Lion Girl Blog

Tug O'War vs. Hug O'War

2012-01-22T00:39:00.011+08:00

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Thanks to Karen (blogger of Life with Karen), I'd learnt that 21st January was a National Hugging Day! Cool! What better way to learn about sharing than learning about hugging for this coming Chinese New Year!

Here's wishing everyone reading this a very happy
Gong Xi Fai Cai!
May you be well and happy in the year of the Dragon!

Hug O'War

I will not play at tug o'war.

I'd rather play at hug o'war,

Where everyone hugs

Instead of tugs,

Where everyone giggles

And rolls on the rug,

Where everyone kisses,

And everyone grins,

And everyone cuddles,

And everyone wins.

~ by Shel Silverstein

from

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Lets hug!

If you've got a link to this page someone wants to give you a hug!

Don't hold the hug for yourself

- send a hug

- link to this page

- to your peers and make the world happier!

Do you know?

We all hug in different ways and the way we hug means a lot. Batchelors Hug in a Mug has identified five different hugs we all use in everyday life - use this simple guide to see how that special person feels about you!

The Back to Front Hug is the perfect way to give support and affection to someone, even if they are busy carrying out a task like the washing up! Receiving a Back to Front Hug shows that you have someone who is always there for you and is a way of expressing love and affection for that person irrespective of what is received in return.

The Bear Hug is one of the hugs that we all consider to be the strongest. By squeezing your hugging partner gently, you can instantly give them reassurance and affection. But people tend to use Bear Hugs when they are excited or when they want to display strong affection. However remember, the best Bear Hugs require moderate squeezing not suffocating!

The Cheek Hug on the other hand is the complete opposite. We use the Cheek Hug when we need to comfort someone or show affection but this type of hug also allows us to keep our distance at the same time. The Cheek Hug may be used by anyone - elderly people who may not be able to hug tightly, people who are seated, colleagues, acquaintances and even friends and family.

The Side to Side Hug is a common sight we all see almost everyday. Most of us have all strolled down the road locked in a Side to Side Hug with someone. This casual hug allows us to demonstrate our affection for one another without being too intimate. It is also a way of conveniently hugging whilst carrying out other tasks such as walking, sitting down next to each other and standing in a queue for example.

The Heart Centred Hug is one we all enjoy. A slow, intimate and well-needed Heart Hug can lift anyone's spirits and is the perfect way to show close family, friends and partners how much you care!

Which hug do you wish to receive more this Chinese New Year???

Back in Time: 2011 (April - December)

2012-01-08T23:37:00.010+08:00

From March 2011, we moved into the month of April!

This month was another memorable month! This month dear buddy purposely brought her mother to our place and we played “masak-masak” (cooking)! Hahaha!

You see, her mother is suffering from Alzheimer and she decided that before it gets worse, it was good to learn her mother’s cooking skill! She claims that her mother is the best cook! Ahahaha! Everyone claims that lah!

Hence, we learnt how to cook “Nap Pan” n Abacus, the dementia way! Woo hoo! It was fun!

Then the much talked about GFrenz Get Together happened this month too. This time codenamed BM2! Hahaha! Do we sound like some underground secret groups ah? All for food and fun and best of all for friendship! The group’s theme song is “The more we get together!”! And that we did again in April lor!

Dear cousin and I are always on a look out for charity and we found one worthy one in Ipoh and thought I share it with you, dear readers! So, did you visit them too ah??

May 2011 was a slow down month because I had to catch up with deadlines before the major travel in June! But we did squeeze in another “masak-masak” fun with Mama Dementia! Yeay! DIY Rice Dumplings! Don’t play play!

June 2011 was the most eventful month! Yes, this month dear cousin and I did the Mount Kinabalu climb! Yee har! It was a climb of a lifetime! Immediately after the climb we travelled to Labuan, Brunei, Miri before we landed in Mulu Caves! Wakakaka! And we did all that in 11 days! Woo hoo! Encore! Encore! I want to do it again! Err, if the world still spinning in 2013! Hehehe...

July 2011 was dear cousin’s birthday month, almost the same time "Bersih" took place in KL! Happy Birthday, girl! How else to celebrate the day with her other than make another trip to somewhere! Yippy! We travelled to the north! All the way from Ipoh to Kuala Sepetang to Alor Star and Danok, Thailand! Waaaahhhh!!! What a way to celebrate a birthday, right??

August 2011 was my birthday month pulak! Hahaha! Aisay, I must have fun too lei! Also to the north but this time we were in Ipoh, Penang, Alor Star and Songkhla, Thailand! Kekekeke.... life was great! Yabadabadoo!!!

As if the North trip was not enough, we had another round of getting lost adventure when we did a day trip from Klang to Sitiawan! OMG! That was really an unforgettable trip of all! Of course I got scolded left, right and centre for initiating the day trip! Hehehe... Now I can laugh about it but then, it was really scary one! Trust me!

Travelling did not stop! In September dear cousin and I together with dear nephew and family had another eventful trip to Port Dickson! Last minute plan that turned up to be a 2D1N trip ended in 3D2N! We have turned into professional travellers by now, I guess! Ahahaha!!

I bet you cannot beat us in this! We had another trip in September and this time we landed in Langkawi! Okay, okay, don’t get jealous! You also can make it happen one! Just do it! Yes, that’s the way to do it; Just Do It!!

Let’s move on to October 2011! Gotta take it slower this month coz it was Lion Girl Blog’s birthday! Yeah! LGB was two years old!! Sure felt as if I had blogged for years! Only 2 years old?! Sure ke???

Oophs! Did I just say we slowed down?? Aiyorr, we did not lah! We did a last minute Broga Hill climb and had so much fun! Then hor, dear cousin’s friend from Australia came back for a visit and we ended up having 11 meals in 14 hours! Eating all the way none stop from Klang to Malacca! Burp! Burp! Burp!

Now, now, we had to slow down in November! Okay lor, we just go to Singapore lah! And that we did! Drove into our neighbour country and had a hell of a good time there! I found myself falling in love with Singapore and want to retire there! Kakaka! Think I will have my dreams come true ah??

After all the travelling, my body was getting tired. Tired of travelling? What am I talking about? Of course not! How can anyone be? So, let’s do one more before the year end, let’s do the “sangkar” trip! An “out of the normal life” experience! Hahaha! Peace with nature and back to basics! I simply loved it!!

The above are only some of the highlights of 2011. You gotta read it all here for all that had happened!

What do I have to say about 2011? I must say I have discovered and done so many things that I had never done for all the years that I’d lived before this year! Let me list them out:

1) I have found new friendships this year, more than I have ever had!

2) I have learnt to appreciate life, live the day and be happy everyday!

3) I have discovered the joy of making others happy and being happy doing just that!

4) I have decided to continue living how I was living in 2011 and continue learning every day of my life, as how I have and still am........

HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2012, everyone!

I had a very fulfilling 2011 which I had tried to share with all of you!

Hope you had as much fun as I had in sharing them with you and hope you will love life as much as I do!

Nothing is more enjoyable than being alive and living everyday!

May you be well and happy everyday!

May your 2012 be wonderful and memorable as my 2011!

Big cheers to you!

Love you always!!

Back in Time: 2011 (January - March)

2012-01-07T14:33:00.012+08:00

Yah, yah, I have been missing in action from here for a while but that does not mean I give up blogging lah! Am just bogged down with lots of work and personal matters to attend to before the end of the year and before my next travel date! Hahaha!

The once a month travel is still a ritual this year....till Dec 2012! But if the world does not end then, the ritual will still continue for the rest of my life, I guess!

Hmmm, many bloggers shared their achievements in 2011 and I guess I do not want to be the odd one out! Hahaha! So, let me share with you too lah, what 2011 had given to me!

Here goes!

Where did I go? If you are a follower of my blog, you will find that end of December 2010, I was in Cameron Highlands. As usual I had shared my experiences there and guess what? One reader thought that I can connect her with another reader via the comments and ta-da! They were connected via the Lion Girl Blog! Yippy! Really felt good about that! Hmmm.....

Okay, really, here goes for year 2011!

In January 2011, dear cousin and I joined dear nephew and family including his mother in law to Pantai Remis, Perak. The purpose of the trip was to buy some fishes for the Chinese New Year but we ended up empty handed! Oh, never mind, we had fun company to make up for that! Sad to say, that trip was the last trip we had with dear nephew’s mother in law. She was diagnosed brain tumour and within three months we lost her, peacefully.... May her soul rest in peace....

January 2011 too was the first outing we had joined GFrenz after being accepted as members there! Dear brother TT organised the Teluk Bayu floating chalet 3D2N stay which was codenamed FL1! We had so, so, so much fun!! Really an unforgettable GFrenz Get Together! It got dear cousin and I looking forward to the next get together in April 2011! Big smiles!!

In the same month, dear cousin and I learnt the difference between liquor, wine and beer from dear buddy’s hubby! Sure was timely for dear cousin to pick up the drinking tips, I’d say! Ya lor, she declared herself a social drinker just after the lesson! Hahaha! Yum Seng! Higs!!

February 2011 was a fun month because so much happened; dear cousin and I playing baby sisters to dear nephew’s girls! Hahaha! And then, dear nephew got his nickname as “Siew Yoke Loh” when he showed off his skill in roasting pork the DIY way! Yeay! Simply delicious! In fact, it was better than some roast pork on sale! Bravo! Let’s do it again this CNY 2012?? Huh??

The same month was the month which my dear mah-jong buddy’s twins was announced as top scorers for their STPM results! Their faces were plastered all over the television news and nationwide newspapers! Suddenly, dear buddy became a “sing ma” (star mother)! Wow! It was wonderful to share their family joy! If I have a child, I would need star mother’s secret recipe of her twins’ success! Hahaha!

In Mar 2011, I resumed trekking at the Ketumbar Hills. Yup! Gotta train for the Mount Kinabalu climb in June 2011! Monyet King lor, he invited and I had to say “Yes”! Haizzz....

And I never regretted the revisit to Ketumbar Hills! Dear cousin and I discovered so much beauty within which ended up with dear cousin buying a DSLR camera and I, a “mini” DSLR! Hahaha! We fell in love with photographing the nature! Simply awesome!

After all the fun, Mar 2011 was also a sad month. It was the same month Japan was hit by earthquake and tsunami! What a shock to the world! What a shock indeed! That disaster got me believing the world will definitely end in Dec 2012! :(

That disaster got dear cousin and I more adventurous because we made an unplanned drive from Bukit Tinggi to Bentong! Only two of us, mind you, and that was really the most daring thing two of us did alone! But it was fun! And thrilling too! Glad we had done it!

Want to know more?

