School Is Back / Beware of Friends

School will open next Monday and I am somewhat happy because I got what I wanted; The Prefect teacher, a new class full of more intelligent students (they used to give me the lesser classes because I am a man, ergo, I can control the rowdier sort of children. Sexist!) and a promising batch of older students for Physics (last year's was a total disappointment).

And last year performance as a fear-causing entity in every essembly made the job 'Assembly Coordinator' officially mine this new year. Meaning, I can yell and reprimand students / teachers legally now (insert evil laugh here). Yes, I am the Sue Sylvester of my school.

Anyway, I am telling you guys to be careful with your friends, no matter how chummy you guys are. My younger brother had a new handphone last week, after he saw mine, and was showing it off to the entire house. The phone was really nice, way more expensive than mine and the latest in communication technology. And it was stolen from him three days after he purchased it.

One friend stole the gadget while he was meeting a bunch of his buddies at a petrol station nearby. He realized the theft later, but cannot do anything much because OF COURSE nobody admitted stealing the phone. He was in a very black mood these few days before departing to the university.

Too bad then. That was a VERY NICE handphone. :P

Anyway, here's wishing you guys a Happy New Year!

p.s. - I am sorry if my presence isn't felt in your blogs lately, but it is not entirely my fault. The broadband service I am using is rather performing poorly these few weeks. I want to change to a new service this January. Remember me, will you? :angel

Ghost In The Shell

Hello people..... sorry for the VERY long absence. I have a heavy paperload to finish, as the school will be opened in a couple of weeks time. I use the computer everyday, yet I have no idea what to write and my broadband service was playing merry hell with the connection.


Anyway, I want to tell you guys that I just bought a new phone, a Nokia-C3, yes, the Blackberry for poor people :P I didn't want to waste my money on a new phone.... really. But my LG KP-500 Cookie (LG keeps naming their handphones as foodstuff; Cookie, Ice-Cream, Chocolate....) failed on me last week. The touchscreen wouldn't work properly, it was so frustrating. I kept turning it on and off, taking out the battery and memory card, and even threw it to the wall a couple of times in anger.


But the eerie thing happened when I began to use my new handphone, the Nokia. Cookie was suddenly good for use, behaved as any obedient electronic gadget. It galled me greatly, as now I have two mobile phones AND I wasted money to buy the extra one I thought I needed.


That Cookie must've done this when I was thinking of getting myself an IPhone.... Dastardly done.


And my Pilips home theatre system was acting funny too. If I ever play a REALLY high-definition DVD, it would act up and stuttered right at 1:09:00 (one hour and nine minutes) of the movie. This would never happen to a regular DVD.....


That Pilips must've done this on purpose after hearing me boasting to some friends about my high-definition DVD  collection. Evil cd-player you!


.... I do believe that some inanimate things have a bit of a soul (thus 'Ghost In The Shell') If you said / think bad things to a machine, it might retaliate in some ways that severely damage your wallet. I was hating my car last year and it almost blew-up.


Oh.... and I lost THREE watches last month when I neglected to wear them. The watchman @ clocksmith said that he was unable to save them.... See what I mean.


So be good to the stuff you have. They want your care and attention too.


And below is a picture of a herd of goats I hate the most.....

These animals belong to my younger brother (the guy in red) and in this scene, these smelly creatures had escaped from their pen, and poured out into the street. My brother and mom keep these goats behind our late grandmother's house, some 10 km away from our home. So they have to shuttle twice a day back and forth to feed them.

As this is not my project, I have no interest to care for them. These goats are huge and smelly. For me, a good goat is already dead and stays on the plate :)

Gosh! It's the 10th of December already?!!

It has been a week already - seven days of utter laziness and unproductivity. I woke up very late in the morning, spend the few hours awake playing computer games, visited my mother until 3.00 pm and returning back to my friend's rent house to wait for his return from his part time job at a waterworld resort.


Yes, I am staying with a friend until the 20th December for now. His house and my mom's are not that far, scant 4 km apart. I stayed with him because his housemates can only return after the 20th, and he doesn't like to stay alone, especially at night.


Anywho, we got to cook our own meals - mainly because I am against eating out frequently, and got to talk to each other untill bored stiff and surprisingly, sleep early every night.


We watched Narnia; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (3D) earlier this week and although I found it was decent, I was simply a bit annoyed because the film makers had strayed much from the original plot.


I've read all the Narnian books; from 'The Magician's Nephew' telling how Narnia was born till 'The Last Battle' where EVERYBODY died and go somewhere 'pleasant'.


So when somebody said "Eh, what happen? Is that the end of the story?" at the end of the film, there goes another ignorant who never bother to seek / read the books.


I look down on ye people from my high pedestal of fantasy; those thrill seekers who never bothered to read the entire Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Narnia etc series - and yet dared to comment that the films were mediocre at best. If you don't read the books, don't you ever dare telling people how much you understand the flawed story you watched on the silverscreen.


Sorry. I was simply vexed by the prejudiced reviews regarding a few of the best fantasy books I ever read by some ignorant movie-goers who never set foot in a bookstore (I blame FaceBook for spreading this).


