It Looks Like Its Been Awhile....

Bonjour folks!
So, it’s been a while since i wrote a blog, with ‘hot’ topics sometimes mild and sometimes contentious. Haha! Almost certainly, my absence from the blogging platform is due to my ever-demanding work nature. After all, my job is not all about holidaying or taking things easy. It’s more on a serious note and nothing about being laidback. I have been looking for a slip off to jot my ramblings but never had the time. Coz at the end of the day, I find myself too jaded and can’t wait to tuck myself into my welcoming bed (nothing is more soothing than a nice, cosy sleep)..



Work is not the only reason for me to be pushed away from blogging, but something more essential stuffs has been on my cards and requires prioritization. I don't know why and how, BUT, my senses did get kicked with a call to start moving and planning ahead.. After all, it’s a huge task and needs careful coordination to make the best out of it. So here I am, moving back and forth, up and down etc etc with my mega project. **




Regardless of why, IM BACK, I have to make my presence felt. And the calling came to me this morning. Hmmm..well I needed to refocus my goals, and strive for it. So many agendas line up for me for the next couple of months. I am all geared up for the coming agenda. But that doesnt mean I shud compromise on something that I love the most; BLOGGING! I love it and will not discontinue giving piece of my mind to all the avid followers/readers...


WOOOHOOO LETS DO THIS!

Earth Hour is back!

Earth Hour is back for more action today. So, tonight everyone be there, to turn off your lights at 8:30 pm for Earth Hour, a worldwide collective display of dedication to protect the one thing that unites us all - the planet. Here, we get the opportunity to take a simple step that will go an extra mile in making a difference in the world. We will unite more than a billion people across the globe that will come together and turn off their lights for one hour in what is known as the largest grassroots environmental endeavor in history.

Once again we are devoting our support for a noble cause which I believe worth the effort. The contribution of each and every one of us epitomizes the phenomena of additive effects (in the theory of quantitative genetics). The sum of individual contribution in unison can create a difference to realize the significance of Earth Hour. Certainly, Earth Hour 2011 is going to make its usual round again this time. So for those who pre-determined to make a difference, let’s roll it out! It's that time when we turn off our lights for an hour and take a stand against climatic change. This year's Earth Hour will take place at 8.30pm on 26 March, a Saturday (by the way its today). Wherever you are, let’s share our obligation and do your bit for our Planet Earth!
Every year Earth Hour asks individuals, businesses and communities worldwide to show their commitment to the environment. This year’s Earth Hour, we hope you do not ONLY turn off your lights, BUT pledge to do your part in various ways throughout the year. When the lights go back on, we want you to go beyond the hour and think about what you can change in your daily life that will benefit the planet. Even the smallest things will make a huge distinction. Let’s work together to create a better future. Our actions can add up. Earth Hour, go beyond the hour. Take
This meaningful gesture’s aim is to create awareness across the globe about climate change and sustainability issues which was initiated in Sydney, Australia in the year 2007. Since then, there was no turning back and it has grown to be a concerted effort with huge supporters advocating their part which is what now a global sustainable movement. It all began in Sydney, Australia in 2007, with 2.2 million people and 2,000 businesses pledged to turn off their lights for one hour. Now, the substance of the idea was so impactful that actually made its way into everyone’s mind; as such just years later, more than 100 million people from more than 35 countries turned off their lights in one unified pledge and as a reminder to protect the planet against climate change. Even landmarks such as the Harbour Bridge in Australia, the Golden Gate Bridge in USA, and iconic KLCC twin tower in Malaysia were witnessed with momentary darkness for that one hour. Then why can’t we do it?

