Life's Lesson!

A friend of mine forwarded me with 45 life's lesson written by 90 years old Regina Brett which, I thought of sharing with all, especially with people who blames god and faith for almost everthing.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you, really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone, everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift

ps: i love dthe higlighted on most

Battle with Kuala Kubu Baru River- Part I & II

KKB Part I
27 Jun 2009

I confess that I love out door activity, but white water rafting was never in my do list. Probably because it requires more then 4 person and high possibilities that I can never get enough people to sit with me on the raft. So when the opportunity strikes, and akka asked (actually me asking her thanks to Ganesha), I said yes.

There was about 30 of us from Mani's gang plus another couple of people form different group. All together we had 60 people, 10 raft.

Since we wont be coming back to the same place, the driver was requested to park their car at the ending point and us the passenger went free floating. Uuhoo.

Upon the arrival of the driver, we were separated into groups of 6, all, equiped with safely instrument like red ants and was then was preached on the rules and regulation of rafting before sending us on the raft.

All raft came with a driver and us we had Ruku. Together with 2 boys and 4 girls, we conquered the KKB River once and for all. Wohoo..the best battle ever!

walking our way to free float while waiting for the drivers

somewhere in the middle of the raft;Let the fight begin..who is greater then who?

My team

The first battle

The second

Rest

The Third

The forth

Part II
27 Jully 2009

Not enough with conquering KKB river the first time, i went of the battle again for the second time with different battalion. this time, we were in the whole different scenario. The presence of the Young Royal Selongor prince and the high river flow from the damn.

Even though the second time was not much hassle as moving to right left up and down, I had a whole lot of fun. First with my driver Rizal, who was so funny; second with my buddies on the raft that was creaming all the way; third with high level and me diving with the current and last but not least getting stuck at river bank all covered with under trees and branches and whole lot of spider and bugs falling on the raft.

Nevertheless, there was one small disappointment, my boat never capsize nor did I fall on my own or even when Rizal tried his level best to do so!

Did you realize someone went missing on the raft? Wonder how?

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Because of she went flying off the raft. The best picture taken!

Discovering and Conquering Saga Hill

Every time I pass by the Ampang, I would be wondering and asking my sis, how come with so much greenery, there arent any place to hike except for Klang gates. There must be some mountain hidden behind those housing ground which we are not aware of it?

True enough a week ago, I finally discovered there was indeed a hiking ground in the inner part of Ampang and yesterday I conquered it along with Suet and 2 other friends who all trainning for 10km marathon.

The trek is about 2 hours climb and has many entrances and exit which even leads to Cupecs. The track to me was actually easy, similar to KK trek where the places to climb and walk are nicely formed. Nevertheless, I was panting like crazy and drank half of 100 plus before reaching to hill top.

The most difficult part of climbing Saga Hill was for the fact that it was extremely steep and one get dizzy by just looking up. Some even to the extend of vomiting. So the best way to climb is by just looking at the ground. All one need is good stamina.

The hill top is surprisingly flat. Hence, the residence/hikers has decided to make it into exercise/resting ground as how its been done in Penang's Bukit Jambul. There are swing and hammock everywhere but no food stall selling Ice Lemon Tea. Sigh!

We waited for couple of minute and headed down. There are many option to get down and some even lead to Bukit Apek and Cupecs. Suet and I took an alternate route while the other two girls went down the same way up.

Getting down was even easier then I predicted. Me always being careful while coming down, was shocked that this time I was practically running my was out. The hike was really good. The hill is really cool and isolated, yet one would be surprised that its filled up with resident from Taman Saga. Highly recommended for training.

A peEk inTo mY HapPy SaNtuary

A year and half ago my so call happy sanctuary was a real bore. Not only that, it had leakages every where that my CC used to say that I would be needing sampan to get in. Nevertheless, I refused to move out as its location was good, far away from the main entrance and bosses room. Ashamed of my self, I decided to decorate my room, little by little with stuffs from home. It was presentable and I was happy. Along came this stupid Japanese policy of 5s initiated by Treasury and it was determined that we didn’t live up to the 5s standard. The sad part was, my department got the lowest. So my HOD instructed all to get involve in keeping our territory clean, organize and label in line with the 5s or else we would be in hot soup!