Watch out for my April to December 2011 happenings!

I had never imagined doing what I had done and I had done it all in 2011!

Hahaha! Suspense kan?? Watch out for them!

Coming soon!!

Tg Dawai - 2D1N "Sangkar" Experience (Part 2 of 2)

2011-12-28T13:28:00.003+08:00

Hmmm, where was I?

Ah, I fell asleep after half a can of cold Tiger! Ahahaha! Then I was awaken by fierce mosquito bites! Wah! What an attack!! In fact, we got attacked twice; once at about 7pm and again at about 9pm! Tony kor kor pre-warned us of it, got the Sheltox and mosquito coils all ready but still, we got attacked by the swarm! Aiyor!

All of us brought our own sleeping bag and my first experience sleeping in a tent was given to this "sangkar"! Hahaha! I must say it was a good experience indeed!

Haiyah, could not even sleep late!

Dear nephew and wife were whispering outside our tent!

Why lah wake up so early??

When I got out of the tent, I quickly took my camera and snapped this shot!

Hahaha!

Dear nephew was taking pictures in his pyjamas!

Where got people go camping and wear pyjamas one???!

Aiyoh!

Next thing I saw, from a distance, dear TT and wife already fishing at the side of the sangkar!

Wah! These people no need to sleep one ah?

It was only about 7am wor...

See, everything else was so tranquil and quiet.

No sunrise that morning and I was told it drizzled before dawn.

Ya kah? I didn't even know! Must have slept like a log!

Hehehe.

Ahhhh, the dogs!

Let me introduce them to you;

the blackies were the owners of the place and

the brownies were the visitors which came over for some fun the night before!

Yup! Some of us witnessed some indecent acts by them! Hahaha!

Look at dear nephew, the moment his girls woke up he got them to work!

Child abuse to the highest degree lei!

Hehehe...

One of the girls spotted a jelly fish and called out to me!

Aisay, this was a big jelly fish man!

Good thing none of us took a dive into the water!

Phew!

While we were pretending to be busy at the platform,

this guy in his fishing boat went around the sangkar to collect his fish traps!

Err, were they fish traps ke??

He was not keen to reply my question wor. Haizz....

Hey, who took this picture?

Naughty, naughty!

I got darling girl to "cheong sui" (look out) for me while I bath behind the cover sheet!

Eh, don't play play lei, I was totally naked in there one!

Must thank darling girl for not opening the cover for the photographer!

Hahaha!!

OMG!

The workers took down the cover sheet!

That was the place I had my bath earlier!

Look, brother TT taking his bath there!

Ahahaha!

I was told that the regulars there do not bath with the covers up

and that the covers were purposely put up for us city folks!

Aisayman! Am really grateful that they did!

If not, I would be sticky with yesterday's dirt!

Yucks!

Dear TT was proud to show off his natural hair dryer, the wind!

Really "gaya betul" (got style)!

Wahaha!

Time to take down all the tents so that we can have our breakfast!

Taking down was a piece of cake compared to setting up lah!

Breakfast from last night's leftovers!

Eh, tastier lei!

Yum yum!

I tell you ah, this BBQ pit was not only a jigsaw when set up, it was also a jigsaw to pack it!

We could not put it back into a perfect square as how it was before we set it up!

Took us an hour or so to finally tied it up!

TFL, please draw diagrams of before and after (just like Ikea) so that we could just follow in future ah??

Heehee..

This was a family affair!

Eh, one missing lei.

Hiding somewhere ke??

So fast dear nephew caught a fish!

Bravo!

Guess that fish gotta join these guys for salted fish!

The sunbathing fishes from last evening's catch!

Not bad, huh?

Wah! Finally someone caught a BIG fish!

The biggest catch of the trip!

Yeay!!

See! Great catch, right?

As usual lah, everyone will hold it and take picture with it as if one had caught it!

Me too lah! Hehehe...

I was beginning to feel bored since I was the only one whose bait was not taken by any fishes!

Why lah??

Suddenly, Tony kor kor announced that all ladies get the chance to fish some 2 kgs big fishes!

Huh? Where and how lah?

He asked me to join him to the middle of the sangkar, tied a fish (without any hook) on the fishing rod and asked me to tangle it on the surface of the water for a while before lowering it into the water!

I did exactly what was told and when a fish took the bait, the line was pulled down with great strength!

Wahahaha! That was fun! Roll the reel a little and the line got pulled even further!

Wow! Really an effort "fighting" with it before the line got snapped!

Wee-ee-phee! Happy at last!

Dear cousin, Mrs Nephew and I took turns "feeding" the "loong don"!

Errr, don't ask me what is the name of the fish in English ah...

Note:

See the picture again and you will notice someone sitting alone at the far end of the sangkar!

That was dear nephew!

He was sitting there until I had to call out to him, "Time to leave!"

Ahahaha!

He got the worst tan of all because of the "unwilling to leave the place" syndrome!

Hehehe...

Since the kids could not have that "catch big fish" experience, they lazed on the hammock and were happy doing that until we had to leave the place!

This was where we had our BBQ and slept the night before!

All clean and tidy before we left the place!

Bye, platform!

This was the complete sangkar built up!

Bye, sangkar!

Eh, not yet!

We were heading back to the orange hut!

Why ah?

Oh, Mrs TT went to collect the bunch of bananas from the altar!

She gave us one each to eat for "peng ann" (safety)!

Orh! Obediently everyone took one to eat!

One for the album!

Yay! All happy tan faces in one picture!

I was so touched to see the dogs chasing the boat, running on the planks, to bid us goodbye!

Goodbye, blackies!

You have been good guard dogs of the place!

Note:

Dogs are kept at the sangkar to guard the fishes in the sangkar because some of the fishes reared can be in thousands of RM value. No joke!

These floating whatever were in front of the sangkar and we were told that they were RM600k flopped project of the Government floating there for many years!

The Rakyat's money that had gone uncounted for!

How many more of such projects our Government have wasted on lah?

I say, People, please vote wisely for the next election!

Another interesting sighting spotted just before we reached the jetty!

Boats with PKR's flags parked together at one spot and boats with BN's flags parked together at another spot!

Divided they grouped and I wonder if the fishes will identify the flags before getting caught!

Ahahaha!!

Final words about this sangkar experience:

I must say we (dear nephew and family, dear cousin and I) are very thankful to brother TT and dear wife for all the arrangements to make this trip a pleasant and successful one! Thank you to the owner of the sangkar as well as the workers there too!

I had an experience of a lifetime! Many of my first time were given to this sangkar place; sleeping on a sleeping bag in a tent, balancing on planks getting from one place to another, lazing around with a fishing rod, bathing behind some cover sheets, eating fresh BBQed mussels, using a toilet with no roof and a hole direct into the sea, sleeping on a hammock and feeling a 2kg catch on a line! Pow wow!

All these experiences, to me, are experiences that money cannot buy! And they were specially arranged for our comfort! Thank you very, very much dear TT kor kor n dear wife!

jl9 asked me, via his comment in (Part 1 of 2) post, if I will return to the sangkar for fun one more time. My answer to him, which he had guessed, would be "Yes"!

And my wish list for the next time would be:

1) to see sunset and sunrise!

2) to lie on the platform, without attacks from mosquitoes (by using a giant mosquito net as tent instead), to see stars from the sky above!

3) to feel the sea breeze in the night

4) to have clearer water so that the fishes in the nets are visible

5) any other thing that comes to my mind later lah!

Big smiles!

^@^

End of one adventure is the beginning of the next....

Tg Dawai - 2D1N "Sangkar" Experience (Part 1 of 2)

2011-12-25T14:24:00.020+08:00

"You will love the experience! I bet you that!"

That was TT kor kor ensuring me that dear nephew and family, dear cousin and I would love the "sangkar"! With that statement, he had invited us for this adventure of a lifetime! Woohoo!

For your information, he was talking about the "sangkar ikan" which literally means "fish cage", this is in fact a floating wooden platform built by a local fisherman to breed fish in the sea. Various species of fish, including a colourful array of exotic coral fish and other fish, are bred here commercially for the local markets and restaurants.

As usual, we travelled back to Ipoh for a night before starting our journey early, to the north, the next morning! Refreshed and save time mah!
.

From Ipoh towards the north, using the PLUS Highway, exit at Exit 170 to go to Tg Dawai!

The gals did not know where their parents were taking them!

In fact, I also did not know what "sangkar" was all about!

Never mind lor, let's have lunch first!

After lunch, we went shopping for water lah, toilet paper lah, tidbits lah and whatever necessary lor!

On our way to Tg Dawai, we were still buying......

Mrs TT was busy fishing out live prawns to be used as baits for the fishes!

Eh, must pay one you know! Not free one!

Yeay!

We reached Tg Dawai!

Okay! Time to buy ice!

Needed ice to cool the beer, food stuff and caught fishes!

Ahem! Provided they get caught by us lah?!

We even went to the wholesale market to source for seafood!

For the night's BBQ lor coz we never expected to catch anything for our dinner mah!

None of the traders were interested to sell to individuals but dear cousin managed to sweet talk one to sell 2kgs of fresh big prawn to her!

Bravo!

While everyone was busy sorting and grading the seafood, dear TT kor kor was busy picking "unwanted" squids on the floor to be used as fishing baits!

Upon seeing poor TT picking from the floor, some traders offered to give him some chosen squids for his baits.

Even the cat got a treat lei!

Meow.... Purrr....

We finally reached the jetty to get onto the sampan!

TT kor kor introduced us to the owner of the "sangkar"; a young, capable and friendly chap!

The two little girls already seated on the sampan when the adults were socialising!

So obedient and cute, right?

Do you know the girls have personal life jackets ah?

Dear nephew really thought of everything one!

Am so proud of you, dear nephew!

There! The "sangkar" was waiting for us!

One over-exposed photo by dear cousin over the other end of the boat!

Ya lor, I was busy taking pictures of the kids and dear nephew was busy taking pictures of the ride!

As usual lah, 3 cameras in action!

This was it! This was the main floating hut!

See dear nephew!

So "yau ying", like a movie star, all ready for some big fish actions!

Hahaha! We shall see, we shall see...

Everyone so busy wor..

Bags, food stuff, fishing rods and all for 2 days fun!

Look at the little girl's frown!

Hahaha! She wanted to go to the toilet and her mummy brought her here!

No choice, dear, this was what you need to get use to for the next 2 days!

Hey, this toilet was brand new, okay?!

Brother TT got his friend, the owner of this place, to do up the toilet so that we (city folks) will be comfortable when we were there!

So thoughtful of kor kor and thanks to his friend too!

Thank you ah...

We did not waste much time!

Quickly we got ourselves to the next platform to set up our tents.

