Durians Galore

   You can see durians everywhere these days. It's the long awaited durian season for durian lovers. They will know the difference whether it's musang king, D2, D24.....As for me, I just know how to eat and I'm not overly crazy about this fruit. Some people just can't stand the smell of this fruit which they consider horrible and dislike the soft mushy texture but for durian lovers, the smell of this fruit is heavenly. There are many ways of eating this fruit : eat straight away after opening, eat it with rice which I don't fancy at all, make 'tempoyak'(ferment it) and cook 'gulai', freeze it to eat which I prefer, make ice cream, cake or custard puff etc. This fruit makes our body heaty if consume too much (high in protein & carbohydrates), so the remedy is drink salt water from its skin (must rub the inner sides of the skin before drinking). Other than that, to make your hands loose the strong durian smell, you can try washing your hands with water running down the durian skin. I'd tried this and it seemed to work ! Since We have a couple of durian trees, we ate our heart out and gave them to friends. Believe it or not, I'd gained 4 kg because I don't want to waste the fruit ! I'll have to work out more.....I'm not going to eat any durians from today...could I? Guilty that famine is happening in certain parts of Africa due to drought and unstable politics where as we over eat here.....
  

Why Love Me ?

                                  Of all the roses in the garden,

                                  Why choose me?

                                  I'm just a wild flower lost in this Eden,

                                  This is how it must be,

                                  Every day waiting to be weeded all of a sudden,

                                  This is insignificant me,
                                  Your world is a far cry from mine,
                                  It has no place for me to be,
                                  I would rather live for the moment,
                                  Than loosing whatever little dignity in me,
                                  Why love me ?
                                  I wouldn't want your life to have a dent,
                                  Just let it be,
                                  Like a passing dream lost in time,
                                  You'll soon forget at the end.


Prescription : Don't let go of happiness

Feeling Low

   

    Life has its ups and downs just like shares in Wall Street. We wanted to be able to control our life patterns but too bad that at times, it's just beyond our means. Unwanted things just jump out of the blue into our lives no matter how much we plan to avoid. Things that we hope to come our way just don't seem to be in sight. People say that our lives are in our hands. Sure, definitely true but again, like it or not, sometimes we need a recipe of some luck with a punch of opportunity plus being there at the right time and place as well as meet the right people. Therefore, a right combination and zest to do well.

   Anyway, when we hit life at its lowest, we got to be strong in order not to collapse. There are people around who still need us and in a worse situation than us. We are not alone actually. When you feel that life sucks, just let it be a feeling for the moment. Scream your heart out and continue with your journey in life because every step we take is a special step ahead. The whole journey is uniquely you. Keep on going and 'fighting' !!!


Prescription : You are not alone. Live with hope in your heart for a better tomorrow

Legalization Of The Legals

   Oops dear employers and investors in my country, if you have legal foreign workers...then you are in the lucky lot to have to "legalize" your legal workers by registering their biometric readings with the immigration department by this Sunday. The government gives ONLY 2 weeks grace period to register all 1.8 millions legal foreign workers. Make sure you bring all relevant documents and of course your workers to the allocated registration centre if you haven't done so. Good luck to you and enjoy yourselves at the centre. The government will not take any responsibility if your workers ran away or jump boat after this because next month, the government is going to legalized all illegal foreign workers in the country by registering them without any penalization. So your legal foreign workers may take this opportunity to go to other employers by declaring that they are illegals.

   One reminder before you go, please bring enough water to drink and eat something before you go for the registration because it took us 4+ hours on the second day of the exercise. Since work have to continue due to business demand (production must continue), we couldn't register all our workers on the same day. Last Sunday we sent our second batch of workers to register their biometric readings, well we were considered quite lucky to finish everything in 7 + hours !!! We got a lesson on patience and endurance as well as controlling our temper in the humid surroundings. Make sure you visit the toilet earlier or else you might miss your turn after waiting patiently. On a lighter mood, maybe you could break our record of 7+ hours to longer period of waiting and registering...Keep your cool okay, bring your medication along if you are in those group who need it...you know what I mean. HAPPY WAITING !!! Thank God we are over and done with it.....

Prescription : Be patient...take a deep breath...

