Robbed in Broad Daylight

My mum got robbed in broad daylight last Friday, 24 July 2009, at about 2pm.

My mum heard someone at the house gate, 2 Indian guys, one shouted that he was making a delivery of a letter from overseas. My mum, thinking it could be a letter from my sister residing in USA, opened the automatic gate. As soon as she opened the front door, she realised these were bad guys, because one of them reached out to grab her hand, while the other quickly went for my sister's handbag which she was holding. My mum got angry, so she put up a fight and tried to get back the handbag from the thief, but, the larger guy hit her on the head and pushed her until she fell. She screamed "Pencuri, Pencuri", and the two guys quickly fled, leaving behind an old IBM laptop. They also snatched their jewellery; necklaces and bracelets. My mum was bleeding from the head injury, she succumbed to fractured ribs (left-side) and also fractured 2 left toes (second and third toes) plus bruises on her face. My sister got bruises on her face too.

It happened so fast, within minutes, according to my mum.

She was admitted to Pantai Medical Hospital later that afternoon, and I have been accompanying her at night, for the last 3 nights. The first night, she had severe pain and had trouble breathing because when she inhales, she would feel the pain in the ribs and was given pain killers, the second night she was nauseous and vomitted twice due to the side effects of one of the pain killers, and last night, she was traumatised with a terrifying nightmare. I didn't sleep the first and third nights, but got about 2.5 hours sleep the second night. During the day, my other siblings would be with her, we all take turns to keep her company. She wanted to be discharged today, but, because she is still not so well, the doctor told her to stay another night, and see how it goes. If her condition improves, she can go home soon.

Anyway, what kind of a human being would do such a thing to an 82-year old woman? I am so upset, and sad that this has happened and I will pray for her speedy recovery and will make special prayers so they will be punished by God. God help me, Amin.

Karaoke & July Gals Birthdays

Had a good ladies nite out with my MRSM Alumni friends (12 of us) at The Curve Red Box. We had a karaoke session from 9pm to 1am but I left earlier at about 12.30am. We also celebrated the July gals birthdays, there were 3 birthdays, 1, 6 & 10 July. The other July birthday girl didn't turn up. We had a good cake/candle-blowing for all three birthday gals at one blow, and one photo before we left.

At the beginning, we were too caught up with the late Michael Jackson's videos, in fact the main reason for going to the Karaoke, was to remember him by singing his songs. No one wanted to start singing, that was a good half hour gone, and we had to eat anyway, so that time gone was alright. Let's just take that as starters.

We sang many many songs, from the Late Michael Jackson, to Rihanna, Whitney Houston, Bee Gees, Elton John, D'Lloyd's to Siti Nur Haliza plus some Indonesian songs. Well, it was mostly oldies, we are all middle-aged anyway. Now I've got a sore throat and body aches.

But, I had a great time, haven't gone to a Karaoke in many years, maybe about 13 years. Not into singing, can't sing. I went for the birthday party and company.

The buffet food was unexpectedly quite good, with pasta, rice, chicken, beef, fish, vegetables, taufoo, cakes, pastry etc.

The price...all in for the Karaoke, food and drinks, was RM58.42 per head, a total RM701 for 12 of us. That's ok, I guess.

The problems we encountered at Red Box were:

1. The remote control

We had no clue how to use it as there were no instructions on how to use it, and every now and then we had to call someone to help us out, e.g. to select a song, to quit the song we didn't like and go to the next song, to increase the microphone volumes (we were given 3 microphones) etc. Perhaps next time there could be a search key to search for song titles or singers/bands and go straight to the song instead of going through screen by screen -> select male singer/female singer/band, then go through screen by screen to look for a particular name, then again go through many more screens to look for song title, that's quite user unfriendly I think.

2. The buffet had a "Pork Free" signage, so I just had a vegetarian meal because I'm only at ease if the establishment has a JAKIM certification for Halal food. But, it's a Karaoke place, and it also serves alcoholic drinks, maybe that is why they can't get the Halal certification. I wonder if they are any halal karaoke outlets? Guess not, since singing is in many cases associated with drinking parties and nightclubs, many scholars have declared it to be haram or at least makruh. permissable by some. Click here to read an article on "Is Music Haram"? But, I won't get into this sensitive issue here.

