Malaysian Pull Tea and Territoriality!

Time log: 20 January 2007; 7.00 pm.

The place: Medan Selera in Section 14, Petaling Jaya

We were having the best satay in town. Succulent chicken and beef pieces skewed and roasted on a grill above the ambers of a hot charcoal fire. The peanut gravy was heavenly and we begged an additional bowl each. We then supplemented our meal with Pak Chik Panjang’s tantalizing nasi padang. The patin fish in coconut milk curry was beyond words. It was a good dinner. Everything went on well.

Then my wife had to order a glass of teh tarik!

A man was serving two delicious looking teh tarik to customers at the next table. They looked delicious, the milky tea frothing at the brim of the oversized glasses! Teh tarik is milky tea expertly tossed into the air using two big metal containers and the outcome is a frothy looking tea. My wife was visibly tempted. “Can I have one of those?” she hollered to the man. The man looked at my wife with apprehension and then quickly signaled a second stall to provide the tea. “No,” my wife replied, “I want yours.” He turned, looked ashen and went off.

I told my wife that she won’t get the tea she wanted because there could be an issue of territoriality here. In many food courts, with the spirit and fervour of the Code of Bushido in place, only certain stalls can serve drinks to designated rows of tables.

I least expected it .But stranger than fiction, the self-same man appeared with the teh tarik for my wife. I told my wife I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets a dressing down now from the second stall ‘that had the rights’ to our table.

The ‘fun’ then started. The old lady manning that second stall came by and within ear shot, blurted out these teasing words “I thought Chinese do not drink teh tarik.” A few minutes later, as an afterthought, she then came to our table and rudely took away a chair which she has offered us earlier to put our shopping bags and our umbrella signaling in her way, her angst and demonstrating her vehement protest for our failing to order that pull tea from her!!

I told my wife, “Let’s vamoose!” and out we went from the food court thankfully with our dignity intact.

Talk about the adage “The customer is always right!" It is not valid in Medan Selera, Section 14. So you better watch out when ordering drinks when you go there for your meals! You might just ruffle the feathers of that brazen woman again.

"Hell hath no fury like a female stall owner scorned !"

Do that and heaven help you!

Quote of the Day:

“Beauty is power; a smile is its sword.” Charles Reade

Heartsong

Salma Hayek – Brazen and Beautiful

I have seen many movies where Salma acted. However, she was merely eye candy in those shows. Sheer bimbo roles. Oftentimes, she will be casted in roles that call for a Latina. Some of the shows are Desperado, Once upon a Time a Mexico and Bandidas. At other times, she will play the love interest in light hearted movies like in Fools Rush In and Wild, Wild West.

Believe me; it was only in Frida that she was given the chance to shine. Yes, it was still a Latina role. This time you will see the real Salma Hayek in action. In this film, you can see the strength of her acting and the range of emotions she is capable of exhibiting. It was her “heart and soul movie.” – a coming of age as a star.

She acted as Frida Kahlo, the Mexican surrealist painter with gusto, portraying the intense physical sufferings of that woman as well as the heartaches of being married to a womanizing husband. She also showed the bisexual nature of Frida with such authentic display of lustful abandon. Apparently Frida committed suicide. An entry in her diary attested to this: "I hope the exit is joyful; and I hope never to return."

Salma Hayek is one of the Latino divas of Hollywood. The others are obviously the showy Jennifer Lopez, sultry Paz Vega and va va voom Penelope Cruz. Compared to Cruz, Salma has a lot of catching up to do to enter the A League! And age is showing.

I wish her well.

Quote of the Day:

“Pleasure is the bait of sin.” Plato

Heartsong

Greed, Gullibility and Guilt

Fancy me, at this late stage in life, getting conned by a scratch-and-win game.

I was definitely not the first to fell for it; nor will I be the last.

I knew that it has been happening through the papers. You will never know until it confronts you and hits you right smack in the face.

An innocent phone call brought about a train of events. The aftermath of the events still reverberates till this day.

“Are you Mr. X?” I replied in the affirmative. I was told my name was selected by Telekoms Malaysia at a “white goods” fair held at Bukit Jalil Stadium. I had won a prize in absentia. Could I collect it at their office in Klang? This Sunday at 3.00 p.m.? I said it was a date.