So for the past one month, little by little I cleaned, I removed clusters, organized, labeled and finally redecorated my room as admin finally decided to get someone to solve my leakages problem. The result is my little happy sanctuary which gave me 70% score.

My sofa set corner

Beautiful posters on the wall

My set tea deco

My working corner ..oh yeah that's a window!

My desk with colourful backdrop..oh yeah flat screen

My happy daisy screen saver with little sunshine on the left and colourful backdrop

My happy sunshine

My colourful bulletin board

My happy dancing daisy on my colourful table cloth ...

My happy cat calender which always in the wrong date ...


My neatly stacked and labeled files and books

My neatly stacked stationery
Neat huh! Not like me at all :)


My cute sharpener


and at last

My self made Bible for now..all information are gathered in there :)

So why is this place special?

1. Because many of the things are ancient and from home and things I bought from holidays

2. Its colourful and colours makes people happy

3. A whole lots of smile daisy, one of my very favorite flowers.

4. Less noise, a whole lot of space to breathe and sunshine through the window.

Note:

CC- Chief Clerk

HOD-Head of Department

5s-Japanese policy to keep the place organised

Sampan- little boat used in the villages

Who's the Culprit?

Just like any other typical 'office employee", I have lots and lots of pencils all neatly stacked in a little mug at the corner of my table. To me drafts are waste of time. I guess, I am too lazy to write and rewrite hence totally believing in typing straight into the PC. Nevertheless, my pencil are always handy while I am answering phone calls, looking into facts and figures and scribbling a little something!!!!

At times, it comes handy when its need to write down what my boss's instruction. And many times, when my boss calls me to her room, despite having a whole lot of pencil neatly kept in my mug, I always ended up picking one particular pencil and its so embarrassing to even admit that the pencil belongs to me. Wondering how a piece of pencil can be absolute embarrassment? Here how it is.

Can you spot the edge of The Pencil?


If you look closer this is what you get? Not close enough?


Nah, up close and personal?

Don't you think its embarrassing for an officer writing her minutes in this pencil?


This is how The Pencil looks while I am scribbling something.

It seems like a curse that I have to always pick this particular pencil while I am with my boss.

I always wonder who would have bit The Pencil such way?

One fine day, decided to bring The Pencil back home for photo session and showed it to ma.

Ta da, one look at it and she named the culprit?

So who do you think is the culprit?

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Yah man ...look at that pity full face. That's how he looks when he is guilty. Bad bad rusty!!!! He he he he

Lao PDR- City of Shakes, Sandwishes, Silk, Silver, Shopping and Saint

The year 2008 was the year I finally decided to be an independent traveller. Hence, my semi solo backpacking conquest first started with Sabah and then followed by Lao. It was the most amazing experience I ever had.

On 25 October 2008, my journey to Lao begain at Vientiane with my dear friend Suet Mun. Many opposed on me venturing to this beautiful land, claiming it to be unsafe, dangerous and not a place to go. But it didnt bother me or Suet much.

However, merely a week in Lao totally changed my perspective on this country. To me its perfectly wonderfully safe place to travel and a must visit place by all. What a person need is enough dollars in their pocket, smile and bargaining power.

In Lao, the word "PDR" stand for "please don't rush". True enough once you step into this beautiful paradise, you feel as though you have walked back to the past. The time just stops and you stop thinking even with out their beer Lao. Just simple coffee/shakes with various type of baguette and beautiful scenery is just sufficient.

