Urgent

Please pray for my aunt, Kathy. She is ill and has been warded for complications due to failing kidneys. I'm not too sure how severe her condition is. I'll only know about it tomorrow. In the mean time, do pray for her and her family. She is a Christian. I appreciate your support in prayer very much. Thank you. God bless...

In the beginning

So, exam is inching nearer and nearer but what the heck! The biggest motorshow in Malaysia is currently running from the 26th May until the 4th of June 2006. We (James, Jonathan, Rick, Jim and Philip) left university at 1040 and arrived there at 1130 due to the lousy co-driver's direction. The Lotus designed APX due to launch as a Proton SUV between 18-24 months from now according to reports.

This is a beautiful piece of art to me but sadly to many they dislike the rear end of it. Moving on to wackier automobiles. There was a pick-up that was pimped by Clarion which looked like an alien life form.
At this booth where they showcase live to the audience the art of airbrushing. The skull helmet and the pink (yucks) Kenari were the highlight at the booth besides the free show.At the same level of the same hall there parked silently the Port Klang 4x4. What?@! Why on earth must someone/shop name their pick-up Port Klang? I just don't get it but we just can't argue how well Malaysian have adopted and implanted the Malaysia Boleh attitude. Use it "dengan was-was". Thus says the Hokkien "lang", "Gua hua Port Klang, lu hua hamik chia?"There were more weird, funny and mind boggling things that happened. These I will share tomorrow as I'm too tired now. Watch out for the next edition of KLIMS 2006-The Weird and the Beautiful...

The Greatest Commandment

Jesus said, "Greater Love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.". Jesus, the redeemer, victor, the sacrifice gave His life for us, his friends. This is done that we may be "...your sins are Forgiven.". So that, we "...shall not perish but have Eternal Life.". Having eternal life, we then, His children are "...Heirs of God and Joint Heirs with Christ.".

What more can we, the cause of His suffering, ask for? It was through His passion that we gain what we do not deserve. I quote Xuan "How much do you love me?". This is the question Jesus ask us who say and proclaim so confidently of our love for Him. I was remindered by God Himself through an incident. Do not wait until He ask you. Tell Him, show Him your love for Him if you do. If you have not loved Him, I pray that His love for you will be make known.

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind."
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: "Love your neighbour as yourelf."
-Matthew 22:37-39-

PS: Thanx Xuan for sharing through your blog. Click here to view a video of "The Passion".

Undecided

Undecided,
Should I pursue?
Or should I remain?
Could she be the one?

Complicated,
Love can be,
My emotions are,
Why can't it be simpler?

Crossroad,
Where should I go?
What should I do?
Who should I choose?

Should I wait?
Is the time right?
When is the time?
Is it now?

My mind is filled with questions. Questions about the next step to take. Questions regarding relationship. I don't know what to do. I'm slowly losing the courage to fall in love. I guess the past guilt and hurt took a toll on me. Maybe not. I'm becoming very particular about the traits of a girl. I recognise that no one is perfect but I can't help it but to feel turned off by a certain flaw. Maybe I'm raising the bar too high so much so that I can't even clear it.
"Kita jatuh cinta bukan kerana paras rupa"
-Anonymous-
Is it that simple? or should I just wait for God to drop someone at my door step? A lady once said she would recommend her daughter to me. I was extremely delighted but I forgot to give her my number and save hers. So I'll have to wait...I'm not desperate just wondering how far have I distant myself from the powers of love.

Walking down the Isle

This is an overdue post. Some pictures and a meaningful event I would like to share. The picture weren't taken by me.Walking down the isle with holding hands are my god-sister and her newly wedded husband. This memorable day marked a new chapter in their lives. It also signifies the coming together of two families. Two persons.My family has been blessed by the inclusion of Sarah as our sister and a daughter. With Andrew as the latest inclusion, we hope rather my hope that it wouldn't only be bigger but better.February the 18th 2006 was a date to be remembered most by Andrew and Sarah. Our presence confirms the joining of two hearts as well as celebrating the joy of a life long commitment made before God.

What day is it today class?

So what day is it today? It's Wednesday the 24th of May 2006. Nothing special today. Something caught my attention just awhile ago. I logged into "zerotohundred" car forum and they mention today as a special day. Now, children, I ask you one more time, what day is it today?

It is...See the obscene word...!!!??! Humpday!@#@^6&%^&....Since when?

Eat full full nothing to do?

Sometimes I wonder how insecure can Muslims get. At times everyone does get a little insecure. Even Christians. This post is controversial but based on facts. If you don't intend to read please don't. If you anyhow suddenly became so curious and need to read, read it with an open-mind and caution. No one else should be held responsible for this except the writter's thoughts...that's if you can sue my mind out of my head.