So with my wife, I drove to Klang; got lost a couple of times but I finally found the shop. And then they started the con.

You have won a multipurpose cleaner. It is worth RM40.00. By the way, today is the last day of our lucky draw. Would you like to try your luck? So they gave me 5 scratch-and-win cards to choose from. I chose and scratched one.

Lo and behold! I won RM3, 500 worth of prizes. These include a microwave oven, a high grade American steel wok, a Juice and Food Processing System and a foot massager. However to get the free gifts, I must first purchase an item from the store. So they introduced me to an exercise machine. It was called the Blood Circulation Machine. All you need is to stand on the machine and vibrate for 15 minutes and the derivative benefit will be the equivalent of a 5 mile run on your heart. The machine is made in Korea and costs RM2, 500. That is where the greed came in. Pay that amount and get a bonanza in prizes. Okay. So I paid up with my credit card.

Con No. 2 was then laid out.

A shop assistant then came by as if by design and said that purchasers are entitled to another contest as well. So out came another set of cards. I chose one again and scratched! Holy cow! I scored again. I have won five more prizes. They valued it at RM4, 500. This time the prizes include a “Diamond’ type reverse osmosis water filter system, a massage mat and a Fuji instant camera. However, I was then told that this package of prizes has been discontinued. Would I be contented with another set of prizes?

They played on your emotions. They wanted me to beg. Where can, one? When they saw my unhappiness, they told me they will check with their boss in Kajang whether they can release this package of prizes. The boss replied,” “okay.”

Yes, there it was again. Buy another product. So I chose a water-based vacuum cleaner costing another RM2, 500.

At 4.00 pm, I left the shop with a car-load of so-called free electric goods and a huge dent of RM5, 000 on my credit card.

When I reached home, I knew I was conned. I was now saddled with products I did not need. I was greedy and gullible. That was why I fall for the con!

My wife did suggest that I return all the goods to the shop the next day. However, since I needed the vacuum cleaner to replace the old worn-out one as well as the Blood Circulation Machine, I decided to keep all the prizes instead.

Within the next few months, we became a relative of Santa Claus and started giving away some of the prizes. The Reverse Osmosis Water System became our house warming gift for my brother-in-law. The microwave was given to my wife’s sister in law. I gave away the foot massage machine to my brother. The Juice and Food Processing System became our wedding gift to my nephew.

So, the next time when someone calls up and said you have just won a prize in a competition or what not, just hang up. There is no such thing as a free lunch!

Quote of the Day:

“Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude.” Ralph Marston

Heartsong

Jack in the Box!

The last few weeks, I revisited Jack Nicholson movies.

First I saw Easy Rider, Jack’s first big break into the movies, to get the bohemian feel of the late 1960s. Then, I watched The Departed, the latest offering showcasing a nasty Jack as a mafia boss. What a contrast! I followed up with the melodramatic Reds, the beautiful all-time great Chinatown and the cranky One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Yes, I have seen As Good As It Gets, A Few Good Men, Prizzi’s Honour. The Postman Always Rings Twice and About Schmidt. I have yet to see his famous outings in The Shining, Terms of Endearment and Something Gotta Give.

This three-time Academy Award winner is extremely versatile despite his unique trademark ways. He won the golden statute for Best Actor in the manic-depressive One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and the feel-good As Good As It Gets; and the Best Supporting Actor in Terms of Endearment.

A product of a quickie bigamous marriage, this Italian-Irish actor was raised by his mother’s parents and never knew who his father was. How sad! He had a bad start in movies and had to contend with writing for the big screen for a long while. When he came onto the silver screen, he made movie history!

Today in tinsel town, Jack is a consummate actor. He is a pillar of Hollywood society and he has become a living legend and icon. He brings with him that special brand of acting into whatever role he plays and he plays them in full realism. Watch how he raped Jessica Lange with such savage gusto in Postman and the senseless killings he made in The Departed. He was the mean Colonel Nathan Jessep at Guantanamo Bay in A Few Good Men! I am sure you can remember how he hollered at Tom Cruise and Demi Moore - "You can’t handle the truth!” in that giant of a movie.

