I came across this article on TheStar dated 8th June 2010 - Lifestyle Section; taken from McClatchy- Tribune Information Services. Found it very useful as a check list for myself. In the advent of this new age, where rates of marriage and divorces are on the rise, perhaps we should take a step back and think before getting onto a straight "YES". And 5 months down the road, realise that you can no longer stand the smallest details such as BO or lateness or his pets! And this was you = 5 months earlier going all puppy-doll-eyed at his lil' chihuahua.
Women are more liberalised at this age and time, with the freedom of speech, and doing what they will. Imagine having had your way all your life and suddenly there is this one man who walks in, sweeps you off your feet and before he had put you on the ground, it is already too late to realise the blunder you have made. It's good and well if you were not all that blinded during the courtship period but when reality sinks in and you are not too happy about the outcome of it then your life is at stake.
Anyhow do read on and you might find it useful if you've missed out the news article... It is not the entire article but excerpts from it.
1. Have I observed this person in many situations over an extended period of time?
(from the paper) For the trust-wary, there is no substitute for time. you have to see someone in many different situations over a long period of time before you know what kind of stuff they're made of. Let a new love interest know you need a lot of time to get to know who they are and who you are together before you are ready to commit. The right person will appreciate where you come from and won't push you.
(from me) The journey together as a couple shouldn't just consist of happy and joyous moments but a bulk of it has to be stressful, pain-staking with loads of arguments and disagreements. I believe that arguments are good in a way to iron out issues. I always believed that dust swept under the carpet doesn't disappear into thin air.. It remains until the carpet is lifted up one day. So, the best is to sweep it away while you're at it.
2. Is this person available for family events and holidays?
(from the paper) If not they may already have a family they're not telling you about.
(from me) In my case, I find it hard to make any social plans which include my other half as his weekends are usually packed with classes which usually stretch till late at night, However, when there are the occasional, important events, if and whenever he can he makes it a point to turn up. Holidays are to be planned way ahead prior to the date so adjustments can be made. And when he is flexible to allow room for these adjustments, it reassures you that he is responsible and serious enough to make room for family time.
3. Do they frequently work late/ weekends / take business trips?
(from the paper) Hmmm... perhaps you should find out where they're going and what they're doing.
(from me) Well, we share almost every detail of our daily life with each other at the end of each day and if we really can't talk over the phone due to travel reasons or whatever, we will make it a point to sit through a long detailed gossip session to tell all about the week that has passed or events that transpired. Transparency helps.
4. Do they tell you the important stuff right up front or do you find yourself being blindsided by deal-breakers?
(from the paper) Telling the whole truth, whether it's about sex or health or money problems builds trust.
(from me) Totally agree. Being "best-friends" helps the process as you would naturally confide in your bestfriend in every thing you do, right? That's how we have become. Important stuff, not-so-important details, the whole lot of information is shared. I was listening to a talk on the local radio station this morning about a colleague who gossipped about her co-workers to their boss. And the question was on how and what she can do to make ammends. A caller made a good point = not everyone can take the entire truth. Sometimes if you have to tell 5 facts or truths, tell the whole 3 and tell the rest 2 diplomatically. Which dampens the effect in a way.
5. Are they sincere or do they placate you by telling you what they think you want to hear?
(In the paper) While this tip is closely related to tip 4, it's more about how they operate in the present than whether they've messed up in the past. Learning to ask for what you want and need right now, rather than merely parrot back what you think the other person wants you to want and need, allows you to be transparent in a relationship.
(From me) I firmly believe that transparency is utmost crucial in a relationship. Crucial being the word i've chosen to use due to the weight of the consequences should this rule be broken.
As someone with a history of other bad-apples-experience, I have always felt inadequate and had the need to tell him all about it so he knows it from the start. But the other half thinks otherwise, I love you in the NOW not your PAST. It took me awhile to comprehend this statement. I've learnt to live by it now. By being the best you can be in the present, leaving behind your past and truly doing it, not merely saying that you will. This further builds your firm relationship foundation
6. Are they reliable?
(from the paper) Do they call/ arrive when they say they will? if they say they're going to do something, do they actually do it? This shows respect and consideration for other people. Reliability is important and is very very sexy.
( From me) - totally agree. If anything, I should be the one guilty of non-reliability. Being someone with a high sense of discipline and keeping time, I am the total opposite.
7. Do they share their emotions?
(from the paper) If so, they;re comfortable in their own skin. A good sign they have nothing to hide.
(from me) Not too sure if we can expect much of this from the men in our lives. Being Asian makes it even more hard as Asians are generally not very verbal with their feelings or emotions.
8. Do they remain rational?
(from the paper) No ranting, raving, yelling or screaming, please. Such out-of-control behavious is a smokescreen and what's behind that smoke-screen isn't something you want in your life.
(from me) - Rising to the occasion is definitely a very sexy thing, I feel. Women might want to be in control of everything they can have their say in but deep down inside, at some down point or another, we do want to take a back seat and let someone else drive. In any crazy-hectic-demanding situation, when I am out of control, I need someone to cool me down so another negative charge will definitely be bad news to me.
