U Joe

No Mood To Celebrate 冇心情慶祝

2012-01-22T04:23:00.000+08:00

Today is the day before Chinese New Year in the Gregorian Year 2012. I should be feeling happy, right? Yet I'm not. Unlike the festive seasons of a few years ago, somehow this year I don't feel like celebrating anything. Not even the most recent Christmas and New Year.

I don't know if this is a temporary setback or a state of regression. I do remember that some years ago there was a time when celebrations and festivals meant nothing to me. Because I was very down and hurting inside due to certain issues. Then came a point when my life changed for the better and I started celebrating again, looking forward to each festival.

Even as "recent" as two years ago I was happy to celebrate. I felt optimism and eagerness. But was it due to ignorance? In the two years after that, I went through some disasters. That really caused deep hurt not of the physical type but rather the inner type. I don't think I've fully recovered while I'm writing this blog post.

The wise say, when you have to move on, move on. Yet there's something about me that holds me back. It's sentimentality and the memories still fresh in mind.

Some who talk to me, manage to help somewhat, a few who do, end up making things worse. That's why I rather not talk to some people. As the saying goes, those who really know you, know you; those who don't, don't know any better.

今日係除夕。應該開心嗎，呵？不過唔係喎。唔係好似幾年前嘅節日，今年我乜都唔想慶祝。正話過咗嘅聖誕節同埋公曆新年都冇慶祝到。

我唔知呢個情況係暫時或者真係退步。我記得幾年前有一段時間乜嘢乜嘢節日慶祝對我冇意思。嗰陣時我好傷心好激心為咗幾件事。然後我嘅生活變好咗，有啲事情有進步，所以開始慶祝每個節日。

兩年前我仲係好開心慶祝。覺得有樂觀有熱心。但係。。唔通我真係無知？最近嘅兩年，我面對唔少災難。整到我好痛，唔係肉體上嘅痛，係內心嘅痛。而家寫緊呢個部落格發佈嘅時間，我好似未好嗮。

有智慧嘅人講：唔好再鑽牛角尖。但係有啲嘢我仲係過唔到。係感傷同埋好清楚嘅記憶。

有啲人同我傾偈，可以幫到，幾個噉樣做，點知呢就越整越衰。所以呢，一啲人我唔想同佢哋講嘢。嗰啲真係識得我就會了解我，嗰啲唔識嘅呢，唔會識。

*NOTE: In case of any discrepancy between the English and the Cantonese version of this blog post, the English version shall prevail. I'm not good at expressing myself in Cantonese or any form of Chinese, written or spoken. / 如果英文版及中文（廣州白話）版有任何差異，一切以英文版為準。我唔係好識用廣州白話或者任何中文嘅語言，無論係話或者文。

First post of 2012! 2012年第一個發佈！

2012-01-01T00:00:00.001+08:00

Yay! First post of the year 2012!

嘢！2012年第一個發佈！

Last post of 2011! 2011年最後一個發佈！

2011-12-31T23:59:00.002+08:00

Last post of the year!

今年最後一個發佈！

Last Day of 2011 / 2011最後一日

2011-12-31T19:05:00.002+08:00

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

2011-12-01T03:03:00.000+08:00

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

2011-12-01T01:54:00.000+08:00

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)

2011-11-10T23:09:00.000+08:00

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

2011-10-26T23:55:00.000+08:00

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

2011-10-20T04:22:00.001+08:00

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

2011-09-17T06:39:00.000+08:00

[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

2011-08-23T19:02:00.004+08:00

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

2011-08-20T05:04:00.002+08:00

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

2011-08-14T03:39:00.000+08:00

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

2011-08-14T03:25:00.002+08:00

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

2011-07-18T22:08:00.002+08:00

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

2011-07-12T02:51:00.000+08:00

[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

2011-07-01T16:07:00.002+08:00

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

2011-07-01T15:50:00.001+08:00

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

2011-06-24T04:21:00.000+08:00

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

2011-06-24T03:50:00.002+08:00

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

2011-06-17T04:06:00.000+08:00

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

2011-06-17T03:54:00.003+08:00

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

2011-06-01T00:16:00.001+08:00

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

2011-05-31T23:56:00.001+08:00

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

2011-05-18T18:38:00.002+08:00

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

2011-05-02T05:10:00.002+08:00

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

2011-04-08T03:02:00.001+08:00

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

2011-03-28T13:29:00.001+08:00

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

2011-02-28T23:58:00.000+08:00

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)

2011-01-12T01:41:00.002+08:00

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

2011-01-09T01:27:00.002+08:00

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

2011-01-02T22:39:00.002+08:00

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

2011-01-01T12:58:00.002+08:00

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.

Twenty-Secondth of December Twenty Ten

2010-12-22T16:16:00.002+08:00

Time has come to the year-end duo of Christmas and New Year. One year ago, I rekindled a long subdued interest in photography. I felt optimistic about the upcoming new year.

But now I feel that this year has been nothing to shout about. Can't say it's been good, but can't say it's that bad either. Stress levels increased a lot. Some things didn't work out. A lot of disappointments on many issues and people.

Realized that some people are monsters in disguise. It's getting harder to filter out the genuine from the fake because the accomplished manipulators do it so naturally that you won't realize it until it's too late.

Talking about the good things, travelling has been great, went to places I never expected to go and re-visited some locations under a different state of mind. Exercise workout has been more or less the same, could be better if I did more than just maintenance.

Perhaps all that has happened this year is meant to be a lesson, a rehearsal, a preview for me to do better in the future. Not easy to be optimistic after going through all these, have to sort the gems from the chaff.

In summary, I'll end this post with a quote from someone known for statements that make a whole lot of sense. "When you're diagnosed with a critical illness, everything else becomes secondary." Gotta keep that in mind when faced with stressful issues.

Eleventh of November Twenty Ten

2010-11-11T15:46:00.000+08:00

Gosh I just realised for the whole month of October I didn't post any blog entries. So here's one for the month of November, and the date's 11/11/2010 hence the title.

I've been taking as many photos as possible with the EOS 350D, now using the EF 28-135mm f3.5-5.6 zoom lens after months of using only the EF 50mm f/1.8 II.The Speedlite 430 EX has been great for flash photography, and there's so much that can be done by bouncing flash from available surfaces.

Since I'm doing mainly flash photography indoors of people and events, I use manual mode for shutter speed and aperture. For outdoor photography without flash, aperture priority saves a lot of time. I use autofocus mode all the time, with the centre point and focus lock as the main aids. Am getting familiar with the three main settings of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to suit different conditions.

Still the hardest part in photography is not only the composition, but also the "artistic" side of it. It's the one where the Photomalaysia kakis talk about what makes a photo different from a snapshot. A very subjective thing that supersedes even a technically sound picture, whatever that thing is. Can I do it?

Update, 29 September 2010

2010-09-29T01:53:00.000+08:00

Yet another month has gone by in the cycle of a moon. Last month it was Hungry Ghosts' Festival, this month it was Mid Autumn Festival a.k.a. Mooncake Festival. The hectic pace endures, the unexpected happens, the expected doesn't. I'd say things have been good from an overall perspective, and I'm glad to be able to count my blessings.

Been taking a lot of photos with the Canon EOS 350D using a Canon EF 50mm 1:1.8 II prime lens and Canon Speedlite 430EX. Mostly portraits and half to three quarter body photos due to the circumstances (indoor salsa dance events and dance-related parties). Main reason is to get myself familiarized with the triangle relationship of ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. At the same time it forces me to learn about bouncing flash off surfaces and estimating all the variables.

Took some outdoor photos with a volunteer model at Taman Tun park and Desa Parkcity Waterfront. Enough reasonable shots to feel satisfied, though I feel I could have done better. Attempted some outdoor stuff in manual mode at Port Dickson, obtained mixed results.

Had the opportunity to travel to Singapore, and felt amazed at the level of cleanliness, organization, and so much more about the little city-state. That would merit a post by itself, so I'll stop here. Also got to go to Port Dickson for a weekend getaway with friends, a much welcome retreat from the stress and pressure of KL life. Felt recharged after that. Need another vacation :)

Update, 29 August 2010

2010-08-29T02:34:00.000+08:00

In the blink of an eye it's now the end of August. The past week and a half had been a hectic one, took some time to settle stuff, now taking a breather before the next round of rushing. It will happen soon. Am taking advantage of the long weekend to do some housework and other things at home.

Opportunities do not come by very often. When it comes, it's just there for a brief moment and you better be in a position to catch it before it's gone forever. Preparation, anticipation, timing.

Human relations need not be complicated but reality does not always make things easy. No matter how much I strive for simplicity, there will be times when complicated situations will be encountered. Just have to learn to deal with it.

Looking back at the past half year I'm glad to have gotten plenty of travel opportunities, and if all goes well there's a couple more in the pipeline before year-end. Some places I wanted to go I didn't manage to go, but other places popped up unexpectedly and so far they have been pleasant.

If there's one thing that I'm really happy about in the past one year, it's gymming. That's so far the main positive thing that happened. A better toned body, stronger arms, longer endurance. Healthy habits and exercise routine do make a lot of difference. Just have to keep going at it, at least to maintain what I've achieved. Starting was painful and tiring but after a month or two my body got used to it.

Yet I feel a tinge of sadness at times. The loss of two friendships, though it can be mitigated due to the premise that those two never really considered me a friend the way I considered them a friend. One did not know how to appreciate me and the other only wanted to use me. Call me sentimental, call me straightforward, but I consider friendship a serious matter. Unappreciative users and cunning manipulators need not apply.

To me, if the person doesn't know how to appreciate me, I'd keep a distance. Don't get involved whether romantically or otherwise. And I'd repeat what I read in a book some years ago: "People like to help but hate being used." Though I can't remember the book title, it's the meaning of that sentence that matters.

I really cannot understand why a person would screw up a friendship just to save money on some things. Is it worth doing so? Either that person has a warped, distorted view of friendship or I was merely a person to be used in the first place, and that means that person never considered me a friend all this while. Perhaps some things I can't comprehend because my mind is not as devious as theirs. You do not inconvenience your friend for the sake of your own convenience unless you have no conscience or a warped sense of ethics.

Nor can I comprehend why a person would become so blind and unable to appreciate someone who genuinely cared. Only to realize the mistake when it's too late, but the damage has been done, and I never forget what people did to me. Just too bad that you lost me, you just have to find another person because you are nothing but a stranger to me now.

Not everyone can be a friend, and fewer are those with potential to be a life partner. One friend is too few, one enemy is too many. Whether we like it or not we have to strive for harmony in our dealings with other people, as what we say or do is going to come back to us sooner or later.

Doggy Tales: Sights

2010-07-27T01:55:00.000+08:00

Monday morning: Saw a pair of sweet doggies - one white with brown patches and another brown one with black muzzle trying to cross the road at BU12. I recognize the white one with brown patches, she stays in the forest clearing nearby. Further down the street at the 90 degree right turn, noticed a small white doggy with floppy ears, looks like a female who gave birth to puppies not long ago.

Monday evening: 4th Mile Old Klang Road near the Old Tin Hau Temple. Two dogs walked on the other side of the road near the temple against the traffic. One white one and one brown one. The brown one walked in a funny way. I scrutinized him, and my heart sank, he had only 3 legs. Without a right front leg he had to hop along as a tripod dog :(

Main road of OUG-Yarl Garden passing by the hill slope where the Chinese school is. The spot where a few pickup trucks sell roast duck, roast pork, and BBQ pork. The mixed Dalmatian female and two other doggies gathered around one of the trucks for dinner. Lucky doggies. They roam the residential area searching for shelter every time it rains.

Doggy Tales: Committment

2010-07-23T01:04:00.001+08:00

I always tell my friends who want to keep a dog this: "Be prepared to sign a 15-year contract." Yes, it's true. When you choose to keep a dog, you have to give him (or her) a good life. Dog's life expectancy is 15 years, so if you get a puppy it'll grow up into a doggy and he's yours for life. Can you commit yourself to such a major commitment?

Your doggy will become your boss at home, your schedule will revolve around him, you will do many things for him - clean up the shit, take him to the vet, feed him, bathe him, walk him, and much more. You have to plan your holidays accordingly. You have to look at your living space - landed property or apartment? Indoor or outdoor dog?

If you want a pedigree dog, are you prepared for high maintenance? They got to go for haircuts, pedicure and the whole lot of periodic necessary upkeep.

A sample routine for someone's dog: Feed three times a day. Walk twice a day. Search for ticks daily. Bathe once a week - warm water only, do not bleach, use hairdryer to blow dry. Give treats to see a short performance.

You'll also need to learn how to read doggy language. Can you understand what your doggy's trying to tell you? It's more than bow wow woof woof. Their eyes, body posture, facial expression etc. convey messages to us. Even though doggies can't speak human language, they understand human communication to a certain extent. Any dog lover would concur with this. I believe the social nature of dogs has helped them blend well into human society, at least with those who love doggies.

Doggy Tales: Attachment

2010-07-23T00:50:00.000+08:00

Some doggies cannot be separated from their owners. Otherwise, they'll exhibit weird behavior such as going on hunger strike, hiding from everyone, or incessant barking. There's no way they'll survive more than a night in a pet hotel without going crazy. Must find someone to take care of them on a full-time basis. Even then, the doggy may show strong signs that he/she misses his/her owner.

Update, 23 July 2010

2010-07-23T00:43:00.000+08:00

Been too busy to update my public blog since mid-June. Lots of work to do, and work takes priority over other matters. Gym's been good. Am currently on maintenance mode. Three to four times a week keeps the achievements the way they're supposed to be.

Salsa in KL still continues at the default hotspots. I don't have the time to dance as often as in the past. Perhaps once a fortnight I go out, and what little I know is still enough for simple social stuff. Zouk's entering the scene with a bunch of enthusiasts. It may well be the next social dance to complement salsa the way bachata has.

The more I take photos the more I realize I need to improve. When I look back at photos taken in the past few years, I gasp. If only I had the knowledge I have now. It's like life, when I reminisce on events of a decade ago, I wish I had today's mind in my then body and stayed clear of all the yun wong lou 冤枉路。What's past is past, cannot be changed, but we still can influence our future to a certain extent.

Lyrics & Translation: Đừng Xa Em Đêm Nay by Thảo My

2010-06-09T02:03:00.002+08:00

This Vietnamese song was quite popular around the year 2000. It brings back quite a number of memories for me. Here are the lyrics and English translation for your karaoke pleasure.

