Vacancy in rural area - doctors

Went to Pitas, Sabah, at the island of Borneo. It is accessible by road though some parts of the road are not smooth. It took about 3-4 hours ride from Kota Kinabalu, the capital city of Sabah. There's no bus service but you can take the taxi. The taxi is more of 4WD or in our case, a Toyota Unser, capable of carrying 7 passengers at one time.

The journey is a pleasant one. You can see the paddy field, hills, jungle, oil-palm estates and lots of green scenery. We were told that the state has built one big hospital in the Pitas district but unfortunately, there is lack of doctors and nurses. I'm sure there is no lack of nursing scrubs or uniforms for the medical staffs if ever they are posted there. Most of the doctors prefer to work in the big cities where they would get better pay/income.

I guess it takes a person who is committed to help the poor that would answer the call to serve in rural areas. And this kind of person/doctor/medical staffs are not easy to find. Even with various incentive including regular supply of scrubs clothing, not many would want to answer the call.

Would you answer the call to serve in rural area where the people are poor?

Looking for old course-mates

While in Sabah, I remembered one of my course-mate named Daisun in university. We studied law and he was one of the Sabahan students who made it to the top law school in Malaysia. When we graduated, we lost contact with each other. I was told once by him that he would go back to Sabah to practice law.

I wondered whether Daisun is practicing in Sabah. If he is, then he would have his own legal firm or a partner to one the legal firm there. I assume that he would be a litigation lawyer as that would fit his personality, handling various lawsuits like Accutane lawsuit or even be a criminal defense lawyer. Would I be able to recognize him? Hopefully, if he has not become too fat or change his familiar gestures. Maybe, one day I will see you again Daisun.

The KYM Students Are Back

How do I know that the KYM students are back? There is a sudden increased in the sales for the past 3 days. Which means, the students are back! Praise the Lord. After the Hari Raya holiday, they will be back with assignments and projects to print. I hope this will continue till the end of the month as we need the extra income to fix my house roofing and buy silver bullion if still for extra money. We need money to make more money. That is why the rich is becoming more rich and the poor stays poor. :(

Looking back at the past.

People say that it is not good to look at the past. Why? I think otherwise. It is good to remember the past. Yes, especially the good ones. Also the bad ones. The good memories will keep us alive, strengthened and rejuvenated. It reminds us that life is not all bad. It reminds us that it is possible to have good times. It gives us hope that things can be good. It gives us self-worth, knowing that we are not total failures. It keeps us sane.

And we need to remember the bad memories too. Not to dwell upon it. Not to be discouraged by it again. Not to make us feel worthless or inferior. BUT to remind us of the mistakes that we made. To teach us that we are not perfect or the cleverest person in the world. It keeps us humble. And if we are humble enough, the bad memories will be our assets in helping others to avoid the same mistakes we made.

I made some bad mistakes in my life. Mistakes that I wished I could undo. But no... I could never undo it. I'm not proud of it. It is now forever in my past. Mistakes made by unwise thinking and uncontrolled self. I fell down ... deep down... rock bottom. Never thought I could ever do such things but yes I did.

But now I am standing. And walking and moving towards a goal in life. The bad mistakes have taught me that I'm not perfect. It will always remind me of my imperfect life. Many times, I remembered my past mistakes and remind myself to be more careful, not to make the same foolish mistakes again. And I know that remembering my past (even the bad ones) has helped me to be a better person today. And I will strive to be better for days to come.

... + + ... I am not perfect..... just forgiven by Jesus Christ... ++ ...

Relationship.

It is true that man are not born to be alone. We are created to
communicate and to have the bonding with others. It is natural,
God-given nature to every human being, just as God himself commune
between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

So it is natural for a man to fall in love with a woman, to have that
bonding, that close communion with her. Indeed, it has become a life'
quest to find a partner. Some had it easy, but some had it hard. We
can find many who are struggling in this life's quest.

Nowadays, it is not easy to find a partner. Not just that, it is not
easy to find a partner that you can relate and suits you. Then, if you
manage to find one that you like/love, you have to introduce that
partner to your family. This is where most people find that marriage
is not about two people only, but its about two families being
connected through them.

It is easy to get one person to like you, but to get the whole family to like
you would not be so easy. The task is daunting. Even an extrovert person
who can talk well may not be liked by some of the future partner's family members.
Even a person's genuine generosity may be misconstrued as trying to gain favor.
The list goes on and on.

Prejudice is the worst of all relationship hindrances. Prejudice is a
psychological wall that separates two people. And the bad news is that
ALL of us have it whether we admit it or not.