9. Do they think in terms of "me" or "we"?
(from the paper) In the world of the narcissist, everything is about "me" and that leaves no place for "you" or "we". You want someone who is over themselves. Look for someone who can focus on, care about and make choices based on the well being of other people while at the same time, honoring their own needs.
(from me) Very true, the last thing you need is a mirror or bathroom hogger. Genuine concern will go a long way especially when it comes to golden years.
10. Are they willing to earn your trust?
(from the paper) New relationships are wonderful opportunities to find love - don't hold them captive to the sadness of the past. At the same time, once you decide you're willing to consider trusting someone, remember: he/she has to be willing to earn your trust
(From me) Transparency leading to trust as a basic element is definitely important.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Eco-Challenge part 5 - The journey continues
Ferry was to take off at about 5pm. Our briefing was between 5pm till 7pm the same evening. We still had about 30 minutes before our ferry takes off. We walked into the waiting area to wait for our ferry. We paid RM5 per person for the island wildlife conservation fund. This fund is supposed to manage the wellbeing of the island, keeping people away from poachers and illegal fishing. However, from what we hear of from the few locals we met, nothing much has been done for the past few years to preserve the island. In fact, it has become quite dirty on the contrary over the past few years. We witnessed this ourselves while on our ferry trip as there were plastic water bottles floating around.
Whilst at her office, our agent explained to us that we will need to charter a water taxi to commute to the berjaya resort on Saturday as there is no land transfer there. The thought of a water taxi was fun minus the cost! Its cost ranges between RM30 to RM5o each trip!! What a rip off I thought.
Not an option to skip though, as we have already booked our accomodation at Paya and we need to be at Berjaya by 8am the following morning. We agreed to talk to the boatmen once we reach Paya we thought. While waiting for our ferry, another thought struck my mind. Our drop off point was Paya which is stop #3 and Berjaya is stop #4. If we continued on we will be doing a pit stop at 3 to drop our bags off, get a water taxi for stop 4 and once briefing is done, head back to stop 3! Thats an additional RM80 per person in one single night on water taxi alone!
Too much a rip off I thought and we checked with Ms Lim (agent) if we can get off at Berjaya with our luggages, go for the briefing and then check in at Paya once we were done. She said that is fine and advised us that the taxi rates might be more expensive for travel at night. We took that into account & got off at Berjaya stop. Once there, we asked one of the boatmen for a water taxi and thankfully a boy lead us to his brother who ran the water taxis there. He even offered to send us to the school for our briefing while he contacted his brother.
We took his offer, landed at the school, midway through the briefing and listened out to as much as we could. We were faced with a moment of decision again. After registering, we enquired about the timing to be there the next morning and possibility of having any accomodation at Berjaya for one night alone. We were put into contact with the liaison person for the race who called some of his contacts to check on the availability of rooms. Unfortunately there were no rooms available on such short notice and he advised us to find any other motel rooms on the berjaya side itself for convenience the next morning.
We toyed with the idea and thought about it for a while. At the end, we decided to go back to Paya and take a water taxi back the next morning. When we told him our decision to stay put with our original plan, he was kind enough to even offer us to bunk in with the organizers at the Berjaya if we changed our minds as he was very concerned on the travel time and safety at that hour. Given that the accomodation in Paya is already paid and we have already fixed all plans at that time, changing or looking for a last minute bunk-in place didn't sound viable. We told him that and thanked him for his help, agreed to meet him again the next day for the race.
Whilst at her office, our agent explained to us that we will need to charter a water taxi to commute to the berjaya resort on Saturday as there is no land transfer there. The thought of a water taxi was fun minus the cost! Its cost ranges between RM30 to RM5o each trip!! What a rip off I thought.
Not an option to skip though, as we have already booked our accomodation at Paya and we need to be at Berjaya by 8am the following morning. We agreed to talk to the boatmen once we reach Paya we thought. While waiting for our ferry, another thought struck my mind. Our drop off point was Paya which is stop #3 and Berjaya is stop #4. If we continued on we will be doing a pit stop at 3 to drop our bags off, get a water taxi for stop 4 and once briefing is done, head back to stop 3! Thats an additional RM80 per person in one single night on water taxi alone!
Too much a rip off I thought and we checked with Ms Lim (agent) if we can get off at Berjaya with our luggages, go for the briefing and then check in at Paya once we were done. She said that is fine and advised us that the taxi rates might be more expensive for travel at night. We took that into account & got off at Berjaya stop. Once there, we asked one of the boatmen for a water taxi and thankfully a boy lead us to his brother who ran the water taxis there. He even offered to send us to the school for our briefing while he contacted his brother.
