Life's a Box of Chocolates!

Ayam Buah Keluak

2010-12-11T23:32:00.013+08:00

Slurppppp......ahhhh! Burrrrp!
After licking all my five fingers, I must agree this is perhaps one of the best meal I have ever had after sooo sooo long! And the most satisfying part is the dish was single-handedly cooked by......ME! YES! Me....Kuan Yoon!

I do not know why recently, out of a sudden I am just so addicted to cooking/baking, an interest I picked up about 2 years back. I have been learning and experimenting new recipes of late. It just won't stop. I find cooking/baking absolutely therapeutic. It really feels so nice and flattering when people give you positive comments, asking you for recipes or even uttering words like "YOU can COOK?". Getting these remarks just makes you yearn for more....and more......and more!

Last Sunday, I decided to cook one of my favourite typical Nyonya dish - Ayam Buah Keluak! Since mom passed away, I hardly had the chance to relish this finger-licking dish. As my wife is not a Straits born, so I thought it's time for me to get my hands down and learn up to cook this Peranakan staple myself.

Well, what is a 'buah keluak'? Basically, buah keluak is a black nut from Indonesia about the size of a misshapen golf ball.

As a matter of fact, it is a very poisonous nut and amazingly we Asians use it as our delicacy. But not to worry as the ones found in the market have been detoxificated. It is boiled for hours and buried in the soil for over 40 days. Amazing yah, so poisonous and yet so edible! Well, like durians, this typical nut is an acquired taste. You either hate it or love it.

Now, how do we eat it? Firstly, a slit has to be made at the 'mouth' of the nut after which we scrape out its contents. It's basically a tar-like paste and the taste is unique and unbelievable. You just need to taste to believe it. Apparently, the supply is rather scarce as not many places sell them. For those who are staying in Malacca, I bought them from the Bukit Cina market and are sold at RM14 for a mere 20 pcs.

So, how do we cook this delectable dish?

First, the ingredients:

A: 15-20 pcs of buah keluak

B: 1/2 chicken

C:
6 red chillies
15 shallots
5 cloves of garlic
2 cm of galangal (lengkuas)
2 cm of tumeric (kunyit)
6 pcs of candlenuts (buah keras)
3 cm of ginger (halia)
1 tbsp of shrimp paste (belancan)

D: 3 stalks of lemon grass (serai), coarsed.

E: 4 tablespoons of tamarind paste, soaked in 1 litre of water and strained.

F: sugar & salt to taste

Second, the steps. Well, I would divide the whole process into 3 parts :

1) Soaking & cracking
As the nuts are poisonous in nature, it is necessary to soak them for at least 1 night. It is also to remove the layer of soil on the nuts. However, according to old people, they believe that the longer the nuts are soaked, the softer the contents we get .

After soaking, we need to make a small opening on the nuts. And this makes your heart pumps a little especially for the first timer like me. It can be dangerous as we need to use the end of the chopper to carefully crack open the mouth of the nut.

2) 'Pasting'
This process is basically to make the paste. In a blender, blend all the 'C' ingredients until fine.

3) Cooking/Simmering
With 4 tablespoons of cooking oil, stir fry the paste together with the lemon grass until fragrant.

Add in the chicken and keluak nuts.

Lastly, add in the tamarind juice.

Simmer for about 1/2 hour or until chicken is tender.

And the final outcome is

taaaadaaaa................

Well, that's about all. The dish is ready to be savoured. However, if you are cooking for your guest or to get a better taste, an excellent tip I got is be sure you cook the dish the night before. This allows the flavour especially from the keluak paste to soak into the chicken and the taste........voila!

My Little Chocolate

2009-10-26T00:30:00.015+08:00

In the month of October 2002 I was given a box of chocolate and in that particular box was a beautiful little chocolate nestled snugly in its compartment waiting for me to 'embrace'. Little did I realize that this little 'chocolate' had made my days, showering me with lots of surprises, joys and hopes.

