Done:
01. Kluang, Mersing, Tioman
02. Penang Island, Nibong Tebal
03. Ipoh
04. Cameron Highlands
05. Tanjung Sepat
06. Sekinchan, Kuala Selangor
07. Old Gombak Road
08. Bentong
Coming Soon:
01. Port Dickson
Potential:
01. Taiping (Wild Boar Temple)
02. Kuantan (Secret Beach)
03. Hulu Yam Lama (Fishcake)
04. Malacca (Historic City, Umbai Seafood)
05. Sungai Lembing (Sunrise)
06. Kampar (Food, Waterfall)
07. Seremban (Siew Pau)
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Satisfactory Salsa Weekend
The recent Sultan of Selangor's Birthday weekend fell on a Friday and so the whole Kuala Lumpur road traffic got jammed like crazy. Which is why I stayed home the whole day, since I work in Selangor and had no need to go down to KL for any reason.
Anyway that's not the main point. I just want to note that I had a good time at salsa on Friday night and Saturday night after a series of disappointing mid-week outings. Let's just say that there was a good variety of dancers during the nights I felt were satisfactory enough to merit mention.
If there's something missing, it's that I didn't manage to dance with all the people that I wanted to dance with due to time constraints - I had to leave early on Friday night for a "tahnee" session with a group of non-salsa people at a non-salsa venue within walking distance. But given a choice between a salsa and a non-salsa event that clash, I'd pick the salsa event unless there are compelling reasons to go for the non-salsa one. 'Nuff said.
Anyway that's not the main point. I just want to note that I had a good time at salsa on Friday night and Saturday night after a series of disappointing mid-week outings. Let's just say that there was a good variety of dancers during the nights I felt were satisfactory enough to merit mention.
If there's something missing, it's that I didn't manage to dance with all the people that I wanted to dance with due to time constraints - I had to leave early on Friday night for a "tahnee" session with a group of non-salsa people at a non-salsa venue within walking distance. But given a choice between a salsa and a non-salsa event that clash, I'd pick the salsa event unless there are compelling reasons to go for the non-salsa one. 'Nuff said.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Meaning of Nibong Tebal
Until today I've never figured out why Nibong Tebal is 高渊 [Cantonese pronunciation: Koh Yuen] in Chinese characters. High/Tall Surge? In Malay language, Nibong is a type of palm tree (Oncosperma tigillarium), Tebal is thick, so the area must have had lots of nibong trees in old times. Perhaps the Chinese paid more attention to the Kerian River tides instead.
Tamil Comedy & Astro Coincidence
By the power of Muruga, it can't be mere coincidence! I sent Ramesh a link on Facebook to a Sathyaraj & Vadivelu comedy about cricket player selection. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsHldlHmDQw
Immediately I got an SMS greeting from Ramesh. I replied and told him about the link. Io and behold, he replied saying he was watching Siri Siri Tamil Comedy on ASTRO and that exact comedy clip was playing! What a coincidence!
Immediately I got an SMS greeting from Ramesh. I replied and told him about the link. Io and behold, he replied saying he was watching Siri Siri Tamil Comedy on ASTRO and that exact comedy clip was playing! What a coincidence!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Dim Gaai Ngo Oi Se Gwong Jau Wa Ge Tong Yan Ji?
点解我爱写广州话嘅唐人字？
好多人写唐话系用华语文法，华语词汇，华语方式。我就冇喺华语书馆读过。我净系识讲好基本嘅广州话。词汇又系好简单嘅。识得嘅字都唔系几多啫。所以呢，叫我写正式中文嘅信函我就唔识。
我净系识写我讲出嘅说话。 I can only transcribe my speech as it is. It's analogous to writing down the colloquial spoken version of Tamil (koduntamil) instead of the formal written version (centamil).
好多人写唐话系用华语文法，华语词汇，华语方式。我就冇喺华语书馆读过。我净系识讲好基本嘅广州话。词汇又系好简单嘅。识得嘅字都唔系几多啫。所以呢，叫我写正式中文嘅信函我就唔识。
我净系识写我讲出嘅说话。 I can only transcribe my speech as it is. It's analogous to writing down the colloquial spoken version of Tamil (koduntamil) instead of the formal written version (centamil).
Never The Twain Shall Meet
Rudyard Kipling wrote in his Barrack-room ballads (1892): "Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." It means "two things which are so different as to have no opportunity to unite".
It happens all the time in real life. There are certain things that I can never explain to some people. They don't get it. It's like they just don't perceive that thing the way I do. No matter how I break down the explanation into simple modules, it just doesn't work on them. From university days to today's social life, these things happen.
That's why I am very reluctant to say some things to some people. The reason being they just don't get it no matter how I explain it. Which is why I don't like it when some people ask me for an explanation. What's the point of me explaining to somebody who just can't/won't/doesn't understand?
Oh well. Why should I care? Because the way we see things are so different, there is no way our perceptions can unite. Rudyard Kipling said it so well over a hundred years ago and his phrase still rings a bell today.
It happens all the time in real life. There are certain things that I can never explain to some people. They don't get it. It's like they just don't perceive that thing the way I do. No matter how I break down the explanation into simple modules, it just doesn't work on them. From university days to today's social life, these things happen.