We took his offer, landed at the school, midway through the briefing and listened out to as much as we could. We were faced with a moment of decision again. After registering, we enquired about the timing to be there the next morning and possibility of having any accomodation at Berjaya for one night alone. We were put into contact with the liaison person for the race who called some of his contacts to check on the availability of rooms. Unfortunately there were no rooms available on such short notice and he advised us to find any other motel rooms on the berjaya side itself for convenience the next morning.
We toyed with the idea and thought about it for a while. At the end, we decided to go back to Paya and take a water taxi back the next morning. When we told him our decision to stay put with our original plan, he was kind enough to even offer us to bunk in with the organizers at the Berjaya if we changed our minds as he was very concerned on the travel time and safety at that hour. Given that the accomodation in Paya is already paid and we have already fixed all plans at that time, changing or looking for a last minute bunk-in place didn't sound viable. We told him that and thanked him for his help, agreed to meet him again the next day for the race.
Eco-Challenge part 4 - The journey in a nut shell
I left on Friday morning at 7am for my bus which was scheduled to leave at 9am. I've made my ticket purchase online and had my e-ticketing receipt as proof with me. Took an LRT to the Bukit Jalil LRT station and walked across the road from there to the temporary bus station. Stopped by at the kedai runcit on the way for 2 Snicker bars.
Upon arriving at the temporary ticketing counter, I found out that there was no electricity. It was already 8:45 and to my horror, electricity was still not up yet. At the counters, the agents were already issuing manual tickets to walk-in passengers. I went up to the counter and asked again and they just told me to proceed to my bus with my e-ticket proof and board the bus. Thankfully, there was a Transnational staff member who was standing next to me who asked me to follow him and he took me to the bus and asked his boss to acknowledge my ticket. The boss was even nicer to explain the situation, apologize and allowed me to board and told the bus driver to ensure that I have a seat on board with no issues.
I thanked God for their kindness and for not giving me any issues on the matter. Since I didn't have a proper seat number, I sat on the single seat at the back of the bus on alert to make way if anyone comes over to sit there. As i've guessed, a malay girl came to claim her seat with a proper ticket with the seat number on it. I quickly moved over to the 2-seats next to it. When the bus took off, the back row was only filled with 2 people and since no one came to claim my seat, I had both seats for myself. Excellent for leg space I thought and i slept all the way through the journey.
I was supposed to meet Sumi at the bus station at about 3pm and my bus arrived shortly after she arrived. Met her as planned at the Mersing bus station. Upon asking around, we found out that the jetty was about 500 metres away from the bus station and our ferry was leaving at about 4smtg. WIth ample of time in our hands, we decided to grab some food. We walked from the bus station to the main road, and came to a row of shop houses and restaurants and even a Public Bank! 
While Sumi went to withdraw money, I waited by the side of the bank with a few police officers who were in the lookout for some pick-pocket guy who escaped them.
What more security can one ask for?
The safest bet for food we could think of was KFC which was 2 doors away from the bank. It was about 38 degrees hot by this time so air-cond was a good option. We had some burger, fries and drinks at the fly-infested place but no further complaints as we didn't have any stomach problems after that & the toilets were also clean. Beware when walking up to the upper floor or the toilets as the steps are rather steep and narrow.
After recuperating from the extreme heat, we continued our journey and continued walking towards the jetty. We were supposed to meet the travel agent there as well. As we were reaching the jetty area, our agent spotted us and called out for Sumi. Good guess I thought. After a brief introduction, we proceeded to her office to collect our ferry tickets, accomodation tickets and settle outstanding payments.
Eco-Challenge: Part 3 - Confirmation
Over the weekend of 1st of May, Sumi & I were frantically searching for hotel bookings online and packages we can take. Countdown by now was - 6 days to race day!
We resorted to travel agencies & I ended up bumping into one contact online who offered us a package at an affordable price but was rather sticky on the fine details such as arranging for bus transportation and other logistics we enquired about. By now, Sumi, on the other hand also had the Paya beach resort hotel contacted and she found another contact who offered us the same package but were more flexible to changing details.
As her contact person was able to confirm the details on Monday, I held the booking I had initiallised with my contact and waited for SUmi to finalise her finding with the resort contact. On Monday, she came back with a better deal with the flexibility of giving up the snorkelling and packed lunch option which came together with the 3D 2N package. So we confirmed with the same lady who later turned out to be more helpful in so many ways and made our entire trip smooth and easy.
By then I've already booked my Transnational bus tickets to go to Mersing or else she would have been able to book the same for me. As a point to note, if you are considering Tioman as your holiday destination with no frills and a smooth ride, she is one person worth considering. From the booking of your bus tickets, up to the bus station in Mersing, she arranges for transit to the island via ferry, gives you valuable information on the island itself and most importantly friendly and conversant in English.
Why Paya Beach Resort?
Well, we knew tat the race was to flag off from the Berjaya Hills resort in Tioman. Of course accomodation at Berjaya itself was rather pricey for us so we looked for other alternatives. Paya Beach resort became our mutual choice for a number of reasons, namely
1) good reviews for me
2) decent toilets for sumi
3) affordable prices for both of us
The map shown online had land connection between Berjaya resort and the other neighbouring resorts in the island. Little did we know how this land connection was until we arrived at the island.