He sublimely played that arty-farty Eugene O’Neill, the erstwhile spurned lover in Reds. Then, he played the wacky Joker in Batman. On the flip-side, he can also be the comedian. Watch his skills in As Good as It Gets, Anger Management and the Witches of Eastwick and have yourself a good laugh!.

I look forward to watching more of Jack’s movies that I have missed as a kid. Not many are in the local DVD stores. It would be good to get my hands on Five Easy Pieces, Something Gotta Give and Ironweed.

Quote of the Day:

"Some things have to be believed to be seen." Ralph Hodgson

Heartsong

Such a Pity!

Through a friend I got to know him in varsity. Not close but we did say our hellos whenever we met.

Then we graduated and he went to work in a big Malaysian conglomerate. A sports person, he excels in table-tennis and was virtually the company’s perennial sports club president. You would have loved him if you knew him. A happy person; he was always on the go!

He married his varsity sweetheart who is a teacher. They had a son and a daughter. I was a bachelor then and so being footloose and fancy free, I would drop by his home whenever I had the time to catch up on old times. I visited him a couple of times when he rented a house in Sri Petaling. Believe me, in those days, no one wanted to live in Sri Petaling with the awful stench coming from the big rubbish dump-site in the vicinity. Today, those cracking houses are worth a bundle! If only, I knew, I would have bought me a couple. Anyway let me not digress.

Then my friend bought himself a house in Subang Jaya. This was definitely nearer to his place of work. He was also promoted. But life is such. Some people are never satisfied with what they get. They failed to count their blessings. They covet. They desired riches overnight.

So, he decided to do some side-business. With some friends, he got involved in the business of refurbishing used pianos imported from Japan. Initially business was good, so he told me.

When I went to his house, what I saw was a hall full of dusty used pianos. It was more a warehouse! I reckon that maybe that was the price one has to pay to get into a new business. You and your family members would have to forgo pleasure and all things nice until the day the business brings in the needed prosperity, success and luxury for the house to revert into a home.

But tragedy struck. A single folly – one fell swoop and it was fatal.

One evening he came to my house. He then confided to me that in his folly, he had refurbished a Japanese piano and passed it off as a superior Austrian brand. As it turned out, the not - so - gullible buyer found that out when a free-lancer who serviced the piano told him so. He complained to the shop he bought it from and the shop looked for my unfortunate friend! How sad! Then, the piano manufacturer from Vienna sued.

All this was too much for my friend. He could not take it.

He now wanted someone to take the rap-a lackey . So he decided to look for a bachelor friend to own up for his undoing. The patsy must put in a court appearance;admit the guilt; pay the fine and if need be, spend the required years in jail on his behalf. He will be fully compensated. The bachelor friend of course refused. Then he sought his aging father who turned him down flat.

He could not think straight. His wife was not well and he has just bought her a dialysis machine. The children were still young. What would happen to them if he should be convicted and lose his job; or worse if he should go into the slammer?

He had no one to turn to. The court hearing will be on soon. Could he stand up to it, especially if this comes to the public knowledge of his boss and company?

So he decided to end it all. One day at noon, someone saw him alone in a Chinese restaurant. He was gulping down a whole bottle of cognac. Apparently, I was told, he went home after that, took an overdose of sleeping pills and to ensure he “really went”, hung himself from the ceiling fan in his bedroom. His wife found him in that shocking state when she came home from school.

The sad thing is I did not know that he has died until I ran into my sister and she told me that this chap has just passed on. I rushed to his house where the wake was supposed to be held. I was late .His father was sweeping the compound and told us that the cortege has just left for Muar.

A sad ending. Adios, compadre; good-bye, my friend. If only he was contented with his job, his position and his pay….

Quote of the Day:

“The world bruises us all, but some heal faster than others-and some bleed to death.” D.H.Mondfleur

Heartsong

The Real McCoy! The Real Mc Coy The Real Mc Coy

A flaming natural beauty, she beckons with her soulful eyes for you to come hither. She oozes sex as she stretched her body like a sleek panther,in total abandonment. She virtually had sex on screen with her ex-husband, Alec Baldwin on the set of The Getaway and she wowed world audience with her exotic display of foreplay on 9 ½ Weeks.

