Boring CNY

Nothing much had happened during the CNY celebrations. Let me see....what did I do??

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Ate, slept, drank, got topsy turvy, got hungover, ate, slept again, gambled a lil bit, loss 100 bucks, drank again, got hungover again, slept summore, ate, tooks some photos, hanged out with buddies till 4 am playing the guitar, drank a heeluvalot more, gave angpows, got bankrupt, ate slept, went to Kemaman to visit my in laws, gave ang pows summore, slept, drank, took summore photos....the list goes on. And yeah, nothing much happened :)

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I don't know about you, but I find it very dissapointing not to hear fire crackers exploding and lion dances tong-chang-ing around town anymore. Yes, you may hear some pops here and there, and drums banging from afar, but CNY is not the usual CNY anymore. What's CNY without the loud crackers?? It's like, what's Hari Raya like without the ketupat and rendang, and what's deepavali like without the curry and papadam. And to make matters worse, even the lions seemed so much skinnier. Their dance step was crappy, the drummer was yawning, the other members were smoking and talking away, couldn't care less to lead the lion's head and the poor fellow at the back gets to smell his partner's bottom. Overall, I rate this year's CNY a humble 5/10. It could've been 6 but due to the fact that I had to give away angpows, a minus 1 is a fair deal.

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How about you?? You feel me mates.....

"Tis the season to be Chinese....

.....and since being a Chinese and all, why not share some clean jokes about our beautiful language. No, I'm not talking about Mandarin (coz I suck at it), how about some Cantonese. For some of you who really, really wants to learn Cantonese, go have a REAL tutor coz yours truly is a half past six Chinese. For my Malay colleagues, they call me a Cina Murtad (apostate), for the Chinese, I am a banana, for the Indians.....I REALLY have no idea. If you wanna know more about the origins of the language, go click here.

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Now, the Chinese language is rather complicated as there are 4 tones to choose from. Be careful not to pronounce the tones wrongly. You may end up getting a tight slap or a kick in your groin. I for one have the tendency to say the wrong words at the wrong time. I really admire some "Orang Putehs" in Taiwan featured in the talk shows. They can really converse in fluent Mandarin. I can only say "Ni How Mah" and "Ni Se Mo Ming" and the best-est of all #$$%!!&! I know most of you can sms in "Piyin" so here are some you may or may not use while sms-ing.

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Learn the Chinese language in 5 minutes :-

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1. That's not right... - Sum Ting Wong (something wrong?)
2. Are you harboring a fugitive?... - Hu Yu Hai Ding? (who you hiding?)
3. See me ASAP... - Kum Hia Nao (come here now)
4. Stupid Man... - Dum Gai (dumb guy)
5. Small Horse... - Tai Ni Po Ni (tiny pony)
6. Did you go to the beach?... - Wai Yu So Tan? (why you so tan)
7. I bumped into a coffee table... - Ai Bang Mai Ni (i bang my knee)
8. I think you need a face lift... - Chin Tu Fat (chin too fat)
9. It's very dark in here... - Wai So Dim? (why so dim)
10. I thought you were on a diet... - Wai Yu Mun Ching? (why you munching)
11. This is a tow away zone... - No Pah King (no parking)
12. Our meeting is scheduled for next week... - Wai Yu Kum Nao? (why you come now)
13. Staying out of sight... - Lei Ying Lo (laying low)
14. He's cleaning his automobile... - Wa Shing Ka (washing car)
15. Your body odor is offensive... - Yu Stin Ki Pu (you stinky poo)

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For the Chinese, being married at this time of year is a pain in the ass.....especially when it's the 1st year of marriage. Rachel and I had to fork out our hard earned money to give away "Ang Pows" to our unmarried family members, relatives and friends. So, for some of my friends who are still bachelors and bachelorettes, I A'INT OPENING MY HOUSE THIS YEAR!!! LET ME SLEEP IN PEACE!!! muahahahahahah

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*singing*.....CHIEN PU KOU YONG...warrghhhhhhhh!!!!!