Music Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1HXVjozmqg

Lyrics Source:
http://www.vmdb.com/viewSong.jsp?id=4272

Translation Source:
http://anonymouswish.xanga.com/200152727/item/

Song Title: Đừng Xa Em Đêm Nay (Don't Leave Me Tonight)
Artiste: Thảo My
Written by: Đức Huy

Lyrics & English Translation:

Đừng xa em đêm nay khi bóng trăng qua hàng cây
Don’t leave me tonight when the moon passes the trees
Đừng xa em đêm nay đêm rất dài
Don’t leave me tonight, night’s too long
Vòng tay em cô đơn đêm khuya vắng nghe buồn hơn
In my lonely arms, night is dark and forlorn
Còn tim em khát khao yêu thương.
My heart thirsts for your love

Đừng xa em đêm nay hãy nói anh sẽ ở đây
Don’t leave me tonight, please say that you will stay
Đừng để em một mình nơi chốn này
Don’t leave me alone in this place
Hãy ôm em trong tay cho em biết anh cần em
Hold me in your arms so I know you need me
Và hãy nói anh vẫn yêu em.
Say, you always love me!

ĐK
Repeat

Giọt nước mắt nào đổ trong bóng tối
A tear drop falls into darkness
Khi nằm lắng nghe tiếng đêm, lắng nghe tiếng đêm
When I lay, listen to darkness, listen in darkness
Nghe nhịp đập con tim ru em giấc ngủ yên.
Hear the beats of my heart lull me my good sleep
Đời em vắng lạnh và anh đã đến như ngọn nến
My life is empty, you came as candles
Trong bóng đêm, nến trong bóng đêm soi vào tim
In darkness, candles in darkness brighten up my heart
Nghe xao xuyến đã ngủ quên.
Bitterness fell asleep

Đừng xa em đêm nay khu phố quen đã ngủ say
Don’t leave me tonight, my street is asleep
Đừng xa em đêm nay đêm rất dài
Don’t leave me tonight, night’s too long
Hãy yêu em đêm nay cho quên hết đi ngày mai
Please love me tonight, to forget tomorrow
Đừng xa em, đừng xa em đêm nay.
Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me tonight.

Cantonese Joke: Ah Por Gong Wa Jau Yam 阿婆讲话走音 (Mature Audiences Only)

2010-06-02T01:03:00.002+08:00

First in a series of 阿婆讲话走音 Ah Por Gong Wa Jau Yam jokes.

This clearly illustrates the pitfalls of not pronouncing Cantonese with the correct tones. Every word you say must be correct in tone and sound, otherwise the meaning changes dramatically as you can see from this Granny Speaks Out Of Tone joke.

從前有一個住係海邊的亞婆，有一日佢見到兩個人跳海，佢去救左其中一個人，而另一個救唔到。咁佢就打999報警。電話一通，
chungchin yau yatgo jyu hai hoibin dik apo, yau yat yat keui gindou leunggo yan tiu hoi, keui heui gau jo keijung yatgo yan, yi ling yatgo gau mdou. gam keui jau da 999 bou ging. dinwa yattung,
Earlier there was a Granny staying near the seaside, one day she saw two people jumping into the sea, she went and saved one but couldn't save the other. So she called 999 to make a police report. When the phone call went through,

婆婆就問：喂！系唔系鳩鳩鳩呀?(婆婆想問系唔系999)
popo jau man: wai! hai m hai gau gau gau a? (popo seung man hai m hai 999)
Granny asks: Hello! Is this dick dick dick? (Granny wants to ask "Is this 999")
個差佬就答：乜撚野鳩鳩鳩呀？
go chaailou jau daap: mat lan ye gau gau gau a?
The policeman answers: What the cock is dick dick dick?
婆婆就話勒：有人屌"high"丫！（有人跳海）
popo jau wa lak: yau yan diu "high" a! (yau yan tiu hoi)
Granny says: Someone's fucking cunt! (Someone jumped into the sea)
個差佬就講：人地屌西關你撚事呀？
go chaailou jau gong: yan dei diu hai gwaan nei lan si a?
The policeman says: What the heck does other people fucking got to do with you?
婆婆又話：一個有鳩，一個無鳩呀！（一個有救，一個冇救）
popo yau wa: yatgo yau gau, yatgo mou gau a! (yatgo yau gau, yat go mou gau)
Granny then says: One's got a dick, the other doesn't! (One saved, one not saved)
差佬就答佢：屌西當然要一個有鳩，一個冇鳩嫁啦!!!
chaailou jau daap keui: diu hai dongyin yiu yatgo yau gau, yatgo mou gau ga la!!!
The policeman then answers: Fucking cunt of course means one's got a dick and the other doesn't!
婆婆就講：無鳩的叫得好大聲丫。
popo jau gong: mou gau dik giu dak hou daai seng a.
Granny then says: The one with no dick screamed very loudly.
差佬又答佢：叫床丫嘛，糟到你咩！亞婆，你之前食撚左乜野?
chaailou yau daap keui: giu chong a ma, jou dou nei me! apo, nei jichin sik lan jo matye?
The policeman then replies: Lovemaking sounds, does it bother you? Granny, what the hell did you eat earlier?

Source:
http://hkg.westkit.net/?p=v&id=2272736

Vadivelu Tamil Comedy: Tar Road Joke

2010-06-02T00:31:00.003+08:00

Tamil Comedy: Vadivelu Tamil Joke - Tar Road

மீண்டும் வடிவேலு, பார்த்திபன்..
miiNdum vadiveelu, paarththiban..

“பார்த்தி.. இது என்ன ரோடுப்பா?”
"paarththi.. idhu enna rooduppaa?"
“தார் ரோடு”
"thaar roodu"

“ம்க்க்ஹும்.. இந்த ரோடு எங்க போகுதுன்னு கேட்டேன்?”
"mkkhum.. inda roodu engga pooguthunnu keetteen?"
“எங்கேயும் போகலை.. இங்க தான் இருக்கு”
"engeeyum poogalai.. ingga thaan irukku"

“ம்ம்… சரி.. நான் தெளிவா கேக்கிறேன். இந்த ரோடு எந்த ஊர்களுக்கு நடுவுல இருக்கு?”
"mm... sari.. naan theLivaa keekkiReen. inda roodu enda uurgaLukku naduvula irukku?"
“உள்ளூருக்கும் வெளியூருக்கும் நடுவுல இருக்கு.”
"uurLuurukkum veLiyuurukkum naduvula irukku."

“ப்ப்ச்ச்… இந்த தார் ரோட்டுக்குன்னு ஒரு பேரு வச்சிருப்பாய்ங்கல்ல.. அதச் சொல்லுயா..”
"ppss... inda thaar roottukkunnu oru peeru vachchiruppaaynggalla.. adhas solluyaa.."
“அப்படித் தெளிவா கேளு.. அப்போதானே கரெக்டாச் சொல்ல முடியும்…”
"appadit theLivaa keeLu.. appoothaanee karektaas solla mudiyum..."

“அதத் தானே தெளிவா மொதல்லருந்து கேட்டுக்கிட்டு இருக்கேன்.”
"adhat thaanee theLivaa mothallarundu keettukkittu irukkeen."
“என்ன கேட்டே?”
"enna keettee?"

“இது என்ன ரோடு?”
"idhu enna roodu?"
"இது தார் ரோடு."
"idhu thaar roodu."

பா எத்தணை வகைப்படும்? அவையாவைன்னு சொல்லு?
paa eththaNai vagaippadum? avaiyaavainnu sollu?

ஐந்து வகைப்படும் சார் அவை ஆசிரியப்பா, கலிப்பா, வெண்பா, வஞ்சிப்பா, படையப்பா.
ainthu vagaippadum saar avai aasiriyappaa, kalippaa, vanjippaa, padaiyappaa.

Source:
http://www.facebook.com/notes/tamil-tamil/cirikka-cintikka-nakaiccuvaikal-funny-jokes/397168059709

Lyrics, Romanization & Translation: Marry Me Today (Jin Tian Ni Yao Jia Gei Wo) 今天你要嫁给我

2010-05-31T05:15:00.002+08:00

Wedding Song: Marry Me Today (Jin Tian Ni Yao Jia Gei Wo)

This song is dedicated to all my friends who are going to get married. Very beautiful and meaningful lyrics, nice to listen to even for those who aren't familiar with Mandarin. English translation provided line by line. Adjust the words a bit and you could attempt an English version :)

Music Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21_0MI4OTRI

Marry Me Today (Jin Tian Ni Yao Jia Gei Wo) sung by David Tao and Jolin Tsai
今天你要嫁给我（蔡依琳 - 陶喆）

chūn nuǎn de huā kāi dàizǒu dōngtiān de gǎn shāng
春暖的花开带走冬天的感伤
Flowers blossoming in spring takes away the winter's pain

wēifēng chuī lái làngmàn de qìxī
微风吹来浪漫的气息
A light wind blows a breath of romance

měiyī shǒu qíngē hūrán chōngmǎn yìyì
每一首情歌忽然充满意义
Every love song suddenly is filled with meaning

wó jiù zài cǐkè tūrán jiàn dào nǐ
我就在此刻突然见到你
At this point you suddenly appear before me

Jolin ->
chūn nuǎn de huā xiāng dàizǒu dōngtiān de jī hán
春暖的花香带走冬天的饥寒
Flowers blossoming in spring takes away the bitter cold of the winter

wēifēng chuī lái yìwài de àiqíng
微风吹来意外的爱情
A light breeze blows unexpected love [our way]

niǎo ér de gāo gē lā jìn wǒmen jùlí
鸟儿的高歌拉近我们距离
Birdsong draws us closer to each other

wǒ jiù zài cǐkè tūrán àishàng nǐ
我就在此刻突然爱上你
At this point I suddenly fall in love with you

tīng wǒ shuō
听我说
Listen to me

shǒuqiānshǒu gēn wǒ yīqǐ zǒu
手牵手跟我一起走
[Let's] hold hands, walk together with me

chuàngzào xìngfú de shēnghuó
创造幸福的生活
and create a happy life [together]

zuótiān nǐ láibùjí
昨天你来不及
Yesterday you did not arrive on time

míngtiān jiù huì kěxī
明天就会可惜
it would be a shame tomorrow

jīntiān jià gěi wǒ hǎo ma
今天嫁给我好吗
so will you marry me today?

RAP ->
Jolin in the house
D.T. in the house
Jolin in the house
D.T. in the house (Come on)
Jolin in the house
D.T. in the house
Our love in the house (Sweet sweet love)

xià rì de rèqíng dǎdòng chūntiān de lǎnsǎn
夏日的热情打动春天的懒散
Summer's kindness shifts spring's idleness

yáng guāng zhàoyào měimǎn de jiātíng
阳光照耀美满的家庭
Sunshine illuminates the beauty of the family

měiyī shǒu qíngē dōu huì gōu qǐ huíyì
每一首情歌都会勾起回忆
Every love song will bring up memories

xiǎng dàngnián wǒ shì zěnme rènshi nǐ
想当年我是怎么认识你
[I] think about how I met you that year

Jolin ->
dōngtiān de yōushāng jiéshù qiūtiān de gūdān
冬天的忧伤结束秋天的孤单
Grief in winter finishes autumn's loneliness

wēifēng chuī lái kǔ lè de sīniàn
微风吹来苦乐的思念 (I'm missin'you)
The breeze blows by withered yearning (I'm missin' you)

niǎo ér de gāo gē chàng zhe búyào biélí
鸟儿的高歌唱着不要别离
The birdsong makes me not want to leave

cǐ kè wǒ duōme xiǎngyào yōngbào nǐ
此刻我多么想要拥抱你
I immediately desire your hug

tīng wǒ shuō
听我说
Listen to me

shǒuqiānshǒu gēn wǒ yīqǐ zǒu
手牵手跟我一起走
[Let's] hold hands, walk together with me

guo zhe anding de shēnghuó
過著安定的生活
and live a peaceful life

zuótiān nǐ láibùjí
昨天你来不及
Yesterday you did not arrive on time

míngtiān jiù huì kěxī
明天就会可惜
it would be a shame tomorrow

jīntiān nǐ yào jià gěi wǒ
今天妳要嫁給我
so you shall marry me today

tīng wǒ shuō
听我说
Listen to me

shǒuqiānshǒu wǒmen yīqǐ zǒu
手牽手我們一起走
[Let's] hold hands and walk together

ba nǐ yīsheng jiao gei wǒ
把妳一生交給我
surrender yourself completely to me

zuótiān búyào huitou
昨天不要回頭
Don't look back [to yesterday]

míngtiān yào dào baishou
明天要到白首
we'll grow old [in the years to come]

jīntiān nǐ yào jià gěi wǒ
今天妳要嫁給我
marry me today

RAP ->
Hey hey, uh uh

dingdong
叮噹
Ding dong

tīng zhe lǐtáng de zhōngshēng
听着礼堂的钟声
listening to the church bells ring

wǒmen zài shàngdì he qīnyǒu miànqián jiànzhèng
我们在上帝和亲友面前见证
God and our friends will all be here to witness us [get married]

zhè duì nán nǚ shēng jiùyào jié wèi fūqī
这对男女生就要结为夫妻
This man and woman shall now get married as husband and wife

búyào wàng le zhè yīqiè shì duōme de shénshèng
不要忘了这一切是多么的神圣
Do not forget just how sacred [marriage] is

nǐ yuànyì shēngsǐ kǔ lè yǒngyuǎn hé tā zài yīqǐ
你愿意生死苦乐永远和她在一起
You will for better for worse be with her together

àixī tā zūnzhòng tā ānwèi tā bǎohù zhe tā
爱惜她尊重她安慰她保护着她
Love her, respect her, comfort her and protect her

liǎng rén tóngshí jiànlì qǐ měimǎn de jiātíng
两人同时建立起美满的家庭
A couple together creates a happy family

nǐ yuànyì zhèyàng zuò ma? Yes I do
你愿意这样做吗? Yes I do
Are you willing to do this? Yes I do

tīng wǒ shuō
听我说
Listen to me

shǒuqiānshǒu yīlu dào jintou
手牽手一路到盡頭
[Let's] hold hands together to the end

ba nǐ yīsheng jiao gei wǒ
把妳一生交給我
surrender yourself completely to me

zuótiān yi shi guoqu
昨天已是過去
Yesterday was the past

míngtiān gengduo huíyì
明天更多回憶
tomorrow will be full of memories

jīntiān nǐ yào jià gěi wǒ
今天妳要嫁給我
marry me today

jīntiān nǐ yào jià gěi wǒ, jīntiān nǐ yào jià gěi wǒ, ...
今天妳要嫁給我, 今天妳要嫁給我, ...
marry me today, marry me today, ...

Sources:

http://www.chinese-tools.com/songs/song/65/jiageiwo.html
Mandarin lyrics with hanyu pinyin romanization and English notes when you move your mouse cursor over the lyrics. It also shows you which Chinese words are one on their own or combinations of two or more characters. However, some lines have been left out.

