Believe It Or Not?

So much has changed in the Malaysian political landscape since the March 8 'tsunami'...and so much more recently: so much until I don't know what to believe anymore! It's mind boggling the amount of manoeuvering, jabs, gibberish so and so forth, that goes on in this country, that it bemuses me. The truth is probably twisted and turned so much that no one could differentiate it anymore!

Let's just take the Anwar Sodomy II scandal...can the government really think the Malaysian people will believe this? Especially how the first played out for all sundry to see? Still the whole incident this time around, is made out to be like a second-grade Malaysian made sandiwara which probably irritates, rather than amuses, most sane-thinking Malaysians! And this recent flourish of statuory declarations and swearings...oh brother!!!

Now the upcoming Permatang Pauh battle - so much mud-slinging, vote-buying, allegations, scandals blah blah - that it is probably is, if not truly is, the dirtiest election in Malaysian history. And we common Malaysians have to put up with this for another three days? Oh well, if it brings an end to all this shenanigans then so be it...

Oh, petrol price came down to RM 2.55 per litre yesterday...a few days after our PM said that it will not go down before September 1st...but then again what do we expect from a flip-flopping PM? Will he flip again if world oil prices climb? That we will have to see now won't we?

Wow, and what publicity he gets!!! He was splashed all over the mainstream newspapers on Friday when he decided to try out the LRT and KTM Komuter services - declaring it inadequate and needs much improvement...ya know I was watching the RTM coverage of his trip and I can't help wondering how empty the trains were in the pics...so I can't really believe he took the trains during rush hour. Nope...definitely not. Anyway my questions are these: why now after 5 years (and 2 years after declaring the money saved from petrol subsidies will be used to improve the public transport system) does he happily decide to hop on the trains, and why the hell is the Transport Minister isn't with him? Hhmmmph....we'll have to see whether there'll be any changes to the situation in the near future...which I can almost confidently predict is....none.

Well, Lee Chong Wei failed to win Malaysia an Olympic gold - but he gets RM 300,000, RM 3,000 lifetime pension and a Datukship for his silver medal effort! Not bad for a week's work don't you think? Datukship you say? Hmm, maybe more deserved than most of the Datuk's nowadays but I won't get into it. And as usual sports 'stars' are to be used as BN propaganda tools...I hope that his visit to Permatang Pauh won't signal his downfall like his compatriots. Remember how our former No. 1 doubles pair were used in last year's Machap by-election after winning the All-England finals? Where are they now? Hopefully history will not repeat itself...and thankfully Datuk-to-be Nicole David is not used for such cheap publicity stunts...we can leave that to our Datuk space tourist (incidentally wtf, for being a lazy bum in HUKM and basically doing nothing in space??)...

Sigh...so much for Merdeka next week...I wish for Merdeka from all this bullshit!!

Phe-nomena-lps

Wow, you've got to hand it to Michael Phelps! A record 8 gold medals in the Olympics - the first ever person to do so - and a few World records under his belt too...I had my doubts but he did it. Just sheer hard work and perseverance; with a little bit of luck and help too. Well that is what the Olympics are all about.

And talking about the Olympics, I guess all Malaysians will be glued to the TV tonight, when we have a chance at our nation's first ever Olympic gold medal. Yup, Lee Chong Wei is up against his nemesis Lin Dan in the men's badminton finals. While the whole country prays for his success, it is yet again sheer hard work and perseverance that brought him to the cusp of Olympic gold. If he does win it, let us hope that it will not get to his head...and perhaps as a just reward, a Datukship may be in order too?

And yes the English Premiership 2008/2009 has kicked off last night!! Oh another lacklustre display from Liverpool - but the brilliance of Fernando Torres made sure the three points. Talent he has in hatfuls, but yet again what is talent without hard work and determination? Let's hope of better things to come...

Birthday!!

Wow for the first time in 10 years some people actually remember my birthday...guess I must thank Facebook! Well to me birthdays are nothing special...I tend to work during my birthdays anyway...

This year I had dinner yesterday, a lunch today and had a shirt given to me for my birthday...not to mention the numerous e-cards (via Facebook of course!) I got...well at least it reminds me that there are still those out there who still care about me...

