Trengganu ~ east coast sandy beaches...

I remember when I used to work in a major departmental store. It was my first full-time job. The money was good (at that time), work was interesting, and the ladies overwhelming. My immediate superior and my newly acquainted godbrother (the Chinese always seem to have this passion for adoption, I myself have had countless god-brothers, sisters, and even daughters, although the female variety outnumber the males 5 to 1), were both gay and living together as partners.

During a trip to the hometown of my immediate superior in Trengganu, we stayed the night at his mom's. The night went past peacefully enough although I was pestered by the endless wave of mosquitoes and restless due to sleeping with my back to the wall (I thought it safer at that time).

In the morning after that fitful night, I woke to the sounds of the cockerel screeching his morning how-do-you-do. We had come in a group of 6. All 6 of us got about our morning rituals of you-know-whats and dressed for the beach. Breakfast was topmost on our minds as we walked our way to the market which had the most incredible low priced all-fish variety of breakfast goodies that one can find in the then Malaysia. Fair to say, I ate to my heart'c content as everything was fresh and tasty (and cheap).

At the beach, we got down to what we boys must do. We splashed around the sea front like girls and took potshots at each other with the beautiful pristine sand that was the beach. The more colorful of our group were wearing G-Strings and this was the first time I had ever seen one. We all started to sand rub each other. Exfoliation of the dead skin cells was the call of the day.

Oh, did I fail to mention this? We also had a weird encounter with a group of local Malay babes who while looking religious with their tudungs and all, showed us lewd hand-signs while passing us playing on the beach. Really weird and quite refreshing I say.

Well we played to our heart's content and watched the sun set over the sea horizon. Beautiful. Priceless.

At night it was time to go, and we all packed and took the long-haul bus (non) express back to good old Kuala Lumpur. Bodies aching from the intense sunburns, muscles aching from beachplay, and happiness glowing inside out from the experience.

To confuse or to inform

When you aim not to inform, you are aiming to confuse.

Hey your keyboard needs some TLC

Do you know that your computer keyboard and you both share an important relationship? Yes that's true. Your computer keyboard is your input tool to your computer and its programs. It on the other hand cannot function at all without you.

So to those who bang away mercilessly at their computer keyboards, I would advise you to treat it with more tender loving care. Its not a typewriter after all and doesn't require much brute strength to use. Tap gently and you will see it performing well beyond its manufacturer's stated lifespan. Happy typing...

Greater peace at work

You might sometimes need to patch things up with your fellow co-workers. Believe me, I should know after so many years in the corporate scene.

This person may be that someone at work who tends to get under your skin. You may have also been at loggerheads with them for a long time and the both of you have been too stubborn to give in.

Try a different approach and tackle the matter in a more enlightened way. Your goal is to create greater peace in your work setting. This way, both of you can feel more comfortable and work better.

iPod Touch

Boy 'o boy the new, ultrathin iPod touch was born to play. Tilt, tap, shake, and swipe your way through stunning 3D games and applications designed for iPod touch. Enjoy videos on the crisp 3.5-inch widescreen display. Use the Genius feature to create a playlist of songs that go great together. Surf the web and send email from any Wi-Fi hotspot. I wish I can get my hands on one of these babies and it just retails at around US$229 only.

Keeping your hard earned money safe

In the wake of global financial uncertainty:

1. Open and keep your bank accounts in a Bank that has deposit insurance

2. Open and keep your shares accounts with a broker that is insured

3. Don't spend money unnecessarily. Be prudent.

4. Have an option to mortgage your assets like your home or any other ready cash venues so that you can withdraw the credit whenever in dire need.

5. Change your existing loans to ones that benefit you more in terms of lower interest rates.

6. Cut your losses while you still can before incurring further losses.

7. Keep calm. All is not lost. Be level-headed and weigh your options.

8. Look ahead. Do not take high risk options. Prefer and prepare to invest long term.

9. For long term investment consider shares in reputable listed companies.

10. Don't pay more tax than necessary. Have an experienced accountant go through your accounts to minimize your liabilities.

Maria Ozawa

Birthday: 1986-01-08
Blood Type: A
Height: 162cm
Body Measurements: Bust: 88cm Waist: 58cm Hips 86cm
Hometown: Hokkaido
Hobbies: Guitar
Personality:
Debut: 2005
Comments: Father is French Canadian, Mother is Japanese. Starred in 2006 AVOpen Awards winning video.