On a happier tone; happy Friday! :D

Happy 32nd Birthay To Me - Yay!

It's my birthday today and I spent the whole day sleeping and playing Age of Mythology - The Titans.

I've got nothing special planned, unlike the party I held last year.

No birthday cakes, no presents. Most birthday wishes I got were from Facebook, and all were replied promptly.

I got older, and I cannot say I am thrilled.

But I am thankful for my health and the few people who really care whatever I do in life.

I might want to go out this evening to get that potpourri for my car - as my own birthday present.

Oh ok, some of you might not buy all this lonely-oh-poor-me thing... because you ARE correct! The birthday party IS actually on the 16th December! I was born on the 3rd and my new significant other the 31st December. So we decided to celebrate at the middle of the month. :D

A Good Cook Is Not An Evil Person (have you heard of this?)

My friend was in the kitchen, and yours truly was busy defeating Indian and Chinese oppressors in Age of Empires III - the computer game (Japanese Samurai Rules!) in the hall, adjacent to the kitchen.


I was back-seat cooking (is there is such term?) as usual - giving orders from afar.


"Make sure you blend the fresh turmeric too."
"But I think the powdered turmeric would be just enough," he said.
"Do as I say, it will taste better - powdered and fresh."
.......
"Put some tamarind inside the pot. Not so much though."
"But I never use tamarind in this dish. I am not using bird's eye chillies, just regular chillies, ok?"
"Just put that sour stuff in the pot, it will taste better, believe me. And good call with the chillies."
"I am putting the coconut milk inside the pot now..."
"Finish the entire carton, we will buy more soon. Don't forget a bit of salt."
.......
"How long do you say we need to boil these crabs?"
"Eight to ten minutes. They are rather small after all." (three sea crabs, almost a kilogram)
"Oh ok. Hey look, they are turning red!"
"I thought you cooked crabs before?"
"Long time ago, and I was assisting my sister."
.......
"Ok it's all ready. Come and let's eat. I have rice ready."
"Ok, wait up." (me reluctantly leaving the massacre of the traitorous East India Company. Paused the game.)
"So what do you think?"
"Hey, you forgot to cut the crabs in halves before putting them in the pot!"
"You never told me that."
"Oh ok, ok. No biggie." I took a bite from the crab innards after some difficulties taking off the top carapace.
.........
"It tastes good, yes?"
"You are pulling my legs. I think I fail to cook it properly."
"Yes it does, try it yourself. You are not a bad cook."
"Thank you." :D
"With your cooking skills and my dominating presence, we can open up a restaurant after I retire."
..........
Yes, that's what we did this long school holiday. Experimental cooking. 

It Happened In The Toilet...

I went to Tesco this evening to get my regular supply of red meat and other interesting stuff I might fancy. But before I took the escelator to the market floor, I went to the washroom next to the food court to wash my face, freshen up or whatever. Who knows? I might still have the lipstick I used to accommodate the gown I wore for last night's drag party. Kidding :D

As I swung the door and entered, I saw a cleaning boy (boy, not man, as he was too young to stamp 'maturity' on) moping the washroom floor. The boy suddenly stiffened, rigid, with his mop clutched closely to his chest, his eyes nailed to the wall, looking at nothing.

Oh-kay..... I told myself. Must be the evil persona oozing from me that made innocents gripped with fear. I ignored the boy and entered a stall to continue my business. I heard the boy continuing his cleaning as I was in the toilet.

I emerged from the toilet a few minutes later, and as I wash my hands and face at the sink, I noticed the same cleaning boy hiding behind an empty stall door. He knew I saw him, but made it a point to hide his face. The washroom was still empty except the both of us.

Do I know this guy? Did I ever do anything to harm him? Killed his cat or goldfish perhaps?

As I shopped for my stuff, I kept wondering why he acted thus. And suddenly it dawned on me as I walked past the food court on my way back to the car.

He was ashamed of his job. Very much ashamed I think, that he didn't want people to look. I watched some foreigners; Bangladeshis and Vietnamese cleaning up the plates and utensils from the tables and of course, no locals doing the same job. Young local boys and girls think that such mundane jobs as 'low class' and they would die in embarrassment if caught working there by friends.

Waiters, cleaners, labourers, factory operators.... the least popular jobs among the young locals. And to fill in the jobs, foreign workers were called in and now these people are EVERYWHERE. From your local grocery stores to the frontdesks of six-stars hotels (yes, Malaysia DO have a couple of them). They are cheap and are willing to work for longer hours.

....I don't feel pity about the boy in the toilet at all. The future is not written in stone. Some wise men said that education is a way to prevent poverty and I believe in that. And if you are not that bright, be a good and willing worker, one day you will be paid in kind. Hardworking and politeness are hard currency (in my case). 

Why work in such places in the first place anyway, boy?    

How can you get ****ed THRICE in an afternoon?

The boys were very different, though both wore spectacles and of the same age, 15. The smarter dressed boy had curly short hair, thin and wore braces. His friend, with wild hair, had took off his uniform and wore t-shirts instead, a few minutes before they arrived at the city. They took a bus from a boarding school near the capital.

