Thanks to Ratu Kedah

i'm signing in..heheh

PC CRASH

elo guys,pc crash. terlalu tension..

Dead People

i know why remembering dead people are easy,
they are never gonna appear again to make things hard for you...

Crisis

A close friend called to confide.relationship crisis again.The thing is with relationships are that they are never permanent.well nothing is permanent, but if we make the best of what we have for the moment, we have no regrets. because we have given the best we can at that time. After such a long time being together, but not proceeding to marriage hurts, but we cant expect our partner to stop or drop certain things for us, when we ourselves cant drop certain things for our partner.never force onto others what you dont want forced onto you!

Either except it as part of him, and cherish it or leave.Say goodbye if your dislike towards it will bother and be the thorn in your relationship in the future. That was my advice.

still the bitter me, i guess.

kenapa bila advice org, kita yg KLMJ lak?
i miss syed ilham today.tak tau kenapa teringat kat dia..

p/s: if this post of mine contradict any of my earlier posts, suffice to say that i write to express myself for the moment.i contradict myself all the time. i dont need any judgments on that.hahahhaaha....banyak betul sesi curhat dalam ni yer..

Bye Bye Bush, Hello Change

Hari ni Barrack H Obama angkat sumpah, as the 44th President of America, and the first ever african american to hold the office.

Not many are talking about goodbyes to Bush.

duties to be recognised by all, responsibilities to be shared. he does have a way with words. being bitter as always, i doubt much change can be expected but, let's hope.

check out the website here.

Updates from the trying to slim down hippo

I am writing this while drinking a cup of hot milo, with the Nikkei Weekly on my side. been wanting to read it since i got it yesterday but, as usual, it has been there.Lepas ni nak look into some homework and do some revision and retire early, so thus the plan.over these few days, i have been hibernating and sometimes not getting to see the sun at all..i am so good at sleeping..of course with help from the medication.Last nite my neighbour came to visit when she heard i was sick, which was a surprise,i thought nobody knew except some friends. i have spent my sick days reading, blog hopping, appreciating the power of silence and solitude..today i have decided to fast more..i realized i dont have to eat as much as i usually do.hahaha
what a lame discovery..hehe..i actually lost some weight over this week.hehe seronok seronok..

but, this time around, sakit tapi takder org fuss around. but come to think of it..nobody actually fussed around much when i was sick pon, maybe because i have never had any long term sickness like this one.(ni pon bukannya lama)..my mom's a nurse but compared to my dad, she is so cool bila anak-anak sakit.. and never encourage us to take even panadol for sakit yang sikit2 ni. Pops will be the one yang kalut, even though its a mere cough. Geng gagak hitam pon takder yang sakit except for gagak kecik since he has tonsillitis, but he is ok now after tonsillectomy.

okla.. need to read my Nikkei Weekly. food for my brains.food for my stomach lom lagi.. malas la nak masak..what shall i eat, i wonder.. fruits pon dah abis..by the way, sekarang strawberry season. strawberry dumplings pon ada..aduss tak kuasa!

ok then. have a great weekend everyone.
dont eat too much oranges.

when i miss my darling

our fav song..

When i miss my darling..i will wear the yellow BUM t-shirt.
He sent me this today:

The worst way to miss someone,
is to have them sitting
right next to you & you know you can
never have them.

i balik nanti!!

BOYCOTT STARBUCKS

This is me supporting the boycott of Starbucks. picture taken somewhere in June 2008. dah lama tak pegi tau..

p/s: still confuse knp Hadi Awang & Karpal Singh mintak Paklah stay on after March, takut ngan Najib ker?

I am so looking forward.

MY WAR WITH ISRAEL

this is the book i so wanna read now.
but its not selling on amazon.

can anyone suggest where to get it?

BRONCHITIS

i am down with it..but its allah's punishment to me.