I was "introduced" to this particular website started by a group/individual Muslim(s). In Hokkien they say "chiak pa bo su cho" and I think this sums up their effort. This is the site, click here Bismika Alllahuma.

It is really an act of insecurity. Sometimes I can't but wonder why are they so insecure. I think I know the answer but I'm not sure so I'll spare you my thoughts on this. Bombarded by news of their insecure acts aggitates me. They act like they are some small-gas people. If others have a closed door discussion about the Federal Constitution, they think we are robbing them of their rights. Don't we, the minority have rights too? At least not all Muslims are that fanatical. At this point I need to apologise to many Muslims who are rational in their thinking, the few-Datuk Nazri Aziz and Pak Lah. This few will not change the perception of people towards them negatively. It just doesn't help in improving their image. It seems that many of them are against us(the rest) to even talk behind shut-doors. Lately in Penang, after a series of closed door sessions around Malaysia, the Anti-Inter Faith Commission Body held a protest against the discussion titled "Federal Constitution:Protection for All".

It is written clearly in Article 11 of the Federal Constitution that:

11

(1) Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it.

(2) No person shall be compelled to pay any tax the proceeds of which are specially allocated in whole or in part for the purposes of a religion other than his own.

(3) Every religious group has the right -

(a) to manage its own religious affairs;

(b) to establish and maintain institutions for religious or charitable purposes; and

(c) to acquire and own property and hold and administer it in accordance with law.

It is not stated anywhere in the Federal Constitution that Malaysia is an Islamic state. Malaysia is a secular state and it will remain that way. All that were stated were that the Agong and the Sultans are the Islamic heads of the state and country. Is it fair then that certain parties try to propogate the fallacy that Malaysia is an Islamic state? Totally not! Okay, many of them are not fond of Islam Hadhari, or some may use it to support their expressions but can't they see that the government is doing a big publis relations campaign. Well, the protest that took place in Penang was a stupid act. These were the words of Minister at the Prime Minister's Department. I sokong. The stupid act by these people were done with at least this one reason, it would erode the jurisdiction of the Syariah Law. Are they trying to extend their arm as what the US is doing in a term called the "long arm"? I don't think they can do so. The Syariah Law's jurisdiction only cover Muslims.

So are they really "chiak pa bo su cho" or are they really "gong"? I don't think we need to shout the answers aloud. Wearing a songkok and shouting slogans of protest wouldn't help improve their already rotten image throughout the world. Once associated with peace, now it seems only fit to be represented by terror. I don't want to see our multiracial society become individualistic one. Give and take, that is the muhibbah spirit-the Malaysian way.

Important: This article may provoke some people and groups of people. Please read it and act sensibly afterwards. No violence should be practiced. You are free to comment all you want as long as it does not contain any racial slurs. All comments will be moderated.

Something Uniquely New

Every experience is a new one. Every experience is unique in its own way. I'm glad and grateful that I can live another day to experience something new. There is only 1 life time. Not 2 or 3. Every moment is remembered. Be it bad or good. Our perception of the moment is another issue. Our handling of the issues in life affects our perception. Well, at least that is my belief through experiences.

Today, I had the privilege to have dinner with my friends or rather new found friends except for one whom I knew a year ago. It was spontaneous that I decided to attend CF today. Guess what? It was a good experience, an enriching one. The CF attendance was healthy. The talk was good, a serious and challenging one to those who were still awake and paying attention. I found it a good reminder of my walk with God.

Dinner was filling. It almost reach the level of gluttony. Cheap and good-for-that-price-food. I drank Iced Cinnamon Milk Tea (pronounce it CINA Mon) and ate mixed chic & lamb grill. Okay, food aside. The interesting part was the fun we had. The silly, funny, lame and interesting conversation we shared. At one point it was about trying to bluff one another. We managed to pull of some rather good one. At another point during dinner it was a talk about "chopping malls" and pulling grandmother's leg and pulling ours. Our poor editor is on a Daniel fast...awww, she could only imagine her chips to be lamb chops. =) It was a great time friends. Thank you and Thank You Father. I count all this as blessings.

Why you so like that?

Why does my car feel like it is going to give way? I tell you why. This is the shady work of Proton under its previous management. The quality control sucks in most of its models. I drive a Waja Premium. Making full use of marketing theories, Proton has successfully conned the people into buying their products. Alright, Proton cars do handle better than many of its competitors. Handling on a Waja, Gen.2, Satria GTi & R3 are reasonably good but I'm not so sure about the ride. Mechanically, Proton is reliable...until the Campro came along. My mechanic says, "How can you mate a British made engine with a Japanese gearbox? Sure problem one". So he says and so I hear about engine problems in Gen.2s. After all, Lotus tunes the ride & handling, previous engines are Mitsubishis. So what has Proton contributed to their cars? Nothing! Oh there are some, in fact many problems with accessories. Broken door handles, windows, glove-box handles...and the list goes on and on.

