The day I saw an Elf @ Ikea Store testing a toy...Anyone believes in Father Christmas??

Two days ago while walking around Ikea & guess who I saw??

I can't believe it! It's Santa's Elf called Ah Beng sitting on one of Ikea's toy. Don't let your eyes betray you despite seeing someone that looks pretty much like a 35 year old chinese man talking on the phone. Maybe Santa's assistant is not what we pictured him to be...small and pointed ears etc.

How come the Elf is so china-man looking,
such an eye-sore ..aiya!

The Elf was rocking on one of the slide shaped toy to ensure there are no treat to the kids' safety. If I am not mistaken, he was also making a call to China in advance to pre-book some cheap toys in case the toy supplied locally supply runs out.

Poor Elf, he is not even wearing a proper foot wear, just sandals during work! If I see Santa, I will definitely raise a complain on mistreatment of his worker and also this Elf has no style lah.

Not obstructing traffic.. Think again.

Some people just can't figure out common sense when it comes to being considerate. Maybe they didn't quite understand common sense because they lack in most of it. I know that we shouldn't be talking bad about other people but let's face it, some people simply don't care or they are only thinking about themselves.

No need to obstruct anyone..so no problem at all mah.
Eh...why you make noise? You jealous or what.

Some drivers can be sooooo ridiculously selfish when it come to parking or leaving their vehicles unattended during rush hours. Some even have the cheek to reply .. 'why you so worry ah? Since you no park here. Why ah?? I am not blocking you at all.'

Wah...your father's road ah?
Someone please check his mental condition!

So by reading this article, kindly be reminded to be more considerate to others before you end up with a long deep scratch by the side of your precious car. Be smart and be careful, what goes around, comes around...that's KARMA to those non-believers. :D

My passion for comics..

Asterix the Gaul (1961) was created by Goscinny & Uderzo.
A great blend of history and modern punch line.

Hergé (1907-1983) was the Belgian creator of Tintin

Since childhood, I have been an ardent reader of comics. I had read so many that i had lost count, I began reading from The Beano Comics, Danny and progress to DC & Marvel comics. Here are some of those I still cherish and some which I had collected and plan to share with my kids.

I am not those who seal it up in special plastic folders for trading or investment. See if you can identify some of these comics...enjoy!

Dr. Slump - authored by Akira Toriyama (1980)
Cute and original..you got to love it.

Goku in Dragon Ball series authored by Akira Toriyama (1984)
Read his collections over 4 years...wow. No regrets.

Akira as illustrated by Katsuhiro Otomo (series from 1982 - 1990)
..themes of social isolation, corruption & power.

Ah..Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson (1985),
they remind me of the little boy in me

Groo by Sergio Aragones (1981)
Silly & totally hilarious..love reading it all over again!

Comics are not just appreciated by children all over the world but by adults alike. There are a few local stores in KL catering for serious collectors as well as ardent readers who wish to enjoy the wonderful stories and illustrations created by brilliant authors & scriptwriters from all over the world.

Enjoy the art of reading comics and be a child at heart all over again.

Sexy school uniforms...?

Sexy meh? Wet dreams? anyone?

The National Islamic Students Association of Malaysia's vice-president Munirah Bahari caused a stir by stating that our national school uniforms for schoolgirls were too sexy and invited...
'rape and pre-marital sex'.

So they said that the white blouse had become a source of attraction and that girls deliberately wore the dresses 'to lure men'.

So it’s the schoolgirls’ fault it they were raped?

Remember the incident where an Australia's top Muslim cleric described immodestly dressed women as "uncovered meat" and blamed them for driving men to adultery and rape?

The ladies ask for it..! The problem lies with them etc..
Gentlemen, it's not ye fault.

Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali announced to his 500 followers: "If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the road, or in the garden or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, and the cats come and eat it ... whose fault is it, the cats or the uncovered meat? The uncovered meat is the problem."

Are they implying we men are like cats or wild beasts? Eh…if I may speak for some, if not all the men. I am sure the majority of men have better self-control than those religious bigots who made such seriously flawed remarks.

Shouldn’t they be requesting that all men be placed in some mental institutions or something? We can’t have such men running free in this modern age.