STINGY

itu yg paling tak suka pasal lelaki. baru terpikir just before nak tido..
that's why i am not with that one person.i remember now.

i need to remind myself frequently.

oyasuminasai minnasan.

CINCIN TOK BAGI HILANG :(

me and tok, many many years ago..

Hari ni ada mende gembira dan ada mende sedih. Hari ni some friends gathered and had lunch together.Hari ni jugak, i realized that the ring yg tok bagi a few years ago hilang.Yesterday i wore it outside, and am suspecting that it must have slipped from my finger when i was removing my gloves.Kalau betul hilang.. Tok..i am so so so sorry.From the bottom of my heart. i know u received the ring from your beloved husband.Babe said i shouldn't panick.gradually things yg hilang akan muncul. tapi macam hilang kat luar rumah jer.... huaaarrgggh..

* cincin dalam Bahasa Melayu adalah bermaksud hiasan yg dipakai di jari.
cincin dalam Bahasa Jepun adalah bermaksud penis. So be careful.

PENANG NO 3.- CHOWRASTA AS THE BOOKS' HEAVEN

This first floor of Chowrasta is heaven for me and i am sure, for many others. But somehow it has become a hidden treasure, which in time, will fade.this is my favourite bookstore in the whole wide world. I didn't know MPH, Kinokuniya,or Borders back then. (they are new anyway) This is a place where I spent my weekends with my dad, when i was a kid. almost all my Enid Blyton books are from here. My Archie's Comics were also from here. my first Mills and Boons (taboo!) was also bought sorok2 from here.This was the place i came searching for my law books,and i still remember my mom came looking for her nursing books here too.i got all my Judith Mcnaught from here and first read Anne Rice, because one of the uncle's there suggested the book to me.

There is nothing u cant fine here. when i started working in Penang, i needed to read on Economics..i was so blurr at that time, and needed to absorb as much as possible,fast.So of course i went to the best!

The owners of these 9 shops, know their books, know the authors and can even suggest books for you. They are kinda quiet in the beginning but if u have something that you are looking for, name it. when i was looking for my law books..they can asked simply -- TORts? Contract? and they know what are textbooks, what are good reads! they can be trusted.They even know where the books are exactly in the stacks that seemed unorganized to the untrained eye. and can even ask questions that can throw you overboard like--WHAT EDITION? hahaah..(aku dah kena)

When i balik kampung back for raya in October 2008, of course i visited the place. Sadly, the place was quiet and had not many visitors. one of the owner said that he is worried who will take over the shop as his children are not interested in this business.i bought some magazines and some V.S. Naipul books.

He old man asked why he has not seen me for a long time and i told him why. I received a English - Japanese Oxford Dictionary from him. terharu sangat.He said its a present, said its a good one as it has sentence example for each word. AND mind you,it is GOOD!

The place also lacks promotion and i think that the Penang Tourism Council should promote 'Book Cave' in Chowrasta more ardently.Most people from outside only visit chowrasta for the jeruk , belacan and lempuk but behold everyone, dont ever miss this place..u can be lost in the musky smell of dry yellow and wrinkly pages and stacks of books..for hours!!

this is definately a place where i want to bring my children to.(when i have them)

all transaction in cash please...bawak beg tarik k..takut tak muat palstik k

Penang No.2- Chowrasta Bazaar

This is my favourite place.This is where i go for my cucuq udang, for my cendol, for my books!sometimes, i also shop for jeruk n buah pala plus belacan here. also lempuk durian!! sedapnyaaaa...people in Penang simply call it-- charosta!

To start of, Chowrasta Market or Pasar Chowrasta is one of the two community markets in inner George Town.Funny the name of the place comes from Urdu, meaning "four cross roads". As is customary, the market place is the usual watering hole for the community, and it is usually positioned where major roads meet. In the case of Chowrasta Market, it is bordered by Penang Road, Jalan Chowrasta, Jalan Kuala Kangsar and Lebuh Tamil.

