Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested!

What thought would cross your mind if an acquaintance, who has never bothered to advance the relationship to friendship, suddenly becomes nice and friendly to you, send few friendly email and then ask for your contact number? My answer, DIRECT SELLING!!! And after asking around a bit, I got it confirmed. Huh! No wonder! She has never been friendly with me at all. We're just polite strangers who happened to study at the same place, and sometimes involved in the same activity or served in the same committee. I'm wondering whether I should just give the contact number and have the satisfaction of saying 'No' or just ignore the request altogether.



What would a direct selling people normally say to you? One hour of your precious time can change your life forever, or give the financial freedom you've always wanted, or anything along that line. Well, if it doesn't, can I have my one hour back? These people, who are normally very difficult to get in touch with or meet, will suddenly cross the ocean, climb the mountain, or brave the fire to come and see you. I've given up a few of my precious one hours to these people out of politeness or because she's a friend, but I've decided not to waste another precious hour for their purpose anymore. I'm not going to let them make me feel as if I'm stupid and will be doomed all my life if I don't buy their products or join their program or their company. As far as I know, none of my friends and acquaintances has ever strike the pot of gold with direct selling.



I know I'm being unfair to all the direct selling people. But really, if the product is good enough, you don't need to blackmail people to buy or join the program or company. Some direct selling companies have very loyal customers like Avon, Nutrimetrics or Cosway for example. And some people look for the direct sellers instead of the other way around because they really believe in the product or it is highly recommended by a trusted friend. So if the product is really good, it will sell by itself.



My advice to people, don't get conned into buying or joining unless you really believe in it and you've seen proof of good result or consequences. Trust me, if it really has very good reputation, you'd have heard of it by now. Otherwise, if you become the victim because you're so gullible or don't know how to say 'No', you'll end up victimizing your family and friends to get something back for your stupid action or what the direct selling people would termed as 'investment'.

Looks Like Who?

Some people believe there are 7 people in this world that looks alike at any one time. There is no scientific evidence to support this but it might be true based on our own observation.



I've seen a student who looks like the younger version of my lecturer and its funny when he has to do a presentation in front of the class. Then we can really observe both lecturer and student who really look like father and son.



Two colleagues from my previous company also look like they are siblings. I can't say twin because one looks older than the other but the resemblance is so strong that if you say their siblings, anyone would have believed it.



It was also highlighted in the media quite some time ago where they show photos of Ziana Zain and JLo, and Misha Omar and Cik Julita Aishah (the wife of Tengku Muda Pahang), where the resemblance is so glaring.



Now, does these sounds familiar to you. "Hey, you look so familiar. Are you related to so and so?" Or another kind of statement, "You really look like the neighbor of my sis-in-law's father's step-auntie's cousin twice remove". OK that's exaggerating but I'm sure we do get such statement at least once in our life.



It can get annoying when a person is adamant that you must be related to so and so. "Are you sure you didn't know the person? He stays in Taman X and works at Company XYZ for donkey years, goes to Kindergarten X (another donkey years ago)" and so on, and they'll be wearing an incredulous look when you said you're sure you don't know any person with that description.



On the other hand, it can also be a pleasant experience when people say you look like a particular famous artist :) I’m sure some of you can’t get enough of such compliments. But be wary that different people have different way of looking at us. So try repeating a comment saying you look like a particular artist to a friend(s) and chances are he/she/they will have their laugh for the day.

The Making Of 'She Screams'

'A Little Is Sometimes A Lot--Writing and Selling Short Stories' is an interesting and useful articles for writers wannabes. I'm sure many who dreams to become a writer wants to produce a best seller. Think something along the line of Harry Porter and Lord of the Ring. But writing short stories is a very good exercise and it can be very challenging too. You need the right word to meaningfully do the job of several sentences. Take this shortest essay as an example. I'm sure it has reached your inbox or will be reaching it as it has been circulated via email for quite sometime. I've received it several times myself.

A university creative writing class was asked to write a concise essay containing the following elements:



1. Religion

2. Royalty

3. Sex

4. Mystery



The prize-winning essay read:



'My God," said the Queen, "I'm pregnant. I wonder who did it!"

It really is amazing. I wouldn't have thought about it. The winner really deserved the prize. Upon scouring the internet, I find several links to similar piece of shortest essay but I've picked one with a good commentary.



I believe anyone who loves reading, would have dreamed of coming up with a good piece them self. If I remember correctly, I've mentioned writer as one of the 3 ambitions that we have to inform the class teacher every year in primary school :) That will then get recorded in the teacher's book. I don't remember if it's recorded in the report card though. What I do remember is all 3 changed every year, which signifies a perpetual interest in life from someone so young hehe...