All I want to do is to make love to you

Thank you for being a part of my life:

Wherever you go I shall find you: Kuantan, Pudu, PJ,... My sweet beautiful innocence. Our first and last - night on the beach, pop concert together,... You taught me to say thank you to the toll operators along our highway of love and I shall always always cherish you.

Give it to me baby: We met at a work event. Our first "date" was at at Italian restaurant served by Bosnians in Damansara. You rocked my world and gave in so much to me. I only wished that I could have given you back what you needed most. You taught me to enjoy life as it is and....Pool. Our homeaway excursions were memorable if not exciting.

Froggie: You are the better half of me that I lost. Your attentiveness, thoughtfulness, and care seconds none. We had Tequila, Wine, good food, great travel, and when you left a part of me left with you.

Bao-bei: The past is over and we have today and tomorrow to last us a lifetime. With you I wake and with you I lay down. We shall always remain together forever and ever in mind, soul, and body.

Thought of the day

Let go of life conditions that don't serve you anymore...

What's your purpose in life?

And, the answer is...

Living your Life with a Purpose

Spread the love

Give someone and yourself a gift everyday -- it does not need to be something extremely valuable. Perhaps the gift of a smile or a kind word or even an act of appreciation. Doing things for others in the truest sense will make your life really sparkle!

Make sure you spread the love around a bit, and don't worry, as love is infinite in power and by the way you've got more than enough of it to spare.

Dare to imagine

The imagination allows us to dream in order to offset the realities of the world. The diffusive process of surrendering into our fantasies can awaken our creative spirit, which we can use to keep our common sense in check and seek answers to our problems in the real world. Why else would you hear people say, "I'll sleep over it" or something to that effect.

Fan Bing-Bing

Fan Bingbing (Chinese: 范冰冰; Pinyin: Fàn Bīngbīng; born 16 September 1981) is a popular Chinese actress. She was born in Qingdao, Shandong, China and graduated from Xie Jin's Star School and Shanghai Theater Academy. Her films include Twins Effect II.

Fan rose to stardom when she played Jin Suo, a fragile maid character, in the popular TV sitcom Huan Zhu Ge Ge and its sequel Huan Zhu Ge Ge 2 in 1998.

September 16

September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 106 days remaining until the end of the year.

* 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr declared Prince of Wales by his followers.
* 1701 - James Francis Edward Stuart,sometimes called the "Old Pretender", becomes the Jacobite claimant to the thrones of England and Scotland.
* 1776 - American Revolutionary War: the Battle of Harlem Heights is fought.
* 1795 - United Kingdom conquers Cape Town, South Africa.
* 1810 - With the Grito de Dolores, Father Miguel Hidalgo begins Mexico's fight for independence from Spain
* 1812 - Russians set fire to Moscow shortly after midnight - the city is burned completely down days later.
* 1863 - Robert College of Istanbul-Turkey, the first American educational institution outside the United States is founded by Christopher Robert, an American philanthropist.
* 1887 - The first game of softball was played in Chicago, Illinois
* 1893 - Settlers race in Oklahoma for prime land in the Cherokee Strip.
* 1901 - Alturas, California, incorporated as the only city in Modoc County.
* 1908 - General Motors is founded.
* 1919 - The American Legion is incorporated.
* 1920 - The Wall Street bombing: a bomb in a horse wagon explodes in front of the J.P.Morgan building in New York City - 38 are killed with 400 injured.
* 1940 - Sam Rayburn elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, widely regarded as the most effective Speaker of the House in American history.
* 1941 - Concerned that Reza Pahlavi the Shah of Persia was about to align his petroleum-rich country with Germany during World War II, the United Kingdom and the USSR occupy Iran and forced him to resign in favor of his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
* 1949 - First Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner episode- Fast and Furry-ous is aired.
* 1955 - Juan Perón is deposed in Argentina.
* 1963 - Malaysia is formed from Malaya, Singapore, British North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak.
* 1964 - First episode of Bewitched is aired.
* 1966 - The Metropolitan Opera House opens at Lincoln Center in New York City to the world premiere of Samuel Barber's opera, Antony and Cleopatra.
* 1970 - King Hussein of Jordan declares military rule due to the hijacking of four civilian airliners by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). This results in the formation of the Black September Palestinian paramilitary unit.
* 1975 - Papua New Guinea gains its independence from Australia.
* 1975 - The first prototype of the MiG-31 interceptor makes its maiden flight.
* 1976 - Shavarsh Karapetyan saves 20 people from the trolleybus that had fallen into Erevan reservoir
* 1977 - American-born Greek soprano Maria Callas died in Paris
* 1978 - An earthquake hits the city of Tabas, Iran measuring 7.5-7.9 on the Richter scale killing about 25,000 people.
* 1982 - Sabra and Shatila massacre in Lebanon.
* 1987 - The Montreal Protocol is signed to protect the ozone layer from depletion.
* 1991 - The trial of Panamanian "strongman" Manuel Noriega begins in the United States.
* 1992 - Black Wednesday: the Pound Sterling is forced out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism by currency speculators and is forced to devalue against the Deutschmark.
* 2004 - Hurricane Ivan touches land near Pensacola, Florida, becoming the third (now fourth) costliest hurricane to strike the United States.
* 2007 - One-Two-GO Airlines Flight 269 carrying 128 crew and passengers crashes in Thailand killing 89 people.

