nam menjunam halimunam

A Tall Order But One That Is Noble

2009-04-13T00:30:00.000-07:00

Najib has unleashed his own battle cry in his quest to win the minds and hearts of all Malaysians. Hence "1 Malaysia" is his appeal to fellow Malaysians to regroup towards creating a better Malaysia in terms of racial harmony, economic strength, social integration, cultural interaction and political stability.

After the 2008 General Elections and the ensuing episodes especially on the country's political stage, this is indeed a tall order, but one that is worth pursuing.

"1 Malaysia" is a timely wake-up call for Malaysians to preserve the peace, harmony, tolerance, progress and stability which we have enjoyed for so long.

A Leader Who Will Hopefully Inspire

2009-04-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

Our PM has just announced that the new Information, Communication, Arts and Culture Minister is Dato'Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim.

A veteran politician and an articulate speaker with a doctorate in law, he is, in my opinion an appropriate choice. I attended a few briefings in which he took centre stage and I must say, the man was quite impressive.

His sense of dressing hence his attire is quite different from his peers, I notice.

Am looking forward to his leadership as I believe he has the potential to inspire.

Let's Guess What Najib Will Be Fondly Called

2009-04-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

Datuk Seri Najib is hours away from taking office as our sixth PM. Surely someone somehow will come up with a favorite "petname".

Tun Mahathir was popular with Dr M. Datuk Seri Abdullah was Pak Lah.

Najib?

Mebbe Rosmah has a name just waiting to be revealed to the press. Or mebbe the media people themselves already has a name waiting for the right moment to publish it to the world. Who knows a childhood name might surface.

If you ask me, I would call him Mr Red Lips.

How about that?

Nam menjunam halimunam!

That's More Like It!

2009-02-12T17:13:00.000-08:00

I think few would disagree when Alleycat's David Arumugam (DA) was recently conferred the Datukship by the Sultan of Pahang.

For Datuk DA (and his late brother) was the crooner who belted love ballads which had enligthened our lives esp in the 80's. Remember Jika Kau Bercinta Lagi, Seribu Bintang, Kerana Kau, Andainya Ku Pergi Dulu... These songs meant so much to us.

Therefore the Datukship is appropriate.

Tima kasehhh, Datuk!

Tuah & Jebat Spirit Rekindled in SUKMA XIII

2009-02-11T16:09:00.000-08:00

At last the mascot for SUKMA XIII Melaka 2010 is revealed - officially that it is. As widely anticipated, the so-called cunning kancil which symbolises Melaka's rich history is the obvious choice. And it is named "Tuah". Why? Kau fikirlah sendiri .....!!!!!!!

The official logo also depicts the sang kancil. Its theme song is beautiful too. All these were launched at the concourse of the Dataran Pahlawan on February 5th.

The main venue for this 13th Malaysia Games is Stadium Hang Jebat at Paya Rumput.

SUKMA XIII Melaka 2010 is accessible at http://www.sukma2010.com.my/.

Hey! Leave My Helmet Alone!

2008-12-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

As if harga barang in town is not enough to drive you crazy, now they want us to buy new helmets! Why? Because some smart alec says that half-shell helmets (conveniently called tortoise) are not safe anymore. Excuse me! Have been wearing mine (coveted SGV brand and approved by SIRIM some more) since time immemorial.

And worse still this guy from the Road Safety Dept has the nerve to compare it with the toy helmet for kids! Memanglah helmet toy (yang sama shape) ya sik boleh pakei! Yang diapprove SIRIM lainlah, bodo!!!

Aiya! Why do some people in authority can be so s*****?

After this don't be surprised if the same guy asks car drivers to wear helmet too. That will be the day.

Take It Or Leave It

2008-12-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

Fewer days of annual leave = higher productivity.

Doesn't seem to be quite a sound theory, even to a simple layman like me.

But that seems to be the idea behind the decision by the PSD to slash the number of annual leave of civil servants from the current 30 days to 25 though they are given options either to stick to their current entitlement of 30 days or sacrifice the five days. Newly recruited officers are automatically given 25 days.

A head-spinning decision. Funny still, a deadline of December 31st is given to those who are thinking about opting to let go the five days.

There will be lots of intepretation on this after news about its implementation come January 1st 2009 was published in the local media yesterday and today. But it is still an awkward decison to me.