The staff there helped us to set up shades so that the rain, if any, will not get to us!

We really appreciate their thoughtfulness in making us feel at home!

Thank you once again...

Two tents; the purple blue for dear nephew and family and the yellow one for dear cousin and I!

I tell you ah, we really cracked our head to assemble the tents so that they will not fall on us when we are inside! Hahaha!

We spent almost an hour setting them up! Phew!

First time mah...

Ta da! Done! All ready and safe to use!

Look at the logistic of this place.

The main platform, the orange hut, was at the furthest end.

The toilet was between that hut and our tents.

In other words, we had to balance on one broad plank or two narrow planks to get from one place to another!

This was attached to join up the whole place, the "sangkar"!

In every square, there was a net containing fishes reared for sale by the owner.

Err, that means we were not allowed to throw our fishing rods in them lah!

Hahaha!

Next thing we had to set up was the BBQ pit!

This pit was specially made for Mr and Mrs TT by our chairman, TFL!

Beautiful workmanship that turned out to be a jigsaw puzzle for us!

Hahaha!

See, four people had to work on it!

Now, we must fix the A to the A and the B to the B!

There was also C to C and D to D!

Err, what about this small piece ah??

Oh, it was really fun lei!

The engineer and the accountant also had to put on some thinking caps!

Wahahaha!

Yeay! Finally! "Kaw tim" (Complete)!

TFL, thank you for this wonderful pit!

It was the saviour of our dinner!

The staff at the "sangkar" collected these mussels for us!

Live ones from the under where we stayed!

Freshly picked for our dinner!

Here's Mrs TT cleaning up the shells of the mussels before they can be barbequed!

Dear cousin was keeping her company for a while and I tried to help clean but chickened out when I found tiny crawlies from their homes I was destroying!

Yikes!

Since I could not be of any help, I joined the rest in what was fun at the "sangkar"!

Yup! Fishing!

See, I was really holding a fishing rod one!

We settled to fish and the sun went down on us!

Haizz.. guess we used too much time setting up the tents and the BBQ pit!

Oh, I must tell you about these two dogs!

You see, they were also visitors here!

The workers tried to chase them off but they'd only needed to jump into the water and swim to the other side of the "sangkar" to get up and enjoy the place again!

Smart dogs, I'd say!

Dear nephew's first catch!

Eh, I thought you were suppose to fish fishes lah!

Why catch a starfish instead??

Since you caught it, might as well take pictures of it before throwing it back into the sea!

Look at the tiny legs struggling helplessly when we had fun taking its pictures

Were we sadists ah??

TT kor kor said that these starfishes stay at the sea bed and easily get themselves hooked to the baits.

They are actually nuisance to the fishing fans because they keep interrupting their catch!

Turn the starfish the other way and it looked like this; a starfish water sponge!

The longer we had it off water, the drier it got!

Quick! Throw it back into the water before it dry lah!

Brother TT said that it will not die even if it got drier because once it touches water, it will absorb the water and become alive again!

He said even if we break one of its legs, the broken leg could grow into 5 starfishes!

Err, true ke? Or were you pulling our legs lah??

We set fire on the virgin BBQ pit so that we could cook our dinner!

Still shining new but soon it would be tarnished!

Wahahaha! (Evil laugh!)

Cooking, cooking, cooked!

Yummy chicken wings, fresh big prawns and mussels, fishes and "lam chut", fishballs and much more!

We were thankful to Mrs TT for the wonderful food spread!

Look at brother TT, sitting dutifully waiting for food to be served by his lovely wife!

Hey, little girl, what were you doing there lah?

And where were the rest of the people??

I did not know where everyone was because I was asleep after half a can of cold Tiger!

Drank it because I was too heated by the fire!

Dear darling girl was sleeping because of the long day!

Hehehe, this was my favourite picture of the day coz dear darling girl and I slept in the same sleeping position!

Hahaha!

Thanks, dear nephew, for taking this shot!

To part 2 of 2

(the finale)!

Singapore Chinatown Food Hunt n Discoveries!

2011-12-23T00:35:00.005+08:00

We went to Chinatown twice during this trip, on the first and last day! Yup, dear cousin and I were there for food and the rest were there shopping! Aiyah, what was there so much to buy lah?? Eating would be better mah...

This was a good landmark into Chinatown!

Our first food stop when we got into Singapore!

They occupied three shops in a row!

No joke!

Yes, we went into Mei Heong Yuen Dessert!

One popular shop to visit for food, for sure!

Desserts also we, 6 adults and 2 kids, spent almost S$40 lei!

Very hungry mah and the food was very good!

After food, we went for a walk and along the way, we had some interesting discoveries!

A television fixed along the walkway between shops.

Hmmm, who would be standing to watch lah??

Beautiful buildings!

Simply loved them!

Plenty of eateries at all junctions!

My favourite picture of this place!

Beautiful Indian temple in the background and the bird caught in action!

Great shot, dear cousin!

Hooray!

We found Chinatown Heritage Centre!

However, we were disappointed!

Nobody was around to extend a helping hand to a tourist like me...

Sigh!

We found a MRT station in the middle of Chinatown!

How convenient indeed!

When I first saw this shop, I thought it was a gold shop.

But when I looked again, I found that it was actually a pawnshop!

What a modern pawnshop indeed!

We were so excited to find this Holland Village XO Fish Head Bee Hun Restaurant opposite of the pawnshop! We heard that they serve yummy noodles!

See, they have many branches one! So impressive wor...

Now, let's order the XO Fishhead Bee Hun Soup!

After all the excitement, we were pissed off with the staff's attitude!

"If you order for one person, you will only get one set of utensils.

This is our shop policy!

Even two of you eating also, we can only give you one set of utensils!"

I do not know if it was the attitude that affected my judgement but I found that their noodles were not as tasty as I'd expected.

Dear cousin said she could not even taste the XO they claimed used in the noodles!

We left the shop without finishing the bowl of noodles!

We noticed that there were no crowd in the shop at all even though it was lunch hours.

They must have offended many customers before, just like how they offended dear cousin and I!

My words of wisdom to them:

Stay humble and your business will grow!

If you turn too snobbish, you will offend your customers.

They will stop patronising your shops and when that happens,

your pride will be the reason of your fall in your business!

I have seen many businesses failed due to their arrogance!

So, beware!

We reached the end of the Food Street and found this signboard standing there!

Turn right from that standing signboard and we found this Lee Tong Kee Restaurant.

Hmmm, famous for their Ipoh chicken noodles ah....

We shall try and see if it is authentic!

Haizzz.... disappointed! Nothing like the ones we have in Ipoh lah!

Please make a trip to Ipoh for the real thing, okay?!

Personal View about Singapore and Food in Singapore:

There are many foreigners setting up restaurants in Singapore. However, you can still find many of their popular local eateries. I would say the better ones are still the ones in food courts. Of course there are popular ones in shop houses just like the ones I'd visited above!

With regards to value for money, I would say Singapore food courts' food are cheap! One giant glass of soya bean only costs S$0.80 and a big plate or bowl of noodles only S$3.50; portion that two people can share!

In other words, if I earn S$2,000 in Singapore compared to RM2,000 in Malaysia, I would say I can save more in Singapore in terms of food and clothes spending. Purchasing power in Singapore is better than in Malaysia!

Other than better purchasing power, Singapore is also a safe country to stay in! Even their public transport system is impressive! You need not have a car when you stay there! Hey, I am not bad mouthing Malaysia but just telling facts!

Having say what I'd said, the only set back about staying in Singapore would be accommodation! Expensive to rent and more expensive to own, if you are not a Singaporean! But if you do have one property, you could earn your living from it!

A friend told me, "My auntie rents out all her rooms and sleeps in the living room! Her rental income takes care of her lifestyle!"

I believed her, alright!

^@^

Singapore's Marina Bay Sands - Light n Water Show

2011-12-09T21:43:00.169+08:00

Dear nephew borrowed a Garmin GPS to drive into Singapore and he said the owner told him that the GPS was updated to the latest whatever! Aiyoh, really ah? Then how come we went in circles lah when we keyed in Marina Bay Sands (MBS)! Hahaha!

After following "Turn right", "Turn right and "Turn right", we were at the same spot where we first turned right! OMG!

When we decided to turn left instead, it got irritated and repeatedly voiced out "Recalculating", "Recalculating"! Grrrrr! QUIET!!!

We passed this when we were searching for MBS!

Got time to go for a ride ke? No? OK lor... next time ah...

'Dapat tengok pun' (Got to see it also) happy! :D

We saw this after going the opposite direction instructed by the GPS!

Haizzz.... Cannot completely rely on the GPS one! Must use our intelligence too lah!

We were not sure if it was the tall building or the opposite's low one, so we stopped beside a cab and asked.

He also not sure where the Light and Water Show was!

Sad.. but wait, his passenger knew and he conveyed that it was at this building!

Yeay!

Hey, I like Singapore's parking system! Really systematic and organised!

First, if the car park is full, the bar will not raise for another car to enter.

Next, once your car drives in, you can locate a parking space by looking out for the green light on the ceiling!

Of course, you should also look out for people who look like they are leaving the place to "book" their place!

Hehe..

We were in!

Finally, we got ourselves into the Event Plaza!

Phew!

We had to be at the promenade where the "stage" was to watch the show!

Err, this was not it! Gotta walk a little further!

Wow! Such spectacular night scenery!

Simply mesmerising!

Loved it!

Yup! This was it!

A little wet because it rained earlier!

We still sat on the steps to watch the show wor...

While waiting for the show to start, dear cousin and I noticed a moving cloud!

So excited! Like never seen one before! Hahaha!

See, dear cousin quickly zoomed her camera lens that direction and I zoomed mine to take this shot!

Cantik kan? (Nice shot, right?)

Show start! Show start!

Got all the cameras ready??

Now, you snap this, you snap that and I take video! Got that?!

Wah! Macam army saja! Hahaha!

Did I tell you that the show was Free?!

Yeah, we were watching free show! Hehe..

Hey, like real water dripping leh!

Images on mists!

Fascinating!!

Gee, nice...

Awesome!

Unbelievable!!

My oh my.....

You better watch the video to get an idea what the show was all about!

After the show, we saw the crowd rushing over to watch another attraction. Quick! We must also go there and "kay poh" (busy body) lah!

Eee, where did this water come from?

Tons and tons of them kept flowing down the hole in the middle!

After having our eyes circling with the water flow, almost crossed eyes for doing that, we walked into the plaza to find another interesting attraction!

The outlet of the water above!

Hah! That also we stood and watched for another few minutes!

Erm, I should say we stood there taking pictures lah!

Hahaha!

Eh, the water was flowing down somewhere from here lah!

