The sky is the limit

I am inspired by Djokovic. For a long time, he played second fiddle to Federer and Nadal. Always reaching the last four but almost inevitably get beaten by either Federer or Nadal in the quest to reach the final. He had to watch from the sideline as the two players played out the final. It was their exclusive party. He was not good enough to be a part of it. Suddenly last year, everything changed. He gate crushed into their party, leapfrogging both of them. He is now the no 1. What does it mean? It means if you are determine enough, nothing is impossible. Djokovic has shown it can be done. So can we.

Chap Goh Mei

I had trouble sleeping last night as a result of the fireworks working overtime. I could hear the booming sound coming from all over KL. At first I thought it would stop after half an hour or so, just like the new year celebrations but no! It went on and on and on. For hours! I was thinking, why are they playing all those fireworks. Then I knew it. It must be Chap Goh Mei.

A screaming final

If you are thinking of watching the Australian Open women's singles final this morning, get your ear plugs somewhere handy. Chances are you might need them after a while. The screaming might get to you more than the game. The grunts of the two finalist have been known to reach decibels of 90, akin to a passing truck. If that don't get to your skin, I don't know what will!

Gold Gold Gold

While most people were focusing on oil expecting the price to rise because of problems with Iran, gold has quietly risen to almost US1750 an ounce within the last one month. There is still some way to go to the high of US1900 early last year but the steep rise has excited the market. Analyst are predicting gold reaching US2000 this year or next. So why wait? Invest in gold cause its the only sure investment material in times of great uncertainty.

Nadal vs ?

So Federer is beaten again by his friend, Nadal. Anyway, nothing to worry if I were him. With sixteen Grand Slams to his name, millions of dollars in the bank, a loving wife and two kids, life couldn't be better. Who will meet Nadal in the final? I have a feeling it might be Murray. Talking about finals, the women final would be a screamer literally. Both women produce sound when heating the ball. One grunt while the other shreik. It will be great to watch, for the rhythm, if not for anything else.

Slowly coming back to life

KL is slowly coming back to life after the long Chinese New Year holidays. It seems that most schools are still closed. They will only open next Monday. That's why the KL folks are still away enjoying their holidays. However I'm beginning to hear the familiar sounds of the hustle and bustle of KL when at full pace. Families are slowly streaming back, little by little. To be honest, I enjoyed the quiet and the peace but after a while I was asking myself, when is KL going back to normal?

Who's next?

Apple reported record profits driven by I Pad and I Phone sales. Samsung had also reported record profits, driven by their popular Galaxy II phones and a variety of Tablets. With these two giants making great profits, who are on the losing end? Nokia? Motorola? Sony Ericson? HTC? Nokia was on top not so very long ago. Now they are struggling. Sony Ericson is also in the same predicament. Apple was unheard of, at least not in the phone business. So was Samsung. How come today they are fighting neck to neck for supremacy?

What can Maurinho do?

Maurinho will never win over the Real Madrid fans as long as he is unable to get the better of Barcelona. So far, try as he might, he has not found the answer as yet. His team can beat all the other teams and even win the league but if he can't beat Barca, he will never be a hero in Madrid. He knows that better than anybody. The last time they played, he was too cautious, choosing to play negatively by closing down the game in midfield while depending on breakaways for goals. That didn't work. Now he must find another strategy to get the better of Barca or he will be deemed a failure, no matter if he wins all the other games against other teams.

A year has gone

I was surfing the internet when I came across a headline about the Egyptian revolution. At this very moment, the Egyptians are converging in Tahrir square once again to celebrate the one year anniversary of the revolution. Wow! I can hardly believe it. I remember watching on television when President Mubarak announced his resignation. Its been a year since then. Has it been that long?

Another quiet day

I went for a jog this morning. Everything was quiet on the streets. People are still on holidays I suppose. By this evening, I expect the roads to be busy again. As for my jogging, it wasn't my best by far. I felt tired after a few minutes. Actually I was sick a few days ago. Perhaps that's why. My body is still recovering.

This is not F1

Nonetheless it provided a lot of thrills and spills for those brave enough to try.

Holiday

Its very quiet in KL. Perhaps its because of the Chinese New Year. Many of them have gone to their parents home outside the Klang valley to celebrate. Meanwhile the Australian open is onto its second week. The Japanese player, Kei Nishikori has made history, upsetting Tsonga in the fourth round. Back home, the NFC scandal has taken on a new dimension. Somehow, they saw it fit to involve Perkasa, of all groups. Don't know what's the motif. Should just come clean if they have nothing to hide.

