Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Trivia-just for laughs
Mom was sorting out our pics from China. She usually engages in this activity whenever we have heaps of photos from trips or functions.
“Aiya. Why this fella come into my picture.”
Explanantion: Whenever we take photographs, there will always be some irritating person(s) who thinks he/she is invisible and then the person who takes group photos for the four of us ‘conveniently’ forget that there are ‘foreign objects’ around, and takes the not so perfect shot.
Then she proceeded to scribble stuff on post-its and pasted them on the pics.
Being the curious cat I was, I looked through the albums once she was done.
Note on Pic 1: “Zhuo Bian de Liang Ge Ren Tou Xi Diao!” (Erase the two human heads on the left!”)
Note on Pic 2:” You Bian de Liang Ge Ren Chu Li Diao!” (“Take care” -i.e. “terminate” the two persons on the right!”)
Note on Pic 3: “Xiang Ban Fa ba Huang Yi de ren Qu Diao!” (Think of ways to eradicate the person in yellow shirt”)
Wakakkaka-if you understand Mandarin (I dont have Big5 text input lar, have to make do with Hanyu Pinyin) you will understand why me and my sis laughed our a**es off.
Although Adobe Photoshop can do the trick, I think the fella at the photo image studio would be quite puzzled with the instructions attached to the photos. I hope he finds it amusing. 
by miracle8 at 11:58 am
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Monday, May 23, 2005
Chengdu Part III- Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Dujiangyan City
Prologue:
It is important to mention here that we visited the Dujiangyan Irrigation System followed by Leshan Giant Buddha and finally the Emei Mountain, because the Dujiangyan Irrigation System has a profound impact upon Leshan city. MinJiang river flows between the two. Only by appreciating the magnitude and importance of Dujiangyan then can one appreciate the beauty of the other two places of interest.
Dujiangyan Irrigation Project
Dujiangyan Irrigation System is located at Dujiangyan City which is approximately 39 kilometres away from Chengdu city. It is a large water conservatory work built in the third century B.C. led by the then governor of the province, Li Bing and his son in order to harness the MinJiang River.A few important facts about the Dujiangyan Irrigation System (source: Dujiangyan Tourism Board Practical Tourist Picture Album Series: Sichuan Volume The Second Collection -ISBN 7-80659-149-4):
1) Dujiangyan Irrigation System has been in existence for 2,250 years.
2) It is the oldest and the only irrigation project without artificial diversion dam in the world.
3) The Dujiangyan Scenic Area consists of the following: The Dujiangyan Irrigation Project, the Erwang Temple in memory of Li Bing and his son, the Lidui Park which houses some of Sichuan’s unique bonsais and the Yuleishan Park.
4) Dujiangyan is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
This was the route that we took when we visited Dujiangyan Scenic Area:
Arrival at Qinyan Tower: Qinyan Tower is a four-story building with a height of 26 meters. This is the place where tourists can have a bird’s eye view of the Dujiangyan Irrigation Project.
We were then ushered to the balcony and this was what I saw from Qinyan Tower:
The weather was not very good, which explains why the quality of the picture was far from satisfactory. In order to appreciate the magnitude of the project, I have taken the liberty of including this picture from CCTV China’s website, which I trust will render most of us speechless:
source: www.cctv.com
This is the overview of Dujiangyan Irrigation Project taken during good weather.
The tour guide wasted no time in explaining to us the functions of the Irrigation system, but there were just too many people around. I bought a guide book and started reading, which proved to be much more helpful. 
We then took the stairs to the bottom of Qinyan Tower and I saw this on my way down:
This is called the “Qian Nian Gu Mu” which translates to Ancient tree of a thousand years. Due to erosion on the river bed, the trees took different forms of shapes and sizes. Another name for these trees is “Wu Mu.”
This is a model of the barricade built 2000 years ago using bamboo and boulders. Its amazing to imagine how these barricades actually alleviated the problems of flood during the rainy season. I do not have engineering genes in me so would need explanation from my engineering comrades… any volunteers?
From the foot of Qinyan Tower, we proceeded to walk across the AnLan suspension bridge. The Anlan suspension bridge was rebuilt in 1803 which extends over the Inner and Outer rivers. It has a total length of 261 meters. This bridge is also known as the Fuqi (Husbandand Wife) bridge. It is said that if married couples walk across this bridge holding hands, they will have a happy marriage.
At the end of Anlan suspension bridge, we walked to the Yuzhui (fish lip) Diversion Dam. It is here that you get to see the diversion of the rivers in action. The Yuzhui Diversion Dam is located in the center of the inlet of the trunk of the Minjiang River. Its top is 30 meters wide and its tail section is 140 meters wide. The dam is from 5 to 8 meters higher than the riverbed. The side near the Outer River named Outer Jingang Dike is 880 meters long, and that near the Inner River named Inner Jingang Dike is 710 meters long. Yuzhui divides the Minjiang River into the Inner River and the Outer River. During flood season, 60% of the water flows into the Inner River and 40% flows into the Outer River to prevent Chengdu plains from flooding.