Seven years later, I asked for another box and on the 10th of October 2009 the box came knocking at my doorstep. The only difference now is that the little chocolate inside was a female one and Caitlyn I have named her. What makes it even sweeter is that both the chocolates came to me on the same date - 10/10......Aahhhh! What else can I ask for?

Now, let me take you through the journey how my precious little princess arrives.....

Wife waiting to be admitted

Waiting to be pushed into operating theatre

In the changing room waiting to be called in to witness the operation

The 'Aftermath' of an Accident

2009-08-21T10:52:00.013+08:00

My...my....it's been exactly a month since I last updated this blog! Sorry, yah!

Haiz...have been too engrossed with Facebook lately....met lots of very very old friends lah! So much time had been spent chatting with them, 'kaypo-ing' scanning through their profiles, viewing their photos (eager to see how their children look like, who they married with....who knows she could be my ex-gxxxxx), giving endless comments, etc etc......if you are actively fiddling with FB, then you will know exactly what I mean here!

Well, let's get down to business......

Last Saturday, my wife's car got 'kissed' by a motorcycle. Apparently, this happened while she was about to bring her car to a halt at a traffic light junction (just opposite Lorenzo in Semabok).

The motorcycle bearing the registration number MAS 227 suddenly hit my wife's car. (just in case if you happen to know this number or if you are a police officer reading this blog now, pls alert me at 016-635 2233). As a result, the rider was thrown to the opposite side of the road and most importantly, my car, MY CARRR's rear headlight smashed and the bumper dented.

Miraculously, he stood up, walked to my wife's car and conveniently questioned :

"Apa pasal lu langgar saya?".

YES! He is a Malay, guy, 40-something, working in Klinik Kesihatan in Bukit Baru, named Idris (if you happen to know him, pls call me....RM1.xxxx if the identity is correct).

Fortunately, my wife remained composed, stood up for herself and claimed compensation. As expected, he brushed her off nonchalantly by saying "Saya takde duit". What the %$#@! Well, to cut things short, she managed to jot down his vehicle number, name and handphone number.

The very next day, I called that Idris guy and after several attempts, he picked up my call and subsequently I was asked to meet him and let his mechanic friend estimate the damage. So, the meeting was at a bengkel (car workshop) in a Malay kampung at 2pm. Of course, I asked my cousin, Ronny to accompany me there.

The repair cost was estimated at approximately RM600. "Habis, apa macam sekarang, wahai Cik Idris?" I asked. Again, he conveniently said that he had no cash.

"Walau eh, cik abang, lu langgar gua, takkan gua kena tanggung semua!" I exclaimed.

All he managed to do was just shrugged and kept quiet. His mechanic friend (who was also a Malay) then broke the silence and rapped out "gua cakap sama lu En. Tan, kira lu punya nasib tak baik lah langgar orang Melayu". %$#$%@. Instantly, I understood his message. Completely pissed off, I suggested that we lodge a police report in which I would be able to claim his insurance but unfortunately he had to be summoned RM300. Only then, he spoke out requesting me to reduce the amount and asking whether he could pay me by installment. As I did not wish to have any dealings whatsoever with this guy anymore, I willingly gave in and suggested that if were to pay me RM300 by that day, then I would consider the matter settled. I thought it's a fairly good deal! His friend also nodded in agreement.

"Ok lah En. Tan, you bagi saya sedikit masa. I pergi cari wang. Pukul 4 nanti, you call I" he promised.

At, 4.30pm, I called him and this is what he answered "Kawan saya sudah janji nak pinjam saya tapi sekarang dia ada di hospital. You call I pukul 6pm nanti!"

At 6.30pm, I called him and he answered "Alah, kawan I tak nak pinjam I lagi, anak dia dah masuk hospital. En. Tan, boleh I bayar you 25 haribulan ini tak. I dapat gaji nanti, I bayar lah! Takkan you tak boleh percaya I!" Immediately, I declined and gave him an ultimatum. He was to pay me the following day (Monday) or I shall proceed with the police report.

