Dumpsite Treasure Hunt

RM 80,000.00 find sparks a treasure hunt at the dumpsite along the Kuantan-Segamat Highway reports the Star today. What was a tragedy to many people seems to be a boon to some people. A lot of people have started scavenging through the rubbish hoping to find valuables that were washed away from the flooded homes.
Picture from the Star:


There is a fine for such an activity - RM 500.00, but these people are not bothered with that. For the person who found RM 80,000.00 in cash, it would mean less RM 500.00 only. No big deal! Many have found gold chains, gold coins and other jewelery which people usually keep in their homes. It never occured to any of them to return the valuables or at least make an attempt to return them. It looks like finders keepers policy at the moment. No time to sympathise with those who have lost so much because of the flood.

It reminds me of some scenes I have seen on Animal Planet where one animal is left behind because of sickness or injury. The poor animal can't keep up with the rest so it gets left behind. The predators who are lurking not too far away move in for the kill and get their lunch. Whatever is left behind is cleaned up by the vultures. Nothing goes to waste. Looks like some human characteristics are quite similar to those of the animals!

Merry Christmas!

What Handicap?

To many people, losing the use of both arms would definitley be tragic as that would make us handicapped. I can't even begin to imagine what life would be like if I don't have both of my arms.

There are a number of people without both arms who have overcome their handicap and are making the best out of the situation. They have learned to use their feet and their mouth to earn a living. I am refering to the Mouth And Foot Painting Artist who are stationed in Kuala Lumpur and display their works in a gallery in Ampang Park. Their association reproduces the original artworks into bookmarks, greeting cards, calendars, wrapping papers, etc. Self-help, not charity, is the MFPA’s motto.

I purchased some of their greeting cards which are shown below :





The Star had a write up about the MFPA and the information on how to join this group for those who qualify is as below :

Who can join MFPA?
Any body who has lost the use of his hands and paints with the mouth or foot can become a potential member of the association. They must submit six paintings, a medical certificate stating that they are unable to hold a paintbrush with their hands, two photographs and a short biography. All materials will be sent to the association’s headquarters in Lichtenstein for evaluation before one can be accepted as a member. MFPA can be contacted at (03) 2161 8860/8502.

Christmas Cheer

It is that time of the year when supermarkets and shopping complexes start decorating and blaring out the special offers for Christmas. It is so easy to get caught up with all this hype and go on a buying spree. The attraction is "This is cheap, a great deal there, buy one get one and so on". What is it about Christmas that started this sales pitch all over the world?

It was a time for giving. The Christmas story is about God's greatest gift to us in the form of Jesus Christ who was given to us for our salvation. From this event we started this fad about buying gifts for people around Christmas time. When you give something to someone it shows you care about that person. Actually it should be about caring and loving your neighbour as yourself not only at Christmas time but all year around.

But being mortals, we tend to forget the real meaning of Christmas as we are too engrossed with our work or our hobbies or our careers or our families and our friends. At Christmas time we suddenly become more sensitive to the people around us and we become extra nice or generous to fit in with the Christmas spirit. For some, this 'caring' moment might even stretch beyond Christmas into the new year eve party where there will be more giving of gifts.

It is not a bad thing actually and maybe with time the caring spirit might last longer with the years until it becomes a part of our daily routine. Until such time I guess we will have to carry on with the practice of buying and giving gifts during Christmas. At least we would have made some poor soul happy for that short time. Something is better than nothing!

World's Best Dermatologist?

Came across an advertisement in our local daily announcing the Festive Season Special Offer by one 'Dr Murad'. In the advertisement he claims to have been voted the 'World's Best Dermatologist'.

I immediately brought this piece of information to the attention of my dearest wife who is suffering from atopy eczema. She has seen so many skin specialist that sometimes when she happens to be attended by a doctor who is sitting in for the specialist at the government hospital, she ends up telling him what medication she wants. That's how experienced in skin matters she is. So, when I tell her about this 'World's Best Dermatologist', she asks to read further to find out who awarded him that title.

I read the fine print and it says 'VOGUE Magazine, Aug 2001 - LA USA'. When I gave her the information, she says that magazine is to cater for women's vanity. It's not a medical journal to give out such titles. Anyway, "LA USA is not the world." she says.

