Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Ash Wednesday!


Ash Wednesday was today and marks the beginning of Lent. It is a very important period in the Catholic calendar as we will go through 40 days(excluding Sunday) of preparation before we celebrate Easter. Easter marks the resurrection of Christ after being laid in the tomb for 3 days.

I love this period actually. It is the time for us to reflect on humanity and abstain from the luxuries of life. It is living like how Jesus suffered throughout this period before Easter. For me, it is a time to be humble and be appreciative to what I have and to remember those who are less fortunate than me. Let us remember those who are suffering because of war, injustice or illness.

Anyway, back to Ash Wednesday. I went to the Assumption Church in Jalan 222 after going home to take a bath to feel fresh after work. It was a rainy day and I hate rainy days as the possibility of accidents are higher. I took a slow drive and parked my car along Jalan Templer, rather far from the church as it was already packed with cars.

I didn't get a seat as I was a bit late and the church was packed with parishers who came after their work. I stood under my purple umbrella near to the porch. I tried as much as I could to listen to the homily given by Father Phillip Muthu who was talking about fasting and abstaining. Our fasting is very much different from the deffinition being practiced by Muslims. We still can eat during the day but nothing fancy or expensive. We are to live a simple daily life throughout these days.

What amazed me was when the church minister placed the ash over my forehead making the shape of the cross. She said, "Repent and be faithful to the gospel". I quickly sent an SMS to Ruby to share with her how inspired I was by the words.

To me, that sentence can be simply broken down in my own understanding:

Repent would be to admit and acknowledge the mistakes you have done. Be it skipping church, robbing or sleeping with your neighbour, confess it to God and move on. Sin in this world can never be avoided. It is because of human nature. As much as we pray and follow the holy teachings, we are still tempted by the evil or fall to the weakness of our humanness. God is loving and forgiving. He loves us.

Faithful to the gospel would mean living the word of God. Like as I said above, it is difficult to follow but we should atleast try. If trying is also difficult, then we should look deeper into ourselves to see what is stopping us from trying. It could simply be our attitude. Nothing is impossible.

I wish that during the moment of Lent, we may discover something new about God that will touch our hearts. It would be good to share it with your friends or family about what you discovered. Share it with people regardless of their religion or who they are. You never know as they may be touched by your words.

If you are having problems fasting and abstaining, consult your Muslim friends. I am sure they will be happy to share how they went through it during Ramadhan. Trust me, what they do is a lot harder than what we Catholics are doing. Nonetheless, some of them do it flawlessly and is not a hassle.

Also, pray as much as you can during this time wherever you are; in your car stuck in traffic jam or waiting for the Facebook website page to load. Although we may be saying short prayers, we are atleast still remembering God during this time.

Open your eyes to the world as you may receive messages indirectly from God that will stimulate your mind spiritually and move you.

God bless all of us during this moment of Lent and may it be a life-changing moment to us all.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Poor Karpal over-doing his best for the people

I am a concern citizen about all the local political news that has been going on in my country. I have reached a point of feeling disgusted and ventured to move to global news that is more interesting especially with what Obama is doing in the U.S. Atleast it is more satisfying and does make sense.

Big hoo-ha on what Karpal Singh said that a Sultan can be taken to court has become sensational news. A lot of people not happy at him for saying such things and now they are sending death threats to him and threating to harm his family. WTF!

Poor old man. At his age, he is still so active in the political arena. He started out as a young lawyer who grew into politics and being on the opposition side. The opposition party, DAP, has been struggling to take over the country in Malaysia since independence over the rulling party. The 2008 general elections finally showed fruits of their labour when they won in a few states.

Karpal's comments about the Sultan came about when the Perak state government under PKR(opposition) had to be desolved by the Sultan when the state exco members resigned. It gave BN the majority of seats in the state and BN was back in power without any state election taking place. Does this sound democratic?

So I guess people were not too happy about the dissolvement. Some tempted to challenge that decision and came out with possible solutions on how they are going to fix this issue. Karpal Singh is one of those some who challenged.

This has left me curious on who is right and who is wrong.

According to the 1957 Constitution of the Federation of Malaya with all the ammendments done throughout the years(taken from Wikipedia) , Article 181 states:

Article 181 guarantees the sovereignty, rights, powers and jurisdictions of each Malay Ruler within their respective states. They also cannot be charged in a court of law in their official capacities as a Ruler.

The Malay Rulers can be charged on any personal wrongdoing, outside of their role and duties as a Ruler. However, the charges cannot be carried out in a normal court of law, but in a Special Tribunal under the purview of the Council of Rulers.

I do not have much knowledge or experience with the law but from what I have learnt using my common-sense is that it is possible to take the Sultan to court under special conditions.

Come to think of it, would Karpal Singh even want to say something which is baseless considering the reputation he has as a prominent lawyer in Malaysia? We Malaysians aren't stupid and we can do our own investigation with the help of Google to validate his claims. Haha!

Also, could all the protest aimed at Karpal reflect the shallowness or lack of knowledge of us citizens on the constitution of our country?

Anything is possible. By using our common-sense and openning our closed minds, we should try and think about all this possibilities. We keep worshipping and thanking God for all his creations. Some of us dress up like prophets during the dawning of religion and camel handlers to show how religious we are to the outside world. But are we using God's creations to our fullest potential?

Jeez... I really do not know how I get this ideas and thoughts sometimes! Lol!

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Time is certainly ticking... faster than you can imagine!


I was surfing cnn.com/living today and stumbled upon this article:


It is certainly interesting on how the author narates how time has passed and what she has been through in the past 20 odd years. Although, most of it indeed are very feminine experiences, she writes, but it also tells of how time was like back then; the technology, food industry standards, social life, pass times.

It also brings back my memories of the past where a mobile phone was an item of luxury and I would be dieing to have one. I remmember walking around shopping complexes with pride in holding my aunt's gigantic Motorola flip phone. As time has gone by, throughout my experience of being a cell phone user, I have had a new mobile phone on average once every year since 2000 and it is now a mere need than a want. Or the years when the Volvo 240 was the ultimate executive car to own, with safety and power as a feature. Power at 8 valves in todays motoring standards? Yeah right.

Somehow I can imagine how the writer feels today after being through so much. Deffinitely the phrase "Older but wiser" can be applied in this context. Life is indeed a learning experience. We continue to learn new things everyday contiously or uncontiously. With information greatly multiplying so does our knowledge and we grow with times and deal with change.