The capital city was big, crowded and hot. The curly haired boy asked his friend to take him to a arcade game centre.
"But I thought you don't like arcade games," his friend said as he bought a couple of comics from a newstand.
"I just wanna see the place, never been there all my life. Please?"
"Oh ok, normally I don't play around this place, but I will take you to one. The games here are lame and old."

So the boy took his friend to a 4 storeys commercial building near crowded the bus stop. He was a very brave person, known to walk almost everywhere in the city alone, sometimes late at night. His other friend felt safe around him, and they were close.

The arcade centre was at the top story of the old, yet still busy building. The place was rather dark, and the machines were indeed not very new, as the wild haired boy had said. It was rather deserted, because most youngters prefer to play the new machines at the new mall further. The boy with the braces said he wanted to try some games.
"Play on. I will stand next to you."

After a couple of unmemorable video games, both decided to leave and visit a bookstores across the building. As they walked to the elevator, side by side, two huge boys came between them from behind. It was very sudden, and of course frightening for the children.

The boy with the braces eyes widen with fear, and he bolted away like a rabbit! His friend was not that fortunate, as the bullies took hold of his arms and led him away, to a much darker part of the floor - the abandoned food court, next to the arcade.

There, he faced a group of a dozen boys, all larger and much older than him. Some seemed to have never been to a school in fact. The leader of a gang, a dark boy with pimply face, was sitting in the middle, eating a plate of noodles with a fork. He looked up as his minions pushed their victim to the front.
"We got this one Boss, the other kid escaped."

The 15 year old eyed his captors; he was not afraid, only greatly annoyed and vexed. His face reddened and his eyes became slits behind the lens. One might say he might attack the entire group, from that murderous look in his face.

But that was lost to the leader of the bullies and most of his gang, as the place was too dim to make up anything. As he forked food into his mouth, he asked;
"Do you have 20 cents?"
"Yes," the boy answered.
"Do you have 2 ringgits?"
"Yes," he answered again. 
"Do you have 20 ringgits?"
"Yes."
"Now give it to me," the bully smiled behind the filthy table he was sitting.

"No."

The head bully had his smile wiped from his face, his minions making unwelcomed noises and threats. Surely that was a first for them.

The boy turned and walked past the two sentries behind him. One bully tried to pull his arms, but failed and ripped the plastic bag the boy was carrying. As the boy bent down to collect his fallen comics, he hissed;
"Touch me again and I will kill you."
And then he walked to the emergency stairs... he was half expecting a chase but it never happened.

As he descended, angry at himself for being caught, he met three disheveled men sitting on the stairs on the third floor. One stood up to bar his way and put out his hand;
"Give me your money!"

The boy, who was already angry, lashed out loudly instead;
"Get the F*** out of my way!" and stormed past the surprised men.

The boy finally reached the ground floor and he way was barred ONCE again by another man, this time a creepy drug addict, who made his abode under the stairs. As he rose unsteadily to his feet before the door, asking for money....
The boy kicked his feet under him, with the expensive black leather shoes all boarding school boys should have. To add injury to more injury, the hellish boy stamped on the junkie's chest twice before screaming and leaving the scene of crime via the door.  

The afternoon was still bright, and the boy's fury was abated somewhat after his assault. He hadn't the mood to continue shopping, so decided to go back early. As he continue the short walk, he saw his cowardly friend waiting anxiously at the bus stop.

"Why YOU........."

p.s. - this happens to be a true story, about me. Rock Chef's entry reminded me of this incident, eventhough his is a happier and more delicious one :P After the three (failed) muggings, I had a boot knife and wore high cut basketball shoes during outings.... I don't carry knives anymore, but the shoes turns to boots for easy kicking :v

The building. Believe it or not, I went back to the place a few weeks after that.

I couldn't find the bullies, well good for them.

The Prophet's Cat

"Muezza (or Mu'izza) (Arabic: معزة‎) is said to have been the Islamic prophet Muhammad's favorite cat. According to legend, Muhammad one day awoke at the sound of the call to prayer. Preparing to attend, he began to clothe himself; however, he soon discovered Muezza sleeping on the sleeve of his robe. Rather than wake her, he used a pair of scissors to cut the sleeve off, leaving the cat undisturbed; when he returned from prayers, the prophet received a bow from Muezza in thanks. He then stroked his beloved cat three times. The accuracy of this story is not clear, as no references to it are made in the Quran or the hadith.

It is also believed that when Muhammad gave sermons within his household, he would often hold Muezza in his lap. Further anecdotes state that Muhammad sometimes used water that Muezza had drunk from for wudu (washing before ritual prayers). Due primarily to the love Muhammad displayed for Muezza, Muslims are traditionally encouraged to regard cats as lovable and cherished creatures. Mistreating an animal is seen as among the most severe of all crimes in Islam."

