Come today, gone tomorrow

I have been sitting here at my desk staring at the computer for almost an hour already and still I'm at a lost at what to write. The funny thing is I had this interesting piece in my mind just last night and had planned to write it early this morning. So here I am at my desk as planned but I just can't remember what it was that I had wanted to write. Been unsuccessfully trying to recall what it was that got me all excited last night so much so that I had difficulty sleeping! I had to say to myself, sleep first. Tomorrow early in the morning you can write it. But now, its all gone! Just like that. The memory just fail. I give up!

Just the three of us

The holiday season is almost over. After a long break, the schools will be starting soon. The universities are also almost back in full swing. My son, Hanafi, has gone back to UTM Skudai to begin his new semester. My daughter, Fatihah, has already started her new semester one week ago at UIA while my youngest, Hafizi, is well into his second semester of his foundation year at Uniten. So that left just the three of us in the house on most days, my wife, Shima, my eldest son, Hakimi and myself.
Come 2009, which is just a few days away, I will also be back at work. Back to the routine of the last 29 years. That's how long I have been working! Just seems like yesterday when I first reported for work way back in 1979. Anyway, that's another story...

A Night Out in Shah Alam

Hanafi in front of Plaza Alam Sentral

A Night Out in Shah Alam

View of SACC Mall

At McDonald

A Night Out in Shah Alam

In front of Plaza Alam Sentral, Shah Alam

The whole family decided not to have the usual dinner in the house. Instead we went to Shah Alam for a change. Left the house after the Isya prayer and headed for Plaza Alam Sentral first to meet Hakimi. Decided to try one of the many stalls there for some food and Teh Tarik. Later on went to McDonald in Section 4 for more food.

A year is gone.... so fast

As the year draws to a close, I can't help but reflect on the year that has been. For me, nothing much have changed. I'm still much the same, working to make an honest living, making ends meet at the end of the month. No doubt the pot has got much bigger than when I first started but then the needs and the wants has also grown in tandem. I would say 2008 is a trying year as the world grapples with the economy that is rapidly slipping. Until a solution is found, 2009 can only gets worse.
Life, as they say is a never ending lesson!
As for me, only God knows what awaits in 2009. I, as always, can only look forward to it.

A Day Out

Having Teppanyaki for a change

So far my holidays had been spent lazing around the house, doing nothing much except eat, watch TV, go to the mosque, swim and sleep. Was getting a bit bored. Perhaps this is how it will be when I retire in a few years time. Anyway, today, on Christmas day, decided to go to Low Yat to have a look at some of the new computers and handphones in the market.

No matter what!

Went to Time square and saw this big Christmas tree. Forget the bad times we are going through. Enjoy whatever we have, be grateful always, and who knows, the good times might be just round the corner.

Saturday and Sunday

The Perdana Ballroom
Cars parked alongside the road almost a kilometre away from the market.

Saturday morning, I was at Mid Valley for a bowling event organised by my department for some of TNB's partners. On Sunday I went jogging with my wife at the Shah Alam lake. Then stopped by at the Sunday market for some groceries before heading home. Looking at the cars parked by the roadside and the large crowd, you'll never thought that we are in an economic slowdown. People are still buying! and buying! and buying!
Later in the evening, we attended a wedding reception at the Felda Perdana Ballroom, KL. One of our Haji friend ( we met while performing the haj in 2002) was marrying off their daughter. By the time we got home, it was almost midnight. And to think that early tomorrow morning, I have to send my son to Uniten. So much for the holiday............

One busy holiday

Just when I thought I could spend my first day of holiday lazing around the house, I was jolted from my thoughts by my wife asking me to accompany her to the immigration department in Putrajaya. Our application for a new maid has just been approved and we need to collect the documents. So off we went to Putrajaya to do the necessary. Made it just in time to collect the documents and still be able to go for the Friday prayer at the mosque near my house.
Then after the prayer and lunch, I thought I could just spent the afternoon quietly in bed and slowly doze off but alas! it was not to be. My daughter wanted me to accompany her to the Store in Sungai Buloh town. She wanted to repair her computer. It seems that the WiFi is Kaput. So there goes the afternoon and also the first day of holiday.

I am on holiday .. ye.. ye

One Final Bit

Thursday 18th of December was my last day at work before going on a two weeks holiday. The whole day was spent at Armada Hotel, PJ where we had a bit of a seminar cum meeting session at the hotel. I presented a paper on risk management while others presented papers on their respective departments. It was a bit tiring as it went on till 6.30 pm. Still knowing that after the session I'II be on long leave helped to make it much easier on the mind.

Dreams don't always come true

I am not technically inclined and never will. My first love has always been reading and maybe a little bit of writing. When I was in school, my favourite subject was English. I just enjoy learning the language. Be it reading, grammar, vocabulary or composition, I just love them. I remember wanting to be a writer or a journalist when I grow up.
But God had other plans for me. After form 5, the only way I could further my studies was to secure a scholarship as my parents surely could not afford the fees. Having moved into the science stream for my upper secondary education, the only scholarships I could hope to get was those that had to do with the sciences. Sure enough, I managed to secure a scholarship to study Mechanical Engineering in England and with that, it effectively ended my dream of becoming a writer.
Almost 30 years on, I still dream of becoming a writer although my English now is only half of what it used to be.