Anyway, this article, 'Five Steps to Goal-Setting' gives good advice on how to realize your ambitions. I may never be the famous writer, purely because I have not put in any effort in that direction, but I'd like to come up with some pieces (for personal satisfaction) once in a while. So based on the article, to set short and attainable goals, I tried to write a scenario of intense emotion. I'm not sure whether I've really captured the essence of the feeling I wanted to portray, but 'She Screams' is the best I can come up with at the moment.



There are some situations in life that we'd feel like we just want to succumb to the emotion and scream it all out. I know I have and I know some people can really arouse that emotion in us. Anyway, that's a different story. I realize 'She Screams' would have given a certain impression to the reader. Based on the comments, I'm right. But it's good to know the readers are sensitive enough to notice and care enough to give comforting comments. Hugs for you all too. I'll sure remember the advice when I need it.

She Screams

She screams her heart out, screams and screams until she's hoarse. She scream as loud as she can, hoping to let go of all the pain she's feeling, all the pain that is churning and tormenting her sanity. She screams because the anger and disappointment can't be contained anymore. She feels no one understands her or even tried to. She looks around and sees the earth didn't change one little bit to reflect her pain. The weather has decided to shine brightly today as if to mock what she's feeling. She's feeling very much alone despite all the people around her.



In her mind, a thought flashes by. You're alone in your mother's womb and alone in the grave. You're also probably alone in between the two points despite being surrounded by family and friends. Do they really understand you? Family does things because of responsibility. Is there anything beyond that? Friends give lip service to you. Do they really care? When they got back, are you on their mind or do they sigh a relief? And does she think all these because of her present state of mind or is she just confuse?



Whatever it is, her tears keeps flowing like a broken dam. And she screams again feeling so helpless. She knows there are others in this world whose fate is worse than hers. But she feels she's entitled to wallow in self pity for everything she's feeling at the moment. This is the first time she indulges in her feeling. She never thought it would have come to this. She thought she's strong. Most times she has tried to keep a straight face, a strong front. But not today. Today she's going to let it all out like a volcanic eruption and scream all she wants. So she screams on top of her lung, screams and screams until she's hoarse.

Hot Spring Hunting (Part II)

After spending some time in Kerling, I decided to go to Hulu Tamu hot spring in Batang Kali. I found out about it from this article in NST, "Be Pampered at Hotsprings". Later, I also found some information about the hot spring from this website. But the place has changed quite a lot and it didn't look anything like the picture from the website. It is about 7km from the traffic light at Batang Kali, the same direction if you're going to Genting using the Batang Kali route. However, there is not much help on identifying the right junction to get there. There are no signboards at all.

Based on the NST article, I turned off at the first junction on the left after the Ligamas housing area. I only knew it's the right junction after seeing Kampung Sungai Masin signboard. We passed by several kampongs along the way and after some time, the familiar Majlis Daerah Hulu Selangor signboard placed strategically, pointed us to the right direction. It would be much better if there is a signboard placed at the first junction. The road is much better than Kerling, narrow but properly tarred. We can see orchards along the way and Genting Highlands from afar. I'm sure the view will be breathtaking on a misty morning.

The hot spring is made more private with walls and from far, it looks like a large well to me. The water is knee high and the first pool I went to is conquered by what looks like a very large family. So is the second one. There are only two pools there so a note to everyone, you should come early to get the best water. There is a hot spring source and it flows to the pool via pipes. The hot spring was OK but I wish I reached there earlier.


The only restaurant there, Restoran Gonjong Limo, can be an attraction by itself with its Minangkabau architecture. The sitting area besides the man made lake is very inviting with its tropical plants, and they also have a floating sitting area, linked to the restaurant by a floating bridge. It's very nice to sit on the floating sitting area when it's windy, listening to the birds in a cage on a very small island in the middle of the lake. But the restaurant only opens at 3 until midnight. Part of the restaurant was made to look like a ship which makes me think of 'Titanic' :) You can stand there, spread your arms, pretending you're Rose and another friend can stand by the lake side to snap your photo.

So that is the end of my hot spring hunting. The best part is its only 15 minutes from my place to the Hulu Tamu hot spring. I'll definitely go there again when it's not a holiday so I can enjoy the best hot water without too many people around.