Racial prejudices exist from time immemorial. Right from the start of
Biblical account, we read of clans fighting other clans, race against
another race. When we have certain bad experiences with a certain
race, we tend to develop certain prejudices about that race, even
though it may not be true generally.

Are all Malays lazy? Are all Chinese materialistic? Are all Indians poor?
Are all Americans sexually active? Are all Orang Asli still living on top of the trees?

This prejudice sometimes run deep in the person's heart and affects
him in all his decisions and actions. To encounter such prejudices
against you is hard. More so when it comes from your future partner's family
members. The task then is to prove that you are not like what they
think you are. And this is good for you because generally prejudices
are negative or bad perceptions/impressions of a person's character.
We all will do well to prove that we are otherwise. At the end of the
day, the question remains, "Do we want that person bad enough that we
are willing to overcome every obstacle?"

Relationship... above all else, guard your heart.

My Eldest Daughter's Drawing

This is one of Annabelle's drawing. I am very proud of her because she is not only smart but artistic too. Unfortunately, she is more into drawing cartoons! Like what my wife always said, "She has the Bong blood in her." No doubt, most of the Bongs are very good in Arts. :D

I hope these talents would be able to help her in the future. If she can't sell her artwork, she can always start an Art Class and earn good income from it. Then she can invest in gold bullion and get better returns in long run. ;)

Sinus Remedy

My wife has sinus. I told her to take the USANA Essential so many times but she just refuses it until her sinus became so bad that she felt like something moving in her nose then only she reluctantly take the pills.

Praise God, after almost 3 weeks taking it, I don't here her complaining about itchy nose and her sneezing also reduces. I hope she will religiously continue to swallow the pills. It is for her own good.

What is certain?

There is nothing certain in life. Maybe death is certain and heaven and hell is certain. Salary, income, job, position, family and the things we see with our eyes are definitely not certain. My income from the business is certainly not certain. I wished it is but that's not the reality. One day the sales could be so high, the next so low. Uncertainties. Even my wife's work is not certain. One day in good terms with the boss, the next doubts and mistrusts occurs.

Well, people loves to look at money as their security. The more money you have in the bank, the more secure you will feel. But that is also uncertain, false security. One thing that all of our human nature want is that feeling of being secured. Secured of having a fixed income, secured of our job, secured of our family, SECURED.

I too would love to have this feeling of being secured. But then I realised that being secured is not about how much money I have. It is being certain of who I am in God. I have to remind myself and tell myself often that my security is God Himself, not my business, not my family an definitely not my bank account or the insurance policies. As Job said, "Naked I come into this world, naked will I die". So what is certain? GOD! And with Him, I find peace of heart.

I'm so bored, boring.

Annabelle has been saying that phrase often nowadays. She gets bored easily. I think it is more that she wants to play computer games. And since we do not allow her to play computer games everyday, she would use that phrase to "persuade" us indirectly to allow her to use the computer. When she said that phrase, we often suggested to her to do other things like drawing, cycling, reading or even doing her homework. Most of the times, she would do what we suggested but only for a while. Then she would come back to us and complain again about being bored.

This simply shows that when she wants to play her computer games, all other things are boring to do. Even if I give her a gold bullion or a gold earing, she would not be interested as her mind is on her computer games. I bought her 1000 pieces of jigsaw puzzle for her to do but she has yet to start it. It would be no surprise if she says that she is bored with it also.

Back pain

It has been almost two weeks since the back pain started. This would be my second time I experienced back pain. I still not sure what trigger this back pain. I can only assume the cause to be the increasing weight of my bulging stomach. Add that to lack of exercises and bad posture, it is just a back pain "bomb" waiting to explode.

I also noticed that the pain would be more in the morning after I woke up. Then by noon, the pain lessened and by night time the pain would be minimal. I can only assume that when the back muscles have already been "exercised" and warm-up, the pain would lessens. If the pain continues till next week, I'll go see the doctor.

Cycling Adventure

September 14, 2010, Tuesday. Cycled for more than 10km with Annabelle. Started at about 6pm. Annabelle cycle her own bicycle while Clarissa sat behind my bicycle. From our house, we cycle to the residential area beside our house. Then to the paddy field, using the stone graveled road all the way to Sungai Lereh. Upon reaching the river, we cycled at the river bank and passed through Kampung Hj Jambol (I think that's the name of the village, can't remember exactly). And the road lead us to the coastal main road, came out opposite of Restoren Spring Garden, the main road where the Monday pasar malam is held.

