Last post of 2011! 2011年最後一個發佈！

Last post of the year!

今年最後一個發佈！

Last Day of 2011 / 2011最後一日

Today's the last day of 2011 and in less than six hours the new year 2012 shall begin. There goes another solar cycle to be replaced by another. Yet I'm not in a very celebratory mood, for the past two years 2010 and 2011 have not given me great reason to celebrate. Still can't achieve that happy optimistic feeling at Port Dickson on the last day of 2009.

Certain circles and activities don't appeal to me as much as they did before. Perhaps the time is overdue to move on to other more productive, rewarding, fulfilling tasks. Indeed it's a Sisyphean task to get that thing called achievement.

Those who care might have noticed I hardly talk these days. True, but a lot of things are better left unsaid, for saying it brings no benefit to anyone, and might even complicate matters.

Anyway, wishing whoever comes across this posting a Happy New Year 2012 and Happy Holidays wherever you are! See you next year.

今日係2011年最後一日，仲有少過六個鐘頭就係公曆嘅新年2012。 咁就過咗一個太陽活動週期。只不過我唔係好想出去慶祝呢個大日子，點解呢？前兩年2010＆2011冇俾到我一個好理由點解要慶祝。到而家仲未能夠得到2009最後一日嘅興奮，真係冇嗰個樂觀嘅感覺。

有些組人同埋活動不再吸引我嘅興趣。也許時間到咗，係要轉去做其它比較多滿意以及有獎勵回報嘅嘢。真係好緊要難得到一啲些少嘅成就。

邊個有理我嘅，可能注意到我近來好少講話。真嘅，有好多嘢最好唔可以講出嚟，因為講咗都冇用，幫唔到邊個，然後整埋嗰件事更加複雜。

無論如何，我要祝福大家公曆2012新年快樂！仲有，要玩得開心啲呀！明年再見。

Quit 退出

Found the following while browsing through some old notes. When, where, and who shall not be stated.

我摷緊啲舊紙嗰陣時就搵都呢啲嘢。幾時，邊度，同埋邊個， 我唔會講。

-----
On this day, I did what I should have done long ago. I quit as per stated procedure in an orderly manner. In my heart I already knew there's no way I can survive here. No point forcing myself to be somewhere where I'm already disliked, cursed at and thought of in a negative light. I sense the daggers in the air pointing at me like invisible weapons ready to drop at any time.

I should feel some relief. Yet I don't feel it.

今日我做咗我好耐以前應該做嘅嘢。我跟規矩好好地地離開呢個地方。喺我心目中我已經知道冇辦法可以喺呢度再行落去。係好唔值得監自己繼續喺個地方嚟俾人睇衰，俾人屌，仲係俾人講衰添。我感受到空中有好多好多尖刀等著時間嚟插穿我全身。

而家應該放心。但係唔會覺得噉樣喎。
-----

Exams 考試

Now it seems like every day is exam day. Everything's subject to pop quiz. The only way to face it is to prepare well.

而家我覺得日日都係好似考試噉樣。每一個嘢會重突擊測驗。唯一個方法面對呢件事就係預備好好。

Going Overseas (Over The Sea) 出國 (過海)

Back in February I predicted that I'd go "overseas" (as in over the sea) three (3) times this year. It's now November and I went "overseas" five (5) times. Three times within the same country, twice to foreign countries. For the foreign countries, one's considered ancestral country and the other a neighbouring country.

Actually going to Sabah/Sarawak can be considered "overseas" because to get there one must cross the sea. Back in college I used to joke with friends about why can't we take the bus to Sarawak. The bus can only go as far as Kuantan, it can't cross the South China Sea. Unless it turns into a waterbus?

二月嗰陣時我預咗我今年會過海三次。而家十一月，已經過海五次。三次國內，兩次國際。關於去外國，一個係祖國，一個係鄰國。

其實去沙巴/砂勞越可以算係 "overseas" 因為要過海先到。我喺學院讀書時候有同朋友講笑點解唔可以搭巴士去砂勞越。巴士最遠去到關丹，唔能夠過南海。唔通變成水巴士？

Unifi Speed on 20111026

Ran a simple upload/download test at testmy.net for my Unifi connection. Definitely faster than Streamyx, you can see the difference when opening YouTube videos.

