Quest for knowledge

People of Myanmar are not only friendly, they like knowledge. I was told, there were prominent intelects from Myanmar during its heyday. There was one street I went to with endless rows of "bookstores", their very own version of Kinokuniya and Borders. All are old books yet highly sought after.

I remember, the taxi driver who drove me around Yangon actually had a Master Degree in Sociology. From the conversation I had, it's quite obvious the guy was highly educated.



Even telephone lines are hard to come by. Internet connections are ultimate luxuries. I can easily say, they are just like Malaysia in 1960's.



Can you imagine being a citizen of a country and you do not even know what's going on domestically?

But then again, what's the point of having unlimited choice of media in any country if all you see are just government propaganda? (And I am NOT talking about just Myanmar, strictly.)

Yangon Sunset

I am quite disturbed with the current political development in Myanmar.

I looked through my collection of Myanmar photos. I have loads of them, nice ones!

The sunset in Yangon, ......... beautiful.

It is a beautiful country!

I hope things will be better

The news for the past few days highlighted the uprising of monks in Myanmar. The people are demanding for democracy.

If the current junta goverment succumbs to the demand, Myanmar is going to change. The economy is going to be more open and foreign investments will, naturally come in to exploit the rich minerals in the country. Globalization will move in and tourism will flourish.

Democracy will be good to the people of Myanmar but the country will not be the same, again. Capitalism will eventually creep in and commercialization will take place.

In a way I am glad I went to Myanmar before all these potential changes take place.

It is more interesting, to me, to explore a country before tourism arrives......

Penniless

My last 4 bucks was given to BS to pay for my 15 bucks supper this morning after exploring every nook and cranny of the dark (could mean literally) sides of KL. It was such an eye opener.

We even went to Bazaar Larut Malam in Cheras. For those of you who have not crossed the Bangsar / Damansara Heights / Sri Hartamas boundaries - wake up from 9pm to 3am in the morning! Chatuchaks are in town! Ok, they might not be on hudreds of acres piece of land, but, they were quite interesting. You can even have foot massages and cupping (berbekam) apart from temporary tatoos (on your lowerback, perhaps?) and traditional herbs and oil to make men "stronger".

I should team up with Crew - the shisha connoisseur - go to the bazaar and start shooting some pix.

Back to my penniless state. My supper this morning was highly subsidized and my buka puasa and coffee were sponsored by KW. I felt like a rent boy.

Since noon, I have tried the Maybank machines in Sri Hartamas and Desa, non of them was working. I even tried CIMB machines using my kawanku, but the system was down.... for the whole freaking day?

What's up!


*** Is it because I havn't taken my shower... the whole day...

The Egg

The Egg is a chair designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958 for the Radisson SAS hotel in Copenhagen. It is manufactured by Fritz Hansen.

The Egg was designed in a typical Jacobsen style, where there was no fear of pushing the material to its limit, and often using entirely new materials to make his designs come true.

It is believed to be inspired by Eero Saarinens "Womb chair", from which it gains some traits. In many respects, though, the Egg is a much more complete design.

Related to the Egg is the Swan and, to some degree, many of Jacobsen's plywood chairs such as "7", the Ant, the Cigar, the Grand Prix-chair, the Pot, the Drop and the Giraffe.

The Egg was (as was the Swan) designed as a couch also - though the actual piece was thought to be a figment of someone's imagination, fed by the existence of the Swan-couch. While the Swan-couch is still in production, only a handful of Egg-couches have ever been made. A few were made for the Radisson Hotel, and a few years back, some were made as a "special edition" couch. The price was quite high - about 400.000 dkr., the equivalent of 60,000 USD.

The reason for the limited production of the Egg-couch, besides the wish for exclusivity, is the difficulty involved in making it, plus a design-"flaw"- the couch is too big to be covered by two entire cow-hides, which is only just possible with the Egg-chair. This leaves a very visible stitching down the middle of the couch - definitely not in Jacobsen spirit. This problem can, however, be solved by making the upholstery in fabric rather than leather.

The Egg chair was featured in the movie Men in Black and briefly seen in Back to the Future II, as well as shown in a promotional poster for Chicken Little as a reference to Men in Black.

