Happy New Year 2010

Wishing everybody out there a blessed year ahead.

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.

Psa 27:4

... from the Big Eye Boy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Oh gosh! Santa's dog is lost. I found him wandering around 1Borneo.

So cute. Can we take him home?

NO WAY.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everybody out there!

Humor for the day

The country got a new Bapa today.

Nazri: Dr M is ‘father of all racism’ Bapa Seluruh Perkauman? Hahaha...

BTN seems to be the hottest talk in town. Maybe my old article will see some daylight...

Back from Biro Tata Negara

Quick, who can I sell the article to?

If only...

I dream of politics free of party fanatics, a generation that is not loyal to any particular party. I dream of a future where Malaysians hold to discipline, facts and figures, society which evaluates debates and arguments so no political parties will be in power.

I dream of the rakyat who are colour blind in politics.

If we reach a stage where people choose qualified individuals rather than a party, we will be a mature country. Right now we can see all political parties share the same kind of problems -- cronyism and corruption are rampant.

Asri's dream of a politics that is colour blind

... those words came from one of the many Christian political leaders in Malaysia.

Christmas is coming soon

... when the decorations are up, the songs are in the air, and the sales are on full swing.

I went to 1Borneo to look for my frens.

Ei, you guys got pack any gifts for me ah?

Anybody knows what has coniferous trees and snowmen got to do with the birth of Jesus Christ ka?

Santa came early this Christmas

No la, actually my wallet bocor early this Christmas.

I flown it over to Sabah personally. Pre-ordered it over the internet. Then met up with the seller in KL for COD. Nice guy, smart entrepreneur, fresh graduate from UTAR venturing into the online business. Ya lo, buy by faith. Pretty satisfied with the guitar so far.

Why I didn't buy from KK leh?

First of all, not many choices / music shops in KK. There was this shop that has a wierd marketing style...

"Emm... can I have a try at this guitar ah?"

"If you decide to buy, only can try."

"If I don't try, how I know I want to buy that guitar leh?"

"Bos say like that la. If you want to buy already, only can try out the guitar."

Thank you very much. I am taking my business elsewhere. Got money also I won't buy anything from your shop.

Secondly, things are much cheaper over in West Malaysia la (refer to earlier post). Even more cheaper if buy from an online store (the guy doesn't need to maintain a shop and staffs). And I happened to be in KL ma.

Thirdly, I want to try out online purchase. Just for the element of surprise.

Khinzir delight

This post is especially for Y1 and EATdotCom. And for all who has developed the distinct taste for the internal beauty of the khinzir.

That's my favourite mix-mix porridge shop in Seremban. It's above the central market. 2 stalls away is the famous Sotong Mee Hoon. And a few stalls away is the classic Beef Noodle. Check it out if you're in Seremban.

Price for a meal... RM 3.30. In Kota Kinabalu a bowl of porridge will cost you RM 5.00 minimum. Anybody knows why Sabah stuffs so expensive ah? Sabahans very rich izzit?

Speed looks good tonight

Legacy of flip flop

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin denied claims that courses run by the Biro Tatanegara (BTN) or National Civics Bureau were a form of political indoctrination, saying they were to inculcate nationalism and unity among the people in line with the 1Malaysia concept.

HERE

Women, Family and Commu nity Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the content of the BTN course instilled patriotic spirit.

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein noted that BTN modules were designed to infuse patriotism and to mould a progressive nation.

HERE

Today...

The National Civics Bureau (BTN) will overhaul its courses in line with the 1Malaysia spirit following accusations that they incite racial discord besides being government propaganda. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the Cabinet had agreed to the revamp.

HERE

In an about turn, the Government announced that there will not be a major revamp of the National Civics Bureau (BTN) courses. Instead, the course modules will be continuously improved, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Ahmad Maslan.

HERE

You guys have learned well. Pak Lah would be so proud of you guys.

I don't expect tigers to change their stripes overnight, let alone BN.

Festival of Lights

December is just a few days away... and the Festival of Lights is coming. Yeh!!!

My daddy brought us to the market this morning. There's a shopping center near the market, so we popped in... and found some really cheap-nice-good stuffs.

Anybody want to know where to get Christmas lights at good discounts? You've come to the right blog. Ask me. Don't think I little boy don't know where to look for kiamsiap stuffs.

Hehehe... it's at the Milimewa in Lido. There are giving 70% discount for a great variety of Christmas lights. See... nice or not? RM 7 only, with Christmas music lagi. Hahahaha... ( do the Shin-chan laugh).

