The Road Trip up North

It's the super long weekend once again Multicultural and Multiracial Malaysia. In under an hour or rather 53 minutes from now the best buddy and I are heading up north. He obviously is heading home while I will be enjoying my last few days of unemployment ( yes I have a job - more on that later) I would have loved to have gotten a wink of sleep but unfortunately due to the loud crackers to mark the arrival of the wooden horse I unfortunately have had no sleep. So I shall have to rely on coffee coke music and naturally the best buddy to keep me company. 

To all the readers of this blog Gong Xi Gong Xi Fat Chai 

Five years on....

I've been trying really hard since this morning to keep myself as occupied as possible... Trying to divert my focus to other things giving it the importance it doesn't deserve.

Reason? 

Five years ago on this day I lost my grandfather unexpectedly .... Every year as the date approaches I find myself reliving the moments that lead up to that time. 

I've never really said this ever but my late grandfather was in the best state of health despite being 95 agreed he was mostly asleep but his vital organs were functioning at its best should memory serve me right. 

He was most definitely weak because he was never much of a foodie sticking to his 1 meal a day for as long as I can remember. 

There was a certain individual that had given him a vitamin b injection that evening, and instead of administrating it in the drip that he was on for not wanting to eat. The said doctor gave him an injection directly as they would usually do to normal young adults. 

The result of which we believe gave him a cardiac arrest. What's sad and painful is that till this very day no one will speak of it. Those who know of the situation stay silent not wanting to cause a stir .... And me? I tried voicing it out but was told to stay silent as we did not have any proof. 

My late grandfather was a man of principles, there was a huge generation gap between the grandchildren and him , we were never privileged enough to have sat with him and have a candid chat about life. We did however have to face him if we did badly in school - and yours truly was a regular.

He once sat me down and said .... "if you don't buck yourself up right now I will be extremely angry and disappointed in you because I know how intelligent you are ... do not make me turn my face away from you". And if he said that, he most definitely meant business ... Years on I went on to graduate and he gave me the most beautiful 25k carat gold plated roller ball pen valued at about RM1,800 and said "you have done me proud...and for that I give you this pen to start your journey that you have chosen for yourself" ... Nanaji the journey I choose was dictated by you when you gave me my first Parker pen valued at RM 5, just like you I had a fascination of pens and that lead to my fascination with writing. So really you determined my career path years ago :)

If he were alive today he would have been very upset with the obstacles I faced in recent times but would have been extremely proud of me for hanging on to every belief I have and coming out of it the way I am. 

I sometimes wish I could bring you back and we could go back in time and relive the moments in Section 12 but alas reality hits in that those who have departed will never come back. 

Thank you for giving me the best childhood moments any grandchild could ask for , despite your sternness there was a lot of love and warmth for me. I do hope wherever you are , you are still being the stubborn man you were. Because my stubbornness comes from you - you knew what you wanted and you did it. Well I'm a replica of you in that way ;) 

I hope my Portuguese grandmother and you are having the best of romance in the after world ... You best speed that up because my other grandmother isn't going to like it when she finds out what you have been upto :p 

I love you Nanaji ... And I'm doing okay just that there are somedays that a better then the others but that's just life and you deal with the cards you're dealt with ... 

Lust , Like and Love ...

I was having a candid discussion with a friend recently when we somehow got into the discussion of the above; unlike the hardcore romantics out there I do not believe in 'Love At First Sight' yes grumble all you want but I don't - I do believe in Like/Lust at First Sight thou - allow me to explain :

When you meet someone for the first time - what gets you first is their appearance , their dressing sense etc ... how in the world can one equate this love ? Would it not be superficial then? People are attracted to a lot of things in a person of the opposite sex - mostly what they find appealing to them; personally for me , intelligence plays a major factor in it. If a guy had all the looks in the world but did not have the intelligence to match it - for me it would be of no use. Similarly if a guy was an average looking person but had a strong personality/intelligence - was not afraid of making a stand in his views on different topics - ranging from sports to politics and beyond infinity it would most definitely catch my attention.

