Angel

I have trouble sleeping this week. I heard voices in my sleep. I had dreams - too many for someone who rarely dream (although daydreaming is my favourite pastime). My eyelids twicthed too many a time. Oh boy, i know i am going to weep - again!

Yesterday morning, i got a call from my beloved aunt, Chu in PG. In between her sobs, she said that she needed to share this with me - my Chik Aya, who is now in PG, on the so-called holiday trip upnorth - is diagnosed of having cancer after going through MRI scan yesterday morning.

For the past 1 year, Chik Aya had experienced severe backaches and there was a 50cent-size growth as hard as bone on her wrist. All the doctors she consulted said that she could be suffering for hairline crack in lower part of her lumbar spine. They prescribed her pills and even after taking high-dosed painkiller, she remains in pain most of the time.

Pak Busu, a neurologist, and Chu, a physician, decided to get Chik Aya to undergo various scannings, bloodtests and physiotherapy in PG. When the MRI result came out, Chu couldn't believe her eyes that Chik Aya got cancer. The bone images look so bad now that we need to find the source of these cancerous cells - fast. Coupled to this, Chik Aya's hairline crack appears at the most vital part of the lumbar spine that any movement that could exert such pressure to the bone, can turn Chik Aya paralysed in lower part of her body. Pak Busu is working hard to find a good, sensible and professional specialist in JB GH so Chik Aya could be treated properly ASAP.

I guess, after a sleepless night for her (and many more related to her by blood), the reality sank in that this morning, Chik Aya hugged Chu and cried - she said she is scared to go through this ordeal. Chu assured her that we will be with her and that she needs to be strong to fight.

Still curious of what could be the source of the cancer, Chu asked Chik Aya if she has any lumps on her breast. To Chu's shock, she nodded yes. My Chu found a lump, as hard as bone, on one of her breasts. Chik Aya told Chu that she has that for almost a year and she did inform Pak Chik Daud (her beloved husband) about it . Pak Chik Daud told her it just be 'angin' so she ignored it.

My heart wrenched now i got my answer to my sleepless nights. Alhamdullilah, we have Pak Busu to break the news to Pak Chik Daud. Chu told me she can't do it for she will just cry. I wonder how will i stand up to such action required of me?

My mom, Chu, Chik Aya and her other siblings grew up without my grandmother, who passed away after giving birth to my last uncle. Chu grew up with her sisters as her 'mother' as my late grandfather never remarried.

Chik Aya is the quietest aunt i ever have (this makes her a difficult patient because it is difficult for a doctor to gauge the symptoms and the medication effects) and yes, the sweetest of all. When i was a little girl, i thought i was like her in personality but I outlived that to be quite a talker ( i do hope i am still as sweet). During Raya Haji, she cooked us Laksa Johore and it was the best. I wonder how she managed to do that (she cooked for the whole clan - her side and Pak Chik Daud's side of family) with the excruciating backaches. The doctor who did the MRI told Chu that Chik Aya is such a very strong lady that others could just be lying on their bed, wailling in pains. It's in the genes - all the ladies in my family are strong mentally, physically and spiritually.

May Allah gives us all strengths to go through this and please Ya Allah, let Chik Aya recover from these sufferings.

My kind of First Lady

Behind every successful (or a bloodyfool) man, there is a woman. Thank God for Michelle Obama because I believe a woman can make or break a man. Not forgetting all the women – especially Obama’s grandma and momma - that has shaped Obama and make him worthy to be the USA 44th Elected President. Now, Michelle will be next in my White House Walk of Fame for USA First Lady after ever-lovely Jackie O.

What I admire about her is not just about her being the First African American First Lady, she is a lawyer by profession and a great mother by nature. I can’t help but chuckled and at the same time, feel proud that she understand her role as the First Lady, while reading her speech in November 2008, here: -

My No 1 job as First Lady is to be First Mom

A few weeks ago at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, I shared with the nation some of the many reasons why I believed my husband would be an extraordinary president. It was the biggest speech I'd ever given. When I was finished, I headed backstage with my daughters. They turned to me, breathless with excitement.

“Mom,” Malia, our ten-year-old, said. “We have something important to tell you. We need to have a sleepover!”

That snapped me out of speech mode, with the bright lights and applause, and back into the role I love: Mom. The next night, 15 giggling girls - my daughters, the Biden granddaughters, and friends - took over our hotel room.

Now that Barack has been elected president, it will be an honour to be First Lady. I will work daily on the issues closest to my heart: helping working women and families, particularly military families. But, as my girls reminded me in Denver, even as First Lady, my No 1 job is still to be Mom. At 7 and 10, our daughters are young. My first priority will be to ensure they stay grounded and healthy, with normal childhoods - including homework, chores, dance, and soccer.

Our girls are the centre of Barack's and my world. They're the reason he ran for president - to make the world a better place for them and for all children. For us, and for millions of Americans, that's what this election has been about - making sure that America remains a country where everyone can fulfil their God-given potential.

Barack and I have travelled to every corner of the country, talking to people about their lives and dreams. Their stories have touched our hearts and strengthened our resolve. They've made us more certain than ever that, despite any differences we may have, there is so much that unites us as Americans. But times are tough. Parents are working harder than ever to raise their kids, pay bills, help out their parents and keep up with the rising cost of living. Caring for their families is their greatest joy - but it's harder to make ends meet.

We've talked to mothers whose salaries can't cover the cost of groceries - but if they take a second job, they can't afford childcare. More than 22 million working women don't have paid sick days. Millions of women are doing the same jobs as men but they're earning less.

