Notes to Myself

LIBYA AFTER QADDAFI

2011-12-24T09:40:00.000+08:00

THIS IS THE REAL WORLD WE ARE FACING; WHETHER WE AGREE OR NOT IT MAKES INTERESTING READING.

The Man Who Came to Dinner

John Swinton, the doyen of the New York press corps, upon his retirement, made the following speech:

“There is no such thing, at this stage of the world’s history in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dare write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinions out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my papers, before twenty four hours, my occupation would be gone.

The business of the journalist is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, fawn at the feet of Mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread. You know it and I know it, and what folly is this toasting of an independent press?

We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes.”

I do understand that you have to eat like all of us and therefore must keep your mouth shut. You are Jewish and so am I.

For the sake of truth, I will give you here another side to the Libyan story.

Just imagine a country where there is no electricity bill. Electricity is free to all its citizens. There is no interest on loans, banks were state owned and loans given at zero percent interest by law. Having a home was considered a human right. All newlyweds received US$ 50 000 from the govt to buy their first apartment and to help them start a family. Education and medical treatments were free. Before Qaddafi, 25 % of the population were literate. Today this figure is 83 percent.

Should Libyans want to take up farming, they would receive land, a farmhouse, equipments, seeds and livestock to kick start their operation, absolutely free of charge. If citizens could not find the education or medical facilities they needed, the govt would fund them to go abroad, free of charge, and would get some US$2,300 per month for accommodation and car allowance. Cars were government subsidized to the tune of 50%. Fuel prices were $0.14 per litter.

The country had no external debt and its reserves amounted to some $170 billion, now frozen globally plus some 27 tons of gold, which the new regime found safely in the National Bank.

Any graduate unable to find a job would get the average salary for the profession, as if he/she was employed, until employment found.

A portion of oil sales were credited once a year to every citizen bank account. A mother who gave birth, immediately got some $5000. Forty loaves of bread cost $0.15. 25% of citizens have a university degree. An immense project bringing water from aquifers in the south made it available all over the country, free of charge.

That is what that “tyrant” Qaddafi gave to his people.

There are some 150 tribes in Libya and a strong hand was necessary if the country was to remain in one piece. Every citizen was in possession of a military weapon. Qaddafi was not frightened of his own people. The so called rebels who took over, so we are told, would not have lasted a few days without NATO air power, British and French commandos and thousands of mercenaries. Those are the winners.

Now another Karzai has been installed in Tripoli, and the country can be plundered at the victors’ whim and fancy. It takes $1 to extract a barrel of Libyan oil and today’s price is over $100.

Total the French company has already grabbed some 30% of the Libyan state oil company. BP is starting exploration. And of course massive contracts for the reconstruction of Libya will be handed over to US and European companies.

Of the sovereign fund, only some 1.2 billion have been released out of the $170 billion. With the state of the European economy, I doubt very much if Libya will see the rest any time soon. Now Libyans are free as you say, but as Janis Joplin used to say…"Freedom is just another word for nothing else to lose" as Libyan queueing for funds at their bank’s door are finding out. Qaddafi is gone and so are the perks. What will be left is a terrible civil war. The price of democracy!

“It is the joyous jiggling dance Americans do –USA! USA!- when their government slaughters someone illegally. It is primitive, but it is positively Libyan”. Wrong. It is positively American! Just saw a movie on the training of the US Army before going to Iraq. Soldiers running and singing:”Kill the women! Kill the children! “Then we are shown the results when civilians are gunned down in the streets by those braves. All on film. When they come back home, realising what they have done, they just commit suicide! These are ordinary Sunday soldiers with families.

We can hide the truth with prison sentences, but the truth eventually come through, and unfortunately for us we cannot plug the dyke any longer.

This post copied from here.

What do you see?

2011-10-10T17:05:00.000+08:00

Young Men: It’s a nice a** crossing the street

Older Men: Women with nice derriere crossing the street

The Pervert: ****************

Wise Men: Ponder the presence of mind of the photographer in the face of such beauty and gratitude that it was shared with humanity.

Half the Women: She should not have left home dressed like that.

The other half: Where did she buy the blouse.

Children, Monks and the really curious: There’s a dog driving the taxi.

(I didn’t notice the dog either.)

Copied from here.

Undilah - English (Namewee Afdlin Shauki Kuli Pete Teo)

2011-09-18T10:56:00.000+08:00

Ku Li launches AMANAH

2011-07-25T19:36:00.001+08:00

photo from msomelayu.blogspot.com

The text of YBM Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's speech at the launch of AMANAH on July 22, 2011 at the Memorial Tunku Abdul Rahman can be read here.

Feline Strays

2011-02-03T14:45:00.000+08:00

There have always been stray cats around the house, what with left-overs being left for them outside the gate. This time the cats have made a home in our 'backyard'. There are now 13 cats and one of them has just delivered a litter of 5 kittens. Left-overs are no longer enough and we now have to purchase cat food to feed them.

Guest Workers

2010-12-09T20:41:00.000+08:00

The other day when I was passing a construction site, I noticed some activity on the top of the building.

From what I could make out the worker was not wearing any safety harness or other safety device except for a 'hard hat'.

We are always complaining about the social problems that having guests workers here are causing, but we give little credit to the fact that they do most of the dangerous and unappealing jobs that we Malaysians shy away from. (That's why I'm guessing that the guy up there is not Malaysian.)

I just need to remind myself that whenever I see a guest worker I should at least smile at him/her as my way of saying 'Thank You' for saving us the trouble of doing every thing ourselves.

Bakawali Flower

2010-11-18T13:43:00.001+08:00

The other day, my sister called me to inform that the Bakawali flowers at her house would be blooming that night. (She had witnessed the blooms many times before to notice the signs.)

So at about 10.00 p.m. that night I visited her armed with my camera. It was truly a beautiful sight.

I counted a total of 15 flowers in bloom with many more buds in various stages of development.

As the flower only blooms at night and then only lasts a few hours, many people have never seen it.

Its nocturnal blooming has given rise to many myths and legends about the plant.

Malaysians of Chinese origin belief that the plant brings good luck and they often tie pieces of red ribbons around each leaf.

The blooms are a harbinger of good fortune and if the plant wilts or dies it foretells that ill fortune is to follow.

The Malays belief in the presence of a guardian (a nymph or bunian) when the flowers bloom.

I must have been truly lucky to be blessed with the sight of so many blooms all in one night.

Epiphyllum oxypetalum (Dutchman's Pipe, kardable, Night Queen or Gul-e-Bakawali) is a species of cactus and one of the most cultivated species in the genus. It is also referred to as Night blooming Cereus and often confused with species of Selenicereus. (Wikipedia.org)

The plant is widely cultivated all over the world that its origins are quite obscure although Wikipedia does mention its being Sri Lankan in origin.

Easily cultivated this fast growing plant needs compost containing plenty of humus and sufficient moisture. It can be grown in semi-shade or full sun.

Intellect

2010-11-04T08:27:00.000+08:00

Recently I was at an 'Islamic' bookshop (the type that only sell books relating to Islam, and only by Muslim authors and publishers) and picked up a book on 'Beliefs'. I was browsing the introduction and immediately put it down as what I understood was that the author was trying to say is that intellect is not important in Islam, as otherwise what is the reason for revelation. (If he had said that intellect by itself alone is not sufficient I wouldn't have minded, but he said something to the effect that intellect is irrelevant.)

I sometimes wonder if those we generally consider experts on Islam do actually read the Quran and understand it as a practical guide to daily living in these and future times.

I just need to remind myself that the Quran is replete with verses requiring the use of intellect and reasoning, such as these:

Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and day - there are indeed signs for men of understanding.

(AliImran 3:190 - Abdullah Yusof Ali translation)

Avicenna (Ibn Sina) - The Golden Age of Islam

2010-11-01T18:20:00.000+08:00

Statue of Ibn Sina at Dushanbe, Tajikstan

(Photo from wikipedia.org)

The other day, when I was writing my post on Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, I mentioned that medicine has come a long way since Avicenna under the photo of NCSM's Nuclear Medicine Centre sign.

This got me thinking: "Knowledge was almost a monopoly of the Muslims then, while today, Muslims seem to be shy of knowledge, maybe even averse to it."

"What happened between then and now?"

"What can I do?"

An Arabic copy of the Cannon of Medicine dated 1593

(Photo from wikipedia.org)

Crime Rate Down

2010-05-12T21:08:00.002+08:00

The above is one of the headlines in today's Star. Why is it that I still don't really feel safe?

A lighter side to the Hulu Selangor By-Election

2010-04-28T21:09:00.001+08:00

I saw this at http://jelas.info/ and thought of sharing it here. Enjoy!

National Achievers Congress 2010

2010-04-25T22:16:00.000+08:00

The National Achievers Congress 2010 was held at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre from 23 to 25 April 2010. I was given 2 tickets for the event, so I dragged along a colleague for company. I was expecting to recognize a lot of people there, but I only met with a few friends. I did make a few new ones though.

The congress was organized by Success Resources, a Singapore based company with a Malaysian branch.

There were about a dozen speakers at the congress...

...among them, John P Coutis.

Born with a severe disability that rendered his legs useless, John defied medical opinion by refusing to die. Today John speaks all around the world to tens of thousands, very enthusiastic and eager people whom he leaves breathless. Read more about John P Coutis here.

Many people were posing for a photo with John...

... I couldn't resist.

John had even spoken at this function as far back as 1998.

Another speaker was of course Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of Britain.

Photo from Malaysian Insider

Photo from Rocky's Bru

While there was a large police presence at the Convention Centre, I was not aware of the 100 or so persons gathered to protest the presence of Blair.

Blair spoke about how interdependent we all are, how global challenges have become and the speed at which change occurs today. Success is dependent on being open minded and our willingness to embrace change.

It was ironical that when there were those protesting outside the hall, Blair spoke to a standing ovation by the around 3,000 participants of the Congress.

IS that TWO BUCKS??

2010-04-20T20:15:00.000+08:00

Defenders of Islam

2010-04-14T22:32:00.001+08:00

It’s interesting to note that there are now so many self-proclaimed ‘defenders of Islam’. This, to me, implies that Islam is too weak that it requires these persons to come forward in defence of it.

I have been brought up with the belief that an important tenet of Islam is the Shahadah or witnessing and according to my Ustaz or teacher, this Shahadah should be reflected in our daily lives.

