Phuket day 2 pictures - selected pictures only

group picture at hotel lobby before our tour starts

hotel pool

seashells and pearls costume jewellery and souvenirs

Phuket's 'red light district' , Soi Bangla

lunch at Muslim floating Village, Phang Nga Bay

James Bond Island.

Phuket day 1 pictures - selected pictures only

view of the outside of our hotel entrance - the Millenium Patong - Lakeside hotel

Jungceylon, Phuket's biggest mall, adjacent to our hotel!!!

a group picture at the Wat Chalong

Me outside Wat Chalong

watching the worker processing cashew nuts

with a cute Cherubushka in Jungceylon Mall...

Phuket Square, inside Jungceylon Mall

Phuket Fantasea

Sawadee kaaaa.... witht the Thai ushers...

Inside Phuket Fantasea.....

Basking in the sun

This was taken on my 3rd day in Phuket. We had a couple of hours to kill, so my room mate and I decided to hit the gym and pool for a bit. :-p
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

My trip to phuket in words - Day 4

All good things must come to an end.. Did not do anything much except finalize packing of luggages and hauling it down to the lobby for the luggage transport to the airport.
Eshah and I hopped over to the beachside hotel to take a few pictures and return to the lakeside hotel for the last breakfast at the Bistro.
I had omelette with onions, mushroom and cheese and lots of mangosteen, some papaya and banana, just for kicks.
Our bus transferred us to the airport and we bid a sad farewell to Anu, our dear Thai tour guide. She had been a good sport and had kept us entertained with jokes, songs and such.
We took some pictures with her and of the group and we checked in our luggage and made our way to the departure hall/ boarding gates.
Inside, Eshah and I were tempted at the duty free, and even more when one of our group came out from there brandishing a couple of small bottles of Davidoff Cool Water for ladies perfume she bought. Giving in to temptation, I enlisted kak Rohana's help in buying a bottle of DKNY Be Delicious which was really much cheaper then in Malaysia, and which I could not resist as I had loved that scent since the first time I smelled it. Eshah bought a bottle too..
We had a yummilicious pineapple waffles served on flight and bid our farewells in KLIA before heading our own way...
Back to real life, work, family, commitments and everything... Sighh...
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

A big thanks...

... to everyone who visits my blog... amazing... I've gotten more then 25, 000 visitors already. Thanks all for making this possible.. I know I am nothing much, I just enjoy sharing whatever I can... but thank you to everyone reading this... hugs

Trip to Phuket in words (day 3)- 20th May 2011

Woke up at 4.30am local Thai time. Fiddled around with my luggage and things before taking my bath and with that, giving my dear room mate Eshah a wake up call. I have already notice each time I take a bath, she would wake up.
Waited until she finished her bath and we took the hotel's Tuk Tuk to the beachside hotel where we walked from there in the early morning to the Hard Rock Phuket, just to take a few pictures and a stroll to Patong Beach and back via Soi Bangla. In the early morning, it was quiet and less seedier then it was at night. But there were a few hookers and lady boys around still guzzling beer and hoping or looking for customers.
We made it back to our hotel and breakfast with our group at the bistro and hopped on the tour bus to head towards the Island Safari Camp.
There, we got to get on top of real live elephants- all of us!!! Two people on an elephant. It was exhilarating and also scary. I guess the scariest part was when the elephant stepped down into a little stream and we were kind of tilted. But it was fun and we took lots of photographs even though we were not really supposed to.
Then we got to watch an elephant show and a monkey show and got on top a bullock cart for a ride and yet another group photograph.
We left the camp to head to Chalong Bay to the Angkae seafood restaurant with a view to just die for or at least admire to the point of breathlessness.. It was just so picturesque and calming and the food was just fabulous!!! There was a simply gorgeous steamed snapper, lovely black pepper crabs, prawns, yummy tom yum, and deliciously rich seafood dish cooked in what seems like the "Penang Nyonya Laksa Lemak". And served inside a coconut!!!! Eshah and me could not get enough of it!!!
After meal, all of us gathered at the edge of the restaurant to take lots of pictures of the gorgeously blue Andaman sea.
Eshah bought us both an ice lolly, on seeing our tour guides sucking on one and it was delish!!!
The bus took us back to Wat Chalong for a bit as some of us still wanted to get some of the souvenirs there, after realizing that the souvenirs there were cheaper then anywhere else in Phuket.
We went back to the hotel and had our free and easy time. Eshah and me quickly went up to our hotel, changed our clothes and hit the gym for a good 15 mins and then the pool for another 10 mins, just to be able to enjoy the hotel facilities for a bit before showering and heading back out to Jungceylon and the surrounding area for some more shopping and so on.
Souvenirs were exhorbitantly costly there!!! I did not get to but as much souvenirs as I had thought to.
We then headed back to the hotel and got ready for dinner. Dinner was again at the Royal Paradise hotel.
After dinner, a few of us were left behind because we had booked tickets to the Phuket Simon Cabaret show.
Whilst waiting for the van to come pick us up, we went window shopping and I decided to just give in to my husband's urging of trying out the Thai massage. It was relaxing, before my masseur started forcing my body into twists and turns which made me grunt and squeak in surrender. But after the massage, my body really felt so much less stressed and lighter. I practically floated back to the hotel just in time for the van pick up. We went for the cabaret which was really interesting and funny. Those lady boys were fabulous!!!
After the cabaret, the lady boys filed outside in their glory and invited us to take pictures with them. However, if you were to take photo with them, you'll have to pay them a 'tip' of at least 100 bahts . One of my group took a picture with two of them and was 500 bahts poorer, because he had no small change!!!!
Knackered, we went back to our hotel- the Millenium and went to bed, at least that was what I did... :-(
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Phishing, scamming, cheating online

