Early Morning's Lesson in Integrity...

This morning I attended an Open Forum organized by the National Special Committee on Integrity at Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) / State Legislative Building. I was not keen to go because had intended to do stuffs requiring my attention prior to my being away next week, but colleagues persuaded me to go. I agreed after one of them said he will be the driver-designate for this ‘trip’.

The forum was held at the DUN Building at Petra Jaya. Frankly, this is the first time that I stepped into the building. Now I know why the state government is building another State Legislative Building; the condition of the building is such an eyesore and a real shame. Anyway, that’s another story…

The function of the forum, to use the words of the circular we receive, were… “to discuss issues on enhancing values, ethics and integrity amongst the Malaysian community as cited in the National Integrity Plan….”

The full text of the committees functions as well as the Malaysian National Integrity Plan are as below

http://www.parlimen.gov.my/transfer/Pemberitahu_JK_Pilihan_Khas_Integriti.pdf

http://www.parlimen.gov.my/transfer/Ringkasan_Mengenai_Pelan_Integriti_Nasional.pdf

Please be warned, the text are in Bahasa Malaysia.

What did I think of the session?
Interesting.

What needs to be improved about the session?
1/. Ample notice to the public about the proposed forum so that more will attend, be prepared with issues etc.
2/. Organised it in a more public place and with easy(ier) access in terms of transport etc.


All in all, it is a good effort by the government of Malaysia. Having said that, I am certain that as in all things concerning the government, it will go on its full cycle before coming back to the main source, unresolved.

‘Nuff said….

What Shall We Have For Breakfast Today...?

I don't mind sharing that I try to maintain a good eating habit; that is to have breakfast, lunch and dinner in moderation and at the same time every day. I also try not to snack between those time; if the hunger pangs comes, I would drink lots of water (or coffee) and nibble on some 'biskut kering' / crackers.

What I have for breakfast normally?

If I have my way (read: time, money and motivation), I will eat these....
This is Sarawak laksa; I can have this every morning if possible but that is also mengundang sakit because this meal, albeit deliciously spicy and sweet, also contain too much coconut milk and other 'unhealthy' stuff. I like the laksa made by the one and only laksa hawker a Thompson Corner, Jalan Nanas.






This is kolo mee - the chinese version. No one but the Hokkiens of Kuching city can produce an authentic kolo mee. The Malay version is not as delicious because the whole secret to a good kolo mee - the smell, the sight and the taste - is dependant on one thing - the lard that is use to season and garnish the dish. This is my 2nd breakfast choice. Kolo mee is obtainable almost every where so no preference for me.






This is Tomato Mee/Kuey Tiaw. It is actually pre-fried keuy tiaw/ mee served with tomato-based gravy. I like this dish but more for dinner rather than breakfast. The best I have ever tried is from the hawker stall at Tmn Hui Sing.







I am not much into dim sum but if there are no choice, I would just order these. But personally, dim sum are too costly for breakfast. Some people i.e. my sister, thinks it is healthier than others but ... hmmm, is it?








But given a choice, and I will when I am in KL next week, I would like to have these for breakfast, or any time, if I may:


This is THE Char Kuey Tiaw. Since moving back to Kuching, I have not eaten an authentic Char Kuey Tiaw and this is something I am really looking forward to when I get to KL. It seems that only Cantonese can make a good char kuey tiaw -cockles, bean sprouts the whol works.


The nasi lemak and a good one - should have fried ikan bilis, sambal which is masam manis pedas, sliced cucmbers and bits of chicken or beef rendang. Now that's what I call nasi lemak. On a moderate end, I do not mind replacing the meat item with hard boiled egg. And please, leave the egg whole instead of cut into half.


Roti canai and teh tarik is Hubby's typical breakfast. I do not mind it occassionally but I prefer roti telur (beaten eggs spread on top of the roti while being cooked). That adds some protein to the dish rather than just carbo. And oh yeah... my teh tarik is always without sugar.

So what shall we have for breakfast today?