Datuk Shahrukh Khan - Anak Warisan Melaka

2008-12-09T23:47:00.000-08:00

Hey! What r u guys doing to Shahrukh Khan? Be careful, he is a Datuk yunno!

A candid picture of SRK at the Villa Istana moments before heading for the majlis of his Datukship conferment at Seri Negeri, Melaka.

He was dressed in Baju Melayu with kain samping displaying motives in gold. Quite stunning given his Bollywood stature. Heard many Mak Datin were driven head over heels just looking at him that eventful morning. Can't blame them though, knowing some people.

After the ceremony, Datuk SRK went around visiting various places to meet fans, old and young. He was surrounded by local bodyguards who looked ready to even die for him.

Datuk Shahrukh Khan, you are one lucky chap!

Third Time Lucky

2008-11-23T18:46:00.000-08:00

As I have posted news about Shahrukh Khan's planned arrival to Melaka for his Datukship conferment ceremony and then the postponement, I am compelled to inform here again that the Bollywood Datuk is coming after all.

He will be in Melaka for one day on December 6th to attend the special majlis penganugerahan.

Let's hope there will be no more postponement. Heard also that his main menu is tandoori chicken.

Datuk Shahrukh Can't Come Afterall...

2008-11-20T00:25:00.000-08:00

Heard the latest news that Shahrukh Khan is not coming to Melaka to receive his Datukship planned for November 29 because of his busy work schedule.

Scores of his fans here will be disappointed. Many will be hoping that he will come on another date, that's for sure.

This guy is proving to be an elusive hero.

My Dream Machine

2008-11-15T20:37:00.000-08:00

It's not a car. It's not exactly a motorbike. It's a combination of both. It is called the Spyder! And my Honda No Door is under threat by the launching of this masterpiece soon.

The Spyder is a three-wheeler, a gem of a bike, a dream of bikers anywhere in the world. With two front wheels and a rear one, the Spyder is so sporty you just can't help but admire it in awe. Powered by a 1000cc engine, it boasts the suspension of a sports car, state-of-the-art control panels and fine finishing touches. In short, the Spyder is to the bike world what Ferrari is to the motorcar fraternity.

Made in Canada, the Spyder demands a whopping (whipping?) RM96K! So even trading in my C70 and Modenas Elite 150 is still not enough to pay for its downpayment. Alas, the Spyder remains (and will remain for a long, long time) a beautiful dream...

If there is any consolation, the towkay at the dealer shop has kindly allowed me to pose by his prized possesion. And it was enough to make me feel like Spyderman!

So if you want to see the Spyder and inspect its full features, rush to the bike shop (only the big one selling big bikes) in case there is one on display!

Datuk Shahrukh Khan is definitely coming...

2008-11-10T23:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, the man is coming at the end of the month to personally receive his Datukship from the TYT of Melaka. The majlis penganugerahan is exclusively for him.

After all the euphoria and haiya, the Bollywood heart throb is finally coming to this World Heritage City. Never mind the controversies surrounding the conferment, Shahrukh Khan is sure to draw in the crowd when he visits the many interesting places of Melaka.

Its true what they say. In the world of cinematography, everything is possible.

Who's next?

Sing Away The Blues The Feliciano Way...

2008-11-10T02:22:00.000-08:00

As you would most probably agree, Monday is always blue. I am feeling semonel (emotional). So I have decided to layan that feeling by going down memory lane thru the beautiful songs of the blind Puerto Rican singer whom I adore, none other than Jose Feliciano.

So with the help of the savvy hands of my daugther Ika, I have created a minipod that contains Jose's songs. Golden numbers like "Once There Was A Love", "Love Comes From The Most Unexpected Places", "Angela" etc.

Though the buffering might be annoying, the pure magic of Jose and his love ballads (not to mention his guitar) will hopefully put the blues behind.

Enjoy!

Along Will Do Anything...

2008-11-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

Saw this illegal sign on the way to the office this morning. Your guess is as good as mine. Its along's way of luring victims. Can see this at various spots especially at traffic lights where people can see clearly.

The pengguna authority should make their rounds and take these down. That's the least they could do if they really want to tolong. Are you with me?

Nam Menjunam Halimunam

2008-11-05T17:15:00.000-08:00

Gambar Perhiasan - Matahari menjunam di pantai Port Dickson

(nothing to do with "menjunam" as in my new blog name)

Nam menjunam halimunam!

What on earth does that mean? I don't know myself. Heard it sometime ago in Sibu, uttered by someone and I thought it sounded very funny!

