A Task I Cannot Avoid

Went to the new Toyota Service Centre , Subang Jaya to service my car yesterday. Estimated 3 hours job, so I decided to wait instead of going home. Well, I have no choice, because it is too early to get someone to fetch me home and to those who are working is not convenience too to trouble them.

3 hours wait could means a long time if you are sitting some where hot and stuffy. But at the new Toyota service centre at Subang Jaya, waiting is a pleasant experience. There were many people waiting, some with their laptop, some reading newspaper and there are a few computers for some restless to serf net and get connected while waiting for their car.

I sat comfortably there watching my favourite magic show after reading The Star and Sin Chew Daily papers, sipping coffee and eating sandwich I bought on the way there. Wah, I am feeling so at home.

I used to hate sending car for repair but after yesterday's experience I think I dont mind sending my car for service again in the future.

I know, I know many of you don't have to worry about sending car for repair because there are some one to do it for you, right? Lucky you, but for me, I have no no no choice. I will have to do it myself as long as I want to own a car.

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Oh God! I May Be Carrying H1N1

I am having flu, cough and sore throat. Symptoms very close to the recent epidemic, which make me a little panic now.

I was not worried earlier and have been travelling to Kuching last month to visit my friends and been to some trade show display centre, visit all PC fair exhibit booths at KL Convention Centre, to PD for a break and to the shopping centre for the BIG sales. All those places were very crowded which I think is not advisable to expose ourselves there.

Now suddenly I am down with flu, cough and sore throat. Although confirmed by the doctor that I have no fever I still worry that the medication may weaken my immune system. Now I have to be very careful with my diet, making doubly sure I eat well and keep physical and mentally strong.

I think I should be staying at home for the time being, and not out to spread the flu to others. So just forget about the grand sales and the MATTA fair which will be starting 4th September at the moment.

Look at the *smart* Orang Utan below, unlike me, they have no health problem, no worry, no pressure, no financial need, just live a carefree and happy life!

Switch On The Light, Please

While I was cooking one day, my kitchen light suddenly went off with a soft sparkling sound and I smell something burning.

Wao, that was nothing to joke about at all. It seems like a small matter but it could lead to big fire too.

Actually I have just changed the lighting from an ordinary fluorescent light to a fancier one thinking more expensive one would be safer. Too bad it turn out to be opposite.

After the incident, many things came to my mind:

1. What is the cause of the problem?

2. Who is at fault? Was it the manufacturer, the contractor or my house wiring problem?

3. What type of lighting should I go for?

4. Which brand is safer and more durable?

Whatever is the reason, I still have to have lighting in my house. Now, let me plan a little what lighting to use before I call in a contractor.

For the kitchen I will always stick to fluorescent light with extra brightness to make sure I can see all the tiny worms hiding in the vegetable and to avoid adding sugar instead of salt to my cooking or vise versa.

For dinning hall, I would like something dimmer because on a table, there should be enough light to see the person across the table but not too bright that distract from the mood of the candle like kind of mood I am creating.

And the planning goes on for my hall downstairs and upstairs, my room, my children’s rooms, etc. Not an easy task because I would like to have some beautiful designer lamp which might involve more money. But I think it is worth the money because a beautiful lamp is like an art and it does not only help brighten up, it helps beautify our rooms. So there will be some fancier designed lighting to replace the outdated ones.

I think I will go visit some online store like shopwiki for some lamps buying guides.

Making Dumpling

Tomorrow is dumpling festival. As usual my mom will prepare dumpling for us.

This is the first year I am taking part in helping because it is high time I learn the trade, so that I can make for my children in future.

Nowadays you can buy dumpling at almost any wet market and everyday but it is never as nice as the one prepared by my mum. My mum's taste almost 200% better than those bought outside. Hehehe, there is no exaggeration.

The following are the ingredients needed for the dumpling:
1. Pork

2. Oysters (soak)


3. Garlic
4. Nuts (soak and clean)

5. Mushroom (soak)6. 5-spice powder & white pepper

8. The ready ingredients (pork, nut, mushroom, oyster, garlic, 5-spice power, pepper, sugar & salt)
9. Leave and string (boil the leave and clean with a piece of cloth one by one)

10. Rice and bean with some salt, sugar and pepper and 5-spice powder.

9. The ready dumpling

9. Cover and boil it for 2 hours. We didn't use the pressure cooker so to avoid the boiling water overflowing, we add a porcelain spoon into the boiling water and strangely the water stop flowing out.

And if you think that is just an easy job then take a look at this Ah Soh's sweaty face and her messy hair.

Life Is Like Riding In A Roller Coaster

Things have been happening one after another to me this year. Not good things but lousy things. Anyway when bad things go, good things will follow suit. That is my philosophy. There is nothing to worry about.

Anyway, beginning this year, my 2nd sister has been calling and bugging me that this year is not a good year for me and I have to pray harder. She warn me to be careful and not to take risk, no investment, no lending money to others, no unnecessary spending, no gambling and blar, blar, blar…….. But I told her that our life is such that every year there is good and bad happening and some time roads get a little winding and tides get a little rough but that is the way that trained me up all these years.

Ah..ha.. Talking about gambling, that is proven. Every year during Chinese New Year, all my brothers and sisters will be in the mood for gambling. Every body is trying to fish the money from another person. I knew well in advance that my luck this year is not good for gambling but just for the sack of proving it I joined in the fun. And I paid a big price for the answer.