Hot Spring Hunting (Part I)

I browsed the internet a few days ago, looking for interesting places to visit in Hulu Selangor during this long holiday. I don't feel like going to well known places like Templer's Park, Hutan Lipur Kanching and Hulu Yam as these places must be swarmed with people. Luckily, I found some info of a hot spring in Batang Kali. Even if I didn't find any information from the internet, I'm banking on one hot spring signboard I saw in Kerling every time I was using the trunk road to exit at Tg. Malim toll. For those who have no idea where Kerling is, have a look at this map. So now, I have two hot springs to find.

The trip to Kerling from my place is only about 25 minutes, driving at 70-80kmph, well within the speed limit. I couldn't believe it myself. It feels quite far. Probably because I'm not so sure about the place myself. I know its somewhere along the route to Tg. Malim, but the place is not that familiar to me. So off we go. The hot spring is only about 5km from the main road and it is easy enough to find with the many helpful signboards put up by Majlis Daerah Hulu Selangor. We passed by a village where the majority of the population is Chinese and Indian. The leftovers of fire crackers can be seen in front of most houses.

The road is quite narrow and part of the road was not tarred. It was covered with loose rocks so you have to be more careful with your tires. I wonder how that can be because after about 1km, the road is tarred again, until we reach the spot. I don't know what to expect actually and I totally didn't expect a beautiful river with cool and refreshing water near a hot spring spot. The basic amenities were there but it’s not properly kept. Rubbish are strewn everywhere and I can see some abandoned fire place left by campers. I think the only reason the place didn't get worse is it's not quite well known so not many people come for a visit.

I get into the river and what joy to see the clear water. I have the picture to prove it. It really is very cool and inviting. I couldn't say the same about the hot spring though. The hot spring pool is quite small and dirty. When I reach the place, there are about 6-7 half naked men enjoying the water, sitting Buddha style in the waist level water (if you're sitting), and displaying Buddha style tummy. OK I exaggerate. The men wears shorts but they really have Buddha style tummy and I feel they are eyeing me with curiosity, wondering whether I'll join them. No way am I going to get into the water with them. There are also a few kids playing in the dirty water. So I ended up taking the picture of a part of the pool on my way back, leaving the men out. Luckily some of them has leave the water so one section of the pool is clear (from men that is). I'm quite disappointed with the hot spring. Luckily the beautiful river kind of off set the minuses there.


Click on the photos for larger image

Faking It

'Faking It' is one of the program in Astro channels. The concept of the program, a person will be trained to do something he knew nothing about, enters a contest with contestants trained in the subject matter and judged by respectable judges in that particular area. Later, the judges will be informed that one of the participants is a fake who has only being trained for four weeks. They were then asked to guess who among the participants is a 'green horn' in the subject matter.



In this week's episode, David, a carpenter, was trained to become an interior designer. He has the help of several people during his four weeks training. He's given books to read, houses visits, furniture shops visits, crash course on designing, and communication skills tips. He fumbled badly when presenting his ideas to a client and clammed up during a party where all the industry experts are there. David realizes his weak areas and tries to improve on it. His trainers are confident with his ability but they are quite worried he'll freeze out during the contest.



For the contest, he has to compete with 3 real interior designers. They have to design a space each, complete with the actual furniture and decorations. They were given the instructions, have a day to shop for furniture and the next day, they have one hour to put everything in place. He came out in flying colors when answering the judges' questions. So confident and convincing, he managed to fool all the judges. The first judge, confidently mentioned Kevin, an interior designer with 2 years experience, as a fake. The other two judges were quite hesitant in between David and Kevin but both choose Kevin in the end. All I can say is, poor Kevin. David's 3 trainers, watching from a secret location, were ecstatic. Their 'student' passed with flying colors.



Watching the program was fun and also an eye opener. Basically, it tells you if you know what you want, know where to get help from the right people, you'll be able to achieve what you desire in no time at all. It changes David's life, he's more confident of himself, more confident of his ability, and I'm thinking a career in interior design is quite interesting :)



There is also this one article in The Star about making a change in your life, 'Living the Simple Life'. One of the many similar stories I've read actually. I have all my respect for these people who knew what they want and takes charge of their life. Its not easy, but the end result must be very gratifying.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Gong Xi Fa Cai to all friends who celebrate Chinese New Year. Drive safely and enjoy the long holiday.

From My Inbox: Quarter Life Crisis

Every now and then I'll re-read this email sent to me very long time ago, when I'm really at a 'quarter life' so to speak. I've passed that mark many years ago but still feel the need to be reminded that what happens around me is normal, that I'm normal and it's perfectly normal to feel confused and full of questions about the meaning of life once in a while. Everyone should do 'muhasabah' of themselves at the end of the day for self improvement but sometimes you just sail through life depending on where the wind blows, forgetting to check the destination's direction and whether the intended destination is where you really want to go.



