Weekend Walk In The Park

How I spend my weekend mornings ? I go for a walk at City Park, Seremban 2. It's my kind of therapy to relax my mind and get connected to mother nature. It's a lovely well maintained park that has a beautiful lake, and for Seremban folks, it's definitely a joggers paradise. 

will never forget to get old bread crumbs for 

the "guys" who live inside the lake  =)

old bread crumbs = happy lake dwellers = happy me

Mr Tortoise relaxing

Sometimes I would sit down near the playground just to watch the 

children play happily with their parents, it calms me, since I always

 believe that children spread good vibes to those around them,

and they definitely have the ability to remove sorrowful 

thoughts from our hearts...they are truly little angels without wings  =)

Minangkabau style "hut"

Workout Musing : It's Leg Day !!

Beast Mode : ON...

it's leg day for me...

6 sets of 15 reps...

r.i.p fat cells...

p/s  got used with the muscle sore, and i will definitely 

wake up tomorrow morning !!  =)

Another Lovely Dawn

another lovely dawn to wake up to...

another reason for me not to leave my humble home,

 and migrate elsewhere...

another blessed moment to be thankful for...

life is indeed beautiful..

~ a.r.k ~

Bad English

My English is bad, and I won't dare to make claim that my language command is good !! Seriously, no idea why I am making silly grammatical mistakes, noticed it ever since I've started to blog. Looking at my previous posts, I wonder what happened to my writing skills. It's like, I don't know, gosh, hope my lecturers won't come across my blog, bet they will be wondering how on earth did I graduate with a TESL degree.

But on a second thought, English is definitely a crazy language. Nobody should ever claim they have good command in English, because in reality, even the native speakers have hard time trying to understand their mother tongue. 

Time for me to do grammar exercise !! 

I love grammar...aeiou..an hour, not a hour...why, because the "h" is silent, but wait, isn't that phonology ? lol....

A Relaxing Deepavali Eve

Played with "leftover" firecrackers while it was drizzling outside. It's a wet Deepavali eve.

Thought about dinner. All the Indian restaurants would definitely be closed, so I had to think of another option. Chinese vegetarian restaurants on the other hand will somehow be packed with Indian customers, who have no other choice but to have their Deepavali eve dinner there after last minute shopping.

Felt lazy to drive out, finally got an idea, instant ramen to the rescue. 

tadaaaa....my favorite instant ramen...nyum nyum nyum.... 

This is like the most "strangest" Deepavali eve ever in my life. Previous years, I will be like, have to do this, have to do that, but this year, nothing to prepare, nothing much to clean, nothing to worry about.

Just another beautiful relaxing day. Nice. Now, it's time for me to hit the bed.

Good Night Everyone !! 

and for those who are observing the festival of lights,

Happy Deepavali !!

Memories of Yesteryear Deepavali

Deepavali's around the corner. Not celebrating since grandma passed away last March. It's odd, because somehow I am so relaxed, unlike previous years where I would go bonkers whenever the festive mood comes up. Ensuring the house is super clean was the biggest task, as I had to do everything myself. Having a big home is really a blessing, but when it comes to cleaning part single handedly, it's a daunting task .

Here's my house cleaning mantra : 

wash the bathroom, wash the kitchen floor, wash the car porch, wash the balcony, rearrange the flower pots, trim the trees, trim the hibiscus shrub, wipe the sofa, wash the sofa cover, clean my room, clean dad's room, wipe the tiled walls of the dining room, wipe the hanging lamp, clean the prayer room, wash and polish the brass items, apply polish to the front door, spray poison to kill the weeds on the pavement floor, change the curtains, wipe the windows, wash the carpet, mop the floor, wash the drain, and the list goes on............

And now,

sharing photos...memories of Deepavali at my humble home  :-)

I love cooking semolina kesari a.k.a traditional South Indian semolina pudding for morning prayers every Deepavali, that rich taste of clarified butter with milk, with added raisins and tons and tons of ghee roasted cashew nuts, it's BLISS !!  :-D

I love making simple coloured rice koolam at the balcony, this was back in 2010

According to my neighbours, especially the old aunties, they claim I make the best murukkus, haha, well, it's my grandma's traditional secret recipe, I don't use ready mix flour, used to prepare the rice flour myself, and I guess now I know why the art of making murukku is slowly vanishing, to be honest, it's a tedious process, especially the dough pressing part, real workout for my arms, haha....

crispy murukkus anyone ?

yeah, I get tanned, thanks to the heat, hahaha....

preparing oil lamps for Deepavali night....