Intelligence and wit are the best dress sense a person can have , for hours of conversations on random topics intrigue me - for a person who is knowledge hungry like me; learning new things on a daily basis through someone else - as in understanding the person view point provides me with a platform of learning - i consider it free tutoring :P

It is after a great deal of time , does that lust or like transcend  onto the next stage of it , assuming you lust for someone with good looks - it should then take a natural progression towards liking that person - this is where you get to know that person on a greater level - this is where you take the time to understand that individual better - not just that  layer of superficiality that she/he may have for the world. As human beings we tend to mask ourselves and hide our emotions and true feelings - simply because we do not want to be vulnerable.

It is during this phase of that 'relationship' does the said person start peeling those layers off - depending on how many layers the person has (this depends on the kind of past adventures/misadventures that person has gone through) allowing you to understand them on an entirely different level. This of course depends if the both of you are on the same page :)

So yes - essentially to me Love is like a plant - you first bury the seeds beneath a pile of soil ... you nurture it along the way, protect it from pesticides, pull out the weeds , water it , give it enough sunshine and after many months of effort put into it will you the labor of your love :)

Love takes time, sometimes it grows on you , often times it doesn't but whats important to remember is that no matter what the outcome of it maybe - never regret that moment that journey - because in that journey of nurturing what you felt for someone else - along the way you understood yourself better as a person.

On that note, have a fantastic Monday ahead :)


  

In Tribute

The bestie lost her grandfather this noon, he was very much in all essence my grandfather as well because we are soul sisters .... for the first time in my life, I did not know how to console her - for I know, feel and understand her pain - I'm going to be that silent pillar that she needs.

May his soul rest in peace - Thank you Nanaji , although we have never met but I can never forget the times that you helped me with my college journalism assignment that got me a distinction - or when you helped draft the gurmukhi version of my wedding card.

Dear V ....

In a blink of an eye I realized just this very moment it has been two months since you have passed on; there has never been a day since then where thoughts of you do not creep in- you were/are after all a dear friend both on a personal and professional level.

Who would have thought that meeting someone like you would have taught me many life-lessons, you held no grudges , knew no anger, and you were a man of very few words.

It amazes me sometimes, just how much you actually did mean to me on so many levels - you were my first point of contact whenever I would join/leave a company - simply because I needed you to get me free media coverage, and then later on the cheapest ad rates possible with the max number of insertions stretched out for as long as possible. I made your life miserable didn't I ? Lets just say that was payback :-P

There were times, when I sensed your loneliness especially when you spoke about how you could not have a discussion with her; on how not being able to have a general conversation on topics like politics and sports bugged you; There were many-a-times when I wanted to reach out to you - especially when you said " you have no idea what I am going through - and I cant even share it with you" but alas I couldn't because it wasn't my place and you made that decision years ago. I never liked seeing you drink your life away - in fact I had never known you to drink as much. You termed it as socializing with clients - I called it running away from your reality.

Do you remember the last time we spoke over the phone V? It was sometime around March/April of last year, and I believe it was in the wee hours of the morning - you spoke  briefly of your health issues where I believe I gave you an earful on how you should take care of your health. That morning you also apologized repeatedly - you felt you had ruined both our lives - If you must know V, I never held any grudges against you ... initially when it had all happened, YES I was bitter, but I never held a grudge against you.  Sometimes in life things happen for a reason unknown to us and we accept that reality and move on.

I most definitely am going to miss wishing you on your Birthdays, more so this year especially since you would have FINALLY turned 40! For years now I've been wishing you a happy 40th birthday, not knowing (well obviously) that you wouldn't be around for it when you finally approached it.

V, if your passing has taught me anything, it is that I should never hold back what I feel and that I should live every moment of my life the way you did. You worked hard and played harder , achieving everything you could.

World Cup will not be the same without you - the banters between us on the games and who would finally emerge as the winner will not be the same , (although believe you me Germany will take the cup this time ! :P)

More then a decade as friends on a personal and professional level was too short a duration V, you left way too soon. You will always be missed - but somewhere in my heart I know although you are physically gone - whenever I need to speak to you , you will be there. I  have shared my thoughts with you recently; its just that now, I don't get a reply ...