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/d/david_tao/marry_me_today.html
English translations of the song lyrics.

http://geci.st020.cn/129470.htm
Traditional Chinese version of the lyrics.

Grandpa Appeared In My Dream

2010-05-09T21:00:00.000+08:00

This morning my late 公公 appeared in my dream. In the dream sequence, I sat in his bedroom lit by the morning light, and he said to me in Cantonese, 《记得洗头发呀。》 He seemed happy and relaxed. Today, Sunday, 9 May 2010 is the 49th day since he passed away.

Random Thoughts about my India Trip

2010-04-12T17:54:00.002+08:00

Weather: Hot and humid in Cochin. Hot and dry in Bangalore with cool nights. Hot, dry, and sunny in Goa. I went during the first week of April 2010, and April's the hottest month in these parts.

Food: Vegetarian everywhere. Food is classified as veg (green dot) or non-veg (red dot). Have to eat from hygienic places and drink only bottled water. Don't try the groundwater, it'll make you sick. Impossible to get good Chinese food. Possible to get some nice Western and Indian fusion foods. Pork and beef available in Goa. One and only pork shop along MG Road in Bangalore. Missed the Fenny, a unique hard liquor made from the soft part of the cashew fruit, which is available only in Goa.

Language: Malayalam in Cochin. Kannada in Bangalore. Konkani in Goa. Other than these main ones, you could try Tamil in Cochin, Hindi or Telugu in Bangalore, and Marathi or Hindi in Goa. Can get by with English for most tourist purposes. English fluency much better than China, but with a very strong Indian accent.

Cities: Bangalore's big. Goa is somewhat like Malacca, lots of villages and small towns but no big cities. From what I heard about Cochin, it's much cleaner, well-organized and friendly compared to the other two.

People: Malayali people in Cochin, they belong to many faiths - Hinduism, Islam, Catholicism, St,. Thomas Christians, other Christians, Judaism. Kannadigas predominate in Bangalore, but there are some Tamil and Marathi people there too. Konkani people in Goa, but lots of Marathis, as well as people from other states. Quite a number of Northeast Indians and Tibetans who could pass for Chinese or vice versa.

Tourists: In Goa, from all over India. Foreigners mainly Russians, with some British, Germans and perhaps a few Americans. In Bangalore, didn't see many foreigners despite the city being an international IT city. Not sure about Cochin because I didn't go anywhere other than the airport.

Scenery: Ranges from breathtaking to horrifying. Beautiful mountains, lovely beaches, vibrant alleys. Rubbish piles, dusty roadsides, broken earth. You'll see everything, and I mean everything from nicely-built bungalows to ramshackle hovels. Lots of stray doggies, but they're usually big-sized and look well-fed.

What else:

Don't bank on peaceful sleep if you're near any road. People honk all the time, just like in China, perhaps even worse.

Traffic's horrifyingly chaotic. Don't even think of crossing the road in peace and safety. Best thing to do, follow what the local Indians do and you'll be relatively allright.

If you're a foreigner, prepare to be charged higher prices than the locals for shopping, transportation, etc. Must know what's the market price for, say, a ride from downtown Bangalore to the Forum Mall or J. P. Nagar, then you can negotiate with the auto (pronounced "aato") rickshaw drivers. If you're lucky you'll meet an honest aato driver, so remember to tip him for his honesty.

People in the travel industry such as drivers, tour guides, porters, etc. depend on us for their living, so do remember to tip appropriately.

The dust will get into your nose and lungs. It's everywhere during the dry season. Can't avoid it unless you wear a face mask all the time. Unlike China, nobody wears face masks outdoors. So if you've got sinus, asthma or respiratory problems, you might want to think twice before coming.

Get a GPS. Trust me on this, it really helps. If not, buy a detailed map of the location you're in and use your inbuilt sense of direction. Otherwise, refer back to the GPS.

Try not to look too much like a foreigner if possible. Yes, I know it's easier said than done.

Get a local Indian SIM card for your mobile phone. It will make communication smoother for everybody. You'll need a photocopy of your passport, passport size photo and your hotel address in India.

It's always better to confirm everything and agree on the details before taking up any offer, package, or things like that. Make sure both sides are clear on the payment amount and expectations. Mis-communications can happen so take care to prevent them.

Perhaps I'll add more details and tips in other posts, if I ever get down to doing it. Have fun, my friends and readers.

Farewell, 公公

2010-03-30T04:31:00.003+08:00

I wrote the following paragraph (in quotation marks) on the day 公公 passed away.

"Grandpa (公公) passed away peacefully on Sunday, 21 March 2010 at the age of 90. I can't help but notice that his funeral photo looks a lot like my Facebook profile picture - the angle, the smile, the outline, it's so uncanny."

On 23 March 2010, I wrote this:

"公公今日去咗火化。之後会搬去汝莱孝恩园里面嘅一间公寓。阿弥陀佛。 Farewell, 公公, you will be dearly missed. See you during 清明。"

And on 24 March 2010:

"Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo... The words keep echoing as I watch the video clip showing the starting point of the final journey."

Bin Go Dou M Seun Dak Gwo 边个都唔信得过

2010-03-15T00:35:00.002+08:00

点解仲有啲人虽然唔系冇钱，但系一样咁《贱格》？佢甘愿利用自己嘅朋友 so that 自己唔使出钱。无论麻烦都自己嘅朋友，佢唔理得咁多，最紧要系自己执到利益。屌你阿星。吝啬，孤寒，贱格，走开啲！爱悭钱都唔使做到咁折堕！

有人认为利用人哋系应该嘅。 They justify it by saying ＂系佢愿意爱帮吗，所以我就噉罗＂ or ＂睇，有人咁好追住嚟搵我喎＂. To them it's second nature. It's in their blood. They've refined it to such an art. Hell yeah.

有啲嘢我一直都唔会明白。其中一个就系人哋嘅邪/奸/贱想法。

令到我对人间人情冇嗮乐观。苏孖到系一样咁邪。嗰一句话＂朋友＂真系可以掉去垃圾桶。＂信任＂都可以掉咗佢。边个都唔信得过。只系可以靠自己。苏孖都假。所以呢，如果我唔系好相信你，唔好赖我。

如果我唔系好想爱帮手人哋，千祈唔好怀疑我，因为我经过啲唔好嘅事已经影响到我嘅思想。如果我唔爱约人陪我去街去玩，都唔好怀疑我。我对人间好失望。

Random Thoughts about Hunan, China

2010-02-28T02:10:00.002+08:00

Weather: In winter, cooler than Guangdong. Less variety of palm trees. Leafless trees in many areas. Buildings have heating.

Food: Spicy, salty, oily. Lots of chilli padi. Jacy, you'll love it since you said you can eat chilli padi like eating rice. Hahaha.

Language: Mandarin everywhere with a strong Hunan accent. In some areas local people also speak Hunan dialect, known as "Xiang" or "Changsha hua". Almost nobody speaks English and the only Cantonese you'll hear comes from tourists.

Cities: Even their smaller cities are at least the size of Ipoh or Petaling Jaya. Lots of six-lane thoroughfares even in the smaller towns. Some district cities can rival Kuala Lumpur in size.

People: Mostly Han Chinese in the big cities of Changsha and Changde, and also in the Xiangtan and Shaoshan areas where Mao Zedong came from. In Zhangjiajie and Phoenix City areas, the minority becomes the majority. Tujia people dominate in Zhangjiajie City and Furong (Wangchun), Miao (Hmong) people live in Phoenix City.

Tourists: Usually Chinese from other parts of China, and some overseas Chinese or those from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Hardly any non-Chinese foreign tourists other than Koreans. Can count the number of laowai (gwailo) faces with the fingers on one hand. Non-Mandarin speakers will have a hard time here. Being unable to speak or read Mandarin means no way to ask for help, directions, or anything.

Scenery: Breathtaking. Must visit at least once in a lifetime. Take as many photos as possible. Must visit both Tianzi and Tianmen mountains by cable car. It'll make you tremble when you realise how far you are from the ground below.

What else:

People plant veggies everywhere. At the roadside, at the riverside, on any piece of empty land where plants can grow.

It's customary to sound the horn when overtaking anyone.

Traffic rules don't exist. Yet there's some sort of unwritten order such as the customary sounding of the horn when overtaking.

A lot of people still spit everywhere in public. Kiak, ptui! Yucks. So don't ever fall down on the ground or drop anything. You'll never know if someone just spat there.

Some people throw all their rubbish outside their front or back garden. The reason: They can't afford to pay for proper waste disposal.

Cable cars and high-tension power cables go above people's houses and apartments. I don't know if it's the reluctance of those people to move out or ignorance of the potential health hazards.

In the countryside and even in some cities people still wash their clothes in the river. The water's clear, I saw it with my own eyes but I'm not confident about the cleanliness of the water.

Tourist in My City: Bukit Bintang

2010-02-11T17:48:00.002+08:00

Last Saturday, 6 Feb 2010 I went to explore Bukit Bintang on my own in the morning. To avoid traffic jams I left home at 8 something and reached B.B. at 8:50 am, parked in Low Yat Plaza basement and walked around the still-closed shopping mall. Walked the backlane to Imbi Plaza, which I hadn't set foot in 13 years. Only a mamak and one or two computer service shops opened at 9 something.

Continued on foot to Sungai Wang Plaza around 9:30 am and overheard the security guards telling some lenglui tourists that the place opens at 10. Took snapshots of the lovely tiger decorations in the basement, taking care to use ISO HI in low light conditions. Continued to B.B. Plaza and crossed over to Hicks Street now known as Changkat Bukit Bintang.

A lot of restaurants have changed, old names of yesteryear are no longer there and new ones have taken their place. Saw a cute tortoiseshell cat with blue bell collar, patted her and made her my photographic model of the morning. Checked out the new Havana formerly known as Little Havana, looks nice with all new renovations. Said hello to the doggy at the Chinese temple nearby, her owner the aunty seems friendly. Saw the new Hotel YY38 along Tong Shin Heights just opposite Hotel Rae. Seems worth a stay.

Passed by Chua Brothers coffeeshop and the famous Meng Kee char siew place, both only open in the morning. Didn't eat because I already had breakfast. Ngau Kee beef noodle already opened for breakfast, they never sleep don't they?

It was getting hot as cloud cover dissipated so I walked past some travel agencies back to Alor Road. Near the place Aunty Linda worked before, I discovered a short row of small wooden houses from the 1950s or before. People still live there and doggies too. Quaint discovery a little off the beaten track :)

Soon I cut across some unnamed sidelanes to Federal Hotel and then back to Low Yat. Bought what I needed to buy there and left B.B. just as the jam picked up. By then it was ten minutes to noon. What a way to spend a Saturday morning :) Felt so happy. Must do more exploration some other weekend mornings.

Ting Ji Tiu Mou 停止跳舞

2010-02-11T17:19:00.003+08:00

Since the middle of January 我已经停止跳舞。只系个一晚喺舞蹈室举办嘅 party 先有跳几场舞。果然冇嗮心嚟跳舞。 Granted I enjoyed the moments at the party, each and every one of them, but that doesn't mean that outings will be just as great.

到而家我仲未再去参加啲舞蹈活动。拜三拜五拜六嗰啲舞会我觉得冇趣。仲有几日就过年啦，之後就去中国湖南省旅行。返到嚟就月尾 so looks like 唔使去跳舞 for the rest of the month. 人哋觉得好有趣好 enjoy 嘅话， good for them, I'm glad they have fun and hope they continue to keep their interest going.

有人问我几时会出场？我嘅答案，唔知道几时，睇点先。 When I find back my 心 for 跳舞 I shall return. As long as 嗰个满意得唔到我唔爱去，因为挫败，尤其是阿哩也每次我去都系一样咁唔满意嘅。 Oh well. Just my opinion based on my experience. Others may differ, but they're not me, and they experience different things so that's their opinion based on what's applicable to them.

A Struggle For Optimism

2010-01-22T00:29:00.001+08:00

The past eleven days have been rather tumultous with lots of troublesome thoughts and knowledge of undesireable events going on within earshot. It was so disheartening that I felt drained, to say the least. Yet there were times when light shone through the darkness for a little relief.

It is never easy to talk about certain things especially when what you say can be used against you in future. It's always better to err on the side of caution in such situations. Having seen the ugly side of human nature, I do not wish to have anything to do with certain individuals.

Meanwhile it is comforting that there are a few who will stand by me in times of need. However, there will be many instances that I have to face alone. There is no other way around it. I can only hope for the best. That's called optimism.

Bachata Notes From Class 20100109

2010-01-11T11:28:00.001+08:00

Bachata Notes: (1) Contact points: a) arm b) side c) knee; close is needed for some cool moves. (2) When dipping, balance the weight / counter / centralize. (3) Shoulder lead for "boneka" head styling. (4) Empty right pocket.

How I Felt After the New Year Holidays

2010-01-11T11:15:00.003+08:00

"It has been a totally relaxing holiday retreat so far. Swam, ate, drank, socialized with great companionship. I feel I'm getting my life back to where it should be."

That's what I wrote immediately upon reaching home on Sunday, 3 January 2010. Felt such a good feeling. Below are the "before" and "after":

Before: "Tomorrow, Thursday, 31 December 2009 is New Year's Eve. The last day of 2009. I shall avoid downtown Kuala Lumpur with all its traffic jams and human congestion. I seek a retreat from the stressful madness of rushing here and there in noisy environments."

After: "Day 3 of 365: Am back in Kaye Elle safe and sound. Had a fun-filled vacation with great companionship and good luck timing. May more good things come in the days to come."

Dance Quotes

2010-01-11T11:12:00.000+08:00

Dancing is wonderful training for girls, it's the first way you learn to guess what a man is going to do before he does it. ~ Christopher Morley, Kitty Foyle

Dancing: the vertical expression of a horizontal desire legalized by music. ~ George Bernard Shaw

Notes from Malacca: Malacca

2010-01-03T20:58:00.003+08:00

Dateline: 11:10 am, 2 January 2010
Subject: Malacca

A good morning so far. Met up with the makan gang yesterday afternoon on their sojourn to the historic city.

Managed to taste the following:
1) Tangkak Beef Noodle
2) Jonker 88 Durian Cendol
3) Ban Lee Siang Satay Celup

Didn't manage to eat at Capitol Satay Celup due to super long queue.

At night, the seven of them went out to Jonker Street pasar malam and "or chien" place. I didn't join as I felt tired and needed some sleep.

Woke up close to midnight, joined them in a chat/drink/music session before calling it a night at 3 am.

Woke up around 8:20 am to a brand new day, Day 2 of 365, Year 2010. Still carrying a healthy sense of optimism.