Deepavali eve prayers at home

rice koolam back in 2009

Deepavali morning prayers...blissful experience

a rainy Deepavali night, I think this was back in 2011, didn't stop me from lighting up the oil lamps, hahaha....

my neighbours also claim I make the best achu murukku a.k.a kuih bunga ros, secret recipe taught by my mom, this stuff is super difficult to make !!

when minutes pass by like hours, and getting tanned by the heat...lol...

tadaaa !!  Oddball's Kuih Bunga Ros, before being eaten, hahaha

I am obsessed with deco lights, sometimes my dad makes fun of me, says it looks like Christmas instead, hahaha

white lotus on Deepavali morning

another rice koolam, this was last year...

I love firecrackers !! :-D

yet again, another rice koolam picture, this was in 2011....

My fluffy girl, Snoopy, tired, she loves to play with the firecrackers, crazy girl !!

Tale of The Dollar Bill

For years I had been keeping dollar bills in my wallet, that at one point I had totally forgotten about it's existence. It wasn't till few days earlier that I managed to come across it while I was "cleaning" my wallet, and not just few dollars worth of bank note, there were five 100 dollar bills, and I was definitely excited, wondering how much the current exchange rate would be. Honestly, the dollar bills weren't really in good shape, since they were kept folded, and some looked weathered. But I thought to myself, why not try my luck.

After my routine workout that day, went to CIMB at Seremban 2. Upon inspecting the dollar bills, the lady at the counter told me that the bank won't accept weathered bank notes, and she suggested that I should try to exchange them at Bureau De Change in KLIA.

Thought to myself, oh well, let's make a short trip to KLIA then, besides I enjoy driving, on the highway of course, and absolutely when it's not packed, and definitely when it's not during the festive season !! Haha. 

Went to KLIA the next day.

when the highway is empty, and I couldn't resist the temptation to floor the accelerator...say whatever you want, but for a speed demon like me, this is bliss....

Had quick lunch at Cafe Barbera, KLIA. Took toasted cheese and tomato sandwich along with espresso macchiato, 

came here few times, good food, but service hasn't improved, sigh...

Then went to CIMB's Bureau De Change which was located on the same floor. Girl at the counter inspected the dollar bills, accepted 4 of them, rejected one more because it was discoloured. Asked her where on earth am I supposed to sell that note, she said maybe I should try my luck at Bank Negara Malaysia. In the end, I manage to get RM 1235 for the $400 I had exchanged. Not bad, at least I was able to sell off the old bank notes. 

the rejected dollar bill *sigh*

Note to self : Be thankful, at least they accepted $400 instead of rejecting it.

~ fin ~

The Zen Chameleon

Came back home after workout at the gym, saw something "unusual" at the garden while parking my car.

Took a closer look....

A chameleon, not just an ordinary chameleon, it's the Zen Chameleon....

The Zen Chameleon was having a deep spiritual conversation with the Buddha....

The Zen Chameleon turned its head, and looked at me, because it was angry, that I had interrupted its spiritual conversation with the Buddha...

~ fin ~

p/s sorry for the "not so clear" pictures, used my "outdated" smartphone to snap the pictures while I was inside my car...

Sun Loves The Earth

in the Solar System :

Sun     : Honey, I love you, I want to hug you, 
                please come near me....
Earth  : No !!!!!  Look what you have done to Mercury 
                and Venus, you burnt them alive before divorcing them...

Sun     : but Baby, that wasn't my fault, 
                I was born hot....

Earth  : Yea right, I don't like you because 
                you are too hot and too bright...

Sun     : But...but  *sob sob*...but I love you.....

Earth  : Don't you dare come near me, 
                you will kill my human children 
                by baking them alive with your heat....If you
                come closer, I will throw Moon at your face...

