What is right or wrong? It matters.

What is right or wrong  ? There is a study that if a lie is said a thousand times .then a lie will  become the truth.  There was a experience on a mice and it proves that if a bell is rung each time, the mice is given food and this is repeated many times, this message will sink in the mind of the mice and it will run to a specific spot for its food. So, this technique is used used  very effective in politics and  vicious rumor mongering  and office politics. Many innocent and capable young man or ladies have been destroy by such conspiracy and evil scheming。 I have written about the word "ooohm" in Buddhist chanting. This word is deemed as powerful because it has been repeatedly changed for centuries and it carries an immense spiritual strength.  Lately. Yoga teacher is closing every yoga sessions with three loud "oohmms". She told us that there is a healing effect to our body and mind. The vibrations will help to heal the damaged parts of our body. For me, the really better after the chant. In Buddhism, we have to practice to say the right words and do the right actions. We should not partake in using lies to overcome truth but to use the tool for positive and good undertakings. Namaste.

Invitation to my staff's wedding dinner

Invitation  a wedding dinner Yes. This is not a normal wedding dinner. It is the wedding dinner of  my female staff, BS. She make a request that I should at her wedding dinner and I make a request that she should dance on the stage as I sing. This should be a wonderful counter pose to prevent them to pressure me to sing. Anyway, I am just being difficult by bargaining. I think it should be appropriate for me to say a few words during the dinner as it is usually expected as a boss. This is no difficult task as this staff have been very supportive and helpful and I really wanted to congratulate her on her happy occasion. Finally, she has decided to get married after all the years of trying to find a good partner. No doubt, she is a good girl but a bit witty.  Well, that is a positive point of her character. It makes life brighter. In my mind, there is already a message for her. In my short speech   I want to impress on her that her happiness is not given by someone and it comes from within。If we expect  happiness to be given we will be in for a big disappointment. Some people say that romance would not last especially after marriage. Who said so? Expect nothing and there will no disappointment. Anything extra is a blessing and with this level of contentment ，there will lasting happiness and romance. If we choose to see good in everything then our life will brighten up. Someone will say this is impossible or a difficult thing to do. Well, life is difficult and we have to something about it rather events or some happenings will make. Something for us. Which is which? Do you want to  choose the way to live your life or let others to run your life. It is as simple as that. Well, anyway , I will like to congratulate my staff and I am happy she is getting married. I wish her well. Namaste.

Best foods for hair, skin and nails (ext)

This is an extract from the internet  and it is a health tipster :

Best foods for hair, skin and nails

The battle of the " Hiangs" biscuits in Penang

War of the three kingdoms The epic of the "San kor" or the romance of the three kingdom is a very famous history  where three warring states capture the history of  China at a particular period of time. Using the situation during this period, the heroes are identified according to their characters are the good ,the bad and the ugly.  Come to present day in Penang , there is a biscuit war and it is the battle of the "Hiangs". Earlier , I have posted an article on the battle of Ghee Hiang and Him Hiang biscuits and both have expanded  and capture their own markets and also have their own followers. Surprisingly.  Now there is a third force and the brand is "Ban Hiang". The third  brand " Ban Hiang " is occupying strategic locations and it is available at the air ports and it has started to gather their own followers.  Recently, my friend from Singapore have requested this special brand and they told me that the taste and texture is better . I am wondering where is the difference and to my surprise , each brand have their specialty and more variety is coming into the market.to capture the taste of the tourist and visitors to Penang. This development is actually good for Penang Namaste

A floating village in Brunei

The floating village in Brunei Yesterday , I have some free time in the afternoon and my friend, O invited me to join him to have a boat ride to see the floating  village located in the town center. Before that I invited him for a Japanese lunch near the jetty to the floating  village  and it turns out to be an excellent lunch with a reasonable price and the taste was excellent. Highly recommendable to the  visitors to this sleepy town. The boat ride for 1 1/2 hours cost us B$50 for two person. The exchange rate is RM2.52 to one B$. The ride took us far up in the river to watch monkeys  but there was non because of the hot weather. The monkey is a special breed with a red nose and they are only available in Brunei. We circled the floating village which house several schools , a fire station , a polis station and a cultural center. A part of the floating  village housed new villas which cost B$300,000 while most parts of it are houses belonging to the fisherman.  It was a nice experience to see this special lifestyle. It was a simple boat ride but it was a real experience . Namaste.