Now, where did the water go lah?

Should we investigate further? No?

Okay lah! We shall leave it as it was and go home!

Dah tired after having fun all day ...

Yawn, yawn...

Personal note:

This is one "free" show that is worth going for!

The sounds, the lights and the effects were amazing!

You have to be there in person to 'sense' the wonderful show!

That video taken is only a glimpse of the whole show, cannot represent what thrill the whole show can bring to you and your family!

Trust me....

Still wanna know where I went or done in Singapore?

Watch out for my next post!

Coming soon....

UnderWater World Singapore & Dolphin Lagoon

2011-12-08T13:43:00.004+08:00

We were having so much fun at the Universal Studio (USS) that we were relunctant to leave it for the Underwater World (UWW)! But 'sudah beli ticket' (bought our tickets already), must go!

We had to take the tram, which was included in our ticket, to get into Sentosa Island!

Since dear nephew, dear cousin and I each had a camera, we were crazy taking pictures of each other, everyone and everything!

In the tram also wanna take pictures ah? You snap me, I snap you lor! Hehehe...

The tram stopped at Beach station before we got down and went hunting for the Blue Line bus because we wanted to go to the UWW.

The bus conductor told us that we must get down at Siloso Point!

Okay lor! Can round the island and still go there if we want coz free rides mah! :D

Once there, you can buy your tickets at the counter!

Hmmm, how much one adult ah? Hey, who took this picture one? Why cannot see price one? Haizzz...

The moment you step into the UWW, this is what you'll see!

How to move while inside there?

Aiyah, follow the signboard lor or just flow with the crowd!

Note:

There are three sections of fun here!

1) Get on the moving belt and enjoy the underwater world feeling where the fishes, big and giant, swim around you! Go as many rounds as you want coz the feeling is different one; the crowd, the ordour and the fishes you can sight!

Ya lah! This picture for their advertisement board, for free! Ahahaha!

Can any time step out of the belt and stay stationary at a spot like the few aunties there! Heehee..

Oui, feeding time lah!

Wow!

Gotta squeezed in to take this shot before I got pushed out, almost immediately, from watching the "show"!

Aiyok!

Don't use your camera flash! It will only be patches of lights coz reflections from the thick glass lah!

Common sense, right??

2) Leisurely walk around the place to see aquarium after aquarium of live sea creatures you don't get the chance to see other than watching National Geography!

These tiny garden eels looked so cute in the sand!

Peeping out, standing out or hiding in!

We stood in front of the jelly fish spot for a long time, watching them change colours!

From red to pink to green to blue; only to realise later that their colour changed because of the light at the bottom of the tank!

Never mind lor, they still look beautiful mah!

Then, we found these "mushroom" jelly fish!

Aiyor, so loveable!

They looked like small button mushrooms moving in the water!!

These sea horses were so unique!

Err, or sea dragons ah?

Sorry lah, the place was too cramp to read signboards!

It was 'see n go'! Also "syiok"!

Still got plenty one but if I put all the pictures here, you will say "saw them no need to go"!

But being there and seeing pictures not the same mah!

Also, I bet different species will be on displayed one, if you go later!

Before I tell you the third section of the place,

let's go for Dolphin Lagoon Showtime first!

We only needed to walk out of the UWW building and we can already see the 'lagoon'!

Before you go into any tourists places, you must check if they have any showtimes so that you can maximise your time at the place!

After all, they came with the price you had paid for your ticket!

Why waste it?!

If you go there a little earlier, you will get better view seats!

The host of the show normally will ask for volunteers

(to add in more thrill/ fun to the spectators)!

By sitting at a strategic position, you can get noticed easier

(provided you are one for fun and dare to put up your hands)!

Volunteers will usually get some gifts or free photo pose with the animals!

Yeay!

Erm, provided the host is not bias to choose only non Asians or foreign looking ones to participate lah!

The whole show's lime light was on the fur seals!

Clapping, catching, play dead, standing, walking, swimming and what not!

Bravo! So cute! So adorable! So clever! Wow!!

I did enjoy their performances but I was looking forward to the dolphins' performance lah!

But....

These were all we saw!

After that, they were just swimming around.

Later, when we asked the trainers why the dolphins did not perform much, she said because there was thunder in the vicinity. It was difficult to get them to do what was trained when they were not at ease.

Hmmm, maybe next time lor... disappointed....

After the show, those who wanted to take pictures with the dolphin can pay to do so.

Do you know why there are pink dolphins?

We learnt that dolphins are grey skinned but as they age, the grey skin will shed and the pink skin will be exposed.

A pink dolphin is an old dolphin wor!

Oooohhhhh.....

After the showtime, we went back to the UWW to proceed to part 3 of fun there!

3) Touch the fishes!

There were a starfish, a stingray, a puffer fish, two varieties of shark in the small tank for us to touch.

This guy, a staff there, was giving some explanations to dear Mrs Nephew!

Eh, what he taught you lah? You better teach us later ah...

Personal experience of the touch!

The starfish has the roughest skin of all - like rock surface!

The stingray - smooth with little pricky "hair" feeling!

The puff fish - the slimiest of all!

The sharks - different species have different roughness of the skin!

Hey! I touched the shark!

Small one dare to touch lah! Big one no way man!

This guy felt a little like sand paper!

Sayang, sayang ah...

We stood in front of the big tank for a while!

The tank was filled with big stingrays!

Better not touch coz we did not want to be stung by their tails!

Then, one staff came over to tell us we can touch them all coz they had taken out their "sting"!

Voila! What are we waiting?! Touch lah!!

It was amazing to find one smaller guy always swimming up to be touched!

Smooth, soft and touchable!

Really loved it!

While we were playing with this guy all the time, suddenly the big guys starting swimming up to the glass panel!

Splash!

Ahahaha! What a pleasant surprise!

They also wanted to be touched wor!

I say, that was really a wonderful experience!

While the adults were busy playing with the stingrays, my favourite gal found something else to play with!

Hey, I used to rear these fishes lah!

The "feng shui" fishes!

Until now I still wonder how come the water inside remained in the aquarium lah with that hole there at the side!

Must go back to school to study Physics!!

Just beside this, you will find the hand wash area!

That got me thinking; should we wash our hands before we touch the fishes or should we wash them after!

I did it after! Hehe..

Thank goodness, the fishes did not die after my touch!

Just when we were walking towards the bus stand, we noticed some birds on the roof top!

They were queuig to fly from there over to the tree across it!

The top two pictures taken by dear cousin while the bottom two taken by dear nephew!

Fantastic shots indeed!

Me? Too slow lah! By the time I clicked, the bird already reached its destination!

Wakakaka!!

Yup! This was the bus we boarded to leave UWW!

The crowd had left for dinner already and we were on our way for ours about 7pm!

Bye, UWW!

If you have been here once, "cukup dah' (enough)!

Good thing we had four hours to kill here only, if not, we may be picking stones to play hopscotch!

But if you are here to visit the other parts of Sentosa Island, this will be a good place to visit too lah!

Check out where else and what else I went and done in Singapore!

Coming soon.....

Universal Studios Singapore (USS)

2011-11-24T22:00:00.013+08:00

Two of my schoolmates, one from Johor Baru and one from Singapore, were so kind as to accompany us for our visit to the Universal Studios Singapore (USS)! Can you beat it! The one from Singapore has never been there and the one from JB played tour guide for the day! Ahahaha!

We got the same advice from a few friends who knew that we will be there: "Set your GPS to Sentosa Gateway, once you are there, follow Resort World and turn into their basement parking. Drive towards the Casino/ USS and park there because that would be the nearest stop to USS! Resort World charges the cheapest parking per day there!"
.

We did exactly what was told and discovered that we had to walk a distance to reach USS. When my dear friend SMSed me to find the "Globe", I could not find that word on the signboard! I texted her again and she asked me to follow "Universal Studio" signages!

Aiyah, she wanted me to go to that globe with the word Universal Studio rotating on it!

Ahahaha!

The moment our dear tour guide friend saw us, she ushered us to the Casino to get some free gifts!

"Okay, go ask for their membership form, fill it up and get a free gift! No need to pay anything one!"

True enough, we each got a foldable travel bag and a pen as free gifts!

Note:

If you already have the Genting's WorldCard, you do not need to pose for a photo because they would used the same picture that you have taken at Genting Highlands, KL.

Next, she asked if we had our passport with us and I gave her a guilty look! I had asked everyone to leave "home" without it! Ahahaha! And the results of not carrying one; cannot go into the casino for free coffee lor! Haizzz, dear friend had to go into the casino to take a few bottles of water (free) for us! Thanks ah...

She took us for a short tour in the vicinity of the casino after we had bagged the goodies!

"Everything built around here has feng shui purpose one! No one can win their money because of them! Ahahaha!

Before we leave here, we must visit Adam and Eve first! You really cannot miss it one! And kids, close your eyes arh..."

Since we were no gamblers and did not have our passports with us, we did not enter into the casino hence proceeded straight into the USS!

Note:

1) We had our Singaporean friend purchased our tickets for us earlier so we did not have to queue for tickets on the day!

2) Senior citizens, aged 65 and above, are subject to discounted price tickets. Just produce your identity card over the counter

(Our friend told us she cannot buy that ticket earlier)!

3) Singaporeans and tourists pay the same price for the tickets.

4) Weekdays tickets are cheaper than weekends! Obviously lah!

5) If you need to leave USS to return later, make sure you get the staff to affix an invisible ink stamp on your hand!

This is the first thing you'll see when you step into USS!

Love the palm trees!

Not too far from the entrance, we could hear singing and when we reached the spot, we saw the last glimpse of the act! Better than nothing mah!

As we walked on, our dear tour guide friend said,

"You must wear those funny hats and take pictures!"

Ahahaha! It was fun except some of those hats were stingy! Yikes!

"Lights, Camera, Action! Hosted by Steven Spielberg" is a MUST watch! You'll be introduced to the man himself! No joke!

Hint:

Take note of the above warning!

Also, try not to be at the front row and have your back lean against the wall!

Not allowed to take pictures also took!

Ahahaha!

But I am not telling! You just gotta watch and feel it for yourself!

Hehehe...

When we reached the "Battlestar Galactica", we (dear cousin, dear Mrs Nephew, dear Singapore friend and yours truly) had to decide between the "Cylon" (blue track) or the "Human" (red track)!

Let me tell you the difference; you will be seated with your legs dangling if you ride the "Cylon" while the "Human" will lock you on a chair!

We chose the "dangling" ride! Wheee!

If you are watching them from the ground, you can see them both moving at the same time, one on top the other at the bottom!

My Ride Experience:

While queuing up for the ride, I was not sure what I was getting myself into!