According to a New York Times article, the Egg chair has also been used by McDonalds as part of a high-concept redesign of one of its restaurants in London.


source: wikipedia

2nd of the Five

Istanbul is more interesting in the sense that you can physically see the remnants of great civilizations and it is still going through the process of "cultural and religous evolution".



Like the Indonesians (not all), the Turks (not all) are very secular. I love to see their vibrant lifestyle and its strong Asian and European influence, befitting it location which bridges the East and West.

You can still find functional places of worship and relics, ancient ones for the great religions and civilizations - Islam, Christianity, Judaism and of course the Romans. These are the civilizations that defined the events of world history.



Amid a typically busy day with tourists from different parts of the world, culture and religions, this man slowly took off his jacket, hung it against the wall which was erected about 4 centuries ago, and calmly performed his ablution to cleanse himself right before meeting his God for the second time on that day. I could almost feel his concentration, how he was already focused himself before he even entered the mosque, to meet God, his Creator. It was Dzohor. A typical scene of any mosque in the world. This one is in the magnificent Blue Mosque or the Sultanahmet Mosque.




This was written while waiting for berbuka puasa with RARS. KW just arrived after his late lunch, bakuteh. Now he's happily smoking in my kitchen.

Bastard!


DUUUU GAAA AAAN!

Same spot

It may sound a bit cliche, but I love Paris.

During one of my cycling holidays I explored the romantic city on my two wheels. The sights and sound from the top of my saddle is completely different than the view from the top of Les Cars Rouges. I can hop onto the curbs and dividers, explore one arrondisements to another, stop for coffee on the sidewalk, smell the air, hear the noise.

I stopped and interacted with (friendly ~ contrary to popular belief) Parisians to ask for directions. I love the architecture, les boulangeries, les musées, les cafés, les arts et les magasins...

la liste est sans fin.... the list is just endless....

It's a great city. I can go to Paris endless times and yet, I will never get tired of it. It has some kind of artistic spirit / energy of pride that make us fall in love with the romantic city.

I love the thoroughfares so much, especially le boulevard de Champ Elysees, that

I took almost the same picture at the same spot in two defferent trips almost at the same time of the day when things start to cool down before the Parisians and tourists will be busy again walking to venues to enjoy beautiful cuisine française at chic salles à manger.....

This is one of them....






------------------------------------------------------------------

Since we are at it...

PARIS and Der Fuhrer:



After the German Army had overrun France in June 1940, Adolf Hitler' was quoted:

“It was the dream of my life to be permitted to see Paris,”

“I cannot say how happy I am to have that dream fulfilled today.”

“Draw up a decree in my name ordering full-scale resumption of work on the Berlin buildings...Wasn’t Paris beautiful? But Berlin must be made far more beautiful. In the past I often considered whether we would have to destroy Paris. But when we are finished in Berlin, Paris will only be a shadow. So why should we destroy it?”

An inspiration, perhaps?

la vallee de la Loire, France 2002 l'ete


I had supper alone while reading Muhibah, Royal Brunei inflight magazine. A courtesy of my friend JEN who is an editor there. An interview with Neo Rennaissance Woman , cought my attention.



Tao ~ How to make winning decision.

"You look at relationship and ask if it's right for you. Does the individual bring out the best in you? Does she/he have the education / intelligence that can stimulate you to your fullest potential? What can you contribute to enhance him / her and vice versa? This is the tao of relationship"

Ching-Ning Chu, the woman who demystifies Sun Tzu's Art of War which promotes its practical applications in everyday life.



I was thinking about it while driving home, while listening to Diana Krall and Lou Rawls singing At Last (beautiful song, go and Limewire it lah!) in the comfort of the quiet cabin of my car. I thought about the comments I got from you guys (I read all of them!) in the Single & Available? post.

Perhaps I have to agree with starshooter when she commented:

"You are not choosy, you just dont want to settle for less."

Why this and why that....

I had dinner with DZ, TITS and AO last night.