The adventure is about to begin..
We resorted to travel agencies & I ended up bumping into one contact online who offered us a package at an affordable price but was rather sticky on the fine details such as arranging for bus transportation and other logistics we enquired about. By now, Sumi, on the other hand also had the Paya beach resort hotel contacted and she found another contact who offered us the same package but were more flexible to changing details.
As her contact person was able to confirm the details on Monday, I held the booking I had initiallised with my contact and waited for SUmi to finalise her finding with the resort contact. On Monday, she came back with a better deal with the flexibility of giving up the snorkelling and packed lunch option which came together with the 3D 2N package. So we confirmed with the same lady who later turned out to be more helpful in so many ways and made our entire trip smooth and easy.
By then I've already booked my Transnational bus tickets to go to Mersing or else she would have been able to book the same for me. As a point to note, if you are considering Tioman as your holiday destination with no frills and a smooth ride, she is one person worth considering. From the booking of your bus tickets, up to the bus station in Mersing, she arranges for transit to the island via ferry, gives you valuable information on the island itself and most importantly friendly and conversant in English.
Why Paya Beach Resort?
Well, we knew tat the race was to flag off from the Berjaya Hills resort in Tioman. Of course accomodation at Berjaya itself was rather pricey for us so we looked for other alternatives. Paya Beach resort became our mutual choice for a number of reasons, namely
1) good reviews for me
2) decent toilets for sumi
3) affordable prices for both of us
The map shown online had land connection between Berjaya resort and the other neighbouring resorts in the island. Little did we know how this land connection was until we arrived at the island.
The adventure is about to begin..
Eco-Challenge part 2: The training
The training
Training for me was tough as I have been physically inactive for more than 5 months by now. The eco-challenge race which came around was a kick-start motivation for me. I was visiting my 2 gfs at Desa Kiara pool for a "float session" irregularly on Wednesdays so I converted those floating sessions to a jogging session instead at the Taman Tasik Perdana. So there I was on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays jogging and on the few Sundays we had, we hiked up to Frim and Mont Kiara Park.
Sumi left for Singapore on last week of April which left me to train alone on those days while she did her set of training back home.
Due to my lack of stamina, I pushed myself to an extreme out of fear.
Fear of being left behind during the race. I had to keep up as I knew that Sumi had the strength and long-lasting ability like that of a Duracell-battery.
When I first started, I could hardly mover 5 metres without stopping and grasping for breath.
During training, I was also not allowed to drink a drip of water until I finish the entire course around the lake. This helped me a good deal as I am usually as thirsty as a lark!
By the end of my 2nd week of running I could already complete half of the lake without stopping. This boosted my motivation further and I kept pushing myself to achieve more. My goal then was nothing else but to complete a full round about the lake without stopping at all.
Something new which I also began to experience was sweating and a faster heart beat. I experienced palpitation and I was excited with this new change. I checked with my GP on whether this can be of any danger to me and he told me there was nothing to be worried of unless I was fainting or felt nausea or anything to an extreme, out of the norm. Thankfully none of those happened to me and on the contrary, I was feeling healthier than ever! Training continued till day 0 - race day!
Training for me was tough as I have been physically inactive for more than 5 months by now. The eco-challenge race which came around was a kick-start motivation for me. I was visiting my 2 gfs at Desa Kiara pool for a "float session" irregularly on Wednesdays so I converted those floating sessions to a jogging session instead at the Taman Tasik Perdana. So there I was on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays jogging and on the few Sundays we had, we hiked up to Frim and Mont Kiara Park.
Sumi left for Singapore on last week of April which left me to train alone on those days while she did her set of training back home.
Due to my lack of stamina, I pushed myself to an extreme out of fear.
Fear of being left behind during the race. I had to keep up as I knew that Sumi had the strength and long-lasting ability like that of a Duracell-battery.
When I first started, I could hardly mover 5 metres without stopping and grasping for breath.
During training, I was also not allowed to drink a drip of water until I finish the entire course around the lake. This helped me a good deal as I am usually as thirsty as a lark!
By the end of my 2nd week of running I could already complete half of the lake without stopping. This boosted my motivation further and I kept pushing myself to achieve more. My goal then was nothing else but to complete a full round about the lake without stopping at all.
Something new which I also began to experience was sweating and a faster heart beat. I experienced palpitation and I was excited with this new change. I checked with my GP on whether this can be of any danger to me and he told me there was nothing to be worried of unless I was fainting or felt nausea or anything to an extreme, out of the norm. Thankfully none of those happened to me and on the contrary, I was feeling healthier than ever! Training continued till day 0 - race day!
Eco-Challenge
Date: 16th of April 2010
As usual I was early in the office and was waiting for someone to open the door. While waiting, I flipped through the morning papers and came across an interesting cover on something called eco-challenge. Reading on, it was about the 2009 Challenge which was held in Tioman Island and the one this year was to be held in about 1-months time!
