tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57823582024-03-13T20:39:26.463+08:00ah ok lahAh ok lah - about the blogosphere and life since 2003Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1433125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-50369232066823149262023-10-05T19:39:00.002+08:002023-10-05T19:39:18.508+08:00Trip to Medan <p> This was my first trip to Medan in Indonesia. This was in May 2023.</p><p>I took the MAS flight and it was quite smooth.</p><p>I was there to attend the Global Total education fair at Medan today. I delivered a seminar on Social media marketing. Representing School of Business, Monash University Malaysia at the fair.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-s11ROa7yOam-Lusmj78ZpmNW7GGmxKRfjSTx3Uaxsv8MY5Rh116lu1j03p9-KbejmBNw2czcDq0AdGrGVky7w3UPEpsdRASFnT6LKs804olmXArxbXLgQny5WksUL2Bjtza1yG-bfzn9dbziTWIn8rzuKwRt0smlKUTsP_g1dNdNmcLEduSs/s1440/345585546_5653345144766731_339461250038746937_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1440" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-s11ROa7yOam-Lusmj78ZpmNW7GGmxKRfjSTx3Uaxsv8MY5Rh116lu1j03p9-KbejmBNw2czcDq0AdGrGVky7w3UPEpsdRASFnT6LKs804olmXArxbXLgQny5WksUL2Bjtza1yG-bfzn9dbziTWIn8rzuKwRt0smlKUTsP_g1dNdNmcLEduSs/s320/345585546_5653345144766731_339461250038746937_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh527NKo2GaqPkYafUGmbz3TGOKi6MmX-YgzFiiJXhk7gD8JCyDwmr7aMdQIMGm8056FMlbGO1B-8bY5D-bmndiYOnl7gH9SXfU_9Q2YFHAFYI54v9Heim_h-UmpGgvDS-rJeaVDHuyzgG-tXs8cYTpEW9g4Hzmbijkop-VKuFD6UgPyRzU1_1Y/s1047/345436648_1199398960740957_404666237037749480_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="1047" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh527NKo2GaqPkYafUGmbz3TGOKi6MmX-YgzFiiJXhk7gD8JCyDwmr7aMdQIMGm8056FMlbGO1B-8bY5D-bmndiYOnl7gH9SXfU_9Q2YFHAFYI54v9Heim_h-UmpGgvDS-rJeaVDHuyzgG-tXs8cYTpEW9g4Hzmbijkop-VKuFD6UgPyRzU1_1Y/s320/345436648_1199398960740957_404666237037749480_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrK0npPDgOlTTcC3wAM2uv68QbXS1kAA6mT1vOMrMNye40hOXrtHDvChLQlwAhsfvxXRoUWMjbCTmVmJ1xevRfhpI_zHvBdmn4fntBYousq3BdSC6kTh-wY0VMjO2poKl003VqBDdFjQUCKd0NFsmMqDB8bgI18Pi65bhrKWsDw1_Z-qnmgBfQ/s4640/IMG_20230513_135546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2616" data-original-width="4640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrK0npPDgOlTTcC3wAM2uv68QbXS1kAA6mT1vOMrMNye40hOXrtHDvChLQlwAhsfvxXRoUWMjbCTmVmJ1xevRfhpI_zHvBdmn4fntBYousq3BdSC6kTh-wY0VMjO2poKl003VqBDdFjQUCKd0NFsmMqDB8bgI18Pi65bhrKWsDw1_Z-qnmgBfQ/s320/IMG_20230513_135546.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Stayed at Adimulia Hotel Medan. The hotel was really nice. Did not get the chance to do much sightseeing. Was able to take some pics from the Taxi rides. Medan has some really nice buildings. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bNTiKHNSLdg5U-wQcYgpDPNh15Oc1hEqzanSnYDi2Ik_MCwQgbMriQNSGFbA9oWPZd7r6AzrFwK0D1qPfcXgFSyV6i-U6iok_knsjDcdiDPdetWrjy1YSdrr6I38_O3hAAbfVuJLJ7j81JF4DDGIn8ZglL_P2x0wXf7SmDRi4j7kvgUJumtU/s4000/IMG_20230514_112845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bNTiKHNSLdg5U-wQcYgpDPNh15Oc1hEqzanSnYDi2Ik_MCwQgbMriQNSGFbA9oWPZd7r6AzrFwK0D1qPfcXgFSyV6i-U6iok_knsjDcdiDPdetWrjy1YSdrr6I38_O3hAAbfVuJLJ7j81JF4DDGIn8ZglL_P2x0wXf7SmDRi4j7kvgUJumtU/s320/IMG_20230514_112845.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6VFhr_BrgOIsrvhYKtiGjo_-qBKx3ye8gC05RFOKhqOHOwt93QG9C5fsFmwkp5zxfDS4J8quDRE-X4WuLn51vASZVc4xqgqfOIR4Tcb0grVamw84Q61B68X6GmMx9FcxhFI_YUy0c2zqSnoIHdMeuJHafidA1TTAfkfzvS16nCMXxx9XhbjZ/s4000/IMG_20230514_112645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6VFhr_BrgOIsrvhYKtiGjo_-qBKx3ye8gC05RFOKhqOHOwt93QG9C5fsFmwkp5zxfDS4J8quDRE-X4WuLn51vASZVc4xqgqfOIR4Tcb0grVamw84Q61B68X6GmMx9FcxhFI_YUy0c2zqSnoIHdMeuJHafidA1TTAfkfzvS16nCMXxx9XhbjZ/s320/IMG_20230514_112645.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0BKRt-AnVylsabwKcf2xQ5oFCwiBFi6j_7JJj2vOmdUfsyfsrT1YTCL4Bwxp7PT5IccZWI3CZ6Y5poMQRasDnuMKCpc9_2VIMxuQZaKfK-12Ci71QIoZBRo8AfCVngB6PF63kMvfHq648XJQC494E3XselC0_Lz_GJMo1tAONuH6u-npWvil/s4000/IMG_20230514_112613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0BKRt-AnVylsabwKcf2xQ5oFCwiBFi6j_7JJj2vOmdUfsyfsrT1YTCL4Bwxp7PT5IccZWI3CZ6Y5poMQRasDnuMKCpc9_2VIMxuQZaKfK-12Ci71QIoZBRo8AfCVngB6PF63kMvfHq648XJQC494E3XselC0_Lz_GJMo1tAONuH6u-npWvil/s320/IMG_20230514_112613.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFyrgn_JjMSMvGSuzqWBaQeW1f_sQ_jxkGHiOhFZxJiFbaOtjk-qRNGvxodbJOR7b1TczNU0AGJ3Ma3E9hOw36849vff8g-QwWWqltvJrZJLVL2Ri26KyMR9vTu9OWlQpneN2xW1vTAOWKzTYSaUo4ymQ_F0WSgmfkjvOneZiSsjTT-H9NiQR/s4000/IMG_20230514_112535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNFyrgn_JjMSMvGSuzqWBaQeW1f_sQ_jxkGHiOhFZxJiFbaOtjk-qRNGvxodbJOR7b1TczNU0AGJ3Ma3E9hOw36849vff8g-QwWWqltvJrZJLVL2Ri26KyMR9vTu9OWlQpneN2xW1vTAOWKzTYSaUo4ymQ_F0WSgmfkjvOneZiSsjTT-H9NiQR/s320/IMG_20230514_112535.