Thank you for the memories V ... I'll cherish every one of them - you taught me how to celebrate life - and celebrate life I will...

*** ME***

Unpolished Diamond at the Edges of Bagan Lalang

The best buddy and I decided to take a impromptu day road trip to Bagan Lalang in Sepang. Having been there before I offered to drive and with a little help of my trusted GPS app Waze we were well on our way. 

The idea was to get there before Sunset so we could a) find a good restaurant b) not get lost. Although Waze got us to Golden Palm Tree Iconic Resort & Spa , but it got a little confusing when finding the restaurants that fellow bloggers had mentioned; as there were no landmarks or GPS coordinates given. 

Long story short it was close to 9.30pm by then and we were getting hungry. There was an option to drive to Pork Dickson about 15km away, but the best buddy decided we should give those unknown restaurants a chance. 

So anyways we ended up at this really hut'ish kind of restaurant by the beach. With truck loads of patrons - now logic states if there are a truck load of patrons the food has to be out-of-the-freaking-milky-way!

The best buddy doesn't do seafood but ever so wonderful to insists that I have what I wanted. So I went into an overdrive and ordered what usually would cost a bomb in the city. 

2 Flower Crabs cooked Masak Cili Goreng dengar Telur aka Fried with Chilli  and egg and 1 Sotong that was going to be Sotong Goreng Tepung aka Batter Fried Calamari Rings.

We also ordered Ayam Masak Merah aka Chicken cooked In Chilli and Tomato Sauce and Sayur Campur aka Mixed Vegetables.

The other part of logic hadn't hit me - where there is truck loads of patrons you also need to wait - and so the waiting game began, after what seemed like an hour and a thirty minutes lo and behold -the food arrived! Yayyyy

The fried Calamari was crunchy yet had that excellent chewy bit to it .The batter was light and flavored just right and went well with the sweet chilli dip. 

The crabs were mama-mia ! Magnificante! The chillies and onion were fried fragrantly where it makes you salivate - tehee :-) 

The crabs were so sweet and fresh, not as meaty as I had expected but nonetheless worth that what seemed forever wait. 

The Ayam Masak Merah seemed like their version of Padprik but the best buddy didn't really care - he was chowing it down! Hungry mah :(

The Sayur Campur aka Mixed Vegetables  wasn't anything to shout about. I wished they had used a better variety of vegetables but nonetheless it was edible so who cares :).

The bill came upto RM 58.40 believe you me I almost died from laughing hysterically after paying the bill. Didn't want to scare those nice people - I still wanna go back there again :) 

So readers of this blog if you have nothing much to do on a weekend and just wanna get away from KL for a couple of hours head down to bagan lalang for some good R&R and dirt cheap out of this world fresh and kicking alive seafood!

On another note - if you cant drive down to bagan lalang - but really craving for some really good selection of  fresh Seafood head to TESCO and if you can't do not fret - Tesco Delivers!  

Feeling good from within ...

Somewhere around last year in May/June I decided to take the plunge and join a group of like minded individuals of the new generation in their dream of forming the first New Generation Rotary Club in Malaysia. The members in the club are aged between 21-40, who love the idea of being able to good for society yet, not want to be categorized like the traditional Rotary Club. 

We meet twice a week, and discuss the numerous projects that we can do to our bid towards giving back to community and so far we have achieved quite a bit. While most people may feel that "ohhhh you dont need to be part of an organization to do good" I beg to defer, when a group of like minded individuals sit and focus on wanting to do something, the magnitude of what we are trying to do is on a larger scale - remember united we stand divided we fall. If it were up to me alone, somewhere along the line I may stop doing it; but because we are in this together as a group we are constantly motivating the other to continue with our efforts to contribute something back to society.

The feeling of giving back to society makes me feel good from within, although I do not do it on a larger scale , what little I do with their help multiplies hence making it a positive atmosphere to be in. There is good vibe and chi - allowing me to feel happy from within. Its like paying forward - something that I believe in. 

I am glad I had decided to take on that decision of joining the club because apart from doing good - I am also presented with the opportunity to go out and have fun with the members when we have our fellowships and recreational activities. 