When I live my life in a way that portrays the beauty of Islam and invites others to Islam, not by mere words but by the very essence of my being, then I am living the Shahadah of Islam. If, on the other hand, my actions actually drive others away, then it is the Shahadah of kufr (disbelief).

I have to ask myself as to the kind of witness that I am and/or would like to be, and I would like to invite the ‘defenders’ to ask themselves the same question.

Division W - International Speech & Table Topics Contests

2010-03-02T23:30:00.001+08:00

The Area W3 International Speech & Table Topics Contests will be held on March 17, 2010 (Wednesday) 7:30 p.m. at:

Global Success Centre

Unit 17-3A, Level 3A

3^rd Mile Square Old Klang Road

(building behind Pappa Rich – end lot, top floor from WINALITE)

The winners will represent the Area in the Division contest in April. (There's a typo in the above flyer, it should be 2010.)

GONG XI FA CAI

2010-02-14T10:07:00.000+08:00

Lunar New Year decorations at IEM (Institute of Engineers, Malaysia)

Wishing all friends and readers

GONG XI FA CAI

Maaf Zahir dan Batin

(what better time than a festival to seek forgiveness from and to forgive each other for any wrong doings, real or perceived.)

Kuching Toastmasters Club

2010-01-23T21:26:00.001+08:00

I was on holiday in Kuching from 16 to 18 January 2010. It so happened that the Kuching Toastmasters Club meets at the hotel we were staying at. This being the International Speech Contest season, Kuching TMC was having their club level contest on that Sunday. I didn't want to miss it, so I skipped dinner with my family members who were with me there to attend this contest.

The contest chairman, Stephen Chee CTM, CL, who is also the Vice-President Education of the club, taking charge of the contest.

All role players are at their assigned positions.

The trophies, certificates and tokens of appreciation are all ready.

The contestants and audience are waiting.

As the rules do not allow photographs being taken when contestants are delivering their speeches, lest they be distracted, I refrained from taking photos during the contest.

There was a slide presentation between the contests.

I must say that I was a little envious that we have not done anything like this at our club.

This speech would have been more appropriate in KL rather than Kuching, especially with reference to Pavilion and Sungai Wang.

The man whose dream it was to hold a meeting on the summit, Mike Lim.

Presentation of Certificates to participants. There were 9 participants for the International Speech contest and 7 participants for Table Topics. A total of 11 members took part. I know 9 + 7 is more than 11, some took part in both contests.

Certificates were also presented to role-players.

These ladies made sure the correct certificates and trophies were handed out.

The second runner-up for the International Speech contest, Ms Grace Tan.

The runner-up was Mr Sahil Singh Dev.

The Kuching Toastmasters Club International Speech Champion for the period 2009/2010, Mr Colin Wong.

The second runner-up for the Table Topics contest was Mr Lawrence Tay.

The runner-up was Mr Felix Kho.

The Table Topic champion was, once again, Mr Colin Wong.

The President, Stanley Ngu CTM, CL making his closing address and inviting everyone present to supper.

Lawrence is a Money & You graduate from 1992. He did his M&Y in Singapore. The President, Stanley is a graduate from 2001 in Kuala Lumpur.

I must admit that I had a great time and made new friends.

Mike has volunteered to take me around the next time I visit Kuching. I'm sure that offer is open to all Toastmasters.

Question of Perspective

2010-01-04T20:58:00.000+08:00

I went to Penang and Kulim recently with my brother to send/visit his daughters. As it was a day trip, there were not many opportunities to stop for photographs.

I had my camera with me and I was not going to let a little thing like that to stop me from enjoying myself.

These are some of my shots of plants that I normally will not take:

Its only a question of perspective and everyday plants look like a million.

Driver's Licence

2009-11-25T22:27:00.000+08:00

A mother is driving her little girl to her friend's house for a play date.

'Mommy ,' the little girl asks, 'how old are you?'

'Honey, you are not supposed to ask a lady her age,' the mother replied. 'It's not polite.'

'OK', the little girl says,'How much do you weigh?'

'Now really,' the mother says,'those are personal questions and are really none of your business.'

Undaunted, the little girl asks, 'Why did you and Daddy get a divorce?'

'That's enough questions, young lady! Honestly!'

The exasperated mother walks away as the two friends begin to play.

'My Mom won't tell me anything about her,' the little girl says to her friend.

'Well,' says the friend,'all you need to do is look at her driver's license. It's like a report card, it has everything on it.'

Later that night the little girl says to her mother, 'I know how old you are. You are 32.'

The mother is surprised and asks, 'How did you find that out?

'I also know that you weigh 130 pounds.'

The mother is past surprised and shocked now.
'How in Heaven's name did you find that out?'

'And,' the little girl says triumphantly,
'I know why you and daddy got a divorce.'

'Oh really?' the mother asks. 'Why?'

'Because you got an F in sex.'

If you see someone without a smile today
Give them one of yours!

Thanks! Joo Hock

Fire Drill at Menara Affin

2009-11-02T20:47:00.001+08:00

There's always the probability of a fire occurring anywhere. It is a risk that needs to be taken into consideration when we consider the safety of persons or property. It is one of the reasons that fire evacuation and rescue drills are required of all high-rise buildings. These drills are to be carried out at least once a year.

Recently the bank organized a fire evacuation drill at Menara Affin where I work. It was held with the collaboration of the Fire and Rescue Department and other relevant authorities.

I have volunteered as an assistant floor marshal and had to attend a briefing of my roles and responsibilities by a representative of the Fire and Rescue Department.

These are some of the photos I managed to take of the occasion.

The last 4 photos are courtesy of my friends Haniff and Agip.

Photographers on the loose......

2009-10-05T19:51:00.044+08:00

Last weekend (3-4 October 2009), I attended a photography seminar organized by the NIE section of the NST. The seminar was facilitated by Mr. Adam Tan and held at the NST premises in Jalan Riong, Bangsar. A field trip to the Lake Gardens was part of the program.

Participants waiting for the 'lessons' to begin.

Participants being let loose at the Lake Gardens.

2 of the coordinators from NST, Balan and Ganesh.

At 17 years old, the youngest participant at the program.

The facilitator, Mr. Adam Tan, commenting on some of the shots taken during the field trip.

Of bovine heads, may cooler heads prevail...

2009-09-12T09:58:00.005+08:00

Masjid Nabawi - Madina, Saudi Arabia

(Photo from islamicity.com)

A friend asked me about the happenings in Shah Alam lately. I think there's already enough written and said about it from both sides of the divide and I don't think I have anything to add to it. However, this is what I shared with him:

Some years back, when I was into sirah (the Prophet SAW's life history) I came upon this incident: A group of Christians from Najran paid a visit to the Prophet SAW in Madina. He (SAW) received his guests in his Masjid. It was a Sunday - the Christian Sabbath. When it came time for Mass, the Prophet SAW and his companions vacated the Masjid so that the Christians could carry on with their devotions undisturbed (inside the Masjid).

You figure out for yourself if the above narration means anything to you.

As we are in the last days of Ramadan, let us strive in living Islam as the Prophet SAW and his companions did.

10 Ways to Increase Productivity & Have Better Time Management

2009-09-03T18:56:00.004+08:00

Photo shot in Malacca sometime early 2009. Hazy evening sky with the sun about to set.

My friend Moonshi from Singapore has this to share with the M&Y group. I think it is an interesting and worthwhile read, so I am reproducing it here in its entirety.

Dear M&Y graduates,

Currently, my business serves several hundred Clients in Asia-Pacific including names like Kuwait Finance House, JVC, Hitachi, Aussino, Temasek, Sun Microsystems, Charles & Keith and many others. After tuning my CRM system and getting my weekly business and management reports, I now know that 85% of my clients are small-medium business, 10% are medium-sized businesses and 5% are the multi-nationals.

After much observations, I realized that many small businesses are struggling to make their business successful. Most small business owners I met says that they feel that they are working very hard and yet they still don't see the results they desire. After speaking to more than 50+ SME bosses, I realized most of the issues are around cash-flow management, the boss trying to do everything on his own and there is no systems or technologies to support the boss to leverage himself.

Maybe some of you want to grow your business to the next level of success. Maybe you want to increase profit by 5% per annum without stress. Maybe you want to create a job within your own business with no stress of reporting to a boss. Whatever your situation, let's take a look at several ways to increase productivity and have better time management which I am applying in my life and my business.

Increasing Productivity

1. Build your team: Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule? In business, 20% of your business activities yield 80% of the results. You need to determine which tasks are in your top 20%, and eliminate and/or delegate the rest as a means of increasing productivity and experiencing better time management. Unfortunately, many small business owners fail or don't grow to the next level because they don't take advantage of small business resources like building a good team. An excellent way to get started is to hire an assistant or outsource some of your non-core business activities e.g. book-keeping, accounting, administrative work (non-revenue generating activities), computers and network management, etc.

2. Cultivate marketing relationships: Create a referral program that is easy for any Aminah, Robert or Ah Leong to refer businesses to you. Referral programs is one of the resources for entrepreneurs to increasing productivity and better time management. These referrals invest their time promoting your products or services in exchange for a commission on the sale. In addition, find other entrepreneurs with complementary businesses and collaborate on services or create product bundling. You get more breakthroughs and unique perspectives when you are not working on business development alone.

3. Leverage on technology and systems (this is my company's expertise): Any business can be dissected into two major parts: Vision (what do you want) and Systems (how will you do it to get it with everyone aligned to it). Entrepreneurs are usually challenged by the "How will you get it" part and skip this extremely crucial step. Increasing productivity by systemizing your business is one of the critical resources for entrepreneurs. Systems will save you time, reduce errors, simplify tasks, enhance communication, keep you organized and help remember important things to get done. What is a system? A system is basically a task that you do to perfection from A to Z and you are able to document it, step-by-step that even a 10-year old or a 50-year old can do without having to ask you a single question and he/she can do it to the perfection as if you are doing it yourself. Then, apply the law of leverage to make it happen faster, better and cheaper. Now to apply the law of leverage to a system, you need technology that has all the processes built-in, guide the user on the step-by-step process, do validations to verify the input information is correct while allowing many people to do the same tasks and process at the same time to create repeatable results! Want to know more about systems? Contact me :)

4. Get a Business Mentor or Hire a Productivity & Systems Expert: A business coach or productivity expert are tremendous resources for entrepreneurs. These professionals will help you make things happen, develop steps to help you reach your goals, and provide you with the necessary support and structure you need to utilize better time management and realize your business goals. In Singapore, I am blessed as the Singapore Government have many funding and grants to help businesses grow. As such, I can help my clients and tap on these grants to reduce their investments to implement systems and get technology-leverage". Refer to www.spring.gov.sg, www.business.gov.sg and www.wda.gov.sg for details.

