~to give or to receive~
If given a choice, do you want to be the person to give or to receive? Think about it for a moment... Giving or Receiving? Well, honestly, I prefer to be at the giving end than the receiving end. Here's a story that I think would inspire us to think:Here's the story: Once upon a time ...okie, cut the crap...Once upon a time, there's this guy who died. Anyway, he was sent to heaven where he met this angel. This angel said to him "Alright Mister...You would be giving the opportunity to be reborn as a man; but there are 2 choices here. Would you want to be the man to receive or would you want to be the man who give?" The man give it a thought for a while and answered "I want to be the one who receives coz I have been poor and was unable to get what I want in life." The angel said "Are you sure?" The man think again and said "Yes...100% sure." And he got his wish but little did he know...choosing to be at the receiving end made him a beggar. If he were to choose to be at the giving end, he would be rich.Ok...think about this story for a moment. I find this fairly true. Why receive when you have the ability to give? To be ABLE to give is a type of prosperity...Of coz you have to give whole heartedly, but giving is a great deed. There's this once when my dad and mum when to have breakfast. So, you've got to pay for the parking through the parking meter. My dad then inserted RM1.30 which is equivalent to one and a half hours of parking money. My mum then said "Why put so much? We won't take that long to have breakfast right?" Dad then replied "Why not? I mean the next person who comes along and park at this spot would be happy when he see that there's still money in the parking meter. You get to make someone happy just by using a little money. So why not?" Hmmmm...So you see? Giving is great! :) It's something that everyone should practice. I am not asking you guys NOT to receive, but we should practice giving frequently. Sometimes, we tend to receive too much and might just forget to give! You would never know how a small gesture of help might just make someone's day. ^_^ Start giving ppl!
~Reading a book~
I recently read in the papers and felt ashamed to be a Malaysian. From this research/survey they did, they found that Malaysians only read 3 pages PER YEAR. Now...reading here excludes reading emails for work...reading papers...this survey SOLELY talks about reading a BOOK...it can be a novel, a non-fiction biography book, a motivational/inspirational book, etc. 3 pages...3 freaking sad pages...I mean, Singaporeans read more than us.
I guess there's no one to blame but the culture itself. We are not born to be taught to read...except for studying when we are younger, and reading work stuffs as we step foot into the working world. I mean the reading culture is not embedded into our SOULS...
Reading is good! I love to read. Some ppl might find it boring, but seriously, try reading something really really interesting...it feels really good. :) Well, here are some of the books that I think is great to read. It's not difficult books to read (coz I don't think I can survive these kind of books...) and it's really inspirational - at least some of them are. The order is random and has no meaning...Just thought you should know...hehehe
1. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - Now, this is one book that you cannot miss. Thriller novel...It's great...It keeps you going...and you cannot put the book down! :) Great one to read...
2. Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown - This is wonderful as well. Like Angels and Demons, it's also a thriller...keeps you going! :) Brilliant...
3. The Adrian Mole Collection by Sue Townsend - I've read the first 3 of them. They are ABSOLUTELY HILLARIOUS. Love Sue Townsend. It's a diary kept by Adrian Mole...a kid who's...disturb or maybe intellectual. The stuffs he express are really funny! The last book I read was when he's 23. Gonna go the sequel to it!
4. Tuesdays with Morrie and the Five People you Meet in Heaven both by Mitch Albom - One of my ALL TIME FAVORITES. I mean, it's ABSOLUTELY wonderful. These are books that not only touches your heart but your soul as well...It lets you think and see life from a whole different prospects. BRILLIANT...
5. LOTR - Well, if you have watch the movie, I would say it's easier to read. I read them when the movie has yet to be on screen...and I would have to say it's one of the toughest book I've read as compared to books from some of the other authors. I guess it's tough coz there are a lot of characters. Like, 4 hobbits...and then Gandalf...and then Aragon. All back to back. So remembering who's who is a problem. I kept going back...to check who's who. And I kept referring to the map...to see where they are and all... :) But it's a great book to read. It's like, once you get through the first few chapters, then you are fine...
6. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner - This is no doubt an economics book...but it's BRILLIANT. An eye-opening experience book. Serious. A book that has got to be read... :)
7. Rich Dad Poor Dad - I thougth this book was alright. Very educational and easy to understand. ^_^ I guess this book would held the interest of those who are into Money...and I guess that would pretty much be everyone. Hahahaha...
8. Chicken Soup collection - Oh...Motivational book. Brilliant.
9. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks - Well, if you are up for the mushy mushy stuffs...then this book is great...
Well, I think I can't write comments on every book that I have read. There are some books that are hard to get by...like...Rules of Four. I give up...I mean it's nice at first...but the interesting part just wouldn't come! I am halfway through the book...but no suspense whatsoever. So I stop reading that book!
There are tons of books out there...and I am sure that there is bound to be this ONE BOOK that would held your interest...from the beginning till the end. So, go on. Go to the nearest book store to get something to read...coz reading is definitely a benefit! :) and it's great...the knowledge you gain from reading...priceless.
War of the Food... :)
Ahhh...pratically everyone's favorite... FOOD... ^_^...Except for...maybe those who wants to be as thin as a stick, or maybe those who just get sick everytime food comes around...or...they just hate food. BUT, I believe that these conditions are very much unlikely. I am very lucky to be born in Malaysia, a place of different culture and one of the places with really great food! :)
Let's start off with...Malaysian food. Typical Malaysian food. For instance, Chinese hawker food...you know, those places with tons of food stalls. There are some food where you eat standing...some you eat sitting, some...well, pretty much both. :) In malaysia, the popular hawker stall food are like Laksa, Prawn Noodles, Curry Noodles, Fried Koay Teow, Lok Lok, etc etc. The list is pretty long if you ask me. Then we have Malay food, Chinese food and Indian food. Thumbs up to all! Nasi Kandar, one of my favorite is yet another popular food here in Malaysia. You see ppl hanging out at mamak stall where you can have the oh so famous Nasi Kandar, as well as some of the roti...like, roti canai, roti bom, roti tisu, roti bawang, roti planta, roti telur, roti helicopter, all the other roti(s)... :) OH OH! And SEAFOOD!!!!! Love those seafood. It's pretty easy to get seafood here in Malaysia and especially if you go to places like Penang, Klang, Johor...then you can get pretty cheap seafood! I have to admit, Malaysia do have some of the best food in the world...BUT...there are other food where you would NOT find in Malaysia. (sad sad)...
One of the other places where I find you can get good food is...Hong Kong. Seriously wonderful food. First up... Japanese food. Look at the picture on your right. We have eel sushi...Salmon...fresh salmon with mango sushi and goose liver sushi (didn't have the guts to have the goose liver though). They were all... Simply...WONDERFUL. Of coz, the chinese food were great...especially DIM SUM. Ohmigod...that's like...WOW! *speechless...These are the BEST food I've found so far. Oh...and their deserts are NICE...yum yum...I mean, there has got to be more...but i guess i just need more time to explore...AND...who's help would I need for further food exploration in HK? I need none other than my Uncle Chris and Auntie D. HAHAHA...to take me around... :)
I love Vietnamese food as well! At least...I love the Vietnamese food I had in Shanghai. Thanks to my dearest friend Joey, I got to eat the best Vietnamese food...so far. :) Haven't been to Vietnam though...but...the Vietnamese food I had in Shanghai was the best. It's...oil-less...I mean seriously, I am surprise. It has got no oil at all! I don't exactly know why, but...even the fried spring rolls has got no oil. At least I can't taste the oil. And the deserts are great as well...
OH! One food that I can never get enough is STEAMBOAT...yum. It's all in the soup. If the soup is good, then it's great steamboat. Love it love it love it. :)
I think I better stop. I guess there are tons of food that I have yet to try. I mean I have had basic Mexican food, Italian food, American dishes...but...there are more out there...and I can't wait to explore. Though, i have to admit that there are some stuffs which I don't DARE to take...like...dog meat, snake, cat, rat, horse, wild boar, frogs...(no offence to ppl who take these stuffs...but generally, I classify these as...WEIRD food...)