And things don’t just stop there. Recently a few more things happened and money was being fished out from my pocket due to that:

First, my car’s two side tyres were stolen right in front of Summit Shopping Centre housing area in a bright day light, where there are many passer by.

Second, my house auto-gate was out of order. I have changed the whole control panel before New Year and now the lightning strike on it and there goes my money again.

Third, one of my front teeth chips off. Luckily it didn’t cost me very much to paste it back but still some money gone out of my pocket.

Forth, today my son who is under 21 years old was driving and met with an accident. It was a chain accident involving 4 cars, and his was the last to ram into the car in front of him. Now I have to pay out of my pocket RM400.00 to the insurance company because my son is underage and RM300.00 for traffic offence.

Fifth, I dropped my phone accidentally and now I need a new phone.

Sixth, something valuable was stolen from my house by some one which I suspected is the cleaner. I cannot confirmed because I don't have the proof. I have sounded it out to show that I knew my thing is missing and that I am aware of it.

Anyway things always happen for a reason and my interpretation are:

1. For stolen tyres - I have to be more careful where to park my car in the future.

2. My auto gate - It gives me a reason to pay the worker in this difficult time.

3. My teeth chips off - Enjoy life, don’t rush, take time to slowly chew my food like I used to do.

4. Car accident: It is a good lessen for my son. I have told him that whenever he is in a hurry, don’t rush; and whenever he is sleepy, don’t drive. It is better late than never. Now I supposed he gets what I meant.

5. For my hand phone – It is a good excuse to have a new one.

6. For the stolen thing - Well, just keep the valuables away from the open. We are born with nothing and go with nothing. Life and health is most valuable.

Anyway, things happened everyday and not all the happenings are on the newspaper to warn us. For example my nephew’s car was stolen last week at Subang Jaya, right in front of the bank where he works; and there are kidnapping and road bullies that happen everyday. There were once some one ram into my car and worrying that I would ask him to pay because he was in the wrong, he came threatening me with a stick. The guy was really brainless and wasting space in this world.

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Anyway, life is not as scarry as riding in the roller coaster. Oh! No? Not scary? To me riding roller coaster is like going to hell and back again.

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I would prefer see saw!

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Some Interesting Childhood Memories

I always thought my childhood was not interesting (too poor to have anything) at all, but actually when I started to link my memory to some old experiences, I think I enjoyed more than most of the kids today.

What else could I do in those day? No shopping centre, transport was so inconvenience (you could take a bus to somewhere and if you were late, no more bus to go home), no computer, cinema was so far away, and no matter how I tried, still could not ride bicycle, so everywhere I went was either by bus or walked all the way. The most important thing was, NO MONEY. So what did I do when I was restless :

My house had a very big compound with about 50 mangosteen trees behind, three mango trees in front of my house, 1 durian tree that seldom bear fruit, when it did bear fruits, would be stolen before it was riped. I climbed trees (mangosteen trees) to the highest I could and swing the tree. Once I fell down from the trees because the branch broke. A kind hearted Atok took me home, and worn me not to climb again. Dare not tell my mom about this, until now it is still a secret. I realised some thing from that fall, that is, don't pull the person up immediately, let the person settle down first.

Seaside was so near my house, I could hear & see the sea from my house. I went swimming almost every evening. Frankly speaking, I only managed to float and soaked or played in the water with friends. With no intention to learn how to swim at all.

Sometimes I went to seaside just to feel the sea breeze, listen to the wave, or catch the little fish and let them go again (1 2, 3 4 5 once I caught a fish alive, 6 7 8 9 10 then I let it go again, remember the song?), or I chased the little crab, WAO! so many, plenty of them running for life, "run! run! run for your life, the giant is coming", I could sense them communicating to each other.

I liked to built sand castle, that was really interesting, I loved to do that, and I built really nice castle, but too bad, the wave would come and take all that away from me. Now I only built castle in my dream.

My family rear chickens & ducks for own consumption. During any of the festivals, my job was to catch the chicken and slaughter it. How did I catch them? I chased the chicken until they got tired and catch them. They usually could run very far but when they were tired, they would still run back to my house, frankly speaking, I was also exhausted by then. I caught them and plug the feather at the neck and slaughtered them with a knife. Still remember the sound although I did it with my eyes closed and head turned to left or right, lift the hand a little to close one ear).

When I was 8 years old I cooked for all my brothers and sisters. At the age of 9, I looked after my younger brother who was just few months old for almost a month when my mother went to Singapore for a holiday, when my mother came back, my brother thought I was the mother, and rejected his real mother.

I played football with my brothers, 5 of them. I remembered I chased the ball very hard but never have the chance to get the ball, and when I got it was when they stop playing. They ignored me just like I was transparent and were not worried I might boycott them and no one else to cook for them. Anyway, I was not angry, because I enjoyed running with them without being asked to get out.

I fought with boys my age and won the fight. Sound like so strong ya, may be he gave way, but I really use all my strength to fight.

Once I was chased by a cow. It got angry when I pulled the tail, and when I ran inside the house he followed me in but got stuck at the door, I was so frightened, really, they could have used the horn to poke my backside or stomach.

The rojak from the mamak stall was very nice, and have a very unique taste, till now I still cannot find it anywhere else. I did go back to the same shop but it tasted different from last time. I think was the sauce that make it so different.

The "Yau Cha Kwai" was also very nice, it is fat, not oily, and with a little garlic smell.

The yellow noodle soup with prawn. That is what my sister and I are still craving for but the same taste are no where to be found now.

Good memories make me happy, bad memories help train me a better and stronger person.