What's my name???!!

NEWS: OOOHHHHH.. earthquake in Sumatra caused tremours throughout Malaysia approximately about 6.15pm as reported in THE STAR.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poor guy still hasn't gotten a name yet! Since I blogged about it HERE.

Everytime I say,"Eh, he really needs a name and A.S.A.P!!" and I would go, "Timmy..." or rather "Tim Tam!!". Suits him well, I would think. Don't you think so?

My sister would jump in and say,"He's my dog, so we're calling him Brownie!!" and before my brother can say what's on his mind, I would interrupt him and say,"Nope!!We're NOT calling him Adolph!!".

Hence, it is still nameless. SERIOUSLY. Doesn't he look like a Tim Tam? I feel like he deserves more than a common name like Brownie but still....

UPDATE: My bro has come up with a name that I think is cute, unique and suitable.. FLOPPYJACK! what do you think?

Kooky Pics #2

I decided instead of just KOOKY MONDAYS where I post pics.. I am changing it to KOOKY PICS so that I can post them up whenever I have a good picture I want to share!

COLOURFUL CAPSICUM taken at Tesco, Puchong. Reminds me of traffic lights but the colours are reverse.

Kooky Pics #14 Yummilious trawberry choc

A better life

BLOG REVIEW: I just came across CRYSTAL CHA's blog and I LOVE the way she blogs and what she blogs about. She's only 19years old and she has already accomplished SO MUCH (definitely more than me.. hehe)! Hats off to her for being FOCUSED and driven. A deep and meaningful blog that will keep you hooked and wanting for more.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At times, I wish for a better life.
A better life filled with options,
and the means to pursue those options.
But then again, don't we all?

At times, I wish for a better life.
A better life where my dreams come true.
and one soars high in the sky,
But then again, is this not just idle dreaming?

At times, I wish for a better life.
A better life with an understanding of what went wrong,
and the remedy to fix that wrong.
But then again, where do I even begin?

At times, I wish for a better life.
A better life with a bigger heart.
A bigger heart so that I can be the better man (person).
But at the end of it, I am only human.

Kooky Mondays #1

BLOG REVIEW: KOOKY MONDAYS are inspired by PEARLIE GATES!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exercise is good for the body

Maybe I should attempt this on my mum *wink*

Badminton Noob

QUOTE: "Nothing’s better than the wind to your back, the sun in front of you, and your friends beside you." -Aaron Douglas Trimble

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's been great fun picking up badminton as a regular sport. Despite everyone's busy life, we do try to play as regularly as we can and I can't wait for the next one!

I think, if I had been more active in sports during highschool, I would not be this klutzy with poor foot coordination! And not to be perasaan (be vain), but I think I had possible potential to excel in sports. Oh well. That's the past and you know how we can't change the past but only dream about it.

Or rather live in the present and work towards the future. =)

I did contemplate signing up for some training but with my impending unemployment, I shall stick to the current weekly sessions first (it was more of me being freaked out seeing the trainees getting tortured last badminton session). With the help of my fellow badminton kakis, I do see a slight improvement with each session.

First lesson, I had to be vigilant with my stance and had to constantly remind myself to keep my racket up. Pairing up with my aunty was grueling in some sense and boy was she fierce! As the sessions progressed, I now know more about positioning, a bit on footwork (which I still need to improve on), NOT blocking my partner's line of vision and to MOVE!

I tend to just stay stuck in a spot than run.
Badminton sessions not only gives me my weekly exercise (and hopefully burn up ALL my fats!), I also get to widen my social network and meet new people as DanSan and Gill intro their friends.

Despite the after effects of badminton- butt aches and muscle aches, I can't wait for the next badminton session!!

WHOA.. Just checked out this blogger who blogs about the Mechanics of Badminton. Nice.

Anyone interested to join us... let me know!!! You're always welcome. Pros and Amateurs alike!!