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSpREvgIEs5jBVk0EC5wklLBj1tRyexkVv8vaeBS08JSc_s3f3NmQHseQ0dRNosDiPNLyZPbB-Ycd-s4Bhz00FT3qkPQkWjDphA0XVMeBFMzUxWAa4e3OoIipqxiaUvlocZ59ANeYEF65YLdcQKTANlO2ED3ZB0oX23_ME2lL9fUsxGjqpvAD/s4000/IMG_20230513_155454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSpREvgIEs5jBVk0EC5wklLBj1tRyexkVv8vaeBS08JSc_s3f3NmQHseQ0dRNosDiPNLyZPbB-Ycd-s4Bhz00FT3qkPQkWjDphA0XVMeBFMzUxWAa4e3OoIipqxiaUvlocZ59ANeYEF65YLdcQKTANlO2ED3ZB0oX23_ME2lL9fUsxGjqpvAD/s320/IMG_20230513_155454.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPB-WffL-x4Cvw8w88MkRNIPmXOLKkd_H3kwIAFe0osc3-_S5NbXuMqCs6K0jmB0nD7NNT0qVAi3MMT11Mbf-oBqdNEe9gEsF9ICZWn9nO1XWeIs5O7r1CoojnNyzgz3vm9aME0AN3_vSOIMnOiXhkF1IrckHm31y5ofg07dEV8tGjpQ9FLeW/s4000/IMG_20230513_155326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPB-WffL-x4Cvw8w88MkRNIPmXOLKkd_H3kwIAFe0osc3-_S5NbXuMqCs6K0jmB0nD7NNT0qVAi3MMT11Mbf-oBqdNEe9gEsF9ICZWn9nO1XWeIs5O7r1CoojnNyzgz3vm9aME0AN3_vSOIMnOiXhkF1IrckHm31y5ofg07dEV8tGjpQ9FLeW/s320/IMG_20230513_155326.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here are some views from the Hotel</div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXO8Zp2SellJOv3wGxFom4Hx5FrXFEL9HSPcDvJDdhu14XBL73vc071kxteDnKUrFrkYU80-GY35gGVmMXae4lHBivuJ5WE6n9nzisK80Xjo3179sQtpnO8iEtjEcWBFGeuBzkG2LKJnein8ysFWtWITTmc2qb2-Ci3GbkEgjtb2e8fy3gYWeO/s4000/IMG_20230512_193835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXO8Zp2SellJOv3wGxFom4Hx5FrXFEL9HSPcDvJDdhu14XBL73vc071kxteDnKUrFrkYU80-GY35gGVmMXae4lHBivuJ5WE6n9nzisK80Xjo3179sQtpnO8iEtjEcWBFGeuBzkG2LKJnein8ysFWtWITTmc2qb2-Ci3GbkEgjtb2e8fy3gYWeO/s320/IMG_20230512_193835.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uJJJcCZQgFfIOad333-j1mT_QflnwSmlvJCuGnqjIQKl9gQlNv2DkWdrmqJ6d0JiNe7VTiKRGYptF3RrqRhNWOfu687oi-1ux-XLTTDSlMAZ_Sc6mVBn4ZYKwlam_upIxlAhUsLe1i9f1TnB3Y2t4xpPCq_2NoPAdxKGlWhX9xZXtWX4kuA7/s4000/IMG_20230512_193604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uJJJcCZQgFfIOad333-j1mT_QflnwSmlvJCuGnqjIQKl9gQlNv2DkWdrmqJ6d0JiNe7VTiKRGYptF3RrqRhNWOfu687oi-1ux-XLTTDSlMAZ_Sc6mVBn4ZYKwlam_upIxlAhUsLe1i9f1TnB3Y2t4xpPCq_2NoPAdxKGlWhX9xZXtWX4kuA7/s320/IMG_20230512_193604.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsShPH0rL7BzKRMheGvZcM29zKgMSgtxZK6uRt-IZK_JCIZBnG03hMu7sijX3AGKX5uZUEpkjKku5lA2mER1akd2b4HdYZnAb_sdZRNU2_h_LuD4v6hIJD-z_MCRFNS4nhYvCctjF6CEjy4UpKLEuvU0VZJ5tTHeQTICoYqJlbDNPx_SXcURZ/s4000/IMG_20230512_172337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEsShPH0rL7BzKRMheGvZcM29zKgMSgtxZK6uRt-IZK_JCIZBnG03hMu7sijX3AGKX5uZUEpkjKku5lA2mER1akd2b4HdYZnAb_sdZRNU2_h_LuD4v6hIJD-z_MCRFNS4nhYvCctjF6CEjy4UpKLEuvU0VZJ5tTHeQTICoYqJlbDNPx_SXcURZ/s320/IMG_20230512_172337.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_GuNLM0sQSExf6BarfXX2r8Jd95zlnHJfHk_HpasOJ95KxazHSChFPPLFrzWhHBwxWBWWIgyAQIoMDUyqdH9U7ZmC5TLMbPEzHrCxLjTFFc09XZMSfBZ59_tUPGYlczOITvmjpVxDRKSgEmDRQiES-wxWawXySHPTVn2XOt1sCO4hqEImp_-/s4000/IMG_20230512_164300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_GuNLM0sQSExf6BarfXX2r8Jd95zlnHJfHk_HpasOJ95KxazHSChFPPLFrzWhHBwxWBWWIgyAQIoMDUyqdH9U7ZmC5TLMbPEzHrCxLjTFFc09XZMSfBZ59_tUPGYlczOITvmjpVxDRKSgEmDRQiES-wxWawXySHPTVn2XOt1sCO4hqEImp_-/s320/IMG_20230512_164300.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Also experienced my first Grab bike taxi ride - scary, without a helmet but exciting.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMykhDrPBgmH3bg87gSzpOPlLNKQvfJfai8vXZB2vVBk96DCSA1oPNKmMUsenvFh-dldwhMikn1IkyiLAWEanwSL_J36fGy2MMNODjt6osXTbF6WA57UTdW-hDI-_QwEPfNzCDA8VhgSuBXctvfYrvoH7K4XxNWAUXq0m-iCtRnd748Y3hVSn/s4640/IMG_20230512_183543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4640" data-original-width="2616" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMykhDrPBgmH3bg87gSzpOPlLNKQvfJfai8vXZB2vVBk96DCSA1oPNKmMUsenvFh-dldwhMikn1IkyiLAWEanwSL_J36fGy2MMNODjt6osXTbF6WA57UTdW-hDI-_QwEPfNzCDA8VhgSuBXctvfYrvoH7K4XxNWAUXq0m-iCtRnd748Y3hVSn/s320/IMG_20230512_183543.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-27440711925349501292023-09-02T09:37:00.002+08:002023-09-02T09:37:14.535+08:00Foods to Avoid and Food that are Good for Blood Pressure<p> I recently found out that my BP is sky high. I had been experiencing migraines, tiredness and body aches and I suspected it as I had been diagnosed with high BP a few years back. However, I stopped taking medicine after a few weeks and was able to control it. However, I have gone back to my bad habits - sleeping late, eating junk food and a lot of stress and here we are. </p><p>Have been researching a lot and according to most sources, there is not cure for BP and you have to take medicines. I have relented and started as well as I do not want to have a stroke or heart attack.</p><p>Anyway, I don't want it to get worse. I found out that the worst foods for BP are the ones I love - savory snacks and others listed below. I don't smoke, don't consumer alcohol and I am vegetarian.