Somehow the download speed of the wired connection runs approximately three (3) times faster at 1.6 Mbps than the wireless connection at 0.5 Mbps. 

downstairs.unifi.02

:::.. Combined Test Results ..:::
Download Connection:: 1678 Kbps or 1.6 Mbps
Download Test Size:: 1.8 MB or 1843 kB or 1887437 bytes
Download Speed:: 210 kB/s
Upload Connection:: 944 Kbps or 0.9 Mbps
Upload Test Size:: 386 kB or 386 kB or 395280 bytes
Upload Speed:: 118 kB/s
Tested At:: http://TestMy.net version:12
Test Time:: 2011-10-26 22:06:46 Local Time
Validation:: http://testmy.net/db/ND2UiJE.tkZsuFp
User Agent:: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:7.0.1) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/7.0.1 [!]
=====

upstairs.unifi.01

:::.. Combined Test Results ..:::
Download Connection:: 515 Kbps or 0.5 Mbps
Download Test Size:: 0.6 MB or 614 kB or 629146 bytes
Download Speed:: 64 kB/s
Upload Connection:: 532 Kbps or 0.5 Mbps
Upload Test Size:: 193 kB or 193 kB or 197640 bytes
Upload Speed:: 67 kB/s
Tested At:: http://TestMy.net version:12
Test Time:: 2011-10-26 22:02:44 Local Time
Validation:: http://testmy.net/db/ps38bSj.EFsHP5r
User Agent:: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; rv:7.0.1) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/7.0.1 [!]
=====

Random Thoughts on Visiting Singapore

If there's something I like about visiting Singapore, it's the mall experience. When daytime temperatures shoot up into the 30s (Celsius) and the sun's rays beat down harshly, just do what the locals do - escape indoors or underground.

Personally I'm a fan of bookstores and can spend hours browsing through their collections. Ever since young reading has been a pleasurable activity. It's just me.

Get an EZ-Link stored value card for use on their MRT and buses. You'll get a discount for each trip, very worth it when you add up all your journeys. Beats me why some people prefer to pay for per trip tickets every time when it costs more.

It's very hard to get lost in Singapore. All buses eventually end up at one of the numerous interchanges located near MRT stations and from there you can continue your journey to other parts of the island. You can even take the MRT to the airport.

The only downside for me is of course the currency exchange rate. If you earn a living in Malaysia, no matter what Singapore is expensive. If you earn a living from somewhere where the rates are better, Singapore is about the same as any developed nation with strong buying power.

Chinese To English Translation: Literally Screwed Up

[I first wrote this on Saturday, 4 April 2009, after discovering this literally screwed up Chinese to English translation on the Internet.]

Chinese-English and English-Chinese translations are often required in the region of the world where I stay. If you're fluent in both English and Mandarin you can earn quite a fair bit by being a translator or interpreter for this particular language pair. I heard that in Malaysia, to be a court interpreter for Chinese, you have to speak fluent Mandarin plus two dialects and also be proficient in written Chinese.

Anyway, here's something I got from the Internet, which illustrates the pitfalls of translating directly word by word without knowing the context and cultural background. The Mandarin Chinese original text is perfectly okay. But the accompanying English translation is, how to say, literally screwed up. There's also another translation in proper English [enclosed within square brackets] for reference.

Dear Wang litte sister:
親愛的王小姐
[Dear Ms. Wang:]

From see you one eye, I shit love you.
自從看到你的第一眼, 我便愛上你。
[It was love at first sight.]

Your eyes close, I die; your eyes open, I come back to live.
Your eyes close and open again and again, I die again and again.
妳的眼睛閉上，我就死了，你的眼睛打開，我又活過來，妳的眼睛貶啊貶, 我就死去活來 ?
[My life begins and ends with every blink of your eyes.]

Maybe you do not remember me, no matter.
When you carefully look at me, you will one see clock.
也許你不記得我 ,沒有關係 ,當你仔細看著我，你就會一見鍾情
[You probably don't know me, but it's okay.
Once you have a chance to get to know me you will fall in love with me.]

I think l should introduce myself to you.
我想應該介紹一下自己。
[I should introduce myself.]

I call Li big great. Toyear 25
我叫李大偉 ,今年 25
[My name is Li Da Wei (David Lee) and I'm 25 years old.] (Note: Li Da Wei could be David Lee as Da Wei is a close approximation of David)

(今天是 today,那麼今年就是 toyear.至於偉就翻成 great吧！ )
["Jin Tian" is "today", so "Jin Nian" should be "toyear". "Wei" should be translated as "great"!]

My home have four mouth people-papa, mama, I and DD.
我家有四口人 ..爸爸、媽媽、我和弟弟。
[I come from a lovely family of four.] (Note: He could have added "Dad, Mom, me and a younger brother" after "... family of four".)

I am a good man, in a big company work.
我是一個好男人，在一家大公司上班。
[I am a good man and am currently employed in a large corporation.]

I do early fuck every day, so that I can have strong body to protect you.
我每天都做早操，這樣我會有強壯的身體來保護你。
[I can protect you with my strong body as I exercise vigorously every morning.]