Moon  : * dafuq *

Meanwhile, somewhere on Earth :

Dad : Is your car's air conditioning system working properly ?

Me  : Appa, I think you should look at the temperature indicator 
          * pointing at the dashboard *

Dad : * dafuq *

44 degrees Celsius...need I say more ?

~ fin ~

Haze Returns

Yes. The haze has returned. I am sure those living in the Southeast Asia region knows very well what I am going to write about. I am not going to put the blame on one particular nation, because honestly, even my neighbors have this habit of burning dry leaves in their garden, which is definitely a form of open burning. 

And they still do that even when the smoky pandemic returns to haunt us. Well, can't blame them when they are least bothered about air pollution. I mean, who really cares ? Of course, undeniably there are still those who are trying to spread awareness regarding environmental issues, but then, how many of us practice what we preach ? 

Humans. They just love to burn things.  * humming Adele's Set Fire to The Rain *

By the way, for those who are pondering how "hazy" Seremban is, here are two pictures to give you a clear idea of what I am "breathing" in. 

taken two days back from home.

taken this noon

probably the government's reaction to the current haze issue

Aku Sayang PM. I love my Prime Minister, because he is the best prime minister in the whole wide world, and he is the most brilliant of all leaders. Well, I shall leave that to the readers to decipher on what I was trying to convey just now.

Lastly, to all readers who live in Southeast Asia region,

Time to put on your surgical masks, reduce your outdoor activities. If you happen to have the idea of a romantic outdoor lovemaking session with your other half, please do so inside your bedroom, because that activity requires a lot of fresh air and oxygen, and doing that indoor is probably the best idea for the time being. Don't forget to drink plenty of water. No, I didn't mean that, don't drink plenty of water before you make love, you might end up with the urge to use the loo while doing it, and it might frustrate your other half. What I meant was, stay hydrated throughout the day. Drink plenty of warm water.

Take care and bless it be.

Sincerely,

Oddball.

Leaving Malaysia

My friends thought I was joking when I told them that I will be leaving Malaysia in 2 months time. It wasn't until they noticed my "check in" at the Indian High Commission in KL last week on Facebook, they began to realize it was indeed true.

Yes, I am bidding farewell to this country to start a new life in Chennai. Thanks to my dual citizenship which I had obtained few years earlier, migrating is hassle free for me and my dad. But then, I am very much sad to leave this country, definitely not because of the government, but I will definitely miss a lot of things. My home, where I grew up, memories of my mother somehow managed to drag back the idea of leaving this country few years earlier. I am going to miss my close friends, I will miss the diverse culture, my Chinese and Malay buddies, having Chinese and Malay food, chee cheong fun, hokkien mee, sambal tumis tempeh, gulai lemak daun ubi, name it, I am so definitely going to miss Malaysia.

But what to do ? I have no other choice, my future here looks bleak, I have waited to get posted as an English teacher at the government school for almost a year. Many more TESL graduates share similar fate as me, and the funny thing is, the education ministry isn't bothered, they don't seem to care. 

This country is going downhill, the economy is very very bad, all I can say is that, this nation will soon face national bankruptcy. Tun M had already hinted about this issue earlier on, but the current government isn't bothered, well, as if the politicians care about the citizen's struggle to make ends meet. Fuel prices got up when the world crude oil price went down. GST, an additional burden to the citizens. TNB tariff going up next January, despite the fact that TNB made a hefty profit in billions last year.

What is happening to this country ? 

Share market is tumbling. Looking at the KLSE chart, makes me wonder if the whole thing is being manipulated to show false figure. Companies that don't perform well gets the "green" light, while companies that get excellent reviews from investment researchers often ends up falling down.  Cost of living is rising drastically. Every time I go to Tesco to do grocery shopping, I can't fail to notice that prices are ever increasing. Goodday Fresh Milk used to cost RM 4 two years back, now it's RM 7, SCS butter used to be RM 3, now it's almost RM 10. 

Even a pack of instant ramen cost RM 5, that's equivalent to having a banana rice meal at an Indian restaurant in Seremban !! My goodness, what has happened to the consumer power that was very much alive back in the 90's ? 