5. Get to the core of your revenue-generating activities: These activities provide valuable payoff in the long run. They are based on your priorities, values and goals and are the activities you love doing and do best. I also say it differently - If you love what you do and do what you love, you are in the right track to help others while being fairly rewarded for your services. In turn, these tasks that you love doing create immense value for your clients.

Now you may have discovered several ways of increasing productivity. The next challenge is this, unless you know the steps and keys to better time management, you may not achieve the desired results you want. We all have 24-hours a day. Most of us sleep about 8-hours, work for 8-hours and manage other aspects of life the other 8-hours - including running errands, chires, getting up and preparing to go to work, commuting, taking breakfast, lunch, dinner and managing our lives. Since there are only so many physical human hours in a day; start focusing on specific areas that are consuming your time.

Better Time Management

6. Doing Something More Than Once: I am a personal believer that if I have to do something more than once, I want to systemize it. In essence, I handle things only once by evaluating every task that comes my way, deciding what to do with it, and prioritizing my to-do list. I use MS Outlook to schedule my time, make appointments with myself for all my daily tasks and meetings and plan my time up to 2-weeks in advance. Once I've started a task, I keep at it until it's done. If I cannot complete it in a day, I break the task into several days and work on it up to 4-hours per day. When I come back to an unfinished task, I take extra time to re-familiarize myself with it and figure out where I have left off. Successfully completing a task, no matter how small, gives me a great sense of accomplishment and encourages me to take on other tasks that come my way.

7. Stop Multi-Tasking: Many people try to do more than one task at a time. From my personal experience, I am kidding myself thinking that I'm getting lots done. When nothing gets your full attention, errors creep in. In the long run, you end up spending more time undoing those mistakes. Stop trying to do it all at once. By giving your undivided attention to one thing at a time, you'll be much more productive.

8. Expect and Manage the Unexpected: Unexpected or unwanted events occur that demand your time and energy. Practicing better time management means taking care of disruptions by scheduling time in your day for the unexpected. Give yourself a window of opportunity to face "surprise" issues, and be open-minded about accepting support when needed. I always have "spare-time" every day to manage "the unexpected" from Clients, staff or new opportunities.

9. Ruthless Time Management: Practicing grrreeeaaattttt time management means being ruthless with what you spend your time on and how you spend it. You need to set boundaries; identify the time wasters throughout your workday; schedule blocks of time to work on tasks, and make and keep appointments. Only do the tasks directly related to your small business goals and invest your time only on what you love and do best. If you have calls that are not important to your goals, get your assistant to take a message and call back when you are available. This is where the "spare-time" comes in handy.

Ultimately, your goal should be to create work-life balance to ensure you are spending your time and efforts increasing productivity in a way so that you can take time off to rejuvenate and recharge your batteries without compromising your success. Creating a calendar of your ideal workweek is an excellent way to do this. I personally make sure that I don't work beyond 6.30 PM everyday unless there are important and urgent matters that needs immediate attention or a new project that spans different timezones.

10. Slow Down to Move Ahead Faster: Take the time needed, by slowing down, to evaluate your options, to deliberate on ideas and create a plan for your business goals and lifestyle. Then, design your business accordingly. Not only will this result in increasing productivity, but it is the epitome of better time management.

I hope my practice and sharing can create some new strategies for you to increase your productivity, and key aspects of better time management. I guarantee that if you put this information into practice, you will work smarter and achieve greater success!

Till then, be your best, stay passionate and...

Stay driven!
Moonshi Mohsenruddin | CEO | CommGate, Inc.
Inspiring Change, Empowering Businesses through technology-leverage.

Happy Birthday Baby Mia

2009-08-24T18:44:00.003+08:00

Baby Mia turns one in a few days time and her parents are trowing her a birthday bash. I've been invited. It's to be held at the El Shaddai Home along Old Klang Road.

Ramadan may not have been on Terence and Jana's minds, but if this is not in keeping with the spirit of the season, I don't know what is.

Ramadan Mubarakh

2009-08-22T13:12:00.004+08:00

Photo of the moon taken outside my home at about 11.30 p.m. on August 8, 2009.

Wishing all Muslims everywhere an auspicious and blessed Ramadan. May this Ramadan bring us closer to Islam, free of all superstitions and false notions.

What we scatter matters ..

2009-08-07T18:42:00.003+08:00

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas.

I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas.. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.

Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

'Hello Barry, how are you today?'

'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good.'

'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'

'Fine.. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'

'Good. Anything I can help you with?'

'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' th em peas.'

'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr. Miller.

'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with.'

'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'

'All I got's my prize marble here.'

'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller.

'Here 'tis.. She's a dandy.'

'I can see that. Hmm mmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.

'Not zackley but almost.'

'Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble'. Mr. Miller told the boy.

'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.

With a smile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.

When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.'

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.

Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary wefell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.

Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket.

Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.

'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about.

They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt.'

'We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho ..'

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral :
We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.

Today I wish all of you a day of ordinary miracles

~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself...
An unexpected phone call from an old friend ....
Green stoplights on your way to work...
The fastest line at the grocery store...
A good sing-along song on the radio...
Your keys found right where you left them.

Remember - IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED!

a very touching story - thanks TT for the email

The Power of Interpretation

2009-07-23T21:26:00.003+08:00

Several centuries ago, the Pope decreed that all the Jews had to convert to Catholicism or leave Italy ..

There was a huge outcry from the Jewish community, so the Pope offered a deal. He'd have a religious debate with the leader of the Jewish community. If the Jews won, they could stay in Italy ; if the Pope won, they'd have to convert or leave.

The Jewish people met and picked an aged and wise rabbi to represent them in the debate.

However, as the rabbi spoke no Italian, and the Pope spoke no Yiddish, they agreed that it would be a 'silent' debate.

On the chosen day the Pope and rabbi sat opposite each other.

The Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers.

The rabbi looked back and raised one finger.

Next, the Pope waved his finger around his head.

The rabbi pointed to the ground where he sat.

The Pope brought out a communion wafer and a chalice of wine.

The rabbi pulled out an apple.

With that, the Pope stood up and declared himself beaten and said that the rabbi was too clever. The Jews could stay in Italy !!!

Later the cardinals met with the Pope and asked him what had happened.

The Pope said, 'First I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up a single finger to remind me there is still only one God common to both our beliefs. Then, I waved my finger around my head to show him that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground to show that God was also right here with us.

'I pulled out the wine and wafer to show that God absolves us of all our sins. He then pulled out an apple to remind me of the original sin.

'He bested me at every move and I could not continue.'

Meanwhile, the Jewish community gathered to ask the rabbi how he'd won. 'I haven't a clue' the rabbi said.

'First, he told me that we had three days to get out of Italy , so I gave him the finger.

'Then he tells me that the whole country would be cleared of Jews and I told him that we were staying right here.'

'And then what?' asked a woman.

'Who knows?' said the rabbi. 'He took out his lunch so I took out mine.'

from JokesWareHouse.com

Thanks TT for the email

A beautiful story.....

2009-06-08T19:46:00.002+08:00

I arrived at the address where someone had requested a taxi. I honked but no one came out. I honked again, nothing. So I walked to the door and knocked. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on
it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets..

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said.. I took the suitcase to the cab, and then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated'..

'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice'.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds.. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.

'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

A really beautiful story,
thanks TT

Nikon D90 with Nikkor 50mm f1.8 lens

2009-06-04T20:19:00.013+08:00

After I bought my DSLR camera, I was advised to invest in a 'portrait' lens. These are some of my fellow colleagues who posed for me recently, willingly or otherwise.

Indonesian Election

2009-04-04T20:24:00.016+08:00

The Indonesian elections is only days away (April 9, 2009) and campaigning has also come to Malaysia. In November last year, I only saw one operations centre in the Chow Kit area, today there are many more.

There are supposed to be at least 5 polling stations in KL including at the Indonesian Embassy in Jalan Ampang and the Indonesian School near the Mall.

When asked how our house helpers could cast their votes, I was informed that they would have to have registered with the Embassy last November to be eligible. (So no chance of them casting their votes this time.)

The politics of Indonesia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Indonesia is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two People's Representative Councils. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The 1945 constitution provided for a limited separation of executive, legistative and judicial power. The governmental system has been described as "presidential with parliamentary characteristics." Following the Indonesian 1998 Revolution and the resignation of President Suharto, several political reforms were set in motion.

Executive branch

The president and vice president are selected by vote of the citizens for five-year terms. Prior to 2004, they were chosen by People's Consultative Assembly. The last election was held 20 Setember 2004. The president heads the United Indonesia Cabinet (Kabinet Indonesia Bersatu) The President of Indonesia is directly-elected for five-year terms, and is the head of state, commander-in-chief of Indonesian armed forces and responsible for domestic governance and policy-making and foreign affairs. The president appoints a cabinet, who don't have to be elected members of the legislature.

Legislative branch

The People's Representative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat) has 550 members, elected for a five year term by proportional representation in multi-member constituencies. The other chamber of the People's Consultative Assembly(Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat) is the Regional Representative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah). Following elections in 2004, the MPR became a bicameral parliment, with the creation of the DPD as its second chamber in an effort to increase regional representation.

[from wikipedia.org]

Life is a Salt

2009-03-05T19:31:00.004+08:00

An aging Hindu master grew tired of his apprentice complaining and so, one morning, sent him for some salt.

When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it.

"How does it taste?" the master asked.

"Bitter," spit the apprentice.

The master chuckled and then asked the young man to take the same handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and once the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water, the old man said, "Now drink from the lake."

As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the master asked, "How does it taste?"

"Fresh," remarked the apprentice.

"Do you taste the salt?" asked the master.

"No," said the young man.

At this the master sat beside this serious young man, who so reminded him of himself, and took his hands, offering:

"The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains exactly the same. However, the amount of bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things . . . Stop being a glass. Become a lake."

Author Unknown

Thanks Sam

Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth

2009-02-27T18:11:00.004+08:00

Last Sunday (February 22, 2009) Joo Hock, a Bucky enthusiast from Singapore, was in KL to share with us his thoughts and insights on the works and writings of R. Buckminster Fuller. Arising out of that session, a few of us decided to form a Bucky reading group and our first session is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2009.