Please come to eat and sleep with me, or I will cut my hair to be a monk, and find a place where many monks live in to over my life;
請嫁給我吧 ,否則我將削髮為僧 ,找個廟來了此一生。
[Please marry me or I will be forced to become a monk and live a life of solitude.]

(實在想不起「嫁」字怎麼翻譯，好在頭腦靈光 , 嫁過來不就是和我吃住在一起。至於「廟」字 ,也不會翻譯，不過很多和尚住在一起的地方，就是廟。 )
[Actually (I) can't figure out how to translate "jia 嫁" (marry), fortunately in a fit of inspiration, (I reckoned that) after "jia" wouldn't (you be) staying together with me? As regards "miao" (temple), (I) also can't translate (it), but it's a place where many monks stay together, that's a "miao".]

Like Your people
喜歡妳的人
[The man who loves you]

Some comments from people who read this horrible translation:

(1)…… 原來[做早操]的英文是 make early fuck…… ( 汗...)
[(Just realized that) "zuo zao cao 做早操" means "make early fuck" in English... (sweat...)]

(2) The guy wrote an English valentine letter to his love. Problem is he used a Chinese to English dictionary and translated word by word. What he meant to write was :

Source:
http://www.ainur-guild.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=54948&sid=4c7d92ea530469ff7d9779a4920af3b2

Past Conditioning

Today I want to touch on the topic of "past conditioning". I define it as the influence of experiences that cause people to react in a specific way.

Past conditioning is often linked to negative experiences that have minor to major repercussions. Sometimes traumatic experiences can cause us to react in a certain matter. Therefore I shall write about how negative experiences affect us and the difficulties experienced in getting over them.

Some examples from real life:

1. Old Uncle saw with his own eyes the atrocities committed by the Japanese army during the Japanese Occupation in Malaya, World War 2. To this day he still refuses to visit Japan for holiday. He tries not to use Japanese products if he can even though it may not always be possible. His good friend tried to reason with him, saying that today's new generation Japanese are not the ones who did the bad things, and the atrocities are the sins of the previous generation. Uncle still refuses to budge, his good friend may not agree but still respects Uncle's principle.

2. Guy has had bad experiences with girls in relationships who treated him badly. More than one have been mean to him, insulted him and said all sorts of negative shit on him. Some even abandoned him by saying nasty things and insults just to get rid of him, leaving him in the lurch. As a result he has become sensitive to certain phrases and behaviour, and at times still haunted by underlying worry that he may be abandoned for no reason or for no good reason or whim and fancy of the girl. He worries he may suddenly be confronted with unreasonable demands or ultimatums for things he cannot offer.

3. Girl has had negative experience with guys who didn't treat her as top priority, who put other things before her. Some couldn't spare her some time, some couldn't bother to treat her like a queen. Others considered her a trophy for "show" or as bragging material. Now she worries that the next guy might treat her like how those guys treated her.

4. Old Grandma (Ah Mar or Ah Por depending on your dialect group) and her siblings lost faith in religion since their younger days. The reason being their father, Ah Pa was dying of cancer and put all his faith in a religious group to get cured. Yes, to the extent of leaving all his money and material belongings to that group. So after he died, his family was left with nothing. And since then the siblings swore never to believe in religion anymore, because they say it's a bunch of opportunists waiting to prey on the vulnerable.

5. Late middle age Uncle does not like Mah Chans, because he personally witnessed the racially motivated killings done by Mah Chans during the May 13 incident back in 1969. He tells all his family members to beware of Mah Chans. His children tell him that not all Mah Chans are bad, there are good and bad people in every ethnic group, that crooked politicians are the ones responsible for racial riots, but understandably it's hard to overcome the negative firsthand experience.

6. English-speaking Chinese young man was looked down upon by other Chinese for his inability to speak either Mandarin or Cantonese. People insulted him by calling him "banana" plus a host of other epithets such as "stupid" and so on. He did try to learn to speak both those languages, but unfortunately his attempts were ridiculed, because those Chinese-speaking Chinese made fun of his accent, lack of vocabulary, and gave him the attitude "If you can't speak it fluently, don't speak it at all!" As a result he does not have a high regard for those Chinese who are non-English speakers, and has completely lost the motivation to learn either Mandarin or Cantonese.

Hmm... From personal experience, I can say I faced the same thing as the guy in No. 6, perhaps even worse. Yet I persevered and learned the Chinese written language through Cantonese pronunciation, picking up some Mandarin and Hakka along the way. I must emphasize I'm far from fluency in those three languages, but I still can function on a reasonable survival level when I'm in an environment that is Cantonese or Mandarin dominated, though I still prefer Cantonese anytime to Mandarin. That's a personal bias due to familiarity reasons. Where do I stand in this aspect? I guess this quote summarizes it aptly: "For a non-Chinese educated Chinese your level is pretty good." Okay, "good" is open to interpretation. To go further on this topic I'd need a dedicated post.

