First Meeting With A Fellow Blogger

Today is a public holiday, for Hari Raya Haji. I received an sms from a dear blogger friend, Roti Kacang Merah, whom, I think, I have known like 2 - 3 years, chatting mostly through comments box, sms and once in a while, yahoo messenger.

We both never seen nor talked to one another, ever. Something like Jamie, another dear blogger friend.

Anyway, RKM invited my family and I to savour her mum's delicious traditional cooking and I have heard about it for so long that, I decided that this year, irregardless of the distance - it being almost exactly an hour drive from my place ; thus my procrastination in accepting her invitation prior this - I will make it somehow.

So, we left at about 11.30 a.m, grabbed some sweets for present (buah tangan) along the way, and we were good to go. I think we reached her place at about 1.30 p.m, after circling the town for a few round - entirely my fault for forgetting the map, which I have accidentally left behind. Basing on my memory, I got 90% of the content, forgetting the last 10% which is the crucial part, sigh. It was so near yet because I was looking right instead of left, I wasted another half an hour or so looking for her place. Still, after a few calls and her direction via sms, mind you, we located her parent's house! Pheww....Another feather in my cap - now I know Bangi better!

You know it is strange how people can connect and it felt like, we were friends for ages. I love the friendship. I was very worried that we might feel awkward but it was gone after only a few seconds. For all their overseas education and upper middle class life, I found a family of down to earth and humble people that I personally feel very small among them, hehehe. I mean, they are so nice and friendly family that it is no wonder that their house is one of the most popular stops for their friends and relatives.

Even her hubby, the famous Cartoonist Zunar is such a humble and soft spoken person that I felt like I have known him for years too, when, in actual fact, it was only the first time we met. That's the beauty of humbleness, I guess. It just opens people up.

And I got 2 autographed production from his company ; one magazine and one book, to boot! Click here for the story of the magazine - not only did I get A COPY, I got an autographed one!! Eat your heart out, collectors...After reading both, I think I am going to seal it in plastic bag, for years later, this would be worthy stories for my grandchildren (what!!!????)

I could go on and on about the visit but I am still excited over the meeting, I will post a bit more later, now, it is dinner time and possibly, after that, exercise time to burn off all the irresistible calories loaded during lunch time. Luckily her mum cook the specialty during festive season only, otherwise.....I would soon be size 37!!

My New Faithful Companion

I am carrying this bag around like a tote bag!!! It is so convenient in the sense that I can just throw everything inside, beside making a statement! And that, I am reducing the usage of plastic bags is the main purpose. And it being with me, I tend to maximise the usage even. Which is good, right? And it even felt fashionable. Green, the new IN!!

My First Purchase With Personal Shopper

Well, I had wanted to buy this perfume for quite some time but never get around to do it. I informed Miu that should she come across this perfume on sale, just to get it for me. True to her speciality, she managed one on sale soon enough and here I am, a proud owner of one of the longest running fragrance.

After testing it, I quite like the smell, though as suspected by the professional, it is not really ME per se but well, at 40ml, it will fulfill the need for my travelling enough. I guess one have to get use to a variety of moods. Thanks Miu for the look out and excellent service :P

Of Birthdays and Such

It is the milestone for me. No more small change for the figure. Time is really ticking fast and it seemed like there is still lots to do. Shudder shudder.

I got my first birthday wish from my friend and partner, Jayson. I got my first present from Miu. Thanks guys for remembering. Touched and very very appreciative. Let's see tomorrow if there is any other who remembered....Not that I need reminding though.

This is what Miu bought. She is just too nice. And she knows I luvvv fragrances, so, easy choice, huh? And that she always managed to get the ones that I don't have, or never tried at all. In other words, exposed me to more options.











I will try it on first thing tomorrow morning, hehehe. Knowing Miu, I believe this will be one of my favourite fragrance, well, she is not a personal shopper for no reason if not for knowing people's taste!! Thanks a zillion Miu. And, oh, btw, you know what you are getting for Christmas cum birthday, right? That's the least I can do for you. I would have given it to you earlier if only I can get it then. Apparently, it wasn't that easy to get what you wanted. Talk about people with expensive taste!!! So, don't you go and get it for yourself. Let me do something nice in return for you, ok...

Environmental Friendly

I am very proud of my staffs today.

I was washing the container I used to pack my rice and I noticed two other plastic containers in the pantry. I asked whose and why and one of them told me, she used the container to pack the rice from the shop, like what I am doing. She said she did that after my general encouragement and advise to the staffs last week.

That set the conversation to conservation and recycling. I even encouraged her to influence her colleagues to follow her example. She goes to the extend of supplying them with plastic containers for future usage. I think she deserves a pack on the back for the effort to influence and encourage her colleague to conserve the environment.

Police Force

So many things have been said about our police force. Today, I read from this link and realised, something is very wrong with the way it was run/managed.

Come on, out of a total of 100%, 37.62% is categorized as MANAGEMENT?? You need a manager for every 3 officers? What kind of management is that? All good money gone to waste. No wonder the police are not highly moralized. How to perform their duty when they have maze upon maze upon maze of management staffs to get through? This has to be one of the silliest organisation ever!

And they say, too many cooks will spoil the soup. This is not a case of too many cooks spoiling the soup, at this rate, no soup could be cooked! I think all the "management" team would have to think of creative way to kill their time. Efficiency is when one manager can manage hundreds or thousands of personnel and plain stupidity is when you need 1 management staffs to overseas another 2 staffs. Come on!! Give them a break and give us a break too. Crime level is up and the one that can handle it is too busy pushing paper and pretending to be busy. Gosh!!