I am sure she faced many struggles in her career and social life. She has probably learned from such painful lessons that have made her stronger in getting through the toughest moments of life. People like her would be the right people for the younger generation to consult during trying times. The environment we live in may have changed but with the right attitude and will-power within each of us, we can lessen or even eliminate the suffering.

The oldest real-life lesson that I have learnt was from my grandparents days when they worked hard and did not have much to boast about. Today, it can be attributed that because of their hardship, I am the generation that is inheriting the comforts and happiness that they had worked hard for but did not live long enough to see and enjoy. God bless their souls.

I will probably be like the author one day, reminiscing on the past and my early years like through looking back at the posts of my blog. A lot of good and bad has happened throughout my life that has only made me a better person. Life should not be lived with regrets but with optimism to what lies ahead. As much as we are enjoying our current moments, things change and so should we although it is really hard to accept this reality.

As I write this, I remembered the fridge magnet on my uncle's fridge that I stumbled upon only last week. It says "Let us grow old together, as the best years are yet to come".

Saturday, January 10, 2009

My first week in KL

I hated the idea when my bro suggested to me that I work in KL doing SAP(a field in IT). I loved Penang so much as there was always things to do and being with the people closest to me. There was Ruby, mummy and daddy,my comfortable home, all my precious stuff(PS2,my LG flat screen tv), my pets (dogs and fish), my friends and the list just goes on.

The economy took a turn for the worst and started to slump in September 2008. When I was back in Penang, I did try hard with the help of my dad to get a job in Bayan Lepas, Butterworth or Kulim but there was no luck. I spent 2 months looking. For the fun of it and as it was going no where, I applied in KL with the help of my bro and I got a job in 2 days.

It has been a week working in Infocubed. It is located at Seksyen 20/ 70A Seri Hartamas. Sorry but I am still confused with the name Desa Seri Hartamas and just Seri Hartamas. It is like 9 km away from my uncle's house in Seksyen 22/ 40 Petaling Jaya. The company develops SAP Business Intelligence related software. Basically, it does all the stages of the development. I work with a team of 5 people who like me, still beginning to learn about SAP. My office hours are 9 am to 6 pm and I say that proudly compared to the odd working hours in Dell those days. Haha! The salary is great for starters like me and I am pleased overall. Nonetheless, I still have to put in effort to equip myself with the knowledge of SAP. Wish me luck!

Me on the way to work in my Myvi:


I have settled in well to my uncle's lovely home here. He has a spare room and it was vacant. My couz and her husband live in the other room. We have dinner once a while together or I just go out on my own. I have tried to make my room here as comfy as possible and sufficient with all my basic needs. I do the chores here like it is in my own home as my relatives have been most kind to let me stay with them. I even have a car park!

Below is a photo of my room:


Should my uncle go to his other home in Bangkok or my couz back to UK, I have the house to myself and I shall be the captain during their absence. The house is mostly vacant throughout the year so I will live alone. It's a big house so I pray that God will be with me at all times guarding my safety. I do all my washing of clothes at home and ironing so I save money there. I feel my relatives are happy I am staying with them to 'jaga' the place during their absence so it is a good thing.

Lunch(mix rice) at my working area is reasonable for KL standards costing an average of RM 5 with drink. Dinner mostly I have around Petaling Jaya side at coffee shops and they cost about the same.

I don't plan to venture very far out as KL is a huge place and I am unfamilliar with the roads. For me, the further I drive and getting myself into jams is going to freak me out and dread I moved to KL. So I try to avoid all of this as much as I can. Being here, I still have yet to go to Subang where my bro lives coz it is like 16 km from PJ. Yeah, I may sound thrifty but if you consider the distance, it is far. So I keep my life simple and don't stress myself out. I just travel short distances as of now, getting used to my new surroundings. Basically, PJ has almost everything you need.

Motorist here are more courteous and less crazy compared to Penang and this even includes motorcyclist. So far so good and I try not to be like my 'kiasu' self back in Penang. I am aware of 'mat rempits' and those 'racing-driver wannabes' so I try to avoid such roads that they normally use.

I went once to Tesco, Mutiara Damansara in the middle of the week as I had to get some stuff. It was ok and I didn't bother walking around to the adjacent Ikano or The Curve as it will just waste my time. Maybe when Ruby comes then I will go. Otherwise, there was no reason to go. From Hartamas, that shopping area is the nearest to me.

Planning and time-management here is crucial. There are traffic jams and peak times when shopping complexes get crowded with people. I hate crowded places. It is unlike Penang, where you can get out and drive. Here, you need to consider the time before going. Well, it is hard in a way but I am getting used to it.
I will be back in Penang only for Chinese New Year. I am trying to get myself comfortable here in PJ and learning more about the place. My parents will be coming down next weekend.

Argh... I hope Ruby comes too! Miss her sooo much! Thank God for the free calls,SMS and MMS from Digi that we communicate often. Long distance is ok for now with modern day technology.
Some times in life, one has to make sacrifices that is never easy to accept. I certainly hope my endeavour is for a greater cause that I can share with my loved ones. :)

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Happy New Year 2009!

I am so glad it is a new year because it gives me a fresh start or a continuation with optimism in the things I endeavour.

Jumping into SAP is the biggest leap and change in career I have made. Looking for a job in Penang after my training in Kuala Lumpur was difficult as the economy had gone into a slump. Most companies had frozen their recruitment. Thank God for my bro who had fixed me up in his friend's company in Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur. I am thankful that I finally got a job after resigning from Dell, 4 months ago. I am happy with the renumerations and experience that I am about to receive.

However, the 4 months were the best 4 months as I got to chill and lepak. Most importantly in these months, I took to reflect on where I am heading to as an individual and it has helped strengthen me. :D Reading was the best thing I did. Mostly online and there is this one book I have been reading which is Speaking with Confidence by Dale Carnegie. I just love inspirational books because it does deffinitely impact me.

As a partner in a loving relationship, I set forth to deepen my relationship with my partner. Growing with your partner is very important to sustain a lifetime of happiness together. There is never a right or wrong or a manual on how to be right. It is all about learning and experience. Some of my friends may not have had smooth sailing in this field. Sometimes maybe the best one is yet to come. Pray and have faith in God and never give up!