Coming back to the topic, it's evident that past conditioning has a strong effect on people's reaction, and if that conditioning was negative, it takes a lot of willpower and effort to correct. Now I remember from somewhere that "Fear is one of the easiest emotions to impose on human beings". It's very negative, has long lasting repercussions, and takes a lot of energy to undo the damage.

So ideally there should not be negative experiences that cause negative past conditioning, but in this world there is no perfect life experience, well almost none because there's always an exceptional case or two of a totally smooth life story. Just bear in mind that it takes time, patience, effort, and understanding to undo the damage caused by negative experiences.

One More Week 仲有一个礼拜

仲有一个礼拜我哋去游览。好似好急噉样。有好多地方要去，不过唔知去唔去得嗮。会唔会同意？会唔会有问题？会唔会搅出好烦嘅事？ Only time can tell. Plan well, prepare well, and the rest shall unfold. Good luck to all.

Random Thoughts about the Boat to Manukan and TARP Islands

 As of Sunday, 14 August 2011, I've been to Manukan and Sapi.

: Boats depart from Jesselton Point ferry terminal starting from 8:00 AM till 4:00 PM on a more or less half hourly basis, or when there's enough people to fill up one boat.
: Return trips from the islands start at 10:00 AM and the last boat would be 5:00 PM at the very latest, but for many the last boat is either 4:00 PM or 4:30 PM.
: Fares are RM17 per island for the islands of Manukan, Sapi, and Mamutik. Gaya and Sulug would be classified under boat charter price, a different category due to the smaller numbers of people going there.
: You can choose from any of the boat operators, the fares are all the same standard price.
: There's a jetty terminal fee of RM7.20 to be paid at a different counter.
: There's also a park fee of RM3 to be paid upon arrival at the first island on your itinerary. You don't have to pay the RM3 again if you visit more than one island.
: Manukan's the largest and most developed island with the most facilities.
: Sapi has a large population of resident monitor lizards. They're not scared of people, they hang around the barbecue pit areas.
: Mamutik's a popular destination for team building excursions.
: TARP stands for Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park. It covers the islands of Gaya, Manukan, Sapi, Mamutik, and Sulug.
: There are Filipino immigrant settlements on the eastern side of Gaya facing Kota Kinabalu city. To get there, ask the Filipino people at the Filipino Market, they'll know who to direct you to.
: It's possible to take a day trip to TARP from KL. Take the earliest AirAsia flight from LCCT at 6:50 AM, arrive at KKIA T2 at 9:20 AM. Get a taxi to Jesselton Point, and you're all set. Take any flight after 6:55 PM from KKIA back to KL and you might reach home before midnight.

Random Thoughts about the Road to Kinabalu Park

As of Sunday, 14 August 2011, I've been to Cameron Highlands, Fraser's Hill, Genting Highlands, and Berjaya Hills. The road to Kinabalu Park differs in several aspects and has some unique points not found in the aforementioned locales.

: The ascent is much gentler and the climb isn't really obvious until you see the mountain up close.
: Not much primary forest along both sides of the road, mostly secondary growth, empty land filled with grass, or farmed patches.
: At times the road follows the top of a ridge where you can see faraway mountain ranges from both sides.
: Cool weather doesn't begin until a couple of villages before Kinabalu Park if you're coming from Kota Kinabalu. Kundasang's cool, but Ranau's warm.
: We were lucky to have gone on a sunny day. Usually by 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM clouds cover the summit of Mount Kinabalu, but that day the clouds only covered up the summit after 12:30 PM.
: Bring sunblock to protect your skin from the sun's rays.
: It's hot in the sun but cold in the shade. Yes, quite a big difference in temperature between exposed and shaded areas.
: Make sure you have enough petrol. Fill up in Tamparuli if you're coming from Kota Kinabalu and your petrol tank has less than two-thirds fuel remaining. Otherwise the next petrol station is the one and only Shell in Kundasang, and if that one's closed the nearest would be in Ranau.
: Kundasang's a cowboy town with a diamond shaped cluster of shophouses, dusty gravel roads, and scattered farmhouses on hill slopes.
: Ranau's a small town that serves as the district administrative centre. It has all the facilities expected of a district capital.
: You can drive around Kinabalu Park on the tar road all the way up to Timpohon Gate. Otherwise you'll end up walking and hanging around the entrance area where the information centre is. Not to worry you can see Mount Kinabalu towering above the entrance area.
: Allow yourself at least two (2) hours if driving from Kota Kinabalu. The distance isn't too far but the road becomes one lane each side after Tamparuli.

Random Thoughts about Fraser's Hill

The one and only food court in town is uphill from the mosque. Take the 9 o'clock exit at the mini roundabout and you'll see a children's playground. Next to it stands the food court in a small valley.

