Awal Muharram, The Islamic New Year

Today, Muslims all over the world celebrate the first day of the Islamic New Year 1427H. 1427 years ago, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) performed the hijrah or migration from Makkah to Madinah. This journey was to escape from the oppression experienced by Muslims in Makkah at that time. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), accompanied by many faithful Muslims, travelled over the Arabian desert to Madinah and succeeded in establishing the first Islamic state there.
Today, many Muslims pledge to turn a new leaf. Turning from maintaining bad habits, especially those prohibited in Islam, to good habits. All of us will do the hijrah one day, when we journey from this temporary world to the eternal life of the hereafter. Are you prepared for this journey?

Open Houses Malaysian Style

If you are a Malaysian, most probably you have been to an open house before. Open houses are very much a Malaysian tradition. We organize open houses to celebrate the various festive occasions like Hari Raya Aidil Fitri (Eid Mubarak), Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Christmas. As usual, there would be lots of foods and lots of socializing. Malaysians have been holding open houses for many, many years and have attracted overseas attention. Tourists, expatriates and foreigners who have the chance to attend these open houses often express their delight and appreciation over this concept.
This Chinese New Year period is no exception to my wife, my daughter and I. On the first day, I visited my primary school mate in Bukit Travers, Kuala Lumpur. I had been going to his house for Chinese New Year since 1973 and had returned almost every year. His name is Leong Kok Wah, a sales manager, with two active boys. His open house was well patronized.
Yesterday, my family and I visited a friend in Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur also. What makes his open house special is that every year all friends and acquaintances, especially Chinese, will gather to celebrate Chinese New Year, catch up with the latest news and gamble a bit. Although the gambling is for fun, many join in the session to try out their luck. Me? No, thank you. My pal's name is Chan Vy Sing and he is a lawyer, operating a practice in Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur. We had been classmates at Victoria Institution. More than a dozen common friends attended.
Long live open houses!

12 Daily Pro Is A Winner

Here are the facts. I have been paid EIGHT times by 12 Daily Pro. The amount that was paid to me so far was USD4,738.32 (RM17,721.32). Still not convinced? Ask over 300,000 happy and satisfied 12 Daily Pro members worldwide. Join today! Click on the URL below.

http://www.12dailypro.com/?ref=63786

If you still do not have an internet payment processor, I strongly recommend Stormpay. Register now to be eligible for a draw that awards a tablet PC as the prize. Please click on the URL below.

http://www.stormpay.com/?2205960

Vivasurf Has Paid Me!

The good news yesterday was that VIVASURF has paid me. Although the amount paid was nothing to shout about, it shows that they are really a paying autosurf website.

VIVASURF pays 3% on your upgrades daily. Your upgrades expire in 70 days. Therefore, the return of investment (ROI) is 3% X 70 days = 210%! This is one of the highest ROIs in the industry and VIVASURF has an excellent paying track record.

In addition to all of the above, you get a free USD10.00 bonus when you sign up.

Interested? Click the URL below.

http://www.vivasurf.com/?ref=11597

Happy Chinese New Year!

Tomorrow is the Chinese New Year. To all my Chinese friends, I would like to wish all of you "GONG XI FA CAI"!. Throughout my schooling days, whether it is kindergarten, primary, secondary, college or university, I was always lucky and privileged to have Chinese friends. Some of them have become very close to me and many had helped me in my hour of need. All I can say is a hearty thank you for being real pals. I have learnt a lot from my Chinese friends. Most are well-disciplined, industrious and put a lot of effort in making a success out of their lives. To the more successful ones, I salute you for your successes. May all of you be blessed with happiness and prosperity in this Year Of The Dog.

I Got Paid! (Part Three)

Yesterday, I was paid again by 12dailypro. This site is simply the hottest get paid site in the world today. USD1,028.88 (RM3,848) was credited into my Stormpay account.
Incidentally, I had just received my PIN from netIBA to verify my internet e-mail account four hours earlier. This saved me some money in fees charged by Stormpay. If you have not got your site or address verified, please click this URL below.

http://www.netiba/?56187

Still have not visited the 12dailypro website? Why not? You have nothing to lose! You can go to 12dailypro's website by clicking this URL below.

http://www.12dailypro.com/?ref=63786

12dailypro pays 12% daily for your upgrades (minimum USD6.00, maximum USD6,000.00) for a period of 12 days. This means you get a total of 144% return of investment in less than a fortnight. You are required to surf a minimum of 12 sites daily, with each site having a timer of 25 seconds. This means you surf only around five minutes!