- from Wikipedia -

p.s. - I already knew about this and decided to share this piece with you. Another myth (yes, because it might be not true, but still delicious to hear) is the letter 'M' on most kittens' foreheads, the prophet's initial because of his love for his feline friends. [Which I think is not true, because they never use other letters than Arabic at that time] But check it out on the nearest kitten! You should see the 'M' pretty clear. 

Now look at that 'M'!!!

The School In The Middle of A Jungle, And Next To A River.

Thanks a lot for the very VERY heartfelt comments in the previous post.... If you guys were in front of me, it would be a very interesting discussion of good versus evil and all related subjects in the realm of different life experiences.

As for Mr Grayquill and his minions supporters.... I must agree that you guys are correct in some cases. (This is high compliment, because I rarely applaud people, so cherish while it last guys). But alas you are not here to show poor misguided me the way to proper conducts..... But I promise to be a better human in the near future!

So, I have a few pictures I've scrounged and stolen of my old school in the heart of Sarawak, Borneo - SMK Katibas.

This is a part of the fabulously long Rajang River. It snakes for thousands of kilometres. Notice the trees, they are actually GIANTS. So the river is indeed wide. My school was WAY at the bottom of the picture.

Oh lookie! Here's the boat we used to travel between the heavier populated parts of this state. It is really a bus that floats, with seats and of course, emergency floats for.... errrr emergency, such as sinking in the crocodile infested water :v

But we arrived to school with style..... on THESE. These are called 'perahu panjang' or long boats which are more suitable to travel in shallower streams. These boats are made from wooden planks, so much lighter than the metal boat above. The risk of tossed into the water, very high. (But never me though, I wonder why I have a charmed life....) 

And tada! This is the VERY jetty in front of the school! A water pump was fixed next to the jetty. You can see some students arriving, wearing safety jackets..... This is a redundancy as most students know how to swim, by living next to the river all their lives. 

Another express boat, in Sibu, a city near the coast. The mock clock tells the boat will depart at 5.30 pm. Next to the boat is a motorized junk, filled with groceries for the rural parts.

More students from my school on a trip to the long houses. 'Long houses' or rumah panjang are indeed long, and housed a lot of people. It's like connected terrace houses, with a very long covered corridor through it. Tourists love visiting them, maybe for its 'ol worlde' charms. 

So, imagine touching down at the airport.... and then spend the night in the city and hopped into the first express boat in the wee hour of the next morning for a two hours journey. Then reaching the small town of Song (yes, Song, no pun intended) and waited for the next long boat to the school. The journey from Song to SMK Katibas is about 1 hour 45 minutes long (remember the long winding river?) The further we go, the clearer the water...

But I remember; we did a lot of waiting then. For the boats, for the boat drivers who are not at their boats, for students who should be in their respective boats..... A LOT of waiting. And I am an impatient monster (so you know how often I got angry).

Ok, that's all for now folks. I will have more time to assault your blogs after this Friday, as the school holiday will start. For now, enjoy these pics and do ask if you want more. I will try to put more pics of the school soon.

I miss being at that school by the river...

True Tales; The Students And The Teacher

Once upon a time, I was first posted in the huge forest choked island of Borneo (Google it, will you?). The school I first taught in was in a very rural area, and can only be contacted by river boats and satellite phone. It was a beautiful school, (mainly because I had many modifications and beautifying projects made using the backbones of many students during my reign of terror (during my few last years there). But this post is not about that.

The teachers of the school, my colleagues were young, as only junior and capable civil servants will be sent that far into the middle of nowhere. The students were mostly of indigenous people who lives around the area, but ALL were housed in the boarding hostels provided. This is to ensure EVERYBODY attend school on time and to have control over discipline (and for the parents' peace of mind, not having to send their children to school, so far and difficult from home). 

Now, this friend of mine, a kindly man, was a sort of a welfare-organisation-on-legs. He was always giving help, mainly to the poorer students, indiscriminately. As a person who cared a lot less, I told him that his actions would be thankless, yet he only smiled and said that there were too few of people helping. I think he believes in the great rewards at the hereafter (which is a good thing, I hope many people are like this actually, believing in cause and effect).

So there were this couple of siblings; a girl and her younger brother. They came from a very poor family (same as the rest) and were average in everything; looks, academics, etc. My friend decided to have this two as his personal goodwill project. Meaning; he helped these two a lot more than the rest. Where he rained money and love to the rest, for these two, it POURED! The other colleagues only shook their heads at this aggressive act of kindness.

He's a good soul, this friend of mine.
Fast forward a couple of years later....
One afternoon, somebody told me that this particular friend of mine was seen crying as he arrived from the nearest town, by boat (an hour journey). This seemed odd, as he never cried and was always smiling to his throngs of students. I went to his quarters, and he was indeed crying, and after threatening to sever all ties of friendship, he finally told me why.

Remember the two students; the girl and her brother? The girl had finished school two years earlier, and the younger brother was still studying in his final year at the school. 

My friend met the two of them by accident at the small town, as he was buying supplies. The two young people were sitting at an eating stall, just finishing their breakfast and was enjoying the morning air.
My friend saw them and decided to join the table as he hadn't seen the girl for quite a while. But as he approached....