At 4.00pm on Monday, I called him again......"Toot-toot, toot-toot, toot-toot.....nombor yang anda dail tidak......." @#@#$$%##$%%$#

My Old Classmates (SFI, Class of '90)

2009-07-21T09:08:00.008+08:00

Last week was rather a fruitful week for me, I shall say. I spent most of my free time hooked up on the internet. I was so absorbed that I practically chucked aside all my suppose-to-do tasks. Nevertheless, all the time spent was truly worthwhile and never will I sigh even a wee bit of regret.

How could you not bother if you happened to stumble upon many of your old schoolmates and friends whom you have not met for donkey years? YES, I've managed to reconnect with quite a few of my old comrades for some of whom I've not met for almost 2 decades, thanks to Facebook (to the creator of Fb, you're brilliant and tell you what, you've already secured yourself a place in heaven).

Well, these are the very friends who have added colours and spiced up my otherwise bland school days in St. Francis Institution (SFI) back in the 80s. If it had not because of them, my days (I reckon not only mine but all of ours) in SFI definitely wouldn't be that merry instead ditchwater dull.

So, exactly who have I found? Well, I should say many but meanwhile these are the few ones who had been with me the longest......

1) Fabian Tan Seng Hoe :
Have not met him since Form 5. A well-built chap wearing a hooligan/pai kia look, this is one of our top-3 most notorious mafia in class (in school? maybe). Surprisingly, we were classmates ever since Std 1 right up to Form 5. He had brought lots of miseries to many teachers. You should see how he professionally 'handled' the new trainee teachers.....kesian!! And the next victim of his would be the class monitor....and that would always be Tham Kim Wah. Ironically, though I was always the goody-goody type, Fabian had never 'touched' me even one single bit. Thanks, dude! He he! Anyhow, today he is one of the most transformed and most successful one among us - having been to so many countries, driving a big car, closing multi-million dollar deals etc. Bravo, my friend!

2) Alban Wee Tiang Lim:
This was the guy who sat beside me when we were in Std 6 and Form 5. He was the one who got me engrossed to Transformers and 'fighting fish' when we were in Std 6. A bespectacled with a tad big bulging eyes, he used to announce to the whole world of his growing pubic hair when we were in Std 6, an antic of his which I will always remember! When we were in Form 4 and 5, he moved on to influence me with Van Damme, a muscular well-known actor and also pestered me to join the Karate Club of which I innocently joined but chickened out after 3 months. Today, Alban still resides in Malacca, married and is into some kecik-kecik business (as he claimed).

3) Lau Chee Ling:
This was my 'busmate'. We boarded the same bus to school when we were in primary school. We were in the same class since Std 2 (if I'm not wrong) until Lower 6. Both of us were the only few ones (alongside Tay Siang Hock, Micheal Chong, Tay Boon Hock & Nixon Brian) who went to Form 6 in SFI. However, Lau left halfway for TAR College. When he was young, he was dreadfully quiet but changed a lot as we moved into our secondary years. In class, he was never the problem maker (not as bad as Fabian) but not as good as me though! Ha! Ha! I still remember he used to be skillful at making torchlights and other electrical gadgets. Today, he is a tax person settled down in KL, happily married with two beautiful kids!

4) Tutomo Ikoma (dunno why now changed to Tsutomu!!! More glamourous?)
He came to SFI when we were in Form 1 and was chucked in the same class with me, 1AW. Still remember what happened to him on the first day. He walked into the class to register and before he could speak up, he got bombarded by our class teacher, Pn. Kalimuthu, well for not knocking the door before coming in. The best part was his mom (then was pregnant) had to barge into the classroom to shut the teacher off. "What an unlucky day!", I thought. When he blurted out his name, all of us was like.....ooo Japanese. But the irony was that, this 'Jipun' could not even utter a single word of Japanese at all! Yah, he was brought up here, in Malaysia. Quiet at first, but after a few weeks, got a little bit rowdy (again, not as bad as Fabian and not as good as me!). Until today, he is perhaps the 'kinkiest' so-called Japanese I've ever known. I can't find any space in his mind that is holy or godly!