Back from Ting-Ga-Noo

I was in Kuala Terengganu for the last 2 days, part marketing, part makan-ing and part holiday-ing. It was a fun trip altogether, with Zarni and Zahimin. And as always, the "Rainman" was travelling with his ol-faithful Canon 40D snapping away, until one felt irritated and wanted to give the Rainman a big smack on the head.

We stayed over in the Grand Continental Hotel for the night. Shafiee dropped over for dinner and we headed to Restoran Mayang Serai, a popular restaurant specializes in seafood. It is located by Hotel Felda which faces the river. Here are some shots.....

Sideview of the restaurant

Ayam kampung goreng....a must have in Kuala Terengganu

Mixed vege with Japanese toufu

I think this was a red snapper with Nyonya sauce.....yummy. There were several other dishes that I didnt manage to snap as we were busy helping ourselves......hungry werewolves we were. Do not expect discos or bars in Kuala Terengganu. They do not serve beers or liquors, even in the hotels. The town would be deserted by 9pm. Their local Mat Rempits will be in action by then. If you enjoy banging your eardrums with screeching noises, burned tire smell and air pollution, then be sure to head over to Taman Tamadun Islam.

After visiting some other customers the next day, our colleagues wanted to have Roti Paun, a specialty bun only to be found in Terengganu. Working in Kemaman for 5 years has its benefits. I was able to converse fluently with the locals. Most words ending with an "n" have to be pronounced with an "ng". For example, Roti Paun is pronounced as "Roti Paung", or timun (cucumber) is "Timung". Another new word that I have learned was "Kluk Klek" which simply means "No Use". PAS just recently gained another parlimentary seat in Kuala Terengganu. There were posters hanging just about every nook and corner. One particularly caught my attention....which I think was done by PAS's opposition. It states...."PAS Kluk Klek", and I don't have to translate that for you.

Now back to "Roti Paung".....this stall sells an assortment of local delicacies. My eyes were oogling at the number of kuih-muih sold here. The picture speaks for itself.

This is "Roti Paung" and it costs on RM2 for a loaf. It smells sweet and tastes sweet, much like the potato bread. It tastes even better with Kopi-O....And these are random shots taken around Kuala Terengganu.

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Pasar Mayang sells a variety of cloth and clothes, from batik, satin to silk. If you do want to spend your hard earned money here, be sure to bring a local along for some bargaining power. Else, you will be dupped into buying something you can get cheaper by RM50. Every stalls sells the same thing, so there's not much to brag about.

....there's also an Exclusive Toilet in town. Im not sure whether you need to pay for a pee or not :)

Some random shots of relections by the river at night.

This was taken in Pantai Batu Burok. For our next trip, we shall be heading down to Kota Bahru the land of nasi dagang, nasi berlauk and my favourite of all, their specialty white coffee. Stay tuned......

HIATUS Mode

.......I'll be heading for Kuala Terengganu. Will update soon...cheers mate :)

Proximidade Award...or should it be called a tag

I was awarded....or rather tagged by Kellaw and Josephine on the same day. Wouldn't deny the fact that I was actually happy after receiving the same tag. But having to note that each tag had to be passed on to 8 other bloggers. I received 2, which means I'd have to tag 16 (....Kellaw, don't grin!!). After careful consideration, I decided to give it a go.

This award has a message attached to it :-
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This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

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Without further a do, I'd like to give this award to these 16 fantabulous bloggers, namely :-

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1. Cleffairy (you know you cannot lari one...hehehehe)

2. Pete (you also the same..... :P)

3. Kikey

4. Lam Ching Fu

5. Un Greg Chai

6. Suituapui

7. Eugene

8. Ai Ling

9. Celine

10. Chrisau

11. Kevin

12. Bridge

13. Reanaclaire

14. Racheal Tan

15. Agnes .... and last but not least

16. Ruth

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There are many others though.....I'd tag everyone of you but I have to comply with the requirements. So, for you guys whom I've tagged/awarded, happy hunting :)

An encouragement for you..

MY STRENGTH OR HIS POWER

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If in my own strength I wage war victory is not won,

I’ll come home for relief with many things undone.

