Met Dr Nordstrom today .. and she just saw in my file that I was admitted at St Peter's itu hari. Explained about my fever & the instruction by Dr Murray to stop taking the antibiotics. She told me - she cannot administer the same thing, so I just have to live with it. Looked at the statistics on my liver, siap tanya, "Do you take alcohol?" Either it was sky high or I got the kaki botol look. Same with the blood samples - high jugerk. Giller nar Rifinah nih.
So I just have to be careful not to let my immune system down. Kalau tak, possible virus menyerang. Hmmm .. Live and let die lah kot?
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Mak Long Has Been Called
Mar & Diny called to inform about Mak Long, who passed on at about 1230 - 0100 M'sian time. May she be placed among the believers.
Spoke to Cik Nah shortly after knowing and she said it was almost the same as what happened when Abah passed on. Same thing, there were only two of them in the house at the time. It was also in July, 11 years ago.
Prayed for her & family to face this with patience & keredhaan.
Mak Long - somebody I believe could have been the likes of Tan Sri Datin Paduka Seri Dr. Aishah Ghani, had she got the chance to get the same kind of education and exposure.
Innalillahiwa-inna-ilaihirajiuun.
Spoke to Cik Nah shortly after knowing and she said it was almost the same as what happened when Abah passed on. Same thing, there were only two of them in the house at the time. It was also in July, 11 years ago.
Prayed for her & family to face this with patience & keredhaan.
Mak Long - somebody I believe could have been the likes of Tan Sri Datin Paduka Seri Dr. Aishah Ghani, had she got the chance to get the same kind of education and exposure.
Innalillahiwa-inna-ilaihirajiuun.
Unforgettable
L is for the way you look at me
O is for the only one I see
V is very, very extraordinary
E is even more than anyone that you adore
He hee .. happy coz I bought Natalie Cole - Unforgettable CD for 10p today.
O is for the only one I see
V is very, very extraordinary
E is even more than anyone that you adore
He hee .. happy coz I bought Natalie Cole - Unforgettable CD for 10p today.
Saturday, 26 July 2008
Jom Makan - 1st Visit After Launching
Been a while since I saw Steve. Called him up and he suggested Jom Makan. Went to the joint with Jai at 1800. Met Steve there. Had Zain gave us a "Menu Tour". At last both me & Steve chose Lamb Briani while Jai had Nasi Ayam.
Verdict
Lamb Briani
OK, Khan's better - but of course lah kan.
The rice taste spiceous, same with the lamb. May be tone down a bit on the spice then better.
Dalca was good. Acar OK - may be a bit more pineapple would be nice.
Overall: 5.5/10
Nasi Ayam
Nasi - nice
Chicken (steamed) - nice. But no skin .. Arrrrgh! Slack la omputeh2 ni. Should have been roasted!
(Zain told us that this is one of the best sellers)
Sambal tak sempat rasa.
Kicap (soy sauce) taste like true kicap. Should make it more nasi-ayam-kicap-like if you know what I mean.
Overall: 7/10
Teh Tarik - Quite splendid
Mango Lychee juice - Steve had 2 of this, must be good.
Desert
Caramel - Splendid 8/10
Kuih ketayap - not moist enough, both the pan cake & the inti 3/10
Overall, I'm quite pleased with the menu (next time will try nasi goreng - smells nice! Also the satays.)
Ambiance is really good for talk-talk i.e. not so loud & comfy.
Patronage seems good, mostly couples. And 1 table booked for 10. Walk-ins quite many.
Seems like Jom Makan can take off, with better menu & improved cooking. I'll come again.
Verdict
Lamb Briani
OK, Khan's better - but of course lah kan.
The rice taste spiceous, same with the lamb. May be tone down a bit on the spice then better.
Dalca was good. Acar OK - may be a bit more pineapple would be nice.
Overall: 5.5/10
Nasi Ayam
Nasi - nice
Chicken (steamed) - nice. But no skin .. Arrrrgh! Slack la omputeh2 ni. Should have been roasted!
(Zain told us that this is one of the best sellers)
Sambal tak sempat rasa.