As you can see, Chengdu benefits greatly from this project and on the way to ErWang temple, I saw a sign which said :
“Zhao Fu Wan Dai” written by the late Deng Xiao Ping, which translates to “Creating Happiness for Hundreds and Thousands of Generations.”
Erwang Temple was built to commemorate Li Bing and his son, the brains behind this project which would benefit the people of Chengdu for centuries. Every year devotees come to the shrined and offer their prayers to Li Bing for saving them from the agony of flooding.
From Yizhui, it is advised that you take the minibus to Baopingkou, the third part of the Dujiangyan Irrigation project, which is flanked by the left bank of the inlet of the Inner River and one end of the Yulei Mountain. The bed is 14.3 meters wide, the top is 28.9 meters wide and 18.8. meters high and the canal is 36 meters long. Its function is to conduct the river into the Inner River and control the rate of flow and provide the Chengdu plain and hilly areas of Sichuan Basin with enough irrigation water. Baopingkou translates to ” Mouth of the Precious Bottle”.
Next to Baopingkou is Lidui, an important scenic spot in the Dujiangyan Scenic Area. Lidui houses various species of rare trees and flowers. As we were in such a rush (word of caution-when you follow a tour group you are always pressed for time) I only managed to snap a picture of the pretty flowers during my brief “stint” in Lidui.
Never mind, there will be next time, right?
That’s all for Dujiangyan. Next stop: Leshan Giant Buddha!
(p.s. sorry about the lack of pictures in this post. As I said earlier… the weather was really bad… and I did not have many pictures of myself-most of them were group pics with my family, and I don’t think its appropriate to have them on my blog lar!
by miracle8 at 09:41 pm
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Sunday, May 22, 2005
Chengdu Trip Part 2- Dinner at Qin Shan Zhai
I figured that dinner at Qin Shan Zhai justifies a whole entry by itself. Why?
1) Qin Shan Zhai Restaurant specialises in cuisine incorporating precious herbs. Lunch can cost up to 138 RMB per person.
2) Located at the heart of Chengdu city, a visit to this restaurant is a must. The address of the restaurant is: Chengdu Qin Shan Zhai restaurant, Marquis Wu Street, No. 247. The contact number is :0086-028-85098875.
(No, I was not paid to advertise them, I found the food to be delicious and hence I decided to spread the word, so if you do go to Chengdu, please book in advance. Especially for dinner. Quality control is so stringent that they only prepare food upon confirmed reservations to ensure the freshest ingredients are used and no food goes to waste.)
We had the herbal hot pot for dinner that night. Here’s how the hot pot looks like:
Infused with at least 11 different herbs and spices and a fat duck to boot, the soup tasted heavenly. You can also see a plate of thinly sliced mutton. You cook the mutton in the hot pot by dipping the mutton slices into the boiling soup, as you would do in steamboats. Because the mutton is so thin, you need to hold it with your chopsticks while it is cooking, and the act of holding it is akin to brushing the meat against the side of the pot, which is why it is called “Shua Yang Rou” (brushing the mutton). Interesting. And in case you were wondering, no, the mutton did not taste funny. It tasted great!
Huge medicinal wine bottles on display. All brewed by the restaurant and we had one of the wines free flow, on the house. Cool. Tastes a bit like schnapps (which I tried in Copenhagen). Very strong stuff. Ugh. The small bowls under the wine bottles contained the different food which we were served with for the entire night.
This is the interior waterfall in Qin Shan Zhai restaurant. Absolutely beautiful. There’s actually a dining area on the top of the waterfall, which creates a tranquil ambience for diners who want privacy. Me? I just wanted a picture of the scenery
I do not know how much the whole dinner cost, honestly, because it was all covered by the tour agency. But from the 16 different courses of veg and meat available, I think the price must have been quite high. Gulp!
Waiters and waitresses were extremely polite and helpful as well… very important.
Right, thats it for Qin Shan Zhai. After eating, me and my mom went to Parkson (yeah, they have Parkson Grand there) for some night shopping and I managed to grab a winter coat for approx. RM58. Such a steal! Thats the one I was wearing in my pictures taken at Emei Mountain. And in my favourite pink colour too! Wakakaka
Coming up next: Chengdu Part III- Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Dujiangyan City
by miracle8 at 09:23 pm
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Saturday, May 21, 2005
As promised, more pics of flowers in Chengdu
Hi guys ( and Matty especially),
I am down with the flu and thus am finding it difficult to write with a clear mind. Hence, Part II of Chengdu write-up will have to wait until I have conquered the flu bug.
Anyway, I finally got my pictures sorted out, so here are pics taken of me and lovely flowers in Chengdu… enjoy them!
This was taken at the garden at Leshan Giant Buddha. For your information, Leshan Giant Buddha was built in the Tang Dynasty led by Master Haitong and took over 90 years to complete. The sculpture stands at 71 meters and faces three rivers, namely Min Jiang, Qing Yi Jiang and Da du Jiang river.