3. There were no forks at the buffet. I had to ask someone for one.

4. There were no drinks at the buffet, we have to order drinks at an additional charge. So, my friend ended up becoming a member to get a better deal, at a cheaper price as a privileged member. Otherwise, I think our bill would've gone up quite high. I think we had at least 6 jugs of drinks, a mix of coke, orange and water.

5. I was a bit warm in the karaoke room, we all sang and danced (click here to read article on "Dancing - What is Allowed and What is Not)and perspired. So, it got a bit too warm for me. The air-cond was a centralised unit, so we couldn't adjust the room temperature to make it cooler. But my friends were fine, it was only me who had that problem.

But, I have to say, the customer service was very good, and the waiters kept on coming into the room to see if they could help us, and also to clear used plates, cutleries etc.

Most important of all, we all had a good time.

Michael Jackson Memorial on Channel V

I watched Michael Jackson Memorial on Channel V just now, and just cried and cried and cried, his songs were the best, with awesome messages for the world.

May God Bless His Soul...

Below are some of my favourite songs of MJ:
--------------------------------------------------------------
So Tonight Gotta Leave That Nine To Five Upon The Shelf
And Just Enjoy Yourself
C'mon And Groove, And Let The Madness In The Music Get To You
Life Ain't So Bad At All
If You Live It Off The Wall
Life Ain't So Bad At All (Live Life Off The Wall)
Live Your Life Off The Wall (Live It Off The Wall)
--------------------------------------------------------------
People Always Told Me Be Careful Of What You Do
And Don't Go Around Breaking Young Girls' Hearts
And Mother Always Told Me Be Careful Of Who You Love
And Be Careful Of What You Do 'Cause The Lie Becomes The Truth

[Chorus]
Billie Jean Is Not My Lover
She's Just A Girl Who Claims That I Am The One
But The Kid Is Not My Son
She Says I Am The One, But The Kid Is Not My Son
--------------------------------------------------------------
I Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
You Got To Be Startin' Somethin'
I Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
You Got To Be Startin' Somethin'
--------------------------------------------------------------
The Way You Make Me Feel
(The Way You Make Me Feel)
You Really Turn Me On
(You Really Turn Me On)
You Knock Me Off Of My Feet
(You Knock Me Off Of
My Feet)
My Lonely Days Are Gone
(My Lonely Days Are Gone)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Keep on with the force dont stop
Dont stop til you get enough
Keep on with the force dont stop
Dont stop til you get enough
--------------------------------------------------------------
I Wanna Rock With You (All Night)
Dance You Into Day (Sunlight)
I Wanna Rock With You (All Night)
We're Gonna Rock The Night Away
--------------------------------------------------------------
cause this is thriller, thriller night
There aint no second chance against the thing with forty eyes
You know its thriller, thriller night
Youre fighting for your life inside of killer, thriller tonight
--------------------------------------------------------------
Just beat it (beat it) beat it (beat it)
No one wants to be defeated
Showin' how funky strong it's your fight
It doesn't matter who's wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
--------------------------------------------------------------
Earth Song
What have we done to the world?
Look what we've done.
What about all the peace,
That you pledge your only son?
What about flowering fields?
Is there a time?
What about all the dreams,
That you said was yours and mine?
--------------------------------------------------------------
Heal the world
Make it a better place
For you and for me and the entire human race
There are people dying
If you care enough for the living
Make a better place for
You and for me.
--------------------------------------------------------------
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me
--------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change"
--------------------------------------------------------------
"But, If
You're Thinkin' About My Baby
It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White"
--------------------------------------------------------------
"But you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
But you are not alone"
--------------------------------------------------------------
I'll be there to protect you.
[Yeah, baby.
With an unselfish love
That respects you.
Just call my name and I'll be there.
I'll be there.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by...

If you smile
With your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just...
--------------------------------------------------------------

Kluang Kopitiam

Tried this Kluang Kopitiam last saturday, 2 of us had a half dozen satay, nasi lemak beef rendang, iced tea and hot tea (teh tarik). The price was reasonable at RM23.xx, the food was ok, except for the satay. The satay was horrible, must've been one of those frozen satay which they microwaved, and the peanut sauce didn't taste like it at all. Suggested to the waitress to inform her boss to take the satay off the menu and I was quite surprised when she said that besides the satay, there was another item that customers always complained about, I think it was one of the noodles. The waiter had earlier informed her boss about the complaints, but nothing was done about it. Why?

