Every Little Step

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As I was cleaning up old stuff at my house (thanks to my mom who saw the clear need to organize the house), I saw this CD which I bought in Perth, Australia, sometimes ago.

It brought back good memories. I can't believe that the CD is still there after all this time. Wow!

Anyway, the band is called "Mercury 4" -- it is a boy band, much lik Nsync and Boyzone. And I'm pretty sure that this band is little known in Malaysia and in any other parts of the world. Regardless, this band is (or was?) popular in Australia.

I particularly like this song called "Every Little Step". This song is about courage, nurture and love. This song is about having faith in one's ability and being there at every single steps. This song is about loyalty and unconditional friendship.

A truly beautiful song for the ears.
Have a listen folks -- you can watch the video clip in YouTube.

Hope you'll like this song, as much as I do.

The Racketeer

Peeps,

Look at what I bought today! While I was out at KLCC (and Alamanda earlier) looking frantically for the latest Dan Brown's "Inferno" novel in paperback, I came across this latest edition of John Grisham's novel called "The Racketeer".

I actually did not plan to buy this novel because I have lots of Grisham's previous novels at home waiting to be read and cleared. But since Brown's latest novel is not yet out in paperback, then I decided to compensate it with another novel. Hence this novel, so as not to make myself feel that my quest for Brown's novel although unsuccessful, but nevertheless not a wasted one.

I will read this novel (God knows when) and once done, I'll give you my review later.

Evening Tea for Two

Friends,

I had a nice and joyful evening tea at a nice restaurant known as Delicious, Dua Residence, located off Jalan Tun Razak, near Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC).

Delicious is not exactly a fine dining reataurant. It is a typical family restaurant for everyone of every race and nationalities. It is a great restaurant with soft music that is good for the hungry tummy to digest foods, unlike some restaurants playing hippie, rap songs during the mea! God, that's terrible!

Delicious is nicely decorated with white artificial trees. And its lightings are superbly nice with its bulb locked inside a bird cage, evoking the feeling of being in a restaurant thay has this nature touch to it.

The food served at Delicious range from western foods (such as pasta, sandwich etc.) to local Malay cuisines (such as the superbly tasty Nasi Kerabu). The cakes are also equally delicious, the coffees are also refreshing.

For our evening tea, I ordered Tall Latte while my dear friend ordered a Chamomile tea. He complained to me that the tea served (apparently of some exotic brand) was not as good as Dilmah's chamomile tea. Oh well, I don't really know much about tea since I am a coffee person. And frankly, I cannot survive without coffee. But when I tasted his tea, I couls not detect any flaws in it except to  think that he must be mad to say that the tea was not nice. Well, that's what I had in mind!

Anyway.

We also ordered "Banofee Pie"; a really sweet and yummy banana pie coated with nice whipped cream that also consist of a tinge of coffee flavours that sent me to Cloud Eight and Three Quarter. When you cut the pie, you can see the bananas along with liquid (melted?) coffee.

Delicious is indeed a nice restaurant to go too and I do not, for once, hesitate to recommend you there for some nice gastronomic affair!

A Prisoner of Birth

Hello Peeps,

Oh my god! Today I went to Alamanda shopping center at Putrajaya with a dear friend, and of course one of the must stop destinations there was a bookstore. And MPH bookstore it was.

As I was browsing for some good books to reasld, I bumped into this book which I read sometimes ago last year. This book, titled "A Prisoner of Birth", written by Jeffrey Archer, was loaned to me by one of my former colleagues at UCSI University: Ms Farhana Abdul Barri.

Farhana told me long ago that this book is about a sweet revenge. And indeed it was. Although I barely remember the plot; nevertheless, I certainly could not agree more with Farhana : that this book was full of emotion, thrill, hatred, vengeance and retribution.

Thank you, Farhana, for giving me the chance to reas this amazing work of The Rt. Hon. Lord Jeffrey Archer.

The only thing that I am pondering until this very moment is the true meaning of 'prisoner of birth'. Though there are many wide interpretations out there, I have yet to come to a suitable definition to settle.

I had a jolly good time reading this book and I am considering buying this book for my own collections.

To me, books are part of my soul. Without books, my life is in darkness and misery.

Read this book, folks. It is thick, yes, but it is definitely worth it!

The Chamber

Peeps,

Today, (or rather tonight), I have successfully completed the 500+ thick novel of John Grisham, called The Chamber.

Took me around three days to complete this novel. Three days of afteenoon, evening and night time.

This novel is an unusually thought-provoking novel encircling the topic of capital punishment, otherwise fondly known as the death penalty.

