Being young and carefree

It was just like yesterday that you are still an 18 years old boy, now you have a son that is already 22 years of age and a daughter reaching 19!!

How time flies...sometimes you forget that you have aged and only realise that your body is no longer that resilient when like recently i tried to play football and my body aches for more than a week!! Of course i will not divulge in the fact also that i can no longer chase the ball though i still console myself that some of the instinctive skills are still there!! ha ha humbug!!!

Graduating, starting your career ,raising a family these are part of a life's routine of course and sometimes you have to wear masks and not reveal your true self ,possibly that's part of life as well.

As i perused an old album,i can still see that i haven't lose that smile hmmmm,the wrinkles may be now appearing and the tummy bulging but the demeanour hopefully still remains intact.

Will i wish a different life, definitely no and one cant help thankful to God Almighty for being blessed with 5 great children ,they definitely have their shortcomings and at times tested your patience but as always seeing their smile will always make your day no matter how bad the day at the office is!!!

Karaoke... a function"s nightmare

I didn't really notice when exactly the karaoke phenomena hit the social functions maybe in the early 80s but this Japanese creation somehow is there to stay .

A function nowadays will not be complete without some form of karaoke session.

Wannabe singers young and old will unabashedly showcase their singing prowess and believing that they are the next Jay Jay(of Carefree) or Nat King Cole...how cool can you get?

For those that will not list karaoke singing as one of their favourite pastimes though dread these functions particularly if you have to sit at the main table.

Like most " social survivors" one learn to adapt and just try to master one or two songs just in case you got dragged off from the table to sing your hoarse voice for all to hear and sometimes giggle at.

I am no different,over the years i tried to "master" one or two songs but can be so boring at times because it's the same old tune and repertoire and one's ego can get the better of oneself as you feel that you are next best thing after Mawi!!!

Then you tried other songs and predictably you fumble and make a fool of oneself but then karaoke was originally meant for stressed out Japanese workers to make fools of themselves after being bashed left and right at the offices by the bosses!!!!

The songs that a particular guy will sing becomes so predictable that we will know for sure what song he's going to sing when he walks up the podium..so here comes Mr Sway, oh yes Datuk K ,he's going to sing "Spanish Eyes".

I though envy some friends who were really talented and you will be mesmerised by their rendition of Alleycats song or Mike Halim with his Robbie Williams song, "Be a better man"

Well we are all not that gifted so just be contented with just one or two safe songs you never know you can be dragged off your table!!!

Earth hour and a burst dam

Last night the world observed an earth hour,here in Malaysia it was at 8:30-9.30 pm.

At the hasting of my children we also try to observe this meaningful event.


Well, being used to some blackouts, no issue to keep the house in darkness for an hour, with candles being lit and the only ray of light coming from Sabrina's laptop.

Indeed we are so used to have lighting at night, any duration of a blackout was always meet with despair and frustration.

Talking about despair, one sad news caught my attention this week, the burst dam in Jakarta.....

dam burst its banks near the Indonesian capital Jakarta early Friday, drowning 50 people in a deadly torrent of muddy water that flooded hundreds of homes, health ministry officials said. Waves of brown water swept into low-lying homes in the early hours of the morning as people slept, giving them little chance to flee what one resident described as akin to a tsunami. Rescue workers struggled to reach many others trapped by the waters, which in some areas was as high as six metres (20 feet), and scores were thought to be still missing.


Such travesty and tragedy, one can imagine the horrors of families suddenly being swept away by torrents of water while in their deep slumber of sleep.



I prayed for the families that has suffered and will see what humanitarian aids that we can do to help these people in dire needs of aid.

As we celebrate the Earth hour, human lives are still being lost so "cheaply",one wonders what cause the dam collapse?

Is it due to poor maintenance or shortcuts in its construction before? I would love to read the post mortem report.

Mr Sway

One sometimes is lucky enough when acquiring acquaintances met a person that can be so enduring, no false pretence and above all always being himself warts and all.

I was such a lucky person for i met Mr Sway around 6 years ago, starting as part of the badminton group who played twice a week at the local golf club badminton courts.