Jacob's Sunlife biscuits... this is in preparation for the 4 mornings that i will not have time to eat proper breakfast while in KL. This is because I need to get myself to UPM Serdang by 8.00am every morning, to be in time for the conference.

Well... I did say that I try to eat in moderation and healthily.

My Heart Was Broken by Development

Some times back, my heart was broken by development. :-(

You see, I live in a nice quaint city where green abound. The neighbourhood where I live have lots of trees and shrubs even though it is one of the fastest growing neighbourhood in the city.

Recently, the government gave the nod for a well-known and overly rich old geezer to 'up grade' the road works along the neighbourhood. In the name of improved traffic flow and efficient transportation, trees of old were cut down. What used to be a nice stretch of road for a cool Sunday evening drive became a hell-hole because of this.

Well, a picture says a thousand words....





This is what the road looks like now (taken from the Shell Station near Pelita Heights)










The road is now bare of trees. On the right, you can see the sapling of the kind of trees that used to give shade to the road users along the stretch.









The roundabout used to be a small hillock; now it has been flattened to the ground. This is where the cross-section of the road will be.










Nothing is more shameful than to have this beautiful symbol of the state brought to the ground and literally put to one side. From where it use to perch atop the hill/roundabout, it now stands at the road side, watching its former home being 'improved' in the name of developmnet. Where will it be once the intersection is done?














Well, if you ask me, I would say that we are just building ourselves a fully functional hell-hole.

We Are So Busy, It's A Laugh (03)

Sorry. I have neglected this part of my life. But really, let’s blame it on work, shall we?

Since mid-May, I have been busy organizing a so-called international workshop on Education for Sustainable Development. This has taken over virtually every aspect of my life! And to think that I can breath easy come July but nooo…. I have the organizational newsletter to work so. So there I go again, trying to beat deadline and ‘beating’ the hell out of my colleagues to contribute articles.

So to keep things updated…

My Inner Circle: (a.k.a Families)

Hubby did not get to go back to hometown in June. But instead, he managed to maneuver his way around Immigration. Hee hee….!

Aidan is ten months old. She has cut two teeth – one each on the upper and lower gum. She is already standing while holding on to the furniture. Her favourite things? Her elder sisters, whom she loves to play ‘shouting’ with. They would shout for as long as they can to see who lasts the longest. On good days, I find the game cute. On bad days, it is absolutely annoying!



Emma is attending her social group every week now. Thanks to Melanie who recently got her driver’s license. Emma is getting used to being with other people aside from family members and I am happy to hear Melanie’s update on Emma’s activities at school.




Ashleigh…hmmmm…. Let’s just say she is part angel, part devil. Enough said.











My 2nd Circle (a.k.a Close Friends)

I will be making my way to KL next week for a 3 day conference. After that, I will be meeting up with old buds at MAC. Yahooo…!!! Am really looking forward to that.


My 3rd Circle (a.k.a Associates)

I wish someone would donate me a mid-range digital camera.


My Prof Circle (a.k.a The Work Scene)

Nothing to say except that an Exec Assistant left the organization and I managed to persuade the Chairman of my office’s social club to make a Video Message for him. Though we end up using much of the office’s equipment but I always believe that to make a good, lasting impression, you have to put in your personal touch. And Abd Rahman’s Coffee Shop (that’s the title of the video cd we made), I consider, the best farewell gift anyone can have.

And speak of work… the money I get for the kind of work I do just don’t match. And it is not because I am overpaid…quite the opposite really.

But who am I to complain right? Better cents than none at all….
Till the next boredom comes….

We're So Busy, it's a Laugh (02)...

I have not been able to add blogs since the last time because of work (well yeah, its easy to blame work for everything).
But I promise this shall not happy again.

So to keep thing updated, I will write about my Inner Circle - that's what I call my family now.

Hubby is fine. He is thinking of making the trip back to his father in June. But still unsure because of limited financial resources.

Ash is happy in the new kinddy. And she always looks forward to going to her grandparents because they have built a swing for her.