A visit to Brunei

A Visit to Brunei I am here at their cafe waiting for more news from a conference which I am attending in Brunei. When I touched down yesterday , I was quite surprise at the size and condition of their airport. The airport was smaller than the Dhaka airport while it is now in the progress of renovation and expansion. My view is that the country should be very rich as it is rich  in natural resources. The hotel I am stayin is the 2nd biggest hotel and it is located in a mall. The mall is smaller than the Sunway carnival mall in Sebarang Jaya. The population is about 450,000 and only 15% is Chinese . There is no bicycle or motorbike on the road except once a while you see a superbike passes by. Everyone owns a car as petrol is cheap ie  S$0.50 per litre of petrol and the bank offers cash advance of S$2000 to 3000 for everyone to buy a car. Instead is deposits, they give you money to buy a car and you need to repay it over seven years. There is nothing strange as they will fall back on the guarantor if you don't pay. This is a Islamic country and they broadcast a prayer before each flight , there is no alcohol, no entertainment outlets and no cigarettes unless you go underground. You can bring in alcohol ie two bottles of wine but you cannot drink it in the public. It is a big country and roads are in good conditions . I was surprised that they have a very big convention center located in the Empire hotel and a golf course. It is really a great and beautiful resort and the people is so friendly and it is pure clean living. Lots of fresh air and sunshire. The tourist spots is the National Mosque, the Palace , the Empire Hotel resort and the border point to Sarawak. The food is almost the same as the Malay food in Malaysia but with some variations . Even their Malay language ,mandarin and Hokkien is quite similar with a local tone . Nothing to be surprised. Again, it is a place for relax , read a great book , healthy living and do your yoga to enjoy the good "chi". Namaste

Hurtful words and actions

Our ego is very big , bigger than our face. When hear the words we like, we will happy but if we do not like the words uttered by other people, we will be become upset and offensive. We want to be the best and in the eyes of our peer, we are better. What we do is more important and when we see that our colleagues are doing a more important job, we will try to subpress the praise and step them down. Why? Do our actions to undermine another people's achievement benefit us ? Or if the failure of our colleagues to achieve their target good for us ? This is selfishness and bad attitude. We should be happy for other people if they are given a more important task or hope for them to succeed in everything we do rather the other way. We have to base on our own capability and quality to achieve our task. Not to step on others. Well, life is not like that and I often tell my staff , if you don't eat the lion, don't expect the lion not to eat you. In this world, there are so many cowardice and small heart person. If we hear any gossips, we should not fan them but just ignore if you cannot help it. Always make a big problem small and assist it to disappear if possible. In this journey through life, we are already carrying so many burdens and bondage on our body. We whould concentrate on our own affairs and to reduce our burden or bondage instead wasting our precious time in adding burdens or bondage to other people. Speak good of other people. Take the right action and speak the right words , then we will be happy always. Step down your ego and seize it and break it if possible. What you do, do not need the approval of others or influence by others. Do good and good things will happen to us. Namaste.

Figment of our imaginations.

Figment of our imaginations Most of the times when we do a job , we try  our best and we hope to receive a pat on our back from our boss or our peers. Time is very valuable to us and we wanted to be appreciated. However, we receive a thank you but ...... message, we get upset . The appreciation is not full. We encountered many such incident In our life and we feel disappointed. But getting an appreciation from others as a recognition , is it so important? Yes, it is our ego which needs to polished. If we are wise and aware of our ego. It is not so hurt as long as we  recognized that it is a job well done and we feel satisfied and fulfilled. I said it many times and I want to say it again ' a praise is like a perfume' which passes with time.  It is again how we trained our mind and choose the thoughts and change it at will and we will be alright and happy. If we think positive   Good things will happen to us. Namaste.