Kopitiam 71, Bangsar Baru - Food Delivery

I see my mum weekly, and we always make it a point to eat together. It doesn't matter what we eat, as long as we eat together. She enjoys and loves eating with me, cos I enjoy my food and it makes her want to eat as well, makes her have an appetite. My sisters who live with her, do not eat much. I'm the one with the big appetite, so it's more fun eating with me.

Today, I had an early dinner with my mum and sister. We ordered food delivery from Kopitiam 71, Bangsar Baru (located at the same row as the Post Office & Berjaya Restaurant which is at the other end).

They have all sorts of food e.g. Nasi Goreng Kampong, Nasi Goreng Pattaya, Nasi Paprik, Nasi Goreng Cina, Nasi Lemak, Char Kuay Teow, Curry Mee, Prawn Mee, Fish Ball Noodle Soup, Mamak Mee, Fish Porridge and many more. You can also order drinks e.g. barley, sprite, coke etc.

My mum and sister both had Char Kuay Teow and I had Nasi Paprik. My other sister was upstairs so she didn't eat with us, we left her the Nasi Goreng Kampong. And, My mum had hot barley while my sister had sprite. I didn't order any drink, I prefer my own mineral water. For all that, the cost was only RM36.41, cheap huh? My mum, who is quite fussy, somehow, was very pleased and happy with the food, she said the food was tasty, good & cheap. No hassle to get dressed and go out and no parking worries. For my mum, at 82, that's a good deal.

MY RESUME - For Proof Reading, Editing & Translation

I've finally completed my resume to submit for the freelance job in assisting my sister in Proof Reading, Editing & Translation. She'll submit my resume to her client. I've posted a copy of my resume at http://myinternetservices.blogspot.com

And, this is my sister's (Rohani Abdul Hamid, PhD) resume at http://www.translatorscafe.com/cafe/profile/default.asp?LinguistID=50907
Her company is called Future Aspirations Sdn Bhd.

Dictionary Update

I just got some work yesterday from my sister.

I'm helping her with an BM-BM-BI (Bahasa Malaysia-Bahasa Malaysia-Bahasa Inggeris) or Malay-Malay-English dictionary update, in order to produce an updated newer edition.

Have done some work, and completed the draft of the WORD "E", The word E had 318 words. And, I spent the last 4 hrs, just to complete that, and out of the 318 words, I couldn't find the english translation for 24 malay words. Phew, I'm so exhausted now with that marathon run, to do this job. The work is so TEDIOUS, my eyes almost popped out of strain, and going over 3 books and 2 online dictionaries. And, that's just one word E, How about the rest F to Z? My sis had finished A, B, C, D. And I will be helping her to complete the whole project.

Next, my sis will be giving me some editing work of 900 pages, with the help from 2 others. I'm looking forward to that. Good nite.

The Passing of Michael Jackson & Farah Fawcett - Thursday 25 June 2009

I was a fan of both.

http://www.michaeljackson.com/

Good old friend

Met my good old friend just now, late afternoon, at One-Utama, Starbucks. I had tea, and she had Jelly in Coffee. Chatted for about an hour and a half. It is so amazing how the chemistry never faded, we chatted like we just saw each other yesterday. But, I last saw her about 18 years ago. Mmmm strange... Here's a photo of the old days when I was about 23 years old.

Halifax Alumni Mini Reunion - Teh Tarik at Ismail Restaurant, TTDI, 5-8pm, 24 June 2009

I've not met 7 of my friends in these photos since 1981. That's 28 years. WOW! There are more friends I've yet to meet. Some are missing, e.g. Daniel, Tham. We are planning a reunion sometime later this year, maybe after Hari Raya, Eid-Ul-Fitr, maybe there are about 50 of us, I'm not sure. We've only got connected with maybe, about 20 via Our Yahoo Group: Halifax-alumni-7881@yahoogroups.com

Anyway, here is a slideshow of the pics taken:

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Estate Planning for a Muslim - Fara'id (Inheritance Laws) / Will Writing / Hibah (Gift)

Estate Planning was not taught to us in school but what we all need to understand and execute so it is clear cut what the heirs should receive so as to avoid any "family wars" after one's death.