It's even harder for military spouses. Their husbands and wives are away serving our nation for months at a time. So they have to be Mom and Dad. They're working, checking in on their in-laws, helping with homework, and doling out discipline - and every night, they're praying with all their hearts for their loved ones' safe return. These families aren't asking the Government to fix their problems. They're asking for it to understand what's happening to their families and to find ways to help.

As First Lady, I will continue these conversations with working women and military spouses, and I'll take their stories back to Washington to make sure that the people who run our country know how their policies touch their constituents' lives.

The struggles of America's families aren't new to Barack. He was raised by a single mom who put herself through school and built a career that she loved while still finding time to read to him each morning. So, he knows how heroic America's parents can be. That's why he is committed to restoring the middle class, cutting taxes for 95 per cent of all working Americans, establishing pay equity for women, and expanding family leave. He also knows that when our military goes to war, their families go with them. He's a strong advocate for predictable deployments and better healthcare - including mental health - for returning service people.

These issues are my passions. Now that the election is won, I'll keep working to find solutions that make a real difference in people's lives. With Barack serving as President, we will fill our home with talk of how to serve our nation's families better.

And occasionally, when our daughters insist, we'll host sleepovers, too.

Michelle Obama wrote this article shortly before the election ~ November 2008.

BFM 89.9 and Mydin

I am on station hopping (again) now that I listen to Fly FM (95.8), BFM (89.9) and Traxx FM (90.3). Amongst those 3, my darling for the moment is BFM 89.9. You could see its quirky, eye-catching, tongue twisting ads on our taxis (e.g. Bankers Flee Mortgages, Bacteria Free Minute, Bankers Financiers Moneymakers etc.).

A cutting edge station, this business radio station allows you to know what’s happening in business – locally and globally – through your ears. It has snapshots of market updates, brilliant interviews with business leaders, great tips from money gurus intermingling with myriad selection of music that always reminds me of Datuk Idris Jala (because I think he likes this kind of selection).

On morning, I was running late for work – traffic jam, as usual, was the culprit - (again...shish…sure dapat surat cinta bulan ni) with not a tinge of stress (I’ve mastered not to fuss about this because those who do are simply senseless and brainless) and I came across BFM’s interview with Mydin Mohamed Holding Berhad MD, Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin. If I wasn’t in the bus, I knew I would have cried my heart out (though a drop or two ran streamed down my cheeks).

So, why he touched me so much (err…I know I make crying as one of things to do on weekly basis)? His words give me hopes (when hopes are fast depleting nowadays in my life) – a person who believes in persistence, hard work and Allah’s guidance to grow his family business, to help local traders marketing their products, providing jobs to many (especially now when others are laying off their staff, Mydin is hiring more staffs). He said that they chose to use their father’s name as the company name so that they won’t tarnish the good name of his father through their business misbehaviour and they should keep the company alive and growing in honour of their beloved father, who started their first Mydin in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, in 1986.

If any of their children wanted to join the company, they have to work somewhere else first when they finished their studies (if I’m not mistaken for about 5 years for exposure and gaining expertise) and be married with kids (perhaps, to have that sense of responsibility and accountability i.e. they can’t be playing around with the future of their kids and many more family breadwinners working for the company).

I wish we could have more CEOs like him out there in Malaysia. He is indeed a rare species of CEO who cares for the people his company deals with- the staff, the traders - and not merely P&L, and one who works towards fulfilling his fardhu kifayah.

p.s. - Ops, did I tell you he graduated from Western Michigan University in Chemistry? Yours truly got her Biochemistry. I wonder if it takes an outsider to set the business right. Look at what the capitalists have done to many innocent people all over the world - losing their jobs, their homes, their moneys, and sadly, their dignity too.

There’s 5-Minute Interview with Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, which I want you to read. I like it so much when he mentioned, “As a son, no money can buy the quality time I spend with them. The moments I truly cherish now are the ones I spend with my parents”.

My salute to those people who think highly of their parents, when they themselves have attained more than their parents.

Tips for better life in 2009

p.s. My dear Enny shared this with her friends and i can't get my hands off them till i got this on my blog. Enjoy them...Cheerio!

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1. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile (though you might not be spotted by a talent headhunter ;p).

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day (Self reflection, contemplation is cool).

3. Sleep for 7 hours (beauty sleep meh).

4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy (Dont' be an energy sapper, give out positive chi to everyone you encounter), Enthusiasm ( you don't have to know rocket science to be thrilled in everything you do), and Empathy (that's why dealing with children and animals on daily basis is therapeutic).

5. Play more games (Aiyaaa..not game consoles ok).

6. Read more books than you did in 2008 (how about at least 1 book 1 month? I'm on 1 book + 1 Newsweek/Economist/TIME per week sanity dosage).

7. Make time to pray. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives (Food for our soul. I feel much better after Doa for I know there is always THE ONE up there listening to my heart pouring 'talk').

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6 (the former inspires you while the latter dares you to dream).

9. Dream more while you are awake (Daydreaming like me ;p but seriously, scientifically proven that visualising certain moments that you wish to succeed can set you to accomplish it in real life).

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants (Read: processed foods and better still, eat home-cooked food).

11. Drink plenty of water (Check out my good friend's PT MACAM BAGUS take on how much is too much).

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day (They feel good, you feel good and the world is at least a better place to people who are connected to them and you, yourself).

13. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip (this is a total energy sapper and definitely will not fail to make you prejudice and a pessimist).

14. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness (Always forgive and forget. I thank Allah for my short term memory. Why would you want to hurt someone you love?).

15. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment (think good and everything will be alright).

16. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime (Not a malaysian school though because when we start getting stressed out to attain better grades, we forget the purpose we have to go through this problem).

17. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar (boost the energy to start your day, a hungry man is an angry man, don't spoil your day early in the morning. The feel-good hormones in our body will keep us 'full' all day long).

18. Smile and laugh more (Indeed, laughter is the best medicine. I don't believe that we need to have another soul to smile and laugh. Read jokes and LOL).

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others (pity them instead).

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does (this is part of great stress management).

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree (The real purpose is to share your views. Again, don't take yourself seriously and stop being an energy sapper).

22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present (letting go - physically and emotionally - is good. Why not have your own spring cleaning every now and then?).

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Don't compare your partner with others (Always remember that we are born into this world for a very special purpose - pursue the road to that purpose).

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you (I can't agree more - happiness starts with you).

25. Forgive everyone for everything (Another food for our soul).

26. What other people think of you is none of your business (It's good for your self esteem because nobody knows you better than yourself right?).

27. However good or bad a situation is, it will change (Be flexible and always be prepared. Come what may - it serves us a good lesson).

28. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch (It's always good to talk).

29. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful (why would you keep something that will remind you life sucks at one point of time?).

30. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need (if you have more of whatever that makes you envious, ask youself if it would be good for you?).

31. The best is yet to come (Be an optimistic. Another piece of good life mantra as you would always try your best to achieve better).

32. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up (procrastination will only weaken you).

33. Do the right thing (instead of doing the popular thing)!

34. Call your family often (filial piety and brotherhood makes us a responsible and caring human being).

35. Your inner most being is always happy. So be happy (no worries ;p).

36. Each day give something good to others (Maybe you want to watch "Pay it forward" - this is phenomenal).

37. Don't over do. Keep your limits (We know ourself better than others).

I got the run of my life!

I told my good friend PT MACAM BAGUS that I want to start exercising this year because all this while my form of 'exercise' is my power-walk (to/fro office ~ 30 minutes everyday), step climbing (~10 minutes) and weight lifting (taking ABBA files out from the cabinet ~ 30% of my working hours). Though got myself a nice, cute adidas trainers and sweat-friendly apparels, i got distracted with my yearning for Irish Step Dance (remember Riverdance and Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance?) - i started step dancing instead (from online classes).

Until PT MACAM BAGUS came up with "Animal Lovers...Run for Your Life" in his blog. Ouch...i got to try my feet at this..I am an avid animal lover and it will be held in Zoo Negara! Wow! I haven't been there for the past 25 years. Enjoying the time of my life in Singapore Zoo too many a time while i 'lazying around' in the Little Red Dot last year (couldn't make a cut for volunteer there as i won't be there for more than 1 year...so sad), I know I shouldn't expect too much from Zoo Negara. As informed by someone working as the crocodile caretaker there, the staff are underpaid and the animals aren't getting the best our of their 'commercial confinement' there. There had been many protests to urge the Zoo management to act accordingly but as usual, it never happened and it was never made known to public - MSM sucks!

I will participate in this Run - all in the name to support the animals in Zoo Negara. More visitors, more income, better pay to staff, better care for the animals.

Again, i never had enough sharing this quote by Gandhi “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”..

Would you too? Pleaseeee....

Note : Kindly visit Ronnie's blog for details on registration.

What keeps me going...

Someone dear to me lamented that she couldn't find good reasons why she works at her current place except for getting paid to pay for what she loves doing like travelling, shopping etc. That sounds familiar right? Many others think they same way too. Is it wrong?

Though what I am doing now isn't that great compared to people i know (in terms of salary, etc.) and there's always problems lurking at the corners waiting for me, i love what I am doing. Am I foolish?

Mid of last week, i was transferred to another unit, because the BIG boss told me I could apply what I have learnt back in The Little Red Dot last year. This is my chance to set up a totally new unit in our organisation, so I was ecstatic (though not being promoted). My colleagues told me I was put there (eh, macam barang ke kan heheh)because I was rebellious and outspoken, which is not good for certain quarter's reputation (for they are not being able to give logical, good justifications as to why we do certain unproductive things) and those left behind are just 'anak ikan' (if you know what it means).

I feel sorry for my colleagues because there won't be another rebellion to take their grievances to the powers-that-be. Well, i'm not getting anything material gain from that but the fight for justice and fairness gets me going everyday. It satiates my sense of being, for there must be good reasons why we exist in this world.

Let's spend some time reading Paulo Coelho's take on "Social Enterprise", which explains why we keep on going even things are not as favourable as we wish they should be. Plus, we should make good of any changes that come our way and always make sure that we change for the better.

"Pamela Hartigan, director of the Schwab Foundation, drew up a list of ten points common to people whose dissatisfaction with the world around them drove them to create their own work. I think that Pamela’s list reaches far beyond this new mechanism called “social enterprise” and can be applied to many of our everyday activities: -

Impatience: those who seek their dream do not wait around for things to happen: they see yesterday’s problems as today’s opportunities. Their impatience often makes them change course, but this adaptation is what matures them.

Conscience: those who seek their dream know that they are not alone in the world and that each gesture has a consequence. The work that they are doing can change the atmosphere around them. By understanding this power, they become an active element in society, and this sets them at peace with life.

