Car Accident II

How will you react when you are threatened? What does your instinct tell you when you feel that your life is in danger? To stage a fight or plan a flight? Everyone has a different body mechanism which handle crisis in a different way.

Some remain composed despite of all the hiccups around. Some suffer from nervous breakdown at the slightest hint of pandemonium. There are a panoply of emotions and rationalities boiling in the brain. While emotion can make us courageous and undeterred in time of crisis , rationalities tell us that life is put at stake. There is no point dicing with death. Running , escaping and seeking help may not be an act of cowardice , as our body is made in a way that put survival as the top priority. That will be better than staging a one-man-show while being slashed to pieces.

We never know who our foes are. People with genteel mannerism can easily be brought to negotiation , but alas , those with barbaric attitude can hardly speak a word of logic or fairness. In times of crisis when emotions are unstable , adrenaline is rushing through the veins , panic , angst , and anger strike from all directions , disagreements can lead to commotions , argy-bargy and in worst situations bloodshed. Nothing is safe and a heroic deed can just be the door into the graveyard. Life is priceless yet so vulnerable.

Crisis though undesired is the time to reflect true human behaviors. There is no mask to put on , no show to stage and everything is stripped off to bare the inner most personality. Line can be drawn between friends and foes , true love can be portrayed by the loved ones and personal characters can be unveiled in just split seconds. Maternal and paternal instinct to protect the child will stay forever. Parents are willing to do anything just to keep the child safe , to take full responsibilities , to foot the bills of all damages incurred , and to apologise for things they did not do. It is a natural behavior so pure , so true and so untouched after so many years kept away as the child grow up. No matter how much we yearn to stay independent , look mature and seek adulthood , when we are plagued by problems , crisis , threat , the only refuge we seek and rely will be our home ,our family.

What a reflection after a car accident...

Car Accident

Say it sheer bad luck , call it a disastrous day , claim it an omen , and this is what happened - car accident..

It is on the stretch of road that i have driven for years , the same road that i have driven umpteenth times and never will i expect to encounter such an accident at that particular location. What a fateful day!

It was truly an experience of full adrenaline rush , and luckily my body "fight or flight" reflex was swinging in full motion. Everything happened in just split seconds. A second ago , i was crusing along the road singing in tune with Spice Girls "stop" broadcasted through Mix F.M., and the next second i knew , i heard high pitch screeching of brakes followed by a loud bang. I was thrusted forward.Alas , it was an accident , and i was in it.

There were a few seconds of complete blank in mind before consciousness descended on me again. Should i or should i not stop? I slowed down my car and waited for the next move from the other car driver. But he did not stop at all. Instead , he drove past me glaring at me with that malicious and angry look. Furthermore , there were a few other guys in that car. And i was all by myself.If i were to stop and negotiate , instinct told me that i would be fighting a losing battle irrespective of whether i was right or wrong. So i took the "flight" plan instead of the "fight" plan. So ended up having to fork up money to pay for the car damage. But thank God no one was injured. Phew!

Hair Cut

Before
My hair during grand dinner. Decided to try something new and unique. So went to "Spins" at Times Square for my highlight.










After
My hair after JPA briefing. Just want to look more polite and presentable when meeting our officers. So decided to cut off all the
coloured part. So ended up looking almost like a "botak".










So
I will wear a cap until my hair grows back...

Yummy yummy

Eat out in Kuching :

Best Pizza and Italian Food- Merdeka Palace

Best Breakfast Buffet - Riverside Majestic

Best Fried Soft Shell Crab - Bla bla bla

Best Snack Plate - The Junk's Borneo Fisherman's Basket

Best Baked Cheese Rice - Room 205

Best Mango Ice Blended - Mango Tree

Best Green Tea Ice Blended - Dao

Best Chocolate Ice Blended - Bing!

Best Cheese Cake - Tom's

Best Chocolate Brownies - Bing!

Best Char Siew - Hong Kong Noodle's House

Best Mutton Soup - Hot Pot

Best Bak Kut Teh - Ah Lim's Bak Kut Teh (Near Hong Leong Bank)

Best Duck Rice - Tracy's Kitchen

Best Belacan Mihun - Near Jubilee Ground

Best Tom Yam Ghung - Mango Tree

Best Stewed Beef Noodle - Memories Cafe

Best Sio Bee - Open Air Food Stall

Best Cha Kueh - Kenyalang Old Market

Best Steamboat - Hornbill Steamboat

Best Teh C Peng - 7th mile coffee shop

*the above stated food and eateries are purely author's personal opinion and serve merely as suggestions. However , if anyone have better places to introduce , the author welcome all suggestions and comments. Thank you.

Service Charge? Please...