The girl stood up and left, his brother followed suit. They saw him coming and decided to leave.
Not only that, from the face of the girl - it showed disgust.

Now, please kindly tell me WHAT kind of people are we dealing with? (And as you at it, which special hell would you put these two in?)

My friend was heartbroken. And I was livid with anger (this is one turning point in my life; never put your full trust in a student). If I was there, I'd rip their ungrateful hearts out (one of the reasons many dare not cross me, I was a terror back then).

You might say that this only happens rarely, but in this new era, this modern world - it happened again and again. Children lie and hurt, yet when reprimanded, cried foul. Where is the respect for the elderly today?

A good and caring teacher was scarred emotionally, maybe for life. By having him faulty, a lot of students will lost the chance of having a meaningful relationship with a nice man as he.      

I am not saying I suspect EVERY child to be evil and prone to hurt feelings. It is just nowadays teachers have to be more careful to help those in need. Being a naturally bad person, I am sorry to say that I only help those who wish to better themselves. I told you people I am not nice before, right? :v

This is the entry I promised Grayquill :)

p.s. - as for those two, the girl married young and was divorced much later, with a baby. As for her ungrateful younger brother, he faced hell in school - the collective wrath of all teachers who heard and sympathized our colleague. You do not wish to be a student every teacher hates. He did badly for exams and then was never seen again.  

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These.

Last night, at Parkson's.... I was poking on the merchandise displayed, yes literally with my forefinger...

All were soft, fluffy and generally white. Albeit few came in boxes, some in plastic bags but mostly in flimsy cloth covering. My significant other was standing on the next rack, hugging the fluffier items.

A sales girl oiled herself nearer from my right. She raised her eyebrows at the vicious poking experienced by her charge. But before she said anything;

"Don't you have anything better than these?"

"What form are you looking for, sir?" she was polite, thankfully.

"I am looking for something cool, even cold. These are not cold enough for me," as I pointed to the products of foamed rubber, cotton and even downy feather. But before she had time to answer...

"Hey, these are infused with peppermint! This one ylang ylang. And those with green tea?!! Do these stuff really work?"

"Personally, I use the green tea one. It works for me, sir."

"Oh ok, good for you then, but I will not get this," I sniffed the peppermint out of the unzipped bag. It was not strong though. The price-tag was frightful too.

"If you are looking for the cooler ones, there are some on the level below."
"But we did arrive FROM below."

"Have you seen those in grey boxes? They are synthetic, with memory contour. And I personally think they are the coolest of all."

"I have no idea what you are talking about, we just got here from there, and there is NO grey boxes."

"??? Then I will follow you downstairs. I personally put them there."

...... she followed us down the escalator and finally we were there, behind a huge pillar, where 7 boxes of fluffy yet expensive items hid, away from their brethren a few aisle away.

"Oh, ok. You shouldn't have put them so far from the rest."

"Would you like to feel them?" she opened up a box and withdrew the innards.

"Wow, this is COOL. Firm, yet so fluffy. Where does this come from?"

I bought the stuff right away. Japanese products rock!

I used the pillow last night. And it was awesome! :D   

What Happened to All Those Knowledge I Taught You?!

I was marking the final exam Science paper this evening and I felt really disappointed with the answers I saw written in the pages. I know I am not a bad teacher, and I do get better results than some, yet I wonder what happen in our previous lessons and exercises.

Teaching is so much as an investment. You pour a lot of energy and resources, and then expect good results from your investment. And if your investment goes down the drain, we wonder whose at fault here... Normally I blame the students and sometimes, the parents..... But this entry is not about pointing fingers.

Thousands of years of paedagogy, yet many children always chose the wrong path, and it was the responsibility of teachers and good parents to pull them back from the dark side. What's with bad things that made people fascinated? Does long hair, not wearing your uniform properly etc made you cool in school? Personally, I am amazed and couldn't understand why the same students keep doing them. (Ok, ok. Actually I know the reason, but I decided long ago that 'If you don't ask for help, I will not help you.').

Focus in class, and lock-in the information you got by reviewing it later. That's the gist of smart studying. Last week, on Thursday morning, I sat with some students before the assembly started, watching them reading some textbooks. Ok, ok 'reading' is definitely a lie. They PRETENDED to read. Yes, I saw their eyes skirting and gazing the books, but they read without comprehension! And it dawned on me that the few hours of study that are worth it are the ones they got by remembering what the teachers said, not by reading books.

Are we doomed? Oh yes we are. If this continue to plague the younger generations. But it's so hard to cultivate the reading culture when children are more interested in games and irresponsible past-times....

.... why must I bother with this anyway.... I'll do my job as the very draconian teacher I am. Cut the losses and care for those who are promising. Those who cannot cope (or refused to join) will be left for the wolves. Life is war. Don't let anyone tell you different, comrade! :v 

The Best Toy I Ever Got (for now)

Let's put the PlayStation 3 and my computer games aside for now....

I love a couple of board games; Monopoly and Scrabble. Don't do much chess though, because I am too impatient. I rarely played other board or card games because I was simply not that interested.

