person is not your biological father, he still love you as his own.

Many of you will choose to spend this special day with your father by buying him gifts, cook something special for him or even take him out for a nice meal. When it comes to deciding what sort of gift for him, many of us will be stressed out as shopping for some fathers could be rather hard. Gifts for fathers should reflect the personality of the father. It could also be something that can bring back memories of the bond between you and your father.

Some of you would end up giving your father a red packet or “lai see” to wish your father longevity, health and prosperity. Some will give him some shopping vouchers for him to get what he wants in a shopping mall. Some will even buy him a vacation ticket to some quiet places far away from the hectic lifestyle he is having now.

Not all gifts given to your father must be of monetary value. As time passes by, some of us might not even notice that our fathers have aged a lot. They are many things that he cannot do physically now. A simple gesture of helping in any difficult household chores would be valued by him. Even a simple act of sitting with him and chatting until the day go by is enough to please him. Some fathers do not expect much from their children since most of them have grown up and have their own lives. A simple gesture of a long loving hug and some quality time spent together will be much appreciated.

What roles does a father play in the lives of his children? With his unconditional love towards his children, he also strive the best for the future of his children by protecting, providing, nurturing, educating or just being a friend for them. He is the man of the house who offers the guidance, discipline, right track and the needed strength to ensure the success of his children. He teaches us the basic things and helps instill many values in our lives. In short, he shaped us to become what we are today.

As Margaret Truman once said, “It’s only when you grow up and step back from him, or leaves him for your own career and your own home – it’s only then you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it.” Not until you have a child of your own do you realized the joy and love in the heart of a father. How honoured he is to be able to pass on something that is good and hopeful into the hands of his child. How heartbroken he would be if his children were to go astray from the paths he had planned for them.

It is not an easy task to play the role of a father. Most of the time he will feel unappreciated for the sacrifices he has given, ignored for his position in the family and unwanted by his family after they have grown up. Stop making your father feel so inferior in his life. Show him what you can do by showering him with your endless love. Let him know that he is always being remembered by you. Prove to him that you are still a filial child not only on Fathers’ Day but also for many years to come.

TESTING OUT NEW BLOG THEME

Hi guys... I am testing out my new theme here. I would appreciate that you guys provide me with your screen specifications. Currently I am using 1024 x 768 dpi as my default. Some of the bloggers who came in here complained that they have to scroll extremely right in order to read properly.

So please keep me update before I post up my next new article.

Thanks

HI FIVE TAGGING TIME

I got tagged by Ritchie, the Tagging King this time. I guessed I have to keep the ball rolling. Here are the questions given by him:

5 things found in your bag
1. Files
2. Documents
3. Brochures
4. Pens
5. Stapler

5 things found in your purse/wallet
1. Money
2. Name card
3. Identity Card
4. Driver’s License
5. ATM Card

5 favourite things in your room
1. My Snoopy Pillow
2. My Cat Soft Toy
3. My Dog Soft Toy
4. My Winnie the Pooh Bolster
5. My Human Sized Teddy Bear…LOL

5 things you’ve always wanted to do
1. Travelling Around The World
2. Eating Exotic Food
3. Earning More Money
4. Writing A Book
5. Owning A Big Company

5 things YOU currently into
1. Blogging
2. Designing
3. Learning New Programs
4. Keeping Fit
5. Meditating

5 people WANT TO tag
1. SkyNaz
2. Grace
3. Dakota
4. Wuching
5. Nicholas

FED UP OF JUNK MAILS

Rated: PG18

If only this is true :P

Nowadays I seemed to get lots and lots of junk mails in all of my email accounts, may it be hotmail, yahoo or even google. Even though I did try not to subscribe to any of the online sites, the junk mails still managed to creep into my mailboxes. God knows how? Most of the junk mails nowadays come from the medical sectors which promote Viagra, Penis Enlargement, Breast Enlargement, etc.

I had a laugh when I visited one of the blog recently. I saw this photo in Kucau’s blog and decided to share this humour with you all. It’s on Viagra. Let us have a bit of knowledge on Viagra before we proceed to view the photo.

Blue diamond shaped Viagra

Viagra is a prescribed medication given to men with erectile dysfunction or impotency. It is being manufactured by Pfizer as an blue shaped oral medication. When taken, the erection will last for more than 4 hours.

Here are some of the side effects known for Viagra users. Those patients taking nitroglycerin or similar nitrate compounds for their hearts should not take this medication because it would result in fainting and collapsing. Additionally, there are side effects with headaches and stomach upsets being the most common. There may also be flushing and some nasal congestion. Abnormal vision is also an additional side effect which is unusual. Some men describe that they see a blue haze when they take Viagra.

Blue haze or blue sky? All I can see is a handsome guy wearing a bandanna and having a sword. What? Having the side effect of Viagra too? Gosh…I think I have watched Pirates of the Caribbean 3 once too many time. :P

Haha…How could they sell Viagra so openly?

Viagra Massage? OMG…what could they think of next?

ARE YOU HAPPY IN LIFE?

What do you understand by the word “Happiness”? Happiness lies in the hands of its creator – YOU. It is not about how you find it. It is about how you make it happen with the right attitude. It is a process of discovering who you are, who you want to be and being contented in applying whatever that is meaningful to your life. In short, the only source of happiness comes within your inner self.

Most people thought that they will be happy after they get married, have a child, maybe two or three. Paradigmatically they are wrong as they did realize how frustrated they could be waiting for the child to outgrow his age. Teenage period is always the hardest time for any parents to cope with. They will then assume that their lives will be complete when they get rich, buy a nice bungalow, buy a nice luxurious car, go for vacation at some fantasy island when they retire. How long do you think it will take? Tens of years right?

How many of you all have this kind of thoughts in your life? Are you really happy right now? Will happiness always be there for you? The truth is, there is no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, then when? Your life will always be filled with challenges until you grow old.

How do you measure the level of happiness? Basically, it comes in many characteristics where people tend to be happy.

1. HEALTH – physically and mentally healthy

2. WEALTH – having the purchasing power over materialism.

3. STATUS – being the boss and not the worker

4. KNOWLEDGE – well versed in their line of work without any setbacks.

5. FREEDOM – in control of own life rather than being controlled by external circumstances.

6. EVENTS – compliments, promotions, marriages, etc

7. SELF ACTUALIZATION – Self Esteem + Self Respect + Own Pride

8. ROUTINE FREE – breaking free from routine that will ruin one’s life

9. GOAL SETTING – knowing and discover what goal you want

10. COMPASSION – making others happy by sharing what you know and you will be happy as the result.

11. POSITIVE EMOTIONS – having the positive energy to lead a better life

12. SPIRITUAL BELIEF – having a pure and peaceful state of mind to eliminate negative emotions.

From the few characteristic factors that I have mentioned above, how many of you are really happy now? Spend some time to study within yourself. Are you on the right track of gaining happiness?

Below are two of my favourite quotes that inspired me to write this article on happiness:

“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savoured.”

- Earl Nightingale

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

SPICY HOR FUN WITH GLASS NOODLES (FROM CRIZ’S KITCHEN)

As usual during weekends, I would create some special food to feed my ever curious tummy. For my lunch today, I tried something different. It is somewhat like our famous Char Koay Teow but the ingredients used are not the same. I called it “Spicy Hor Fun With Glass Noodles”

Ingredients:
1 kg Hor Fun (open up and cut into 1” strips)
300 gms glass noodles (soak for 30 min and drained)
3 pulps garlic (chopped)
300 gms medium prawns (peeled and marinate with some pepper, soya sauce & sugar)
1 chicken breast meat (sliced and marinate with pepper, soya sauce & sesame oil)
300 gms bean sprout (taugeh)
1 stalk of spring onion and chilly (for garnishing)
2 1/2 Tablespoon Cili Boh (Blended Chillies)
4 eggs
salt and sugar to taste

Method of cooking:

1. Saute some chopped garlic with some oil and stir fry the Hor Fun. Put in some pepper and soya sauce. Scoop up and put aside.
2. Stir fry the prawns and chicken meat individually and put aside.
3. Put in 6 Tablespoon oil and stir in the Cili Boh. Put in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 3 Tablespoon of soya sauce. Stir fry until you get the pungent smell.
4. Put in the eggs and stir until it is cooked.
5. Put in some water (about 40ml)
6. Put in the glass noodles and stir evenly.
7. Put in the cooked Hor Fun and stir evenly.
8. Put in the cooked prawns and chicken meat. Stir evenly.
9. Put in the bean spout and stir until the bean sprout becomes almost transparent.
10. Dish out onto a plate and garnish with sliced chillies and spring onions

(Serves: 4-6)

As for dessert, I took some mini glutinous rice dumpling with some Malaccan brown sugar mixed with coconut milk.

IT’S STILL NOT TOO LATE TO LEARN

Phew...Finally I managed to learn up some basics on the software that can create animated graphics. It took me more than a day to maneuver with the tools and short cuts through the tutorial accompanied by the software. I would not say it is an easy task. It is through trial and error that I managed to come out with something which I think is quite presentable.

For some time, I was scratching my head on what sort of animation I should come out with. Finally, I have decided to use Nuffnang logo as my trial creation. Please do not laugh at my creation as I am still an amateur in this line. It takes time and lots of applications to be an expert. Initially, I have added an edited song into the animation, but I took it out later. It could be quite irritating for some people. Please give me some feedback in order for me to improve better. After all, this is for my self development. Here is the outcome of my effort.

**this is not a sponsored post**

For the past few days, I was in deep thoughts of whether what I have learnt all these years are well-equipped for this ever changing world of technology. “Am I still an old dog spinning my wheels all the time and not getting anywhere?”, “What are the new things I can learn?”

As I was saying, it is still not too late to go back to basics and learn something new to help keep yourself moving ahead. Some people will think that they are too old and lack of mental capacities and understandings to learn up new things. It is not about how long it will take. Finishing is not the goal. The goal is getting started now. It just takes a bit of your TIME, EFFORT, DEDICATION, COMMITMENT, CONCENTRATION and SELF DISCIPLINE to make a difference.

The world does not sit still and wait for anyone, so you need to keep updating yourself on and off whenever you can. There is always someone out there thinking how to change something or to make things better. It seems like they keep screwing it up! But they never give up! Until today, I still believe in my life philosophy, “Never Say Die, Always Say Try”. Who knows? One day, I might excel in my line of work!

So get your butt out from the cozy seat you are on now and learn something new today. It could be HTML programming, cooking, designing, writing, gardening, etc. Just do it!