River cruise

Melaka

Its inevitable

The inevitable has to happen. When it finally it did, I guess nobody is surprised. Kodak, the name that has become synonymous with camera film, has filed for bankruptcy. Technology has changed the way pictures are made. Nobody uses film anymore. It is outdated. I wonder what other products will face the same fate? Cameras? Television?

Lose again

Maurinho still can't find a way to beat Barcelona. Must be really frustrating for one of the best coaches in the world. He can conjure a few tricks to beat all the other teams but against Barca, the tricks don't seem to work. Real Madrid have come out second best most of the time it not all of the time. What more does he need to do?

Thinking aloud

It looks more and more likely there will be a Bank of Japan intervention in the currency market, at least that's what I think. The Yen has got so high Japanese products are losing their competitiveness. However, don't bet on it. Last week I thought Euro was going down the drain faster than a Ferrari can but somehow, it recovered. Spain successful Bond sale turned the Euro upwards.

Towering inferno

Yesterday I went to PJ using my usual jam free routes. Ninety nine percent of the time the drive would be smooth with no jam at all. I can reach PJ in less than half an hour. However, yesterday was different. There were more vehicles than usual. I wondered why. Only later I heard about the inferno at KL Sentral. Perhaps that's why. Many people had to reroute to other roads because of that.

Make a guess

A sanctuary for thieves and robbers? Who can that be? What can it be? Make a guess. I'm sure you can do it. It is not that difficult. Matter of fact, if you don't know the answer, something must be terribly wrong with you. Yes, I mean it. Something must be terribly wrong with you.

An enjoyable jog

I really enjoyed my jog this morning. The temperature cooling while the wind was blowing right to my face making the jog such a pleasant exercise. Even towards the end of my jog where I had to run up a road that is sloping upwards, I felt strong. Normally, it is a struggle when I come to this part of the stretch. How I wish everyday it is like this.

What's going on?

I was happy to hear that some action has finally been taken on the NFC scandal. Their assets has been frozen while steps are being taken to correct the wrong. So imagine my surprise when the next day I read that for the NFC, its business as usual. So what's going on? Meanwhile, money is being spent at taxpayers expense! Then there's this person who has been sacked. He is still raving and ranting! I don't know what has got into him. He should just look in the mirror and ask himself, why was I sacked?

Going to be interesting

Its a black Monday. The downgrading of the Euro zone countries financial rating by Standard and Poor has cast a gloomy sky over the financial world. All markets are struggling to be in the green. Euro is already down so much, can it go down some more? 1.25 to the dollar don't look too far fetched anymore. Surprisingly, with all the troubles with Iran, oil has not risen as much. Matter of fact, it has dropped a bit. The week ahead is going to be interesting.

Covert war

Its dangerous being a nuclear scientist if you are Iranian these days. Five have been assassinated which many believed are the work of Israel and US agents. Its the covert war in action. How far this is true we'll never know but the facts are these scientists have been assassinated. Its an attempt to delay or stop altogether the nuclear ambition of Iran, peaceful or otherwise.

Italian Ah Long

Do you know that now, the biggest lender in Italy is Mafia Inc. In times of need, when the economy is stuttering, borrowing money from banks can be a hassle. That's when organisations like the Mafia comes into the picture. They will lend you money but at your own peril. Not unlike our own Ah Long I suppose.

What a scare

Last night I had a scare. Had to rush to a 24hrs clinic at two in the morning to stop blood which had been flowing non stop for a few hours from a small cut. I made the cut myself, removing a small growth under the armpit. The cutting was a no brainer but the blood that flowed after was scary to say the least. At the clinic they managed to slow down the flow with a bandage. However at ten this morning, I removed the bandage, the blood flowed once again. Had to apply another bandage. Don't know how long this will continue.

Never ending woes

Even more woes for the Euro zone countries. All of them have been downgraded except for Germany. No wonder the Euro went down yesterday against the Dollar. Went down a lot too. I dread to think what other calamities are waiting for them? Looks like 2012 is going to be a hard year. As long as the woes continue, the whole world is going to feel the effect.

One world

Remember the international 'surau' I was talking about? The surau has just got even more international. For some of them, I can hardly tell from which country or continent they come from. They look ike Muslims from China or even Mongolia or even from one of the 'tan' countries i.e. Balucistan, Afghanistan, Khazastan etc etc. Know what I mean? Truly is amazing. Even more so that it's happening in Gombak!

How come?

Somehow I get this perception that the police and the MACC drag their feet when investigating cases involving members or people connected to the ruling party. However, if it is on the other side of the political divide, wow! they are extremely fast. No hesitation at all. The full force of the law will be employed, immediately. How come?