Wonder what the Leshan Giant Buddha looks like?
This is an overall picture of Leshan Giant Buddha. The only way to take a picture of the Buddha is to go on a river cruise to the middle of Min Jiang and quickly snap a picture. It is quite dangerous as the boat can only stay against the current for a few minutes, so you have to act quickly. I have a picture of myself taken with the Giant Buddha, but I haven’t had the time to scan it and upload it.
At one particular angle on Min Jiang river, you can see that the three hills (Wu You, Ling Yun and Gui Cheng) extend to form a huge sleeping Buddha. I took a picture of the three hills and this is how the Sleeping Buddha looks like:
Nice right?
Back to the garden at Leshan Giant Buddha, I saw this:
This is a Yin and Yang fountain. According to the local guide, the white colour represents the “yang” element, and the black colour represents the “yin” element. A man is supposed to wash his hands on the “yang” surface three times in clockwise position, while the lady is supposed to wash her hands on the “yin” surface three times in clockwise position. By doing this you will wash away all your bad luck. Cool.
Another place of interest which we visited was Emei mountain, 3077 meters above sea level. Here are some pictures which I absolutely went gaga over.
This is “qiang wei”, a species of rose which grows in abundance on the roadside leading to Emei Mountain.
This is me with a small azelea tree at the Golden Summit at Mount Emei. It was cold up there which explains why I am wearing a winter coat.
On the way down from Emei mountain, I took a picture with the azelea tree in full bloom:
May I add that this was on the roadside. Very dangerous as azelea trees grow on hilly slopes and one step back would have sent me rolling off the hill.(Imagine the road to Cameron Highlands) Azelea trees are exclusive to Mount Emei because the flowers will only bloom if the temperature hits zero degrees. It was a wonderful experience sitting in the bus and watching lots and lots of blooming azeleas on the way. The mist and clouds made me feel as if I were in paradise…
This was taken at Bao Guo Si, a temple in Emei city. Thanks to Mr. Chong who took this picture for me (My folks and my brother thought I was lost because I was far far behind, this was taken in a rush, hehe)
More roses in full bloom at Bao Guo Si temple.
Me receiving the “Qi” from the waterfall at the foot of Mount Emei.
And last but not least, these are shrub species of azeleas taken at the EmeiShan grand hotel. 
There you have it! Flowers, flowers and more flowers…and my matching clothes too! Hahhaha perasannya…
More to come… stay tuned!
by miracle8 at 09:24 pm
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Saturday, May 21, 2005
Chengdu- The Garden of Eden of the East (Part 1)
Prologue
I first went to China when I was 16 years old. I went to Jiangsu Province, Wuxi and Suzhou to participate in the UNESCO ’96 High School Students Summer Camp, and stayed with host families. It was during that time I first interacted with Chinese students and I had a wonderful time there. I have endeavoured to keep in contact with my lovely friends in China, but throughout the years, some of them have moved and so far, I am only in contact with one of them.
Fast foward 3 years down the road and I went to KL for my college studies. Again, as fate would have it, I became housemates with another group of students from Northern China. My wonderful memories in 1996 remain vivid to this day, and staying with Chinese students helped me understand more of their culture. They helped me improve my Mandarin and I in turn helped them with their English. It was a really enjoyable time then. We even took a bus up to Penang, bought loads of stuff and basically, had a whale of a time. All of my housemates have now graduated and returned to China, and I miss them dearly.
You would probably have gathered by now how “China” oriented I am, and I was really looking foward to this trip to Chengdu. My brother had downloaded street maps of Chengdu from the internet and we did some research on the places which we were going to visit. The previous group which had returned from Chengdu wasted no time in giving us tips on what to buy and what to see in Chengdu. I was really excited.
Of course, this trip is also memorable because it is the very first time we are travelling as a family to mainland China. My mother had planned to visit China for so long…. and finally this time, the trip materialised. Needless to say, it was money and time well spent.
Day 1- Kuching-KL, KL-Bangkok, Bangkok to Chengdu
We had to meet up with the rest of the tour group members at KLIA at 6.30a.m. To be on the safe side, we took a flight the night before from Kuching to KL, and spent the night (yeah you got it right) at KLIA. Considering the time factor (we arrived at KL midnight) it was not necessary to stay in a hotel. Wouldn’t be worth it anyway. If you see my entry below, Jamalluddin Hassan, the host of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” was on the same flight as us.
So how does it feel to sleep at the airport? Well… I saw quite a number of lone travellers doing the same thing, although personally I don’t think its a good idea. You should ideally have someone to take turns looking after your luggage.
The flight to Bangkok was uneventful. Coincidentally, I also did a stopover at Bangkok in 1996 when I was travelling to Wuxi. Dejavu indeed.