I have 3 email address, one of my main email address is over 12 or 13 years old. And everyday, I get emails from stranger wanting to "request my assistance" or so, wanting to give me a huge amount of money that I think by now if I accepted everyone's kind offer, I would be richer then Bill Gates by now... Or NOT...
Even Microsoft, Coca Cola, Hyundai, and lots of companies tell me I won some lotteries or lucky draw. Western Union tells me to go collect hundreds of thousands.
And lately, banks ask me to verify my account or have my account blocked. Hmm... Silly me, I just ignore and delete them all!!!! If I did not, perhaps I would have had enough money to go around the world with my family, pay off my debts, probably buy myself an island or a private jet, donate tens of thousands to deserving causes and all.
But you see, the funny thing was I did not have an acct in the bank that sent me that message and there was an incident when Yahoo send me a email asking to reverify my email and I sent it on directly to yahoo and Yahoo themselves said they never send it and it was a scam.
Fellow readers here, fellow friends, don't be so gullible and don't fall for all that tricks. They will only make your life more difficult and harder as per in the newspaper today (The Star 27/5/11 ) . Never do anything online. If you need to, go get it verified in your bank or call them first at your regular place.
In the newspaper, they mention a session court judge, an acct exec and all falling for that trick and losing all the money in their bank acct. Heck.. Those crooks made more then RM4 million on that only!!!!
Wise up and it's always better to be cautious, suspicious and safe then sorry.
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

The story of Narcissus (taken from NSTP's Niexter 26/5/11)

In the Greek mythology (Ovid, Metamorphoses, iii 370), Narcissus (or Narkissos in Greek), was the name of a youth who was reowned through the land for his beauty.
So vain was he that he looked down on everyone else and turned down many who wanted to love and be loved by him.
Aminias, one of those spurned by him killed himself with a dagger Narcissus gave him. As he lay dying, he asked the gods to teach Narcissus a lesson for the pain he had caused.
Nemesis, the Greek goddess of divine retribution (punishment) responds, and leads him to a spring where he sees his own reflection and falls madly in love with it.
Not realising that what he sees is in fact a reflection in the water, he tries to get at it. When he cannot get what he desires, he falls into the lake and dies.
He is then turned into the flower Narcissus and lives on to this day as a reminder of the penalty of vanity.
And from Narcissus's obsession with himself, comes the word Narcissism.
So the next time you stop in front of anything reflective to preen, make sure Nemesis isn't watching you!
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Some naughty shirts spotted at a souvenir shirt kiosk at the Jungceylon mall...

Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Boat at the Muslim fishing village in Phang nga

Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

My Phuket trip in words - Day 2

I woke up at 4.30am and went to take my shower. It woke Eshah, my roommate up. We got ready. I decided to use the cloth I bought at the Wat Chalong as a blouse. We left our hotel room and wandered around the hotel lobby taking some pictures and decided to visit the Beachside wing, since we were staying at the lakeside wing but could not find a short cut there, so I asked the concierge who told us that we could use the hotel's Tuk Tuk to the other wing. On learning it was complimentary, we jumped at the offer.
Eshah and me went to the Beachside wing. They had a lounge there and steps to the 1st floor restaurant. We wandered there and I came across Arif, my colleague and friend from my home branch office and decided to have some breakfast there with Arif and the other group, most which were heading home on that very day.
After breakfast, we went to check out the swimming pool area and such before heading back to our own wing via the hotel's Tuk Tuk.
Then we went to our swimming pool area, found it bigger then the beach wing pool with satisfaction, and took note of the gym and the spa there as well.
Then we went to join our group E2 for another round of breakfast..
Then our tour bus along with our two trusty guides, Marcia from Malaysia itself and Anu from Thailand headed north of Phuket island into Phang Nga and to the bay area where we boarded a boat to Ko Pingan where the James Bond island is. We passed lots of pretty shaped limestone 'islets' and islands and under one of it which has a 'tunnel'. There were lots of people canoeing around the area. We took some pictures, group pictures and explored the little narrow caves around there. It was fun.
We came back and stopped at the Malay fishing village for lunch. The food was sumptuous. More seafood.. Fish, prawns, crabs.. My eldest daughter won't know how to appreciate this fare but me, I loved it.. Minus the rice.
We headed back to shore and then visited a t shirt 'factory' and also the world's biggest Gems store. I did not have enough money to buy me a pair of pearl earring as my debit card refused to work!!! :-(
And only settle for a pretty heart shaped oyster necklace for myself, instead, which set me back 290 bahts.
Then we headed for dinner at a muslim restaurant called Marina kitchen. The food was nice but spicy.
We then went back to the hotel, got ready and a few of us planned to meet up for a sojourn into Phuket's red light district of Soi Bangla.
It was pretty titillating and interesting seeing ladies and also lady boys gyrating and pole dancing. Many tourists, like us, as well as punters and their would be clients would ogle and salivate over them. There were also a big number of sexy ladies and lady boys inclusive, obviously prostitutes hawking their wares in incredibly short and tiny dresses. We wandered down the road, took some pictures and went in search of some massage.
Finally, a couple of us and me settled for foot massage in a little cozy place near Jungceylon for 300 bahts for an hour. It was a nice experience and tired as I am, I fell asleep and even started storing, to my chagrin and embarrassment. When it was over, we walked back to the hotel and tucked ourselves into bed, drained out from the eventful day.
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

At the hospital...

