THIS CNY WOULD HAD BEEN PERFECT IF ONLY..

I know Chinese New Year is suppose to last for 15 days, but for me it is officially ended today, as I will have to travel back to Johor . I will start work tomorrow. So how was chinese new year to all of you?
Hope you guys have a wonderful new year.  For me it was good, but would be even better if some one the things I desire had happen, but unfortuately it did not.  I guess as one grows older,  nothing matter most than your family and you want everyone to be around. But atlas we are now living in a different era, the young no longer hang around you like we do in those days. They have their group of friends and prefer to hang around their gangs. My youngest and second son, seems so distant from me these days and he only comes back for a while to change and treat this home like a hotel more than anything and off he goes .We hardly talk these days. My elderest son too was like that, but after he got married he now spent more time with the family and show more concern to the parent. I guess marriage does some good to him. Hopefully his brother will changed after his marriage  in a couple of month this year.?  Lament number two, my God daughter did not visit me this year and of course I am disappointed even though I don't show it.  Not even a call to wish me . How sad.  I guess I was having to high hope. Maybe it's time to wake up to reality. What can I expect after all she is someone's daughter right?
On the brighter side at least I got to spent more time with little Darissa. She turn 3 months yesterday. Yesterday was also the first time she burst out in laughter. Her grandma was saying something funny and she started laughing , not once but a couple of times. So I told my daughter in law, she can start preparing her and to start reading some children stories to her, since she is such a quick learner.
I better start packing and get ready for my long journey back to my second home. It's gonna be a long lonely drive, but I have my eldest son for company.

I DID NOT DO TOO WELL.

A day after my climb at Tabur,  I am trying to figure it out what went wrong. I usually do not get tired too easily and at one time could hike two  different hills on the same day and within 6 hours. But yesterday I could only to one and by then my legs were hurting and I was feeling the heat literally. Perhaps the weather was just too hot? I had planed to hike tabur west and east back to back with a group of friends. About 15 hikers turn up at the appointed meeting place which was Deen's nasi kadar restaurant just some where near the hills we were suppose to climb. I had scheduled to hike at 7.00am but as usual there will be late comers and so it was delayed by another half hour. Anyway we proceed to tabur east to park our vehicles , crossed a stream to tabur west to do our climb. It was our pre chinese new year celebration on the hill. I brought a bottle of wine . Could it be the effect of the wine that was the cause of my poor performance? Or was it lack of sleep. I did retired early the night before, but I woke up at 4.00am even though I had set the alarm to ring at 5.20am. It is an hour drive to the destination. Normally I would use the short cut through the plantation which will save us a good half an hour, but this time I wanted to use back the same way we climb up. Could this be the cause of my tireness?  The only to find out is to do another experiment.  Yesterday I fail to do the two hikes as posted on the event on facebook. After our first hill some opt out to go to the waterfall and so they took the short cut down hill. We bade them safe journey and proceed to descend . After one and a half hour we reached base.  I told the remain group of five I could not continue and they have to proceed without me.

I was  not too please with my climb yesterday. Even on my worst day I will still be able to continue, but yesterday I had to throw in the towel. One rule I had set for myself was never to push myself too hard and listen to my body. Come back to "fight" another day, and comeback I will  before I go to my happy hunting group. That is a promise.

Tabur West

some of the group members 

trying out new challenge

Ya, I am always surrounded with beautiful girls.  can I help it?