These are pople with a lot of passions and have significant achievements in their lives. DZ's book was a best seller, and TITS's work was nominated for the prestigious Aga Khan Award of Architecture. (except for me, I am no where). They could be quite eccentric at times, but, they are my inspirations.

I can spend hours with this bunch. They are my close friends and it is always refreshing, to a certain extend quite intriguing.

I like people with a lot of (analytical) questions and I am blessed with quite a few. I am one of them. I will ask questions, why this and why that, especially to older people who I have the privilege to be in touch with.

We were talking about tudung (among others) and how our very own Muslim (Melayu) approach the matter. I have seen girls with tudungs but the only "religious" thing about them is just the tudung. If you observe their mannerism, the rest of their dresses are not quite religious. I can't say they dress conservatively as what the religion teaches us to be.

I am sorry, I am not generalizing here. There are several lady members of my family are covered, by the way.

This issue is perceived to be very complicated, which I think in actual fact is NOT. We just have to open our mind and look at the bigger picture on what is meant by dressing conservatively.

Most Malays' (born Muslims) perspectives on our religion are very narrow (boy, am I going to be in trouble, but I don't care, it's my freaking blog). We are missing a lot of points in our lives because we are so confined strongly to our culture and what our ustazs (sometimes makes me wonder whether they actually have the right skills to teach because all they talk about are punishments and hell).

How can our religion be a great religion if we can't even think globally.

People might think I am too liberal. As for me, I don't care if KW (my crazy Chinese friend) is having bakuteh while I have my very own halal food on the same dining table. So, what!

Out of curiosity, I sms-ed DS asking him about any ayat (Quranic verses) that says a woman will be burnt in hell if they expose just three strands of their hair.

His answer (which I always like!) was:

"No such ayat. Only during prayer is covering of hair strictly observed. If a few strands come, the ALL KNOWER and COMPASSIONATE is NOT going to be a tyrant all of a sudden."




Now I can sleep better.

Good nite everybody. Its Ramadhan.

Nothing seems to be right

Almost 100 channels in Astro...

Thousands of songs in I-Tunes....

Gxillion of sites in the WWW....

Nothing is interesting......




What the........

Single and Available?

A friend just came back from his long holidays exploring Vietnam and Cambodia. His blog is well tiled with amazing photos. I envy his skills and creativity.

He posted this message in my Facebook:

"still single and enjoying it. now i see why u're hooked on bachelorhood. :)"

Which makes me think for half a day whether it is really worth it to be in a relationship when you have been single for a while and enjoying your limitless freedom in whatever you want to do.

Please lah, it's puasa month. I am not talking about series of one night stands here. I am talking about relationship whether one is ready or not.

Or whether one needs it.

Or whether one really wants it or not.

Or whether one has met the right person.

My mind is so occupied with these questions, I felt very unsettled.

At the same time, the last thing I want to do is hurting one's feeling.

I am looking for inspirations but I haven't a clue where to get them from.

Perhaps I am just too choosy.

Or I am just scared of hurting people or to get hurt.


Well, let me pop this question to you out there.


DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE IN RELATIONSHIPS?

Devotees - 18sx

As they thronged the kuil (tample) in Batu Caves.




I was there the whole afternoon during the last Taipusam



Quite scary really.. but totally interesting.



I was a tourist in my own country.


I still cannot comprehend all these. Where is the pain and the blood? How did it heal right after the procession...? Amazing!

Mug Shot

definition:

a photograph of a person's face made for an official purpose, esp. police records.

KL's definition:

Walking along Orchard

A few years back, I used to frequent Singapore, to get away from KL. I don't particularly fancy Singapore but I have a good friend there and my trips were always good. I like to walk along Orchard road, to Takashimaya's Kinokunia and have meals with DrG at Movenpick / Marche. For a change, it's good to be away. Since my fav color is red, this wall cought my attention. It seemed like it framed the tree quite nicely. I like it.

I was there again recently and managed to have diner with my buddy. Marche is now called Village. The setting and the food are still the same. I always tell DrG the pork knuckle looks very delicious.

I wonder what was in his mind....