I don't have any hope for a bright future in this country.

My friends on the other hand claimed that I don't have to worry much, since I am rich. Wait, am I rich ? Really ? Let me make things clear, my dad is rich, yes, he is rich, but me, no, nothing belongs to me. Please don't assume that I am a rich spoiled brat having an easy life spending money like nobody's business.  I have to struggle, face hardship, and independently come up in life. Just like my dad, he never had an easy beginning, he faced many challenges in life, and believe me, wealth doesn't come easily, and at the same time, money isn't everything. Being rich alone will never guarantee you happiness nor peace of mind. 

I am happy that my dad agreed with my decision to leave this country. I guess he is excited, since most of his close friends are in India. 

So many things to settle. So many things to be packed. Need to meet all of my friends before I leave.

Two months, is it enough ? Well, let's hope so.

never imagined this would be so useful for me now....

Good Bye Malaysia....Hello India.....

Things to do Before I "Leave" This World

* climb Mount Kinabalu *

* visit Peugeot Avenue in Paris ( i love French cars, and i own one ) *

* visit Cliffs of Moher ( Ireland ), St Peter’s Square ( Vatican City ),
  Bodh Gaya ( India ), Ephesus ( Turkey ),
Acropolis of Athens ( Greece ), Alhambra ( Spain ),
Pokhara Valley ( Nepal ) *

 * visit Beijing again for the second time ( must hike the Great Wall of China for the 2nd time ) *

 * stay in India for at least 3 months, travel the entire southern region *

* learn Cantonese, Spanish, and French *

 * learn kenjutsu, and make use of my katana ( not to slice up people, haha ) *

* become a humanitarian aid worker *

* adopt a child if possible (  i love kids,but Malaysian law doesn't allow unmarried man to adopt ) *

 * go to any live concerts by Coldplay or Loreena Mckennitt *

* get a small Sricharanam symbol tattooed on the left side of my chest *

* break my previous driving speed record of 240km/h,
must go beyond 300km/h at Sepang F1 circuit   track day  *

 * must learn how to drift like a pro  ( my best friend promised to teach me how to drift  ) *

* must buy a superbike, wear tight racing suit, and cruise along the highway  ( i'm a speed demon ) *

 * must meet Vicki Butler-Henderson, get an autograph and take a picture with her 

   ( to me, she’s the best race driver around ) *

 * write a novel *

* live in a forest for at least two months, completely disconnect myself from the outside world *

~ life is indeed beautiful ~

Cheesequito...The Bizarre Mosquito...

something bizarre happened last night...
went to La Roasteria at Seremban Prima for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake...

it was rainy,
and i wasn't feeling well for the past couple of days thanks to the haze,
plus been very down lately,
so thought,
why not pamper myself with a cup of coffee...
( which i don't often drink, but i love freshly brewed coffee, black and strong without any sugar )
ended up ordering long white....

( to the guy who made this coffee foam art, thank you so much, it was lovely !! )

and have a slice of my "comfort" food...cakes...
yes, haven't had them for ages,
can't remember when was the last time i enjoyed  a slice of cake....

( cheesecake !! love them...fattening...YES..but who cares, like i said, can't even recall when was the last time i had a slice of cake...hmmm...somehow my weight loss journey had totally suppressed my appetite for food )

so back to the "bizarre" thing....

while i was enjoying the cheesecake,
i noticed something was on the cake....
nope, it wasn't a fly...
it wasn't an ant...
i was totally stunned....

took a closer look....

good lord !! am i dreaming ? !!

this fella was happily enjoying the cake,
i just can't believe it,
instead of landing on my arms to enjoy my warm blood,
( which i don't think it would, since i am a vegetarian, so guess my blood isn't tasty )

it was enjoying the cheesecake !!

getting rid of this fella wasn't an easy task,
plus i don't have a good skill in killing mosquitoes....
so guess it was his lucky day,
plus he kept on landing back on the cake...

in the end,
cheesequito left angrily after i finished the cake without leaving some bits for him...

poor cheesequito was sad and angry....

~ fin ~