Anyway, the main characters in this novel are:-

*Adam Hall (a.k.a Alan Cayhall),
*Sam Cayhall,
*Lee Cayhall,
*Carmen Hall,
*Eddie Hall,
*Marvin Kramer,
*McAllistor, (the Governor),
*Roxburgh, (the Attorney General),
*Phelps Booth,
*Lucas Mann,
*Sergeant Packer, etc.

The story was set way back in the 70s & 80s in the Deep South of the United States of America, (Mississisppi) where a hate and discriminatory group (or maybe cult) known as the Ku Klux Klan (the white supremacist) was the dominant organization of the societal fabric during those period: a period of discrimination, a period of hatred and a period of patheticity within the ambit of a good perpetual religious command of love and equality.

It is hard for me to fathom and believe that once upon a time, the great people of the United States of America were pathetically racist towards one another.

Moving on, I later learnt that the Ku Klux Klan was also known as "the Klansmen" or "Kluckers". The group was notoriously violent on individual that did not wore a white skin colour. And the cult too hated the Jewish.

This chilling story was about many things:-

(a) about a very curious young lawyer named Adam Hall who was thirstfully eager to know the past stories and dark secrets of his families - who was his grandfather, who was his aunt, what does his cousins look like and so on and so forth. Adam was simply denied the facts and knowledge of his identity by his father, Eddie Hall; who committed suicide for not being able to bear the awful dark secrets.

(b) about the suffering, torment and humiliation of the Jews and blacks who were badly harrassed and tortured by the white supremacist i.e. KKK.

(c) about the life of a prisoner, and particularly the death-row prisoner. about the sad story of beinf caged 23 hours a day, with around three showers a week -- I can't even comprehend that.

(d) about the debate, the need and the justice of death penalty. and in addition, about the legality of killing an individual for retribution. and vengeance. Grisham in this novel had cleverly presented and elaborated excellent moral views, ethical points and legal standing of this hotly-debated issue from both divide of the group: the proponents and opponents of capital punishments. All arguments in this pressing novel are arguably valid, dramatically clever, and at times did sound so engrossingly pathethic that you the dear readers, would roll your very eyes along with few curses when reading it!

I guesses that the title of the novel referred to "the gas chamber", which is one of the popular method to execute the condemned murderers that were found guilty by the judges and the juries.

The novel is itself is tremendously long, with 52 chapters, and 500-plus of pages. You must have great patience when reading this novel. Well, actually, the novel itself will make you anxious to flip through the next few pages to know the curious case and reasonings of the story. Beware that the novel is both addictive and seductive.

This is definitely a good novel. And a chilling and a thrilling novel that would provoke your emotion and at the same time tease your mind to assesa, view and observe the infallible concept of death penalty in totality without being ignorant of the fact that this is part and parcel of criminal justice system in a civilized world.

In pith and substance, I truly recommend this novel to anyone to read, feel, understand and appreciate the issue presented therein.

Lunch at Kenny Rogers

Hey People,

This was my lunch at Kenny Rogers Rooster at Berjaya Times Square, Bukit Bintang.

The place is not packed and the foods are superbly tasty. This is definitely one of my favourite destinations for lunch or dinner.

Oh, a perfect place to treat your friends too, you know.

At Kenny Rogers, I always order a set menu, one that comes with 1/4 chicken (you can choose the flavour from BBQ or original) and three side dishes along with a soft cupcake (flavours to choose from: vanilla or chocolate).

Normally, for the three side dishes, I tend to choose aromatic rice, baked beans and fruit salads. The rice, as apparent in its nae is very soft with aromatic scent. Baked beans are nice to be eaten together with the juicy chicken and fresh food salds consisting of pieces of orange, kiwi and watermelons complements the overall taste of the meal. Of course, the choice is yours :)

The one-quater chicken is very much tender, soft and absolutely juicy. The taste is absolutely unforgettable. Further, the taste of it is equivalent to a feeling being taken for a jolly ride on a first class section of a posh private jet. Not that I've ride on one, but yeah, you get the feeling ;)

Kenny Rogers is a good restaurant for fresh foods. It is a good place for the mind to relax, for the stomach to fill and for the conversation to stretch from a short quibble to a long, non-stop gossips.

Go there folks, you won't regret it!

Focus Malaysia - Taib Family Inc

Peeps,

Sorry that I haven't been able to post few things for the last couple of days. Been busy with reading and other things.

This week's issue of Focus Malaysia has an exclusive coverage on the Chief Minister of Sarawak, The Honourable Tan Sri Taib Mahmud.