Innovation: those who seek their dream believe that everything can be different from what it is, but it is necessary to pick a path that has not yet been traveled. Although always surrounded by old bureaucracy, the comments of others, and the difficulties of penetrating an unexplored forest, they discover alternative ways to make themselves heard.

Pragmatism: those who seek their dream do not hang around waiting for the ideal resources to start their work - they roll up their sleeves and get to work. No matter how little progress is made, it increases their confidence and the confidence of those around them, and the resources eventually turn up.

Apprenticeship: those who seek their dream usually have a deep interest in some particular area that can reveal new solutions to old problems when looked at in detail. But this apprenticeship can only be achieved through practice and constant renovation.

Seduction: no-one can survive alone in a competitive world: those who are aware of this and seek their dream manage to interest other people in their ideas. And these people become interested because they know that they are in the presence of something creative, committed to society - and above all else, economically lucrative.

Flexibility: those who seek their dream have an idea in their head and a plan to turn it into something real. However, as they move forward they realize that they have to adapt to the realities of the world around them, and from that point on their social responsibility becomes an important factor in changing the environment. For example, in order to reduce the rate of child mortality in a given city, it is not enough just to care for the children’s health - one has to change the sanitary structure, the nutritional system and so on.

Stubbornness: those who seek their dream may be flexible in their ways but at the same time concentrated on their objective. On account of their innovative ideas and because they are always moving in unknown territory, they never say: “I tried, but it didn’t work.” On the contrary, they always seek all the possible alternatives, and that is why the results eventually appear.

Happiness: those who seek their dream undergo difficult moments, but are happy with what they do. The occasional confusion and mistakes have nothing to do with their inability, and they are capable of smiling when they make a mistake - because they know that they will be able to correct that mistake further ahead.

Contagiousness: those who seek their dream have the unique ability to make people around them realize that it is worthwhile following their example and doing the same thing. That is why they will never feel alone, even if from time to time they feel misunderstood.

Pamela Hartigan closes her study offering the example of a Brazilian, Fabio Rosa, who developed a system to use solar energy after seeing that his community was spending a lot on non-renewable fuel. Fábio’s work, which contains the ten points listed in the study, is now known all over the world, has “contaminated” large corporations, and will soon benefit millions of people in addition to contributing to preservation of the environment".

You never know how much it means...

I was having a trouble manoeuvrings my mouse today. It happened when I was soaked up with many urgent matters (Murphy's Law - If it can go wrong, i will go wrong). I almost cut my finger with scissors (coz I thought I can be resourceful), trying to ply open the mouse so i could loosen the roller. Arghhhh...why cannot one!!!!!

Tried to call our IT Helpdesk - konon2 nak pinjam screwdriver - instead of asking them to come to my place (hehhhehhe i was just scared they couldn't find the mouse under rubbles of documents on my desk) but no one picked up my frantic call. So, i was cursing my once-reliable mouse since this morning until 4.15 pm, when out of nowhere (must be heaven sent), the IT guy was walking into our Department...

Kau-minga!!!! SOS!!!!! Bob tolong!!!!! Within seconds, he 'resuscicated' my hardworking mouse and now, it is as great as it used to be. If i could give him a bear hug, i would you know.

Alhamdullilah...

OMG, it's just a mouse but knowing me, I hate when something or someone doesn't serve its purpose. I was fuming. I uttered crude words - stupid, idiot, bodoh - to my mouse. Kesian my mouse...

Moral of the mouse problem - You never know how much you can affect someone's life by your simple gestures or simply, by not doing anything.

On the same note, i really hope you remember to donate to Gaza Fund.

My Heart Cries for Palestine

It is difficult to remain optimistic about my own life and to feel good about myself when Palestinians in Gaza remain a target to the atrocious Zionist Regime. It has been 17 days since the barbaric regime launched its air attacks on Gaza and it won't take too long to clock in 1,000 casualties.

I'm becoming like other 'bystanders' who are pissed off with Mr Barack OBama for his deafening silence on this annihilation. He opened his mouth for Georgia and Mumbai, why not Palestine? Is he practising double standard on humanity? Some say he has been 'strongly warned' by the 'animals' (damn zionists) lobbyists along the corridor of power in Washington.

In Malaysia, people continue to be ignorant of this conflict. While it is happening in Palestine, I believe that it can happen in Malaysia too (please, God forbid) - by looking at our indifference Malaysians. I really hope they would open their eyes and ears to humanity crisis in Palestine when Dr. Jemilah Mehmood, Mercy Malaysia Chairman, expressed her disappointment on the inaction of UN Security Council and the world's big powers.

My heart cries for the Palestinians. How could one who was 'annihilated' in Europe decades ago turn their anger and revenge now on innocent Palestinians?

I can't help but keeping on stressing that this conflict is not at all about religions. You must read and share John Pilger's "Holocaust denied : The lying silence of those who know".

“When the truth is replaced by silence, the silence is a lie” - the Soviet dissident Yevgeny Yevtushenko

"If that is how things are, we are diminished as a civilised society. For what happens in Gaza is the defining moment of our time, which either grants the impunity of war criminals the immunity of our silence, while we contort our own intellect and morality, or gives us the power to speak out. For the moment I prefer my own memory of Gaza: of the people’s courage and resistance and their “luminous humanity”, as Karma Nabulsi put it. On my last trip there, I was rewarded with a spectacle of Palestinian flags fluttering in unlikely places. It was dusk and children had done this. No one told them to do it. They made flagpoles out of sticks tied together, and a few of them climbed on to a wall and held the flag between them, some silently, others crying out. They do this every day when they know foreigners are leaving, believing the world will not forget them" - John Pilger, an award winning Australian journalist and documentary maker.