Most of the time, there are no easy answers when it comes to questions about life. Most of the time we'll pray and hope for a guiding light that will lighten up a path for us to follow. But sometimes, we still have to feel our way around in the darkness and believe in our heart, the directions we choose without the benefit of the guiding light is destined for us. That is when we'll go back to sailing through life depending on the direction of the wind. If you feel I don't make sense, just let me be. I'm in one of my moods today.

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are a lot of things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get hot and scared because you barely know where you are now.



You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you do not realize is that they are realizing that too and are not really cold or catty or mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you are.



You look at your job. It is not even close to what you thought you would be doing or maybe you are looking for one and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and are scared.



You miss the comforts of college, of groups, of socializing with the same people on a constant basis. But then you realize that maybe they weren't so great after all.



You are beginning to understand yourself and what you want and do not want. Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging a bit more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and add things to your list of what is acceptable and what is not.



You are insecure and then secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.



You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough to get to know better. You love someone, but maybe love someone else too and cannot figure out why you are doing this because you are not a bad person.



You go through the same emotions and questions over and over and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You wonder what in the hell is wrong with you. You worry about loans and money and the future and making a great life for yourself.



What you may not realize is that everyone reading this relates to it and your friends and you are all in this together. You are in your best of times and your worst of times, trying as hard as you can to figure this whole thing out. You are making a lot of mistakes, but helping one another learn from them and reaching out to pull one another up. You are not the shiniest group of people, but you are very much a circle. You are there for one another and will listen and help heal and grow for the rest of your lives. You will piss one another off, but you will also heal one another's hearts. You are the group who will always call on birthdays and laugh at the end of a conversation that started with angry words. You are a group that talks trash about the same people you call to meet up with on a Friday night, but you are sorry about it and you know that they know that you were just being insecure like they have been. You are friends and in 10 years, when you have figured out where you fit in in this world, you will still be friends.

Unfinished Building, Unfinished Paint?

As I've already mentioned in my previous blog entry, I send my brother's things to his university in Tronoh last Saturday. He went there on his motorbike or it'll be very difficult for him to get around the big campus without it. I pick up his things at the end of the semester and send it back when the semester begins. Every time, I'll be passing by Kellie's Castle as I'll be using Gopeng-Batu Gajah route. After the first 2-3 times of sending and picking up my brother's things, I noticed Kellie's Castle got this very ugly yellow paint, and an unfinished white paint. (Click on image for lager photo)



I wonder why anyone would want to paint it yellow and white. The original brick color looks OK and very much authentic for such a historical site. Beside, if it's painted white, it'll look just like the many government offices with the legacy British architecture. Anyway, since they have painted the building, they might as well finish the job. It might look very grand with the fresh coat of paint, sitting by the river and atop the hill.



This is already the beginning of my brother's last semester of a 5 years course. Last Saturday is the last time I'll be sending my brother's things to his university. The next time, will be the time for me to pick his things up for good. And still, the Kellie's Castle paint remains unfinished. I dare say 3-4 years has already gone past since the last time I saw it with the unfinished paint job. I wonder who is taking care of Kellie's Castle now, which Municipal Council. Are they trying to make a point? Since the building is unfinished, it also deserved unfinished paint job? If there's no budget, then why paint it in the first place?



But to give them the benefit of the doubt, when I stopped there last Saturday, I saw a few workmen doing some landscaping by the river and also a few ostriches. I couldn't say if it's an ostrich farm, the place didn't look big enough to be called a farm. Probably Kellie's Castle will finally get the paint job done. Let's say... in 1-2 more years probably.

Caught in the Act

I went to send my brother's things to his university in Tronoh last Saturday, using Rawang-Tg. Malim trunk road and exit at Tg. Malim toll to get to the North-South highway. There was this one big lorry, following me very closely at KM140 (at the trunk road) and making several attempts to over take, even at double lines and sharp turns. So I take out my digital camera and managed to get this photo. Observe the double line on my car's side mirror. I was already going at 80kmph at that time and all the vehicles have to brake a little to make way for the lorry that is almost squeezing every vehicle to the left. I managed to catch up with the lorry again when it stopped at the second traffic light before Tg. Malim toll exit.







I tried calling the toll free number printed on the lorry to report but the line was engaged.

Tim Berners-Lee Knighted

This is quite old news but I think it's worthy to mention it in my blog to honor the man who makes what I'm doing now, blogging, one of the things you can do with the existence of the internet, possible.