In preparation of getting through this year with regards to the economy, it is best to thread softly. The situation now is bad with recession and people losing their jobs. You can read news all around the world of people being impacted. It is difficult to forecast on how things are going to go for 2009. For those that have heard rumors that it will get worse, be patient and be optimistic. It may be dreadful but it is going to bounce back(hopefully soon). Only time will tell. Be grateful with what you have now. Try to save as much as one can and spend moderately. It is nice to enjoy life every once in a while and it should not stop. Life would be boring otherwise. We need to treat ourselves sometimes to help boost our morale!

As a Christian, I continue growing with God. I hope to learn more from God who speaks to me in so many ways; even from the actions of people around me. Sometimes the lessons are hurtful but it is through this lessons that make us better and wiser. One of my sources of inspiration is from Charismatic that is held in Immaculate Conception Church in Pulau Tikus. I may have to miss the sessions as I will be in KL but I am sure God will be with me and speak to me wherever I am. There is Charismatic in Assumption Petaling Jaya on Friday nights so that is something I can try to attend. That would be the time when I wanna come back Penang for the weekend so I need to juggle this. :D I hope this year, I will be able to inspire and share God's teachings with others. My biggest pleasure in my spiritual life is to introduce a stranger to Christianity! That would be the best thing to happen to me! I look forward. :D

Staying healthy is the typical New Year resolution but this is a must for me. I really want to try to keep fit and healthy. Ruby is my biggest supporter and motivator towards achieving my goal. I can never be like her but be a bit like her is good enough. I really admire her priority for healthy living.

Other than physical health, our mental health needs to be looked into. Our mental determines our actions and what we do physically. One thing I have learnt is try to stay as positive as possible. You may feel crappy at times when things don't go your way but looking positive and optimistic to the future for good things can happen. I believe the ride in life is always bumpy. We just gotta learn how to deal with it and handle it one at a time. One tip is to learn to smile a lot! It makes you feel positive and helps to give you a boost! Try to be happy as much as you can, every moment if possible. Do not set high expectations because you will get hurt.

Friends are very important in my life. I love making friends and I look forward to make more friends in 2009. My friends have been a big support to me in whatever I set out to do. Yes, sometimes I get offended or pissed off by them but they are just being sincere and because they care. Friends -> Happy -> Successful! Unfortunately, I do apologise to some of my friends if I could not have spent more time but the little moments we shared together are the best moments of my life! OMG, am I breaking into song for 2009! Lol!

For people that know me well, one of the physical or material things that I have been yearning for quite sometime is that modern classic Volvo 240. I just got tempted few days ago with an attractive offer. But considering the economy and my new job, I have postponed it indefinitely. Who knows I may celebrate 2010 with it! Rusdi, I bet your going to coax me more into getting it soon regadless of anything! Haha!

Let us all grow together as individuals. Make the best of life. Be happy! Happiness can never be bought. It is the sheer feeling within a person.

I wish all of you a Happy New Year 2009 and may God always watch over you regardless of who you are!




Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Wear your helmet!

As I write this post on the importance of wearing a motorcycle helmet, an accident has just happened at the junction near my house ( junction of Kelawei Road and College Lane), in front of Gurney Plaza. There was a loud bang and we are pretty used to hearing accidents along that stretch.

I first saw this white guy on his Malaysian made scooter stopping at the Pulau Tikus traffic lights at the junction of Burmah Road and Cantoment Road. He was kinda old and plum. I figured he must be a tourist and not familiar with our road regulations as he did not wear a helmet. He could have forgotten to wear his helmet or he could have been too ignorant / blur to notice that other motorcyclist had their helmets on. We Malaysians gave him that stare like are you mad as he was doing it in broad daylight without fear of the police.

The second incident(also at the same junction), two guys who work for Kim Gary Restaurant(they were wearing Kim Gary T's) stopped on motorbike at the junction. The rider had a helmet but the pillion was not wearing. I figured he must have just lost it or it was an emergency. I was on the way to Ruby's house using Codrington Avenue and a man stopped these two guys on motorbike. I was not sure if he was a plain clothes police man but he was giving them a lecture / warning on the dangers of riding without a helmet as he was pointing at the pillion.

I do not understand how people could be so ignorant of their safety as a motorist by not wearing a helmet. Trust me, I drive a car and also I fear of being hit by other vehicles although that is the risk we have to take on the road.

With the active clubbing scenes here in Penang, there is a high possibility of drunk drivers or driving under the influence. There are some who forget fear and drive really fast and others like me who keep a low profile and drive slow after a few drinks to not create any attention. I ensure my Myvi spotlights are even off! Haha! I guess driving slow if you had some liquor is a good idea as our reflexes tend to be slower.

I try hard to drive safe especially at nights. I hate to drive late nights especially weekends and I do it only if I must(I never like Ruby to drive home late so I prefer to send).

What more than the safety of a motorbike during late nights and rainy days? I am not saying accidents could be avoided if you wear a helmet but it certainly provides some minimal protection to your head rather than nothing.

My fear for motorcyclist being a former cyclist is being rammed from behind. Riding a motorcycle in Penang is a wise thing considering how near things are, narrower roads and it's cheaper to operate a motorbike. However, we should not jeapordise our safety.

Remember, we can be as careful as we want but are others as careful as us?

Monday, December 08, 2008

Recent landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa

Living in Malaysia, we are lucky that we are not exposed to natural disasters; i.e. earthquakes(not to be confused with tremors) and volcanoes that disrupt our livelihood and have potential to take lives. Yes, we do have floods, droughts and the only worst natural disaster experienced most recently was the tsunami in 2004 that hit Penang. God forbid for things to change and to anticipate natural disasters to occur on our lands. Indeed, Malaysia is also being a victim of climate change but let's hope the situaton doesn't worsen. People say it could be that the times have changed and we may be going into a whole new evolution like when the dinosours perished.





The recent landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa in Kuala Lumpur was not natural and was a man-made aftermath. Heavy development on the hills led to soil erosion and underground streams that moved the earth in the area.


So sad to see lives perished and to see people losing their homes. Our homes are our havens where we go to seek peace and comfort from the outside world. It's a place that we call our own, customizing it to our tastes and functionality. Losing our home is like losing a big part of our lives. Lost are the good times and memories of that place we called home. Lost are also our personal physical belongings that we adore and we find happiness possessing. I certainly would not want anyone to take away my home.


The councils, government bodies and preservation committees should have looked into the development of hillsides before approving them. Developers are trying to make every effort to develop anything that is available especially in places like KL and Penang where land is scarce. That is their rice-bowl so they are certainly putting in effort and hoping to make a lot of money from developments regardless of where they are.