How true. It is typical of the Americans though. Whatever they do, they will declare it world standard or universal standard even though it is only their backyard. No wonder they lost in Vietnam and are now stuck in Iraq. They don't bother about the rest of the world but declare themselves champions of the world.

Coming back to this 'World Dermatologist', I was curious to see what a world class dermatologist had to offer us Malaysians.
1. Black heads and White heads
2. Pigmentation and uneven skin tone
3. Fine lines and wrinkles
4. Acne scars and blemishes

No wonder VOGUE was interested in this guy. His playing field was right down their front yard! I thought he might have some news for those suffering from soriasis or eczema or some other skin deseases that millions of people are suffering from.

This is capitalism in its truest form in a democratic society. Make money where you can and when you can and from whoever you can.

Well, that's life!

The Sudden Departure

Attended a Muslim funeral today. This friend of mine (a lady) who had a mild stroke some years ago, looked like she was recovering and being herself again. She managed to get back her speech functions. She even phoned to invite me to her daughters wedding some time ago. We visited her and she was so happy to see 'the gang' again.

We (the gang) worked in the same office in the 80's. Now everyone of us had married and with children, hardly had time to meet. Her daughter's wedding was one of the occasions we could meet and laugh over old times.

Last night I received a message saying this lady had passed away. Life is so unpredictable. The circle of friends is getting smaller. I find that when you get older its not easy to make friends. You only make acquaintances. Mostly because when one grows older, you are not so forgiving, tend to be critical and very set in your own standards. You don't feel the need to change to accomodate new friends.

We need to go out and be more open and more adventurous. Life is not only short, it is also so unpredictable. No one is really prepared for death. We only talk about life after death. Not death itself. So, don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today as you don't know what tomorrow holds!

About Life

I received this short write up on life through the internet
which I think is well written and beautifully stated.

About Life

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't
supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your
heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time.
You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was
broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love
for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too
fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many
pictures,laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt
because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of
happiness you'll never get back.

Don't be afraid that your life will end,
be afraid that it will never begin.
~anonymous~

Conversion Issues

Received this info through the internet. Useful for the non-muslims.
Read and be well informed.

Silent Jet

Came across an interesting article in the papers about the unveiling of the 'silent jet' in London by a team of researchers from Massachusets Institute of Technology and Cambridge University. This 'jet' would be so silent that from outside the airport it would be about as noisy as a washing machine.

I was attracted to the shape of the plane as it reminded me of a creature that has existed for a very long time under our oceans. I wonder if the researchers copied the shape from the original?

The Copy

The Original

The Technically Challenged

This ought to make you feel better about your computer skills!
Unbelievable, but supposedly all true!!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech support: What kind of computer do you have?
Female customer: A white one...
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Customer: Hi, this is Celine. I can't get my diskette out.
Tech support: Have you tried pushing the Button?
Customer: Yes, sure, it's really stuck.
Tech support: That doesn't sound good; I'll make a note.
Customer: No , wait a minute... I hadn't inserted it yet...
it's still on my desk... sorry....
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech support: Click on the 'my computer' icon on to the left of the screen.
Customer: Your left or my left?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech support: Good day. How may I help you?
Male customer: Hello... I can't print.
Tech support: Would you click on "start" for me and...
Customer: Listen pal; don't start getting technical on me!
I'm not Bill Gates.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Customer: Hi, good afternoon, this is Martha, I can't print.
Every time I try, it says 'Can't find printer'. I've even
lifted the printer and placed it in front of the monitor,
but the computer still says he can't find it...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Customer: I have problems printing in red...
Tech support: Do you have a color printer?
Customer: Aaaah....................thank you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech support: What's on your monitor now, ma'am?
Customer: A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me at the 7-11.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Customer: My keyboard is not working anymore.
Tech support: Are you sure it's plugged into the computer?
Customer: No. I can't get behind the computer.
Tech support: Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back.
Customer:! OK
Tech support: Did the keyboard come with you?
Customer: Yes
Tech support: That means the keyboard is not plugged in.
Is there another keyboard?
Customer: Yes, there's another one here. Ah...that one does work...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tech support: Your password is the small letter "a" as in apple,
a capital letter V as n Victor, the number 7.
Customer: Is that 7 in capital letters?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Customer: can't get on the Internet.
Tech support: Are you sure you used the right password?
Customer: Yes, I'm sure. I saw my colleague do it.
Tech support: Can you tell me what the password was?
Customer: Five stars.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech support: What anti-virus program do you use?
Customer: Netscape.
Tech support: That's not an anti-virus program.
Customer: Oh, sorry...Internet Explorer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Customer: I have a huge problem. A friend has placed a screen
saver on my computer, but every time I move the mouse, it disappears.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech support: How may I help you?
Customer: I'm writing my first e-mail.
Tech support: OK, and what seems to be the problem?
Customer: Well, I have the letter 'a' in the address,
but how do I get the circle around it?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A woman customer called the Canon help desk with a problem
with her printer.
Tech support: Are you running it under windows?
Customer: "No, my desk is next to the door, but that is a good point.
The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a window,
and his printer is working fine."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And last but not least...
Tech support: "Okay Bob, let's press the control and escape keys
at the same time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the
screen. Now type the letter "P" to bring up the Program Manager."
Customer: I don't have a P.
Tech support: On your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: What do you mean?
Tech support: "P".....on your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT!