New Year Resolution
It is the beginning of yet another new year. Ahhh...New Year...what do you think is installed for us this 2006? Besides...WORLD CUP Germany 2006! WOohooo! Well, that's not why I am writing this blog...I shall be discussing about the many many new year resolution that we make EVERY YEAR...that has yet to be resoluted.
I believe a lot of us out there makes new year resolutions at the beginning of every new year. BUT.. (See...everything statement has got the BIG FAT BUT...)...well anyway, like I was saying...But, how many of us actually kept to that resolution? Has it become something that we do simply because everyone does it? Or do we have the intention in keeping to those resolutions that were made?
For instance...one of my resolution last year was to lose weight. I believe it's the #1 resolution for a lot of ppl out there. I tried to keep to it...for like...2 months and then i lost it. All those food...temptation...can't resist...sigh. So i failed. Then I think I had this resolution about writing a journal...like keeping a note to myself as to what I do daily and how I felt. BUT (see...there's that BUT again...) But, I wrote for like 4 months then stopped. Too lazy. =) Don't feel like continuing.
I don't know about you guys who are reading right now...but you might have kept to some resolution...which you might want to share. As for me, I gave up about making resolutions. Lets just say, I want to keep things simple...if I feel like doing something, I'll just go ahead and do it! Be Spontaneous...(haven't been able to do that, but I will try this year...) Ooopssss...I think I just made a new year resolution! Teehee!
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2006! May the year 2006 treats you good and treats you right!
Christmas 2005 in HK
Woohooo! Spending christmas in HK was definitely a blast. The weather was great (~17 - 20 degrees celcius) and the environment was wonderful. The lightings were brilliant and it felt alot like Christmas - very very christmas-ty... :)Then I thought...why is it when i spend Christmas in Malaysia, it felt slightly different? hmmm...THEN it pooped into my brains...There are several things that distiguished a significant difference between HK and Malaysia..#1: The freaking weather in Malaysia is damn freaking hot!!!!! U don't get to enjoy the environment because it's SOOOOO hot! Most of the time, you are either airing yourself, or wiping off those sweat. And at times, u get DRENCH in your own sweat...Not nice....Those irritating big and small sweats...And then u get stinky ppl standing beside you...not that u are any better...but...SIGH. Because of the nice cooling weather in HK, it deplicts that sense of...irritation and so, u only have one thing to worry about which is the many humans there. But you don't have to air urself or wipe those sweat off... :) BIG HUGE DIFFERENCE.#2: You've got the gift of a GOOD PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION in HK. But...not in Malaysia. I mean I have to admit that it is improving in KL...but definitely not in Penang!The condition in Penang is hopeless. If for instance, you want to go to Gurney from Greenlane, there's no way to go, but by car. So if u don't a car, u might as well stay at home. So, on special occasions like Christmas and New Year...driving to for instance Gurney will just kill u...U have to be there like...EXTRA EXTRA early...else u might as well ensure that ur car can climb trees. So...CAR problem will just get ur blood boiling before the party even started. Kills the enjoyment. In HK, because of the the good public transportation, you don't have to worry about NOT getting a place to park your car, cause...YOU DON'T have to DRIVE! :) U have the subway, or the cab, or the public bus (which i really really love)...And u don't have to go extra early! Just be there to have sufficient time for photo taking...enjoy the atmosphere...and wala! it's the countdown! In Penang, driving would not only kill u at the beginning but will kill u at the end. Coz, u won't be able to get home until like...4am. Nuts right. And that's like when u leave right after the countdown. These 2 reasons have pretty much convinced me NOT to go downtown for ANY countdown anymore. Haven't been to Gurney since...i don't know when. But at least every year, Christmas and New Year, I get to spend them with close friends and families...and that's like a whole lot nicer...and warmer... :) Happy New Year 2006 and may all your dreams come true!!