So what could be the problem? Is cronism the root of it all? Or The nonchalant attitude of its entire workforce and vendors. It could also be that the previous management was on the wrong track chasing an elusive dream. Maybe it could be the interferance of the government. The cause of it all is the sum of all te above mentioned.

Lately Proton was awarded the Reader's Digest Trusted Brand Gold Award. How accurate is this? Firstly, how many paticipants were there? Not many, I reckon. In fact, how many of us read Reader's Digest? Lets give it the benefit of the doubt. Lets say most of do read it but I assume not many would participate in the survey. Alright, if most of us did'nt participate, Proton still stand a chance because half of the nation's annual car sales of over 500,000 cars are Protons! Okay, I'm more than happy to boast of Savvy's quality. As of today, I've not heard of any complains about it only praises. Maybe I should trade my Waja for one. The car is quirky. It is the combination of Beauty and the Beast. I like the front half. One auto magazine journalist praised the car after a test drive even though the car had been trashed and driven for 25,000km since its launch. Maybe Proton deserves some applause for it. But I'm still not happy with the weird sounds the car make. "Kruk Kruk, Krik Krik, Krak Krak" Arghhhh...if you wanna break down just do it, don't start an orchestra of metal, plastic and rubber. I'm about to give up. If I do, I would change a car...chances are slim that I get to change a car of my choice. The banker decides, I only complain.

Write your views about your car and of Proton. Thank you!

Crossroad or Cross

Are we as Christians really passionate about God?
Or are we just wandering around, letting the world eat us up from inside?
We really should search our hearts. I'm with the thought that many of us are not taking life as Christians seriously. Why allow problems to overcome us when we have been made overcomers? As much as the cross symbolises Christ's passion motivated by love, carrying the cross should be our passion. Did we not after all told God we would do so? or are we just liars in the making?

Life isn't a bed of roses. Jesus said if we follow Him, we would have to endure persecution. My thought is that we should not grumble over petty problems. I'm learning not to grumble. I'm learning to solve problems from Him who promises "a way out". Solutions are not always inline with what we hope for but we shouldn't really be too disappointed. Life promises much more challenges and excitements, why stop at one and cry your eyes out? Seek the next, seek to grow. Perseverance is taught, this is knowledge, precious knowhow to overcome problems. I hope these that I typed will make you ponder, not so much to challenge you. If it does, all the the better. If not I urge you to challenge yourself to live life passionately. It is knowing the truth of the word that will compel us to grow more. The love of God that is with and in us will fuel our passion. The Spirit of Truth will be our guidance.

What it means...

So all my readers must be wondering after seeing this post and the previous one, "Is this blog transforming into a "makan" blog? No my friends...this blog will remain a multiple topic blog. My sole purpose for this blog is to share the Good News but besides the important stuff, there are also the importantly fun stuff. Food is one, cars the other and so many other things that inspires me. This evening's dinner was rather impromptu. Nonetheless, it was great fun. We went to Teluk Gong, Klang to this restaurant named Coconut Flower. What?! Coconut Flower??? What a name. And the journey begins.
This isn't the restaurant at Teluk Gong that me and my relatives frequent. We like the other one, supposedly the original. However, I think all seafood at Teluk Gong taste the same. The only difference is in the size of the serving and the atmosphere. Jog (pronounce Jag) couldn't wait for his food to arrive. He normally eats double portion of rice but today he ate only one.
After waiting for not too long, the food arrived. There on the table laid the food inviting us to dig into it. Prawns cooked in tomyam style, Bamboo muscle, Squid, Vegetable, Steamed Red snapper and Sweet and spicy crabs with the smallest buns in the world according to Lydia.
And introducing Lydia, Siew Lay with her sister Siew Siew, Jog and Joo Li and the hidden-from-the-camera-lens Philip.


What it means...the title depic my thoughts about having fellowships with friends over food or other events. Very simply, to me quality time with friends can be experienced through events like this. Just a simple (rather pricey) meal could mean alot to a friendship or other forms of relationship. I cherish every moment of it. Alas, after walloping all there were on the plates, I guess it is right to say that we enjoyed the company more than the food. It was all about bonding and keeping the friendship going. The person behind the planning, I thank you.

Empty plates don't nescessarily mean the food is good. It sometimes mean we are too hungry. Let us hunger in other areas as well. Spiritually let us hunger for God, in relationships let us hunger for better understanding and quality time spent. Are you hungry?

Jalan-jalan Cari Makan

The Melaka trip was about food and fun with friends. I know I've already blogged about the trip to Melaka but I thought I would talk a little bit more about the food we ate. First up, the chicken rice ball was ok. It wasn't the best although I've not tried the others. I heard that the one in Batu Beredam is good but I did not have the chance to go there. I would love to try it. The shop that we went to try the chicken rice ball is located opposite OCBC Bank, right beside the river. Here's a picture of the food we ate.


