Monday, June 30, 2014

Flying

They say...your life are influenced by the people you met, the books you read and places you travelled.And I am doing the 3rd type....and to the few countries I have wanted to see and feel...since many years ago and I am excited. Will be first landing at Frankfurt then move to Cologne...all these are re visits...and more to come.
good nite.

Choong
klia

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Parents

Many times, I think children, when they are far away from parents, and esp when they are still young (less than 40), most of them will think that taking care of their parents are just a matter of providing money,,,,,,,that should be significant enough.

When I was that age, I am also sometimes having a problem like that, and if you a male, and not too closely communicating with your parents, then sometimes, you feel there is a wall... But somehow, I think I still did a good job, I stayed with my dad after my sis got married, and was away only for 3 years from the house and back again, and staying with him until 5 years before his passing away. I took care of the house, and although we spoke more in the last few years, and little at a stage of time, nevertheless, I was still a company to him, and the same time, him, to me. This I appreciate until now.
Even when I was in KL working for 2.5 years, I was constantly back, leaving KL on Friday, and going back to KL on Monday or sometimes Sunday, just to make sure the house is clean (and at least take a look what is happening around). This I disciplinary did for the time period I was in KL, and even when I was traveling for business, I think I never failed to go home at least once every month.
And the best part is, while I was working in Beijing and my dad felt sick, I still managed to take care of him for a week, alone. It was not easy (for sure my sis did most part), but when i looked back, I think as a son, I did what I need to, and I am really glad that I did.

The reason I wrote this is because I found sometimes, people tend to be ignorant, and take their parents compromise for granted. thinking everything is okay, acceptable, by going for a short vacation, by eating 2-3 meals, by buying a gift, the parents are somehow fine with it.
And sometimes, they might be avoiding some issues, might not want to face reality, might be finding all sort of excuses (this was arranged by mum, I am in difficult situation, standing in between A&B, the place is more convenient for my children, etc), they forgotten, when they do this, the parents or parent would be heart broken, waiting day and nite for the child or children to visit. And they forget that they are far away, and actually, this means nothing, when they are able to take care and accompany their parents as much as possible. And in instances like this, even if they need to rent a place, to rent a car, to take a taxi, to walk or worst, crawling back home, they need to....it is needed, no excuses. It should be very clear, cause they are parents themselves, and would they expect this from their parents, or have they, because of new environment they live in, the culture they absorbed, they think this is a norm? You take care of yourself........I am independent.., But have they forgotten where their roots are, and who they are, and how much the parent love him or her...more than himself.......
It is worthwhile to reflect.

I am annoyed, really annoyed. And I guess my sister who is much more patient than me, are equally if  not more annoyed. I am writing this, cause it is happening in a relative's family, and I hate this. I think it is not fair to parent here. Whether this person is awake, and is clear what she does, I am not sure. But I do not buy her, whatever reasons and excuses she gave to me. A person who do not know how to be gratitude, and who do not keep her promises, and very much "westernised" culture wise, and forgotten her root, sorry, i am not able to accept that. Wish this person all the best.

Choong
Selayang

Majlis-majlis perbandaran

I was on the way to Tioman island, actually to Mersing jetty direction, after coming out from the NS highway, and in order to go to Mersing, I will have to pass through Keluang. What I find it interesting even it was nite time (and reconfirm on my way back to KL, day time), that throughout the journey, even in the small little town of Mersing, it was clean, neat, and the vegetation was well kept. Together with me in the MPV were my cousin and her husband and she also acknowledge this observation.

Meanwhile, I have been staying here, in Selayang quite often, and I found this place to be very dirty, here I am referring to Selayang in general. But if you were to go to Pasar borong Selayang area, it is like you are living in another 3rd world country,  waiting for some development to come in.
Where is the MP for this area? What did they do? Are they not suppose to highlight this.

And what happens to the SOP of Majlis Perbandaran? I am having lots of question marks.

Okay, this, may be you think if because they are of different states (which I beg to differ), but about the difference between MPPP (for Penang Island) and MPSP (for Penang, Mainland)? If you are from Penang state, then you will know and understand what I am trying to say. And I am from Bukit Mertajam, and live near BM high school, and when I pass-by BM High School area, you can see the drains are clogged most of the times.......

I am not sure when these places will improve further.

Thanks.

Regards,
Choong

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Traveling------Time at the airport

At the airport, though my flight is suppose to be 830pm, departing to Singapore, I went to KL Sentral before 5PM, then to KLIA, reaching here around 540PM. I think I have been spending a lot of time at the airport, 'cos I want to skip the bad traffic that will happen during the super rush hours, no other choice. And from S'pore to my final destination, that is Beijing would be at 12.55am....oh gosh, how many hours do I need to spend at the airport, and this is not the first time, I think I have been spending time at the airport quite often. But then, it is part of traveling I guess.
I remembered when I was in China, and due to bad weather where flights were delayed, I have to wait at the airport for like 6-7 hours at one time.......haha.

That are all memories and I think it is also part and parcel of travelings, whether they are personal travels or business travels.

Choong
KL Airport

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Huat Kueh


I always like the idea of making my own huat kueh, and after trying out many recipes, I found one which I think is quite successful, but I have another one, which involves fermentation and more complicated. This one is simpler:

200gm dark brown sugar ( I think if we use gula Melaka) it could taste better, mix this with 400ml water and boil this---(I)
300gm HK flour or cake flour, can easily find this from any bakery supply shop---(1)
60g rice flour... (2)
4 Table Spoon Baking Powder...(3)


Mix 1, 2, and 3 together, sieve it----II
Then mix II with I, then immediately pour into pre steamed container, before pouring in the batter.

Steam for at least 10mins, only then open the cover.


My Cheesecake


Made this cheesecake.. 1st trial (copied most mostly from Christines' recipe)
150gm of whipping cream
mango-enough for a cake, mix with lemon juice
biscuit, plus butter
  • 120 gm Marie biscuits
  • 70 gm butter, melted
  • 250 gm cream cheese block, room temperature
  • 55 gm caster sugar
  • 30 ml hot water
  • 1 mango, peeled and sliced
Coulis:
  • 1 mango, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tsp lime juice

Taste good, and I am glad I made this. Will try this out the next time around.




I like reading this article

Dear Salma,
I still remember your first week in kindergarten. We were standing outside your classroom, looking at your extra sharp nose standing out among all the others. I know how it feels to have a generously endowed nose among those who hardly have.
You had then asked me, “Why are all my friends small-eyed? Their eyes are so small.”  We told you, “Don’t say that in front of others, especially that aunty you always meet outside.” But we couldn’t stop laughing. You must have been very confused.
Then one day, as I fetched you from kindy, your teacher asked me, “May I know what your race is? We are doing this class activity and I am not sure what to put her race as.”
I told her “Indian”. But you never bothered to ask me about it.
I went home that day, thinking of the day I registered your birth at the National Registration Department. The officer had then asked me what to put your race as. People don’t ask that in other countries. If your parents are Indian, then surely you must be Indian.
Maybe the clerk was expecting me to ask that you be registered as Malay. Just like your cousins’ parents did. Just like many of our non-Malay Muslim friends did.
Some are so dark, but are Malay. Some still visit their relatives in India, but are Malay. There is also one or two who didn’t want to go to the NRD to register their newborn baby.
Instead, they delegated their Malay friends to do it for them, worried that their non-Malay look would lessen their child’s chance of being registered as Malay.
So fearful they are of what would happen to them as non-Malays. I know that some had repeatedly performed the pilgrimage in Mecca, yet came back without a clue about God’s signs. But Malcolm X had only to go once to Mecca to transform his whole perspective on race and equality.
I, too, am Malay by definition of Article 160. I was born in Malaysia and am Muslim – and a Shafi’ite Muslim at that – just like the other Malays.
I habitually speak the Malay language with an accent that could put even a curry-phobic, petai-munching Malay to shame. And I conform – well, more or less – to Malay customs.
I even like belacan and all the fishy lauk. My only giveaway is that I love mutton so much, and don’t watch Malay movies (but, then again, neither do many of my brown friends).
Salma, I know all this is confusing to you. “So what?” you might even ask. But you are in Malaysia.  You need to know all this nonsense about race. It’s tied to your future, they will tell you.
Next year, you will be going to Sekolah Rendah. I can’t afford private school for you (you see, I work at The Malaysian Insider). At school, there will be pressure to conform.
I went through all that. In my limited understanding then, I had tried to explain to my Malay friends that I am not Malay, yet am still Muslim.
They were confused. “How can you be ‘Islam’ but not ‘Melayu’?” They would have none of such nonsense from me. In the end, I just accepted becoming a Malay.
Last year, when your twin brothers were born, I had to make that trip again. The officer told me, “So saya letak Melayu ya, sebab emak diorang Melayu kan.”
That is the kind of response that many non-Malay Muslim parents could only dream of. Oh, the lengths some of them would go to, to get such recognition on their children’s birth certs!
And who could blame them? After all, it comes with a lot of perks. Special privileges, specially allocated shares, university education, scholarships.
At the NRD, I remembered that your race was registered as Indian. So for your brothers, I asked them to follow your race. How could I not? Would I want them growing up as Malay and you as Indian? How would I explain to all of you this confusion?
I don’t mind what you grow up as, but you are in Malaysia, the land of races. It is where God’s justice is put to test, and where an atheist’s argument can hold some water: if God exists, how could He be so cruel as to make me be born a non-Malay without privileges?
I don’t want to be part of this ugly system. I am against special treatment because of one’s race or religion, which is why I make no apology for hating Zionism, never mind all the arguments by the silly gentiles to show that it is not racism or apartheid. 
I believe in the Quran, which states that mankind is only a single nation (2:213), but whom God created in various colours, who speak various languages to show His Signs (30:22) and whom God created into nations and tribes so that we know one other (49:13).
So is it right for me, as a Muslim, to reap the benefits of this godless system? How can I allow you to get a scholarship when I know it could be at the cost of some poor, bright non-Muslim student whose middle-class parents had to refinance their home so that they could be sent to private colleges or overseas?
What about those not in the middle class? Sing all the NegaraKu and fly all the Jalur Gemilang they like, but their lives are screwed.
Some of our relatives could not believe it when they found out that I registered you as Indian. “She will have so many difficulties one day.” I don’t care. But I do understand them.
Just last month, one of your cousins who had all As in his SPM was denied entry into a public university. All because 18 years ago, his parents failed to get him registered as Malay.
I copied this article from Malaysian Insider, as I think it is a nicely written one.

For the actual article, please read via this link:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/abdar-rahman-koya/article/letter-to-my-non-bumi-daughter


Some people patronisingly repeat this story to me, as if to remind me of my folly, of me destroying your future by refusing to lie that you are Malay.
Even my non-Muslim friends are surprised. For all their loathing not being treated fairly, I suspect they, too, given half a chance, would be eager to reap the special privileges.
Dear Salma, I don’t regret what I have done. I hope one day you will be grateful that your father had not started your life on a lie.
I hope one day you will be successful, or less successful (however you define it), because of your own hard work, and not because of an unjust system recognising your racial status as superior.  You have God with you. He sees the truth, but waits.
I may be a little selfish for doing this. But this much I admit: I don’t want to one day stand before God to be questioned why I, despite being Muslim, had agreed to be part of this unjust system.
I could have been more practical and pragmatic and not allowed you to experience a bumpy life. “So what? Just make her Malay. You got nothing to lose and all to gain.”
Well, thanks, but no thanks. You can take all the privileges and all the quotas.
So you see, my dearest Salma, it is not my intention to make life difficult for you. I am sure you will one day work hard to be a good human being.
Indeed, I am sure you will work harder, and you owe your success to no one but your faith in God.
Meantime, I hope you can learn a thing or two from your small-eyed friends. But don’t abandon the mutton curry. That is a legacy you won’t want to part with. – June 14, 2014.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/abdar-rahman-koya/article/letter-to-my-non-bumi-daughter#sthash.SC116WmO.dpuf

Wife, Spouses, Life

I always think that when one gets married, they must have found the other half that they loved, that is why they chosen to get married, settled down. And when they have children, it is first of all, because they have love and as a result of having lots of love, they they have their offsprings, as their "by-products".
But nowadays, you heard people getting divorces, even if they have been married only for 1 week. When I was in China, I have heard of cases where people got married the day before and divorce after that, funny but is happening.

And today, sis told me that a neighbour informed her that her husband has been hitting her, I am not sure what she meant by that, and how serious it is, and have been asking for my sister's contact number, in case of emergency. And sis says it was because of children as the reason, the wife wants to educate the children, but husband dislike and disallow....
I asked sis to help, in case she calls, just by going over to have a look, at least to make sure that she is safe, at least.
And told sis that she should advise her to report to police in case the abuse continues. Lets see if there is further problems on this.

I am not sure, the meaning of marriage nowadays?
But if you are not married, it is not okay, if you are single, you are not okay, but if you married and divorced, then it is part of life, or if you are bitten by your spouse, it is okay, because this is part of life, and society accepts that. I am not sure, I am confused.

I only believe in Buddhism......Your karma decides, and if it is meant that you are single and for good, then let it be.
I can only do to become better, but my Karma of my past lives decide.......


Choong

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

movie...maleficient...a good acting fron Angelina Jolie..


First time I really like Angelina Jolie's acting
I like the way this movie has been written and presented
And kind of cool to see a story of your childhood told in this manner.