Births

* 16 - Drusilla, daughter of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder (d. 38)
* 1098 - Hildegard of Bingen, German magistra and the first componist to be known by name (d. 1179)
* 1387 - King Henry V of England, (d. 1422)
* 1507 - Jiajing, Emperor of China (d. 1567)
* 1557 - Jacques Mauduit, French composer (d. 1627)
* 1651 - Engelbert Kaempfer, German physician and traveler (d. 1716)
* 1666 - Antoine Parent, French mathematician (d. 1716)
* 1678 - Henry St John, English statesman and philosopher (d. 1751)
* 1722 - Gabriel Christie, British general (d. 1799)
* 1725 - Nicolas Desmarest, French geologist (d. 1815)
* 1745 - Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, Russian field marshal (d. 1813)
* 1782 - Daoguang, Emperor of China (d. 1850)
* 1823 - Francis Parkman, American historian (d. 1893)
* 1827 - Jean Albert Gaudry, French geologist (d. 1908)
* 1853 - Albrecht Kossel, German physician, Nobel laureate (d. 1927)
* 1858 - Andrew Bonar Law, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1923)
* 1859 - Yuan Shikai, Chinese politician (d. 1916)
* 1875 - James C. Penney, American department store founder (d. 1971)
* 1881 - Clive Bell, English art critic (d. 1964)
* 1883 - T. E. Hulme, English writer (d. 1917)
* 1886 - Jean Arp, Alsatian sculptor and painter (d. 1966)
* 1887 - Nadia Boulanger, French composer and teacher (d. 1979)
* 1888 - F. E. Sillanpää, Finnish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1964)
* 1891 - Stephanie von Hohenlohe, Austrian-born German spy (d. 1972)
* 1891 - Karl Dönitz, German naval leader (d. 1980)
* 1893 - Alexander Korda, Hungarian film director (d. 1956)
* 1893 - Albert Szent-Györgyi, Hungarian physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1986)
* 1905 - Vladimír Holan, Czech poet (d. 1980)
* 1906 - Jack Churchill, English soldier (d. 1996)
* 1906 - Project Mayhem, Auctioneer of José Theodore
* 1910 - Karl Kling, German race car driver (d. 2003)
* 1910 - Erich Kempka, Adolf Hitler's chauffeur (d. 1975)
* 1914 - Allen Funt, American radio and television personality (d. 1999)
* 1916 - M.S. Subbulakshmi, Indian singer (d. 2004)
* 1916 - Robert Bradshaw, Saint Kitts and Nevis politician (d. 1978)
* 1919 - Laurence J. Peter, Canadian born educator and writer (d. 1990)
* 1921 - Jon Hendricks, American jazz singer
* 1922 - Janis Paige, American actress
* 1922 - Marcel Mouloudji, French actor and singer (d. 1994)
* 1923 - Lee Kuan Yew, Minister Mentor of Singapore
* 1924 - Lauren Bacall, American actress
* 1925 - Charlie Byrd, American musician (d. 1999)
* 1925 - B. B. King, American musician
* 1925 - Charles Haughey, Prime Minister of Ireland (d. 2006)
* 1926 - Tommy Bond, American actor (d. 2005)
* 1927 - Peter Falk, American actor
* 1927 - Jack Kelly, American actor (d. 1992)
* 1928 - Lady Gwen Thompson, British occultist (d. 1986)
* 1930 - Anne Francis, American actress
* 1934 - Elgin Baylor, American basketball player
* 1934 - George Chakiris, American actor
* 1935 - Carl Andre, American artist
* 1935 - Bob Kiley, American public transit specialist
* 1937 - Alexander Medved, Russian wrestler