Felt satisfied that I did manage to reccee some of the key places on my list. Now it's a matter of scheduling. Yes, scheduling.

On Tuesday, many places of interest are closed. On Fri, Sat, Sun ...

-ends-

Notes from Port Dickson: New Year's Day

2010-01-03T19:58:00.003+08:00

Dateline: 10:35 am, 1 January 2010
Subject: New Year's Day

I wake up to a cooling morning that got warmer as the hours advanced towards midday. About ten and a half hours ago, I found out about a trip to Malacca, which I decided to hop on to. It coincides precisely with my desire to reccee the place for a future road trip, be it a day trip or 2D1N.

So I shall drive to Malacca after checking out from the holiday apartment in Port Dickson. Most probably I'll take the coastal road, Federal Route 5 to Lubok China and Masjid Tanah to reach Malacca town.

It has been a totally relaxing holiday retreat so far. Swam, ate, drank, socialized with great companionship. I feel I'm getting my life back to where it should be. Can't wait to get back to gym though. These three months of constant exercise have shown results, though not exceptionally spectacular yet it indeed is substantial. Can see and feel the difference compared to those days. My only regret is not starting 10 years ago. Age is catching up and I've to stay healthy, more so as I love to eat seafood especially prawns and crabs.

In Malacca I'll get myself familiarized with the streets and directions. I expect a lot of tourists in town due to the long weekend in Malaysia and Singapore. It will be jammed in the top tourist areas. Better fill up my petrol tank to the max in Port Dickson.

-ends-

Road Trips To Date

2009-12-21T00:12:00.002+08:00

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)

Satisfactory Salsa Weekend

2009-12-14T16:08:00.003+08:00

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.

Meaning of Nibong Tebal

2009-12-11T18:50:00.001+08:00

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

2009-12-11T18:47:00.001+08:00

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!

Dim Gaai Ngo Oi Se Gwong Jau Wa Ge Tong Yan Ji?

2009-12-06T04:58:00.002+08:00

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).

Never The Twain Shall Meet

2009-12-06T04:42:00.002+08:00

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.

December 2009: To Date

2009-12-01T11:48:00.003+08:00

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.

Driving Directions: Kuala Lumpur to Tanjung Sepat

2009-11-30T05:38:00.004+08:00

DRIVING DIRECTIONS
==================

01. From Taman Tun go on to the Sprint Highway heading towards KL.

02. From Sprint Highway go on to the Kerinchi Link heading south towards Mid Valley.

03. Pay RM1.50 toll.

04. Keep left and take the exit to KL.

05. You are now on the Federal Highway. Mid Valley City will be on your left and Angkasapuri on your right.

06. Keep left and follow the signboard to Cheras. You will go through an underpass and emerge on to the East West Link heading towards Cheras. Taman Desa will be on your right.

07. Keep left but stay a little in the middle. Follow the signboard to Seremban. (This part is a little tricky)

08. You will go up a flyover that bends towards the right. You will see factories and an elevated highway on your left. Now you are on the KL-Seremban Highway for a short stretch. Keep left immediately and go up the ramp that goes on to the elevated highway you just saw. (This part is also tricky). It should have a signboard that says Putrajaya.

09. You are now on the Maju Expressway a.k.a. KL-Putrajaya Dedicated Highway heading south towards Putrajaya. Enjoy your journey, it should take less than half an hour to reach the end of the highway.

10. Pay RM2.50 toll at the Putrajaya toll plaza.

11. After the toll plaza, keep left and go on to Lingkaran Putrajaya (E20) heading towards Putrajaya. (If not sure, just follow the sign that says Dengkil).

12. You will reach a cloverleaf interchange. Take the "three o clock" (I don't know if there's a better way of saying this) to go on to Pintasan Dengkil Bypass (B15) heading south. (In other words, just follow the sign that says Dengkil).

13. You are now on B15 heading south. From now on, follow the sign that says Salak Tinggi. If you're on the correct route you'll go up an elevated section that passes by a lake and a Chinese temple in the distance. Go all the way to the end of B15 which should terminate in a half-finished flyover. Turn right onto B20. Go straight towards KLIA Masjid, then turn left onto Jalan KLIA 1. At the roundabout take a 9 o'clock to Jalan Pekeliling.

14. Continue along Jalan Pekeliling until reaching a traffic light. Keep left and turn left towards Sepang F1 Circuit.

15. Sepang F1 Circuit will be on your right. Continue straight until you reach a crossroads with a big @Enstek sign.

16. Turn right onto B48 that goes south towards Sepang town. Enjoy your journey. You'll pass by a Chinese cemetery and Hindu cemetery along the way.

17. In Sepang town you'll see a Shell Station on your right just before the traffic lights.

18. At the traffic lights, turning left takes you to Lukut and Port Dickson. So turn right to go to Sungai Pelek.

19. Now you are on on Route 5. Go straight all the way to Sungai Pelek town. Continue straight all the way through the town and out of town.

20. After leaving Sungai Pelek town for some distance, there's an exit to some housing developments on your left. Keep right to continue along Route 5. The new developments on the left side lead to Gold Coast and Bagan Lalang beach.

21. Just continue straight on along Route 5. The road will be very straight and flat. Beware of cows crossing the road. After you pass by a stretch where the sea almost touches the road, you'll reach Tanjung Sepat town. YAY!

Landmarks:
:: Hai Yew Hin / Hai Yew Heng pau shop is near the corner of Lorong 4 and Jalan Pasar.
:: Ocen Seafood Restaurant and Lovers' Bridge are near the RHB Bank row of shophouses.
:: Yek Loong Enterprise fishball factory is in the row of shophouses behind the Pasar Baru Tanjung Sepat building.

Notes:

:: The seaside in Tanjung Sepat is not suitable for swimming. For a beach that seems okay for swimming, there's one at Sepang Gold Coast in Bagan Lalang, after Sungai Pelek.
:: It's recommended to make reservations for the Hai Yew Heng pau to avoid disappointment, especially on weekends and public holidays when tour groups have made mass bookings. Call 012.272.9009 (Mandarin-speaking) for pau reservations.

Remember To Say "I Love You"

2009-11-17T13:05:00.002+08:00

Life is fragile. We never know when we might lose it. Please remember to tell your loved ones that you love them. Remember to say "I love you" to those you love. Let them know that you feel for them. Treat them well when you are still alive.

When calamity strikes, many do not have a chance to say goodbye. It needn't be an earth-shattering cataclysm as in the movie "2012". It could be tsunami, accident, illness, or whatever that strikes with no warning.

Selangor 2009: Four Long Weekends In A Row

2009-11-05T11:16:00.003+08:00

If you work in Selangor, you will have 4 (four) long weekends in a row. Four? Yes, I'm not kidding. Sultan of Selangor's Birthday, Awal Muharram (Ma'al Hijrah), Christmas, and New Year's Day all fall on consecutive Fridays from 11 December 2009 to 1 January 2010!

By the way, Hari Raya Haji falls on Friday, 27 November 2009. If you take Friday, 4 December 2009 off, you get a grand total of 6 (six) long weekends in a row. How's that?

Ask yourself, how many chances in a lifetime do you get so many four-day workweeks or three-day weekends in a row?

Tamil Numbers

2009-09-30T16:41:00.004+08:00

Tamil numbers in colloquial spoken Tamil.

0 (zero)
பூச்சியம்
puucciyam

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
ஒண்ணு ரெண்டு மூணு நாலு அஞ்சு ஆறு ஏழு எட்டு ஒம்பது பத்து
oNNu reNdu muuNu naalu anJu aaRu eeḻu ettu ombadu pattu

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
பதிநொண்ணு பனிரெண்டு பதிமூனு பதிநாலு பதினஞ்சு பதினாறு பதினேழு பதினெட்டு பத்தொம்பது
padinoNNu panireNdu padimuunu padinaalu padinanJu padinaaRu padineeḻu padinettu pattombadu

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
இருவது முப்பது நாப்பது அம்பது அறுவது எழுவது எம்பது தொண்ணூறு
iruvadu muppadu naappadu ambadu aRuvadu eḻuvadu embadu toNNuuRu

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
நூறு எரனூறு முன்னூறு நானூறு ஐனூறு அறுனூறு எழுனூறு எண்ணூறு தொள்ளாயிரம்
nuuRu eranuuRu munnuuRu naanuuRu ainuuRu aRunuuRu eḻunuuRu eNNuuRu toLLaayiram

1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000
ஆயிரம் ரெண்டாயிரம் மூணாயிரம் நாலாயிரம் அஞ்சாயிரம் ஆறாயிரம் ஏழாயிரம் எட்டாயிரம் ஒம்பதாயிரம்
aayiram reNdaayiram muuNaayiram naalaayiram anJaayiram aaRaayiram eeḻaayiram ettaayiram ombadaayiram

100,000 (lakh = one hundred thousand)
லட்சம்
latcham

10,000,000 (crore = ten million)
கோடி
koodi

தொள் toL is a prefix for the nine stuff
reNdu is two, iruvadu is twenty, eranuuRu is two hundred, reNdaayiram is two thousand

Another Case Of Unappreciative Rubbish

2009-09-16T05:44:00.002+08:00

For now I shall give you the benefit of the doubt. For now.

I don't know what made you behave in such a way towards me. As far as I know, I have not done anything wrong to you, or treated you in an arrogant manner. 我冇做过对你唔住嘅嘢。我都冇（门＋能）屎（门＋能）样咁样对你。 I might be nonchalant about people's idiosyncrasies, but I do not and will not accept bad treatment towards me.

Perhaps I have no "lei yung ga jik 利用价值" for you. Perhaps someone close to you has poisoned your mind against me, controlled your life movements, or taken action on your behalf with or without your knowledge to put distance between me and you. Perhaps you just have no wish to associate yourself with me in any way for whatever or no reason. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps.

Anyway, who am I to tell you what to do and what not to do? If you let others make this choice for you, I feel sorry for you for letting yourself be influenced by those with dubious intentions and your failure to protect those whom you should cherish. If you made this choice, it's your loss, but you won't feel it because your sense of appreciation is flawed.

I doubt you'd be bothered to know what I think, most probably you don't care anyway. But if you become like this:

"When all's well and hunky-dory on your side, I'm invisible. When things don't work out and you need someone, you search high and low for me."

you can forget about finding me because I will have no time for you and your problems. Why? Because of the way you treated me, that's why. I've got better things to do than serve as a solution provider for unappreciative rubbish.

At the moment I'm writing this, you still have a chance to redeem yourself, but the window of opportunity won't be open for long. Hence my opening sentence: "For now I shall give you the benefit of the doubt. For now."

If Khalil Fong 方大同 Had Four Brothers

2009-09-04T18:16:00.001+08:00

1. If Khalil Fong (方大同) had four brothers, they'd be Khalid, Khairul, Khairy, and Khamis Fong.

2. His Chinese name being fong daai tung 方大同, they'd be dai yat 第一, bou teun 宝顿, hong lok 康乐, and lin sing 连成 (daai tung fa yun 花园 = Taman Taynton, dai yat fa yun 第一花园 = Taman Pertama, bou teun fa yun 宝顿花园= Bolton Garden (Taman Midah), hong lok fa yun 康乐花园 = Taman Connaught, lin sing fa yun 连成花园 = Taman Lensen).

3. Malaysians would understand Point No. 1 subconsciously.

4. Those who know the Chinese names of established residential areas in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur (吉隆坡蕉赖) would understand Point No. 2.

Ghost Month Nightmare

2009-09-04T10:53:00.002+08:00

Yesterday night was the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the Chinese calendar. The day before yesterday was Chat Yuet Sap Sei 七月十四, the major event during the Hungry Ghosts Month. So was it a coincidence that I had a weird dream?

I didn't sleep much, so I went to bed with less energy reserves than usual. Laying down on the bed, I fell asleep, my eyes closed. Not long after dozing off, I felt the presence of someone in my room. It's the feeling you get when your eyes are closed yet you know there's someone moving about within a few feet of you.

The presence spoke in a manner very much like someone I know in real life. But nobody could have entered my room because I had locked both doors. Impossible! I felt one side of the bed sink slightly like a weight's been put on it. I ignored it. The presence started pressing on me. I felt aching. I opened my eyes but couldn't discern anything. Perhaps a shadow figure sitting on my bed.

"Get lost!" I said, and it dissolved. No way of knowing whether it's just a nightmare or spirit presence, but my eyes saw faint pulses of light moving about in my room. Something's there. I imagined myself holding a Spear of Muruga (vel வேல் ) and hurled it at the light, thus dispelling it.

Having woken up, I felt re-energized and alert. Didn't feel cold or hot. Just recharged. Not fearful, although some people I know if they were in my situation they'd panic, scream or go hysterical. I just felt normal.

Lowest Temperature Recorded In My Bedroom

2009-09-01T17:43:00.003+08:00

On Friday, 28 August 2009, the thermometer indicated a temperature of 25.5 C in my bedroom at 7 am. That's the lowest it ever dropped without resorting to air-conditioning.

I went to my car and checked the thermometer inside, it showed... 20.5 C! Oh my goodness that's a record low temperature for Kuala Lumpur. No aircond. Very cloudy weather, no sun.

Kuala Lumpur temperatures generally range from a high of 34 C to a low of 24 C outdoors. Indoor temperatures could be 5 degrees Celsius higher or lower than the outside depending on orientation, solar absorption or wind direction.

2 1/2 weeks ago in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, it was 19 C in my bedroom and 14 C in my car at 7 am. No air-conditioning either. But that's normal for Cameron Highlands. My room would be 28 C at the coolest, based on the majority of days. If it drops to 27 C that's a bonus.

Black Cat & Black Dog

2009-08-27T23:41:00.002+08:00

Saw a black cat with a crooked tail cross my path today at Centrepoint Bandar Utama. Seems scared of people. Looked at me with one eye half-closed as if winking. Tail looks like a lightning bolt.

On the way back home, saw a long coat dog. A black Labrador in the middle of a roundabout. Oh no! How did he get there with all the heavy traffic around? Hope he knows how to go home, and that he's not abandoned.

Is it mere coincidence that I come across a black cat and a black dog within an hour of each other approximately 15 miles away?

Facebook Quiz: What's Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type

2009-08-13T22:57:00.003+08:00

I did not take the quiz, but several years ago I did a self-analysis and got the result as follows.

"What's Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type?"
The result: INFJ (Introversion, iNtuition, Feeling, Judgement)!

You seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. You want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. You are conscientious and committed to your firm values. You develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. You are organized and decisive in implementing your vision. Famous people with your same INFJ personality include: Adam Sandler, Mel Gibson, Billy Crystal, and Oprah Winfrey.