Oh what a bore and oh so terrifying.. I squirm at the idea of spending a night at the hospital but am being forced to spend the night here tonight.. At the surgery ward in the Putrajaya Hospital.
I have an aversion to hospitals and I hope I do not have to stay in one for any long period of time. This fear or aversion probably comes from the time my grandmother was hospitalised for over a year back when I was just a little girl.
Something about hospitals scares me and I am being forced to come and spend a night here to take care of my mother because she just finished her operation.
The operation was at her left side of the neck and they removed a few lymph nodes, the biggest measuring up to 2.5cm.
Staring at her neck , I get so worried when she starts fidgeting and moving, afraid the wound will open as they only "glue it" to seal the surgical cut.
Miss Anita, one of the surgeons in charge has been in to see her and has since left pronouncing her ok, but that we will have to go for further radio iodine treatments. Sighhhhh.
Anyway , my mother is resting and well, I , I am bored like hell, just my blackberry for companion.. So I can blog, facebook or chat on my BBM... Thank God for my faithful best friend... And I hope my mom gets better soon so I can go home to my baby and my comfy bed tomorrow...
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

My Phuket trip in words.. Day 1 (18th May 2011)

(Selected pictures will follow later on in another blog)
I woke up at 3.30am, despite feeling tired. I have been lethargic all week and so on, but excitement this time kept me from having a good night rest.
I finished my last minute packing, and locked my luggage before hauling in downstairs. Then I took a shower and my dear husband sent me to the KL Sentral station.
After debating with myself on either taking the bus (a much cheaper option at only RM10 for 50mins ride) or the ERL - Express Rail Link aka KLIA express (RM34 for 28mins ride) , I gave in and took the ERL, thinking I'd like to be there at the airport early, and not late.
I got to the airport at 6.30am sharp, the supposed meeting time at the airport. When I got there, no one was at the airport. I started calling a few of my group members. One said she was still at home. At home? My mind panicked. Another said he was on the way with the coach transfer the company had arranged from their branch office.
5 minutes later, my phone rang and my designated room mate asked me where I was. I was at the departure hall blankly staring at the screen and lifts and told her so and she hurried up with her luggage and all beaming from ear to ear.
We dragged our luggages to the ladies and took turns going in. Then we went browsing at the duty free perfume shops, the book shop, the chocolate shop whilst waiting for the rest to turn up. Finally, everyone did and we checked in our luggages and got our boarding passes and went to McDonald for a happy meal.. Imagine.. Two grown women eating happy meal at the airport.. We wanted the toy which was a Sponge Bob plastic cup for our kiddies, you see.
Anyway, after our mc Donald's meal and some more window shopping, we finally went inside pass immigration to the boarding area. There was more sighs and wishing at the duty free perfume shop and also toy shop. My room mate and me plotted and planned to get a perfume.. And that was if we had enough money to go about after the trip.
Our flight was at 9.30am and it was called and we boarded. Eshah, my roommate got the window seat and I got the seat next to her. We enjoyed the view, took pictures and all and err.. Food was served!! It was a choice of nasi lemak or beef and mash potatos and so, not wanting rice, I opted for the beef and mash potatoes. It was yummy.
Our flight was short, just an hour and fifteen mins and the poor cabin crew had to hurry. Just as they just finished serving food and drinks, they had to start collecting the trays again.
We arrived at the Phuket International airport at 9.45am (strange, I thought it was amusing that our flight on paper took only 15 mins- but Phuket, like Indonesia is an hour behind Malaysia)
We got our faces scrutinized, photographed and passports stamped before collecting our luggage and moving out.
Outside, a couple of beautiful Thai ladies welcomed us with seashell and beads garland and a photographer took our pictures.
We boarded our designated group tour bus and was taken to our first stop... Errr... Brunch...
My room mate and I started groaning about having too much to eat.
Imagine!!! 3 meals in less then 5 hours???
Anyway, the spread was delicious and tempting and so we tucked in on the tom yam, fried fish, stir fried vegetables and ulam and sambal. It kinda felt like in Malaysia as the restaurant had pictures of Malaysia all over the restaurant!
After our meal, we felt fuller then ever and the bus took us to the Porntip sea store. There were snacks of all kinds and nice stuff but the prices were inflated, being a touristy place. Then we went to the cashewnut factory and they sold all kinds of cashew nut goodies of all flavors and errr... Even fried worms or rather bamboo caterpillar... Euuuwww... No way was I gonna try it, no matter how crispy it is or so.. Then we went to the Wat Chalong. The temple was striking.. In cream, red, gold etc.. We took our first group photo there. Then we went shopping. The souvenirs there were I think the cheapest you can find around Phuket. I bought my daughter a nice suit and for myself a wrap around material which can be used for a scarf, shawl, blouse, skirt or so on. I also manage to get some magnets and keyrings (for clients and friends).
We left Wat Chalong and made our way to Patong to our hotel. The first thing we saw was the Jungceylon mall.. Oh wow.. Our hotel, selected and paid for by the company was the Millenium hotel and it was adjacent to the mall.
We put our luggages in the room and took a shower and then rushed downstairs and burst through the adjoining door to the mall to find some top up for our local Thai numbers. We had been given the card whilst in the airport and so...
We manage to sight see or at least feast our eyes a little in the mall before being forced to go back to the hotel to board our bus to our dinner venue at the Royal Paradise hotel.
We then sneaked out to the roadside to take a peek at the road side stalls there, very much like what you can find along the stretch of Batu Ferringhi , Penang. Then we were grouped up back into the bus which shuttled us to our next destination.. The Phuket Fantasea, along Kamala beach.
The Phuket Fantasea was an interesting place.. There were just so much to see and do.. And even elephant rides if you wanted one. They even had white tigers and snakes but I missed out on that.
Then we gathered at the Palace of the Elephants for the show. We had to surrender our mobile phones and cameras.
And.. then.. I went extravagant. There were photo opportunities with characters or even 2 baby elephants and.... an absolutely adorable tiger cub. Now that was something I just could not resist.
Eshah and me coughed up the exhorbitant fee of 850 bahts (about RM85) for the opportunity to take a picture with the little fella who was more busy sucking his milk bottle then focusing on us in significant humans. We consoled ourselves saying that it was a good cause and we were donating to the little fella's up keep and food for a week.
Later, we watched the show, which actually did not really make any sense to me but was interesting, colourful and amazing. I think the amazing came from the well trained animals which ranged from elephants, buffalos, goats, pigeons, the tiger cub and also chickens!!!! And they all know their part, as where to go, what to do.. Hmmmm...
After the show, we had to fight the humongous crowd to get out cameras and mobile phones back and then knackered, boarded our bus back to the hotel and sleep...
Our bed was just as comfy as it looked.. Mmm
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Tom Yum Gung recipe...