LET BYGONES BE BYGONES

What has happened has happened for the best...
What is happening is happening for the best...
What will happen will happen for the best…
Do not brood over the past...
Do not worry about the future...
Be in THE PRESENT...

I just want to share with you guys what makes me write that short poem and paste it up as my sub-header. It was based on one incident that I experienced many years back when I was still a teenager. The story goes this way.

One day as Mr. T was going up the steps of a bus, one of his shoes slipped off and fell onto the ground. Before he could retrieve the shoe, the door closed and the bus moved off. Mr. T calmly sat down and threw the other shoe out of the window. I saw what happened and being a curious teenager at that time, I asked him, "Uncle, I saw what you did just now. Why did you throw out your other shoe?" Mr. T just smiled at me and replied, "In case somebody finds them, they will be able to use them."

From then onwards, I befriended Mr. T who was a retired headmaster. He has taught me a lot of things on Life’s Philosophy that as a young man, I took them for granted. Unfortunately before I could learn more from him, he passed away in his sleep a couple of years back. What he has taught me all along made me a better person than I was. I now look at things, understand people and situations much more differently than most people. In that unique incident, Mr. T understood the fundamental philosophy for life. He taught me not to hold on to something simply for the sake of possessing it and do not wish to share it with others. Now I am sharing his philosophy with you guys.

We lose things most of the time and this loss may seem to us grievous and unjustly. Loss only happens so that positive changes can occur in our lives. We always assume that losing something is a bad taboo. We never really understand that if things do not shift, we will never become better or experienced people in our lives. In order for us to mature emotionally, mentally and spiritually, the interchange between loss and gain is undeniable.

Maybe it was God’s will for Mr. T to lose his shoe at that precise moment I was in the same bus. Maybe this happened so that Mt T can get a better pair of shoes. Maybe the loss would lead him to his successor in life philosophy. Maybe God has decided that someone else needed the shoes more than Mr. T. For whatever reasons, we cannot avoid losing things. Mr. T understood that his shoe had gone out of his reach and the remaining shoe would not be much help to him. To him, it would be a cherished gift to someone who is in need of protection from the ground.

Hoarding possessions does nothing to make us better. We have to decide if some things or someone who have run their course in our lives would be better off with others. We have to muster the courage to give them up. To those who are lost in love and feeling down, I hope that what I have written today will bring you some form of solace to ease your pains. I know how excruciating it feels to lose someone or something precious in your life, but life has to move on. What has happened has happened. What is happening is happening for the best. What will happen will happen for the best. So do forget about what happened in the past, do not worry about what’s going to happen in the future. Live as how you would live in the present.

Anybody has a life philosophy experience to share here?

SISTERS CHAR KOAY TEOW

Penang is a multi-cultural state. Therefore various types of food ranging from Chinese, Malay, Indian and Nyonya cuisine are easily available throughout the island. When you mentioned the word Penang to those people staying outstation or overseas, the first thing that they will remark will be on our “cuisine bourgeoisie”, that is our wide range of hawker fare. Nevertheless, Penang has been known throughout this region as the “Food Paradise” of the East.

Being an island itself, Penang provides a large variety of seafood. Hawkers took the advantage of promoting the local seafood by adding them into their dishes. One good example is the Char Koay Teow (Fried Rice noodles), my favourite. This is one dish that I can take as breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner or even supper.

The one I like most is from a small coffee shop along the outskirt of Georgetown. It is located along the famous Jalan Macalister. Sisters Char Koay Teow was one of the first few in Penang to add humongous prawns to their Char Koay Teow. One plate is normally not enough to fill my tummy as it comes in small portion. My record so far was 4 plates at one shot. This is the proof of how good the Char Koay Teow can be. As for those who like prawns a lot, additional prawns can be added to your plate of Char Koay Teow and it costs not more than RM8. I would not mind paying for the amount as the prawns are really big, fresh and succulent. The Char Koay Teow comes with some crab meat as garnishing, as you can see from the photo above. Isn’t it rather tempting?

Tell me more about what food you like and please follow the instructions given below closely.

**Start Copy**

Proposition: What is your favorite food in your state or country?
Requirements: Find some info about the food and show delicious pictures of it?
Quantity: FIVE PEOPLE.
Tag Mode: You leave their blog and post link and add to the list below.

Mybabybay loves Asam Laksa from Penang, Malaysia
JustMyThoughts loves Penang Char Koay Teow
My Lil Venture loves Laksa Sarawak
Montessorimum loves Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun
Chinnee loves Melaka Wan Tan Mee
Leah loves Hakka Lei Cha
Hui Sia loves Crispy Duck Skin from China
Karen loves Pan Mee
Simple American loves Cheese Enchiladas
Giddy Tiger loves Dim Sum
CC loves Turkish Chicken on Rice
Criz Lai loves Sisters Char Koay Teow

**End Copy**

I would like to tag 5 bloggers who worship food as their God :P
Kuanhoong from Kuanhoong dot com
Ehon from Life
Ken Xu from Mysites Advisor dot com
Jamy from Seay’s Kopitiam
Anna from Dine With Anna

OVERCOMING THE BLOGGER’S BLOCK

Arrghh! Where am I? How am I? What am I? Who am I? Have you ever waken up one morning and experienced severe mental block? You just cannot remember anything or what you did the previous day. You even lost the creative sparks to blog even though you have been blogging for many years. You felt really down and depressed. It felt like you have gone back through time when you were still a baby; sitting there and watching the whole world turning around and yet you have no ways to describe it. Has anybody felt this way for a long time that they are not responding as they normally would?

Paradoxically, many bloggers have this kind of chronic depression. Some will just quit from blogging without considering that this is just a temporary symptom. Others will find it to be the best stimulation to blog even more quality articles. To them, blogging is the way to release their stresses, emotional pains, relationship problems, etc. Thus finding some relieves through the blogosphere.

So, what are the steps to be taken to overcome the blogger’s block?

First, let’s look into our health. Are we getting enough of nutrition for our body? Some recommend Ginkgo Bibola, the herbal extract from the leaves of a gymnospermous dioecious tree. It is believed to be an all round “brain enhancer”, especially good for those “forgetful professors.” Another recommended “brain food” supplement is Vitamin B12, which helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. Vitamin C is also vital for health as it is also an antioxidant which can prevent lots of illness. Be sure to check with your medical consultant before consuming these vitamins.

Our diets are also something we should look into. Milk is believed to be a good nutrient for strengthening the bones but it is also a frequent cause of lethargy. When you get lethargic, you tend to be sleepy and less blogging ideas will come out from your brain. So skip drinking or adding milk to your drinks and study the effects for a couple of weeks. You will be amazed with the amount of blogs you can post.

The best remedy will still be the quality and quantity of sleep one is getting. Due to the working environment pressures and our lifestyles, a lot of people are suffering from progressive sleep deficiency. Remember this, sleep more and you will have more creativity in your mind to write a CLASS A article.

Next will be the blogger’s writing anxiety. When a blogger gets too excited and anxious over an incident or situation, he tends to be less systematic in structuring what he intends to write. The end result will be chaotic. His flow of writing or ways of expressing himself would be so poorly worded to draw any attention from his readers. A moderate level of adrenaline flowing inside us to get ourselves anxiously ready for action is productive. If we let our anxiety overwhelm us, problems such as “blank mind” may arise. This happens to many of us when we were in the midst of blogging, taking an examination, doing public speaking or even competing in sports events. Below are some steps which might help you to blog better.

Be Relax – Even if you are sitting down in front of the computer, stretch as many muscles as you can from head to toes. Close your eyes, breathe in deeply, fill your chest with as much air as you could, hold it for 5 seconds, and slowly let it out. Repeat these steps a few times until you are not feeling so tense to blog.

Be Aware – Aware in terms of your purpose in blogging on your chosen subject. Will your readers accept what you intend to write? Will they go against your judgements? Would you get arrested for blogging about the subject? Would you readers leave a comment on such subject? Nobody would want to read your monotonous lifestyle or on how you play the guitar. Readers want updates on technology, money making, lifestyles, happenings or even gossips. You won’t want your readers to be disappointed, right?

Be Focus – Zoom in what you want to write. Set a topic and do not wander off-track. Have your mind consciously and continuously on productive comments. Pen it down. It could even be in points form.

Brainstorm – Think whatever that first come into your mind. Gather as much information as you can by browsing through the internet. Interview some people to get their different views and opinions. Jot it down no matter how absurd it may sound. It could be a fresh analogy for future blogs.

Nutshell – Compile all your information in short sentences. Identify which information should be your header, contents and footer. Highlight them with 3 different coloured highlighters, Use a pen to number which point should come in first in each coloured sections.

Draft – Organize all your information in a systematic way by typing in Microsoft Word. Do whatever reshuffling and editing necessary. Run a spelling / grammatical error checking on the finished content

Finalization – Check everything carefully to ensure that it is as what you wanted it to be and you can start posting it into your blog account.

Finally, here’s the last important point - Reading. Go through some of the experience bloggers’ site and read through some of their contents. You might get a point of two of what you can write for your future posts. Please remember not to copy their topic contents as yours. It is not professional to “steal” what they have written unless you get their consents to do so differently, in your own words. Here are some of the bloggers who have made blogging so interesting: 5xmom, AhPek, Cedric’s Asylum, As Zewt As It Gets, and many more.

SEAFOOD FETTUCCINE (FROM CRIZ’S KITCHEN)

It’s Sunday again. Most people would just laze about until early afternoon before they are willing to wake up to get something to feed their empty stomach. As for me, I woke up at 8.30am and went for an early sundry shopping down at the wet market. I’m going to cook something nice for my family for lunch today. It’s seafood pasta!