In days gone by there were two Chinese restaurants. Kheng Yuen Lee 瓊源利 located near the entrance from The Gap along the same road with SM Stores, the post office and the police station was famous for laksa. Now it seems to be closed, so the only surviving Chinese restaurant is Hill View 山景 that used to be located in the town centre but now occupies a lot in the food court.

Most of the Fraser's Hill local Chinese speak Hainanese. They also know Cantonese and Mandarin.

As of mid-July 2011, the "new" road has been reopened so the old Gap road is now used for uphill trafic only while downhill traffic uses the new road.

The Gap is now a ghost town. The Gap Resthouse has been abandoned for years and the jungle is on the way to reclaim it. Hing Kee 興記 restaurant opposite the road has also been abandoned.

Lovely, cool temperatures ranging between 24 degrees Celsius in the day and 14 degrees Celsius at night when you're above the 1200 metre level.

No petrol station on Fraser's Hill. Nearest petrol stations in Kuala Kubu Baru on the Selangor side and Raub on the Pahang side. So make sure you have enough petrol remaining to reach either town from Fraser's Hill.

Old road uphill from The Gap is 8 km long and takes 15-20 minutes to cover. Maximum speed 30 km/h only due to the numerous bends. New road downhill is 9 km long, maximum speed 30 km/h only for the most part except a few areas towards the end. Takes 15 minutes to cover too.

Three primary schools: one Bahasa school, one Chinese school, one Tamil school. All are quite far from each other: the Bahasa school in the northwest, the Tamil school in the northeast, and the Chinese school in the south. No secondary school so the kids have to go to Raub or Kuala Kubu Baru.

You can see Genting Highlands from two places. One is the part of Mager Road near Kingswood Bungalow, another is the south part of Girdle Road on the way to No. 23 (Kamsiah Bungalow). Both are south-facing slopes. Genting Highlands should be 25-30 km away south-southeast as the crow flies, but the road distance is substantially further.

Water at Jeriau Waterfall seems clearer now. Must be because of the sand trap installed upriver near the entrance. Beyond the abandoned bridge is a deserted golf course and clubhouse.

The 4 km of Waterfall Road to Jeriau takes 12 minutes to traverse due to its numerous bends and bumpy condition.

From the Jeriau car park it's a 15-minute walk to the waterfall. The only public toilets are at the very end of the path near the lower pool of the waterfall. Near the entrance there's an Indian man selling snacks and a Malay man with barbecue grill. Everyone leaves the waterfall latest by 6:45 PM because by 7:15 PM it gets dark and there aren't any street lights.

A little playground near Ye Olde Smokehouse along Waterfall Road offers beautiful sunset views. Prepare your camera and note that colour changes last only for a minute or two before it's gone or transforms into something else.

Two Hindu temples: One near Allan's Water and another one along a bend in Waterfall Road.

Guangzhou Trip Itinerary for December 2008

[I first wrote this on Monday, 15 December 2008, a week after returning from my first visit to Guangzhou, China.]

Thursday, 4 December 2008
: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport
: Check-in to Hotel Canton 广州大厦
: Lunch at hotel
: Leather goods shopping at Zhonggang Leather City, Sanyuanli 中港皮具成， 三元里
: Goodies shopping at Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Shopping Street 上下九
: Drop by 6th Grandaunty's place at Zhongshan Balu 中山八路
: Dinner at Panxi Restaurant 泮溪酒家 near Pantang Lu 泮塘路
: Back to hotel
: Quick walk to Beijing Road Pedestrian Shopping Area 北京路

Friday, 5 December 2008
: Breakfast at hotel
: Depart for Zhaoqing (Siu Hing) 肇庆 by rented van
: Modern highway from Guangzhou 广州 to Sanshui 三水 , trunk road from Sanshui 三水 passes by Dasha 大沙, Sihui 四会, Lianhua 莲花 before reaching Dinghu 鼎湖
: Tour of Dinghu Mountain 鼎湖山
: Lunch at Zhenbao Hotel, Zhaoqing 珍宝酒店， 肇庆
: Drop by 7th Grandaunty's place near "Sekolah Menengah Bandaraya Siu Hing Ke-Dua Belas" 肇庆 市第十二中学
: Visit to Seven Stars Crags 七星岩
: Return to Guangzhou
: Dinner at Hongxing Seafood Restaurant (Yidu) near the Pearl River 鸿星海鲜酒家 (艺都)
: Shopping at Beijing Road
: Salsa at Wind&Flowers 风&花