3 cups of chicken stock; 3 kaffir lime leaves
2 stalks lemongrass, cut side way
300 g shrimps, shelled and deveined
2 inch galangal, peeled and sliced
5 small green or red chillies
10 g coriander leaves and stems, sliced
100 g straw mushroom, halved

Seasoning: 3 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp lemon juice

Bring the stock to boil.
Add lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and gallangal, then add the shrimps and mushrooms.
Simmer until the shrimps are cooked. Add the seasonings and chillies. Garnish with sliced coriander.

The soup should be spicy-sour and a little salty...

(Alternatives: can add fish meat, shell fish and squid inside as well)
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

My favourite photo extravagance in Phuket

Am back from Phuket and I swear it is a really expensive place.
I spent RM125 on 3 souvenir photos, two taken by "paparazzis" following us around.. Hmmpphh..
I did not buy another 3 photos which would have set me back RM50!!!
But well, my favourite photo extravagance was this photograph.. This was totally voluntary and I think the most expensive one at the Phuket Fantasea. I paid 850 bahts about RM85 or RM90 for it!! I just could not say no, because tigers are among my most favourite animals and so.. You guess it!!!
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Super awesome gifts from my sister in law..

My dear sister in law went to Brussels and London for work and she brought me these super awesome gifts to die for!!! I got a nice Buckingham Palace and Harrods shopping/tote bag, a tin of Harrods Teddy Bear Shaped butter short bread and postcards from Brussels.. Anne got a nice tin pencil box, a box of chocolates from the Buckingham Palace giftshop, some pretty colourful socks and a lovely tin of Harrods candies and chocolates in the Harrod's London postbox which is also a coin box..
Thanks ever so much to my dear sis in law.. Love the gifts truely, madly, deeply.. Hehehe
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

My motivation...

The picture with this blog here of mine is of my favourite snow globes and also one of my treasured fridge magnets.
They are my reminders and my motivation for next year.
Tokyo, Japan or Los Angeles, California (USA) is target based at my company. Public Mutual is sending agents who qualify to either place, there is another place, Guang Zhou, China, but I am not that excited over that prospect, thus I need to try my utmost best to qualify for Tokyo, at very least.
At the same time, you might notice the Cambodia snowglobe in the picture.. Well, easy, I hope to be able to save enough money and scrap together a few friends and see if we can travel cheap to Siem Riep, Cambodia as I would dearly love to see the beauteous and famous Angkor Wat up close and personal, if I can..
Ok, I know I earn enough to be able to afford it, but the problem is I have a lot of things to pay up and a family to feed, too.. So it's a little tough..
So, wish me all the best.. Hugs
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Fat me...