31 December 2003 -- Buckingham Palace has announced that Queen Elizabeth II will make Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director, a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). The rank of Knight Commander is the second most senior rank of the Order of the British Empire, one of the Orders of Chivalry awarded. Berners-Lee, 48, a British citizen who lives in the United States, is being knighted in recognition of his "services to the global development of the Internet" through the invention of the World Wide Web. Read the press release here.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee's biography is here and TIME 100 has an interesting write up about how i all began. A paragraph from the TIME 100 article that I'd like to quote...

Unlike so many of the inventions that have moved the world, this one truly was the work of one man. Thomas Edison got credit for the light bulb, but he had dozens of people in his lab working on it. William Shockley may have fathered the transistor, but two of his research scientists actually built it. And if there ever was a thing that was made by committee, the Internet — with its protocols and packet switching — is it. But the World Wide Web is Berners-Lee's alone. He designed it. He loosed it on the world. And he more than anyone else has fought to keep it open, nonproprietary and free.

From My Inbox: The New Age Woman

In a brief conversation, a man asked a woman he was pursuing the question " What kind of man are you looking for?"



She sat quietly for a moment before looking him in the eye and asking "Do you really want to know?"



Reluctantly, he said "Yes."



She began to expound...



"As a woman in this day and age, I am in a position to ask a man what he can do for me that I can't do for myself. I pay my own bills. I take care of my household without the help of any man...or woman for that matter.



I am in the position to ask, "What can you bring to the table?" The man looked at her. Clearly he thought that she was referring to money. She quickly corrected his thought and stated, "I am not referring to money. "I need something more. I need a man who is striving for perfection in every aspect of life."



He sat back in his chair, folded his arms, and asked her to explain. She said, "I am looking for someone who is striving for perfection mentally because I need conversation and mental stimulation. I don't need a simple minded man.



I am looking for someone who is striving for perfection spiritually because I don't need to be unequally yoked... believers mixed with unbelievers is a recipe for disaster. I need a man who is striving for perfection financially because I don't need a financial burden. I am looking for someone who is sensitive enough to understand what I go through as a woman, but strong enough to keep me grounded.



I am looking for someone who I can respect. In order to be submissive, I must respect him. I cannot be submissive to a man who isn't taking care of his business. I have no problem being submissive...he just has to be worthy. God made woman to be a help mate for man. I can't help a man if he can't help himself.



When she finished her spill, she looked at him. He sat there with a puzzled look on his face. He said, "You are asking a lot."



She replied, "I'm worth a lot."

The Hotter The Better

"Kecil-kecil cili padi" is a Malay proverb which means don't underestimate the size, it can pack a punch. That aptly describes the 'cili padi' (also locally called cili api, cabai burung, and I don't know what else) or a person with similar characteristics. The rule of the chilli is the smaller the hotter.



I'm a person who needs a dose of chilli in every meal or I'll declare the dish too bland for my taste. I still remember when I got bored of hostel food (when I was in boarding school), I'd bring few of my friends, some of whom learned eating chillies from me, to pick some fresh 'cili padi' in front of our head warden's house. I'll normally bring back 'sambal ikan bilis' from home when the semester begins or my mom will bring some whenever she comes for a visit but that will normally not last very long. The hostel food can get very boring after some time that plain white rice with 'cili padi' and soy sauce can taste very good. We are OK the first few times until the warden chased us away. She scolded us for taking even the 'baby' chillies when the mature, ripe ones are gone.



I've also taken to nibbling 'cili padi' when I have the urge to snack. That caught the interest of some friends and they give it a shot too. Some survived the experience, but some has repented to never ever touch chilli again hehehe... Those were the days.



All my siblings did quite well in school that one headmistress (from my youngest brother's school) asked my mom how she brought us all up. My mom had no answer to that question at that time. We're not well to do financially back then and we eat normal food with no expensive vitamins or food supplements, no tuition, not even kindergarten when we're at the right age. Thinking back, my mom said probably she feeds us fiery hot food :) There's no scientific evidence between chilli and brain but there's also no scientific evidence that it didn't exist. There are however, some writings about chilli and increased metabolism rate, and as lung cleansers.

Dr Ziment, a British doctor, now residing in California, changed his diet from bland English meal to hot Mexican sauces, Japanese wasabi, Szechuan chili peppers, spicy Indian curries, and Thai foods saying it's good for the lung. He found an international concurrence of thought on the way drugs are utilized as expectorants from ancient Egyptian, to the Romans, the Middle Ages, 12th century Jewish, 17th century English and Russian's famous physician, that one has to consider their validity.