</p><p><b>Food to avoid for people with high blood pressure</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Saturated fats</li><li>Crisps and salty snacks</li><li>Sugary drinks</li><li>Bread</li><li>Canned tomato products</li><li>Soup</li><li>Cheese</li><li>Pizza</li><li>Caffeine</li><li>Pickles</li><li>Condiments</li></ul><p></p><p><b> The Best Foods for High Blood Pressure</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Citrus</li><li>chokeberries</li><li>blueberries</li><li>raspberries</li><li>strawberries</li><li>grapes</li><li>Kiwifruit</li><li>Leafy greens</li><li>Nuts and seeds</li><li>pumpkin seeds</li><li>flaxseed</li><li>chia seed</li><li>pistachios</li><li>walnuts</li><li>almonds</li><li>Legumes</li><li>cranberries</li><li>Amaranth</li><li>whole oats</li><li>quinoa</li><li>brown rice</li><li>corn</li><li>whole grain bread</li><li>whole wheat pasta</li><li>Olive oil</li><li>Carrots</li><li>Eggs</li><li>Tomatoes</li><li>Broccoli</li><li>Yogurt</li><li>Herbs</li><li>Potatoes</li></ul><p></p><div>Let me know if there is any food I should add to the lists. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-811913593143839482021-06-18T19:33:00.005+08:002021-06-18T19:33:40.419+08:00My mother defeated the COVID19 virus and is back home<p><i> A post I made on Facebook a few days back.</i></p><p>Our Ima is finally back home and happy. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lhUb4RnLhrI/YMyESzAJJyI/AAAAAAAAT-M/3va65v4KLNI3H6vv4RMnqPoyJjdqGsBnQCLcBGAsYHQ/s952/ima1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="952" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lhUb4RnLhrI/YMyESzAJJyI/AAAAAAAAT-M/3va65v4KLNI3H6vv4RMnqPoyJjdqGsBnQCLcBGAsYHQ/w201-h400/ima1.jpg" width="201" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SZ0i6lHBBI/YMyESoQ53hI/AAAAAAAAT-I/KOv91OoBLbU3cjjBRfWU4WTlqfa9ZR2qQCLcBGAsYHQ/s958/ima2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SZ0i6lHBBI/YMyESoQ53hI/AAAAAAAAT-I/KOv91OoBLbU3cjjBRfWU4WTlqfa9ZR2qQCLcBGAsYHQ/w220-h400/ima2.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><p>We did not even have time to mourn the passing of our Baba, our Ima was hospitalised the same day. It was my childhood friend Dr. James Elangbam who convinced me to have my mother hospitalised. We thought that she would be in for a couple of days but in the end, it turned out to be a roller coaster ride of 21 days – emotionally, mentally and physically, especially as we are all so far away. It was like a Korean drama – my wife corrected me; it was more like a Hindi movie with a happy ending. </p><p>She was initially diagnosed as asymptomatic, and the doctor expected her to be discharged in a few days but later her oxygen saturation or SpO2 levels dropped and she had to be put on oxygen. Later she became so weak, that she could not get up let alone walk to the bathroom. At one point, Dr. Goldie was visiting her and found that Ima’s SpO2 levels had actually gone down to 70 – something really serious for those who are not aware. Then, there was the problem of her blood sugar which was erratic – sometimes really low and then shooting up. Just a couple of days ago, she literally collapsed, and it was Che Thoi, who had the presence of mind to quickly feed her some food and alert the nurses. She slowly recovered and we really must thank Che Thoi, our cousin, who really took great care of her. </p><p>Anyway, we are really glad that she is out of the hospital finally. She is not out of the woods just yet but when they last checked her SpO2 levels before leaving the hospital, it was 99 (which is good) without oxygen support. </p><p>There is a long list of people who helped us reach this point. First of all, I would like to thank the Almighty God who opened the hearts of so many people to help and guide us. Dr. James was among the few who got back in touch with me when I reached out to many of my doctor friends on Facebook. He along with Dr. Reena Arambam, part of the RMC colony gang, helped us to get Ima into Shija Hospital. Dr. Reena was in constant contact with us, even when she was down with dengue. Vimala Rajkumari who helped us to get Ima a room at the hospital. Ka Meghraj who was always there with us – advising and listening to us. This has brought us close to our cousins Che Thoi, Suranjoy Singh Loitongbam, Asangbam Satyabarta Singh, Sonalika Khoirom and Dipu Khoirom. Our Aunts Nene Mutum Hemabati and Nene Tondon. We don’t know what we would have done without them. We cannot forget Newmai and Rose who took care of Baba during his last moments. I also reconnected with Dr. Ashangbam Vivekananda Singh, through Dr. James. Thanks so much for the oxygen concentrator. </p><p>Last but not the least, our spouses Ezlika Ghazali, Fred and Sumit Taluja and our children, for supporting us during these few tough weeks. </p><p>Please forgive us if we missed anyone here. I know a lot of friends and family prayed for her. </p><p>We will not forget your kindness. May God bless you.</p><p>Dilip, Juliana & Diana </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-88826572078268290892021-03-18T18:40:00.007+08:002021-06-09T14:52:20.518+08:00Thabal chongba, Nati, Dabke and other similar dances<p><br />
I was going through YouTube videos and came across Dabke folk dances from the Levantine. I realised that there are some similarities with the traditional Nati folk dances native to the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand in India. There are also similarities with the Thabal Chongba dance from Manipur and traditional dances from Greece.