Bloated and stuffed dinner at Fong Lye

BLOG REVIEW: OMG!!! FATBOYBAKES' cake pictures looks EXTREMELY mouth watering and tantalising. I feel my willpower slipping away... NOOOooooo!!!!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was feeling rather upset on my way home yesterday due to my dad's inane rantings regarding what I would deem as the Raya weekend fiasco. Let's just say he didn't have to say the hurtful things regarding a certain someone and once again, that made me think that if I ever become like that, I would rather NOT have children, so that I won't pass down this "one-of-a-kind" genes.

And hence, I agreed to tag along when Gill, asked me to go MidValley with her for dinner with DanSan.

She felt like trying out some Taiwanese food and it was between Fong Lye OR an extremely long que to Sushi Zanmai. DanSan immediately said,"Taiwanese" without missing a beat. It was plain for all to see that the poor guy was hungry and refused to wait any longer than he had to for his dinner!

Overall, the place was brightly litted, hence, clear pictures! I liked the flower glass wall facing me that was situated behind Gill and DanSan. Gave a bit of a classy, modern ambience. The shop was actually rather packed but I must say the service is fast and efficient.

We had a little bit of a tough time deciding what to eat. Remember what did I tell you about how me and menus just don't mesh??

Anyways, we finally decided on the below.

For starters, or more like for desert, we had this sweet potato ball dish. Although the picture looked somewhat colourful and beckoning, the dish was only mediocre with our taste buds assaulted by tapioca flour taste more so than sweet potato, the erm... MAIN name of the dish. I

It would have been more appropriate to name it- airy tapioca ball.

You can get NICER, tastier ones in Cameron Highlands at the Brinchang pasar malam for probably half of the price charged at Fong Lye.

This was DanSan's dish. The tomato gravy basically tasted like baked beans sauce. The overall taste was not too bad and for a hungry person, this dish would be nice as it was served hot with a fire warming the dish. One can feel the warm egg or fish glide warmly from one's mouth to one's throat as it makes its way fulfillingly to the stomach.

With this dish came rice and other condiments ie sotong, potato and spring roll- the Taiwanese style. I didn't really fancy it though. Eck!

This was my dish for the evening. I made a mistake when I ordered as I forgot that Taiwanese food tend to have sweet sauces. And when it comes to black, dry noodles, I prefer mine savoury than sweet!

So, I didn't enjoy the taste of the dish. It was just average with nothing to shout about and not what I would recommend to anyone. Mine, too came with the same condiments as DanSan's dish. Er.. yucks! =p

One would think that anything served with wine would turn out tasty. Boy, were we wrong. This was just like any other normal fried rice, only at a costlier price. When Gill decided to order this, I told her that I actually also had that in mind as it looked yummy. Just that I wanted to give the noodle a try. Even if it didn't tanked, the price was just not as it is. I feel it should only be RM5.50 or less.

For my drink, despite my "lose weight and save money" resolution, I decided to give Milk tea in France style a try. Seeing that I have a penchant for teh pings (iced milk tea).

URGH! I regretted it. The taste of it was odd that I don't even know how to describe it. Let's just say that Kayu's or any mamak's teh ais (iced milk tea) would have been waaay better and cheaper.

Overall, we were stuffed and FULL from our meal BUT it wasn't satisfactory in terms of taste and price. The food was overpriced for such ordinary taste. Makes me wonder why was it even fully patronised??

If you think that I am being too harsh, you can read KampongBoyCityGal's not so favourable review over here.

Location:
Fong Lye Taiwan Restaurant
Lot T208
3rd Floor
The Gardens
Mid Valley City
Kuala LumpurTel No: 03- 2282 8699
(Non Halal. Open daily till 10pm.)

Thankful Thursdays #1 Gill

You know how friends come and go in our lives?

As we progress in life, as we grow up to be young, mature adults to old, senile and cranky folks, we meet many people from ALL walks of life. We have friends from our primary school, from our high school up til college, university and even at the work place and through other social activities.

Some friendships last a lifetime. Some, a short span. Some, albeit short, can still be meaningful and touches the very core of our life. Some friends, you just clicked instantaneously. Some, you're there as a friend even if sometimes you feel used or you feel that the courtesy is not returned in kind. After all, that's what friends are for, right?