Service charge? 10% service charge? That is RM10 for every RM100 that we spend on food. And that is 8 more glasses of ice lemon tea , 4 more bowls of kolo mee or 1 more dish of sweet-and-sour chicken. That's how much additional money we have to pay for every single dish we enjoy. Incredulous? Ridiculous?

When have bistros , cafes and some food courts started imposing this exorbitant fee? We don't practice tipping here but service charge is just tantamount to tipping. Okay , it's not totally wrong to charge additional fees for the service they provide. And it is reasonable to impose these charges at 5-star restaurants and hotels. But at places like "pizza hut" ?Wat kind of service do we get?

When we dine in hotel , there are waiters who open the door for us , greet us good day , find us seats , lay napkins for us ,attend to our every single need , serve us with utmost manner , and most importantly ensure us the best service. That will be reasonable for us to give extra service charge. That's the price to pay for the satisfaction we get.

But at some eateries , i just do not feel the need to do so. There were a few instances when i really felt not worth paying it , not even for the food. I thought when we eat out , it is the duty of the waiters to serve us the food. Then the price of the food should be inclusive of serving the dish to the patron's table. What's the use of hiring and paying salary to the waiters if their responsibility is not to serve the food? So why should we pay more for the service? Or put it the other way , if we take the food from the kitchen ourselves , can we be excluded to pay for this service charge?

And 10% of the price of the food? Does it imply that the more expensive the food , the more service they provide? What's the difference in service we get when eating a bowl of salad and a plate of sirloin steak?

One of my worst experience was dining at "One tree hill". A new night spot in Kuching. A nice place and right ambience for alfresco dining. But one bad thing - horrible service. I have never seen waiters and waitresses gathering around smoking in front of patrons until that night. Firstly it is unhygienic , imagine the smoke ashes that drop from the finger nails onto the food ? Secondly it is totally rude and unthoughtful to patrons like me who abhor people smoking when i am eating. It just spoils the mood and appetite. Shouldn't they be more alert and pay more attention to the patrons' need? I have to shout a few times before my voice is audible to them , just to ask for my drink. And with such a disappointing state of affair , they unshamefully charge me 10% for their service , with no sense of guilt. Maybe i shouldn't blame the place. It's the waiters' fault. But their lackadaisical attitude is be due to the lack of watchful eyes of the supervisor and their boss. So the boss SHOULD do something about that.

And i am not the only one complaining about the service there. My friend who went on a different occasion also experienced such horribble service. It would be a waste if such a nice place is closed down just because of their bad service.Furthermore , words spread like wild fire , and Kuching after all is not that big , it will be in no time when "One tree hill" garner its bad service reputation if no improvement is made soon.

So back to service charge. Should or should not? I think it should be optional. Patrons should not be obliged to pay unless they are satisfied. Learn the way of serving from "Mango Tree". The

RM19 i pay for their service though quite expensive is still more worthy than the RM4.50 i pay to "One Tree Hill".

"Kaki Tangan"

Every leg has a different story ,
Every leg walks a different path ,
Every leg runs a different distance ,
Yet at one point all legs meet at one point.

After one brief stint,
Our journey continues ,
Our destiny diverges,
Will we meet again some time? some day?


Every hand is an artist of its own,
Every hand draws the picture of its future,
Every hand has the strength to ascend the mountain,
To reach the pinnacle of success and glory.

The hands that touch each others,
Is the strength that pulses through every vein,
The comradeship will beat all obstacles,
Hand-in-hand to realise our dreams...

^Peace^

No foundation of peace can be built on layer after layer sealed with hatred and vengeance. No stable politics can be established if civilians are seething with discontentment and anger. No sustainable economy can prevail if there is no justice and human rights. Of course there will be no nation if there is no civilians.

We have witnessed the atrocities of mankind towards each other. Episodes after episodes of cold blooded butchery of the young , the old , the innocent , the sick. Not even a single drop of tear is shed for the mutilated dead bodies spreaded along the roads. What has gone wrong with the world? History seems to repeat itself all over again.

Sectarian groups are labelled terrorists because of their radical thinkings. And the west assume themselves as the peacekeeper of the world , who can create a better tommorrow for everyone. But who give them the right to attack any countries at their whims and justify their actions in the name of "peace"? But is it really peace and creating a grand scheme of world order? Or is there any ulterior motives behind? How can you bombard a country and destroy all their public utilities and saying you are helping to create a better government , better nation? How can you incarcerate a country's leader for his evil doing when your own leader is the evil of all evils? Where is justice?

We are all priceless creations of God. We have our own destiny in life. We should not be deprived the right to live , nor should we take away the right of the others. Stop WAR! Stop VIOLENCE! Burn the Bush and cook the Rice!

Food Haven

I am such a glutton. I ate a lot , i like going to new places , trying new food. Ohh.. Heavenly delicious and sumptuous food! The aroma that makes you drrrrooool even before taste it , the tenderness of the meat which still retain its juiciness , the fresh green vegetables that is so crispy and crunchy , the dessert that culminates the whole meal with a bang , all and all will satiate every single taste bud on the tongue.