Here are the ingredients:

2 tins Campbell Mushroom Soup (420gms + 300gms)
½ tin Evaporated Milk
1 tin button mushroom (thinly sliced)
2 big onions (chopped)
2 big tomatoes (cut into cubes)
500 gms frozen Dory fish (cut into small cubes)
500 gms peeled prawns
300 gms squid (cut into rings)
1 stalk celery (chopped)
2 pkt fettuccine pasta (500 gms)
2 small cans of water (600 gms)
Some black pepper
Some Italian Mixed Herbs
Pinch of salt and sugar
Some margarine/olive oil

Marinate (15 mins):
prawns - some soya sauce, sesame seed oil, pepper and pinch of sugar
squids – some soya sauce, pepper and sesame oil
fish – some soya sauce, pepper and sesame oil

Method of cooking:

1. Boil a big pot of water with a teaspoon of salt. Put in the pasta and cook until soft according to the instructions given on the packaging. Drain the water and then mixed with some margarine/olive oil.
2. Stir fry all the marinated seafood individually and put aside to be used later.
3. Put 3 Tablespoon oil into a wok. Put in the chopped onions. When it’s cooked, put in the tomatoes and stir fry for 5 minutes.
4. Put in the canned mushroom soups. Stir awhile and then add in the evaporated milk and water. Bring to boil.
5. Put in the boiled carrots, mushroom slices and celery. Bring to boil.
6. Sprinkle some mixed herbs and black pepper
7. Put in the cooked seafood and stir well.
8. Add in salt and sugar to taste
9. You are ready to serve.
10. Put the cooked pasta into a flat plate and put some sauce on it.
11. Garnish with some herbs and celery leaves.

(Serves: 8-10)

Note: Use a packet of pasta if you do not want to have so much. You can keep the rest of the sauce in the cooler to be reheated the next day.

WHY MUST EVERYTHING BE IN SEVEN?

Why would Ritchie tag me for this kind of things? Why har? One thing I’m not sure of is that why is it 7+7+7 questions instead of seven questions? Hmmm… the number "777" is considered a lucky number for certain people especially for those who like to gamble in the casino jackpot environment. To me, the first think that struck my mind is that of Boeing 777 Freighter, the world largest and most capable twin-engine freighter. This latest technologically advanced 777-200LR Worldliner (Longer Range) passenger airplane, with more capacity, is scheduled to fly by the end of 2008.

Oops…I should be answering the questions instead of blabbing about something else. Here are my answers:

[Seven Things I'm Experiencing Now]
1. Having a headache
2. Having a really bad backache
3. Applying some lotion to my backache
4. Sweating and withstanding the terrible pain
5. Taking some muscle pain-killer to soothe the pain
6. Feeling really hot
7. Listening to some nature music to relax my mind

[Seven Things I'm Thinking About Now]
1. What to cook for lunch tomorrow?
2. What to buy from the wet market?
3. Why did I eat so full for dinner? (Sotongzai’s birthday dinner)
4. How much food should I cook for lunch?
5. Is it enough for everyone?
6. Who will get to eat my food?
7. What time should I finish cooking?

[Seven Things I'm Worrying About]
1. Will I be able to get rid of this acute back pain?
2. Can I wake up on time to cook before lunch time?
3. Will I be scolded for cooking late?
4. How long can I blog?
5. When will I see some money coming in?
6. Is my blog attracting enough readers?
7. Am I writing the correct articles for my blog?

[Seven Things I'm Happy About]
1. It’s a weekend!
2. I get to cook something special on Sunday!
3. I met with Nuffnang’s Executive Director just now!
4. I get to see 5xmom, Lilian Chan’s new hairstyle :P
5. Learnt something new about Nuffnang
6. Getting good results in blogging
7. Knowing a lot of new bloggers

[Seven People I Treasure]
1. My Dad
2. My Mum
3. My Brother
4. My Girlfriend
5. My 2nd Aunty
6. My God Sister
7. My Ex-Girlfriend

[Seven Things I Always Touch or Come In Contact With]
1. Computer
2. Keyboard
3. Mouse
4. Handphone
5. Car Keys
6. Cooking Utensils
7. My Girlfriend

[Seven Things I Want to Improve]
1. My blogging skills
2. My earning capacity
3. My business contacts
4. My designing skills
5. My relationship with other bloggers
6. My relationship with my family
7. My relationship with my partner

[Seven Things I'm Strong In]
1. Giving good advices
2. Finding new places to eat
3. Designing
4. Cooking
5. Talking
6. Joking
7. Bargaining

[Seven Things I'm Weak In]
1. Not to grumble
2. Keeping slim
3. Saving money for rainy days
4. Stop blogging and get a good rest
5. Seeking help from others
6. Finding ways to earn more
7. Not getting sick

[Seven Things I Adore Eating]
1. Char Koay Teow
2. Nasi Kandar
3. Hokkien Mee
4. Wan Than Mee
5. Sandwiches
6. Fusion Style Western Food
7. Yam Rice

[Seven Things I Adore Drinking]
1. Plain Water
2. Strawberry Yogurt Drink
3. Iced Blended Mocha
4. Local Coffee
5. Milo
6. Herbal Tea
7. Chinese Tea

[Seven Things I Detest]
1. Dirtiness
2. Backstabber
3. Loud Noise
4. Pretenders
5. People who do not keep promises
6. Excuses without a strong reason
7. People who are not punctual

[Seven Things I Cannot Live Without]
1. Computer
2. Internet Connections
3. Food
4. Money
5. Companions
6. Transports
7. My Brain

[Seven Things I Fear to Show]
1. Lack of knowledge in knowing more things
2. Asking stupid questions
3. Anger which I cannot control
4. Failure in coming up with new ideas
5. Not earning enough to survive
6. My Girlfriend
7. My ugliness

[Seven Things I'll Never Want to Talk About]
1. My personal life
2. Religion
3. How much I earn per month
4. My relationship in love
5. Other people’s little secrets
6. Who are my family members
7. My failures

[Seven Things I Will Want to Do]
1. Travel to romantic places with my love
2. Get enough of sleep
3. Stress free
4. Earn more money
5. Buy a better digital camera
6. Have a lot of understanding and loyal friends
7. Gain more blogging skills

[Seven Things I Will Never Play Around When/With]
1. People’s feelings
2. People’s girlfriend or wife
3. A gun
4. A samurai sword
5. Dangerous games
6. A murderer
7. Gambling

[Seven Things I Wonder About]
1. How successful can I be in blogging?
2. When can I get rich?
3. When should I retire from my work?
4. Who can help me in getting more money through blogging
5. Am I doing the right things all the time?
6. How far can my relationship go?
7. When can I get to be famous in my working industry

[Seven Questions I Hope My Friends Would Respond To]
1. What is your first impression on me?
2. Do you think that I'm too bossy?
3. What do you see in me that you like?
4. What do you see in me that you do not like?
5. How well do you know me?
6. Do you think I can get far in blogging?
7. Give me some advice in improving myself.

[Seven Things (or People) I Would Love to See]
1. Being a more successful person
2. Unlimited spending power
3. My Girlfriend
4. The whole world
5. People with more gratitude and politeness
6. A better status in this society
7. Less violence and war throughout the world

[Seven People I Want to Tag]
1. Skynaz – because he did not get tag by me before :P
2. Kuanhoong – my faithful commentator :P
3. Sotongzai – feels getting a squid to response here :P
4. Ken Xu – just want to know what advices you will give this time :P
5. Conan Cat – want to see how a cat can turn into a tiger :P
6. Timothy Tiah – how you got to be so successful in Nuffnang? :P
7. Sasha – want to see how well you can bla bla bla with such questions :P

BLOGGING WITH BETTER ENGLISH

After blogging for some time, I have noticed that the usage of the British English has been manipulated into many different forms such as the Amglish (American English), Manglish (Malaysian English), Singlish (Singapore English) or even Inglish (Indonesian English). I would not say it is wrong to use such languages or dialects while blogging, as long as the messages sent across can be easily understood by the readers or certain terms are well defined. The best written article is in short and simple English.

Since Malaysia is a multi-racial country, the 3 main languages that its bloggers use are English, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia. Majority of the blogs in this blogosphere uses English as the main language, thus I noticed that a lot of our local bloggers have problems in writing as well as in expressing themselves using the correct English. I found a few good online dictionaries but the below 3 links are the easiest to use for beginners and advance users. I hope that these dictionaries can help you to blog better. You can bookmark these as your favourites in your internet browsers.

- Merriam-Webster Online English Dictionary

- English-Chinese-English Online Dictionary

- English-Bahasa Malaysia-English Online Dictionary

Let’s start with the proper way of understanding English better with these 8 basic terms.

NOUN – a name of a person, thing, place, animal, etc
E.g. John, toy, Malaysia, cat

PRONOUN – a word that is use in place of a noun
E.g. I, we you, they, he, she, it, etc

ADJECTIVE – a word that is use in describing a noun
E.g. blue, smart, old, bad, tall, angry, etc

VERB – a word that expresses actions or a state of being
E.g. go, play, sing, come, is, am, are, is, was, were, etc

ADVERB – a word that answers to questions beginning with how, what, when and modifies verbs, adjectives and other adverbs
E.g. quickly, cleverly, fairly, early, etc

PREPOSITION – a word placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relation to another word
E.g. to, from, in, for, under, over, etc

CONJUNCTION – a word that connects other word, sentences or clauses
E.g. and, or, but, through, thus, etc

INTERJECTION – a word or phrase used in exclamation
E.g. Oh! Good! Hey!

Now that you have understood the 8 basic terms, let’s look at some of the things to avoid while writing a blog.

DO NOT WRITE DIRECTLY INTO THE POSTING AREA
You will have a hard time rewriting your blog if you have post it and got a server/program error. So make a backup by writing your blog in MSO WORD first. Run a spell/grammar to proofread your articles to avoid unnecessary spelling and grammatical errors. Now you can copy and paste your article into the blog post

DO NOT SIMPLY USE SINGULAR OR PLURALS
E.g. My mothers is going to the market. It makes people think that you have two mothers. Even if it is true, the verb should be written as “are”.

DO NOT MISUSE THE COMMAS, SEMICOLON AND EXCLAMATION
E.g. Avoid overusing commas, that are not necessary, and do not overuse exclamation marks!!! Do you get it??? Use the semicolon properly, always use it where it is supposed to be; and never where it is not.

DO NOT LEAVE A SENTENCE HANGING IN THE AIR
E.g. This sentence no verb. This is not a complete sentence but merely a subordinate clause.

DO NOT START A SENTENCE WITH A CONJUNCTION
E.g. And I think he has lost his way coming here. But I guessed he should have called us to tell us where he is now.

DO NOT MISPLACE THE APOSTROPHE
Apply the apostrophe at “it's” proper place and omit it when “its” not needed. The right usage should be: Apply the apostrophe at “its” proper place and omit it when “it’s” not needed.

DO NOT USE LONG WORD WITH MANY SYLLABLES
E.g. How could I understand you when you use sesquipedalian words?
Definition:
sesquipedalian: having many syllables

DO NOT USE THE HYPHENS WRONGLY
Make sure you hyphenate a word properly.
E.g. relocation and not re-location, preparation and not pre-paration, pre-perforated and not preperforated, pre-gather and not pregather.