A friend in need, is a friend in deed.

We get friends who go the extra mile, friends who are there for you through thick and thin and even friends who pisses you off and annoy the crap out of you and yet you still have moments together.

For me, I just want to thank this very, very good friend....

- for helping me to take lecture notes when I skipped classes.

- for being there for me when my bf left for studies abroad.

- for being the very first to surprise me with a cake!! or rather a slice of cake on my birthday in 2006 whilst I was burning the midnight oil for my CPA studies.

- for being my yam cha buddy and my shopping kaki throughout these couple of years.

- for being my ranting buddy about work, friends, people and everything in general.

- for being my badminton kaki.

- for helping me pull myself out of my depression (even if she may not have known it) through our hanging out sessions.

- for just taking me out when I am down, upset, emotional.

I would say that it was a blessing in disguise that we never joined the others to go to Curtin, Perth to further our studies. If we had gone or if I had gone or if you had gone, I would never have HAD this opportunity to hang out with you and get to know you better!

You, who have come to mean a lot to me. Thanks for being there and for being my friend.

Dinner at Vary Pasta, DJ again!!!

RANDOM: Thinking of doing a series on "Kooky Mondays" where I post just one picture for thought and "Thankful Thursdays" to be thankful of something in my life. Hmmm...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Saturday, my sister craved for Vary Pasta's delectable food and hence, we headed to Damansara Jaya for dinner... again!

The thing with menus are that they offer a whole lot of variety of food. However, me + choices don't go hand in hand. I'll flip the menu from page 1 to page 2 to the very last page only to turn back to page 1 to see what's being offered and wonder... "what should I have??"

Besides the wide array of food selection, my sister and I feel that the pricing of the food is rather reasonable as compared to other cafes or bistros that offer western food dishes.

They even serve mock-tails without alcohol though. Hence, it's called mock-tails and NOT cocktails. I get why it's called mock.. but why cock?? I wonder. HMMMM....

This round, for drinks, boring and unadventurous me settled back for my orange juice where else my sister decided to give watermelon juice a try. My orange juice wasn't as thick as the week before where I raved on the awesomeness of it but it was still alright.

My sister had calamaris for starters whilst I was busy snapping pictures ie the pepper and salt bottle in the above picture and also the juices. And as I reached over for a calamari, the plate was gone! POOF!

"Where's the calamaris?? Did you finished it all?? without leaving any for me!!" I wailed incredulously appalled and annoyed.

She replied nonchalantly, "Oh. I finished it and they've cleared the plate. You didn't say you wanted any."

*faint*

Moving on, her fish and chips came first and I was stealing a portion of her fries until she said, "hey, you're eating a lot of my fries!!"

HAH. Take that. That's for finishing the calamaris without offering me any! =p

Nah. Just kidding. The fries were quite tasty and while waiting for my food to come, my mouth was itchy, hence, the stealing of fries.

That day, I decided to try Spaghetti with garlic and herbs with the choice of chicken ham or mushrooms. I chose chicken ham. At first, the spaghetti tasted rather dry but after mixing it with the tomato paste (similar to the bolognaise sauce) serving at the side, it was better.

Definitely a change from my typical Carbonara order. If you know me, there are several things I tend to only order wherever I go such as....

1) Teh Ping/Ice (coffee shops)
2) Ice Chocolate (western food shops)
3) Ice coffee (only in Australia, Malaysian ones are VERY different)
4) Carbonara (western food shops)

I know!!! Fattening right??? And then after eating all of these scrummilicious food, I'll complain I am fat! =p

Anyway, this shop is rather easy to miss as it's not very big or conspicuous. It's situated on the road facing Atria, the KFC side. If you're still unsure, you definitely can't miss Coffee Connection, which is the same row as the famous Claypot Chicken Rice and the Lotus mamak.

Vary Pasta is just behind the Coffee Connection road. You can walk there from Coffee Connection through the side lane. Fairly simple to get there. If not, you can give them a call as shown in the receipt below.

