Wednesday, January 20, 2010
INTERRUPTED TRAIN OF THOUGHT
I began to get alarmed when the train reversed at Mesjid Jame' and many people got off at Pasar Seni. I was too deep in thought that I could only get off at KL Sentral so that I could catch a train that is going to Ampang Park. On reaching Mesjid Jame' for the second time, there was a Rapid KL staff shouting that the train I was on will be going back to Kelana Jaya and those going towards Wangsa Maju had to get down and wait for another train on the the OTHER platform. I was already late for my appointment by then and had to reschedule it.
Apparently, there was some problems with the track between Damai and Wangsa Maju and the trains became shuttle trains. Rapid KL was caught with its pants down. It was a big SNAFU and obviously Rapid KL was not fully prepared for it. It was only later, on my back that there was a small notice that I saw at Ampang Park informing passengers of the problem. There was a megaphone used at Ampang Park Station telling passengers which platform to use. In spite of that passengers going to Kelana Jaya had to rush from one platform to another because coordination was poor.
Next day I scanned the papers for the news of the SNAFU. Rapid KL must have an excellent relations with the press because the incident was not reported. On Thursday, when I hesistantly took the LRT again, I saw Rapid KL staff with walkie-talkies on the train. At least somebody learned from mistakes.
LRT is now getting popular as a public transport. Apart from the occasional offensive body odour, incessant loud talking on the phone and younger people who cannot read signs to give the seat to pregnant women and old people, I have no complaint. But when you are not prepared for breakdowns, I cannot forgive you. Can you?
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
AUNTIE AINI'S GARDEN CAFE
On Tuesday, one of my Veteran friends (and computer students) Hj. Amran Hamid took me to lunch. He brought along his fellow sports commentator, Haji Zulkarnain Hassan. Jun, Amran's wife made up the foursome. Another ex-colleague, Hj. Baharin Tahir who drove on his own all the way from Klang got lost in Dengkil and never made it to our lunch.
I did not know that it was going to be a long trip but it was worth the long journey.
We arrived at Auntie Aini's Garden Cafe just after 12 noon. I had no idea whatsoever that it was in another state altogether.
The place is in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.
It has a distinctive gate which reminded me of another restaurant in Sungai Penchala.
The place was already crowded when we got there. Aini told me her clientele are mostly from KLIA and surrounding places. Most of the tables were already reserved.
If you fancy eating kampung-style (sitting on the floor), reserve one of the two small huts.
Aini personally took our order. She has been featured on Travel & Living twice. Once with Anthony Bourdain and the other with Jamie Aditya. Jamie, The Naked Chef would probably come later.
In deference to Haji Zulkarnain's tastebuds, we did not order Auntie Aini's celebrated Kepala Ikan Tempoyak. We had Asam Pedas instead. Jun did not get her fried quails (they just ran out) so we made do with fried chicken. Kerabu Pucuk Paku, Gulai Daging Salai and ikan masin were the rest of our fare.The food was excellent, the ambience was nice and the service was above par. What more can you ask from a restaurant?
Here is how you can get to the restaurant. It is closed on Sundays but open on Public Holidays. The address is Batu 16 Jalan Sepang, Kampong Chelet, Nilai. It is advisable to make reservations. Call (06) 799 1276. For those who have not yet acquired the taste for Negeri Sembilan cuisine, worry not. Auntie Aini's can whip up mean western dishes too.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
THE PERFECT HUSBAND
Several men are in the locker room of a golf club. A cell phone on a bench rings and a man turns on the hands free speaker function and begins to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen.
MAN: 'Hello'
WOMAN: 'Honey, it's me. Are you at the club?'
MAN: 'Yes'
WOMAN: 'I am at the mall now and found this beautiful leather coat. It's only $1,000. Is it OK if I buy it?'
MAN: 'Sure, go ahead if you like it that much.'
WOMAN: 'I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the New 2009 models. I saw one I really liked.'
MAN: 'How much?'
WOMAN: '$90,000'
MAN: 'OK, but for that price I want it with all the options.'
WOMAN: 'Great! Oh, and one more thing...the house I wanted last year is back on the market. They're asking $950,000'
MAN: 'Well, go ahead and give them an offer of $900,000. They will probably take it.. If not, we can go the extra 50 thousand.'
WOMAN: 'OK. I'll see you later! I love you so much!'
MAN: 'Bye! I love you, too.'
The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are staring at him in astonishment, mouths agape.
He turns and asks: 'Anyone know who this phone belongs to?'
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
WATCH & BE WISE
We had a few in Malaysia, the latest was the former mufti of Perlis. Now we have one from the Arab world.
Watch, listen and think.
Click here to watch the video.
(Thanks to Toh Puan Rosita for forwarding me the link)
Thursday, October 08, 2009
WHAT IS OLD
Probably you have received this but no harm in reading again.