To me this is how I see Lao. My journey from Vientiane -Vang Vieng - Luang Prabang -Vientiane

The people:

Cafe, Restaurants and Local stalls:

Food:

Mode of transportation in Lao:

1. Long Distance Buses 2. Their famous tuk tuk

3. Various types of boat...
4. Combination of both tuk tuk and boat


5. Various types of Bikes

6. Self made 3 and two wheels

7. And my favorite of all..no wheel

Guesthouse

Vientiane

Vang Vieng
room at one corner

toilet on the opposite

Luang Prabang :

luxury

Real budgeted

Shopping:

Market:

Temples and monks:

Temples:

Land of Doggies:

A packet of flour, 21 eggs and a Birthday Boy

Celebrating 21 st Birthday the right way:

1. A perfect plan to bash birthday boy

kidnap and get hold of boy while waiting for troupe to arrive

arrival of the troupe

Arrival of the egg and flour

rituals begins with touch of flour

off goes the shirt and....

the first egg to officiate the rituals of turning boy to man...

then goes the flour

little blessing from women

flour sprinkling process...

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deng deng deng ...moment later

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you get a perfect cake..

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ops sorry, you got it all wrong silly

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its super flour boy

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nope...guess again

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you get birthday boy covered with flour and egg

2. Good Food

perfectly cooked rice

great combination of kurma curry and

spicy vegetarian crab curry...

pickled vegetable..

mix vegetable

yummilicious mock mutton and



real mutton

perfectly cooked mock chicken

and real chicken


yummilicious prawns and
perfectly cooked crab




not forgetting yummilicious desserts..

3. Great Company



oh yah, you got it right, she took the contract to cut the cakes

4. Best Gift

The Last Lecture

Many would have heard about the Last Lecture. For those who haven't, please take an attempt to at least read it or else you have just wasted time looking for answers in space.

To me, it was just by accident that I got the opportunity to view the Last Lecture through Oprah's show. A year later, on my 30th birthday, I was given this book as Birthday present by a friend. And it turn out to be the best birthday present ever.

Even though I loved the Last Lecture, but my expectation on the book was just not high. Its well known fact that what you view will never be as nice as what's in book and vise verse. But after reading it, I loved it even more then what Randy said in his lecture.

Many said reading "PS: I Love You" brought tears at the end, but reading Randy Pauch's words brought tears on almost end of every chapter.Total truth and honesty from an ordinary human being.

I quote unquote Randy's words "If you offer wisdom from third party it seems less arrogant and more acceptable." Here are some of his word of wisdom and thoughts I loved most and would like to share with others:

1. Engineering isn’t about perfect solution; it’s about doing the best you can with limited resources.

2. If you can find opening; you can probably find a way to float through it.

3. When you are screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore that means they have given up on you.

4. Automobiles are there to get you from point A to point B. They are utilitarian devices, not expressions of social status.

5. When you are putting people on the moon, you’re inspiring all of us to achieve the maximum of human potential, which is how our greatest problems will eventually be solved. When you use money to fight poverty too many people go through life complaining about their problems. I’ve always believed that if you took one-tenth the energy put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem; you’d be surprised by how well things can work out.

6. Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.

7. Failure is not just acceptable, it’s often essential.

8. The person who failed often knows how to avoid future failures.

9. Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things human can do for each other.

10. Now that I’m an adult, you’ll never catch me with less than $200 in my wallet. I want to be prepared in case I need it. Sure I could lose my wallet or it could be stolen. But for a guy making a reasonable living, $200 is an amount worth risking. By contrast, not having cash on hand when you need it is potentially a much bigger problem.

11. When you go into the wilderness, the only thing you can count on is what you take with you.

12. You are only good as your word and there' s no better way to say it.

13. People lie for so many reasons, often because it seems like a way to get what they want with less effort but like many short term strategies, its ineffective long term. You run into people again later, and they remember you lied to them. And they tell lots of other people about it. That’s what amazes me about lying. Most people who have told a lie think they got away with it..when in fact, they didn’t.

14. Krishamurthi : “tell you friend that in his death, a part of you dies and goes with him. Wherever he goes, you also go. He will not be alone”

15. I want them to find their own path to fulfillment. And given that I won’t be there, I want to make this clear: kids, don’t try to figure out what I wanted you to become. I want you to become what you want to become.