I am sure there are strict laws and requlations that govern land development. However, possibly due to bribery, such laws are overlooked and development continues with a gamble that nothing major will happen that may affect the security and protection of consumers who buy such properties. It is because of mens greed for what had recently happened in Bukit Antarabangsa.


We have certainly forgot about the past tragedy of the Highland Towers back in 1993 that claimed 48 lives. Maybe the lost was so painful that we forced oursleves to forget and be optimistic and continue with development of the hillsides. After all, it is all about "takdir Tuhan" as the excuse.


My aunt did almost buy one of the units in the Highland Towers project plan when it was first introduced in the mid 1980s. Thankfully she didn't. The developers promised a luxurious and comfortable living to entice customers to live on the hill. Many well to do people ceased the opportunity thinking that it would be the most hippest and glamourous thing to do. Many of them were so blinded by the idea, not considering the safety of themselves that led to their death and the death of their loved ones.


If we want to start / "continue" development of hills, let us learn from the pioneers in Hong Kong or Los Angelas who have accomplished it. With developments of science and technology today, I am sure there are ways of safely developing the hills without endangering safety. Better drainage systems on hills should be also high priority to quickly disperse water from catching on hills as it naturally wood.

However, it is hard to play with mother nature, we may fix the problems on the hills but it could create problems at the foot of the hills and affect people living there.

It would be best to leave our hills as virgin forest functioning as a green-lung and leaving them untouched as part of the preservation of nature. They should instead be utilized as parks where people can go hiking and jungle trekking to promote healthy lifestyle.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

In the spirit of the game!


I was watching the tennis match last night; Showdown of the Champions. Indeed they were champions. I am not much of a tennis person myself but it was the spirit of the game that intrigued me to watch it.

The younger players are obviously in their prime years with more agility and stamina. But the older ones were not very far off themselves. Deffinitely age is a factor and people's reflexes tend to be a little slower. However, I could see all of them giving their best shot. It could be because of their spirit and passion for the game regardless of whose winning.

It is very hard to see such scenarios like this in Malaysia. We are too busy worrying about getting Rm 1 million, Datukship or a free Proton Perdana from EON. This was also evident that our Malaysian culture is very much different as during the games last night, spectators were shouting like some 'sepak takraw' match. If you see tennis matches held overseas, the ambience is strictly silent. There was a moment when John McEnroe paused and looked behind him as to where the shout came from.

I was watching the match with my father on the telly. Both my parents are die-hard tennis fans! He was really excited and had fun watching. I guess, he saw the older players in his time when they were younger and when they were like the no. 1’s we see today. It surely brings back memories of the heroes from yesterday.

It also struck me that we are all getting older or changing physically but our spirit within us should remain burning strongly. I guess the same could also be said about love! ;)

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

King's of Tennis 2008 cancelled!

(This photo was taken by The Star last Sunday)

It was only last Saturday that Ruby and I went on our ussual dating escapade and we ventured unto the grounds of the Esplanade.

We were so surprised to see the massive structure which WAS to be a tennis court for the King's of Tennis event. I did hear about it on Astro a couple of weeks back. As most people know, I ain't much of a TV guy even with my extra spare time these days. I totally forgot about it but Astro was my only source in coming to know of this events existance.

I did hear rumors on Facebook that the event was cancelled. To my disbelief the rumor came true as Ruby's uncle read the article in the latest Chinese newspaper. I even checked it online at it further reinforced the fact that the event was cancelled:

http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2008/11/12/sports/2521235&sec=sports

This event is organized by local organizers led by Arianna Teoh and together with King's of Tennis based in Sweden. Arianna Teoh has had many successful events before; bringing in international artist to perform.

This one could be a major blow to her and her team. I trully feel sorry for them. Errors and slip-ups have the possibility of occuring, it cannot be denied. However, as the King's of Tennis is an international event, it just makes it worse for the reputation of these local organizers.

Why cancelled?

The Penang government has no part in promoting this event as it was not part of the arrangement agreed upon with the local organizers. They offered the venue and a reasonable rate to be leased for the event. For more information:

http://hcfoo.com/2008/11/local-organizer-confirmed-kings-of.html

As per The Star, the local organizers did not pay the management of King's of Tennis to come and play in Penang. For more information:

http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2008/11/12/sports/2521235&sec=sports

It is trully sad that this magnificent event had to be cancelled. I bet lots of people might have been looking forward to it including some of my friends whom are now disappointed.

I am not in the position to comment on the fundamental reason and whose fault it was that the event was cancelled. All I can say is that maybe the organizers can learn something valuable from this. :)

Monday, November 10, 2008

Heroes welcome for a racist?

Just see how the wrong people get appreciated in modern society:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/11/10/nation/2504507&sec=nation

Back then, in the late 19th century, there existed many Malay warriors that fought to defend the independence of their community which consist of people of their own race. There was Hang Tuah, Datuk Bahaman, Mat Kilau, Dol Said, Tok Janggut, Mat Salleh, Datuk Maharaja Lela, Tok Gajah, Datuk Bentara Luar Johor, Rentap and Tun Perak.

But, that was back then and we are living in current times, the 21st century to be exact, almost 150 years since that time in history of the Malay warriors. The reason why I am emphasizing on how long ago that event in history had hapened is because there exist such people now, who are still fighting for the same cause that is fighting for their own race rather than for all Malaysians which I label as being racist!

Malaysia is now a result of the merger of multiple races; Malays, Chinese, Indians and Others. Times have changed and so should the people have changed but sadly it has not been realized.
Malaysia will not be what it is today if not for all Malaysians who played a part in nurturing it.

Deffinitely in the years of the Malay Warriors, such a person would be considered a hero for fighting for his / her race. But in todays world, if the same were to apply, they are nothing but racist!

From the Constitution of Malaysia:

Article 8

Article 8 by clause (1) provides that all persons are equal before the law and entitled to its equal protection.

Clause 2 states: “Except as expressly authorised by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent, gender or place of birth in any law or in the appointment to any office or employment under a public authority or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment.”

I wonder why the person who made such racist remarks is not caught under ISA as a threat to Malaysia?

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Obama Won!


Ruby told me that in her office, there lay an idiot who ask "Who is Obama?". Dumb ass!