Form 5AG (1990)

Form 1AW (1986)

Std 5B (1984)

Std 4B (1983)

The Woman

2009-07-13T09:36:00.010+08:00

Dear friends,

We have heard so much about women be it in the manner of jokes, comments or even criticism. Every now and then we receive mails making fun of how emotional, moody, self-centered or even ridiculous a woman can be that drives many men crazy (or some even into total misery).

There is no denying that many married men (of course not all of them....or rather 'us') out there very often lament our (sorry not 'our' but 'their' - yes, that's more like it) regrets of marrying 'that' woman. Many moan that they have made the biggest mistake in their life and some even claimed that they had been cheated and fixed into the marriage.

Well, probably after viewing this beautiful slides, you may change your perspective altogether (as they've done on me) on how women (including your mummy too) should be treated, cherished and respected.

So, sit back, enjoy and ponder!

But before that, please play the video clip below to get into the mood!

My Kuih Batik (Part 2)

2009-07-08T11:16:00.008+08:00

Well, the kuih batik I made last weekend was to me a great accomplishment......a truly satisfying effort and indeed a time well spent. I've made it a few times but this time round the kuih turned out to be just the way I had wanted it - a little chocolaty and not too buttery.

So, for those who wish to try it out, let me share with you the recipe:

First, these are the ingredients to prepare :

40 pcs of Marie Biscuit

1/3 bar of butter

1/3 can of condensed milk

AND

5 tablespoons of Milo

As for the method:

1) First, break the biscuit into pieces
2) Then, melt the butter
3) Next, pour in the condensed milk
4) Stir well until mixture even
5) After that, toss the milo in and stir
6) Then, pour in the biscuits and mix well
7) Next, pour out the mixture into a baking tray
8) Then, arrange the buscuit chunks into 2-3 layers
9) Thereafter, lightly press the layers so that everything is compact and even
10)Finally, refrigerate for 10 minutes before cutting it into pieces.

The final outcome is like this....

So, Happy trying!

p/s : For those of you who have successfully made this local delicacy or if you may have other better variations, please feel free to share, okay!

My Kuih Batik (Part 1)

2009-07-07T09:07:00.008+08:00

"Khang Guan, can you get the recipe for me, please?" I begged.

"No problem, sir" he willingly agreed (in my heart, you better agree otherwise.......more essays for you this weekend, he he!)

Well, it all started two weeks ago on a Saturday when I was in St. David's High School for their Food Fair. Surprisingly, my wife and I finally found 2 things that we both loved so much - pineapple tarts and kuih batik. We have sampled so many and we unanimously agreed that we have finally found the best one right here, in St. David.

The first thing on Monday afternoon when Khang Guan (my Form 3 student) came for tuition, I got hold of him to help me hunt for the kuih batik recipe (as the kuih came from his stall). On Friday, the secret (of the kuih batik) revealed, thanks to KG for his meritorious effort?....deed?....whatever you want to call it. KG, in return, may you be blessed and obtain straight As in your PMR exam this year!

So, on Sunday, I kuai-kuai stayed at home, kuai-kuai followed the recipe and made my kuih batik. The results?...................Well, let's take a short commercial break and I shall return in my next post, so stay tune!

My XXXXXX Birthday!

2009-06-29T10:21:00.007+08:00

I had better post something more joyful otherwise this blog will turn out to an 'obituary' blog (as my previous postings were all about deaths/funerals). Initially, I wanted to blog about Micheal Jackson's demise but on a second thought, I had better not. I had enough of it!

Well, yesterday was my grandnephew's 3rd birthday. YES, GRANDNEPHEW! Obviously, it has NEVER occurred to me in my wildest imagination to see myself becoming a granduncle merely in my mid-thirties. I still remember when little Clifford first came to me and called me 'gu ye' (means granduncle in Chinese), I was like.....WHAT, oh my God! I really had goose bumps! Anyway, I will be expecting my second grandnephew in a few weeks time.