It takes three hours from Bangkok to Chengdu. A lot better compared to the 11 hour journey I had to make from KL to London. Well… Chengdu is nearer anyway
Upon arrival at Chengdu airport, all international travellers are required to fill in a health declaration form. The health screening officers will scrutinize your form and if you are unsure of what to fill, its better to check with your tour guide. Rest assured that the forms are bilingual and it should not cause too much of a problem.
Only when the health officers are satisfied that you are fit and healthy then you can proceed further to immigration clearance. Again, fill in your form clearly to avoid hassle.
Right… there were local tour guides carrying huge signboards waiting for us. Two lovely girls dressed in Tibetan costumes held the banner welcoming us to Chengdu.
About Chengdu:
1)Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province and houses more than 80% of the different tribes of China, including the Yi, Zang, Kang Ding, etc. etc. Sichuan is located at the Southwest of China and is the door to Tibet.
2) Chengdu is home to the world’s rarest animal-the panda. There are only about a thousand surviving pandas in the world and Sichuan is home to almost 80% of these gentle creatures. Pandas existed during the Jurassic period together with dinasours and are therefore considered the longest surviving animal on earth.
3) Chengdu is the second city after Beijing where civilians own the most number of private cars. Surprisingly, we did not experience massive traffic jams.
4) The famous Chinese director Zhang YiMou said this about Chengdu:” Chengdu is a city which one would not wish to leave upon arrival.”
5) During ancient China, Sichuan was known as “Shu”, and houses the Wu Hou Shrine in memory of Zhu Ge Liang.
6) Famous poets like Du Fu, Li Bai and Su Dong Po were amazed by the beauty of Sichuan and have written beautiful poems of the scenery of Sichuan.
7) Sichuan is rich in culture heritage. The famous Chuan opera (similar to the Peking opera), the “Bian Lian” show (i.e. changing masks on the face swiftly), shadow play (like our wayang kulit, only in this case, the hands are used to depict different animals) etc. are but to name a few of the cultural performances unique to Sichuan.
8) The famous E-mei mountain and LeShan Gian Buddha are listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List since the 1980s and have therefore gained international recognition.
9) Whilst Beijing has Tiananmen Square, where the late Chairman Mao’s picture overlooks Beijing, in Chengdu you have the Tian Fu Square with a statute of the late Chairman Mao in his signature waving pose.
10) Many people within China choose Chengdu as a place of retirement because of its beautiful surroundings and the relaxing atmosphere.
11) Chengdu can be divided into the Northern area (the poorest parts of Chengdu), the East (the area under development), the West (the well to do people) and the South (people of high ranking). To reside in the South Western area is akin to being either rich or powerful.
12) Chengdu has four ring roads. My brother observed that if you look at the street maps, the four ring roads are shaped exactly like the Pa Kua (a Feng Shui symbol).
13) The river Jing Jiang (translated as Silk River) runs through the city of Chengdu and is clean and clear.
14) And one more important thing-the currency used is Ren Ming Bi and the exchange rate is RM1 to RMB2 approx. Good news for us.
15) Chengdu is located in a basin area. This means that it rains more frequently in Chengdu compared to other parts of China. This is apparent during spring time.
Ok, the next important thing is of course, the food.
1)Generally, Sichuan is famous for their spicy food. The most famous being the “Ma La Huo Guo” which translates into literally “Numb and Spicy Hot Pot.” The tour agency did not arrange for us to try out the hot pot because if they did, my stomach would go on strike. I can’t take too much of spicy food. One of my housemates from Sichuan cooked the Ma La hot pot once in KL, and my tongue was numb for two days.
2)Secondly, you must also try their Dan Dan Mian (dan dan noodles). The noodles are served in a spicy gravy with pork mince and vegetables.
3)Thirdly, one also must not miss the Ma Po Tou Fu (Ma Po Tauhu). Again, this is a spicy dish which smells absolutely delicious.
4)One of my favourites (albeit a tad too spicy) dish is the La Tzi Ji (Spicy Chicken). The chicken meat is diced into small cubes and stir fried with a local chilli (tastes like chilli padi but looks like dried chilli). The chillies have a unique fragrant smell to it which adds flavour to the chicken.
5)And of course, the different varieties of fresh vegetables which taste absolutely superb stir-fried and salted. Divine.
Part II: Dinner at Qin Shan Zai and night shopping
by miracle8 at 06:10 pm
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Friday, May 20, 2005
This is how we celebrated Mommy’s day
This entry was supposed to be up before the Chengdu pics, but never mind. I’d been meaning to tell all of you how we spent Mother’s day.
CHMS No. 3 Alumni Choir decided to organise a pot luck party to celebrate Mother’s day, and the venue of course, is the school canteen. (No extra charges, yeah!)
We had a great time and here are pictures of the lurvely food we had. Yummy…
Pots and pots of glorious food. Now I shall introduce some of my favourites one by one.
Fuyoh! Delicious Curry Chicken! With chunky potatoes, “fu chok” (dried soya bean skin) and tender chicken, this was the star of the night. Next to the curry chicken pot is actually the “Ngo Hiang” which translates to “5 spice”. Its a delicious chinese meat loaf packed with mince pork, chestnuts and carrots.