Heartwarming facts

I don't really watch TV, despite with 2 TV with Astro connected - one each for my parents hehehe - but today, i watched the last 20 minutes of "License to Wed" on HBO and the last part of "Santa Clause 3 : Escape Clause" on Cinemax.

As always, whatever that come my way must have purposes to serve me - so i believe.

"License to Wed" is about Ben and Sadie who have to go through marriage-prep course, conducted by Reverend Frank from Sadie's family church. One of the tests is for Ben to guide Sadie driving - blindfolded. Ben got a plus point admitting he made a mistake and later, with his sarcasms to Sadie, Rev. Frank minus his point. Moral of the scene : Your partner depends on you, so give your best efforts. Sarcasm may sounds funny but it hurts, don't do that. And when thing doesn't turn out as you wanted to, never give up on your partner.

On the eve of the wedding day, the couple and their family went to the church for the wedding rehearsal. Sadie handed her 7-page wedding vows while Ben told Rev. Frank that he is yet to finish his. For Sadie, this reflects Ben's lack of commitment to their wedding, because like any other women, she wanted to hear how much she means to him. Ben, on the other hand, instead of writing down his vows, drew a truck and a circle of fire. So, a fight ensued and Ben brought the issue that he got bored listening to Sadie mentioning too many a time of her guy friend's name when they talked (actually, he was trying to say that he feels threatened by that). In the end, Sadie decided to call off her wedding. Confused and disheartened, Sadie and her family flew down to Jamaica - using her honeymoon's tickets as suggested by Rev. Frank.

Ben's best friend told him that he can start all over again dating others as 'they are many fish out there for him'. Ben got upset because he doesn't like to liken Sadie to a fish as for him, she is the most beautiful, loving and caring person. That made him realise why he wanted to marry Sadie in the first place. Moral of the scene - Never lose sight of your purpose or dream when things get tough.

In Jamaica, the depressed Sadie came to her senses (too) when his guy friend told her that she depended on him i.e. the guy friend too much, instead of getting Ben involved. When she thought Ben doesn't know her, she realised that she is the one who never give Ben a chance to be part of her life and recalling the truck and the circle of fire drew by Ben in his book, she knows what Ben is trying to say i.e. he will even cross the circle of fire to be with her and he will do anything for her (guys, thank god for women really know how to read between the lines ;) Moral of the scene - When you have doubts, it is good to talk (hehhehe TM free ads) and guys, as we already know, are sometimes bad at expressing their feelings. Do help them un-earth their emotions and go on reading between the lines ok? hehhehhe. And, wisdom comes from a clear mind (like Eu Yan Sang's ads for its chicken and ginkgo biloba essence), so don't let emotions cloud your judgement and trust your instincts.

By the way, the couple asked Rev. Frank how he knows whether a couple will get married or not. Of course, by passing his marriage-prep course. I believe that every single things we on daily basis can be translated of who we are and the best way to know whom you can spend the rest of your life with someone is to make a trip together. If both of you survived and grow closer, let's hear the wedding bell ringing.

In Santa Clause 3, there was this one scene where Lucy's parents were frozen by the evil Jack Frost. The Counsel of Legendary Figures couldn't help them neither do Santa while the evil Frost told them that he can't help Lucy's parents without melting himself (he has this frozen icy look). Santa asked Lucy to help. How? Lucy gave the evil Frost a hug. So, Frost asked the little girl what was that hug for? Lucy told him it is a hug to warm his heart. Jack Frost, who is played by Martin Short, turned into a normal gentleman and Lucy's parents came back to life! The rest is history as everybody lives happily.

Moral of this scene - a hug really warms your heart. I had many hugs yesterday from my aunt, Leena, Nadhirah and Lisa when they came over to my house for Italian Brunch from PG.

For me, hugs come naturally and amongst my cousins, i win the most hug contest hands down. (rest assured, free from vote-buying and nepotism). Not to say that i'm popular but i think they (my atuk sedara, mak sedara, anak dara dan yang sewaktu dengannya hehheh) feel close to me.

Scientifically proven, hugs are good for your health - physically, mentally and emotionally - and women benefit more than men. So, may I know when was the last time you hug someone?

Watch out - 'Clowns' at Work

A taxi driver in KL was fined for RM70 or a day’s jail for wearing jeans during driving taxi in August 2007 – a lenient fine considering that he could end up paying RM2,000 or face up to 6 months in jail. JPJ’s prosecuting officer told the press that the drivers have to adhere to the dress code and it is compulsory for the taxi drivers to wear black pants and white shirt (in addition to slippers) as they were stressed upon granting the Public Service Vehicle. Read here for the joke.

Why I said it is a BIG TIME JOKE because B(e)N(d) Gomen loves catching ‘ikan bilis’, who are required to comply to rules they created so we Malaysians will be seen to the world as civilised. Takut jatuh standard. So, how about our corrupted Gomen and businessmen, well known the world over, as shared here by Yang Berkhidmat Jeff Ooi in his “Kuala Clowns”. Can someone out there prosecute them? Can we sue them for damaging our Ibu Pertiwi’s image and negatively affected our FDI (read : economic growth, job opportunity, livelihood)?