Boasting of selfish gains,

yet sapped of all my strength,

wearied in my days and life shortened in its length.

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When tensions do build and peace from me does flee,

quickly must I acknowledge this is not of Christ, but me.

I must turn my feet and make haste to go,

to the One who has power to forgive and to show.

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The path I must take is one of humility and grace,

for only when His power fills can I victoriously run the race.

God will not fill me until of self am I freed,

then and only then will the Lord take the lead.

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My heart, mind and soul before God being stilled,

my emptiness the preparation for by God being filled.

My boasting must be of my weakness before God,

seeing eternal as the foundation for all praise, honor and laud.

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I fight daily in the world against a tireless evil foe,

save for emptying of self there will be no victory I’ll know.

A sense of my own weakness must ever be,

present in my life for me to be able to see.

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Its God’s power in battle, being strong in His might,

as His warrior I march onward in His ever-present light.

It’s only in my weakness can the power of God rest,

engaging in battles that will put me to the test.

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My strength must I lay down while this world do I roam,

dwelling only in His power as I walk onward toward home

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Given by God to Kim Feezel, Ohio, 2008

(taken from Christian Poems)

Why like this...why like that??

This post is dedicated to my beloved wife...Rachel.

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We have been a couple since 27 March 2003 and been married since 28 June 2008. We have gone through ups and downs, quarrels, arguments, laughed together, shared our tears with each other, hugged and kissed each time we meet...even to this very day. I still remember the day you asked me "Do you have a girlfried??"...and I said "Why?? You want to "khaw" me ar?" ....then we both felt the rush of electricity in our veins, and butterfly in our stomachs...and i still do each and every time I see you every morning. I pray that this will not end till the day we go back to our Father. The vow I made publicly in the presence of God still rings in my head....

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"From this day on, I choose you, my beloved Rachel, to be my wedded wife. To live with you and laugh with you; to stand by your side, and sleep in your arms; to be joy to your heart, and food for your soul; to bring out the best in you always, and, for you, to be the most that I can. I promise to laugh with you in good times, to struggle with you in bad; to solace you when you are downhearted; to wipe your tears with my hands; to comfort you with my body; to mirror you with my soul; to share with you all my riches and honors; to play with you as much as I can until we grow old; and, still loving each other sweetly and gladly, our lives shall come to an end."

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Of late, Rachel has been very moody. 1stly...it was because of her "tai-yee-mah", understandable....2ndly, her boss and 3rdly, her colleagues.

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1st issue....I cannot do much about it but to sit by your side comforting you. I offer my warmth and kisses so that you can sleep at night.

2nd issue...your boss has got no brains (I hope she does not stumble unto my blog :P). What does she expect to get by opening a counter at your office's doorstep? Right in the middle of the afternoon....else, just pray that God would give her some sense in sales :) and be a good and accomodating leader.

3rd issue....don't mind your colleagues. I've learnt from Eugene that instead of condemning and cursing one, we should bless and pray for them. God knows the best remedy and solution. It may take a while to digest, and we have to be faithful and wait for His calling. (this part has been edited :))

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All I am saying is this, whenever you need a shoulder to cry on, I'll always be by your side. For whatever reason or path you plan to take in the future, I'll be there to support you. If you need someone to listen, I'll have my ears opened for you, and I'll ensure I'll live to the vows that I took till the end of our days. I do not have all the answers in life, I cannot answer all your whys and cries? But I promise you that I will take your hand in mine when we go thru the ups and downs in life...with God's grace and direction.

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Love you princess......XOXOXOXOXO

Employee of the year

Wanna hire me???? Call toll free....1-800-TOI-LET-JOB

Desperate engineering students

Got it from one of my buddies last week. These are the actual hilarious answers given in its individual exam papers. And you guessed it right, they all failed.....

.............and before I forget, Jason (feh-mus blogger) was in town, I think it was on January 1st, if Im not mistaken. I received a call at about 11am from Jason (I was still hallucinating btw). He said that he and his buddies were on their way down to Kuantan and wanted to meet up. I panicked.....really. But coincidentally, it was raining cats and dogs. I was so "paiseh" for not being able to bring them around town. But we managed to grab lunch at Kuantan's feh-mus chicken rice at Capitol Hainan Chicken Rice Restaurant.

from left to right (seated) : Jason, his buddy (sorry bro, can't remember your name), another buddy (*gulp* me and my roting brain) and her boyfriend, Steve (remembered coz I got his business card-working in the same line with me!!).

