Malaysia Excels At Giving Inaccurate Figures To Look Good

Last night, while watching American Idol - Idol Gives Back, a two-and-a-half episode with big names like Sir Elton John, Mary J. Bligh, Black Eyed Peas, Carrie Underwood, Alicia Keyes, Annie Lennox and a duet performance by Joss Stone and Jeff Black, I kept hearing this: "one in six people in America are living in poverty". 


This can't be true, I told myself. If it's true, it's a very high figure. The poverty rate in America surely can't be 16%. I decided to check for verification, and found that, YES, America's poverty rate is between 13% to 17%, at any given time. 


Curious, I compared it with Malaysia's official poverty rate of 5.1%.


And what I found is this:


1. The US poverty threshold - those considered living in poverty actually own a telephone, a car, a home (albeit a trailer home), a microwave oven, in other words, items considered basic necessities.


2. Malaysia poverty threshold - only those with a household income of less than RM500 in a family of four is considered to be living in poverty.


Hello!!!! This figure is unrealistic. A monthly rental of a small low-cost flat ranges from RM450 to RM650, depending on area. Near towns, it would be RM650. 


Anyone earning below RM1000 (I'm not even mentioning combined household income) would have difficulty making ends meet. Why do you think those who earned RM1000 from one job has another part-time job? Why do you think those with a household income of RM2000 need part-time jobs to supplement their income if they can make ends meet? 


Let's take a real good look at the raw data. 


There are 5.8 million households in 2007. Out of these:
1. 8.6% of the households had a monthly income below RM1,000
2. 29.4% had between RM1,000 and RM2,000
3. 19.8% earned between RM2,001 and RM3,000
4. 12.9% earned between RM3,001 and RM4,000
5. 8.6% had between RM4,001 and RM5,000
6. 15.8% had an income of between RM5,001 and RM10,000
7. 4.9% had an income of RM10,000 and above
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Malaysia)


What is a fact is that, with development & urbanization, any family of four with a household income of less than RM2,000 is not likely to make ends meet, and they are not going to be able to own a car or a home. And if you have a car and a home, RM3,000 is barely enough for a family of four. So, how could a household income of RM500 be the poverty threshold??!!


And RM5001 and RM10000 should not be lumped into one income range. There is a huge disparity of what a household income of RM5001 cannot afford which a household income of RM10000 can afford. Ask the man on the street and he'll tell you that surviving on a RM5001 household income is not easy.....why else do office executives with a combined household income of RM5,000 work part-time after office hours? 


So, what should the poverty rate in Malaysia be in order to reflect the actual state of affairs? On a very conservative level, I would say 38%, although 57.8% would be far more accurate. That brings us back to the time of independence in 1957 when half of the country’s households were living below the national poverty line, with very little changed up to 1970, at which time 49 per cent of households were poor. (source http://www.undp.org.my/malaysia-measuring-and-monitoring-poverty-and-inequality)


Conclusion: Nothing has changed till today. Half of Malaysia's households are still living in poverty, like it or not. Rather than spend time trying to window-dress and hide the brutal facts, the government should instead work on solutions to increase the income of Malaysians.

The Moon Has Passed.....

If you have been watching Chuno, a Korean historical drama, you would know one of the OST called The Moon Has Passed by Beige.....well, last night I couldn't resist taking a photo of the moon as it was super bright and reminds me of the song.

~~Credit to Sammi Wu~~

Thanks to my good friend, Sowon Zio, who took the trouble to hunt down the lyrics, romanized and English translation.... :))


********
English Translation(by 1minute.1second)
Even if my heart cries, I can't go
with my clumsy self.
When the scent of a lovely flower lingers,
and the birds' song is silenced,
is this all a vanishing dream?

The moon is crying sadly,
The moon is smiling sadly,
Like your two teary eyes,
Like my withering dreams.
The wind is blowing, the wind blows together
Even when the lovely flowers wilt and becomes stars
My heart is still by your side.

The person who left behind pain
My foolishness bring me to tears
Like yesterday's radiant sun
and your brilliant smile,
is it all just a dream
that's buried in the winter's sorrows?

The moon is crying sadly,
The moon is smiling sadly,
Like your two teary eyes,
Like my withering dreams.
The wind is blowing, the wind blows together
Even when the lovely flowers wilt and becomes stars
My heart is still by your side.

The wind is blowing, the wind blows together
Even when the lovely flowers wilt and becomes stars
My heart is still by your side.