Not only is the food reasonably priced, it's tax free and NO service charge!!! How awesome is that???!

So, what are you waiting for??? Go try it out and tell me your experience!

Lunch at Nyonya Colours, 1 Utama

QUOTE: “In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act.” - George Orwell

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last Wednesday, I had lunch with FLY, TY and Liv at 1Utama. At first, I was more keen on the Penang shop NEXT to Nyonya Colours but FLY insisted that there were more variety at Nyonya Colours and being the accommodating me, I agreed.

AHHA!! This WAS the reason why she wanted to come to Nyonya Colours!! For the nyonya kuihs!! What she meant when she said "a variety of food" was that she was referring towards their wide selection of delectable kuihs. They looked truly yummy.

This was her packet mee siam bought for about RM2.50 if I am not mistaken. Which is more worth it than my Mee Siam set with Chicken Rendang that cost RM8.90. I mean, approx RM6 for a chicken???

But... this time, they actually gave bigger and meatier chicken portion. So, not going to complain.

and THIS... was the very reason why I agreed to be accommodating to go to Nyonya Colours! *nyek nyek* For it's Tub Tim Grob (Thai Red Ruby)!! I read here that Tub Tim literally means Ruby and Tub Tim Grob means Crunchy ruby!

It's cheaper at only RM3.80 and the portion is DEFINITELY more than the other shops that offer this. For those who don't know what this is, basically, it is ice shavings topped with Santan and decorated with strips of nangka filled with red water chestnuts!!

You simply got to taste this!!! In fact, you can even make your very own ones as per the below, though not as attractive looking!


LOCATION:
F65,1st Floor,One Utama Shopping Centre (Old Wing),
Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Bad luck...

I seem to be really klutzy. I previously broke my long mirror and now the above mirror few days back. Supposedly, there is a myth that if you break a mirror, you'll get 7 years of bad luck.

Gosh. So, I wonder how many years of bad luck would that lead to seeing that I broke that looong mirror and now my tiny mirror! Aarrghh!

Not that I believe in the myth but should I be daunted by this encounter??

My theory on the average me

THANKFUL ME: I want to just say that I am thankful that I have a loving and caring boyfriend.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Do you know that your mind is a very powerful thing? Whatever you input into your mind, you output through your thoughts, actions, physical and mental state. It shows in the way you speak, how you carry yourself and interact with others, how others are drawn or stay away from you. And whatever you tell your mind, that's what you'll be.

As for me, I have always though of myself that...

I am not that smart to be seen as a geek or genius BUT neither am I too dumb to be considered stupid.
I am not that fat to be lumped into the obese category BUT neither am I thin to be deemed as slim.
I am not that short to be taken for a dwarf BUT neither am I tall enough.
I am not that hideous looking to be poked fun at as ugly BUT neither am I Chun (Pretty) enough to turn people's heads.

Hence, my conclusion is that I am average. In fact, I almost started a blog called average jane!! But... the reason why I am average is because I limit my mind to think so. And when I keep thinking that I am average, I just BE average and nothing else unique nor fantastic nor special.

Therefore, in order for a change, I have to tell myself that I am chun! I am smart! and I can do it!! OMG!! That sounds So bimbotic and vain.

But whatever it is... it's just a matter of time. Just you wait and see... the new me.

Or rather, a better me! =p

Who am i... BY Casting Crown

UNANSWERED QUESTION: Who am I, God?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Got the below song off someone's plurk... the song is really touching. And this clip has had more than 8 million viewers to date.

This is a clearer version with 2.6 million viewers to date.

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You're

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

Who Am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who Am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

I am Yours
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
'Cause I am Yours
I am Yours

My holy secret

BLOG REVIEW: OMG!! Check out this blog, Art by CTTK! I really like her blog layout and her content. So very artsy. Content is simple and yet it speaks volume.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pic taken from: www.chavahkinloch.blogspot.com

Everyone has secrets hidden somewhere in their closet. Perhaps some are buried deep inside and yet some are just prancing around, wanting to be out in the open.