Obama will be the 44th president of USA and the first African-American president! :D

Anyway, I am happy because base on his speeches he seems to have many goals to achieve with the people in mind and looks pretty down to earth coming from humble beginnings. His figures and facts are rather concrete so it gives people confidence in what he says.

But wait, people are concern his black? Black, brown, green, yellow or red, what the hell is the difference as his a human! If he can do a good job for a better change then why emphasize so much on what race he is.

Yes, his predecessors may have all been white. Perhaps, it is now time for change in the year 2008 in the presidential post and to give more Americans the chance of living the American dream. Afterall, people say that America is all about freedom and opportunities for those that are in seek. Please Google or Wiki "American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man" to learn more on freedom in America.

On a less important note, I do not feel the national anthem will have a hip-hop twist or the official residence, the White house will be changed to the Black house now. Meaning to say, the American culture will not change just because the new president is of different race compared to predecessors. Obama has more important roles to play with a mission for America and also the world.

As he has been chosen by the majority, the majority of Americans show a liking in him over McCain. I do hope the support for Obama will remain and that he will be proven worthy of his word. If not 1 term, let's give him two terms if there is no better candidate in the next election or there has been no mismanagement under the Obama administration should there be.

America or the world so to speak is not for just one race but for all races.


Saturday, October 25, 2008

No stopping from visiting Penang!

Check this article out from The Star Online:
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/10/25/nation/2371947&sec=nation

I could not disagree with them at all! Penang is indeed much more unique compared to other states in Malaysia in terms of tourist attractions, culture, food, shopping and loads more.

People would do anything just to come here. Such obstacles like the rain and traffic jams is not going to stop them from visiting majestic Penang. People from "abroad" like KL live in such horrible conditions; traffic jams, packed commuter trains, expensive but lousy food. I have nothing nice to say about living in KL permanently.

Penang on the other hand has so much more value to offer that despite all the chaos and rush to come to Penang, people are willing to for go them and come back time and time again.

As a Penangite, I am trully proud of what I have here in Penang. It just never gets sick. Seriously! There is always something new happening to do. Also there are events that are organized by the various societies and organizations here with the green light and support from our state government led by YB Lim Guan Eng. His a great Chief Minister is so real!

Arts, history and culture fusion here is so rich and ever growing as old meets new. I just love the performances at Actor's Studio, Green Hall. I could call them a representation of Penang art and theater as the organizers and actors are mostly of Penang breed. It goes to show how great Penang people! The monthly Little Penang held at Upper Penang Road also attracts a large number of tourist and locals to bask in the rich herritage and culture of Penang. From the things sold to the events held, I find to be authentic Penang!

I guess despite the rain and whatever external factors that are probably a hinderance to coming to Penang, one thing that attracts people here is that Penang feeling. I feel it's the Penangites that create this feeling of warmth and no barriers amongst people. Everyone gets along with anyone be it locals or tourist, rich or poor. Nothing can stop you from flashing a smile at someone. The races here (Malays, Chinese, Indians, Seranis etc) are more integrated. People mix openly. Also, Malay food stalls that sell halal food can co-exist together with non-halal food stalls. Their motto is everyone also wanna cari- makan (find money to source food). This is also far smarter and intelligent in tackling competition than oppening another Malay stall in a row of 10 Malay stall that are selling the same thing if you know where I am coming from.

This is one way for cross-culture to be bred and form a truely Penang culture. We are the example of the Malaysian dream(depicted from the American dream) of being trully Malaysian; united as one culture, living harmoniously.

I can't deny that my post here depicts me as gloating over Penang. What can I say? I am trully all about Penang! Haha!

Monday, October 20, 2008

Eagle Eye


It was such an amazing show to start with! Incredible how complex the database stucture can be created with artificial intelligence capabilities. The rules of the database being so logical that the results can be blindly followed without the human touch and feel of compassion and empathy.
I am not going to tell you about the story and will leave it to you readers to go and watch it. :)

Without us realizing, our mobile phones, PDAs, computers, satelite navigation, passports, Astro, banking transactions, personal data etc. stored on servers could be all connected. All of it can be accessed from a central repository and potentially accessed by people who have the powers to legal or illegally.

I wonder, can anyone really go into hidding and lost from the outer world without any trace in this era of technology? Could it be possible for us to still get lost in the middle of the desserts of Saudi Arabia or Africa?

I guess there is still some possibility. Steve Fosset, the American tycoon and adventurer who went missing near the Nevada dessert in 2007 as an example. There was totally no way that he could have been found at that time with intelligent tracking equipment and even conventional methods of search parties. He was declared dead in Feb 2008 by the American court.


Only recently that a bunch of hikers found his flight license and some money that he was carrying while he went missing. This was further pursued with the finding of his wrecked small plane. As for the human remains it is still being analyzed as per Wikipedia. But, with these supporting facts, it it highly possible that the remains are of Steve Fosset.

On a complimentary note, I feel that Shia LaBeouf has really outdone himself in his acting. Within this year, I have watched him in Wanted, Transformers and now Eagle Eye. This dude got a bright future ahead as his only 22 this year. I bet his gonna win lots of awards. Beware of his award winnings and also new movies that are about to come out from him.

Thanks to my baby for taking me to the cinema to watch it although she has already watched it with her aunt before. ;)

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Balik kampung exodus!


As you know, the festive Hari Raya season came and went.

For the first time this year, I was caught in the race back home. The exodus as they call it adds to the style and sounds sexy about this phenomenon of returning home to celebrate the festive season with family and friends.

I left KL on Saturday before Hari Raya. I anticipated that the roads would be swamming with cars as most people would want to get out of the city at that time to prepare for Raya. It was true. A rather heavy and unussual traffic flow could be seen heading out of town with mostly cars.

I left Subang, where my brother lives, at around 5.30 am that day.

It was still very dark at that time. With the heavier traffic than ussual, I took a slower but still fun drive in my Myvi heading back to Penang.

It was very interesting to see how people packed their cars with families and I bet their excitement of getting to their destinations.

I saw cars like Kancils and Proton Sagas that were packed with like 6 family members, drivers with the 'kopiah', rear dashboard of cars filled with plastic bags, pillows, biscuit tins and kids. I bet it was a struggle for the drivers to keep awake to drive as they could not drink, eat or smoke to keep them awake as it was the last few days of the fasting month.

In contrary, I saw this huge Mercedes S-Class speed by followed by a Toyota Estima in pursuit cruising together. It must have been a wealthy family going back home to celebrate Hari Raya.