I spent almost half a day in Amarapura, last December observing life in one of the biggest monastry in Myanmar. I was very intrigue with the lifestyle of the monks. They seemed very calm and contented. Most of all their lives are very simple. This shot was taken when this young monk was waiting for his lunch, the last meal of the day. After which they are not supposed to eat until the next morning. But, they can drink water. I guess he's quite hungry, just like us, waiting for time to berbuka puasa.

Last Lunch

Last weekend, most of the 5 star hotels buffet lunch were full because a lot of people took out their family and friends for the last weekend lunch before ramadhan.

I did not have any intention to go for one of those, though it would be nice to hit Zipangu buffet lunch spread, but one of my friends was not really into raw fish. What a waste, I thought.



Besides Indonesian bands like Tompi, Ungu and Peterpan, I have recently been introduced to this popular street food called bakso (meat ball soup). I guess it's the Indon's version of nasi lemak or roti canai.

I saw bakso stalls and peddlers by the streets of Jakarta and I wasn't really keen to try. Perhaps I wasn't that adventurous then. I think my brother's horror food poisoning story when he went to Bandung kept me away from such food.



AKAR introduced me to bakso. The one in Desa Sri Hartamas (besides the signage that says: Bakso Sapi Asli), according to our bakso expert is not as good and pretty overpriced.

Last Sunday my last lunch before ramadhan with friends, with AKAR's recommendation, I decided to take JD, BS and F with AKAR to have bakso lunch in Taman Pelangi in Gombak. I know how to get there, but it's really hard to explain. It's inside Gombak housing area.

Go with shorts and tee shirts. It is just a stall, hot like having dinner in an oven!

It was simply delicious. Even BS and F who had big La Bodega breakfast had quite a bit too.



I highly recomend you to have lunch there. Try the nasi campur with bakso, pecel (ulam) and tempe (garing and hot). Gotta confirm with AKAR again whether we can have buka puasa there.

******************

It's Saturday afternoon.

1 hour 45 minutes and 30 seconds to waktu berbuka puasa....

My Terengganu

I am at the airport, Kuala Terengganu. The usual one day fly in – fly out trip.

Bloody MAS flight is delayed again for 30 minutes.



EARLIER TODAY

After my meeting with the state officials, TITS offered to take me out for lunch, venue of my choice.

The small restaurant, very local called Bijai. Authentic Terengganu. No aircond, just fans. It was such a hot day. Well worth it as the kepala ikan merah, ulam, daging singgang, budu with tempoyak and ikan panggang were delicious. I pigged out (what’s new?) – like there is no more lunch for the next 30 days…. There is no more lunch for the next 30 days….




Since I squeezed all appointments before lunch, I have all the time to spend the whole afternoon at Pura Tanjung Sabtu before catching my flight back in the late afternoon.

On the way to Pura, I stopped by a little grocer by the road side, run and owned by an old Chinese lady. While waiting for my turn to pay for a pack of Sampoerna Mentol Mild, I overhead the conversations between the shopkeeper and her customers in pure Terengganu dialect from both sides of the counter.




Both sides were complaining about the price of kacang (peanuts) has increased quite substantially. It is not easy to sell anymore as people stop buying.

The same thing with jagung (corn) for chicken feed. Some people have stopped raring chicken because the business is hardly viable. I could see the frustration on their faces while in my heart start cursing the government.




The amazing thing was once the money and the good changed hands between the two ladies of different races and religions, they actually performed the “akad” to each other.

Malay lady: Saya beli ya. (I hereby purchase the goods as per the agreed price)

Chinese lady: Saya jual ya. (And I hereby sell the goods as per the agreed price)


(Akad is a verbal sale and purchase contract to finalize a deal according to Islamic commercial law)




A FEW DAYS AGO

There was a political riot in Kuala Terengganu. There were gunshots and people were injured and vandalism was rampant. The fundamental issue here is the disagreement between two political parties which are predominantly Malay.




And today I encountered a close-knit community between the Malays and the Chinese just minutes away from ground zero.

I have been doing quite a bit of research especially on the Terengganu Chinese community, their culture and heritage which go back to Laxaman Cheng Ho. The interrelated fabrics of both culture have been in harmony for hundreds of years. I have come to conclusion that the politicians are the culprits who polarize the community at the expense of the integration of the population.