Something makes me ponder.. Lately, this week especially, lots of people (including my mother in law and my dear hubby ) said I put on weight.
And yes, I admit it's true, I look awful in many of the pictures taken in the latest NSC and AAN (Public Mutual functions)
However, it puzzles me, for the whole of last week, I had barely eaten anything. I've only touched half a plate of rice and at other times eating nothing but noodles(even this was cut down) or just dishes.
At the NSC luncheon, I only ate 4 small thin slices of the cuttlefish curry, vegetables, broccoli and a piece of fish.
Even last night at the Annual Awards dinner night, I only ate the first few courses and sparingly, skipping even the buttered prawns and fried rice and dessert except for the honey sea coconut.
I have definitely laid off eating much chocolate as well.. So it really is mind boggling to me why I am looking so bloated. Is it an illness festering inside me or what? Hmm... Thyroid problems like my mom? Or is it just paranoia and stress getting me work up like this?
Well, whatever it is, I hope I can look better for my Phuket trip in a couple of days time... 0_o
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Annual Awards Dinner invitation and Phuket tour booklet

We've gotten our AAN (Annual Award Dinner) invitation which will be held at the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre this coming Sunday (15th May) and our tour booklets..
Yours truly is only headed to Phuket, and flying off on the wee hours on the 18th May.
Come join us if you are interested in exploring your potential in achieving more. All these depends on just how much you want it.
Next year, we will either be jetting off to Ghuang Zhou, China, or Tokyo, Japan or Los Angeles, USA.. So come join us...
Call Dzul Rashidi at 0176830333 or Miera at 0123386033
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Achieving your dreams..

Do you think it is possible to achieve your dream of financial freedom and time freedom while working for the government or private multi-national companies or the banking institutions etc.

Well, I've seen quite a number of people who started charting their destiny while working for someone else in the beginning.

Initially, they looked up articles on home-based businesses, then fine tuned it into unit trust business -Public Mutual (as we are the biggest and the no 1 unit trust company in Malaysia).

So what people do is that, they come to our unit trust business opportunity at Public Mutual Bangsar Branch Training Centre, understand what it means and what it takes to be a unit trust consultant, sign the application form and within 2 weeks they attend the full day training to prepare them for the 2-hour exam in the next 2 weeks. Then once they passed their exam,(the result is immediately known), they can start prospecting to start building their business.

In the unit trust business, we learn as we grow. The knowledge garnered can be practiced there and then. Never stop learning as every new day, every new customer or prospect teaches us something new.

Imagine, even whilst working for someone else, you can start building your DREAMS in about 1 month to set the foundation. If you like what you are doing, you will do it wholeheartedly. You will be capable of generating an additional 4 figures to 5 figures a month within a year of doing the unit trust business while working with your existing company. Ultimately, you can resign from the company, should you choose to do just that.

Furthermore, you could be travelling to exotic locations, all paid for 5 star tours etc, all free of charge, paid for by the company, like us!!!

But it's vital to try not to make enemies with your friends and bosses in your existing company because you would need them to help grow your unit trust business whether as prospects or referrals.

Interested to explore more? Please contact Dzul Rashidi at 0176830333 or Miera at 0123386033
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Female Logic

A married couple is driving along a highway doing a steady forty miles per hour.
The wife is behind the wheel. Her husband suddenly looks across at her and speaks in a clear voice.

"Darling," he says. "I know we've been married for twenty years , but I want a divorce."

The wife says nothing, keeps looking at the road ahead but slowly increases her speed to 45 mph.

The husband speaks again. "I don't want you to try and talk me out of it , he says ,
"because I've been having an affair with your best friend and she's a far better lover than you are."

Again the wife stays quiet, but grips the steering wheel more tightly and slowly increases the speed to 55.

He pushes his luck. "I want the house," he says insistently.

Up to 60.

"I want the car, too," he continues.

65 mph.

"And," he says, "I'll have the bank accounts, all the credit cards and the boat."

The car slowly starts veering towards a massive concrete bridge.

This makes him a wee bit nervous, so he asks her:
"Isn't there anything you want?"

The wife at last replies - in a quiet and controlled voice.

"No, I've got everything I need." she says.

"Oh, really?" he inquires, "so what have you got?"

Just before they slam into the wall at 75 mph, the wife turns to him and smiles. "The airbag."

Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

The generous vegetable seller..

The generous vegetable seller

by Esther Liang

After the morning hustle and bustle, the atmosphere at Taitung county's Central Market quietens as every stall shuts for the day and their owners return to the comfort of their homes.

A lone lamp shines on a vegetable stall. With head bowed, Ms Chen Shu-chu silently sorts out the vegetable leaves as she waits for the occasional afternoon customer.

Decades of hard work have caused the fingers on her right hand to curl and joints to swell; her feet have deformed slightly.

Ms Chen leads her life with a daily routine. Waking up at three in the morning, she makes her way to the vegetable wholesaler and sets up her stall, which she tends till seven or eight in the evening.

Being the first to arrive and last to leave, the other stall owners have fondly given her the title of "market manager".

In the dark and damp market, Ms Chen, nearing her 60s, holds the stall her father left her dearly.Yuan-Jin Vegetables is her everything.

With her vegetables selling at "a bundle for NT$30 (S$1.30), three bundles for NT$50", she earns only marginal profits.

Yet, her frugality has allowed her to donate about NT$10 million towards various charitable causes, including helping schools, orphanages and poor children.

The selfless generosity of a woman with such humble income has placed her under the international spotlight.