A honeymoon that was not

Form 4 is commonly known as the honeymoon year. Its the year to relax after the pressure of the form 3 examinations and before having to study real hard for the form 5 examinations in two years time. I don't know about others but for me, I was really on honeymoon.
Everyday after the morning school session ends, I would cycle home, have lunch, take my bath, say the afternoon prayer, have a short rest and then... cycle back to school. There, I would join in all kind of activities. Football, sepak takraw, badminton, rugby, basketball, ping pong, gymnastics etc. etc. That's how I would spend my afternoons. I will only go home just before the evening prayers.
On weekends I would be at the cinema, watching movies. The morning show was dubbed cheap matinee and it would show rerun of old movies. A ticket cost only 0.40cts. That's where I would be on most weekends.
Studies were far away from my mind. So much so that I did badly during the first and second term examinations. Finally, my father has had enough and he put his big foot down..............

I read the news today (1)

Its the economy again

Despite all the gloom, I have a hunch that things are on the upbeat again. The Dow has been more positive than negative over the past few weeks. Similarly with the Hang Seng and the Nikkie. I dare say the feel good factor is back. Bumpy though the road ahead may be, I dare say the ride will be a pleasant one.

Dreams are no more a secret

The Japanese are at it again. They will think of all the weirdest things and make it happened! The latest is making your dreams available for all to see. In other words, they have invented a way of showing them on a screen while you dream away. can you possibly believe that? Off course at the moment it is all in its early stage yet but give them a few more years. I bet you they will be able to do it!

Some things cannot be explained

It was reported that a would be thief was found dehydrated, hungry and scared in a house cum shop in Trengganu. Apparently, he went into a house with the intention of stealing but as soon as he entered, he was kind of lost. It was like he was in a cave with no exit in sight. Try as he might, he only ended in circles. When the owner came back after being away for three days, the thief was found, hungry, dehydrated, scared and traumatised. He is now in a hospital, recovering from the ordeal.

A Winter to Forget

In a way, coming to England in the month of September to begin student life there is not quite the best of beginnings. This is the time when summer has long disappeared and the cold wind of autumn has taken over. In the months ahead, the cold will get even colder as chilly winter makes its presence. The days get shorter as the nights get longer. Night time is 4 pm and it stays that way till about 8 am the next morning. The sky is dark and gloomy and the atmosphere is downright dull........ and the bloody cold, it has a way of making you feel down!
For a person coming from a tropical climate where the sun rises at 7 am and sets at 7 pm everyday, where the sun never stop shining except when it rains occasionally, where the temperature is hot all of the time, facing winter for the first time is an experienced to forget. The cold, the short daylight hours, the new surroundings, the food, the dark and gloomy days, they all add up to a miserable winter.
Luckily I had the studies to keep me occupied. Otherwise, I wouldn't have survived my first winter.

When Life is at a Crossroad

In life, you don't always get what you want. Many a times you are forced to make a choice. However, no matter what's the choice, you are bound to loose something. In other words, choose one way or the other, you'll end up the loser.
In circumstances like this, you can only choose the one which you think will cause you to lose the least. Nonetheless, in most cases, the choice is not that simple. Firstly, you never want to lose anything. Secondly, the loses are not always tangible. Therefore, how do you know which choice will make you lose the least?
In Islam, the prophet has taught us how to make a choice when faced with such a circumstances. Do the 'Istikharah Solat'. If you do it with all sincerity, then God will guide you in His own way to the right choice.

The Wedding Ceremony

The Akad Nikah was followed by the wedding feast on Saturday at Kelab Golf SSAS, Shah Alam. The invitees were mainly her friends and close relatives. After this the welcoming ceremony by the bridegroom will be held in Perlis, his home state.

Akad Nikah

The Gifts
The Bride
The Bridegroom waiting to Akad

Last Thursday I attended the akad nikah of my niece. The event was held at masjid Al falakh, USJ. Real glad it went without a hitch.

The 1966 World Cup

I was 10 years old when I first heard of the world cup. The year was 1966 and England was the host. At that time, the matches were not shown live on TV like today although some recorded matches were shown. The only way to get the news were through the newspapers or through the radio. Still, I followed the tournament closely. Pele was in his prime and was expected to lead Brazil to glory. Unfortunately, he was literally kicked out of the tournament by over eager defenders and as a result, Brazil went out early. England came out winners for the one and only time in their history beating Germany 4 - 2 in the final.
I still remember vividly watching the Charlton brothers, Bobby Moore the captain, Martin Peters, Nobby Stiles, Geoff Hurst the hattrick hero and many others. I also remember Backenbauer, then a young and upcoming player, playing with his hand in a sling, a result of an injury.
This game is best remembered for the third goal scored by England which until today is still being disputed. Television footage has so far failed to provide an answer. Did the ball crossed the line or did it not?