Don't kiss my back

Accidental kisses - my car Yesterday, I knocked into the back of another car. The car was stalled in the middle of the road after hitting another car . The 1st car was driven  by an old couple and the driver admitted his error as he changed gear on a downward slope and the car suddenly slowed down and was hit by the second car.  I tried to resolve the accident by trying to negotiate a deal with the second car and did not pay attention to the old couple. I tried to push all the blame on the 1st car but it was too expensive for the old man to settle and he drove off to report his case。 I also drove off as the second car was still stalled due the car won't start. Thinking back how cruel was I blaming the old man. It was a simple judgement error and have caused so much damages. The second car was driven by a fresh graduate with his girlfriend by his side. Of course , his car was the worst hit with the front and back damages. He told me he wanted to report to the police and claim insurance for his repairs. If I had a compassionate heart, I could suggest making a report for the claims and let the old man off.what was I thinking wanting to bail out my liabilitu。 In a moment of rush, many thing can happen and we will need to keep our awareness. Namaste

A death too soon - an extract

I have attached this article as I find it very real and informative. I have a few friends who have passed away because of this Sudden happenings. What we can do is to prevent but the outcome can be uncertain. Namaste. Published: Sunday August 18, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM Updated: Sunday August 18, 2013 MYT 7:31:36 AM A death too soon Casualties from sudden cardiac arrest were highest in badminton, football (soccer) and jogging, and most prominent among the Chinese, followed by the Malays and Indians. Anyone can succumb to sudden cardiac arrest, from professional athletes to couch potatoes. Indeed, it is a silent killer as the symptoms are not always detectable. WHEN a professional athlete dies from a sudden cardiac arrest in the field, the world is stunned. While it is ironic that the strongest and fittest of us all can simply drop dead, heart abnormalities are sometimes difficult to detect. Last month, there were two cases of athletes in their 20s who suffered sudden cardiac death (SCD). Ecuadorian international footballer Christian Benitez, 27, complained of stomach pains and died a few hours later. Malaysian basketball player Jacky Ng, 25, collapsed on the bench and was pronounced dead two hours later. SCD can be due to a heart attack, a rhythm problem such as arrhythmia, or even a stroke. “When you have a sudden cardiac arrest, it’s mainly two issues. It’s either a plumbing issue, that is, the narrowing of a blood vessel, which is blocked, or an irregular heart rhythm, where the heart rate goes either too fast or too slow,” says consultant cardiologist and electrophysiologist Dr Azlan Hussin. “Whatever the cause, the end point is that a person dies suddenly.” The symptoms that precede SCD include fainting, chest tightness, dizziness, shortness of breath, vomiting, seizures and stomach ache. In some cases, it’s asymptomatic. While the symptoms can give rise to suspicion, it’s not specific in pointing out if someone is at risk for sudden death. It is not age-specific and can occur in babies as well. SCD statistics Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in Malaysia, both among men and women, although men tend to suffer from heart disease at a younger age. Although the deaths of young athletes have recently hogged the headlines, the incidence of SCD in athletes is rare. There is not much data available worldwide on athlete SCD, but studies show that the range is from 0.33 to 3.6 deaths per 100,000 persons for periods between 1980 to 2006 in Italy, Israel and the United States. “It’s not a common problem, but there are a lot of emotions tied to it because of press exposure and patients dying young. Sudden death in athletes is a bit complex because if you look at the statistics of the causes of death in the National Collegiate Athletics Association levels in the United States, 51% were due to accidents, with only 16% cardiac-related,” says Dr Azlan, who also presented a paper on “Sudden Cardiac Deaths in Athletes” at the second International Congress in Sports & Exercise Medicine (ICSEM 2013) held in Kuala Lumpur recently. Of the cardiac causes, 26% comprise hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, where the heart muscles are too thick. The rest are from commotio cordis or chest trauma (20%), coronary artery anomalies (14%), and various other causes. Topping the list of SCD victims are athletes in basketball, followed by American football, track and soccer. Based on Malaysian statistics compiled from 1995 to 2005, the figures are quite different. There were 44 SCDs during sporting activities. Those in the 40-49 age group had the highest percentage (38.64%), followed by those in the 50-59 age group (31.82%). All were males. This is unlike the American experience, which had high incidences of SCD among younger athletes, as their data is drawn from college-level sports. The Malaysians were not necessarily professional athletes. Some were amateurs who played sports recreationally. Casualties were highest in badminton, football (soccer) and jogging, and most prominent among the Chinese, followed by the Malays and Indians. Dr Azlan explains: “Our data is different because instead of taking a pool of athletes