How A Hokkien Lang Translates Cantonese Into Hokkien

This video is a scream. A MUST WATCH, especially if you are a Hokkien lang who understands Cantonese. Even if you understand only a bit of Cantonese, it should be rather entertaining.

Luggage Carrier

I'm not a small person, I'm 5' 6", and weigh a whopping 58kg. Still, I am not terribly strong and I am one of those useless people who could not carry a 10kg bag of rice. 


And I am no longer able to carry my cat in her carrier as the weight is now 9kg. I nearly dropped her, carrier and all, the other day, and both my arms ache for days after that.


So, today, I bought a luggage carrier (a.k.a. foldaway trolley) from Mr D.I.Y. for RM83.90. The exact same carrier, albeit of a different colour, is sold at RM350 at Ace Hardware. Yes, I checked, and the material, wheels, right down to every minute detail, is the same. Well, except for the stretchable cord that will strap the cat carrier to the luggage carrier. Ace Hardware sells it together with the cord, while I had to buy the cord separately from Mr D.I.Y. for RM2. 

Its maximum weight capacity is 70kg

Choi Sun Tiger Kissed My Hand

Last night, we arrived at Brem Mall, Kepong, to see a line of people queuing up. Curious, we went to the front of the queue to see what they are queuing up for. It was none other than the Choi Sun Yeh (God of Prosperity) giving out red packets to the mall's customers. Except that, it's not a conventional Choi Sun Yeh. It's a Choi Sun Tiger. 

At first, we thought it was for children. Then, we saw people who are much older than us in the line. Pretty sure the red packets do not contain money, but some vouchers, we decided to join the crowd.

When it was my turn, I was startled when the Choi Sun Tiger, after giving me my red packet, asked for a kiss. I offered him a handshake instead, which he then turned my palm downwards and kissed the back of my hand.


Hubby who was behind me in the line, wasn't quick enough to take a shot of it. He only managed to capture a shot of my hand being returned to me.  

And the red packets do not contain vouchers, but gold coin chocolates with a "value" of 120 Euro coins. 

Why Men Shouldn't Write Advise Columns

Yes, why indeed? Thanks to a cousin of mine, now we know. Enjoy........  :))

A Diary Entry of A Trip To Penang

Dear friends and readers,


The post below is meant as a diary entry for myself, to serve as a reference on where to stay, where and what to eat in Penang as I don't trust myself to remember these details when I next make a trip to the island again. And I do so want to go to those same places and eat those same things again.


As such, I have not taken care with the sentence structure, nor attempt to make it interesting. So, if you find it dull and boring to read, my sincerest apologies. This is merely a diary entry, and well, a diary entry is never terribly interesting to anyone else but its writer, is it?  :)


---------------------------------
Penang - 16th to 18th February 2010


We went to Penang on the third day of Chinese New Year.  The road was smooth from KL to Penang, but not so on the other side. Traffic was at a standstill jam for those travelling from the North to KL.


We stayed at Flamingo By The Beach, formerly known as Crown Prince. It's next to Sandy Bay Paradise at Tanjung Bungah. For those who love the beach and water sports, Flamingo is highly recommended. 


The water sports available there are:


1) Water jet ski - RM60 for 15 minutes
2) Paragliding - RM120 for 5 minutes


And the hotel facilities include a jacuzzi & spa besides the regular swimming pool. 

Hotel entrance at night

Hotel lobby

Hotel room with a balcony that looks out to the sea and hill

The pool 

The jacuzzi and pool bar

RapidTransit bus #101 stops right in front of the hotel, at 10 to 15 minutes' interval. It travels between Teluk Bahang and Jetty. A ride from the hotel to Batu Ferringhi is RM1.40 per pax. The last bus back to the hotel leaves at 11:15pm from Teluk Bahang.


Batu Ferringhi Food Court
We enjoyed the hokkien mee (Penang Prawn Mee), Ee Fu Mee, grilled fish and home-made spring rolls (it's served fried with a dipping sauce). Opens at night.


Song River, Gurney Drive
Not to be missed is the otak-otak, fried oysters and chee cheong fun. The fried koay teow is not too bad either. Opens at night.


A coffee shop @ Pulau Tikus (directly opposite the police station, next to Kedai Kopi Kwai Lock)
The mee goreng and fried koay teow is excellent. Hubby ordered the assam laksa which he enjoyed as it was not too sour. And the coffee, in hubby's opinion, is excellent. I ordered some strange drink which I don't remember its name or its taste. I called it "The Forgettable Drink". Opens for breakfast & lunch.