From there, we cycled to Batang Tiga. Stopped by at the sundry shop to buy drinks (Clarissa complained of thirst or maybe she just made it up when she saw the shop). After quenching our thirst, we cycled back to our home, passing by beautiful sunset sceneries along the way.

Hahaha...can't imagine that Annabelle cycled that far. She didn't complain at all about the long journey. In fact, she wants to do again and has been bugging me to for for another cycling adventure.

Searching to be sure

My brother sent me a link about the hidden story of Jesus. I guess he is still seeking to find out more about the kind of faith that he wants to have. The problem of watching youtube video clips is that he has to be very careful on determining whether to believe what is being shown there. Most of the information given in that particular video clip are more of suggestive thoughts and not proven. They only show the parts that reinforce their theory and totally left out other contradictory facts. Thus it seems to portray the truth when it is only an unproven theory.

Advised him to do more research on the topic especially on biblical apologetic. Well, it would be good if he has completed his research degrees as he would be able to discern the proven facts from mere theories. As for now, he has to learn such skills on his own. And may he find the truths that he is seeking.

Time to move on

It has been 4 years since starting the cybercafe business. How time flies! I still can remember the days when I had to sleep over at the shop so that I can get the extra income. The beginning days are tough, not enough to even cover the cost. Michelle's income had seen us through those "tight" times.

Really thank God for His faithfulness and providence. He has brought me through this 4 years and indeed I can confidently say that God has never forsaken me. As I made a deal with God that I would put my focus on the business for 4 years, I'm now open to what may come next for my future. It is time to move on.

The power of Words

Like her daddy, Belle's language of love is Words. And people who have this language of love are sensitive to the words spoken to them. They pick up certain words that they hear especially when it is about them. If they are very positive in their thinking, they would pick up the good words spoken about them and ignore the bad negative words. However, if they are prone to negative thinking, most of the negative bad words would affect them dearly.

What is unfortunate is when all the words spoken to them are negative. Then there is no good words that they can choose. And it takes maybe 5 to 8 times of good words to counter the effect of just one bad word. So please choose your words carefully, being considerate to others. It is easy to speak but it is not easy to nurse the hurts it can cause.

And Belle, with God's blessing, you will be clever and be a doctor when you grow up.

Investing in Kindergarten

My brother came back with mother and the maid last weekend. He asked me whether I have money to invest. Of course the answer is No. But God willing, He will provide all my needs as He has always been faithfully been providing. Anyway, my brother told me that one of his friend in interested in opening a kindergarten near his place. And she is asking my brother whether he wants to joint venture. A capital of RM10K to be injected into the venture. He is quite keen to join though he too has limited savings.

When asked about how the returns would be like, he is not sure at all. He has got a clue. So I taught him a bit on how to calculate the returns for his possibly RM10K investment. Also told him to ask his friends how much profits/returns would he get and for how long the partnership would last. Told him that it is better to invest in gold bullion if the returns offered by his friend is less than 10% of his investment. This is because the appreciation value of gold normally increases more than 10% a year.

Anyway, still waiting for the project proposal from his friend. If the projected returns is good and all other factors are positive, then I might contribute to the venture too.

Sickness is sickening

Yes, nobody likes to be sick. It is sickening to be sick. When I was sick, I want to be rest as much possible. But being a businessman this may not come as easy as I thought especially when there are not staff available to look after the shop. I can imagine those who suffer from various kinds of sickness including Mesothelioma Cancer or any types of cancer, would wish that they can have a complete rest.

How good it is to be able to rest until we recovered fully. How good it is if we can rest without feeling the pain, drowsiness, headache and whatever ache. It is good to know what are the pains that you will go through especially if it a prolong sickness. To be able to do that, we need to read more from books or do some research from the internet. For example, read more about Mesothelioma and the stages of Surviving Mesothelioma so that you can understand the causes of and the ways to handle this type of sickness.

Just remember that sickness is sickening and some type of sickness is really sickening to some people.

Coughing and cold weather

I was surprised that my cough does not deteriorate while I was in Genting. I was expecting that I'll be coughing and coughing until I cough out blood because of the cold weather in Genting. Praise God, that didn't happen. Yes, there are occasional coughing but it is rather mild compared to the cough in Melaka a few days before that.

Could it be the clean cool air in Genting that makes my body recovered slightly, compared to the humid polluted air in Melaka? Whatever it is , I thank God for the cold great time in Genting.

Having me for 24 hrs

After the trip to Genting, my wife said something during our conversation.

