Will We Learn and Evolve

Have we really given any thoughts on how much the human race has progressed? Do we know our history? Do we even know what life was like before we were born? Well, people always imagine how 'their' life would be if ..... but what about how Earth would be like if ......

We strive to break the limits of what our tiny brain had or could achieve, always looking for progress, always looking for wealth, always looking for ways to improve lives. We tear down trees in the name of progress, bring down hills and mountains to feed the hunger of the wealthy. Replacing them with concrete and producing waste which are then thrown back to the very soil that gave the raw resources. And when I say we, that includes me. Practically almost everyone lives in concrete these days. As much as I'd hate to say that it is a drain on Earth resources, as long as the human race continue to grow, so will the demand. That is a fact none can run from.

I haven't done a movie review in a while *been too stingy to fork out 20+ bucks on 2 tickets these days*. My wife and I went to watch The Day The Earth Stood Still, starring Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Connelly. I've already heard reviews of the message it sends through the movie. And putting it to reality, it makes thinking people think further.

It revolves around another life form, representing several alien civilizations superior to humans, threatening to remove humans with their destructive nature (which we call progress) and by doing so, allowing Earth to heal itself before the point of no return. Keanu, playing the alien, but looking very much like an agent in The Matrix, was the messenger.

Keanu, playing Klaatu is bent on wiping out our civilizations as he felt that was the only way Earth can be saved. And Jennifer Connelly, plays Helen Benson, a biologist who tries to convince him to give us a chance to evolve when on the brink of destruction. I admire the message it tries to sent. But we are far from realising nor acknowledging the fact that Earth is dying at the rate we are progressing. An eco-system could only sustain so much.

Thus we ask ourselves this question, if we knew Earth would collapse by year 2010, what can we do, what would we do and what must we do NOW to ensure that future does not happen? I was elated when I saw the concrete structures crumbling and dissolving when the 'aliens' went on a path of destruction. How mean am I ... *not a question*

I have been watching too much Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Bangkok - First Time

I was so looking forward to getting away from KL, after weeks of being bogged with wedding details. And getting off the plane, made me realise that it has all been worthwhile, tagging my wife along with me on this honeymoon.

Now, this is my first trip to Bangkok and I had no expectations of what it would be like. The air is polluted, the streets are clogged, with cars and people alike. And to make my experience worse, I developed a fever couple of hours after arriving there. Yes, my body finally had time to break down after running around on my wedding day. My poor wife had to take care of me in the hotel room that evening, and I slept through that evening/night without taking her anywhere. And behind our room was a rail line, which the darn drivers can't seem to take their hands off their horns.

Would I return to Bangkok? Yes, if only for the mega malls, namely, Siam Paragon & Central World. The former had to be my favourite of them all. Paragon itself has its own departmental store all on its own and within it, mega brands were aplenty. It was akin to walking around Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur.

And how they deco their display shelves was simply attractive.




And this is only one of many rows of pens, I can't find such varieties in KL

You know, all this while I never tried Auntie Anne's while I was in Malaysia. Fearing I would have nothing else to eat but Tom Yam all the time, I settled for a pretzel while feeling peckish. And I enjoyed it. Very nice indeed. Trust me to go to Bangkok to try this instead of back home.



They even had a Lamborghini Murcielago on display in the mall outlet. How cool is that?



When I recovered the 2nd day, we walked a little bit more and were able to see what goes on at night after seeing all the props and all during the day. They can publicly have beer festivals just outside of the mall. And there were many of them.

The only cute thing I saw there was the restroom doors at Baiyoke Boutique Hotel where we stayed. No time to visit any of the infamous Tiger Shows nor any of the temples, which the latter having no pull factor on me.


Do you know which to go to?

Well, I'm still in Phuket now. Will share my thoughts on it at a later date.

Sealed With A Kiss

There I've finally been 'allowed' to kiss the bride by the 'official' of the day. And now, I shall be leaving on a 10 day long honeymoon *switches phone to silent and screening who calls before answering*

Only a message of 'alien invasion' will get me out of my honeymoon.

Greedy Malaysians

Malaysia, a land of many opportunities. I always believe that if you work hard enough and add some savvy into what you do, there will be money to be made. In any traditional business, there will be times money is made, and times when money is lost. Name me one traditional business where money is never lost? Oh wait, toll concessionaires, they never lose money due to the lopsided contract between the government and their cronies.