According to some articles i found, the area around Chowrasta Market has been a settlement for Tamils from Kadayanallur in southern India, since the mid 19th century. For that reason, it was known as "Kelinga Ban San" in Hokkien, meaning "South Indian Market." To this day, there are still shops along Lebuh Tamil that are run by the Tamil community of Chowrasta Market.

The first permanent market building was erected by the Commissioners of the Municipality of George Town - precursor of the Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang, MPPP - in the year 1890, at the cost of $16,471. The structure, which is single storey tall, remained unchanged until 1960. In some old photographs, you can see the front facade with the date 1920 on it. This refers to the extension on the Penang Road side which was put up in that year.

In 1961, the old market was demolished to make way for the new structure, built at a cost of $1,310,000, and is still standing to this day. When it was completed, it was one of the first buildings in Penang to be fitted with escalators, which brings wide-eyed users straight to the wet market level. There were also four service lifts. Both of these have since been dismantled though.

Today, most of the market activities spill out onto Jalan Kuala Kangsar, Jalan Chowrasta, and Lebuh Tamil. the ground floor is practically the wet market, n rows of traders selling jeruk,dried sotong,lempuk,baked red bean buns, belacan, minyak angin etc etc..

as you go up the stairs, there are some food stalls, clothes, shoes, handbags (COACH pon ada you!),ada kedai jual alat2 muslim especially yg nak pi haji, kedai baju budak2 especialy dresses for girls and most important of ALLLLL..my beloved pakcik-pakcik..selling BOOKS!(thats another entry)..make sure u guys walk around chowrasta k....style depa gantung daging n susun ikan pon old school.. check it out!

And taste the cucuq udang (ada tauqua n kuah kacang), the cendol (makan berdiri--santan pekat..perrgghh),air kelapa muda,air rebu, buah berangan goreng, laksa biasa n laksa asam..ya allah..nak balikkkkkk sob sob sob!


Getting there:
-From the Weld Quay Bus Terminal, take the Rapid Penang Bus Nos. T10, T11, U101, U103, U104, U201, U202, U203, U204 or U206 that goes right to the bus stop in front of Chowrasta Market.
- can walk from KOmtAR

PENANG No. 1 - WAR MUSEUM

I am in the mood for writing about Penang..Home Sweet Home. Although i am far away in Japan, i think there are many places in Penang..i want to share my love for some of the best places of my state with all my readers, and hope that more will try out these places plus the wonderful food these places have to offer.

Penang is great for a weekend trip so, all of you out there. CHECK OUT THEM OUT!

My feature this time around is the PENANG WAR MUSEUM (PWM).Said to be the largest war museum in South East Asia, the Penang War Museum was once a British military fortress, later used as a prisoner camp by the Japanese. Above are some photos.Honestly, i feel that the PWM is a great place to visit for all, adults, kids, young and old. The surrounding is green (its situated on a hill) and quiet.

This military fortress was built by the designed by the British in the early 1930s and spans over 20 acres. Dug into the hill of Bukit Batu Maung, the British created underground tunnels that housed intelligence and logistic centers, halls, ventilation shafts, sleeping quarters etc. It was taken over by the Japanese during the Second World War and converted into a POW camp. When the war was over, this fortress was abandoned and "lost" till recently. THE fort lay lost in the jungle for some 57 years. Few locals dared to visit the site as it was reputed to be haunted, in fact they called it Bukit Hantu ("Ghost Hill").It now served as perhaps, one of the youngest living museum in the world for visitors to experience the history, relics and a taste of regimental life of that era. Go into the underground communication rooms and stores, and the more adventurous can explore the narrow dark tunnels. As you walk around and see the pillboxes and canon firing areas you really begin to get a feel that you have stepped back in time. There are some 60 relics to see.

From the canon firing bay to the underground tunnels, the history lessons we learnt in school will come alive. At the Malay and Indian barracks, we felt shivers down our spine as the barracks re-enacted the horrors of WWII, from the torture chamber to the "sex-slave" barrack that was set up by the Japanese.