Just imagine, my seven-year old son, Bryan became a 'gu-gu' (uncle) when he was barely five! And to top it all, my wife is expecting our second child (most likely a girl) somewhere in October this year. So, this implies that my soon-to-be baby is already an aunt (ah yi) now!

Well, back to the birthday celebration. All family members gathered at Mc Donald's in Dataran Pahlawan. It was just another get-together : the children with their antics were seen playing and running around, the teenagers were in their own world engrossed with their handphones, the aunties clicked together immersing themselves in their updates, gossips and occasional reprimands (most of which were to show authority), the in-laws (where I belong to) sat together engaging in their man talk and of course my father-in-law being the head of the family and a lone ranger singled himself out at one corner watching everybody, 'expressionlessly'. Only God knows what was in his mind!

Clifford with his uncle & aunties

Clifford with his great-grandfather & great-grandmother

Clifford with his mother

To sum it all, it was indeed a get-together well-spent that will be remembered fondly!

Another 'Goodbye'

2009-06-26T23:32:00.004+08:00

It has been more that a week since I last updated my blog. Well, it certainly has not been a good, smooth-sailing weekend for me last week. It all started last Friday....

19 June, Friday
I was busy surfing the net early in the morning (about 8.00am) when my cousin, Ronny called me on my mobile. "Marcus, I think Jie Jie Eng passed away" was his opening sentence. "What do you mean - YOU THINK?" I asked. "I was informed that she collapsed and when family members found her she wasn't breathing anymore. Anyway, they have taken her to the hospital to confirm. I have yet to get their reply" he responded.

I waited hoping that the news was untrue but unfortunately, it was confirmed that I had lost a cousin, Jie Jie Eng (as she was affectionately called and in our Baba-Nyonya language, it means Sister Eng). Jie Jie Eng was Ronny's eldest sister and her passing (in KL) was a great shock to all of us. First, she wasn't suffering from any major illness. Secondly, she was inarguably known for her even-tempered, gentle, soft-spoken and likable personality and little did we expect that God would want to take such good soul. Thirdly, we just congratulated her for embracing her first newborn grandson barely four months back. And lastly, she was merely 47 with two still-schooling teenagers. Indeed, she's just too young to leave us. If you may be wondering, YES, she passed away due to heart failure. It was truly a very sudden death. Absolutely, no signal given whatsoever!

On that day itself, preparations were made to send her body back to Malacca. I only managed to view her body (through a small see-through glass window on the coffin) at about 8.30pm. I inched closer to the glass opening and.........Oh, my God........

Funeral

2009-06-14T16:28:00.012+08:00

This is perhaps one of my favourite video clips and undeniably one of the best I've ever seen. It is truly beautiful! I have watched it umpteen times and every time the words sipped into my ears, I would unfailingly be choked with emotions. It is just so touching and enlightening and certainly a good wake up call for all of us. I even shared this clip with my beloved wife and surprisingly, she got teary. Ha! Ha! So, please spend some time and enjoy.......

Entitled "Funeral", this clip is a new TV commerical launched by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) which looks at relationships in a different light, through a woman at her husband's funeral. This is fresh off MCYS latest Viewers' Choice 2008 win for last year's Family TVC which promotes the importance and value of family bonding.

Indeed, in life, we are so often drawn to expect 'perfection' in others (especially our spouse and children) when we ourselves are far from being perfect. Instead, why don't we learn to appreciate what the Chinese call 'the beauty of imperfection. (缺陷美)

Come to think of it, loving someone should actually be about loving that imperfect person, perfectly. Agree? So, please cherish the times you have, will have or even you have had together with your loved ones. Please stop scrutinizing, magnifying or criticizing their imperfections. Instead, learn to accept them for who they are. As the saying in the clip goes, "in the end it's this small things that we remember - their little imperfections, that make them PERFECT for us!" Aaah, just too beautiful!!