Cantonese Tones: Explanation

2009-08-12T03:51:00.004+08:00

Having searched the Internet for an easy-to-understand explanation, I've taken the following table and excerpts from Wikipedia.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Cantonese

[Excerpt begins here]

Syllable type	Open syllables						Stopped syllables
Tone name	Upper Level (陰平)	Upper Rising (陰上)	Upper Departing (陰去)	Lower Level (陽平)	Lower Rising (陽上)	Lower Departing (陽去)	Upper Entering #1 (上陰入)	Upper Entering #2 (下陰入)	Lower Entering (陽入)
Pinyin tone number	1	2	3	4	5	6	7 (or 1)	8 (or 3)	9 (or 6)
Examples	詩	史	試	時	市	是	識	錫	食
Tone letters	si˥, si˥˧	si˧˥	si˧	si˨˩, si˩	si˩˧	si˨	sik˥	sik˧	sik˨
Tone diacritics	sí, sî	sǐ	sī	si̖, sı̏	si̗	sì	sík	sīk	sìk
Description	high level, high falling	medium rising	medium level	low falling, very low level	low rising	low level	high level	medium level	low level
Yale Romanization	sī, sì	sí	si	sīh, sìh	síh	sih	sīk	sik	sihk

Joe's note: For some reason the table is not being displayed completely in this blog. It only shows the first six tones on screen. To see the complete table please visit the source page at the URL above.

The first tone can be either high level or high falling without affecting the meaning of the words being spoken. Most speakers are in general not consciously aware of when they use and when to use high level and high falling. In Hong Kong, the high level is more usual. In Guangzhou, the high falling tone is more usual.

The numbers "394052786" when pronounced in Standard Cantonese, will give the nine tones in order (Romanisation (Yale) saam1, gau2, sei3, ling4, ng5, yi6, chat7, baat8, luk9), thus giving a good mnemonic for remembering the nine tones.

[Excerpt ends here]

Joe says:

Personally I can only distinguish four tones: 1, 2, 3 or 5, 4 or 6. When I hear a Cantonese word, I can tell for sure whether it's Tone 1 or Tone 2, but Tone 3 & Tone 5 sound the same to me, and same goes for Tone 4 & Tone 6. In other words I can't tell the difference between Tone 3 & Tone 5, and between Tone 4 & Tone 6.

Cantonese Tones: Magic Formula

2009-08-12T03:45:00.001+08:00

To cut a long story short, there are six tones in Cantonese. By chance, there's a magic formula to memorize all of them correctly. Say the following numbers one by one:

3 9 4 0 5 2 7 8 6
saam gau sei ling ng yi chat baat luk
三九四零五二七八六

or

3 9 4 0 5 2 1 8 6
saam gau sei ling ng yi yat baat luk
三九四零五二一八六

The first six numbers of either series give you the six tones in proper order. Some people say there are nine tones, but the extra three are essentially the same with three of the six tones. The only difference is that these "extra" three tones are only for words ending with p, t, or k. Don't worry, both magic formulae take care of this extra aspect in proper order too. Strange, isn't it? Fate works in mysterious ways.

So, remember the following:

394 052 786
394 052 186

I say to everybody: If you can say out all the numbers from 0 to 9 in Cantonese, congratulations! You already know the basics of mastering the six tones of Cantonese.

The Yale Romanization System for Cantonese

2009-08-12T02:20:00.003+08:00

Source: Pronunciation Guide from the Ving Tsun Museum website
http://home.vtmuseum.org/terminology/pronounciation_guide.php

Consonants

Yale Description of sound

b resembles the (unaspirated) 'p' in 'span', 'spill'; to an unaccustomed ear, an initial unaspirated p can often sound like 'b' in 'bill'.
d resembles the (unaspirated) 't' in 'stand', 'still'.
g resembles the 'qu' in 'squad', 'square'. There is some evidence that this sound is becoming simplified over time, and words transcribed with gw may actually be heard, in the speech of some native-speakers, as beginning with g.
j an unaspirated sound something between 'ts' in 'cats' and 'tch' in 'catch'.
p in initial positions the (aspirated) 'p' in 'pat', 'pin'; in final position, that is, at the end of the syllable, 'p' in unreleased.
t in initial positions the (aspirated) 't' in 'top', 'tin'; in the final position, the 't' is unreleased.
k in initial position resembles the 'k' in 'kick', 'kill'; in the finial position, 'k' is unreleased.
kw A strongly aspirated plosive, resembles 'qu' in 'quick', 'quill'.
ch resembles the (aspitated) 'ch' in 'cheese', 'chill'.
f resembles the 'f' in 'fan', 'scarf'.
s resembles the 's' in 'sing', 'sit'.
h (only in initial positions in the syllable) resembles the 'h' in 'how', 'hand'. (after a vowel, 'h' is used to denote one of the low tones.)
l resembles the 'l' in 'like', 'love'.
m resembles the 'm' in 'man', 'stem'.
n resembles the 'n' in 'now', 'nice'. There is a widespread tendency, particularly amongst the younger generation of Cantonese speakers, to replace an initial n by l, and there is consequently some variation in pronunciation: many words, which are transcribed with an initial letter n in this book may be heard beginning with l. For instance, néi 'you', may be heard as léi.
ng resembles the southern English pronunciation of 'ng' as in 'sing' (that is, without pronouncing the 'g' separately). This sound occurs only after vowels in English, but in Cantonese it can also occur at the beginning of syllables. However, many native speakers do not pronounce this sound initially. And, just as in English, a final -ng, particularly after the long vowel aa, is often replaced by -n, although this variation does not have the social connotation it has in English (i.e. runnin' and jumpin').
y resembles the 'y' in 'yes', 'yellow'.
w resembles the 'w' in 'wish', 'will'.

Vowels

Yale Description of sound

a resembles the 'u' in the southern English pronunciation of 'but'.
aa resembles the southern English 'a' in 'father'. When this sound is not followed by a consonant in the same syllable, the second a of the aa is omitted in writing: fa is pronounced as if it were 'faa'.
e resembles the 'e' of 'ten'.
eu resembles the French 'eu' as is 'feu', or the German 'o' as in 'schon'. It is pronounced like the 'e' of 'ten', but with rounded lips.
i resembles the 'ee' of 'deep'.
o resembles the 'aw' in 'saw'.
u resemebles the 'u' in the southern English 'put'.
yu resembles the French 'u' as in 'tu', or the German 'u' as in 'Tur'. It is pronounced like the 'ee' of 'deep', but with the lips rounded instead of spread.

Diphthongs

Yale Description of sound

ai a + i, a combination of 'a' plus 'I', a very short diphthong, much shorter than the sound of 'y' in 'my'.
aai a + i, resembling the 'ie' in 'lie'.
au a + u, resembling the 'ou' in 'out'.
aau aa + u, resembling a long 'ou' in 'ouch!'
eui eu + i, a combination of 'eu' plus 'i', something like the hesitation form 'er' in English (without the 'r' sound) followed by 'ee': 'e(r)-ee'.
iu i + u, a combination of 'i' plus 'u', something like 'yew' in English.
oi o + i, resembling the 'oy' in 'boy'.
ou o + u, resembling the 'oe' in 'foe'.
ui u + i, resembling the 'ooey' in 'phooey'.

Brief Introduction to Cantonese Pronunciation

In pronouncing a syllable in Cantonese, three elements must be taken into account, namely, an initial, a final, and a tone. The initial includes whatever is before the main vowel, the final includes the main vowel and whatever follows it and the tone is the voice pitch of the syllable. For the syllable ngáak, the initial is ng, the finial is áak and the tone is high-rising.

Initials - An initial is the starting-off sound of a word.

Of the nineteen initials in Cantonese, ch, p, t, ck, and kw are aspirated while b, d, g, gw, and j are unaspirated. The aspirated ch is articulated between the English ch and ts. Two terms may need explanation: aspirated and unaspirated. Aspirated consonants are pronounced with a puff of air, as in the English p in pan and lip. In some cases, such as, in English, after s (span, spill), the same consonants lose the puff of air and are unaspirated. At the end of a word they may not even be completed: the lips close to form the sound but do not open again to make the sound explode. Such sounds are termed unaspirated.

Aspirated stops: Non-aspirated stops:
P T
CH
B
G
GW K
KW
D
J
Nasals: Fricative and Continuants:
M N
F
H NG
L
S
Semi-Vowels
Y W

Finals

A finial is the concluding sound of a word and there are fifty-one of these. The main vowel is the key part of the Cantonese final. The vowels may be either long or short and this affects the pronunciation. The vowels in the _underlined_ finals are shorter. The endings are P T K are pronounced without any burst of air (unreleased).

Finals starting with "A"
A AAI AAU AAM AAN AANG AAP AAT AAK
_AI_ _AU_ _AM_ _AN_ _ANG_ _AP_ _AT_ _AK_

Finals starting with "E"
E ENG EK EU EUNG EUK
_EI_ _EUI_ _EUN_ _EUT_

Finals starting with "I"
I IK IM IN IP IT IU
_ING_

Finals starting with "O"
O OI OK ON OT ONG
_OU_

Finals starting with "U"
U UN UT UI
_UK_ _UNG_

Finals starting with "Y"
YU YUN

How I Write Chinese On The Computer

2009-08-12T02:15:00.001+08:00

I use CantoInput, developed by John Burket for this purpose. You can input using Yale or Jyutping romanization for Cantonese, or Hanyu Pinyin for Mandarin. Its "vocabulary" includes commonly used Cantonese characters in addition to the usual Mandarin character set.

Personally I find this system the most suitable for myself as it allows input in Cantonese. Only thing is that you've gotta familiarize yourself with the Yale romanization system. Fortunately the Yale system was designed for English speakers so the learning curve isn't steep at all.

You can find out more about CantoInput at http://cantoinput.wordpress.com/

Lyrics, Romanization & Translation: Sei Sing Bat Goi 死性不改 by Boy'z & Twins

2009-08-11T02:05:00.009+08:00

Been searching for this song for five years without success. Until today. Glad to have found the lyrics and music video. The duet version is bachatable after 1:40.

Music Videos:
Duet Version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBA5i5s_vqI
No lyrics but if you understand Cantonese, should be no problem la

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvFPYvSuZ8o
Same video as above but with lyrics for karaoke-ing

Boy'z Rock Version with lyrics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=607OqD-XL1k

Lyrics Source for the duet version:
http://www.ailrc.com/html/153/DWDGSPH.htm

Yale romanization by me
[Updated on Tuesday, 11 August 2009 at 11:05pm with English translation based on my limited knowledge of Chinese characters and some help from Uncle Google's language tools]

#
歌曲：死性不改(合唱版)
song: sei sing bat goi (duet version)

歌手：boy'z&twins
artistes: boy'z & twins

爱词酷.歌词网.谢谢您支持
ngoi chi huk . go chi mong . jeje nei jichi

Chinese character lyrics, Yale romanization, rough translation (words in brackets for clarity of translation):

sa:再见了我的宠爱
joigin liu ngodik chung ngoi
byebye already my pet love

谁愿接受这种意外
seui yun jipsau jejung yingoi
who's willing to accept this kind of accident

gill:你赞我天生可爱
nei jaan ngo tinsaang hongoi
you praise me natural born cute

不愿看著我离开
batyun honjeuk ngo leihoi
not satisfied (to) see me leave

sa:同伴也话我傻喜欢受挫
tungpun ya wa ngo so heifun sau cho
(my) companions also say I'm stupid happy to receive obstructions

宁愿情敌在伤我
ningyun ching dik joi seung ngo
(I'd) rather (my) love rival injure me again

人天生根本都不可以爱死身边的一个
yan tinsaang ganbun dou bathoyi ngoi sei sanbin dik yatgo
human's inborn nature in fact also can't love to death the one at one's side

无奈你最够刺激我凡事也治倒我
mounoi nei jeui gau chigik ngo faan si ya ji dou ngo
(I'm) helpless (because) you always excite me all the time (you) also govern me

几多黑心的教唆我亦捱得过
geido haksam dik gaauso ngo yik ngaai dak gwo
(no matter) how many black-hearted instigations I also can endure

来煽风来点火就击倒我麼
loi sin fung loi dim fo jau gik dou ngo mo
come stir up wind come put fire just hit me whatever

gill:谁恋爱就多障碍死性我不想改
seui lyunngoi jau do jeungngoi sei sing ngo bat seung goi
who's (everyone's) love will have many obstacles bad habits I don't wanna change

如我没有你的爱我没法活得来
yu ngo mutyau nei dik ngoi ngo mutfaat wut dak loi
if I don't have your love no way I can live

情人的存在是我从来都志在
chingyan dik chyunjoi si ngo chungloi dou jijoi
existence of (a) lover has all the while been my aim

t:难在我拱手让爱
nan joi ngo gung sau yeung ngoi
(it's) hard (for) me (to) give up love

sa:点解要咁姐/者
dimgaai yiu gam je
why must (be) like this je

gill:点解唔可以咁呀
dimgaai mhoyi gam a
why cannot (be) like this ah

sa:你唔觉得好辛苦咩
nei mgokdak hou sanfu me
you don't think (it's) very suffering meh

gill:辛苦但系我钟意呀
sanfu daanhai ngo jungyi a
suffering but I like it ah

sa:算吧啦
suen ba la
whatever lah

kenny:我怕可一不可再难道你被爱都有害
ngo pa ho yat batho joi nandou nei bei ngoi dou yau hoi
I'm afraid to do it again is (because) you get harmed from being loved

steven:我确信天真不会错威力会移山填海
ngo kok seun tinjan batwui cho wailik wui yi saan tin hoi
I firmly believe (being) naive isn't wrong power will move mountains fill in the seas

boyz:同伴也话我傻喜欢受挫
tungpun ya wa ngo so heifun sau cho
(my) companions also say I'm stupid happy to receive obstructions

宁愿情敌再伤我
ningyun chingdik joi seung ngo
(I'd) rather (my) love rival injure me again

boyz:人天生根本都不可以爱死身边的一个
yan tinsaang ganbun dou bathoyi ngoi sei sanbin dik yatgo
human's inborn nature in fact also can't love to death the one at one's side

无奈你最够刺激我凡事也治到我
mounoi nei jeui gau chigik ngo faan si ya ji dou ngo
(I'm) helpless (because) you always excite me all the time (you) also govern me

几多黑心的教唆我亦捱得过
geido haksam dik gaauso ngo yik ngaai dak gwo
(no matter) how many black-hearted instigations I also can endure

来煽风来点火就击倒我麼
loi sin fung loi dim fo jau gikdou ngo mo
come stir up wind come put fire just hit me whatever

谁恋爱就多障碍死性我不想改
seui lyunngoi jau do jeungngoi sei sing ngo bat seung goi
who's (everyone's) love will have many obstacles bad habits I don't wanna change