Someone, who has been haunted by the late Mongolian interpreter, said that the polls cannot be used to gauge B(e)N(d) leaders’ popularity..hehehhehehheh…Eh, Malaysia Boleh kan? Why cannot one? So, people in KT, would you do us concerned Malaysians a favour – vote for PR please, since we cannot sue them for tarnishing our image abroad? My thanks in advance for your thoughtful consideration!

Akita - The Samurai of Dogs

I am an animal lover and with my tendency to be visually attracted to things (just like men), my eyes were ‘glued’ to this white slanting-eyed dog photo featured in April 2008 Newsweek. It looks so cute I wish I could cuddle him…Geramnya. The dog, one of prized and loyal Akita dogs, belongs to Morie Sawataishi.

Morie-san, known as “The Man Who Saved The Breed” in Cathleen McGuigan’s article, an engineer at one of Mitsubishi’s power plant, has been saving Akita dogs from extinction for the past 64 years. During the WWII, keeping a dog is considered unpatriotic and due to Akita’s lustrous fur (a double coat, with a dense straight undercoat, and a thick outer coat), they were slaughtered as the fur was used as lining for Japanese soldiers’ jackets and the meats to feed starving families.

Named after Akita Prefecture in northern part of Honshu Island, Akita dogs are among the world’s ancient breeds in the world and were beloved by samurai warriors. Can you see the samurai-ness in Akita? (can’t help but missing for SY@SG, a descendant of samurai clan).

Akita was catapulted to fame when Hachi-ko, an Akita, continued to wait for his owner’s 4 o’clock commuter train at Shibuya Station every day for 9 years, after the noted professor died from stroke at his office in 1924.

Dubbed the most loyal and faithful dog, Hachi-ko was honoured with a bronze statue at the busy station and a postage stamp. His stuffed and mounted remains are displayed at the National Science Museum of Japan. A film based on Hachi-ko will be released tentatively this year, with Richard Gere in it (OMGGGG…my favourite actor - as he has that cute eyes ..!sigh!). A book titled “A Dog Man : An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain” on Martha Sherrill’s account of Morie-san and his endless passion for Akita, was released in April 2008.

How did his passion for Akita bloom? The Japanese Government used the story of Hachi-ko to promote loyalty to the emperor during the WWII and when the first Hachi-ko statue was melted, Morie-san was disturbed. Who would be as loyal as a dog if there were no dogs left?, Morie-san thought.

Morie-san, who died in October 2008 at the ripe age of 91, owned 100 Akitas - not for a toy and not for sale. Morie-san looks to his brave, loyal Akitas for qualities rapidly vanishing in his country. As a small-time pet owner, I see certain characters in my cats (all of stray-cat breed, I constantly ‘annoy’ my 4 permanent residents and 10 illegal immigrants with excessive cuddles) that make me love them wholeheardtedly. Look here for more on Morie-san.

Helen Keller received Go-Go, an angel in fur as she called it, the first Akita puppy to be brought in US, during her speaking tour in Japan.

For me, having read Garfield’s Good-Life Guide in RD, I am more like my cats hehhehehe – read : lone ranger (since I’m no gossiper, I don’t support cliques for popularity and utmostly, I can be extremely happy when I am alone – well who needs company when I got a good book and I can blog my heart out), looks snobbish (but once you know me, I am definitely not, really), I don’t like to be suffocated with attention, love and hugs (either I cry or I run away because these seem to signal me that I’m so hapless, helpless, hopeless, insincere when I do something good, etc).

On this note, I hope more people will have more compassion towards animals, especially those stray animals. Gandhi once said that “ the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. Personally, I feel that we Malaysians fail miserably in that aspect. It pains to see that we rather throw away something edible than feeding these often hungry animals. We kicked them just because they entered our compounds. Have we ever thought why the stray dogs chase us? Local councils shoot them like it is so much fun seeing death.

Could you please be good to these animals? Would be as compassionate as these animals? They never abandoned their ‘kids’ – unconditional love, loyalty and compassion. They risk being kicked, knocked down by vehicles, to find food for their hungry offsprings – do things wholeheartedly, committed, resourceful. They will treat you kind once, yes even just once, you ever be kind to them.

Being connected to another living being is one of the best’s life experience.

p.s. The dog in the photo with Morie-san is Shiro, one of Morie-san great companions, who passed away in Autumn 2007. That reminds me of Sin Chan's little white dog.

p.p.s. I lost my beloved Yuyu when I moved from PI to PA more than 4 years ago. Looking at Shiro, I see Yuyu - physically and emotionally. Despite being a male, he tended to Mulan like his own 'kid' and took care of her when i was away at work. Overprotective of me, I had to 'menyah-bau' myself after meeting friends (which include guy friends who smoke) because he would 'vocally bashing me up'. Since PA was new to him and as advised by my sis, an avid, emotionally-charged sister, Yuyu and the other Fab 4 were kept in the cage for the time being but I couldn't help feeling sad when Yuyu 'meowing', pleading to roam free this new place. After that fateful night, i never saw Yuyu again and I can say, I never stopped searching for him until today. Yuyu, wherever you are, you are always in me...

What's wrong with Palestine - Israel Conflict?