I was hestitant if I should continue or turn back!

But after seeing everyone so gung ho, I cannot chicken out, right?!

So I "teng ang siong" (follow the crowd)!

The moment the seat holder was pushed close to my body, I felt safe and calmed a little!

Once the track started moving, there was no turning back anymore!

The track dragged us upwards, I could feel my body falling back!

I forseen a fall forward soon, but I could only hoped it will be over sooner!

The moment the track reached the peak, it hestitated a moment before free fall!

Waaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

I felt my heart falling out of my mouth!

Just when I thought my heart will drop out, the track took a turn and then a twist and then upside down and upright back!

Though I had my eyes opened, my mouth too for your information because I never stopped yelling, I could not see exactly whether I was up, down or on the sides!

It was definitely an awesome experience of a lifetime!

When we finally stood on solid ground, the four of us could not stopped talking about our experiences!

Suddenly, dear cousin asked enthusiastically,

"Want to ride the "Human"?!"

Erm, everyone ignored her coz nobody had the guts to do it again, so soon!

Next time lah, okay? Be a good girl ah....

Dear tour guide friend insisted we take the "Revenge of the Mummy" ride.

"It is very different from the Cylon one! This one, the ride is in the dark ! It is very mild, trust me!"

Okay lor!

True enough, this ride was peanuts! The only "excitement" was riding in the dark!

Kids (brave ones) can do it too!

We were told to pack extra clothes including underwears as we anticipated doing the "Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure"! However, when we were there, we were being told it was closed for the day!

Aiyah! When we came all prepared?!!

Boo hoo!

Since we could not have fun at the Jurassic Park, we walked a little further and stepped into the kingdom of "Far Far Away"! Here, we queued for "Shrek 4-D Adventure"!

I tell you ah, you must not miss this too!

Note:

Wear your 4-D specs only when you are inside the theatre!

Sit back and be prepared for some surprises coming from the back, front and bottom! Of course you'll get shaken a little too!

Remember:

4-D means seeing 3-D and feeling the motions!

Beware! Hehehe..

We found Shrek and Princess Fiona walking in the streets when we came out of the theatre!

Wow! So cartoonly real!

We did not like the "bodyguard" lady who prevented us from getting near to them!

Really "bar bei" (nasty)! Humph!

Her unfriendly gesture did not stopped us from having fun lah!

The moment I saw this, I was happy already!

Since those girls were busy smiling for their camera, I took their picture also as I could not wait for them to move off to take the picture of the Madagascar characters!

So cute! Especially Alex the Lion, right??

We had our lunch at the Marty's Casa Del Wild, before the next adventure, because their Kid's Meal came with a Gift!

Our dear thoughtful tour guide friend took good care of us adults and made sure the kids had fun and free gifts too!

Dear friend, you are truly a wonderful guide!

When three ladies sitting together sure plenty to talk one!

Dear cousin as usual went snap, snap, snap instead of joining the conversations lah!

Now, where were we.......yack-yack-yack.....

After lunch, we had Madagascar's "A Crate Adventure"!

Carry your umbrella with you, if you are going for this ride and be seated on the first row!

Ahahahaha!!!

I spotted "Kung Fu Panda" and alerted dear nephew!

Immediately dear nephew and family queued to take pictures with it!

So adorable!

Addtional Note:

We only spent half the day here from about 11am to 3pm.

If we can choose again, we would love to spend the whole day here!

Maybe to spend a night here even, so that we could enjoy everything there's there!

After all, their tickets the most expensive of all fun tickets we purchased for this trip!

Really, really should maximise the worth of the ticket!

Next time, we shall be wiser next time!

Note of Appreciation:

Dear girlfriends from JB and Singapore, thank you for spending your time with us!

Special thanks for dear JB friend who played tour guide and making sure we had free gifts, discounted purchase and maximum fun for the limited time we spent in USS! Not forgetting free parking too!! Thanks!

Yes, next time when you tell me to wait at the "globe" I know you are talking about this (in picture above)!

Watch out for another fun place we visited!

Coming soon........

Driving into Singapore (or Thailand) from Malaysia

2011-11-22T01:08:00.013+08:00

Dear nephew drove all of us to Singapore recently. 'All of us' means? Let me count: His family of four (including him), his mother, his sister, dear cousin and I lor! Six adults 2 children in a MPV load of luggages, bags and more bags! Ahahaha!!

Just before leaving JB town to Singapore causeway, he stopped to fill up the petrol tank! There I was at the seat beside the driver, I saw the lady driver in front of our MPV doing something I have never seen any drivers in Malaysia do!

She was shaking her vehicle! Ahahaha! Why lah??

Aiyah, I should video tape her in action!!

Aisay, wasted!!

Dear nephew told me what he knew:

"This one, "sap sap sui" (small matter)!

Shaking the car so that can pump in more petrol wor!

I saw it on YouTube how some Singaporeans would jack up their cars so that their petrol tank could fill in more petrol! Some petrol stations even have some wood blocks ready at the station to make it easier for them! All they need to do is reverse their cars up on the blocks before filling up their tanks!"

Ya ke? How come I cannot find them in YouTube lah??

Tips:

Singapore cars are required by law to have their fuel filled to at least 3/4 of the tank before leaving Singapore and the Singaporeans will shake their cars to the last drop their tank can swallow before they leave Malaysia!

In other words, Malaysians MUST remember to FILL your tank to MAX before driving into Singapore!!!

Kiasu sikit jugak lah!

Hehe..

This trip to Singapore, I had included a brunch reunion with my schoolmates in Johor Baru. After catching up with time, they begun to check list me with the following:

Question 1:

"You got your passport with you? Expiry date must be 6 months and above, you know?"

Yup! We knew! Thanks! :)

Question 2:

“Do you have the Disembarkation/Embarkation Cards? You better have them completed with your passports before entering Singapore.”

Ooophs! We don't have lah? You got and you are going to give us? Gee, thanks!! :)

Note:

Malaysians are allowed to stay up to 30 days in Singapore when they enter using this card.

Question 3:

“Is it your first time driving into Singapore? You have to apply an Autopass Card to drive into the country. Just ask the officer at the immigration where to get it when you pass your passports to him or her.”

Oh, okay, thanks for reminding! You gals are wonderful! :)

Note:

The officers will go to your car to record all information they need from your road tax.
(The owner of the car must be travelling together!)

For first timers you only need to pay S$10 for the Autopass Card

which has S$6 value for you to use for your parking

and

for the ERP

(tolls in town, @ S$5 per day).

The Card has 10 days free a year for VEP

(toll for driving into Singapore,

which is free for Saturdays and Sundays)

then after there is a fixed fee payable every time you drive into the country.

Go to 7 Eleven to top up at least S$10 into the Card once you are in Singapore.

Before you leave the country, it is better to go to 7 Eleven again to check your balance. Make sure you have some balances in it.

Suggestion:

Take note of all the parking fees and estimate your available balance.

Top it up when your estimation tells you to.

Safer mah..
(Maybe you can use their VEP Calculator for your coming trip!)

For more information about how the Autopass works, you better visit their website for more information!

We thought driving into Singapore is the same as driving into Thailand, but it is not!

What's the difference?

1) Stay in the car or Queue?

When driving through the Singapore check point, we can stay in the car. All we need to do is wind down the car windows and show our faces for the officer to identify us from our passport photo. Once the officer is satisfied, he or she will affix the country's date stamp on our passport and the white card, leaving the small portion of it in the passport!

This recent drive in, the officer took the trouble to walk out from his booth to the MPV to identify us all! And that was one handsome looking officer! He should be a movie star lah! Even dear nephew admired his good looks! Hey, your wife sitting behind lei! Hehe..

Over at Thailand's check point, everyone in the car has to get out and line up at the counters to get the passport stamped! Afer that the driver has to park the car and queue again to get the car registration and insurance stamped! The car is also subject to inspection before the driver can drive it off to pick up the passengers and continue the journey!

Reminder:

When you get your passport back, please check and make sure the dated immigration chop is stamped on the passport and the immigration card.

2) Carry Car Registration card or not?

When one drives into Thailand, one has to carry along a copy of the car's registration card. Before the check points, one must buy insurance for driving the car in Thailand which, together with the registration card and the vehicle entry form must be stamped at the check point!

As for Singapore, please refer to Question 3's answer above.

3) Is the border open 24/7?

Singapore check point is opened 24 hours while Thailand's Sadao Checkpoint (south of Thailand) opens from 5am to 11pm (Thai time).

4) Any fees to cross over?

There is no fee payable at Singapore check point but to cross Thailand, one has to pay a small overtime expenses fee with the passport over the counter.

Enough of technical stuff!

Look out for more interesting adventures we had in Singapore!!

Coming soon!!

Morning Canopy Walkway Trek @ FRIM, Kepong!

2011-11-13T17:56:00.015+08:00

"You game?", a schoolmate smsed me.

"Game!", I replied! Hmm, what kind of language was that? Game or not? We were talking about going to trek or not. What game lah were we talking about?! Thought it was "cool" to answer "game" so that I am "in"! Ahahaha!!

As usual, to reach the appointed place by 8.15am means to travel by 7am (to Bandar Utama wor) which means waking up by 6am! Dutifully I set my handphone's alarm to 6am! Forgot how to use a clock or watch alarm dei! Nowadays, who would be using a handphone for phone only, right? It is my camera, my watch and my alarm lah!

Just when I turned off the snooze, I noticed the red blink on my BlackBerry. Hey, got sms message lah! Aiyah, don't tell me she's pulling out last minute!

The message read:

"Heavy downpour here. Anor day? So looking fwd, though."

I replied:

"Oh, ok! Aiyah! Sad! :( "

She replied:

"We wait, c it stop by 8am? It's till 2pm btw. Nak?"

I replied:

"Ok!"

After all the ding dongs, we finally confirmed we "game" again!! Ahahaha!

Dear cousin and I picked her up at the Curve before turning out to the main road, via the back of Ikea, to head to Kepong. "Keep left, go through the toll, see BHP and Shell on left, turn left, about 2km you will find FRIM signboard. Turn left and at the traffic lights turn left again!" Wah, good directions, I'll say!

"Yah! My friend asked me to call him if I cannot find it so that he can come over to give me a slap!" Wahahaha! Guess, you have crazy friends too, dear schoolmate!

Dear schoolmate did some thorough homework about how and where about this place! Bravo!

"Drive to Zone D. Err, no signboard to Zone D, never mind lah, drive straight ahead and find lah!"

"Must buy tickets from their Souvenir Shop."

"RM5 per person for canopy walk, RM1 per person for trek."

We found their "One Stop Centre" (in the Information and Communication Centre building) at Zone D alright!