Thank you, Uncle Lim!

2009-06-13T13:45:00.011+08:00

"Tomorrow, you better get ready first.....then only wake your son up" my wife commanded.

As a devoted hubby, I submissively woke up early, at exactly 5.00am (I know it's a little too early!), did my morning routine and by 6.00am, I was on my son's bed, all dressed up.

"Boy, wake up, we are going to Genting. We need to reach Ah Kong's house by 7am" I whispered lovingly in his ear. "Boy, wake up, boy wake up" This was where my mood began to swing. His whining, his dawdling had all made my blood went 'glug'....'glug'....'glug' - boiling.

Fast forward, we reached my in-law's house at 7.30am (half an hour late). It took another half an hour just to get everybody into the car before setting off for Taman Asean, where we had planned to have our breakfast there.

Well, it was only at 8.45am (My God! Just imagine after nearly 4 hours from the time I woke up) that we managed to start our journey proper heading for the late Uncle Lim's 'kingdom'.

Frankly, I was in a rather pensive mood throughout the whole journey as that day was my ex-housemate, Ye Yoo's funeral. Her image, her laughter, her eccentricities were all lingering and dancing in my still-shocked mind. At about 11am, we stopped at Ampang to savour the well-known 'Ampang yong tau foo'. It was then that Li Kee (my another ex-housemate) called me (well, after almost 4 years of disappearance) and she confirmed that Ye Yoo had died of breast cancer. Pity her! Her mom died (also of breast cancer) when she was still schooling. Two years ago, her sister (who was a few years older than her) also passed away, and also due to the same illness. Pity her father too! What a loss!

Anyhow, we reached the peak of Genting Highlands at about 1.00pm........... And below is the summary of my short stay there, also some pictures I snapped.

Day 1 (at Genting)
1.30pm - Checked in Highland Hotel and took a nap
2.30pm - Brought Bryan and Celina (his cousin sister) for a swim (until 5.00pm)
6.00pm - Took a stroll outside the hotel to enjoy the fresh evening air (but to our dismay, the air
was not as crisp as before)
7.00pm - Had our dinner at the First World Theme Park. (Left with no choice, I reluctantly had to settle for the RM11-per-plate fried rice)
9.30pm - Watched DREAMZ, a 1.5-hour magic show at The Pavillion. Frankly, the show was rather boring because everything was so predictable. And the entrance ticket was about RM87 per person. But luckily, we got them for free.
11.00pm - zzzzzz

Bryan & Celina at the swimming pool

My family & mom-in-law

Day 2
10.00am - Had buffet breakfast at The Terrace Garden. Food was so-so only.
11.30am - 'Donated' some money to Indoor Theme Park. Bryan, Celina & myself had fun playing the games there.
2.00pm - Checked out from the hotel
2.30pm - Had lunch at Goh Tong Jaya. Dined at a Chinese restaurant. Surprisingly, all the dishes had our thumbs up!
5.30pm - Reached Malacca, safe and sound!

Everyone was so impressed with this stair lift!

3 rounds for RM8 per person! Cut-throat!

Generally, I wouldn't say the trip was a fun-filled one but it was just enough to unwind myself (and my wife too) and satisfy my longing (of going to Genting) plus, do my bit as a son-in-law (especially by taking my not-so-mobile, aging mother-in-law out to sip a little bit of fresh air) and as a doting father (by bringing sunshine to my son following his satisfying mid-term results).

All in all, thank you for everything, Genting, and Uncle Lim in particular!

Goodbye, my friend!

2009-06-07T16:42:00.018+08:00

At 4pm today, while I was all excited looking forward to tomorrow's holiday (well I am going to Genting), I received yet another surprise but sadly, this time round it was not a good one.