The write up was interesting enough for me to google them up and upon gathering more information, I was already keen to sign up. Registration fees was only RM30, location in Tioman, and hey why not! Firstly I was interested to be part of the race, secondly, I wanted to visit Tioman since I have not been to an island off the coast before. In the excitement, I rang up my good girlfriend (gf) and asked her if she was keen. She was having her holiday break at hometown then.
Her initial response was - no... I've got a meeting at my centre the next day and I have to register for my next semester by then. Ah well, got to do it alone then, I thought. Continued on with work afterwards and applied for my leave the very same day!
Sometime later the same day, my gf calls and asks if I have found someone yet. I said no. Told her that i've promoted it to my office mates by then but no one seems to be solid keen to take part. So I was probably going to do it myself and she said she can come with me afterall, given that the trip was to return the same day after the race. I thought for a bit and said, yes. Why not. The actual race is on Saturday morning. Scheduled to finish by 4:30 pm. And we can take the next ferry back and catch the next bus back to KL. See, that does sound do-able right?
If you are not already laughing at me at this juncture then you must still be clueless as to what exactly we were looking at. Well, read on & in the next few entries, you will know why the wish-ful thought was not so practical after all.
So all agreed on, I went online to register for both myself and gf to go for the eco-challenge the same day during my lunch time. It was too much excitement to contain and without wasting any more day, I decided to start a jogging-routine for at least thrice a week.
We held off the logistics arrangement until we had a black and white confirmation from the organizers that our participation is confirmed. Confirmation email came in 2 days later. By then our exercise plan already took off and we were already scouting for a hotel and to confirm other details.
As usual, the procrastinators that we are, confirmation of hotel, transport and all other details we only done 4 days before the race day - 3rd of May!
As usual I was early in the office and was waiting for someone to open the door. While waiting, I flipped through the morning papers and came across an interesting cover on something called eco-challenge. Reading on, it was about the 2009 Challenge which was held in Tioman Island and the one this year was to be held in about 1-months time!
The write up was interesting enough for me to google them up and upon gathering more information, I was already keen to sign up. Registration fees was only RM30, location in Tioman, and hey why not! Firstly I was interested to be part of the race, secondly, I wanted to visit Tioman since I have not been to an island off the coast before. In the excitement, I rang up my good girlfriend (gf) and asked her if she was keen. She was having her holiday break at hometown then.
Her initial response was - no... I've got a meeting at my centre the next day and I have to register for my next semester by then. Ah well, got to do it alone then, I thought. Continued on with work afterwards and applied for my leave the very same day!
Sometime later the same day, my gf calls and asks if I have found someone yet. I said no. Told her that i've promoted it to my office mates by then but no one seems to be solid keen to take part. So I was probably going to do it myself and she said she can come with me afterall, given that the trip was to return the same day after the race. I thought for a bit and said, yes. Why not. The actual race is on Saturday morning. Scheduled to finish by 4:30 pm. And we can take the next ferry back and catch the next bus back to KL. See, that does sound do-able right?
If you are not already laughing at me at this juncture then you must still be clueless as to what exactly we were looking at. Well, read on & in the next few entries, you will know why the wish-ful thought was not so practical after all.
So all agreed on, I went online to register for both myself and gf to go for the eco-challenge the same day during my lunch time. It was too much excitement to contain and without wasting any more day, I decided to start a jogging-routine for at least thrice a week.
We held off the logistics arrangement until we had a black and white confirmation from the organizers that our participation is confirmed. Confirmation email came in 2 days later. By then our exercise plan already took off and we were already scouting for a hotel and to confirm other details.
As usual, the procrastinators that we are, confirmation of hotel, transport and all other details we only done 4 days before the race day - 3rd of May!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
an act of kindness and who's fault is it anyway?
It's officially approaching 1 year since i started driving on the streets of KL. It has been a barrel of mixed feelings to describe, one i can't quite put a finger on and say aha--
Since i started commuting to Subang for work since 2010 started, i am out of my home by 7am. Latest i've left home is at 650am with the intention of heading on to Federal Highway before the crawl starts to build up. The early hours work fine with me, dealing with sleepy and slow-ly annoying drivers on the road has helped to build up my patience.
The only times I am stopped on the roads are when I don't make it to the traffic light in time before it turns red. During which time I usually ponder and wonder about the things around me. Mornings work great for me. I am most alert, happy, resourceful and peaceful during these times. I don't even feel the stress of the traffic jam or honking drivers unless I am absolutely late which I try to avoid at all costs.
This morning I was driving behind this motorcyclist - an uncle who was delivering papers. He was driving extremely slow and was in the lane I was driving on. He had some space on his left lane but he kept swerving to the direction where my car was heading to. The traffic on my right was full of vehicles. So with no choice I followed him behind. Traffic light is about 50 m ahead of me and the moment I was reaching, the light turned red.