Yeay!

We parked the car at the Tadika near Masjid Jamek before taking Route 2 to the Canopy Walkway.

Small stones paved the way up to the trail.

What a pleasant surprise when we found two cyclists coming down the way!

Wheeeeeee......

Wah! Next time we come, we must rent the bicycle ah! Must!!

That's my dear schoolmate at the starting point!

Looking up was the trail we had to trek!

The trail got from planky steps to stoney ones!

A little muddy too coz it rained in the morning!

Eh, a short trek and we already reached the canopy walkway!

Nope, we were not the only ones!

Only 5 people were allowed to go into the hut at any one time.

Hmmm, we wait lor...

We could see people spacing on the walkway.

There must be some regulations or something one lah!

While waiting, dear schoolmate spotted a lady doing a Yoga act!

Wow! Terror lah she can stand on one foot for so long!

I want to learn Yoga too!

I want! I want!

Aiyah, while waiting we also noticed that this canopy walkway

was "constructed with the assistance of Germany"

(Why lah, no Malaysians know how to build canopy walkways meh?)

and of course the operation hours and days of the walk!

The guy who collected our tickets gave us the following advices:

1) One person must be at least 2 planks distance away from another.

(That's why we saw people spacing out on the walkway just now!)

2) There are 3 stops; the second and the third are more scenic.

3) "If you want to meet me again, turn left after you complete the walk!" Ahahaha!!

Before we stepped onto the walkway, dear schoolmate and I exchanged cameras.

"You use my camera and take me, I use yours and take you lah!"

Dear cousin used hers to take us lor! Hahaha!

Sad to say, my battery was depleting before we even started the walk... sigh!

That's me in black! Aiyah, black makes me look slimmer mah! Hehe.

I tell you ah, a blogger and a non blogger do not have the same focus one!

See, all these pictures by dear cousin were not informative ones!

"Asyik" (Kept on) taking "people" pictures only! Haizz...

Why lah, she did not take a picture to show what our steps were made of;

a long steel ladder with planks fixed above it for us to walk!

Serious! Pretty clever I would say!

This must be the "scenic" thing, the guy advised, found on the second tree platform!

This scene was from the third tree watch tower!

A little boy exclaimed to his father,

"My house is there!"

I was so tempted to ask "Where?"! Ahahaha

I would say I enjoyed the cool and fresh air more than the scenery when I stood on that platform!

This was the only bridge structure picture that dear cousin took!

Okay lah! I happy also because this was the narrowest walkway from the bridge to the platform!

We need to squeeze our body a little to get through! Hehe.

A pretty short canopy walk compared to those we had walked before.

Also, not very high from the ground one but fun enough for city folks, I guess!

Dear schoolmate was busy offering her service to take pictures for the students!

Hahaha! You so kind lah...

And dear cousin, busy checking her camera only!

Eh! I am down here lah!! Oui!!!

Should we turn left to go see that guy again?!

Neh, let's turn right to the picnic area.

Talking about picnic, my dear schoolmate was so good wor,

she made 5 stars sandwiches for dear cousin and I.

"Got beef, chicken and crab meat!"

Got varieties some more! Ahahaha! And so tasty!

But we left them in the car after taking one each while coming up!

(She made two of each!)

Nothing for picnic lor! Haizzz...

Going down!

Watch your steps!

Slippery lah!

Once we reached the flat ground, we continued towards the picnic spot (which has the Sg Kroh running through it)!

Still going down but more challenging lei.

We were not the oldest in the crowd lah!

See the white hair lady! She must be the oldest among us all!

But she was well taken care of by a handsome man.

Gee, how I wish that guy would hold my hand too! Ahahaha!

Told you this trail not very simple!

Gotta cross river one!

I almost fell into the river because I trusted the wrong stone!

Wakakaka! That stone moved when I stepped on it!

Thank goodness, one of the students was standing near me for me to hold on to!

Thank you ah, dik!

Only situation like this where races and age do not matter one, I tell you!

One human being will automatic help another human being one!

Facts of life! And I am happy to find it still exists!

Yippy! We found the picnic area!

Look at those people having fun in the water!

Err, we were not prepared to go into the water lah!

Only knew we could trek and canopy walk mah!

Next time lah!

Ahhh, proper steps to go down!

Finally!

Stairway on the right, river flowing on the left!

Nice!

Yup! We just came out from there!

In other words, you could walk in from here lah!

This must be Route 3 from the Masjid Jamek!

We reached here to find we bumped into some events happening here!

Too bad, we could not stay for it!

Got VIPs, TV3 and a radio station also could not make us stay and watch lah.

Next time lor!

Really! This place is so massive that I do not mind coming back again to check it out!

There are other trails to trek, bicycles to rent and a botanical garden to discover!

This one; I shall be back!

Thank you, dear schoolmate, for bringing dear cousin and I here!

Still owe you the ticket money lei! Paiseh!

Hehehe...

Have you visited this place??

Bentong's Famous Wantan Noodles?

2011-11-10T17:38:00.012+08:00

After a record of 11 meals in 14 hours, Gila Makan in Malacca, dear cousin decided on a detox program of liquid diet. The first day of the program was two dosages of fruit juice, one dose of soup, one dose of sugarless coffee and unlimited dosages of plain water!! HELP!!!

Yup! She had to relax a little the following day (and a little more the following day) so that she will not starve me to death! Ahahaha!! Of course the program flopped! Why? We ended this awful detox program by going for another weekend eating spree! I called it a spree because we had proper meals and actual food; solid food man!!!

"Let's go to Bentong for that wantan noodles we missed the last time! After that we go to Bukit Tinggi to buy fruits and vegetables lah!" Wah, cannot say no to such invitation from dear nephew, right?

Let's go! Let's go!

On the fruitful morning, at 8am sharp, dear nephew's car pulled up at our front gate!

"We drive straight to Bentong town today so that we will not miss it again, yah?"

Smart move because Mrs Nephew said her friends told her they could be sold out by 9.30am! I say, that stall must be overrated by word of mouth lah! Awh, don't worry they will not be sold out so early one!

The first time dear cousin and I were there a little over 11am, they were already closed; stall was spick and span! The second time we were there, with dear nephew and lovely family, the stall was closed with everyone washing up the place!

This time???

If you are using the Karak Highway, turn at the first left into Bentong (there are 2 Bentong exits).

Anyway, the signboards are confusing because the unused ones are still up! Haizz...

If you are using the old road, which is more interesting, it will still lead you there!

Follow the direction to the town. Once you see KFC, look out for the red building which is the market.

Turn left and look for the Indian temple on your right.

This shop is opposite of the temple.

The stall is in the middle of the shop unit.

This stall is called "Hooi Kee" (written in Chinese only, haizz...)

and is located in the coffee shop called "Yuen Kee"

Err, you will have to search for the shop signhoard though coz I did not find one! Hahaha!!

There were about six people around the stall, attending to the orders.

One guy to cook the noodles,
one to prepare the dry orders,
one to prepare the soup orders,
one to add the condiments,
one to cut the "char siew" (BBQ pork)
and
one to prepare small bowls of wantan in soup for the dry orders!

Phew! Did I just say that in one breath???

There are two homemade items here;

the noodles and the preserved green chillies!

Dear cousin casually asked one of the staff if they sell the noodles individually and the staff replied,

"Look at the situation here (in other words, the crowd lah) you think they are for sale???

Not enough to serve all lah? How to sell some more??"

One jovial and a little sarcastic staff they got there! Ahahaha!!

While we waited for our orders, which took about half an hour, we ordered some stuffed fish paste (yong tau foo) from the next stall.

I must say they were tasty! A little salty but yummy!!

We ordered two bowls of dry noodle and two bowls of soup noodle.

Hey, these are small bowls??

"Yes!"

When the lady placed the bowls on the table, she asked if we wanted any fried wantans.

Hmmm, why not??!

Verdict:

(Order order!)

(1)

We should have ordered one variety each for 4 adults!

We ordered 4 persons 1 bowl each!

Why? Coz the portion was so much!!!

Look at the noodles in the bowl!

(2)

About taste, the noodles were "tan arrg" (springy; not soggy or soft at all)!

Everyone loved the noodles!

(3)

Dear cousin and nephew loved the wantan which they claimed got water chestnut inside.

Got meh? Why I did not taste one??

(4)

Dark sauce dry noodles v soupy noodles

I always prefer wantan noodles dry one but their soup also not bad!

Dear nephew prefer the Bukit Tinggi's dry wantan noodles.

Said they used lark wor...

Me? I prefer the other stall in Bentong which we had wantan noodles when we missed this one!

(5)

Fried wantan!

Oh, I loved it!

I do not eat fried wantan one but I find theirs crispy and tasty!

Crunch, crunch! Love the sound!

RM3.60 per bowl only!

If the same portion is served in KL, it will be considered as big bowl!

Value for money for sure!

We paid total RM18 for 4 bowls of noodles and 1 bowl of fried wantan.

You go count lah, how much was the bowl of fried wantan!

Hehe.

Just when we were leaving the shop, a staff went to take another tray of noodles from their stock!

We saw him doing the same when we walked in earlier.

Wah! So fast the noodles gone ah??

Really good business lei!

"Eh, you like to take pictures hor?

Want to take my picture?"

Ahahaha! Of course!

Snap! Snap! Snap!

This guy was busy wrapping the wantan when not carrying the noodles one!

Ya lor, this also I noticed wor...

Hahaha!

Finally, we tasted the famous wantan noodles of Bentong town! Yeay!

If you ask me if I will go back for it again, I will say only if I am there!

In other words, though they are good, I will not purposely travel for it lah!

Dah cuba mah! (Tried already mah!)

Cheers!

Have you tried this stall's wantan noodles before??

BP Diagnostic Centre n Mr. Cinema

2011-11-05T11:40:00.007+08:00

Today I went to the BP Diagnostic Centre in hope to find a good medical check up package before undergoing any tests.

“Please take a number and someone will explain our available packages for your decision making.”

Hmmm, only 2 people ahead of me should not take very long. Boy, was I wrong! I waited for almost half an hour before my number was called. A young lady in a doctor’s white coat was behind the desk. Very quickly she opened her folder of leaflets and explained the differences between the packages.

The moment I decided which package I wanted, she started getting my details from her computer system. You see, I did my last medical check up there so they have all my details. Then she started printing sticker labels with my code and a form for me to sign to confirm that it was that package I wanted.

When I read the form, I saw the word ‘period’ which was ticked ‘NO’.

“Excuse me, what does this mean? Does it mean menstruation? If yes, it should be ticked ‘YES’”

“Oh, if you are taking the cancer marker tests which (include the ovary test), it is best the medical check up be taken one week after your menses stopped.”