DO NOT BEAT AROUND THE BUSH
Articles should be simplified as readers do not like to read too many words. Use the K.I.S.S. concept, i.e. Keep It Short and Simple.
E.g. It has come to our considered attention that in a large majority of cases, far too many people use a great deal more words than is absolutely necessary when engaged in the practice of writing sentences.

DO NOT LEAVE THE READER GUESSING
Make sure you have the flow while writing. Set paragraphs for each point you have. Be systematic about how you want to present your points. Continuity of thought, logical development and smooth transitions are important. Never leave the reader guessing over what you have in your mind.

DO NOT REPEAT ON THE SAME TOPIC
Readers get bored after reading your article if you were to say the same thing all over again. Do not say more than once. It's redundant and repetitious.

DO NOT USE CONTRADICTIONS AND DOUBLE NEGATIVES
E.g.
1. In a formal writing, don't use contractions. “Don’t” should be replaced with “Do not”.

2. There can never be no man working for such a stingy boss. Negative plus negative becomes positive. It should read as: There can never be anyone working for such a stingy boss.

DO NOT USE BOMBASTIC OR FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Do not use languages/dialects that majority of the readers will not understand. Even if you do, please state clearly what it means.
E.g.
1. Avoid colloquial stuff or trendy locutions that sound flaky and confusing.
Definitions:
colloquial: informal conversation; slang
locution: a particular form of expression

2. The de facto use of foreign phrases vis-a-vis the English in your written tete-a-tetes makes the sentence rather confusing and harder to understand.
Definitions:
de facto: actual,
vis-à-vis: in relation to
tete-a-tetes: conversations

WHAT WERE YOU DOING WHEN YOU WERE 18?

I got tagged by this Ehon, the “Evil Horror from the Ominous Necropolis” to write something about when I was 18 years old. Walao…How could I remember what I did so many years ago? It was more than 10 years ago. Yea…I must admit…I’m old physically but not mentally. Hehe… Cough…cough…I’m still sick and nothing is in my brain now. What should I write? *Bang bang the forehead on the table* *Dig dig my old school magazine out from the dusty attic*. Achoooo… ah ha…here is something that will refresh my memory. I will write about it after I post up the rules and check through the website.

THE RULES:

1. Go to www.popculturemadness.com
2. Select the year you turned 18 (type the year in the google search)
3. Get all nostalgic over the songs of the year
4 Write about it
5 Pass this tag onto 5 others

The moment I saw the word “Rules”, I got scared as I was wondering if it’s like the Singaporean, Jack Neo’s latest movies “Just Follow Law” - everything also must follow rules, just fill in this form and we get back to you in a few days. Don play play lah! Wait…must I declare this before I write further? Haha…

THE RESULTS:

Here are some of the songs which gave me good memories even until now… sob… sob… Ehon…why you made me this way?

One Sweet Day - Mariah Carey & Boys II Men
(Reminded me of how I first met with my love and how sweet she was when I first met her)

I'll Be There For You - Rembrandts
(Yea…I was there for her always…day and night until her mother shooed me home…hehe)

We've Got It Goin' On - Backstreet Boys
(Both of us idolized this group of “leng zai”s)

Boombastic - Shaggy
(Won in the Grammy Award for the Best Reggae Album 1995…we were dancing to the tune even at home)

Better Man - Pearl Jam
(I was then her favourite man, so was I to others, but I chose to be with her)

The Woman In Me - Shania Twain
(I felt so lost and fragile because her whole family moved down to KL and I was left all alone again)

Thank You - Boyz II Men
(Thanks for all the sweet memories you have given me during our 3 years of relationship)

Sexual Healing - Max-A-Million
(I needed a lot of that then)

Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop) - Scatman
(My first encounter dancing with another gal but I still can’t let go of her, my first love)

Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio
(Won in the Grammy Award for the Best Rap Solo Performance…nay…I was not one)

Colors Of The Wind - Vanessa Williams
(I love the Pocahontas storyline…it made me feel the love atmosphere and crying over the love that got lost in my life)

Hooked On You – Silk
(Yea…still hooked on her and can’t let go)

Exhale (Shoop Shoop) - Whitney Houston
(Tried to get that extra breath to have the courage to move on)

Dreaming Of You - Selena
(Day and night I dreamt of her…even now…even I know she’s still single down in KL but my family commitment comes first…how sad)

As I Lay Me Down - Sophie B. Hawkins
(Sleepless nights trying to get hold of myself for not crying out)

Baby - Brandy
(Baby… I love you forever and wished that fate will let us be together again)

*************************************************************************************

Someone please pass me some tissues…

Here are the 5 persons whom I would like to share their experiences with me:

Elena Tong – my loveable god sister who has a real sentimental heart in the love industry…LOL

Graceq – a good friend of mine who like to talk about her piggy’s life :)

PapaJoneh – tell us what you did when you were young prior to knowing your soul mate, MamaJoneh :)

Pikey Dude – Dare you to tell me more :)

Val – I know you might hate me for doing this but I just want you to be relax and drift your mind back to those sweet memories that you had.

SLEEPING TIPS IN A SUBTLE WAY

Sleeping is very important to one’s health. A human can stay alive without eating for 2 weeks but if he doesn't sleep at all, he can only survive for a week. Sleeping provides us the chance of resting our internal organs, external organs and most importantly our brains. If you wish to have stay healthy and have a long life, here are some useful tips.

DON'T SLEEP WITH YOUR HANDPHONE
Putting the handphone beside your bed or anywhere near you is not encouraged. Though some of us use handphones as alarm clocks, please put the handphone as far as you can. It has yet to be proven officially, but scientists believed that handphones will emit magnetic waves which can cause disruptions to our nervous system. Therefore, if you need to put your handphone near to you, switch it off first. Errr…you mean that’s the reason I’m feeling a bit crazy now? :P

DON'T SLEEP WITH THE WATCH ON
Though small, watches can emit a certain level of radioactivity. If you wear it to bed for a long period of time, it might have adverse effects on your health. OMG…my sex life will be affected too? Oh…better not wear next time :P

DON'T SLEEP WITH WEARING BRA / UNDERWEAR
Scientists have discovered that those who wear bras for more than 12 hours have a higher risk of getting breast cancer. Well, the same goes down there for guys. Just imagine having a prosthetic part? So go to bed without it. One more thing to keep in mind is to keep all animals out of the room when you are sleeping with a “sarung”. You might not know what might go missing…hehehe :P

DON'T SLEEP WITH MAKE UP
People who sleep with make up might have skin problems in the long run. Sleeping with make up will cause the skin to have difficulty in breathing and problem in perspiring. You will also need a much longer time to go into deep sleep. Errr…lip gloss considered make up? :P

DON'T SLEEP WITH OTHERS' WIFE OR HUSBAND, GIRLFRIEND OR BOYFRIEND
You may never wake up again. Ehhh…No wonder I almost got killed when I slept with Mimi for one night. Her husband almost killed me lar…stupid dog :P

ADDITIONAL TIPS:
Kuanhoong has noted that I left this important part out. So here it is.

DON'T SLEEP WITH CONTACT LENS ON
The lens will cause some irritation and dryness to the eyes if worn too long. The fewer total hours the lens accumulates on the eye, the lower the chance of problems such as lens discomfort, blurring of vision and infectious risk. I just don't get it at all. Do you really need to have such a good vision when you have sex in bed? After all, sleeping after sex is quite normal :P

HOW TO ADD THE ALEXA REDIRECT LINK TRAIN

I’ve received a few enquiries about the Alexa Redirect Link Train in my comment. Guessed what? I did not realize that I myself was confused over what it actually does until I did some further research to get a better view of the mechanism. I think I better brief you all the correct steps to link this train before someone ended up like me…breaking the link from the source.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Copy (highlight and press ctrl-c) the whole blog contents and paste it (ctrl-v) into MS Office and edit from there.

STEP 1: GIVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE TRAIN

The latest train to be introduced in this blogging area is the Alexa Redirect Link Train. Thus, it will give participating blogs good traffics & popularity and at the same time improves your Alexa and Technorati ratings. Spread the news about this Alexa Redirect Link Train in your blog. Feel free to add in my comment if you are interested to be in the train list. Have a good day! Just add another 3 persons you think should be in the list and post it in your blog. Check here if you are not sure how to continue the link.

STEP 2: ADD THE ALEXA TRAIN PHOTO

You can right click save picture and upload to your own photo album and put in the html codes here

STEP 3: ADD THE INTRODUCER’S NAME AND THE LINK TO HIS WEBSITE

Example:

kuanhoong dot com has tagged me to write and promote this train. So here is my list.

· Alexa Redirect for kuanhoong dot com

· Alexa Redirect for My Sites Advisor

· Alexa Redirect for Life Rocks! 2.0

· Alexa Redirect for Vince Cordic’s Internet Marketing Tactics

· Alexa Redirect for Criz’s Sanctuary

· Alexa Redirect for Webtools

· Alexa Redirect for 5xmom

· Alexa Redirect for AhPek dot com

· Alexa Redirect for Cedric’s Asylum

WELCOME ABOARD:

· Alexa Redirect for PapaJoneh dot com

· Alexa Redirect for HLCO

· Alexa Redirect for Piggy’s Life

NOTE:

Can you see that I have added another 3 new website names to the list kuanhoong dot com has?

I have also added 3 additional people who have requested to jump aboard my train in my WELCOME ABOARD list. Just add more names here if you get more requests :)

Make sure that when you have written the blogger’s website, you must be assured that they are properly hyperlinked.

Eg. Alexa Redirect for 5xmom

The Alexa Redirect hyperlink should read as: http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect?http://chanlilian.net/

The 5xmom hyperlink should read as: http://chanlilian.net/

HERE IS HOW IT LOOKS NOW

ALEXA REDIRECT LINK TRAIN

The latest train to be introduced in this blogging area is the Alexa Redirect Link Train. Thus, it will give participating blogs good traffics & popularity and at the same time improves your Alexa and Technorati ratings. Spread the news about this Alexa Redirect Link Train in your blog. Feel free to add in my comment if you are interested to be in the train list. Have a good day! Just add another 3 persons you think should be in the list and post it in your blog. Check here if you are not sure how to continue the link.

kuanhoong dot com has tagged me to write and promote this train. So here is my list.

