Joke (Adults Only): Men are from Mars & Women are from Venus.

Here's a prime example of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus"offered by an English professor from the University of Colorado for an actual class assignment:

The professor told his class one day, "Today we will experiment with a new form called the tandem story. The process is simple. Each person will pair off with the person sitting to his or her immediate right.As homework tonight, one of you will write the first paragraph of a short story. You will e-mail your partner that paragraph and send another copy to me. The partner will read the first paragraph and then add another paragraph to the story and send it back, also sending another copy to me.The first person will then add a third paragraph, and so on back-and-forth.Remember to re-read what has been written each time in order to keep the story coherent. There is to be absolutely NO talking outside of the e-mails and anything you wish to say must be written in the e-mail. The story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached.

"The following was actually turned in by two of his English students:Rebecca and Gary.

THE STORY:

(first paragraph by Rebecca)

At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted.The chamomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings at home, now reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times, that he liked chamomile.But she felt she must now, at all costs, keep her mind off Carl.His possessiveness was suffocating, and if she thought about him too much her asthma started acting up again.So chamomile was out of the question.

(second paragraph by Gary)

Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack squadron now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to think about than the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year ago. " A.S. Harris to Geostation 17,"he said into his transgalactic communicator. " Polar orbit established. No sign of resistance so far..." But before he could sign off a bluish particle beam flashed out of nowhere and blasted a hole through his ship's cargo bay.The jolt from the direct hit sent him flying out of his seat and across the cockpit.

(Rebecca)
He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not before he felt one last pang of regret for psychically brutalizing the one woman who had ever had feelings for him.Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its pointless hostilities towards the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4. "Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel,"Laurie read in her newspaper one morning.The news simultaneously excited her and bored her.She stared out the window, dreaming of her youth, when the days had passed unhurriedly and carefree, with no newspaper to read, no television to distract her from her sense of innocent wonder at all the beautiful things around her. "Why must one lose one's innocence to become a woman?" she pondered wistfully.

(Gary)

Little did she know, but she had less than 10 seconds to live. Thousands of miles above the city, the Anu'udrian mothership launched the first of its lithium fusion missiles. The dimwitted wimpy peaceniks who pushed the Unilateral Aerospace disarmament Treaty through the congress had left Earth a defenseless target for the hostile alien empires who were determined to destroy the human race. Within two hours after the passage of the treaty the Anu'udrian ships were on course for Earth, carrying enough firepower to pulverize the entire planet. With no one to stop them, they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. The lithium fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. The President, in his top-secret mobile submarine headquarters on the ocean floor off the coast of Guam, felt the inconceivably massive explosion, which vaporized poor, stupid Laurie.

(Rebecca)
This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature. My writing partner is a violent, chauvinistic semi-literate adolescent.


(Gary)
Yeah? Well, my writing partner is a self-centered tedious neurotic whose attempts at writing are the literary equivalent of Valium."Oh, shall I have chamomile tea? Or shall I have some other sort of F-KING TEA??? Oh no, what am I to do? I'm such an air headed bimbo who reads too many Danielle Steele novels!"


(Rebecca)
A**hole!

(Gary)
B*tch!


(Rebecca)
F**K YOU - YOU NEANDERTHAL!!


(Gary)
In your dreams, Ho. Go drink some tea.


(TEACHER)
A+ - I really liked this one.


*******************************************


Thanks to my friend Anushya for e-mailing me this joke.



Ciao!
Amir Fuad.

Cracking The Freemasons Code by Robert L D Cooper

There has always been this "shroud of secrecy" over the Freemasons. Even before I read Dan Brown's famous novel, The Da Vinci Code (which had all sorts of theories about the Masonic movement), there has been all kinds of interpretations of what exactly they are. Some say they are some kind of a gentleman's' secret society with secret rituals and handshakes. Some say they are an underground deviant form of Christianity. Some say they are connected to the Knights Templar, an organisation in the medieval times entrusted by the Vatican to guard a secret (the Holy Grail, no less). Why are masonic symbols seen on famous structures in Europe and even America? Was the USA government under its first president, George Washington "controlled" by Freemasons? Since the Freemasons' ideology takes its cue from Christianity, why are Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, etc known to be members? This book does have, in its way, answers to all the above questions.