I read the news today

Bulls on a rampage!
The Hang Seng index jumped dramatically higher over the last three days. Although there was a slight setback on the second day, the bulls came charging back today. Similarly, over the last 10 days, the Dow Jones has mostly been on the rise. Other indexes have also shown similar upward trends though not as much. Have we have seen the last of the bears?

Another tragedy, another round of announcement
Yet another tragedy happened. Same area. 14 bungalows destroyed by a massive landslide resulting in 4 deaths. Immediately, announcement after announcement were made. Mainly, to say no more hillside development. How many times have I heard it all before? Yes, for a few months, there will be a lot of hue and cry but soon enough, everything will quieten down and the development will start ......... again. Until another tragedy!

What ills Malaysian football?
I saw the third goal scored by Vietnam in the match against Malaysia. What a joke! My grandmother could have done better! The days when Malaysia could stand on the same ground with Japan, Korea and even Thailand are long gone! Where are the Soh Chin Ans the Mokhtar Dahari, the M. Chandran? Where? Please show up!

England here I come

In late September 1974, I arrived for the first time in England to begin my university education there. There were about thirty of us scholarship holders in that group. On arriving at Heathrow airport, a group of senior Malaysian students were waiting for us and from there, we were taken in a bus to Brighton where the college was situated.
Earlier, we had taken the Boeing 737 MAS flight from Kuala Lumpur to London. It was my first time on a plane. At that time there were no direct flight to London. The plane had stopovers in Dubai and later Beirut before its final destination to London.
I was just 17 going on 18 then. Inside me, I was feeling all excited and eager. After all, this was like a dream come true. England, the London bridge, Parliament house, the river Thames , Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, Manchester United, Liverpool, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Cliff Richard, all these and much more. If before, they were just pictures, stories or movies, now they were going to be real. I could hardly believe it!
And so began the next phase of my life ........ which lasted five years.

Its a wet Raya

Its a wet wet Hari Raya Aidil Adha. The rain was on very early in the morning. At one point I thought we were never going to make it to the mosque for the Aidil Adha prayer. Luckilly the rain slowed a bit about half an hour before prayer time. That was when we quickly made our way to the mosque.
In the afternoon the whole family went to Setia Alam to my nephew's house. He was having a small birthday celebration for his daughter. Happened to meet my sister there and decided to follow her back to her house in Subang Jaya for more makan and chit chat after that.
At night my wife's brother and sister together with their families came to the house. All in all, it was quite a Hari Raya Aidil Adha despite the rain that never stop.

This the season for Haj

Once again, the haji season is back. More than two million people from all over the world will converge in the holy city of Makkah to do the haj. It will begin on 10 zulhijjah with the wukuf in Arafah, follwed by the stone throwing rituals in Mina for three days and finally the Tawaf and Sai in the grand mosque.
I have done it twice. Once in 1996 when I went alone. Then in 2002 with my wife. Both times the experienced were something I can never forget. To finally see for myself Makkah, the Masjidil Haram, the Kaabah, Bukit Uhud, Masjid Qiblatain, Masjid Nabawi in Madinah and many many others. It was real and its happening right before my eyes!

An outing to Low Yat Plaza

Breakfast at Time Square before going on to Low Yat
A view of Low Yat from inside.

On Sunday we went to Low Yat to buy a new handphone for Hanafi. His old handphone had gone kaput so he needed a new one. Must have been the Hari Raya atmosphere for somehow I felt a bit generous on the pocket. By the end of the day, it got....... a lot lighter!

Visit to Sg Bil mini hydro in Tg Malim

Plenty of food on arrival.

Crystal clear water. Very inviting!

The entrance to the village. The mini hydro is a few kilometres further up the road from the entrance. The river runs alongside the road. An enjoyable visit and a Saturday well spent.

2,000,000 million note

Have you heard of a 2,000,000(I can't remember the currency) note? If you have not, then you are hearing of one now! It's found in Zimbabwe. Its not surprising since the inflation there is thousands of percent. And the value in US Dollars? its 14 US Dollars! About RM 70! Can buy you a nice piece of shirt!

Of days gone by.....

For my secondary education, my father decided to transfer me to King Edward VII school (famously known as sekolah KE) in Taiping. For a young boy like me, moving from a small rural school in a small town called Selama to a big school like KE in a big town like Taiping, the changed was a cultural shocked.

I was in awe of everything, the school, the building, the students, the teachers, the classrooms etc. etc.! Fortunately, being young and eager and wanting to prove myself, I quickly absorbed all the changes and made myself at home in the new surroundings.
Form then on till form 5, this was to be my school. Five years of many pleasant memories. They say school days are the happiest days of your life. I agree fully.

From EASY jet to Air Asia

Years ago, no frill airlines were unheard of. I first came across such a thing in 2000 when I took my family to England and Switzerland. The flight from Malaysia to England was normal enough but from England to Switzerland, we took EASY jet, the no frill airline. I had to make the booking (through the internet) a few months ahead to ensure I get the cheapest price and once booked, there's no such thing as changing the date/time. On confirmation of booking, I was given a number to present when checking in.
The flight itself was very early, 7.30 am, if I remember correctly and the airport was not Heathrow but Stanstead. We had to leave the hotel at 4 am in order to reach the airport before 6 am. On the plane, it was free seating. No free refreshment as well. If you want, you have to buy.
The flight itself was pleasant and we reached Switzerland in about an hour.
When Air Asia came into being, I can't help but remember my experience with EASY jet.