How bout petrol dealers? You would think they have been making wads of cash each time the price of petrol went up. They're always claiming the discount is the same. If the petrol price today is RM1.92, they pay RM1.72 from the suppliers.

Now that crude oil price is hovering around USD67 per barrel, the government has reduced petrol price, for the 3rd time now since reaching a whopping RM2.7o. It now stands at RM2.30 per litre. What irks me are the petrol dealers who claims to lose thousands of dollars each time there is a price reduction. And that is true, not taking away any credibility to their claims. Let's have a look at how they lose.

When the price was at RM2.70 per litre, they bought the petrol price at RM2.50 from suppliers. As soon as the government reduce the price to RM2.55, they claim to have lost considerably due to the old stock which they bought at RM2.50. Even with the 5 cents profit, they cannot overcome their overheads. Granted. And it goes on when it drops to RM2.45 and now RM2.30. Everytime it drops, they cry like babies.

Well, what about when the price went up? When they bought it at RM1.72 cents when petrol price was at RM1.92, what happened when the petrol went tp to RM2.70? The 20 cents profit shot up to Rm1.o8 per litre on whatever stock they had left. And this goes on each time there is an increase. Did I ever hear, "Govt, you're not being reasonable. You've increased my profits this month and now I have no choice but to buy a new car to offset it or I have to pay higher tax. Why are you doing this to me?"

There are 2 sides to the coin, petrol dealers are mostly cronies anyway. I said mostly, not all. There are of course genuine ones. But bear in mind you money grubbing operators, this is a business you are running. Be thankful you have a business that has been generating profits for you all this while. And with any traditional business, there is NO GUARANTEE of continued profits. And to the government, stop making decisions at your whim and fancy. Give at least a week's notice of any impending increase or decrease to not only dealers, but to consumers alike. It is obvious, they have not needed to queue up at petrol stations to experience the traffic chaos when everyone rushes to fill up before midnight. Even those who do not want to be part of that rush, are stuck along clogged roads filled with cars waiting by the road side near a petrol station, waiting for their turn.

Stop crying and to the government, stop managing Malaysia like it's just a game.

I'm Taken on Halloween Day

Well, here you have it. I'm married and there's nothing you girls can do about it. You all had your chance, too bad. The best girl won. In retrospective, I won too. And what a day it was. A day to take the vows said, or lack off, seriously, and a day just being plain silly, much to mine and everyone else amusement, including the public.

Waking up at ungodly hours to prepare for the day, eyes barely open when faced to the sun to get the best possible lighting angle for the photographer, the usual sweat dripping as if I just came out of a shower were just amongst the few parts of the day that seems to challenge my gung-ho-ness I had. Was it all worth it? You bet it was.

Well, a sneak preview if you will, these shots are just merely taken by our 'daughters' who were there trudging along with us wherever we went. God bless their hearts. They're not taken by the hired photographer of the day, Robin Ng, which I look forward to seeing the final results when it is ready.




"Wow, he's actually signing it" thought her




This was taken opposite Pavilion, whose management did not allow us to snap any photographs related to wedding, much to my disgust of their snobbish policy.


This picture is taken at Khareyana Spa, courtesy of Puan Azam who allowed us to utilize the location. If only she'd offer free spa treatment for the day too :P

And to my wife (got to get used to it), I love you and here's wishing you a Happy Birthday too. I shall reward you tonight.

Quality of Life - KL vs Perth

It's funny how each and every time I visit Australia, I resent Malaysia more and more. It's not the people I resent, but the quality of life we get dollar for dollar. And people sometimes wonder why I choose to visit Australia, time and time again. So, here is my attempt to rationalize why I say the quality of life there is of higher quality. I will try my up most best to compare apple to apple and orange to orange. But where it differs, the content or logic is the same.

I'll start with McDonald's. I usually have the Sausage McMuffin with Egg set in Malaysia. It cost RM7.80 tax excluding. In Perth, I took the Bacon & Egg McMuffin set. Both comes with a hash brown and coffee or tea. And that only cost me AUD$4.95 WITH tax.