That's why I am very reluctant to say some things to some people. The reason being they just don't get it no matter how I explain it. Which is why I don't like it when some people ask me for an explanation. What's the point of me explaining to somebody who just can't/won't/doesn't understand?
Oh well. Why should I care? Because the way we see things are so different, there is no way our perceptions can unite. Rudyard Kipling said it so well over a hundred years ago and his phrase still rings a bell today.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
December 2009: To Date
I've not been writing much due to being kept busy with work and other activities. So much to do, that's good, can't complain. As long as I'm productively occupied.
Some people write an end-of-year e-mail or posting to talk about things that happened throughout the year. Guess I should, there's so much to write about, but I'll only cover some aspects considered write-able. I'll write event by event, not necessarily in chronological order as it takes less time to write.
Went on more road trips and a few local travel destinations, such as Tioman Island, Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, Bentong, and Tanjung Sepat. Haven't been to Penang this year, although I made trips there in 2007 and 2008. Genting was in 2008 if I recall correctly. I enjoyed all these trips, saw new places and made new acquaintances.
Started an exercise routine after Raya to stay healthy and do something positive for myself. Age is catching up and I have to do something to keep cholesterol levels low. At the same time, exercise and workout provide a healthy way to deal with accumulated stress.
Re-established contact with a few old friends that I knew from many years ago but lost touch for a long time. So glad to know that they're doing well in life, at least we can share the joy and happiness.
Lost a friend. It's sad when this happens, especially when the relations of friendship have been established for a long time, but friendship can't be forced. 咁样嘅事发生真系好可惜。尤其是嗰个嘢唔识做人。唔识珍惜自己嘅朋友，虽然佢孤寒我冇咁介意但系佢当我唔喺呢度喎。Summary is, a clear-cut case of 重色轻友。我以後唔会帮佢联络因为呢啲咁样嘅人只系有问题先会嚟搵我，冇问题就唔睬我。
Maintained a sense of optimism even in the not-so-good of times. It's not an easy task, but still doable. Not easy to break the cycle of sadness but it must be done for your own sake. I've seen a lot of people getting so depressed, sad, angry, worked over issues that are petty if viewed from a wider angle. How I wish they wouldn't let such things trouble them, but then again, who am I to say anything about others?
Restarted dance classes after an absence of three and a half years. Enrolled in Havana Estudio ongoing Bachata class, it's very interesting and different material covered every week. I find it pretty interesting and in-depth, although at most I can only absorb about half of what's being taught. Oh well, at least I get some benefit out of classes.
Took more photos of cute doggies and kitties. Yeah this sounds trivial or nonsense to some, but I think kitties and doggies are cute too, even stray ones. If only I could talk to them and find out their opinions. Some friends of mine can communicate with them, I don't know how but they just do it. Interesting.
That's about it for now.
Some people write an end-of-year e-mail or posting to talk about things that happened throughout the year. Guess I should, there's so much to write about, but I'll only cover some aspects considered write-able. I'll write event by event, not necessarily in chronological order as it takes less time to write.
Went on more road trips and a few local travel destinations, such as Tioman Island, Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, Bentong, and Tanjung Sepat. Haven't been to Penang this year, although I made trips there in 2007 and 2008. Genting was in 2008 if I recall correctly. I enjoyed all these trips, saw new places and made new acquaintances.
Started an exercise routine after Raya to stay healthy and do something positive for myself. Age is catching up and I have to do something to keep cholesterol levels low. At the same time, exercise and workout provide a healthy way to deal with accumulated stress.
Re-established contact with a few old friends that I knew from many years ago but lost touch for a long time. So glad to know that they're doing well in life, at least we can share the joy and happiness.
Lost a friend. It's sad when this happens, especially when the relations of friendship have been established for a long time, but friendship can't be forced. 咁样嘅事发生真系好可惜。尤其是嗰个嘢唔识做人。唔识珍惜自己嘅朋友，虽然佢孤寒我冇咁介意但系佢当我唔喺呢度喎。Summary is, a clear-cut case of 重色轻友。我以後唔会帮佢联络因为呢啲咁样嘅人只系有问题先会嚟搵我，冇问题就唔睬我。
Maintained a sense of optimism even in the not-so-good of times. It's not an easy task, but still doable. Not easy to break the cycle of sadness but it must be done for your own sake. I've seen a lot of people getting so depressed, sad, angry, worked over issues that are petty if viewed from a wider angle. How I wish they wouldn't let such things trouble them, but then again, who am I to say anything about others?
Restarted dance classes after an absence of three and a half years. Enrolled in Havana Estudio ongoing Bachata class, it's very interesting and different material covered every week. I find it pretty interesting and in-depth, although at most I can only absorb about half of what's being taught. Oh well, at least I get some benefit out of classes.
Took more photos of cute doggies and kitties. Yeah this sounds trivial or nonsense to some, but I think kitties and doggies are cute too, even stray ones. If only I could talk to them and find out their opinions. Some friends of mine can communicate with them, I don't know how but they just do it. Interesting.
That's about it for now.
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