A Tribute To A Great Man

Muhammad Yunus



Who is this man? I have never heard of him before but it seems he has been busily cracking his head to help the poverty stricken in his homeland - Bangladesh. It was the famine in 1974 which devastated the country that triggered this mans' desire to help the poor and needy. He is an Economics professor who quickly learnt that the book economics he was teaching wasn't helping the poor people in Bangladesh.

He went to the root of the problem by visiting the people most affected by the famine. It was there he found out about the middle men and the money lenders who were squeezing the life out of these people. The loan was given on condition the price for their work would be fixed by the money lenders and the goods must be sold to them only. The were as good as slaves under these terms. They wanted to work and do business but had no capital and the existing financial systems were not helping. The banking system did not consider the poor as good investment and as such refused to give out loans to them. It was then that Yunus decided to give them the loan, as little as $27.00, to start a business that was income-generating to support themselves. Initially he targeted women as they were the most under-priviledged and discriminated against by the banks.

The success of this scheme started the formation of the Grameen Bank in 1976 which lent small sums of money to the poor without collateral thus helping millions of poor families start income-generating projects which made them self supporting. This scheme is called microfinancing and due to its great success in Bangldesh, it has been adopted by the Asian Development Bank to help the poor in other countries. Ashok Sharma, South Asia head of microfinance at the Asian Development Bank in Manila, said that Yunus and his bank threw out all the conventional rules of banking, and succeeded in making people view poverty from a different perspective.

Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank were the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winners. They deserve it. The world needs more people like Yunus who use their knowledge, their talents and their time to help the helpless and the needy.

What Does Love Mean?

What does Love mean? From the mouth of babes....

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:


"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."
Rebecca- age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."
Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."
Chrissy - age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."
Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."
Danny - age 7

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."
Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."
Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."
Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."
Clare - age 6

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."
Elaine-age 5

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is
handsomer than Robert Redford."
Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."
Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."
Lauren - age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image)
Karen - age 7

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross."
Mark - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."
Jessica - age 8

What more can I say!

Trinity Baptist Church Fair

The Trinity Baptist Church of Alor Star organized a food and fun fair at their church grounds yesterday to raise funds for an orphanage and an old folks home. They intend to buy two houses nearby for this purpose. They already operate a dialysis center, a soup kitchen and a center for the physically and mentally handicapped. The response from the locals (non-muslims) to this event was tremendous. Below are some photos of this fair.

For The Believers

Came across this encouraging piece of writing on the internet.

The CROSS

A young man was at the end of his rope, seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer "Lord, I can't go on," he said.
"I have too heavy a cross to bear."

The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place
your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."

The man was filled with relief and said, "Thank you Lord," and he did as he was told.

Upon entering the other room, he saw many crosses; some so large the
tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall.

"I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered.
The Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."

When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and
see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagined.