Chess playing at The Curve

A fountain to boot

Can you spot the error?

Where we had my birthday lunch...

Two types of beer...can't tell the difference? Neither could we...

Some salmon thingy...

My chicken breast and cocktail

For those who can't remember how Linus looks...

Thank you everybody!

Need To Vent

OK I need to do this before everything I've worked for these years go down the drain...I mean my self-control.

I've been very upset and angry this last few days after finding out that a friend of mine wrote about an incident that happened between me and another common friend a few years back. In his blog. Well I guess he thought his blog was a secret...obviously not. This is not the first time he had wrote negatively about me. But somehow this time I took it rather badly for some reason. Or perhaps it's a cumulative effects of all the various pieces he had written...I don't know.

I do not want to mention further about what he had written - I guess he is entitled to his opinion. It's after some reflection I realise he looks down on me (and other similar friends) for one sole reason: that I've never been in a relationship with a girl. Well we are both professionals, successful (in our own separate ways), well-to-do...what else could it be I wonder. The only difference is that he is married with kids and I am (happily I might add) single. Does that mean he is superior to me? Well he thinks so.

I've rejected his help in looking for my future partner may times. Perhaps that riled him, I dunno. He thinks that I am a failure that I've not been able to find someone of the opposite sex on my own. He has mentioned this publicly before too. So in his eyes I'm a failure as a person, and he thinks he has the right to run (individuals like) me down as he sees fit. Mind you, I'm not the only person he has done so on the blog. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) for my other friend, he does not know the existence of this blog...otherwise let's say there'll be lots of fireworks.

I've ignored his opinions of me all this while because I felt it was not important. Truthfully I am sensitive to how people look at me...not that I am too bothered, but I want to be a person that lives a principled and mostly right, life. I appreciate and seed feedback because I believe it will help me improve myself. But not this kind of feedback!!

So if you happen to read this (you'll know who you are), fuck off and leave me alone!!! And mind your own fucking business - my love life (or lack of it) is none of your fucking business!!!!

OK now that's out...I feel better...sorry for the language...now I can carry on with my life!

Reminisce...

Collection of my schoolmates photos cobbled up from our 'reunions'...

Seaport School Class of '91 Reunion 2008

Our photographer was not that skilled...too bad this was the only 'good' shot available (the other was much much worse...)

So this is the best we have...

Unofficial Dinner Reunion May 2008

Wedding 'Reunion' May 2008

I think this is the only schoolmate's wedding I've been to...ZOMG...

When God Speaks...

Ya know, I have not been to church for the last ten years...so when I first entered the church in Penang two months ago, I knew I was getting myself into something - trouble perhaps. I had isolated myself from Him for so long; I'd never expected to hear Him speak. But speak He did...not in a powerful way, but in a gentle whisper. I could not help but be amazed - He still remembers, and so do I. Unfortunately nothing changed inwardly. But something did change - something that I did not realise...

So from then on I made the decision to attend church services. So OK, nothing very fancy - the worship, the sermons etc. But each time I was there I felt myself drawn closer to Him. I still have not joined a cell group. But I still attended church services - seemed that each time He spoke to me.

Last week there was an announcement on a renewal/revival meeting in church this whole week. As usual I was skeptical, but He knew better. My heart was restless on Saturday and Sunday...I knew I had to go. He was calling to me. Monday night was a special night. The sermon was about God's power. I prayed like I've never prayed before...and then it came. God gave me a vision - not about myself, but for another person; and some instructions as well. There was no mistaking it. He really spoke to me that night - loud and clear. Tuesday night I felt his presence too, perhaps to a lesser extent. On Wednesday I was restless again. I felt that there was something He wanted to tell me, of which I could not understand. I prayed for clarity - and He answered. I may not like it, but well, if that is what He wants me to do, then yes God I will do it.

Yes I was on the other side of the fence. I had experienced life without God beside me. I was hungry and thirsty yet I did not realise it. But when I did I was hesitant. Yet now I know I need not have worried; he accepted me like the prodigal son I was. How can I not continue to walk with Him from now on?

Happy 100k Car!