In the interim, go past the hour to make it a way of life. Think of what you can do after Earth Hour is over. If you have ideas, share it with me here. Let's do our part for the Earth too! It's time to give back to the Earth again! I take the pleasure of saluting my fellow SDarbians for their innovative idea in conjunction of Earth Hour as part of (our famed CSR activities) committed citizen in compliance of with our organization sustainability objective. Kudos folks!! If the entire community can marshal ourselves to dedicate an hour a year for Earth, alongside other means of green effort we can make it a lifestyle and culture.
I believe we are all well aware of the state of the environment and the impact of climate change and global warming. As a smart inhabitant of planet Earth, we are liable to fulfill our responsibilities to the environment and need to proactively engage in sustainable lifestyles. As a matter of fact, all of us are encouraged to opt for Eco-friendly option that truly imply endeavor of going beyond the hour, so after the lights go back on; think about what else you can do to make a difference. As a diligent citizen of this Earth, we need to be forthcoming, transparent and accountable for our own actions. I’m looking forward for the momentous hour and remember to turn off your lights tonight! Lets usher the Saturday Night Fever with a noble raison d'être for a better future for mankind.

Every Little Thing is Magic

Dusk just set in with a lovely hue, I am sitting by my coffee table, sipping a nice homemade coffee, listening to an album by Richard Claydermans’ beautiful masterpiece. I think, without a doubt, it’s the most relaxing thing to do after a hard day’s work. Here I am stretching my legs on the couch, cuddled by soft cushion and pampered by soothing music for the tired soul.

I sometimes wonder as I enjoy listening to the rain pelting outside my garden, or a good sunset, how are others doing out there. I don’t mean the destitute in this context. More like the people who are in rush hours, caught in the jam, especially when it rains heavy, deadlines to meet at work, projects to complete etc. I guess they must be enjoying their working life in their own way.
Memories comes flows in when I contemplate on my good ol’ varsity days. No matter how much I move on with my next phase of life, nothing is more precious than academic years. My corporate working life is entirely different, I agree! The commitments, deliverables of company key projects (KPIs), CSR, and then moving into family obligations, household errands etc, which makes us tied up with life essential compulsions. Despite all the good things in life, we are all accountable to face the other face of reality which is adversity. Life will not be a bed of roses all the time. Just take a time off and ponder on the plights of Japanese at this moment. It’s so heart-wrenching to read news of agonizing loved ones identifying their lifeless bodies in the debris. It is not easy to see your loved ones in such a situation. I had been closely following the news of the crippling disaster that strike the brave nation leaving them speechless. At one moment, they were living in happiness and lavishness, and in a blink of an eye, unimaginable devastation shook the nation into shambles. At the wake of one of the most destructive nature’s wrath, I am grateful for my life which is a real blessing. One great life lesson that I learnt is “We are renting on this earth and one day we need to vacant this place. Along the way, we don’t bring anything with us; unless you can take the loads of cash that you earn with you to the afterlife, (mockingly).
The politics, back stabbings, jealousy, selfish principles and ungratefulness are not something you want to cherish and or even spare a second thought. Why waste your precious time and energy on fools that practice those convictions. I even once encountered with morons where they spend ¾ quarter of their life sniffing on other people’s back. “Get a life, ppl”! I got no time for those people. I have so much to achieve in my life and obligations for my family, why do I need to be like the rest?! Instead I value every little thing right from admiring the nature’s beauty, a cosy time with loved ones every night to catch up with each other after a day’s work, till the weekend getaway to strengthen our bonding.

So if you can, get out of that rat race and look into your own business, then you might progress in life instead of checking out other people’s back will not bring you anywhere. Maybe one day you too can enjoy a lovely cup of coffee with tranquility and listen to a nice smooth Jazz music at home or something you love doing in your extra free time. Maybe do some charity work or even think of spending your time with something constructive (rather than busy being nosey into other people’s affair, I suppose).
Make your life count, don’t live to regret it.

Economic Quandary

Frankly, I felt really annoyed lately with the inflation dilemma popping up in Malaysia. As far as I can remember, every year there will be at least 1-2 rounds of price hike, for whatever the reason. There is no room for most of us to breath; I cannot catch with this sort of inflation. It’s not just about our basic necessities but it extends to other services/taxes that out of nowhere emerge to add up to our monthly expenses. We all know that we have to pay taxes and I'm sure we all know that there are a lot of different taxes that we have to pay. Look at the various taxes implemented upon us; income tax, government tax, service tax, sales tax, and other kinds of taxes that we are liable for (I am still in absolute objection towards the RM50 service tax on our credit card. Thank god I have only one card). This is just enough to strangle us!