This is a herbal dish called “Kacang Ma” and is usually cooked with chicken and glutinous rice wine. It is especially good for the ladies, during menstruation, as it warms up the womb. Sarawakian women usually take a lot of this dish during confinement. Usually served with rice.
This is Stewed Pork Trotters (or Kaki Babi as I call it) cooked with chinese mushrooms and whole garlic pieces. Mmmm… yummmy
On the left you will see two plates of “paku-pakis”, edible ferns which taste really great stir-fried with belacan/oyster sauce with shredded garlic. On the right is roast duck.
Last but not least, you have the mini popiahs (which reminds me of the signature Top Hats at Top Hat Restaurant, KL -owned by Carolyn’s mom by the way) at the bottom left (the fillings are sliced pototoes, carrots and pork mince I think), home made siow bees on the upper left and stir fried mixed vegetables on the right.
There were also cakes and pastries but since we get a lot of those in bakeries, I did not see the need to promote them here, heheh. May I add that the above dishes were all home cooked by the
choir members. Not bad ar… can sing and cook at the same time.
We ended the dinner by having a short practice session at the choir room. Everybody went home happy.
Have a nice weekend everybody! More from Chengdu next!
by miracle8 at 12:18 pm
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Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Preview of Chengdu Pics
As you would have known by now, I went to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in China for a one week holiday. Before I go into the details of the trip, here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. I will follow up with a detailed write up this Saturday.
Enjoy!
Taking care of our luggage while waiting for our flight to Chengdu. Stayed overnight at KLIA for the first time. Yikes!
I have been to KLIA several times, and it was only on Monday morning that I learnt to appreciate the unique architecture of this huge airport. Lurvely.
The first glimpse of Chengdu plains from the airplane. Quite different from our tropical forests I must say. Beautiful.
Touchdown at Chengdu Shuang Liu International Airport.
The lady at the toll counter politely shows drivers the exit after toll charges have been paid. This is the first toll station after the airport.
Beautiful Chengdu girls. They are hot!
The streets of Chengdu. Taken while on the tour bus.
Malaysian “beauty” and China’s exotic Tibetan beauty. (I feel really inadequate now, )
Beautiful flowers in full bloom at the Dujiangyan Garden. Dujiangyan Irrigation system is one of China’s ancient irrigation systems and has been in existence for over 2000 years. I will elaborate further in another post.
Right, stay tuned people!
by miracle8 at 10:50 pm
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Teaser 1-Who wants to be a millionaire?
On Sunday night, my family and I were waiting for our flight to KL. Guess who I saw?
Now don’t tell me you don’t know who he is.
Yep, the famous host of the game show which everyone wants to play -SIAPA MAHU JADI JUTAWAN aka Who wants to be a millionaire– Jamalludin Hassan appeared at Kuching Airport.
He was alone… no entourage, no tv crew, nobody.
Guess which flight was he on?
Air Asia!
“Now everybody can fly”
Including celebrities.
Anyway, lots of Kuching folk ran up to him asking to be photographed with him (as is the case in this picture). He kindly obliged.
My father quipped:”Semua yang ambil gambar kelak jadi jutawan lah”
I wish.
by miracle8 at 10:36 pm
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Sunday, May 08, 2005
Off to the airport in 3 hours’ time
I will be away for a week. Going for a short holiday with my family… so updates will be postponed until I come back.
See ya!
by miracle8 at 05:50 pm
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Saturday, May 07, 2005
Mortality and a tribute to all our wonderful parents
After reading Matty’s post on (im)mortality, I could not help but give my two cent’s worth on this issue.
Since February this year, a senior member of the Bar in Kuching was murdered, my good friend’s father passed away on the third day of Chinese New Year, my mom’s friend died of a heart attack while watching his son playing basketball… and Kenny recently lost his father to cancer. It is very depressing to have all sad news come all at once, and somehow, as cliche as it may sound, we should not take life for granted. More importantly, we should not take our loved ones for granted.
Since graduating I have succumbed to the temptations of the infamous rat race, racing alongside other equally good, if not better cream of the crop in the profession. I find that I have less time to spend with my family, and mind you, I am talking about my parents and my family members. I cannot imagine how I am going to cope if I do get married and have kids. My parents watched over me as I grew up, sent me off to further my studies, supported my decisions to work away from home, and finally when I decide to come home for good, I get so involved in my work that I don’t even see my mom when I wake up to rush to work, and I usually feel horribly tired by the time I get home. Usually its my mom who initiates conversation, and I am overcome with guilt most of the time because, she’s a working woman as well, and she takes out time to communicate with us no matter how busy she is.
Seeing my close friend lost his father gave me some food for thought. Our parents will not always be with us forever… and I believe the only thing we can do is…treasure every moment you have with your parents. Be it breakfast together at your favourite coffee shop, sipping afternoon tea at the local patisserie or even a shopping spree together, every moment is magical. In fact, I consider it a luxury now to be able to have breakfast with my family together at the local coffee shop, enjoying dim sum. Most of the time I am always pressed for time, with my mom shouting behind me as I get into my car “Your shirt is creased! You forgot to put on your lipstick! etc etc”.