They were in Kuantan for 3 days.....and it rained quite heavily for 3 days *sigh*. Sorry Jason and gang, I'll get myself prepared the next time you're in town....if you wanna come down again, that is. Do keep in touch.

Kopi anybody??

This week has been harvardous....methaphorically speaking. I was busy with work and my Celcom broadband wasn't functioning as it always have. It turned out that the blardy modem went kaputt and I had to search hi and low for the warranty card, since it has not been a year old. Anyways, Zarni and I went marketing to Kemaman and Kerteh last Thursday. I got the chance to test drive his Latio on the way back (got it after his car got stolen).....and to sum up, the car was excellent. A lil shaky when speeding, but generally....ok. Back to subject in mind. As earlier mentioned, both of us went ponteng-ing to Kemaman and we stopped by the feh-mus Hai Peng Kopitiam for breakfast. We didnt had much for breakfast, just sipping our Kopi-O and Zarni had their Nasi Dagang. Some shots of the site :-

The former small Hai Peng is now a Sdn Bhd....

.....home made kaya juga ada

The types of kopi packaging....you can have yours with or without sugar

Jalan-jalan Cari Makan was also here.....

................this is the taukeh. :)

For lunch, we met up with Kemaman's Assistant Br Manager and hanged out at a simple but nice restaurant at the bus station, called Restoran Bas Station......like duh!! What else would you name the place if not for the place itself. They had various kind of Malay dishes, but their specialty is Sup Tulang. We had those for lunch.

....the must have Sup Tulang

Zarni giving a thumbs up

......and by the way, in appreciation to my loyal readers and commentors, I would like to give away some items as a token of gratitude for sticking with my blabbering these past few months. And yes, I'm copying Kikey coz I have no idea, and I have a low IQ, and I have stomach ache now.....*shitty*. Alrighty then, for the 1st 5, pls leave your home addresses in my mail and await your gifts.....Ciao!!

A photographer in the making..

It's now 2.48am, and Im still wide awake. I suppose its the 2 cups of caffeine that's working my hot bod now...*grins* Anyways, back to the topic. I got myself a 2nd hand Canon 40D as an upgrade together with a 17-85mm and 18-200mm lenses. I was contemplating whether to sell my existing 1000D for a loss of RM600. Decided to go against it and to keep as a spare. These past 4 months, Rachel has been very attentive towards my addiction in photography. She has been all ears to what I have been blabbering about and I started to have an impression that she too wanted to know more. So, the past few weeks I handed the faithful 1000D to her to toy about.....and mind you, she has the eye of a photographer. I was actually amazed at her skills. These are some of her shots

I did some minor photoshop editing on the saturation and contrast btw. These flowers were all in my mum's garden. Having going through her shots, I could fairly say that my darling has got what it takes to be a photographer. She might even pose as a threat to me...hehehe. No offense, but I really have to buck up. So, it was decided that I gave my 1000D to her as an additional Christmas present.....er, no. Not Christmas. A New Year present should be precise. Since she has the interest on shooting plants and flower, I'm now thinking of investing a good macro lens for her.....should cost me at least RM2K *biting fingernails*

Jalan-jalan.....cari makan

Ruth was back in Kuantan last 26th December.....so the gang (my family lar) brought her to Specky Guy Seafood Restaurant, Jalan Beserah for dinner. And as always, yours truly has the urge to make his readers drool....especially Cleffairy....hehehe. I can't remember the names of the dishes. I only paid for them and we had a jolly good time together.

The "gang".... :P

I think this is tofu.... :P

Eggs with oyster

.....something chicken

some greens....

and more greens.....

and not to forget, the crabs. There were two crab dishes. Only managed to shoot on one as I was busy stuffing myself with the other... :)

Ruth and Aaron