· Alexa Redirect for kuanhoong dot com

· Alexa Redirect for My Sites Advisor

· Alexa Redirect for Life Rocks! 2.0

· Alexa Redirect for Vince Cordic’s Internet Marketing Tactics

· Alexa Redirect for Criz’s Sanctuary

· Alexa Redirect for Webtools

· Alexa Redirect for 5xmom

· Alexa Redirect for AhPek dot com

· Alexa Redirect for Cedric’s Asylum

WELCOME ABOARD:

· Alexa Redirect for PapaJoneh dot com

· Alexa Redirect for HLCO

· Alexa Redirect for Piggy’s Life

· Alexa Redirect for ConanCat dot com

· Alexa Redirect for Richie Woot Woot

· Alexa Redirect for As Zewt As It Gets

· Alexa Redirect for Quaint Melody

· Alexa Redirect for Pikey Tofu

· Alexa Redirect for Sasha Bla Bla Bla

· Alexa Redirect for Life

WILL YOU EVER GET YOURSELF INVOLVED IN INFIDELITY?

I was browsing through the internet when I came across this site on infidelity. I have decided to throw in this topic for discussion, ever since I knew a few couples who have this problem some time back. Some survived this trauma but most of them ended up in breakups or divorce.

Infidelity is the act of unfaithfulness towards your partner. It will involve emotions, shame, disappointment, depression and rage for a couple to love and to trust again. Most of the time, it’s an abuse of relationship where the partner is a “serial cheater” and this is the worst case for reconciling.

According to research, the first 2 years of a relationship is very vital to a couple to avoid infidelity. It will show whether it’s just an illusion or a long term marital fate. Although it is said to be the most difficult period, but it can also be a tremendous time of intimacy and discovery. There is so much to learn and express about one another before tying the knot. There are a few red flags to watch out during this period. They are:

- Lack of romance and intimacy
- Inability to have fun together
- Selfishness
- Fear of conflict
- Lack of respect
- Over commitment of time to other things
- Over spending
- Too much dependence on parents
- Sexual problems
- Addictions and/or substance abuse
- Emotional and/or physical abuse
- Unrealistic expectations
- married before age 20

Let’s do a simple test to see how faithful or flirtatious you are in a relationship. Make sure you answer the questions honestly as it will determine who is the actual YOU.

THE INFIDELITY TEST
(DISCLAIMER: This test is only meant for fun and not to be taken seriously in a real life situation.)

1. You are partying with a group of friends of the opposite sex until late one night. If you do not leave now, you would miss the last transport. What would u do?
a. who cares and let’s party --- go to Question 2
b. ask if any of your friend would send you home --- go to Question 3
c. say "good-bye" and run after the taxi -- go to Question 4

2. While having a meal with a friend, you saw that what he/she had ordered seemed quite delicious. Would you ask to have a taste of his/her food?
a. yes --- go to Question 5
b. no --- go to Question 6

3. You saw something nice while shopping but you don't have the money to buy it. What would you do?
a. shrugged your shoulders and forget about it. --- go to Question 7
b. go ahead & flash your credit card --- go to Question 6

4. You have a job offer that is paying better than your present job. What would you do?
a. it’s every man for himself. Type your resignation letter now --- go to Question 8.
b. the present boss is treating you well. Stay because of loyalty! --- go to Question 7.

5. Your views on school regulations are...
a. would never compromise to them. --- go to Question 9.
b. see if there is any loopholes and try to get through them. --- go to Question 10.
c. would definitely keep to them --- go to Question 12.

6. A person from the opposite sex expresses his/her love for you. You would.....
a. smile and think highly of your charms --- go to Question 9.
b. reject him/her & keep a distance --- go to Question 10.
c. run off without even answering --- go to Question 12.

7. You are in your boyfriend/girlfriend's bedroom and you saw a photo of him/her with his/her old flame. What would you do?
a. see and forget because it’s all in the past. --- go to Question 10.
b. get real mad and leave the room. ---------- go to Question 11.

8. Would u rewrite a lecture note again because your handwriting is untidy?
a. yes --- go to Question 12.
b. no --- go to Question 11.

9. When wearing a pair of mini skirts/shorts, what would you choose as the top?
a. a tight fitting tee --- go to Question 13.
b. a loose fitting tee --- go to Question 14.

10. On a tour, the tour guide specifically tells you not to venture to a certain area because it’s dangerous. Would you out of curiosity, go ahead without listening to him?
a. yes --- go to Question 13.
b. no --- go to Question 14.

11. When out with a friend of the same sex, would you hold hands and walk?
a. yes ---- go to Question 15.
b. no ---- go to Question 16.

12. Wearing a newly bought swimsuit, would feel especially 'eye-catching' and 'sharp' when walking by the pool?
a. yes --- go to Question 14.
b. no --- go to Question 16.

13. Are you the impulsive type? Always acting on the instant you get the idea without thinking carefully.
a. yes ---- Type A
b. no ---- go to Question 14.

14. Do you still maintain friendship with your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend?
a. yes ---- Type B
b. no ---- go to Question 15.

15. Every time you pack for a tour, you would always end up packing more than what you need?
a. yes ---- go to Question 16.
b. no ---- Type C

16. Do you mind sharing the same glass with others?
a. yes --- Type D
b. no --- Type C

ARE YOU READY FOR THE RESULT?

TYPE A --- 90% FLIRTATIOUS
You fall in love easily most of the time getting trapped in a triangular relationship. Adding to the fact that you are not committed to your partner, you enjoy having suitors. In short, YOU ARE FAR FROM FAITHFUL.

TYPE B --- 70% FLIRTATIOUS
You are partially flirtatious by nature. You enjoy being pampered and pursued by others so occasionally you would harbour the thoughts of 'stepping on 2 boats'. BUT as you are sensitive to your partner, you do try to restrain yourself.

TYPE C --- 40% FLIRTATIOUS
You are shy by nature and have only a small circle of friends. This attributes to the fact that you would not have a high chance of getting trapped in a triangular relationship.

TYPE D --- 0% FLIRTATIOUS
You have high morality and it’s against infidelity. Whoever is with you is the most fortunate but pray that your partner does not belong to any of the above group!

THE STORY OF THE PLASTIC BOWL

On and off, I hear many people complaining about how much burden their elderly or sickly parents have given them. Some even scolded their parents worst than a dog until the whole neighbourhood knew about it. Sometimes, you can even hear them cursing, “Why don’t you go die faster?” “You faster go join who and who and who in heaven/hell!” “You live so long for what? Give me so many problems.”

Here is a short story that I would like to share with you guys. I am sure that you will remember this story not only today, but tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now, or even the rest of your life. It’s the story of the plastic bowl.

After the death of her wife, a frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and his 5 years old grandson. Due to old age, the old man has poor vision, his hands always trembled and his steps were faltered. The family always ate together but the old man's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Rice fell all over onto the floor, utensils dropped onto the floor and water spilled all over the table.

The couple became irritated with the old man’s actions and decided that they should do something to stop all the mess and the noise. So they set up a small table in the corner, leaving the old man eating alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner on the family table. Ever since the old man had broken a few plates and bowl, his meal was served to him in a plastic bowl. When the old man dropped a fork or a spoon or even spilled some food on the floor, the couple would stare at him with a sharp angry look. They did not even see tears coming out from the old man’s eyes during every meal. If only they did but the child saw everything. The child just watched what was happening in silence.

One evening, the couple noticed their son playing with some plastic bowls. The child was wiping the bowls and wrapping them in newspaper. The father asked his son what he was doing. Innocently, the boy responded, "Oh, I am keeping these bowls for you and Mummy to eat your food in when I grow up." The child just smiled and went back to wrap the bowls.

His parents were stunned and speechless. Tears started to flow down their cheeks as they realized what they have done to the old man. That very evening, they took the old man's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the rest of his days, the old man ate every meal with the family. No one seemed to care any more about the mess or even the noise made by the old man.

The moral behind this story is that your parents will get old, so will you. How happily you are going to lead the rest of your life depends on how you treat your parents today. Children observe and learn very fast. How good or bad the parents are towards their parents will determine how good or bad a child is going to treat his parents when he grew up. Parents should set a good example in filial piety for their child to follow. The end result will be brighter.

We are a family and we should stay as a family forever. What do you know about the meaning of the word “Family”?

F.A.M.I.L.Y. = Father And Mother…I Love You

I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life

I’ve learned that, a person should not live his life as a loner, he will need some company and the company is called “family”.

I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life" as life sometimes gives you a second chance to change for the better.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart and a peaceful mind, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch such as holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn and learning will not stop until I leave this wonderful world I’m in now.

TURNING VEGETARIAN ON MOTHERS’ DAY

This year’s Mothers’ Day, my family and I have decided to go to someplace out of the norm to celebrate this wonderful day with my Mum. We went for a vegetarian buffet, something that most of us have not heard of. I can tell you it’s a new experience, even for me. We went to Lily’s Vegetarian Kitchen, located at 98 (Ground Floor & 1st Floor), Noble House, Lorong Madras, 10400 Penang. Telefax: 604-226 3810. Opening Hours: 8.30am until 9.30pm daily. Closed on Monday except 1st & 15th of the Chinese Lunar Calendar.

They served different types of vegetarian food such as hawker, Oriental and Western. Desserts too comes in different varieties. Buffet is only held on either the 2nd or the 3rd Sunday of each month. It's only RM20 per person. So, if you have plans of trying out the wide spread of goodies, make sure you call up and make a reservation as the place is damn packed during buffet session. After reservation is done, be there punctual by 12 noon to avoid fighting amongst “vultures”…LOL.

Here are some of the goodies I have taken during the buffet.

Different types of mixed greens as appetizer

Sweet & Sour Fish, Black Vinegar Pork Legs, Bak Kut Teh, Lasagna

Spaghetti with Meatballs, Chicken Chop, Hawaiian Pizza

Chicken Pita Bread Foldover

Chocolate Fountain (for dipping your fruits, biscuits or pastries)

Impressive right? If you do not look closely, I doubt you know that everything is vegetarian. Feel free to drop by the shop for a new experience.

FREE ADVERTISING FROM PAPAJONEH.COM

I just came back from lunch with my Mum for Mothers’ Day family outings. The first thing that I did after that was to get online and check through my blog to see if there are any new comments which I need to reply. Before clicking on anything, I saw some new messages in my Shoutbox. Whoa…PapaJoneh left a message, “papajoneh commented and wanna say thanks for linking... u deserve another link from me! ”. Wah…another recommendation so soon? I did not expect that anyone would recommend my blog in such a short period of time. Moreover, I’m still a newbie in this blogosphere.