Manipulative for their very own selfish political gain.

Sunrise, Marang

I was with my nephew, struggling to tapau breakfast for family breakfast. Naturally I was looking for the best nasi dagang in Marang. After several phone calls, finally I found the stall.

It was early, the sun was rising.

That's Pulau Kapas from a distance......

When we used to celebrate Raya in Terengganu, I'b be at the pulau on the 2nd day of Raya with a good book.

Why Fasting

I am not "alim", I am far from it.

Since Ramadhan is coming in a few days time, I would like to share this with you.

I like fasting month because, contrary to popular belief, I can be very productive, I can lose weight and I can have a good detox excercise, besides all the spiritual benefits that come with it.

Hope to continue running for 30 minutes, right before buka puasa.

Selamat Berpuasa!

Among the reasons behind fasting are:

1 – Fasting is a means that makes us appreciate and give thanks for pleasures. For fasting means giving up eating, drinking and intercourse, which are among the greatest pleasures. By giving them up for a short time, we begin to appreciate their value. Because the blessings of Allaah are not recognized, but when you abstain from them, you begin to recognize them, so this motivates you to be grateful for them.

2 – Fasting is a means of giving up haraam things, because if a person can give up halaal things in order to please Allaah and for fear of His painful torment, then he will be more likely to refrain from haraam things. So fasting is a means of avoiding the things that Allaah has forbidden.

3 – Fasting enables us to control our desires, because when a person is full his desires grow, but if he is hungry then his desire becomes weak. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O young men! Whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and protecting one’s chastity. Whoever cannot do that, let him fast, for it will be a shield for him.”

4 – Fasting makes us feel compassion and empathy towards the poor, because when the fasting person tastes the pain of hunger for a while, he remembers those who are in this situation all the time, so he will hasten to do acts of kindness to them and show compassion towards them. So fasting is a means of feeling empathy with the poor.

5 – Fasting humiliates and weakens the Shaytaan; it weakens the effects of his whispers (waswaas) on a person and reduces his sins. That is because the Shaytaan “flows through the son of Adam like blood” as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, but fasting narrows the passages through which the Shaytaan flows, so his influence grows less.
Shaykh al-Islam said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 25/246

Undoubtedly blood is created from food and drink, so when a person eats and drinks, the passages through which the devils flow – which is the blood – become wide. But if a person fasts, the passages through which the devils flow become narrow, so hearts are motivated to do good deeds, and to give up evil deeds.

6 – The fasting person is training himself to remember that Allaah is always watching, so he gives up the things that he desires even though he is able to take them, because he knows that Allaah can see him.

7 – Fasting means developing an attitude of asceticism towards this world and its desires, and seeking that which is with Allaah.

8 – It makes the Muslim get used to doing a great deal of acts of worship, because the fasting person usually does more acts of worship and gets used to that.

*source: www.islam-qa.com

HRH Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah

I recently had the great honour to met up with YM Raja Ihsan through TPR. I have always wanted to see him since I discovered the photography works of the late HRH Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah of Terengganu. He is a very refined gentleman with deep passion in photography befitting his responsibility to be the chosen one, the custodian of the late HRH Sultan's work.

For the past few days I have been communicating with him and we have been exchanging ideas on various matters pertaining to the great work. Seriously, I am overwhelmed. I need a bit of time to really understand his collection. One thing for sure, it a priceless treasure of passion.

The best part about meeting Raja Ihsan is NOT because he is the custodian of the fine collection, but he is still around to tell the stories as he was raised by the late Sultan and he was there when the pictures were taken.

I would like to dedicate this post to YM Raja Ihsan for all his effort to preserve the work of the late HRH Sultan of Terengganu.

HRH Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah was born in Kuala Terengganu on 24th January 1907. He was the 14th Sultan of Terengganu from 1946-79 and the 4th Yang Di Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia from 1965-70. Apart from his official duties, he was also known for his exceptional ability as a photographer and for his enthusiasm and support for the medium in Malaysia.