Kim Basinger first burst onto the silver screen as a James Bond femme fatale, Domino Petachi in Never Say Never Again, that cheeky title teasing Sean Connery who capitulated by donning OO7 credentials after vehemently saying NO! after Diamonds are Forever. She was adorable as Vicky Vale in Batman. Then, she clinched the Academy Award in L.A. Confidential for Best Supporting Actress. Not bad for a Ford model turned actress..

Love her or hate her, Kim Basinger is an actress to reckon with. Yes, the years have caught up with her and she has lost her youth. The Door in the Floor and Cellular attest to that. But that soft, wide-eyed look remains there, still as captivating and softening every man’s heart as you look at her.

Kim Basinger is still fun to watch. Recall 9 ½ Weeks... Watch her as she cavorts on the floor and seductively savour milk, honey and a strawberry. I am sure you can remember the projector scene? I bet my bottom ringgit, you will surely get horny. After all, Kim is the real thing - The Real McCoy!

Quote of the Day:

“It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice!” Unknown

Heartsong

My Year of Ministry

I must admit I have been lying low for many years. There was so much inactivity; so much indecision. The years are passing fast and I have yet to make any commitment to serve. It was excuses galore not to commit all the time.

Yes,there has been much trepidation on my part; chiefly because of the fear of failing to live up to the responsibility and expectation of ministry. I must equip myself if I am to serve well. I have to read the Bible more faithfully, be able to quote fluently and correctly and also to be more prayerful. I do attend church regularly but lately my CG attendance has fallen.

On equipping myself, I have attended only one course in church way back possibly in 2002. I have been lying fallow ever since. I may have to think seriously of attending some of the Level 1 courses of the School of Leadership this year.

When there was a notice in the celebration leaflet seeking the services of a co-teacher for an English Adult class, my wife suggested that I volunteer for this. So I believe this could be the Lord’s calling to me - to use my gifting. And so the next day, I rang up Ivy and spoke to her about this opportunity to teach. She put me to Moo Meng and Moo Meng put me to Hong Looi. Both briefed me on the Adult English Class programme, its status and its issues.

As the 2007 class was to start on 7^th January, I decided to sit in and observe Moo Meng. She was agreeable to my suggestion and so on that day; I and my wife went to Lot 10 in Taman Mayang. Thank God, there was an additional 3 students. So, it is now a mixed class with two adults and 3 children; the youngest being a Form 1 student. I was most thankful to the Lord for this development because I can now use group work and pair work tasks to flush boredom out of the classroom.

I have signed the volunteer form to teach for a year. My first class will be on 14 January and I am looking forward to be of service to these 5 souls, DUMC and God.

Quote of the Day:

“Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions.” Unknown

Heartsong

Renewing old Ties

Texting SMS to friends on festive occasions has become a norm these days. So I text Cheng Hong to wish her Happy New Year on 31 December 2006. She texted back, “We should meet.” Save for a few, I have not seen the old gang for 25 years!

So I gathered all my old diaries to scour out outdated telephone numbers in a desperate attempt to contact the old gang who worked together way back in 1982. I then texted them on the idea of a dinner meeting. For those who did not respond, I knew they had change hand-phone numbers or shifted houses. I then tapped into the buddy network to trace the missing friends. Except for a lawyer whom I failed to locate and another whom I plain forgot existed, I managed to get the rest.

As usual, expect the absentees. Mrs. Chen fractured her backbone on Christmas Day and could not come. Alex, who is now domiciled in Ipoh sent his regrets while Leana had to attend an inopportune wedding dinner. Then we have Cheng who was indisposed as she had to play ‘transport manager’ for her children’s tuition as the husband has gone outstation. Concerned Amarjit could not make it as she had to accompany a daughter to Kelantan for her National Service stint.

On the afternoon of 7^th January 2007, I received 2 text messages. One of the positive responses was now uncertain of coming as he had a sore throat and was on medication while another was definitely not coming because her father suddenly took ill.

At 5pm, Chee, the one with the sore-throat indicated he could now attend. So at 7.30 pm he came by to pick me up and together, pregnant with expectation, we went to the Summer Palace Restaurant in Damansara Utama.