What a big difference in terms of ways on how people return home to celebrate something that they believe in together.

I guess for some, Hari Raya will be celebrated on a low scale, while others go way out to outdo themselves with a feast. This time around considering the economy and fluctuating petrol price, Hari Raya would be a little simpler for some. It cannot be denied that the rakyat is feeling the pinch of this. Nonetheless, it is indeed a celebration and certain levels of happiness should be felt by all. :)

An interesting comment by a close friend, going back home is a chance to show to your family members and your friends on how well you did in life in the big city. One way would be to drive back home in new cars. I felt that this was true as I noticed so many newly registered W plate cars @ Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur registered cars. My friend did say that for some who were less fortunate this year, they would rent nice cars from their friends or second hand dealers for the holidays season to take back home to show them off as a symbol of wealth attaintment.

This balik kampung exodus is also a time to be careful on all roads due to the high volume of traffic. Everyone is going somewhere and wants to get there in time so there could be a feeling of rush. The amount of deaths due to road accidents during this time is pretty high although the police have launched their annual nationwide special operations to cripple this influx.

Safety of passengers should always be a priority. Drivers should be well prepared before sitting at the wheel. Cars also should be thoroughly checked to ensure they are road-worthy and safe on roads.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Muslim readers Selamat Hari Raya and maaf zahir dan batin.

Khas buat budak2 MMU and member2 lame especially budak2 Putat, tiap2 Raya is a time for me to remember you guys and to treasure our friendships together. ;)

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Unite as one!


The recent proposal to make Barisan Nasional a single multi-racial party should be applauded.

This would unite the Malays, Chinese and Indians and minority races as one. After all, we are all citizens of one country and should not be divided by race anymore. We are the rakyat that functions as a catalyst to sustain harmony, economic growth, technological advancement and social diversity amongst races. We are the perfect example to the world on how people of different races can live together and work hand in hand towards bringing Malaysia to higher standards as a growing nation.

When our country was first established, our leaders of different races gathered and came out with a plan that is fair and suitable for all. We all speak Malay, honour our king and respect Islam as our national religion for it is the main religion on this land. If you go back to history, the Malay archipelago was the centre for Islamic studies and development from the the days of Parameswara, the founder of Malacca. So I guess we cannot sweep this part of history under our carpert.

As per The Star, national unity would be the biggest challenge for Najib, once he takes over the premiership from Abdullah in March 2009.

I feel that the solution is right in front of him with this proposal to have a single party. We do not have to wait till March for this to happen but maybe now would be the best solution considering what is happening to us in our country. We are lucky in a way that the global economy is being hit badly so it is kind of like diverting our attention to the bigger powers coming out with their bailout plans to bring back the peak of the global economy and to prevent any nasty effects of a recession.

The British devided us in the past to maintain the peace and to avoid racial conflicts. It wanted each of the races to grow stronger on their own independently and to cultivate unity within the party.

This was the past and Malaysia has grown by leaps and bounds to be at a new era right now with Malaysians of various races who have a strong relationship and with one another. Our Malaysian culture is so rich as a result of this fusion of people and different cultures of different races. There exist a dependency on each other to sustain national economic growth and enhanced quality of life. It wasn't yesterday that we became an independent nation and it has already been 51 years we have celebrated this feat.

In the streets, it is quite evident that there is a lack of confidence amongst Malaysians who are deeply troubled by the current political situation that is affecting our country and the feeling of beeing marginalised by the majority race. I am NOT intending to bring up any racist sentiments here but I feel it is something that most of us feel and are in doubt. We are deffinitely troubled by politicians who make racial remarks and gestures or hurtful statements for starters.

Some are suggesting that this is the time to escape this turmoil by migrating overseas. This is the worst thing that could happen and I so dread this if it has to happen to me. Some have already gone ahead in seeking permanent residentship overseas.

It is indeed difficult to leave our birth place and a place that we call home where we grew up. Somehow or rather, each of us Malaysians have contributed in some way to the nation. How will I survive without my curry mee, nasi kandar, sambal belacan and thosai? Haha!

Sunday, October 05, 2008

The power of love



I am a Catholic since I was born and my understanding and seriousness towards the religion has grown these past 2 years. As part of my journey of finding meaning in my religion, I have stumbled upon so many beautiful things that I feel thankful to have been created in this world. One of the fundamentals of my religion is love. The application of it would be "love thy neighbour".

I am now captivated and amazed about the feeling of being "romantically in love". It has given new meaning in my life and I am happy with it. It is such a magical feeling really when you wake up in the morning no matter what time it is, you think of that loved one.

When your alone, all you can do is think of being hugged or holding the hands of that loved one. The worst part of being alone is that silence that you can only imagine your partner is sitting next to you like in the car. However, when you turn to the co-drivers seat, it is just empty. That is sad. :(

There are even moments of being lost or losing your sanity in the absence of your partner. It is something that I trully dislike but try to cope while I am alone. The feeling is simmilar to being blur or dreaming. That whole decision making process that your partner is always included in now depends on a single person now, yourself be it the simple decisions of life like where to eat.

It is really not much of idolizing other couples as they hold hands when you can't. The reason is because your relationship should be much deeper and meaningful than the influence of your peers.

You have loads of good memories that you remember that the holes of the not so happy memories are erased. It cannot be denied, that in any relationship there are always good and bad times. It will be waste to remember the bad. It will be even better to proactively work on how you can avoid such undesirable situations in the future. Men and women will never understand each other. However, there is always a way to overcome this and the answer to this for your relationship lies within you to make it happen.

The beauty about those bad times is when you fix things with your partner when both come together and realize it's time to put those inequalities in the past and move on with what the future has to offer. :) It is quite a sweet moment!

Love did not come to me on a plate. When the time was right, sometimes when less predicted, love happens. So wonderful! Trust me, I never went out searching initially! At the time before finding love, I was so busy with being single; classic car hunting, beer drinking, shopping, reading, a little bit of travelling. I really enjoyed those times. I felt those times were a preparation for falling in love and learning to share. I never regret those times being single because the time I have now is fantastic because as for me I can share those good times with my partner. It is so cute to see her now telling you about how beautiful Volvos are for example. Even the 1968 Volvo 164! Haha!