and screening, these are post-mortem specimens. By right, we cannot use such data because it’s post-mortem data compiled by pathologists from Universiti Malaya. But, we don’t have any other data to go by, so we have to use this when we discuss SCD in athletes in Malaysia.” To screen or not Doctors cannot always detect the problem despite routine cardiac screening. Some professional athletes also do not want to be screened because athletics is their bread-and-butter, and a problem detected during screening may affect their careers. Can these tests save a life? Perhaps, although there is a lot of debate surrounding this. “Doing a physical and an ECG (electrocardiogram) doesn’t necessarily mean you’re okay if it shows up normal. You might end up spending a lot of money trying to screen athletes, and even then, you may not be 100% successful in preventing SCD,” observes Dr Azlan. In the case of English football club Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba, 23, whose heart stopped for an astonishing 78 minutes after he collapsed during an FA Cup match last year, he was lucky. Paramedics brought him back to life by relentlessly performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). “It was probably excellent CPR that saved him. He had no circulation and they maintained it for 78 minutes, and he came out unscathed. He is a good specimen to begin with because he’s young and fit,” reckons Dr Azlan. On how long CPR should be performed, it’s the judgment call of the team leader. It could range from 30 minutes to more. “In Muamba’s case, he probably showed some form of return of circulation, so the paramedics continued doing CPR. For those who are (CPR) administrators, they should actually be taking a course in advance cardiac life support.” Can exercise help? Many experts believe that exercise prevents death from premature heart disease, but is this really true? Optimists might say yes, while pessimists might disagree. Dr Azlan cites the example of James Fixx, a marathon runner whose pioneering Complete Book of Running encouraged millions to pound the streets in the pursuit of near-immortality. His transition from a heavy young man who smoked two packs of cigarettes a day into a trimmer non-smoking athlete seemed to ensure a healthy life. Alas, he dropped dead at 52 while jogging! “The post-mortem revealed that his arteries were all blocked. Why? Because he had been a smoker before. He managed to sustain for 10-15 years, but eventually, his bad habits caught up with him. It doesn’t disappear just because you have a healthy lifestyle now. “I have seen a few athletes, after playing 90 minutes of football, rush out to smoke rather than get a drink. They end up with massive heart attacks after that. The fact that an athlete smokes is in total opposition to him being an athlete, because you want to be on top of your game.” Still, exercise does have its benefits. Besides enabling you to look trimmer and fitter, it improves your mood, helps control weight, and boosts energy. However, some professional athletes, and those who exercise a lot, tend to have enlarged hearts. Dr Azlan says: “The enlarged heart is a physiological adaptation to exercise, especially if it involves high-intensity exercises. For example, endurance athletes such as long distance cyclists and marathoners, may have larger hearts. “A good corollary is that of a body builder. They do repetitive weight-lifting exercises, and over time, the muscle bulks up and becomes enlarged. The same happens with the heart. It usually is not much of an issue, but the problem occasionally arises when a doctor needs to make a differentiation on whether the heart is either physiologically or pathologically enlarged. In some instances, that can be challenging.” Fret not if you are a fitness freak. As long as you have no known heart problems, you can continue to slave away at your regime, although it might take a toll on your musculoskeletal system. “When you exercise beyond your maximal heart rate, your metabolic needs can’t be supplied by the aerobic cycle alone. Your metabolism needs to shift into an oxygen-independent metabolic cycle called the anaerobic cycle. One of its by-products is an acid named lactic acid, which is quite toxic to the muscle and causes a reduction in muscle efficiency, cramps, fatigue, etc. “Therefore, an athlete can only maintain maximum or beyond maximum heart rate for a short period of time before the lactic acid accumulates. “That’s why in a 100 metre sprint, the runner can only accelerate for approximately one-third of the time, maintain speed for another third, and decelerate for the last third of his race. He can’t accelerate all the way. His lactic acid build-up will not allow him to do that,” reveals Dr Azlan. Weekend warriors, especially those in their 30s and 40s starting on a fitness routine, have to be cautious in their approach to exercise. If you have high cholesterol or are diabetic, get medical clearance. “Watch out if you have any form of surgery done to your heart. Then, even if you’re in your 20s, please go for screening,” he says. Red flags Some of the signs to look out for in sudden cardiac arrest include: ·Any surgery/procedure done to the heart when young ·Chest pain ·Severe giddiness or unexplained dizziness during exercise ·Fainting spells ·A congenital heart abnormality ·A strong family history of heart problems or sudden unexplained death ·Drug habits or smoking ·Heart murmur ·Stomach ache Related story

The wild wild west side of Penang.