"You know, its been a long time since we (the children and my wife) have you for 24 hours for 3 days."

That really makes me think and reflect back. Ya, its been a long time since I've spent 24 hrs together with my family. Monday to Saturday, my children would only see me for a few hours, sometimes they won't see me at all throughout the day. Sigh... . Today's children generally suffers from lack of time with their parents. In our pursuit of monetary gains be it from lack of it or from the greed of wanting more, we have sacrifice essential valuable time with children. I don't want to wake up one day with lots of gold coins in my safe box but have lost all love, care and affection from my children.

When was the last time you spend the whole day with your family?

Different approach

We had one of our church members as our insurance in the past. She did a great job in terms of updating us of our insurance policy or if there's new good plans. Whenever we have a new baby in the family she would ask whether we would like to buy insurance or accident cover for the new baby. And the best thing is that we have the freedom whether to buy or not to buy. She does not pressure us to buy when we are not ready. And we appreciate her for that.

Recently there is another insurance agent who took over the task of giving us the same service. However, her approach is more direct, always wanting to secure a deal. Such approach does not bode well with us. After all, it is our money and our plans. We will decide when we are ready to buy a new insurance policy. She came the other day and introduced two new schemes to us, well at least it is new to us. She told us that we are entitled to buy the company's funeral cover and should we die earlier than our children, the guardian income insurance would ensure financial stability for our children. She insisted that we signed up there and then but told her that we are not ready for that yet.

Hmmm....all these huhas about insurance reminds me that at the end of the day, all men die. And it reminds me that I must be ready to meet my Maker anytime.

Not warm enough

My wife told me that I'm more reptilian than mammals. It's simply because my body does not generate more heat than hers. Most of the time when she touched me, I can feel the heat from her body... like really hot, almost like boiling water. OK...not that hot but she's hot. And to her, my body is icy cold. OK...not frozen cold but I'm cold to her. hmmm maybe like that character in Twilight...hahaha.

Must raise up my metabolism rate so that I can warm up to her...hehehe.

Mom have nothing to watch

Ever since the antenna for the tv broke down, we have not been able to get all the tv channels back on the screen. Yes, even after replacing the old with a new antenna, we are not able to get a clear reception for the main channel. It's a bit unfortunate for mother since she likes to watch that channel. It has lots of tv series that has become her favorites. A few of them are Indonesian tv series, which she will watch with the Indonesian maid.

Now we are thinking of subscribing to Astro again. In the past when we subscribed to it, the reception for all the channels are clear. However, when mom is not here for a long period of time, we decided to cancel the subscription and nobody has the time to watch tv. For now, the main factor is what mother wants to watch as she be the only person who have time to watch.

How to show to her that we love her and are concerned with her needs? Of course, most of us would prefer to buy gold for our loved ones. My mother too loves to buy gold as presents for her children. But to fulfill her needs of being entertained at night we might get a new LCD plasma tv for her. Let her enjoy the best when she watches her favorite tv series. A new home theater set for mother. Hahaha... maybe with a new home theater set, more will stay at home and watch movies. Spend time at home instead of going to the cinema.

Teaching them from small

When I was small, I would be delighted to find a coin on the road. Even the smallest coin at that time has value and I can buy at least 3 pieces of sweets. Even if the coins are dirty I would picked it up and clean it. The dirt on the coin does not diminish its value. I would put it in my piggy and once the amount is big, I'll buy something nice for myself. Of course that is a very rare occurrence. But to find coins is indeed a joyful experience.

Now, things are different. The value of coins have drop tremendously. I can hardly buy anything with the 5 cents coin. And even if I saw one on the road, I don't think I'll pick it up especially if it is dirty.

But I get irritated when I see coins all over my house. My children have their own pocket money and sometimes they play with their coins. I don't mind them playing with coins but I get irritated when they do not keep their coins after finish playing with it. They just leave the coins all over the house. Many times I had to scold and teach them to appreciate their coins. Yes, it may not be gold coins but if accumulated the value of their coins can buy them their toys. I think I must warn them that if I see any coins all over the house, they can't ask for any gifts for one year.

The world is shouting

Every time the match is on, the world is watching. At every mamak stalls or restaurants where the owner sets up big screen, the customers would flock there to watch their favorite team. And every time a goal is scored, the world shouted. Whether you are watching it at Madison Square Garden or Rose Garden Arena, the atmosphere is exhilarating. The adrenaline rush is worth spending the night out with other football fans. That's the effect of World Cup 2010 and any other WC previously.