 
  

Heavenly Angels

   

Angels are believed to live in heaven...I had read and heard stories about angels ever since I was young. Usually angels are beautiful , good and kind, with wings to fly. I grew up believing in angels until slowly adult life casts doubts about them. Other than  that, as I grew older, I read that angels can be in other forms and could be different according to believes and culture. Anyway, I still love the images of cute, pretty, kind little angels best. Do angels really exist ? How I wish that they were true...Maybe I could meet one ....???zzzZZZ

   

      

   

Congratulations Dear !!!

My Dearest Girl...Mummy is so proud of you for being the runner up in Red Crescent Society First Aid State Level Competition for secondary schools yesterday. Congratulations to all of you (You + teammates) !!! All your hard work is worthwhile. 


Prescription : Great to feel proud at times
  
JOANNE & TEAMMATES >>>>>

Holding Hands

A Stronger Bond Is Created.....

    

 
With these...speak more than words......
Holding hands keep people connected....

Love Like This

When you meet the right girl, focus and go for her...

When the dream boy comes along, just trust your instinct...

When the right person is there for you, treasure the time together...

When love blossoms in the air, both of you are having a beautiful thing...

When there is love, other things don't really matter...

When you truly love that special person, you will be willing...

When time passes, you will have fond memories of each other...

When the time is up, you will not have regrets and wonder...

Love like this...put your hearts together, light up with spices of life, sprinkle with humour...

The ups and downs, go through holding each other's hand forever...loving...

Prescription : Love it this way

Arowana Went Nuts (Got Fits)

 Just recently, for the past one week, our red arowana went nuts- jumped, knocking around, like drunken or got into fits when we switched off the aquarium lights. It wasn't like this before. It's alright when we switched on the lights. We were shocked ! What's wrong with it ? We suspected that we scared it when cleaning its aquarium a bit too vigorously compared to what we normally did. So it sort of got very scared or freaked out when we switched off the lights suddenly because it felt that it couldn't see all of a sudden. So we tried many ways to switch off the lights until we got a way that didn't freak it too much i.e. switched off the water pump then switched off and on the lights a few times, then only switched off the lights in the house. After being like this for a week, it suddenly got okay and didn't go nuts after switching off the lights. We are still puzzle over its weird behaviour but as long as it is okay, we are happy. Arowana really has it's own kind of character.....an elegant, proud, shiny, sensitive fish. We really strike the jackpot of purchasing over sensitive arowanas each time.... this red arowana and our golden redtail arowana. Yep , we learn a lot along the way but .....yet we love to look at them. So contradicting.....This kind of headache is the type people say, " YOU BOUGHT YOUR OWN HEADACHES". Ha ! Ha! We must be crazy fellas !


Prescription : Sometimes we can't understand the closest person to us or even ourselves. So be patient.

Fruity Ice Combo

Cool, colourful , lots of vitamins and fiber for you as a treat on a hot day. Not bad huh ?

Ingredients

1 bowl ice shavings/ blended ice
fruits cut into cubes and bite size : mango, red & white dragon fruit, kiwi fruit, strawberries (any fruit that you like)
1 tbsp nata de coco &  1 tbsp attap fruit (optional)
1 tbsp grass jelly(cincau)/agar-agar/jelly strips           
2-3 tbsp mango juice or your favourite syrup
1-2 scoops of fruity or vanilla ice cream as topping

Put everything in a serving bowl and top it with ice cream if you like. I prefer putting some ice shavings followed by fruits etc and a tablespoon of mango juice alternately, Then lastly, top it with ice cream.


Prescription : Give yourself a treat every now and then

Big House

Prescription : To dream is a way of life

Everybody would want to live in a big, lavish house and enjoy all the comfort one could get. Don't tell me that you are an exception because then,you are really different from most of us ! When watching a movie, especially after seeing those huge beautiful houses with beautiful landscape ...how I wish I could live in them but these thoughts usually vanish the very next day. I am the type that love a place that's just enough big so that I could see my family members going about their things daily and still have some privacy. This will give the home an added warm feeling. When it's too big, of course everybody will have more privacy but then they would need to make some effort to run into each other and to gather together. Not mentioning the eeriness when you are alone , watching a scary, horror or terror movie with strong wind blowing and lightnings striking their bolts outside, accompanied by groaning thunders....the house would sound hollow, big houses always do and magnify whatever tiny sound plus my super wild imaginative power running...I'm not a brave person, therefore too big houses is a no-no for me. But if anybody wants to give one such houses to me for free, of course I would be super happy...I could stay there in the day right ? Well, here I am dreaming again...who would want to give me one by the way for nothing ?