16. It’s not about how to achieve your dreams. Its about how to lead your life. If you lead life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.


Randy and his kids

Note: yellow one's are my favorite

Walking around Kuching In Memories

Unlike my previous back packing trip to Sarawak where my sister and I have started our journey from Anglican Guest House, this time around I started from the City Centre where Kuching Hilton was located. Despite being two years, the city never change. Its always bustling with people, great food and easy to move around. It felt like i was just there yesterday. The movement of my hotel from Anglican Guest House to Hilton, made it it much more easier to move around.

So a day in Kuching town went this way (follow the map):

Take Diversion: Right Of Hilton Kuching

(Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman)

On the right hand side of the Hilton , walking towards Holiday Inn still in Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, is where this beautiful cat statue is located.

On the opposite of the Cat Statue is the famous Top Spot Food Court: Food Court on top of parking roof top..yah coo! And apparently cheap and delicious

Walk further up to Jalan Abbel is where the famous vegetarian shop, "The Servant " is located. It served amazing food.


Take Diversion: Turn Right

Famous statue at Jalan Padungan Road

When you walk further up on the next lane towards Jalan Ban Hock, you can see a Hindu temple. Every time I go in the temple will be closed. ..

Take Diversion: Left of Hilton (Main Bazaar)

The view of the street towards Main Bazaar. The little house on the hill top was where my previous guesthouse was back in 2006

The Chinese Museum on the left by the waterfront.

The view of the waterfront form Hilton.

Beautiful scenic river

The sampan (boat) by the waterfront. The fastest mode of transport to get to the other side.

Apparently its the cheap mode of advertisement....look, you can see "hotlink" on the roof top!!

Across Waterfront:

Across waterfront, first you see this magnificent new mosque on construction. It was not there in 2006. I am not sure why all structures now a days looks like some building in Putrajaya !!!It looks like MOF building only with dome!!!

Further up across, is where the Astana is as well as the Fort Margherita is.

The old observation tower at Kuching Waterfront..

Take Diversion: Cross the Road (Right)

Rows of shops selling crafts and souvenir stuff at main bazaar. Also locals selling local cakes called kek lapis (layer cake). But what i like most about the picture is the 3 stooges at the back wearing colourful mask and was singing along main Bazar. Amazing things happen in Kuching.

3 little stooges..so cute..

(Left)

Across the road from the Observation Tower is the Old Court House, now known as the Tourist Information Centre.

Attached and behind the Tourist Information Centre is the Little Lebanon Cafe.

Take Diversion: Cross the road

Opposite the old court, is the Indian street. Though you can find Indian selling spices and lentils, the main shops are conquered by garments.

In between those shops, there lies the old Indian Muslim Mosque.

Take Diversion : (i) Turn Behind of Main Bazaar

Walk further up and the second lane of Main Bazaar is the China town at Carpenter Street . Picture above is the entrance to China Town.

Road along Carpenter Street is the best place to see old building and amazing kopitiam. This particular one serves the best kolok me...

An old Chinese Temple near China Town. There was some celebration going on and it had 6 lion wiggling their butt.

Take Diversion : (II) Go Straight

(Barrack road)

Kuching Post Office Building

Pavilion Kuching:Sarawak Textile Museum

Sarawak Craft School

Take Diversion: Opposite Barrack Road /Behind China Street

Anglican Cathedral (Bishop house)

Diocesan Guest House (My old guesthouse back in 2006)

From Barrack Road

Sarawak Museum

Reservoir Park

Statues at Aquarium, Reservoir Park

My journey ends at Roman Catholic Cathedral church

The eagle has landed!

Whats surprise me most about this whole trip was for the fact that Kuching City has

honoured President Obama before he even visited Malaysia.

Surprised??

Me too!!!

You don't believe me?

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Tada..."Barrack" Cool huh!