In March, Forbes magazine named her one of 48 outstanding philanthropists from the Asia-Pacific region. A month later, Time magazine selected the year's top 100 influential people and she emerged under the Heroes of Philanthropy category.

Fellow Taiwanese and Oscar- winning director Lee Ang wrote her entry personally. "Money is worthy only if given to those in need," he quoted Ms Chen. He also wrote: "Amazing, but of all she has given away, her greatest gift is leading by example."

KINDNESS BEGETS KINDNESS

Despite the honour of receiving the Time award in New York, gaining global recognition, and a personal meeting with President Ma Ying-jeou, all Ms Chen really cares about is her vegetable stall.

If not for President Ma and the Foreign Minister personally convincing her to go, she would not have agreed to visit New York, as she felt that "this is not a competition and I did not win anything".

Amid the frenzy of applying for a passport and preparing for the visit, her main concern was that her regular customers would not get their vegetables.

Ms Chen has become a celebrity in Taitung county. The local authorities decorated her stall with congratulatory posters and banners hailing her as the Pride of Taitung and the Model of Philanthropy.

There are fans who turn up at the stall with a vegetable basket and a camera, hoping for a picture with Ms Chen.

Despite all the attention, she remains humble. "I have done nothing extraordinary and anyone who wants to can do it.

There are many other charitable people; we just don't know about them," she said. Ms Chen, who is unmarried, added: "I do not place great importance on money. When I donate to help others, I feel at peace and happy, and I can sleep well at night."

She also feels for the poor, having experienced hardship in her younger days.

Born in 1950, Ms Chen lost her mother after completing her primary-school education. Her mother was admitted to hospital because of difficulties in labour and the family had to pay an insurance of NT$5,000 before medical attention could be granted.

Ms Chen saw her father asking their neighbours for money, but it was too late to save her mother. The eldest daughter in the family, Ms Chen had to grow up overnight.

She gave up her studies and dedicated her life to helping at the vegetable stall.

When she was 18, her younger brother fell sick and the illness dragged on for over a year, gradually depleting the family's savings.

Doctors suggested that the family send her brother to Taiwan National University Hospital, but they could not afford the fees.

Mr Huang Shun-zhong, a teacher at Ren-ai Primary School, started a donation drive.Unfortunately, her brother could not be saved.

After experiencing the kindness bestowed upon her family, Ms Chen made up her mind to help the poor once she was able.

When her father died 17 years ago, Ms Chen, a devoted Buddhist, generously donated NT$1 million to Fo Guang Shan Monastery.

In 2000, she donated NT$1 million to her alma mater, Ren-ai Primary School, to set up an Emergency Relief Fund to help poor children obtain financial help.

SIMPLE LIFE WITHOUT LUXURIES

Assisting in the setting up and maintenance of the fund is Mr Li Guo-rong, who teaches Ms Chen's nephew.

In 2001, Mr Li had a plan to build a library for the school and estimated the cost to be between NT$4 million and NT$5 million.

When he approached Ms Chen, in the hope that she might contribute NT$50,000, Li was shocked when she said she would fund the entire project.

The school was sceptical, but Ms Chen was determined.

In May 2005, the two-storey library was completed and named Chen Shu-chu Library in honour of the "Vegetable Market heroine" alumnus. She had donated NT$4.5 million.

Ms Chen's ability to donate such large sums of money has led many to ask: How can a mere vegetable seller earn so much?

"Spend only what you need, and you'll be able to save up a lot of money!" said Ms Chen.

Since 1996, she has donated NT$36,000 to help three children in the Kids Alive International organisation.

To achieve this, she explained that she empties her loose change into three little cardboard boxes at home every night.

"This is a simple act that anyone can do, isn't it?" she said.

Ms Chen leads a very simple life without any luxuries. She does not have any desire for material gain nor any form of enjoyment.

Work, she said, is her enjoyment. "I love my work. If I didn't, would I be able to work 16 hours a day?"

All she needs is food and a place to sleep. Everything else is a luxury. She does not buy expensive clothes as "I do not socialise much, hence, there is no need for such beautiful clothes. The clothes from the roadside stalls are good enough for me, and, even then, I like to bargain".

Her daily meals cost less than NT$100: a bowl of vegetarian rice and a bowl of noodles for NT freeze whatever that cannot be finished, spend another NT$20 on a can of gluten and add that to the rice with some hot water.

"This becomes porridge and is very tasty," she said.

HER HAPPINESS PRINCIPLE

She also sleeps on the hard floor, a habit from her younger days when she started working at the vegetable stall.

The comfort of her warm bed made getting up early to go to the wholesaler very difficult, especially during the cold winter months. Hence Ms Chen made up her mind to sleep on the cold floor, where she would not run the risk of being late.

Has business improved after winning the award? "Business is as usual," she said. "I still need to sell my vegetables. Not much has changed."

Advertisers have approached her to film commercials; financial managers have offered to manage her finances and other well-wishers have offered to donate money. She rejects these advances politely.

"It is easy to return borrowed money, but difficult to return a favour," she said.

"I have to be very careful in handling money matters," she added. Even when customers tip her, she refuses to accept.

"Buying from my stall is already a form of support," she explained.

