Today I will tell....

It has been a year. I still remember what it was like vividly. Coming here was full of excitement, anticipation and a little bit of apprehension. Once I’m here, finding my way around things was a mix of struggle, growing realization, and sometimes frustrations. As time passed, things get easier and familiar. Aha moments came in droves. I start to see and get to know things that I missed or were not aware of in the beginning. Exciting adventures awaits.     Learning the language opens up a whole new world. Although I still have problems forming sentences to speak, I find myself quite able to recognize a lot of words now. I’ve been very eager to pick up the free papers in the morning and find out what’s going on around me. I may not understand an article completely, but most of the time I get a general idea of what it’s about. It’s very satisfying to be able to know from an article that housing prices are falling, even though I can’t make out whether the writer is...

On the day before my wife's birthday, I bought a special chocolate cake and some macarons from one of the "Konditori" in town.   On her birthday, we went to a nice restaurant for dinner. It was one of those places with Michelin star. It's the first time where our orders for more food were refused, until we finish our current ones and ready for the next. Reason being, we're supposed to savour our food immediately after it's served because the foods are being prepared and served at an optimum temperature. That, apparently ensures best flavour and taste. Being simpleton, I can only tell whether it's too hot, or has it gone cold. Taste good, or no good. After the meal, we both thought they deserve Bridgestone, Yokohama & Goodyear stars too.       On my birthday, I get...... this... I'm so....touched and beyond words...       She did cook a nice meal for me afterwards. It's truly "special". A "fusion...

HOW I CAN BE A BETTER MALAYSIAN       1) Realise that it's hypocritical to join the "1 million Malaysian who are sick of the RM2.70/liter Petrol price" while insisting on owning and driving big flashy fuel-guzzling cars despite having alternatives such as smaller and more efficient cars, changing driving habits, own a smaller home, drink water instead of Pepsi, Tiger Beer or Vodka Redbull, indulge in Bangsar Nasi Lemak Pedas instead going to KL Hilton and order foie gras, and make the effort to think of other ways to straighten up my own life rather than blame the fuel price for all problems.       2) Be fair, appreciative, nice and kind towards each other regardless of age, gender, race, political-affiliations and religion. Last I heard, people who stoke racial tension should be arrested under ISA, not merely "reminded".       3) Realise the need to have open and frank discussions especially on subjects that ar...

Wife and I attended a party today. Freja, the daughter of our friends celebrated her 5th birthday in an indoor playground. It's located within a mall, a place for parents to sit, have a cup of coffee and interact with other parents while supervising their children play in a safe environment. Some people may not see hundreds of kids running around, climbing all over each other and screaming their heads off in a single location as 'safe', but the kids are clearly enjoying themselves. And parents who come here truly love their children a lot because this is certainly not a calm and peaceful place for a well-deserved rest on weekends.       The playground has rooms where small private party can be held. We were in one of these small rooms. The parent organised the usual birthday wishes, birthday song and cutting of the cake. I think the kids are just interested in getting the whole thing over with so they can go back to play.       Nope,...

Pak Lah explains meaning of 'Ketuanan Melayu'   Source: The Star Online, April 29, 2008   "The definition of ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) is not about the Malays being in a position to dominate, rule over and force their power upon other races"   “So when we talk about that (Malay supremacy), we mean we must be successful in many fields. It is never about ruling over others, or forcing our power upon them,”   "We are not going to be a race that dominates others. We want to be a party that represents the Malays and that is ready to co-operate for the future of Malays and the people, as Malays will also succeed when all Malaysians are successful."       Abdullah: We can overcome problems with truth   Source: The Star Online, August 7, 2008   "Truth should be discussed in an open manner so that many problems such as religious issues can be solved."   "Despite our differences, we must remain sincere and rea...

WARNING! - This post is about LGBT (Lesbians, Gays, Bi-Sexuals & Transexuals), has contents that may be offensive, and therefore not suitable for everybody. But if you want to continue anyway, FACK YOU!! :-)       HOMOPHOBIA unreasoning fear of or antipathy toward homosexuals and homosexuality       EuroPride is an international lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender event that is hosted by different European city each year. Stockholm is the host for this year's week-long event . Wife and I are not part of this community, but we are curious since there's no such thing back home.   In the weeks leading up to this, we spotted rainblow flags and posters everywhere, promoting this event. People at work talked about it. Wife's gossip kakis also mentioned it. One local TV channel even dedicated its airtime to gay-friendly shows. I've never felt so uncomfortable watching TV before. I mean, I can handle hardcore porn, nudity, coarse...