How you plan your estate before your death is crucial, if you wish to leave a will, or leave it to fara'id and additionally, you can do a Hibah.

The "Will" is an admission of honour made by a person during their lifetime. The Will is divided into 2 categories, that is divided into 2 portions, one-third and two-thirds. Example of those entitled to the one-third portion are:
- adopted children/foster parents/siblings
- non-muslim immediate family members (parents and siblings)
- relatives not entitled under forced heirship ruling e.g. in-laws and grandchildren
- institution and organisations, charitable or non-charitable
The two-third portion or the balance after allocating the one-third portion, is allocated to the relatives or family members

The fara'id law (Inheritance Laws) or forced heirship ruling is prominent in the Qur'an as per verse 4:11-12.

Allah chargeth you concerning (the provision for) your children: to the male the equivalent of the portion of two females, and if there be women more than two, then theirs is two-thirds of the inheritance, and if there be one (only) then the half. And to of his parents a sixth of the inheritance, if he have a son; and if he have no son and his parents are his heirs, then to his mother appertaineth the third; and if he have brethren, then to his mother appertaineth the sixth, after any legacy he may have bequeathed, or debt (hath been paid). Your parents or your children: Ye know not which of them is nearer unto you in usefulness. It is an injunction from Allah. Lo! Allah is Knower, Wise. (11) And unto you belongeth a half of that which your wives leave, if they have no child; but if they have a child then unto you the fourth of that which they leave, after any legacy they may have bequeathed, or debt (they may have contracted, hath been paid). And unto them belongeth the fourth of that which ye leave if ye have no child, but if ye have a child then the eighth of that which ye leave, after any legacy ye may have bequeathed, or debt (ye may have contracted, hath been paid). And if a man or a woman have a distant heir (having left neither parent nor child), and he (or she) have a brother or a sister (only on the mother's side) then to each of them twain (the brother and the sister) the sixth, and if they be more than two, then they shall be sharers in the third, after any legacy that may have been bequeathed or debt (contracted) not injuring (the heirs by willing away more than a third of the heritage) hath been paid. A commandment from Allah. Allah is Knower, Indulgent. (12)

An illustration of fara'id is as follows:
A husband dies leaving a wife, a son, a daughter and parents, after deduction of legacies and debts, the distribution is as follows:
1. Wife one-eighth
2. Father one-sixth
3. Mother one-sixth
4. The balance is divided among the children. Ratio of son:daughter = 2:1 (son two-thirds and daughter one-third)

Then, there is Hibah, which is more of a gift to another before one's death i.e. the transfer of ownership or conveyance of the asset from the donor to the beneficiary. Hibah is an irrevocable instrument of trust, and not subjected to fara'id rulilng.

However, a revocable trust, according to Shari'a principles, is subject to fara'id ruling.

Some of the above was extracted from the article at http://www.bankislamtrust.com.my/pdf/sharia_law.pdf

My Late Brother's Birthday Yesterday - 21 June

If he was alive, he'd be 52 yesterday. He died on 1 Feb. 2005 after the third heart attack. He'd been in hospital for over a week and was waiting for the second angioplasty operation on a thursday, but that never happened, he passed away early tuesday morning at about 3.40am. His first attack was 2 months earlier, in Dec. 2004, and his doctor's advice then, was for him to do a heart by-pass surgery, but he didn't heed the doctor's advice.

Emergency - Bad Gastric

I had a severe stomach pain last night at about 11pm.

I haven't had this type of pain in so long, maybe I had it frequently in my 20s and 30s, but in my 40s what I tend to get is mostly colon pain. So, it surprised me to get such a horrible stomach pain (at the top middle part of my stomach). The pain was so bad, I couldn't sit nor lie down, and worst of all, I couldn't breathe, my chest was constricted, my stomach was bloated and tight. I had a "burning" feeling in both my upper middle stomach and lower chest. I had to wake my daughter up to send my to the clinic to get treatment, it was an emergency. My head was groggy, I was nauseaus, and vomitted. It took me a long time to get up, get dressed and get to the car.