The chaotic traffic situations I have experienced chaotic traffic situations in Penang and I felt upset  not because of the volume of the traffic but rather the habits and the selfishness of these drivers. Yesterday, I encountered a driver who park her car covering 2/3 of the road and talking on her handphone and not bothered by the jam she created. I was told many times that it is the habit of lady drivers but I beg to differ. There are many idiotic male bike drivers as well. These male bike drivers are even more stupid. They can zoomed out from everywhere and they think they owned the roads. These morning I was driving through a road which have been converted into a morning market which was located at a former wet market as there are still a few eatery shops. The hawkers have occupied one side of the road while another side was occupied by a row of motorbikes and there is only space for car to pass although it is a two way street. As I was driving through, the bikers could just stopped and wait for you to drive through and they stared at you as if you are bothering them . Suddenly, another bike zoomed in front of you and stopped in the narrowed road staring at you because my car was blocking the road。hey! What is happening ? It was originally a two way street and now it became so narrowed and it became a bikers lane . What is happening to the public order? Now it has become like the wild wild west where the hooligans rule the world. Who shout the loudest will win. I really don't know what the authorities are doing and illegal structures are all over in Farlim and if you dare, anything you can do because the authorities are now partially blind.maybe , now it has reached my saturation point to move out of this ' wild wild west' side of the state. Otherwise, I will be tortured but its increasing chaotic situation. Namaste.

Words can find a love ...

Words  I read the wisdom posted on the FB and it reminds the power of words when it is said or used wrongly can hurt deeply and can even start a war. It can also start a loving relationship or spoiled a meeting or cancelled a contract or end a strong relationship.  We have to be aware of its power. This wisdom reminds me  of a dharma told by the Great Arjam Brahm. One day , a man have a argument with his wife and he said all the wrong words and the wife wants to leave him. He ran to see Arjan and Arjan told him to go to the market and buy a dead chicken and on the way home he has pull out all the feathers and throw it by the road side and keep the featherless  chicken in his fridge  after he has done it , he can come back for a answer. So, the man went off and did the things Arjan had told him. The next day ,he came to see Arjan for the answer for his problem. Arjan told him he can go back and try to bring the featherless chicken and locate back the feather and put back into the chicken. After hearing that , the man was upset and told Arjan that it is impossible to do what Arjan told him. In his response, Arjan told the man what he did to his wife was the same happening and it is impossible to put back all the words. This story illustrate the problems which wrong words can caused and before we utter any thing we must think carefully. Most of the times we do not think and it is controlled by our feelings,anger and ego. The downfall of man is because he became careless and arrogant. Control your mind , break your ego and speak  nicely and rightfully. Respect is not demanded and it had to be earned. Namaste.

Listen carefully...it may not be what it mean.

JDating a China girl...its a challenge  in oral English !!!
>Always understand what others are saying!
>I asked a China girl if she would come out with me  and I asked her number so that I could call her.>She got all excited and said: "SEX SEX SEX FREE SEX TONIGHT">... wow such a hot girl !...
>but then, my friend told me what she really said was>6 6 6 3 6 2 9.....

Opportunity cost in life?

Woman:Do you drink beer?
Man: Yes.
Woman: How many beers a day?
Man: Usually about 3.
Woman: How much do you pay per beer?
Man: $5.00 which includes a tip.(This is where it getsscary !)
Woman: And how long have you been drinking?
Man: About 20 years, I suppose.
Woman: So a beer costs $5 and you have 3 beers a day which puts your spendingeach month at $450.  In one year, it would be approximately $5,400…correct?
Man: Correct.
Woman: If in 1 year you spend $5,400, not accounting for inflation, thepast 20 years puts your spending at $108,000, correct?
Man: Correct.
Woman: Do you know that if you didn’t drink so much beer, that money couldhave been put in a step-up interest savings account, and after accountingfor compound interest for the past 20 years, you could have now boughta Ferrari?
Man: Do you drink beer?
Woman: No.
Man: Where’s your Ferrari?