Lin Tai, my ex-housemate (during my university days back in 1993-1997) called me on my mobile to break the news that our housemate, Ye Yoo had succumbed to cancer (though not really confirmed). Anyway, she passed away yesterday morning in Kelantan. Upon hearing the heart-breaking news, I was of course shocked but at the same time still could not fully accept and 'digest' the fact that a person whom I had known and had once lived with under the same roof had gone leaving all of us eternally. Well, I just sat on my son's bed statue still staring blankly at the wall. "She is a little too young to go!" I thought. All kinds of questions came rushing into my mind - how did she die? what exactly happened to her? what was her state of mind when she passed on? how she looked like? was she married? how's her funeral going to be? how did her mom take it? etc. etc.

Ye Yoo and I at her graduation (1997)

Then, I began to reminisce our happy moments back then in a student house in Taman Bukit, Kajang (or we normally called it G34, taken after the house address). Altogether, there were 8 of us staying in that house, 2 guys and 6 girls. We were certainly a happy bunch of undergraduates who came from different states, different background. Nevertheless, we lived like a big happy family. When we came back from lecture at about 4.30pm, everyone would be seen moaning about things happened on that day - about the lectures, the assignments, the tutors, the presentation, the public buses, the food so on and so forth. Apparently, this (the complaining) had made the whole house so noisy but alive. At 5.45pm (after taking our bath), everyone would come out (from our respective rooms), gravitate ourselves to the 'sofa-less' living area, choose a place to sit (of course on the floor), waiting for the highlight of the day - the Chinese serial drama at 6pm. We would then eat our packed food (though we cooked occasionally) while enjoying the show. At 7pm, everyone would disperse, motion back to our rooms and get back to our books before coming out again at 10.30pm for our next tv session. This had been our routine day in and day out, well at least for the weekdays.

Me and my housemates at The Mines Resort (1996)

(front row, L-R : Siok Moi, Yee Yoo, Siew Lan;
middle row, L-R : Li Kee, Siew Lian, Lin Tai;
back row : myself & Teong Keong)

Ye Yoo, a psychology major who hailed from Kelantan had certainly spiced up our days in G34. A jovial and easy-going person who always gave in to any matters, Ye Yoo was just too good that you could not find any reasons to pick up a fight with. Out of the blue, you would hear somebody shouting at the computer corner. When you opened your room door, it would surely be Ye Yoo - there again, she had forgotten to save her work before shutting down the computer.

Indeed, I or rather we (the once G34 dwellers) have lost a great friend. Yee Yo, wherever you may be, may all your good merits you have accrued in this life, shower upon you at this very moment and may you be well and happy, be free from all forms of sufferings and may your soul rest in peace. Goodbye, friend!

Can't Sleep! Why?

2009-06-06T05:37:00.001+08:00

I am a little groggy now! Woke up at 4.00am and had been tossing and turning on the bed for about half an hour. Insomnia?.......Well I don't think so! Maybe it's over-excitement!

Yahoo! I finally got my fair share of holiday. Will be on leave for 4 days.

However, this week had been quite a hectic week for me especially the past 3 days - taught for 6 hours continuously on Wednesday; 7 hours non-stop on Thursday. Yesterday (Friday), I brought a few of my students to Yok Bin Badminton Hall, sweated out for 2 hours and thereafter continued teaching for another 4 hours. By 7pm,..........bang.........dead beat!

Well, come back to my holiday plans, I will be bringing my family to A Farmosa Water World today to join my brother, Eddie there. The intention was to let Bryan meet up and play with his cousin sister, Wen Ni. On Monday, bringing my family, together with my parents-in-law (lucky you, for having such a filial son-in-law!) and sister-in-law up to Genting Highlands, a place which I have been yearning to go for the past 3 years.

Indeed, it's been almost 6 months before I last went for my holiday. Apparently, I could feel my already drained-out mind and worn-out muscles desperately screaming and begging to be recharged!

Genting, I am coming! And now I know YOU are the reason for my excitement and grogginess!

Why Chinese Shouldn't Have Christian Names...