When I woke up this morning, I decide to post it in cyberspace for who knows someone out there might somehow know its meaning (if there is a meaning). So what is more appropriate than using it to rename my blog.

That's all there is to it.

Nam menjunam halimunam!

Mengaku Tidak Bersalah or Tidak Mengaku Salah

2008-11-04T23:34:00.000-08:00

This phrase has been bugging me. We read it in the papers, we hear it on TV notably in news covering court cases. And its very agitating. Its the phrase mengaku tidak bersalah or in English pleaded not guilty. I am not an expert in Bahasa Malaysia but hearing or reading mengaku tidak bersalah is just not right. It just doesn't sound right.

Consider these sentences:

1. Ali mengaku tidak bersalah melanggar seekor lembu hingga mati.

2. Ali tidak mengaku salah melanggar seekor lembu hingga mati.

I still believe sentence number 2 sounds better. Can anybody prove me wrong? I am open to clarification and it better be good!

Honda No-Door

2008-11-02T20:13:00.000-08:00

My old faithful, the Honda C70 which has served me for many years has recently been given a new name by a friend from Alor Gajah.

I was passing him by the other day when the old man shouted', "Look! here comes Honda no-door!"

Apparently this officer is driving a four-door Honda Accord. Another friend of his is driving a Honda two-door model. So on seeing my motorbike, he conveniently called it Honda no-door (for the obvious reason). Come to think about it, true also!

Hoping that the price of petrol will go lower. Enjoy the ride. Feel the breeze.

By the way the number is nice to look at but if used (for yunno what) got to pay ...%!

Cheers!

Remembering An Officer & A Gentleman

2008-10-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

The late Robert Pasang Langot

I was flipping through the documents in my PDA the other day when I noticed a recital I wrote that was never read. It was for a good friend and colleague who had passed away about a year ago. He was a responsible officer always brave enough to give different views and opinions. He was firm and committed yet approachable.

I thought it was never too late to post it on my blog for all his loved ones and friends to ponder and remember him by. So here goes:

Robert Pasang Dalam Kenangan

Robert Pasang Langot
Namamu mengundang
Seribu ejekan
Kecekalanmu
Benteng tegap
Umpama benak
Yang sentiasa ofensif
Menghadapi cabaran dan ancaman

Sahabatku
Robert Pasang Langot
Memori saat-saat
Suka duka bersamamu
Akan sentiasa
Menggamit kisah-kisah
Yang bisa
Menjadi teladan
Kepada generasi baru
Yang tidak sempat berjuang
Di sisimu

Kerana kau
Robert Pasang Langot
Anak jati Penerangan
Wira pejuang bangsa
Yang tidak pernah
Mengaku kalah
Dalam menegak mertabat bangsa
Dan negara

Robert Pasang Langot
Sesungguhnya
Pada zamanmu
Kau sinonim dengan unit bergerak
Rangkaian sivik rohaniah, silaturahim
Dan juga sivik gong

Kau penggerak kuiz
Kau penghebah pidato
Dan hari-hari akhirmu
Kau juga penyumbang
Panel penceramah negara
Juga tidak kempunan
Memperjuang pengisahan
Yang mencabar kewibawaanmu

Robert Pasang Langot
Major Robert Pasang Langot
Pegawai Penerangan Daerah
Rakan juangku
Yang kaya budi pekerti
Terima kasih
Dan selamat jalai
Pemergianmu setahun sudah
Bukan pengakhiran
Malah pembakar semangat
Warga Penerangan generasi alaf baru
Generasi blog alam maya
Yang kehilangan tokoh
Pejuang akar umbi
Yang sukar dicari ganti

Selamat jalai wai
Amat rindu kami ka' nuan
Apai dom...

May his soul rest in peace.

all that matters is the number of a's you get

2008-10-28T00:14:00.000-07:00

"we should not be telling students what is coming out

in examinations or how they should answer questions.

they must figure that out themselves."

- tan sri khoo kay kim (nst, 28.10.2008)

who will listen to tan sri khoo? the bottom line is how many a's you get. that matters most to students, teachers and many, many parents. and at the end of the day the education minister will proudly announce schools with the most a's. teachers who have marked exam papers regard themselves as the chosen ones cos they are the ultimate tutors who students (and parents) look up to since only they can guarantee students the correct way to answer questions.

try arguing this and chances are you will be the one odd out. that is why tan sri khoo will not win this battle. until those responsible for our education system change their "must-get-a-at-all-cost" mindset.

i hope i will be proven wrong.

internerd of a man...