We propose to start with Bucky's "Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth".

Date
March 7, 2009 (Saturday)

Time
10.00 a.m. till 12.00 noon

Venue
Globe Success Learning Centre
17-3A, Level 3A, 3rd Mile Square
Old Klang Road
(behind Old Town White Coffee)

The following is a Chapter Synopsis from Wikipedia.org for your reading pleasure and to entice you to join us at the above venue.

Comprehensive propensities

Describe how people perceive his prognostications, and the conclusion that fairly reasonable forecasts can be made of approx 25 years.

The idea that specialization is society's vehicle, but perhaps unnatural.

The concept of the Great Pirate also emerges as the first peoples to undertake sea vessels and first sea traders.

Origins of specialization

The Great Pirate concept is explained in depth, and the source of their power is that they are masters of information in a time where people are focused locally. Specifically, the Great Pirates are aware that resources are not evenly distributed around the world, so that items which are abundant in one area are scarce in another. This gives rise to trade.

Power struggles for waterways ensue, requiring people like Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo to design better defenses for the Great Pirates. The Pirates establish governments in various areas and support leaders who will defend their trade routes.

As engineers become involved with Great Pirates many new concepts appear, but the main one was of the Navy. As the size of the people in the Great Pirates' employment grow, training becomes a necessity, and the beginnings of schools and colleges ensue. Monarchs are encouraged to develop civil service systems to provide secure employment for their brightest subjects, which prevents them from competing with the Great Pirates in their lucrative trading.

Comprehensively commanded automation

World War I emerges as the struggle between the 'out-pirates' (electronic and chemical warfare) and the 'in-pirates' (electromagnetics). This change from the visible to the invisible forced the Great Pirates to rely on experts, which causes the end of the Great Pirates (who previously had been the only ones that were truly multi-disciplined).

The public is unaware that Great Pirates have been ruling the earth, and the role falls back to kings and politicians, though the frameworks of trade, rating and accounting remain.

Spaceship earth

This chapter sets up the idea that the earth is a spaceship, with the sun as our energy supplier.

The idea of the earth is as a mechanical vehicle that requires maintenance, and that if you do not keep it in good order it will cease to function.

General systems theory

Likens humanity to a chick that has just broken out of its shell and is now ready to enter the next phase of its existence. Suggests "How big can we think?"

Synergy

Where the whole of a system is greater than the sum of its parts. "Ergo, only complete world desovereignization can permit the realization of an all humanity high standard support."

Integral Functions

Wealth is expanded by the development of tools which go beyond what was integral to man. States that the highest priority need of world society is a realistic accounting system, instead of one where a top toolmaker in India gets paid in a month what he would make in a day in Detroit.

The regenerative landscape

Defines tools as either craft tools that can be invented by one man such as bows and arrows and industrial tools that can not be produced by one man such as the S.S. Queen Mary. Finds language to be the first industrial tool. States that craft tools were used to create industrial tools. States that to take advantage of potential wealth we must give life fellowships to each person who is or becomes unemployed, and states that for every 100,000 fellowships given out one person will come up with something so valuable that it will pay for the remaining 99,999 fellowships. Predicts that soon the great office buildings will be turned into residences and that all the work that had been done in them will be done in the basements of a few buildings. States that we "must operate exclusively on our vast daily energy income from the powers of wind, tide, water, and the direct Sun radiation energy".

Ends with anecdotal comments about his travels using three watches to keep track of time, at the office, where he is, and where he is going next, and an admonition "So, planners, architects, and engineers take the initiative".

The Greatest Things

2009-02-24T21:09:00.002+08:00

The best day, today.

The greatest puzzle, life.

The best policy, honesty.

The greatest thought, God.

The greatest mystery, death.

The best work, work you like.

The greatest mistake, giving up.

The most ridiculous asset, pride.

The greatest need, common sense.

The most dangerous person, a liar.

The best advice, use good manners.

The wisest short-cut, develop mentors.

The greatest fault, to be aware of none.

The greatest truth, we reap what we sow.

The most expensive indulgence, self-pity.

The greatest deceiver, one who deceives self.

The best habit, making good on all commitments.

~ thanks Sam.

Leadership and Self-Deception

2009-02-21T20:16:00.005+08:00

The book was recommended by Dominic Lyon, Lead Instructor for Money & You & Business School for Entrepreneurs. The recommendation just remained that until recently when Nora Jusoh send me an email that Izam and a group of friends had decided to bring the program to Kuala Lumpur.

That's when I decided to get myself a copy. It turned out to be one of those 'cannot put down' books.

If you have not read the book, please get one from the nearest bookshop & read it. It will blow your mind (Izam's words, not mine).

If you are interested the workshop will be held at Holiday Villa, Subang Jaya on 11-12 April 2009. For further details, contact Izam Yusof at 019-386 3388.

A Little Patience

2009-02-12T20:45:00.001+08:00

Received in my M&Y group email. Thanks Sam.
A little patience can save you a lot of frustration and regret. Have patience with others, with yourself, with the way your life moves forward, and reap the benefits that patience can bring.

Many times, it can be far more effective to practice patience than to react in anger.
Many times, patience will move you forward when frenzied effort will not. When you lash out at every turn of events, you spiral downward into a victim of your own circumstances. Yet when you make patience a part of your response, it keeps you in positive control.

Patience is not complicated or difficult to achieve. Simply step back, and take a few deep, relaxing breaths. Calmly know that you're far better off being patiently in control than you are if you're excitedly out of control. Reason, rather than scream.

Think, investigate and consider, rather than jump to conclusions.

Have a little patience, and see that it can make all the difference in the world.

~ author unknown

How to ask Quality Questions

2009-02-11T05:23:00.004+08:00

You know how they say "The quality of your questions determine the quality of your life." You think you know what that is about until someone asks you what it means. Then you're lost for words.

I found this as a note in one of my friends Facebook page (he had got it from www.aspirenow.com) which I thought appropriate to share with you here.

Re-framing questions to maximize our power:

Original question: “Who am I?”
Revised powerful question: “What do I stand-up for?”

Original question: “What are my goals?”
Revised powerful question: “How can I just BE and yet be complete?”

Original question: “What is my life purpose?”
Revised powerful question: “What can I do where I maximize my life, my love, my happiness, and my burning desire to contribute?”

Original question: “How can I attract more love?”
Revised powerful question: “How much love can I give out and to whom do I want to give it to?”

Original question: “What am I getting out of this?”
Revised powerful question: “Who am I becoming from doing this?”

Original question: “Why is this happening to me?”
Revised powerful question: “How am I growing and learning from this situation?”

Original question: “Why did they hurt me?”
Revised powerful question: “How can I rise above the hurt to grow?”

Original question: “What else is there?”
Revised powerful question: “How can I be open to discover more?”

Original question: “How can I get more money?”
Revised powerful question: “How can I add more value to other’s lives?”

Original question: “How can I stay looking young and beautiful?”
Revised powerful question: “How can I share in the beauty in all things?”

Original question: “What will I do with my time?”
Revised powerful question: “What matters the most in this moment?”

Original question: “What do I want now?”
Revised powerful question: “What can I do to just be and not want or need anything?”

Original question: “How can I become more secure and protect my family?”
Revised powerful question: “How can I imagine the lives of those I love as “secure” in a way where nothing can harm us?”

Original question: “How come I feel out of control?”
Revised powerful question: “What can I do in this moment that is true to my self?”

Warren Buffet's Advice for 2009

2009-02-08T20:33:00.004+08:00

Above: Evening sun near Batu Berendam, Malacca (Feb 7, 2009).

Mail received in my M&Y group which I thought appropriate to share here.

We begin this New Year with dampened enthusiasm and dented optimism. Our happiness is diluted and our peace is threatened by the financial illness that has infected our families, organizations and nations. Everyone is desperate to find a remedy that will cure their financial illness and help them recover their financial health. They expect the financial experts to provide them with remedies, forgetting the fact that it is these experts who created this financial mess.

Every new year, I adopt a couple of old maxims as my beacons to guide my future. This self-prescribed therapy has ensured that with each passing year, I grow wiser and not older. This year, I invite you to tap into the financial wisdom of our elders along with me, and become financially wiser.

* Hard work
All hard work bring a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

* Laziness
A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.

* Earnings
Never depend on a single source of income. [At least make your Investments get you second earnings)

* Spending
If you buy things you don't need, you'll soon sell things you need.

* Savings
Don't save what is left after spending; spend what is left after saving.

* Borrowings
The borrower becomes the lender's slave.

* Accounting
It's no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.

* Auditing
Beware of little expenses; A small leak can sink a large ship.

* Risk-taking
Never test the depth of the river with both feet. [Have an alternate plan ready]

* Investment
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

I'm certain that those who have already been practicing these principles remain financially healthy. I'm equally confident that those who resolve to start practicing these principles will quickly regain their financial health.

Let us become wiser and lead a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful life.

Invite to join MLM

2009-02-04T19:51:00.002+08:00

Recently I was invited to attend a recruitment talk for an MLM business. I’m not that into MLM, but then I’m not entirely against it either. Anyway, if I can come away with one or two new lessons, it wouldn’t be a waste of time for me.

As usual, the talk began about our desire to be successful. You cannot talk about success without mentioning the barriers to success first. Among the major obstacles, according to the speaker, was our concentrating on the ABC’s of life instead of the AOC’s.

By ABC, he meant the Areas Beyond Control. Take for example, getting caught in a traffic jam. We curse and swear, and blame the authorities and what not. But what it amounts to is, we really have no control over the traffic, traffic jams happen.

What if instead of looking at the ABC, we look at what we can control, our Area Of Control or AOC. We can travel earlier or later, we can take another route, we can reschedule the appointment. (I don’t know about achieving success doing this, but it sure makes for a less stressful and healthier lifestyle.)

Another problem he mentioned was AIDS. It may not be as life-threatening as the disease caused by the HIV virus, but it’s just as fatal to success.

By ‘A’ he meant that we are always quick to Attack Others. This can be by back-biting, gossip, spreading rumors or just laying blame on others for our own short-comings.

‘I’ is for Ill Feelings. Take the case of the recent Bukit Antarabangsa landslide tragedy. There are actually people who say ‘serve them right’ for being such ‘show offs’ staying in that place ‘want to feel higher than everyone else’.