It is not just the soccer fans that are shouting during the matches. Other sports fan like baseball, tennis, cricket and other games too would feel the adrenaline rush whenever a point is scored. Buy your baseball game tickets at Yankee Stadium and watch the game there and you will know the excitement of watching a live game. And when a point is scored, feel your adrenaline rush and shout your heart out. The world is shouting.

Economic uncertainties

I read in the paper today that many are protesting against their governments decision on austerity spending. France, Greece, Italy and a few other countries are facing economic uncertainties. Greece is already a "bankrupt" country. It makes one wonder on how solid one own country economy is. One thing for sure, investing in currency is very risky. The value of my country currency is definitely very "yo yo". I guess that's why those who play Forex trading make gains and losses everyday.

I would prefer to have a more certain increase of value in my investments. Instead of keeping your money in fixed deposits or buying shares, I would prefer to buy gold coins as an investment. Gold prices increased an average of 20% per year. That is basically 20% of interest for your investment which is more that your FD or shares dividend. Well, if you do not want to hold the actual gold coins, then go for gold saving accounts. That would serve the same purpose.

The weather makes me lazy

Last night I told myself that I want to go cycling in the morning. Yesterday, I managed to cycle from my house to Gedong Lalang, Taman Bkt Rambai, Tangga Batu, Pantai Kundor, Everly Resort, Lereh, Batang Tiga, Klebang Besar, Pulau Gadong, Solok Setulang Daing and back to my house. It took me about an hour to cycle the distance of about 20km. I was very happy with the exercise and hope that I could do it again today.

When I woke up this morning, there was this laziness that sticks to my body. I look out from the window and saw the weather... oh dear...hot blazing morning sun. Immediately my desire to go cycling disappeared. Kabussh. So there goes my exercise for the morning. Instead of cycling, I decided to cut down the jambu air tree beside Bro Chuan's room. Well, at least there's some physical exercise there.

Clean sunny day

Its been a long time since I saw clean sunny day. Last Sunday, while riding my bike to church, the air was fresh, the blue sky in the horizon with thin layers of clouds. There's no signs of air pollution. It was a new day, a fresh day.

The night before, it rained. That's the main reason the air was fresh in the morning. Ahh...I love the feeling of being rejuvenated just breathing in the fresh clean air.

Unfortunately, these "clean fresh air" days are becoming fewer and fewer in Malaysia. Sigh...

The Italian Job

No, it is not about an Italian guy doing a job or doing a job that is Italian. It is a movie title. The story is about a group of con men stealing a safe full of gold bars worth 37 million dollars. And these guys are Americans. Hahaha...American con men stealing gold bars in Italy. I like the creative plan they have to do the job.

So what would you do if you have 37 millions dollars of gold divided among six of you? One of them said, "buy gold coins" or something like that. Or maybe he advised his other team member to invest in gold. Kinda funny because they already have gold bars in hand and yet they still want to invest in gold. Anyway, if I do have that kind of money (cash and not gold bars), I too would invest in gold coins.

Total body workouts

So far my only form of exercise now is cycling. That is cycling to and from work. That too is not done everyday.This week, I cycled on Monday but had to drive to work on Tuesday and Wednesday because of bad weather. Today, the morning weather is clear so took the opportunity to cycle to work. I realized that though cycling is a good form of exercise, it is not a balance total body workouts. Cycling gives a good workout for the legs but not much for the upper body.

Maybe I will add in jogging in my exercise schedule. Hmmm....will time permits?

Cycling at night

Dangerous. More dangerous than cycling at daytime. Furthermore, the battery powered signal/blinking light that I bought for RM23 does not work. So I cycle at night for 11km from my shop to home without any blinking lights. Praise God that He has kept me safe thus far.

It is a different experience cycling at night. You can only see places that are lighted up. The things that you would not normally notice during daytime you will suddenly take notice. Places like hawker stalls or restaurants that are closed during daytime becomes alive at night. But you have to be careful when looking at all these places, just make sure you know what is in front of you. Small road holes are BIG danger to cyclist especially on a busy road.

One positive factor is the cool temperature at night. This really helps to cool your body down and you would not sweat as much as cycling in daytime.

Wishful thinking

Have you ever imagine that you will find a bag of cash along the road? Well, I do, lots of time. Usually I ride my motorbike to work. Many a times while riding back from work, I wished that I'll come across a bag or many bags of cash. And I would find cash in RM10 and RM50 notes totaling to thousands or even to millions of RM. So far, all have been wishful thinking. Never have I come across any bags with cash in it on the road. Garbage bags are plentiful.