  

  

Hazy Blurry Sky

What a morning! Couldn't really see the outline of the green trees in front of me. The morning breeze had this acrid smell and everywhere was hazy and blurry. The air pollutant index (API) wasn't good. This haze business was unknown a decade ago over here but now, it is rather common in this region. Reasons ? Well, as usual the blaming game is on without a solid solution. Is this one of the price that we have to pay for development ? So, are we actually moving a step forward and two step backwards ? Guess just got to live with it and burn our lungs in the process ...


Prescription : Maybe we can't help much, but a little bit is better than non. 

Loving Brothers Gone In A Day

   It was raining very heavily at about 12.10 pm yesterday. I could hardly see in front of me but I could not stop my car because I was in the middle of  heavy traffic. All the vehicles are moving slowly due to limited vision. Little did I know that a tragedy was about to happen in my housing area. Two brothers were walking home from school after the downpour. They lived nearby their school. They were walking along a deep monsoon drain when the younger brother slipped and fell into the drain. The elder brother who was a year older than the 7 year old brother managed to grab his brother's hand but couldn't do much because he was also pulled along into the drain. Both of them were washed away in seconds as the drain was full with rushing water after the rain. Some people saw the incident but were helpless. They could only call for help. The boys were nowhere to be seen by the time help came. Their bodies, were found much later at the irrigation trap.

   Full of despair, that's what their parents must be feeling now. Sad beyond words, regrets for not fetching their children home because they couldn't imagine such tragedy would happen and maybe angry too because the drain was not covered. No matter how, two beautiful children were gone forever now, never ever to have the chance to grow up to see the world. Just gone like that in  a day. That was an accident. Nobody expected or wanted it to happen. So aren't life really fragile ? Value today for tomorrow...nobody knows...


Prescription : Live today like tomorrow will never come

Be On Time

There is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike...who steals what is most precious to men that is TIME - Napoleon I


We all know the frustration of waiting for some one who is late for an appointment. We feel irritated and stressed, especially if we have rearranged our schedule and rushed through traffic to be at the appointed meeting place on time. Of course we are all late on occasion due to circumstances beyond our control. But chronic lateness demonstrates a lack of respect for others by robbing them of life's most precious commodity - TIME.


   Determine to make a difference in the lives of others by showing that you value them and treasure the time that they have agreed to spend with you. Schedule realistically and give yourself enough time to accommodate traffic and unexpected delays. Small considerations mean a lot.


Prescription : Someone else's time is a terrible thing to waste.

Arowana Has Red Protruding Anus

   More than 2 weeks ago, our arowana had red protruding anus. Didn't know the cause at first and search for answers from the internet. There are many suggestions and answers to the cause ranging from the food we gave , parasites. inflammation of the digestive systems.....We tried changing the food because we gave it bread worms that week but it didn't give any result. We changed the water  more frequently, gave internal and external parasite medicine.... again with no result. The anus is getting redder. Then we put it on fasting as is one of the suggestions but to no avail. We were at loss. Then we tried stuffing human deworming medicine at low dosage in prawns to give it. Sure enough, there are parasitic worms coming out and could hardly be seen unless if strain our eyes under bright lighting. About 1 mm, as thin as dust like and they are wriggling ! Could be due to the live fishes that we feed it now and then. It love them and wouldn't take pellets. The redness has slowly gone down. There's still slight pinkish colour and anus still slightly protruding. At least improve a lot but it became smart. It wouldn't eat prawns now !

