Sky Watch Friday

Go Green ! again..

I am getting crazy over planting my own vegetables again. I used to go crazy over planting my own herbal garden once. Even bye books to gather more information about them. So every where I go, I'll always look out for different type and species. I have tongkat ali, kacip fatimah, misai kucing... etc etc.. At the same time, I also plant fruit trees such as mangoestein, rambutans, papaya, bananas, lychee, mango, coconut, chicku, guava etc etc. Some bear fruits and some not until recently I have most of them cut down because I couldn't catch up with the growth, branches and falling down leaves and lalangs. So now the yard is almost bare and easy to maintain and free from ants and snakes ( I hope so). Yesterday I bought some seeds, soil and fertiliser to start my green hobby over again. This time is vegetables, after my successful test on planting Lady fingers.

This is 'terung'. I am waiting for it to bear fruits soon.

Be Happie !

Yes ! See the flowers above ? What does it imply ? How do you feel about it ?.. it shows colours, right ? Fresh flowers, bright colours and colourful ! The feeling is great and happy, right ? Yes, it's a reminder to myself to stay happie ! Tomorrow is Friday, our weekend. I am not gonna stay doing nothing and resting. I gonna wake up fresh, go for a jog, play some funky songs, do some planting and enjoy ! Put aside all work stress and off the busy ringing hand phone from nobody else except office calls. I am now heading to Tesco to buy something I gonna need for tomorrow's planting.. I am going to plant some vegetables !

Meet de fella

We chatted a few times on yahoo and exchanged phone number, followed by a few smses.
He is a favourite among blogger and have more than a thousand hits per day. Me ? ha ha.. shy to say lah ! Today, at 7.30am he sent me a sms inviting me for breakfast. Quite a surprise because we did chat about going for tea (tea-tarik), but as usual.. playing the fishing game. He asked me, I refuse. I asked him, he refused. So today, I taught of refusing too if he is serious about it. Not because of what, but I am just not use to meeting up with people I meet on the Internet. You know, that person can even turn out to be a cracko or somebody whom you never expect to be. It's like meeting up with a total stranger, no doubt in my whole life working I do meet up with lots and lots of people I don't even know. But people from the Internet or chat room can turn out to be a pre plan you know what. Moreover, I don't even know what he wants to talk about. He is a professional blogger, a serious one too. And I am a ... blog-what-ever.
Yes, I have been reading his blog for more than a year now, and he is one of my favourite. I have commented a lot at his blog site. But this time when we meet, I was quite reserve in saying anything much because I really don't know him. What's in his mind, likes and dislikes. Don't intent to irritate somebody on the very first meet. Somehow we met and chatted for about an hour.
Just want him to know, it was a great pleasure to meet him and thanks for the Milo ice from a simple kbguy to the ever popular ass-kicking fella from the blog sphere. Apologise if we didn't managed to really explore each other much because I was busy heading for Kuala Krai and Tanah Merah that morning. But I promise to return you a cup of tea in return on our next meet.
If you want to know who he is, click here.

Macam-macam ada di Cameron !

Di Cameron macam2 ada. Barang siam ada, barang buatan negara Cina pun ada. Selain daripada bunga dan buah2an, kebanyakan adalah barang impot atau pun dari low land kita. Di gerai-gerai banyak yang menjual baju T, key chain, pengantung handphone dan survenirs bolih diperkatan semua dari negara jiran Thailand dan Cina. Entah apa benda yang ada dari Negara kita sendiri. Yang heran baju batik yang kita dok promosi tu tak de langsung di jual kat sini. Fuyoo ! kalau ada benda2 yang melambangkan Strawberi tu merata-rata di jual. Payung lah, T-shirt lah, Ice Cream perasa Strawberri lah, bahkan sabun mandi strawberri pun ada. Biskut negara Cina berpeket strawberri pun ada.
Giant pumpkin diatas tu memang benar. Kalau lihat setakat digambar tu memang tertarik juga. Tapi kalau dilihat sebenar, kanak2 pun tau itu pumpkin cuma buat tarikan. Sudah lama ia terbiar sehingga tali pusatnya pun sudah kering.
Ok yang kita nak cerita tu tentang pasar malam yang menjual sejenis buah berwarna hijau. Sekali lihat macam buah epal direndam ais dan di potong kecil macam orang jual buah siap.
Yang menjual tu gadis2 tionghua, tak tau cakap ingerris atau tak fasih berbahasa melayu. Yang kita tau tu cuma dia cakap bahasa Mandarin macam lah dia kata... jambu mutiara. Katanya ditanam di kebun berdekatan disebelah sana..sambil tunjuk jarinya kesebelah kanan. So, gua pun caya lah... Habis, kite pun beli lah sebab ia nampak fresh-fresh, sejuk pulak. So bila makan, memang sedap ! manisnya macam gula. Hati guai mula was-was lah. Sebab sedap sangat kita pun beringat-ingat nak beli buat pulang.
Besok hari bila nak pulang, kita singgah-singgah lah tempat membeli untuk mencari madu mutiara tu. Barang lain tak nak, cuma nak jambu mutiara. Las-las, di gerai terakhir baru jumpa. Dibungkus dua biji sekempit, di beku sejuk. Heran jugak ya, pasal direndam dalam ais batu. Buah lain dijual biasa saja. Sebab semalam di beli di pasar malam, di potong2. Hari ini terang2, kita nampak ada sticker iklan diatas peket tu. Sebenarnya ia memang nya jambu. Tapi jambu batu, yang di kupas kulitnya dan di rendam perwarna hijau supaya nampak macam buah epal, direndam air gula. Patutlah manis bagai gula ! Datang dari Ipoh, Perak pulak ! Sial punya penjual pasar malam ! jambu Mutiara dari Cameron konon.. Tapi kite beli lah juga 2 biji.. RM8.00 !!
he he.. tipah tertipu !

Plunging Economy - Part 3

2008/10/24: 30,000 jobs in Johor await Malaysians facing retrenchment in Singapore
by Bernama
That was reported a few times in the media. Are they trying to hit Singapore or really been helpful towards our fellow Malaysian ? What about Malaysian working locally ? Are the government aware that the Nation is in distress now or they just plain ignorance ? Are the Malaysian working here comfortable now or most of them already loosing jobs ? Seems like the problem over here as big as an elephant also they never notice.

Anyway here is a photo of a flower as a remedy to sooth the heart, mind and soul... A flower a day, keeps the stress away..

Plunging Economy - Part 2

They should put a note.. "Those with high risk of heart attack should not enter the stock market watch" at the entrance. I know some aunties collapsed at the stock market last recession. And I also know some businessmen sold off their 3 storey bungalow houses when the share market drops drastically. And there are also people plunged themselves down from high buildings as reported in the news papers. So they plunge with the stock market. And that ended their story. That was during the previous recession. But than again those survived, they never burnt their fingers. It was only a slight burn covered with bandages. So they said.. 'easy come, easy go". But than they are back again into action as time passed by. And they make it big again with their new motto 'high risk high returns' ! This time, again with the plunging economy, one tragedy after another.. from earthquake and disaster in some Asian countries especially China and Taiwan, and now US economy.., I wonder what's their next motto. Could it be 'Along is on the way' ?

23/10/2008	Public China Ittikal Fund	PCIF	0.1354	-0.0035	-2.58%
23/10/2008	Public China Select Fund	PCSF	0.1202	-0.0040	-3.33%
23/10/2008	Public China Titans Fund	PCTF	0.1771	-0.0035	-1.98%
24/10/2008	Public Dividend Select Fund	PDSF	0.2133	-0.0047	-2.16%
23/10/2008	Public Enhanced Bond Fund	PEBF	0.9329	-0.0013	-0.14%
23/10/2008	Public Equity Fund	PEF	0.2500	-0.0070	-2.80%
23/10/2008	Public Far East Balanced Fund	PFEBF	0.1618	-0.0025	-1.55%
23/10/2008	Public Far-East Consumer Themes Fund	PFECTF	0.1869	-0.0033	-1.77%
23/10/2008	Public Far-East Dividend Fund	PFEDF	0.1673	-0.0036	-2.15%
23/10/2008	Public Far-East Property & Resorts Fund	PFEPRF	0.1161	-0.0001	-0.09%
23/10/2008	Public Far-East Select Fund	PFES	0.1635	-0.0069	-4.22%
23/10/2008	Public Far-East Telco & Infrastructure Fund	PFETIF	0.1891	-0.0030	-1.59%
23/10/2008	Public Focus Select Fund	PFSF	0.1686	-0.0022	-1.30%
23/10/2008	Public Global Balanced Fund	PGBF	0.1784	-0.0021	-1.18%
23/10/2008	Public Global Select Fund	PGSF	0.1609	-0.0028	-1.74

Just look at the above market prices...a portion of the prices. This is only one of the examples taken from Public Mutual funds. They say Unit Trust or Amanah Saham is safe. See the "red" indicating price drops. Almost every funds drops ! My gawd ! The government is promoting them. But at this time when you are struggling with your job and depends solely on your savings ? Look what happened if you safe all your money there ? You are in deep ship, shape or shit now ! If your initial saving is 0.25 sen per unit, what would happen to your money now ? Example in Public China Ittikal Fund, If you invested RM10,000.00 when the fund was launch at 0.25 sen per unit, your current value would now be only RM5,416.00 not including service charges. That is almost half of your savings !!!

Ok, forget about all those investment. No money comes easily. Now it's a matter of survival. And here is a photo of my first vegetable plant that bears fruits. It's a lady finger.

And here is the close-up look.
And now you don't ask me what I am trying to talk about or 'merapu' about. What I am trying to say is we are in fcuking troubled economy now and I am affected the most ! :)

Quote:
Stroke of Opportunity
The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis' (wei ji). One brush stroke stands for 'danger' (wei); the other stroke stands for 'opportunity' (ji). In a crisis, be aware of the danger - but recognize the opportunity.
Richard M. Nixon

In Preparing For The Bad Times.. Plunging Economy

I don't really know how to plant or like planting vegetables and although I did try, it never grows or died halfway because of man-made-drought by myself or me forgetting to water them along the way. But that was then, now it's slightly different. It took me a very long time to starts developed that 'green fingers'. Prior to that, anything I planted, it never grows no mater how much I watered them or provide all the necessary fertilizer.

So my recent trip to Cameron Highland inspired me again to grow more vegetables in times of troubled economy over here. The effect of plunging economy in the US, some how sprinkle the effect over here. The correct Malay word is called the 'tempias'. You know ? A good example is like when you are urinating on a urinal bowl, and someone else standing next to the other urinal bowl. The tiny little drops of urine from the other big guy accidentally sprinkle (tempias) onto our leg has cause a big damage to us. Something like that.. So in times of troubled economy, I have taken one step ahead to plant my own vegetables for food and look for cheaper village or kampung food to save cost and expenses.
I am not blaming the US economy itself. The Malaysian economy by itself is also showing sign of sliding down much earlier , and worst still the Kelantan state by itself for past decades already growing at a slower phase. And the Malaysian government and its political scenario itself is in a state of 'intensive care unit' or the 'icu'. Prime Minister in the process of handling over to someone who is also in trouble with the opposition and some blogger. To sum it up, I guess I better be in prepare for myself as the employer is also getting nasty and cocky, taking advantage on current situation to cut out senior staffs.
These photos up there were taken during my recent trip to Cameron Highland. I will share my own vegetables photos later in my next posting. The photo of my own effort earlier is over here.
Happy Deepavali to all my Indian friends and to the Hindraf group as well !

Quote of the day:

The man who knows how will always have a job. The man who knows why will always be his boss.

Ralp Waldo Emerson

Change Your Thinking..

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats.Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene. One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days, weeks and months passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed. It faced a blank wall.The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'

Epilogue:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief is half the sorrow,
but happiness when shared, is doubled.
If you want to feel rich,
just count all the things you have that money can't buy.
'Today is a gift,
that is why it is called The Present.'

The origin of this letter is unknown.

Make someone Happy today, tomorrow & every day! ..

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Sky Friday Watch - At Cameron Highland

Just came back from Cameron Highland just now. We were there for 2 days 1 night. Slept at a Hotel apartment. We travelled on Thursday night starting our journey at around 9.30 pm, then sleep in the car at Gua Musang before we moved on again on the early Friday morning. It's for a family retreat and to relax my mind and to get away from work and plunging economy, and to stay with family.

This Is What We Eat In Hanoi !

This is what we actually get to try in Hanoi, Vietnam. Something not so exotic but hard to find back in Malaysia. Barbecue Sparrow meat ! I wonder how they catch the sparrow.

Barbecue pigeon meat.

And beef noodles, eating by the road side !

Eating Dog Meat - Photo Hunt (Scarry)

Dog meat are tender, juicy and taste like any other beef. Wanna try it out ? Taking the Fear Factor challenge ? ho, ho.. no. Not for me. This photo was taken out of fun in Sapa, Vietnam.
So, if you are in Vietnam, you not only have to be aware of 'halal' or 'haram' food, you also have to be careful what meat you are taking. The safest is to go for vegetarian ! kah ! kah ! kah !

A True Story

"While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 yr old son picked stone & scratched lines on the side of the car. In anger, the man took the child's hand & hit it many times, not realizing he was using a wrench.
At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures. When the child saw his father.... With painful eyes he asked 'Dad when will my fingers grow back?'
Man was so hurt and speechless. He went back to car and kicked it a lot of times. Devastated by his own actions..... . sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches, child had written 'LOVE YOU DAD'.
The next day that man committed suicide. . .
Anger and Love have no limits; choose the later to have a beautiful & lovely life.... Things are to be used and people are to be loved, But the problem in today's world is that, People are used and things are loved....... "

Eating Half Egg Half Duckling !

PhotoHunt 132: Family - This is about our Family Outing. Hope you'll enjoy reading...

Yes, we are moving towards the end of the year and it's almost holiday season again. Talking about holiday, this is something we would like to share about what we did during the last year's holiday. We were at Sapa, Vietnam. When in Rome, do like what the Romans's do. That's what they say. So we look for something what the Vietnamese eat as well.
This is what they eat.. half duckling half egg roasted on charcoal with salt and pepper ! yuck ! At first we thought it's just like the normal eggs we used to eat, half boiled. So it was quite cold that day, and eating something hot by the street looks nice, interesting and yummy. So we ordered one just for a test. Only after poking the shell and pull out the content (yolk), we found out that it was a half or partially formed duckling. It's really terrible. I mean the smell and the looks. But the Vietnamese eats as if it's so delicious and yummy..
What do you think ? Did we eat it ?
Watch out about what else the Vietnamese eats on my next posting !
You can also read about my Vietnam tour by clicking here.

Today's Flowers - A mixture of Flowers !

Today's Flowers - I took these photos during my visits to Cameron Highland, Pahang, Malaysia.
Someone help me with the names please...