2008-10-23T01:06:00.000-07:00

a dear friend of mine is a telephonist. he is also an internerd (internet + nerd). he chats with people around the globe. he e-mails people of high office. and he has a special internet software that sounds like an alien talking. funny thing is, he understands it like his mother tongue.

the way he talks about global issues can easily put some of us to shame. try talking to him about obama's latest rating against mccain. ask him how the americans feel about the prospect of having a black first lady who stays in the white house. talk to him about the financial crisis and the subprime issues which has hit the usa hard. talk to him about malaysian politics. talk to him about anything. i tell you, he is good. he sounds good too because of the information he acquires from the internet. information is power, someone said this nearly two decades ago.

by the way, this friend of mine is blind.

what say you?

so sweet in their colourful tudung...

2008-10-22T20:42:00.000-07:00

one of the most overlooked trends among malay ladies today is wearing the tudung. if you care to look around especially in shops and shopping complexes selling clothes the tudung is one item you cannot miss.

it goes without saying that whatever a girl wears must come with a tudung that matches. otherwise tak syoh le...

attended my office do moments ago and noticed (though they didn't realise my roving eyes) the ladies came in with tudung of multiple colours and design. except for one. but thats ok cos she looked sweet anyway...

what say you?

office colleagues very much in raya mood...

2008-10-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

greetings from melaka!

the official 1 week hari raya celebration might be over but actually the mood has just begun for most office colleagues.

yours truly really had a fun time at a raya gathering of staff back at the office. yeap, its a no-holds-barred stage as far as makan is concerned. i balas dendam on all the lemang that i missed during raya. it was worth the wait for the lemang was of high quality. there was also satay and rendang. alham...

a few other staff are already sending invitation cards for their open house. though i fear that i might overeat, my craving for good lemang is too great to resist!

am glad there are many more days left in the month of syawal.

what say you?

of lemang and satay...

2008-10-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

salam idil fitri to all.

am back to work after the hari raya hols. this is my first time beraya in melaka. not much different from back home.

what i miss most is the lemang and satay. tho i didnt get to visit friends (who might have served good lemang), the few batang of lemang i bought was quite disappointing. i tried to look for lemang in the big original buloh lemang but what i got was those prepared in small pathetic looking buloh used for making huts and rafts. friends say they do make lemang using the ori buloh lemang but maybe i wasn't lucky enough to bump into one. anyway, no sign of people selling satay like they do at satok in kuching. guess i have to live with that for the coming years.

one thing worth noting is, over here they sell lemang with rendang (beef) unlike in kuching where lemang usually goes with kuah satay. lain padang lain belalang so to speak....

by the way, i"ve been told someone at pasar malam in semabok near melaka is selling good lemang. that is tonite and i am going to be the judge to how good this guy is....

what say you?

all gone in one day!

2008-09-24T23:18:00.000-07:00

i just can't wait for d big day - yes, hari raya!

after not eating and drinking from dawn till dusk for one whole month, i always cherish the first day of syawal. no need to suffer with dry lips and sore throat. after the morning prayer there is food aplenty - lemang, kari, rendang, ketupat satay and lots of cakes and biscuits. i would normally eat as much as i could until i feel like a python which has just swallowed a whole goat.

yup! hari raya is always like that. nice food. rich and oily (fat) food. but at the end of it all, i always lament how rugi i am after struggling for a month to shed off the extra spare tyre(s), all efforts washed down the drain in just a few hours (or minutes)!

(sigh!)

what say you?

looking forward to a happy (and cheaper) hari raya

2008-09-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

greetings from the land of hang tuah (and hang jebat).

the month of ramadhan seems to go by so fast. less than a weeks time we will be ushering in syawal, the month of merriment after fasting for a month for the muslims.

just can't help thinking about how bad the impact has been on us the layman since the rise in petrol prices. at most ramadhan stalls, prices of kuih muih are most obvious. before we could get 4 0r 5 pieces for rm1. now the cheapest is 3 pieces for rm1. some sell 5 pieces for rm2. not much change in murtabak prices but clearly the size is smaller.

luckily here in melaka, there are varieties of food that u can choose from. i like the atmosphere at peringgit where on sale is among others nasi briyani gam, macam-macam karipap, nasi lemak, nasi kerabu, ikan bakar, tahu bakar, lauk pauk even fish n chips! also countless varieties of drinks.