Now its 5.15pm

When I first started work almost 30 yrs ago, punch out time was 4.15pm. That was really good. We had plenty of time to do many things after coming back from work like jogging, shopping, visit friends etc. Then they changed it to 5pm. Still not too bad. I still had enough time to go jogging after work. Then it was changed to 5.30pm. That was really bad. On reaching home, it would normally be dark already. There's no time for anything else except to get ready for the maghrib prayers.
Now its 5.15pm. Still too early to see its effect.

Just my thoughts

It is still a total mess....

Just when I thought the worse is over, the Dow Jones plunged more than 600 points on more bad economic news. After four days of moving upwards, it ended in the most terrible of ways! What a letdown! All the four days of gains melted away just like that! terrible! terrible! terrible!
It is still a total mess out there!

The Smiling Sky

Two nights ago, I was watching the TV while waiting for dinner when my wife asked me to look at the sky outside. I walked over to the side of the house where I could see the sky clearly from the opened door. What I saw was something I have never seen before! A smiling face made up of the moon (mouth) and two stars (the eyes). My wife and children were clearly excited although I was very nonchalant about it.
The next morning I read in the papers that this was something special and it only happens every five years. Should have known better!

A restaurant too far.
Every Sunday morning, my wife and I would have breakfast in one of the many restaurants in Sg Buloh. Last Sunday, we wanted to try somewhere else, having tried almost all of the eateries in Sg Buloh. We wanted to go to Shah Alam but half way through the Guthrie Corridor, I said to her why not we try somewhere in Kg Subang. So, instead of going straight on to Shah Alam, I took a left turn at the Kg Subang junction and headed for that place. But driving through the place, we couldn't find not one restaurant that caught our fancy. So I just kept on driving and driving and before we knew it, hei! We're back in Sg Buloh!
With our stomach feeling hungrier by the minute, we finally stopped at one of the restaurant to have our breakfast. And guess what! It is just minutes from our house! after having gone so far.

The World we live in

Mumbai............ Bangkok.............. DR Congo............... Baghdad................Afghanistan................Sri Lanka...............

Another miracle of the glorious Quran

Last night the History channel was showing a documentary on the universe. A group of scientist doing research had found and proven that the universe is expanding all the time. Yes! Expanding. One of the scientist gave an example what they meant by expanding. Imagine rows of chairs placed in a room. Little by little, the room expands and the chairs, which were close to one another before, are now further apart, creating space in between! That's what is happening with the universe. The stars and the galaxies are not only moving away from one another but also from us!
And who would theoretically discover this initially if not that great scientist, Albert Einstein! Unfortunately, because of not wanting to violate the 'static universe' model that was widely accepted at that time, he put this discovery aside. He would later describe it as the greatest blunder of his life!
And guess what! The Quran mentioned this phenomena more than 1400 years ago.

And it is We Who have constructed the heaven with might, and verily, it is We Who are steadily expanding it.
Ad zaariyaat 47

Need I say more!

Nothing Surprises Anymore

In this time of credit crunch and financial woes, nothing surprises me anymore. Just found out that Woolworth, the very famous retailer that can be found in almost every British town, is also having difficulties. It is going into administration!
Woolworth was the first store that I was introduced to when I first set foot in England to begin my life as a student there. I bought my first jumpers there. Later on, Woolworth became the place to be, whenever I'm in need of new clothings or socks or underwear or whatever. So it is with a tinge of sadness to hear that it is going into administration.
I wonder what's next!

The Quran is amazing!

I am sure we all know that the pattern lines at the tip of our fingers are unique to everyone of us. Every pattern line is different, even for identical twins. That's why our thumbprint has been used as an identification tool, very effectively. This unique feature was discovered in 1856 by an Englishman, Genn Ginsen. That makes it 152 yrs ago.
But do you know that the Quran has mentioned this more than 1400 years ago? This is what it says:

3. Does the human being think that We cannot assemble his bones?
4. Surely, We are able to reconstruct even his fingertips
Al Qiayamah (75)

Off course, 1400 years ago or until 152 years ago, no one understood the significant of this sentence or why fingertips were even mentioned! Until the discovery!

Amazing! Isn't it?

Growing up with Enid Blyton

Enid Blyton was my favourite writer during my primary school days. I must have read almost all of her books during those time. The moment I get my hands on one of them and start reading, I will continue reading until I finished. I cannot put them down, so exciting were the stories, until I have finished reading them.
As I grow older, my attention turned to Agatha Christie. Again I must have read almost all of her books. Although I have forgotten most of the characters from her books, the one I still remember is Herculie Poirot. I guess everyone who reads her book will remember Herculie Poirot.
I am an avid reader. I enjoy reading. I remember one time I was reading three books at one go. In the office, during lunch, I will read one book. Back home, downstairs, I will be reading another book. Upstairs, just before going to bed, I will read yet another book.
Although at the moment I have slowed down a bit, when I retire, I plan to start reading again.