There are just so many things to savour. Who can resist the temptation? This is my tour around Kuching bringing Siva, Chun Wai and Wei Luen to find the best food in town...

First stop , try our fried "tek tang" with curry at Muara Tebas where seafood is abundant. The big , fat , juicy "tek tang" fried with onion , capsicum , chilli with curry powder and spices as flavouring will definitely give your stomach a boost. Hot and spicy ,this dish is best served as the hot appetiser. Alert your senses , activate your salivary glands , start your day with a difference. With scenic view of the river as backdrop and gentle warm afternoon breeze as accompaniment , served with fresh cooling coconut juice , ahh... paradise on earth!

Next , have your dinner at "The Junk". Thumbs up for their intricate interior decorations. Everywhere is worth capturing photos. From the entrance right till the wash room , embark on a journey of discovery in the junk. Dimly lit candles create the right ambience for romantic dates and rendezvous for peers. Alfresco dining allows patrons to feel the best of Kuching night life. And the signature dish - fishermen's basket...5 stars. Served in humongous portion , it is truly worth every cent of it. With generous serving of french fries , fried onions , fish fillet , fresh juicy prawns , squids and crispy soft shell crabs , what a big catch the fisherman has for the day!

Stop by at one of the most popular Thai restaurant around "Mango Tree". Once again , 5 star ambience and excellent service. Great hospitality makes everyone feels at home. "Tom Yum Ghong" is superb.With the spiciness of the chillies , fragrance of the lemon grass , sourness of the lemon and lime ,the whole combination is just perfect. Not forgetting my favourite - mango rice. Seems easy and simple yet tastes so delicious. Rich creamy coconut juice poured on top of the glutinous rice served with ripe mango that melts in the mouth , the end product - mama Mia! Finally , the pandan chicken. With the chef's secret recipe and masterfully skilled way of grilling the chicken , every bits of the juice from the chicken is retained , and every part of it is well marinated. It's an elixir for anyone.

Finally , try ice cream crepes at "Room 205". A perfect dessert to end a meal. Cooling sensation of the mint flavoured ice cream wrapped around the crepes and served with chocolate syrup , who can resist this evil temptation?

Poco Poem

Life is a journey ,
Dream is our goal ,
Failure is our motivation ,
Success is our destination.

Family is our air,
We can't live a few seconds without it;
Friends are our water,
We can't survive without them either;
Paramour is our food,
We can't grow without its nourishment;
Foes are the poisons,
We try to avoid yet always seem futile.

Romance is..
Sweet when we pronounce "i love you",
Sour when we are green with envy,
Spicy when we start tongue lashing,
Bitter when we say "bye bye"

Love is a chemical reaction,
Between two different reactants,
If reaction does occur,
Both reactants will change;
If activation energy is too high,
It's time to say goodbye.

Friendship is a plate of steak,
We may yearn for it before we have tried it,
We savour every bits of it as much as we can,
We try to eat the same dish day in and day out,
Till one day when we lost interest in it,
That's the time we change to nasi lemak,
But occasionally trying back will find it delicious.

Journey in life has no end,
As long as the heart is pumping,
The journey will always continue,
Every destination leads to new path,
Every path leads to more paths,
And eventually all paths converge at one tomb.
But,
Leave with a smile of satisfaction,
Leave no regrets and remorse behind.

Home

The days i am going to stay at home are numbered. Day by day , the date of departure is nigh. Very soon , i will leave my beloved country and most importantly i will bid goodbye to my family , my home sweet home.

It's a mixed feeling. The elation , exhilaration and euphoria for much sought after freedom and exposure to different cultures and people. At the same time , the sorrow , sadness for leaving home, my bed , my food , my family. I am a homely person and surely and predictably i will be homesick for at least a few weeks to months. Why wont i? I am at the other side of the globe and coming home is only an annual event.No longer monthly.And it is not a short stint, it is more than half a decade.

We know the importance of family , but we tend to take everything for granted. We always think that our parents will always be there for us throuh ups and downs , thick and thin. We do not want to grow up. We want to be kept in the coccoon of comfort for as long as we could. We want the warmth and coziness of family. When we fall , we know someone will hold us up from behind. When we are down with sickness , we know someone will stay vigil and feed us with medicine. When we throw tantrums , we know someone will tolerate and compromise and try their best to fulfill our wish. Every parents want the best for the children. They will go the extra mile , take the prickly path as long as the children can get the best of everything. No sacrifice is measurable with monetary reward. But how often have we said "thank you"? It seems so easy but yet so hard to say out.