Forget about all those useless hogwash economics talk. All these while, I don't fancy in-depth economic topics; I don't really care about the inflation rate in percentage. I have been living in my comfy zone with lavish expenditures. For me, ignorance is bliss like how it is regularly quoted. But when I gradually morph from my comfortable and blithe lifestyle into late twenties which is a serious wake-up call for me to start looking at my financial plan ahead, I felt the fretfulness instantly. Thank god for having responsible parents (whom constantly reprimand on my generous spending) guiding me through the adulthood with poise. Right now, I have learnt to flick through the sections of economics/business to get a general insight on how to manage my fiscal plan (That’s why I’m embarking on this grave topic)

Now, all I know is the amount we earned every month is not adequate for our basic necessities. The huge chunk of the salary is kept aside for various loan servicing payments, absorbing the inflating prices of food items, transportation, utility bills etc. Let's not even talk about overspending; how do we cope with the additional costs which are totally unwarranted. At the end of the day, ‘How do we allocate for a decent saving for our future’? Suddenly you realize you’re going bonkers wondering what else to do to absorb the inflation rate. I don't care about the numbers given in the media, all I know is that I am going to have trouble coping will these entire price hike in time to come. People predict economy will slow down again, of course it will when people don't have money for anything else, do you expect economy to grow?? I don't think you need an economist to tell you that.




Every time when there is a hike, you can hear huge cry over the series of unfortunate upshots from the fuel and diesel hike in the media. But despite seeing the response of the whole economic anguish, it is brushed aside after the ‘hot’ episode. Only time will decide if all of us can survive from this alarming economic call. (It is no surprise that once again, the government can increase prices of petrol and diesel with regard to global market). These two items have been proved to be the main catalyst in driving inflation rates up in Malaysia. The excuse here is that we need to prevent the country from being bankrupt which is why the subsidy has been reduced. In the end, it burns huge hole in our pockets. Government might say, a hike of 5 cents is does not have a dramatic impact on our life. But all of us will be utterly disgusted to deny the burden in our expenses.

Given the latest round of price increases in petrol and diesel, I don't see how we can ever escape from the inevitable price increases and real inflation that we are going to see on the streets without the mandate by enforcement. Ultimately, food, transportations, utility bills, and other items will see a new price revision without warning. Who is going to comprehend the poor citizen’s plight and monitor our daily wrestle with harsh livelihood? The authorities can impose a strict reminder not to increase the price but will they be able to enforce it? Or will the business people abide to the caveat? One good paradigm scenario that I would bring into debate will be the fuel hike. When the global price increases, the Malaysian government will unconsciously blame it on the global market price to mandate the price hike. But when the global market sees a decline in the cost of fuel, nothing is said to cut-back the cost. It falls back on us to absorb the economic shock.

The inflation rate in Malaysia was last reported at 2.4 percent in January of 2011. The Malaysian inflation rate chart exhibits the average inflation rate is seeing a rise as from October 2010 (Source: TradingEconomics.com). We don’t need an economist to compute the increase in cost against the standard level of purchasing power. We can predict the relative purchasing power by formulating our very own financial plan. At individual level, the most important thing here is to start planning our future financial state by saving more and spending less (*Grinz* That sends out a signal for me to reduce my lavish shopping, fine dining, blah blah blah which is not easy for a women like me. But it will be a faux pas, if I don’t!). Cut down on redundant expenses and make life easy. On the other hand, at government level, they ought to devise a good policy to encounter inflation predicament for a better economic growth. Maybe with a good salary revision by comparing our incomes against expenses we are absorbing in? Or simply managing a good enforcement on prices of myriads commodities that affects the people on the whole? If something like this or close to it is put into place, then we might not end up in suffocation.

Sayonara February

It was like yesterday when February came. All the excitements building up within me were electrifying then. But in a blink of an eye, February left with a promise to be back next year for more memorable one. What is so special about this month?