If you still have not signed up for a payment processor, you can sign for a Stormpay account at the URL below.

http://www.stormpay.com/?2205960

If you got money to burn, why not "invest" in 12dailypro? I am ready to answer any questions you may have. Kindly e-mail me and happy surfing!

Handphone Ruling

Malaysia's education minister, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein recently announced that handphones would be banned from students in all schools effective immediately. I tend to agree with this wise decision of his. Just imagine, if students are allowed to bring handphones to their schools, what chaos might occur. Handphones will be ringing right in the middle of a class, disturbing the teacher's and students' peace and concentration at that very moment. On the other hand, students might want to make unnecessary calls to their parents, family or friends. These actions disrupts the flow of classroom lessons. Need to contact your loved ones in moments of emergency? Don't every school have a telephone?

Naga's Last Fling

Yesterday, the die-hard soccer fanatics of VI batch 1981/1983 gathered at VIOBA for a farewell kickabout with Paul Naganathan. Naga is leaving for Bangalore, India, after he had been posted by his firm there for a period of three years. Among the usual culprits who attended the session include Sivabalan, Jerry Yap, Sean Oon Chong Ling, Sim Kay Huan, Adrian, Rezal Ishak and Wong Chee Loke. Although I did not play due to a suspect knee, nevertheless, I was there to lend moral or, should I say, "immoral" support to these guys! As promised, Naga bought us pisang goreng (deep-fried bananas). The atmosphere was very casual and lively. We hope to see you soon, Naga!

Canaries Suffer Heartbreak

A goal in injury stoppage time put a dent in Norwich City FC's hopes of getting at least a draw when they were beaten 3-2 by play-off chasing Watford at Carrow Road.

The Good Old "Comics" Days

Comics! I am sure that you have read many while you were in your younger days. I am no exception.
I started reading English comics in the seventies, while still in primary school. My first comic was one named BEANO. Read it? Who would forget Dennis the Menace? Soon I added Dandy, Beezer and Topper to my prerequisite reading. My English improved greatly as a result of reading these comics and I had hours of fun. My collection began to grow.
Then, when I entered secondary school, my comics' taste began to grow. I was buying comics like Tiger, Battle, 2000 A.D., Cracker and a soccer magazine called Shoot!
Tiger had stories like Roy of the Rovers, Nipper, Billy Dane, which all involved soccer and other sports like car racing, wrestling and others. Battle had, of course, war stories like D-Day Dawson, Rat Pack and others. I would be buying Tiger and Battle comics every week and I thoroughly enjoyed their stories. Then, 2000 A.D. came along. I was introduced to the character named Judge Dredd, which would be later be made into a movie.
Shoot! came into my life in 1975. I was watching the 1975 League Cup final between Aston Villa and Norwich City, when I made up my mind to support Norwich until today. Pity the Canaries lost the final. Shoot! had a lot of interesting stories about soccer stars, action pictures, statistics, quizzes and even free gifts. A few times Shoot! would publish pages of players or soccer facts that one would collect every week. And after it ended, you would have a mini-book! I do not know what happened to these mini-books that I had collected.
In the late seventies, the average price of these comics was RM1.00. I think I spent around RM5.00-RM7.00 on comics alone every week. However, when I stepped into the fifth form at V.I., I decided to do away with all my comic-buying spree and concentrated on the fifth form examinations called the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) which were held at the end of 1981.
I enjoyed my years of reading these comics and I guess it contributed greatly to improving my written and spoken English. Long live comics!