Another coffee shop @ Pulau Tikus (behind Kedai Kopi Kwai Lock)
The curry mee here is one of the best I've ever tasted. The mee goreng is horrid, one of the worst I've ever had. Opens for breakfast & lunch.


Coffee shop @ Tanjung Bungah (behind CIMB Bank & Maxim's, next to the market)
We've never failed to return to this nondescript little coffee shop each time we're in Penang for its wantan mee (dry version) and curry mee. It's probably one of the few remaining places in Penang where a plate or bowl of noodles is RM2.50.


What we'd like to try, but never succeeded, is their hokkien mee. It's always sold out when we're there. I'm sure it must be very good, as people just queue up to order it. Opens only for breakfast.

Gong Xi Fa Cai & Happy Valentine

I'd like to wish all my friends and readers a Happy Chinese New year and Happy Valentine. May love, health, peace, happiness and joy be with you always. Oh yes, not to forget, prosperity, too. :)

Identity-crisis......

No, I'm not having an identity crisis. Rather, it is one of my cats. After giving both of them a bath today, I noticed Blackie mumbling to himself......

The Empress Dowager and Her Eunuch Part II

Most people shop for new furniture or new curtains for Chinese New Year. But I'm not most people. 


And a new furniture to me is.......a new cat tree. Hubby thought I'm mad as the cats already have a couple of cat trees, but what he doesn't realise is, cats love novelty and nothing would delight them more than a new piece of furniture/toy to play with. Besides, their existing ones are already worn and the scratch posts nearly "bald" (in my opinion, not hubby's). 


So, here are my two monkeys having fun checking out the new cat tree..........

Am Back (online) with Digi Broadband

Finally, last Friday, we terminated P1 Wimax. Hubby refused to pay the cancellation fee. Instead, we listed the chronology of events, quoting the complaint code numbers when we filled out the termination form.


After doing a lot of enquiries, plus some help from Lupie who gave me more numbers to call (thanks Lupie dear), we have chosen to subscribe to Digi. 


The reasons are:
1) It has a 7-day cooling off period while some do not.
2) It allows you to terminate the service within one year (after the 7-day cooling off period), by just paying RM15 x the remaining months of the year.
3) The sales staff was willing to come to our home with a modem to test out the coverage before we sign up.
4) The connection is instant, immediately available upon registration.


So far, I am quite happy with it, and am keeping my fingers crossed that Digi Internet might live up to its slogan......"Broadband done right". 

P1 Wimax SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought Maxis sucks but P1 Wimax sucks even more. I have the misfortune of subscribing to P1 Wimax nine months ago, despite reading quite a few negative reviews about the service. Most of the complaints were that after six months of subscription, the subscribers found that they were no longer in the range of coverage. We couldn't believe that such a thing could happen, and disregarded all those complaints.

Since the beginning of this year......or was it end of last year? My cousin whom I contact online everyday might remember when I stopped being able to log in everyday to the internet......we have been tolerating the inconsistency of P1 Wimax. The line would drop every few seconds. As days turned into weeks, our patience started to wear thin. But, still, we remained cool. Those who know me will know that I don't anger easily, but when I do finally get angry, I am FURIOUS.

What got me so furious is that since last week, there has been NO internet service at all. The red light on the modem just keeps blinking, unable to capture a line. We called the customer service and lodged complaints after complaints. 

To cut a long story short, tonight, at 9:41pm, I called the customer service again, to report that although the internet service was restored for 1 hour and 40 minutes yesterday, and the whole day today, the service is yet again disrupted. 

The customer service told me that there is a problem with the base station, and it won't be resolved until 31st March!!!! WTF??? First, they told us that we were no longer in the range of converage, but then, restored our service for 12 hours. And now???!!!!

And of course, per our previous teleconversations, I can't terminate P1Wimax without paying a cancellation fee of RM299 because intermittent availability of internet service is not grounds for termination of service.

 P1 Wimax, at the rate of how you anger your subscribers, it won't be long before you fold up. And I hope you fold up soon. To tell you the truth, had your office been opened at this hour, I would have driven there and fling the modem in your face and scream obscenities at you, risking being escorted out of your building by security guards. 

YES, THAT'S HOW FURIOUS I AM WITH YOUR INTERNET SERVICE!!!!!!!!!