1. Mahatma Gandhi as quoted in "A Land of 2 Peoples ed. Mendes-Flohr

~ "Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French...What is going on in Palestine today cannot be justified by any moral code of conduct...If they [the Jews] must look to the Palestine of geography as their national home, it is wrong to enter it under the shadow of the British gun. A religious act cannot be performed with the aid of the bayonet or the bomb. They can settle in Palestine only by the goodwill of the Arabs...As it is, they are co-sharers with the British in despoiling a people who have done no wrong to them. I am not defending the Arab excesses. I wish they had chosen the way of non-violence in resisting what they rightly regard as an unacceptable encroachment upon their country. But according to the accepted canons of right and wrong, nothing can be said against the Arab resistance in the face of overwhelming odds" ~

2. Albert Einstein, a Jewish

~ "'I should much rather see reasonable agreement with the Arabs on the basis of living together in peace than the creation of a Jewish State. Apart from practical considerations, my awareness of the essential nature of Judaism resists the idea of a Jewish State, with borders, an army, and a measure of temporal power, no matter how modest. I am afraid of the inner damage Judaism will sustain" ~

3. Professor Erich Fromm, a noted Jewish writer and thinker

~ "In general international law, the principle holds true that no citizen loses his property or his rights of citizenship; and the citizenship right is de facto a right to which the Arabs in Israel have much more legitimacy than the Jews. Just because the Arabs fled? Since when is that punishable by confiscation of property, and by being barred from returning to the land on which a people's forefathers have lived for generations? Thus, the claim of the Jews to the land of Israel cannot be a realistic claim. If all nations would suddenly claim territory in which their forefathers had lived two thousand years ago, this world would be a madhouse. I believe that, politically speaking, there is only one solution for Israel, namely, the unilateral acknowledgement of the obligation of the State towards the Arabs—not to use it as a bargaining point, but to acknowledge the complete moral obligation of the Israeli State to its former inhabitants of Palestine" ~

4. Martin Buber, a Jewish

~ "'Only an internal revolution can have the power to heal our people of their murderous sickness of causeless hatred. It is bound to bring complete ruin upon us. Only then will the old and young in our land realize how great was our responsibility to those miserable Arab refugees in whose towns we have settled Jews who were brought here from afar; whose homes we have inherited, whose fields we now sow and harvest; the fruits of whose gardens, orchards and vineyards we gather; and in whose cities that we robbed we put up houses of education, charity, and prayer, while we babble and rave about being the "People of the Book" and the "light of the nations" ~

5. Allan Brownfield in "Issues of the American Council for Judaism", Spring 1997

~ The effect of Zionism on American Jews - "The corruption of Judaism, as a religion of universal values, through its politicization by Zionism and by the replacement of dedication to Israel for dedication to God and the moral law, is what has alienated so many young Americans who, searching for spiritual meaning in life, have found little in the organized Jewish community" ~

Gaza in my 'backyard'

I had enough reading nonsense concerning Israeli Zionist Regime’s continuous ground, sea and air assaults in the Gaza Strip by people like Kujie here. http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/95636

Like our MSM, there are many international media which, once again, become ‘mouthpiece’ to the inhumane regime – thanks to sponsorship and shareholding of sporadic, successful Zionists in these organisations. This resulted in many people thinking that such attacks are well justified in the name of self-defense and to make it even worse, certain quarters deem that these incessant bombings can stop Muslim terrorism.

They blame Hamas for ending the ceasefire when this regime had repeatedly violated the ceasefire long before 2008 through assassination raids on Hamas leaders and it self-imposed embargo on electricity, fuels, and many foods and medicines, denying basic human rights, into Gaza. Perhaps, you may want to read our Malaysian-born Dr. Ang Swee Chai’s “From Beirut to Jerusalem” to fully understand the plights of 1.5 million Palestinians within the walled Gaza City. This book is highly recommended for deep soul searching and it excellently tells one that this conflict, made worse by the Zionist regime, is not at all about religion fanatics. It is so bewildered that a group of people who highly think themselves as the followers of the book and better than others, treated too many innocence lives like animals.

My curiosity on this ongoing conflict got the better of me and I found an interesting site “Washington Report on Middle East Affairs” here, which chronicles how this conflict started.

1. Not all Jews are supporting these incessant attacks. Those involved are the cruel Zionists - a distinct minority of the Jewish people until after the WWII – desired to demand Israel, basing on extended kingdom of David and Solomon that ruled the land for 414 years, where “Jews could be masters of their own fate, given the bleak history of Jewish oppression;

2. Throughout the history, we can find that Jews were expelled, not only from Jerusalem when the Holy City was conquered by the Roman Empire, but also from a long list of sovereigns. Don’t you sense something amiss here?

3. Starting 1880s, the Zionists started to purchase lands in Palestine from the ‘fake’ landowners (a member of upper class of the society that was skilful at manipulating the law to their advantage) resulting in seizure of the lands and removal of the poor farmers. Sounds familiar?

4. Zionist societies like “Lover of Zion”, forerunner of Zionist organisation, tried convincing Jews all over the world to come back to Palestine, where they will rebuild the ancient Jewish Kingdom of David and Solomon. While some did, others fled to US and Europe.

5. British Army conquered Palestine in 1914, ending its Muslim rule. The Balfour Declaration, made in November 1917 by the British Government by 4 European Powers promised the Jews a non-European Jewish Homeland, disregard of both the presence and wishes of the native majority resident in that territory, in contrary to Anglo French Declaration promising the Arabs of the former Ottoman colonies their independence – all in the name of their commitments to Zionism and Zionism. Hence, it so relevant to blame and push US and European Nations to stop this conflict.

6. US was the most aggressive proponent to UN partition plan where Palestine will be divided a 3-state - one to Jewish, another to Arab and Jerusalem will be under UN. Harry Truman was quoted by saying, “I am sorry gentlemen, but I have to answer to hundreds of thousands who are anxious for the success of Zionism. I do not have hundreds of thousands of Arabs among my constituents”.