For me, I have had this secret that I have been keeping for a long time. My pet brother deems it, my "holy secret". To think about, it's actually been a VERY looong time since I've had this secret. So long that it probably dates back to more than 3 years. I can safely bet that it perhaps date back almost up to 10 years! That, I kid you not.

The very thing is, I would like to tell someone about it. Not because I can't keep a secret but more so because of this secret, I have been holding back. A LOT. You have no idea. And it's been keeping me shackled in my very own prison. A prison without wars to break free from.

And in order to move forward, to move on, I need to tell this secret out. BUT it's not a secret you can just blab out to any Ahmad, Ah Beng or Muthu. It needs to be said to the RIGHT person. A person who can help. And the other problem is, I need some answers before I can confess out this holy secret of mine.

I wonder when that would be...

Before conversion to Islam...

RANDOM: ANYONE have extra tickets to give out for the Black Eyed Peas concert??

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was clearing up my office mailbox and came across the below. It is long but I suggest you to read it with an open mind AND especially if you're dating a Muslim, interested in a Muslim or want to or am married to a Muslim.

No right to inheritance
8 Jul 09 : 8.00AM
By Deborah Loh deborahloh@thenutgraph.com

PETALING JAYA, 8 July 2009: There is no avenue for a deceased Muslim convert's next-of-kin to lay claim to his or her estate, as civil laws like the Distribution Act 1958 do not apply to the Muslim deceased, lawyers said.

Instead, the estate goes to the Muslim treasury, Baitulmal, which is meant to distribute the assets among poor Muslims, hence denying the right to inheritance among non-Muslim family members.

In response to the High Court judgment that Mohan Singh a/l Janot Singh was a Muslim and his religion at the time of death should be determined by the Syariah Court, lawyers told The Nut Graph that legal amendments to address the distribution of a convert's estate are imperative.

What happens? When a non-Muslim dies without a will, the estate is divided among the next-of-kin subject to the Distribution Act.

But for a deceased Muslim, his or her estate is subject to the Islamic laws of faraid (Muslim inheritance and distribution law). Under such circumstances, non-Muslims are prohibited from inheriting Muslim estates, and vice-versa. This is under the Syafie school of thought, which Malaysia adopts for its Islamic laws.

The law has yet to be tested in respect of a deceased Muslim convert who has a will, says lawyer Balwant Singh Sidhu, who represented the Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism. The council was a respondent in the judicial review involving Mohan's religious status.

"When the Distribution Act was enacted in 1958, nobody thought of converts because there were few at the time. Since this Act applies to non-Muslims only, and Muslims are covered by syariah enactments on inheritance, what about converts who drew up their will when they were non-Muslims?" Balwant said in a phone interview.

No rights

The absence of specific laws to address the peculiar scenario involving a convert has led civil courts to side with Islamic laws that prohibit non-Muslims from inheriting the estate of Muslims.

Balwant referred to the case of Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan v. Lim Ee Seng in 2000, where the High Court dismissed a wife's claim to her Chinese Malaysian husband's estate because he had converted to Islam.

The wife had commenced proceedings for the Letters of Administration — documents that authorise a court-appointed administrator to manage her late husband's estate — but the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council stepped in to lay claim to the inheritance.

Balwant noted that the Shah Alam High Court, in declaring its judgment on Mohan's case, did not address his next-of-kin's rights to inheritance despite the matter being raised in submissions.

The appeal against the High Court's decision has already been filed at the Court of Appeal, and Balwant said he would raise the matter of inheritance rights during the hearing.

Need to amend laws

In the case of Mohan, whose Muslim name, according to his conversion certificate, was Mohammad Hazzery Shah Mohan Abdullah, Baitulmal will be the beneficiary of his estate.

The Muslim treasury in Selangor is managed by the Selangor Islamic Council (Mais).

Lawyer for Mohan's family Rajesh Kumar said Mohan did not make a will, and as a Muslim, his estate will not be governed by the Distribution Act but by Islamic law.

Besides his sisters and stepfather who are Sikh, he leaves behind a wife and daughter who are non-Muslim, and from whom he is estranged.