An explosives dump was situated 4 storeys underground. There was a pulley to bring up the heavy loads (pic.), but the men had to use metal stairs to go up and down to the tunnels. They also had an escape hatch for times of emergency. You can see mortar shells on display at one of the canon firing bays. The six-inch breech guns were used to fire on enemies approaching from the sea. From the site the officers could communicate directly with the Cabinet War Room in London. There is even a submarine-landing bay.

As you walk around, you begin to get some idea of how the largest military complex in Malaysia was run. There are lots of notice boards giving the history of World War II followed by the Japanese invasion in this area. You can imagine how the people lived, trained and fought here. Listen carefully and you can almost imagine the screams of soldiers being tortured or executed here. Many people describe the place as creepy.I myself found it creepy especially at the execution room, where the sword said to be used is still hanging there.

A visit to this gem is a must! Satisfaction guaranteed.


To get there:
Direction: It is located approximately 16km south of George Town on Penang island. Take what the locals call the Coastal Highway (Jelutong Expressway - Sungai Nibong Highway - Bayan Lepas Expressway) towards Batu Maung. Go straight for about 100m after the Batu Maung traffic light. You will see the entrance on your left. The road leading to the War Museum is a uphill and winding road.This museum is not easy to find as it is hidden amid dense forest. The turn-in road is small and can be easily missed, so be carefull, but there are posters around.

Operating hours: 9am to 7pm daily
Admission fee:
RM15 for locals (children half the price)
RM30 for foreigners (children half the price)
Camera fee: RM2 per camera or video recorder
Night tours and dormitory stays, is open daily.
For details, call 016-421 3606 or 04-626 5142

Address: Penang War Museum
No. Lot 1350, Mukim 12, Daerah Barat Daya
Penang, Malaysia

KOPEL

KOPEL is Koperasi Pelancongan Pulau Pinang Berhad or The Penang Tourism Cooperation Ltd. It was formed in August 2005.Many do not know the spirit behind the formation of KOPEL. I too do not know it to the deepest but,i was given the opportunity to now the few people who strained their necks and tried they best to make it a success.I assure all of you that they were honorable and to help to uplift and boost the tourism products in Penang.

visit KOPEL---the gateway to more wonderful places and experiences in Penang! they can be contacted at :

Koperasi Pelancongan Pulau Pinang Berhad (KOPEL)
Tel : (604) 250 - 5500 / (604) 250 - 5502
Fax : (604) 250 - 5501
Email : admin@kopel.com.my / kopel_my@streamyx.com

Go Venezuela!

Venezuela usir Duta Israel
07/01/2009 12:46pm

CARACAS 7 Jan. – Kerajaan Venezuela semalam mengusir Duta Israel ke negara ini sebagai protes terhadap serangan rejim itu ke atas Genting Gaza.

Kementerian Luar dalam satu kenyataan menjelaskan bahawa tindakan mengusir Shlomo Cohen dan beberapa kakitangan di Kedutaan Israel sebagai seruan ke arah keamanan dan kehormatan terhadap undang-undang antarabangsa.

Pengusiran tersebut dibuat ketika Majlis Keselamatan Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) meneruskan perdebatan mengenai prospek gencatan senjata di Genting Gaza dan usaha diplomatik yang giat dijalankan bagi mendesak Israel menghentikan serangan yang masuk hari ke-12 dan telah meragut 660 nyawa.

Venezuela menuduh Israel “melanggar undang-undang antarabangsa secara terang-terangan” dan “merancang menggunakan kekerasan” ke atas penduduk Palestin.

“Dalam saat tragik dan memeranjatkan ini, rakyat Venezuela menunjukkan rasa hormat kepada penduduk Palestin yang mempunyai semangat wira,” demikian menurut kenyataan itu lagi.