Don't feed the bad wolf...

Don't feed the bad wolf

Yesterday, I  read a story of two wolves fighting  each other everyday inside all of us. One is a bad wolf and other is a good wolf. The good wolf represents all the good virtues in life ie honesty, kind , compassionate, loving , caring , good attitude, etc while the bad wolf represents the dark side in everyone of us ie bad intention, cheating , abusive, hatred, anger,  gossip,etc.

This story was told to a young boy by his father and after the story , the young boy asked his father which wolf win the fight? The answer was depending on which wolf you feel. So. Don't feel the bad wolf.

If you think deeply you will realized that the two wolves are the goodness and demon in all of us. These two parts of us is in conflict most of the time. It is a daily struggle in our life and sometimes the bad wins over the good and vice versa. This flip flop depends on the conditions of our mind.

In time of weakness , the bad wolf gets stronger and make us do all the wrong things while in good times，the good wolf dominates and suppressed the bad wolf. So, the condition of the mind is very important.if we train our mind and not to feed the bad wolf then the good wolf will be stronger and you can control your life and the acts. Otherwise , you lost control of yourself if the bad wolf gets stronger.

It is a choice and you have to keep your mind to the good  side and continued to feed the good wolf. Then your life will be happy and enlightened.

Namaste.

The best recipes for summer salads

The best recipes for summer salads

Are you able to choose your thoughts?

Choosing your thoughts

It is utterly rubbish that we can choose our thoughts with an untrained mind. The thoughts are like wild monkeys in a banana estate having a party and running wild. How can we choose ? It is an impossible task if we fail to attempt at all.

If we try there is a way. A 'Tao'. How do we track the thoughts and bring it under our control? That is a way. The use of our breath. We train our thoughts on our breath. If we concentrate and follow our breath, we will be able to switch out thoughts from one to another. By learning how to change our thoughts , we are taming our mind. If our thoughts waiver, we switch to the thoughts we want and soon , you will realized that you are the master of our own mind. From thoughts , we can keep our mind still without any thoughts , just you mind focusing on your own breath.

Your breath will soon refine from coarse to fine and finally, to a breathless  breath. The breathing becomes  so fine until we don't it is there.

Any thoughts that come through we kick them off . Enough is enough and you able to cut your  thoughts and Kept a still mind.

By. Being able to choose your thoughts , you can keep a thoughts mind and putting your whole body to rest.

Namaste

James Foo western restaurant, All Seasons Mall, Farlim

A simple family dinner at James Foo

Today night I had a dinner with my family at James Foo at the All Seasons Strait Mall at Farlim.  The restaurant was open for many months ago but I have  not attempted to go eat there because of the large crowds waiting for theist seats.

Tonight, suddenly I asked my wife and daughter to eat there and both of them complained that we have to wait for the food. But I insisted and I offered to drive there on a Sunday night.

Yes, as usual the mall's parking lots was full and I have to do some illegal parking to avoid waiting. That was not important. There was already a queue at the restaurant it it was about 5 minutes waiting and we were offered a seat. I was amazed at the speed the queue was clearing and I was eager to know why?

We have to get a queue number and we have to select the menu on a piece of paper and it was handed in to the counter via the waiter.

After seating for 10 minutes, the food starts to arrive and within another 15 minutes , we finished our dimmer and was on the way home. A total of 30 minutes for a dinner.  We ordered spaghetti, a chicken combo and a Gordon chicken and with three drinks.

It was fast , good and cheap and it was amazingly convenient.

Now I know why there are so successful as a western food restaurant. The business formula was excellent and the trick is a simple fixed menu, a systematic way of seating , a dedicated set of good staff , good chef and fast turnaround and the money will be following in.

Namaste.

A little of madness

ISilent into the night

I did a crazy thing on the FB.  A simple wish from a friend and it turns into a confusion and it ends with her saying she quit and surrender. Actually, I was merely trying to engage her into a conversation about life and she just could not catch my intension. 

I want to discuss life since she has been advocating so much time to  spreading positive thoughts in the FB. Positive thoughts are like dharmas lifting the awareness and consciousness about life or life  experiences.

I may have frighten her when I used words like " nothingness" , impermanence , selfless and " who am I?". If you are in Buddhism , then these words will carry great meanings in our life and as we grow older, our consciousness or awareness will grow deeper into these words. Yes, there is a time for everything.

A few days ago, I was talking to my sister about the teachings from my mum during our younger days. There was a lot of wisdoms from her during our up bringing.  All there words were meaningless  and fall on deaf ears. Now. In my twilight years, such words echo in my ears lot and clear and with deep meanings.

When the time is not ripe, don't insist. Maybe, that time will never come as well.

We have to accept what is going to happen whether in favor or not in favor to our thoughts and our life. These events is not within our control and we can only try to make it happen. If we become persistent, then we become mad in the eyes of others. We will frighten away our friends and it will defeat the purpose of the dharma.

Namaste.

My journey to Universal Studio, Singapore.

At Universal Studio, Singapore

It was an amazing journey today。I spend the whole day in the Studio until 6pm. There was a huge crowd today as Singapore  celebrates its National day and also my birthday.  It was simply wonderful and I enjoy the events today very much.

The first event was a filming set with a special effect. A storm hits USA and the effect was so real with a changing weather and a fire and with several  building structures burning and falling down. The howling wind was so real. A wonderful experience seeing how the effects were created.

 Next. I went to a 3D set at the Transformer studio. We were given a 3D glass and was put on a moving vehicle and was sent into a transformer movie and the vehicle was right in a action with the vehicle moving and twisting with actions. It was so real as well.

The next was another 3D studio where we were placed in a dungeon and watch the 3D movie unfold.

It was an amazing illustrations.

By then, it was lunch time and there was a long queue and I have to wait for 40 minutes for a chicken rice set. After lunch, I went to see a live water show and with a huge pool , the pirates were able to demonstrate a live fighting show and the set was burning and the actors were falling from high platforms. The acting and the comedy that goes with it was wonderful.

The final event was a rock show and we were ushered into a huge theater for 1500 people. The singing and dancing were great and enjoyable.

After drinking coffee and eating cakes to celebrate my birthday, it was time to go back to my Hotel.

My advise to those who wants to follow my experience , please spend a bit more for the special pass where you can enjoy more events and do not have to queue for long period  for each event.

It is highly recommendable for the strong hearted readers to visit the Universal Studio.

Namaste.

Political Awakening - my view

An awakening  view -by past political heavy weights

Here comes the Awakening and a view of the world attacking the Old Doctor in the house. They are in for a fight with the Doctor saying that allowance should. E given to all as all of them are old. What have age got to do with it? Haiyoo, lame excuse leh.

Everyone should be entires to their views and opinion on the world affairs and let the reader judge what is right or wrong. By using age as a reason to dictate or interfere it is wrong especially in the public. Once we retire，we should stay retired and leave other people to run the world. Nevertheless, we can tell our experience to the present generation and lift their awareness to a higher level. This action is recommendable and should be the spirit of the leaders. Like I say it does not matter what is right or wrong. Everyone have the right to tell their side of the story.

Sometimes, it is in the character of a person who could not give away the power which he has once enjoyed and their past time is to continue to hold on to their grip on the power to manipulate things. It is hard to let go and this is a sad happening。

We should leave our legacy for people to judge and we should try to alter the understanding of others to justify our actions. Although. Different people have different understanding of the events and based on their understanding they have make their opinion. This is an imperfect world and so books like Awakening and one man's view will help to balance the view of the readers.

Just like the book awakening of the Buddha in us which try to arouse the awareness of the existence of the loving compassions in all of us and learn to let go of ourself。we hope the old Doctor will get the message and gradually fade into oblivion.

Namaste.

A trip to Singapore

Now I am in Singapore

I reached Singapore at 11.30pm and I was met by an old friend, R  and she offered to take me and my family to a Japanese Restaurant . My daughter told me that we should eat the local food instead of Japanese food which is available in Penang as well. I told her that the standard of Japanese food is different in Singapore and in Penang. Anyway, she follow my advise and it turned out that I was right. 