Mahathir says 9/11 was staged....

There is strong evidence that the Sept 11 attacks on the United States that killed nearly 3,000 could have been “staged” as an excuse to mount attacks on the Muslim world, said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
source: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/21/nation/5516554&sec=nation


And our former Prime Minister went on to say that if they could make Avatar, they could do anything. Wow. What a totally irresponsible thing to say, for a public person of significant influence! He should make a movie himself. I'm sure his imaginations of conspiracies would far surpass that of James Cameron's.

General Larry Pants On The Ground

Today is the second day of American Idol Season 9, and there are two memorable performances. Yesterday, Ashley Rodriguez blew me away with her vocals. And today, this lovely old man provided me with much comic relief. I wish the judges had put him through, his over the age limit notwithstanding. (The age limit is 28, and this general is 62.)

I've included the lyrics below.

The lyrics:

Pants on the ground

pants on the ground

lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground

with the gold in your mouth

hat turned sideways

pant hit the ground

call yourself a cool cat

lookin' like a fool

walking downtown with your pants on the ground

get it up

hey, your pants on the ground

lookin' like a fool

talking with your pants on the ground

give it up

2x

A Second Letter to Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah bin Sanusi

This second letter to Akhramsyah is in response to his recent article in his blog titled "Half A Million Ringgit of Misplaced Generosity....".


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


Dear Akhramsyah,


Your most recent article showed you for what you are: a bitter young man who fear that his political career might  not go far ever since his father, Sanusi Junid, was sacked as the IIU President in 2008.


This time, you don't even have any valid points to make, misinformed though they were. I would have simply ignored your post, except for the way you ended it.


"I also hope that the absence or reduction of violence from Monday does not give everyone a false sense of security. The violence is probably reduced as people are at work..." (quote)


This statement of yours is intimidating and threatening. Are you trying to incite more hatred and violence? Do you take pleasure in seeing the country in turmoil? This is dangerous, and someone should report you for your seditious comments.


And please do not speak on behalf of all Malays. I happen to have quite a few good Malay friends, and they don't agree with  you. The majority of Malays are peace-loving, not an extremist like you. Unlike you, they do not think that Muslims should be encouraged to torch churches, or hurled rocks at Hindu temples, as reported in today's news.


Go get a life! 

A Letter To Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah bin Sanusi

I am writing this letter to Akhramsyah in response to his article in The Malaysian Insider. A copy of it has been posted in the comments section.


http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/breaking-views/49130-torched-churches--reaping-what-is-sown--akhramsyah-muammar-ubaidah-bin-sanusi-


Dear Akhramsyah,

I've never read a more preposterous statement than this. This is a classic example of someone who has insufficient information and makes a judgement based on little bits and pieces of information.

First, your point on non-Malay leaders calling Malays "pendatang". May I remind you that it was a Malay leader who first called the non-Malays "pendatang". How would you feel, if someone were to call you a "pendatang" when your great-grandparents or grandparents have taken up arms to fight together with them, stood together with them, to protect Malaysia? Would you not retaliate and call them "pendatang", since according to Sejarah, the real bumiputra are the indigenous people (orang asli)??  

Second, "No majority ruling race has happily allowed for the culture of other races to bloom other than this country ruled by Malays." May I remind you that in the whole wide world, there isn't a country where the minority supports the majority, where 90% OF THE TAX IS PAID BY THE MINORITY. In all other countries, it is the majority that carries the minority, but in Malaysia, it is the minority that carries the majority. In Malaysia, we have a mouse carrying an elephant!!!!  

Third, "Most Malay students have nowhere else to go other than public universities whilst non-malays can go private!". Are you sure of your facts? Have you looked around? There are many non-Malays who are NOT able to afford to go to a private university. There are many non-Malays who live in small flats, who work day & night to feed their family, many who can't get a job because most corporate companies are now bumiputra-owned, and as a last resort, are selling pirate DVDs, or going from table to table in coffee shops selling RM10 items? Are you aware of this?  

Wake up, it is NOT the non-Malays who are screwing up the Malays. In fact, the non-Malays actually sympathise with the Malays who are poor, because we know that the people who are screwing the Malays are a few Malays who are in power. Those few Malays are the ones who took all the money meant for the Malays (money contributed by non-Malays) and use it for themselves.  

So, please check your facts before you speak.

Malaysia, Malaysia, Oh My Malaysia.....