Saturday, 6 December 2008
: Breakfast at hotel
: Start off the day tour of Guangzhou
: University City 大学城
: Whampoa (Huangpu) Military Academy museum 黄埔军校旧址
: Tianhe Sky Metro City 天汇城广场
: Museum of the Nanyue King's Tomb 西汉南越王博物馆/南越王墓
: Lunch at Xintaile Restaurant 新泰乐
: Yuexiu Park, 5 Goats Statue 越秀公园, 五羊石像
: Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall 中山纪念堂
: Chan Clan Academy 陈家祠
: Pearl River Cruise from Dashatou Wharf 珠江夜游 / 大沙头码头
: Xinjiang Daxia Bogeda Uighur Restaurant 新疆大厦/博格达
: Salsa at Qba, Westin Hotel

Sunday, 7 December 2008
: Check out
: Last minute shopping
: Computer City, Tianhe 电脑城
: Shangxiajiu and Zhuji Road for pine nut seeds 上下九 / 珠玑路
: Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and return to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Bitten by the Travel Bug

I've been bitten by the travel bug and hence felt the need to explore more potential leisure destinations. Lots of gems are waiting to be discovered. They need not be super far, perhaps an hour's drive away at furthest, yet they're good spots for relaxation, food, leisure etc.

The trick is knowing when to be there and how to get there. Sometimes it involves getting out of one's comfort zone where everything's familiar. Often a spontaneous discovery leads to another new place and so on.

For the first half of this year, I've covered Tanjung Sepat, Hulu Yam, Bentong, Broga Hill, Malacca, Port Dickson, Kuantan, Sungai Lembing, Cherating, Kemaman, and Kota Kinabalu, not to mention numerous small destinations within the Klang Valley.

First Day of July

TGIF = Thank God It's Friday. It's also the first day of July in the year of our Lord two zero one one. Officially the second half of the year 2011 begins and before we know it, summer's over, autumn's here, winter's around the corner and the New Year 2012 begins.

LG = Life's Good. I appreciate the good things I have, the people around me, and am thankful to be in good health.

The Treachery of Humans

Some people by nature are treacherous. They manipulate, incite hatred, sow discord, do all kinds of nasty things to others. They go back on their word and use unethical means to get what they want from other people.

Fahmy told me to beware of "friend hijackers". In his words, they meet people through you, get their photos taken together with you and your friends, get into your Facebook friends network, and hang out with your friends. Before you know it they have influenced your friends to ditch you and join the hijackers' group. Now I really despise this kind of devious people, and I wish my family and friends will be able to identify and cut them off before they cause any damage.

Beware of those who can't keep their mouth shut. Some people may not be treacherous by nature but they're prone to accidentally revealing other people's personal matters, or inadvertently divulging things that should remain under wraps. I've seen that happen too often and the consequences are horrible to say the least. Certain people also like to bring up other people's private matters or personal lives as talk topic material. So, everyone should be careful of what they tell others.

If there's one type of treacherous human I really can't stand, it's those who use their knowledge of you against you. This kind of people I consider worse than dirt, they're despicable scum. Better they know nothing about you. That's why you must always be careful of what you say and to whom you're talking to. As always, prevention is better than cure. All the best.

Summer Solstice 2011

I've always heard about Tung (Chinese Winter Solstice Festival) but never about Ha (the corresponding summer solstice). All I can think of about Tung is eating Tong Yuen, although there's really much more to the tradition.

The summer solstice passed by with no fanfare a couple of days ago. As Tung marks the shortest day of the year, Ha marks the longest day of the year. Where I am three degrees north of the Equator, the differences aren't that big, but the further north you go the greater the difference.

Three and a half weeks. So far so good. At some point I have to re-enter the drift, but for now things are smooth sailing. The negatives will fade away into the sands of history, the positives shall remain close to heart.

Weather's been harsh. Nearly fell ill from the intense heat and had no choice but to switch on the AC. Yes, that's how they refer to the machine in India. Better don't get sick otherwise can't do anything.

I feel happy. Or should I say, relieved? I tell myself to accept that in life there will always be supporters and detractors. It's true, not everybody will be able to get along with everyone for whatever reason.

A lesson learned some years back tells me to cherish, nurture, appreciate, and enjoy the journey taken. Treasure those who are nice and kind to you, take positive action for a win-win situation, and learn to anticipate and do what ought to be done.

More Road Trips Taken

Back in December 2009 I wrote down a list of road trips taken. That post is available at:
http://ujoelee.blogspot.com/2009/12/road-trips-to-date.html

Since then, I've achieved the following visits from that list:

01. Port Dickson (twice)
02. Kuantan (Secret Beach & several other beaches)
03. Hulu Yam Lama (Fishcake)
04. Malacca (thrice, all including Historic City, visited Portuguese Settlement but not yet Umbai)
05. Sungai Lembing (Lembing Mee, Tin Mining Museum, but not yet sunrise)
06. Seremban (to attend the funeral wake of a friend's father)

Also revisited Bentong twice and Tanjung Sepat thrice. Went to Penang once, and stopped by Ipoh on the way back. Went to Singapore thrice.