The X-Factor S.6

My wife and I were watching the recent episodes of The X-Factor and the most talked about contestant had to be the Twins. Despite not having much of talents, they have managed to reach the final six. What a load of c@#p!!

It goes on to show that the old adage that bad publicity is better than no publicity! It also shows how humans at times are oxymoronic - we hates certain things but we still wants to see it!! Just like at times, we would watch horror movies between our fingers!

One thing for sure though, the owner of The X Factor is making tonnes of money milking this love hate relationship to the hilt!

Cloudy With Sporadic Downpours

I love rains. I love cloudy weather. It reminds me very much of Scotland, with so much cloud and wetness that everything looks mossy and wet, and cool, and gothic, IMHO.

If only the weathers would continue to be so for a foreseeable weeks, it would simply be wonderful.

Incidentally, I was pretty under the weather too. I hurted my back while adjusting posture while watching TV!! Remembering how torturous it was previously, before it got worse, I went to consult the Chinese Medicine Doctor and set some of the bone straight, literally. I have known it to be slightly "out of shape" - almost all the experts agreed on that. Well, it was not to be on one session and I need to be back for a few more session before everything can be put back into place, again, literally!!

I am so NOT looking forward to those sessions, torturous is saying that it's a walk in the park! I guess, I would just have to bite the bullet and go through with it, and hopefully, come out of it better than ever, considering the amount of pain and moolah that needs to be expanded.

The past few weeks, we have had like storms, real huge storms with torrential rains that wreak havoc on a lot of things, trees, plants, roads, flooding etc. Over at my side, my DIY trellis couldn't stand the vigorous pounding of the rain and storms, coupled with super fast growth of the passionfruit tree, keeled and bended at the support bar. I have to get outside help to build a new trellis and same time, get them to "transfer" the plants to new host! I shall post some photos of the new addition to the garden soon. Watch this space.

The Sun Motor Hunt

As mentioned in prior post, my team were sponsored by Samsung to join the Sun Motor Hunt, which, they are the main prize sponsors. Very generous indeed!

Well, my team could have performed better but it is too late. We made some silly mistake, despite being cautious and the difference is between a fridge and an mp4 player - EACH!! Let's hope that we could do better next year. As we were the sponsored team, I guess we ought to be thankful to at least have won something quite valuable!! Thank you Samsung ... though I would have wished for fridge or lcd tv instead :P

The weather was too hot recently too, that might have affected some of our concentration, both my sister and I are "allergic" to hot sun!! My staffs even commented that I looked darker!! Gosh, I have to go and see Miu for some whitening lotion it seemed.

The day before that, I went for the other hunt, which was more family oriented and less competitive and for lack of top players, (there were a few still though) - our team managed a number 3 position, which is the highest this year! Probably it was the over confidence that we were in good form that was our undoing in the next day hunt. Well, we learn new lessons everyday, don't we??

Halloween Pics

We dressed up for some Halloween trick or treat at our neighbourhood, on the 30th Oct 09, I know Halloween is on 31st but most of us would be busy then, so, we brought forward the do.

The Family

The Family

Isaac, I did the eye make up and nail polish, hahaha.

Iona

The Total Haul

Fitness Routine

I went and sign up for a gym membership yesterday. After months of trying to get into shape without much success, I decided to invest some money and go to a professionally run gym to get some professional consultation.

My first day, they tested me for fitness, I am at the medium range, obviously. They tested my BMI and BMR, with some kind of machine, I am not extremely sure that how the machine could be accurate when it practically doesn't do anything??

Anyway, the BMI came back at 18.3, which is in the NORMAL range!! What did I tell you?? Despite people keep on calling me skinny, I am NORMAL!!

The BMR came back at 1575 - BMR being Basal Metabolic Rate. I was told to get it up to 2400, it being the normal build up rate. I guess over dieting have slowed down my body's metabolism rate to conservation mode.

The body fat assessment came back at 10.2. Anything below 12 is considered excellent. Now, for the first time, I have something excellent to show!

The trainer asked me what I don't like about my body. I find that hard to answer because I don't really don't like my body per se, but like any person with some vanity issue and one that is being bombarded with images of Greek Gods and picture perfection, that is like a non question, right? Well, the trainer said most people would pay attention to two areas on guys, the biceps and the chest. So, I am to work on those first. As if that is not one of my goal, sigh.

Well, now that I am going to a full fledge gym instead of my club house semi furnished gym, I am giving myself 3 months to get into the shape that I want.

Oh, the trainer said I have to eat! Lots!! And I was like, duh!! Must I? I have not been eating much. I know I have not been eating much. But to be asked a question like, do you take breakfast? No. What you take for lunch? A. Err, nothing. What you take for dinner? A. Nothing heavy. Then, they said I need to eat more!

So, I started on supper the minute I got home!! One piece of pizza and one piece of roti canai. And I am not keen to gorge on more. But I have to force myself to. And it is very conflicting, on one side, I try to eat, on another hand, I really can't be eating that much!! The image of the "fat" guy always play in the mind everytime I eat. Duh!!

Rain Keeps Falling V.2

Following my last post, here, the power that be decided to give more rain, even on the day I was supposed to organise the trick or treat for the kids in my neighbourhood. It was very dissappointing to say the least, that all the preparation and hardwork gone down the drain, hampered by incessant rain the whole night, with a slight break, just enough for the kids to go trick and treating. Read about it here.

Still, I love rains.