Dan Brown has announced before that his next novel would be about the Freemasons. Coupled with all the mystery that surrounds the Masonic movement, I was naturally attracted to this book when I saw it at the MPH bookstore at The Curve. I thought it would be good reading before Dan Brown comes up with his next novel.

This book is written by "Britain's leading expert on freemasonry", Robert L D Cooper, a historian, member of the Scottish Freemason Society and curator of the Scottish Masonic Museum & Library.

This book begins with a summary of the history of the Knights Templar. This is actually very necessary as he then goes on to discuss the theory of the connection between the Knights Templar and the Freemasonry. The different theories of the origins of the movement are then discussed. The Masonic rituals, symbols, lodges, hierarchy and ethos are then also discussed.
There is also a list of famous Freemasons which include George Washington (first President of the USA), Edwin Aldrin (2nd man on the moon), Sir Winston Churchill (the British Prime Minister during the Second World War), Clark Gable (an actor famous for his role as Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind), Harry Houdini (an escape artist), John Philip Sousa ( a USA Marine Band leader famous for his march songs which my band used to play including Semper Fidelis, High School Cadets, etc. He also invented the sousaphone, a variant of the tuba with the bell pointing forward over the player's shoulder specifically for use in marching brass bands), etc.

Googling "Famous Malaysian Freemasons" led me to this site with a list of famous Malaysians who are/were Freemasons. They include a previous Johor Sultan, apparently. Honestly, I do not know how much truth there is in this.

This book is a good read and certainly gave me a new perspective about the Freemasons. I must admit that after reading this book, some of the mystery and romanticism surrounding the Masonic movement has disappeared. The Freemasons somehow do not seem so interesting anymore...sigh.

Still, I will wait for Dan Brown's new novel and the movie version of Dan Brown's "prequel" to The Da Vinci Code - Angels & Demons.

Ciao!
Amir Fuad.

Lunch at Restoran Puteri, Sungai Penchala

This restaurant has been opened since February 2006 but today it is my first time here. Everybody knows that this restaurant's proprietor is Rubiah Suparman, a prominent Malay actress in the 1970s. There are branches in nearby Taman Tun Dr Ismail & also in Brickfields.

After my piano class, the whole family & I went to have lunch here. They have a daily buffet lunch at RM 30++/pax and a la carte dinner.

The restaurant is on a double storey building. The buffet spread is on the ground level. There is a nice spread of authentic Malay dishes, such as Soto Ayam, Laksa Johor, Rojak Tauhu, Ikan Berlada, Kerabu Perut, Kerabu Pucuk Paku, Rendang Daging, Ayam Goreng Serai, Asam Pedas, Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Api, etc. There is also assorted sambal (sambal belacan, tempoyak, cincalok with ulam jantung pisang, ulam raja, kacang panjang, etc). For dessert, there are assorted Malay kuih, Serawa Durian, Sagu Gula Melaka, Lompat Tikam and assorted local fruits.

Nice contemporary tropical decor with posters of Malay Films and actors/actresses adorning the walls of the restaurant. The service is also quite good.

If you want authentic Malay cuisine in a nice, clean and comfortable setting, this place is for you.

I enjoyed my experience here and can see myself bringing friends and relatives here for some nice Malay food.

After that Hilman & I went for a haircut. Later on, Julina went to the salon for a "wash & blow". We will be attending a wedding of my friend Jimmy tonight at the De Palma Hotel in Ampang.

Ciao!

Amir Fuad.

Joke (Adults Only): Best Toast of the Night

John O'Reilly hoisted his beer and said, "Here's to spending the rest of me life, between the legs of me wife!" That won him the top prize at the pub for the best toast of the night!

He went home and told his wife, Mary, "I won the prize for the Best toast of the night"She said, "Aye, did ye now. And what was your toast?"John said, "Here's to spending the rest of me life, sitting in church beside me wife.""Oh, that is very nice indeed, John!" Mary said.

The next day, Mary ran into one of John's drinking buddies on the street corner.The man chuckled leeringly and said, "John won the prize the other night at the pub with a toast about you, Mary."