Nati from Himachal
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Palestinian Dabke
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Lebanese Dabke
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Kurdish
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Greek traditional dances
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Manipuri Thabal Chongba
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I started blogging on my ah ok lah blog on September 2003. <div><br /><div>Wow! </div><div><br /></div><div>That was actually 17 years ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was still single then, much slimmer and had just joined academia as a lecturer at Universiti Utara Malaysia.<div><br /></div><div>Brings back a lot of great memories. </div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>I have not been blogging much recently but I plan to start blogging on a regular basis.</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy Belated Birthday to my blog.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-39314790449915974282020-10-05T10:42:00.001+08:002020-10-05T10:42:10.751+08:00Thinking about zombiesYesterday, I was finally able to catch the final episode of this season's The walking dead, one of my favourite TV shows. <div>I am not sure whether other people have thought about this as O know most watch it got entertainment, however I was thinking of the science. The only way to kill the zombies or walkers is to destroy the brain. Even though the show is now supposedly several years after the zombie apocalypse, there are thousands of zombies walking around. They are supposed to be dead and as we all know dead people will start decomposing, including their brains. The fact that they can walk and even tear apart stuff means that their brains are still alive, blood is still flowing and muscles are still functional, and can still bite. This is not really believable as the brain is among the first organs to decompose. If a few years, that is fine. However, to see so many zombies decades later is simply not possible.</div><div>In some episodes we can see zombies without the body and only the head hissing and moving the mouth. </div><div>The explanation may be that the zombie apocalypse was caused by super microbes which take over the dead body and specifically the brain and keep it alive. Or alternatively a more credible explanation from a scientific point of view, may be nanobots released into the atmosphere which are now in the bodies of all human beings and which are activated once the body dies and they take over. </div><div>I know this has been a slightly morbid post. However, I would love to hear your theories of you are a fan of zombie movies and still reading my blog. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-55607732622206210252020-05-28T12:41:00.000+08:002020-05-28T12:41:05.892+08:00Review of Kedai Kaki Lelong second hand store at Section 19 PJ<div>I strongly believe in the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle and in the UK, I loved going to the car boot sales and all the charity shops in our locality in Coventry. There were lot of great deals on books and other stuff. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am currently working on a DIY project and need some speakers and decided to go to the Kedai Kaki Lelong second-hand store at Section 19 PJ. It is easy to miss as it doesn't even have a signboard. It is opposite the BHP station and near the Caltex. The address is:</div><div><br /></div><div>4, Jalan 19/1b</div><div>Seksyen 19</div><div>46300 Petaling Jaya</div><div><br /></div><div>I have been here a couple of times and have bought a few things. When I went there yesterday, there were not that many customers, probably because of the MCO and I thought I might get some good deals. I thought wrong.</div><div><br /></div><div>Most of the stuff here is quite overpriced - for used items. There was some nice furniture but I was thinking that you can add a couple of hundred dollars and could get brand new ones. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, I couldn't find a pair of good speakers I was looking for. There was a nice Panasonic mini HiFi system but I was only looking for speakers and the price of RM250 was too high for an old set. In the end, I decided to go for two computer speakers which were from different sets. I was about to pay and I think the lady there was unsure of the price and called somebody - probably the Boss. I was shocked when she told me that the price was RM100 for the pair of speakers - the old, small, dirty computer speakers. I offered to pay RM50 but she told me that the last price was RM80. With that price, I can get a brand new pair of computer speakers on Shopee or Lazada. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the end, I came back without buying anything. I don't think I will be going back again. If you are looking for used stuff and don't want to waste your time, I suggest that you look at Mudah.com. Lot more variety and numerous great deals. </div><div><br /></div><div>Can you recommend a good second hand store in Malaysia?</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-19847809287907223642020-05-26T11:37:00.001+08:002020-05-26T11:37:25.004+08:00Why do people buy expensive watches?This is an updated version to an answer I wrote on Quora some year back.<br />
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Some asked why people buy overpriced watches and what's wrong with a simple Casio? Here is my answer:<br />
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There is nothing wrong with a simple Casio and in fact, the popularity of the simple Casio F-91W is an indication that many people still use the watch for utilitarian purposes - to tell time.<br />
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However, for many people a watch is more than just a tool for telling time, it is something that represents their personality. For them, it is a fashion accessory. They wear a watch as a fashion accessory. Something that goes with their outfit, something that enhances their overall look. They often have watches in different colours and materials to match the OTDs.Many have multiple watches - some which they wear to work, others for more formal occasions, others for sports and so on. <br />
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I know of people who save up and spend thousands of dollars on a watch which is several times their monthly salary. It may be a reward to themselves for something they accomplished - to remember an important occasion. For example, I bought myself an expensive watch when I got promoted.<br />
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Others use the watch as a status symbol, to show off: “Look at me! I am wearing a really expensive watch!" The thought that you have something that not everybody has, is quite appealing to a number of people. It can be a signal of who you are and what you have achieved in life.<br />
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On the other hand, I know several people - the so-called "watch nerds", who choose certain brands, which are quite expensive, because of the quality that goes into the making of the watch. This includes the materials used, the complications. They love the engineering and art that goes into the wristwatches, the overall quality - not just the movements but the polishing, the decorations on the movements which others can't see and even the straps. They also celebrate the heritage of the brands as well - waiting and searching for that rare grail watch, for which they are willing to spend thousands of dollars<br />
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In conclusion, there are numerous reasons why many people buy expensive watches.<br />
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Why did you buy your expensive watch?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-20606089920846483202020-01-15T00:50:00.004+08:002020-01-15T00:50:52.375+08:00Review of the new Doughnut Macaroon bagThis is my first post for 2020 and one in a long time. I have decided to go back to something I have always loved - blogging. <br />