What would I do if I come across the bags of cash? Well, one thing for sure, I would buy gold bullion with the money and save it for my children's needs in future. Hahaha...so bad of me, don't want to return it to the relevant authorities. Well, it is just wishful thinking, so let me imagine that I can use the money.

Fasting

I believes in the value of fasting. And before starting the business, I fasted regularly every week. However, when I started the business, I neglected it. My body's weight went up and down depending on the seasons of my life. Lack of exercise and sleep are major concerns. Everytime when the body is weak due to lack of exercise and sleep, I will fall sick.

I guessed it is the natural way for the body to tell me that things are out of balance. Now, my body is weak, my stomach is growing bigger due to overeating and lack of exercise. Looks like I will have to fast to cleanse my body. Will fast lunch at least once a week. Must get back my regular spiritual discipline of fasting.

High expenses

Sigh...I did not achieve my target of clearing my business debt by May 2010. Was really hoping that I could settle it by May, but that did not take place. With 2 weddings, additional repair to the photostat machine, renewing of insurance and road tax for the old car and motorbike, and many other additional expenses, all the income runs dry. Furthermore, the daily sales dropped as most of the college students went back home for their 2 months holiday.

Praise God we did not starve to death. Just that I was really hoping to clear my business debt as soon possible. Now praying that the daily income would increase and no more wedding cards to give angpau's to.

RM 1,000,000.00 question

"Dear, if you have RM1M, what would you do?" I asked my wife.

"Give people lah", came the immediate answer from her. After a quiet pause, she asked, "Can I use the money?".

Hahahaha... I guess we have always been thinking of giving to people but do not have much to give now. It would be wonderful to have RM1M in the bank account. Imagine how many smiles that we can bring out from people who receives monetary gifts from us. We want to bless the missionaries. They are always in our hearts and we hope finance would not hinder them in their work for God.

If you are thinking that we will be giving all of it to people, then the answer is No. We will use some for investment so that we can give more in the future. We might use some of the money to buy buy gold bullion for long term investment. Landed property would be another good choice. Well, let's see whether that dream will become a reality.

Which heart you would choose?

The preacher told this story to the congregation.

There was a man who needs a heart transplant. One day the surgeon called him and told him that he can be operated and have a new heart. The man was excited to hear the news. However, the surgeon told him that there are 3 hearts available and he has to choose one. One is from a young athlete who died in a car accident. The second heart is from a businessman who died in a plane crash. The third heart is from an old lawyer. The man without any hesitation told the surgeon that he wants the old lawyer's heart. The surgeon was surprised and asked him why. The man said, "Because the heart has not been used".

Okay, if you laughed, then you know the joke. I guess the reputation of lawyers are not so positive. Well, not all lawyers are heartless. The way they handle their cases may seem heartless but that shows that they are trying their best for their clients. Take for instance those who suffered from Mesothelioma Disease have found that their Mesothelioma Lawyer or Mesothelioma Attorney have a heart for them in their efforts to find justice and compensation. It is good to know that while we are suffering the disease there are people out there who are concern with our wellbeing. Whatever the perception may be, there are kind-hearted lawyers out there.

Rambling - Dreaming away

Day dreaming all the way. Can be very tiring too. Anticipating and hoping that somehow, in due time, in His time, things will change for better. But then again, how many of us can wait patiently. There's always the anticipation, the what if's, if's this, if's that. And time passes so ssssslllllllloooooowwwwwwlllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

But then again, that indicated a heart that is not with the Lord. For in God we have peace, tranquility of heart. Remembered Peter when he walked on water. Everything is okay and fine when he focus on Jesus. But when he shifted his focus to the waves, his peace waver too and as one who has no firm foundation, he starts to sink. Imagine that Peter, a fisherman, cried out to Jesus to be saved. Hmmm...shouldn't a fisherman like Peter already an expert swimmer. An expert swimmer became afraid and cried out to Jesus to save him. Well, at least Peter has Jesus to rely on at that time. Who do you have when the waves of this world overwhelm you? I do hope you have Jesus in you.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

My boy Ezra

Its been a year and I haven't write much about him. I guess I was busy at the shop and left all the taking care to my wifey. Anyway, he has grown much, much to our surprise. Just at the age of 1, he can already recognize my motorbike sound and would want to walk out from the room and greet me when I come home. Once he saw me at the door, he will walk quickly and open wide his arms for me to hug him. It seems he learned that from watching his other siblings. And he is such a huggable baby.