I smiled and said,” Hmm, if you asked me that question just now, you would not need to print all these, right?”

Poor lady gave me a faint smile before acknowledging my appreciation for her time and my assurance to her that I will be back there the following week.

The moment I walked out of the place, I was thinking “Darn! Why is it so difficult to get a medical check up?! Just when I am mentally and physically prepared for the needles and what not, I have to wait for a week or so to mentally and physically prepare again! Haizz...”

The rest of the day was running errands and attending a house warming party. By the time I got home, I turned on the television to find the HK movie “Mr Cinema” playing half time!

Here I was trying to get my head off thinking the worst for myself; there the show was showing death of a struggling wife. Her last words to the husband the night before she died: “I have no more energy. This morning I woke up doing washing, cleaning and working hard for the family. I told you months ago that the washing machine was spoilt. Every time I mention it, you say you will fix it but you never did.

Today, the gas delivery boy sprained his ankle at the third floor and I, an aging lady of 50, had to help him carry the gas cylinder up here, the top floor! I was extremely tired the moment I reached the last step!

I was just too tired to cook after that and when I saw the piece of pork, I thought of the pork soups you had cooked for your colleagues and buddies. You know, you have never boiled any soup for me??

30 years! 30 years of marriage! I am just tired! I don’t think I can accompany you in chasing your dream anymore....”

This movie is about a struggling wife who tolerated his husband’s generosity to his friends and determination in achieving his dream in the expense of his wife and son, who finally decided to work hard for her own dream but died before achieving it.

Now, why am I talking about this movie when I was talking about my medical check up issue?

Let me explain to you:

After watching that glimpse of the movie, I have decided

I will not live my life with regrets!

I will not have wrong priorities in my life!

I will not be selfish about what I want from people around me.

I will make my life meaningful.

I will continue to make people around me happy.

I will not be all that lady and her husband characters are in the movie!

Let’s put it this way, whatever the tests results will be after I have taken them in a week’s time, I will still be me! I will still live life the fullest and have fun! Life goes on! The earth will still rotate! There will still be sunrise and sunset everyday! Nothing will change! As long as I stay strongly in love with life, nothing will change me! Trust me!

Message of the Day:

I have decided today

That I am going to make it a happy day

Whatever I cannot change, I will accept it with grace

Whatever I can change, I will do it my way

The happy, happy way

Yeay!!

~ LionGirl

p/s:

A GFrenz member forwarded an email titled “No Need To Fear Cancer” just before I posted this. It says three things to survive Cancer attack:

1. Juice fresh Papaya leaves and stalk to drink.

2. Boil Lemon grass and drink as water.

3. Eat Apricot seeds to kill the Cancer cells.

Guess I will drink lemon grass water to start with......

Traditional n Complementary Medicine Exhibition: 12-13 November 2011 @ PWTC

2011-11-03T10:44:00.012+08:00

The result from my hunt for a medical check up promotion for this month!
Yeay!

Leaflet copied from EverydayOnSales-Warehouse-Sale-Promotion

After reading the forwarded email from my dear friend this morning, I realised that I have not had a medical check up for almost 2 years. The last time I did one, which I claimed in my tax returns, was for year of assessment 2009! Wow, how time flies!

I knew I was due for a check up but had deferred it for fear of incompetent nurses withdrawing blood sample from me! The memory of bruised arms caused by 4 times needle into both my arms lingers till now! Ouch! Yes, I should have taken the photograph of that big patch of blue-black! Hmmm, why didn't I ah??

During the same check up, dear cousin fainted! Ahahaha! She forgot to tell the nurses her phobia of seeing blood! One poor nurse had to run out to search for me because I was still circling around for parking space. Probably that was another reason why we did not go for the next check up.

Why the urgency to go for a check up now? Well, this morning's self check for cancer, I realised that one of the sympton was bleeding gums when brushing teeth. I have been having that problem for a while and I thought it was due to heatiness, lack of Vitamins or lack of rest! Today I learn that it could be leukemia in me.

Now, now, please do not be alarmed! Do not instill fear unnecessary. Best solution to clear such doubt is to go for a thorough medical check up and wait for the results. It may not be what I fear it is. It just may not be....

While I continue hunting for a good deal for a complete medical check up, you should also look into going for one if you have not already had. The above exhibition may be a good day's outing to learn about your body and have some tests taken for free.

After all, it is organised by our Ministry of Health. As citizens of this country, we had already paid our taxes which I believe funded this exhibition. Why not take advantage of it and let the government serve us with their "free" services?

Who knows, you may just find me there mingling with you, if I have not found a good package deal then!

See you there!!

.

Cancer: Listen to your Body!

2011-11-01T11:20:00.003+08:00

I do not usually cut and paste email forwards from my friends. However, I find the following very useful to all and feel that you should benefit from it too, if you are reading this now.

With my family history of cancer and as a descendant to a father and a grandfather who died of lung cancer, I am hyper sensitive when it comes to cancer issues. I believe we can take precautions to take care of ourselves from cancer.

Many of my friends are cancer survivors. In other words, with knowledge and early detection, one can prevent or remove cancer cells from one's system.

May you love life and be well and happy always, without cancer.

From the forwarded email:

Annual checkups and tests such as colonoscopies and PSA assays are important, but it’s not a good idea to rely on tests alone to protect you from cancer.

It’s just as important to listen to your body and notice anything that’s different, odd, or unexplainable.

(You should also listen to those close to you, such as a wife or partner, because others sometimes notice things we’re unaware of–or don’t want to admit.)

You don’t want to join the ranks of cancer patients who realize too late that symptoms they’d noticed for a long time could have sounded the alarm earlier, when cancer was easier to cure.

1. Upset stomach or stomachache

One of the first signs colon cancer patients remember experiencing when they look back is unexplained stomach aches.

Those with pancreatic cancer describe a dull ache that feels like it’s pressing inward.

Many liver cancer patients say they went in complaining of stomach cramps and upset stomachs so frequently that their doctors thought they had ulcers. Liver cancer patients and those with leukemia can experience abdominal pain resulting from an enlarged spleen, which may feel like an ache on the lower left side..

If you have a stomachache that you can’t attribute to a digestive problem or that doesn’t go away, ask your doctor to order an ultrasound.

Finding a liver or pancreatic tumor early can make all the difference in treatment.

2. Chronic “acid stomach” or feeling full after a small meal

The most common early sign of stomach cancer is pain in the upper or middle abdomen that feels like gas or heartburn. It may be aggravated by eating, so that you feel full when you haven’t actually eaten much.

What’s particularly confusing is that the pain can be relieved by antacids, confirming your conclusion that it was caused by acid in the stomach, when it’s more than that.

An unexplained pain or ache in lower right side can be the first sign of liver cancer, known as one of the “silent killers.”

Feeling full after a small meal is a common sign of liver cancer as well.

If you have frequent bouts of acid stomach, an unexplained abdominal ache, or a full feeling after meals even when you’re eating less than normal, call your doctor.

3. Unexplained weight loss

If you notice the pounds coming off and you haven’t made changes to your diet or exercise regime, it’s important to find out why. Unexplained weight loss can be an early sign of colon and other digestive cancers; it can also be a sign of cancer that’s spread to the liver, affecting your appetite and the ability of your body to rid itself of waste.

4. Jaundice Pancreatic cancer,

another one of the “silent killers,” is often discovered when someone notices jaundice and asks the doctor to do a battery of tests. Jaundice is most commonly thought of as a yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, but darker-than- normal urine that’s not the result of dehydration is also a sign. Clay-colored stools are another little-known sign of jaundice. Oddly, jaundice can also cause itching, because the bile salts in the bloodstream cause the skin to itch.

Some people with pancreatic cancer say they noticed the itching before they noticed the jaundice itself.

5. Wheezing or shortness of breath

One of the first signs lung cancer patients remember noticing when they look back is the inability to catch their breath. “ I couldn’t even walk to my car without wheezing; I thought I had asthma, but how come I didn’t have it before ? ”, is how one man described it. Shortness of breath, chest pain, or spitting blood are also signs of testicular cancer that’s spread to the lungs.

6. Chronic cough or chest pain

Several types of cancer, including leukemia and lung tumors, can cause symptoms that mimic a bad cough or bronchitis.

One way to tell the difference:

The problems persist, or go away and come back again in a repeating cycle. Some lung cancer patients report chest pain that extends up into the shoulder or down the arm.

7. Frequent fevers or infections

These can be signs of leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells that starts in the bone marrow. Leukemia causes the marrow to produce abnormal white blood cells, which crowd out healthy white cells, sapping the body’s infection-fighting capabilities.

Doctors sometimes catch leukemia in older adults only after the patient has been in a number of times complaining of fever, aches, and flu-like symptoms over an extended period of time.

8. Difficulty swallowing

Most commonly associated with esophageal or throat cancer, having trouble swallowing is sometimes one of the first signs of lung cancer, too. Men diagnosed with esophageal cancer look back and remember a feeling of pressure and soreness when swallowing that didn’t go away the way a cold or flu would have.

Consult your doctor also if you have a frequent feeling of needing to clear your throat or that food is stuck in your chest; either of these can signal a narrowing of the esophagus that could mean the presence of a tumor.

9. Chronic heartburn

If you just ate half a pizza, heartburn is expected. But if you have frequent episodes of heartburn or a constant low-level feeling of pain in the chest after eating, call your doctor and ask to be screened for esophageal cancer.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) — a condition in which stomach acid rises into the esophagus, causing heartburn and an acidic taste in the throat — can trigger a condition called Barrett’s esophagus, which can be a precursor of esophageal cancer...

10. Swelling of facial features

Some patients with lung cancer report that they noticed puffiness, swelling, or redness in the face. The explanation for this is that small cell lung tumors commonly block blood vessels in the chest, preventing blood from flowing freely from the head and face.

11. Swollen lymph nodes or lumps on the neck, underarm, or groin

Enlarged lymph nodes indicate changes in the lymphatic system, which can be a sign of cancer. For example, a lump or an enlarged lymph in the neck or underarm is sometimes a sign of thyroid, head, or throat cancer.

A painless lump on the neck, underarm, or groin can be an early sign of leukemia.

12. Excessive bruising or bleeding that doesn’t stop

This symptom usually suggests something abnormal happening with the platelets and red blood cells, which can be a sign of leukemia. One man with leukemia noticed that his gums bled when he brushed his teeth; another described bruising in strange places, such as on his fingers and hands.

The explanation : Over time, leukemia cells crowd out red blood cells and platelets, impairing the blood’s ability to carry oxygen and clot.