I am dreaming of a white Christmas. With a little white girl and a cup of Ipoh White Coffee. That'll be great.

They also have Christmas stockings at 50% discount.

The big stocking for my daddy and mummy. The smaller one for me. Aiya, forgot to buy one for Ryan adik. Have to make do with one of my old stocking la.

They say Santa Claus comes in thru the chimney and fill up the stockings with gifts on Christmas eve. But our house got no chimney la. That fat fella is never gonna get thru our window grilles.

Hah, Christmas is not Festival of Lights ah? Who say one?

Then God commanded, "Let there be light"---and light appeared.

Gen 1:3

You, LORD, are my light; you dispel my darkness.

2Sa 22:29

Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.

Psa 119:105

"No longer will the sun be your light by day Or the moon be your light by night; I, the LORD, will be your eternal light; The light of my glory will shine on you.

Isa 60:19

You are the light of the world... Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

Mat 5:14,16

He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light. This was the real light---the light that comes into the world and shines on all people.

Joh 1:8,9

Jesus spoke to the Pharisees again. "I am the light of the world," he said. "Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness."

Joh 8:12

I have come into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness.

Joh 12:46

You yourselves used to be in the darkness, but since you have become the Lord's people, you are in the light. So you must live like people who belong to the light, for it is the light that brings a rich harvest of every kind of goodness, righteousness, and truth.

Eph 5:8

But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.

1Pe 2:9

Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. If, then, we say that we have fellowship with him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions. But if we live in the light---just as he is in the light---then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin.

1Jo 1:5-7

God is light. Jesus is light. The Bible is light. You and I are lights. So many lights, I think I need to wear sunglasses on Christmas day.

Now, tell me again, is it the Festival of Lights or not?

Now that I have taught you where to hunt for cheap Christmas lights, don't you forget to invite me to your home to look at your collection ok.

Naughty face

Lying or pretending?

BTN courses not political indoctrination: Muhyiddin

Man, you seriously think we are so silly to believe you meh?

Yours truly have attended the course and can testify that you are talking nonsense. Well, that seems to be what you have been doing best these days anyway.

Selangor boycotts Biro Tata Negara programmes

For this reason alone I would vote the folks in again if I am there.

To potong or not potong?

Here's the speed of Streamyx that I am getting now.

And that is despite me signing up for the 1Mbps package. I am getting only half the speed.

My 2 years contract with the package is over. So it makes good sense to downgrade the subscription and just go for the 512Kbps package. Why pay TM for a promise not delivered. But ah... I am going to move in 6 months time. So, doesn't make sense to sign up for a new package now. Well, just stick to it for the time being.

When I go back to Seremban to subscribe a new Streamyx package this weekend, it will be the 512Kbps package. It costs 25% cheaper and you get the max out of your subscription (that sounds so kiasuly nice). Try out for 1 year, when the P1 coverage (3x more speed for similar price) improves, then poooootong.

Do you know that there's a package from TM now, for Streamyx users only, you pay RM 10 per month and enjoy the following benefits:

... unlimited free local and national (across the sea) fixed line calls to TM line

... 30 sen per minute for phone calls to mobile numbers and non-TM fixed line

... a free CORDLESS phone (I almost wanted to redeem this with my SenQ points

My this month's phone call bill came to almost RM 50 (don't know who have Ryan boy been calling). So, I signed up for the RM 10 deal la.

Personal hairstylist

Quickly take the photo la. It's hard to maintain the peace sign you know.

My Amazon stuffs arrived

My package from the U.S. arrived today, finally. Took it exactly one month to cross the Atlantic and land at my doors. Cheaper than buying the stuff in the shops here, even after including the shipping cost of USD$15.

Pretty good packaging. But I think someone must have opened it along the way to check the contents. The sticker is a bit torn, and so is the inner packaging.

But the most important thing is, my stuffs arrived in good shape... yeh yeh!

Tasked with helping to formulate a guitar lesson module and teach some guitar tricks, gotta have some books to brush up la. If not how to teach.

The next question is... who's gonna lend me a guitar?

So clever

Madam ah, you are 42 years old, never had children, and has heavy bleeding. Your risk of having cancer of the uterus lining is higher than other people. I need to check your below (wink wink) and take some tissue from the lining to make sure it's OK.

Hah!!! I got cancer ah???

I din say you got cancer la. I said at higher risk only. Need to take the tissue to confirm.

Hmmm... take tissue can confirm ah?

Can.

Do scan can confirm ah?