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Anyway, I bought this Doughnut Macaroon bag for my daughter. If you have never heard of this bag brand before, I don't blame you as I had never heard of the brand as well. However, this Korean brand is all the rage now apparently and it was my daughter who told me about the bag.<br />
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The bag cost me MYR347.77 on their Malaysian website, including MYR30.77 shipping - definitely not cheap. I had actually bought another one before from the Lazada site but my daughter was convinced that it was fake. I am still not sure and maybe I will do a review of that bag later.<br />
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The quality of the material is definitely good. One of the things I look for in a bag are the zippers and the zip on this bag does feel solid. It was available in a number of colours but my daughter liked this one called Wine (bo-he), which is a shade of dark red. <br />
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We have to wait and see if it lasts as well as some other famous brands such as Jansport. It is water-resistant as well.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Last weekend, joined the rest of my wife's extended family </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">(Tok Tan's clan) - all 40 of us,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">for a get-together at Sarang by the Brook at Kuala Kubu Bahru. It is about and hours drive from our house in PJ.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This is a unique hotel made of used containers in the edge of the jungle with a nice pool in the middle of the compound. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As they say, it is not really the venue but the people you are with which matters. We had a great time.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Also learnt a lot of new things about my wife's family background, especially about her grandfather who was once a jailer in Changi prison in Singapore under the British and later under the newly formed country of Singapore. However, he decided to come back to Malaysia and as a result was not able to get his pension from the Singapore Government. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Apparently he was really strong and a master in silat (the martial arts which originates from the Malay peninsula), Jujitsu and Akido - the later two which he learnt from the Japanese during the Japanese occupation of Malaya. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">It is a nice concept but it could do with a bit of maintenance in the rooms and around the place. Things are starting to look a bit dated and beginning to fall apart. Was a bit worried that it would be a bit hot inside the rooms, even with the air conditioning as there was no insulation but fortunately it rained in the evenings and it was actually cold. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Most of the cooking was done on Thermomix. An amazing hi-tech cooking tool - will write a review about it later.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-75548438003432656722018-09-12T11:44:00.000+08:002018-09-12T11:44:03.267+08:00What is the origin of the name of Batu Ferringhi in Penang<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
How Malaysian are you #3?<br />
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When I first visited Penang, I stayed at one of the hotels on Batu Ferringhi and was quite curious as to how the place got the name.<br />
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Apparently, Ferringhi was originally a Malay term for the Portuguese people but was later used to refer to all Westerners. Batu refers to rock and according to what I read, it was probably the place where Westerners first landed and settled on Penang Island.<br />
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However, I have to mention that this is just one hypothesis and not confirmed.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com011050 Batu Feringghi, Penang, Malaysia5.47124 100.246490999999995.439627 100.20615049999999 5.502853 100.28683149999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-84567594074203892122018-09-12T11:43:00.000+08:002018-09-12T11:43:48.750+08:00What is the origin of the name 'Bukit Nanas'?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
How Malaysian are you #4?<br />
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Most commentators on my FB page guessed correctly, Bukit Nanas is so named because it once had a lot of pineapples covering it.<br />
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It was once named as Bukit Gombak and historians think that it is one of the oldest settlements in Kuala Lumpur. There was once a fort on top of the hill and pineapples were planted to serve as natural defenses and the place came to be known as Bukit Nanas.<br />
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In 1872, during the Klang War or Selangor Civil War, the fort at Bukit Nanas was held by Tengku Kudin's forces including 500 soldiers, various mercenaries including Europeans and Chinese including the famous Kapitan Cina Yap Ah Loy. The pineapples did not help and after a seige by Raja Mahadi and his Mandailing forces, the Bukit was captured. Yap Ah Loy managed to escape to Klang.<br />
This war was quite significant in Malaysian history because, it lead to direct British involvement in the affairs of the Malay states.<br />
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Convent Bukit Nanas established in 1899 and it's brother institution,St John's Institution, established in 1904, are among the oldest schools in Malaysia.<br />
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The Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve was gazetted in 1906, but its size has shrunk from 17.5ha to 9.3ha.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-45394059276461957772018-06-21T12:40:00.002+08:002018-06-21T12:40:43.768+08:00Post GST and the Business Crooks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After the new Malaysian Government announced the removal of GST, a lot of people were happy, hoping that prices would go down and people would have more money to spend overall. However, I was aware that there are certain business people, the crooks, who would use this opportunity to milk their customers like they did when GST was put into place previously, overnight prices went up and some restaurants still retained their service charges (as high as 10%). This has also happened in the past when fuel prices increase and the price of good would increase overnight, many times not proportional to the price rise. However, the worst part was that when the fuel prices went down, the price of goods and services did not go down.<div>
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Now consumers are more aware and social media was flooded with companies, mostly restaurants, which increased their prices when GST was removed - with people sharing images of receipts before and after showing no difference in prices. One famous example was that of a restaurant in Bangsar and the owner blamed it on a IT glitch. The authorities were also quick to investigate. However, in terms of prosecution, we have not really seen any of these cheats being punished. Now they seem to be getting more blatant. Another restaurant in Bangsar have maintained the prices on their menu. On being confronted, the restaurant simply said that they had increased the prices by 6% (the same amount as the GST which was removed).</div>