She said, "Aye, he told me, and I was a bit surprised myself. You know, he's only been there twice in the last four years. Once he fell asleep, and the other time I had to pull him by the ears to make him come."

************************************************

Thanks to my room-mate/colleague Bux for e-mailing me this joke.

P.S.: The illustration above is of a toast. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with the type of toast mentioned in the joke above whatsoever.

Ciao!

Amir Fuad.

Petrol Price Increase Cartoons

Everyone is talking about the increase in petrol prices, in the US, China, Indonesia, Thailand except for some petroleum producing countries, of course (Hey, isn't Malaysia one of them?). Politicians, NGOs, bloggers (the ones who blog about socio-political issues, that is), lawyers, engineers, char koay teow sellers, doctors, radiologists, toll plaza cashiers, university students, kindergarten students, cleaning ladies and even roadside traditional medicine peddlers can be heard talking about this unpleasant event affecting the world today.

Lacking the necessary grey matter to discuss this issue with any intelligence whatsoever, this is my two-sen's worth contribution to the blogosphere regarding the issue.

Please enjoy the results of my extensive googling.

Ciao!

Have a nice weekend, y'all!

Amir Fuad.

A Thousand Splendid Suns: A novel by Khaled Hosseini

I finally decided to to read this book today. That too because I am on MC for this terrible back pain and lying in bed reading a book is actually very good for a bad back.

Many will remember the author, Khaled Hosseini for the surprise bestseller, The Kite Runner which has been made into a film.

The story revolves around 2 female characters, Mariam & Laila and like Hosseini's debut novel, is set in Hosseini's birthland of Afghanistan. The story is nicely weaved in Afghanistan's history of monarchy, the communist-rule, the Soviet occupation, the US-sponsored Mujahideen uprising against the Soviet occupation, the civil unrest that ensued, Taliban-rule and the immediate post 9/11 events in Afghanistan.

Mariam is a Tajik (one of the ethnic groups in Afghanistan) from Herat, an illegitimate child of a rich businessmen, Jalil and a house-servant Nana. Nana & Mariam are sent to live in a village, away from Jalil's residence (where he has three wives) so that Jalil's 'real family' are spared from the shame of the incident and the presence of a harami (illegitimate child) in the household. Jalil however visits Mariam every Thursday almost without fail. One day, Mariam runs away from home to seek her father. However, when she was returned home, she found her mother's lifeless body hanging from a rope.

Laila is a daughter of a high-school teacher, Hakim & housewife Fariba. They live in the Afghan capital of Kabul. Laila is raised unlike rural Afghan girls who are not allowed to go to school and are married off early. Her parents have always wanted her to attend school and eventually university and be part of the Kabul society where women are educated and hold positions almost equal to the men. Her childhood friend, a one-legged boy, Tariq plays with her and as they grow up, their friendship turns to love. Laila lost her two brothers who fought with the Mujahideens against the Soviet invasion. In the Civil War that followed soon after, she lost both of her parents in the violence that has become somewhat of a norm in post-Soviet Kabul.

Laila's and Mariam's paths cross one fateful day. For the rest of the story, read the book yourself.

The storytelling style is not far different than The Kite Runner but rather than being the downfall, it actually is the reason why Khaled Hosseini's 2nd novel is the bestseller that it is. Tales of love, betrayal, suppressed anger, despair, grief, etc are unfolded with unpretentious ease yet this novel manages to conjure lasting images of life in downward-spiraling Afghanistan, with the rich cultural and historical aspects cleverly intertwined. A nice read from beginning to the end.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I am giving it a 4.5.

According to Wikipedia, Columbia Pictures already own the movie rights to this novel so we can expect a film version out in a few years time.

Ciao!
Amir Fuad.

Kuala Lumpur School Band Competition 2008 @ Dataran Merdeka.

This was what I did last night. Julina, Dayana & I went to this event. I knew about this event from the St John's Institution Cadet Band Facebook group. It was either this or hanging around some shopping mall and this was obviously a better option. I thought it would be good to cheer on my alma mater's band, which I was a part of more than 20 year ago. I met former bandmates Zul Ishak, Hazarin & Yarzee and we chatted for a bit. Thanks Zul for the seats with a good view!