The motorcyclist now, already swerved to his left lane continued on his journey as he made it there when the light turned yellow. Alas for me... I was stuck till the light turned green again.
This situation struck me like a bolt! I was trying to be kind enough to not honk at him and when it was convenient for him, so conveniently he swerved on to his lane and he was well on his way. Where does that place me?
What could I have done differently to change the circumstances and in turn made it on time at the traffic light?
Would that have affected the motorcyclist and even if it has or not, would I have stopped to even think twice about it?
And last but not least... why do I have to be so kind and allow these people to go ahead of me?
Would the law of Karma turn around and work in my favour at times when I need it?
Since i started commuting to Subang for work since 2010 started, i am out of my home by 7am. Latest i've left home is at 650am with the intention of heading on to Federal Highway before the crawl starts to build up. The early hours work fine with me, dealing with sleepy and slow-ly annoying drivers on the road has helped to build up my patience.
The only times I am stopped on the roads are when I don't make it to the traffic light in time before it turns red. During which time I usually ponder and wonder about the things around me. Mornings work great for me. I am most alert, happy, resourceful and peaceful during these times. I don't even feel the stress of the traffic jam or honking drivers unless I am absolutely late which I try to avoid at all costs.
This morning I was driving behind this motorcyclist - an uncle who was delivering papers. He was driving extremely slow and was in the lane I was driving on. He had some space on his left lane but he kept swerving to the direction where my car was heading to. The traffic on my right was full of vehicles. So with no choice I followed him behind. Traffic light is about 50 m ahead of me and the moment I was reaching, the light turned red.
The motorcyclist now, already swerved to his left lane continued on his journey as he made it there when the light turned yellow. Alas for me... I was stuck till the light turned green again.
This situation struck me like a bolt! I was trying to be kind enough to not honk at him and when it was convenient for him, so conveniently he swerved on to his lane and he was well on his way. Where does that place me?
What could I have done differently to change the circumstances and in turn made it on time at the traffic light?
Would that have affected the motorcyclist and even if it has or not, would I have stopped to even think twice about it?
And last but not least... why do I have to be so kind and allow these people to go ahead of me?
Would the law of Karma turn around and work in my favour at times when I need it?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Thanks to the ignorance of....
- the road contractors who forgot to remove the road barriers at a construction site, a massive traffic jam is created (The overhead bridge along Jalan Bangsar)
- the level 2 technical support who refused to attend to my query on improving their service, they've lost a potential client
- and more??
- the level 2 technical support who refused to attend to my query on improving their service, they've lost a potential client
- and more??
Monday, March 01, 2010
On the different rivers we stride on
The wind and tide decide where the current takes us to. Who controls the wind? What about the current?
What if there is a huge waterfall ahead of us?
Usually, once the boat hits off the waterfall edge and drops all the way down to the connecting river below. For sure the boat will sink in due to the impact of the fall and might even toss out a few of the boat passengers.
If one survives this fall, manages to find the boat again and crawl onto it, the next set of sail is smooth for sure. This is the reality of life and the best analogy that nature can offer us.
The hidden message or "isi-tersirat" (as we used to write in our malay karangan during school days) God is trying to convey is straight forward in His creation.
Wonderful and magical indeed... for those who go about in life looking for miracles, they are simply overlooking simple miracles that take place before their very own eyes...
What if there is a huge waterfall ahead of us?
Usually, once the boat hits off the waterfall edge and drops all the way down to the connecting river below. For sure the boat will sink in due to the impact of the fall and might even toss out a few of the boat passengers.
If one survives this fall, manages to find the boat again and crawl onto it, the next set of sail is smooth for sure. This is the reality of life and the best analogy that nature can offer us.
The hidden message or "isi-tersirat" (as we used to write in our malay karangan during school days) God is trying to convey is straight forward in His creation.
Wonderful and magical indeed... for those who go about in life looking for miracles, they are simply overlooking simple miracles that take place before their very own eyes...
Thursday, January 21, 2010
On those who lurve to 'hog' and 'block' our roads
HOG Definition: To take more than one's share of.
Being on the road more frequently, being exposed to Malaysian drivers and the whole works has opened up many ideas and thoughts in my lil head. Thought provoking-important-matters that is such as - WHY this and WHY that.
Looking out the window from the 18th floor of my office, i get a birds eye view of the Kesas highway. What I can see more clearly in the usual morning jams are very long unending queues of people on the roads. all 3 lanes will be filled with cars. But one important point to note will be the fast / 1st lanes. In that view, one can see gaps in between a few cars ahead of the others. Behind them there'll be 100s' or even 1,000s of cars but these drivers wouldn't budge. As a result, those who get on the fast lane for the obvious reasons - to be fast are stuck! Since they can't even move to the left, considering that all 3 lanes are literally sandwiched.
I go through this in person every morning when I am on the Federal Highway and on my way back on the Jalan Duta. So, be it a free-way or a high-way paying toll, you still face the same bunch of drivers. I don't understand why do people even hop onto the fast lanes if all they're wanting to do is cruise along...