Negaraku, tanah tumpahnya darahku,

Rakyat hidup, bersatu dan maju,

(My country, the land where my blood is shed,

The people live united and progressive,)

Today, I weep for Malaysia, the Malaysia I know and love. For today is a sad day, indeed, when children of Malaysia took the law into their own hands and started torching churches, ahead of the planned Friday demonstrations in mosques.

And the ONE man who can put a stop to it, the ONE man who is promoting ONE Malaysia, is guilty of escalating this tension, despite his denial. How could he deny that UMNO is responsible for this tension when he has approved of the planned demonstrations? When he and Hishamuddin had said that Muslims have a right to protest against the High Court ruling in favour of non-Muslims using the word 'Allah'??

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/48926-najib-angrily-denies-umno-raising-tension-in-allah-issue

Malaysia has indeed regressed, with a mentality worthy of a one-year-old kid!!!  Grow up, Malaysia. 

Merry Christmas!!!

Wishing all my friends and faithful readers a very blessed Christmas and a happy new year!!

World Band Marching Competition It Is Not!

Eagerly anticipating the day of the Opening Ceremony of the World Band Marching Competition 2009, I was disappointed when hubby was caught in a massive traffic jam yesterday despite him taking the longer route, the most expensive tolled highway. The street parade was supposed to start at 8:30pm, and he didn't get home until well after 9pm.

But, as the saying goes, there is a silver lining in every cloud. Am I glad we didn't manage to make it to the event. For it is NOT a World Band Marching Competition. It is NOT even Asean Band Marching Competition. Out of the 13 teams, 7 teams are from Malaysia, with Thailand entering 2 teams. And I can guess who will be the World Band Champion....Bolehland (Malaysia lah).....!!!!!!! *clap! clap!*

Culprit Caught Red-handed

For weeks, short of setting up a trap, we've been trying to figure out who left the tap running in the kitchen. It's not me, and my mum and hubby both vigorously denied being the careless one. So, it has to be my cats. But which one??


And finally, yesterday morning, I heard the peter-patter of a running tap in the kitchen. Rushing to the kitchen, I saw...........who else, but my mischievous, super-duper hyperactive Blackie. Not surprisingly, he had figured out how to operate the lever handle of the tap, just like how he figured out how to open our wardrobe doors, drawers, etc. Looks like nothing is Blackie-proof....


Enjoy................





I apologise for the shaky camera at some parts. I was trying to get closer to Blackie, and then at one point, I tried to avoid the tap water from splashing onto my camera lens.

I Am So Dumb....

I can't believe I'm so dumb....!!!! I was adding another blog URL that I follow onto my blogroll list, and instead of clicking "Save", I clicked "Cancel". Now I've lost all those blogger friends' blog URLs!!!! Other than three friends' blogs, which I could easily get hold of, I don't know the rest of the blogs' URL!!!!


Can anyone be dumber than this??!!! *smacking forehead*

Time Tunnel @ Cameron Highlands

NB: This is the 3rd installment of my Sojourn in Cameron Highlands

1st part: Sojourn in Cameron Highlands

2nd part: Hotel Cassa dela Rosa

4th part: Where To Eat @ Cameron Highlands
-----------------------------------------

Since our last visit to Cameron Highlands in September 2007, a new attraction has been added. Time Tunnel is a "must see" if you're interested in what Cameron Highlands looked like in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, all the way to the present. 

The entrance fee is RM5 per adult, and there are a fair bit of memorabilia which could have been bought from the flea market at Amcorp Mall. Well, at least the black & white photo of Tanah Rata in the 1930s was purchased there.

However, if you're expecting a true museum of antique items, you'll be disappointed. The items collected and displayed in Time Tunnel only date as far back as the early 1960s.

When I first stepped inside the premises, I was like, "Wow! An antique dentist's chair!" to which my hubby said, "No, darling, it's an antique barber's chair!" Gosh, I felt so embarrassed at my lack of knowledge... :)

Dentist's chair? No, barber's chair

Me: Your grandfather, darling? 
Hubby: No, an aborigine, but might be your grandfather

I thought I saw this "mode of transport" in use by some hypermarket staff??

Austin J (Junior) Forty - a pedal car

Austin J (Junior) Forty by Austin Motor Company, Great Britain. There were some 32,000 of these cars produced in 1950 - 1960. It is made from sheet steel surplus metal from Austin Birmingham. Work was sent to a purpose-built factory in Wales, where disabled miners worked on the "Joycars" as part of a rehabilitation program. It has battery-operated headlights and the bonnet opened up to a detailed engine.