Mix news

This morning I woke up and immediately noticed that the price of oil has plunged by more than one percent. I was stumped. I wondered what happened? Flipping through the business news I came across an article about the boycott of Iran oil. It has been delayed by about six months. So, that's the reason. Other than that, figures out of USA has not been as good as expected although there are some optimism in Europe over the bond sale of Spain and Italy. However, be cautious. Its only a short term bond. We still need to see the yield for long term bonds.

What next?

Rumours have been making the rounds but the when the confirmation finally came, it was still a surprised. Air Asia X will stop flights to Europe and India. Apparently, profits have been difficult on these routes. It proved once again that cheap long haul flights is not an easy business proposition. Many others have tried and failed before. Many many years ago I remember Freddy Laker and his cheap cross Atlantic flights to US from England. Still, kudos to Air Asia for trying!

Skyscrapers and the economy

European stocks are up, getting a lift from the Spanish and Italian bond auctions earlier which did well with the yield lower than expected. That looks like some confidence are coming back to the eurozone although its early days yet. US futures are up as well. Now does that means we are looking at some light already. However, there's a theory about skyscrapers and the economy. The more skyscrapers you built, the more you are likely to have an economic crash. Remember Dubai and the Burj Khalifa? Now its China and India. The two countries are busy building skyscrapers at the moment. Are they facing a crash?

Living the leisurely life

What a difference a year can make. This time last year, I was still working. Early in the morning I was already on the road heading for the office. There, I had meetings to attend, programs to execute, reports to complete, KPIs to meet and so on. I'II only be back home by about six in the evening. Today, I was still on the road early in the morning. Only this time, I was jogging. After that I had a leisurely breakfast at home, took my bath and later drove up to PJ to meet a friend. By noon I was back at home. The rest of the day was spent at my own pace and leisure.

Where to find friends?

If there's one thing that I miss in retirement, its the friends that I have while working. Since my retirement, I hardly contact any of them, much less meet to chit chat over a cup of tea or something. Day in day out, I used to see them, talked to them, discussed with them etc. Suddenly, they are not a feature of my life anymore. They disappeared completely. That's the difficult part of retirement. If before, every time I moved on, I find new friends. From primary school to secondary school to college to university to the different phases of my working life. Now, in retirement, where to find friends?

Catmen?

You're wanted

A shootout

Yesterday in the afternoon the Tmn Melati LRT station was out of bound for a few hours. Police put up road blocks, cordoning off the area from all directions. Motorists had to make detours elsewhere. I was one of them. This morning it was in the papers. Apparently, there was a shootout at or near the station where two of them were injured. They were later found dead. Another one got away. Police believed he killed his accomplices who were injured in the shootout to avoid being identified.

Joke of the year

When you criticise your own party policies, continue giving press statements that openly defy your party president and act in manners that are not in line with your party's wishes, then you can only expect to be given one thing, the boot. Thus I am shocked that he express shocked at his sacking. It must be the joke of the year.

An international surau

I had the opportunity to pray at this truly international 'surau' in Gombak. Africans, Arabs, Indonesian and lastly Malaysians make up the congregation. I have never seen anything like it, at least not in Malaysia. Perhaps there might be scenes like this in the universities but not in a housing estate. It really is unique.

Jotting

The Chinese New Year is coming soon. In China, millions of people will travel during this period, jamming all the roads, railways and even airports. It will be the biggest movement of people in the world, 25o million of them.
Over here, I'm anticipating a pre-Chinese New Year market rally. Yesterday was great but I hope that was just the start.
After the euphoria of Anwar's acquittal yesterday, we woke up today to a new beginning. It will still be a long hard struggle, no doubt about it but the signs are there of a new dawn. The light after the dark.
It also rain a bit yesterday. What a relief after the heat that was getting to be unbearable. So what next?

An unexpected victory

In front of the High Court

Speakers working up the crowd

Some were there as early as 5am. I was a bit late. Minutes after I reached the court complex, heard the words 'bebas' being spread around by the supporters. Smiling faces could be seen all round. I didn't believe it until I saw some of the party leaders looking jubilant.

A last hurrah?

At Kampong Pandan

The night before. Thousands were there to show support. Could this be the last 'pidato'?

Well done!

It has been a long time coming but finally it happened. I'm relieved. He has become a liability. I agree fully with the decision to sack him. This guy has been too much, for far too long. He should have been sack a long time ago for going against the party's policy. Well done! A very correct decision.