Down Memory Lane : Fragments of my Childhood

What happens when one associates a certain song to a certain memory - its sorta like a magic link if you get what I mean. So anyway, I was browsing through YouTube and I found this video that dated back to 1988/89 during my uncle's wedding (maternal side).

 It was the only one I was old enough to remember (the others got married before I even understood the term) - so anyway coming back to this song - almost instantly I was transported back to the Sangeet Night where my parents including my extended family members (imagine the entire entourage) dancing to this tune ... and a little 7/8 year old me dancing in the middle of them - in my own very creative and imaginative way ( i have improved on the dancing skills since thn- heh! ).

I guess the point I am trying to make is - cherish those wonderful moments because somewhere along the line as we grow up we forget those moments , we forget the bond that we shared with each one of them. I sometimes wish I could turn back that time and go back to those years when everything was simple - there was no confusions or complications in life. I want to revisit those moments again where the one stare of my late grandfather Mr K S Gill would get all of us kids to shush our selves up. Where family weddings were intimate - receptions were held at home and everyone pitched it in to cook up a simple yet scrumptious feast.

I've always believed that life is a treasure box, as we go along we collect those very important treasures and store them, and every once in awhile we open that box and relive that memories all over again. I have many such moments that I have stored in my box.

My uncles wedding, my not very fantastic board examination results, my first crush , my first friends in school, the day I graduated and the list goes on..

For all those readers who view my blog, it isnt too late to start if you already haven't ... create that treasure box and cherish every moment of life; and if you like you could share it with me here in the comment section. I'd love to hear from you :)

Being Malaysian

I was in Celcom BlueCube outlet at Tesco Mutiara Damansara earlier today; I finally decided to get a data plan for the Ipad , figured if I wanted to blog about something while I was out I'd be able to without loosing my chain of thoughts - anyway I digress! So yes ... as I was filling the form up , I saw those three tiny little boxes that annoyed me slightly :

• Chinese
• Indian
• Malay 

After years of going on about 1Malaysia and the numerous campaigns launched under the 1Malaysia banner namely PR1MA , Klinik1Malaysia Kedai1Malaysia - all these stand as a banner for unity; then why despite all the talks of unity are we to be segregated by race and religion.

When we go abroad for holidays i.e. Australia - when we meet a person who is of Chinese/Malay/Indian ethnicity and we ask them where they are from - they say we are Australian regardless of where forefathers came from. Why can this same concept not be applied here? Why can we not just say we are Malaysian?

I dare speak for the majority of Malaysians that this is the only country that we can proudly call home - we have sung Negaraku from the age of 4 at kindergarten and all the way through primary and secondary school - we abide by the Rukun Negara and memorize them till today. We cheer for Lee Chong Wei, Nicole David and all the rest of the Malaysian contingent when the represent the country.

I am a very proud Malaysian, there is no country on the face of this planet that will allow me to celebrate Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali , Christmas and all the other religious celebrations plus allow me to practice my religion without fear.

I sing Gong Xi Gong Xi Ni during CNY, I hum on the late Sudirman's legendary Balik Kampung tune during Hari Raya Aidilfitri, it gives me an elevated feeling that I belong to a country that is so rich with diversity.

So it is a plea to the government of Malaysia - please remove those boxes that separate us - instead there should only be two boxes:

• Malaysian
• Non Malaysian

Image sourced  from here

Guys, you could win a new fridge or other home appliances with this #SharpPCI contest!

Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room Jaya 33

 As you step into the restaurant you are instantly transported back to the Colonial times in Malaya. The whiff of the charred meat and the ambiance ignites every sense in you ... this is what I feel every time I step into Coliseum Cafe & Grill Room at Jaya 33.

My parents and other family members who were part of that era (colonial times) remember their visits to the first Coliseum outlet in Batu Road (Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman) so that really gives you an idea of how good the food is :P

The best buddy and I went there sometime last year just by chance - we were scouting around for a good restaurant after realizing that Old Town at ThreeTwo Square was under renovation - and since we weren't really in the mood to drive out of PJ we settled for Coliseum Cafe.