We left Hilman at home with the maid since he would be difficult to handle and he is probably tired from the outing to my orthopaedic surgeon friend, Saiful's house for Saiful's newborn daughter's Aqiqah.

A view of the Sultan Abdul Samad building from Dataran Merdeka a little after dusk.

This event is to select the Kuala Lumpur representative for the National Level School Band Competition. The schools participating were Victoria Institution, SMK Jinjang, SMK Cochrane, Convent Bukit Nanas, St. John's Institution (my Alma mater) and SMK Chong Hwa.

I think this is Convent Bukit Nanas.

SMK Jinjang.

Victoria Institution with their pipers/flag boys. The crowd was well-behaved. Perhaps having our PM Pak Lah watching over us from the DBKL building kept our behaviour in check.

The VI band showing their stuff.

The supporters from St John's Institution (SJI). It was cool to see each team of supporters cheering their team on with songs, claps and cheers. It reminded of my school days and how great it was being a part of a great institution that SJI and the Cadet Band was and still is.

The SJI band had their pipers/flag boys too. Something we never had when I was in the band more than 20 years ago. This is them doing the Beatles number, Eleanor Rigby.

The movement and formations are certainly more freestyle and "American" in flavour. A big difference compared to my days in the band when our style was very much more military. Still, this is the way to go As it allows for more creativity in music and the performance.

The SJI Drum Major who performed fantastically. I was seated amongst a group of SJI supporters and we cheered and clapped like crazy every time he threw the maze and caught it with precision.

SMK Chong Hwa.

This was the filler performance while the judges trashed out the results. Sekolah Menengah Taman Tun Dr. Ismail's Cadet Corp performance was quite good, too. Set to music, the drill was punctuated with banghra, dangdut and some dance moves. Rather unique and drew applause and even laughter from the audience especially during some not-so-military moves.

All the participating bands coming in to occupy the field for the prize giving ceremony.

The SJI band. Victoria Institution won the best overall band and will be KL's representative for the state level competition. SJI got 2nd place and also got the Best Drum Major award. Cool!

So what if we got 2nd place? Our Drum Major is KL's best! This is the SJI supporters performing a Maori-style Hakka in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad building soon after the whole thing was over. The whole thing ended around 11pm and all of us went home tired but happy.

Ciao!

Amir Fuad.

2nd visit to The Daily Grind @ Bangsar Village, Kuala Lumpur

It's Friday and it has been a long time since I did my Friday prayers at the Bangsar Baru mosque. So I went to Bangsar Village for lunch and I decided to have another visit to this place. The last time I went to this place was in December last year and I blogged about it here.

At about 12.55pm, the restaurant had less than 10 patrons. I sat down on one of the "sofa" areas and was promptly attended to. I had the salmon burger last time and I did not quite appreciate the taste.

This time I ordered the Chicken Chermoula Burger, a chicken burger with avocado cream, jalapeno peppers and sliced tomato and lettuce served with french fries. The burger took 15 minutes to arrive, so it was a better experience than last time.

The burger tasted quite good. It has a similar taste to the Guacamole Cheeseburger at Carl's Jr except that this one has a milder taste and served more elegantly of course (on a plate and with proper cutlery). I liked how the fruity-creamy avocado blended with the sour-hot taste of the jalapeno. Very nice. The fries was nice too although I couldn't finish them.

To wash my meal down, I ordered iced water - this was complimentary. The damage: RM 32.00 ++ (Grand total of RM 36.80). A combo meal will be cheaper at Carl's Jr and you get bottomless soft drinks.

On the whole, I enjoyed the meal. I must take my family there one day. I shall make each one order a different burger so we can taste each other's food.

Ciao!

Amir Fuad.

Encanto - Sergio Mendes

My HP laptop which went a bit wonky is at the HP Service Centre in Bukit Damansara and I am missing it terribly....sigh....! I did some work at the computer but got nowhere. I am now resorting to some "recreational surfing" to get me over my present rut.