Cars are so darn cheap there. A Toyota Altis 1.8G would cost us approx RM119,000 whereas the Ultima Sedan, which is what Australia calls it, is, get this, only less than AUD$40,000 with full leather trim. That's a whopping 79,000 difference, dollar for dollar. My most recent trip, I saw a Ford Focus which sells for RM120,000 here in Malaysia for A$20,000. Oh, did I tell you there isn't any toll? I didn't? In KL, you just can't get by without going thru toll plazas every now and then, here and there. Oh, and in shopping malls, parking is free. And in some part of the city, free parking is also available albeit only 1-2 hours. Free parking in KL city? Hahahahahahahahaha .....

Here's the cruncher, petrol, which our dear Malaysian Government tries so very hard to convince the locals who knows no better. Petrol prices fluctuates according to the market. During my most recent trip, the most expensive I saw was AUD$1.43 per litre and the cheapest was AUD$1.41 per litre. When you shop at supermarkets, like Woolworths for example, you get 4 cts off petrol too, which we paid AUD$1.39 when we fill up the car one day. In Malaysia, a producer and net exporter of oil, we previously paid RM1.92 per litre. And recently, a hike which yten puts our petrol at RM2.70 per litre but reduced 2 weeks ago to RM2.55. Oh sure, economics comes into play and all but at the end of the day, I'm just showing how we pay so much but get so little. But I so resent the government for saying, "We are still amongst the cheapest you will pay for a litre of petrol. Here you pay RM2.70 but in Australia, you pay RM4.29 (AUD$1.43 x 3 exchange rate)". What a load of crap.

There are stuffs that are more expensive there too, but you get so much more back because of the excellent infrastructure and support to the people by the government. I've a colleague who wonders what's so good about visiting countries like Australia. He doesn't like to travel unnecessary. And he'd rather travel to Asian countries where he can speak his mother tongue language. And that is fine. But one has no right to comment on the negatives of going to somewhere he or she have never been before.

We make do with what we earn here in Malaysia, but to those who haven't been elsewhere, you haven't been living. It's really an eye opener. And to think that I've only just begun. Where next? After all, according to Bukit Bendera UMNO division chief, Datuk Ahmad Ismail, we chinese are squatters and do not belong here in Malaysia. So, why stay? I'd rather spend my money elsewhere when your own countrymen do not see us as equal.

Warbook @ Facebook

I'm addicted, that's all I can say. My lover, who initially introduced, taught & assisted in the growth of my hero, is now just as addicted after I showed him the tricks of the game. I have to admit, I spend most of my time on the internet mainly on this game. It's available on either Facebook or Bebo.



All you have to do is find and add the Warbook application and visit here for tips and strategies. WARNING : Don't play this game if you don't know when to rest and when to play.

The good thing about this game is that it is real time. And there is a strategy to playing it. Even a code of conduct amongst the alliances. Facebook, ahhh, I forgot how I got started on Facebook. And the moment I did, someone said to me, "Finally, you are on Facebook". Huh? Facebook only mah. Tried many applications I have, but Warbook is by far the most interesting of them all. Fleet Command? Slayers? Werewolf? They're all child's play when compared to this.

So, try it for those who hasn't and has time to spare. But please don't ignore my above warning. It is addictive once you get the hang of it.

Korean Drama Series

I never did really understood why Korean dramas were making headlines in most parts of Asia. Sure, the women were good looking. But are the series itself worth watching? Well, I found that out in my recent trip to .... Korea, nah, Australia.

Having some time waste in between all the appointments and rest and meals, my god sis started me off with a new series which she have not seen herself, Full House. Main cast were Song Hye Kyo who played Han Ji-Eun and Rain playing Lee Young-Jae. I must say. It was truly entertaining. Almost every emotions you can think of is felt when I watch it; love, hate, sad etc. But what I love most was humor. "What?" They love saying that and add that with some funny facial expressions, they were really funny. I could not wait to watch the next episode after anothers It was addictive.


Full House meant a home built and filled with love in the series

Next up, she recommended to me, Coffee Prince, a series she has watched twice and making it thrice when she watched it again with me. A tomboy, who fell in love with a guy who taught she was a he. And despite reservations, he decided to go all the way even though he thought she was a he. Wah, I also cried a few times in this series. And I think anybody would have fell in love with Eun Chan, the female lead character played by Yoon Eun Hye.