Sultan Ismail was an honourable member of the Photographic Societies of both Malaya and Singapore in the 1950’s and later, became the patron of the Photographic Society of Malaysia. Sultan Ismail’s consistently powerful and impressive body of photography work had won him medals at various Malayan International Photo Salons in the 1950’s and enabled him to become the first Malay photographer to be an associate of the Royal Photographic Society (United Kingdom) in 1958. In 1965 he was awarded the coveted title of EFIAP (Excellence, Federation Internationale de l’Art Photograhique) Switzerland. This title, which had required a unanimous decision by the Board of Directors of the FIAP, is one of the highest international accolade to be given to any photographer, amateur or professional.




Sultan Ismail was 16 when he was first given a camera, but it was not until 1928 at the age of 21 when a photography shop opened in Terengganu, that the then future King of Malaysia and Sultan of Terengganu seriously took up photography. He had fondly said in an interview with the Straits Times in 1958 “This was a year which will always remain in my memory as that when I entered the world of photography”.




It was therefore unfortunate that some years later, war came to Malaya. The tremendous hardships experienced during these intervening years left Sultan Ismail with no choice but to abandon his photography pursuits altogether. In addition, and according to his own words, was forced to “present” his cameras to the Japanese occupying forces. Fortunately, the war did not last longer than it did. By 1948, Sultan Ismail was able to resume his passion for the art and was from then on able to keep records of his work that exist till today. It is regrettable however that no work of his, prior to the war, exists.




Sultan Ismail was attracted to almost every facet of photography including landscapes, portraits and social documentary. He had experimented with different cameras but eventually settled for a Plaubel Makina, a large format German camera that was versatile enough to suit his interests. He had also printed his own negatives, a skill that allowed him freedom to express his feelings onto his work. To show how much hold his hobby had on him, Sultan Ismail had said that his printing of negatives was done by kerosene lamp and enlarging by the sun’s rays.



Sultan Ismail was most prolific in the late 1940’s and the early 1960’s. This was when, as the Ruler and Sultan of Terengganu, he had mingled freely with his subjects in order to photographically document them for posterity. He also had a passion for cine-film and on many occasions was seen carrying his Bell & Howell 8mm cine-camera together with his still-cameras. This was easily recognizable and respected by his people. And as testament, many works of his were exhibited at the Malaysia Independence Trade Fair that formed part of the independence celebrations of Malaysia in 1957.



From then on, Sultan Ismail’s ascension to the throne of the Yang DiPertuan Agong (The Exalted Ruler or King) of Malaysia in 1965 began to limit his spare time to take photographs. Even so, he was still able to take pictures of what could be considered the most historical and powerfully emotive photographs ever taken of independent Malaysia – the deserted and lifeless streets of Kuala Lumpur following the disturbances of 13 May 1969 or in his own words, “Kuala Lumpur Berkurung”.



He also used whatever time which was available to him to the darkroom, printing and reprinting the thousands of shots that he had taken over the years while remaining forever active as Patron of the Photographic Society of Malaysia. Sultan Ismail resumed his role as the Sultan of Terengganu in 1970 and from then on until his demise in 1979, was able to re-ignite his passion and joy of photographing his home yet again.

HRH Sultan Ismail at work.

Pic: It is 11.33 a.m. and his Majesty is starting another long day in the darkroom. This was the first darkroom of the Almarhum at the Istana Badariah (ThePalace). The later one was much bigger, better equipped and more than rivalledmost professional laboratories.



Raja Ihsan sent me 3 photos, which I think not many people have seen. I have it in my computer. I respect his treasure, hence i do not post it here. I hope one day I will be able to tell the world about these wonderful collections of arts by the 4th Agong of Malaysia.

** credit: The biodata of HRH Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah was written by YM Raja Ihsan. All the images belongs to YM Raja Ihsan too. They were exhibited in Petronas Gallery before

Was I in Ubud? Naaaah!

After getting the direction from JD who was singing Mendendam by Marcell since last night, KW and I braved ourselves and drove to Bora Asmara.

My first impression: Man, I gotta bring my Australian guests here!

I was like - hey this is soooo Bali.

The ambiance, the setting, the landscape was fantastic. But too bad it just that, no more.