Yay, my car's now 100,000 km old!!!!!! Sad to say that I'm about to change to a new one...but we definitely had good times together!! From Peninsula to Sabah and back again...it never failed me at all these last ten years. It's sad to part ways...sob sob...

A New Malaysia...hopefully

Well, I guess Malaysians woke up to a shell-shocked government and Opposition - the former never expected to be hit so bad, the latter never expected to win so big. But that is the reality on 9th March 2008. The despised BN had lost their 2/3 majority, and also lost Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor to the loose coalition of DAP, PKR and PAS. While there is some sense of stability in the fact that BN would continue to form the government via a simple majority, observers and citizens are generally cautious on how the country would move on from her. Understandably, thanks to years of repeated brainwashing, the spectre of May 13 1969 weighs heavy on the thoughts of many. Do not worry. This time, we Malaysians as a whole have to much to lose to allow such senseless incident to happen. After all, history is man's greatest teacher!

Judging from the columns and reports in the mainstream media (propaganda machine of the government), the spin-doctors are scrambling to come up with credible reasons for the heavy slap in the face. Gerakan, MIC and MCA lost big-time; UMNO too lost credibility. The loss of Perak, Selangor and Perak were the least expected, though there were some rumours early last week that Kedah and Perlis might fall to the opposition. Selangor and Perak are surprising catches for the Opposition. The question is now how the Government, and foreign investors would react to the changed political landscape. Well, there will be the usual knee-jerk reaction but things would eventually stabilise.

How would I expect the Government to react? No different. It will be business as usual. They can ostracise one state like Kelantan...but to do the same to another four states, with one of them in the Malay heartland would be like digging their own political graves. I expect all projects and developments to carry on as planned, especially the NCER, lest more ammo is given to the Opposition four years down the road. Would Selangor and Perak be marginalised? Most definitely not. In my opinion, I expect even more effort be put in by the BN as well as the victorious Opposition to win the hearts of the populace in all five states - you can say we will have the best of both worlds.

The political future of Gerakan and MIC, and to a smaller extent MCA, is not so clear however. UMNO would be badly shaken up as well. They had not expected the swing in the Malay votes and had counted heavily on it to retain their 2/3 majority. Whether this would herald a more conciliatory UMNO or otherwise remains to be seen. One thing is clear for sure...there'll be big changes this year. I just hope that it is for the better.

I guess this is what you get when you treat Malaysians for fools. They keep blaming the rise in essential items, food etc. as being the cause of their loss. I opine that is not the case. It is the sheer arrogance of UMNO and timidity of its so-called comrades-in-arms that led to its defeat. It's simple: they have failed to tackle the basic problems that faced the country - corruption, crime, sheer wastage of taxpayers funds and loss of competitiveness - and instead thumbed their noses at the rakyat by acting roughshod over the BERSIH and HINDRAF gathering. Oi, Bodowi...we are not so stupid anymore! And we must of course congratulate the alternative media, such as the Internet, for the transmission of credible news! Without it, we would still be hearing and believing the lies as we had for many years!

One thing I'm very excited about though - once we Malaysians throw off the yoke of May 13, there is a possibility that the Opposition may give BN a run for their money at the next election. Once people see that Opposition gaining control of the states does not lead to chaos, BN would have lost their trump card they have used all these years. Of course this depends on how the Opposition does over the next five years - I believe they would not waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There is time for celebration. But they better get to work soon because there is so much work to be done.

But let's just savour this day a bit longer Malaysia...

Two Sides To A Story

And the BN claims that media reporting in this country is fair? Day in and day out, the mainstream media trumpets and blares the progress BN has brought and will bring, to this country. Come on, as if the discerning readers don't know that! While our country has progressed much, there is little to deny the fact that such progress has slowed to a snail's pace, if at all! So much for challenging the Tigers of Asia! Let's just make sure we don't get devoured in the increasingly competitive global savannah! Of course the Government will come out with a slew of only good news, from goodies dished out to the public to immediate approvals to requests that were denied for years - sometimes I feel the elections should be held every 2 years! Latest in this being none other than the sharp rise in GDP for 4Q 2007 - even the analysts were surprised at the strong showing! Personally I just wonder how much of it is true, and how much of it is fantasy!