So.... playing a board game all by yourself is a bit silly. (That always happen to us evil people with no friends... the minions were too stupid to even play snake-and-ladders). The board games also come with small, very easy to lost pieces, or made out of flimsy material which will deteriorate after heavy use. (Tell me if I am wrong)

So one fine penniless day last week I went to Parkson's and saw something cool at the Toys Section. Scrabble Flash (age 8 and above). I want! (the little boy inside me)

And I bought the damn thing yesterday (for myself), with a remote control sports car (for my significant other) when my account went ka-ching recently.

It was a lonely person dream come true (sad smile, still happy though). I got to play Scrabble all by myself. Scrabble Flash (a Hasbro product) consisted of 5 electronic tiles that communicate with each other, by building words and keeping score while at it. Too bad the longest words are only 5 letters long, but it amused me greatly, and there were no repetition of the same words that I was aware of.

The digital display on each tile is big and nice, and I am sometimes amazed that five letters can create sometimes 30 and over words.
We get to rearrange the red tiles to form new words. And for every new word, the tiles go beep! (ha ha ha) The game has a timer, and if I was stumped, the tiles provide the solution. Now that's what I call VERY COOL.

If I have children, I'd let them play with this. But I don't, so I tell you to get this cool toy for yours. :) 

It's about USD 30 or 24 pound (last I checked).

p.s. - oh, and you can play this with other people too (which I refused to do) 

Of Ferrets and Death

Disco doing his I-Am-A-Rug Impression

Kaos enjoying a body rub after a long walk.

I took both of my ferrets; Kaos and Disco to the beach last Sunday. I am comfortable bringing them there as the place is wide and we can move away cleanly if there are too many distractions (to both ferrets and owner).


My friend accompanied me that day, and he got to hold a ferret the first time then. He preferred to pet, hold and walk Kaos as Disco is the nippy one of the two. Kaos is indeed the more docile, and he is a joy to hold.


But as I was watching my friend playing with Kaos (with Disco trying to nip my trousers at the end of his collar) I  was reminded of the mortality of my pets. Kaos was born almost two years ago.... and a domestic ferret can only live for 5-6 years. A cat can live twice longer (so no worry for Kiki the Cat yet).


I have another 3 years to spend with my Kaos, then. And I hope he and his mate, Disco are healthy and well as long as they live. I spent a lot of money on premium quality food and treats for my cat and ferrets (and I am happy that my pets are never sick because of this). Unfortunately, the veterinary services in Malaysia are not really competent regarding ferret healthcare. Ferrets are STILL considered very exotic at this part of the world. I cannot trust fully a doctor who never handled a ferret in his whole life!


So, the best of luck for me and my carpet-sharks! I'll try to fill their lives with fun, I promise :D  

See? No Hair!

As the new and upcoming Lord of the Dead Legions Prefect Teacher, I had to sharpen my claws wits on a lot of matters this end of year, so the escelation to world domination the new office will be easier next year.

Teachers and students shoyuld take it easy at the end of year. Syllabi should have been finished, the knowledge brushed and polished with exercises and monthly tests. School fees should have been paid up. All documents should go to appropriate files or people. Ya da ya da ya da.

I saw some girls DANCING on the staircase the other day, from across the laboratory building. They all ran into class when they caught a glimpse of me. I walked to their classroom, and asked the aforesaid girls to own up loudly, my voice travelled far left and right (a teacher teaching 2 class away heard me roar). The girls accused one onother, and finally the boys in the class told me that ALL the girls were out without permission and were on the staircase.   

That would be simpler.

So I told these soon-to-be dancers to go to the front and had some measures taken. A girl feigned a faint, literally fallen to the floor, but stood up again when I said that I'd kick her with my steel shod boots if she continued her drama.

Before you people accuse me of being barbaric and all, just please consider if anything would happen to the girls when they are supposed to be in class. Let's say one of them fell and was injured during the dance... And in a few hours, the parents will come to school, gun ablazing, accusing the entire school of negligence. Not once, in their narrow mind to think that it was originally their children's fault. I like to say this; (Some) Children nowadays are like poison, to both parents and teachers.

I heartly congratulate the parents who produced and cares for those children who are a joy to teach.

Back to the class of the dancing female children.... After the severe penalty, I talked to them about the importance of being in class for almost half an hour. I also reminded them that I am always across the building, and see them all through tinted glass (from my dominion - Physics lab).

To disobey again is very unwise. :v

Anyway, I had my hair cropped very short last Sunday for novelty sake. I like it, my students dig it and my colleagues say I look good. But my new love hated it.

What happen to your hair?!!
Why? Don't you like it?
No. I like it longer.
I thought you say you love me no matter how I look?
Oooo, ok ok. I do love you. I do.
Let this matter lie.
Ok, shutting up.   

What do you guys think?

With Windows Down And Music Blaring

I went out to school very early today and decided to have the car windows winded down as I cruised down the road. I switched on the radio and had it cranked up loudly, a morning ritual, singing along with any songs I fancied on any channels I flicked.