My "Popkuiz" TV Experience

"Popkuiz" was a music gameshow which was produced by Malaysia's TV3 in the early nineties. I was fortunate enough to be one of its contestants.
When I first watched Popkuiz, a desire to take part in this programme came over me. A few days later, I managed to persuade my Chinese colleague, Julie Tan, to compete together with me as Popkuiz required pairs. I faxed our application to TV3 and a few days later, Aznil Nawawi, one of Popkuiz's co-host called. He did ask a few questions to test our knowledge of the current music scene. I managed to answer almost all questions. A few weeks later, TV3 called to inform us that both of us were selected to be contestants for Popkuiz. I was thrilled! Julie and I did make some preparations.
The recording day arrived. The studio was located at Jalan Liku, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. I came with my mother, brother and a friend. First, we were whisked away to the make-up room. Some powder was applied to my face, while Julie had her make-up touched-up. Then, we were led to the recording studio. The audience was half-full. The mood was quite lively. Nik Ramzi, the producer of the gameshow gave us a short briefing. There were two other pairs of contestants.
Then, the microphone was fixed to my body. Rina Khan was the other co-host. The recording then began a few moments later. Throughout the show, I managed to answer three questions. One of them was to guess the name of the song played. I still remember it. The song was "Antara Yang Manis", sung by Anita Sarawak. The first pair of female participants proved too strong for Julie and I. Aznil and Rina did their best in making the show fun. In the end, we managed to secure enough points to emerge as second-placed winners.
For our efforts, both of us received a cheque for RM300, a holiday package for three at Mar Vista Resort, Penang, an Ellese wristwatch worth RM500 and other gifts like CDs and t-shirts. I was very relieved when the whole thing was over. We later adjourned to the Royal Selangor Club for dinner, courtesy of my brother, Akbar. Thanks, Bang Long!
A few weeks later, the programme was aired over TV3. I just smiled as I watch myself appear on TV. Of course, I had told the whole world!

Ponder!

My apologies to all of you who had been following my blog! I have not posted a blog for the past four days. Call it writer's block, or just plain unmotivated! I spent my time pondering on my future. What will happen to my daughter when she grows up? What will my wife and I be doing when we reach senior citizens status? And so on...

I had lots of rest. Last Saturday, I even managed to attend a kickabout at VI that coincided with Naga's farewell. Lee Chuan Neng a.k.a. Spider paid a visit. He is on holiday from his work at the USA. It was a nice surprise to meet up with Dr. Surindar Singh, now an obstetrician and gynaecologist. I have not met him since end 1981!

All things said, the weather was not too kind to us. We had a limited time to kick the football around before it rained again. I did not join in this activity, but I just lent my moral support to all present. Those who came include Chong Ling, Vy Sing, Kay Huan, Jack Oon, Rezal, Khairul and Haris.

It was great to see all of you around. Some of you guys are still very fit even though we are past the 40 years mark. Keep it up, you guys!

The Mina Hajj Tragedy

God have mercy on all those that were affected by the Mina Hajj tragedy. At last count, 362 Hajj pilgrims perished in the stampede incident. Two years ago, a similar tragedy occurred.

However, amidst the gloom, it is heartening to note that the Saudi Arabian government will be spending a fortune to create a better infrastructure and atmosphere at Mina. This action is not a direct result of the Mina tragedy, but had been planned a few years ago. In four years' time, Mina will have a five-storey air-conditioned structure to accommodate the millions that throng this area to perform the Hajj rituals.

I am relieved that no Malaysian pilgrim died in this tragedy. However, to all future pilgrims, just be careful and be aware of your surroundings.

Canaries Earn Away Draw

Darren Huckerby returned from suspension to score his sixth goal of the season and earn play-off chasers Norwich City FC a 1-1 draw at Plymouth Argyle. Elsewhere, in the EPL, the Red Devils stumbled to local rivals Manchester City 1-3 in a derby match. Chelsea struggled past Sunderland, Arsenal humiliated Middlesborough, while Liverpool did just enough to edge past Tottenham Hotspur.