I put on this album in the CD player in it instantly made me calm and happy. I don't think many people my age listen to this artist although many young ones will remember "Mas Que Nada" - the Bossa Nova classic re-made last year with this artist featuring the likes of Black Eyed Peas' Will.i.am & Fergie. The album that included that song, "Timeless" fused Samba, Bossa Nova (a sort of fusion between Brazil's samba and the then [late 1950s to early mid 1960s] comtemporary jazz), Neo-soul, Hip-hop and Jazz. Anyway, if you are wondering what Bossa Nova is all about, think of the music produced by the likes Antonio Carlos Jobim, Joao Gilberto, Stan Getz and you'll get what I am talking about.

This album, Encanto is released in Japan in March followed by a worlwide release this June. It follows the tradition of "Timeless" although the Samba/Bossa Nova element comes through stronger than Hip Hop/Pop this time. Because of this, I don't expect this album to do as well as it did on the pop charts, but since "Timeless", I am sure Mr. Mendes has won over a younger set of fans. Will.I.Am & Fergie are featured yet again and the first two singles released are The Look of Love (featuring Fergie) and Funky Bahia (featuring Will.I.Am & Siedah Garret).

The tracks in this album are:

1. The Look of Love (feat. Fergie)

2. Funky Bahia (feat. Will.I.Am & Siedah Garrett)

3. Waters Of March (feat. Ledisi)

4. Odo-Ya (feat. Carlinhos Brown)

5. Somewhere In The Hills (O Morro Nao Tem Vez) (feat. Natalie Cole)

6. Lugar Comun (feat Jovanotti)

7. Dreamer (feat. Herb Alpert & Iani Hall)

8. Morning In Rio

9.Y Vamos La (...Let's Go) (feat. Juanes)

10. Catavento E Girassol (feat. Gracinha Leporace)

11. Acode (feat. Vanessa de Mata)

12. Agua De Beber (feat Will.I.Am)

13. Les Eaux De Mars (Waters Of March - French Version) (feat Zap Mama)

14. E Vamos La (...Let's Go)

My favourites are The Look of Love, Funky Bahia, Agua de Beber (gosh I have heard so many versions of this song and I have not hated any of the versions yet!), Somewhere In The Hills, Y Vamos Ya & Morning In Rio.

The songs are in English, Portuguese & French. You can look for translation of some of the lyrics on the net if you want. Even if you don't understand Portuguese, the music and the laidback Samba/Bossa Nova feel will get to you. This is definitely something I can listen to for many years to come. The contemporary artists lend that hip touch and makes the song "palatable" to otherwise non-Samba/Bossa Nova/Jazz listeners. A nice listen in the car when you are perhaps driving through a coastal road with breathtaking views of the ocean outside the window or maybe relaxing by the beach/pool while being massaged by a sexy masseur. Or perhaps when you are between "work" and "recreational" net surfing like what I am doing right now. No matter where you may be you will be magically transported to Copacabana beach (with tall, tanned, young and lovely nubile bikini-clad Brazilian babes from Ipanema frolicking around) in sunny Brazil once the music hits your ears. Don't believe me? Take a listen and find out!

Ciao!

Amir Fuad.

Kung Fu Panda

Dayana & I saw this movie a few hours ago at the Cathay Cineplex at Cineleisure Damansara. We arrived at Cineleisure Damansara around 11am. I sent my car for a wash at the car park and then we proceeded to Tony Roma's for lunch. I had a chicken sandwich while Dayana had the kid's meal hamburger.

After that we walked around The Curve to kill time as we bought tickets for the 1.10pm show. We went to Rock Corner and I bought Sergio Mendes' latest album while Dayana bought Lil Mama's album.

The main character for this Dreamworks Animation CGI feature is Po (voice of Jack Black), a panda working in his father's noodle soup restaurant. His father, a goose ( Yes, a goose. I guess Po is either adopted OR Po's mother is a panda - this was never explained in the movie) by the name of Mr Ping (voice of James Hong). Po's father wants him to take over the family noodle restaurant business while Po has other plans for his future.

Po dreams of being the great "Dragon Warrior", a great warrior who will one day "bring peace to the valley". One day, an announcement was made about the selection of the "Dragon Warrior" from the Furious Five - a 5-member warrior team, trained by the great Shifu (voice of Dustin Hoffman). Furious Five consists of Master Monkey (voice of Jackie Chan), Master Tigress (voice of Angelina Jolie), Master Viper (voice of Lucy Liu), Master Mantis (voice of Seth Rogen) and Master Craine (voice of David Young).