So what of the opposition? Hmm, guess the only news worth reporting is bad news...maybe it's to reassure or more likely scare, the less discerning readers. The Opposition has little news space - perhaps 10% or so - the rest are all BN news. So how can the Government comment that only BN can govern this country and not the Opposition? Have they been given the opportunity? Please let all Malaysians know?

And please do not use Kelantan as an example...if BN rules Kelantan for 50 years I'm sure the development would still be marginal? Why? Because Kelantan has got no industry or natural resources!! And as much as BN wants to bring in development, they too will fail, despite their access to the country's coffers. There's this tendency to compare Kelantan and Terengganu: well there is a big difference though - Terengganu has got oil!! That makes a whole lot of difference - also let us not forget when PAS took over Terengganu briefly in 1999-2004, the government quickly denied the state government access to the petroleum royalties and denying us to see a chance of what could have been should the Opposition ruled a state! So let me ask again - who is to say that the Opposition can't rule?

Having said that, I do not believe the Opposition should attempt to topple BN this time around - they are too fragmented with their different manifestos, agendas and bickering. To deny Barisan their 2/3 majority is fine, but looks unlikely. There is just too much gerrymandering of the constituencies over the years to ensure that Barisan would retain control of the Parliament. Further more there would be the mis-use of postal votes, phantom voters etc. which the Elections Commissions is well-trained to ignore! At least no matter what they do, it is safe to say that Barisan would not repeat their performance of 2004 after an abject four years of Pak Lah rule...incidentally did he deliver on any of the promises made in his 2004 manifesto? Thye answer of course is overwhelmingly no! Perhaps the Opposition could bring the majority to 70-75% and anything less than that is a bonus!

However the Opposition's efforts are not helped much by the lack of funds and media attention; the only turf where they appear to be able to stand on their own seems to be in cyberspace. I guess you could say the increasingly only credible news is on sites such as Aliran, Harakah Daily, Malaysia Today and Malaysiakini. Seems that certain cyber-criminals have been tasked to bring down certain websites...without much success. Furthermore I believe the Opposition should not only talk about national issues, but also local issues as well - that is where the battle is and ultimately to be won. They should do their research prior to their speeches. And oh, the Opposition should also get some public-speaking consultants in to train their candidates to speak better!!

Come March 9 we will know how far the Opposition has come...but unfortunately not because of their own efforts but more of disappointment with the ruling coalition. What should happen after March 9? The three main Opposition parties should sit down and unite under a single banner; deliver on their promises, ensure that the BN do not have a free hand at amending laws/constitution as they have been doing; provide check-and-balance the disgruntled Malaysian voters want; create a shadow Cabinet (which has been conspicuously lacking for many a year) to show the Malaysian voters how they would handle the various issues compared to the government; and for Pete's sake, plan for the next election to give BN a run for their money!

I know where my vote lies this time around...I hope you know where yours are too!

Ceramah

Due to the continuous double-standards practiced by the mainstream media - come on, just open up the pages and see how much of the news is devoted to the Opposition...virtually nil, unless it paints them in bad light! - as usual they have resorted to the old tried and tested approach of ceramahs. Now this would create an opportunity for the police (aka BN henchmen) to not issue permits in the name of public safety (as they have oft done in the past)...but nowadays the hell with the police!

There was a ceramah near my place last Tuesday, coinciding with the weekly pasar malam and taking the opportunity of an increased crowd. As expected it was organised by the DAP with PKR joining in a bit later...the candidates contesting in my area (PJ Utara parliamentary seat as well as the state seats) came up and gave a few speeches. Initially the crowd was a bit hesitant and quiet...wouldn't you after seeing a few police cars around? But as the speeches wore on the atmosphere got cheerier. I guess there were no more than 200 people there at its peak but still it was a fair turnout for the organisers.

One thing though...I would have expected the DAP candidates to be more eloquent in their speeches, and also more versatile and varied in the issues. There's no point having four or five speakers but all talking about the same issues. Who knows, the crowd could have gotten bigger if more 'noise' was made!! Another thing is that these candidates do not seem to talk about the issues in the area of concern - it would have been more interesting if they had mixed the national and local issues up. And they could have made better use of the multimedia system that was made available, small as it was. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. What they put up was just a montage of soundless-pictures; hardly the attention-grabbing presentations I'd expected.