如我没有你的爱我没法活得来
yu ngo mutyau nei dik ngoi ngo mutfaat wut dak loi
if I don't have your love no way I can live

情人的存在是我从来都志在
chingyan dik chyunjoi si ngo chungloi dou jijoi
existence of (a) lover has all the while been my aim

难在我拱手让爱
nan joi ngo gung sau yeung ngoi
(it's) hard (for) me (to) give up love

boyz+twins:人天生根本都不可以爱死身边的一个
yan tinsaang ganbun dou bathoyi ngoi sei sanbin dik yatgo
human's inborn nature in fact also can't love to death the one at one's side

无奈你最够刺激我凡事也治到我
mounoi nei jeui gau chigik ngo faan si ya ji dou ngo
(I'm) helpless (because) you always excite me all the time (you) also govern me

几多黑心的教唆我亦捱得过
geido haksam dik gaauso ngo yik ngaai dak gwo
(no matter) how many black-hearted instigations I also can endure

来煽风来点火就击倒我麼
loi sin fung loi dim fo jau gikdou ngo mo
come stir up wind come put fire just hit me whatever

谁恋爱就多障碍死性我不想改
seui lyunngoi jau do jeungngoi sei sing ngo bat seung goi
who's (everyone's) love will have many obstacles bad habits I don't wanna change

如我没有你的爱我没法活得来
yu ngo mutyau nei dik ngoi ngo mutfaat wut dak loi
if I don't have your love no way I can live

情人的存在是我从来都志在
chingyan dik chyunjoi si ngo chungloi dou jijoi
existence of (a) lover has all the while been my aim

难在我拱手让爱
nan joi ngo gung sau yeung ngoi
(it's) hard (for) me (to) give up love

Learn Chinese and English: Why Arguments Happen

2009-08-06T22:38:00.002+08:00

Ng Jim Carl's original in Mandarin, written in Traditional Characters:
爭吵其實是希望對方更謙讓自己，但是如果雙方只站在自己的立場上不妥協，矛盾就加大

Joe's rendition in colloquial Cantonese, written in Simplified Characters and Yale romanization:
争吵其实系希望对方更谦让自己，但系如果双方只站在自己嘅立场上唔妥协，矛盾就加大

jaangchaau keisat hai heimong deuifong gang himyeung jigei, daanhai yugwo seungfong ji jaamjoi jigei ge laapcheungseung m tohip, maauteun jau ga daai

Translation by Ng Jim Carl:
Argument happens because we want the other party to be more lenient and receptive to ourselves, but if both parties stand firm on own grounds, then the conflict will only magnify.

Facebook Quiz: What Body Part Are You

2009-08-06T22:16:00.002+08:00

Funny answers, funny explanations. Interesting stuff from one of those Facebook quizzes. Two examples, one for the male body part and the other for the female body part.

Nicole completed the quiz "What body part are you?" with the result You're a Dick!.
Otherwise known as a penis,schlong,dong,member,phallus,etc. You usually lay around doing nothing but it doesn't take much to get a rise out of you.That is,unless,of course, you have had too much to drink, you're really,really old, or someone has kicked you really hard.When you get over excited you tend to stiffen up and eventually throw up all over the place.Excelente' .

Katherine completed the quiz "What body part are you?" with the result Meow!.
Thats right.You're a pussy.Otherwise known as the vagina,snatch,gash,poon,love socket,fleshy taco. You may not be the prettiest of body parts,especially when you let your beard grow uncontrollably,but you make men feel warm and safe.Most of the time.There are a few days a month when,well,lets face it,you make us see red and you walk around surrounded by a bitch all the time..

Tioman After 15 Years

2009-08-06T01:09:00.004+08:00

So I went to Tioman for the second time in my life after 15 long years. 4D3N. Many thanks to Kannan for organising everything. It's never easy to organise group trips, but he did it well, he got everything coordinated and ensured everyone had a whole lot of fun :)

Our stay at Sun Beach Resort never felt lonely, at least for the first two days. We had two corporate groups for company. One from Prabhu Bank, the other from Premium Group. The orange T-shirt guys from Prabhu Bank had their do on Friday night while the white-capped Premium groupies had a major blast on Saturday night.

Since the 100+ Premium groupies were mostly Indians, they had games where they made their managers dance in pairs to Tamil songs from the 1960s and 1970s on stage! I felt lucky to see something like a Tamil cultural festival with plenty of song and dance.

Nevertheless, our group of 19 souls (18 from Sunday onwards) still managed to party every night with a healthy mix of dance music and drinks thrown in. Bartenders Kannan and Michael Yap kept us happy with exotic concoctions of alcoholic beverages, duty-free to boot. DJ Xavier kept the music going, spinning salsa, bachata, club music and great stuff to keep us dancing on the sand. Literally.

No idea if other people have salsa-ed on Tioman before, if not, then we're the first. Our salsa and bachata sure caught some attention from some of the other guests - a few Malay guys on a fishing expedition, some Indian guys from the corporate group, and a Mat Salleh couple who looked somewhat Spanish to me.

We had outings for snorkeling and beaching at one island I forgot the name off the northwest point of Tioman, duty-free shopping at Kampung Tekek, and waterfall splashing at Asah on the remote southern point of Tioman. Snorkeling was nothing to shout about, beaching was great fun, and the waterfall was well worth the effort taken to get there.

Elaborating on the waterfall, please note that there are ZERO facilities there. No electricity and no piped water to the public toilets along the trail (quite an irony since there's so much water in the nearby river). Bring your own candles, torchlights (flashlights in American English), toilet roll or tissue paper, and be prepared to carry water from the nearby river. There should be an empty pail or two inside the toilet building.

The plunge pool is six feet deep, but the boulders have ledges where you can stand. There's a "children's section" with two to three feet deep water next to some long boulders. If you're adventurous, you can climb up the hillside trail to access more shallow pools uphill. At your own risk. No safety features whatsoever.

Getting to the sand beach on the island I forgot the name requires a boat ride. There are also no facilities there. Perhaps you could camp overnight if you have your own transport and enough water, I didn't see any obvious freshwater source on the island. If you wanna shit or pee there's the bushes. Sunbathe naked if you dare, which isn't a good idea since chances are you're not the only one around. But the sand and water there are so clear, it reminds me of one island off Phi Phi I visited in 2006.

Tekek has changed so much since 1994. I couldn't recognise the place. There's a giant waterfront construction thing like a promenade leading towards the Marine Park, which has an enclosed area with fish that come to you if you give them their daily bread. The fish will even eat your puke if you throw up due to seasickness.

An airstrip behind the main village has flights by Berjaya Air turboprops, and the one main street still has houses, shops, a clinic, two schools and whatnot. The moment you cross the bridge from the jetty to the main street you'll see plenty of black fruits hanging from trees. Wait a moment. They ain't fruits, they're fruit bats. Vauvaal in Tamil, pin fuk in Cantonese.

One thing Tioman has in common with Langkawi is duty-free shopping. In simple English that means alcoholic drinks come cheap. Three dollars (ringgits in local English parlance) for a can of beer. Tax-free mar, that's why lor. The duty-free shop in Tekek accepts credit cards for purchases above RM50/=. The Chinese uncle's shop in Kampung Genting also sells duty-free liquor but Tekek offers more variety.

I don't remember seeing any cars on Tioman way back then but there are a few MPV vans and a Kembara or two now. The old Mercedes minibus belonging to Berjaya Tioman Beach Resort still runs strong, covering the two-kilometre journey from the resort to the jetty as it did years ago.

There weren't any Chinese restaurants on Tioman during my first trip, but now there's a Chinese restaurant behind three Malay eateries near the Tekek jetty. It so happened that the lady from the Chinese restaurant was feeding the fish at the Marine Park enclosure, she saw me doing the same and chatted me up in Mandarin and English. That's how I found out about the place's existence.

I must say that the composition of our group made a lot of difference in the trip. Our diversity's our strength. Great companionship and great rapport made for a whole lot of enjoyment. I look forward to the next vacation trip, sometime, somewhere.

Word of warning: The ferry journey from Mersing and the intra-island boat trips can make you seasick. For the first time in my life I got seasick and felt like throwing up with numbness in my hands mixed with nausea. Didn't vomit 'cos I didn't eat, but it ain't pretty. Must take seasickness pills, and many thanks to Michael Soon for helping us out on this aspect.

Traveller's notes: Bring your own personal use items and electrical extension plug as the chalets may not have an extra electrical outlet available. Get an air-conditioned room if possible. You'll be thankful for the comfort it gives after a long tiring day. Bring enough cash as I didn't see any ATMs around.

Korean & Tamil Corresponding Letters

2009-07-29T13:29:00.002+08:00

Korean & Tamil Corresponding Letters

Unaspirated Consonants
k/g ㄱ க்
n ㄴ ந்
d/t ㄷ த்
r/l ㄹ ர்/ல்
m ㅁ ம்
b/p ㅂ ப்
s ㅅ ச்/ஸ்
no sound (front), ng (end) ㅇ ங் (end only)
j ㅈ ஜ் (approximate)

Aspirated Consonants
ch ㅊ ச்/ச்ச்
k ㅋ க்
t ㅌ த்
p ㅍ ப்
h ㅎ ஹ்

Doubled Consonants
kk ㄲ க்க்
tt ㄸ ட்ட்
pp ㅃ ப்ப்
ss ㅆ ஸ்ஸ்
jj ㅉ ஜ்ஜ்

Vowels
a ㅏ அ
i ㅣ இ
u ㅜ உ
e ㅔ எ
o ㅗ ஒ

Diphthongs

ya ㅑ ய
yu ㅠ யு
ye ㅖ யெ
yo ㅛ யொ
ui ㅢ உய்

The following Korean sounds have no Tamil equivalent

ae ㅐ
yae ㅒ
eo ㅓ
yeo ㅕ
oe ㅚ
wae ㅙ
wa ㅘ
wi ㅟ
eu ㅡ
wo ㅝ
we ㅞ

Dou Hip Dou Mou Yung La 道歉都冇用啦

2009-07-26T05:21:00.003+08:00

你头先走嚟搵我道歉。道乜嘢歉？你喺呢度咁多日都唔同我讲声。临走嗰阵时後都唔同我讲。而家先讲。乜嘢意思？你话你有事所以见唔到我。哎吔，你当我天真咩？想搵我笨？重色轻友就重色轻友啦！使乜讲。。

你仲有胆话我＂你爱懊恼就懊恼囖，我只要你了解我嘅事情。＂咁都俾你讲得出。你唔值得我嘅了解。你冇资格做我嘅朋友。我冇时间理你。好彩你仲未遇到问题，我系等着你跌到 so that 你会知道太迟啦。

25 样嘢 (Cantonese version of 25 Things)

2009-07-24T14:04:00.000+08:00

既然咁多朋友都已经写底佢哋嘅《25 样嘢》，咁我就跟着写囖。

01) 我系本地制造嘅鬼佬。思想完全都系用英文嘅。
02) 我中意食印度餐。
03) 我唔识写华语嘅。唔好叫我写任何中文信件。
04) 我都系唔识讲华语嘅。虽然识睇多少唐人字，但都用广东话嚟读出嚟嘅。
05) 我觉得我国嘅政治越嚟越黐线。
06) 为咗想了解 [印度教权利行动队](HINDRAF)嘅目标，我开始学 [他咪尔] (Tamil)话。
07) 我认为宗教系攞嚟控制人民嘅思想同埋行动。
08) 我觉得猫猫同埋狗狗好可爱嘅。
09) 喺我屋企有八只猫。
10) 我最中意 Kitty 小姐因为佢最黐我。
11) 以前我唔信命运；过咗一段好辛苦嘅时间，我先信有咁嘅嘢。
12) 有时我好唔想讲话因为觉得讲乜嘢都冇用。
13) 我十五岁先开始想要学睇唐人字。因为想知道人哋嘅唐人名点样翻译去罗马字。
14) 我踹脚车最远系蕉赖保敦到咁邦班丹。
15) 我住喺 [南费城] (South Philly) 嗰阵时，就成日同一位越南华侨阿婶倾偈。佢讲嘅广东话好得意嘅。例如：＂有去做？＝有冇返工＂，＂冇嘢做＝冇工做＂，＂影相＝照 X 光＂，＂你去呀？＝你走呀？＂，＂邮店＝邮政局＂，＂去做＝上班＂，＂嗰个嘢＝嗰个人＂。
16) 我有被两个黑人打劫过一次。好彩冇受伤。
17) 读紧大学嘅时候，我哋学生们中意提起嗰个[巫师俱乐部] (Club Wizzards)。嗰间俱乐部系脱舞吧嚟嘅，就喺 [亚美丽咖辣椒] (American Chilli's) 餐厅楼下。好多大学生去嗰度睇靓女跳脱舞同埋杆位舞。一定要戴多啲散纸嚟俾 tips 呀。
18) 对我讲，生活俾我好多美好嘅回忆同埋好多伤心嘅悲事。我只想记得嗰啲好事，7完全忘记嗮嗰啲悲事。
19) 我觉得讲话加难过写字。写咗嘅字仲有机会改，但系讲咗嘅话唔可以收返。
20) 我自己俾嘅沙沙舞蹈俱乐部嘅名系：小哈哇哪 (Little Havana)，沙沙哈哇哪 (Salsa Havana)，嘺吧/猪扒 (Qba)，巴沙努哇 (Bossa Nova)，六九俱乐部 (Club 69)，啊哩亚 (Aliyaa)，边疆 (Frontera)
21) 有个人问我究竟乜嘢系[拉丁] (Latin)。我同佢讲，＂拉丁系一个古代语文喺好耐以前嘅罗马帝国时候嗰啲人讲嘅。＂讲咗之後我先知佢问嗰个拉丁其实系个种舞蹈。哎吔！
22) 我有经历过台北，台中同埋广州嘅沙沙舞蹈现场。嗰度嘅女人多过男人两三倍。
23) 我有去过：文来，香港，美国，澳洲嘅圣诞岛，新加坡，菲律宾嘅马尼拉，泰国嘅曼谷同埋普吉，柬埔寨嘅吴哥窟，印尼嘅边丹岛，台湾嘅台北同埋台中，中国嘅广州市同埋肇庆市。
24) 我未上过吉隆坡高塔或者吉隆坡双子塔。但系台北101，世界贸易中心，帝国大厦，自由女神像我就上过囖。
25) 我喺卡啦屋企唱嗰啲歌完全都系背嗮咗嘅。因为我冇可能睇得嗮嗰啲中文歌词。太快啦。

Nenek Tua's Cantonese and Indon Guy's Cantonese

2009-07-24T13:50:00.002+08:00

Once upon a time in the USA I had the opportunity to stay in the same house with a Vietnam-born Chinese grandma (Nenek Tua) and a Chinese guy from Indonesia (Indonesian Cantonese) plus a few others.