By a funny turn of events, Po is selected to be the new Dragon Warrior by Oogway (voice of Randall Duk Kim), a wise elderly tortoise who sensed that Po has what it takes to fulfill the prophecy.

Want to know what happens next? Go and watch it yourself, then!

Fantastic CGI animation with the kung fu action scenes reminiscent of kung fu films the likes of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon rather than the slapsticky kung fu comedies. Chinese culture in the form of porcelain, paintings, decor, weapons, fireworks, etc are as authentic as CGI animation is able to depict. The humor is simpler compared to other Dreamworks animation films with minimal/no reference to popular culture and present day technology (unlike the Shrek trilogy). The overall effect was great and I found myself laughing my heart out at many of the scenes.

My verdict: 5 out of 5 stars.
Message: What are you waiting for? Take your kids to see it!

Mmmmm...will be chilling out the rest of the weekend at home as 1. wifey is away and 2. I want to play around with my new phone ;-).

Ciao!
Amir Fuad.

Superhero Movie

This film, Superhero Movie was brought to us by the people who gave us the Scary Movie comedy film series. You probably would have realised by now that the movie poster is very much similar to the Scary Movie's posters.

The main plot is very much a take on the Spiderman trilogy, although the various sub-plots were inspired by Superman, the X-Men trilogy, Fantastic Four and even the Batman movies. There is nothing very cerebral here, If you have watched Airplane, the Scary Movie series and the like. the gags are actually very much similar. Don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed. If you come thinking it is a potential "Best Picture" recipient in the next Academy Awards, then you will feel like an ass watching it.

Still, I think it is way better than Meet The Spartans (the "300" spoof). Meet The Spartans . I laughed out loud at the silly/funny bits and on the whole it was quite entertaining.

Watch out for...
1. a parody of Tom Cruise & Stephen Hawking.
2. the "Pope" taking a picture of a naked "Dalai Lama" using a camera-phone.
3. the way Dragonfly's aunt stuffed a Thanksgiving turkey
4. the way Dragonfly's aunt proved the frequently disputed fact that rectal flatulence (a.k.a. fart) is flammable.
5. how the pheromone H209 causes animals to react.

My rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Message: Watch it if you want to see something to relax and have a good laugh.

Ciao!
Amir Fuad.

My new phone: The Sony Ericsson W960i

I went to the Section 14. Petaling Jaya today for Friday prayers. Just before going to the mosque, I went over to Digital Mall. I like this place as there are a lot of nice things to look at. Phones, computers, accessories, bootleg software and DVDs & CDs (Oooops!). I used to go to Bangsar Village to hang around on Friday before/after prayers but BV is rather boring - lots of shops targeted at women although they do have nice places to eat.

After about a week of my old phone (the O2 Atom Exec II) going wonky because the battery was going flat (after less than a year of usage) I went to PDA Expert but was told that battery's warranty is only for 6 months. A new battery (original) costs RM300! I settled for a "third-party" battery for RM 90.

Just adjacent to PDA Expert was the Sony Ericsson dealer. I have been eyeing this phone for about a month now and once my old phone went wonky, it would be a good excuse to get a new one.

Hmmmm nice! Sleek, light and slim (well, compared to my O2 Atom Exec II), with an 8GB flash memory, 3G, WiFi, 2.6 inch touchscreen AND an integrated walkman player to boot! The camera is a 3.2 Megapixel autofocus camera. Cool, once again I can use my MP3 files as ringtones, something I couldn't do with my old phone. There's a speakerphone function as well, also not available with my old phone.

I can't do much today as it is rather late and I have got to charge the battery first for 8 hours. Can't wait to upload my MP3s into it and also play with all the other features.

It has some PDA-like functions e.g. e-mail, tasks, web surfing, .pdf file reader, etc. Will have to see how this works for me. I don't expect it to be as good as my old phone but that's alright. I'll manage myself with my laptop's Outlook and sync that with my iPod Touch.