Taiping (Wild Boar Temple) and Kampar (Food, Waterfall) have not been achieved yet.

Kota Kinabalu can be considered a local overseas trip, as the only way to get there other than by ship is by aeroplane, a 2½ hour flight. The distance is roughly equivalent to that of Philadelphia to Miami, i.e. a journey of a thousand miles (1600 km).

I would like to revisit Sekinchan, and also explore other places within an hour or two's drive of Kuala Lumpur. I have several other potential holiday spots lined up in mind, but as per my modus operandi I'll only talk about them after I have personally recceed and evaluated the places first.

What to Write

Once upon a time I wrote anything that came to mind. Now I think and rethink everything before publication. It's because not everything can be published; certain writings can land the writer or other people into trouble. So better to be on the safe side and keep a stance of reticence.

Or just stick to so-called safe topics. Stuff that doesn't get controversial or polemical. Stuff that pretty much stays G and PG-13. Boring perhaps, but probably a tad too common. Maybe stuff on wordplay, learning languages, observations on the characteristics of non-living, non-human beings.

Those were the days I could write just about anything spontaneously. Today, so much thought goes into the production of a written piece, and even that is no guarantee of reaching the finished, published product. Burned out, perhaps? Meanwhile the world goes on, things move as they always have.

Reasons to be Proud of Tamil

Tamil produces great thoughts. The likes of Thiruvalluvar and Tolkappiyar. Thiruvalluvar wrote Thirukkural, a summary of Tamil wisdom covering lifestyle, ethics, and guidance in 1330 couplets in 133 chapters. Each couplet has 7 words, 4 on the 1st line and 3 on the 2nd line. Tolkappiyar wrote Tolkappiyam, the oldest surviving Tamil grammar book that prescribes the pronunciation and spelling of Tamil letters.

Tamil achievements that stood the test of time: Banana leaf rice, world's oldest buffet spread, environmentally friendly too. Olaichuvadi (palm leaf manuscripts), ancient Tamil publishing and SMS technology. Thaipusam, longest-running festival celebration. All these have been around for more than 2000 years. And yes, Tamil was spoken way back then and is still spoken today.

Last day of May 2011

Last day of the month and last day of a chapter that began in the same month of 2005. It's time to move on, having said all goodbyes in the days prior to this one. Feeling kind of nonchalant, neither happy nor sad, more like looking at it as one of those things in life that has to happen.

Meanwhile a lot of things have come to the end of their economic life. Toner cartridge running out, motherboard going cuckoo after seven years, car air conditioner temperature going on strike every now and then to name but a few. Seems that everything's dying at the same time. How convenient. More errands to run during the daytime. A fitting end to this day in May.

Ten More Days

Yes, ten more days and "that's all folks" to a chapter that has lasted six years. Times change, things change, people change. Change is inevitable, said a wise man ages ago. When time's up, it's time to go. That's the way. Time for a fresh start, a new beginning.

Welcome to May 2011

April's over, May's here. The sun now shines directly into my bedroom and it shall remain so until September. This translates into hot, hot air temperatures from 1:00 pm onwards all the way till sunset around 7-something pm.

Since Labour Day fell on a Sunday this year, Monday's a public holiday. As I write this, it doesn't feel like Monday, it's as if the weekend's still here. The day draws closer, and I feel like a paradigm shift is about to occur. An event that has not happened in more than five years.

I had the opportunity to catch up with old friends from college, non-salsa friends, and relatives from overseas in the past few weeks. For that I'm glad. Although separated by distance, when there is destiny we will be together. Conversely, if there is no destiny, even if we live in the same city, the same housing estate, we will not even be talking to each other.

My recent spoken interactions with people have taken me through the English language world, the Chinese language world, somewhere in between, back and forth. I don't belong strictly to either one. I just float between the worlds although I'm more towards the English side. The intricacies of the Chinese written language especially the formal Mandarin style continue to elude me, whereas the colloquial spoken Cantonese feels more familiar and easy to pick up.

Photography continues to be something I enjoy doing. I can't say I'm easily satisfied with my pictures, I feel that I could have done better each time. Shutter count for the Canon EOS350D already passed the 20,000 mark. Considered low for a 4½-year-old camera but considering I only started using it regularly in late 2009, that's understood.

花奇 has been a recurring theme since last month. It's irrational, it doesn't make sense, it's obnoxious, and it's imposing. And if there's something I don't like, it's something that can't be reasoned with. Keeping away from unnecessary complications is still the best policy.