Two persons were already there when we came into the restaurant. Peng Seng and Kooi Meng. Except for a receding hairline, Peng Seng looks hale and hearty. Kooi Meng is really “hocksiong”. Then came Cheng Hong- not married but still as pretty as ever. San Peng soon appeared in with his usual style-a loud booming one. Then came Joyce, a bit thin but as beautiful as before. She is a mother of two;one-13 years old and the other-11 years old. The last ones to come in was Loi-a corporate trainer, See, our CEO buddy and Francis who has just retired from the Postal Service.

After the usual greetings and rediscovery, the smiles and the jokes, the taunts and the compliments, dinner was served. See bought along an XO Brandy and we toasted a round to good health for all our friends. We reminisced on the good old days; about the old bosses - some good and some nasty, wondering where are they now and who had passed on.

At 10 pm, we bade farewell and promised to keep in touch. We agreed in unison to meet up for Chinese New Year. With that, we all drove home, some drunk with 40% alcohol in their blood, desperately seeking the comfort of our pillows.

Quote of the Day:

“Every parting is a form of death, as every reunion is a type of heaven.” Tyron Edwards

Heartsong

The Candle burnt out long ago….

They were a traditional family. Inter-marriage? A Chinese girl? The family was against the liaison. But he persisted. For him, there was no other girl. She was beautiful, sexually arousing and as far as he was concerned she was his future! Their love was so strong and enduring that nothing could come between them. But he needed his parents’ blessings!

In spite of their strong religious leaning, the family still had certain shamanic beliefs. If they were to bless the liaison and the possible marriage, their son and potential daughter-in-law would have to take a strange tribal test. The potential couple decided to take the acid test. So they went back to their home-town to prove that their liaison was indeed made in heaven.

They met up with the village shaman. After the usual mutterings and mumbo jumbo, the shaman requested that she bathed in a bath-tub of scented flower water. After dinner, she was asked to rest in an attap hut by the beach. A candle was lit in her room. The belief was the candle was to burn until the morning if the would-be marriage is an ordained one. If it was snuffed out or extinguished before the sun rises, it was a bad omen and the liaison should be called off.

Unfortunately the candle burnt out before dawn. The family could not give their blessings. Their son must leave his girlfriend. The pressure was too much for him. He went berserk! He resigned from his job, packed an overnighter and disappeared. She went back to Kuala Lumpur, hung out with some old friends and job-hopped.

The last I heard of them: He came back to Kuala Lumpur; got a new job, is less temperamental and has recently married a girl from the village whom the parents have chosen for him. As for the ex-girlfriend, she drifted from man to man and finally took her life.

Les Miserables! A sad story but it must be told.

Quote of the Day:

“Friends are kisses blown to us by angels.” Unknown

Heartsong

Why not be an English Tutor on the Side-line?

Reading Bunny’s blog does give me the impression that freelance writers are eking out a miserable existence-which represents in economics terms-a poor return to investment for your college or university education.

I was telling myself that there must be a better way of making a living even though you may chose to go freelance. You would definitely need an anchor job while you write. You will literary starve if you depend solely on writing.

It need not be a 9 to 5 kind of job. One good option - teach English at night once or twice a week. Similarly be a home English tutor to locals or expatriates. There are many Koreans and Japanese expatriates living in Mont Kiara who require tutoring services. The market fee structure is RM 70.00 to RM 90.00 per hour now. All you need is to sacrifice about one and a half to three hours per week. That is a good and fair price if you want to see a better return to investment while chasing rainbows in trying to become a John Grisham or a Dan Brown. The trade-off is that you will have to say goodbye to the totally anarchic time regime you keep now.

For those who are interested in teaching or tutoring English, you would have to attend a short TESOL course which is for five days. You will then be evaluated on your teaching performance before you can be certificated. This teaching certificate is recognized in most Commonwealth countries so you can teach overseas.

Do contact me at this blog if you are interested.

Quote of the Day:

“The wastebasket is a writer’s best friend.” Isaac Bashevis Singer

Heartsong

Camels and Schoolbags

There must surely be something wrong with the Ministry of Education. They have this imponderable sadistic grudge to torture the backs of our school-going population. No wonder more students look hunched these days!