Kicap (soy sauce) taste like true kicap. Should make it more nasi-ayam-kicap-like if you know what I mean.
Overall: 7/10
Teh Tarik - Quite splendid
Mango Lychee juice - Steve had 2 of this, must be good.
Desert
Caramel - Splendid 8/10
Kuih ketayap - not moist enough, both the pan cake & the inti 3/10
Overall, I'm quite pleased with the menu (next time will try nasi goreng - smells nice! Also the satays.)
Ambiance is really good for talk-talk i.e. not so loud & comfy.
Patronage seems good, mostly couples. And 1 table booked for 10. Walk-ins quite many.
Seems like Jom Makan can take off, with better menu & improved cooking. I'll come again.
Thursday, 24 July 2008
The Drain
I take the train (South West) everyday and my final destination is London Waterloo. (And traveling cost goes up every year, damn!) From Waterloo I continue my journey via Underground: Waterloo - City Line a.k.a. The Drain. It's about 3 minutes plus trip ending at Bank station. Now, this is when things get a bit annoying for me.
Why the heck can't people who opt to take the left side of the escalator keep on walking once they reach the end of the escalator. Same thing whether at the top or at the bottom of the line. Does it mean that people suddenly get tired near the end of the trail? Irks me everytime.
Same thing in KL. Haven't people realised yet after so many years that you are supposed to stand on the left should you opt to stand instead of walk? But I notice very seldom people are in a hurry in KL (as compared with Londoners) so definitely most will opt to stand and let the escalator bring 'em up or down. The worst is at Sentral Station when you are in a hurry to catch the commuter and some d!€#head blocks the escalator (and right on top of his/her head there's this signboard telling you where to stand). Idiots!!
There .. that's my pet peeve of the week.
Why the heck can't people who opt to take the left side of the escalator keep on walking once they reach the end of the escalator. Same thing whether at the top or at the bottom of the line. Does it mean that people suddenly get tired near the end of the trail? Irks me everytime.Same thing in KL. Haven't people realised yet after so many years that you are supposed to stand on the left should you opt to stand instead of walk? But I notice very seldom people are in a hurry in KL (as compared with Londoners) so definitely most will opt to stand and let the escalator bring 'em up or down. The worst is at Sentral Station when you are in a hurry to catch the commuter and some d!€#head blocks the escalator (and right on top of his/her head there's this signboard telling you where to stand). Idiots!!
There .. that's my pet peeve of the week.
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
The Sorry Tale of Sir Roger
The following strange story was relayed to me by John Montier.
In her intriguing book The Science of Sherlock Holmes, E.J. Wagner recounts the true tale of Sir Roger Tichborne. In 1854, Sir Roger was reported as lost at sea. His mother refused to believe that her son, whom she had lovingly raised in France, was gone forever. She kept putting out inquiries, asking for any news on her son.
Twelve years after the loss of Sir Roger, it appeared that Lady Tichborne's prayers had been answered. She received a letter from Australia (from a lawyer) claiming to have found her son. The letter explained that having been shipwrecked, Sir Roger eventually made his way to Australia, where he became involved in a series of business ventures after having vowed to make a success of himself following his miraculous escape. Unfortunately, the businesses did
not work as well as he had expected, and he had been too embarrassed to contact his mother.
However, he had recently seen her inquiries and was filled with remorse for the worry he had caused her over the years! The letter concluded with a request to send the money for the travel fare for Sir Roger, his wife and children.
Lady Tichborne was delighted to hear this news, and sent the relevant monies to allow for the family reunion. When Sir Roger arrived in England he was received by Lady Tichborne as her long lost son, and granted a stipend of £1,000 p.a. However, not all the Tichborne family were quite as convinced that this new arrival was indeed the real Sir Roger. After all they reasoned, Sir Roger had been a lithe man of slim frame, the new arrival was obese in the extreme (to see photographs go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tichborne_Claimant). While people can change their size, it is rare that tattoos disappear; Sir Roger had some, the new arrival had none. Nor is it easy to change one's eye colour, Sir Roger had blue eyes, the new arrival had brown eyes. He was also an inch taller than Sir Roger had been, didn't speak French (which Sir Roger did) and had a birth mark on his torso which Sir Roger didn't!