My friends know how "cerewet" or fussy I can be about certain things, especially the level of service I get for the price I pay. I can give restaurant managers hell, seriously as I can be quite direct with things I am not satisfied with.

Bora Asmara is on the top of my list of - the restaurants NOT to be patronized, or just don't bother going.

I don't want to write indetails or the list could be endless...

In short:

The food sucks
The service sucks
The toilet sucks
The Assistant Manager sucks ( not literally )

What a shame! It is such a beautiful place.


KW: We should NOT come here again. The Assistant Manager WILL spit on our food!

Just a quote

My partner left this book on my desk and I am reading it now. He got it at Trump Tower, 5th Avenue NY.

I highly recomend this to everyone who is in the industry, or just a mere investment guide, or even general motivational reading.

One quote I would like to share with you"

"a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what is heaven for?"

Which means, mediocrity is not acceptable. Always do the very best you can.

Very inspiring, I thought.

p/s I recomended it to my real estate agent. She said it's available at local booksores.

3 Generations! 3!

I can't believe it!

I met up with a local book designer with DZ this morning. I was very impressed with the designer, based on her work - books she designed and published for Brunei.

Besides running her business, she does charity work to help the welfare of the children of Chow Kit.

Some of them are actually 3rd generation prostitues.

I am SHOCKED!

He's OK

At 5.45pm just now DrK sms-ed me:

"Tun M ops success"


Alhamdulillah....

Fantastic 5

I am not going into numbers and details. Sorry to disappoint you car buffs out there.

Auto Bavaria was kind enough to loan me one of their 5 series for the long Merdeka weekend. Yeah! Like I can afford such an expensive piece of - Precision Crafted Performance - driving machine. But hey, a free ride over the long weekend, I'd be crazy to say no to such an offer.



I decided to take a spin to Melaka. I have not been to Melaka for a long time. I used to go there quite regularly to hunt for antiques. Jonkers Street (now, Jonkers Walk) to my disappointment is still the same.

Back to the 5.

Typical BMW - driver's car. It's a pleasure to drive and very easy to get accustomed to not only the handling, but also all the gadgets which has been minimalistically designed and so easy to understand. Even my 8 year old nephew got used to the I-Drive (On Board Computer) within minutes. The operational logic is very MAC / IPOD like.



It was raining and the sky was rather dark. With rain sensor and automatic driving lights control, the windsheild wiper and the lights got into their operational mode automatically. I didn't have to do anything but just concetrate on the pleasurable drive.



Like other recent BMW models, it is equipped with run flat technology tyres - I can continue travelling even when tyres are totally deflated. Current models of BMWs - spare tyres are NOT included.

But, there were several times when I made sudden maneuvers, the on board computer warned me with an exclamation mark: "Please Drive Moderately!" - Hey, does it come with a back seat driver named KL? I thought....

Diesel engines are less powerful compared to their petrol fuelled siblings, I thought. I was wrong. The torque was so great and I could feel mild G-Force when I stepped on the accelerator to overtake a C-Class on the North South Highway. It just sailed, fast, like power on demand whenever you need it.... I actually touched 200km/h on the speedo for a few seconds and the car was just stable and I felt very confident.



While waiting for my siblings for my brother's birthday dinner, I parked the car in the dark only with the dim lights on. Seriously, it looked like a black monster lurking in the dark. My sister went "it looks garang (fierce)!"

With all the latest technolgy equipped in the car like the auto rain sensor, electoronic windsheild wiper, runflat tyre technology, autolight sensor, all you have to do is just... DRIVE! Everything else is taken care of by the car.

Despite all the gadgets, I was in total control of the car. I like!



2 minus points though, both because it's a diesel model:

ONE: The diesel engine sounds like one of those old Mercedes taxis in Cameron Highland. But the good thing is from the inside, you cannot hear anything!

TWO: When I filled up at the gas station, the pump (and floor) was filthy! I would carry a glove. And those oily floors - they are not the most friendliest material to your Italian rubber sole.





It's Sheer Driving Pleasure - like what the advert claims.

It's a motivation to work harder.

One day, I hope............