13. Weakness and fatigue

“I had to stop halfway across the yard and sit down when I was mowing the lawn,” said one man when describing the fatigue that led to his discovery of pancreatic cancer. Generalized fatigue and weakness is a symptom of so many different kinds of cancer (and other ills) that you’ll need to look at it in combination with other symptoms.

But any time, you feel exhausted without explanation and it doesn’t respond to getting more sleep, talk to your doctor.

14. Rectal bleeding or blood in stool

“I thought it was hemorrhoids” is one of the most common statements doctors hear when diagnosing colorectal cancer.

Blood in the toilet alone is reason to call your doctor and schedule a colonoscopy.

Another sign of blood in the stool many people miss is stools that are darker in color.

15. Bowel problems

Constipation, diarrhea, and changes in stools can all be signs of cancer.

As with many other cancer symptoms, the way to tell if this is cause for concern is if it goes on for more than a few days without a clear cause, such as flu or food poisoning.

People diagnosed with colon cancer say they noticed more frequent stools, as well as a feeling that their bowels were not emptied completely.

One of the early signs of pancreatic cancer is fatty stools, which can be recognized as frequent, large stools that are paler than normal and smelly. This is a sign that your body’s not absorbing your food normally, and it should be brought to your doctor’s attention.

16. Difficulty urinating or changes in flow

Hands-down, the most common early sign of prostate cancer is a feeling of not being able to start peeing once you’re set to go. Many men also report having a hard time stopping the flow of urine, a flow that starts and stops, or a stream that’s weaker than normal. Any of these symptoms is reason to call your doctor for an exam and a screening test for prostate-specific antigen.

17. Pain or burning during urination

This symptom can also indicate a urinary tract infection or sexually transmitted disease, of course, but in any case it warrants an immediate trip to the doctor. This symptom is often combined with the feeling that you need to go more often, particularly at night. These same symptoms can also indicate inflammation or infection in the prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia, the name for what happens when the prostate grows bigger and blocks the flow of urine. However, you need to get checked out to tell the difference.

18. Blood in urine or semen

Men are often warned about blood in the urine, but they may not realize that blood in semen is also a danger sign for prostate cancer. Blood in the urine or semen isn’t always visible as blood; urine may just be a pink, dark red, or smoky brown color, while blood in the semen may just look like a pinkish streak.

19. Erection problems

As prostate cancer progresses, another very common sign is difficulty getting or sustaining an erection. This can be a difficult subject to talk about, but it’s important to bring it to your doctor’s attention. It could be a sign of sexual dysfunction with another cause, of course, but it’s a reason to have an exam and a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.

20. Pain, aching, or heaviness in the groin, hips, thighs, or abdomen

One sign of prostate cancer is frequent pain in the hips, upper thighs, or the lowest part of the back. Men with testicular cancer report noticing a heavy, aching feeling low in the belly or abdomen, or in the scrotum or testicles themselves. They sometimes describe it as a feeling of downward pulling or as a generalized ache throughout the groin area.

Prostate cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes often makes itself known as discomfort in the pelvis or swelling in the legs.

21. Testicular swelling or lump

The lumps that indicate testicular cancer are nearly always painless.

It’s also common for a testicle to be enlarged or swollen, but lacking any specific lump that you can see or feel.

Some men report feeling discomfort from the enlargement, but not an outright pain.

22. Unexplained back pain

Back pain can mean all sorts of things, of course — most often pulled muscles or disc problems. But unexplained, persistent back pain can be an early sign of cancer as well, so get it checked out.

Pain in the lower back and hips can be a sign of prostate cancer, while pain in the upper back can signal lung cancer.

A pain in the upper abdomen and back is one of the few early signs of pancreatic cancer.

23. Scaly or painful nipple or chest, nipple discharge

Men do get breast cancer; they also get a condition called gynecomastia, which is a benign lump in the breast area. Breast cancer is usually detected as a lump, but if it’s spreading inward it can also cause chest pain.

Other signs of breast cancer include patches of red, scaly, or dimpled skin or changes to the nipple such as turning inward or leaking fluid.

Bring any lump, swelling, or skin or nipple problem, or any chest pain, to your doctor's attention.

24. A sore or skin lump that doesn’t heal, becomes crusty, or bleeds easily

Most of us know how to watch moles for changes that might indicate skin cancer.

But other signs, such as small waxy lumps or dry scaly patches, are easier to miss.

Familiarize yourself with the different types of skin cancer — melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma — and be vigilant about checking skin all over the body for odd-looking growths or spots.

25. Changes in nails

Unexplained changes to the fingernails can be a sign of several types of cancer.

A brown or black streak or dot under the nail can indicate skin cancer .

A newly discovered “clubbing,” which means enlargement of the ends of the fingers, with nails that curve down over the tips, can be a sign of lung cancer..

Pale or white nails can be an indication that your liver is not functioning properly, sometimes a sign of liver cancer.

There! The end of the email!

The end of the email does not mean the end of our checks! We should constantly be on a look out of changes in our body. Ignoring it does not change or stop something that is happening. Face reality and go for a check up! Early detection can save life!

Life is too precious to be giving up easily! There is so much fun to look forward to everyday! Set your mind to happy mode everyday and you'll live a happier person! Remember, the world or a person or a situation does not change to what you want it to be but you can change yourself!

Message of the Day:

Live happy, be happy and stay happy!!

May you have a fruitful day today

Stay pleased and happy everyday!

When you can't change all in every way,

You can change yourself and be gay!

How the world turns, earth will still rotates!

Nothing will change even if you stay grumpy all day!

Bring your mind to the state of joy

Do good, make someone happy and enjoy!

Life's too short to focus only on unjust

Life's more fun to spend with all you love and trust

Love life more and more good appear before your eyes!

~ LionGirl

"On Borrowed Time" by WWF Malaysia

2011-10-31T11:29:00.007+08:00

This post is borrowed from Planet of the Monyets. Thank you, Monyet King, for sharing.

"On borrowed time", a documentary produced by WWF Malaysia and Novista won best Malaysian eco film at the Malaysian Eco Film Fest 2011 over the weekend. It is about 9 minutes long. Do watch it.

On Borrowed Time’, launched in conjunction with this year’s World Tiger Day, looks at the poaching crisis in Belum-Temengor. Wild animals such as Sambar deer (rusa), gaur (seladang), pangolins (tenggiling), serow (kambing gurun), elephants and tigers, have been poached in the forest complex by both local and foreign poachers.

Please spare 9 minutes of your time to watch this video.

Though I am not actively saving animals (literally) and I am not a big fan pet owner, I am no doubt a loyal nature lover! In the past two years, since I started blogging, jungle trekking and into photography, I have loved nature even more!

Before, I would run away from a spot when I hear noises in the bush (fear of snakes crawling out and all) but now, I will wait and see what animal crawls out of it! Many times, it will be squirrels, birds, iguanas and unexpected cute looking animals of the wild! Neh, they will not harm you if you are not there to harm them! For your information, I do not even have a stick in my hand when I trek!

Animals are like us, human beings; they have a life, a family and a home. They also love and protect their loved ones and they also need to eat to survive. They are also another living being! If we treasure our lives, we should also respect theirs!

I agree with Dato' Karim bin Osman who said, "Without the animals in the jungle, there is no meaning of a jungle."

In the first place, we are the ones invading into their homes to build homes for ourselves. How can we drive them off and kill them too! People are already selfish to rob them of their living space, how can some people kill them too to build their wealth?

Killing people is a crime in our human land because we are taking another person's life. We should also make taking a life of an animal a crime in the human law! Let's stop this wildlife crime!! Let's stop the killing before we have nothing alive in the jungle to look forward to meet!

We, the more intelligent ones of all animals, should be able to live with other animals on this planet Earth! After all, who gives us the right to declare we rule it and can kill other living creatures on it?? There are many beautiful animals that had gone extinct. If we kill instead of let live, there will be less of nature left for our children in the future!

Watch the video again if you have not get the message yet. Remember that our actions today will change the future! Let's not deprive your children from enjoying nature, the way we do now, by ignoring what is happening and not lift a finger!

Let's stop the killing and protect the animals of our jungle!
Let's help pass the message:
The more we share the more we spread the more people are aware!

Definition of Forgiveness

2011-10-30T21:29:00.007+08:00

"My definition of forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different."
- Oprah Winfrey

Recently, I believed I had offended someone without realising it. Oh my!

Picture from Yahoo images.

A dear friend was spreading big chunks of butter on her piece of bread and I joked about her plastering the whole block of butter on it! Immediately I could see she was not happy with my remark. (She must be a butter lover and I spoilt her fun by stopping her axes of butter spread on her bread!) As good friends, we just continued our chat as usual. Still, I did not feel good saying what I said!

Hence, when I saw Oprah’s definition of forgiveness in her FaceBook, which I wished I had seeked but discarded it thinking it was not a big enough issue that could severe our friendship, it dawned upon me that I did wish this incident could have been different! I could just shut up and let her be!

This quick wit of mine was not done in good taste and it bothered me so much that I kept it at the back of my mind, to recall immediately when I saw the quote. Does that mean I should really say sorry to her to make the playbacks go away??

I can imagine her saying,

“Neh, did you do that? Oh, I did not even realise you did! Aiyah, no issue, no issue, don’t keep it in your heart! What is this??”

followed by a baby punch on my cheek! Yeah, that’s what dear friends will do!

Will that scenario take place? I believe so, because after all, it was only a passing remark which was meant to be a joke! Still, to me it may be a joke but to her it may be a sarcastic remark! The wise Chinese says: The person saying it may be ignorant but the one listening may feel it significant!

Gee, why am I bothered about this forgive and forget issue. Why am I harping on this? Could it be I value this friendship too much? Could it be I realise I could be a jerk sometimes with my words or language? Could it be I am remorse over my silliness?

Arghhh, I better carry on with life and stop this utter nonsense! What is done is done! Let bygones be bygones. If it was a matter of life and death, it should be something worthwhile discussing but over some chunks of butter?! I must be crazy enough to start it in the first place!

Having said the above, I will say, it takes a person with great courage to seek for forgiveness and a person of big heart to forgive.

Let me console myself that my dear friend has a big heart and that I do not have the courage; to raise the issue and be laughed or jeered at! After all, like another wise Chinese saying, big people will not remember small people’s action (literally translated, hahaha)!

Dear friend, please be the big people and let me be small one lah! Sorry ah.....

Yeah! So simple! It takes only one word to make me feel better! Sorry – is not that hard to say and I meant it when I said it! Hope you feel better too, in case you were really offended that day!

I shall end this "please forgive me" post with Elton John's Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word. Lovely song and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I.

Do you agree with Oprah's "forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different"??