All i do know is that these people need to be more sensitive to the other drivers on the road with them. Remember you're not alone. There are reasons why the roads are built for all and not one person alone. Unless you pay more tax than the rest of us, or bought over the road, i think it's unfair that you hog and block roads meant for use by general public.
Have some driving-sense...
We'll move on to the signal light usage in the next post.. till then ;;
Being on the road more frequently, being exposed to Malaysian drivers and the whole works has opened up many ideas and thoughts in my lil head. Thought provoking-important-matters that is such as - WHY this and WHY that.
Looking out the window from the 18th floor of my office, i get a birds eye view of the Kesas highway. What I can see more clearly in the usual morning jams are very long unending queues of people on the roads. all 3 lanes will be filled with cars. But one important point to note will be the fast / 1st lanes. In that view, one can see gaps in between a few cars ahead of the others. Behind them there'll be 100s' or even 1,000s of cars but these drivers wouldn't budge. As a result, those who get on the fast lane for the obvious reasons - to be fast are stuck! Since they can't even move to the left, considering that all 3 lanes are literally sandwiched.
I go through this in person every morning when I am on the Federal Highway and on my way back on the Jalan Duta. So, be it a free-way or a high-way paying toll, you still face the same bunch of drivers. I don't understand why do people even hop onto the fast lanes if all they're wanting to do is cruise along...
All i do know is that these people need to be more sensitive to the other drivers on the road with them. Remember you're not alone. There are reasons why the roads are built for all and not one person alone. Unless you pay more tax than the rest of us, or bought over the road, i think it's unfair that you hog and block roads meant for use by general public.
Have some driving-sense...
We'll move on to the signal light usage in the next post.. till then ;;
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Christmas Tree OH Christmas Tree...
It's the time of the year again to put up the decorated holiday tree & deck the dolls at home. Having kids at home, the joy of celebrating is even more felt compared to previous years. After 3 years of having a white Christmas, it was time to get back to the natural way of the festivities - a green one! What i mean here is the Christmas Tree. We're used to using "real-live" trees as we were growing up. Anya always made sure we had our tree up on the Eve of Christmas and sometimes, if we're lucky, 2 days before the day.
This tradition carried on till 4 years ago, until his physical strength started giving up on him. We had to endure this painful period with a heavy heart and this was when i decided to break the tradition and bought a white tree for a difference. The tree stood for 3 years, with the exception of the year anya passed away.
Now it's turned brown and the stand is nowhere to be found and this has made us get back on the road to look for a replacement tree again. Charlie decided to sponsor the tree and with a budget of RM150 i got on the road to find the 'right tree' for our home this year. It's 3 days before Christmas now so time is not on our side either.
With a list of errands to run, my first stop to look for a tree was in Petaling Street. My first time driving there, I found a parking a little further away across the road and walked into the street. The first time I bought my tree there, i literally carried the tree on the LRT trains till home.
I thought my search will not be so long but I was so wrong. The first few shops had trees which were exhorbitantly priced. Prices were ranging from RM199 till RM599. Some even had fully decorated trees and the price before and after are RM255 & RM699 respectively!
My ordeal doesn't end here as i continued walking further into the streets of Chinatown, eyeing on ANY shop that had more than 1 Christmas tree on display for sale, walking in to check the price and the tree itself.
Most shops were already filling up their door fronts with Chinese New Year decorations while a handful still had their Christmas deco in the fronts.
Some were not very friendly to assist, so much to an extent that one shop helper asked me to check the price on the tree itself. She insisted I checked the tree even after I've explained that the price tag was not attached.
Sigh... I even walked up till the top floor of UO (Uda Ocean) to no avail.
After walking into at least 15 shops, I finally bumped into this one last shop called M&K Party house. This was on my walk back, the last leg of my journey since I was running late to run my next errand.
Although it was a chinese shop, they still had Christmas decorations in the front and welcoming helpers. The price was reasonable for a 6 ft tree, at RM100. It was similar to our previous white tree and I even found nice white ornaments and lights to match.
And then i'm off... till the tree goes up, i'm leaving for now
This tradition carried on till 4 years ago, until his physical strength started giving up on him. We had to endure this painful period with a heavy heart and this was when i decided to break the tradition and bought a white tree for a difference. The tree stood for 3 years, with the exception of the year anya passed away.
Now it's turned brown and the stand is nowhere to be found and this has made us get back on the road to look for a replacement tree again. Charlie decided to sponsor the tree and with a budget of RM150 i got on the road to find the 'right tree' for our home this year. It's 3 days before Christmas now so time is not on our side either.
With a list of errands to run, my first stop to look for a tree was in Petaling Street. My first time driving there, I found a parking a little further away across the road and walked into the street. The first time I bought my tree there, i literally carried the tree on the LRT trains till home.