Year in and year out, there have been numerous suggestions on how to lighten the school bags. Some have suggested we reduce the subjects to be taught. Subjects like Moral and Civics can be integrated into one while Health Science can be taught as an adjunct to Science. All these suggestions had fallen on deaf ears!

Y.B. Dato’ Hon Choon Kin, the current Deputy Minister of Education has suggested tablet computers be given to all students way back in the year 2000. All books including workbooks will be scanned into the computer or burnt into CDs or stored in flash disks. A local R&D company with the required competence had already pioneered a beta test on two schools and the pupils in the piloted schools were ecstatic about the possibility of using it. The piloted schools have sent their respective reports to the Ministry of Education but nothing has come out of it.

The R&D company has also approached the Ministry with a proposal but as usual politics got in the way. The R&D Company could not get any contract and went under. Today, tablet computers can be built very much cheaply especially with more powerful processors. However, knowing bureaucrats are not risk-takers when it comes to decision making or capable of thinking outside the box, we can best forget about this potential solution. Let us pay for the Dells and the HPs when the time comes and watch the potential foreign reserves move abroad.

So, meanwhile what can we do?

Knowing our bureaucrats; nothing. Don’t even try!

So meantime, steel yourself and continue watching as our schoolchildren are being made into dromedary camels lugging gigantic schoolbags as if they are trying to cross the impassable Nefud Desert like Lawrence of Arabia.

Quote of the Day:

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day. ~Author Unknown

Heartsong

Ramped from the Rear!

Murphy couldn't resist. After getting the kids down, he went for my not-so-old jalopy.

After sending my kids to the clinic to be treated, I drove to my sister's place at Taman Rasa Sayang. As I was taking the legal U-turn in the proximity of the Kelana Furniture Mall, I heard a bang. I lurched forward in my car . A sky-blue Kancil which had seen better days was behind me. I got out of the car. A man that looked like a woman or was it a woman that looked like a man came out of the Kancil.

"No damage-lah." he/she said.

"That's not the point," I retorted. "You hit me from the rear. That is an offence. "

"Can I have your driving licence?" I demanded and started to write down the details. He is a she. I took down the number of her car and also inspected my car at the same time.

"Can I have your name and hand-phone number?" she blurted out. I obliged.

I just called her just now. She is most thankful there is no need for a follow-up either with the police or the workshop.

Murphy almost got me. Got to thank God for his protection and grace!

Quote of the Day:

"The only people you should try to get even with are those who have helped you." John E. Southard

Heartsong

Murphy’s First Attack in 2007

Today is the first day of school. So what can go wrong? Plenty.

At 3 a.m., my son got up with food poisoning. At 6 a.m., my daughter, complained about the same malady. After the consecutive bouts of vomiting, we gave them the usual anti-diarrhea pill, Lomotil and they went back to bed.

We were wondering what could be the triggers. Was it the canola oil that my wife used in the spaghetti or was it the Gallo Cabernet we served to the children at lunch that has caused this?

Whatever the cause, it looks like school's out for the day. Murphy has won again!

Quote of the Day:

"Wear a smile-one size fits all.” Author Unknown

Heartsong

Attending a Book Launch

When Alex first mentioned about this event, I spoke to Mong whether he was interested in attending it. He was game, as we had been contemplating authorship or to be more precise - writing for quite some time even though we had nothing in print as yet. He has been to a function in Mid-Valley Mall about self-publishing. Last year he did mention about a convention of writers at MPH, One-Utama but I could not make it.

On 30^th December 2006, with the family and Mong, we drove to Ikano. The kids went to see “Eragon” at Cineleisure while the missus when to see “Curse of the Golden Flower”. I and Mong talked shop over teh-tarik at Kayu’s. How time flies. Grabbing a quick lunch at MacDonald’s, we went to the venue of the book launch - Popular Book Shop. We were early birds as the co-writers were trooping in and exchanging greetings. Alex was bubbling all over and in full hugging mode, I think.

The organizer of the book launch, in a yellow dress addressed us and then read her editorial. Pretty thing! I told Mong she looks a bit like Elaine Daly. We came to know that she is Carrie-Anne Theseira, a former air stewardess. A few co-writers went up and read excerpts from the short stories. They had a photograph session. Then books were bought and autographed.