What is Old? "OLD" IS WHEN..... Your sweetie says, "Let's go upstairs and make love," and you answer, "Choose one, I can't do both!"
"OLD" IS WHEN... Your friends compliment you on your new alligator shoes and you're barefoot.
"OLD" IS WHEN. A sexy babe catches your eye and your pacemaker opens the garage door.
"OLD" IS WHEN.... Going bra-less pulls all the wrinkles out of your face.
"OLD" IS WHEN..... You don't care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don't have to go along.
"OLD" IS WHEN..... You are cautioned to slow down by... the doctor instead of by the police. "OLD" IS WHEN.... "Getting a little action" means I don't need to take any fibre today.
"OLD" IS WHEN..... "Getting lucky" means you find your car in the parking lot. "OLD" IS WHEN..... An "all-nighter" means not getting up to wee
(Thanks to Dato' Abdullah for forwarding this)
Sunday, October 04, 2009
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
Friday, September 25, 2009
PERSUASIONS
As for dengue, the campaign is going on with as much success as the road safety campaign. Our posters are straight-forward:
Hapuskan Nyamok Aedes or something to that effect. I could not get a copy of a poster on the Net. I did get some that were used in Singapore.

This banner that I spotted along Marine Parade is gentler than those above but heartfelt nonetheless.
The copywriter crafted more words for the Dengue Campaign. Go to his blog to feast on the clever words.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Selamat Raya Posa & Raya Nang
Monday, September 07, 2009
LOOKING UP A LOST FRIEND
Ariff is a pale shadow of the debonair, dashing colleague that the friends knew. Although he did not lose much weight, he lost a bit of his memory. He stared into faces trying to rummage through his mind the names that go with the faces.
The friends handed over some raya gifts for Ariff as well as for the rest of the inmates.
As they were leaving and waving goodbye to Ariff, many had the same thought in their head:
"There for the Grace of God goes I".
Monday, August 24, 2009
ON GETTING OLDER
Someone had to remind me, so I'm reminding you too. Don't
laugh.....it is all true....
Perks of reaching 50 or being over 60 and heading towards 70!
01. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
02.. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
03. No one expects you to run--anywhere.
04. People call at 9 pm and ask,"did I wake you?"
05. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
06. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
07. Things you buy now won't wear out.
08. You can eat supper at 4 pm.
09. You can live without sex but not your glasses.
10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.
13. You sing along with elevator music.
14. Your eyes won't get much worse.
15. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national
weather service.
17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't
remember them either.
18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
19. You can't remember who sent you this list.
20.And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.
Thank you Pak Idrus. As a birthday treat, on the way to sending Mimi back to UITM we had berbuka puasa at Seoul Garden, One Utama. This is one rare establishment where senior citizens get a 25% discount.

I got my 25% discount but being a "Birthday Boy" I should have eaten free (together with 5 other people) Oh well, next year perhaps.

Sunday, July 19, 2009
GOODBYE CAPTAIN
This afternoon Pak Idrus phoned me and told me about the passing of a dear blogger friend. It was confirmed at http://rockybru.com.my/
I have nothing to say except to recite the Al Fatihah for him and to convey my deepest condolonces to his family.
Monday, June 29, 2009
VOICES OF HOPE
Many people missed the delightful performances yesterday (Sunday 28th June). Not many people know of the Choralton. There wasn't enough publicity. Those that came to the Multipurpose Hall of SEGI University College, Kota Damansara yesterday mostly heard about the event through word of mouth. They were entertained by more than 300 singers comprising of preschool kids up to adults. Even the audience sang during a special singalong segment.
The repertoire was eclectic. There were Malaysian patriotic songs totally different from what you hear on radio and TV, Japanese songs, Chinese songs and a tribute to P.Ramlee and Sudirman. There were choirs, duets and solos from 10 am to 5pm.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
CLOSEUPS
Until I get my Macro lens, I had to prevent my Olympus from getting depressed due to inferiority complex. Luckily the Olympus E500 has a close up mode which is sort of a replacement for the Macro lens in a pinch. Here are the results of the shots I took today:
Sunday, June 07, 2009
SUSU KENTAL
I still do not understand why Sweetened Condensed Milk is not available in Malaysia. After making do with black coffee for a while, I got my sweetened condensed milk from Singapore and Indonesia. Do tell your friends/relatives coming from those places that they will not be allowed to hand-carry the milk on the plane. Check them in together with the checked baggage.
For susu pekat manis addicts without relatives or pliable friends travelling overseas, there is good news. There is a shop in Jalan Chow Kit importing Susu Kental Manis Indomilk.
Cheers!
Monday, June 01, 2009
THE PAINT JOB
In the last week of May, they started the paint job. Instead of using the old-fashioned bamboo scaffoldings, the contractor uses electric gondolas.