I suppose one would say I have poor time management skills, which I do agree to a certain extent. Archangel has kindly suggested that I draw up a timetable for everything, and I suppose, I would have to allocate a certain amount of time to spend with my family. My parents are not getting any younger… and it is at this age, I am beginning to understand them better. I want to savour every moment.
The transition from the “authoritative body” to the “confidante” is not a smooth one. Many of us tend to challenge our parent’s authority, and the familiar “parents are wrong unless proven correct” theory takes root in our heads the moment we hit puberty. Or earlier. The universal phrase “Whatever we do, its for YOUR OWN GOOD” somehow does not sound quite convincing when you are a rebellious teenager. Somehow, as you grow older, the advice and naggings make more sense. How do parents handle us though, I sometimes wonder.
I was particularly touched by the story of Eddie the cooking engineer. He dedicated a section of his webpage to his sister, Grace who becamed disabled after an operation to remove her brain tumour. It is indeed heartwrenching to see beautiful pictures of Grace and her achievements prior to her illness and what has becomed of her post operation. Eddie’s mother is a very strong woman… to take care of a disabled daughter who requires full time care is very very challenging. But she did it out of her love for her child. I was crying by the time I finished reading the story of Grace. This goes to reinforce the fact that when everybody gives up on you, your parents will never ever give up on you. They will always be there for you, no matter what happens. Thanks to Eddie for sharing your story with all of us.
Remember Liu Hai Ruo, the news anchor for Phoenix TV? She was almost killed in a railway accident in London two years back. Miraculously, she survived. Her parents decided to take her back to China for treatment when doctors in England pronounced her brain dead. She has recovered quite well. Her parents never gave up hope for her recovery. She was in KL last year in conjunction with Phoenix TV’s 6th anniversary and she appeared bright and cheerful. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude for her parent’s support and love during the most difficult period of her life.
Hmmm… we’ll be going for a family holiday next week. We’ll be spending Mother’s Day at the airport while waiting for our connecting flight… I promise to post pics after I come back.
Till then… I wish everyone a lovely weekend and remember, show your parents you care about them.
by miracle8 at 11:19 am
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Friday, May 06, 2005
UK elections around the corner-a trip down memory lane, 2001
Uk MPs have blogs. Did you know that?
Anyway, apart from showcasing how concerned they are for the “rakyat’s” welfare, its also an avenue for them to advertise thei portfolios, in a bid to gain the highest votes.
I must say, the Parliamentary debates in UK are much, much more heated and interesting compared to what we have back home. Sorry, but in this aspect, the grass is greener over yonder. You get to see Tony Blair being shot left, right and centre by the opposition party over all sorts of issues. Here in Parliament we debate about the seriousness of rape caused by sexy kebayas worn by Malaysian Airlines staff.
One of the most contraversial ones in 2001, was that all UK university students had to pay tuition fees. Apparently the government could not subsidise education funds anymore. Therefore, each student had to pay an annual fee of GBP1,000 (approx) for their university tuition fees and fork out another GBP2000++ for accommodation and living expenses.
Now… the English culture is such that parents only support their children until they finish high school. If they wished to pursue their education further, they had to take out loans, local education authority funds etc.
That was ok when the government subsidised the tuition fees heavily. You should have seen the uproar the decision caused.
Banks of course were smiling from ear to ear. Overnight, education loan schemes were tailored to suit the needs of deserving poor students.
I believe we Malaysians should be thankful that our parents work very hard to secure our tertiary education, so that we can study in peace without having to worry when the next instalment of our school fees will come from.
Anyway, I digress.
During my first year in UK, I received a white card informing me that I was eligible to vote in the upcoming election. Cool! If you are a foreign student staying for more than six months, you are automatically entitled to vote.
Ha! I had my first taste of voting in a foreign country for parties I knew crap about. (sorry guys, I was not that well informed in politics before I arrived in UK).
On the day in question, I dressed in my Sunday best (eheheh) and proceeded with my friend to the voting centre. A secondary school behind my university accommodation.
After much deliberation at the voting booth, I voted not for the Labour. hehhe.
Can’t remember which party it was now though, its been so long. But my votes certainly did not count, because Tony Blair won!
I remembered one important statistic though– there were only 50% of the eligible voters who cast their vote.
Don’t the people over there care who is the government? Strange.
Taking into account that out of the 50%, some of them could have been foreign gals like me. So how many British citizens actually bothered to vote?
Interesting…
Lets see what happens this year then, shall we?