Emma is happy as a bee, and she loves chasing Ash around the house. She is so good at running/walking, it amazes me that just last year, her granny was worried she would never walk. But she is a little backward on her therapy, because Mom the Driver is too busy to drive her to the centre.

Aidan has started to belly-crawl since March and now, would get on all fours. But she is yet to learn how to move herself forward while on her hands and knees. Aidan is also rather agressive, smacking people on the face whenever she is near enough.

I look forward to further enlightening readers on my Inner Circle's antics.

Welcome to My Year!

Come January 29, Chinese all over the world will usher in the year of the Dog. That's my year!!!

A lot of people asked me 'how can that be? Aren't you suppoed to be a Boar?"

Here's how...

I was born on a saturday in January 1971. I am considered a Metal Dog because the Metal Dog YEar was from Feb 6, 1970 to Jan 26, 1971.

So see? I am no Boar.

Happy Chinese New Year!

New Year Resolutions 2006

1/ Be nice to people.

2/ Be nice to other people.

3/ Be nice to every other people.

But really....

I really have to be nice to my hubby, my children, my siblings, my relatives, my colleagues, my acquaintances, my pets, my bosses.

So Happy New Year everyone!

Little Girls Are So Much Fun, We Thought We'd Have Another One!

EVANGELYNN AIDAN

Born on
SUNDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2005
@ 8.37pm,
Kuching Specialist Hospital, Kuching.
Birth Weight: 2.94kgs
Length: 48cm

The Best Is Still not THE Best...

Hubby and I had a quick lunch at a (relatively) new Indian coffee shop near my office. This was our second time there.

Our initial trip...we had to wait a while for our food to arrive due to the number of people also waiting for theirs. But it really shouldn't be because our food was pre-cooked and displayed at the baine maries... it was all up tot eh customers to pick and choose and have the waiters send the dishes to our table. On top of it all, the food arrived minus the papadom... a must-have condiment to all Indian food.

This time around, our food arrived the moment we sat at our table. Including the papadoms.

Analysing this fact, this is my conclusion: today we arrived late @ 1.30pm, where the lunch crowd is gone/going. Also, there are a lot more waiters than the previous time we were there.

So we had our fill and left the place by 2.05pm. That was fast!!!

About the food....

hmmm... it was ok, I guess. Living in a community where Indians are like a needle in a haystack, the food at Sri Shan (that's the name of the coffee shop) is good compared to other so-called 'Indian' eateries we have tried since we moved back to Kuching three years ago.

We used to patronise The Curry House along Rubber Road in Satok area because hubby thought that was the best place to get roti canai, thosai and the nasi bryani is reasonably good. Personally, I do not like CUrry House's nasi bryani cos the chicken is cooked in the rice itself, making it soggy and some times undercooked. I prefer my chicken deep fried with lots of crunchy bits (read: skin) on it.

Then, there is Tok Janggut at Chong Lin Park. This place is the rave of the town/city since I don't know when... the offerings are supposed to be good but thus far, I have never been there. I did attempt to have some food from it once but by the time my sister got to the place, the nasi bryani is no more. So I believe that I am destined to NOT have a taste of Tok Janggut's offerings.

Speak of offerings, I miss the food at Rajoo's Corner along Jalan Cempedak near the Sentul Commuter Train Station. My first introduction to Indian styl eof cooking was at Rajoo's and thanks to my hubby.

Then, there's the Indian Warehouse restaurant situated along Jalan Ipoh, behind the petrol station, just a hop, skip and jump away from the IPD Sentul. Hubby loves this place because the offerings is enormous and the cooking to-die-for (literally). Wonder if it still exists?

I really should make a visit to these places the next time I am in KL because the best in Kuching is still not THE best.



Speak of food, I really shouln't eat all these fried foods due to my gestational diabetes but then again.... hmmmmm

Just don't tell my gynae...ok?

We are so Busy It's a Laugh!!!

Today we are all so busy. So busy doing things that is of no relation to work.

I am busy writing this blog.

I am busy looking up pictures for this blog.