Photos credit Aivee chong and Ray Lee

ME AND YOU AND A DOG NAMED BO

Yes today I was appointed the unofficial nanny for Derissa my granddaughter, as everyone is at work.
I came back from my work place at  kulai early this early and did not have any plan for today. Yes it was just me and her plus our pet dog bobo.  My son had let her roam the house freely and did not put her in the cage. As usual she will put her mark everywhere as she likes. And I have to clean up the mess. Usually I don't mind , but today I had to take care of Derissa and so my hands were very tied up. Anyway I had a good time with her. I got up early, surf the net a bit  and shower just in time to hear Darissa 's alarm.   I  bathed her and then fed her, before letting  her to sleep again.  I enjoyed every minute I was with her. I have to as I only got to see her like twice a month.  Elation is the word to describe the state I am in now. I know she will not forget these moments even when she grows up This brought back memories of the time I spent with another child. Many years ago I help a friend of mine to take care of her little girl. Since I stayed nearby their baby sitter's care center. The center closed at 6.00pm, and because their work place was very far away they have sought my help to pick up their girl and later they will pick her up from my home. I continue with this arrangement for quite a number of years. The baby sister was also a mutual friend of ours and she knew I do not have any daughter of my own and I was very fond of the little girl I was taking care of,so she suggested they let me to be the girl's God father. I loved the idea and the parent too , as there was no objection. And so I became someone's instant God father . Sometimes the girl even stay over when her parent went on holiday.  Few years passed by and the girl turn 13 and as usual I will open my arms to hug her, but this time strangely she shunned away and told me "things are different now"  I still could not understand what she meant to this day. I told her father who  promised to find out what happen, but I have yet to get an answer .   These days even whenever she sees me , no more Daddy like  she used to call me back then. It was just a simple hello. or hi.Where are your manners girl?  I am much older if you can't call me Daddy at least out of respect addressed me as Uncle! Most of the kids in church will call me that .Damm!  to think  I even bathe her and clean her pet pet(her bottoms) and this is the reward I got? .The moral of the story your own blood will  always be closer to you.

My grand daughter,Darissa

Bobo, the family dog

A BLISSFUL CHINESE NEW YEAR. IS ALL I WISHED FOR MALAYSIA.

A touching video. This is the environment I grew up to, but our politician spoilt it all.  I prayed the day we can all return to the time where all races lived happily amongst themselves without any suspicion of each other. Everybody was willing to help their neighbours and when one need help all chips in to help.
Happy Chinese New Year folks. May this year of the Dragon bring you much health and peace.

FUN TRIP TO UNIVERSAL STUDIO.

This trip was long overdue. I had always wanted to make a trip  universal studio .The nearest one years ago  was at Austrialia, and since I was bearly making enough it was just a dream. Now's that singapore had one it is just reachable. So yesterday my son and I made it to the Republic after a lapse of  more than 20 years. The last time he was at singapore was when he was a kid and we did visit sentosa island. But now there was so much change on this island. Initially we had planned for a trip to Arong at Mersing, but since there were reported of unfavourable weather  and the place was closed to the public and so we deceided to go to singapore instead. I was glad we did because we had so much fun together. If you ever come here don't missed our the transformer because it was super fun. The special effect was just fantastic. We did tried a few others and where are are water and heat you can actually feel them , especially the water literally you will be splash with them.
We wasted a lot of time at the checkpoint, plus waiting at the bus terminal. As the terminator would say "I'll be backk"

This familiar icon is the first thing that will greet you as you enter

Reuben looking at the location map

One of the best ride I had.

This ride is not for the faint hearted

Revenge of the Mummy. -no bags allowed ,so did not go in.

This is inside the food court.

One of  the many pretty girls at the souvenir booth.

at the entrance of the food court.

this is a much safer ride

Lolipop tree

My son, so excited with his new toy

girls dressed up as in the 60s or 50s?

more photos here

FOOD COURT WITH A DIFFERENCE.

I couldnt help but notice whenever I passed by this this food court in Taman Johor Jaya, there was a stage in the center of the food court. I could hear music. So I last night I droped by after my wall climbing session to check out this place. I invited a few of my friends and my son along.We choose

a table almost at the center ,but not too near to the stage. This was what I saw.

This is the first time I have seen this kind of entertainment in a food court. Of course such sight is very common during ghost festival. Do you have such joint at your place?

I ordered sotong and katong, but it tasted horible. I notice the one preparing was a foreigner. This is a common sight these days, because of the cheap labour the owners and bosses leave everthing to their foreign workers. No more local taste, what was suppose to be a local dish has now become foreign.