"Laws definitely need to be amended to ensure the next-of-kin are not deprived of their rights. In respect of converts, the law also needs to be clearer, such as having the next-of-kin present so that they can acknowledge that the conversion took place," Rajesh said in a phone interview.

Mais's lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla, when contacted by The Nut Graph, said the religious council was discussing Mohan's estate this week, and that he would only be able to comment further next week.

Religious council's discretion

K Shanmuga, who also represented Mohan's family in the High Court, said although the non-Muslim next-of-kin had no legal rights to a convert's inheritance, the state religious council could decide to "donate" a portion of the deceased's estate to the family at its discretion.

He said to his knowledge, this has happened once, so far. It was the case of a firefighter in Malacca whose family received RM100,000 or half his estate, 13 years after his death.

The firefighter, Abdul Wahid Lim Abdullah, had died on duty. The family only discovered his conversion to Islam after his death.

In 2005, the Malacca Islamic Religious Council (Maim), in response to his family's plight, then decided to donate half the estate to help them make ends meet.

In the case of Mount Everest climber M Moorthy, it was out of public pressure and his brother's compassion that his widow S Kaliammal was able to receive Moorthy's estate.

Kaliammal's solicitor at the time, A Sivanesan, told The Nut Graph that the widow received an initial RM100,000 as a gratuity, and after Moorthy was promoted to sergeant posthumously, she also received his pension in full and continues to do so.

Sivanesan Moorthy's two properties which went to his brother, who became Muslim through marriage, were later given to Kaliammal, but only after the brother obtained the agreement of the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council.

"This was an exceptional case and is definitely not the norm. It was exceptional because it shook the whole nation and drew international attention, so the government had to be seen as liberal," said Sivanesan, who is also a Perak DAP assemblyperson.

"The authorities cannot act like this on a case-to-case basis because each case has a different scenario," the still-practising lawyer said. He added that there were more cases involving the conversion of one spouse but with different circumstances, which had not been highlighted to the media.

"The government must study all the different scenarios and make changes to the laws," Sivanesan said.

Wartanegara Posted: 8 Jul 09 : 10.07AM

Jais or Mais appear out of no where when the so-called converted is dead and gone for good to snatch the body away from the family. Why can't they inform the family of the conversion before [the converted] dies or the moment he/she converts? Why not make it mandatory to have their family members as witness. Religion helps humans be better persons. It guides us to the right path but here, religion is [causing agony] to the families. Denying their share [of inheritance] and [causing them agony] them during the funeral. IS this what we call religion? Or is it [that] in Malaysia, it is practised like this?

Arion Yeow Posted: 8 Jul 09 : 10.18AM

I am completely appalled. Mais is nothing more than a bunch of thieves preying on widows and orphans.

GOINGKOOKIES : 18 September 12.33PM

I concur with what's been said. If a non-muslim so decides to convert, a notice should be given to his/her family first and an acknowledgment from family should be received before the conversion is allowed. It is only fair and the right thing to do.

I chose to post this although it may be a controversial issue as there are MANY who are converting to Islam nowadays. Alright. It's your choice, your decision. True. BUT if you want to ever make such a choice, don't be stupid about it, ensure that you make an INFORMED choice!

Don't come over and say that I am being a busybody. Go google this, there are MANY reported and unreported cases of non-muslims finding out after their spouse's or family member's death that they had converted to Islam and suffer the consequences of not inheriting anything. In fact, if a child is below 12, they will be taken away and placed in a Muslim family!!!

If you arre in love with a Muslim or thinking of marrying one... think about your loved ones such as your family even if estranged, think about how your conversion will affect others. Don't be selfish to ONLY think of yourself and let your so called love or emotion over rule your thinking.

And don't make a decision to convert just to spite or hurt a certain party. At the end of the day, the joke will be on you when you want to convert out and you can't!

DISCLAIMER: This is not meant to incite any racial disharmony nor to appear as an attack against any religion nor race. It is just my humble opinion that it should be made aware to people out there!!