My Bentleigh High Days

On 5th February, 1982, together with sixty other sponsored students from all over Malaysia, I left Kuala Lumpur's Terminal 2 airport for Australia. The DC-10 aircraft reached Melbourne's Tullamarine International airport in the wee hours the following morning. This marked the beginning of the year I did my Victorian Higher School Certificate at Bentleigh High School.
I rented a unit in a two-storey flat at Robert Street together with Yusof Zamri from Maktab Rendah Sains Mara, Seremban and Sahlan Subari from Sekolah Datuk Abdul Razak, Seremban. We had our own rooms. At Bentleigh High, we were joined with three other Malaysian girls. They were Azlina Aziz from Sekolah Seri Puteri, Kuala Lumpur, Halimah Hamid from Tunku Kurshiah College and Hamizah Hamzah from Sekolah Menengah Sains Ayer Keroh, Melaka. All six of us took 6 subjects. These were Chemistry, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Pure Mathematics, English and Indonesian.
Our class size was around 15 students. I still remember some of them like Shinta, Joanne, Olga, Shane, Jim, George, Darren and Heather. My teachers were interesting characters. Mr. Cronk taught us Physics and Applied Mathematics. He was around 40, sports a moustache and quite handsome. Chemistry and Pure Mathematics were taught by Mr. McConchie. He was around 45, sports a beard and quite tall. Our Indonesian class teacher was Mrs. Beaumont, while I cannot remember exactly our English teacher because we had three different teachers.
The best part being in Year 12 was that we were free to wear anything we liked to school. Whereas, for Years 7 to 11, a uniform was required. For the girls, it was a brown skirt and top. While for the boys, it was grey trousers and white shirts. Some girls wore their skirts real short! The school had an enrolment of around 600 students and is located in the suburb of Bentleigh East. The three of us bought racing bicycles and we cycled to school. It took us around 10-15 minutes to reach depending on how fast we peddled.
I remember getting 100% for an essay I wrote for my English class. It was entitled "The Day I Cried" and the teacher who marked it really cried. The news spread among the sponsored students and the next thing I knew was that some of them wanted to read my "perfect" essay. I obliged. Classes start at 8.55 a.m. We had six sessions of an hour each with two breaks in-between. The first break was for 10 minutes, while the second was actually for lunch and was an hour long.
The school architecture was typically Australian with buildings close to one another. It was interesting to note that all buildings were only a storey high. The school hall was impressive and the field was quite adequate. Everyday, we would finish school at 4.15 p.m.
We would normally do our shopping at Safeway or Coles. The latter was chosen when we moved to Whitmuir Street. Of couse, we had to cook our own meals, like it or not. Bentleigh is 16 km south of Melbourne and is served by a train and bus system. It contains a cinema, some banks, a post office, restaurants and many other shops. All are located either side of Centre Road. On weekends, I would sometimes visit Melbourne or go visit other friends around Melbourne, or maybe, catch a movie. This was when Melway comes handy. Melway is a comprehensive book that maps all roads and locations in Melbourne. It was quite fun to try out the trains, trams and buses to go to these friends' places.
During the second term school holidays, I went for a trip to Mount Buller, also in Victoria. It was a four hour drive from Melbourne. We had fun playing with snow, but I did not dare try out skiing. The best I managed was using the toboggan to slide down the slopes.
HSC came in December and we sat for it, doing our best. After that, together with another friend of mine, we flew to Hobart, Tasmania to attend a leadership course and to holiday. Tasmania is an island. Both of us had a splendid time there. We visited places like Port Arthur and Launceston. It was very interesting, indeed!
Back to Melbourne, it is a cosmopolitan city with a population of about 2.5 million people. Aussies say that in Sydney, the weather is better, but in Melbourne, the food is better. Talking about weather, Melbourne experiences a Mediterranean type climate, meaning that it will rain during winters. Winters come at the middle of the year as opposed to the northern hemisphere. As for the population, many had migrated from different parts of Europe and Asia, making its culture, food and people quite diverse. Aussie Rules football is the most popular sport here, besides cricket and rugby. Other sports are also being played.
My Bentleigh days certainly made me a more mature and experienced person. And if I had the chance, I certainly want to make a return visit.

My Picture

This is a photograph of me taken sometime in late 2002.

Flood Woes

Apart from Tsunami, the worst Malaysians can expect are floods. Every year, flooding will occur in the east coast and other areas in the peninsular. The year end monsoon season brings heavy rain without fail. Areas near the main rivers are the ones affected first.
However, flooding also occurs in parts where drainage is poor. The water from heavy rains experienced in these areas find it difficult to flow away properly. Drainage is one area where the responsible authorities are sometimes lacking. Development and on-going construction also contribute to flash floods in areas where flooding is unheard off. This unfortunate event happens in many places without warning. Flood victims are most unfortunate when this happens.
I urge the government and local authorities to ensure that the drainage of all areas are well maintained and/or upgraded so that flash floods do not occur. They are sometimes guilty of waiting for a tragedy to happen before taking suitable action. This kind of backward mentality should be stopped. Being proactive should be the word. And action speaks louder than words!