Then if anybody gives us feedback we turn to ‘D’ i.e. become Defensive instead of weighing the merits or otherwise of the feedback and taking the appropriate action.

And finally we come to ‘S’ being Self Centered. (This probably stems from our competitive upbringing. It may have been the norm in the past, but I think, today success is more about co-operation and collaboration then it is about competition.)

After looking at the obstacles, he said that success is about having the right skills. Skills can be learned, but it only contributes about 15% to success. More importantly, and contributing the remaining 85% is RMA i.e. having the Right Mental Attitude. To develop RMA, we must read more positive self-help books, listen to motivational cassettes and CDs, and cultivate the right company i.e. surround yourself with like minded, positive, empowering people.

In conclusion, the speaker mentioned that to get the success you want, you must create the change in your life that you want.

(Actually if I were to summarize the above using just one word, I would choose Responsibility as that word.)

Year of the Golden Ox

2009-01-12T21:55:00.008+08:00

Wishing all my Chinese friends and acquaintances a Happy and Prosperous Year of the Golden Ox.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Below are some photos I took at the entrance of Sg Wang Plaza when I was there last weekend.

The golden ox is drawing the cart of prosperity towards the complex through a field of abundance.

6 Simple Strategies to Stay Happy

2009-01-09T21:03:00.003+08:00

Email from M&Y Group (Thank you Koh Tong Seng)

It is a fact that if you want something too badly, it is likely to evade you. And this is truer for happiness than anything else. The reason why happiness seems to evade the millions of people searching for it is because they are looking in the wrong place.

Most people look for happiness "outside" themselves and not "inside". Some feel that they would be happy if they could afford a house of their own. Others feel that they just have to own all the latest gizmos to finally find happiness.

There are some who may not seek happiness in material things but they are still not looking in the right place. They feel that they would be happy if they found the right life partner or if their children loved them more. Even in such cases, these people are searching for happiness "outside" themselves.

Have you ever wondered how most infants are extremely happy almost all the time? Physical discomfort can make them cry for a while but such aspects are transient and last for only a few minutes. The reason why infants are almost always in a state of natural happiness is because they are in constant awe of nature and the world around them. Unfortunately, it is the society, parents, friends, teachers and relatives that influence them with regards to what happiness should mean.

It may be difficult to undo all the layers of perception that have formed on the mind over time. However, it is never too late to try and address the issue and train your mind to be happy. There are some tips that can help you in shedding your inhibitions and breaking away from the shackles of predefined definitions of happiness.

Accept yourself – One of the key reasons why people are unhappy is that they do not really like or love themselves enough. It is essential that you accept yourself as what you are without any caveats and conditions to attain happiness. Don't get too critical about yourself – your looks, your brains, your capabilities or your financial condition. Just learn how to love yourself as you are. You will realize that once you are comfortable with what you are, others will accept you more willingly.

Happiness is a state of mind – It is important that you understand and appreciate that your happiness lies within. Consider this – no one can make you unhappy if you have decided for sure that you will be happy in every situation. If you have made up your mind to be happy, you can always seek out the positive aspects of a situation and remain happy. Life may throw challenges at you but solutions will come faster and to you if you face them with a smile on your face.

Prioritize your life – As we grow older, the demands that various people and circumstances they lay on us increase. While on the one hand your job pressures increase, you may also feel the need to spend time with your family and children. At the same time, you may also want to enjoy life personally by doing the things that you have always wanted like going to the gym or taking off on a mountaineering trek.

It is important that you learn how to balance the various responsibilities that you may have. If any one of these tasks becomes paramount, you are likely to ignore the others. For example, if you get extremely preoccupied with your work, you family life are likely to miss you. On the other hand, if you are too consumed with your plans for your various hobbies, your job and family are likely to suffer. You may achieve momentary happiness but neither of these situations can result in happiness in the long run.

Take care of your health – an unhealthy body cannot be the home of a happy mind. It is important that you understand the strong link between physical health and mental happiness. If you are fit and healthy, you are likely to exude positive energy.

Stay in the company of happy people – Ensure that you seek out people who are happy and cheerful all the time. Being in the company of people who have a habit of cribbing and criticizing is likely to divert your mind towards negative thoughts. Avoid getting into the sulk mode by choosing the company of happy people.

Be grateful – Saying a small "thank you" for what you have can make a lot of difference. When you make it a habit to be grateful, you seek out the things that you do have. This helps you divert your mind from negative thoughts of what you do not have. This does not mean that you give up trying. On the other hand it encourages you to think of future goals and achievements in a positive manner.

Take time off to enjoy nature, life and the small things that we take for granted on a daily basis. A beautiful sunset can bring you joy, if only you would take a few minutes out of your daily schedule and look at it.

you are legend

2009-01-06T21:32:00.000+08:00

It's within you: the answers you seek, the direction you want, and the power to be whoever you want to be. Your dreams are not yours by mere whim. They've been meticulously matched to the gifts you're now developing. Designed to lure you within, where your true power lies, and then out into the world, beyond imagined limitations and fears. Trust yourself. Listen to your heart. You have the right stuff, you know what to do, and it can all be yours.

- from Notes from the Universe (tut.com)

Money, Money, Money

2009-01-03T19:53:00.004+08:00

I'm quite used to finding business cards for money lending services in the mail box and placed on the windshield of my car. Stickers are also pasted on lamp posts, gates and grilles of shop-houses or any surface that will accomodate such stickers. Banners and buntings are also hung all over the place to advertise such services.

So its no surprise that such a banner was hanging from a tree somewhere in Wangsa Maju. What caught me was the line at the bottom proclaiming "Specially for Muslims only". I wonder under what Islamic lending concept the loans will be lent and how will interest be charged.

Our Future: 2009 & After

2009-01-02T21:51:00.001+08:00

This piece was posted as a note on Facebook, by my dear friend Azlan.

Analysts have commented that the current global (it's not just American)economic crisis is a direct consequence of unsustainable consumerism. Factories in China are closing down every day due to canceled orders from the US & Europe; China being the cheap 'sweatshop factory' of the world.

The solution to all this is the simple central message in THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS by the Dalai Lama - fulfill your needs, not your wants.

AN EXAMPLE
All humans need hydration, best fulfilled by plain water - yet the doctrine of consumerism insists we purchase from a whole host of unwanted products from Coca-Cola to Lipton to Starbucks to Carlsberg to Dom Perignon.

Unless you're a baby, in which case milk is a sensible drink (even then, breast milk is free), there is no nutritional need for you to drink anything but plain water. Everything else is a want, all unwarranted by your body's needs but insisted upon consumerism.

It them comes as no surprise that post-modern man suffers a host of diseases unknown to our forefathers - we have been feeding our bodies with preservatives, food enhancers, coloring, conditioners and other gunk (all processed meat, including sausages, contain sodium nitrate).

One in four people will contact some form of cancer within their lifetime. Pancreatic cancer is the forth largest killer among cancers, yet no progress had been made towards finding a cure since the 1930s. It would not take too much funding to get this cancer licked, not too much compared to the huge amounts we spend on things we want, rather than need.

Please do a big favor to yourself and to the rest of humanity: spend a few minutes listing down the things you purchase as a result of thinking it is something you want, rather than fulfilling an actual physiological, nutritional or emotional need. Then promise yourself never to purchase them again. It may be the most profound New Year's resolution you'll ever make....

January 1, 2009

2009-01-01T11:15:00.004+08:00

Google's New Year logo (above) is cute, that's why I'm re-producing it here.

To commemorate the new year, I started a new blog "Shaik's Kuala Lumpur" where it's my intention to share my discoveries, re-discoveries, memories, experiences and what-not concerning KL with others.

Do drop-by there and give your feedback on making it more interesting and enjoyable.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

2008-12-31T17:26:00.002+08:00

Dear Friends

Just before the end of the year, I want to thank you for the e-mails you have forwarded to me over the year.

I must send a big thank you to whoever sent me the one about rat shit in the glue on envelopes, because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing. Also, I now have to wipe the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it all to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time. But that will change once I receive the £15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft is sending me for participating in their special email programs. Or from the senior bank clerk in Nigeria who wants me to split seven million dollars with me for pretending to be a long lost relative of a customer who died intestate.

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me.

I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward emails to seven friends and make a wish within five minutes.

I no longer drink Coca-Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer can buy petrol without taking a friend along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm filling up.

I no longer go to shopping centers because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number and then I'll get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Timbuktu & Uzbekistan.

I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my bum.

I can't even pick up the $5.00 I found dropped in the car park because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg.

If you don't send this email to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will sit on your head at 5:00pm this afternoon & fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this bcos it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor’s ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician.

By the way.... a South American scientist after a lengthy study has discovered that people with low IQ who don't have enough sex, always read their emails while holding the mouse.

Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

(With the countdown to the new year begun, I just had to share this mail that I received.)

How to Forgive

2008-12-29T18:26:00.004+08:00

My friend, Hanson Lye, had posted this note on his Facebook profile. For me, it seemed like a timely reminder, so I'm reproducing it here. Though it's a little long, it's well worth the read.

Step 1
Realize that the hate you feel toward your enemy does not harm him or her in any way. And chances are, he or she gone on with life without giving you a single thought.

Step 2
Make a list of the good things that happened as a result of this awful experience. You've probably focused long enough on the bad parts of this experience. Time to look at the good parts. See if you can identify 10 good things that happened specifically because of this experience.

Step 3
Think of the people who help you out of the issue. Think about their kindness and unselfishness.

Step 4
Look at the bigger picture. Was someone your "good samaritan"? In this biblical story, a traveler happens upon a poor soul who was beat up on the road to Jericho and left for dead. It's a lot easier to play the part of the Good Samaritan than to be the poor soul who is left bleeding and bruised on the side of the road. Perhaps this isn't all about you. Perhaps your trial provided an opportunity for others to rise to an occasion to provide you with help and support.

Step 5
Be compassionate with yourself. If you've ruminated over this problem for a long time, steering this boat into a new direction could take some time, too. As you try to make a new path out of the dark woods of this old hurt, you'll make mistakes. Forgive yourself. Be patient and kind to yourself. Extreme emotional pain has a profound effect on the body. Give yourself time to heal - physically and emotionally. Eat well. Rest. Focus on the natural beauty in the world.