It was about 12 midnight when we reached the clinic. Got in and told the doctor my problem, and he didn't even check my stomach, he said he will give me 2 liquid medicine for my pain, and some pills, and that's it, he said I can go. I asked him "aren't you going to check me"? He said there was no need to. Since I told him the pain was in the upper middle part of my stomach, he said that was gastric.

I was so upset, then I said, I cannot breathe, and since I was persistent, he reluctantly used his stetoscope to check my chest. Then the doctor said he'd give me some medicine to open up my chest to ease the breathing. I was not happy with his diagnosis, got up, said thank you, and got out.

My daughter asked me what the doctor said, and I told her I was so disappointed with his attitude and the way he diagnosed my problem, here I had severe pain and he didn't even bother to feel my stomach, check my blood pressure or whatever. At the same clinic, the day doctor would do all the standard checks on me, but this night doctor was awful, he seemed disinterested in the patient.

My daughter was not happy with my story, and complained to the nurse, she said she couldn't do anything. We waited for the nurse to prepare the medicine, she briefed us on the medicine and all 3 medicine were just as the doctor mentioned, and when we came to the final, 4th medicine, she said that was to ease the breathing, they were asthma pill. My daughter and I both got a shock, I'd never been given asthma pills in my whole life. I couldn't believe how he can just give me a medicine that was so irrelevant to me.

Again, we were not happy with this, and the nurse said we can always ask the doctor, but, we said, no need, we saw it was pointless to do so, and just said we didn't want the asthma pills. I was charged RM80 for the consultation and medicine as it was past 12 midnight and if I had my way, I would have just paid RM30, which I thought was the "real" value of the visit.

Myabe I should have followed my daughter's advice to go to a government hospital, but, my condition was so bad then, I didn't think I could sit and wait for 2 hours before I get to see a doctor. 2 hours was average waiting time in my past visits to a government hospital in Petaling Jaya, and it was not pleasant waiting at the emergency unit where injured accident victims go in and out, with blood all over, and was also so very uncomfortable. But, maybe the waiting time has improved over the last few years, maybe I should try the government hospital the next time I have an emergency.

Today, I woke up feeling better, the pain has subsided, but very lethargic, and I will just have bread for the day. The medicine worked, but, I still think the doctor should have a change in attitude and be more attentive to the patient, and do the relevant checks necessary and don't "Just Talk" and assume without confirming the illness.

The Lessons learnt are:

1. Don't go to a doctor you do not know. Go to a doctor you are familiar with. (But, I don't have any doctor I know who's in the night shift). Or, go to a private or government hospital, instead of going to a 24-hour clinic.

2. I can't consume many types/varieties of food (poor food combination).

Yesterday I had Noodles Soup, Vade (Indian pastry), 3 hours later, for dinner, I had Fried Rice with Chicken and Anchovies, then 2 hours later, I had Vade again with biscuits for supper. earlier in the day, as always, I have oranges.

All these food combined had a negative effect on me, so next time, I really have to plan my meals, and have minimal variety of foods and must understand food combination as well, what food goes with what. What I need to know is, what food not to eat with what. And, eat maybe up to 3 food types (properly combined) in a day. What I had yesterday was definitely bad food combination, resulting in bad gastritis, spasms, a stomach full of gas which could not escape, and a bad heartburn, with Acid relux.

Next time, you too, please watch what you eat.

Second Sister's Birthday Today, 14 June 2009

Yes, it's my sister's birthday, the second in the family. She's 61. Yesterday it was my Eldest sister's birthday, she turned 63.

My Eldest Sister's Birthday Today , 13 June

It's my eldest sister's 63rd birthday today and I've sent her an e-card,

She lives in USA.

U can send e-cards to your loved ones too, click here to go to a good free e-card website.

SlideShow & Scrolling Ad. Blog vs Mini Site vs Website vs Shopping Cart

In the last 2 days, I managed to sort out some photos and put them on the slideshow at the top of this blog. I also managed to do a scrolling ad, wow! Now, the blog looks more cheery.

I tried so hard to look for free mini sites samples or html codes which I could imbed into my blog, but I didn't get any. None of them are easy enough, or it's not free or I just didn't understand. So, I've to look that up again.