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Let us act against these vultures and I sincerely hope that the authorities take stern action - not just fining them but closing these outlets.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-76075017862615146612017-06-15T18:35:00.000+08:002017-06-15T18:35:14.527+08:00Victorinox Swiss Army Classic SD Pocket Knife<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was looking for a pocket knife that was not too bulky and could be attached to my car keys for everyday carry (EDC). The Victorinox Swiss Army Classic SD Pocket Knife fit the bill. <div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hX_J9mUmGSA/WUJh0RX5kdI/AAAAAAAAI1Y/Ligfxv7rpxwV5TL6mY9CBdIEk0iBrVa3QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170615_115638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hX_J9mUmGSA/WUJh0RX5kdI/AAAAAAAAI1Y/Ligfxv7rpxwV5TL6mY9CBdIEk0iBrVa3QCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_20170615_115638.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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The model no is 0.6223.7B1. It is white, measures just 58mm and has 7 tools: a blade, nailfile + screwdriver, scissors, key rings, tweezers and a toothpick. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xc-jBrpi4yI/WUJh5jNY49I/AAAAAAAAI1c/ftfZD-73IFYih3WgLqbRI4pMGizRL9yFgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170615_162908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xc-jBrpi4yI/WUJh5jNY49I/AAAAAAAAI1c/ftfZD-73IFYih3WgLqbRI4pMGizRL9yFgCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_20170615_162908.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I bought it on Lelong.com for RM80 + RM 7 (for delivery). It arrived in just one day - really efficient.</div>
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Comparing it to my old <a href="http://ok-lah.blogspot.my/2007/11/why-do-you-need-swiss-army-knife-for.html" target="_blank">Victorinox Swiss Army Knife Climber</a>, it looks quite small and that is what I wanted.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XOUzJWfhyMw/WUJh-cY0IQI/AAAAAAAAI1g/wV0BeE0R1ckAe2r99rqbBXenhPKU9NVMgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20170615_162814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XOUzJWfhyMw/WUJh-cY0IQI/AAAAAAAAI1g/wV0BeE0R1ckAe2r99rqbBXenhPKU9NVMgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20170615_162814.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-36699927492556326652017-05-15T19:18:00.002+08:002017-05-15T19:18:54.257+08:00What is the oldest recorded Kingdom in the Malaysian peninsula?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This is the 2nd quiz question I ran on my Facebook page. A few got it right.<br />
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Well the answer is Langkasuka which covered Kedah and parts of Patani (now in Thailand).<br />
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Historians believe the kingdom to have been founded around 1-2 AD. That's about 1400 years before the Malacca Sultanate.<br />
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Records of Langkasuka was found in the Book of Liang (Liáng Shū) compiled by a Yao Silian from the Chinese Liang Dynasty (502-557).<br />
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Archologists also refer to Kedah Tua to a civilization that existed in Kedah, which may be related to Langkasuka. Besides the famous ruins in the Bujang Valley, archeologists are now slowly uncovering relics from this ancient civilizations including ships and other amazing stuff.<br />
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However, not much is known about this civilization. In fact, not many Malaysians know that the Bujang Valley complex was declared as the home of the <a href="http://malaysiandigest.com/features/668787-southeast-asia-s-oldest-civilisation-site-in-dire-need-of-funds.html?utm_content=buffer0495a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer" target="_blank">oldest civilization in South-East Asia</a>.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-73711563334039776012017-05-10T22:29:00.000+08:002017-05-10T22:29:06.573+08:00Name the only Malaysian state which was once ruled by a Queen?Many of my Malaysian friends are quite surprised when they find out that I know so many obscure fact about Malaysia even though I was not born here. So I thought it would be a great idea to share what I know about this beautiful country by asking you a Quiz about Malaysia regularly. This was my first quiz on my Facebook page.<br />
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The answer is Kelantan. It was the only place in Malaysia to ever have a Queen as a ruler - Cik Siti Wan Kembang. Here is a pic. <br />
Also, Kelantan is the only place in Malaysia where the King was killed by his wife in anger. Puteri Saadong who was the adopted daughter of Cik Siti Wan Kembang, killed her husband Raja Abdullah with her hair pin, for not keeping his promise.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tn1EY2tzoSU/WRMja2Ey66I/AAAAAAAAIv4/0pjDr3qIZKswGWAxI5vIDuhGBOYS5LowgCLcB/s1600/Cik_Siti_Wan_Kembang.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tn1EY2tzoSU/WRMja2Ey66I/AAAAAAAAIv4/0pjDr3qIZKswGWAxI5vIDuhGBOYS5LowgCLcB/s400/Cik_Siti_Wan_Kembang.png" width="267" height="400" /></a></div><br />
Sorry, I do not have a higher resolution image. Please let me know if have one.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-91108032011792202092017-04-10T00:13:00.000+08:002017-04-10T00:13:10.599+08:00Call for Fatwa against terrorism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Was shocked when I read about the church bombings in Egypt which have left 43 dead and more than 100 injured.</div>
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I am tired apologising for these misguided people who keep doing these horrendous acts in the name of Islam. They are going against the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet pbuh - Islam prohibits targeting innocents and houses of Worship.</div>
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The illustrious scholars in Al Azhar, Islamic authorities and other centres of Islamic learning all around the World should not only condemn these acts but come up with fatwas declaring these people as non-Muslims or Kafirs, unless they repent. There are so many fatwas for deviationist beliefs in many Islamic countries and I strongly believe that these acts are clearly devistionist as they go against the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet pbuh.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-20335344478886860892017-04-08T15:16:00.001+08:002017-04-08T15:16:42.098+08:00Renting a house - the only option for now.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sometimes I find that many from the Baby Boomer generation are quite clueless with some of the issues that the current generation face.</div>
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Quite recently I was having a chat with an uncle and he was shocked when he learnt that we were paying RM2000/pm as rent for our house. He asked why I did not buy a house instead. The house I stay in has a market price of about RM1 Mil. Paying about RM2000pm, I can only afford a 2+1 condo costing about RM400K in the outskirts of the city with a down payment of around RM40K + extra charges around RM20K upfront for lawyer's fees, etc.</div>
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I guess most of them do not realise this because many of them already have a house which they bought a long time ago when owning a landed property was not a dream but something you could achieve with a bit of hard work.</div>
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Now, if I wanted to buy a landed property around PJ, I would have to cough up around RM6K every month for nearly 25 years. More than half my salary and I will be probably be retired long way before the end of 25 years.</div>
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In other words, I can only dream of a house in Kelana Jaya, PJ. So renting is the only option for now unless I come by some good fortune.</div>
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Found this great link which asks you: "<a href="https://www.imoney.my/articles/buy-house-in-malaysia" target="_blank">Are You Financially Ready To Buy A House In Malaysia?</a>"</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-30401038644612257962017-01-18T12:31:00.001+08:002017-01-18T21:59:03.772+08:00Wondering about the ancients - nine planets, flying chariots and WMDs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday my daughter was complaining about her boring history classes and asking me tips on how to remember dates and names. She was also wondering why we have to learn about history in the first place.<br />