There was also some talk about Teresa Kok making an appearance, but when I left close to 10 p.m. she had not shown up. She probably didn't. And I don't think Tony Pua was there either. Which was a shame...since he is the candidate for PJ Utara!

Anyway it was my very first ceramah - so it was a good experience. Next would be the opportunity to hear the big guns speak, to experience the difference...but I wonder whether they will show up here any time soon? All in all, ceramahs being the only way to go for the Opposition, this was indeed a wasted opportunity in my opinion; they could have made a bigger impact! Perhaps they are expecting their Internet assault to come up trumps?

Mini-trip: Penang

Stayed overnight in Penang for my work trip on Monday; didn't quite like the idea of traveling four hours up and down the North-South Highway on the same day. Fortunately a friend of mine was kind enough to let me bunk in for the night at his place.

Well, was only in Penang for a few hours...even then at night so there's nothing much to see. My friend brought me to a few places to eat - I must say that Penang food appears to have deteriorated over the years...doesn't seem to taste as good as it used to be! But then again I'm not a food connoiseur...so I'll just leave the food comments as it is.

Penang drivers are as reputable as they are made out to be!! I can't remember how many times I've been honked at, flashed at or tailgated in that few brief hours. I can't imagine driving in Penang...I'd probably die of a brain haemorrhage first!

Curiously on Monday morning, we had breakfast at this market food court near his workplace; there was a visit by the BN candidate for that particular constituency. Of course not being a Penangite, I didn't have a clue who it was that came to shake my hand. Well, at least he could have introduced himself...and not say "I'm the BN candidate for this coinstituency". Sheesh, where has common courtesy gone?

Is Being Different So Bad?

I was always intrigued by the way society behaved. As individuals, we have always and I guess, will always be, pressured to conform to an accepted social norm. By far, this is for the safety of the individual, and preservation of the society as a whole - so it's a good thing; it's a necessary thing. Of course, if every individual decides to go his or her own way, then there will be chaos and ultimately lead to collapse of that society. But who or what dictates this social norm? Anthropologists would have much difficulty nailing it down; after all it's been passed down from time immemorial.

Lately, I've been more intrigued at the individuals society define as 'different'. I believe at some point of their lives, everybody would have this experience. Smarty-pants are different because majority of people are of average intelligence. Gays are different because they want to be with their own gender. As for me, my colleagues look at me differently because I have no intention to specialise...they just think it's not the natural order of things. Yeah, even when I'm asked when I'll be getting married (hey, first things first...need to a get a girlfriend first lar!) I usually give the reply I'm happily single - as expected I get these strange looks most of the time. What's up with society? Why do you want me to be like everyone else? Actually being different may not be such a bad thing. After all, in evolution - diversity is the spice of life!

Last Thursday night, after all the delay with my flight out of Kuching a friend called me out as I was approaching KL Sentral - being the noob at nightlife, we went to this 'alternative' (in his own words) bar in Bangsar. It's kind of a nice and cosy place; not too noisy and loud...enough to talk by comfortably. After a while he told me that the place is a sort of a gay hangout...and two guys together there can be construed to be partners. Wow...my first experience at a gay bar. But there wasn't that many people there - and I could only see one couple. Perhaps it was a weekday, and gays have to work the next day too you know.

By society's norms, gays are different. They are so different to the point that society has a different set of rules for them. What I do not understand is, is being gay so bad as it is made out to be? I'm sure there are a lot of good, hardworking, honest people out there, making the world a better place for you and I...and they are gays. But how does society treat them? Like pariahs... Try coming out and you'll be ostracised. You can't be a public figure and be gay at the same time. Isn't it sad? I wish that in the future, such differences would be respected and given their rightful dues.

I'm just making a point that being different is not a bad thing. I'm not talking about black-and-white issues here, like killers and murderers, robbers and rapers, child abusers and paedophiles - those are obviously wrong. There are a lot of grey areas in society where being different is so looked down at that it is just not right. Having said that, changes and acceptance would be difficult, unless society decides it to be so.

Society still has got a long way to go...let's hope the road for the different would less rocky in the future.