Can someone please tell these people that not all men are so deprived of self-control? It is so shameful for any religious group to put the blame totally on the women. Please go and take out your narrow-minded brain and wash it with detergent…!

What the @#$% wrong with these people? It's better to have their eyes pulled out than to sin..

Serendah Waterfall, Selangor.

Looking for some natural spot within Selangor for a day trip? If you are not looking for a 5-Stars park or retreat, you might want to rough it out at Serendah Waterfall, Selangor.

Approximately 10 kilometers north of Rawang is this ‘Cowboy’ town Serendah, where local travelers stop for their meals and breaks. This is a small local attraction for the locals to go to after a long week of work (besides going for a round or two at some old golf courses).

From Jalan Kuching in KL, just head North to Rawang, you will have to look for Simpang Sungai Choh and thereafter look for direction to Serendah. At Serendah town on the left you will find a small police station and little distance to the north is a right turn into the housing area of Kampung Dato' Harun.

Follow this residential road and turn to your left where the surfaced road ends and a square signboard that reads 'Pusat Serenti Serendah'.

It's a good exposure to the kampung style break for your kids to learn to rough it out. You will see lots of kids soaking themselves at various part of the waterfall, picnicking under the sunny sky and crowding out with the rest of the locals.

Do not expect 1st class amenities besides enjoying the natural waterfall. If you can't stand seeing your kids roughing it out, this place is not for you. You can actually walk behind the waterfall and it's naturally awesome experience for your kids. The waterfall is pretty safe but forceful.

Bring along your own portable chairs in case they run out of sitting area and have your own food ready if you are not used to kampung style vendors.

If you are not the type to appreciate the little things in life and mingling with local folks, then head to Sunway lagoon or Genting Highland for your pampered break. The evening view nearby can be pretty breathtaking...natural and serene (minus internet and internet cafe). You might want to go in a bigger group and put up a night at Sekeping Serendah retreat.

On the way back to KL, you can stop by for your dinner at any of the local restaurants like this one below (tho I didn't stop by).

Picnic at the park

It's not often you get the chance to see "ayam kampung" around PJ or KL. I caught this on my camera on one fine morning in the heart of PJ in the midst of the morning rush hour. It's so unfair that these chickens get to enjoy loitering around while we have to get up early and join the rat race from Monday to Friday...(signed).

Maybe one day I should get myself a farmland and just enjoy the fruits of my labour, no need to put on a nice atire for work, no need to hear any more complains from clients and become a smarter rat in this competitive world.

Hey, maybe it's only a dream in reality and reality only in my dream... :D

Safety first?...Ya right.

No worry lah..Nothing will happen lah dey!

What the....., how come only daddy wears helmet only ah? You are right in the middle of the city of Kuala Lumpur lah dey. No worry for him despite having so many cars driving by at 80 kph on both sides. Do you think this biker had learned a trick or two from Britney Spear?

Some drivers are so creative that they have ways to park their cars. One of our national cars is so small, they can easily pass off as kids' stuff @ Toys"R"Us stores. They are so small that they become obstructive annoyance like this example below...

See...I parked it my way.

An old friend from Copenhagen, Denmark once shared with me on his 1st day driving in KL. He literally thought drivers are going to crash into his car whenever they cut into his lane without putting out their signal lights. He would say things like "Oh shit, I am going to get hit.." or "Oh no, I am gone for sure.." and etc. After the 2nd month, he proudly told me he is getting good at it (his driving).

Have fun and drive safely. Please consider the safety of others before yours.

Yummy Fresh Fish for dinner...anyone?

Being in KL for the last 20 years, I do have my small list of eat out restaurants. You know lah,.. sometimes my friends, clients and suppliers will share with me some of their favorite eating haunt.

Honestly I will try to eat anything as long as I don't get food poisoning that leaves me looking for the washroom for the next 3 days. Em,..I had even tried the infamous HK's Chow Tau Foo and a few other less exotic dishes just for fun.