Somehow Lady Tichborne managed to ignore all this evidence. It was only after her death, that the family finally managed to show that the Australian import was an impostor. He ended up serving ten years for imposture and perjury.
Why I am recounting this tale of blindness to evidence? Well, it strikes me that human hopes a lot and most of the time are in denial.
In her intriguing book The Science of Sherlock Holmes, E.J. Wagner recounts the true tale of Sir Roger Tichborne. In 1854, Sir Roger was reported as lost at sea. His mother refused to believe that her son, whom she had lovingly raised in France, was gone forever. She kept putting out inquiries, asking for any news on her son.
Twelve years after the loss of Sir Roger, it appeared that Lady Tichborne's prayers had been answered. She received a letter from Australia (from a lawyer) claiming to have found her son. The letter explained that having been shipwrecked, Sir Roger eventually made his way to Australia, where he became involved in a series of business ventures after having vowed to make a success of himself following his miraculous escape. Unfortunately, the businesses did
not work as well as he had expected, and he had been too embarrassed to contact his mother.
However, he had recently seen her inquiries and was filled with remorse for the worry he had caused her over the years! The letter concluded with a request to send the money for the travel fare for Sir Roger, his wife and children.
Lady Tichborne was delighted to hear this news, and sent the relevant monies to allow for the family reunion. When Sir Roger arrived in England he was received by Lady Tichborne as her long lost son, and granted a stipend of £1,000 p.a. However, not all the Tichborne family were quite as convinced that this new arrival was indeed the real Sir Roger. After all they reasoned, Sir Roger had been a lithe man of slim frame, the new arrival was obese in the extreme (to see photographs go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tichborne_Claimant). While people can change their size, it is rare that tattoos disappear; Sir Roger had some, the new arrival had none. Nor is it easy to change one's eye colour, Sir Roger had blue eyes, the new arrival had brown eyes. He was also an inch taller than Sir Roger had been, didn't speak French (which Sir Roger did) and had a birth mark on his torso which Sir Roger didn't!
Somehow Lady Tichborne managed to ignore all this evidence. It was only after her death, that the family finally managed to show that the Australian import was an impostor. He ended up serving ten years for imposture and perjury.
Why I am recounting this tale of blindness to evidence? Well, it strikes me that human hopes a lot and most of the time are in denial.
- In the investment world, investors hope markets will go up despite evidence otherwise.
- Your job sucks, but you stay on in the hope that it'll get better and you'll learn to like it.
- Your gf/bf is definitely not for you but you stay on with the hope that it will miraculously work out.
Monday, 21 July 2008
World's Shortest Fairytale
To my beloved wife who's been taking care of me the whole time I was sick & all the married ladies out there. Jangan menyesal yee..
Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl "Will you marry me?"
The girl said, "NO!"
And the girl lived happily ever after and went shopping, dancing, drank martinis, always had a clean house, never had to cook, did whatever she wanted, never argued, didn't get fat, travelled more, saved more money, and had all the hot water to herself. She watched chick flicks, not football, had high self esteem, never cried or yelled, felt and looked fabulous in tracksuit pants, and burped, and farted all the time…
The End
(Ori from Lindsey, Melbourne)
Monday, 14 July 2008
Back in Business
Got locked away at St Peter's Hospital for 2 nights. Had 2 litres of IV drips. Popped up a few pills .. bangun pagi terus cun je. Dr Peter Murray told me to cut off my Rifinah 300. Tak tau la apa kata Dr Nordstrom nanti. Lantak dema.
First night bilik solo .. layan. Macam dok Ampang Putri. By 4pm next day they swapped me to the general ward (10 langkah je) .. sharing with six (hmm GH la pulak). There were Paul (70s) - lung puncture, when he walks he carries a tong with red fluid in it with him connected to his lung, Philip (60s) - Italiano mana tah, blurr je, Dennis (70s) - 2 broken legs, Laurie (80s) - donno what's his problem but never wanna eat at all except ice cream, and taraaa .. he's the only privilleged one who get to bathe in bed .. by the 2 beautiful shower girls and lastly, next to me Peter (60 -70) - cancer treatment. Cosmopolitan tu.