It was interesting because all three of us are Cantonese by descent but born outside China, grew up in non-Chinese countries and speak different languages as our main language (me: English, Nenek Tua: Vietnamese, Indonesian Cantonese: Bahasa Indonesia). The only way we could chat with each other was through Cantonese, our only common language, also our ancestral language but spoken only as a second language.

It took me some time to get used to Nenek Tua's Cantonese. Her sentence structure shows heavy Vietnamese influence. e.g. "Yau hui jo? 有去做?" (got go do?) means "yau mo hui jo gung 有冇去做工" (got go work or not?). Bcos in Vietnamese it's "có đi làm"... "làm" means "do" or "work" in Vietnamese. Overlapping meanings... just like "hacer" means "to do" or "to make" in Spanish. Comparing all the languages that I know and am learning, each one has different ways of saying things and little interesting differences in structure and use of words plus overlapping meanings.

When I wanna go out, she'd ask "Nei yau mo hui... 你有冇去..." (you got go or not)... but go where? What she means is "you are going out or not?" which would be "nei yau mo hui kai a 你有冇去街呀?" Nenek Tua's sentences are often hanging... haha... Back to the "yau hui jo 有去做" thingy, the Vietnam Chinese usually say "hui jo 去做" instead of "jo gung 做工" for work, working or to work.

Some words same with Malaysian Cantonese are: lui 铝 (money), jung goo 仲估 (thought/guessed), bai yat 拜一, bai yee 拜二... laai bai 礼拜 (days of the week), hui liu 去辽 (holidaying/traveling), tong yan 唐人 (ethnic Chinese). In Hong Kong, those words would be chin 钱, yee wai 以为, sing kei yat 星期一, sing kei yee 星期二... sing kei yat 星期日, hui fong ga 去放假 / hui lui yau 去旅游, wah yan 华人 /jung gwok yan 中国人. I'm not sure whether Vietnam Cantonese uses "yat bai 一摆, leong bai 两摆" or "yat chi 一次, leong chi 两次". (one time, two times).

Nenek Tua's Cantonese (and what she means):
hui jo 去做 = go work
hui 去 = go out
ji 纸 = paper (any kind of paper... newspaper, toilet paper, normal paper also is referred to by the same word)

At first, when she asked me bout things, I thought.. do what? go where? what paper? Once, I said "sak che 塞车" (traffic jam), she asked whether my car was blocked... hahahaha... Onn Nam Yan 安南人 means ethnic Vietnamese as opposed to Tong Yan 唐人 (ethnic Chinese). gor gor ye 嗰个嘢 (that thing/person) is how she refers to both things and people. I remember saying gor tiu yau 嗰条友 back in Malaysia, but a better way to refer to people is gor gor yan 嗰个人 while gor gor ye 嗰个嘢 is more used for things.

Nenek Tua's English vocabulary:
microwave, computer, heat (this is how she calls both the heater and the kitchen ventilation fan... hehe), car, work, eat, sick, thank you, husband, nephew, my, no, speak, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, hi, bye... Unlike most Chinese who don't speak English, she pronounces R as R and not L because southern Vietnamese has the R sound.

As for Indonesian Cantonese guy, his pronunciation is more like those heong ha wa 乡下话 spoken in some of the Cantonese villages that differ significantly from Standard Cantonese. I can understand him though, it's not as different as my late grandma's (from father's side: marmar 嫲嫲) Sun Wooi Wa 新会话. Indon Cantonese guy uses "wooi 会" instead of "sik 识" or "hiu 晓" if he's referring to knowing how to do something. He also says "hook 哭" instead of "haam 喊" for crying.

How to Say "Please Give Me His Book" in Chinese

2009-07-24T13:45:00.001+08:00

There are at least three ways to say "Please give me his book" in Chinese. Depends whether you're talking Mandarin, Cantonese or Classical Chinese.

Mandarin: 请给我他的书 qǐng gěi wǒ tā de shū
It's the same in both spoken and written Mandarin. The Cantonese pronunciation of these words would be "chíng kāp ngó tā dīk syū".

Cantonese: 唔该畀佢本书我 m ̀ gōi béi kéui bún syū ngó
That's how it's said in spoken Cantonese. The formal written version of Cantonese follows exactly the Mandarin grammar and Mandarin vocabulary, but pronounced in Cantonese. However, nobody says "chíng kāp ngó tā dīk syū" in real life. Everyone says "m ̀ gōi béi kéui bún syū ngó in real-life situations.

Classical Chinese: 求尔予我其书
Mandarin pronunciation: qiú ěr yǔ wǒ qí shū
Cantonese pronunciation: kàu yí yú ngó kèi syū
Nobody talks to each other in Classical Chinese anymore. It's only used in ancient literature and quotations from the classics. Since nobody remembers exactly how people pronounced those words 2000 years ago, everyone today uses their own dialect pronunciation when reading Classical Chinese. Ever thought of ordering a pizza in Classical Chinese?

Tamil Revision: Grantha Letters ஜ ஸ்ரீ ஸ ஹ ஷ க்ஷ

2009-07-24T13:42:00.000+08:00

In addition to the vowels, consonants and aytam of the Tamil alphabet, there are several additional letters used mainly in writing loanwords from Sanskrit and other languages. These letters are called Grantha letters and aren't considered part of the original Tamil alphabet. Some writers try to avoid using them whenever possible. Even my Tamil dictionary published by Fajar Bakti doesn't have a listing of these letters.

To recap, these letters are ja, Srii, Sa, ha, sha and ksha. ஜ ஸ்ரீ ஸ ஹ ஷ க்ஷ. If a Tamil word has any one of these letters it's most likely a loanword, mainly from Sanskrit but some are from English and Arabic.

Quite a number of common words use Grantha letters, such as janangal ஜனங்கள் (people), juram ஜுரம் (fever), juulai ஜூலை (July), kashtam கஷ்டம் (trouble), varusham வருஷம் (year), rishi ரிஷி (no exact English translation, an approximation would be divine scribe or poet-sage through which the Vedas flowed), kshatriya க்ஷத்ரிய (warrior), nimisham நிமிஷம் (minute as a measure of time), puujai பூஜை (prayer), roojaa ரோஜா (rose), raajaa ராஜா (king), hatiiS ஹதீஸ் (hadith), hindi ஹிந்தி (Hindi), hoottal ஹோட்டல் (hotel), puStakam புஸ்தகம் (book), Staanam ஸ்தான (place, position), jananaayagam ஜனநாயகம் (democracy).

How Centamil Differs From Koduntamil

2009-07-14T00:02:00.000+08:00

Page 172 of Colloquial Tamil by R. E. Asher and E. Annamalai has a dialogue that shows how a speech is in Tamil with English translation. I have compiled the information here in the following order: English, Tamil writing, centamil and koduntamil.

English translation:

A doctor's profession is one of serving people. It's now becoming commercialised. I don't say doctors shouldn't make money. One shouldn't say, I'll give the treatment only if I've been paid.

Now all sorts of new diseases are coming. So much research is being done on them. If we study them, we can get a full understanding of the new diseases; we can make use of the new methods of treatment. For that a doctor must set aside time, must make an effort.

Whatever new treatment there is in any medical system to cure diseases, one must take it up.

Tamil writing in formal centamil:

டாக்டர் தொழில் மக்களுக்கு சேவை செய்கிற தொழில். அது இப்போது வியாபாரமாக ஆகிக்கொண்டிருக்கிறது. டாக்டர் பணம் பண்ண(க்) கூடாது என்று சொல்லவில்லை. பணத்தை எடுத்துவைத்தால்தான் வைத்தியம் பார்ப்பேன் என்று சோல்ல(க்) கூடாது.

இப்போது புது(ப்) புது வியாதி எல்லாம் வருகிறது. அதை(ப்) பற்றி எவ்வளவோ ஆராய்ச்சி நடக்கிறது. அதை(ப்) படித்து தெரிந்துகொண்டால் புது வியாதிகளை முழுதாக புரிந்துகொள்ள முடியும்; புது சிகிச்சை முறைகளை(ப்) பயன்படுத்த முடியும் என்று நினைக்கிறேன். அதற்கு டாக்டர் நேரம் ஒதுக்க வேண்டும்; முயற்சி எடுக்க வேண்டும்.

வியாதியை(க்) குணப்படுத்த எந்த மருத்துவ முறையில் நல்ல வழி இருந்தாலும் அதை எடுத்துக்கொள்ள வேண்டும்...

Centamil pronunciation:

daaktar toḻil makkaLukku seevai seykiRa toḻil. adu ippoodu viyaabaaramaaka aagikkoNdirukkiRadu. daaktar paNam paNNa(k) kuudaadu enRu sollavillai. paNattai eduttuvaittaaldaan vaittiyam paarppeen enRu soolla(k) kuudaadu.

ippoodu pudu(p) pudu viyaadi ellaam varukiRadu. adai(p) paRRi evvaLavoo aaraaycci nadakkiRadu. adai(p) padittu terintukoNdaal pudu viyaadigaLai muḻutaaga purindukoLLa mudiyum; pudu sigiccai muRaigaLai(p) payanpadutta mudiyum enRu ninaikkiReen. adaRku daaktar neeram otukka veeNdum; muyaRci edukka veeNdum.

viyaadiyai(k) kuNappadutta enda maruttuva muRaiyil nalla vaḻi irundaalum adai eduttukkoLLa veeNdum...

Koduntamil pronunciation:

daaktar toḻil makkaLukku seeve seyra toḻil. adu ippa viyaabaaramaa aagikitturukku. daaktar paNam paNNa kuudaadu-nnu sollale. paNatte eduttuvaccaadaan vayttiyam paappeen-nu solla kuudaadu.

ippa pudu pudu viyaadi ellaam varudu. ade patti evLavoo aaraaycci nadakkudu. ade padiccu terinjikittaa pudu viyaadigaLe muḻusaa purinjikida mudiyum; pudu sigicce moregaLe payanapadutta mudiyum-nu nenekkireen. adukku daaktar neeram odukkaNum; muyarci edukkaNum.

viyaadiye koNapadutta enda maruttuva morele nalla vaḻi irundaalum ade eduttukidaNum...

Lyrics & Romanization: Hung Yat (Hacken Lee) 紅日 (李克勤)

2009-07-13T04:18:00.002+08:00

Translation from
http://hacken-lyrics.blogspot.com/2007/02/red-day.html

Music video with Chinese lyrics at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtVIbcPTy_M

Romanization by me

紅日 - hung yat - red day

曲:立川俊之
kuk: laap chyun jeun ji
music: tachikawa toshiyuki

詞:李克勤
chi: lei hak kan
lyrics: hacken lee

編:方樹樑
pin: fong syu leung
arranged: kenneth fong

碟: 紅日
dip: hung yat
album: red day

命運就算顛沛流離
mingwan jausyun din pui lau lei
even if life is crazy

命運就算曲折離奇
mingwan jausyun kuk jit leikei
and the road is twisted and winding

命運就算恐嚇著你做人沒趣味
mingwan jausyun hunghaak jeuk nei jouyan mut cheuimei
if life terrifies you and you no longer feel like living

別流淚心酸更不應捨棄
bit lau leui sam syun gang batying sehei
please don't cry, or feel disheartened, don't give up

我願能一生永遠陪伴你
ngo yun nang yatsaang wingyun puipun nei
I will be by your side forever

一生之中兜兜轉轉那會看清楚
yatsaang jijung daudau jyunjyun na wui hon chingcho
with the twists and turns of life, how can one see clearly?

徬徨時我也試過獨坐一角像是沒協助
pongwong si ngo ya si gwo duk jo yat gok jeung si mut hipjo
I have tried to make it on my own without help

在某年那幼小的我
joi mau nin na yau siu dik ngo
in those years, when I was young

跌倒過幾多幾多落淚在雨夜滂沱
ditdou gwo geido geido lok leui joi yu ye pong to
I fell so many times, with the tears keeping me company through the rainy nights

一生之中彎彎曲曲我也要走過
yatsaang jijung waanwaan kukkuk ngo ya yiu jau gwo
the path of life so twisted and winding, I have walked it

從何時有你有你伴我給我熱烈地拍和
chung hosi yau nei yau nei pun ngo kap ngo yitlit dei paak wo
when did you start to accompany me on this path, giving me encouragement?

像紅日之火燃點真的我
jeung hung yat ji fo yin dim jan dik ngo
like the red sun, this fire lights up the real me

結伴行千山也定能踏過
git pun hang chin saan ya ding nang daap gwo
walking together, we can climb a thousand mountains

讓晚風輕輕吹過
yeung maan fung hinghing cheui gwo
watching the night wind lightly blowing past

伴送著清幽花香像是在祝福你我
pun sung lok ching yau fa heung jeung si joi jukfuk nei ngo
bringing with it the fragrant scent of flowers, as if bestowing its wishes on us

讓晚星輕輕閃過
yeung maan sing hinghing sim gwo
watching the night stars shooting by

閃出你每個希冀如浪花快要沾濕我
sim cheut nei mui go heikei yu longfa faai yiu jim sap ngo
revealing your every wish like waves about to fall on me

Sarakku In Malaysian Tamil சரக்கு

2009-07-12T02:20:00.009+08:00

One of the first Tamil words I picked up was "sarakku சரக்கு". It means goods, commodity, or merchandise. It could refer to items in a shop, products being imported, or things being traded.

But only in Malaysia (and Singapore) the meaning has changed. In colloquial speech "sarakku" also means "girl" or "girls" as in "kaaleej sarakku" (college girls) or "anda kilaable romba sarakku irukku" (lots of girls in that club). You could say "Are you trying to hit on some random 'sarakku'?"

Strangely, guys aren't referred to as "sarakku". It's only one way. "sarakku" is strictly for referring to "pomblei" (colloquial pronunciation of "peNpiLLai", the Tamil word for girl). Guys are "amblei" (colloquial pronunciation of "aaNpiLLai").

Tamils from India, Sri Lanka, and outside Malaysia soon learn from the locals this other meaning of "sarakku". But formal writing and speaking still maintain the original meaning of "sarakku", which is goods. So you won't hear a news broadcast or public speech using "sarakku" to refer to girls, and neither will a sentence in a Tamil book, magazine, or newspaper.

Thoughts On Learning To Read Tamil

2009-07-12T01:53:00.004+08:00

A little more than a year ago, I decided to learn how to read Tamil. I have now memorised the Tamil alphabet in Tamil alphabetical order. They're the letters ka nga cha/sa nya, da Na ta na, pa ma ya ra la va, ḻa La Ra na, and the Grantha letters ja, Srii, sha, Sa, ha, ksha.