Dining Out at Cheng Ho

All the food gobbled up. Must have tasted real good!

My daughter

The wife and me

View of KL from the twin tower.

Now is the time to buy

Despite all the gloom that is surrounding us at the moment, with news of countries and companies struggling to stay afloat being published everyday in the papers, it is still not too bad. If you are brave and are prepared to go against the tide, there's money to be made. Stocks are dirt cheap, having taken a trashing the past one year. So what better way to make money than to look for the jewels among them. If you look hard enough, you'll certainly find them. Buy them and keep! I'm certain you'll make money.
The trick is to buy when people are selling and to sell when people are buying! Not to sell when people are selling and to buy when people are buying. How do you think Warren Buffet makes his fortune?

We are not out of the wood yet!

The woes continue.....
Even before they could decide on what to do with the big three auto makers, another large institution is reported to be in dire straits. Citibank, with over 300,000 workers worldwide, is in urgent need of a cash injection. Otherwise, it too might go down! I wonder what's next?
In Malaysia, the market has been on a losing streak the past few days. When it will end I have no idea!

A busy sporting weekend
A few sporting events kept me occupied last weekend. The A1 race in Sepang, the UBS golf tournament in Hong Kong, the rugby league final in Australia, the rugby union matches in England and Wales and the premier league matches in England. All in all, it was a busy sporting weekend for me.
The results?
Malaysia managed only a 10th placing in Sepang, a Malaysian golfer secured a top ten placing in Hong Kong, New Zealand won the rugby league final beating Australia, New Zealand and South Afdrica both won their rugby union matches and of the big four in the premier league, all drew except Arsenal who lost.

Its a fishy day

The market at Pasir Penampang, K. Selangor

vegetables are a plenty too
If you are looking for fresh fish, then head for the market at Pasir Penampang in Kuala Selangor. There you will find them as fresh as they can be, just like they have just been taken off the sea a second ago. If you have tasted fresh fish before, then you'll know what I'm talking about!
The taste is delicious to say the least!
Its only an hour drive from KL, so why not give it a try!

Just Thinking Aloud......

Time waits for nobody
Time flies so fast. Just seem yesterday when the Formula one races started (in January) and already it has ended. That means we are already in November! So fast! I had in my thoughts of doing a bit of traveling with the family this year but its almost the end of the year now and the only traveling we ever did were ....... I can't even recall. Need to plan better for 2009! Otherwise time will just pass me by and I don't even know it.

Its a Yo Yo
The Dow Jones gained almost 500 points last night. The day before, it dropped more than 400 points. It was the same a few days ago. Its moving like a yo yo. Moving up 500 points and going down 500 points has become normal these days! The same with Hang Seng and Nikkie. Its a roller coaster ride. I wonder what its doing to the heart of the investors. The doctors must be busy giving out treatment!

Pak Hamka
Although I never met him in person, most of my understanding of Islam is from him, his books actually. I read his tafsir Al Azhar, cover to cover. All nine volumes of it. Then there were his other books. All these readings gave me a better grasp of the religion. His tafsir Al Azhar became the foundation of what I know about Islam. It took me almost a year to finish reading them. That was way back in 1988. Since then, I have moved on to other writers and religious scholars, passed a few tajwid exams, learned Taranum, learned Arabic, got my Diploma in Shariah, did some 'hafazan' etc etc.
But Pak Hamka remains special to me and will always be so. He provided me the start through his beautiful writing. I am indebted to him. My only wish now is to be able someday to pay a visit to his kampung. That would be the icing on the cake!

My Amazing Race

I thought the Malaysian mothers have got it nailed but alas! it was not to be. They came unstuck at the Oman airport trying to secure a flight to Phuket. By the time they got to Phuket, they were already too far behind and had too much to do to catch up!
Watching the amazing race reminded me of my student days in England. Every summer holidays I would packed my back and headed off to Europe. Although I was not racing against anybody, still it was a challenge trying to get from one place to another. You see, I was hitchhiking.
One time I was caught in the rain at some highway near Barcelona, Spain, in the middle of the night. I managed to shelter under a viaduct but the rain and thunder and lightning plus the darkness made it a night to forget.
Another time I had to sleep in some bushes near Hamburg in Germany. I could hear dogs barking and howling somewhere nearby but I never cared to find out. Just managing to pass through the night unscathed was good enough.
Another time, I got chased by alsation dogs from a farm in Scotland. Then there was a time when I was refused entry into Switzerland and had to sleep at the railway station near the border.
Off course there were good times as well.
Those were the days. Someday I might just find the time to write all those stories down and perhaps my grandchildren can read them!

Admiral Cheng Ho lives on.....

Last Tuesday night, after picking up the BMW from the Sapura workshop in KL at about 8.30 pm(was sent there for some repair - free of charge as the car was still under guarantee) we decided to have dinner at Cheng Ho restaurant in Wangsa Maju. This is the one owned by Amy Search.
There were four of us including myself i.e. my eldest son, daughter and wife. The restaurant is situated in a new built up area of Wangsa Maju. Parking was easy and once inside, we had no problem securing a table for four. The service was fast, food tasted nice and the price reasonable.
I will have no problem bringing my family or friends to the restaurant again.