The place really does transport one back to the golden era, the decor is minimal but very rustic - photographs of the original Coliseum Cafe are displayed proudly on their white wall of fame; very rightly so as the Cafe survived TWO WORLD WARS back then there was even a dress code!

Fast forward  92 years later, this outlet serves as a casual family dining -  a place where I'd like to get my entire family including the extended ones to just let them bask in the glory of their younger days.

I simply love their Sizzling Chicken in Brown Sauce - it comes with a bowl of Salad , decent servings of Potato Wedges, and broccoli with cauliflower in White Sauce. Ever since I've tried this ; I have to say I've never even attempted to try the other dishes on the Menu because I simply cant get enough of this :-D I am not a fan of Tomatoes so that poor lil guy always gets ignored - Tehee.

Since that first visit with the best buddy - I've taken my folks there for their anniversary and lo and behold there were in colonial hainanese heaven :)

I recently took the bestie Just Me The Mrs for her pre-birthday lunchie - and considering the fact that we are both on a very very strict weight loss regime Here and Here  we were done with just a few bites of the Salad - but we had promised each other we'd finish up our meal - hence making it this first proper meal I've had since 2014 (the after effects of the meal is a story for another day)

The pricing is pretty reasonable and average meal for 2 pax comes up to RM 75++ which I think is okay if you do it only on special occasions considering with the current price hike on ALMOST  everything .

If you're heading there anytime soon - drop me a message if you're paying I'll be there for the above meal :D 

Of Weight Loss, Diets and Pills ...

Lets' face it , we all have weight issues in one way or another and if you're anything like me (not that you know what I look like) I've been on a continuous mission to keep just ensure I do not add anymore weight/fat to this body.

So anyways, recently I decided to give Reductil 15mg a go again , but to my dismay I found out that the product was also discontinued in Malaysia. So I asked my pharmacist something that she would recommend for keeping the extra/unwanted pounds off. 

She suggested Duramine 30mg or Adipex Retard 30mg however , unlike Reductil that was available over the counter ; for these two appetite suppressants I would need a doctors prescription - and so I went getting on with the required.

That was 10 days ago, its been more than a week now since I've been on it. Adipex Retard works like most appetite suppressants it has the typical side effects - heart palpitation / increase of thirst/ no appetite (duh!) I've yet to determine if I have lost any weight , but I do feel far more energetic and alert. 

I would suggest cutting down on the caffeine  intake if you intend to begin on this as I realized today that my heart palpitations are on the double , the side effects will wary depending on your body. Also if you plan on getting the weight permanently without having it Yo-Yo itself back into your life - I would strongly suggest basic 15-20 minutes workout. PLEASE DRINK AT LEAST 3 LITERS OF WATER while on this as you tend to get really thirsty. 

On that note - sleep well and have a productive day tomorrow

Adipex

Interview

Just a quick one - vision board is being unleashed - got an interview tomorrow from a very reputable company - will update more on the outcome of this later.

Update:

The interview which was supposed to be yesterday was postponed to today- and it went pretty well ... i wont let the cat out of the bag just yet , as I want to be certain of the standing first - should it materialize it will be the best employment :) *fingers / toes crossed*

Law of Attraction

The law of attraction is the name given to the belief that "like attracts like" and that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts, one can bring about positive or negative results.^[1][2][3][4] This belief is based upon the idea that people and their thoughts are both made from pure energy, and the belief that like energy attracts like energy.^{[citation needed]} One example used by a proponent of the law of attraction is that if a person opened an envelope expecting to see a bill, then the law of attraction would "confirm" those thoughts and contain a bill when opened. A person who decided to instead expect a cheque might, under the same law, find a cheque instead of a bill.^[5]

A firm believer of the above, I have spent a long time trying to understand how to use his energy that allows you to shape your destiny and manifest your future. As ironic as it may be, it is nothing short of discovery that the power of your destiny lies in your own hands - which leads me to wonder if Fate does exists ; but I digress ... lets get back to the topic at hand.

I have over the years tried using the law of attraction for simple things like a parking spot , the idea behind it is to believe and focus on what you want and letting it go. It is about having the positive energy within you and feeling the good 'Chi'; as difficult as it may be, it is achievable.