Misi Venezuela ke PBB juga akan mendesak Majlis Keselamatan agar mengambil “tindakan segera untuk menghentikan pencerobohan oleh Israel ke atas kawasan Palestin.”

Venezuela mengutuk serangan Zionis ke atas Genting Gaza dan Presiden Hugo Chavez sendiri pada Isnin lalu menyifatkan apa yang berlaku sebagai “penghapusan bangsa” dan menuduh Amerika Syarikat menyokong serangan tersebut. – AFP

-petikan dari Utusan Malaysia Online.

The one with me n Tokyo Tower

Blood n Stone

This is already the second week of the Gaza raids.In the US, mainstream media prioritize Israel's version of the conflict. I have no bombastic words to write about this bloodshed and mass killing, but just to say that this is Bush's goodbye present to the World before he steps down. leaving Obama who thinks he can CHANGE alot of things to deal with the mess.one just wonder why this must go on and on. My prayers for the Palestinians always.

Hamamatsu Boys

this is a classic boyband picture of them in front of Tokyo Station, which i took. totally my fav!

Birthday 2009

Dear all well wishes, thanks.
yes today is again bday, cepatnya masa berlalu.
i turned 23 today. and will do the same for the years to come, by Allah's will.

p/s- need to record that Doctor gigi hensemku wished me happy birthday gak..hehhehehe..senyum sapai telinga!

Unemployment--hello 2009!

The amount of “haken-giri,” or temporary worker cutbacks, have been taking place in drastic amounts. Just this month, Nissan Motors announced that they will be cutting 2,000 temporary workers by next March. In a climate where a third of the working population are employed as temporary staff, this wave of “haken-giri” indicates that the number of homeless will increase drastically. A majority of Japan’s temporary workers live in company dormitories and without a job, forcing them to leave their home. According to a national survey conducted by The Ministry of Health, there will be at least 30,000 non-fulltime employees losing their jobs between the period of October 2008 to March 2009. “Haken Union,” an organization for temporary-employees, posted a statement on their website saying that “If we end the year like this, we will be creating a massive amount of homeless people.”

The hard-hit automobile industry is a large part of this problem. The economic downturn coincides with the end of a three-year employment contract made back in 2006—a year when automobile manufacturers changed their employment system from “contract” to “temporary.” Already dubbed as “the 2009 problem,” thousands have been left terrified about the prospect of finding another job during such hard times.

However, the bleak news doesn’t end there. Unemployed foreign residents, many of them Brazilian, has also increased. Major manufacturing companies in Shizuoka Prefecture's Hamamatsu city have announced plans to cut hundreds of temporary jobs—affecting the thousands of Brazilian workers that live there. Many of them don’t speak Japanese, further inflicting their prospects for re-employment in this industrial city.

Another group of people with struggling employment prospects are the older, middle-aged generation. A quarter of Japan’s temporary workers are over 45-years-old. Not only do they have children and aged parents to support, but their re-employment prospects are much lower than those of the younger generation.

The temporary worker culture was borne out of companies requiring specialists with a specific skill set. They were often paid more than their full-time counterparts and hopped from one company to the next. But now, they are regarded as cheap laborers that are hired to do simple tasks.

This string of “haken-giri” reinforces the criticism leveled at the current temporary employment culture, and forces the government to rethink Japan’s employment laws. Many have voiced strong opinion against this system, criticizing this form of employment as a disposable, convenient scheme for businesses, and ignores their corporate responsibility for the livelihood and wellbeing of the workers.

What we are currently witnessing is not a malfunction in the system but the result of a system destined for failure.

It is crucial that the government and corporations create effective plans to resolve this societal collapse. But any changes made will only happen after millions have greeted the New Year without a home, whilst those that can afford it take advantage of the strong yen and travel abroad, such as to Korea.

tokyo yang sunyi

sunyi pada 1 January. train pon sunyi..tak ramai.
yang banyak perpeleseran ialah alien-alien di Jepun.