Crossing The Threshold

Now the sun has crossed the 90º threshold and shall be in the northern section of the sky for the next half year, more or less. That's the sun position for Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia. In case you're wondering the GPS coordinates for KL are latitude 3º08' North and longitude 101º42' East.

Speaking of crossing the threshold, I reckon a new chapter has begun, or is about to begin in this mortal life of mine. Wise men say the only constant in life other than death and taxes is change. So change it is and change it shall be.

I'm still in the process of drawing the road map for the upcoming road trip. Routes have to be charted, pit stops identified, and emergency supplies allocated. It should be on-road, with some off-road episodes to places of interest, but mainly on tarred roads.

Someone told me that it's the journey that counts. Enjoy every moment of the journey together, regardless of whether we end up at the same destination or not. As long as you've learnt something from it and worked hard to improve your state of being, that's what matters.

Sun 90º Overhead in Kuala Lumpur

Today at 1:18 pm, the sun reached its zenith at 90º above the horizon in Kuala Lumpur. At that very moment objects cast no shadow. The following graphic shows the sun path:

Source: http://www.gaisma.com/en/location/kuala-lumpur.html

And from
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=122
for Monday, 28 March 2011:

Sunrise at    07:15    in direction    87°    East    -->
Sunset at    19:22    in direction    273°    West    <--
Duration of day: 12 hours, 7 minutes (10 seconds longer than yesterday)
Sun near zenith at 13:18 at altitude 90° above horizon

End of February Update

I'm rushing to finish this blog post before March 1, 2011. Just a few more minutes and it'll be the third month of the year. January was great, so many bunny decorations in conjunction with the Year of the Metal Rabbit in the Chinese calendar. Went out for more weekend activities and food-cum-sightseeing outings.

Chinese New Year fell on the first week of February and as usual our family had those dinner outings, lo-sang thingies etc. It's one of those rare occasions where all the uncles, aunties, cousins and grand-relatives get together other than a senior family member's birthday.

Life has been alright so far, not exceptionally good until I'm jumping up and down, not too bad either. I got a feeling that I will go overseas (as in over the sea, not necessarily out of the country) three times this year. Looking forward to getting away from all the stresses at least for a short while. Some problems don't have solutions, at least not obvious ones.

Grandpa Appeared In My Dream (2nd Time)

Yesterday night (should be the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday 11.1.11) my late 公公 appeared in my dream. The atmosphere was one of Chinese New Year celebration with gatherings, red colour and people chatting. He sat on a chair while chatting with well-wishers. He looked happy. He wore his usual spectacles and surprisingly he had more hair on his head just like how he looked like in his early 50s. Didn't manage to talk to him but we made eye contact, then I woke up. 11.1.11 is the 296th day since he passed away, and 23 days before the first day of Chinese New Year.

Cool Weather

I love cool weather. With temperatures ranging from 25 to 27 degrees Celsius for the most part, I'm glad I don't have to switch on the aircond in my room, which is the hottest part of the house I'm staying in.

Yesterday night the cooling effect reached 25 degrees as indicated by the thermometer. I believe the outdoor temperature plunged to a low of 24 at least during the hours of 5 am to 7 am.

Usually this happens during the months of November and December in Kuala Lumpur, but it's the first week of January now. Must be the rain water cooling effect and clouds that keep out the scorching rays of the sun.

In contrast, February is known to be a dry month and the time around Chinese New Year is often hot and dry. Whenever I look back at previous CNYs, I recall heat everywhere. So I'm gonna enjoy the cool weather while it lasts.

A Moment of Happiness

I felt happy.

Why, you might ask, is that significant enough to merit a blog entry?

For it has been ages since I felt really happy. Seen, heard, experienced too much unnecessary complicated stuff. When you encounter something simple and straightforward you will truly appreciate it.

2011: A New Year Begins

So it's about noontime as I write this, the first blog entry of the new year. 365 days ago I was in Malacca having lunch after a fun-filled night at Port Dickson. That time I felt so optimistic and eager to celebrate the new year, wishing for a smooth-sailing good year.

But smooth-sailing it was not to be. So many bumps and hitches happened, to the extent I felt real down at an intensity I had not felt in the past five years. Yes, it was that sucky, the feeling of being trapped without hope. Stress levels increased a lot almost to the extent of a time seven years ago but fortunately I didn't fall sick as a result. Not good.

If there's something good about 2010, it's the chance to travel to more places, meeting some new people that are genuine and down-to-earth, rekindling my interest in taking photos, discovering new places, and continuing gymming. Sure I did experience some unexpected good things, but also quite a number of unexpected negative stuff.

Therefore I'd say that 2010 was a so-so year at best. Not a really good one, but not severely bad either. I can only hope that this year 2011 will be better, more rewarding and fulfilling.