I trully feel that it was an act of God. Based on Catholic teachings, a mature Catholic can choose either sacraments(milestones for a Catholic); the sacrament of matrimony or the sacrament of offering your service to God either as a priest, brother or nun depending on gender. Either of this sacraments are God's calling unto you. Naturally, you cannot choose it on your own, spiritually speaking.

Whatever it is, I am happy being in love and I thank God for it. I pray that my relationship will continue to grow with my partner and that our love will blossom! :) As for me, yes I am in a relationship with that special one person but I always feel that God is with us in spirit guiding us.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Penang forever!


There is no place like Penang!

Living in KL for 3 weeks was horrible.

I have to admit that I appreciate the kind hospitatlity of my bro and sis. My bro has a nice place in Subang and there was always dinner thanks to the maid. It was great spending time with him and the family.

My training starts at 9 am to 5 pm only during weekdays. The venue is 3rd floor of Kompleks Antarabangsa along Jalan Sultan Ismail I think, right in front of the Raja Chulan Monorail station.

My day starts at around 6 am every weekday. I had to leave my bro's house at 6.20 am (serious shit!) to get to the Subang KTM commuter station to catch the 6.36 am train to KL sentral. Thankfully the station is like 10 minutes away minus the traffic being so freaking early! I park the car at the station for RM 2 per day.

This train begins it's journey from Port Kelang and the last stop is Sentul. KL Sentral would be on it's way. The fare of my ticket is RM 1.60 one way. The reason I go early is to beat the crowdedness of the commuter. People start crowding it already from Port Kelang as they work in town.

The commuter car is normally pack like sardines, shoulder to shoulder, groin to butt or whatever you wanna call it. Haha! The worst stop is Pantai Dalam because of the high density of people living there so they mostly fill up the train.

I reach KL Sentral at around 7.05am. I walk to the entrance that faces KL Hilton for my puff, light reading of notes or FHM and to call Ruby to wish her good morning.

At 8 am, I walk to the monorail station in Brickfields about 100 m away to catch the monorail to Raja Chulan. It is freaking weird as to why the KL Monorail station is not built into KL Sentral. I think somebody never gave money to somebody so no go. Haha!

On my route, I see beggars, drug addicts and only yesterday prostitutues. It's a bit dodgy but I keep to myself and becareful of the people around me. I sometimes have teh tarik at the coffee shop near to the monorail station.

The journey to Raja Chulan station takes approximately 10 minutes. The fare one way is RM 2.10 which is expensive for public transport. The monorail also gets jam packed with ppl that jump on at Tun Sambathan, Maharajalela, Hang Tuah, Imbi and Bukit Bintang station before reaching Raja Chulan.

The reliability of the KTM commuter is so far good except for 2 occasions when the air-conditioning broke down and left passengers sweating all the way home.

The KL monorail has broken down or has been not reliable on 3 occasions. First case, the whole monorail network standstill due to technical issue and caused delay in getting to destinations. Second case, at 30 feet in the sky, monorail car(I was on board) hit the side of the Bukit Bintang station damaging the railing. That was so freaking scary man happening up in the sky! I don't know how the hell that happen. Thirdly, only yesterday, the monorail train could not go into gear once all on board. All had to come out of train and caused huge jam of people at KL Sentral Monorail station and delay to destination.

The cycle Subang - KL Sentral - Raja Chulan is reversed when I go home.

From 5 pm, it takes about 2 hours to get home because sometimes you just have to take the next train because of the volume of people. It is a tiring and stressful procedure even after you had a stressful time at training!

When you get on trains during evenings, there is always body odour or people sweating. However, the smell of fart or "kentut" is always available during morning or evening trips. Especially when crowded, the smell is terrible!

Lunch can easily fetch RM 9 inclusive of drink and the food is plain simple. Those people back home in Penang better stop complaining about food being expensive. Trust me live in KL , can die man! Initially I tried to skip lunch because I felt the cost was unjustifiable but had gastric so decided to just screw it and eat. I know the saying, "Of course, it's KL".

I have to apologise to my friends in KL for not calling them because I really kept my training and my stay there this time on low profile. I hardly went out much. Normally just to Subang Parade or my uncle's house in PJ. That's it.

I will apply for jobs both in Penang and KL after the training and see what is the package. I am not making any decisions as of now.

Happy 10th birthday Google!


I hated reading! I just could not understand how my sister when I was young busy reading Archie comics, Sweet Valley and Enid Blyton. I did read but I did not read as much as my sis because I felt it was boring. Haha! If I remember correctly, I stuggled to learn how to read and had difficult times in early primary school be it in Bahasa Malaysia or English.


When I went to uni, I was so impressed with my friends using search engines like Yahoo! and Google. You could find out about almost anything. It was even more interesting with addition of picture content. I think this was what started my craze in the WWW.


As most people know me, I am so in love with Volvos that I went and really deep dive into the product lineage, all via these search engines. I think at that time I was using Google because it had that Image tab where you can view thousands of photos of the car from all over the world.


From then on, because I found it so easy and interesting with the rich multimedia format, I grew into wanting to know more about technology, religion, politics and news. Typical of the internet, is the latest updates in news from around the world. I was eager to keep myself abreath with what was going on and I was eager to share the latest findings with my friends at that time.


I am really thankful to Google! It has changed a person who once hated reading books because of the format but now I am a better reader (I humbly admit!). However, I still hate reading books! Haha!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Ruby's trip to KL

I was so delighted that Ruby visited me over the weekend. She came last Friday by NICE Bus and I fetched her from the old KTM station in KL. I really missed her and I was overcome with tears of joy although I don't think she saw. Haha!

That night I took her for great Chinese Food at the Park Way restaurant in Subang SS 19.
We ordered Bawal fish steam, butter chicken and vege.

Then we went home to bath all before leaving for Starbucks at The Curve.

A photo of us with a red cow in front of one of the restaurants at The Street, The Curve.

We sat there talking about my new life and we shared about how things were back home in Penang.

The next day, we went to One-Utama. To even my amazement, there were loads of shops. Was not very crowded maybe due to the "puasa" month. I bought my shoe padding for my office shoe as I have been doing loads of walking. To cure my boredom, I got the latest FHM mag and I got Ruby the latest CLEO.

For lunch, Ruby took me to this fancy but cozy place called Dave's. Kinda pricey but the food was great and the experience was positively memorable. Just me and my babe! :D



Me and Ruby on the cozy sofa.