come to think of it, when the price of petrol went up, so did the price of other goods notably food. but when it dropped by 15 sen recently, the prices of other goods stay put! someone has to look into this matter i think.....

anyway i am keeping my fingers crossed hoping that petrol prices will go down another 15 sen. that would make raya more meaningful!

what say you?

life goes on

2008-07-04T01:06:00.000-07:00

hi. its been a while since my last posting. been busy with lots of things lately. the next thing you know, time has passed us by so quickly.

many interesting incidents have happened around us these past few weeks. the high drama started off with the rise in oil price. felt like a blow from mike tyson. this was sort of overshadowed by the infamous liwat case - again. after that the altantuya case twists and turns.

frankly i don't know what to believe anymore. one after another allegations are beings hurled at people who are supposed to lead us. hopefully truth will prevail.

amidst all these distractions we have to carry on with our daily lives. for me though difficult and challenging as it may seem, life goes on. here is hoping and praying that the peace and harmony that we have enjoyed as a nation will last for many years to come.

what say you?

just get them through...

2008-06-17T01:20:00.000-07:00

i have just finished reading a book on teenagers written by rob parsons.

how i wish i had the book earlier. it was well written with examples that we can easily identify with. and eerily too, since you cannot help but feel that he is talking about yours truly own experience. the best feeling is knowing that you are not alone in coping with our teenage children who never seem to stop giving us all sorts of headaches and sleepless nights with their demands, tantrums and late nights.

one of the most comforting reminders by the author is for parents (like me) who are in the middle of what seems to be a great battle (with teenage children) - one that they appear to be losing, not to lose heart and to take comfort that "this is not just you".

and also to remember that we as parents have to always be by our children's side"just to get them through" the difficult growing up years.

read this book. it will ease the pain and agony as we painstakingly guide our vulnerable teenage sons and daughters on their journey to adulthood.

what say you?

more reason to own a bike

2008-06-04T17:47:00.000-07:00

the inevitable has happened. price of petrol and diesel has gone up - this time very, very high. i don't know the mathematics for the increase but i wish someone would take notice of idris jala's comment about world oil price level which was driven up by unreal speculation.

let us now face reality. price of other things will go up in no time. roti canai, mee goreng, nasi lemak, teh tarik, rojak will join the fray. cooking gas for sure. and many, many other things. all because of the oil price increase.

the worse hit will be transportation. for the average layman, there will be less ronda-ronda with the family. outings will have to be pre-planned to ensure the shortest route and avoid jams. however there is no compromise as far as sending children to school and then fetching them from school. bus fares will go up, no doubt about that. and so will other modes of transportation.

for me, there is a little way out of this worsening situation although i have been doing it for many years. own a bike. use it to do marketing. if possible take the bike when sending the kids to school. ride it to go to the office.

if you don't have one already, there a lots of choices in the market. don't get the big c.c. bike. get the regular kapcai. low fuel consumption, high on performance.

for me, my old faithful the honda c70 will do.

what say you?

a gem of a band in kuala terengganu

2008-06-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

while having dinner at one of the food stalls at taman awam in the heart of kuala terengganu recently, i was impressed by a performing group who called themselves insan prihatin (picture). this group which comprises youths wowed the small crowd of spectators with their rendition of beautiful songs using the traditional gendang, kompang and gong with modern acoutics. they were very good indeed.

what amazed me most was their simplicity. they wore t-shirts and jeans. their lead singer whom i presume was their leader simply sat on a railing. the other band members sat on folded chairs and some even sat on the floor. no decorations whatsoever. nobody cares anyway because their music was just fabulous.

wish many such groups could be formed all over the country. it makes you proud just to hear them sing.

what say you?

be a little bit kedekut to beat oil price increase

2008-06-03T18:00:00.001-07:00

everybody is talking about the inevitable - increase in oil price.

a couple of years back, driving was fun. for rm10 of petrol, one could go places. better still for diesel-run vehicle, rm10 of diesel could last for days. now driving needs thorough planning; which is the shortest route to take, is there a traffic jam which could ruin your day, etc, etc, etc. driving is no more fun since one has to glance at the petrol indicator every now and then. even the diesel vehicle owner cannot talk about fuel efficiency anymore.

whether we like it or not, sooner or later we will all have to be a little bit of kedekut in order to avoid being pokai because of the hike in oil prices. the culture of berjimat cermat has to be one of our main agendas in everyday living.

i for sure have to convince my eldest son to be more economical as far as ronda-ronda is concerned. that is very,very difficult.

what say you?