You guys want to know how I got to know PapaJoneh? Well, I was just browsing through some of the blogs recommended by Technorati when I came across a blog called PapaJoneh.com. The first thing that came into my mind was, “This person must be a real experience guy as he uses PapaJoneh as his nick. His blog sure have some useful tips that I can learn since I’m still a baby blogger.” Keeping my fingers crossed that this person will not turn out to be just an “old man” who advertise some online lingerie or some sex tools, I clicked on the link.

Gosh…the link sent me to somewhere in his blog that discussed nothing but mother, father, husband, wife, baby, all about parenting. (My advice to other blogger: do not always rely on link, go directly to the main page of the site to get a better picture of the site owner. Do not be like me, so blur. Haha :P) Ooopss…why am I here and what am I supposed to do now? I have never visited a blog and sweep my butt without leaving a comment there and I am still single. How am I going to comment as a bachelor? I was scratching my head awhile trying to think of a way out of this situation. I guessed I have to use my experience as a godfather and some of the experiences I had with my parents when I was still a kid to reply in there. Guess what? PapaJoneh loves it and from then onwards we became online friends.

So, here’s another lesson yet to be learned by most bloggers. Never be too proud about yourself. Be as humble as you can. Give your comment (hopefully logical ones) freely and share your success and experiences with others. After all, you do not know when your actions can lead to your acceptance in this blogosphere. Here’s a good example and the example is me.

Thanks PapaJoneh.com for recommending this site.

HOW INSOMNIAC ARE YOU?

This post is dedicated to gracieq aka piggy as promised to her earlier today :)

Insomnia is a prolonged and usually abnormal inability to obtain an adequate sleep. What really causes insomnia? Insomnia is caused by many factors such as anxiety, stress, depression, too much of caffeine, alcohol or even smoking (nicotine). An insomniac usually has his/her mind preoccupied with trying to get more sleep, but the more he/she tries the more frustrated he/she gets. Thus, he/she gets into more depression.

There are not many proven natural treatments for insomnia available in the market but here are some tips given by “Healthline” which may help to improve sleeping hygiene. With a little bit of humour which I have added in, they are:

• Use the bed only for sleep and sex (errr…I love this one :P)

• Go to bed at the same time every night . Make it a routine. (wei…American Idol on Astro now lar :P)

• No daytime napping (try blogging more.. hehe)

• No caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine (there goes my Nescafe tarik :P)

• Eliminate the conditioned anxiety that comes with trying to sleep by reassuring yourself that you will sleep ( one sheep…two sheep…three sheep….ZZzzzzZZZZzZ)

• Maintain comfortable sleeping conditions with lots of pillows, bolsters or even toys for hugging (hey…I have my toy dog and cat with me always :P)

• Eat at regular times daily and avoiding large meals or supper near bedtime (aiya…no more roti canai for supper :P)

• Exercise early in the day. Jogging within your housing area will be fine. (good also…I have gained a lot since CNY :P)

• Get out of bed if you are not asleep after 5-10 minutes and doing something else useful (errr…blog until you drop?? hehe)

• Practice evening relaxation routines such as muscle relaxation, meditation or even yoga (I listen to nature’s music…errr…sei cicak…stop chak chak chak leh…noisy lar :P)

• If the above still does not help, seek for a proper medical advice. You may need to go on some medical prescriptions. (Doctor Who?? :P)

In Malaysia, more and more insomniacs are sprouting out daily due to the excessive pressures from either the working or studying environment. Why don’t you do the test I have created and see how insomniac you are?

Question: You are about to go into a sleep and suddenly you heard a distracting noise. What do you think causes that noise?
A. the ringing of your handset
B. the ticking of your alarm clock
C. thunder and lightning
D. someone quarrelling outside your house

Scenario A: The ringing of your handset indicates how insecure you are feeling now. Probably you have some tasks which you have yet to complete. It could be some plans or even a report (blogs too :P) which you are afraid you might not finish before the deadline (scared “kena tembak” by the boss/lecturer or cursed by other bloggers? hehe). Thus, with this worries it’s rather hard for you to sleep well. My advice is to go for an evening stroll or dip yourself in your bathtub and relax. (Optional: 2 slices of cucumber on your eyes might help :P)

Scenario B: This sound is most feared by most students who are taking an exam or someone who is going to give a presentation or attending an interview the next day. If you think you have prepared yourselves well enough, why worry further about how perfect you are going to be? You have tried your best. The more you think, the more mentally tired you are, the world results you will get. Cool down guys & gals…

Scenario C: You may already have lots of worries inside you. It could be some finance, love, parents, relationship, husband / wife or even boyfriend / girlfriend problems. In your mind, you can vividly see those finding faults with you all the time. Their voices or shouts kept on appearing wherever you go. You are not crazy. All you need to do is to get away for awhile from all those distractions. Go for a holiday to one of those remote islands where you see lots of beaches, less people, more nature, and a place where you see lots of blue and green. Be calm, take a deep breath and relax for as long as you could.

Scenario D: You have lost some of your relationship touches. Maybe you had an argument with someone close to you or your attitude and behaviour could not be accepted by majority of your superior, subordinates or even friends surrounding you. You felt like a castaway having the phobia of people gossiping or spreading rumours about you. Do not look down upon yourself. Do not feel so inferior complex. Stay calm and study deep within your inner self the reason that causes you to be who you are today. Get some help from someone you trust and find out the ideal solution to this problem. Change for the better and life would not be the same anymore.

HOW COURTEOUS SHOULD A BLOGGER BE?

I was wondering what the heck I am doing here in front of my computer while I’m still having 101 degrees of fever right now. I must be nuts to get myself exposed to the radiation from the screen! Some of the bloggers even commented, “Eh…you sick and still got mood make salad for dinner last night ar? No wonder you still sick today. Go sleep lar!” Well, I was thinking of doing that too. A tired mind can never write a good blog nor even give a good comment. It proved me right because I did screwed up a few comments today. To those administrators, I publicly apologize to you all. I was not in my right state of mind and sincerely hope that you all do forgive me.

Anyway, what actually triggered off my “near-to-dozing-off” state was a comment that made me stared at the screen in shock. How could anyone give me such a comment? I never knew the person, neither did the person knew anything about me. I always believe in finding out more about the characteristic or background of a blogger before I even dare to drop a comment.

I was always taught not to assume a person, a thing or even a situation. It’s the best way to avoid any unexpected anger. By the way, let me brief you all more on the meaning of the word “ASSUME”.

DO NOT ASS/U/ME = DO NOT MAKE AN “ASS” OUT OF “U “AND “ME”

So, whenever you plan to drop in another blogger’s site, do make sure you know your facts about the blogger, and what is the situation like at that time. Remember, do not ASSUME as it makes an ASS out of U and ME.

There will be times when a new blogger would pop in and leave a comment in your post. Make it habit to thank them either in your comment or even in your MyBlogLog account. You would also like that person to be happy and revisit your site more. Do not forget to response to the comments in your blog as well. Most bloggers hate rejections. Keep that in mind always.

Sometimes, we also tend to over-expressed, over-excited or even over-tempered when we leave a comment in another person’s blog. To us, it might be a joke but to others it’s an insult. What should we do when we encounter this type of situation? The simplest way is to apologize, just like what I did above. Although I have no intention at all for this to happen, somehow or other I have insulted a person in one way or another without realizing it.

I always believe in 3 things that will not make me a failure in relationships with others in this society. They are “Please, Thank You and Sorry”

Please show me how to be a better blogger.

Thank you for your support all the way.

I’m Sorry, if I have insulted or angered anyone in one way or another.

HEALTHY FOOD FOR DINNER

Pitter patter…pitter patter…It was raining heavily outside and I felt rather dizzy to go out to get my dinner. Moreover, I’m down with a fever and to get drenched means I’ll be in worst condition than I’m in now. Finally, I have decided to make do with what I have left in my refrigerator. I ended up making apple salad. The ingredients are shown as below:



Ingredients:
2 green apples (cut into thin slices)
2 red apples (cut into thin slices)
1 large carrot (diced and boiled)
3 pcs of chicken ham (cut into 1” strips)
200 gms of canned pineapple (diced)
100 gms of mixed raisins
150 gms of walnut (break into small pieces – leave some for topping)

Dressing:
7 Tsp mayonnaise (Lady’s Choice)
2 Tsp milk powder
3 Tsp water
Some pepper
Some Italian Mixed Herbs
Pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients in a large container. Whip the dressing in a bowl thoroughly before pouring into the container. Stir well. Place the mixed fruit into a large bowl. Chill it for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the balance walnut and some Italian Mixed Herbs before serving.

(Serves: 4)

WHAT HAVE YOU PLANTED IN LIFE?

I am going to share a short story with you guys. This story struck my mind when I visited some of the blogs here regarding Cheaters and Screw Ups.

An elderly King knew that his time was about to end. He knew that all his children were either spoilt or have no interest at all in ruling his kingdom. So, he decided that someone different and wise should become his successor. He then gathered all the youth in his kingdom to his palace and told them what he had in mind.

Everyone was shocked but got excited over his decision. He said, “I am going to give each one of you a special seed today” “Plant the seed and water it daily” “Come back here one year’s time for me to judge, and I’ll choose the one whom will succeed me!”

There was this poor little village boy named Chris (can’t think of a name so I simply tembak lar…hehe). He ran home and excitedly told his mother about the King’s request. As what a mother would do to help her son, she helped him to plant the seed. Chris watered it daily with waited patiently for the seed to grow.

After a month, every youth in the kingdom began to talk about their seeds and how well their plants were growing. Chris kept checking on his seed, but nothing seems to be blooming from his pot. Months passed by and Chris still has nothing and he felt like a failure. Every youth in the kingdom was bragging about how beautiful and tall their plants were and they laughed at Chris’s empty pot. However, Chris did not shout back at his friends and sat there sadly waiting for his seed to grow.

A year finally went by and everyone brought their plants to the palace for the king’s inspection. Chris did not want to go to the palace but his mother told him that “Be honest about what has happened, there nothing to be ashamed of, be yourself”. Chris knew that his mother was right and took his empty pot to the palace.

When Chris arrived at the palace, he was stunned to see so many varieties of plants and of different shapes and sizes. Chris put his empty pot on the floor and he was laughed at by the other youth. Finally, the King arrived and surveyed the ballroom. Chris tried to hide in the back because he was afraid to be humiliated further by the King.