I thought my search will not be so long but I was so wrong. The first few shops had trees which were exhorbitantly priced. Prices were ranging from RM199 till RM599. Some even had fully decorated trees and the price before and after are RM255 & RM699 respectively!
My ordeal doesn't end here as i continued walking further into the streets of Chinatown, eyeing on ANY shop that had more than 1 Christmas tree on display for sale, walking in to check the price and the tree itself.
Most shops were already filling up their door fronts with Chinese New Year decorations while a handful still had their Christmas deco in the fronts.
Some were not very friendly to assist, so much to an extent that one shop helper asked me to check the price on the tree itself. She insisted I checked the tree even after I've explained that the price tag was not attached.
Sigh... I even walked up till the top floor of UO (Uda Ocean) to no avail.
After walking into at least 15 shops, I finally bumped into this one last shop called M&K Party house. This was on my walk back, the last leg of my journey since I was running late to run my next errand.
Although it was a chinese shop, they still had Christmas decorations in the front and welcoming helpers. The price was reasonable for a 6 ft tree, at RM100. It was similar to our previous white tree and I even found nice white ornaments and lights to match.
And then i'm off... till the tree goes up, i'm leaving for now
Thursday, November 19, 2009
What goes around comes around
I believe in the title statement above. But what is the time frame of the "return" really?
OUM 7th Graduation
An exciting day for all of us, two people from home will be receiving their scrolls on this day. Sharal & Charlie (sis & bro). Of course it took much persuasion to get Charlie to attend the event but he eventually made it and it was great to have them both there!
The whole event gave me goosebumps and memories of my own ceremony came flooding in. Felt honored and special to be present there, even more special if i was the one walking up to receive my scroll.
My education aspirations have not come to a halt, in fact, they've developed even more! I am more inspired to continue my studies at some juncture in this lifetime. Be it in any part of the world, this is a sure reality, yet to come true.
Education is lifelong, not a full stop at any juncture. From the cradle to the grave, we are all forever studying. This is amazing. EVen more so when I do it myself.
Pics of the graduation is to come. Look out for it.
The whole event gave me goosebumps and memories of my own ceremony came flooding in. Felt honored and special to be present there, even more special if i was the one walking up to receive my scroll.
My education aspirations have not come to a halt, in fact, they've developed even more! I am more inspired to continue my studies at some juncture in this lifetime. Be it in any part of the world, this is a sure reality, yet to come true.
Education is lifelong, not a full stop at any juncture. From the cradle to the grave, we are all forever studying. This is amazing. EVen more so when I do it myself.
Pics of the graduation is to come. Look out for it.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tony has his first "orange-feel"!
"
Yummy... since no one is watching, I might as well savour every bit of the orange..."
Yummy... since no one is watching, I might as well savour every bit of the orange..."Caught in the act (Below)
An angry - WHY-ARE-YOU-STILL-LOOKING-AT-ME look!
Tea-Break-Snack : Minced Meat Patties
Result of my tea-time-snack : Baked Minced Meat Patties. It was a mixture of a few readings on other recipes but with a few added ingredients here and there, it turned out tasting fantastic!
Ingredients include: potatoes, carrots, chiilies, spices
Healthier tea time snack option than the usual famous goreng stuff ;)
Monday, November 16, 2009
A well said article - For the women of ages 30 and above..
CBS - 60 Minutes lemondrop:
Here is a piece written by Andy Rooney - CBS 60 Minutes.
As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:A woman over 30 will not lay next to you in bed and ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.
If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.
A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom.Few women past the age of 30 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing.
Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.
Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.
A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women.
Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 30. They always know.
A woman over 30 looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women or drag queens.Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.
Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk or if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.Yes, we praise women over 30 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal.
For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of 30+, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old waitress.
Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free." Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire Pig, just to get a little sausage.
Here is a piece written by Andy Rooney - CBS 60 Minutes.
As I grow in age, I value women who are over 30 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:A woman over 30 will not lay next to you in bed and ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think.
If a woman over 30 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do. And, it's usually something more interesting.
A woman over 30 knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom.Few women past the age of 30 give a damn what you might think about her or what she's doing.
Women over 30 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.
Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.
A woman over 30 has the self-assurance to introduce you to her women friends. A younger woman with a man will often ignore even her best friend because she doesn't trust the guy with other women.
Women over 30 couldn't care less if you're attracted to her friends because she knows her friends won't betray her.Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 30. They always know.
A woman over 30 looks good wearing bright red lipstick. This is not true of younger women or drag queens.Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 30 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.
Older women are forthright and honest. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk or if you are acting like one! You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.Yes, we praise women over 30 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal.
For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed hot woman of 30+, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year-old waitress.
Ladies, I apologize. For all those men who say, "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free." Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage, why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire Pig, just to get a little sausage.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tony in action
Ann looks out for lil bro as much as she can. Childlike behaviour - is what we all need sometimes..
caught off guard
Friday, October 09, 2009
Mud-Fun @ Sepang Gold Coast
Too much mud to handle in a few hours! Ann completely drenched in mud being washed by mummy.
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