And I noticed that every vehicles that I passed had their windows closed, the drivers must be safe and cool with their airconditioning on.


Me, an anomaly with my car exposed, and music so loud that made the motorcyclists glanced. No, I didn't feel popular or spectacular, just enjoying the fresh wind in my hair and around me.


Did you know that air conditioning leech 15 to 20 percent of power from your moving car? When I was much younger, I always wonder why my father switched off the airconditioning while driving up a steep hill, and now I know better :D


So some of the noted songs I sang on the way to school were Doris Day's 'Perhaps', The Verve's 'Bittersweet Symphony' and The Bellamy Brothers' 'Let Your Love Flow'.


And as my car entered the school's gate, Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman's 'Time To Say Goodbye' was blaring out loud for all to hear. (I love this one, if I made a mafia movie, this would be a great soundtrack for a massacre scene :v )


And my students told me during a class later that they think it was a funny song with screaming voices.... Some people have no standard.


I am sorry if I was gone for longer than usual. I was a tad busier at this end of year, with the final exam coming and the closing of many documents.


But I still have time to play computer games and go out to have fun :angel


Will comment on youse people blog as soon as I can :party   

Scouts Jamboree of 76'

The young man was watching the girl intently, from inside his gaggle of admirers. He was a popular scout leader, easy with his smile, and hilarious with his jokes. The girl scout, the focus of his attention, was talking to a couple of friends not far away, oblivious to the small group of scouts, with the young man within.
Suddenly the young man left his circle of fans, walking straight to the girl, standing under the big tree.
The girl, robust but still very pretty, with wavy black hair noticed the young man standing in front of her at last.
With his megawatt smile, the young man asked;
"I like you, can we be friends?"
The girl was jolted inside. So straightforward? Very original.
"Oh ok."
They exchanged names, and a moment later, their home address. The girl's two friend watched this brief conversation in fascination.
It was the last day of the State Scouts Jamboree.

The young man wrote first. And the girl replied his letter promptly.
They exchanged letters for a few months and one day the girl's mother got hold of this and told her;
"If he wants to be serious, come and let me take a good look at him."
Obediently, the girl wrote her mother wish in her next letter.
And a couple of weeks later, the young man arrived at the front door of the girl's house.
With his mother and father...
And they were engaged, and married shortly after.

The young man was my father, who wooed my mom in a most straightforward way, once upon a time during a Scouts Jamboree some 30 odd years ago.

Blast it! I am OVERWEIGHT!

I did some math this evening and found out my BMI (body mass index) was 26.6. Meaning I am beyond 25, the optimum number, and also MEANING that I am fat! 
My weight for the time being is 72 kg and I should reduce it to 65 to get out of the overweight realm.
But this will prove to be very hard.... I love to eat, not excessively of course.
And nowadays, I go out almost every night to see my friends and the main activity we indulge would be eating...
I hate exercising.... I hate heavy lifting.
Oh the dilemma.


OK.....
I'll try to cut my food intake from this day on.
I'll try to go out for drinks ONLY, and no food.
I'll try to eat at home first before going out or be tempted to eat a lot more outside.
I'll try to eat less high calories food (goodbye oxtail soup, pizza, chicken wings etc)
I'll put the dreaded weight on my ankles tomorrow for the extra workout during walking (used to wear them everywhere but decided they were a fuss to take off) 
I'll try to take less sugar.
I'll try to get my new love to join me in this crazy adventure. 


The key word here is 'I'll try'  :D


Wish me luck, you lucky and skinny buggers!


FYI - Once, a long long time ago, I was 85 kg. :angel

Revenge of the Idiots

I've just returned from school, where we had a short course on health management. But I am not going to talk about the things we did in the school gym, which were many and so festive, it seemed like a small fun fair, complete with blaring pop music (Yes, we teachers do know how to have fun in the absence of students).


It all started when a fellow teacher noticed some scratch marks on the side door of her friend's new car. In big scrawny letters, somebody scratched 'babi' on both doors on the left side of the blue Suzuki Swift. ('Babi' means pig) The female teacher who owns the car didn't realized this, until she was notified by the friend who saw the scratches as she parked next to her this morning at school.


Vandalism... I never vandalize anything when I was in school (though I've stolen great many items from the library, laboratory, and even from the lockers). Vandalism is the lowest form of debauchery for me, destroying public and personal belongings who never did you harm. A cowardly act.


The victimized teacher wasn't a bad lady, she is among those who really cares about students in school. Maybe she caned a few students these couple of weeks, but with valid reasons, unlike me who ENJOYS inflicting pain without much excuse. As friends, we teachers feel sorry for her and if we ever got the culprit... he has much to pay. 


Why must we hurt those who try to improve our lives? If you go to school without books EVERYDAY, was it wrong for the teacher to scold you? If you behave unbelievably naughty in class, did you think the teacher enjoy screaming at you? If you dressed shabbily in school uniform, was it proper for the teacher just to let you be? Clueless, impolite and arrogant, I sum these up about the youths today.