Suddenly, the King spotted Chris at the back of the ballroom with his empty pot and ordered his guards to bring him forward to his throne. Chris was horrified. Fears and wild thoughts rushed into his mind, "The King is going to kill me because I’m such a failure.” When Chris got to the front, the King asked for his name. "My name is Chris," he replied. Everyone was laughing and making fun of him then. One sharp stare from the King and everyone quiet down. The King then took Chris’s hand and announced to the crowd, "Behold your new King! His name is Chris!" Chris again was stunned. He could not even grow his seed and how could he be the new king?

The King then said, "A year ago, I told you all to plant the seed until it grew, and bring it back to me today for inspection. I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow at all. All of you have substituted the seed with another seed. Chris was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who deserved be the new King!"

What’s the moral behind this short story?

Be yourself no matter how worst the scenario can be.
You are who you are and do not act as who you are not.

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.
If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.
If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.

But,
If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness
If you plant pride, you will reap destruction
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.

So, what seed have you decided to plant now? Choose carefully which seeds you are going to plant as it will determine what you will reap tomorrow. The seeds will determine your future, whether it’s going to be good or bad lies in your own hands now. You may not see the results immediately but someday, you will enjoy the fruits, the fruits of your actions.

RECOMMENDATION FROM AHPEK.COM

As usual, I was doing my daily rounds of checking in my blog links for bloggers’ latest updates and developments. When I click on one of the links which is AhPek.com, I was stunned. The title on the front page was “Recommendation – Criz’s Sanctuary”. Why Ah Pek recommended my blog when I only started blogging on 30th April 2007. It took me about a minute or two to get out from my shock. The first thing that came to my mind was “Aiyo… why is this “hiao“ Ah Pek so interested over someone who is not even wearing a skirt or a bra. Something fishy is going on lar.” Haha…just joking lar…Ah Pek.

Out of curiousity, I read further to see what good things Ah Pek wrote about my blog. Wah…he wrote that my blog is “useless”, cannot learn new things or even earn money. Well, I must agree with him since he is older than me. Must respect elders’ mah :P I wouldn’t say he is totally right either. You might not learn new things such as the latest technologies, money making schemes, DIY etc, but you may have more understandings and insights in ways to improve a relationship. After all, my blog touches more on Love, Life and Relationships.

As for my command of English, thanks to my Mum again as she was the one who taught me well in reading, writing and speaking (cursing not included…maybe mixing with Cedric too much kua..haha). My Mum was an English teacher, my Dad taught Bahasa Malaysia in school, and I’m from a Chinese school. I would say I’m proud to be able to communicate in trilingual.

Thanks AhPek.com for recommending this site.

THE DYING OF A STAR CALLED LOVE

What is love when the one you love has no idea at all on how you feel,
And it breaks your heart to see the one you love happy in other’s company.
It's more painful to know that the one you love is unhappy with you,
On top of all the sacrifices, time and love you have thrown in.

Love is only special when you give it to someone who is really worth it,
Who can make you happy all the time but it often hurts deeply into your heart.
Love isn't about becoming somebody else's "perfect person",
It's about finding someone who helps you become the best person you can be.

A sad thing about life is when you meet someone and fall in love,
Only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be.
Like a dying star from above the night sky,
Slowly fading away day by day.

Heartbreaks can last as long as you want,
And cut as deep as you allow them to go.
The challenge is not how to survive heartbreaks,
But to learn from them and to be brave for the best of your future.

How to be in love…
Fall but don't stumble,
Be consistent but not too persistent,
Share and never be unfair,
Understand and try not to demand,
And to get hurt but never keep the pain.

To the one I love…
NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE MY LOVE FOR YOU

If I had to live my life without you near me

The days would all be empty

The nights would seem so long

With you I see forever oh so clearly

I might have been in love before

But it never felt this strong

Our dreams are young and we both know

They'll take us where we want to go

Hold me now

Touch me now

I don't want to live without you

Chorus:

Nothing's gonna change my love for you

You ought to know by now how much I love you

One thing you can be sure of

I'll never ask for more than your love

Nothing's gonna change my love for you

You ought to know by now how much I love you
The world may change my whole life thru but

Nothing's gonna change my love for you

If the road ahead is not so easy

Our love will lead the way for us

Like a guiding star

I'll be there for you

If you should need me

You don't have to change a thing

I love you just the way you are

So come with me and share the view

I'll help you see forever too

Hold me now

Touch me now

I don't want to live without you

(Repeat Chorus)

BIRTHDAY BASH AT BALI HAI RESTAURANT

Last night, a few close friends of mine celebrated my birthday with me at Bali Hai Restaurant, one of the leading seafood restaurants down at Penang’s famous seafront, Gurney Drive. There were 7 of us namely myself, Johnny, Jason, Kit, Sky, Adrian and Yuan. Initially, most of them do not know each other, but after a few introductions, they got accustomed to each other and the environment became more homely.

It was almost 10pm when everyone arrived. You can see through their faces that most of them skipped lunch knowing that this is going to be a seafood dinner. Haha…just joking guys! To start the dinner going, I ordered some Satays as the main appetizer. The Satays were big and succulent and the groundnut sauce was just perfect for everyone. They came with lots of cucumbers and onions. I was wondering why hardly anyone touches the onions. I guessed most of them are afraid to pollute the environment later on. Good and loyal citizens! Hahaha…

The first dish that came out was Deep Fried Spicy Sotong, nothing fanciful. They just dipped the squids into some spicy flour and deep fried it. Next that came along was Kerabu Cuttlefish, something that I will not recommend for those elderly people. It’s too tough for the teeth. I thought it was going to be fresh cuttlefish but it turned out to be some mixed pickle vegetables topped with some rounded cuttlefish cracker. I could say I wasn’t too impressed with that dish. Honeyed Sesame Chicken was next. Everyone was “ooo”ing and “ahh”ing over this dish. The chef coated the chicken slices with some kind of crunchy flour and sesame seed. They then stir-fried them with some honey paste. This dish is damn good.

Next on the list was Stir Fry Mixed Vegetable. This dish maybe rather pricey for some people, considering that it’s just some mixed vegetables. If you look closely at the ingredients, you will see that they have added in some slices of big clam, prawns and sea perch meats. Well, I won’t argue on the pricing as clam meats are rather pricey. While we were enjoying the food, the waiter brought out the Clay Pot Homemade Bean Curd. The “tofu” was real smooth and delicious. Combined with some vegetables, mushrooms, prawns, fish slices and the correct gravy, it’s the ideal dish to have with hot steaming rice.

They brought in the Pungent Balitong next. Balitong is actually a kind of shellfish that is sticks to the rocks. I was jokingly telling everyone that this dish is meant for “suckers”. Well, Sky was voted the “Best Sucker” of the night as I can see that he enjoyed the dish very much. The chef did a good job here by stirring the balitong with some curry leaves, dried shrimps and some nice spices. I would give a “thumbs-up” for this dish. To end the course, we were served with Fried Oysters. They marinated the oysters with some spices and fry them with eggs. At least the chef did a good job in getting rid of the fishy smell and sands in the oysters.

After the dinner, a few of them went to take some shots of the exotic sea creatures which we consider as food. The aquariums there exhibited some of the weirdest creatures I have ever seen. Jason did a good job in uploading all the photos in his blog. Maybe you guys would like to have a look at them. I was about to pay the bills when suddenly the waitress brought out a cake. I was so touch. Adrian bought the cake and did some personal decorations on it. The cake was delicious and not too sweet after all. Thanks Adrian for your wonderful cake!

We ended the dinner with Sky going to Mambo for another friend’s birthday party. The rest of us were indecisive on where to go next. Finally, we sat at the seafront, chit-chat for awhile and went home to our warm beds.

REFLECTIONS...

There are certain people in our lives that are so important that we designate an entire day each year to celebrate them and to show our appreciation. Mothers’ Day is one of those special days where you set aside all other commitments and reflect on all the wonderful things your mother has done for you. By making Mothers’ Day special, you have the opportunity to thank her for all the sacrifices she has made and all the love and support she has given you throughout the years. This year, Mothers’ Day falls on 13th May 2007.

Worried about what to get for your Mum on Mothers’ Day? The majority of us probably will consider buying something special, some kind of a material gift for Mum so she can feel the love and care that she deserves. However, what makes a mother especially loved and cared is more than a material gift on Mother's day, but a sincere love, appreciation and a sense of closeness.

Surely, Mothers’ day is a great time of year to send flowers, a card, or give a special gift to a mother, but ask yourself: how many times a year do you call your mother; how many times a year do you see her, how many times do you listen to her and ask for her opinion or advice? Call her now. Give her the gift of time. Mothers are here for us not only on Mothers’ Day but also the other 365 days. Surely they deserve many more days, right? Being more creative, loving and more personal would make the best gift of love that you could ever give to your mother.

My reflections on how great my Mum is to me are briefly written below.

As I was doing some cleaning up in my room, I found some oldies CDs stacked nicely in a box. Out of curiousity, I took them out and began listening to one of them. It was the music of my Mum’s generation. It was exhilarating and it brought back a lot of fond memories. Closing my eyes and lying comfortably on my sofa, I let my mind drifts back to my childhood days. I unearthed while listening to a piece of my past, echoing some of the joy of my childhood, some of the richness of my family history, of my personal myth and it felt so good. I discovered, too, that I like who I am, who I have become and I owe a good deal to my parents, especially to my Mum.

I was not the perfect son at that time. Ours was not a perfect relationship; but my relationship with my Mum was always important to me, and it grew more important to me with each passing year. There was a gnawing at the very core of my heart, telling me that I needed to heal my relationship with my Mum, even before she became ill few years back with a stroke. I made a conscious decision then to stop brooding about the past and to enjoy what I loved about my Mum.

I know life sometimes disappointed her, and there had been times in our relationship when I felt I could never do enough to please my Mum; and then there were also times that I didn't think I did enough for my Mum; and I believe she would have forgiven me now. I felt grateful that we had grown close, and realized for the first time that it was not through my efforts alone. We had been moving in sync towards each other ever since.

As I continued to listen to the music, I began to feel grounded, centered and healed. I acknowledged myself for my unfailing eagerness to forgive the past, to accept my Mum for who she was, and to love her for being the best Mum she knew how to be with her level of understanding, knowledge and awareness. Even when she got annoyed with me for not doing what she wanted, or for not going somewhere for the family's sake, I think she admired my ability to take strong stands on things.