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"<b>What is the use of learning about people that passed away and events that happened long time ago?</b>"<br />
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I was explaining to her, that we need to learn from history so that we do not make the same mistakes again and also to learn from things that went right. I also told her that I was in our school and University Quiz teams and was an extra reason I had an interest in memorising the details of things that happened in the past.<br />
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However, today morning I was pondering about our conversation while reading an article about ancient Indian. Thousands of years ago, the ancient Indians believed that there were nine planets and even worshiped them as Demi Gods. I even wear a pendant given by my Mum which is called Nav-Ratan in Hindi (9 Jewels) and Graha Mapan in Manipuri, which represents the 9 planets.<br />
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We know this to be a fact today and even there were some debate on whether there was a 10th planet and the removal of Pluto from the list of planets for a while.<br />
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The question that bristled in my brain was how these ancient people knew there were 9 planets when there is no evidence that they had telescopes.<br />
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Or were there advanced civilizations which had access to telescopes and other scientific equipment and I then think about all the ancient Hindu epics with their flying chariots and weapons of mass destruction and wonder whether these were actually faced on facts.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-47730327463287606392017-01-04T14:30:00.000+08:002017-01-04T14:30:01.657+08:00End of year road trip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We recently went on one of the longest road trips I have ever driven.<br />
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First we drove up to Lumut to pick up my daughter who had been in a camp at Pulau Pangkor. It was a distance of nearly 200 KM.<br />
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From there we then drove to George Town, Penang, which was approx. 180 KMs. We stayed a night at The Northam All Suite Penang on Gurney Drive. A "luxury hotel|" which did not really live up to our expectations. Bit dated decor, old TV with bad reception and a jacuzzi that did not work. I don't know why but I did not complain despite the fact that it was one of the most expensive hotels I had ever stayed in. Maybe I was too tired or because it was the among the few places available during the holidays.<br />
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On the bright side we did not stay much in the Hotel and the highlight of the trip was a drive to Batu Ferringhi and dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, Penang. My daughter was quite excited as it was her first visit to a Hard Rock Cafe anywhere.<br />
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It was crowded and we did not have any reservations but as we were about to drive away, the guy at the gate directed me to staff parking which had a few spaces. It was packed and we were asked to wait. We left our contact details and went to their shop to browse around. And as usual ended up buying a lot of their branded merchandise.<br />
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We then drove up to Kuala Perlis (approx. 180 KMs) and took a ferry to Pulau Langkawi (about 1 hour and 15 minutes) .<br />
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At Langkawi, we met up with my my in-laws who had flown there. We stayed at a house together. Not very comfortable but it was OK. Did some sight seeing and also discussed some potential future investment.<br />
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The highlight was the boat ride to the Kilim Karst Geoforest Park (Kuah). It was the first time I saw a monkey swimming in the sea (getting peanuts thrown by tourists). A money actually climbed into our boat and the kids were feeding him peanuts. Also saw the sea eagles after which the Islands are named as well as some bats in a cave.<br />
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Finally it was time to go back. However, we were way too tired as the traffic back to KL from Kuala Perlis was really bad and at some places we actually did not move for several minutes. We then decided to take a break at Ipoh (approx. 280 KMs). My wife booked online via her mobile phone and we stayed at the Impiana Hotel for the night - again quite dated but quite comfortable.<br />
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Called room service and my food was delicious but my sis-in-law was quite annoyed that her chicken was not fully cooked and we complained. The hotel refunded us the cost of that dish when we checked out (but only after my wife had a "long chat" with the lady at the reception.<br />
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We finally set off and reached our house about 2 and half hours later - a distance of nearly 195 KMs. Fortunately we set out in the morning and missed some terrible traffic jams later the same day.<br />
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I have to say, after more than 1000KMs, 3 hotels and one home stay, it was amazing to be back home and to sleep on my own bed. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-14987202513259950942016-10-21T21:18:00.002+08:002016-10-21T21:23:35.672+08:00Seiko SNKN01K1 watch unboxing <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b>Note: This article was previously posted on <a href="http://www.adamok.net/2016/01/seiko-snkn01k1-watch-unboxing.html">Adamok.net</a> on 01/01/2016.</b><br />
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Wishing all visitors to my blog a very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2016. 2015 was a busy and eventful year for me and I did not even have time to update the blog regularly. As the year came to a close, I decided to reward myself with a watch. If you are a regular to our blog, you are probably aware that I mostly blog about awesome yet affordable watches and I put myself a very low budget of around RM1000 (approx. US$232 / £158 at the current exchange rate).<br />
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The condition was that it had to be a mechanical/ automatic watch. I went to Lazada, my favourite shopping portal here in Malaysia and pulled up all the watches I had put on my watch list. All the Swiss brands were beyond my budget and I narrowed my choice down to two - a dressy Orient Bambino CER2400/ CER24005W/ ER24005W (at a discounted RM599 with free delivery) and the retro inspired Seiko Recraft SNKN01K1 (RM539). I already have a Tissot which I usually wear to formal occasions and I did not really need another dress watch.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BP7ge14bMbA/Voax-xdAJNI/AAAAAAAAHiw/5vrqykY_ejs/s1600/orient-cer24005w-er24005w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BP7ge14bMbA/Voax-xdAJNI/AAAAAAAAHiw/5vrqykY_ejs/s320/orient-cer24005w-er24005w.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i>Orient Bambino</i></b></div><br />
So I finally decided to go for the SNKN01 - a watch I could wear everyday. The delivery was very fast - I bought it on the 26th and it was delivered on the 30th.<br />
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The SNKN01 is powered by a self-winding movement (7S26 movement with 21 Jewels, runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour) housed in the retro style stainless steel case with calf leather strap.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tQ7gDCymlg4/VoYMa5KU8TI/AAAAAAAAHiY/PEHGDaltu_I/s1600/20151229_141548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tQ7gDCymlg4/VoYMa5KU8TI/AAAAAAAAHiY/PEHGDaltu_I/s400/20151229_141548.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">It has a screwdown see-through caseback. The watch is water resistant to 50M.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oz_XisO1o6o/VoYMeOp0-GI/AAAAAAAAHig/_YDrGQJNzKY/s1600/20151229_141735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oz_XisO1o6o/VoYMeOp0-GI/AAAAAAAAHig/_YDrGQJNzKY/s400/20151229_141735.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The sunburst dial with clear hour markers was what really attracted me to the watch with the day/date window at the hour 3 marker.<br />