The chicken meat was not moiste enough and the rice ball is abit on the salty side. The drinks, so-so but according to many this shop serves one of the best chicken rice ball in Melaka or at least in Jonker. I have yet to try the best, thats all i've to say about chicken rice balls. Next up, Nyonya cendol. Lydia says this is not the original Nyonya cendol but it is the closest it gets to the original. If you think eating is all we do, no you are wrong. We had to walk under the baking sun to reach our destination. It is like the tv program "King Of Adventures" in a lesser manner.

I've to apologise as I do not have pictures of the cendol because my hands were sticky from the "gula Melaka". This is a picture of the inside of the shop. Very typical old pre-war shop setting. Before I move on, the Nyonya cendol is different from the typical Indian cendol. The coconut milk in the Nyonya cendol thicker. I would think it is the first sqeeze where as the "Best Cendol" found in Sitiawan have a more dilute coconut milk but it is still the first sqeeze except that more water is added. I prefer the latter.



Next and never to miss is the "satay celup". This particular restaurant serving this very unique food only found in Melaka. The word "celup" does not mean fake in Malay but it means dip. You literally dip the "lok-lok" styled "satay" sticks into the "kuah" (gravy) made of groundnuts to the taste of the "satay" sauce.

This particular food is highly recommended for its uniqueness. The place to go for this food is in the Klebang area. It is situated near Wesley Melaka, just behind a mosque. Only locals go there to eat. Well, I'm not. RM0.40 a stick, which I think is worth it. We missed out on one of the most unique food (Warning: Tak Halal)-"satay babi". Pork satay. We were told that we had to order in advance through telephone booking! When we passed by the place at about 1830, the que was already visible from a far.

On the last day, we had the chance to try my favourite Nyonya dish, ok one of my favourite besides the Nyonya laksa, the very delicious "Ayam Pong Teh". It is a little on the sweeter side. It looks like chicken stew. A must try. The Nyonya laksa at this place is good, better than those served at the cendol shop mentioned earlier. This shop is located near the river within walking distance from OCBC Bank. It is painted yellow and has a cendol stall at its entrance. That's all I have to blog about this time around. I apologise for the lack of food pictures. I was too carried away eating. I shall in the future take more pictures of the object. Enjoy the pictures...salivate if you need. Drive to Melaka if you really can't resist the temptation but remember bring some food back for me. Cheers!

A moment in time

Are you aware of this moment in time?

A moment that only last a second.
A second can be tormenting.
A second can be fulfilling.
Always a unique experience.

Don't wait a century to realise.
Don't let time pass blindly.
Don't slumber in comfort.
Don't fuss over failures.

Move on.
Make achievement the biggest dream.
Make life better than before.
Make living a joy.

Enjoy the moment.
Enjoy every bit of life.
Enjoy the company.
Enjoy the pressence.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Even at the very moment the clock strikes 010203 on the 040506. His faithfulness never fades. His love continues to flow. His mercies and grace is always sufficient.

Back in History

On the 30th of April 2006, a few friends and I drove down to Melaka to take advantage of the long weekend. I was excited to go as it would my first time driving down south after a year. I missed the food there. This time I was armed with my camera to capture the beauty of Melaka. Its history is still very much visible through the buildings, culture and food. The first place we went was the chicken rice ball stall. It was "branch".After that we walked down the street and reached a river where a million people were fishing.And then we saw the oldest church in the history of Malaysia, still standing strong and proud of its ability to survive through the centuries. Before I forget, I came across this miniature windmill right after we crossed the bridge. This particular fountain beside the Stadthuys has a European influence in its design. Really nice. There should be one of this in every part of the country. No, this can't be possible. This is unique to Melaka and it should stay that way.We then walked into StadtHuys and visited 5 different museums. Here we saw the statue of Zheng He, supposely he was a Muslim and thats why the government is so proud to make it the biggest statue there. Whereas, all the famous Hangs, Hang Tuah and gang became Malays when they were Chinese. All the portraits bearing their purported images look cynically alike. What a way to re-tell history. Bravo sejarahwan negara. You have proven to be good at manipulating the truth to hide your insecurities. On a lighter side, there is some resemblence in the following pictures.

We walked up the steps that led us to the top of A'Famosa. Enjoy the pictures.It must be tough walking up those steps...
Check out www.see-not.blogspot.com for more picture I took in Melaka.
We enjoyed ourselves (Jinny is missing from the pictures because she is camera shy), I believe so, eating and walking around. Looking for the lost Peter in the midst of the massive crowd at the never sleeping Jonker Street on Sunday night. Next place to visit-Kuching and the whole of Borneo island on the Malaysian side.