At night, we had dinner at my bro's home as my bro, Hans organized a get together with my couzs; Lynn's family and St. John's family. It was the first time St. John's family met Ruby and they were happy to meet her. It's hard to join our "club"! Muahaha!
Rubz had "Bombay Saphire gin with Sprite" and I had "Jack Daniel's whisky with Coke". I had a couple of them and got pretty high! My couz's kids just loved Rubz and kinda reminded me of how her mom, Aunt Caroline, was great with kids.
The next morning, we went to Krishna's Curry house for breakfast. I had thosai and Rubz had roti bawang.
We then went to the Church of Assumption nearby. Had to double park on the road ala 'sembahyang Jumaat'. The church was full so we sat outside with the other parishners. Father Phillip Muthu celebrated mass and we did pray for the detainees under ISA. Thank God the reporter has been released!
Then we went for a drive at the Sunday Car motor and took a glimpse at the second-hand cars, my ussual routine on Sunday mornings in KL. So happy to share my routine with Rubz and she now knows a thing or two about cars!
We then went to my godparents house in seksyen 3 PJ where they waited to take us for lunch at the Royal Selangor Club in Mont Kiara with Uncle Musa. We all had the "Banana Leaf" spread by the patio overlooking the field.
Rubz and I then went home and spent time together. It was very sad for us to part again but we will meet this coming weekend in Penang as Hans wants to visit my aunt.
I cried so much because I realized that I am trully blessed to have Rubz in my life! I really miss her during the times when we are apart although we are connected through Digi for free calls, SMS and MMS.
I guess behind all my strength, I depend on my source that is Ruby. I love you honey! :D Can't wait to see you in Penang this coming weekend. Muakzzzzzzzzz! ;)

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Remembering Aunt Caroline

Today is almost a month that Aunt Caroline left us.

As I sipped my beer at a coffee shop in Subang SS19 at the time close to the time she passed away a month ago, I felt the sadness and became teary.

I very much understand how difficult it is to lose a mom as my mom means so much to me. I don't know what will I do without my mom.

My first encounter with Aunt Caroline was when Ruby invited me up to her apartment on a Friday afternoon to meet her mom. I was so scared for so many reasons. Firstly, what her reaction would be to me. It also meant a lot to me because I finally got to meet her.

As I stepped into her home, she sat on her chair and extended her hand to me and said "Nice to meet you". I was so releaved that Aunt Caroline was welcoming. Ruby prepared the "hor fun" that her mom requested for from Pulau Tikus market. I sat there beside her mom watching AFC(a TV channel on Astro about food). I knew that poor Aunt Caroline could only dream and imagine eating them as I understand that she was loosing her appetite and also there was pain within her.

Ruby and I were leaving for Queenie's 21st birthday in Butterworth, the weekend of the St Anne's feast. I said my good bye to her and she said bye back. She thanked me for the "hor fun".

Days went by and Aunt Caroline was at Ah Poh's (Ruby's mom's mom's house) which is near to her home. I sent Ruby back one Thursday and I told Ruby that I wanted to meet her mom.

We went to Ah Poh's place and I saw Aunt Caroline lie on the sofa. As I entered the home she sat up and let me seat beside her. I was quite scared to seat next to her because I still could not believe that I finally met her. Ala, u know me a bit sensitive to this kinda stuff. Haha!

She was telling me she could not eat much and there was pain.

She touched my right hand suddenly and told me about Ruby's uncle who was also seated at the living room, that he had just returned from an opperation because of blood clot in his stomach. It was a surprise to me that she touched my arm in her condition but it just made me feel comfortable and welcomed to be with her.

When I left the home I told her I will see her again.

I came back that night and the following 2 days I was there. Poor Aunt Caroline was vommitting and did not have much to eat. She just drank water. She hardly slept also and she did say she never slept for 24 hours when I met her that week on a Sunday.

I just felt so concerned for her that I made a point to be there although I could not do anything.

When she wanted to go toilet, we had to put her on her wheelchair. First time she went, she stood up and tried to reach for my hand but I was a bit scared to get involved in family affairs so I called Ruby cousin come and help. The next time she wanted to go toilet and we had to get her on the wheelchair, she stood up and this time I extend my hand. She caught my hand and gripped it firmly.

I am a guy who is very sensitive to people's body language. Her respond to me, I felt was positive from my encounters with her.

That same week, on a Sunday, my mom wanted to visit her so I took her. I felt so sorry to my mom coz I delayed the process of meeting Ruby's mom. My dad did not know her condition and before my mom left our house, he told my mom to call Ruby's mom for dinner at our place one day. My dad never got to meet Aunt Caroline. I guess some thing's in life we have to accept and they are just not meant to happen.

My mom got teary when met Rubz mom because from a medical person point of view (my mom is retired matron), Aunt Caroline was thin and it was not a good sign.

We sat for a while and we left.

Before leaving, I handed my hand out again and she reached out and held it tight. I told her I am going home and I will come again to see her. She nodded. That time she was really week already.

The next morning, her condition worsened and she was taken to Hospice. I went early morning to be with the family. It was a hard time for all of us.

At 9.08 pm 11/8/2008, she breathed her last breath surrounded by all of us. I held back my feelings trying to be macho as ussual.

At that time, we could only do what was needed that was to make arrangements for the funeral.

On the night before the funeral, I went through the slides Ruby prepared of her mom for the funeral. I cried. I honestly felt sad. I broke down again in the car when Ruby was in it after the funeral mass on the way to crematorioum telling Ruby I am sooooo sorry and I told her I don't know why this had to happen to Aunt Caroline. I guess I had a problem accepting it and until now I still wonder why and trying to come to terms with my loss.

I guess I had a lot of respect for Aunt Caroline being Ruby's mom and I was so touched by her kindness towards me.

Corinne Baum, a close family friend, did tell me that Aunt Caroline was a great person, kind and very good with kids.

I am sad that I could not have spent more time with Aunt Caroline for us to get to know each other better and enjoy each other's company. I always wanted to take her to Gurney Drive with Ruby's as my aunt did tell me that the sea is good for people who are recovering from illness but I guess time was not on my side.



Aunt Caroline,

I pray that your soul may rest in peace with the choirs of angels and souls in heaven. May you always be with us in spirit and help guide us in our lives. As what Aunt Cindy (Ruby's aunt said), make Aunt Caroline proud of us. It was a pleasure to meet you in this lifetime but hope we can meet up again in the next. I hope you are looking down on us from above and smilling. :D

Love,
Trevor.