The Wedding season is back

The school holidays has barely started and already we are swamped with wedding cards. Almost every weekend there's a wedding to attend. Sometimes there are two or even three in a day! Last Sunday night, I attended a wedding at Tropicana Golf Club. Had some problem locating the club. End up reaching the place almost an hour late. We were the last to arrive. Fortunately, when we arrived, the food was just about to be served. In a way, we did not miss anything!

Energy Security Conference

I attended an Energy Security conference last week at the Shangrila Hotel KL. Malaysia needs to seriously look at its energy options quickly if it don't want to be caught unprepared in the future. There are certainly many options but at the moment, with the kind of technology available, nuclear looks like a good bet. But we have to move fast. Already 10 yrs is gone when we backtracked on this option.
Now we have to start all over again. With the IAEA putting in much tighter rules and regulations, it sure is much harder now!

Inside the Conference Hall

The World Today

US Auto Giants on the brink
Looks like there's no escaping. The whole world is feeling the crunch. Just read the paper this morning. The big three car makers in the US of A, namely GM, Ford and Chrysler are pleading for a bailout to the tune of 25 billion US dollars from the government! If the money don't come soon enough, almost 250,000 people who work for these three companies will be out of work. This is not counting the 4 million from the showroom to the design house who are indirectly linked.
Should the government help or just let the companies fail?

Bailout from China
Ironically, when the much touted capitalist system of the west failed, everybody is looking at China, a communist country, for help. It seems that China has trillions of dollars in reserve. These are the money that holds the key to the survival of the world.
As for Malaysia, it might still be in denial but there's no denying the market. It has fallen almost 40 % from its peak.

Petrol

Filled up my gas tank this morning. Normally rm100 will get me nowhere but with the price dropping recently, the tank is 3/4 full with that amount. Hope the price will continue to drop. The whole world is facing a grim economy. Although people are feeling the pinch here and there, the economy as it is helps to bring the fuel price down. In a way, that helps

The story continues.......

Sun and Rain.....Bulls and Bears
Looks like my theory about the sun, rain, bulls and bears is still holding. After 4 days of glorious sunshine, the rain came back a bit. That coincides nicely with the market where the bulls were in rampaging mood before retreating on the 4th day. Nevertheless, the upward trend is still continuing.

Obama, the star
Usually on the way to the office, I would stopped at Bangsar to buy the daily paper and have breakfast. I would reached Bangsar at about 7.15 am having left my house at 6.45 am. So early in the morning and the papers are a plenty. No worry about not getting your copy.
But on Wednesday, on reaching Bangsar and stopping at the 7 eleven to buy my usual paper, I found they were all gone. What a shocked!
Then I remember. All the papers today were about Obama because the day before he had just won an election! That's why its gone so fast. Everybody wants to read about it.

Nuclear and more Nuclear
There's no doubt about it. Nuclear power is here to stay. I attended a four days workshop on nuclear energy organised by Nuclear Afency, Malaysia and that's the message I got. Apparently, nuclear is the way forward. It is cheaper, cleaner and safer.
Will the government make a decision soon on going nuclear? Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia have all decided on nuclear. When will Malaysia do so?

The sun is back and so are the ...... bulls.

After raining almost daily the past few weeks, suddenly it stopped. Not a drop of rain the past three days. Have we seen the last of the rain for this year? Don't bet on it cause its only October. There's still November and December to come! Sure there will be rain but it won't be a daily occurance anymore. More like intermittent.
That brings us nicely to the bears and the bulls. I believe today, we have finally seen the bottom of the pit. The road to recovery is still long and the ride will be bumpy but the worse is over. From now on, it will be a roller coaster ride moving upwards, albeit slowly. No doubt the bears will resist but the bulls will prevail. It might take a year or two but it will happen.
When the sun is shining, the bulls will be laughing.

At the KLIA

Went to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Monday afternoon to sent off my wife. She's leaving for Kota Bahru together with her sister, brother and sister in law. Left the house at 12 noon and reached there at about 12.40 pm. Only forty minutes! Perhaps because it was highway all the way, from the Guthrie Corridor and joining straight to the KLIA highway.

What you don't see

Amidst all the splendour that is KL, there's another side that you don't normally see. Talk about eradicating them but its a losing battle. Clear one site, immediately another pop out. No option but have to live with it.
Still it is not too bad. I have seen worse in other cities.

There's no escape from the harsh reality of life

Gloomy Skies and Bearish Market

While having tea at the canteen, I took this picture. Even the towering Menara Telekom couldn't hide the fact that dark clouds are gathering high up in the sky. Looks like it is going to rain again this evening. That has been the story the last few weeks.
Floods have already occurred in Kedah and Perak. Don't know when this will end.
The days have been gloomy the past few weeks, just like the stock market. The day the sun comes back, that's when the stock market will breath again

Slipping Downward on a Fast Track Spiral

The market is slipping downward on a fast track spiral with very little sign of abating. From New York to London to Berlin to Hong Kong to Shanghai to Tokyo, its all going down and down with no end in sight. It has been a year since the subprime problem in the US first surfaced. I knew it was bad but I never expected it to be this bad.
The KLCI is now below 900 points. At its peak about a year ago, it was at about 1400 points. How much further down will it go? 800, 700, 600, 500 or even 100 points?