He noted that capsaicin; the mouth-burning stuff in chili pepper is derived from a compound that is the basis of the chemical structure of a drug called guaifenesin. The Physician's Desk Reference lists guaifenesin as an expectorant and an active ingredient in about 75 over-the-counter and prescription cough syrups, cold tablets, and expectorants.



Dr. Ziment's prescription: Eat hot pungent foods if you have a cold, sinus problems, lung congestion, asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema - or if you think you are vulnerable to any of the above.



Source: The Food Pharmacy by Jean Carper (ISBN:0-671-71502-X)

Low in calories, peppers contain twice as much vitamin C, per weight, as citrus fruits and more vitamin A than carrots (especially red chiles). As well, peppers aid in digestion and speed up metabolism. There are actually diet books on the market that outline a "chilli diet" that will speed the burning of calories.



Source: Tears of Joy Hot Sauce Shop - Pepper Facts

Here's an interesting history about chilli or pepper.

Christopher Columbus, in his unproductive search for riches across the Atlantic Ocean in -1492, mistook America for India. He named the natives Indians, and he also took the liberty of placing an improper label on what was to become one of the Southwest's most popular vegetables.



Believing he had found an exotic form of black pepper, Columbus took plants back with him to Spain and told the Europeans it was "the world's finest pepper."



Source: Chili Pepper Facts

If the chilli is too hot for you, the remedy is taking milk, yogurt, ice cream, rice, bread, tomato juice, fresh lime or lemon. Don't drink plain water. Even I had a too hot to handle experience every now and then. One that I still remember very well is when I was in a Matriculation Center. I bought Young Tau Foo in one of our Pasar Malam trip. Who'd have thought the big green chilli can really blow my ears. The burning sensation of chilli is from compounds concentrated in the white veins in the chilli that hold the seeds.



Who remembers one of the earliest Malaysian Bahasa speaking cartoon where a mouse deer took pity to a monkey that says he has not eaten for three days. The mouse deer said the monkey can eat anything from the vegetable garden. Upon seeing the beautiful red chilli, the monkey insists on eating that despite the mouse deer's warning. Guess what, fire came out from the monkey's ears after greedily gobbling up a few chillies. That's exactly how I feel after eating that chilli in the Yong Tau Foo. I really jump up and down not knowing how to lessen the pain. None of the item that can be taken as remedy is available then.

The Scoville Unit is the measurement of heat in a pepper or sauce. It is named after a chemist in the early nineteen hundreds by the name of Wilbur Scoville. While working for a pharmaceutical company, he decided to devise a scale of heat for chilli peppers. It's a bit complicated to describe in detail, but basically, the test involves the dilution of a quantity of pepper until it can no longer be detected. It is recorded in units of 100. The test is called the "Scoville Organoleptic Test." This highly subjective method is no longer employed. These days, a sophisticated device called a liquid chromatographer is used. Out of reverence, it is still called the "Scoville Unit."



To date, the hottest chilli pepper in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records is the "Red Savina" habanero. It measured an amazing 577,000 Scoville Units. To put it into perspective, an average habanero is around 100,000 to 200,000. A jalapeno ranks from 5,000 to 7,000. The hottest product on the market is The Source made by Original Juan. This pure extract is a mind-blowing 7.1 MILLION Scoville Units (Tears of Joy sells this, but at the store location only). Pure crystalline capsaicin is 16 million Scoville Units.



Source: Tears of Joy Hot Sauce Shop - Pepper Facts

Check out these interesting websites related to chilli/pepper:-

1. Chili Peppers!!

2. Tears of Joy Hot Sauce Shop - Pepper Facts

3. A Plethora of Peppers

From My Inbox : The Parrot at Thanksgiving

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.



Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer.



For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute. Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer.



The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behaviour."



John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behaviour, the bird continued,



"May I ask what the turkey did?"

When Not To Listen To People

How often do we have friends dishing out advices with good intention, but not necessarily the best for us. My guess, often enough throughout our life. There are many people who are uncertain with what they want and these people are very vulnerable to bad advices. I think what a good friend should do is to help their friends make a decision and not make the decision for them. Explore the pros and cons of a decision together; if it is an unknown matter, find some information that would help from books, a reliable person or the internet, and leave that person to come to a decision themselves.



I was just remembering few advices given by friends quite some time ago. When I wanted to buy a car, few friends said "Buy auto lah! It's difficult to drive in KL with manual. So difficult if you're at a traffic light and you're in front." Another one said, "Eh you've never driven before (except driving lessons of course)... you shouldn't immediately drive you car. Keep it at home and try driving out on weekends until you feel comfortable driving". And another advised, "Never drive in Jln Masjid India area. It's a nightmare. I prefer to leave my car at the LRT station and take the LRT to go there".