Cents were in paper notes, then, not in coins. One cent must have been able to buy you quite a bit of stuff.

Parit Waterfall in early 1960s....snow blanketed the place for 45 minutes

A funny A4 printout I saw.......there were many other such funny printouts.

4th part: Where To Eat @ Cameron Highlands

Hotel Casa dela Rossa in Cameron Highlands

Note: This is the second part of my sojourn in Cameron Highlands
1st part: Sojourn in Cameron Highlands
3rd part: Time Tunnel @ Cameron Highlands
4th part: Where To Eat @ Cameron Highlands
------------------------------------


We stayed at Hotel Casa dela Rossa, which means Castle of the Roses, located between Brinchang and Tanah Rata. Our reservation was made through a travel agent, and we got the room for RM162nett per night instead of the published rate of RM320nett per night.

Location-wise, it is a superb location, very quiet and peaceful, away from the towns in Cameron Highlands. And the service is excellent, with a team of friendly and efficient porter, receptionist and bellman. The room is clean, although it has a rather damp, mildew smell.

My only complaint is that the sauna has been closed down, and the hotel has not seen fit to update their list of facilities in their website.

That said, it is still one of the better place to stay, as most of the hotels in Cameron Highlands, including Equatorial and Smokehouse, are rather old and their rooms are shabby and in need of refurbishing.

View from the road

Honey, I'm home......

This corridor is reminiscent of the movie (and book) The Shining by Stephen King

The double room on Diana Floor, Garden View

The garden

3rd part: Time Tunnel @ Cameron Highlands

4th part: Where To Eat @ Cameron Highlands

Sojourn in Cameron Highlands

NB: This is the 1st part of my sojourn in Cameron Highlands.
2nd part: Hotel Casa dela Rossa in Cameron Highlands
3rd part: Tunnel Tunnel @ Cameron Highlands
4th part: Where To Eat @ Cameron Highlands
----------------------------

Some people like holidays with lots of hustle & bustle activities like shopping, going from one tourist destination to another. Others prefer a quiet, relaxing holiday where you can just hang out in your pajamas and be a bum all day long. I belong to the latter category.

Since I hate flying with a passion (I still remember those 18-hour non-stop-puking flights when I was a student in UK --- I even used up all the airsick bags in one particular flight!), I could only go to destinations where I could drive or take the rail.

So, it's always either to the beach, the jungle or the mountains when we need to unwind and relax.

Cameron Highlands was the voted place as the last time we were there was in September 2007. Aside from strawberries now being one of the largest export industry in the country (tea has taken a backseat), there weren't much changes.

The trip did, however, inspire me to do a write-up on Where To Eat and some interesting sights, which I shall break into separate posts for my easy reference in the future.

2nd part: Hotel Casa dela Rossa in Cameron Highlands

3rd part: Tunnel Tunnel @ Cameron Highlands

4th part: Where To Eat @ Cameron Highlands

Help! Cat Language Tutor Needed!

Has any of you who own cats ever tried to teach the English language to your cat? Have you had any success? If you had, then you're hired!

Seriously, I need help convincing my recalcitrant cats that a bird is called a bird in my language, not noark (according to Yin Yin) or kek-kek-kek (according to Blackie).

Whenever the birds land on our balcony or window ledge, which is a few times a day, a language struggle ensues.

Yin Yin: Noark

Blackie: Kek-kek

Me: Bird

Yin Yin (turning to look at me): Noark-noark

Blackie (not taking his eyes off the birds): Kek-kek-kek

Me: No, it's not a noark, or kek-kek. It's a bird.

Yin YIn (looking at me again): Noark-noark-noark

Me: In my language it's a bird, Yin Yin.

Yin Yin: Noark-noark-noark-noark, Meow.

Me: Sigh. And my name is not Meow, so please say my name correctly when addressing me.

A Typical Day In The Life of Blackie & Yin Yin

What do two pampered cats who have nothing to do but sleep, eat and look pretty do to occupy their free time? Groom each other and play, of course.

I apologize for the lack of light in the videos, especially in the first one. We had already turned down our lights for the night and were watching TV.

Zhang Ti @ Genting

The Arena of Stars, Genting, is one of the most happening place that I know of. They hold more concert events per month than any other place that I know.