Grantha letters are not considered part of the original Tamil alphabet and some writers try to avoid using them. But they're essential for spelling loanwords from other languages, people's names and place names. If a word contains a Grantha letter, it's a sure indicator that it's not a native Tamil word.

Learning Tamil helps build the understanding of how Indic scripts work. Every consonant letter carries an inherent vowel sound, which is "a". Vowels can appear after, before, or around the consonant letter. Vowels have their own independent symbols when written as standalone letters. To silence the inherent consonant, a "puLLi" (dot) is written above the consonant letter.

After comparing the Tamil writing system to other Indic scripts such as Devanagari, Malayalam, Gurmukhi, Thai, Tibetan, Burmese and Cambodian, I can say that Tamil is the most simple of them all. There are far fewer complex conjunct consonant glyphs. Tamil has the least number of letters. Tamil doesn't have different letters to indicate aspirated and unaspirated consonants. Instead, Tamil relies on grammar rules to differentiate them.

Knowing how to read Tamil doesn't mean that I can speak Tamil. It's just like someone with zero knowledge of English who studied the Roman alphabet from A to Z and can now read English but doesn't know the meaning of the words. Vocabulary acquisition is a totally different story, and it's often a long, long journey.

Jung Sik Hing Yau 重色轻友

2009-07-10T01:25:00.000+08:00

佢唔爱我嚟，佢冇时间见我，我都做唔到乜嘢囖。呢啲咁样嘅朋友值得爱咩？先先佢成日同我联络，而家一啲声气都冇。佢俾一个人迷住咗啦。佢唔系我以前识得嘅朋友。佢会做错一件事。我觉得好可惜。

Shall We Talk by 陳奕迅 Eason Chan: Lyrics & Translation

2009-06-24T02:55:00.004+08:00

A beautiful song that reminds me of a turning point in life.

Music Video (with Chinese lyrics):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu9D8tjAW9Q

Romanised Cantonese for those who can't read Chinese:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wugAk90sYHo

Lyrics & Translation Source:
http://asianfanatics.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=202370
(the second post, by "Ancillary Character")

Shall We Talk

明月光　為何又照地堂
ming yutgwong waiho yau jiu deitong
明月光为何又照地堂
Radiant moonlight, why do you shine on the earthly paradise again?
寧願在公園躲藏　不想喝湯
ningyun joi gungyun dochong batseung hottong
宁愿在公园躲藏不想喝汤
I’d rather hide in the park since I don't want to drink soup.
任由目光　留在漫畫一角
yamyau mukgwong laujoi maanwa yatgok
任由目光留在漫画一角
Allowing my gaze to remain on the corner of a comic
為何望母親一眼就如罰留堂
waiho mong mochan yatngaan jau yu fat lautong
为何望母亲一眼就如罚留堂
Why does looking at my mother seem like a punishment?

孩童只盼望歡樂　大人只知道寄望
haaitung ji paanmong funlok daaiyan jek jidou keimong
孩童只盼望欢乐大人只知道期望
Children only hope for fun, adults only know of the future.
為何都不大懂得努力體恤對方
waiho dou batdaai dungdak noulik taiseut deuifong
为何都不大懂得努力体恤对方
Why don't we comprehend the need to work harder to sympathize with one another?
大門外有蟋蟀　迴響卻如同幻覺
daaimun ngoi yau sikseut wuiheung keuk yu tung waangok
大门外有蟋蟀回乡却如同幻觉
There is a cricket outside the door; the echoes are like an illusion.
Shall we talk　Shall we talk
就當重新手拖手去上學堂
jau dong chungsan sautosau heui seung hoktong
就当重新手拖手去上学堂
Let's start over and walk hand-in-hand to school.

陪我講　陪我講出我們最後何以生疏
pui ngo gong pui ngo gongcheut ngomun jeuihau hoyi saangso
陪我讲陪我讲出我们最後何以生疏
Say with me, say aloud with me that in the end we can become estranged.
誰怕講　誰會可悲得過孤獨探戈
seui pa gong seui wui ho beidak gwo guduk taamgwo
谁怕讲谁会可悲得过孤独探戈
Who's afraid of speaking? Who will be saddened by the lonely Tango?
難得　可以同座　何以　要忌諱赤裸
naandak hoyi tungjo hoyi yiu gei wai cheklo
难得可以同座何以要忌讳赤裸
It's hard enough for us to get together, must we avoid baring ourselves?
如果心聲真有療效　誰怕暴露更多
yugwo samsing janyau liuhaau seui pa boulou gangdo
如果心声真有疗效谁怕暴露更多
If the sounds of the heart really have a healing effect, who fears to reveal even more?
你別怕我
nei bit pa ngo
你别怕我
You mustn't fear me.

螢幕發光　無論什麼都看
yingmok faatgwong mouleun sammo dou hon
营幕发光无论什麽都看
The TV screen radiates light. Regardless of what’s on, I’ll watch anyway.
情人在分手邊緣只敢喝湯
chingyan joi fansau binyun ji gam hottong
情人在分手边缘只敢喝汤
Lovers on the brink of heartbreak only dare to drink soup.
若沉默似金　還談什麼戀愛
yeuk chammak chi gam waan taam sammo lyunngoi
若沉默似金还谈什麽恋爱
If silence is golden, yet we talk about love.
寧願在發聲機器面前笑著忙
ningyun joi faatsing geihei minchin siu jeuk mong
宁愿在发声机器面前笑着忙
I’d rather stand before the speakers busy smiling

成人只寄望收穫　情人只聽見承諾
singyan ji geimong sauwok chingyan ji tinggin singnok
成人只寄望收获情人只听见承诺
Adults only hope for success, lovers only hear promises.
為何都不大懂得努力珍惜對方
waiho dou batdaai dungdak noulik jansik deuifong
为何都不大懂得努力珍惜对方
Why don't we comprehend the need to work harder to cherish one another?
螳螂面對蟋蟀　迴響也如同幻覺
tonglong mindeui sikseut wuiheung ya yu tung waangok
螳螂面对蟋蟀回乡也如同幻觉
The praying mantis confronts the cricket; the echoes are also like an illusion.
Shall we talk　Shall we talk
就算牙關開始打震　別說謊
jausyun nga gwaan hoichi dajan bit syutfong
就算牙关开始打震别说谎
Even if your jaw begins to tremble, don't tell a lie.

陪我講　陪我講出我們最後何以生疏
pui ngo gong pui ngo gongcheut ngomun jeuihau hoyi saangso
陪我讲陪我讲出我们最後何以生疏
Say with me, say aloud with me that in the end we can become estranged.
誰怕講　誰會可悲得過孤獨探戈
seui pa gong seui wui ho beidak gwo guduk taamgwo
谁怕讲谁会可悲得过孤独探戈
Who's afraid of speaking? Who will be saddened by the lonely Tango?
難得　可以同座　何以　要忌諱赤裸
naandak hoyi tungjo hoyi yiu gei wai cheklo
难得可以同座何以要忌讳赤裸
It's hard enough for us to get together, must we avoid baring ourselves?
如果心聲真有療效　誰怕暴露更多
yugwo samsing janyau liuhaau seui pa boulou gangdo
如果心声真有疗效谁怕暴露更多
If the sounds of the heart really have a healing effect, who fears to reveal even more?

陪我講　陪我親身正視眼淚誰跌得多
pui ngo gong pui ngo chansan jingsi ngaanleui seui ditdak do
陪我讲陪我亲身正视眼泪谁跌得多
Speak with me; accompany me to face more tears that have fallen than from anyone else.
無法講　除非彼此已失去了能力觸摸
moufaat gong cheuifei beichi yi satheuiliu nanglik jukmo
无法讲除非彼此已失去了能力触摸
Only if the two of us have already lost the ability to touch would we be incapable of speaking.
鈴聲　可以寧靜　難過　卻避不過
lingsing hoyi ningjing naangwo keuk bei batgwo
铃声可以宁静难过却避不过
The sound of a bell can be serene, yet you can't avoid feeling bad.
如果沉默太沉重　別要輕輕帶過
yugwo chammak taai chamchung bityiu hinghing daaigwo
如果沉默太沉重别要轻轻带过
If the silence weighs on you too heavily, don’t take it too lightly.

明月光　為何未照地堂
ming yutgwong waiho mei jiu deitong
明月光为何未照地堂
Radiant moonlight, why haven't you shone on the earthly paradise?
孩兒在公司很忙　不需喝湯
haaiyi joi gungsi han mong batseui hottong
孩儿在公司很忙不需喝汤
I’m very busy at work and don't need to drink soup.
And shall we talk　斜陽白趕一趟
and shall we talk cheyeung baak gon yat tong
And shall we talk 斜阳白赶一趟
And shall we talk, the setting sun rushed in vain.
沉默令我聽得見葉兒聲聲降
chammak ling ngo tingdak gin yipyi singsing gong
沉默令我听得见叶儿声声降
The silence allows me to hear Yip's falling voice.

Gam Ching Sin Seung 感情线上 by Sammi Cheng 郑秀文: Lyrics 歌词

2009-06-20T03:36:00.002+08:00

This is the theme song from the TV series "gu naam gwa neui 孤男寡女" (English title: Needing You) that appeared in the year 2000. For your karaoke pleasure.

Music Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j_hcCCRl-0

Lyrics Source:
http://www.yue365.com/getgeci/691/177567.shtml

Artiste: Sammi Cheng 郑秀文
Music: Wong Ka Sin 黄嘉倩
Lyrics: Lam Chik 林夕

一个独自在发烧　yatgo dukji joi faatsiu
另外那位唇上结冰　lingngoi nawai seunseung gitbing
负负得正 fufu dak jing
各取需要　kok cheui seuiyiu
多玄妙 do yun miu
也许　yaheui
上天不给我的 seungtin batkap ngodik
无论我两臂怎紧扣　moleun ngo leung bei jam gan kau
仍然走漏给我的 yingyin jau lau kap ngodik
无论过去我怎失手都会拥有 moleun gwoheui ngo jam satsau douwui yungyau

一个恨浪漫太少　yatgo han longmaan taaisiu
另外那边期望太多　lingngoi nabin keimong taaido
实现不了 satyin batliu
结果将会　gitgwo jeungwui
多微妙 do mei miu
也许　yaheui
上天的一对手 seungtindik yatdeuisau
移动你与我的分寸　yidung nei yu ngodik fanchyun
行前或留后这对手 hangchin wak lauhau jedeuisau
其实正要送我给你不要斗 keisat jing yiu sung ngo kap nei batyiu dau

分叉的感情线　fanchadik gamching sin
正等我为你蔓延 jing dang ngo wai nei maan yin
彼此的感情线　beichidik gamching sin
交错发展　gaaucho faatjin
怎么舍得去剪 jammo sedak heui jin
心在你身边　sam joi nei sanbin
就算隐形亦有一天遇见 jausyun yanying chek yau yattin yugin
那些感应　nase gam ying
多灵验 do ling yim
也许　yaheui
被喜欢的女人 bei heifundik neuiyan
从自信散发的光线 chung jiseun saanfaatdik gwongsin
朦胧或明艳　munglung waak mingyim
不太难望见 bat taai naan mong gin
早布满对方双手 jou bou mun deuifong seungsau
你的感情线　neidik gamching sin
看出我下个十年 hon cheut ngo hago sap nin

分叉的感情线　fanchadik gamching sin
总会有某天一起发展 jungwui yau mautin yathei faatjin
等适合时候孤男寡女会连线 dang sikhap sihau gunaam gwaneui wui lyun sin
深呼吸等适合时候一场交战 sam fukap dang sikhap sihau yat cheung gaaujin
等适合时候孤男寡女去连线 dang sikhap sihau gunaam gwaneui wui heui lyun sin
深呼吸等适合时候一场交战 sam fukap dang sikhap sihau yat cheung gaaujin

Computer Hardware Failures

2009-06-20T02:20:00.003+08:00

Before they die, computer hardware usually gives out subtle warning signs.

The DVD-RW drive starts to become unable to finalise every one out of few CDs.
The hard drive starts to fail to boot up every now and then.
The DSL modem keeps getting disconnected and unable to reconnect automatically.
The mouse becomes unresponsive.
The thumb drive can't be accessed on more and more computers.

I've experienced all these in the past few years and fortunately managed to get them replaced before disaster struck. Can't forget to emphasise the importance of backing up data periodically. Every now and then, everyone should burn their important info onto DVDs or a series of high-capacity storage.

It's always better to duplicate copy rather than to forget making a copy of your important stuff.

Rendu Naal Iippoouuru

2009-06-16T18:06:00.005+08:00

I'm glad to have visited iippoouuru last weekend. Managed to take photos of places which I didn't photograph on my previous visit in September 2008. Stayed overnight at Fair Park Hotel near the Ipoh Stadium, cost RM88/= for the whole night after tax and service charge. Also photographed various parts of town and ate breakfast at Kong Heng, Leech Street.

If you plan to buy something from Ipoh, get some boxes of salt baked chicken at Aun Kheng Lim, No 24 Theatre Street. It's at the intersection of Theatre Street and Anderson Road. There's lots of good food to eat in Ipoh, places you should check out are Kam Wan, Woolley Food City, Leech Street, Little India, and Greentown Business Centre just to name a few.

God is on My Side. No! Mine Too! So How?

2009-06-06T20:55:00.002+08:00

I was following a particular issue of interest online and looking at both sides of the story from two opposing parties.

Both parties claim they are doing the right thing.
Both parties proclaim their innocence.
Both parties believe God is on their side.
Both parties say that their version of the story is the truth.

So someone's telling lies here. Romba poyi, but who is the poyi paiyeh? I'm not acquainted with anyone involved from both parties and there's no straightforward way for me to know the plain truth.

If God is watching, what would He think? (Assuming God is male, otherwise the pronoun would be She or It.) Would He take sides or play off one party against the other just like in those ancient myths and legends?

So how? I am really confused here. Aiyoo KadavuLee!

It's sad when both parties started out with good intentions but in the course of events, many things went bad. As an outsider I better stay far away from this kind of controversies. Better stay out of these matters that bring no good to me if I get closer.

Sigh, if only it was so straightforward to do the right thing and separate truth from lies/propaganda.

The End -> A New Beginning

2009-06-06T19:01:00.001+08:00

So last night was Little Havana's last salsa night before they close for renovations under a new owner. Two hundred and twelve people attended, from regular salsa people to those who have been away from the scene for some time. I wanted the night to end on a happy note and I'm glad it did.

Thank you everyone for your support. You all know who you are :)

There's a saying that goes something along the lines of "the end of something leads to a new beginning". An optimistic view of events, perhaps. One step at a time.

Life goes on.