He is the longest serving Chief Minister in Malaysia, probably in the world too.

This week's issue talks about him and his family business; how he and his family develop and expand their business empire not only in Sarawak, but also Peninsular Malaysia and even overseas.

It is estimated that the combined Taib family's fortune is worth astounding RM 50 billion. Whether that is the actual truth or not, well, I leave it to Tan Sri to answer this, and of course Focus Malaysia should be held accountable if the facts and figures are wrong.

I wonder what Tan Sri Taib has to say about this. This is certainly an undercover issue.

One that is brave and has yet to face some consequence.

Get a copy of it, fast!

Today's Lunch

Folks, this is my lunch today. A simple homecooked burger-style bread with fried egg. Simple. Yummy.

Foods that are made out of passionate labour are definitely filled with love, and thus will make you full throughout the day!

Shall We Tell The President

People,

I have just completed reading Jeffrey Archer's novel, "Shall We Tell The President".

I started reading at around 8:30 pm and finished at about 5:30 am. There were few breaks during the reading session which have prolonged the total time taken to complete this book:-

(a) replying to messages;
(b) doing few Googling;
(c) playing with the phone.

This is an interesting novel; with gripping stories and suspense plot. Most of the time, the plot is fast-moving and it will thrill you to turn to the next page, without you realizing the movement of the time. The novel is truly addictive - it is like a milk to a baby.

I learnt many things while reading this novel:-

* old vocabularies - e.g. apocryphal
* stories about FBI, Hoover etc.
* Greek mythology - Cassius, Brutus etc.

And many more. While reading this novel, I also turned to my phone to look up and Google the meaning of certain words, as well as learning the history of FBI.

This is definitely an interesting novel that should be read by all.

In three words: this novel is (a) chilling, (b) gripping and (c) a masterpiece!

Cataloguing My Books

Peeps,

Today I am busy with cataloguing my novels. The reasons for doing are:-

1. To keep track of my assets,
2. To avoid buying same novels.

How do I catalogue these novels, you ask. Well, easy! I downloaded an application call "Book Catalogue" from Google Play, and after installation, I only need to scan the barcode of the book and the app will automatically search and match through the world wide web, and voila; your asset is recorded and catalogued. It is that simple.

I am going to continue cataloguing more books but here are some of the books that I have just catalogued earlier on.

Gosh, my back is aching after all jumping, sorting, bowing and finding those books from my bookshelf!

Chancing Upon Former Students

Peeps,

Last week, while I was at Midvalley Megamall, I bumped into my former student, named Krane Chan at MPH Bookstore. He was looking for some books to buy so that he can finish off his RM 250 1-Malaysia Book Voucher.

I taught Krane the subject Control System while I was teaching at Asia Pacific University College of Technology & Innovation (as it was known back then) in the year 2010.

He was a very polite, hardworking and charming student. His work is something that I truly admire. Oh, he used to wear a long hair, and I greatly admired it - well, maybe I like a straight and a silky-smooth hair. Now that he wears a short hair, he still look gorgeous and handsome.

Krane has just completed his bachelor's studies, and will graduate soon. His convocation is scheduled to take place somewhere this month or next.

During our short conversation, we talked about many things: future plan, career, postgraduate studies and so on. We also talked about engineering studies, and how interesting it is; and not forgetting also how tough and boring it can also be.

Krane also confided to me that he is not discounting the possibility of venturing to other things that is not even related to engineering.

Oh well, I am not there to advise him: he is a great man, and he surely knows the best on what to plan for his future. Whether he will pursue postgraduate studies or finding a suitable career; that is entirely up to him.

In any case, I wish you well in your future, Krane!

p/s: juxtaposed with this picture is a picture I took a sometimes back with former student, Ee Kai Shen and Tan Ewe Gin. Refer to the previous post for more information on these two students.

Great Lunch at The Chicken Rice Shop

Peeps,

On Monday, 3 June 2013, I went to The Chicken Rice Shop at Ground Floor, Midvalley Megamall to have lunch with my cousin, Noor Najaa Nadiah, before sending her to the  LCC airport to catch a flight back to Kota Bharu, Kelantan at 5:35 pm.

We both took Chicken Rice Set 1 costing RM 15-ish per person - standard price and value for your money. As for the main course, I chose roasted chicken while she chose steam chicken. The steam chicken tasted quite dull, "empty" and tasteless while the roasted chicken tasted twice as better than the steam chicken. Anyway, that is her choice. And she likes it, too!

The chicken rice set comes with a dish of bean sprout, a sort of spring roll with a shape of a cupcake,  a nata de-coco dessert and a carbonated drink.