This year I came up with a vision board for the various things I want in my life - which I broke into different categories :

1) A broad vision board

A broad vision board essentially lists down the things I want to achieve in a point form - think about it as writing your notes in point form so you can elaborate on it later.

2) A Detailed vision board

The detailed one allowed me to elaborate on a specific thing i.e. Holiday - I list down / insert images of the places I'd like to visit throughout 2014 - hence allowing me to have a better focus on the places I intend to visit.

Focusing on what you want can be very tricky especially if you can't decide (we humans never know when its enough) hence I am doing it my way - only focusing on what really matters to me ?

These are the things I have listed out in my broad vision board of 2014 :

1) A Career/Job
2) Starting my postgraduate programme
3) Having a steady-flow of cash/income
4) Investing/Purchasing my first property
5) Debt Free

It does seem like a lot of things but when you focus and envision what life would be like with these changes in life , and you start believing and living with your vision - you soon see them materializing before your very eyes.

The key is to believe - and living it like you already have.

Try it folks envision your life and shape your future :)

Source : Image Taken From

Hidden Human History Movie

 A couple of days back I discovered a documentary on YouTube that served to be an eye opener for me - of course one has to accept the logic and theories with an open mind and pinch of salt ; but if you were to actually try and understand the relevance of it - it would make sense to a certain extent

Watch the documentary and let me know your thoughts on it - looking forward to know what you think.

Source : YouTube

Being Happy

For most people, being happy comes naturally ... but being happy for myself has been an alien term for me as long as I can remember. People who are close to me especially my bestie would agree to this as she has for the longest time possible tried to drill it into my head that it is okay to be happy.

Don't get me wrong, I do love being happy in life, but more often than not my happiness didn't really settle well with a lot of people considering that it wasn't what they considered my happiness to be (if that makes any sense) and because I did not want to get into any kind of argument , more often than not I'd agree with them just to keep the peace.

That is all until recently (if you'd notice a lot of things happened recently - tehee) I have turned over a new leaf in which I DETERMINE WHAT I WANT TO DO IN LIFE AND I DETERMINE MY HAPPINESS that my friends is my mantra for 2014 - it isn't easy - there are times when it is much easier to give in to someone and avoid the whole conflict - but then a voice in me speaks " you have bent backwards for a lot of people in life, never expecting anything in return - at the end of the day what has all of this given you?" the answer plain and simple comes back as NOTHING.

Being happy is your basic right as a human being - if you make yourself happy in life only then can you help those around you... it took me a very very long time to grasp that idea but I'm trying and hopefully I will get around to making it a lifestyle - for now its a conscious ongoing effort to remain selfish if and when possible.

To the readers of this blog - do not push away happiness simply because someone else has a different idea of what happiness is meant to be - do what makes you happy - it is your life and therefore you are the master of your own destiny and the only person who has a control over you is the Almighty and your parents - but as long as you are aware of your decisions nothing else matters.

On that note - sleep well folks :)  

Employment

Until very recently I was employed, but due to some unforeseen circumstances I a am now actively seeking employment.

Having been in the PR industry for close to 7 years now , I find it really difficult to branch out elsewhere. Of course there is also the thought of opening up my own business - but really who  has that amount of cash for investment? Only money makes money :) and right now its more about surviving ...

Friends and family have been thoroughly supportive but sometimes it really does get to me. Is it really that difficult to find employment in this country? The thought leaves be bedazzled that do I really need to pull strings in order to actually secure myself a position?

Oh well here's to hoping that within the next couple of days/weeks I'll be securing myself with a decent job and an equally decent salary so that I am able of supporting myself financially.

My New Life Beginnings : Welcome Note

An empty book - that is what my new life beginnings is about; it is about my renewed and restored love for life , it is about finding my identity - often in life we are forced to juggle the various roles and responsibilities that are thrown at us but somehow along the way we tend to loose ourselves.

This blog will hopefully allow me to rediscover myself and along with that allowing me to grow into the person I want to be.

Follow me through my journey and who knows I may learn something from you or you may just be inspired by me ...