He was the oldest among the group but was he the most serious?

Not by a single mile...Mr Sway is forever joyful with his positive demeanour and boisterous voice.

He stopped playing badminton few years back but still maintained a very close association with our group and he will be badly missed even if he was away travelling only for a week.

Honestly i envied him with his no pretences approach, he doesn't have to "kow tow" to anybody, he's generous at heart and sometimes being the butt of most jokes takes them well without being sensitive .

Mr Sway though in his full element when there's karaoke on offer...yup the song Sway is his trademark and mind you he can foxtrot with a step or two.

If there is any lingering memory of him it will be seeing him serenading the Henri Rotinsulu songs with full vigour and passion...among his Rotinsulu favourite songs...Selendang Sutra and Bandung Selatan.

I went once on a holiday with him to Hanoi and wow he is such great company!!!

So Mr Sway (aka IBM) thank you for being a great friend and don't lose those great moves(sway i mean) on the dance floor while serenading a Rotinsulu song.

My Foot !!! He's still alive...

While in Dubai last week, listening to an English channel radio a mention was made of that old British political stalwart ,Mr Michael Foot.

Excuse me, did you mean the Michael Foot that was the Labour Party leader after Callaghan in the early 80s. Must be kidding, he was already 70 years old then, he cant be still alive!!
So i did "googled" and check the facts out....

Michael Foot, the son of Isaac Foot, the MP for Bodmin, was born on 23rd July, 1913. Educated at Wadham College, Oxford, he became president of the Oxford Union in 1933.

Foot joined the Labour Party and was the unsuccessful parliamentary candidate for Monmouth in the 1935 General Election

In 1980 Foot became leader of the Labour Party. He held the position for three years but resigned after the party's heavy defeat in the 1983 General Election.

As of 23 July 2006, his 93rd birthday, Michael Foot became the longest lived leader of a British political party, beating Lord Callaghan's record of 92 years, 364 days.

My goodness, he must be what, almost 96 years old now!!!

I remembered those days in the late 70s, it was a trying times in the UK.

James Callaghan was the Prime Minister and the endless strikes really made one's life miserable.
Imagine on cold winter days no coal to heat up buildings. College classes were sometimes cancelled because of no coal due to the miners strike.

The Labour left wing was strong then ,,names like Tony Benn, Arthur Scargill, ken Livingstone(now the London Mayor,how ironic) and of course the eccentric Mr Michael Foot.

They were the epitomes of socialist left and the full welfare state they envisioned for Britain almost cause a total economic collapse of the country.

I was not aware then but now i realised that period was the cusp of an emerging new era as Thatcher ism and Reaganomics finally took centre stage in the world order.

The Thatcher years henceforth has shown how "redundant" and irrelevant were the ideas of the idealist Left as championed by Mr Michael Foot and company.

However one cannot fault Michael Foot for his fervent belief for what is a politician if not fighting for his ideals and beliefs.

As an 18 year old boy i cant though help being mesmerised by the articulation of arguments on both sides of the political front as normally shown on TV shows such as Question Time.

Mr Michael Foot indeed is a man of honour ,he may be wrong finally in his views but one cant help feeling the vibes of his sincerity (and of course eccentricity) and to live to such an age reflect possibly his Bohemian and Spartan lifestyle (just guessing!!)

MP wants statue of Michael Foot to rival Thatcher

COPYRIGHT 2002 Solo Syndication Limited. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)

AFTER THE massive marble statue of Lady Thatcher and her handbag which caused such ire on the government benches, Labour MPs are hitting back with proposals for a statue of one of the Left's own heroes.

An early day motion from John Cryer MP is being put down today which proposes that Thatcher's old adversary Michael Foot be immortalised in marble within the Palace of Westminster.

"This house congratulates Michael Foot on his approaching ninetieth birthday," it reads, " recognises his integrity, compassion, decency and his record as an outstanding parliamentarian, journalist, author and above all socialist. This house believes that a fitting tribute to the former ...

Margaret Thatcher may be more renown throughout the world but as captured in the above headlines, Mr Michael Foot is indeed an equal of standing and reputation to her.

He may have not seen his ideas to fruition but nonetheless his untiring commitment to the welfare of the working class has endeared him well with the masses and i am very very sure there will finally be a statue of him , foot and all(pardon me!!!)


To you Mr Foot may you live to a 100.....

My mum and her important nothings

MY MUM AND HER IMPORTANT NOTHINGS

Excuse me sir, your mum calls", a constant reminder from my secretary amidst my busy day . Sometimes in exasperation I would exclaimed,"what important nothings has she got to tell me today?".

As months turned into years, this routine never changed. Ever so now with her deteriorating health, a need to undergo dialysis every other day of the week has depressed her more so.

She has never fully recovered from my dad's demise more than a decade ago from lung cancer.

As I looked at her now, a frail woman I can't help remembering the days when she was our tower of strength,when she was our solutions provider in all manner of problems,when she was I know always hoping and praying that her children will turn up all right.

I could still vividly remember the joy when we as children always await the once a week chicken meal that she would meticulously prepare for us. Hari raya has always been a time for her to scrounge whatever savings that she had in order for us to have the new clothing that young children always crave for on that joyous day each year.

Her pride knows no bounds if we achieved something eventful no matter how trivial it may be if viewed in the worldly scheme of things.

As I looked at her sad demeanour only now I can evoke such gratitude of emotions, only now that i feel the sacrifices that she did for her children. Only now did we realise that only parents can offer you unconditional love.

I used to resent her simplicity, I used to resent her gullibility in viewing the world.

Such resentments can be understandable as we grew up trying to grope with the realities of a complex and unforgiving world .

However only now did I can grasp that parents love and a mother's love for one's child has no prerequisite in this world in its simplicity and sincerity, a feeling that is boundless in her concern for you as she viewed all that you did as important to her.

It is her "important nothings" that help to shape our lives, that helps to shape our character, that helps to shape our view of the world.

A mum's "important nothings" are and will be the only things that we will cherish as one day she will pass on.

To my mum , as I saw you weak from the ravages of the dialysis treatments, I can only ask and hope for your forgiveness in dismissing your everyday concern on whether I have eaten my lunch, on whether I have done my prayers or on whether I have made that call to your grandson as important nothings as I coined them for these daily trivialities are what family life is about.

I now realise these "important nothings" are what makes us cherish ever more our presence in this blessed world, and to you my mum please continue with these and I promise you I will no longer dismiss them as "important nothings" but as "jewels from a great mother". I love u mum. Have a great mother's day.
By: Ir Zuraimi Sabki
Sent via BlackBerry from Maxis

the real politics

This week the national news headlines is all about the UMNO General assembly and the ascendancy of Datuk Seri Najib as the new UMNO President .

The news of the day of course was Khairy's win in the UMNO Youth elections, any surprise ?,hmm

Obviously in my line of responsibility one cannot ignore the ongoings in the political arena and must always observed the going ons while remaining objective about the whole aspect(which sometimes can be a fiasco!!!)

I am not in politics if it is referred to one who belongs to a political party or actively involved with views and comments about the present political scenario.
There are enough in abundance in this democratic country who can claim that so called politician role either active or passive.

As a proud Malaysian of course we all want to see inspiring and great leaders at the helm of the Government and i believe in one important Mantra: the nurturing and sustenance of a conducive culture that encourages innovation, competitiveness,fair play and structured meritocracy.

I remembered having an "intellectual discourse' with an imminent academician to a neighbouring country and he asked me this pertinent question,

"Why is Malaysia comparatively a successful country?

As i reflect the various contributing factors to such an achievement ,i though un hesistantly stated that the success of the country is because we have initiated, developed and sustained strong economic institutions in various strategic areas that becomes the PILLARS that bind the country together irrespective of any political turmoil.

The late Tun Razak was the initial proponent of this concept by his initiation of FELDA.

FELDA has not only successfully eradicate poverty in the rural area but it has spawned into a very strong conglomerate within the palm oil industry.

Others include PETRONAS(oil and gas), RISDA(Rubber), Sime Darby(plantatations), LLN(electricity), MAS (aviation) to name a few and strong investment institutions such as PNB.

What they have in common ,they are all structured as independent economic entities still pursuing a great bottom line performance while balancing the social agenda not only through financial assistance but development of competencies in the various fields.

The late Tun Razak and the rest that followed had the wisdom and vision that there must be minimal political interference on the management of these institutions as capable CEOs are pursued and appointed at its helm.

That's where i believe the real politics are played, at these institutions where opinions may differ but the collective pursuit of the economic and social agenda of the country must not be compromised.

One hopes that this legacy of that great man,the late Tun Razak must not be destroyed but be further consolidated to play its next important role,,as a global and regional player of repute and great strength.

So while we wonder and sometimes despair on the present political climate of the country, we must be comforted by the fact that the real politics remain intact and strong and will constantly be the PILLARS of our great and beloved nation.

I raise my case sir as i said to this imminent man from a neighbouring country.

The twin(twain..) met..Duran Duran on a Naruto

My twin girl Sabrina now is so armoured and obsessed with everything Japanese.

Am grappling as usual trying to understand my growing teenage daughter as she was perennially watching Japanese TV dramas , something if i hear correctly,shows such as Gokusen.
She's learning the Japanese language and the CD in the car whenever she was around always blaring with Japanese songs.

Now how shall the twin(i mean the twain..) met as this father try to relate to her daughter..so here goes....my favourite song in my youth mixed with the japanese animation Naruto..ha ha am sure she's not impressed.

A Duran Duran song with a Japanese Naruto animation video!!!!
As usual not cool enough for her taste.

A week of diversity

Coming back from Dubai on Friday last week and after quite a hectic trip, i was hoping for a relatively quiet week ;with no intentions to travel(at least for a week!!!)

Well the past few days have been otherwise, still hectic and with a bit of diversity in experience!!

The Saturday morning was spent at Serikin, bringing along a West Malaysian friend and family for a short jaunt at this interesting market place. It never failed to amaze me how busy the place was, full of day trippers and business must be roaring for the peddlers.

Didn't buy much though, well after a tour of Dubai shopping malls one with due respect naturally not inclined to buy a 'different" version of Louis Vitton bag or Puma shirt that were in abundance at Serikin. Mind you did not buy much as well in Dubai except a Jackson 5 CD!!!
Still observed though at Serikin the leeches sucking process that claims to heal all ailments!!!!

Saturday afternoon was a golf ritual i had with my ex school mate, lost the rhythm and struggling in vain with my Driver shot!!!! Luckily i was spared of a prolonged misery as lightning put paid to our golf game and we had to stop after 9 holes(out of 18!!!)

Sunday morning spent sending my daughter to the airport for his flight back to KL ,being back in Kuching for a fortnight break. She came back to Kuching with one bag and returned to KL with 2!!!
Her claim of course was the extra books that she wanted to bring back to her college, one suspect more of all the instant noodles and junk food being crammed in that extra bag..needless to say have to pay the overweight charges possibly more costly than the food crammed in that bag...

Another interesting experience attending a prayer session at Pehin Seri's abode..and among the congregation was a Zikir group of Indonesians , and the International Qariah champion as well from Indonesia reciting some verses of the Quran. Wow..such melodious voice and one felt entranced by not only by the Quran recital but the Zikir conducted by this group,

Apparently when i asked then, this group is quite famous in Indonesia and always doing a tour around the country ,performing to big big crowds. No wonder ,they are really talented!!!

Tuesday morning was a Ting Pek King show!!! Attending the hawkers workshop opening ceremony kindly graced by Pehin Seri.

6 speeches in all!!! Ting Pek King has gone to an extent in his "speech"(or is it a Martha Stewart show?) by demonstrating the right attire to wear for a hawker ...if i were to understand correctly..." allo allo my dear awkers lu must wear all white with the right apron and also this free white t shirt(with my hotel logo on it!!).." Interesting character this man and one cant help admiring him and his achievements.

But the show stealer to me that morning was the Datuk Wong Soon Koh interpreter show, i wont say more just find it funny, i thought i was in Beijing!!!

However it was good to see the big crowd of hawkers and their families being feted and treated well this way, kudos to you Tan Seri Ting and to Pehin Seri for such enthusiasm in his speech in offering ideas and ways to help out the hawkers.

An Outlier from the hills

Last week a golfing buddy made a casual remark that he wish he was like Khairy,having plenty of money and thus able to do charitable works while not needing to work hard anymore.

Hmmm, a wishful thought indeed and then he started to rant that successful people have that particular traits that sees them go beyond everybody else and against all odds ,not needing any tertiary education,being street smart,shrewd and has good PR...and so on and so on.

I did not respond then because hey man am trying to do damage limitation on my awful golf game that day but i did remember a book that i read a month back, "The Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell.

The book has an interesting postulation of success...To quote:

"In Outliers ,I want to convince you that these kind of personal explanations of success don't work.People don't rise from nothing. We do owe something to parentage and patronage. The people who stand before kings may look like they did it all by themselves. But in fact they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot. ...."
Interesting view indeed and as i try to grapple with its continuing message in the book i also tried to look for a living individual that i knew well enough who may fit this theory by Gladwell.

I knew him while we were working together in a multinational oil company.
He was a Human Resource man and admittedly being a front liner in the business facing the realities of the work challenges one does have a dim view of human resource personnel..but he was though different.

Now he heads the national Malaysian Airlines,yes the man is Datuk Seri Idris Jala.He is now widely accredited to the man behind turning around MAS.

So let's see not the man but what beneficiaries that he has earlier acquired in his life and career that makes him take most of the opportunity offered by the MAS turn around challenges.

He grew up in the hills of Bario thus explaining possibly the value of a Spartan life with no excesses.He was a son of a teacher thus again giving him the right kind of upbringing where education and intellect is viewed as a gateway towards a better and more meaningful life.

Here come the crunch..he was assigned to lead and execute a company wide business re engineering agenda in the multinational company that he works, thus honing his skills in areas of business turnaround and seeking a most cost effective ways of running a department or business unit.

I still remembered being part of his team then and his skillful grasp of the concepts and underlying issues as offered by Hammer and Champy's Business Re engineering impressed me to the core. Here is a man i knew will be good at turn around role.

So no surprise that he did well at MAS and to a certain measure it does prove Gladwell postulation..

"It makes a difference where and when we grew up.The culture we belong to and the legacies passed down by our forebears shape the patterns of our achievements in ways we cannot begin to imagine.Its not enough to ask what successful people are like.its only asking where they are from can we unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn't."
So Idris indeed you are an outlier from the hills and as a friend am proud of your achievement!!!

Beauty of football

Two weeks ago they were untouchable and believed to have an unassailable lead.

Now, after 2 defeats in a row,Manchester is in serious danger of letting it slipping away. Honestly i initially thought that the Liverpool defeat is a one off. Tonight's defeat by Fulham is a harder pill to swallow because to me, Fergie got it wrong in his team selection.

By not playing Rooney and Carrick left the team with little bundle of energy and thinking that the old guards especially Scholes can save the day was a serious oversight. Well as a fan of course we have the benefit of hindsight ........come on the 2nd half was a better display with Rooney on the pitch. Now how will United react to this lean spell? They are still though in the running on all fronts and must not panic because i always believe in the timeless adage.....Form is temporary but Class is permanent.

Again the premier league showcase the beauty of football...as unpredictable as it comes and every fan is always hopeful that comes May their favourite team will either win the championship or avoid relegation.

Bon the architect

Last week i was in Dubai,more of an obligation being a President of a particular oil and gas association where some of our members showcase their companies and product.

The Expo ,"The Malaysian Services Expo" organised by Martrade was graced open by the Malaysian Federal Minister YB Tan Seri Muhyiddin Yassin.

My Dubai trip was also partly sponsored by Martrade who also get the Minister to launch the Malaysian Oil and Gas directory...well my small claim to fame was there was a small forward page by myself besides that of the Minister and 2 other associations presidents. ha ha mine was the shortest!!!

I was interviewed too by Dubai TV , don't get this often so not so used to it as the interviewer kept telling me to look at the camera!!! well it did run OK ...said few good things of course about Malaysia and its oil and gas industries..hey man make KL your gateway to the ASEAN market and likewise we Malaysians will make Dubai our gateway to the middle east and central Asia market.

Indeed a very meaningful trip to me but was those that i related the real highlights of my trip?

NO!!! it was not!! The real highlight was i met with a good friend of mine who i have not met since University days in Birmingham ,wow almost 26 years .We were also housemates.

I met my friend Bon the architect....was such a great pleasure and his architectural firm was also having a booth at the expo. Bon the architect true to his nature always have a pad and a pencil,scribbling images of what he foresee as the ideal building of the present and the future.

Bon the architect showed me his firm(and his idea) conceptual proposal of a building they proposed for a Saudi Arabian firm...and nothing though has changed in our relations, his buildings still confused me!!!!

He has now a project materialising in the Pacific at the island called "Palau""
"Hey Bon..are you kidding, you know what Palau means in the Iban language?"

It was indeed the real highlight of my trip, it was just like yesterday that we both roamed the streets of Birmingham, him with his non stop chatter and me with my perennial cynicism of his ideas.

Well my friend Bon i was wrong you still can have buildings that look like a pro trudging sausage mixed with mashed potatoes!!!!

Bon...it really has been great meeting you and i was equally proud to see you succeeding as an architecht selling your ideas and concepts to the world , i promise i will not be cynical any more!!!

PS: Palau in Iban stands for being drunk,,maybe you need to be one if one needs to come up with a mashed up sausage building!! oops sorry i was being cynical again. Sorry Bon.

Ian Dury on the emirates

" The deserts of Sudan, the gardens of Japan
The wilds of Borneo, the vineyards of Bordeaux
Hit me,hit me with the rhythm stick....

These were the hymns that i sang along as i listened to the UK hits of 1979 during my last week trip to Dubai courtesy of Emirate Airlines entertainment ICE(information, Communication,Entertainment) programme.

Yup, the Ian Dury and the Blockheads No 1 hit in 1979 brought back great memories of my college days in Halifax,UK.

I really enjoyed the songs on this Emirate Airlines flight featuring all UK no1 hits (you just select the year you want ).....Boom town Rats and their hit.."I don't like Mondays"..The evergreen Gloria Gaynor song, "I will survive", Blondie's " The tide is high"

Those were the great songs of my teenage years, like all teenagers we cant live without music, my favourite groups include The Police(Sting), Pink Floyd(Phil Collins) and of course Ian Dury and the Blockheads!!

The present generations may not know all these Pop groups but to us in those days their songs were a welcome solace particularly on dreary cold winter days and nights.

I also still remembered attending a Jackson 5 concert, yup Michael Jackson before he became all famous. With their Afro distinctive hairstyle seeing them performing at this small rundown theatre in Halifax one cannot imagine that Michael can be such a huge star a few years after that!!!

Ya .as i listened to all the hit songs of the 1979,80 and 81 era ,i cant feel the long 7 hour flight and the lyrics that one hymned as an 18 year old boy came back flooding to this middle aged man not realising that 30 years has passed on but then music always live on !!!

To the late Ian Dury...your song "hit me with the rhythm stick" remains one of my very favourite songs. Thank you.

Bitter red pill to swallow

i am in KL this weekend and having a business related dinner last night and as if like a clockwise precision around 10 pm i received a torrent of SMSs..

'Torres & gang just really humble the Devils tonite,especially d big mouth Rooney.Am just over the moon with such a big win!!"

"Beating any team especially the potential champions home and away shows which is the better team.Must be a bitter pill for all MU fans to swallow"

And some more SMSs following that..ya you get it,Man U got "thrashed' by the bitter rivals up the Lancashire Road,Liverpool.

This friend of mine and myself have been on this constant barraging against each other since we were together doing A levels in Halifax UK.
I was the long suffering guy then because Liverpool was sweeping away everyone and all the trophies .
I got my turn with Man U ascendancy in early 90s.

Ya..30 years on we still behaved like 18 year old kids way back in Halifax then, arguing and sending banters to each other..oooh how i hate Liverpool and he knows that!!!

Today? i am not really looking forward to lunch...yes you guess it we are going to have lunch together here in KL and i can imagine now the glee and joy that he will have with his incessant salvo of triumphant words for his beloved team and the mockery that he's going to shower on my team,Man U especially that 'loud mouthed" Rooney !!!

Well, Mr AAA did you say potential champions? ha ha ya i will have the last laugh at the end of season. AAA was his nickname,reason is short abbreviation for his name but also he's just like that battery never stop particular if his team winning!!! sorry AAA for the pun!!!

Live on you Mancunians!!! You run on electricity and will sure win over the long haul, unlike team run on battery(AAA!!! ha ha) , they are only good in short period!!!

Places to savour

Flight to KL delayed..uhhh,well will be away for a week again.

With all this constant travelling makes me reminisce what has been my favourite destination so far.Indeed fortunate enough to say there's a plenty but then some will always bring back lingering memories ....obviously my umrah trip to Mecca takes the pick.
Other favourite places?

The Lake Distict in the Cumbrian district England still remains a very favourite place. Its meandering hills and lakes gave the place a sense of melancholy while still retaining its eerie beauty..

I went for a week camping holiday when was still a young boy of 18 during my A level years in UK.
The long walks, the camping we did near the lakes still remained clear in my memory. One day i will visit this place again i promise myself.

Venice is my favourite city, because of its uniqueness .

Walking mindlessly along its narrow streets,piazzas and boat taxi rides along its vast arrays of canals was a real joy. A pizza dinner as you watched the sunset alone worth a visit to Venice.

Have been there twice,once as a backpacking student and also on a holiday with the family few years back.

My favourite Malaysian destination is Pulau Redang. I was not expecting much though when i took a short holiday with the family while on a working trip to Trengganu.

The Berjaya Hotel was a real haven on earth. Its pristine clear water and white sandy beach is the best there is anywhere in the world i think.Snorkel ling was a treat to savour and definitely i will come back there again.

The real stimulus..A Malaysian pride

Few days back, it was all splashed on the front pages on the National and local dailies..yes the RM60 Billions stimulus package.

A more important news in my view attracted my attention that day albeit the article was just tucked in some insignificant corner of the Papers.

I am talking about Air Asia first direct flight from KL to London. This indeed was a breakthrough news, a culmination of one man's successful dream of living to the theme, "Now everyone can fly".

I attended one luncheon talk by Datuk Tony Fernandes, the Air Asia founder a few years back and indeed i was deeply impressed by this man.
A down to earth, non assuming fella who is most credited to the success of Air Asia.

You can see the hustle and bustle of LCCT terminal the low cost terminal in Sepang... a real hive of activity and hey..where you want to go from KL? You name it... Air Asia will fly you there at reasonable prices.

So now with this connection to London, an European market is now open and with their aggressive marketing I can imagine Europeans in their droves coming to KL and use KL as its hub to go everywhere else in Asia.
Beat that ..this is the real stimulus, an influx of tourists spending their Euro dollars and making Malaysia a preferred and cheap destination for them.

Datuk Tony,thank you very much and indeed you have given the right stimulus at the right time.

A Lost Corner

Earlier i rambled about my favourite corners at home. As usual there are rooms as well either for dining, living room or prayer room.

I have though "lost " one favourite corner to that little guy, Amirul the youngest. Ya...the Computer corner.

That corner has now being turned into a games arcade, goodness knows the variety of games they played in between classes, homework and brief rest for lunch, dinner or taking a bath.

The games that appear to be always on the screen are the counterstrike game and DOTA(what does it mean anyway?)

So like every battles, some you win some you lost .As long as this young boy is not yet into listening to Beyonce music,have a liking for Nescafe, love to continuously watch Little Britain series and above all savouring the delights of Enid Blyton books ...my other CORNERS are safe and sound!!!

Hold the fort!!!

Favourite corners

Hmmm... we all have our favourite corners at home. A place where we can do our own things and felt "hey,this is my territory".

For a boisterous household like ours ,never easy but then here are my favourite corners:

-My Hi Fi corner,great place for me to relax while sipping a cup of coffee or reading a book. Have quite a collection ,not the latest hip hop of course but a collection that is deemed ancient by Sabrina,the twin girl.
Well, if you have Cd's of Endang S Taurina, Henri Rotinsulu and love songs collections,it may be ancient in sound but wow such soothing music to the ears.

-My Coffee corner, a place where i brewed my own coffee from a relatively cheap espresso machine. Have its own "bar" as well more for the coffee and tea making though. I have my own favourite supply of espresso coffee(from a shop in Pending area) ...well i know Coffex was also coffee being brewed and served at the Hilton Kuching. Diyana my elder girl shared my passion for coffee and i do enjoy making her a cuppa whenever she's back from her A level college in KL.

_My Books corner. It has been almost 12 years that i started a habit of buying and budget ting a book a month. So you can imagine the arrays of books i have,almost a mini library. Mostly "boring" books according to Faizul the twin boy. Well i don't keep collection of Pokeman books !!!

- My TV/Movie corner..wow that 's a real great place for me to relax. i am a movie buff(as in books,football,coffee and music) . I normally spent my weekend at this corner if not travelling .
It has served me well and the enjoyment of watching a good movie with the kids(if they re not playing computer games) is a great treat indeed. Azri the eldest love this corner too and when he was back from university holidays a while back fully engrossed with his 24 tv series.

Well those were indeed my favourite corners at my abode and how i wished i have the time to spend at all these little nooks as i sipped my favourite brew of coffee.

Chimerica..a Ferguson's postulation

No, this Ferguson is not Alex but Niall. Niall Ferguson is an imminent Historian who has written some best seller books particularly on history based on a particular theme. His first book that i read was "Empire', a grand Tour De Force narration of the British Empire.

Presently i am heavy on his latest one, "The ascent of money', a bit too heavy and intellectual but wow such a great read.
I love the way he simplify complex issues and try to enlighten readers on the fundamental underlying themes or reasons for major historic financial phenomena eg the recent sub prime loans crisis that triggers a world wide recession.

This man, Niall no doubt is a very clever man, Scottish to the core and reminiscent of that great Scotsman that wrote the ground breaking book, "The wealth of Nations, " Adam Smith.

The most insightful postulation that Ferguson offered in his book is the postulation of Chimerica.
He opined with facts that the symbiotic relations between China and America(thus the term Chimerica)
To quote the book,
" Welcome to the wonderful dual country of 'Chimerica'-China plus America-which accounts for more than half of global economic growth in the past eight years.For a time it seemed like a marriage in heaven. The East Chimericans(the Chinese) did the saving.The West Chimericans(Americans) did the spending. Chinese cheap imports kept down US inflation.Chinese savings kept down US interest rates.Chinese Labour kept down US wage costs. As a result it is remarkably cheap to borrow money and remarkably profitable to run a corporation. ...."

I love this part(scary thought though.),
"Maybe as its name was always intended to hint,Chimerica is nothing more than a Chimera-the mythical beast of ancient legend that was part lion,part goat,part dragon. Perhaps on reflection, we have been here before.A hundred years ago, in the first age of gloablisation,many thought there was a similarly symbiotic relationship between the world's financial centre,Britain,and continental Europe's most dynamic industrial economy,Germany. Then as today there was a fine line between symbiosis and rivalry.."

We all knew what happened then between Britain and Germany and we certainly hope(but must not ignore) the fine line relationship between China and America let us all pray that the symbiotic relationship that has spurred such abundant economic growth last 10 years will not turn into a bitter rivalry that can lead to a military fare.

As i finally finish reading the final chapter in his book, Niall Ferguson again give us a subtle warning that all economists and financial policy makers must read and understand financial history for we have been to this road before and present and future leaders must not take the same road that can finally lead us to Armageddon.

Scary but can be true!!!