I then watched 200 Pounds Beauty. Well, the point is made. She has given me another series to watch and also a list of other recommended series. All in due time.



FIGHTING, I first noticed this word used when watching Full House. It was a way for the lead actress to psyche herself up when things are down. Then the lead actor added his own to it when he tried to cheer her up. AZA AZA FIGHTING. Then FIGHTING was again used in Coffee Prince, and then again in 200 Pounds Beauty. Then it occurs to me that it is probably used in most Korean series or amongst Korean themselves. How interesting.

Forah, I have you to blame or thank, for getting me addicted to Korean series. Time I may not have to watch it just yet, but I will eventually. And sis, AZA AZA FIGHTING!

She Knows, I Know, But I Have To Go

Leaving is not easy, but I must go, even if it is for a while. So much to do, months to go. If only I am as resourceful as her. But deep down, she understands I have to go, and that eased the agony of leaving.

I shall return for my life is with her. And only with her, I am complete. Wait for me.

Who So Serious?

Most people says I'm a very serious person. I'm serious when it comes to being punctual. I'm serious when it comes to work. I'm serious when people let me down. I'm serious when I let people down.

Imagine a life without seriousness. Where people will go like this ...

1. Hey, you're late. Damn that's funny. Haha, let's do that again next time.
2. Oh, you want to provide 3 inch concrete instead of 4? Haha, sure thing ... so long as it doesn't crack and look like the crack in your arse.
3. Hehe, it's ok you couldn't make it at the last minute. I'll probably return the favour hahaha

Seriousness has a time and place for it. Maybe I overdo it, and people don't think of me as fun. Well, all I can say is ......



Why So Serious about me being so serious?

Seriously, the late Heath Ledger was at his best as one of Batman's greatest nemesis. His unseriousness as a villain really puts serious people like me to shame. And this has got to be an all time best for Batman's franchise. Applaud to the casting crew for their seriousness in finding an awesome actor to play that role.

Now, should I remain serious? Seriously? Can you be serious please? Hahaha, why so serious?

The Dark Knight, a must watch.

Street Party at 1U

I'm not a fan of street parties. Not because I don't enjoy it if the party is interesting. Mainly because of the crowd, the conditions imposed ie. like no outside food because they want to sell their ridiculously priced tidbits, snacks and drinks, and most importantly, the heat or sweat I will have to endure.

To compensate the heat I anticipate, I asked my fiancee to buy me a mini portable fan. And it was from Mark & Spencer. Yes, I've already surveyed it before, seeing that I would probably need it when I am in my wedding day attire. And I wanted 2, just in case 1 broke down. RM29, would you believe it? Even she can't comprehend that I would spend that money on a fan.



I must admit, I haven't been to many concerts at all in my entire life. Musical shows, yes, not concerts. The opening act is a farce I tell ya. People didn't come to watch Daniel, our Malaysian Idol. People didn't come to watch some AIM winner whom I don't even know but maybe others do. People came to watch, Daughtry. Doors opened at 7pm, opening acts were f#@!*?g 3 hours. To make matters worse, it was drizzling. Sure, many were having fun. But there were no itinerary for us to know what was in store. And by the time Daughtry came out, my mood was dampened. So was my fiancee, who was shocked when I told her we're going for a street party. She knows me so well actually, more than I know myself sometimes.

Andddddddd, they didn't allow cameras in? Video recorders I get, but cameras? Geez, how sad can that be? Traffic Jam, brought to you by Sony Ericsson and held at One Utama, Central Park Avenue was a let down for me. And maybe just me alone. So, without a camera, this was what I could get using my 'antique' Nokia N73.



Heck, I can't even get a decent photo with a poster with that phone.


My head's glowing, can you see, can you see?

And to top it off, after 4 years and 7 months of driving my car with High Intensity Discharge (HID) light, I got my first summons when I decided to leave the street party half an hour after Daughtry appeared. I'm gonna send it to Daughtry.

Perth (June 2008)

It's easy to get lost in time when the air is fresh and clean, the skies are almost always blue, the sea breeze making a mess of my hair and compounded further by good company and family I've not seen in 3 years. Yes, it's been that long.