Don't you just love the feeling of owning a new gadget? Well, I do!

Ciao!

Amir Fuad

Fuel Price Increase!

The announcement by our Prime Minister yesterday caught many of us by surprise. I was at work when the news spread and I did not believe it at first. I thought that I had read a news report earlier that fuel prices will only increase in August this year.

RM 2.70/litre for petrol, that's a whopping 40% increase!

There's probably a blessing in this. Malaysians really need to move away from a subsidy mentality. We need to be more hardy and not be cushioned by subsidies. Of course this will lead to inflation and hopefully employers and the government will see to adjusting the salaries, especially the lower income group.

Tough as it may seem, this is the reality in the rest of the world today. We have got to learn to adapt and adjust accordingly to be globally competitive. Of course, this price hike will be politicised by some but if these people were to be at the helm, I do wonder whether they can stave off fuel price increases for that long when the rest of the world, even petroleum-producing countries, are increasing fuel prices regularly.

Maybe the billions saved in fuel subsidies can be channeled for further development of local and intercity public transportation throughout Malaysia. The Klang Valley, Penang & JB (and perhaps other towns/cities, too) need efficient mass rapid transit systems. The commuter/LRT/monorail in the Klang Valley may have helped ease the public transport situation but lets face it, it is hardly adequate. And the plan for a monorail in Putrajaya should really be scrapped - this low traffic volume city doesn't need a monorail. Channel the money to the Klang Valley & Penang instead.

Maybe it is time our nationwide rail network be expanded so that the people have an alternative mode of transportation with more frequency and reliability.

Blah, blah, blah.........

Oh well!

Ciao!
Amir Fuad.

Doctor/ Medical Joke: Choosing a medical specialty

This is an algorithm for final year med students and also new house officers. It will guide you to the specialty best suited to your attitude and personality.



Radiologists are not so hardworking and afraid of the light? Mmmmmmmm. Well, at least we're all sane!

Ciao!
Amir Fuad.

P.S. I got this from a Facebook post sent by my friend, Sameetha. Thanks, Sameetha.

2 Days & 1 Night at Glory Beach Resort, Port Dickson

On Saturday, my sisters and their families with my family went to Port Dickson. We stayed at Glory Beach Resort, an all-apartment resort situated at Lukut just next door to Legend Water Chalets. We rented a 3-bedroom penthouse apartment for one night. We didn't really spend any money on food as all us of contributed to the meals by bringing something from home. Mansor provided the Tahu Goreng & Nasi Lemak, Lela provided the chicken, breads, salad, bologna, sandwich chicken, smoked salmon, sauces and condiments while Julina provided her signature dish, the Spinach Lasagne.

Anyway, here are some pictures from that trip.

Aida and her son Adam having fun at the wading pool. As it was the school holidays, it was really crowded.

Aida, Adam & Ina by the wading pool.

A view of the beach at Glory Beach Resort.

No, this is NOT Glory Beach Resort. This is a view of nearby The Legend Water Chalets at dusk taken from the Glory Beach Resort's beach.

Julina & Hilman wading in the sea water.

Lela worrying about her laptop which she left behind. She was supposed to take it to PD to finish up some work.

Aida, Mansor & Adam after a session at the wading pool. Adam decided to come out of the pool as the water was rather cold on Sunday morning.

My daughter Nana with her cousin, Arif clowning around in the swimming pool.

Hilman & I at the swiming pool.

Adam & Hilman wading through the sea water at low tide sometime this morning.

The Glory Beach Resort's buildings - view from the beach.

Glory Beach Resort provides an OK accomodation for a family (or a few families) coming together for a holiday. Rather basic but fairly comfortable air-conditioned rooms with ASTRO. The swimming pool is nice, however since we went during a peak season, it was rather crowded. There are many barbeque lots for you to use and the smell from these barbies could be detected even from our 10th floor penthouse. I was a little unlucky, the mattress they provided for my room was lousy and as a result I am suffering from some back pain at the moment. Service isn't too fantastic but hey, the prices are quite cheap compared to other apartments in the Port Dickson area.

That's all folks. Gotta sleep off this backache and get ready for work tomorrow (YUCKS!).

Ciao!

Amir Fuad.