I am busy... blogging.


Anyway, I am nearly the end of my time - I am in my 35/36th week. If my body is as predictable as can be, I can expect my child to make her appearance in late September. Keeping my fingers crossed. More definitely, to appear on September 29 or otherwise, just appear on Oct 3 as estimated.

<---- me doing the cha-cha-cha

This is how I imagine myself as I wait in anticipation for the BIG day - that is if I can forget all those aches and do a little dance in baggy shirts and pant - all of which is none-doing. :-(

Oh yeah!....

I am busy doing something....
... my birth announcements...

:-) !!!

Since the big day approaches, I have been busy researching for the perfect birth announcement. In the end, I have decided to do one myself - based on all that I have come across in the internet. But amongst some of the ones I have seen and like are...







My apologies to the owner of these creations for I have forgotten where I got them...

So you see, you can be busy when you are not doing anything.

A Pictorial of My Trip To Uma Lahanan, Belaga, Sarawak (September 2004)

This was taken the evening we arrived at the village. The view is from the window of my room on the upper floors of the longhouse. Heavenly!

The village, Uma Lahanan, is located somewhere in the mountainous regions of Belaga in rural Sarawak. We flew into Bintulu town at 10am, had lunch in town then took a 5-hours (oowwww! my butt!) 4-wheel drive ride through timber-logging road to reach the village. But this scenery was worth the journey and the cool mountain air was a respite from city pollution.


This is one of the six longhouses of Uma Lahanan. The village is actually a resettlement village where the villagers were uprooted from their original village way up in the mountains of Belaga for the Bakun Dam project. So it is no wonder that the longhouse looks clean and properly maintained.

However, many of the villagers, especially the elders, complaint that the location of the new settlement is not suitable for them. It is far from any rivers so they find it difficult to source for water as well as fishes. The location is also far from many of their farming lands which forces some of the elders to actually move back to their old homes up in the mountains.


This is a gentle old lady we met at the longhouse. She has on her head the traditional rattan-woven hat used by the womenfolks (the men's are more elaborate and colorful) and her ears are elongated which is part of the Orang Ulu tradition for women to elongate their ears with bronze (and certainly heavy) earrings.



The hostess of the longhouse, who is also the wife of the Mareng Uma (Ketua Kampung) presenting me with a traditional hat as worn by the old lady pictured above. Note the white hat with the kenyalang motif on the tray held by the lady in yellow. That is the hat for the menfolks which was presented to my male colleagues. The Mareng Uma is seated on the far right of the picture. He too is wearing the rattan-woven hat.

Caught In The Middle...

I am caught in the middle.

Actually, I am caught in the middle of producing/designing our newsletter in-house or outsourcing it to a so-called professional.

A sample of the artwork was handed to me today in which I showed our CEO. From the moment I laid my eyes on it, I know that the work done is not at all satisfactory. But show him, I must.

He rejected the whole project totally!

Now, I am stressed for no fault of mine.

From the beginning I informed my supervisor that I can, able and experienced enough to do the layout and design of our newsletter. Which, from then, we need only to send it to our printer for publication. But NO!!!!, he still wants to out-source the work.

And the result?

An earful from the CEO, to me, the Innocent Party.

Why? why me? Am I not stressed and tired-out enough? Do I really need this at 35weeks of pregnancy? Arghhh....!!!

I am so tired!!!

The heat wave caused especially by the rampant open-forest burning by farmers in the state and Kalimantan, Indonesia is K-I-L-L-I-N-G me! I can not sleep properly at night due to the heat (no!.... I do not have air-conditioning) and my bulging tummy does not help either.

Only recently, both my daughters got the flu/fever. Probably due to the heat and/or seasonal contagion (I am not certain) but thanks to the spirulina tablets my sister have been giving them (tablets which should be consumed by the whole family but I opted out since I have three other tablets for the pregnancy to swallow every night), the kids recovered within a day.

Today, my clerk is OOO with the flu/fever. And for the next two days too!!!