Red eyes

On Saturday, I woke up with a dry eye. Didn't look at the mirror, just assuming that lack of sleep is the cause of it. Went to work and by lunch time, the condition became better. On Sunday, again I woke up with a dry eye. When I look at the mirror, I saw my eyes red and it felt dry. Even my pastor noticed it when she spoke to me. After church service, I went home and look at my home medical supplies to see whether there's any eye drops that I can use. I normally use Eye-Mo or Optrex as these are the more popular ones in the market. Unfortunately there is none in the first aid kit. In the evening, we went to the shopping centre nearby and bought one eye drops. Now my eyes are much better and improving.

Mother is coming back

Received an sms from Bro Chai saying that he will be back this coming weekend. And he will bring Mother back. It's been a long time since Mom stays at Bro Ann's place. Not sure whether she will stays back here until her next eye check-up or she will follow Chai back on Sunday. Do hope that she will stays back.

Set mindset

My wife hold up an advertisement of a slimming package and told me, "Haiya, this kind of women also can enter slimming advertisement." I asked her, "Why?". "Look lah... the girl is fat."

Aiyo, its not necessary to be so slim and sexy to be in an advertisement. As long as it is real and not exagerrated, then it should be okay to put the girl's picture in the ad. Just add a touch of make-up like the way they teach in the cosmetology school in Ohio, then it should be okay. I just don't like to see some pictures in the advertisement that are really not "real", where a lot of photo editing being done. It is just so unreal. A little editing is okay, not too much until the readers know that it is impossible to achieve such beauty.

Don't have a set mindset. And don't let your mind set according to the pattern of this world. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

My Annabelle entered coloring competition

I don't remember entering into any competition when I was 7 years old. I think I would freak out if my parents enrolled me for any competition. Why? Because at the age of 7 back then, I don't even know my ABC. Yes, it was the reality back then. No pressure from the parents for me to know my ABC. Just learn whatever the teacher teaches in school. Now, at the age of 4, the child is expected to be able to recognize ABC. Just too much pressure lah nowadays.

Okay, today 17 April 2010, my Annabelle entered into a coloring competition. Organized by Hong Leong Bank, Malim Branch and held at Malim Kindergarten. And to our surprise, she managed to get 2nd prize. Not bad. Wifey said that she could get first if only she takes her time to color the picture nicely. She said she don't want to waste time! Aiyo... my dear girl. Don't be lazy lah. It is not who finish first competition, it is who colored it best.

Oh ya... you want to see the picture...hmmm...I'm sure my wifey will upload it on her blog. Go there lah... if you can find her blog.

Death overcomes us all

As I drove to my MIL's place, I remembered my father. I told my wife, "One generation has pass us." She looked at me, her expression asking my explanation. "My father. His generation has pass away. All his brothers and sisters have passed away", I told her. She nodded. We are now the next generation, and we too will pass away.

My father was the second to die among his siblings though he is the youngest. I remembered that the village people come and donated for the funeral expenses. We never heard of Funeral Insurance before so we had to depend on the donations of others to cover the funeral expenses. And my father did not have any Life Insurance taken in his name. It was "unknown" for a farmer like him to buy life insurance. Maybe there are one or two who gave him Life Insurance Quotes but I'm sure he did not buy one for himself.

We would be the next generation to pass away. Death overcomes us all. Well, let it come for it would be the day I will see my Lord face to face. Oh, what hope and joy awaits me.

Must take care of health

The weather is erratic nowadays. It can be very hot and an hour later it rains heavily. This is not good for the body. Michelle is down with flu and so is Ezra. Praise God that the other children are still in good health. As for me, cough is crouching on my throat. Must make sure my immune system is operating smoothly. Body must be warm. Not to stay in aircond places for too long. Take a bit of wine for it is good for the body. And must have enough sleep.

Gold price going down again

For the past few days, the price of gold has been going down. From the price of RM122 it has gone down to RM119 per gram. This is indeed good news for people who wants to buy buy gold coins or invest in gold. I wish that I have the extra money to invest in gold. It has proven track records that the price of gold has steadily increase over time. And mind you, the returns that you can get is much more than putting your money in fixed deposits or in government bonds. So if you are thinking of long term investment, go invest in gold or precious metals. As for me, it is more as an investment for my children future needs.

Cross over to Malaysia lah

CROSSING THE BORDER

If you cross the North Korean border illegally
You get 12 years hard labour.

If you cross the Iranian border illegally
You are detained indefinitely.