Mini sites are different from blog or a full website. A Mini site is one of those ONE very LONG COLOURFUL page of Sales Letter (or sales pitch) that sells only ONE product, mostly digital ones, the ones I'm familiar with, anyway. For example, Irfan Khairi started out with a mini site selling maps, in 5 years or so he became a millionaire with many business websites, and he obtained a PhD about 2-3 years ago.

If you have many products e.g. if you are an online bookstore, a pharmacist or a jewellery maker then you would need a shopping cart. You can get a basic shopping cart for free, but it has its limitations, e.g. you can sell a maximum of x number of items, and if you need to add more items, then you will have to upgrade, and that costs money. But, it is cheaper than getting a full shopping cart, you will have to pay the price, it is not cheap and you may end up paying RMx,xxx. So, I suggest that you start slowly, according to your pace, and upgrade to better websites with more features and functions only when you are more stable in income-generation from your websites.

Blogs are mostly for people who have an interest and want to share that with others, e.g. talk about cupcakes, travel, photos, recipes, cars, photography, hobbies etc. With blogs, you can make some money too, with adsense. You just need to include adsense advertisements into your blog and if somebody clicks on the ad, then you get paid, a very small amount but it may add up to a reasonable sum if there is a lot of traffic coming to your blog or website. (I've to learn this too, how to get more traffic, coming to that soon, I hope).

It's good to try out any one of these; blog, mini site, a basic website or a full website with a shopping cart.

What are you good at and wish to share or sell?

Try starting a blog, talk about anything. The ideas will come as you write.
Then move on to selling personal unused or old items, you can sell in your own website or post your ads in other websites such as www.mudah.my, www.eBay.com, or www.lelong.com.my
Then start a website or open an online store.

The internet works wonders. All you need to do, is acquire the knowledge or ask the people in the know, as to "how" or "what" to do. You won't know until you try, and it's never too late for anything.

Oh yeah...I've got to go look up on the Mini Sites.

Google Adsense & Withdrawal With Western Union

Went to the CIMB Bank today to enquire about how to withdraw money via Western Union (as I've no experience in this before). Oh, it's quite simple actually. The Customer Service Officer said I just needed to get details of the sender, the country and the amount. So, I guess it is alright for me to proceed withdrawal of my hard-earned US$10.xx from Google Adsense then. Or, maybe I should wait till I've earned US$100. Now, I've to figure out how to increase traffic to click on my adsense ads, I've to increase the number of ads too. Well, gotta go learn some more.....c u.

Click Here to Read a good article on Western Union Withdrawal at CIMB Bank.

Wedding of Hariz and Shaza

This Wedding was held at Taman Seni Islam, Section 10, Shah Alam, on 31 May 2009.

 
 

Wedding of Hassan and Intan

This Wedding was held at Taman Botani, Precinct 1, Putrajaya on 31 May 2009.

 

Perkahwinan

I attended 2 weddings last Sat. on 31 May 2009 and decided to understand the whole marriage solemnisation process.

Click here for some good information on muslim marriage in the malay language.

Where I've Travelled (Overseas)

I love travelling and have travelled around Europe, some parts of Asia and a bit of USA.

Some places I've visited over the years are as follows:
2004: Italy (Rome and Macaresse).
1992: South Korea (Seoul), Hong Kong.
1985-1986: Taiwan (Taipei), Hong Kong and Singapore. 1983: USA (Edwardsville in Illinois), (St Peters and St Louis in Missouri).
1981-1984: Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh)and England (York, Bradford, Sheffield, Huddersfield, Dover, Manchester, Birmingham, Hastings, Nottingham, London).
1981: Denmark(Copenhagen), Netherlands(Amsterdam), Belgium(Brussels), West Germany (Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Koln), Switzerland(Zurich), Austria(Vienna, Salzburg), Italy(Rome, Florence), France(Monaco, Nice, Paris).

Tops & Bottoms - Fashion Boutique for the Young Muslimah

My friend's (TD) daughter, Aliya, has just opened an online store selling muslimah apparel called Tops & Bottoms.

Come visit her store at link

DUKE (Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway), Sprint, Penchala Link Tunnel

I tried this highway for the first time yesterday.

Map of DUKE - Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway.