Oh yeah… I am in my 33rd week, 2days into the 34th, of pregnancy. Baby has been pretty active of late – I cannot wait for him/her to get bigger and not have anymore room to do somersaults AND him/her to be born.

My back is killing me!!!

Been asking Hubby to massage my back for me. For all others who have not (and cannot) underwent the pregnancy process (especially the men folks), pregnancy related backache is like having your back sliced open with a blunt knife and left exposed to the environment…ouch!!!! On top of that, you also have your pregnancy hormones to thank for where in order to have an (supposedly) easier labour and delivery of another human being, all your joints especially in the pelvic area, are loosen. At times, it feels at though your femur bone will come out of the thigh socket!

My Little Angels

Emma-Noelle was so named because she was born at 10.15am on a Christmas morning nearly two years ago. At this age, she is very mischevious and aggressive towards her older sister. She is also very attentive to details and can imitate very well, like holding a pencil and writing (scribbling) on a piece of paper. Emma hates drinking plain water so we always have to dilute some juice just so she will drink the liquid.




Ashleigh my oldest, has been a tremendous joy and encouragement for us to be better parents. She is nearly 5 and her character has the tendency to be more like mine - stubborn, determined and frank.

My Fiery Bringer of Good News

It has long been known to my family and I that I am carrying a little girl. I am in my 31st week already and as my dotor said "after the 34th week, baby can come out already." Hmmmm.....

Anyway, having found out the gender of the baby (this info is off limits to my colleagues or anyone who asks the baby's gender...) and in the tradition of naming our kids with the letter 'E", we have agreed to name her EVANGELAINE (alter. of Evangeline) which means "one who brings good news" and with the (predicted) character of being Happy, confiding, tenacious. Romantic, but always self-possessed and her second name shall be AIDAN which mean "fiery".

Also, this also serves the tradition of having six syllables to all their names i.e. E-LI-ZA-BETH-ASH-LEIGH or EM-MA-NO-ELLE-CAIT-LIN or E-VAN-GE-LAINE-AI-DAN.

WOMEN: A SPECIAL SPECIES

Mum and Dad were watching TV when Mum said, "I'm tired, and it's getting
late. I think I'll go to bed."

She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches. Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning. She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button.

She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry.

She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the excursion and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store. She put both near her bag.

Mum then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night Solution & age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.

Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed." "I'm on my way," she said. She put some water into the dog's dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on. She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and radios, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework.

In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list.

She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals. About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. "I'm going to bed." And he did...without another thought.

Wonder why women live longer...? 'CAUSE they ARE MADE FOR THE LONG HAUL......

"Responsibilities to Our Elders"

These are the mantra of the American Indians according to *Dr Jonathan Hook...

(1) Honor Their Vision through protecting Mother Earth

(2) Transmit Their Wisdom to the Next Generation

(3) Learn the Culture

(4) Care for Their Physical Needs

(5) Provide Companionship

(6) Keep Dancing the 'Unbroken Circle'

(7) Ga-Du-Gi (cherokee dialect); everyone need to work together.

*Jonathan Hook is the Director of the Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs (OEJTA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Texas USA since September 2003.

Words To Live By

" ... But take your time, think a lot,
Why, think of everything you’ve got.
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not..."
- Father and Son by Ronan Keating -

"... And the thought crosses my mind
If I never wake up in the morning
Would she ever doubt the way I feel
About her in my heart.
If tomorrow never comes
Will she know how much I loved her
Did I try in every way to show her every day
That she's my only one
And if my time on earth were through
And she must face this world without me
Is the love I gave her in the past
Gonna be enough to last
If tomorrow never comes..."
- If Tomorrow Never Comes by Ronan Keating -

"... I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens..."
- I Hope You Dance by Ronan Keating -

"...I give my hand to you with all my heart
Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to start
You and I will never be apart
My dreams came true because of you..."
- From This Moment On by Shania Twain -

Hidden Dialogue

Sometimes, without fail, I would encounter people, with good intention, who makes the funniest/weirdest remarks. It makes me smile – when I am in an ok mood. Or frown –when my lower back is killing me (!) and the heat is getting to me.