7. But the Zionists were not happy with the small UN earmarked lands and they felt that they could only expand their state boundaries through war, at the expense of Palestinians. See how greedy they are?

8. The war began in December 1947, when the British announced that they would withdraw from Palestine by 15 May 1948. What started out as strikes against the partition by Palestinians in Jerusalem and Jaffa grew into all-out war and 8 out of 13 major Zionist military attacks on Palestinian lands granted to the Arabs.

9. Before May 1948, with its might military preparation and organisation and before any possible intervention of Arab states, the regime occupied most of the Arab cities in Palestine. Massacres, expulsions and dispossessions were so rampant that the Arab armies started to intervene. Nonetheless, no cities within Israel state was attacked and occupied by the Arabs.

10. Ever since, the Zionist regime told the world they attacked in self-defence when in reality their offensive against Palestinians intensified. Publicly they all continued to speak of coexistence and to attribute the violence to a small minority of zealots and agitators. But this was merely a public posed as summed up by David Ben Gurion, the regime’s first PM: 'With compulsory transfer we would have a vast area for settlement. I don't see anything immoral in it”.

11. Israeli propaganda has largely relinquished the claim that the Palestinian exodus of 1948 was 'self-inspired'. Official circles implicitly concede that the Arab population fled because of atrocious Israeli action like the Deir Yassin massacre.

12. Ben-Gurion's ultimate aim was to evacuate as much of the Arab population as possible from the Jewish state can hardly be doubted, if only from the variety of means he employed to achieve his purpose, most decisively, the destruction of whole villages and the eviction of their inhabitants, even if they had not participated in the war and had stayed in Israel hoping to live in peace and equality, as promised in the Declaration of Independence.

13. During May 1948, ideas about how to consolidate and give permanence to the Palestinian exile began to crystallize, and the destruction of villages was immediately perceived as a primary means of achieving this aim.

14. The refusal to recognize the Palestinians' right to self-determination and statehood proved over the years to be the main source of the turbulence, violence, and bloodshed that came to pass.

15. The winter of 1949, the first winter of exile for more than seven hundred fifty thousand Palestinians, was cold and hard. Families huddled in caves, abandoned huts, or makeshift tents. Many of the starving was only miles away from their own vegetable gardens and orchards in occupied Palestine - the new state of Israel. At the end of 1949 the United Nations finally acted. It set up the United Nations Relief and Works Administration (UNRWA) to take over 60 refugee camps from voluntary agencies. It managed to keep people alive, but only barely.

The article also address about terrorism as we hear a lot about Palestinian terrorism, so how about the Zionist Regime’s record? Sadly, Israeli terrorism goes back to the origins of the state in the countless acts of massacre and brutal expulsion of Arabs from their lands.

Israel, a state built on conquest, that it has invaded surrounding countries, bombed and destroyed at will, to the fact that it currently occupies Lebanese, Syrian, and Palestinian territory against international law—is simply never cited, never subjected to scrutiny in the U.S. media or in official discourse or ‘punished’ by embargo and never it was addressed as playing any role at all in provoking 'Islamic terror.'

While Kuji’s take on the attacks is plainly inhumane and ignorant, I found my 2 heroes – Gologan Kiri’s “Gaza has every reason to retaliate” and MZH’s “Israeli army the Mid-East's greatest terror agent”.

Today, like any other day, I pray for humanity to prevail. May all this misery comes to an end – soon. God speed!

“A religious man is a person who holds God and man in one thought at one time, at all times, who suffers harm done to others, whose greatest passion is compassion, whose greatest strength is love and defiance of despair – Abraham Joshua Heschel”

Merci be coupe!

I must be sleeping just like Pak Lah because I didn't realise there are 9 comments being made on my blog until a moment ago! OMG! You guys must have thought I am so snobbish and 'syok sendiri'.

It is not about the number but, knowing my tendency to write long and winding entry and of no significance, I am touched that they are people out there who sacrificed minutes of their precious 24-hour to read.

Thank you gentlemen from the bottom of my heart. "Thank You" by Dido (scroll down my Playlist, please) is dedicated to all of you.

The Trouble...

~ With politics is that the winners get the jobs, the losers get the ax and nobody takes down the campaign poster

~ With life is that it doesn't provide instant replays of the our best moments

~ With laryngitis is that you have to wait until you are cured before you can tell anybody about it

~ With a public-address system is that it can amplify a speaker's voice but not his ideas

~ With microwave oven is that dinner is ready before the table is set

~ With being physically fit is that you are apt to wear yourself out trying to stay that way

~ With being a housewife is that when you don't feel well enough to go to work, staying home doesn't do any good

p.s. Extracted from RD December 1978 that i bought for RM1 a fortnight ago, i find them interesting because they are just so very true.

So: -

~ Always make efforts to care for your wife when she's not well,

~ Make sure you know that all moms are superheroes (because they still do houseworks though they aren't feeling well),

~ To get fit physically, it should come with passion and commitment (for more info, please consult my good friend Mr PT MACAM BAGUS),

~ Never rush into things unless you are fully ready,

~ Never get intimidated by anything physical, what mostly matter is what you think,

~ Always arm yourself with a camera (digital/mental) to capture the essence of your best moments and most importantly, be presence so you wont missed out,

~ Winning and losing is part of the game but at the end of the day, life goes on and everybody needs to do their parts...