YOUR CROSS

Whatever your cross
Whatever your pain
There will always be sunshine
After the rain

Perhaps you may stumble
Perhaps even fall
But God's always there
To help you through it all

High Cholesterol Problem

The test results came back from the lab. Still not good. I tried three types of drugs to lower the cholesterol level but to no avail. Instead they all gave me other problems that never existed before.

The HDL is 0.94 (should be >1.0). The LDL is 3.77(should be <2.58). The triglyceride is 2.16(should be <1.68). The Total Cholesterol / HDL ratio is 6.1(should be <5.0).
The reading for the platelets is lower than 150(should be between 150-450).

"So, what next doc?" I asked my doctor. He said I am one of the very few who do not respond to the standard drugs(mostly statin group) prescribed for lowering cholesterol levels. I am also affected by the side effects. For the moment, no more drugs for me. He advised me to try green tea. They are reputed to contain a high concentration of polyphenols that act as powerful antioxidants. Polyphenols will then help in neutralizing the free radicals that are freely causing damage inside my body.

As of today, I am now a tea drinker(three cups a day). I used to drink a lot of iced coffee, milo and nescafe. Now for health reasons, green tea it is. The occasional beer at the karaoke is still on though. He didn't say anything about that. heh heh ...

Medical Lingo

When you are over 50, you tend to pay more visits to your doctor, test your blood more often and learn more medical terms than you care to know about. You may have heard of these medical terms somewhere along the line but they didn't mean anything at that time. When you move to the other half of the century, things are different now. You get real personal with these terms and you try your best to understand them so that you can come to terms to what is happening and take remedial measures for your own well being. Some of the medical terms that have cropped up lately in my life are as below:

1. Prostate Specific Antigen - A protein produced by the cells of the prostate that can be elevated in patients suffering from prostate cancer, abbreviated PSA. To check if one has prostate cancer, a PSA test needs to be carried out. (A test on blood sample).

2. Testosterone - Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. Testosterone is primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females although small amounts are secreted by the adrenal glands. In both males and females, it plays key roles in health and well-being.

3. Thrombocytopenia - Thrombocytopenia is the term for a reduced platelet (thrombocyte) count. It occurs when platelets are lost from the circulation faster than they can be replaced from the bone marrow where they are made. Can be caused by statin drugs taken to lower cholesterol levels.

4. Cholesterol - High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are small, dense molecules responsible for transporting cholesterol to the liver. This type of cholesterol is actually good for your body because it helps remove cholesterol from the arteries and protects against dangerous blockages (plaques) in the arteries.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carries the majority of cholesterol through the bloodstream and delivers it to the cells of the body. These LDL-cholesterol molecules are larger, less dense, and less stable than HDL, and readily oxidize and deposit plaques on arterial walls. Therefore, LDL cholesterol is known as the "bad" cholesterol because it is more likely to clog arteries and lead to heart disease.

5. Cervical Spondylosis - Degenerative disease of the neck vertebrae. Compression of the spinal cord and cervical nerves by narrowing of spaces between vertebrae causes radiating neck or arm pain and stiffness, restricted head movement, headaches, spastic paralysis, and arm and leg weakness. Cervical spondylosis can resemble neurological disease with unrelated arthritis. It is treated with rest, traction, and possibly a cervical collar. Removal of herniated disks or fusion of vertebrae may be necessary.

6. Haematology - the branch of medicine that deals with diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs.

7. Endocrinology - The study of the glands and hormones of the body and their related disorders.

8. Hypothyrodism - Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone. Since the main purpose of thyroid hormone is to "run the body's metabolism", it is understandable that people with this condition will have symptoms associated with a slow metabolism.

9. Osteophytosis - Outgrowth of immature bony processes from the vertebrae, reflecting the presence of degenerative disease and calcification. It includes cervical and lumbar spondylosis.

Hope there are no more medical terms coming my way. Good health and old age is acceptable.

Tennis, Tennis, Tennis

While the US Open was going on in Flushing Meadows, we were having our own tennis tournament here in my home state, Kedah, Malaysia. The Kedah Closed Tennis Tournament was held from the 7th till the 9th of September at the Northern University of Malaysia tennis courts. The university is situated in Sintok, a town near the Malaysian/Thailand border. The participants ranged from the Under 12 group to the over 50 group.