12th sukma in kuala terengganu

2008-06-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

greetings.

just got back from kuala terengganu where the 12th malaysian games or sukan malaysia (sukma) is taking place. it was officiated by the yang di pertuan agong at the beautiful sultan mizan stadium located near gong badak on may 31st.

athletes from all the malaysian states including representatives from brunei are participating. the many sports are played at various location in the districts of terengganu such as dungun and kemaman to name a few.

it is interesting to note the official terengganu mascot which is a fish reminiscent of nemo from the film "finding nemo". this mascot is called si diman.

the next sukma will be held in the historic city of malacca in 2010. hopefully melaka will showcase its mascot (wonder what?) at the closing ceremony of sukma 12 on june 9 at the same venue.

preparation is under way for a glittering sukma 13 in malacca. surely in this intriguing historic city, sukma 13 will be one to remember!

what say you?

learning from the loss of pulau batu puteh

2008-05-26T01:34:00.000-07:00

greetings.

it was a gloomy friday for malaysians in general after icj announced that pulau batu puteh now belongs to singapore. funny how a piece of history hundreds of years old could be decided within just a few moments. however since we had decided to leave it to icj to sort out the tussle over the island with singapore, nothing much could be said really over the decision. we were represented by a group of very competent lawyers. no complaints about that. however, if johorians in particular feel sour over the decision it is to be understood since pulau batu puteh had been part of their rich history for so long.

hopefully there is something to be learned from the experience. documents are important. this was proven by the letter from the johor acting state secretary written in 1953 disclaiming pulau batu puteh. how and why that letter was written, only god knows! that letter carried high marks for the singapore lawyers.

what say you?

patriotic story-telling anyone?

2008-05-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

the malaysian information department is organising the patriotic story-telling competition nationwide. an annual event to promote among the people a sense of patriotism by remembering past struggles of the nation's leaders and appreciating the nation's progress, this competition is opened to malaysian citizens between the age of 18 and 45. opened to groups of between two to three members, every state will be organising at state level this month and the winning group will represent their respective states at the national level to be held in johor in june.

it would be interesting to see the apparent change in format. previously the competition was opened to individuals but this year a group approach has been introduced to encourage bigger participation.

so if you feel strongly about past contributions of figures or maybe incidents worth remembering in our nation's bid for independence and progress, this competition is worth trying. the prizes at stake are quite enticing. details about the programme can be obtained from information offices across the country. tell stories. have fun. be patriotic. enjoy.

what say you?

pesta sungai melaka 2008 is 2 weeks away

2008-05-14T23:55:00.001-07:00

greetings from melaka - the land of legendary warriors!

now that the euphoria of the 12th general elections has simmered down, its time to focus on events for the people which will culminate with the independence month from 17th august till 16th september.

right now melaka is busy preparing for its pesta sungai melaka or the melaka river fiesta. this annual event will be launched on 31st may 2008 at taman rempah or spice garden. numerous activities have been drawn up along the melaka river from that day till 8th of june.

this beautiful city has a lot to offer. besides the beautiful historical sites and legendary tales, melaka is rich tradition and culture. the malays, chinese and indians blend harmoniously with the portuguese, the baba and nyonya society and the chettiahs of gajah berang. and the food is fabulous - among others the asam pedas, otak-otak and the ikan bakar (pronounced by the locals as ikan bakau) eaten with nasi lemak. there is also the nyonya's bubur cha cha and the portuguese devil's curry. eateries are aplenty not to mention the food.

so if you plan to tour the peninsula, be sure to include melaka in your itinerary. you can join in the fun waiting for you at pesta sungai melaka. to know more visit www.ppspm.gov.my.

the cruise along sungai melaka will be one to remember.

what say you?

oh, its the korean again

2008-05-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

south korea's strategy to lose in their thomas cup campaign against england and malaysia just to avoid china in the semifinal is no surprise. the koreans are "good" at this. to win tournaments they are willing to display all sorts of unsporting behaviour. locally we call this "main tahi".