Damn hot

The weather has been very very hot these days. I thought just a few days ago we were getting floods in a few states namely Johor, Pahang and Trengganu. Even in the Klang valley, it was raining frequently in the afternoon. KL was flooded! Suddenly it changed. Yesterday I drove to Seremban under a blazing sun. It was very hot. At night I have problem sleeping because of the unbearable heat. It sure is hot now, just like what is happening to our the political scene.

Samsung sales hit new high

I like Samsung smartphones. My Samsung Galaxy II have given me much pleasure. Its fast, light, with a bright and beautiful screen, easy to use and great applications. Somehow, the applications available in the Android system suits me better as compared to the one in Apple. So its not a surprise to know that I'm not alone. Millions of others feel the same.

My story today

I wanted to go to the bank this morning but didn't. After jogging I had my bath, took breakfast, read the papers, scan through the internet, study the stock market, watch the ever moving currencies and ...... fall asleep. It was already eleven when I woke up. Time for the Friday prayers. In the afternoon didn't feel like going out therefore stayed in the house. Maybe tomorrow I'II do my errand at the bank. Meantime my appointment at the court on Monday is still on.

The icing on the cake

Will you be there? I believe thousands and thousands will be there. It may be a loss cause in terms of the verdict but it matters not. The fight will go on, no matter what the outcome will be on Monday. What is important is not to lose heart even if it is an uphill battle. The last GE has opened the door. The next one will be the icing on the cake!

Need I say more

Three and half million for millions of families but two hundred and fifty million for just one family. That says it all...sigh.

Early morning traffic

Its a few minutes to seven. Cars are already filling up the road leading to MRR2. How glad I am not having to join the morning rush anymore. Those days are over. I have done my part and paid my dues. I deserve the break.

Its back to school

Boys and girls attending the morning school assembly on the first day of school. Watching them I am reminded of own school days. Those were happy time despite the numerous homework, exams and some over enthusiastic teachers. I just love those times. Having to leave school was a wretch. It means the end of the carefree days when the worrying was very much left to the parents.

A beautiful night

And so it will

Today is the real beginning of the new year. People taking long holidays at the end of last year are back, the schools are opening again in a day or two while the traders and investors are back to where they belong. The markets should be lively again with the volume much higher. It all points to an exciting year ahead. I look forward to the days and weeks ahead with great anticipation. I am expecting a good year. Never mind the worry over the Euro or whatever. I have decided it is going to be a good year for me, and so it will Insha Allah.

I am not swayed

In the world of politics, friends are never forever. So are enemies. Thus I am hardly surprised with the latest turned of events that has happened in our political scene. A prominent blogger have been hitting the limelight, giving views completely opposite of what we expected of him. The national newspapers received him with opened arms. Again hardly surprising. Me, I am not swayed no matter what. I stay true to my conviction.

A new financial year

This year is going to be my first full year of not working. I will not have to join the mad rush in the morning anymore. I will not have to attend meetings anymore. I will not have KPIs to meet anymore. But I still need to live. I still need to have an income. As such, I need to have a business plan. I need to have objectives, set targets and chart out ways to meet those targets. Yeah ..... I need to do them before its too late. Ground zero was 31/12/11. Now, its 2012, a new financial year.

A bad buy

I had my doubts when Liverpool bought Andy Carrol for such a big figure. He was largely unproven, having played less than a season in the premier league. I couldn't understand how they were willing to pay so much for such a player. Its bad business. Now, a year later, my doubts have become reality. Andy Carrol is struggling to establish himself in Liverpool first team. His goals have been few and far between. His movement sluggish and cumbersome. Only his locks flows smoothly every time he runs. How long does he need to prove himself?

What will it bring forth

From high above, I could see the KL skyline lighted up by hundreds of fireworks as soon as the clock reached midnight. From KLCC, from Dataran and from various other places I presumed to be the outskirts of KL, colourful balls of fire reached up for the sky, burst and dispersed in the most beautiful of ways. It went on for almost half an hour. In Shah Alam I heard they had a great thing going at the Sultan Salahuddin mosque. Also at the mosque near KLCC. At home I relax while enjoying the show from afar. Its a beautiful night while at the same time, a new day of the new year is dawning. What will it bring forth? Insha Allah, everything will be allright.

This is the new year

A disturbing news from the internet. A student leader was beaten unconscious in a police lockup. He is now in critical condition at a hospital. Earlier some thugs of a political party have been threatening these students in video clips. What has become of these people. Really sad thing to happen. Is this the way to welcome the new year? I worry about the future of this country. We are fast going down the drain the way I see it unless a drastic changed happened.