Postlude: 6.5.2005-Labour won three consecutive elections, setting a new record in Britain. Which goes on to say that the Brits still have faith in Tony(or do they?). While tertiary education subsidies in UK are scrapped,in Malaysia the government announced that fuel subsidies were reduced. Of course it caused a great uproar amongst the rakyat, since the price hike went up twice within the span of months. True, one might say that the government is being inconsiderate for adding extra burden on the rakyat.. but think about it. If the price of the fuel had been expensive (as in UK) in the first place, without subsidies from the Government, people would assume that is the norm and nothing more would be said. Just like our parents who have to fork out hundreds and thousands for our tertiary education without aid from the government… do we vent out our frustrations in the press? Not really. So… while I heard in coffee shops that in the next election, people will vote for the opposition, I am cynical… the “dacing” more or less will have a “clean sweep” during the next election.
Now… if only my paycheck goes on a price hike… that would make me very happy…
by miracle8 at 06:03 pm
Make a miracle happen Permanent Link
Thursday, May 05, 2005
17As becomes spokesperson for Stabilo
Not sure if you guys have noticed, but I saw a tv advertisement featuring the recent SPM high achiever, Amalina. (aka 17As)
Here’s what she said in the advertisement: (not verbatim lar)
“I managed to score such high grades because I use the Internet to study, I participate in group discussions, and also because of Stabilo! Thank goodness for Stabilo 2B pencils.”
Well, guess there’s nothing wrong with making a bit of cash while you’re a student celebrity or any celebrity for that matter, yeah?
Getting good grades in your studies is important. But in life, people judge you from different angles… your character, aptitude, etc. etc. which cannot be determined solely on the number of As that you have achieved in your studies.
Don’t get me wrong though. Getting good grades is a passport to entering better universities and studying the course of your choice.
However, it takes more than good grades to be a good person.
Last month we read in the news of the astonishingly high numbers of unemployed graduates. Therefore… we should probably stop for a while and think… what is the root behind the problem?
I am sure a large percentage of these graduates were high academic achievers.
So what is happening?
I see parents nowadays pressuring their children to succeed, and churn them out into another “17A” prototype to beat the other hamsters in the rat race. Gone are the happy cheerful faces on these children. They are replaced with zombie-esque motionless faces and their only mission is to achieve the highest number of A’s possible in every exam.
Do they have room to grow into a person?
Do they have room to explore their potential?
Or are they programmed (by default) to gun down As.
It is a cause for concern, because we need people who can think outside the box. People who are industry oriented… and not a machine churning out the theories they have articulately memorised in school.
(how many people function like that anyway?)
I suppose, the point I am trying to make here is…strike a balance.
The role of a parent and teacher, is to identify the child’s potential and help him/her achieve it.
To give the child a supportive push in the right direction, just like a mommy pushing a baby out of the birth canal.
You get what I mean.
Bonsai plants are pretty. But not all species of plants are suitable for bonsai cultivation.
Agree?
And to Amalina, hope Stabilo paid you well for that advertisement. The “celebrity student parent wannabes” will be buying truck loads of Stabilo pencils to maximise their children’s potential.
Comments are welcome.
by miracle8 at 09:57 pm
(4)miracles Permanent Link
She’s leaving on a jet plane
My best friend Vinny is leaving on a jet plane tonight.
I wish her all the best in her future undertakings… and a new life with her husband.
I will miss her a lot… but hey, I get to travel to another country where accomodation is taken care of… heehe.
Take care Vinny. Keep in touch.
by miracle8 at 10:22 am
Make a miracle happen Permanent Link
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
The handshake of the century: Taiwan and PRC take one step foward towards unification across the straits
Taiwan opposition leader Lien Zhan and Chinese President Hu Jintao closed the book on decades of hostility yesterday with a simple handshake in the Great Hall of the People. A handshake which aims to move millions towards the common goal of realising the “One China” goal.
This move is timely. It has been a good 60 years since Taiwan severed ties with China post civil war. The recent passage of the Anti-Cessation Law in China empowers China to use force if Taiwan insists on declaring independence.
Lien Chan was given VVIP treatment throughout his visit in China, which reinforces the fact that China wishes to settle the Taiwan straits issue amicably.
Throughout his visit, Lien Chan was given the opportunity to visit his mother’s alma mater, Peking University, and he was on the verge of tears as his mother’s graduation certificate was presented to him. For your information, Lien Chan’s mother is 96 years old. I was really touched by the scene when he received the scroll on behalf of his mother… it is the best gift his mother could ever receive. In stark constrast, one of my mother’s friends recently discovered that their secondary school report sheets were discarded in the school rubbish bin. These records belonged to 20 different people with their pictures on each sheet and my mother was one of them. I felt so sad and angry that these records were treated with such disrespect. What if the records fell into the hands of the wrong people? That would be disastrous. It is common sense to shred/tear your documents before you dispose of them for security reasons. In this case, these records were copies kept by the school. Probably they decided to dispose of these records because its has been too long (still, I think its a lame excuse-haven’t you heard of archiving? And it was only in the 60s, its not even a hundred years yet). As it is, I feel very strongly against such careless disposal of personal records. Unfortunately, I also came from that school, and I now shudder at the thought of my report cards being used by the kolo mee seller to wrap his prized creation with my name and grades on it! Oh dear.