And winter is always my cup of tea to make a getaway great. Despite raining during our last couple of days there, I managed to get some really good photos and I personally feel so relaxed during the entire trip. The 4 legged family are always great. I find peace in dogs and cats, but fuiyoh, the moment I met Oscar, the word calm was deleted from my dictionary. He sniffed, he jumped, he clawed, and just hit the repeat button, you know what I mean.

He's always like this jumping on people



Only when he's on a leash will he sit and be still, though not all the times. And I've got to remember to bring some fly swatters over there next time as that's the only thing he has 'some' respect for



So much so, I had to hand built a fence to keep him away from the laundry area. I didn't know my carpentry skills was that good. Tired but satisfied seeing the dog looking at me and unable to get through.



Being there with my fiancee was something different. Perth has always been like a second home to me mainly because of my family there and Perth being the destination where I gather my thoughts and unwind from stressful Kuala Lumpur. It was somewhat different also because of my sudden interest in amateurish photography. Always carrying my trusty basic DSLR with me, I snapped at anything I liked, food and scenery. She always complains that I don't like to take people :P I guess mainly because I used to be camera shy like this cat, Lil' Mouse



But I'm getting the 'feel' of it lately and it has improved. Or have I? But what I love taking are always close up shots, macro shots to be more precise. And especially food. Yummy ....

Ok, so we had Japanese, in Australia ...










I had this in Hillary's Harbour, food was alright, service was bad


And I couldn't miss out on this, McBacon




We got hungry while walking in the city one afternoon, it cost AUD$4 but without onions, he charged me only AUD$3.50. Wow, 50 cents off onions, not bad.




We had this really huge burgers in a small shop in Freemantle. Mine had bacon and a mouth watering beef patty. Bliss ..


"Can I finish that?" ... of coz she did, she being her :P


I had quite a few breakfast sets over there. This being one of them with a hash brown.


I had this at Wild Fig on my last day there. A breakfast set for lunch ...




During my 10 days there, I had this waffle 4 times. Costly, but oh so worth it.




I'm not really a big fan of 'Italian' food. I hate Italy for that matter. But this spaghetti marinara that I had at Sorrento's was really good. Great choice of restaurant on my last night there.


This is called Vegetarian Nightmare - Pepperoni, Ham, Bacon .....


Ok, enough about food. There used to be this cafe named Bien that sells amazing fries. Unfortunately, they have closed down before I managed to introduce it to my fiancee. Well, now to plan my next trip since Air Asia is starting it's maiden flight there in November and at a cheaper airfare. When?

Wedding Photography # 1

Being a photographer to a friend is always challenging. On one hand, she's always saying, "Eh, it's ok, go rest" or "Eh, stop taking photos and enjoy the meal lah" and on the other end, making sure most of the moments are captured. But those who knows me know I do not like to disappoint. So, it isn't surprising that I forgo having a proper dinner just so my friend would be able to have those memories retained.

Ok, so I'm not a professional when it comes to photography. It's just a small and tiny part of my numerous hobbies. It takes 3 parts to have the moments captured the way it was supposed to be remembered. One, it takes a reasonably well functional camera to do the right job. Mind you, it's a balance. It doesn't mean by purchasing a RM20,000 camera, it would ensure your shots are perfect. Two, learning the functions that are available on the camera and the ability to change the settings to suit the conditions in the shortest amount of time possible. Otherwise, the moment would have gone. Just as life would eh? Finally and most importantly, in my opinion, is the natural flair in seeing what other novice camera owners wouldn't see. The split second moment as once you've missed it, it's gone.

As you could judge from the pictures below, I may not possess completely all of the above, but I hope what I have been able to do is enough for the couple.


The Bride




She sits waiting patiently


The Groom arrives


"When was your first kiss? How? With or without tongue?" - asked Mayin


I hope I never ever do that




The benefits of chum char :)


The Heng Tais


The Chi Muis


Her side


His side


A favourite shot of mine


Me, Wai Kian, Hui Lee and Khar Min


My congratulations to Hui Lee & Wai Kian

Seeing them through the day and how tired they were, I now prepare myself to do the same and more come year end. Who then would be my photographer?