Step 6
Learn that the Aramaic word for "forgive" means literally to "untie." The fastest way to free yourself from an enemy and all associated negativity is to forgive. Untie the bindings and loose yourself from that person's ugliness. Your hatred has tied you to the person responsible for your pain. Your forgiveness enables you to start walking away from him or her and the pain.

Step 7
Stop telling "the story." How many times this week did you tell "the story" about how badly you were hurt and how horribly you were wronged? How many times a day do you think about this hurt? It is a stake driven into the ground that keeps you from moving away from this hurt. Rather, forgive your enemy because it's the kindest thing you can do for your friends and family. Negativity is depressing, physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.

Step 8
Tell "the story" from the other person's perspective. Actually imagine that you are the other person (the one who offended you) and use the word "I" when saying what that person would say. You, most likely, don't know exactly what s/he was thinking when this event unfolded but pretend that you do, and just go with the story that comes up in your head. Sit down with a friend, or maybe even the person you are trying to forgive, and tell the story as though you are that person. It is important to do this verbally and not just in your head. Realize in advance that this is not an easy exercise, but it holds great power. Just your willingness to tell the story from the offender's perspective requires a bit of forgiveness. Also, realize that this is not a contradiction to the preceding paragraph since this perspective will change your story.

Step 9
Retrain your thinking. When your enemy and his or her evil actions come to mind, send him or her a blessing. Wish your enemy well. Hope the best for him or her. This has two effects. One, it neutralizes that acid of hate that destroys the vessel in which it is stored. The evil we wish for another seems to have a rebound effect. The same is true for the good that we wish for another. When you make yourself able to return blessing for hatred, you'll know that you're well on the path to wholeness. The first 15 - or 150 - times you try this, the "blessing" may feel contrived, empty, and even hypocritical but keep trying. Eventually, it will become a new habit and soon thereafter, the anger and pain that has burned in your heart will evaporate, like dew before the morning sun. This technique forces your mind to overcome the cognitive dissonance between hating someone and acting with compassion toward him or her. Since there is no way to take back the kind gesture to agree with your hatred, the only thing your mind can do is change your belief about the person to match. You will begin to say to yourself, "S/he is deserving of a blessing, and indeed, must need one very much."

Step 10
Maintain perspective: While the "evil" actions of your "enemy" are hurtful to you and your immediate surroundings, the rest of the world goes on unaware. Validate their meaning in your life, but never lose perspective that others are not involved and do not deserve anything to be taken out on them. Your enemy is someone else's beloved child, someone's employee, or a child's parent.

Further notes :

Keep the following quotes in mind if you're finding it hard to generate positive feelings for the person:

"Those who are the hardest to love, need it the most."

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness," -Hebrews 12:14a,

"As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons." -The Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

"Hating someone is drinking poison and expecting the other person to die from it."

"If we could read the secret history of our enemies we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" - The Golden Rule

"Be kind, for all you meet, are fighting a great battle."- Philo

"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. But whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him[a] to make him stumble." 1 John 2:9,10-The Bible

"Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him." 1 John 3:15-TheBible

Sometimes it helps to think of how others have forgiven under incredible circumstances. Ask friends for support and examples to motivate you toward forgiveness.

Forgiveness is a choice. When you say, "I can't forgive that person," what you're really saying is, "I'm choosing not to forgive that person." If you say it the second way instead, you'll find yourself forgiving soon.

You need to keep these four points in mind when forgiving someone:

Do not bring up the situation up to yourself.
Do not bring up the situation to the offender.
Treat the offender as if it never happened.
Do not talk about the situation to others.

True forgiveness is unconditional and not predicated on any act or request from the offender. The type of forgiveness discussed here is intended to free you from the impotent rage, depression, and despair that nursing a grievance causes.

True forgiveness takes time. Realize that everyone heals in their own way and in their own time. It is ok for you to take time to forgive, but you must realize that you will only be free from the bondage of hurt,despair and rage if you let it go and truly forgive the hurt that is holding back the true you.

An offender who wants reconciliation must do his or her part: offer a sincere apology, promise not to repeat the offense (or similar ones), make amends, and give it time. If you don't see repentance, understand that according forgiveness to that person is a benefit to yourself, not to the offender.