Overall, the food was really nice. It was a sumptuous lunch for both of us, and we really enjoyed it.

The ambience is superb: nice lighting, ample space, beautifully decorated wall with chic and modern frames hung on its wall. All in all, the restaurant is sleekly designed, thus invoking a funky environment that makes you feel young, vibrant and fresh.

You should try there, peeps.
It certainly worth the money spent!

Chancing Upon Former Students

Peeps,

Last week, while I was at Midvalley Megamall, I bumped into my former student, named Krane Chan at MPH Bookstore. He was looking for some books to buy so that he can finish off his RM 250 1-Malaysia Book Voucher.

I taught Krane the subject Control System while I was teaching at Asia Pacific University College of Technology & Innovation (as it was known back then) in the year 2010.

He was a very polite, hardworking and charming student. His work is something that I truly admire. Oh, he used to wear a long hair, and I greatly admired it - well, maybe I like a straight and a silky-smooth hair. Now that he wears a short hair, he still look gorgeous and handsome.

Krane has just completed his bachelor's studies, and will graduate soon. His convocation is scheduled to take place somewhere this month or next.

During our short conversation, we talked about many things: future plan, career, postgraduate studies and so on. We also talked about engineering studies, and how interesting it is; and not forgetting also how tough and boring it can also be.

Krane also confided to me that he is not discounting the possibility of venturing to other things that is not even related to engineering.

Oh well, I am not there to advise him: he is a great man, and he surely knows the best on what to plan for his future. Whether he will pursue postgraduate studies or finding a suitable career; that is entirely up to him.

In any case, I wish you well in your future, Krane!

p/s: juxtaposed with this picture is a picture I took a sometimes back with former student, Ee Kai Shen and Tan Ewe Gin. Refer to the previous post for more information on these two students.

Internet Explorer

Hello People,

Ever since Google Chrome was invented, many bad comments are being bombarded to Internet Explorer, the web browser.

There was even a report I read sometimes this year (or was it last year?) suggesting that only dumb people use Internet Explorer.

Whether this is true or not, I leave it to your judgment. As for me, my personal choice is Google Chrome.

What is yours?

Cheaper Cars in Malaysia

Folks,

The topic of the price of cars in Malaysia has turned from a personal issue, to political issue and now, the national issue.

It is sensational, and you can hear this topic discussed among the pak cik-s, mak cik-s, uncles and aunties at your local kopitiam.

Even school-going children have started to take keen interest in this issue. This topic is especially sensational!

The fact of the matter is, cars in Malaysia are highly priced. To me, having a car is not a luxury anymore; it is a necessity, given the current condition of our public transportation system.

In this week's issue in The Edge Weekly, Monday, June 6th, 2013; the subject of a car price is hotly debated and presented by the collective voice of the editorial team.

This issue is not easy to deal with as there are many parties involved, for example: Proton, Perodua, Foreign Car Brands, Customs etc.

Any deal harping on this issue must be done with great consideration and cautions. We need to protect many interests, and most crucial of all, the interest of the rakyat, who voted for the creation of the government of the day.

I personally think that the car price should be gradually reduced, for the benefit of the citizens of Malaysia.

And, there is a greater need for transparency in determining the price of the car. The citizens have the right to be informed of how much tax (excise etc.) is being imposed on them.

And let us see how Najib's administration is going tackle and deal with this sensitive issue in this 5 years (2013 - 2018).

Large Banks in South East Asian

People,

Here are the Top 5 largest banks in the South East Asian region for your own record. This information was taken from The Edge Weekly, Monday, June 6th, 2013.

As a Malaysian, I am proud to see two of our local banks emerging in the league among large banks in the SEA region, in terms of market capitalisation. Maybank is in the second spot, while CIMB is in the fifth.

Under the leadership of its CEO,  Dato' Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, Maybank continue to propser even bigger; while the ranking of CIMB in the fifth spot is under the supervision of its CEO,  Dato' Seri Nazir Razak.

Sadly, Dato' Seri Abdul Wahid Omar is leaving Maybank to take up a ministerial post in charge of the Malaysian economy come this month.

I wish you all the best, sir!

Hot Night

Dear God the Almighty,

It is 2:13 am and the hot night is getting unbearable. Please forgive the sins of us, sons and daughters of Adam and Eve.

Please pour some late night rain to cool this earth.

I ask you from the bottom of my heart, dear God, to bring coolness into this earth.

I am truly sorry for what other humans have did to your earth; and as a sign of forgiveness, please kindly pour some water on this hot earth at night time.

Amen.