It was only a day before that hubby and I went to the Michael Learns To Rock concert in Genting, and the very next day, we went up again, this time bringing my mum along for the Zhang Ti concert.

My mum idolises Zhang Ti and she kept talking about Zhang Ti throughout the journey. According to her, Zhang Ti started coming to Penang to perform way back in the late 1960s, and she and her late sister-in-law (my Ah Kim) would go to his concerts.

Despite being in his 60s, age hasn't slowed him down one bit. His voice is rich & powerful, resonating across the fully-packed arena. I found myself asking my mum disbelievingly throughout the show if he was always this spontaneously hilarious. It's hard to believe someone could so spontaneously fit words into tunes. He's a singing stand-up comedian!!

Apparently he is lengendary for answering questions posed by the audience with songs or making up songs on topics selected by the audience on the spot with his unique brand of risque humour. And his rapport with the audience is amazing.

There was good-natured ribbing all round, with some really outrageous topics/questions selected by the cheeky audience, such as:

1) Zhang Ti, please sing a hairy song (this is one of the funniest & probably naughtiest)
2) Zhang Ti, one minus one equals two
3) Zhang Ti, how many fathers do you have
4) Zhang Ti, please sing a mute song (another extremely hilarious performance)
5) Zhang Ti, please sing a Japanese song

Except for a couple, the requests were accompanied with money, mostly RM50 to RM100, although one man gave him as much as RM500, and another gave him a RM5 Genting's casino coin. The latter has probably lost all his money at the casino, and that's all he had left. :)

And....Genting might not be over the moon to hear this, but the RM5 casino token was worthless....Zhang Ti sang two sentences, broke off abruptly, and said, to the roars of approval from the crowd, "I've earned my money. That's all you're getting for a RM5 casino coin." :D

Below is a video of the Japanese song request. My apologies for the shakes in the camera....I was laughing so hard that I couldn't keep my camera steady. Pay attention to the "Japanese" in the words....

Enjoy...........

Michael Learns To Rock @ Genting

Quick note: This is the only photo I could upload successfully. There appears to be some problems with the server, and all other photos and videos were not uploaded successfully, despite my having tried to do so for the past three days.


Michael Learns To Rock, the band that PAS Youth tried to ban from coming to Malaysia, the concert that Nasrudin termed as "a festival of sin" finally took place last Saturday night at The Arena of Stars, Genting. And they brought a lady with them, someone called Randi (not sure of the spelling) who played the bass guitar.

I wish I could upload some of the videos I took, especially the new songs from the album Eternity, and their one and only rock song, to quote Jascha Richter. And boy, I say this in all sincerity, Michael Has Finally Learned To Rock. If you were there, and saw a lady who couldn't sit still but kept moving to the beat of the music, that was me.

At one point, I think it was the song 25 Minutes, while Jascha Richter & Mikkel Lentz left the stage and worked the crowd, the audience lost it and mixed the song up with All Out of Love by Air Supply. The crowd was happily singing "All out of love, I'm so lost without you....." until Jascha ran back to the stage and got the crowd back to the right note. Talk about being confused. Or maybe the fault is not theirs, for Air Supply will be in Genting on 4 October 2009.

And......remember the song Take Me To Your Heart? The one which sounds like one of Jacky Cheung's songs? According to Jascha Richter, he was riding in a cab in Shanghai when he heard this song being played on the radio. He didn't understand a word, but he loved the music. And so, he wrote his own lyrics for it.

Since I am unable to upload the video I took, I'll post their studio recording I found on Youtube. It's a very beautiful piece of music, with an equally beautiful lyrics (they did a better job than Jacky Cheung).


One thing I must say about Michael Learns To Rock is that they are very obliging. When they came back for the encore, they performed quite a few songs, instead of just one or two. A truly amazing performance.

On a different note, driving back at night from Genting has always been very life-challenging. I hope the management would do something about the exit from the 9th floor of Genting Highlands car park (the one adjoining the Genting casino). It is extremely foggy at night, and if one does not know that there is a divider in the middle, one would have driven into it.

And it doesn't get better after this exit. The road leading down to the main road is curved and with visibility reduced to just the front end of your car, you won't even know what hit you. I remember my school in London would close when it got that foggy.

So, to the management of Genting, it would mean a lot to your regular customers if you could install some reflectors or tiger-eyes to aid the motorists when the fog descends on the mountain. Thank you. :)

Related post:
Michael Learns To Rock in Malaysia Again