If you cross the Afghan border illegally
You get shot.
If you cross the Saudi Arabian border illegally
You will be jailed.
If you cross the Chinese border illegally
You may never be heard again.
If you cross the Venezuelan border illegally
You will be branded a spy and your fate will be sealed.
If you cross the Cuban border illegally
You will be thrown into political prison to rot.
If you cross the British border illegally
You will be arrested, prosecuted and sent to prison and deported
If you are an Indonesian and cross the Malaysian border illegally
You will get:
- My PR (Permanent Residence)
- A driving license
- Voting rights
- Job reservation
- Special privilege to be consider as a bumiputera
- Credit cards
- Subsidized rent or a loan to buy a house
- Free education
- Free healthcare
Oh Malaysia ! What a great country!

"A Strong Woman Versus a Woman of Strength"

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape ...
but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape...

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything ...
but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear...

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her ...
but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone...

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future...
a woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be God's blessings and capitalizes on them...

A strong woman walks sure footedly...
but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls...

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face...
but a woman of strength wears grace...

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey...
but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong...

- Marta S. Hardy

Caribbean Vacation

Yup! The all inclusive vacation. That is what I am dreaming about right now. I really dreaded Chinese New Year day. If not because of the hot sun, Chinese New Year would be more enjoyable. The nieces and nephews prayed that it will snow on Chinese New Year day. :lol: If it does not snow, let's make our own snow by shaving as much ice as we could, they said. I doubt it can be done because the ice will melt within seconds!

We must plan for a Caribbean vacation during the Chinese New Year one day. Or a getaway to somewhere cold during this hot festive season. It would be nice to break away from tradition once in a while. ;) Furthermore, the all inclusive vacation package isn't that expensive; if you earn in USD. :lol:

As for this year, we bear with the weather and pray for a cooling evening soon. Then maybe, we will go out visiting again.

LoudLaunch - Compensating bloggers for their unbiased opinions, reviews, and analysis.

920212

Wifey drop by at the shop after sending Belle to her Art class. When she wants to go back, she asked me, "Where's my roses?". I was like "Huh?" with a blur expression on my face. She smiled. My mind did a one hundred meters dash, trying to figure out whether I've missed out something. No, Valentine Day is only in two days time. Hmmm...

Suddenly I remembered the date, 920212. The year 1992 in the month of February on the 12th day. No, it is not our destination weddings date. It is our official date of the beginning of our relationship. Today, it has been 18 years since then. Time surely has pass by so fast. 18 years of relationship....Wow!, I can't believe it. Seems like only a few years ago.

Promised my wife that I will send her roses...online... facebook farmville roses... hehehe... times have changed.

Dear, I love you always lah.

No room for CNY

The family members are coming back. It is indeed a blessing to have a large family. My mom have 11 children, 3 girls and 8 boys. And all of them except one are married and have children. If all of them converged in our house during CNY, there would not be enough place for everybody to sleep. Most of the time, the younger ones would pitched their tents at the house compound and enjoy the starlight sleep.

We did thought of using our apartments for the others to stay during CNY but most of them wouldn't want to go there. Firstly, it is quite a distance from our main house. Secondly, we want the closeness and togetherness during the CNY. CNY is the time to strenthen the family bond. It is also a time to catch up with one another. And we need big space for a big family like mine. An apartment would definitely be too small.

Talking about apartments, we bought the apartment because we want to rent it out to students. It is in a good location similar to University of Arizona apartments and the demands would always be there. Furthermore, the price of the apartment would appreciate when the surrounding areas are developed. So we figure it would be a good investment to buy one apartment there. After a year we bought another nearby apartments. So far we have good return for our investments.

So it looks like this year like previous years, many of my family members would enjoy the cooling breeze in their tents at night. Praying that it would not rain.

Business closed on CNY

CNY is the only time of the year when I'll close the business for more than 2 days. I guess it is one of the public holidays that I observes beside Christmas day. This year, the business will be closed for at least four days from Saturday till Tuesday.

To all my Chinese customers, Happy Chinese New Year. Time for me to rest.

Gold price going down

Last December, the bank clerk told me that the price of gold price will normally go down before Chinese New Year. I was abit skeptical about her prediction as I'm not sure of the basis of her prediction.

The gold price went up to as high as RM140 per gramme before it went down again. Now the price of gold is hovering at RM116 per gramme. I would say that if you have extra money to keep, now is the time to buy gold bullion. Or you can also invest in gold account with certain banks that provides such services. Who knows, after Chinese New Year, the price of gold might go up again.