Hats off to the docs, nurses & staffs yang sanggup kerja kat St Peters which is always so busy.
Alhamdulillah I'm back.
p/s Mr Dentist, FYI I tried air zam zam before .. no effect.
First night bilik solo .. layan. Macam dok Ampang Putri. By 4pm next day they swapped me to the general ward (10 langkah je) .. sharing with six (hmm GH la pulak). There were Paul (70s) - lung puncture, when he walks he carries a tong with red fluid in it with him connected to his lung, Philip (60s) - Italiano mana tah, blurr je, Dennis (70s) - 2 broken legs, Laurie (80s) - donno what's his problem but never wanna eat at all except ice cream, and taraaa .. he's the only privilleged one who get to bathe in bed .. by the 2 beautiful shower girls and lastly, next to me Peter (60 -70) - cancer treatment. Cosmopolitan tu.
Hats off to the docs, nurses & staffs yang sanggup kerja kat St Peters which is always so busy.
Alhamdulillah I'm back.
p/s Mr Dentist, FYI I tried air zam zam before .. no effect.
Saturday, 12 July 2008
X
The tenth day. So far so good. May be a bit dedar time and again. But you'll never know. Like yesterday, I thought that was the last of it ... but nooo! It came like a tsunami in the afternoon. I woke up at 5 pm boiling, shaking and with boom & bangs in my head.
In fact, I think its starting .. I'm shaking & shivering. Better go.
In fact, I think its starting .. I'm shaking & shivering. Better go.
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Viral
Today is the 6th day I'm down with this viral fever. Its really sickening (pun or no pun its really bad). I mean, I'll start getting heaty in the afternoon. By night time - full fledged fever. This is when I don't know what time it is, try to sleep but wake up every few minutes (or hour/s - I don't know the time right). Yesterday at 9 am I ate 3 spoon of nasi goreng (which to my taste bud was the worst in the world) .. and that's it - until 9 am today. Even the taste of water sucks.
Now, everytime I get this kind of fever, my brain always finds a way to torture itself. It is always preoccupied with objects, shapes. This time round the task it ask itself to do is:
To move a rock the size of Greater London to another location. Now, in between sipping water, waking up, Ann putting wet towels on me, and thinking its time to wake up to go to work when it's 10 pm - the mind really got confused, and I swear to god I really thought this was something I must do. How the hell was I suppose to do it? If I move it a few million people will have to evacuate to make space for this rock. And I'll probably need a crane the size of England to lift that rock. May be I can call the chairman of Caterpillar and ask him to make one for me. After 2 sleepless nights it dawned upon me: What's the point?
I suppose when a brain is confused you can tell it to believe, do or say anything you want.
Sounds familiar?
Now, everytime I get this kind of fever, my brain always finds a way to torture itself. It is always preoccupied with objects, shapes. This time round the task it ask itself to do is:
To move a rock the size of Greater London to another location. Now, in between sipping water, waking up, Ann putting wet towels on me, and thinking its time to wake up to go to work when it's 10 pm - the mind really got confused, and I swear to god I really thought this was something I must do. How the hell was I suppose to do it? If I move it a few million people will have to evacuate to make space for this rock. And I'll probably need a crane the size of England to lift that rock. May be I can call the chairman of Caterpillar and ask him to make one for me. After 2 sleepless nights it dawned upon me: What's the point?
I suppose when a brain is confused you can tell it to believe, do or say anything you want.
Sounds familiar?
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Sensible Eating
I am feeling sick today. At the office just now my hands were heaty. And now its hot all over like the beginning of a fever. Could be the stress of the free falling stock markets. Could be something I ate. May be I should heed some advice on sensible eating that somebody just sent me . Here goes (Note: some of the advice are for non-muslims only kay :p)
Q. I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q. I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! .. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around themiddle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape! "BULAT IS IN!!!!