2009-06-05T14:05:00.000+08:00

One bad habit that I possess is I am overly sensitive to names that sound awkward or dirty. I would self-indulgently giggle (most of the time uncontrollably) to my heart's content. Please stop shaking your head! I know I have been very mean! But I just can't help it especially when it really tickles!

So, to all current and future parents out there, please be serious enough and extra careful when you are naming your child. Give him/her name that is meaningful and that would make him/her walk tall. Never make him the laughing stock that would adversely affect his self-esteem.

Avoid these names, please if you can:

Anne Chang (Mandarin)-Dirty

Anne Chin (Mandarin) - Keep quiet

Faye Chen(Mandarin) - Dusty

Carl Cheng(Hokkien) - Buttock

Monica Cheng(Hokkien) - Touching your buttocks

Lucy Leow(Hokkien) - You are dead

Jane Tan(Mandarin) - Frying eggs

Suzie Leow(Hokkien) - Lost till death

Henry Mah(Mandarin) - Hate your mum

Corrine Tai (Hokkien) - Poor fellow

Paul Chan(Mandarin) - Bankrupt

Nelson Tan(Mandarin) - Bird laying eggs

Leslie Tong(Mandarin) - Rubbish bin

Carmen Teng (Hokkien) - Leg hair long

Connie Mah(Cantonese) - Call your mother

Danny See(Hokkien) - Squeeze you to death

Rosie Teng (Hokkien) - Screws and nails

Pete Tsai(Hokkien) - Nose droppings

Macy Koh(Cantonese) - Never die before

Harry Kok (English) - You know what I mean

Don't Mess With ME, Manager!!!

2009-06-03T13:16:00.000+08:00

I was having breakfast with my wife yesterday (in a coffee shop) when suddenly she blurted out something which I find ridiculously amusing.

Her fond-of-taking-MC-and-EL branch manager (after his long weary journey from Kuala Terengganu to Malacca the day before and would expectedly take emergency leave the next day) sent a text message to my wife (who is his assistant) early in the morning. Here reads the message :

"I am not coming in today because I'm having diarrhoea and constipation."

Confused, I paused for a second (as I am always one step slower than most people) before bursting out chuckling. Hey! This doesn't make sense! I can't really imagine how anyone can have diarrhoea (cirit-birit) and constipation (sembelit) at the same time. What a super duper digestive system he/she may have!

See! When we are too engrossed in finding excuses, we may sometimes overlook the details including the basic principle of reasoning - the logic!

In a nutshell, the moral of the story is if you choose to deal in lies, for heaven sake - PLAN it well!! However, preferably, be truthful and do what you are 'ordained' to do. Indeed, GOD IS GREAT! So, never mess with Him!!!

I Just Killed the Dream I Dream

2009-05-31T17:32:00.000+08:00

I woke up early in the morning, impatiently switched on my computer and there it was written "Susan Boyle Topped Talent Show". Relieved, I began reading rather gladly. My heart almost fell off when I realized street dancers Diversity took the title, overcame favourite sensation Susan Boyle and would eventually be singing before the queen. What! Bewildered, I scrolled up, rubbed my eyes, could not believe what I had just witnessed - "Susan Boyle TOPPLED in Talent Show". My heart sank instantly and there it was my beautiful morning 'tainted'.

I collected bits and pieces of that shattered hope and swallowed the news in complete bitterness. Susan, you are hell of a great singer the world ever had. Your soulful and angelic voice just melts any soul listening to it. You certainly have shed lights and brought tears including smile to everybody who have listened to you. And for that I thank you, God for bringing out this beautiful lady to us that somehow or rather have gathered the whole world together as one. Susan Boyle, I wish you all the best in your future undertakings. I am very certain that very soon all the recording companies will be scrambling and knocking at your doorstep offering you THAT recording contract.

As the song goes "I dreamed a dream.......I just kill the dream I dream." Indeed, it's so disheartening to see your dream got killed but please believe that deep inside millions of souls, YOU are the WINNER!!