I can understand when some friends who don't know me enough to be giving out such advices. But what makes me wonder, a close friend also gives similar advice. She must have not really known me. I will never accept advice blindly until I try things myself, within reason of course. I don't have to try smoking or taking drugs to know it's not good for me. Millions of people drive a manual car. If it really is difficult, then manual cars would be phased out and only cars with automatic gears will roam the road right!



And there's also a streak of stubbornness in me. I'd like to prove to all these people that I 'CAN' drive a manual car, even at a busy place like Jln Masjid India, Jln TAR, Bukit Bintang area, or like a friend's uncle said (to her of course), "if you can drive in Rawang town, you can drive anywhere". The reason I bought a car is because I'm so fed-up waiting for 21C bus in front of Kotaraya to get to Taman Tun. I stayed at Pandan Indah last time. Despite leaving the house at 6.30, sometimes I only reached the office at 10.00 a.m. No way am I going to leave the car at home and only drive around on weekend. The best way to get competent is to practice often and that's also the reason for having a big 'P' sticker on your car isn't it.



Admittedly I was a bit clumsy on the first week but after that, I managed to conquer all the busy roads at ease. No problem at traffic lights, no problem when stuck in a jam and on a slope, and the most important thing, no more stress with our 1st world public transport. Now, if a friend asked for some advice on driving, I'd say be gung-ho. Just drive and you'll be fine in no time at all. The experience also strengthens what I already know. Don't fully trust other people's judgment. They are not you and if you blindly follow their advice, you'd never know what you're capable of.



Come to think of it, I'd say be gung-ho in anything that you do. What's the point of living if you look at some things in fear, especially fear of the unknown. Know what you want, get the right information and embrace the unknown.

The Best First View of KL

I think this is the best first view of KL for anyone. (Click on image for larger photo). The road is initially upward slope where you'll have the first glimpse of KLCC's highest point and then you'll be seeing more and more of KLCC and KL Tower. After that, the road will be in a downward slope and both KLCC and KL Tower will get bigger and bigger as you're getting nearer and nearer until you reached the toll.



But I don't think we'll be enjoying this view for very long. Just look at the new condo to the right of KL Tower. Soon more buildings will be obstructing the view.

Troublesome PCB Payment

Many government agencies have tried to make their services more people-friendly. This is more so when they expect payment from the public. They tried to make it easy for people to make payment via the post office, major banks and through the internet besides the counter. But not for Income Tax Department when it comes to PCB (Potongan Cukai Berkala) payment which has to be paid by the 10th, every month. The only place companies registered and located in KL/PJ can make the payment is at LHDN Jalan Duta office.



Not all companies have office boy to do the work. Small companies will have to ask anyone available to go and make payment and most of the time, they can't spend the whole morning or the whole afternoon waiting in line just to submit payment. All these while, a special counter has been set up for people to submit their CP39 form and cheque, and the receipt will be mailed to the company later. The whole process takes less than 2 minutes. But starting this new year, only those with 15 and above cheques are allowed to submit their payment at this special counter. Those with less have to queue. Just look at the number and make your guess how long it'll take for your number to be called.







There are 3 types of numbers. One for 'Single Cheque' which mine is, one for multiple cheques and I've forgotten what the third is. So if you think, this is the only sequence of numbers you have to wait, think again.



As of today, my company still has not made the payment. After going there twice and not able to wait for my turn to be called, I requested another colleague to go and pay today. He went to the LHDN Kelana Jaya office hoping he can make the payment there as it is nearer to his place, but tough luck. Sigh! Its already late. So come Monday, LHDN Jalan Duta here I come... again! We'll have to see how much we'll be fined for paying late.



My logic tells me, if you have more pieces of cheque, it makes more sense to wait in queue to pay all as compared to when you only have one. But sense of fairness also tells me, let anyone who wants to submit the payment and have the receipt mailed back to them later, do just that.

Eight Energy Drains and Energy Moves

Here's something for us to take note. Get rid of all the energy that drains us and get more of the energy that moves us.

Energy drain: Other People's Expectations

Are you living someone else's dream for you? You're putting out energy but starving emotionally. The other person gets all the satisfaction.



Energy move: Declare Independence

You bought in; you can set yourself free. No confrontation needed, just "I don't have to expect that of myself." Worst-case scenario: Someone who's not you will be disappointed. You will feel wonderful.



Energy drain: Loss of Self

As kids, we had to play by the rules; our unique energy got caged.