The only commercial Ms Chen was willing to take on was for the Bureau of National Health Insurance, in memory of her beloved mother. She requested all shoots be done beside her stall so as not to affect her business.

The only payment she was willing to accept was a black T-shirt given by the Bureau.

Since her return from New York, Ms Chen has been working even longer hours. She has a new goal: To collect NT$10 million to set up a Chen Shu-chu Bursary aimed at helping poor children pay for school fees and medical bills, things she could not afford as a child.

"All I need is to sell a few more vegetables, save a little more money, in addition to a number of insurance policies that are near the end of their term. A lot of people are also willing to donate. I am sure there won't be any problems," she said.

Mr Li, who treats Ms Chen like a sister, said that setting up the bursary is actually a good way to let her retire from selling vegetables and start influencing society with her reputation, in the hope that there will be more generous "Chen Shu-chus".

As for Ms Chen, she said: "My philosophy in life is simple: If doing something makes you worried, then it must be a wrong thing. If it makes you happy, then you must have done the right thing. What others say is not important."

She is content with what she has and feels that as long as she "lives a life she wishes for and does the things she wants, that is good enough".


(this is not my own work.. I got it via email so am just posting here to share with friends...)

Errrmmmm...?

(hi sweetie...
sending you my naked picture i made today, hope you like it :)
c ya tommorow

kisses..)

Errmm... I am feeling kinda speechless having opened that email and reading that message... Who won't be? And what makes it weirder was it was sent by a girl/ lady called Iris.. Hmmm..I naturally DID NOT open the picture or the so called attachment as no1, I was surfing from my Blackberry and ,no2, heaven knows what kind of virus might attack my email or laptop/ Blackberry and no3 I am not a pervert.
However, it also brings to mind the games con men or ladies play to con unsuspecting victims into parting with their wealth or what so ever... Scary...
Now, how about sending me a gorgeous nude pic of some playgirl hunk or so into my email mailbox.. LOL.. Just kidding...
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Masjid India bazaar

It's amazing how many people you can find thronging shopping malls and bazaars, irregardless of a country's good economy or bad economy.
Just go to the nearest bazaar, market or shopping mall and you'll find crouds a plenty... That is unless you live in a very small and isolated area.. That is.. :-p

Pictured here is a scene of a work day in Malaysia's Masjid Jamek Bazaar...
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Happy sweet 16th birthday to my dear eldest daughter

My eldest turned 16! Reluctantly, I threw her a party at a cafe. I only wanted a small party, so it suited me fine that I found a cosy little place in Evoke -I cafe in Prima Sri Gombak. They gave me a nice venue and setting for very reasonable price per head.
We had fried rice, fried bee hoon, spring rolls, sauteed black pepper sausages and cucur udang / prawn fritters, fruits (water melon and oranges) and teh tarik and rose syrup.
We had only very close relatives and very close friends invited (so sorry to those not invited...- not enough budget)
Anyway, as Malaysian time would have it.. We started slightly later then expected but all went well.. And my lovely 16 year old daughter got lovely gifts.. The best of all was from my cousin- something valuable, she can and hopefully will treasure for a very long time, if not forever...
Thanks to all guests for coming and helping make this small party a success and a memorable one for my grown girl...
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

My new baby

I got a new baby today. Well, my beloved hubby got me a baby today for my mother's day present. She was fair, beautiful and I fell in love with her rosy face on first sight..
:-) hehe.. I got a new Baby G watch. My husband got it for me, but he blanched at my taste. He wanted to get me a bracelet watch, the stainless steel type but I refused to get one as I just couldn't quite 'connect' with any of the lovely selection of bracelet watches on display.. I chose to go for my new 'baby' instead.
I love my new baby G.. And thanks so much, my beloved for my new baby... :-p
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Home cures for laryngitis

Natural Home remedies to cure Laryngitis

Some of the most common home treatments to treat with laryngitis are :-

Sip warm tea with lemon. This traditional remedy is often used by professional singers whose voices are about to give out. Tea contains tannic acids, which can help soothe inflamed tissues in the throat. Adding lemon to the tea will help cut through mucus, which will also help bring your voice back to normal.

Pour down the water. Drinking eight to twelve glasses of water a day will help lubricate the larynx, which is essential for stopping laryngitis. It's best to drink water that's room temperature. Water that's too hot or too cold .can irritate the larynx even more.
When laryngitis is stealing your voice, fight back with these easy tips.

Settle in for a hot shower. Breathing hot, steamy air will help relax your throat and airways so you can breathe - and talk - more easily. Using a humidifier at night can also be very helpful.

Drink extra fluids, such as water, fruit juice, and tea.

Forget the salt water. This is one traditional remedy to skip when you have laryngitis. Gargling with salt water can dry out the throat even more. In addition, the vibrations of gargling can cause the vocal cords to slap together, which can increase the irritation.

Handle your voice with care. If you've been spending weekends cheering your daughter's volley ball team, your vocal cords may pay the price. When you have laryngitis, it's essential to speak quietly for awhile Of, whenever possible, not at all. And forget about whispering: It's even harder on your vocal cords than taking in a normal voice.