From Setiawangsa, I can reach LDP in about 12 minutes. But, the toll cost is RM2.20 x 2 = RM4.40. And, it was easy driving, no traffic jams, no traffic lights and the highway was brightly lit all the way, and some parts of DUKE had 4-lanes (instead of the usual 3) it was such an enjoyable drive and was worth it! Now, I can get to Wangsa Maju easily without having to go through KL city centre and in a much shorter time, except that my only problem is...for me to get to the DUKE highway I have to go through LDP, and that could take about 20-40 mins. from Bandar Sunway, depending on how heavy the traffic is. The other alternative is to use KESAS highway.

From DUKE, I drove through the Sprint Expressway which connects Sungai Penchala to Mont Kiara, then got onto the LDP to get to Bandar Sunway. On the Sprint Expressway's Penchala Link, I had the chance to drive through the 700-metre Penchala Link Tunnel, I found it quite scary but, the 3-lane tunnel on each bound is quite wide, wider than the Smart Tunnel which only has 2 lanes. The RM150 million Penchala Link Tunnel, designed with grandeur Moorish architecture, is also armed with 14 jet fans to blow the smoke out of the tunnel, intelligent lighting system, emergency platform, three cross passages (to be used in case of fire or emergency in the tunnel), CCTVs, and emergency telephones. To avoid water from leaking, the tunnel was furnished with a water proofing membrane during its construction. The Penchala Link Tunnel was constructed by boring through the hills using the slower rock-explosion method, due to unstable rock condition (limestones) at the tunnel site. As opposed to other highway tunnels in Malaysia which used tunnel boring machines during construction.

Location Map of Penchala Llink Tunnel

Map photo image of Penchala Link Tunnel

Jogging at Subang Ria Park SS12

Been there a few times where you can jog around the lake of about 1.1 km or thereabouts, I think. I love it here, and it is the only nice and decent jogging place nearby my house.

Map of Subang Ria Recreation Park

Other related article

Fruits Shop at SS15

There are 2 fruits shop side by side at SS15 and they offer cheaper fruits in comparison to those at super or hypermarkets and the quality of fruits is definitely much better. They also sell vegetables at night and these 2 shops are very busy all the time and is patronised by the people who live around this area.

Electrical Repair Shops at SS14 Subang Jaya

There are a few shops at SS14 Subang Jaya that do repairs on any home electrical appliances. I sent my stand fan, missed out sending it for repair during the warranty period, so ended up paying RM30 to repair the faulty motor. But now, it works just fine, and I'm very happy with the service at Wan Elecrical Repairs situated behind the Perodua Service Centre at SS14.

Update on 2 June 2009
Serviced my home air-conditioner at RM120.
And, fixed a new long fluorescent light to replace a faulty short one at RM45.

Jusco AU2 Mall Setiawangsa

This is a place worth visiting if you are into shopping malls and looking for a cool place to eat. Had Mee Hailam at Madam Lim's, it quite cheap at RM5.90 for a plate. The portion is quite generous at about 1.5 times of the normal portion per plate you might find elsewhere.

Location Map

The restaurants are located at the side overlooking the park with a fountain and nice landscaping. It's similar to KLCC concept except on a smaller scale. The nice thing about it, is you can have your food whilst enjoying the view and the feeling of outdoors, open space and fresh air (well... not so fresh).

Click here for more information.

And, being there on a saturday night, the night market right beside the Jusco AU2 Mall Setiawangsa, has a very large crowd and looked rather interesting, perhaps I'll visit that on another day.

Jalan Pasar, Pudu, home of cheap Electronics and Electrical goods and components

Was there yesterday just window shopping looking for any interesting new offerings. Jalan Pasar (translated: "Market Road") has a big market and it was still open and busy at 5.30m on a saturday afternoon. But, I didn't visit the market. Went to the Electronics Mart where they sell items ranging from LCD tvs, laptops, playstation 3, nintendo, speakers, hi-fi, radios, and all sort of electronic gadgets, and cheaper than those sold at super/hypermarkets. There were lots of China made products too, e.g. a 21 inch tv only costs RM215 (compared to RM300 for other common brands) and a 29 inch tv only RM299 (compared to RM500 for other common brands). Some people are wary of buying these cheaper tvs, because of its quality although these tvs have a warrranty period of 1 year. Didn't buy anything, left after about a half hour there.