I BLAME the parents. Most never care much, as long as their children arrived safe and back school. They were blinded by work and rarely ask their children about school, totally trusting the evil midgets.


I believe some of my blog readers are parents, and from your own blogs, your children are behaving well and successful. I congratulate you on a hard job done well. Education begins at home, I read this and believe it so. Please don't leave everything up to the teachers in school. We are humans too (or in my case draconian :D)


The moral of this story; ALWAYS park your car INSIDE the house compound, especially at night. 

My 1st Baby Post (not mine!)

Look at my youngest nephew! He's brand new, only a month old and already had the yellow fever for the first two weeks after birth. His name is.... name is.... wait up will you.... (rushing to find Mom @ Grandma)


Oh ok, his name is Dzhia Aidan Muhamad, the 1st two names are totally not common, my sister's notion to make her children stand out of the crowd. Dzhia is a girl's name, I think.


Anyway, he is not old enough for me to carry around. So I did my best with all of babies his age - poking his belly with my finger and rocking his cot to make him stay awake. Uncle Ramzu is bad. Very bad. But I never try to do any evil influence over little babies :D


Let the cuteness overwhelm you!

I Refused To Do The Eid Blog Entry Because I Am Ill

Yes, I was and am still sick. There is this constant storm inside my head and I am coughing like a choo-choo train non stop these past few weeks. (please, say nothing about medicine or cough syrups)


So my Eid was irreplaceably ruined, but I felt nothing much. Visitors and relatives came and went. Lots of food and drinks were consumed, ya da ya da. That's what the Eid is for; a great time to meet relatives, forgive and forget, the mushy stuff, and most of the times the kids got some money out of everybody.


And I spent the entire time in my room, sleeping - it's hard to keep the storm at bay.   


Anyway, it's the 6th day of the Eid, school had started yesterday and only 49% of the students showed up. It's rather ok with me as nobody was in teaching / studying mood right after the Eid and I spent my time in class talking about the gruesome murders of the cosmetic millionaire and her three buddies a few days before the Eid. She and three other men were beaten to death, burned and then the ashes and bones thrown into a nearby river to destroy the evidence. It's all about greed and a lot of money here.... Tell me if you want to know more.


Anyway I had a couple of salmon blocks for lunch today. I bought from Tesco and before putting them into the oven, I smeared some mustard with honey and herbs and wrapped them up in aluminium foil. I prefer to to this with fish as the product will be the equivalent of a steamed dish. 20 minutes later in 180 degrees Celcius, with some Chinese fish soy sauce - it was a delight. I will do this more often :D


I went to visit my aunt, my mom's youngest sister a couple of hours ago. She is ill and currently cannot continue her work in the hospital as a staff nurse. We chatted a bit but most of the time we talked about a certain relative she wouldn't want to meet, even during the Eid. When an older relative decided to disown someone, she must have been a very very bad girl. In fact, she is and I also wouldn't want the same girl to visit my mom, her older aunt. But the damage was done, the disgraceful young female attended my house when I was out and about. Enough about that already...


On my way back, I stopped at a dvd shop and bought a dvd. 'Bathory'.... oi, wasn't Elizabeth Bathory the evil  noblewoman who drank and bathed in blood of virgins way back in old Europe? As I was pondering this, I hear a loud honking from the street behind me. A car was going AGAINST the one way traffic and was clearly rude about it. I heard the driver cussing and swearing at the rest of the drivers who tried to make way for him. I said it aloud in the middle of the dvd shop; "Stupid and arrogant. I wish you are dead."


The rest of patrons glanced at me and continued browsing.


I wish people would care a lot more....


I am looking forward to see a lot of blood in bathtubs tonight :v Or is it bathtubs of blood? :angel  

Me and My Blings :)

I love shiny stuff. Even as a kid, I loved to keep flashy cards and shiny wrappers, put them into a shoe-box for later observation. Pack rat? Hoarding dragon? I'll go for the second title :)

Once upon a time, I bought a platinum plated choker and wore it everyday. I never took it off. My late father, who was a real old-school guy was visibly unhappy with this as he believed that necklaces were for girls, not boys. But I continued wearing the shiny ornament, watching his discomfort, and and thanking people who complimented on my choker's 'shiny-ness'.

But one day, my father asked me to sit in front of him and asked me to take the choker off. I was waiting for the moment for a very long time, wondering when he was going to stop this evil son of his. I took it off without a fuss and put the choker in a box.

The thing rusted within a week. I am not superstitious, as I believe the oils from my skin had maintained the metal from corrosion.

After my father death, I began to wear an assortment of metals and crystals. I love stainless steel ornaments as they are easy to clean and will never rust. I am wearing a steel choker now (to my mom's chagrin), the more expensive one of course.

Silver does not go well with my skin as it tarnish in a few hours upon contact. I am the living example that the connection of silver and evil creatures is no exaggeration. :D

No gold because muslim men are forbidden to wear gold ornaments. I don't like the colour yellow anyway.

I have my favourite metal choker. And I think I had enough crystal bangles and rings for now. But I can never know if what flashy item will catch my eyes next.  :)