Rain, rain go away....

Finally, after many, many days of dark clouds and heavy rain, driving home from work was a pleasure. Although only in patches, the sun was shining brightly. What a beautiful day! The rain, at least for today, has decided to give us a reprieve. I can wash the car when I get back home I thought.
But wait! Just when I thought the sun has won it for us, the sky suddenly opened up ..... and down came the rain. There goes my plan. What a letdown!
So next time don't count your chicken too soon, less you get disappointed.

Putrajaya from the heights

Putrajaya from the Heights

After the conference, had lunch at the restaurant. Nothing special except you can see Putrajaya from the top and the view is magnificient.

Nuclear Energy is Coming

It seems that Malaysia has no choice but to go nuclear. The country gas reserves are dwindling fast while coal has become a much sought after commodity that those who have it don't want to sell anymore. The price has gone up as well. Oil prices have also gone up to unreasonable height and hydro is too troublesome especially if it is only available 600 kms away across international waters. Last but not least, renewal energy but they don't promise that much MW.
So what choice do we have except nuclear! Then again, it will normally take 20 yrs from conception to operation. Do we have the luxury of time?

A Real Misty Morning

One Misty Morning

The mist was so dense that I could hardly see the road in front. The toll plaza was less than 500m away and yet I couldn't even see it. Luckilly I was travelling on a highway. Otherwise, it would have been quite a scare.

A close up view of the Rambutan

Rambutan popping out from nowhere

I always thought I have only one rambutan tree at the back of the house. Suddenly, over the weekend, rambutans appeared out of nowhere. Not from the one tree I always knew I had but from another! What a pleasant surprise.

Market giving heartache

After going down and down the last few weeks, the market is still going down. The Dow Jones might have shown some life recently but overall, it is still badly bruised. Nikkei and Hang Seng are also down in the dumps. Back here in KL, the market has loss almost 40 % from its high.
Don't know when it will recover. All the efforts done so far has shown little result. Terrible. Its worst when you have some money stuck in there!
When will the markets recover? Next week? Next month? Next year? Two years? Five years? Your guess is as good as mine!

Fasting in Shawal

After two failed attempts, I finally managed to get it going. The first time, I forgot to sound the alarm. As a result, failed to wake up for the sahur. The second time, I woke up but didn't look at the time properly. While having my sahur, the azan came on the radio. There goes my puasa!

Finally I managed to get one under the belt on Tuesday the 14th of Shawal. Today is my third day. Insha Allah, I will continue straight till Sunday. That will be the sixth and final day.

The new bridge linking Sayong and K.Kangsar. People from Sayong now don't have to travel too far to get to K.Kangsar. Anyway, if you prefer the boat ride, it is still in service.

Resting by the Perak river. The Sunday market is near this majestic river.

Early Sunday morning went to K. Kangsar Sunday market. Many stalls selling all kind of things. Bought a few items not normally found in KL such as Ikan masin belanak, ikan pekasam, big round petai and home bred coffee. Not quite Starbuck I admit but coffee 'Kau Punya.'

One Day in Sg Siput

Went to Sg Siput on Saturday. Left the house at about 3pm with my wife, her elder sister, Kak Kiah and her daughter. She had been in KL since the third Raya and now its time to go back home.
It was raining most of the way but we made it to her house by 5.30pm.

Rainy days are here again

Raining Cats and Dogs
It has been raining cats and dogs the past few days. Not a day passed when there's no rain. My fish pond is filled to the brim. My fountain overflowed one day while the swimming pool almost did. Very funny these days as at this time of the year, it used to be the North east Monsoon, meaning non stop rain in Kelantan, Trengganu and Pahang. However, these days the rain does not follow the rules anymore. If it wants to rain, it will rain. No matter if it is the North East Monsoon or the South West Monsoon or January or December or whatever!

The World is going down, down and down!
Another big drop for Dow Jones. Almost 700 points! Wow! At this rate, the index will hit zero soon. Nikkei had another bad day, dropping almost 10 %. Similar with Hang Seng! In Russia and Indonesia, the markets were suspended altogether cause if it open, the sell off will see no end! Europe is struggling to keep their banks afloat. The Middle East, with all the oil money, is also feeling the heat.
There's no place to hide. This is the worst financial crisis I have seen in my life! Terrible.

Making Ends Meet after Raya
It is always the same. Budgeted a certain amount but end up spending very very much much more. At the end of the day, I will have problem making ends meet. But then, there's not much I can do. There's always things to buy that somehow didn't appear initially in the budget. Sometimes they just sort of get out of control. In the end, I just say to myslef, spend, spend, spend, spend and spend. Let me do the damage control after Raya.