More Delays

Now I'm sitting outside Coffee Bean...after being called to the gate out of the blue; only to find out there we were just called to be there to standby in case a plane was available! And oh, the flight has been delayed twice again - first to 5.45 p.m. and after that to 6.00 p.m. I wonder, whether it is a coincidence that there is another flight to KL at 6.30 p.m.. I can almost bet my bottom dollar that both flights will be merged in the name of cost saving! I don't mind being delayed, but at least have the courtesy or dignity to inform the passengers, instead of making such attempts to save cost. We have other things to do as well...I could have seen another ten patients in this period!

Even after a two-hour delay, there is still not a word of apology from any MAS personnel, let alone providing some refreshements for an increasingly highly-irritated group. So this is what we call Malaysian service!

Edit: Fortunately for MAS, a flight from Miri, bearing the same flight number as mine has just arrived...so I guess I'll be flying off soon. But still, no apology...

Told You MAS sucks...

Grrr...here I am sitting at the Kuching International Airport Coffee Bean waiting for my flight back to KL. Guess what it's been delayed by about one hour; my second such delay in six months. Not even an apology or explanation about why the flight was delayed...just an unsmiling check-in counter lady saying 'flight delayed'. Yeah, not even a sorry. Is this how the new, revamped MAS is gonna move back into profitability? Bleaarghh...

One good thing though, I get to test my Eee PC! Yeah it's performing exceptionally so far. Thank god I got it...RM 1,300 well spent. Only thing is it tends to get a bit hot when it's in use and when it is being charged. And the touchpad is not that sensitive. But mild drawbacks compared to the advantages it offers. Great!

OK, back to Face-booking!

Face-hooked!

Yeah, yeah...I'm a self-confessed addict! Just is. No reasons why. Dunno why. It's just so damn addictive. I mean of course getting in contact with old classmates, colleagues, as well as meeting new people is fantastic, but the amount of applications it has is mind-boggling. Of course 90% of it is crap, but the remaining 10% will get you hooked...if you stay long enough!

My main addiction now is this app called (fluff)Friends...which is actually a pet adoption game: you pet the fluff (hey, that's what they call it!), feed it, give gifts and even race with other fluff owners to win prizes and munny. You can even decorate your fluff with backgrounds, mini fluffs etc. There are competitions too: the best (fluff)Art! Yeah, it sounds stupid but I'm having lots of fun with it. And so does a few thousand others!

The next is this Vampire/Zombie/Werewolf/Slayer app...basically you become one of the four, and try to get others to join your army; to move ahead, you fight others like you to get points. This one has got no prizes...just plain old point-gathering to pit yourself against your friends! Addictive too you know...

You might have read that I used to play this Pirates app...still great: you sail around gathering up booty and treasure, fight other pirates, and also get to trade booty or do monkey/parrot races at the tavern. Simple yet addictive game.

And the latest game app I've joined is Warbook - think I've entered it late, so it's kind of boring. Basically you are given a set amount of land and troops, and your hero is supposed to level up with crafty and judicious use of your resources. Of course the problem with starting late is that you are usually very fresh meat for others. So the going is painfully slow, but in a few weeks I think I'll have a lot of fun with it!

Have I used the word addictive once too often?

Then there's Boggle-like games, and a Scrabble derivative. Yeah I play both games too...problem with this Prolific (it used to be Bogglific, but there's a trademark infringement issue, hence change of name) is that you play against opponent(s) and the clock - I usually end up at the wrong end of the stick, mainly because I can watch the screen and type at the same time! Scrabulous is better for me, but the problem is the your opponents may use a word-generator against you; bummer!

There also flash games around...I actually enjoy playing Raiden here!

Then there are the more serious apps...like Fantasy Stock Exchange where you trade US stocks like you would in real-life; problem is the site has just undergone a maintenance - which created more problems than it solved! Anyway I'm using it to practice my buy-and-hold strategy. So far I'm just up a couple of K, but there's still a long time to go!

There of course other apps: for fun, sending pics, giving virtual gifts, buying and selling friends, quotes, - you name it you got it - there's just so much you can have fun with on Facebook. The are also groups you can join - though some are painfully stupid and time-wasting.