It was a trying time for the parents who drove their children to this remote part of Kedah so that their children could take part in the tournament. Many of the participants had to wait until nightfall to show their talents on the court. Below are some photos taken at this event.

Driving to the university early in the morning.


Players in action.



At the end of the day there will be one! My son the Under18 champ.

Travelling Bees

Had a small fright at the tennis courts today. Here we were enjoying our game of tennis, almost like these two in the pic below.


I was taking a rest while my wife played on with her friend. It was a cloudy day and I was wary of the rain clouds looming above us. Suddenly I saw little drops on the ground and immediately I grabbed the tennis bag and wanted to head for cover in the pavilion. My friend from the next court shouted to me saying, "Bees! Bees!". I looked around but never thought of looking up. My wife suddenly screemed and said look up.

There were so many of them, it was a sea of blackness. We all started running to the next court but it looked like they were following us. We ran again to the 3rd court and still it looked like we were being followed. By this time we decided to run to the right - to the adjacent court. Suddenly they were not following us anymore. Actually, they were migrating and we were running along their path. Fortunately nobody got stung. Those little droplets were actually drops of honey. There was a strong smell of honey in the air after the bees had left.

The court attendant told us these type of honey bees won't attack if you don't disturb them. Yeah right! So we said goodbye to the bees and continued the wonderful game of tennis. There were one or two bees that got lost, so we gave them the plan to their home.

Time Travel

Remember that guy who wrote the science fiction novel, The Time Machine - Herbert George Wells? Well his sci-fi came to my mind the other day when I was caught in a traffic jam. I thought, how wonderful if somehow I just tripped over that machine on one of my forays into the suburban 'jungle'. Then, whenever I got caught in a traffic jam, I could just adjust the dials to an earlier time when there would be no one on that road, cross the problem area with ease right up to the target destination and then turn the dials and come back to the present time!

As I pondered further, I began to worry if there might be somebody at that exact spot in time which I had targeted. Would I be able to miss that person or would my action cause an accident which could cause an irriversible tragedy and upset the course of history forever! I might accidentally eliminate a future Olympic gold medalist for this country and everyone would hate me. That was such a frightening thought.

So I decided that should I get hold of such a contraption, I would go to a deserted place to try it. I would go backwards in time as this would be to my advantage as I would be the smarter person if I came across someone from 'ulu' days. But then I thought, if I went back too far and to a time when there was not much development, there might not be anybody to show off my 21st century knowledge to. What then? And this H G Wells fellow did not think about safety features for his machine. It is open to marauding creatures of the jungle. What if it was still a jungle and the wild animals would be looking for their next meal! I would be a sitting duck inside that machine. It would not have been built like a Humvee or a sherman tank. This isn't working for me.

Another nagging thought was if I went back in time, will I be growing younger and younger until I reach the point of my conception and then 'poof'- I am gone! This is too much for me. H G Wells can have his time machine back. If I ever trip over it, I will cart it to the 'botoi shop' and sell it for scrap. At least I will get some money from that encounter. heh heh ..

Indian Delicacies

When I say Indian, I don't mean the whole of India but only to the southern part specifically, Tamil Nadu. I was not born there but my father was. I have vivid memories of that place as it was such a long time ago when he took me there.

Being married to a Chinese I have lost touch with the Indian food. I remember my mother used to cook a type of curry from a leafy vegetable. It is called 'keerae kari' and with just that curry I could finish two plates of rice. Of course the 'achar' will be there to boost the taste buds and a glass of 'moeru'.

Then there was the 'mochukotai and karuvadoo'(a type of beans with anchovies) curry. Where to find all these!!! I liked her 'nandu'(crab) curry with 'rasum'(a type of soup) the best. This dish I still get to eat once a year at my friend's place during Deepavali celebration. This is a finger licking good Indian dish.

My mother also cooked 'sambar', which we ate with rice and fried fish. Sometimes she fried the fish with a little vinegar. Fantastic stuff! The combination of the meat and vegetables plays an important part in the alluring taste of the recipe.

My brothers and sisters are into vegetarian stuff. Not my cup of tea. But they are an understanding lot and when we meet during Deepavali, there will be chicken or mutton curry for us.