Anyway, the only thing I dislike is the hygiene in preparing the food. To make a point, I took this some time back in Kepong, near where I work. What I saw was a worker preparing food by the back lane....yes, I said back lane. Fortunately I had never patronize the restaurant before, but I am sure you will see more of this elsewhere.

See mum...no need tables to prepare the food, easy lah

No wonder my friends always say "If you enjoy the food there, make sure you don't go into their washroom or kitchen", true? I still remember during the late 80s, I had one of bout of food poisoning during Easter after eating somewhere offering cheap & great tasting food along Ipoh. Some of my friends who ate the same food also came down with food poisoning. I had a plate of food & ended up 2x in the washroom and a good friend had two and a half plate ended up 5x in the washroom. I remember seeing at least six of them waiting in line for their turn to use the washroom.

So the next time you plan to have a good meal outside, you might want to consider checking out the toilet, the kitchen and the back lane before ordering your food.

My, my...it's my lunch time now (1pm). Bon Appetit for now.

Money Politics or just optimising awareness?

I am way behind time to comment about the recent Malaysia's 12th General Election which had come and gone resulting in one of the biggest upset for the ruling party, PBN. In brief, the people had spoken and so far the elected representatives are getting their act together till the next GE.

I managed to take some shots here and there during the election heat and I have one shot that caught my attention. This shot was taken near the Sin Chew roundabout near Menara Merais, before I head for my next meeting. I am not sure if this was one related to Money Politics or just an over zealous campaign staff who might be overly paid to do a fast job putting up candidate's election poster...but I thought it was rather funny at 1st glance. Hope you find it funny too!

Dato' Seri Dr. Mohamed Khir Bin Toyo's contact no. 019 2085515??
Can he can spare you some small change for coffee..? With low interest?

Anyway, I don't mean to imply anything serious against him but hopefully the next 13th General Election, he will have to make sure his campaign staff do not simply put up his good image on such an eye catching bunting. Next time I hope these people won't employ characters with names like Ah Beng or Ah Long...must check before employing any of them. Don't play play ah.

A Pleasant Trip to Bukit Melawati, Kuala Selangor

If you enjoy a short trip within Selangor, I would love to suggest going to Bukit Melawati for a day trip during the weekend or short public holiday. Do not expect any 5-stars attraction there but the local friendly monkeys are good enough to thrill your kids the whole day.

Bukit Melawati is located in the coastal town of Kuala Selangor, em...say about an hour drive drive from Kepong, Kuala Lumpur. During the late 18th Century, the second Sultan of Selangor had a fortress constructed on Melawati Hill to protect the state from intruders. The hill provided a vantage point to monitor ships in the Straits of Malacca. Even with a strategic hold, the Melawati Fort yielded to the Dutch cannons. It was again destroyed during the Selangor Civil War, when warring factions fought for tin-rich lands. All that remains of the fort now are its cannons, its original foundation stones and fabled execution block. The landscaped hill offers a panoramic view of the Selangor coastline.

The local version of the Polar Express heading up to Bukit Melawati
..choo choo & cough cough (diesel type)

Visitors will be delighted to watch the free-roaming Silverleaf Monkeys in the area. The adults are dark-haired with a tinge of silver, while the young ones are a bright orange.

This shot was taken within less than 2 feet away from our friendly host

Gentle and adorable, they graciously wait for bread or fruits from visitors, unlike the mischievous Long Tail Macaques. I wish I can take one home too..

Feeding time, long beans preferred, with lots of fiber..yum yum

I showed a Silverleaf Monkey a long bean on my palm before closing it and the monkey just gently took my hand and unfold my fingers to remove the food while I stroke his fur....wow.

We are watching them or the other way around??

Polite and gentle...much better than the "monkeys"
seen during parliament meetings

Even kids can befriend them easily without having their parents worrying about them. They can be consider much friendlier and polite than some of the young school going visitors. He he he...:D. (Serious,...while the kids behave more monkey that these local habitats).

Other attractions here are a lighthouse, a royal mausoleum and a quaint rest house.

If you have time for lunch, the sea food restaurants are just less than 10 mins drive up North along the costal road. Typical of all Malaysian visitors, you can also shop for fish snacks and other preserved food stuff while waiting for your food to be prepared.