As our circle of friends increases , we tend to neglect our parents and family more. The importance of friendship override the importance of kinship. Family has taken the back seat. How many times have we canceled our family dinners just to go out with friends? The enthusiasm of our parents seeing us back and their eagerness to prepare a decent meal is just splashed with cold water of dissappointment. Yet they didn't say a thing. They try to be understanding. They try do be liberal because they know parenting nowadays is no longer autocratic. They feel like as long as we are happy , it's fine with them.But silence doesnt mean they don't feel anything.

And those endless nights of staying awake just to wait for us home and those phone calls from home to remind us about the time. We feel annoyed at times. But come to think of it , it is for our own good. But how much have we appreciated it? We feel their constant naggings annoying and yet have we reviewed in front of the mirror what have we done wrong?

Also when have we stopped giving goodnight kiss to our parents. Many of us do that when we were young. But naturally it just stop at one point without us realising it. When has dad stop telling bed time stories and when has mum stop singing lullaby? Generation gaps gradually widen as we grow up. Our thinking starts to divert from our parents'. And that's when we feel that they are outdated , they can't keep up with trend. And that's when we start throwing hurtful and harsh comments.

And there will always be time we called the rebellious stage. We cannot see eye to eye with our parents in almost everything. From the most trivial matters of what to eat , where to go , what to wear to other more important things , nothing they do seem right to us. Quarrels erupted on daily basis. Hatred , vengeance and rebelliousness. I am truly grateful for my parents' patience and tolerance. If i were to have a child of that attitude , i won't know how long i can stand before killing him.

And after that stage of life , it's our time to leave home. Since the day i left home for studies , i know my home has become my hotel. It's a stopping point to rest my feet. I can never stay longer than a few months. Even after completing studies , we are bound to find our own place , start our own life and even have our own family. So the day we step out of the door , it's a time to say goodbye to home-sweet-home. No matter where we go, there is definitely no place like home.

And when we look back again , that's the time we realise our parents have grown old. When has the dense dark shiny hair given way to silver strands? When has all the wrinkles appear? It is because we are oblivious for so long a time. We are too engrossed to find their faults that we never realise their changes.

It's time to look back to where u started - FAMILY

Love Profusion

The use of perfume was dated as far back as 3000 years ago in Egypt. Hence it is nothing new to us. In fact , it parallels the human civilisation and has morphed to become what it is today - an icon of class , elegance and identity. And it is no longer the prerogative of women as men have embarked on their quest to search for and create their own fragrances. From the early 90's limited choice of male fragrances such as Dunhill , Calvin Klein and Aramis to today's plethora range of perfume that will spoil your olfactory sense , we know that fragrances have slowly and subtly penetrate into the male's world.
Effusion by Iceberg , Del Mar by Baldessarini , Solo by Loewe , Agua de Sandalo by Adolfo Dominiguez , Passion by Ferrari , Fcuk for Him , Allure by Chanel , Be Delicious by DKNY...... And my personal collections include Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren, Romance by Ralph Lauren , Crave by Calvin Klein, In Motion Green by Boss and Silver Shadow by Davidoff. It's a hobby , it's passion and it's love. Every bottle has its uniqueness and its ability to evoke different emotions in us. Every bottle has its distinctive smell that suits different occasion. And it is love for every single bottle.

Just like arts and music , using perfume is a knowledge of its own. It's crucial to understand the fragrance before you can appreciate its smell. So don't just pick up any bottle and spray. Let every droplets of it engulfs you. Be immersed in its intoxicating aroma and be carried away ot its wonderland.Most importantly , appreciate it.

Fragrances can generally be classified into a few categories depending of the concentration of its essence. Parfum with highest concentration of essence (15-30%) can last up to 7 hours , followed by Eau de Parfum (5 hours) , Eau de Toilette (3 hours) and Eau de Cologne ( 2 hours). So depending on the occasions , choose the suitable type of fragrance to be used.

And perfume is not just fragrance with one dull boring smell. A good bottle of perfume can give a variety of scents. Once sprayed , the first scent that tickled our sense is called top note. This is the stage which attract our attention.This is later followed by middle note , the longest lasting scent. Eventually , the low note emerges giving very slight scent dangling around us.

Of course , the art of applying fragrances is equally important. Apply on area of the body where blood vessels are near the body surface. As blood pulses through , the heat that is brought along will evaporise the fragrance and emmitting its smell. Usually one spray is sufficient enough for the whole body. First , spray on one wrist. Then rub the other wrist against it. Gently touch the back of the ears with the wrist to pass the fragrance to that regions. And that's it! A bottle of same perfume might exude different smell on different people. Due to our different metabolic rate , the heat brought about to evaporise the fragrance might differ. And with other chemical reactions with the body , the end product will never be the same. So never buy a perfume without trying it. Even if it smells nice on ur friend , there is no guarantee that it smells the same on you.

That's my little tips to share with u all... Enjoy it and give it a try!