* 1939 - Breyten Breytenbach, South African writer and painter
* 1941 - Richard Perle, American political advisor
* 1942 - Bernie Calvert, British musician (The Hollies)
* 1943 - James Alan McPherson, American writer
* 1944 - Winston Grennan, Jamaican American drummer
* 1946 - Cathee Dahmen, American fashion model
* 1946 - Mike Reynolds, Australian politician
* 1946 - Camilo Sesto, Spanish singer
* 1947 - Russ Abbot, British comedian
* 1947 - Enrique Krauze, Mexican historian and writer
* 1948 - Ron Blair, American bassist
* 1948 - Kenny Jones, English musician (The Small Faces; Faces; The Who)
* 1949 - Ed Begley, Jr., American actor
* 1950 - Loyd Grossman, American television presenter
* 1953 - Eric Vail, Canadian ice hockey player
* 1953 - Nancy Huston, Canadian-born novelist and essayist
* 1954 - Earl Klugh, American jazz guitarist
* 1954 - Frank Reed, American singer (Chi-Lites)
* 1955 - Ron Brewer, American basketball player
* 1955 - Janet Ellis, British television presenter
* 1955 - Yolandita Monge, Puerto Rican singer
* 1955 - Robin Yount, American baseball player
* 1956 - David Copperfield, American magician
* 1956 - Mickey Rourke, American actor
* 1957 - David McCreery, Irish footballer
* 1958 - Orel Hershiser, American baseball player
* 1958 - Neville Southall, Welsh footballer
* 1958 - Jennifer Tilly, American actress
* 1959 - Tim Raines, American baseball player
* 1960 - Danny John-Jules, British actor
* 1960 - Kurt Busiek, American comic book writer
* 1961 - Bilinda Butcher, British singer (My Bloody Valentine)
* 1963 - Richard Marx, American singer
* 1964 - Molly Shannon, American actress
* 1964 - Mary Coustas, Austalian entertainer
* 1965 - Katy Kurtzman, American actress
* 1968 - Marc Anthony, American singer
* 1968 - Walt Becker, American director and writer
* 1970 - Mark Schultz, American musician
* 1971 - Amy Poehler, American comedian (Saturday Night Live)
* 1973 - Alexander Vinokourov, Kazakh cyclist
* 1973 - Justin Haythe, American writer
* 1975 - Shannon Noll, Australian singer and songwriter
* 1976 - Tina Barrett, Former S Club 7 Member
* 1976 - Greg Buckner, American basketball player
* 1976 - Heather Hopper, American actress
* 1978 - Dan Dickau, American basketball player
* 1978 - Matthew Rogers, American singer
* 1980 - Patrik Stefan, Czech hockey player
* 1981 - Alexis Bledel, American actress (Gilmore Girls)
* 1981 - Fan Bingbing, Chinese actress
* 1982 - Leon Knight, English footballer
* 1984 - Katie Melua, Georgian-British singer
* 1984 - Sabrina Bryan, American actress and singer
* 1985 - Madeline Zima, American actress
* 1986 - Kyla Pratt, American actress
* 1987 - Anthony Padilla, American comedian and co-founder of Smosh
* 1988 - Sarah Steele, American actress
* 1988 - Teddy Geiger, American singer
* 2005 - Princess Jalilah bint Ali, of Jordan

It is also a date targeted for the greatest Malaysian political change. Whether it will happen or not, whoever the leaders are or have become, however it turns out, we should all remain calm and work together towards the betterment of this country we call home, Malaysia. On a social and economic level, we have shall reach greater heights provided we are united.