However, forgiveness of this type must be applied with wisdom and discernment. Unless those who have harmed us have truly repented of whatever they have done, we need to use wisdom in avoiding repeating the hurt. This may require avoiding those who are unrepentant of the harm that they have inflicted upon us.

~~~ source : http://www.wikihow.com/Forgive ~~~~~

The Virtues of Allah’s sacred month of Muharram

2008-12-28T20:55:00.002+08:00

What are the virtues of the month of Muharram

Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and Chief of the Messengers, and upon all his family and companions.

Allah’s sacred month of Muharram is a blessed and important month. It is the first month of the Hijri calendar and is one of the four sacred months concerning which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, the number of months with Allaah is twelve months (in a year), so it was ordained by Allaah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them, four are sacred. That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein…” [al-Tawbah 9:36]

Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The year is twelve months of which four are sacred, the three consecutive months of Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab Mudar which comes between Jumaada and Sha’baan.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 2958).

Muharram is so called because it is a sacred (muharram) month and to confirm its sanctity.
Allaah’s words (interpretation of the meaning): “so wrong not yourselves therein…” mean do not wrong yourselves in these sacred months, because sin in these months is worse than in other months.

It was reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas said that this phrase (so wrong not yourselves therein…) referred to all the months, then these four were singled out and made sacred, so that sin in these months is more serious and good deeds bring a greater reward.

Qutaadah said concerning this phrase (so wrong not yourselves therein…) that wrongdoing during the sacred months is more serious and more sinful that wrongdoing at any other time. Wrongdoing at any time is a serious matter, but Allaah gives more weight to whichever of His commands He will. Allaah has chosen certain ones of His creation. He has chosen from among the angels Messengers and from among mankind Messengers. He chose from among speech the remembrance of Him (dhikr). He chose from among the earth the mosques, from among the months Ramadaan and the sacred months, from among the days Friday and from among the nights Laylat al-Qadr, so venerate that which Allaah has told us to venerate. People of understanding and wisdom venerate the things that Allaah has told us to venerate. (Summarized from the Tafseer of Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy on him. Tafseer of Surat al-Tawbah, aayah 36).

The Virtue of observing more naafil fasts during Muharram.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The best of fasting after Ramadaan is fasting Allaah’s month of Muharram.’” (reported by Muslim, 1982).

The phrase “Allaah’s month”, connecting the name of the month to the name of Allaah in a genitive grammatical structure, signifies the importance of the month. Al-Qaari said: “The apparent meaning is all of the month of Muharram.” But it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never fasted any whole month apart from Ramadan, so this hadeeth is probably meant to encourage increasing one’s fasting during Muharram, without meaning that one should fast for the entire month.

It was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast more in Sha’baan. It is likely that the virtue of Muharram was not revealed to him until the end of his life, before he was able to fast during this month. (Sharh al-Nawawi ‘ala Saheeh Muslim).

Allaah chooses whatever times and places He wills

Al-‘Izz ibn ‘Abd al-Salaam (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Times and places may be given preferred status in two ways, either temporal or religious/spiritual. With regard to the latter, this is because Allaah bestows His generosity on His slaves at those times or in those places, by giving a greater reward for deeds done, such as giving a greater reward for fasting in Ramadaan than for fasting at all other times, and also on the day of ‘Aashooraa’, the virtue of which is due to Allaah’s generosity and kindness towards His slaves on that day…” (Qawaa’id al-Ahkaam, 1/38).

Source : www.Islamqa.com

SALAM MAAL HIJRH

2008-12-28T19:17:00.005+08:00

Just to share this message received from the universal traveler (www.tut.com) which I think is appropriate for this New Year season.

Nothing is ever lost.

Not time; for what seems to have passed, lives on in the wisdom of future decisions.

Not money; for what seems to have been spent, was only invested.

And not love; for what seems to have vanished, has only moved so close you must look within your heart to see it.

Here and now, whether or not it's obvious, you are the best you've ever been.

Burger King – An example of what service is not

2008-12-28T08:53:00.004+08:00

Last night (Dec. 27, 2008) I accompanied 2 of my nieces to Sungai Buluh to check on a cousin’s house as he and his family were away for the weekend. On the way back we decided to stop at the Sungai Buluh overhead rest area for a break. It was 11.50 p.m. As Burger King was still open, we decided to get some food there.

There are 3 service counters at the restaurant. One of them had the straw dispenser in front indicating to me that it was closed. There were queues at the other 2 counters. However, what we failed to realize was that only one of the counters was being manned.

A while later, someone told us that the counter we were queued behind was closed, so the whole queue had to move behind the one counter that was being manned.

When we told the supervisor (that’s what we assumed she was as she was in a maroon uniform while the others were dressed in black) that she should place a sign indicating that the counters were closed, her answer surprised me.

“We don’t have a sign. If you want to complain, the telephone number is there,” pointing to the wall. The number 03-2026 1800 is apparently not a 24 hour one, so I’ll have to wait till Tuesday to call them, that’s if I still want to bother giving feedback.

Anyway, I thought I’d share this for the benefit of those of you in the service industry.

Ken Lee - not by Mariah Carey for sure

2008-12-27T21:40:00.003+08:00

Check out this clip from youtube - Ken Lee

Laugh if you want, but admire the guts of a person who doesn't speak English going on stage to sing in a foreign language.

Moral: whenever you think you can't think KEN LEE

Things always happen for a reason

2008-12-27T21:33:00.002+08:00

Only yesterday, I wrote how my PersonPlanet Leadership commitment has been in hibernation since May this year. This morning I attended a session with Zeal (Ahmad Zilhaimi Dato’ Zainuddin) principle trainer of MZ Empowerment Centre and married to Murshidah Said.

Murshidah had put out a mail in the M&Y yahoogroups inviting to an “OPPORTUNITIES IN EDUCATION & TRAINING WITH THE ACCELERATED LEARNING CENTRE ASIA”. Those interested were to confirm attendance with her at her mobile number. I thought about it, but that was it. No action taken.

This morning, I just decided to try my luck and pay them a visit. Funny thing is, the only participants were myself and a Jimmy Yeoh, and Jimmy is a friend of Zeal – so he is not really a ‘participant’.

Jimmy, a retired teacher, is in the ‘making education fun’ business.

Know what my commitment was? To develop, promote and conduct Youth Development programmes. And this meeting will probably enable me to collaborate with these gentlemen to fulfill my commitment.

By the way, both Zeal and Murshidah are M&Y graduates.

About Big Picture Small World

2008-12-26T22:39:00.002+08:00

BigPictureSmallWorld Inc was founded by Medard Gabel. Mr. Gabel has worked with Buckminster Fuller, from whom he has learned about whole systems thinking and global perspectives, among others.

I met him in May 2008 when I attended the PersonPlanet Leadership program conducted by him. The program was organized by Terrance Tan and his Money & You Team. It was a week-end well spent and worth every sen. While my proposed project from the program has gone into hibernation, it has not been forgotten.

I hope you have watched ‘Leadership 101’. Please also click on the Big Picture Small World link to learn more about the programs and games available, and to watch some other wonderful presentations or movies.

Youth Leadership

2008-12-25T20:58:00.006+08:00

Leadership 101

Youth

That means YOU!

(Click the above link to view presentation)

Brought to you by Big Picture Small World

Hudud

2008-12-24T18:53:00.002+08:00

Hudud or its implementation is once again making the rounds, thanks to the announcements by some PAS leaders. Sometimes I wonder if those who make all sorts of declarations have considered the possibility that the results of the March 2008 elections were not the result of the Rakyat’s new found love for their party, but brought about by the public outrage against perceived corruption, abuse of power and other what-not’s of the ruling establishment.

As a Muslim, I welcome Syariah to be the supreme law of the land. If I did not wish it I would probably cease being Muslim.

Before we begin, we must first understand the assumptions of Islam and the basic tenets of the religion. The meaning of the word 'Islam' is "submission or surrender to Allah's will." Therefore, Muslims must first and foremost obey and submit to Allah's will. The Holy Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was given the Quran to guide mankind to follow and implement His (Allah’s) will. In Islam, law and religion are one, i.e. there is no separation between ‘Church’ and ‘State’.

The Quran gives specific rules only on a limited number of cases. In most instances the guidelines are very general. We do have access to authentic sayings and traditions of the prophet (pbuh) (sahih hadith and sunnah) to fill in many gaps, but even so there is a large area where we are free to make our own choices.

The problem is not in Syariah or Hudud itself, but in the interpretation and implementation of these laws. Even where the dictates of the Quran are specific, people have given differing opinions as to its meaning – Arabic being such a language, words can have multiple meanings. What more with all the rest.

Therefore if and when we implement Syariah and Hudud in Malaysia, whose interpretation will we be implementing?

Click here for an interesting article “Islamic Law – Myths & Realities”

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-21T20:26:00.007+08:00

Christmas is around the corner. Every shopping complex is competing to out-do each other. Sungei Wang Plaza is no execption. Just some photos I shot while I was there last week.

Sg Wang Plaza entrance

Patrons waiting for the show to begin

Children performing Christmas Carols

Reflexology

2008-12-21T19:53:00.010+08:00

One evening last week, I received a call from a friend. She asked me what I was doing. When I said that I was in Bukit Bintang getting a foot massage, she remarked, "Urut kaki saja tau." It may have been a joke, but it actually is reflective of most of us, we assume many things based on our past experience - actual or hear-say.

Pants leg rolled up waiting for my reflexologist

Hassan preparing himself
My torture begins

Hassan posing in-front of his shop

It's actually in Sg Wang Plaza

Price tag for Reflexology services

Contact Hassan at 019-329 0548 for an appointment

Laughter, they say, is the best medicine

2008-12-16T21:27:00.003+08:00

A nerd was walking on campus one day when his friend, another nerd, rode up on an incredible shiny new bicycle.
The first nerd was stunned and asked... "Where did you get such a nice bike?"

The second nerd replied.... "Well, yesterday I was walking along minding my own business when a beautiful woman rode up to me on this bike.

She threw the bike to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want!'"

The second nerd nodded approvingly.... "Good choice, the clothes probably wouldn't have fit."

Never Lie to a Woman

2008-12-15T20:03:00.004+08:00

I’ve heard this one quite a while back, but when I received it in my email today I just had to share it.

A man called home to his wife and said, 'Honey I have been asked to go fishing up in Canada with my boss & several of his friends. We'll be gone for a week. This is a good opportunity for me to get that promotion I've been wanting, so could you please pack enough clothes for a week and set out my rod and fishing box, we're leaving from the office and I will swing by the house to pick my things up. And Oh! Please pack my new blue silk pajamas.'

The wife thinks this sounds a bit fishy but being the good wife she is, did exactly what her husband asked.

The following Weekend he came home a little tired but otherwise looking good.

The wife welcomed him home and asked if he caught many fish?

He said, 'Yes! Lots of salmon, some bluegill, and a few swordfish. But why didn't you pack my new blue silk pajamas like I asked you to do?'

The wife replied,
>
>
>
>
>
'I did. They're in your fishing box ...'

Moral of the story:
Never Lie To A Woman... especially if she happens to by your wife!!!

An SMS Warning or wachamaycallit

2008-12-14T08:38:00.001+08:00

I received an sms from an unknown sender – unknown in that the name is not in my phonebook. Normally I would have replied with a, “u r?” but this was the kind of message I usually ignore and click on ‘delete’ which I did.

However, I received a second sms, most probably from the same person, with the added ‘instructions’ that I should forward it to all my ‘Muslim’ friends and acquaintances.

I was about to delete it when I thought that I should put down my thoughts in this blog. Sms’s, to me, are short messages but this was rather long. The text of the sms was as follows:

Skrg krstian sdg aktf d Srmbn n Slngor n kian pesat ke negeri lain. Seramai 1900 org pdri Mlayu yg baru tiba dr Sgpore telah berada d sini…………….…Air tsbut tlh dcampur dgn holy water……Air ni blh m’ngkbtkn lidah keras@kelu utk mnybut klimah Allah.

Roughly translated it goes like this:

Now Christians are active in Seremban and Selangor and gaining momentum in other states. 1,900 Malay priests have arrived from Singapore and are here.…( here it warns against drinking certain brands of mineral water as) the water is mixed with holy water…This water will make one tongue tied and unable to pronounce the name of Allah.

I found this quite hilarious.

I think everyone knows that in Malaysia it’s against the law to try to convert Muslims out of Islam. So if the originator has any information of such activity, he/she should report it to the relevant authorities.

Then the sender, if he/she has not verified (or at least try to verify) the authenticity of the message, is guilty of spreading falsehood – and that’s not a small sin based on my understanding of Islam.

The sender is also telling me that my faith (Iman) is weak. Maybe so, but shouldn’t the originator/sender be actively promoting activities involved in strengthening my faith rather than just make our already rich Telcos richer.

We then have Malay priests coming from Singapore. The Malaysian constitution is clear that to be called a Malay, one must profess Islam as his/her religion. It would be different if the sms said ‘Malay speaking’ priests, but then aren’t many of the Christian priests and ministers already in Malaysia able to converse in Malay. This is a necessity as the first language for most of us is Malay even for those of different ethnic origins.

What is ‘holy water’? My Christian friend tells me that this is plain water which has some drops of olive oil sprinkled on it and prayers are recited over it by the priest by way of blessings. And if this water is able to be specific in its targeting (only making its drinkers tongue tied in pronouncing the name of Allah and the Shahadah - Attestation of Faith), all the intelligence agencies of the world should be real interested in learning its secret.

On a somber note however, we see so many misguided ‘Muslim’ and other youth loitering the streets and complexes in our towns and cities. If we as Muslims don’t guide them and show them the way, then there surely are others who are more than willing to do so.

Universal Language

2008-12-13T12:32:00.005+08:00

During one of the breaks at the last BSE (Excellerated Business School for Entrepreneurs held at Holiday Villa, Subang Jaya from November 29 till December 7, 2008) I happened to be alone with Dr. Tony Zhang.

Just to introduce Dr. Tony, he is a practicing chiropractor from China and is recently married to Ms Wendy Tan, CEO of Globe Engineering.

I tried to have some small talk with him, but he made it known that he could only converse in Chinese. Luckily for me, Danic was nearby and I roped him in to be our interpreter.