I Got Paid! (Part Two)

Today is the seventh payday I collected from 12dailypro. I received my highest paycheck so far of USD1,137.60 (RM4,254.62). This amount has been credited into my Stormpay account this morning.
For your information, 12dailypro has ceased to use e-gold as one of their payment processors. E-gold is under federal investigations and its future is a bit cloudy. Anyway, if you want to open a Stormpay account, please click the URL below.
http://www.stormpay.com/?2205960
Stormpay uses NetIBA to verify their users account. I have already registered with NetIBA. But when I tried to pay for my account, there seemed to be some technical problems. Stormpay users who are NetIBA-certified will only be charged a minimum of fees.
If you are interested to join 12dailypro, do click on the URL below.
http://www.12dailypro.com/?ref=63786
This site is the most popular in the internet today, with over 220,000 members worldwide. It pays 12% daily for 12 days. Upgrades are a minimum of USD6.00. I am very confident that they will last for a considerable period of time.

Eid Adha Greetings

Today is Eid Adha. I would like to wish all Muslims in the world a happy and blessed Eid Adha. And to all pilgrims performing the Hajj in Makkah, may God accept your Hajj.

Double Standards And The Big Satan

Some people call the US "The Big Satan". I personally feel the same way about the Bush administration. The US are prone in practicing double standards. A clear example is the Iranian nuclear issue. The Bush administration trumpets loudly that the Iranian government are procuring nuclear capabilities to build nuclear weapons. This is a clear bullshit from President Bush!
Remember the Iraqi invasion? Bush claimed that there were weapons of mass destruction (WMD) stored secretly on Iraqi soil. They were "scarred". So what the US did? They unilaterally attacked the sovereign country of Iraq, killing hundreds of civilians, many of them women and children, in the process. And the best part was that when the US troops finally conquered Iraq, the WMD were no where to be found.
In Iran's case, if the US expect them not to build any nuclear weapons, the Bush administration should make sure that the US destroys all of its nuclear weapons. Why must the US keep all these weapons that can overkill and destroy planet earth many times over? The cold war is over. What is the need for all these dangerous weaponry? Who would want to launch a full scale war against the US?
After the 911 aftermath, the US has become increasingly paranoid and is chasing shadows. Now, all Muslims are labeled as terrorists, which is a blatant lie and, of course, is not true. Islam in itself means peace. How can Bush make such wild and unfounded accusations? This is another double standard, which also exists in other areas such as world trade.
In my humble opinion, the recent Katrina hurricane tragedy is God's way of showing the US that it had erred in its ways. If Bush thinks that he can get away with anything, just wait for God's answer!

Happy Hari Raya Aidil Adha!

Hari Raya Aidil Adha is also similarly known as Hari Raya Haji and Hari Raya Korban. It is celebrated by all Muslims throughout the world in the month of Zulhijjah. Hari Raya Aidil Adha falls on the tenth day of this month. "Korban" means sacrifice. Every year, approximately two million Muslims perform the Hajj pilgrimage in the Holy City of Makkah. They will complete a set of rituals dating back more than 1400 years ago. Muslims elsewhere slaughter animals like cows, goats and camels to uphold the spirit of Aidil Adha. The meat is then distributed to the poor and less fortunate.
In pursuit of worldly success, we have to sacrifice certain things in order to achieve what we aspire. The greater the odds and sacrifices, the greater the glory. I remember back in 1981 when I was preparing for my SPM examinations. Then I did away with parties, social life and steady girlfriends. Almost everyday during the last few months preceding the examinations, I burnt the midnight oil. I think I spent 3-4 hours daily doing revision and did away with viewing my favourite television shows. Also, I kept my sleeping hours to a bare minimum. In the end, I was extremely happy when I managed to score seven distinctions when the SPM results were announced. At that time, I was already in Bentleigh High School, Melbourne.
Sometimes, we need to sacrifice our feelings and attitudes, too. As an example, being selfish is a negative trait. To be unselfish can be rewarding in certain ways. Giving back to the society and donating to the poor and less fortunate certainly score high marks in God's books. As a Muslim, I sacrifice many things in order to achieve a place in Heaven. It is very tempting for all of us to do things that are seen as sins in the eye of God. As Heaven is for eternity, I have no qualms in these sacrifices. May God reward all of us for our sacrifices, whether in this world or in the Hereafter.