Think I've said enough...it's time to go back to Facebooking! Bye!

Another Trip

Yeah, I am again out of town! This time I'm in Kuching for four days; been here for the three days already. Instead of my usual place at Harbour View hotel, I've been put up instead in Somerset Kuching Gateway...can't call it an actual hotel cuz it's advertised as serviced apartments. Anyway the rooms are fine. My only grouse is that their cafe runs out of food by early or late afternoons. Two nights I've tried to get food there, only to be turned away. Sad...

You know it has been virtually raining non-stop since Monday. I've been told the weather has been wet for the last few weeks. A refreshing change, compared to the hot KL weather. Of course it brings about a little problem when I wanna grab some food. Fortunately there are some restaurants nearby. The first night I had to dash over to a Singapore Chcken Rice outlet - expectedly the fare was worse than mediocre. But it fills the tummy. Tonight I thought I'd try the Secret Recipe outlet: even at 7.30 p.m. I appear to be the only one there...apart from the off and on cake buyers. Food was OK, but a bit pricey. Anyway can't complain much now can I?

One advantage of staying at Somerset is the availability of free wi-fi...don't really know where it is coming from, since the hotel does not provide such services, and the speed is pathetic (actually it's TMNet hotspot I think, so go figure!) but again, can't complain as long I'm on the Internet highway! I find a great urge to stay connected...

Yesterday night a drug rep brought me over to the newly-opened The Spring shopping complex; I guess if you've seen the ones in KL, this one would look miniscule...and yeah it is. Anyway I think it's a bit of a shot-in-the-arm for the Kuching nightlife...just shows how pathetic Kuching is huh? Or perhaps I haven't been exposed to the real Kuching nightlife?

Anyway I'll be flying back tomorrow, and perhaps post a few pics here and there. Didn't really take much this time around. Maybe the next trip. Hopefully my trip back would be better than my trip here - on Monday morning, the flight was delayed almost one hour waiting for baggage for transit passengers!! And oh, those MAS meal boxes really suck...

Believable?

This is one hot letter from the (sometimes) juicy advice column on Sundays from The Star...

Bedevilled by evil twin

I’M a 16-year-old boy. I like reading your column because I think it is really helpful. I am writing to you because I am having a serious problem that has been plaguing me for a long time.

The main cause of my problem is my fraternal twin sister. We shared the same room until we turned 12. After that, I decided to sleep in another room because I wanted my privacy.

Even though we had separate rooms, she occasionally sneaked into my room at night to sleep with me on my bed. I told her we were not supposed to be sleeping together, but she said she just wanted to be near me.

She also touches my private parts in bed. This happens all the time and I can’t take it anymore. I have told her off and even begged her to stop it but she’ll respond by telling me that I can touch her, too.

Furthermore, when I tell my parents about it, they tell me that she is my sister and it is okay for us to sleep together. They don’t believe me when I tell them that she touches my private parts. I know, I have strange parents and they always side with my sister.

But the incident that really scared and disgusted me happened last month, when my parents were abroad.

I was showering in my bathroom when she unlocked the door with a key and came in naked. I yelled at her to get out immediately, but she wouldn’t.

She told me that if I didn’t let her do what she wanted, she would tell my parents that I beat her and then I would be in big trouble. I know how clever she is at pretending and my parents will definitely believe her, so I submitted to her. She groped and kissed me all over and then performed oral sex on me.

I begged her to stop and told her that siblings don’t do this to each other. She just went on but I didn’t dare to use force against her because I was afraid that she would tell my parents that I beat her.

I have told some of my friends and my school counsellor about it but they don’t believe me because she is so good at telling lies. I thought she did this because she needed attention from guys so I introduced her to some of my friends. As far as I know, she doesn’t mix around with guys much. They were all very interested in getting to know her because she is pretty.

After that meeting, she told me to tell them that she wasn’t interested in them. She said that they only wanted to have sex with her. Now, she sleeps with me every night because my parents allow her. Please help me before she ruins my life.