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember:
'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride!!!'
AND.....
For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION
Eat and drink what you like.
Being an American is what kills you. So if you a Melayu, jangan ragu ragu, balun!
Old Chaps - UK Eire Chapter
Watched Fedex - Ancic at the office. Predictable. Then Nadal - Murray. Half way of the 1st set I left for M'sian Hall for a drink with some old chaps of my old school, Sekolah Melayu Jalan Stesen. Hey, we now have a UK-Eire Chapter. Thanks to bro Faizal who's the President (de facto? - I'm not sure coz I was in Birm when they had a lauching party last month) who did a lot of work to make this possible. I just helped a bit here and there.
There were: Faizal (Vintage 80), Jibon (V 83), Gumok (V 85), Ganole (V 85), me (V 85), Kazan (V 86), Ali (V 2002) and last but not least, Megat Said (V 72) - whose visit to this part of the world has been extended due to the unfortunate incident to his wife, who broke her thigh bone at St Pancras. Get well soon Kak.
We'll probably make this teh tarik session regular, to be on the 1st wednesday of each month. Hopefully at Tok Din's future outlet. Why? Cozz his Kue Tiaw kick ass! (Those who went to Brickendonbury last year for the Merdeka celebration would vouch for this).
Conversations unavoidably ended up on politics, and how sad it is that our leaders choose to squabble, using all tactics possible to step on each other. At the expense of us. The country is in the dumps .. hey, go govern man. Make Malaysia great again. The hot topic is Bro Anwar (V 64) and his aide's accusation. Well, who knows .. but Anwar should be gaining all the publicity this time round. Malaysia Kini's survey resulted in 94% not believing the accusation. Me - I think if its true, that must be one of the stupidest thing to do at this time. Sounds dumb though, a 5' 10'' - 6 footer guy who is 23 years old couldn't defend a 61 year-old's approach. Pakai Petronas Syntium apa?
There were: Faizal (Vintage 80), Jibon (V 83), Gumok (V 85), Ganole (V 85), me (V 85), Kazan (V 86), Ali (V 2002) and last but not least, Megat Said (V 72) - whose visit to this part of the world has been extended due to the unfortunate incident to his wife, who broke her thigh bone at St Pancras. Get well soon Kak.
We'll probably make this teh tarik session regular, to be on the 1st wednesday of each month. Hopefully at Tok Din's future outlet. Why? Cozz his Kue Tiaw kick ass! (Those who went to Brickendonbury last year for the Merdeka celebration would vouch for this).
Conversations unavoidably ended up on politics, and how sad it is that our leaders choose to squabble, using all tactics possible to step on each other. At the expense of us. The country is in the dumps .. hey, go govern man. Make Malaysia great again. The hot topic is Bro Anwar (V 64) and his aide's accusation. Well, who knows .. but Anwar should be gaining all the publicity this time round. Malaysia Kini's survey resulted in 94% not believing the accusation. Me - I think if its true, that must be one of the stupidest thing to do at this time. Sounds dumb though, a 5' 10'' - 6 footer guy who is 23 years old couldn't defend a 61 year-old's approach. Pakai Petronas Syntium apa?
Anyway, check out the hottest pic at the moment which I believe everybody must've seen.
Forget Saiful. Check out Khairil Annas. I love your singlet man!
Forget Saiful. Check out Khairil Annas. I love your singlet man!Wednesday, 2 July 2008
World's Shortest Fairytale
To my beloved wife who's been taking care of me the whole time I was sick & all the married ladies out there. Jangan menyesal yee..
Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl "Will you marry me?"
The girl said, "NO!"
And the girl lived happily ever after and went shopping, dancing, drank martinis, always had a clean house, never had to cook, did whatever she wanted, never argued, didn't get fat, travelled more, saved more money, and had all the hot water to herself. She watched chick flicks, not football, had high self esteem, never cried or yelled, felt and looked fabulous in tracksuit pants, and burped, and farted all the time…
The End
(Ori from Lindsey, Melbourne)
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