The Makkah Tragedy

At last count, 76 people had perished in the hotel collapse tragedy, located in the Holy City of Makkah. Condolences to the families of the four Malaysian pilgrims who died in this tragedy. It seems that almost every year, some tragedy will occur during the Hajj season. This year is no exception. The other year, a stampede caused hundreds of pilgrims to lose their lives. I think that it is about time that the Saudi Arabian reexamine the whole infrastructure and process involved during the Hajj. They should look at the structure of old buildings and scrutinize its safety aspects. The movement of pilgrims during Wukuf also needs to be reviewed so as to avoid unwanted incidents. Funding is not a problem for the Saudi Arabian government as they earn billions of dollars from their oil exports. I hope that sad tragedies do not recur for the want of maintenance and proper planning. The Saudi Arabian government must realize that they are the keepers of the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah. They should spare no effort in ensuring that pilgrims during the Hajj season or the year round Umrah could perform their rituals in a comfortable, safe and peaceful manner. Life is precious!

Canaries Lose Cup Tie

Norwich City FC lost their third round FA Cup tie against West Ham United at home. The Hammers prevailed 2-1. Elsewhere, Middlesborough were surprisingly held by a non-league side, Nuneton Borough. Liverpool performed a magnificent comeback from 1-3 down to overcome Luton Town 5-3. This match rekindled memories of their Istanbul Champions League final comeback against AC Milan. Arsenal also went through the fourth round. So did Chelsea.

Farewell Naga!

Yesterday, it was raining like cats and dogs throughout Kuala Lumpur. Some places were hit by flash floods. I headed for Devi's Corner in Bangsar for a farewell gathering. Paul Naganathan is a mechanical engineer by profession and is a VI schoolmate of mine. He is leaving for Bangalore, India, soon, after being posted there by his consulting firm. Five of us attended, including Rezal, Nithi and Cheong Weng Seng. All of us were from the same VI batch. We had a sumptuous dinner and had a splendid time conversing about everything under the sun. It is good to meet up with friends from the past because it rekindles childhood memories that we treasure so much. We adjouned at around 11.30 p.m. and all of us bade farewell to Naga. All the best, Naga, and see you in three years' time.

The Vicious Cycle Of Poverty

Presently, a substantial percentage of our world's population live in poverty. Most are located in Africa, Asia, Central America and South America. Even the world's largest economy, the USA, is not spared. I know many of you are successful in your own right, and money is certainly not a worry. We ask what we will be having for a meal, but the poor will ask whether they will be having any meals at all. Therefore, spare a thought for the poor. They need our utmost help and attention.
Here in Malaysia, they are various programmes initiated by our government to help the hardcore poor so that they can stand on their own two feet. Poverty is not always by choice. Many of the poor work very hard to improve their standard of living. Education plays a pivotal role in this aspect. The poor who sacrifice for their children's education will certainly reap future benefits. When their children are successful in education, they have more chances to acquire better paying jobs. Therefore, the parents' sacrifices are not in vain when their children start contributing to the economy of their families.
What happens to those poor families whose children do not do well in studies? These children will then fail to get good jobs and only manage to work at minimum pay jobs. Depending on the size of the family, economic needs will dictate how much cash they need to survive. Some poor families here live on a meal daily and put up in dilapidated homes. When the families' income fail to cover the necessary daily expenses, this is where trouble begins.
The vicious cycle starts when children of poor families fail to get jobs or work in minimum pay employment. They start living their poor childhood all over again and this is passed on to the next generation. The lucky few who manage to break out of this vicious cycle need to have mental strength, strong will-power and unwavering perseverance. But, today, more and more poor families are breaking the cycle. This augurs well for their future.
Money can buy certificates and diplomas, but they cannot buy education. We have heard of millionaires who started their life at the lowest rung of the economy and worked their way up. Nothing can replace hard work these days.
So, if at any time you do not know what to eat, think about the poor who have almost nothing!