Wow, believable or not? hard to believe huh? I guess these types of incest do occur, rare as it may be. OK, it's not true incest, since there is no sex (perhaps?) going on. But there's still the molesting and oral sex part... I know it is a bit sick, but I can't help wondering whether the guy could have actually enjoyed the experience. I mean, you may not want it but it does not mean you don't want to experience it! Come on, he's sixteen...what with all the raging hormones! Perhaps it will do him well with girls later on in life...

How I wish I could experience that...don't you?

Good Times

Phew...it has been a great few days. Started off with the hiking trip. Then got to meet some new people...friend's friends...great to have a change of environment. Had a lot of dinners and drinks - so have probably gained a few pounds. An old friend came back from Singapore for a long holiday - so managed to catch up on old and new stories, and learn a few things. I've also learnt of a few good places to bring people around for food/drinks and chat...cool! And Facebook is great - keeping in touch with old school chums, and looking nostalgically at all the old photos in primary and secondary school! Gosh, how much each of us has, and has not changed!

This friend of mine came back from Singapore over the weekend; we had spent quite some time chatting - I was surprised to find out that Singaporeans are not that smart after all! The majority of decisions made in Singapore companies etc. are actually done by Malaysians! Singaporeans do not know how to get things done fast; Malaysians do! Wow! Maybe we have to thank the training given to us by our Malaysian way of life...perhaps there is some good living in Malaysia after all... I haven't seen him four four years, and I'm surprised that he's actually gotten thinner. Must be the hectic work and lifestyle he's been living...

Two days ago, I had a chat with a unit trust consultant - well they are making a living, so I'm giving them a chance - and decided to do some additional investments. Nah, he didn't convince me; I was already planning to invest, and just wanted to hear what he had to say! Not too impressive but guess because he is still new at this. Perhaps I should have given him some pointers, but we'll see how things develop from now on. Had to go to the bank on Tuesday to do open a savings account - eh, slow as a turtle. Guess certain things haven't changed! And I've noticed that the new cheque deposit machines suck when you are depositing multiple cheques, i.e. slow as a turtle (again) - bring back the old ones please!

I guess after all the exertions, I am back sick again...stupid sinusitis hasn't cleared properly; have to start back on antibiotics and toughen things out for the next few days...wish me luck!

Exercise

Yeah, finally I got some exercise!! This is a hiking trip up Kanching forest reserve in Rawang, which I did with a friend yesterday. And I'd just returned from Johor Baru just the night before...but tired as I was, the prospect of a short break plus exercise was too good a lure.

Around the main entrance

Entrance to the trail

Start of the trail

We left at 8.30 a.m. from my friend's place after a breakfast of curry mee (which I was to regret a bit later...) and arrived after about half-hour drive. After all it was a holiday in KL, so traffic was rather light. It was an ideal morning for a hike: cool and cloudy, and few other people around. The trail was uphill and looked deceptively easy - well, it was at first as we moved up to the third of seven waterfalls; after that there was this steep flight of stairs which really winded me...guess I wasn't as fit as I thought I was...

Looks easy huh?

Off the beaten path

A simian friend

Some of the catarcts

The third falls

Higher and higher we go

You can see the third and fourth falls from here

Then I had a bit stomach upset - dunno whether it was the climb, but it really made me threw up my breakfast and needed to go poo poo there and then. like I said fortunately there weren't many people around, so 'doing' it naturally behind the bushes was not as revealing as it could have been. Luckily that episode lasting for less than ten minutes - I was fit again after that! We took quite an amount of photos, before moving up to the top waterfall - it was beautiful, but it began to drizzle...my friend forced me to beat a hasty retreat, only to find that it onl drizzled, and not rain. Too bad, otherwise the pics there would've been great. it would have been great too if my camera hadn't run out of battery power...

At the fifth falls

Yup, he's happy!

Close-up photography in action

Some examples

The trail to the last falls

Self-portrait, along the way

The seventh falls...and the best of the lot

Trekking back down now...

More simian friends

Tired but exhilarated, down at the second falls

The walk down was not that exciting, though by that time there were more people...children and babies included! We had lunch in Rawang - nothing fancy though, and wrapped things up by 2.00 p.m. It took me an extra hour to get back due to the massive traffic snarl all over PJ...think every KL-lite was in PJ that afternoon for whatever reason...

Well, can't wait for the next trip...but think I need a bit of workout first...