Cannot. Roughly guess only.

Aiyah! My Medical Card expired already last month. I haven't renew yet. If you confirm I got cancer, then I cannot claim already. You do scan only la, don't check other things, until I renew my Medical Card, can ah?

Can... Up to you lo. So when can you settle your Medical Card?

Emm... this few weeks busy. Maybe next month la.

OK la, then I see you one month from now, only do the tests la.

Good good (smiles happily).

Dogs and Chinese allowed

That was long long ago...

This was today lunch time...

What to do, it's a Bak Kut Teh shop, sure Chinese fellas will come.

But dogs ah... sigh. Maybe a Dog Kut Teh shop would keep them out. No thanks to such pet-loving owners.

Peace for Sunday

Wonders

The State Referral Hospital for maternity and gynae services in Sabah has run out of money to buy paper for recording case notes (so we are now writing case notes on toilet paper, tissue paper, cigarette wrapper, whatever paper we can find :-) ). Yet the AG report says some government department has enough money to pay RM42K to buy a laptop.

District hospitals around Kota Kinabalu have closed their operaring theatres coz the air particle level failed to meet Accreditation requirements. So cases that need urgent surgery are "rushed" to Kota Kinabalu many hours away; while the district hospitals await for funds to do the necessary renovations... funds that dunno when will see daylight. Yet the irony is, the central hospital's operating theatre air particle level is much worse.

An SPM top scorer of Iban-Sino parentage from interior Sarawak can't even get a place to study in matriculation, because she is not "original" Malaysian enough. Yet children of mixed Indon, Pakistani, Arabic, even Orang Putih parentage from the big cities in peninsular get to study overseas on government scholarships (in Sabah even illegal immigrants also can, as long as you manage to get an IC by whatever means). And yet they say the policy is to "help original Malaysians who are needy".

Any other wonders that you find lately?

Ryan and frens

That time of the year

We travelled up and down the Crocker Range over the weekend.

To rediscover my kampung boy instincts...

To catch up with my kampung frens...

And to fill up with these stuffs...

the King

the Queen

dan lain lain.

Blessed

A colleague recently commented... "Waaa... you know ah, Malaysia is so blessed. Do you know that there is disaster all around us... storms in the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand... earthquake in Sumatra... and nothing in Malaysia (except corrupt politicians la). And we have so many races living together in harmony."

Ya hor.

Imagine losing your entire live savings (house, car, land, properties...) in an earthquake. And as far as I know insurance don't compensate for those stuffs lost due to "natural disaster". Only then will we realise that worldly possessions will ultimately perish, like what the Bible has been saying since two thousand plus years ago. Just that we often forget that part.

Disasters as a reminder of the futility of chasing material stuffs? Maybe hor.

Ryan got some new toys

A gift from Ryan's Gong-gong while searching for a keyboard (the boy's been dragging my USB computer keyboard everywhere). Can go hunting lo!

Keyboard for little boy. Found this after much searching around the toy shops in KK.

And soon later discovered a really good-bargain full size keyboard in Servay supermarket. Grrrhh...

Church at the beach

The church had the Sunday Service in Tanjung Aru beach today. It was the Family Fun Day Celebration. Picnic, food, fun.

It's been a long long time since we last went to the beach. Ryan was overjoyed of course. We got lost locating the Pantai Dua in Tanjung Aru, so was a bit late... the worship session already started.

Ryan was more interested in the fun stuffs.

There were games for kids.

Ryan was too small for the SuperCrew's games. So he went to play masak-masak with a little girl in a yellow tent. But cool little girl didn't want to play with him.

Games for adults too.

The Big Eagle Catch Chicken game (when was the last time you play this?). See the grey-hair folks enjoying themselves... it's never too old to play :-)

The passing balloon game...

The hoola-hoop game... And many other games but I didn't take photo la.

Good food of course... the church ordered 2 roast lambs!

A cool dip in the sea for little boy.

Balik kampung

My daddy brought me back to interior Sabah last weekend. We went balik kampung early coz wanted to avoid the Hari Raya exodus.

It's been a long time. The city is not good for little boys. I get caged up in the house all day. That makes Ryan a dull little boy.

Where else in the kampung...

... I become the center of attention

... I get to manja with my Gong-gong
... and not get scolded for making noise in kampung church

... I get to enjoy natural spa...

... scream at the dogs
... play with sand
... run around naked in the field (hey don't think I am gonna show you the pic)

It good to touch the green green grass of the kampung.

Why do people choose to live in the city anyway?