I introduced Alexandra to my family members and Mong. We did speak to Carrie-Anne and about her plans to have another book project.

We then bade farewell and goodbye and headed for IKEA.

Quote of the Day:

"Write to be understood,speak to be heard,read to grow..." Lawrence Clark Powell

Heartsong

Time to Spruce up Your Image

“Let’s start at the very beginning; a very good place to start. When you speak you begin with A-B-C; when you sing, you begin with Do-Re-Mi,” so says Maria von Trapp.

We are in a brand new year-2007. Resolutions abound. Great feelings. The start of a perfect year. So what are you gonna do with this new slate of 365 days?

A good place to start. Your image. Look yourself in the mirror. Man in the mirror- woman in the mirror, what do you see? Your hairstyle. Is it time to change to a new one? What about short hair? Long hair? Go platinum blonde? Get a pair of bee-stung lips like Angelina? Hmmm…Evaluate.

Look at your face. Too much freckles, bad pimples and what you do not want to have. Consult a dermatologist. Take care of your mug - a passport to many good things in life. Too much make up; too little make-up? Time to change cosmetics? Look at your eye lids? Wanna go for “double eye-lid’? Also is it time to embroider your eyelashes like the beautiful Korean film-stars?

Dressing. For ladies - been extra boyish with avant-garde jeans and tee-shirts in 2006? Want to project the feminine you? Go back to basics. Skirts and blouse – these always win hands-down.

Body Mass Index - are you on the weighty side? Is obesity the next stop on your journey in life? “Cut down on carbohydrates and fats; have many small meals. Graze like a cow; and exercise one hour daily,” counsels my lawyer friend, a fit-looking Bok whom I met on New Year’s Eve at the One-Utama Shopping Complex.

Internal happiness is important and so is external happiness. Be happy with the changes you made. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Take it one day at a time. You can be bohemian in your cranium but don’t be a large, sloppy gypsy on the outside.

One sure-fire way to change your image for the better--- fall in love. Works every time.

And always remember – have a vision for 2007 - have the gumption and willpower to achieve it. Do the needful. Read, write and have fun. Enjoy the moments. Remember God is always at your side, providing sustenance and joy through out the year.

So let me finish with The Perfect Year by Sarah Brightman. I have taken poetic justice to rearrange the lyrics. So it does not follow the melody.

Bring out the old; bring in the new,

A midnight-wish to share with you,

Your lips are warm; my head is light,

We are alive before tonight

No need to hear the music play,

The clock is struck; the die is cast,

Let’s us take a chance; forget the past.

I don’t need a crowded ballroom,

Every thing we want is here,

With you here with me,

Face to face,

We will embrace the perfect year.

Dance one year in, kiss one good bye,

Another chance, another start,

So many dreams to tease the heart,

It’s New Year’s Eve and hopes are high,

Next year will be the perfect year.

Quote of the Day:

“Love:a temporary insanity, curable by marriage.” Ambrose Bierce

Heartsong

Farewell 2006…….Welcome 2007

While the hordes of merry-makers and cohorts of celebrants crowded the various city hot-spots to bide farewell to 2006 and to boisterously welcome the New Year, a select group chose to have communion with God as they welcomed in the New Year. They meet in the churches, temples and in other sanctuaries of worship.

I was at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church Watchnight event with my family. The celebration started at 10.30pm and the church hall was already overflowing with members by then.

I and my son had to be contented with sitting in the overflow room watching a 29 inch CCTV of the happenings. After glorious singing and fellowship we too had our countdown preceded with prayers and hopes for the new 365 days proffered to us. We wished everyone well and departed into the night to seek the comfort of our pillows.

Happy New Year, everyone!

May God Bless every day of your lives.

Quote of the Day:

"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open." John Barrymore

Heartsong

Be a Better Person in 2007

Dr. John C. Maxwell’s book, “Thinking for a Change” is a practical and valuable guide to living in 2007. His book dwells on thinking that is related to values, to relationships and to experiences.

A useful handbook for effective living, it has mapped out the areas of relevance to us that we ought to pursue every day of our lives. Therefore, live each day to the fullest by following these time-tested question formats and plan each day according to the results of the previous day.