i remember in the olympic games they hosted a couple of years ago, koreans judges declared their boxer the winner even though the whole world saw that the boxer was clearly a human punching bag. in international badminton tournaments hosted by korea, many players like taufik hidayat and lin dan to name a few, have fallen victim to the korean "badtitude".

everybody knows winning is paramount but the koreans must learn to win with their dignity intact.

thomas cup organisers should change the present format into a round robin where winning every match matters. it might lose the suspense and thrills but at least teams like korea will have second thoughts about throwing away games.

what say you?

eat less rice for a better you and me

2008-05-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

greetings. and a belated happy mother's day!

our hearts go out to the thousands in myanmar who have suffered from the wrath of cyclone nargis. just when the world is worrying about rice shortage, a disaster has hit hard on this rice producing nation.

i believe we can learn something from this whole issue of rice shortage. just eat less rice! however this is easier said than done. just look at the type of rice delicacies on offer. nasi ayam, nasi lemak, nasi goreng, nasi kandar, nasi tomato, nasi minyak, nasi briyani, nasi itik, nasi cooked the thai style, nasi cooked the usa style etc, etc, etc.....hard to resist, i tell you.

however, experience tells us that eating less rice will lead to better health. less spare tyre, less chance of getting diabetes and most importantly less tendency of being sleepy at meetings especially after eating nasi lemak and nasi ayam! believe me, eating less rice has many advantages.

what say you?

will blatter be able to pull it off this time?

2008-05-07T20:13:00.001-07:00

many will be glued to their seats (or tv sets) come sunday when manchester united meet wigan to determine who will be epl champions - united or chelsea.

a win will see united retain the premier league crown since they have superior goal difference even if chelsea were to beat bolton. after that the two teams will battle it out for the champions league title.

whoever wins the epl title and thereafter the champions league in moscow later in the month, focus will be on fifa chief sapp blatter's personal crusade to end the dominance of epl's four top clubs; man u, chelsea, arsenal and liverpool. to do this he intends to bring in rules so that teams will have to field five home grown players.

fans of these clubs will debate blatter's idea of course. but maybe blatter is justified in trying to implement such ruling. when you watch the premier league these days, trying to identify home grown players in big teams is so challenging. so it is no big deal why england is always struggling for world cup finals qualification. by the way, they have missed euro 2008 due in june.

what say you?

is it risky to be a blogger?

2008-05-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

why was the blog first created back in 1999? i don't think it was ever meant as a tool to divide people but more to link netizens in our borderless world. the blog is a personal virtual diary, a daily update of a person's (a blogger's) opinions and thoughts that he would like to share with friends (and strangers) who are free to post comments. it is a process of "listening" on-line, if you want to see it that way.

however, some do use blogs to voice out feelings of discontent and to raise issues. in the last malaysian general elections some quarters claim that blogs have been effectively used to influence the way people vote. blogs have now become the "in thing" among politicians in their effort to reach the people.

where does it leave the ordinary layman who yearns to be a blogger? some are scared because somehow a "bad" label has been tagged rather unfairly to a blogger even how sincere his/her intentions are.

to aspiring bloggers out there, be brave, be creative and be honest to yourself. a blog is meant for all. it is the easiest and (cheapest?) way to send our "memo to the world" and who knows we might make new friends along the way.

happy blogging.

hoping efforts to trace sharlinie will continue

2008-05-06T01:19:00.000-07:00

it has been a while since the disappearance of poor little sharlinie. though numerous parties have been busily involved in trying to trace her whereabout, it seems that now not much has been said about her especially in the media. i believe the authorities are doing their best to look for sharlinie. it breaks my heart to see fading posters of sharlinie at public places.

that brings to mind our responsibility to always be alert every time we take along our little ones out to public places. short of being paranoid, i am always worried every time my kids go out to the playground but i just cannot help it. you can never be sure nowadays.

lets pray someone somewhere will find sharlinie.

a brief introduction - for a start

2008-05-05T01:50:00.000-07:00

hi! welcome to my blog. i am a malaysian residing in malacca, a state rich in history located in the southern part of the west coast of peninsular malaysia. this is my first try at being a blogger and am very excited about it. i am interested in various fields but i enjoy discussing matters related to sports like tennis, soccer and badminton. i also enjoy talking about parenting. (malaysian) politics is also a subject i like to comment on, as an observer of course. having said this, it does not mean i do not talk about other topics. i do, as long as it is worth discussing! anyway, i look forward to exchanging ideas with you and in the process make new friends and learn many new things in life. regards!