Energy move: Personalize Your Life

Ask yourself, If it were up to me, what would I…hang on my wall? Wear to work? Do for fun? Find the pockets of freedom where you can be more yourself.



Energy drain: Deprivation

Duties and responsibilities fill your days. You gain weight trying to get emotional energy from food.



Energy move: Add Pleasure, Beauty, Fun

Satisfying experiences, large and small, are the real nourishment you crave. Plan a big treat to look forward to—and a little one every day.



Energy drain: Envy

We often don't feel envy directly—but we might find someone else's good fortune depressing.



Energy move: Count Your Blessings

Comparison is a loser's game. Look at what you have, and actively feel grateful. (P.S. That person you envy—you don't know how messy her life really is. Chances are you wouldn't want it if you had it.)



Energy drain: Worry

When you worry, you think you're dealing with things, but you're just suffering. Worry never comes up with good ideas. It torments and exhausts us.



Energy move: Get Going

Action is the cure for worry. Do one thing that brings you a step closer to coping. If it's the middle of the night, get up and write a to-do list.



Energy drain: Unfinished Business

Unmade decisions and postponed projects drain you.



Energy move: Do It or Dump It

Forget the perfect decision—just trust yourself and make a choice. Put projects in an appointment book. If you can't find any good time, that's a signal you don't want to do it. So don't.



Energy drain: Overcommitment

You're always saying "Yes"—to your boss, mother, kids, friends; to requests, favors, meetings.



Energy move: Say "Yes" to Yourself

Tell someone else "No" every once in a while, just to feel your own power. You'll gain a whole new sense of your abilityto take care of yourself.



Energy drain: Holding On to Loss

Fresh loss is an emergency. But old losses you can't let go of are dead weight.



Energy move: Cry All Your Tears

Indulge in big-time mourning. Take off from work, stay in bed, and do nothing but cry till you're dry…and bored. Then go out and embrace life.

Source: Oprah.com

From My Inbox : To reflect and... Act

I got this in my inbox yesterday. It made me stop to think for a while whether there is some truth in it. My mind is too occupied with the preparation for this afternoon's meeting to do proper thinking. I have several arguments and examples in my head but I think I'll be incoherent if I tried to put it down now. So I'll just put this up here so it'll get everyone thinking too.

The difference between the poor countries and the rich ones is not the age of the country. This can be shown by countries like India & Egypt, that are more than 2000 years old and are poor. On the other hand, Canada, Australia & New Zealand, that 150 years ago were inexpressive, today are developed countries and are rich.



The difference between poor & rich countries does not reside in the available natural resources. Japan has a limited territory, 80% mountainous, inadequate for agriculture & cattle raising, but it is the second world economy. The country is like an immense floating factory, importing  raw material from the whole world and exporting manufactured products. Another example is Switzerland, which does not plant cocoa but has the best chocolate of the world. In its little territory they raise animals and plant the soil during 4 months per year. Not enough, they produce dairy products of the best quality. It is a small country that transmits an image of security, order & labor, which made it the world's strong safe.



Executives from rich countries who communicate with their counterparts in poor countries show that there is no significant intellectual difference. Race or skin color are also not important: immigrants labeled lazy in their countries of origin are the productive power in rich European countries.



What is the difference then?



The difference is the attitude of the people, framed along the years by the education & the culture.



On analyzing the behavior of the people in rich & developed countries, we find that the great majority follow the following principles in their lives:



1. Ethics, as a basic principle.

2. Integrity.

3. Responsibility.

4. Respect to the laws & rules.

5. Respect to the rights of other citizens.

6. Work loving.

7. Strive for saving & investment.

8. Will of super action.

9. Punctuality.



In poor countries, only a minority follow these basic principles in their daily life. We are not poor because we lack natural resources or because nature was cruel to us. We are poor because we lack attitude. We lack the will to comply with and teach these functional principles of rich & developed societies.

Stranded on Tropical Island

There are so many issues swarming in my head for several days now. But I've been wondering which is best for my first entry in the New Year. After much contemplation, I decided to start with something light. A thinking game!



If you're stranded on a tropical island with no human inhabitants and no hopes for rescue, what are the three things that you wish you would have with you?



After much thought, I feel I'd be more comfortable doing the 'Survivor' lifestyle with these 3 things:-

1. A Swiss army knife (the one with laserflame lighter and magnifying glass preferred)

2. A machete

3. My toiletries travel bag hehe... I cheated a bit there. Lot of things can go in the bag but hey... a lady really needs many things for her toiletry needs. It might not last very long but at least there's something before I can figure out what to use as substitute.



So, what are the 3 things you wish you have if you're stranded on a tropical island?