Back To Normal

The other night, I watched the movie "Back To The Future" for the umpteenth time. I never get bored seeing this movie. And it is one of my all-time favourite movies. Imagine, your mum having the hots for you!
Anyway, back home, things are back to normal. For the past two months, I had been living all alone in my Pandan Indah apartment. In other words, I had become a "bachelor" all over again. After Hari Raya Puasa last year, my daughter, Soleha, went to Kajang to stay with her cousins for the school holidays. It is my sister-in-law's home. My mother-in-law also stays with her. Then, my wife, Nor Hawa, fortunately managed to get a temporary job at a hypermart near my sister-in-law's place. She started in mid-November and had her last day on 31st December 2005. She also put up in Kajang. The hard-earned money will certainly come in handy. Nor Hawa and Soleha returned to Pandan Indah on 1st January, bringing home a lot of stuff. I would like to sincerely thank my brother-in-law, Sulaiman, for driving them home safely. School started on Tuesday, 3rd January 2006 and I went to Soleha's school at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Nirwana, Ampang to settle her school fees. Soleha seemed happy to go back to school and to be among friends. I hope she will progress in her studies and do well in all her school examinations. Go girl!

I Got Paid!

Yesterday was my sixth payday, courtesy from my autosurfing site 12dailypro. A total of USD529.92 (RM1997.79) was credited into my internet payment processor, e-gold. 12dailypro is the hottest autosurfing site in the industry! I hope to make a lot of money from them.
You, too, can make tonnes of cash! Interested? First, open an e-gold account at http://www.e-gold.com/e-gold.asp?cid=2354886. Then, open a free account at http://www.12dailypro.com/ref=63786. It is easy! You have to upgrade your account with a minimum of USD6 within one week. Have a go! You would not regret it! 12dailypro pays 12% daily on your upgrades. You have to surf just 12 sites daily (that's just five minutes) to get paid and you have to surf for 12 days. Each site has a 25-second timer. All the best!

Canaries' Wings Clipped

In-form Norwich City FC stumbled to a stunning 3-0 home defeat at the hands of play-off chasers Preston North End in the English Championship. While in the EPL, Chelsea continued their winning ways, while Liverpool recovered to snatch a 2-2 away draw at Bolton Wanderers.

The Celebrations...

Every year-end, come New Year's eve, the whole world celebrates. Some are very wild, but most epitomize the true spirit of the New Year's eve. What a way to remember what had happened throughout the past year and to usher in the new year!
Kuala Lumpur was no exception. The four main hotspots of celebration were located at Dataran Merdeka, KLCC, Bukit Bintang and Bangsar. Tens of thousands thronged the city causing massive traffic jams everywhere. The police was smart in closing down certain roads leading to the point of celebration.
After confirming by telephone that my friend was already in KL, I left my Pandan Indah apartment for Hard Rock cafe. The LRT was full. So was the monorail. I met up with two friends in front of Hard Rock and spent some time watching and observing the situation. The atmosphere was quite electrifying! Couples and groups were seen all over, both Malaysians and foreigners.
The three of us then decided to make our way to KLCC. We walked there, passing the famous Beach Club. All the nightspots along that road were filled to the brim with people dancing and partying away. Loud music accompanied the crowd. But the crowd at KLCC was really massive. I think there was at least 100,000 people who gathered to watch three simultaneous concerts. We made hard work of negotiating our way through the crowd. All walks of life were there, be it Malay, Chinese, Indian or foreigners.
Having had enough of the crowd, we made our way to a mamak restaurant located in Wisma Central to reminisce about the past year. Countdown came and went. There was a fireworks display and my friend joked that it was like a surprise alien invasion. We very close to the point of launch and the noise generated was massive. Now I know how the Iraqi population felt when the US Air Force bombarded Baghdad.
Feeling hungry, we took the crowded LRT to Kampung Baru and settled at a western food outlet called Stable Steak House. The food was actually great and the prices were very reasonable. I had a sizzling steak.
And at around 2.30 a.m., my friend fetched me back home. It was the end of another New Year's eve celebration. Now for 2007...

Canaries Win Again!

Paul McVeigh scored the winner as Norwich City FC chalked up a 1-0 away win at Leicester City in the English Championship. This is the Canaries' fifth successive victory. In the EPL, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool all scored victories.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2006!

Here's wishing all of you a very Happy New Year 2006! I sincerely hope 2006 will turn out to be a much better year than 2005. Hopefully, all our dreams and ambitions will be realized this very year. Have a prosperous 2006!