Right, I digress.
Lien Chan also paid respects to his grandmother’s grave, which had been abandoned for almost 60 years. It was indeed a tear jerking moment for him. I can only imagine the nostalgic state of mind he was in at that moment in time.
Lien Chan has close ties with China. He was born in Sichuan and stayed in China until he was about 8 years old. When the Japanese occupied China, he was sent to Taiwan to keep him alive. His father remained in China as a soldier. Lien Chan’s vivid memories as a child was seeking refuge in huge potholes in his school playground (known as “fang kong dong”) whenever the Japanese troops were in the vicinity. Therefore it did not come as a surprise that the first thing Lien Chan did was to look for remains of the potholes when he arrived at his school!
Lien Chan has opened a door of opportunities for peaceful unification of Taiwan and China. His name will remain in history as the person who took the first step, after 60 years of hostility, to rebuild friendly ties with China.
Inevitably, Lien Chan’s move towards peace has created an uproar back home in Taiwan. The line dividing those pro-unification and those pro-independence is now very much clear. While Chen Shui Bian maintains his views of Taiwan’s ultimate goal towards independence, both he and his supporters are clearly shocked and bewildered at this unexpected move of Lien Chan. Now, the ball is in Chen Shui Bian’s court. Any move he chooses to take will be under the scrutiny of the eyes of the world. He is now under tremendous pressure.
To mark this momentous event, China lifted restrictions on import of 18 types of fruit from Taiwan into China, and laws on import taxes were relaxed. Two panda bears were presented as a symbol of long lasting friendship. We are beginning to see the emotional gap between Taiwan and China slowly closing up.
In an interview by Yang Lan, Lien Chan said that Taiwanese were behaving the way they were now because of misleading information which came to their knowledge. For many years, China attempted to disseminate information of their country to the outside world. Dissemination of such information was in many ways, hampered by western countries. Therefore, a lot of what was disseminated may not have been accurate portrayal of events.
Premier Hu JinTao said:” This timely move is concrete proof that chinese people are able to settle their home affairs amicably.”
Note the word “home affairs”. I would liken it to a situation where a mother of an estranged child welcomes him/her back into the household. The estranged child refuses to do so out of saving face and demands to be separate from the household. Out comes a group of hooligans who wave their cowboy hats and jeer at the mother for trying to coax her son to come back to her. And while the mother tries to teach her son a lesson, the hooligans come out and stand behind the son. “Don’t worry! Cowboy taiko will bakc you up. If you mommy uses rotan, I will supply you with guns.”
No brownie points for guessing which cowboy country I am talking about. Yes. The big Tai Ko (or he thinks so anyway) of the world, who clearly thinks that he is in charge. Pakar “jaga tepi kain orang” is the term I would use for this country.
Whatever bloodshed China has caused in history, it was entirely an internal affair. The civil war, the Cultural Revolution, the Tiananmen Square incident, etc but to name a few all happened within China. I cannot help but digress into this area because I have read several blogs lately which condemn China for their mistakes in the cultural revolution and so forth. Some even accused China of whitewashing their own history (in defence to the accusation of Japan whitewashing WWII history). Sit down for one moment and think about this, people. Japan launched a large scale masscre in several foreign countries. They killed nationals of another country. Therefore, there is a very large distinction between what happened in China post war and what happened during the Japanese occupation during WWII. The magnitude of events occuring during the Japanese occupation is so large that it cannot be compared to any other civil war in history. Coupled with the fact that the United States lobbied for a pardon in the sentencing of Japanese WWII criminals post war… what the Japanese did, and how they were punished for it, was entirely disproportionate and unjust to the victims of war. Ask anyone who has relatives who survived through WWII and you will get the idea.
Sin Chew Jit Poh has a series of WWII articles with specific reference to the Japanese Occupation. Reading these articles, one cannot help but wonder in pain what the Japanese troops were thinking when they launched large scale massacres in Nanjing and virus spreading attacks in Chungking . And not to mention the countless women who were forced into prostitution during the war. Some of these women are still alive today. Now they can relate their story and bring tears to our eyes as their painful story unfolds. What would happen in 20 years’ time when the witnesses of war have long gone to heaven? Who would we turn to for confirmation of such facts? How can we be convinced?
This is why the role of accurate historical records are of utmost importance. The reasons for revisiting history is not to ignite flames of hatred and agony, but rather to prepare us for a better future.
All eyes on Chen Shui Bian now… lets see what he will do next.
by miracle8 at 04:41 pm
Make a miracle happen Permanent Link
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
YodaX is back
Its official… I am back on the blogger’s scene. Well its only been 9 days since I’ve been away, and mind you, I did not like those 9 days one bit.
After seven months of blogging, I realised that I got myself addicted. Therefore… it was not surprising that I suffered from withdrawal symptoms (as with smokers who try to quit the crazy habit) as follows:
by miracle8 at 05:30 pm
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