One of the questions I asked the good doctor was how he handled non-Chinese speaking patients or for that matter if he had any.

His answer was that he understood the word ‘sakit’ (Malay for pain) and as long as the patient could tell him where it hurt, he had no problems diagnosing and treating them.

Well what do you know, pain IS a universal language.

Photo above: Dr. Tony treating Reza, and I didn’t hear Reza saying ‘sakit’, he just groaned.

If you need the services of the good doctor, who by the way also does acupuncture, he is available at:
Kiara Kenangan Sdn Bhd
149-1, 3 ½ Mile Old Klang Road
58000 Kuala Lumpur
Mobile No: 016-236 0253

First Reading of 2 Bills

2008-12-11T11:38:00.002+08:00

Today, the newspaper headlines are about the tabling of two bills - the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Bill 2008 to replace the Anti-Corruption Act 1997 and, the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2008 to set up an independent judicial body to manage the appointment of judges of the Federal Court, Appellate Court and High Court, as well as the appointment of the Chief Justice.

The Star reports that “Abdullah expressed hope that the level of confidence on the Anti-Corruption Agency and judiciary among the people would rise once the Bills were passed”.

The PM’s statement reminds me of the recent reports that the Police will appoint an independent consultant to show that Malaysia is a safer than places like Japan.

Perception is a funny thing. People will believe and continue to believe whatever they want. What they perceive Is. To them that is fact.

As an example, let’s say that the number of crimes reported last year was 80, reduced from that which was reported the previous year which was 100. Then this year there were only 10 crimes reported. Based on that, we are now living in safer times. I should feel safe, right?

But wait a moment, the 100 and 80 cases reported happened somewhere I don’t know – to me its just some statistics. Of the 10 cases this year, 5 happened in or near my neighborhood. 2 to people I know.

Do I feel safe? Or do I feel more threatened now?

So coming back to the PM’s statement, will just the passage of these two bills increase the level of confidence in the ACA and Judiciary, especially since he also is reported to have added, “The Government met many parties, collected viewpoints and suggestions and came up with a compromise and approaches that could be accepted by all.”

On the lighter side...

2008-12-05T10:18:00.003+08:00

My niece sent me this email and I wanted to share it.

A new priest at his first mass was so nervous he could hardly speak. After mass he asked the monsignor how he had done.

The monsignor replied, 'When I am worried about getting nervous On the pulpit, I put a glass of vodka next to the water glass. If I start to get nervous, I take a sip.'

So next Sunday he took the monsignor's advice.

At the beginning of the sermon, he got nervous and took a drink.

He proceeded to talk up a storm.

Upon his return to his office after the mass, he found the following note on the door:

Sip the vodka, 'don't gulp'.
There are 10 commandments, not 12.
There are 12 disciples, not 10.
Jesus was consecrated, not constipated.
Jacob wagered his donkey, he did not bet his ass.
We do not refer to Jesus Christ as the late J.C.
The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not referred to as Daddy, Junior and the spook.
David slew Goliath, he did not kick the sh*t out of him.
When David was hit by a rock and was knocked off his donkey, don't say he was stoned off his ass.
We do not refer to the cross as the 'Big T.'
When Jesus broke the bread at the last supper he said, 'take this and eat it for it is my body.' He did not say ' Eat me'.
The recommended grace before a meal is not: Rub-A-Dub-Dub thanks for the grub, Yeah God.
Next Sunday there will be a taffy pulling contest at St. Peter's not a peter pulling contest at St. Taffy's.

(*-^)

Inspiration for today!

2008-12-04T15:10:00.004+08:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others"
- Marianne Williamson

Breakfast at McDonald's - a good read

2008-12-01T06:52:00.007+08:00

I do receive a lot of chain mail in my inbox. I consider chain mails as spam and often click on the ‘delete’ button. Every once in a while, I receive something I think is worth sharing. This story is one of them.

You don’t have to send it to x number of people though, that stops right here. But feel free to share.

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree.

The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.

Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.' The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.

I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So I thought this would be a piece of cake.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.

I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.

As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.

The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.

I held my tears as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted.

He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.

I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.'

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son.

When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.'

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.

We are not church goers, but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.

I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it.

Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?'

I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.

In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

To handle yourself, use your head.

To handle others, use your heart.

God Gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest.

Fatwa on Yoga

2008-11-30T11:12:00.004+08:00

I received an sms asking about my take on the fatwa (Islamic Religious Edict) regarding yoga.

I’m sure no authority on Islam, but I’m a ‘practicing’ Muslim and have read a little about Hinduism. I suppose that this qualifies me to throw in my '2 sen' worth.

Issuing a fatwa is a great responsibility. In Islamic history, many a leading scholar has chosen to spend time in prison rather then issue a fatwa. So when someone or a group issues a fatwa, they must have considered it in great depth before deciding on it.

In my understanding of Hinduism, God is not only the immanent cause, but also the material cause of creation. (To explain this concept of immanent and material cause, lets take the example of a clay pot. The potter is the immanent cause of the pot, as he/she is the maker. The clay is the material cause as the pot is made out of clay.)

To put it another way, God created creation using Himself as the material from which creation originates i.e. everything is God.

Therefore, when a Hindu greets another by putting both his/her palms together, he/she is actually saying, “I worship you.”

Now to yoga - they say that it’s all right, as long as there are no chants or mantras involved.

From a Muslim viewpoint, invoking any other than Allah amounts to shrik (associating others with Allah) and is THE gravest of sins in Islam. Some even say that reciting specific verses of the Quran (i.e. when used just like a mantra) to obtain specific results may amount to shrik, if it does not have the sanction of Hadith or Sunnah (i.e. the teachings and practices of the holy prophet - peace and blessing be upon him.)

A Muslim going for yoga, does not normally involve himself/herself in chants and mantras. He/She only follows the exercise routines, so where’s the problem?

Yoga has been developed over the centuries by yogis to purify themselves and to achieve union with God. The movements, postures, breathing techniques and everything else associated with yoga are to serve this objective.

If there is one similarity between Islam and Hinduism, it’s that both do not distinguish between what is sacred and what is secular.

How does one distinguish between the religious (sacred) aspect of yoga and the ‘just exercise’ (secular) aspect of it?

Me? I prefer walking.

Indonesian Election

2008-11-30T11:03:00.007+08:00

I was shopping in the Chow Kit area, when I saw what looked like a political party’s campaign office. Well it was a campaign office, just not belonging to one of our party’s, but an Indonesian one.

When I asked, the election is scheduled for April 2009 and with a sizable Indonesian population here, campaigning is already on-going.

Indonesia is a republic with a presidential system and power is concentrated in the national government.

The president of Indonesia is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the director of domestic governance, policy-making, and foreign affairs. The president appoints a council of ministers, who are not required to be elected members of the legislature.

The highest representative body at national level is the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR). Its main functions are supporting and amending the constitution, inaugurating the president, and formalizing broad outlines of state policy. It has the power to impeach the president.

The MPR comprises two houses; the People’s Representative Council (DPR), with 550 members, and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), with 128 members.

The DPR passes legislation and monitors the executive branch; party-aligned members are elected for five-year terms by proportional representation.

The DPD is a new chamber for matters of regional management.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Interesting Snippet

2008-11-28T07:42:00.007+08:00

When George Washington took command of the US Continental Army the flag he used was that of the East India Company. By coincidence the flag had 13 red and white stripes. As the blue rectangle in the left corner consisted of the British Union Jack, GW replaced it with 13 five pointed white stars.

While the British lost the 1776 war, the East India Company's owners (who constituted the real power behind the British government) not only did not lose, but moved right into the new USA economy.

Interesting. Get rid of the British, but hold on to the emblem of British power.

(Source : CRITICAL PATH by R. Buckminster Fuller)

An inspring story

2008-11-27T13:10:00.015+08:00

(email received from a friend)

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: 'I am blind, please help.' There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.

The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, 'Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?'

The man said, 'I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.'

What he had written was: 'Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.'

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. Invite others towards good with wisdom.

Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets.

When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile.

Face your past without regret.
Handle your present with confidence.
Prepare for the future without fear.

Keep the faith and drop the fear.

Great men say, 'Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness. In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear, you must have the ticket of a good conscience.'

The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling!!

And even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it!

Stunning senior moment

2008-11-26T16:41:00.004+08:00

(forwarded to my email by a M&Y graduate)

A self-important college freshman attending a recent football game took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen sitting next to him why it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation.

“You grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one”, the student said, loud enough for many of those nearby to hear.

“The young people of today grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon. Our space probes have visited Mars. We have nuclear energy, ships and electric and hydrogen cars, cell phones, computers with light-speed processing and more.”

After a brief silence, the senior citizen responded as follows: “You’re right, son. We didn’t have those things when we were young. ….so we invented them. Now, you arrogant little s**t, what are you doing for the next generation?”

The applause was amazing ……….

Cracker Chicken Puff - the recipe

2008-11-26T12:39:00.012+08:00

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, cubed fine
1 carrot, cubed fine
chicken fillet, cubed fine
milk (fresh, full cream, low fat – your preference) about 1 cup

shallot (grind in blender) about 4 table spoons
garlic (grind in blender) about 2 table spoons
white pepper power (according to taste)
salt (according to taste)
corn flour (as jelling agent)

oil for cooking and for deep frying

cream cracker biscuits

(Any brand will do, but I prefer Jacobs.)
eggs for coating the crackers before frying

Note of warning – I cook for fun. Measurements are not scientific. Use your own judgement.

To cube the potatoes, carrot and chicken, first cut into matchstick size strips. (For the benefit of the high – C’s, I’m referring to the ‘flying man’ brand matches.) Then cube them, i.e. really small cubes.

First heat oil in wok and deep fry the potatoes until it turns light brown. Remove and place on kitchen rolls to blot excess oil. The potato needs to be fried so that the filling remains good longer.

Leave a little oil in the wok and fry shallot and garlic paste until fragrant. Add the carrots and fry till soft. Add the chicken. When chicken is cooked, add the fried potatoes. Pour in the milk and cook until it is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Mix the corn flour with a little milk and add to the wok. This is the gum that holds everything together.

While the mixture is still hot, scoop some on to a cream cracker biscuit.

Spread it and cover with another cracker. (The filling has to be hot for the crackers to stick.) Remove any excess filling that is sticking out between the crackers.

In a bowl, beat eggs. Mix some corn flour with a little milk and add to the beaten eggs.

Dip the prepared crackers in the egg barter and deep fry until it turns a golden brown. Remove and let it cool before cutting into triangles.

Serve.

Now don't forget to invite me!!

Halal / Haram

2008-11-25T08:49:00.009+08:00

The Holy Quran in Sura (Chapter) At-Taubah (Repentance) says:

“They (the Jews and Christians) have taken as lords beside Allah their rabbis and their monks …..” (9:31)

Once while Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was reciting this verse, Adi bin Hatim said, “O Allah’s Messenger! They do not worship them (i.e. the rabbis and monks).” Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) replied, “They certainly do. They (i.e. the rabbis and monks) made lawful (halal) things as unlawful (haram), and unlawful things as lawful, and they (the Jews and Christians) followed them; and by doing so, they really worshiped them.”

(Narrated by Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Jarir)

Cracker Chicken Puff

2008-11-24T17:13:00.009+08:00

a perfect tea-time snack

(recipe coming soon)

What is Islam?

2008-11-24T15:26:00.002+08:00

From a very young age, I’ve been taught about the Articles of Faith (Rukun Iman) and the Pillars of Islam (Rukun Islam). For me, that is the basis of my belief, and I reckon that makes me a Muslim. I have never been asked to explain myself and I have been happy in my ‘ignorance’.

That is until someone asked me the question, “What is Islam?”

Normally, I would have told him about the Pillars of Islam, and that would be that.

But this was someone who wanted to know about the essence of Islam. And I could feel that he was sincere in his quest of Truth.

I am what most would call a ‘practicing Muslim’. I know the attestation of faith – the syahadah. I pray the way I have been taught to pray. I fast during Ramadan. I give charity. I observe the korban (sacrifice). And I am registered to perform the Hajj in the next few years.

So it looks like I’m only a Muslim by the rituals that I observe, a ritualistic Muslim. Am I a Muslim in spirit too? In essence?

I think I can only answer my friend when I have answered this question to myself first.

I've arrived on blogsphere

2008-11-24T15:05:00.001+08:00

During one seminar I attended, I informed everybody present that I want to write a book. My friend, Danic, who was there with me, keeps reminding me of that.

Then you have FJ, another friend of mine (who says that I reminder him of a philosopher), who says that I should at least write and maintain a web log. The entries can be collected to form the basis of the book that I could write.

Then I remembered this profile that I created in ‘Blogger’ so long ago. I think its time I do some blogging, if for no other reason, it’ll at least keep Danic and FJ from hounding me.

So today you can say, “I’ve arrived.”