My friend ordered Sushimi , sushi, salmon skin, beef and galic rice . The taste was very good especially the beef which was soft and gentle. However. It was quite pricey in term of RM but it was reasonable in S$.

After lunch, she took us to  the big wheel and with cabin for a group of twenty . It was a revolving wheel which turns 360 degree in 40 minutes. It was a wonderful experience as we can see the whole city all around. After that she took us to the skywalk and the garden  y the bay.  My daughter really enjoy the experience and she and my wife enjoyed the skywalk. He skywalk is a narrow bridge connecting several trees and she told me it was scary. But, she enjoy it very much.

We reach hotel for a rest at 5.30pm and took a short rest. At 7.00pm , we proceed to have our dinner at East park and eat seafood at Jumbo restaurant .

Our host ordered a Sri Lankan crab, a steam fish. Half a chicken, two vegetables and. Fried rice. It was quite a huge portion and the food was really good. I think I had the best seafood  in Singapore as far as I can remembered. Wonderful seafood.

To.close the night, we have beer at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel while watching the night life in Singapore city with a jazz song in the background.

At 11.30pm , we were ready for the night . So good nite, fellas.

Namaste.

Selamat Hari Raya，my old friends

Today is Hari Raya 

Today, I read the exchange of greetings between my daughter and her Muslim friends on her FB and it makes me wonder what happen to my malay school friends. Practically   blank in my head. Where are they now ?

My friend Sheik , the fat Gani and one Nordin.  They have became my imagination as my old memory travels back  half a century to recapture their image.

I remembered that I traveled to their house and I played with them and we were quite close. At that time, we don't have IPhone and computer and I have to walk to their house to find them after school or during the weekends. It was fun and joy then.

I don't know where they are and whether they are alive or not. But for a short spell in life , our path cross each other and there was a reason for it. Maybe, the reason was that I at least have three Muslim childhood friends.

So, Sheik, Gani and Nordin wherever you are , I would like to wish you and your family ' Selamat Hari Raya'.

We may not meet in this life again, but it was fun to know all of you.

Namaste.

The battle of biscuits - Penang (ext)

Battle of the Biscuit: Ghee Hiang v Him Heang

Posted by sisi on December 19th, 2010

Apart from its famous street food, Penang is also famous for its tau sar pheah. The Star newspaper had an interesting article today about the history of two iconic biscuits brands in Penang, Him Heang and Ghee Hiang.  Ghee Hiang was the pioneer of Penang’s tau sar pheah, established in 1856.  Its popularity in the past (circa -1960 through 1970s) amongst locals made the company neglectful of customer service.  And like typical family-run businesses of yore, it did not have aggressive ambitions to expand.  What it meant was that customers tended to get the short end of the stick, i.e. queuing up for biscuits and getting turned away empty handed when the day’s production has been sold out.

This naturally led competitors, specifically Him Heang, to fill the gap in demand.  Credit to Him Heang that they also innovated by introducing the Tambun biscuit (or dragonball biscuit) which is half the size of the Ghee Hiang tau sar pheah.

That got me to thinking, which one do Penangites actually prefer?  

 

I personally don’t mind either in terms of taste.  The only consideration is that the original Ghee Hiang tau sar pheah is a little messier to eat because of its size compared to Him Heang’s Tambun biscuit (I note that they also have the smaller sized version of the popular tau sar pheah) and packaging (remember the five pieces in a white paper roll?).   With a little effort, I can fit a whole Tambun biscuit into my mouth in one go. *wink*

So which biscuit do you swear your allegiance to?  Vote on the poll below (or click here):

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 Posted in Food Polls  Tags: Ghee Hiang, Him Heang,Tow Sar Pheah

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1. Tweets that mention Battle of the Biscuit: Ghee Hiang v Him Heang | Penang Street Food | Penang Delicacies -- Topsy.com says:

   December 19, 2010 at 8:20 pm

   [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Si Si Wong. Si Si Wong said: RT @PenangStFood: Battle of the Biscuits! Vote for your favourite #Penang Tow Sar Pneah here!! #streetfoodhttp://fb.me/A39xLEtn [...]

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2. Barnabee says:

   February 15, 2011 at 8:19 pm

   Ghee Hiang is da best!!!

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