30 days of Raya

30 days of Raya
Its only done in Malaysia. 30 days of celebrations to compensate for the 30 days of fasting. For the whole month of Shawal, there'll be non stop open houses. Then there's the office where every department it seems is having Hari Raya gathering. What a grand way to celebrate! Only worry is that all the cleansing done during Ramadhan will be loss in Shawal. The stomach sometimes gets even bigger after Shawal than it was before Ramadhan.

Puasa Enam
This is the six days of fasting in the month of Shawal. The reward is tremendous. Six days in Shawal plus the fasting in Ramadhan is equivalent to fasting the whole year round. I have been doing it for so many years but have not been doing it the last few years because of ulcer of the stomach. Anyway, now that I know the reason for my ulcer, that is because of curry, I will try to do the six days fasting again. Just avoid curry and take a lot of milk. Then I should be allright.

Financial Crisis
Its affecting the whole world. I have never seen anything like it. Not even the 1998 turmoil. Then it was only the few Asian nations like Thailand, Indonesia, Korea and Malaysia but this, its the whole world. Everywhere, the crunch is being felt. The market is falling like ten pins that some countries even had to suspend it. otherwise, it will be a free fall. When will it end?
I saw its beginning a year ago when the Sub prime problem in the USA started. Now the whole world is feeling it.
But if you are brave, this is the time to invest. All stocks are dirt cheap. Buy them and keep for a few years. For sure, you'll make money!

Back To Working Days Again

After the hectic days just before and during Raya, its slowly returning back to the normal once more. Tomorrow, Hanafi will go back to Johore, Hafizi to Uniten and on Monday, Fatihah to UIA in Gombak. Only Hakimi will be left. He might go as well if things turn out as planned. As for my wife, she will be busy doing things that a wife and mother will do.
Come Monday, I will go back to work. It will be back to the usual early morning drive to work while the morning sun is still sleeping, breakfast at Bangsar before finally reaching office at about 7.30 am. I have been doing this since 1979, with some differrences here and there. Can't wait for it to end.

Student Days in England

Its 8 in the morning on Saturday, the 4th day of Raya. Outside, the rain is persistent, off and on. While clicking on the TV remote button aimlessly, a program suddenly caught my attention. A man (movie director Mamat Khalid) was showing his TV host, Jimmy, the places and the things he used to do in his younger days while living in Germany. Instantly, it reminded me of my 5 years in England from 1974 to 1979.
Two years in Brighton, doing my Diploma and three years in Surrey, doing my degree. Those were the student days, with nothing much to worry about except for the exams. During the summer holidays, I would travel over to Europe, or the continent, as they call it. Germany was among the countries I went to, many times in fact.
Liverpool football club was big then. European champion many times over. Manchester United was still struggling, not having won the league championship for over twenty years. Alex Ferguson was not even heard of then. The Beatle was already reaching their end while Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes and a host of other names which I can't really recall were just coming up.
The five years in England seems a long time ago now. It is a long time, almost 30 years. Life has moved on. I am now almost retired. What a different from the student days when working life was just about to begin.

First day of Shawal

We started the day with the subuh prayers. After that it was getting ourselves ready for the Eidul Eid prayer at the nearby mosque. By 7.30am we were ready and having breakfast. After a month of fasting, breakfast seems a bit strange. Anyway, with all the ketupat, rendang, lemang and whatever, the food gets gobbled up very quickly.
Then its to the nearby mosque for the Eidul Eid prayer. The mosque as usual, was full.
By 9.30 am, we were back at the house. After the customary salam and asking for forgiveness among us, its time to start visiting close relatives. Fortunately or unfortunately, some of our relatives have balik kampung so there were not too many houses to visit.
We were in Paya Jaras, Ampang and Subang Jaya. The day finally ends at about 7 pm when we were back at the house, feeling all tired and worn out. The night was spent just resting in the house, watching TV, have more food and sleep.

Eve of Hari Raya day

Abang Nyah invited us to his house in Ampang to break the fast on the last day of Ramadhan. The whole family went. Atak, my 3rd sister was also there together with Nazida, my neice from my younger sister, Da. Abang Nyah son, Sazali was also there with his wife and daughter. Later on Juli, Abang Nyah daughter came back from work to join us.
We left the house at about 9.30 pm and headed for PKNS complex, Shah Alam. My wife wanted to do some last minute shopping for rendang, ketupat and lemang.
What greeted us at the PKNS complex was a like a huge lelong party. The car parks were full and the place was just crowded with people. Apparently, they all had the same idea. To do last minute shopping. For those buying 'baju raya', it was a good move as the prices had all came down. Lelong, lelong everywhere as traders were eager to get rid of their still unsold goods.
The crowd was just too crowded for me. We quickly bought the things we wanted to buy and headed home.

Two days to Raya

Taking a breather by the roadside


Its shopping time! Two days to Raya and we still haven't bought any Raya clothes! Finally we decided on a day and headed to Shah Alam. As usual, the whole PKNS complex and its surrounding areas were packed with people. We had to park at the Anggerik mall and walked to PKNS complex from there.
After a few hours of looking around and looking at what the traders had to offer, we made our choice and headed home.
The place is too crowded for my liking. Just wonder with the world economy in a struggling mode, people are still buying and buying and buying. Who cares anyway. Today is today and tomorrow is another day.