At the end of each day, before you go to sleep, open your journal and look through the check-list below and from your heart, answer the questions sincerely and write that journal page. See yourself grow positively, meaningfully and joyously from day to day; every day of 2007 and thenceforth…..

Briefly:

Thinking Related to Values

Personal Growth:

Daily ask yourself what you have learn each day that will help you grow. How does it apply to your life? When should you apply it?

Adding Value:

To whom should you add value today? How do you know you have added value to that person? Can you follow up and compound the positive benefit he or she received?

Teamwork:

What did you do with someone else that made both of you better? Would the other person agree that it was a win-win? Can you do something else together to continue your mutual success?

Leadership:

Did you lead by example today? Did you lift your people and organization to a higher level? What did you do and how did you do it?

Physical Health:

Did you exercise at your optimal heart rate of thirty-five minutes today? Have you exercised at least three times in the last seven days? Did you stay on your low fat diet today?

Thinking Related to Relationships

Marriage and Family:

Did you communicate love to your wife/husband, the children, or your loved ones today? How did you show that love? Did they feel it? Did they return it?

Friends:

Have you been a good friend this week? To whom? What did you do? Is there something else you need to do? Is there another who needs you?

Inner Circle:

Have you spent enough time with your key players? What can you do to help them be more successful? In what areas can you mentor them?

God:

Have you spent time with God today? What is He teaching you now? Are you learning? Are you obeying? Have you continually talked with Him today?

Thinking related to Experiences

Discoveries:

What did you encounter today to which you need to give more thinking time? Are there lessons to be learned? Are there things to be done?

Memories:

Did you create a good memory for someone today? Was it because of a comment, an action, or a shared experience?

Difficulties:

What went wrong? Could you have changed it? What do you need to do differently next time?

Successes:

What went right? Did you create it? Is there a principle you can learn from the experience?

People:

Whom did you meet? What were my impressions? What did you learn to do and not to do from them?

Conclusions:

Have you closed your day appropriately? Have you expressed gratitude? Have you learned something, loved someone? Have you enjoyed and lived the day to the fullest?

Quote of the Day:

“Hope is a Waking Dream.” Unknown

Heartsong:

Blessed Christmas to You!

I will be away in Penang from 22-26 December 2006. As such, I will resume blogging when I return to PJ.

So on this happy occasion, let me take this opportunity to thank all of you who have blessed me by visiting my blog since I started blogging in September 2006 - particularly Bunny, Bengster and Doc. Your comments have been uplifting and constructive. Many thanks.

Have yourself a Blessed Christmas.

Quote of the Day:

"We are, each of us, angels with only one wing and we can fly only by embracing each other." Lucien de Crescenzo

Heartsong

Overtures, Intermisssions & Exit Music

Interspersed between the overtures, the intermissions and exit music is the movie itself. The movie is of longer duration; and usually epic in proportion.

I remembered using intermissions for the required pee-breaks and also to dash out for drinks, ice-creams, groundnuts or pop-corn. When the intermission music ends; the movie continues.

The movies with such formats include Ben-Hur, Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago, Ryan’s Daughter and many more.

We no longer have such epics these days. Today, movies are better edited and they seldom bother with artistic aspects.

Except for Ben-Hur, Ten Commandments, Sound of Music and My Fair Lady, I slept through most of the other epics. I snoozed off particularly in Cleopatra, Gone with the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago, Spartacus and Ryan's Daughter.

It was only with the advent of DVDs with its subtitles that I rediscovered and started appreciating classics such as Dr. Zhivago, Ryan’s Daughter, Lawrence of Arabia and Gone with the Wind. These were beautifully crafted movies.

Take some afternoons off. Put on the DVD machine and enjoy these classics.

See and feel Rosy Ryan in her passionate fling with shell-shocked Randolph while spiderwebs glisten and dandelion puffballs flutter away in the soughing winds; the handsome Dr. Zhivago and the enigmatic Lara locked in warm embrace amidst the icy waste of the Siberian tundra and the love-hate relationship between Scarlett and Rhett Butler in civil war-torn America.

Immerse yourself in these movies. You won’t regret it!

Quote of the Day:

“Success depends on your backbone, not your wishbone.” Unknown

Heartsong