Prescription : We are learning everyday from life's little experiences

Korean dramas...Love or Leave Them

   Korean dramas have entered the lives of many drama lovers by a storm over here. The dramas cross language barriers. Malays, Chinese, Indians...all alike, becoming ardent followers. Korean dramas engage a large pool of actresses and actors. Freshness is the key ! You don't really see the same popular aging actresses or actors monopoly the industry by playing main younger roles all the time... like... you know that country which is famous for producing  dramas but lost the 'draw' to Korean dramas of late... Imagine an actor in the fifties acting a role for early thirties. Just not suitable. In Korean dramas, you get to see beautiful scenery , their famous Korean food, cars, mobile phones, Korean fashion from head to toe such as hairstyle, make-up, clothes , accessories, shoes, plastic surgery, musics, songs, dances, different beautiful/handsome/macho/cute actors and actresses and so on.....Korean dramas are promoting their country in every way , boosting the country's economy in tourism, korean food industry, music industry, fashion etc. Their dramas are so simple in terms of story line, props, logistics and budget but yet enough magic to conquer the hearts of drama lovers. What are the recipes for their dramas? All about love , life, money, success.....main things that we dream, want or need in our lives and which everybody from all ages could relate. Just simple entertaining that is not too mind boggling to wash away stress and to get lost for a moment in dream world.  Kudos to Korean dramas !


Prescription : When you like something, you'll think it's worthwhile


  
  

Good Night and Sweet Dreams !!!

   Had been sleeping real late the past few nights.  Been looking up information to write for a project and  had been reading up materials to brush up on certain topics. My ! I had actually been studying very hard for the past few days. Brain storming to be exact. Haven't been like that for a long time and I am getting a bit rusty up in the head.

   How about you. Did you get to sleep well at night ? Some people even have stuffs running in their head while sleeping. Able to sleep soundly is a blessing but don't sleep like a log that you are dead to the world. Able to hear emergency warnings while sleeping is important because one never knows what could happen. Some people actually can have time to sleep but choose not to because they wanted to use the time doing something that they enjoy like watching movies, drinking in the pub, playing computer games and so on. So long that what you are doing are not risking your health should be okay, I guess. Do take good care to get enough sleep. A good slumber actually could recharge your system and make you feel energize again.


Prescription : There is nothing like a good sleep when you are super tired.

Beautiful Nightmare

I woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in my own sweat. I was shivering with fright. Oh gosh! What a nightmare ! I was walking in this pitch dark alley. It was so quiet and only me with the sound of my footsteps. Then, I felt a gust of wind blowing past me. I suddenly felt chilly and I could feel my goosebumps rising. I walked faster and I was soon running. The alley seemed never ending. I was frightened. No, I was super terrified! How I ran for my life that night. I could have broken the Olympic record ...but who care about that ? I wanted to be in my own cozy home that very moment, all safe and sound. I didn't want money, I didn't  care about success, I didn't want fame , even a load of diamonds wouldn't distract me... I could only think about, " I wanna go home now!" Then I saw a light in front of me.  It was so bright that it blinded my eyes. I blinked and blinked. Then the scenery unfurled in front of me. It was so beautiful. Words could hardly describe what I saw. There was a cascade to the right  and a waterfall  to the left splashing down with fish jumping into the air, fragrant flowers were blooming everywhere, the birds were chirping away, the bees were buzzing and colourful butterflies flying around. The breeze was so pleasant and when I looked up at the sky, it was so blue...Wow! What was  actually happening? Where was I? Then suddenly everything around me vanished ! I was dropping down in this big black hole. Falling.....oh my.....please.....only my mind was talking..... my voice couldn't come out....Bang and boom ! I was on this hard cold floor, my butt was hurting.Wasn't that my book on the floor???

Prescription : Sometimes its difficult to know what is exactly real and what is not.

New Red Arowana-Not Eating

   My hubby bought another crossback red arowana a few weeks ago. This new arowana is more aggressive, braver and smarter compare to our golden redtail arowana. At the beginning, it took some time to get use to the new surroundings and show signs of stress like not eating for a week. It's okay now and come chasing if anything is near the aquarium, following any movement near the aquarium. Great to have another new pet to the family but arowana is a type of fish which is rather sensitive. Some people call it 'headache fish' because it react very differently to different stimuli. Sometimes it reacted to certain stimuli so badly that it looks sick. No 2 arowanas have the same behaviour and reaction. So owners have to judge and understand their own arowanas just like there are no 2 children with the same character.