Take for example, these…

A Neighbour:
Wahhhh! You pregnant ah? Why didn’t tell me?
My reply:
(Smiling) Yes, I am.
(in my head) Would you like me to put up an ad in The New Straits Times daily??!!!?


A Colleague:
You are getting big!
My reply:
(smiling) I am already ---- months.
(in my head) I am pregnant! Not trying to reduce weight!


My Colleague:
You kids look like Chinese-lah.
My reply:
(smiling) Their father is half Chinese-Baba.
(in my head) If they look anything like Colin Farell, I would be in BIG TROUBLE!


Hairdresser:
Your hair so thin, huh…. You should use some tonic for it. I have some…
My reply:
(smiling) No, thank you.
(in my head) Just trim my hair and get it over with, woman!


Person 01:
Why are you so small (in size)?
My reply:
(smiling) It’s genetic…
(in my head) Haven’t you read that petite people aged more slowly due to decreased gravitational influence??!!??


Person 02:
Your husband half Chinese, half Indian ah??? I didn’t know! I thought he was Malay since he is from Peninsular.
My reply:
(smiling) Yes, he’s Chindian.
(in my head) Did you fail your History lessons while in school? There are other races in West Malaysia aside from Malays, you know!!!!!!


A Colleague:
How did you bring your car over from KL ah?
My reply:
(frowning) By ship.
(in my head) Actually it has wings…


Person 03:
You Bidayuh right? Which kampong are you from?
My reply:
(smiling) Kuching.
(in my head) Kuching, you idiot! I was born and raised in the CITY!!!


Person 03:
You Bidayuh right? Do you understand the word ‘ ---‘?
My reply:
(frowning) No.
(in my head) I speak Bukar-Sadong. If you call yourself a Sarawakian, you would know that Bidayuhs speak several dialect and we may not necessarily understand the other dialects. It’s like saying Cantonese or Mandarin, or Foochow, or Hakka. IDIOT!


But all in all, I would just blame it on – what I shall call – the Malaysian way (read: IGNORANCE).

DILBERT'S LAWS OF WORK

I solemnly swear that with my recent re-designation, I shall practise as much as possible, all the Laws mentioned which I have italised below.

1. If you can't get your work done in the first 24 hours, work nights.
2. A pat on the back is only a few centimeters from a kick in the butt.
3. Don't be irreplaceable, if you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.
4. It doesn't matter what you do, it only matters what you say you've done and what you're going to do.
5. After any salary raise, you will have less money at the end of the month than you did before.
6. The more crap you put up with, the more crap you are going to get.
7. You can go anywhere you want if you look serious and carry a clipboard/note pad.
8. Eat one live toad the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.
9. When the bosses talk about improving productivity, they are never talking about themselves.
10. If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.
11. There will always be beer cans rolling on the floor of your car when the boss asks for a ride home from the office.
12. Keep your boss's boss off your boss's back.
13. Everything can be filed under "miscellaneous."
14. Never delay the ending of a meeting or the beginning of a cocktail hour.
15. To err is human, to forgive is not our policy.
16. Anyone can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work he/she is supposed to be doing.
17. Important letters that contain no errors will develop errors in the mail.
18. If you are good, you will be assigned all the work. If you are really good, you will get out of it.
19. You are always doing something marginal when the boss drops by your desk.
20. People who go to conferences are the ones who shouldn't.
21. If it wasn't for the last minute, nothing would get done.
22. At work, the authority of a person is inversely proportional to the number of pens that person is carrying.
23. When you don't know what to do, walk fast and look worried.
24. Following the rules will not get the job done.
25. Getting the job done is no excuse for not following the rules.
26. When confronted by a difficult problem you can solve it more easily by reducing it to the question, "How would the Lone Ranger handle this?"
27. No matter how much you do, you never do enough.
28. The last person that quit or was fired will be held responsible for everything that goes wrong.