Monday, May 25, 2009
BROADBAND BLUES
I wanted P1 Wimax but my area was not covered. I compared Digi and Celcom. Digi gave a bigger monthly download limit of 10 GB, double that of Celcom. Celcom do offer a Daily Unlimited Plan but the salesman could not explain how the plan works. So I went to a Digi outlet in MidValley. Unfortunately, they ran out of modems so I had to look for another outlet. The nearest is at Bangsar. A few nights ago, there was a temporary stand selling Digi Broadband outside the mamak restaurant. I asked the salesperson whether I can download torrents with Digi. The salesperson did'nt know what torrents are. In the permanent Digi shop, I made sure that there are modems available before giving my ic card to start the registration process. I was lucky that the salesperson is a thorough person. He checked the Digi coverage. He told me that there is coverage in my area but when he saw my address on my ic card, he told me that coverage is up to 4th floor only and I am on the 12th floor. Dang! I thought that the higher I am from the ground, the better the reception is. Is the Digi transponder or transmitter in my area right at sea-level?
I had no choice left but to go for Celcom Broadband. So immediately after saying goodbye to Mimi who is going to me proud at UiTM, I rushed to Digital Mall. The Blue Cube outlet ran out of modems too. Broadband is doing a roaring business huh? While walking to the car which was in front of the Maybank, I saw a Celcom stand. They have modems. So I got one.
I went home and excitedly plug in the modem to surf but I could not get any network. My account was not activated yet. When I phoned the salesperson who sold me the modem, he told me that I have to wait until Monday to have connection. I got my connection past 6 pm today. What took them so long? Celcom trumpeted that they are the fastest but their dealer's service is real slow. It was only after threats of sending back the modem that they rushed to activate my account.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
THE ROAD TO 1MALAYSIA
- People do not grumble that there are no cabinet ministers from their state. Aren't ministers supposed to serve all Malaysians? Is there a difference if they come from Perlis, Perak or Pahang?
-When Amanah Saham is offered to ALL Malaysians, some people demanded that a portion is allocated to their ethnic group. Just go and buy. What is the problem?
-All interviewees on TV speak Bahasa Malaysia on BM news bulletins. And proper BM too. Stop using "mereka-mereka". How long have you been a citizen of this country? In other countries like the US, you have to pass an exam to be a citizen and that includes understanding and speaking the official language.
-Everyone ACCEPTS the diversity of the population and not just tolerates. There is a limit to tolerance. There is no longer a limit when you accept. So, DBKL stop making a fuss about temples burning incense just as non-Muslims should stop complaining about the azan. Understand and accept.
There are of course more. I am sure you can add your own to the list. Go ahead.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
THE DINNER AT SERI MELAYU
In spite of feeling under the weather I decided not to miss the event. I am glad I did not because I got to meet up with old bloggers like Pak Idrus and Capt Yusoff as well as the younger ones like Rocky, Noraina, Elvisa and Ruby. There were of course famous and inflential bloggers present such as Dato' Kadir Jasin, Nobisha, A Voice, Mahaguru and Syed of Outsyed The Box.
The food was good, the company, excellent. I got to pick the brain of Dato' Dr. Halim of MCMC who kindly volunteered to look into my phone line problem.
I did not take that many pictures, being stoned by my medication most of the evening. I tool a lift home from Capt. Yusoff. I think the walk to to parking lot put a strain on my muscles that night and added more days to the recovery. But I think It was worth all the pain.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
WATCH AND WONDER
I have no idea who the author is. If this is your work, do come in and take a bow.
Thanks to Dato' Abdullah for sharing this with me.
Monday, March 30, 2009
FAITH
Faith is something that drives you to doggedly do something in spite of the odds. I guess the 13 Independent candidates in the Bukit Selambau By-Election have plenty of faith. After all, nobody goes into a fight intending to lose.My post today will not be about politics or running dogs. It is about a real dog and about faith.
This is 'Faith'
This dog was born on Christmas Eve in the year 2002. He was born with 3 legs - 2 healthy hind legs and 1 abnormal front leg which need to be amputated. He of course could not walk when he was born. Even his mother did not want him.
His first owner also did not think that he can survive. Therefore, he was thinking of 'putting him to sleep'.By this time, his present owner, Jude Stringfellow, met him and wanted to take care of him.
She is determined to teach and train this dog to walk by himself. Therefore she named him 'Faith'.

In the beginning, she put Faith on a surfing board to let him feel the movements. Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and reward for him to stand up and jump around. Even the other dog at home also helped to encourage him to walk. Amazingly, only after 6 months, like a miracle, Faith learned to balance on his 2 hind legs and jumped to move forward. After further training in the snow, he now can walk like a human being.
So folks, whenever you think that the world is coming to an end and things look lost, think of Faith.
Thanks to Dato' Abdullah for emailing me this story.