Other related links:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/1d397/139b99/
http://blog.mohdimran.com/2006/06/getting-fishy-at-pasar-pudu.html
http://exterwong.blogspot.com/2008/09/electronic-street-jalan-pudu.html
http://www.malaysiasite.nl/markets.htm

Satellite Photo / Map Image of Jalan Pasar - Pudu.

Butterfly on my Front Door

I saw a butterfly on my front door as I was opening my house gate yesterday. This is the picture of the actual butterfly on my front door.

According to Malay belief, if a butterfly comes to your home, it is a sign to expect a visitor soon. I wonder how true that is?

Refer to the butterfly website for more butterfly links and information.

Restaurants: USJ/Subang Jaya/Bandar Sunway/ Kelana Jaya/Taman Mayang/Puchong

Some ok places to makan (eat) around my area:

Bandar Sunway
PJS8: Old Town Coffee, McDonalds, Dominoes, Restoran Subaidah
PJS11: KFC
PJS7: None of them are good
Sunway Pyramid: There are too many e.g. Tony Roma, Sushi King, Pizza Hut, Pappa Rich, McD, Chicken Rice Shop, Teppanyaki, Nando's, Kenny Roger's, A&W, Jusco Food Court, Deli Nasi Lemak, TGIF, Subway, Laksa Shack, Thai, Vietnamese etc

Subang Jaya
SS12: Bawang Merah, Windmill Steak House
SS15: Nasi Kandar Pelita, Burger King, McD, Starbucks
SS18: Briyani Gam Johor
SS19: Restoran Syed
Subang Parade: Uncle Lim, Chicken Rice Shop, Dome, Coffee Bean, Chilli's, Thai, Manhattan Fish Shop, McD
Carrefour: Starbucks, Food Court

USJ
USJ12: Restoran Akasia
USJ10: Pappa Rich, Restoran Andaman, Restoran Minang
USJ9: Restoran Ubi Kayu
Mydin: Food Court, Mamak
Summit: A few places

Kelana Jaya
Nasi Lemak Cikgu
Old Town Coffee
Giant: Food Court

Taman Mayang
La Manila

Puchong
Tesco: Food Court
IOI: Dome, Jusco Food Court
Bandar Puteri Puchong
Pappa Rich
Simply Penang
Giant: Chicken Rice Shop, Food Court

3 Weddings on Sunday, 31 May 2009

I have been invited to 3 weddings on the same day, on Sunday 31 May 2009, at Putrajaya, Shah Alam and Johor Bahru, but I can only attend 2, and won't be able to go to Johor Bahru.

Have A Break - Jokes

So funny...Got this in my email and just to share with u.

1. Losing all your friends

Man comes home and finds his wife with his friend in bed.
He shoots his friend and kills him.
Wife says 'If you behave like this, you will lose ALL your friends.'

2. Brother wanted

A small boy wrote to Santa Claus,'send me a brother'....
Santa wrote back, 'SEND ME YOUR MOTHER'....

3. Meaning of WIFE

Husband asks, 'Do you know the meaning of WIFE? It means 'Without Information Fighting Everytime'!'
Wife replies, 'No, it means 'With Idiot For Ever'!!!'

4. Importance of a period

Teacher: 'Do you know the importance of a period?'
Kid: 'Yeah, once my sister said she has missed one, my mom fainted, dad got a heart attack & our driver ran away.'

5. Confident vs. confidential
A young boy asks his Dad, 'What is the difference between confident and confidential? '
Dad says, 'You are my son, I'm confident about that. Your friend over there, is also my son, that's confidential! '

6. Anger management?

Husband: 'When I get mad at you, you never fight back. How do you control your anger?'
Wife: 'I clean the toilet.'
Husband: 'How does that help?'
Wife: 'I use your toothbrush .'

Restoran Akasia

I found a new restaurant selling both malay and western food in Sime UEP Taman Perindustrian Area nearby USJ12 secondary school. Malay food is served from breakfast and western food is served from 3pm. They open from 7am to 11.30pm daily, closed on Sundays. Breakfast was the normal malay fare and the food tasted better than average, so I will definitely go there again some other day. Go try!

http://akasia-food.blogspot.com/