Don't take aspirin. Even though aspirin can help relieve the discomfort of a sore throat and laryngitis, it also slows the time it takes your body to form blood dots. Since laryngitis may be caused by minor injuries to the vocal cords, taking aspirin can actually slow the healing time.
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Laryngitis

My daughter got it and well, I got it now, so to get a better understanding of it, I did a little research... :-p Whatever it is , I hope we both get better real soon...

Laryngitis refers to inflammation of the voice box or larynx. Very often, it is caused due to overuse or constant irritation of the larynx. In a few cases, laryngitis results from an infection of the larynx, caused by viruses and other disease causing microbes. In normal sound production, the voice cords open and close smoothly, whereas in the case of a patient suffering from laryngitis, the inflammation of voice cords disturbs the passage of sound, resulting in a hoarse or raspy voice. Other signs of laryngitis include a weak voice, dry throat, sore throat and dry cough. In severe inflammation cases, laryngitis leads to temporary loss of voice.

Based on the manifestation of symptoms, laryngitis can be an acute (symptoms lasting for 1-2 weeks) or a chronic (symptoms lasting more than 3 weeks) condition. Most cases are of the acute type, which have shown positive responses with over-the-counter laryngitis medications and effective laryngitis home remedies. A chronic or long-lasting laryngitis condition, characterized by recurrent onset of symptoms, may be an indication of a severe health condition. Hence, timely and correct laryngitis diagnosis is always advisable in order to rule out other medical conditions.

Home Remedies for Laryngitis
As mentioned earlier, acute laryngitis can be treated by following laryngitis remedies. Very often, the symptoms of laryngitis are exacerbated by other medical problems like common cold, flu, strep throat, respiratory tract infection and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Thus, the actual home treatment for laryngitis differs based on the causal factor. For example, if vocal cord strain is the cause, then resting your voice is an effectual home cure for laryngitis. Following are some of the effective laryngitis home remedies, which you can practice at home.

Avoid Shouting: The most effective home remedy for laryngitis is proper resting of the voice box. In other words, a patient of laryngitis should not indulge in speaking loudly or talking for a long time, which otherwise will cause worsening of the larynx inflammation.

Do Not Whisper: Whispering triggers the inflammation of the larynx. Even though whispering is speaking in a low voice, it puts more strain on the voice box than normal speaking. Thus, a patient of laryngitis should avoid whispering as much as possible.

Breathe Through the Nose: One of the natural laryngitis cures is breathing through the nose. This ensures that the throat is not exposed to cold air and does not dry out, which are observed in case of breathing through the mouth. Read more on basic breathing techniques.

Steam Inhalation: Inhalation of steam and steam bath are effective home treatment methods to cure laryngitis. Take steam inhalation using a bowl of hot water. For a steam bath, close your bathroom and fill it with steam by running very hot water. You can then stay in the bathroom filled with steam for about 10-15 minutes.

Using a Humidifier: A humidifier helps in maintaining the recommended humidity level in a room, which in turn prevents a dry environment. Hence, using a room humidifier is also one of the best cures for laryngitis. Read more on benefits of a humidifier.

Drink Lots of Water: Keeping oneself hydrated helps in shortening the duration of laryngitis symptoms. Drink ample amounts of water everyday (8-10 glasses) to get relief from larynx inflammation.

Lemon and Honey Mixture: You can have tea, prepared with lemon and honey. Boil about 250 ml of water and then squeeze in one lemon and add 2 teaspoons of honey. Drink after the solution cools down.

Moisten Throat: As a dry throat worsens the inflammation of laryngitis, moistening the throat is a good measure for overcoming laryngitis. You can gargle with saline water or chew a piece of your favorite chewing gum.

Say No to Decongestants: Decongestants are strictly not recommended during the onset of laryngitis symptoms. The main reason behind this is that these medications lead to a dry throat, resulting in exacerbation of laryngitis.

Avoid Throat Cleaning: With laryngitis symptoms like a dry and sore throat, it is quite tempting to cough and clean the throat. Coughing and/or cleaning throat increases the degree of irritation to the larynx, and hence should be avoided as far as possible.

Avoid Smoking: Another remedy for laryngitis is to refrain from smoking or inhalation of other hazardous fumes. Smoke and fumes worsen the condition of the larynx, and hence it is advisable to minimize exposure to such irritants for the treatment of laryngitis. Read more on effects of smoking.

In addition to the above tips, there are also homeopathic remedies for laryngitis. If you are planning to administer homeopathic medicines, make sure you purchase them from a reliable brand. In case the symptoms of laryngitis do not subside after practicing laryngitis home remedies, then it is recommended to consult and seek advice from a qualified physician.
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Life is a GIFT

(Got this in the email and not sure if I've posted this before but well, here goes.. To remind myself and everyone else... Be grateful for life's little blessings)

Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak

Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat..

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who diedtoo early on this earth.

Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren...

Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive- Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without sin.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around.
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Tea time @ Esteler 77

Lately, I've gotten hooked on Indonesian food. So much so the way I cook my nasi lemak had my husband complaining as I add on tomatoes and ginger in my 'sambal'
Anyway, was along the Kasturi Walk at Central Market when I came across Esteler 77, one of my favorite places for my Indonesian food fix, and had some Otak-Otak Goreng or fried fish cake and also a box of Teh Botol, or rather boxed Jasmine Tea... Yummyy...
Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone