Friday, February 29, 2008

Firefly


I was watching an American TV Sci-Fi series called "Firefly" for the past few weeks. It is a terrific show and I must says that I am hooked to it. I even watched "The Making...", deleted scenes and every other bonus that they put into the set that I bought.

No, "Firefly" is not about the beetle that flies around flashing their "light" on their butt. Rather, it is about a group of people that got together in a Firefly-classed spaceship called Serenity and how they continue with their lives when they are met with certain scenario in every episode. Oh yes... the design of the spaceship somehow resemble a firefly too.

If you want to know more about this series, read it here.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Seeing a Dentist

I went to see a dentist yesterday and I finally understand why so many people are afraid to go and see a dentist.

The thought of your teeth being DRILLED is very scary and going through the DRILLING itself can really freak even the strongest man on Earth. I don't believe that there would be a man on Earth that would not be afraid of going to see a dentist. I bet even a dentist is afraid to go and see a dentist.

Having toothache as I have mentioned yesterday, I went to this dentistry recommended by my colleague. The place is not really new and should be at least as old as me.


The drilling is not that painful as the dentist has already used some local anesthetic on the gum, making me feel that part of my mouth "bengkak", if you know what I mean...

Before using a permanent amalgam on my teeth, he put some medicine to counter some bacteria and covering it up with some temporary amalgam that feels like cement...

After half an hour of work on me, the dentist finally release me from his chair but not before fixing another appointment with me in three weeks time.

Will try to keep my finger crossed. Hope that nothing will happen to my teeth...

But then again, if you dont want to go through the freaking experience, take care of your teeth. Brush it every morning and night and if can, use Listerine for the extra protection...

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Toothache

I am having toothache!!!!

Bad experience with a shop

As many of you may know, I work in a place known as Little India in Klang. By hanging out with a group of Chinese friends for lunch, you will understand that I have limited choice of shop for lunch.

What I am trying to share here is the experience I have with this particular shop call "Wah Yun". It does not matter whether I am the first one or the last one to order my lunch as in the end, it would always be me that would be last to be served.

I had enough of this shop and I promised myself that I would not go there fo lunch anymore...

Money does grow on tree

Many people will agree that money does not grow on tree. But I can no longer agree with it. I believe that money does grow on tree.

Take for example, the crude palm oil (CPO) that was extracted from oil palm tree was selling at about RM700 per metric tonne (PMT) at the lowest point of the commodity market, yet the plantation is able to break-even or even make a little profit out of it.

As of yesterday, CPO is selling at RM3850 PMT and many believes that it would soon reach the RM4000 level. Surely you can say that the cost to produce CPO is increasing but then again, the maximum cost is about RM1000 to produce each metric tonne of CPO. So, a handsome profit of RM2500 and above is not very hard to achieve. Furthermore, seller are selling of at least 22MT each time so...

Who says that money does not grow on tree

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Windows Crashed

Suddenly, I realize how much I am dependent on the PC and internet connection that my company is providing me. Yesterday, when that PC crashed and go AWOL, I become frustrated but did not do anything stupid. I am using a colleague's PC right now and hopefully, my PC will come back on Monday as promised by the IT guy.
Until then, I shall keep my finger crossed.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Chap Goh Mei

What will you be throwing into the sea tonight?

In case you don't know, today is the 15th Day of the Chinese New Year and today is call Chap Goh Mei.

It is also the Chinese Valentine's Day. The different between the Chinese Valentine's Day and Western Valentine's Day is that in the Western Valentine's Day, only couples would be celebrating but all the singles will be "ignored" whereas in the Chinese Valentine's Day, everyone will celebrate.

How?

The couples will celebrate as usual but they singles will have a special way of celebrating it. In the old times, singles will gather a places near the sea and throw different things into the sea that symbolize different meaning...

Belows are a few that I came across and if you have any other, please feel free to share it here.

Kam (Mandarin Orange) for Ho Ang (Good Husband)
Ping Kor (Apple) for Ho Bor (Good Wife)
King Chio (Banana) for Tio Beh Pio (Win Lottery)
Chio Tau (Stone) for Ang Mo Lau (Bungalow)
Ang Moh Tan (Rambutan) for Ang Moh Boh (Western wife)

So, which one will you be throwing tonight?

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Lion Dance @ Wisma Southern

As I have mentioned in my previous post, Southern Group, for the first time, invited a lion dance troops to celebrate the Chinese New Year in the company last Saturday. Here are some pictures of them in action outside Wisma Southern...




Monday, February 18, 2008

CNY Celebration in Southern Group and House Hopping...

Saturday and Sunday have been a hectic day for me. Not only the sport club (of which I am part of the committee member) of the company I am attached to is have the CNY celebration, I joined the youth group from KCBA in their quest for house-hopping for both days.

For the first time in history, Southern Group actually asked a group of Lion Dance performers from Hin Hua Private School to further enhance the luck of the company. After the performance, the day was followed by "Lou Hei" and lunch...

After the company's event, I joined the youth group for some house-hopping. The last house of the day was my house before sending them back home.

The day before, I did promised Lay Yee that I would try to drop by at her place as her friends was going to her place for some games... If you are reading this, I would have to say sorry I didn't managed to make it due to some unforeseen circumstances.

Sunday itself started at 9.30 am where everyone from Klang meet at Klang Parade. Our target area of the day is Subang and USJ and the journey there went on without any problem.

We picked up Benjamin from Summit USJ before going to Ee Ping's house. As we have known earlier, the Youth Group from SJBA would be going around doing what they call "carolling" for the CNY... they have 2 buses going around the area to do this... Did have fun there, listening to those CNY's carols... After they left the place, Ee Ping's hand become itcy and she become the banker for some games of Blackjack. During the game, I got lucky a few times and managed to win abit of cash to cover my tolls and parking. Apart from Ee Ping's house, we visited Mandy's house and Benjamin's house. As Benjamin is living very near to Sunway Pyramid, everyone agreed to go there to kill some time before going home.

It has been a very long while since the last time I went to Pyramid and I would say that the place surely has changed with the newly addition of Pyramid 2...

Will try to post some pictures here tomorrow...

Friday, February 15, 2008

Single Exposure

In case you have not realize, I have setup a new blog, Single Exposure, to feature my collection of photographs taken since the day I got my first digital camera, Fujifilm FinePix S5100.

I will update this photoblog very regularly and I sincerely hope that you will enjoy my collection.

The first batch of photographs would be familiar to you as I have already feature it here but more would be coming soon. Cheers...

Thursday, February 14, 2008

FGS Dong Zen 2008

I went to FGS Dong Zen yesterday after work just to satisfy my hunger to take photographs...

I choose yesterday because I believe that there won't be too many people there, yet, the turnout is still more than I expected. Luck is on my side though as I managed to get a few nice shots that I really like and some of the standard photos of the main attraction.

I even learn more about Buddhism... Yes, I learned more about the 4 main pilgrimage sites for Buddhist, Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar. While I already know about Lumbini, I was quite ignorant about the other three, even though I believe that my Kalyana Mitra already know it and mentioned to me tonnes of times before...

Here are the four site with a brief intro if you don't know yet

Lumbini - The place where Siddhartha Gautama was borned.
Bodhgaya - The place where Gautama Buddha gain Enlightenment.
Sarnath - The place where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dhamma.
Kushinagar - The place where Gautama Buddha entered Parinirvana.

(Kalyana mitras, correct me if I am wrong...)

The other attraction for this year would be the Giant Lantern with a beautiful garden of flowers...

Here are some of the pictures taken from my visits to FGS Dong Zen this Chinese New Year:

Buddha Image @ FGS Dong Zen Main Shrine Hall 2008

Close Up Buddha Image @ FGS Dong Zen Main Shrine Hall 2008

Buddhas @ FGS Dong Zen Main Shrine Hall 2008

Five Lotus @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

Minority Flowers @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

All Buddhas @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

Island @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

Island on Pond @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

Koi Fishes @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

Lanters @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

Palm Tree @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

Buddha Lantern @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

More Lanterns @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

Giant Lantern @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

Bodhgaya 01 @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

Bodhgaya 02 @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

Bodhgaya 03 @ FGS Dong Zen 2008

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Election Fever is HERE!!!

The Parliment of Malaysia has been dissolved. The election fever is on.

If you want the government to do anything for you, better start asking now... This is when they are most efficient and be prepare for super good service from them.

Also this is the time when you are going to see all these never-seen-for-the-past-five-years politicians coming out to greet you...

Who are you going to vote for???

Sweeney Todd

I went to watch "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" yesterday with my cousin and her friends...

Maybe I was disturbed by one of Tim Burton's (the director) previous movie, The Corpse Bride, but that does not stop me from going as I like Johnny Depp's acting. Going into the cinema, I was completely ignorant about what the movie is all about except that it is about a barber who kill.

I was expecting Sweeney Todd to kill using a pair of scissors but throughout the movie, I can't even see a pair of scissors anywhere... All Sweeney do is to give shave using his straight-razor where he use it to cut his unexpected victim's throat when they come into his shop for a shave...

Sweeney Todd is assisted by a lady called Mrs Lovett by butchering the bodies and baking it into meat pie. Yes, you are thinking what I am thinking, "Yan Yok Char Siew Pie" (Human Meat Pie).

The ending of the movie is really a tragic one... In the end, Sweeney killed his beloved wife that he thought was dead but not before getting his revenge on those who framed him years ago, and his throat being cut by Toby, the boy whom he and Mrs Lovett saved earlier.

What is really funny about the movie is the fact that Sweeney Todd can kill his victim by a slice through the throat as though he was a wuxia warrior that has high level of kungfu and inner strength, even though he is just holding a normal size razor... Well, I guess that the director is trying to tell that the razor that he is using is very sharp.

Another thing that I find a little bit too much is the blood flowing out from the throat of the victims... It flows way too much, making it unrealistic and funny but gross...

As the movie is actually a musical, it has alot of singing inside and even though I am not a fan of musical movie before this, I found that the lyrics are amusing and there is alot of dry jokes in it.

Enjoyable but after the movie, I decided to stop eating pie for a while and reduce my consumption of chilli sauce or ketchups...

Monday, February 11, 2008

Fatt Choy @ CNY

Gambling is another thing that is synonym with CNY... Like it or not, it is part of the celebration, even though one can choose to participate or not in the activities...

What I have observed during my this and all the previous CNY, I came to realize that there are a few taboos for a person while he is gambling... I will list the two that I know and if you have other taboo, please add in for me.

Taboo #1:
Counting how much you have won in the middle of the game. I can tell you this from my previous experience cause I have it myself... once I count the money, I would start losing money. But if I don't count, I will win more than losing...

Taboo #2:
Getting call on the phone. Again, I am talking from my experience. There was once that I become the banker during one of the house-visiting a few years back (we were playing 10 to 50 cent per game of Black Jack)... Initially winning alot already but I was interrupted by a phone call. In a matter of minutes, I lost all the money that I was winning. When I rebuild my profit, another phone call came in and again, I lost all the money that I have accumulated... Luckily, I managed to get abit of profit out of it again and the only thing that I need to do is to switch off my handphone...

Yu Sang

Since we are still in the first fifteen day of CNY, I might as well talk abit about something that is synonym with it.

Yu Sang, literally means "raw fish" which also symbolise abundance, prosperity and vigor, was invented in southern Chinese coastal areas during the Song Dynasty but the popularity of it only started in the 1950s by the Chinese communities of Malaysia and Singapore.

Families and friends will gather around the table and, on cue, proceeding to toss the shredded ingredients into the air with chopsticks while saying auspicious wishes out loud to mark the start of a prosperous new year.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Happy Chinese New Year 2008

Ushering into a new Chinese New Year!

Gong Xi Fa Chai!

May you be well and happy for the new year and beyond!!!

Monday, February 04, 2008

Recent Development

I have recently made a very big contribution to the place I have called home for more than 27 years...

If you frequented my place, you will notice the difference...

Here is a glimpse of WHAT I did for it...

Before...

After...

Friday, February 01, 2008

CIMB

Just found out about this a while ago:

CIMB - Chinese Indian Malay Bank...

In case you already know, please don't mind me...