So, I guess I was a good son; perhaps not the best, but the best I knew how, with my own level of understanding, knowledge and awareness. And today I can say that I have no regrets, no major ones, anyway. I mean I wish I hadn't been so sarcastic during my teenage years with her. I wish I had never said or do things that hurt her again, not ever.

Lost in my reverie, I heard the music come to its end, and a part of me couldn't help but to sigh, thinking of the life that once was. I am savoring the good memories, and I am grateful even for the not-so-good ones, for all of them, mixed up and shaken together, have contributed to the person I am. I give special thanks to my parents who provided me with the perfect soil in which to grow.

My Mum has taught me so many things, large and small, but the basics are as follows:

I’ve learned that life is so much easier if I just be myself. This is living life openly and honestly, and saves time, energy, heartache, and misunderstanding in any situation, or in any relationship.

I’ve learned that life is what it is, people are who they are, and any attempts to pretend otherwise are just that pretensions and illusions.

I’ve learned that parents are human too which helps me to be more accepting of my own frailties and failings in dealing with my life. We all do the best we can as parents, and pray that love can overcome our humanity.

I’ve learned that sparing someone’s feelings about small things is polite, but that with life-impacting situations, it’s depriving them of essential information that they may need to make decisions about their life.

I’ve learned that a sense of humor is essential for survival, because to laugh at life and at myself allows me to maintain my perspective on life.

I’ve learned that I have the answers that I need to live my life within me, if I just be still enough and look deep enough to understand.

My specially dedication to my super idol, Lilian Chan - A SUPERMOM, who can cook, raise 5 children, write damn good blogs, manage a cool family and still have time to do charitable works . If I can vote for Super Mums of the year, you’ll always be my 1st. “Happy Mothers’ Day!”

NATIONAL EXCUSES OF MALAYSIANS TODAY

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR GAINING WEIGHT: McDonald’s

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR LOSING WEIGHT: Pokai (Broke). No money eat.

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR HAIR LOSS: Maggi Mee.

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR BEING LATE: Traffic Jam.

NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (MEN): Food Poisoning.

NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (WOMEN): Menstrual Pain

NATIONAL FRUIT FOR INDUCING MENSTRUATION: Pineapple

NATIONAL FRUIT FOR FARTING: Eat too many durians.

NATIONAL APHRODISIAC DRINK: Stout. Many swear by it. But after a few pints, they start swearing at everything.

NATIONAL CONDOM: None. Most Malaysians still feel embarrassed about buying condoms. So they rushed into a 7-ELEVEN, hurriedly grab the nearest pack, any pack, pay and leave before the cashier can even blink an eye.

NATIONAL EXCUSES GIVEN BY WOMEN WHEN REFUSING SEX: Headache, kids not asleep, maid not asleep, mother-in-law around, early appointment, food not digested yet, air-condition not cold enough, air-condition too cold, nail polish not dry yet, forgot to take the pill, sleepy, stomach cramps, period, haven't remove make-up, haven't shower, no water supply, depress, no mood, etc...

NATIONAL EXCUSES GIVEN BY MEN WHEN REFUSING SEX: None. Malaysian men never refuse sex.

NATIONAL CURE FOR HEADACHES: Panadol - the sure "cure for all". If it fails we have another secret weapon - Tiger Balm.

NATIONAL CURE FOR DIZZINESS: Minyak Angin Cap Kapak.

NATIONAL CAUSE OF DIZZINESS (FOR YUPPIES): Happy Hours.

NATIONAL INSTANT CURE FOR DIZZINESS (FOR YUPPIES): The sight of a police road block.

NATIONAL RUBBISH DUMP: Anywhere but in your house compound or surroundings.

NATIONAL ROADSIDE DISTRACTION: The Braless Tourist. See how heads turn and traffic slows down when a braless Mat Salleh backpacker goes bouncing about on the streets.

NATIONAL CAUSE OF TRAFFIC JAMS: Another accident site. Malaysians are rather “kaypo” about everything.

DISCLOSURE

This policy is valid from 30 November 2007

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact crizlai@gmail.com.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

PHOTO HUNTERS

This is the Blogroll of Photo Hunters

Click here to join. Happy snapping :)

WHAT TAROT CARD ARE YOU?

Wow…I did not expect the results to be “so me”. Why not try the test yourself to find out more who you really are. Try the Tarot Test now.

For those who do not understand the meaning of Androgynous or Hermaphroditic. Below are the definitions:

Main Entry: an•drog•y•nous
Pronunciation: an-'drä-j&-n&s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin androgynus hermaphrodite, from Greek androgynos, from andr- + gynE woman
1 : having the characteristics or nature of both male and female
2a: neither specifically feminine nor masculine
2b: suitable to or for either sex
3 : having traditional male and female roles obscured or reversed
- an•drog•y•nous•ly adverb
- an•drog•y•ny /-nE/ noun

Main Entry: her•maph•ro•dite
Pronunciation: (")h&r-'ma-fr&-"dIt
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English hermofrodite, from Latin hermaphroditus, from Greek hermaphroditos, from Hermaphroditos
1 : an animal or plant having both male and female reproductive organs
2 : something that is a combination of diverse elements
- hermaphrodite adjective
- her•maph•ro•dit•ic /(")h&r-"ma-fr&-'di-tik/ adjective
- her•maph•ro•dit•ism /-'ma-fr&-"dI-"ti-z&m/ noun

Here is my result:

You are The Hierophant

Divine Wisdom. Manifestation. Explanation. Teaching.

All things relating to education, patience, help from superiors.The Hierophant is often considered to be a Guardian Angel.

The Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess between her two pillars deals with realms beyond this Earth, the Hierophant (or High Priest) deals with worldly problems. He is well suited to do this because he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.

DISCLAIMER

You might be reaching this page because of Google search and please be informed that all the information posted here are the point of view from my own personal opinion and it is not related to the employer or client or friends. No one can make any kind of complaints with the content or image posted. If any of them has offended you, feel free to contact me at crizlai@gmail.com for immediate removal of content/photo. Inappropriate comments will be deleted at the author’s discretion. All code samples (if any, ever) are provided “AS IS” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose.

Personal relationships and privacy

Do not assume that you know everything there is to know about a writer simply because you read their weblog on a regular basis. Any judgments you make will be based on the information they have provided you about themselves, which is probably vague, incomplete or embellished. Whatever opinion you form on them as people, or their life as a whole, is probably best kept to yourself. Remember, you are the reader. An obvious exception to this would be if someone were asking for advice or opinions.

Never contact the writer for more details on events or personal information than what they have already provided on the site. Chances are if the information you seek isn’t readily available, they have found it too personal or inappropriate to share. If you are close to the person they will eventually tell you privately, so intrusive questions are not necessary, just leave it alone. If you are meant to know, you will.

If you have a real life relationship with the writer, remember that communication is very important. View weblogs as online journals, no less sacred than a diary hidden between the mattresses. First of all let them know that you read their site, especially if they did not tell you personally.

If they do not want you reading it, or suddenly stop posting entries, ask them why and if necessary, stop going to the site. It is important that as a friend, relative, co-worker or whatever you may be to the writer, that your presence at their weblog not impede their ability to express themselves. Remember this is their outlet. They may not want you to read certain things they might write about you or others you care about, in order to spare your feelings, avoid drama or maintain their privacy. You should respect this and immediately stop going to the site, and never relay any information you gather at their site to others who might use it against them.

If someone writes about you and you don’t appreciate it, approach them about it. Try to remain calm and polite. Explain that you are entitled to your privacy as well. There are many compromises that can be reached from using vague nicknames to protect your anonymity, or not mentioning you at all. If you are upset because they are writing negative things about you, be reasonable, try to see if there is a way to resolve the issues and mend your relationship with the writer. If that doesn’t seem to be possible, stop going to the website. They will eventually get bored and move on.

Ex-friends, lovers and estranged family members who have been cut out of the writer’s life should refrain from reading their journal. If the relationship has ended, there is no reason you should get daily updates on the person’s life. If you simply can’t help yourself, do it quietly, and never repeat what you read or use it to hurt the writer.

Feedback and initiating contact

If they have a guest book, sign it. Compliments will always be graciously accepted and appreciated. Criticisms and reproaches are fine if you have a problem with something, but try to remain constructive and not be an asshole. No one is forcing you to give out your opinions, so if you don’t have anything remotely positive to say, it may be best to keep quiet.

When contacting a person for the first time, have a clue. If they have a detailed biography and personal information that describes their life from the day they were born, chances are they won’t appreciate you wasting their time asking them how old they are or where they live. Writers put a lot of thought and time into their sites, so take the time to read the information they provide you with before you ask for more.

Never assume a writer owes you any response. They may receive from a few to hundreds of messages per day. Some will gladly write back immediately, others will never reply. Try not to take it personally, because chances are it has more to do with their schedule than anything else. If you get upset and nasty about feeling rejected, you will probably ruin any chances you had of befriending the person.

Don’t delude yourself into thinking that you will be as important to the writer as he/she is to you. Remember, you are peering in on their life, sharing their thoughts, and though they may become quite special to you, you remain a mystery to them. If they are cold or unreceptive to your advances, keep in mind that you are a stranger to them at this point, and they may or may not want to keep it that way. It’s entirely their choice.

Don’t be a psycho stalker.

You shouldn’t contact people with messenger services unless they list their handles on their website. If you got it from someone else, forget you ever had it, they probably meant to keep it somewhat private.

A writer has the right to stop writing at any time for any reason they see fit, and at no point must they justify or explain these reasons to you or any of their readers. It’s their weblog, they can do with it as they please.

Offensive language and materials

The internet is a place that encourages free and creative expression, and as in any environment where people are given this freedom, conflict may arise. If an author uses language or materials that offend you, leave. Contacting the person or their isp, demanding they remove the content or change their ways is absurd because you are viewing their content of your own free will by visiting their site. Simply stop going there and you won’t have to see whatever it is you don’t like about the site. An obvious exception to this would be if someone were providing illegal materials, in which case it would be appropriate to complain to their ISP or contact authorities.

Copyright and courtesy

Never ask someone to make you a layout, to help with your site or show you how to do a certain script or graphic effect that they have on their site, unless they specifically offer their help. There are plenty of tutorials available to help you, just use a search engine to find what you need.

Never use anything off a person’s site, be it writing, images or html code, unless they say otherwise. People are very attached to their work and don’t usually respond well when others help themselves to it. Copyright is protected by law and in effect the minute something is created, whether the author has a © notice or not. There are online tools where you can learn about copyright laws like What is Copyright? and Redistribution In Graphics Has To Stop.