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Though I love the new watch and I have been wearing it continuously for nearly a week now, it could have been better. First of all, the watch is not lumed - not the hour markers nor the hands, which means that I cannot read it in the dark. Further more it cannot be wound up and it does not hack (i.e., the second hand does not stop when you adjust the time). Seiko has other movements and I wonder why they used the 7S26 instead of say the 4R36 which does hack and can be hand wound. I answer would be that it would not cost only RM539 anymore.<br />
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Some of you may be wondering why having these features are important but for a lot of watch collectors, these are absolutely essential when they look for an automatic watch. I am not that concerned. The 7S26 reportedly has a power reserve of 40 hours when fully wound and I guess I will have to shake it a bit eveyday even when I am not wearing it. Or maybe I could get a watch winder.<br />
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Here is the unboxing video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yQNcgxn89AQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
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</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-52487121122479181262016-07-21T11:46:00.000+08:002016-07-21T11:46:41.409+08:00I want Happy AdsI have had a pet peeve for quite a while but I cannot keep in in any longer. <br />
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Can all the big companies stop with all the weepy, sad, sentimental ads for every festive occasion - Hari Raya, sad ad. Chinese New Year, Sad ad. Deepawali, Sad ad. I am sick of these ads. We are already depressed with all the crazy stories in the news, stress at work, inflation, economy and so on. <br />
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I blame the late Yasmin Ahmed. She was an amazing film maker and I liked her ads but she started a trend which shows no sign of ending. <br />
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<b>PLEASE, PLEASE make happy, funny, uplifting, motivating ads the next festive season</b><br />
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Please share if you agree.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kaNBrCH6TNA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
The only funny festive ad in agesUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-56746916660013617252016-07-20T14:17:00.001+08:002016-07-20T14:17:09.250+08:00Why I like vintage watches?This was a question in Quora which made me think about the watches I collect.<br />
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I cannot really explain but there is a certain charm about old watches - even the cheaper ones. It depends on your taste but I like the hand winding steel watches with doomed plastic crystals. I also like the unique and eccentric watches like the Tissot stone watches and brands that do not exist anymore like Favre Leuba and old Indian HMT watches. I like reading about their history and sometimes wonder about the guy who once used the watch to tell time.<br />
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When I was a kid, my father used to wear a cheap solar powered Bular watch and I really liked it. It is now in my collection with the crystal all cracked but I really like it because of the sentimental value.<br />
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I have also noticed that there is a nostalgia among people for everything vintage or classic and have noticed the classic Casio gold digital watches on the wrists of a number of stylish millennials. Of course, the watchmakers have realised this phenomenon and many including Seiko, Omega, Tudor, Tag Heur among others have all recently reintroduced many of their old designs, of course with a modern take.<br />
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Coming back to the question, different people like vintage watches for different reasons. Many collect them as investments, some collect them for aesthetic reasons, others for sentimental reasons, etc.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5782358.post-16195406687561598612016-03-24T21:10:00.002+08:002016-03-24T21:20:42.688+08:00Are millennials to blame?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When people talk about millennials, most of the time you never hear any thing positive. Often people will be complaining of their "attitude problem", lack of interest, not hard working, no initiative, cynical, lazy, disrespectful, etc. - the list goes on.<br />
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Though there is some truth in this - I wondered what made them like that - what makes them different from previous generations and are they really that bad.<br />
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The former questions are harder to answer but the answer to the last questions is clearly a big "No!". These young people can be really passionate about a number of issues affecting society. Often it turns out, it is the Baby boomers and X-gen who are the cynics.<br />
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The millennials grew up with scandals, corruption, and an extremely competitive World. I was shocked when I learnt that only kids with 8 As in their STPM or 4 flat A -levels could enter University of Malaya. People say kids do not play outside anymore and blame gadgets but I realise that now kids do not have time from homework and tutions, piano, swimming and taekwondo lessons to go out and play. Many parents in the city do not even let their kids out of sight for fear that their kids might get abducted and I think about my childhood where I could just go out and ride my bike and roam around the neighbourhood for hours.<br />
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I recently met up with one of my ex-students and was shocked when he told me his salary in a well known MNC. It was just RM 500 more than what I used to get in my first job after my MBA <b>15 years ago</b>. That's right - salaries have not increased in the last 15 years. Prices of everything has gone up several times and in fact several businesses here are taking consumers for a ride blaming everything from petrol prices to GST and of course the Government. But the fact is that for many their profit margins are way over the top. For example, it is crazy that Bananas are cheaper in the UK as compared to Malaysia. The bananas in the UK come from the West Indies or South America and is cheaper than in Malaysia which is a tropical country and where Bananas are grown.<br />
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Employers continue to complain that Millennials are not loyal and lazy Blah! Blah! Blah!<br />
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You pay them peanuts while expecting them to work like dogs like we used to several years ago - leaving the office only in the evening after the boss leaves with no overtime. You expect them to continue working in high pressure environment without complaining while you drive around in luxury cars which can buy a medium cost link house.<br />
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Talking about houses, many of these millennials have no hope of ever owning their own house in the Klang Valley unless they have generous parents who buy it for them or at least help out with the initial down payment.<br />
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No wonder the Millennials have an "attitude problem".<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1