Excuse me but where was the moon?

Was looking forward to reliving those wonderful memories of Mid Autumn Festivals long past. But the heavy downpour at night did not allow much merrymaking at all. In fact the "seniors" who used to create so much hype in the past did no such this time round. The staple fruits and incense was still there but where were the mooncakes?

Have we really progressed this far only to discard with tradition?

Even the moon that was a certainty every 1st and 15th day of the lunar month according to the Chinese calendar seemed to be playing a joke with us.

So, the special prayers were held under cover of the covered car park with all the adults and kids lining up one after the other to light the joss sticks and pray to the moon that was supposed to be there (by the way it only appeared at 11pm after the rain had pured to a drizzle).

I hope next year and pray hard that the Mid Autumn Festival will be better...

Sri Hijau Condominium a poor development by Narajaya

I'm prompted to write this article as a result that I experienced while on a high Floor of this medium-cost apartment "condo" developed by Narajaya Sdn Bhd in Bandar Mahkota Cheras.

Whenever it rains heavily, "flooding" can be seen recurring in these so called condominiums (I still prefer to call them apartments for their obvious lack of facilities). The rainwater gushes in over the window sills as the sliding window that is installed is not exactly weatherproof. I was amazed at the amount of water that was overflowing from the sills and "gushing" down over the wall below and onto the floor. Obviously the owner of this apartment (oops) that I was in did not bargain for such a thing happening when she bought it about over 3 years ago during its launch. Neither was it known that a Chinese temple would be built over part of the Playground along the main road that leads to this apartment (oops oops).

The accumulated damage included warped parquet flooring along the windows, peeling and bubbled paintwork, and furniture. It really does seem that nothing is scared in Malaysia. Even quality can be compromised in such level of delivery.

Other defects and eyesores that can be visually seen include, a swimming pool (the one and only condo "facility") that was poorly done and with some raised and crack tiles, absence of waterproofing between floors with waste water seeping from above into the unit below, road surface that badly needs to be re-tarred again, road markings that have either faded or washed away with the gravel due to the lack of the tar holding it in place, run-down boomgate at the Main Entrance, common areas that needs re-painting, and worse of all cracks that have reappeared after so-called rectification on part of Narajaya.

Next time when you are thinking of buying property, think twice and conduct a detail study into the developer's track records - importantly, evaluate the quality of the work done.

Don't just go rushing into buying the property just because you,

1. Liked its name (and its probably changed by the time you get your housing loan approved)
2. Are attracted to the location (it could be miles away and harder to get to than wahat's mentioned in the ad-hype)
3. Fascinated by the pricing (what you buy it now may be much less in the near future)
4. Swayed by the amenities and facilities (what are these? Not impressed at all)

So, THINK before you ACT or RISK being pumped the wrong way...

Easy on the traffic regulations Malaysia

It's nice to know that the good police officers on duty near the Sime Darby LRT station, Kuala Lumpur, that is also next to a primary school, are sympathetic towards the difficulty of some parents who send their children to that school.

Parents and even buses are sometimes parked along the road side. Traffic moving past have to slow down to avoid these vehicles. Sometimes, the vehicles are side-parked right up into the exit lane leading down to Jalan Kuching. Sympathetic police officers seem to allow these vehicles to stop and park at this road side.

Although nice, some sort of "management" is still required even if it is "allowed".

Sexual Addiction

Is there ever such a thing? If there is, do we blame uncontrollable raging hormones?

As far as I go, we human beings are human due to a host of characteristics and behavior, one of them being sane and wise enough to control how we approach situations.

This condition can cause physical and/or mental anguish, loss in productivity, lack of concentration, lack of time for family, friends, and work.

Symptoms include,
1. Constantly thinking of sex and fantasizing about sex.
2. Using visual aids like the porn magazines, videos, and the Internet for stimulation.
3. Has more sex partners than can be remembered.
4. Lose work due to obsession with sex.
5. Uses sex to feel better.
6. Lies so that sex is obtained.

According to experts, the only way is for the afflicted person to undergo therapy in the form of counseling and abstaining from sex. Sex is important, let it be Recreational and not an Obsession.