February is beyond doubt, a month of celebration and epitome of love. When January gets ready to leave, the arrival of February is sensationalized by the emblem of love and splashes of red-pink in every nook and corner of shopping malls, billboards, adverts, magazines and etc. Fancy gifts, resembling the heart or cupid with his love struck arrow are found to be abundant all over the places. Although it brings the celebration of love for many, February brings a plethora of birthday celebrations among my social network. To the skepticism of many, February sees the birth of fantastic people around me. Right from the 4th of February till the very last week of the month, it brings a sense of bliss to share the birthday in the same month.



The best days of birthday celebrations were during my varsity days. I can recall how we used to celebrate each of our classmates birthday each month. And since February has the most number of babies which shares the same birthday ‘tiara’, you can imagine the large celebration or ‘havoc’ made in this month. I can still remember the nightmare when our birthday approaches. This is simply because when we become the celebrated person, a string of ‘bizarre’ ideas pop into your friends ‘evil’ mind…Evil here metaphorically means out of the ordinary plan to paint your birthday celebration with what-not-you-least-expect. How can I forget my 21st birthday celebration at my first year in varsity…Despite being away from home for the first time in my lifetime, my friends back then didn’t let my reminiscent self to control me. Instead, they went an extra mile just to make my 21st the most memorable and awe-inspiring day. Thanks a bunch my first year mates! The midnight ‘flour’ treatment followed by water drenches with deafening screams on top of your lungs! It’s hilarious when I recall it at this moment. But at that nick of time, I was so stunned and vexed with the sheer thought of removing the sticky flour-water blend on my favorite tee! Hahahah.. Very stereotype for young lass about her looks and her favorite stuffs….Wait a minute! The celebration doesn’t end there! Its nightmarish, trust me.. Birthday gathering for the whole bunch of February babies comes masking with customary cake-cutting for all of us with a huge cake ( You might wonder why did I mention ‘masking’, coz truth is yet to unfold). Right after that, there will sweet surprises like cute gifts, lovely food and celebration becomes crazier. Crazier? What does it sound to you like? Of course the REAL celebration starts with splashing each other with fizzy drinks, flour (plenty of stock), whatever left over food/drinks they can lay their hands off just to ‘treat’ the birthday babies….
Gone are the days…when you’re younger, you will be loved to have such fun and nerve-cracking celebrations…but as you grow older, I tend to prefer a simple, quiet celebration with a fine classic dinner, lovely hugs from loved ones, and sweet wishes from your good friends in the form of SMS, emails or snail mail. Nothing beats than having your postman honk at your gate to deliver greeting card. And by god’s grace, I still do have those privileges in my life. It’s a gift of God. And I truly cherish it.


To double my happiness, Valentine’s Day comes knocking on my door with a sense of being loved by my better half. It’s a month of love, celebration, with loads of gift and memories treasured. Its definitely a busy month for me to sit back and enjoy like a holiday month. Cheers

STOP OTHERS FROM DICTATING YOUR LIFE- Take Control of Your Life Back

Every one of us will endeavor to live the life we desire, but inevitably the fear of what others might presume about us will stamp out our dreams. Eventually, many of us end up being a slave to societal perceptions. It’s an agonizing pressure escalating within us to follow the flock which is against our will. I have heard the common phrase uttered frequently, “I’m sick of being a doormat”! I will just give them a cynical grin and feel sorry for them for not taking a control of their own life. The day God created us; we were manufactured with in-built operating manual to function according to our design. Then why do you allow external factor to drive your operating system (literally meaning your own life)? Those who fall into societal perceptions, tend to give in into the pressure of tyranny absolute dictatorship! And I totally loathe the idea of someone controlling our life. Hey com’on folks! This is not something you should give up on.
There are too many people that allow this thing to happen to them. You can avert yourself from being a slave by taking back control of your life. There are some essential steps that you need to take in order to completely take control of your life.
Here are the steps that will allow you to start feeling empowered and in control of your life again.
1. Voice up your displeasures - Don't just sit quietly and do what others ask you to do all the time. Being compliant all the time, will snatch away your freedom of life. If you don't want to or can't do something, then speak up and let them know. Tell them that you are willing to take their ideas once in a while, but not every time. You’re not obliged to commit their advice or ideas. It’s up to you to decide.
When people know that you can't be stepped on, they will respect your thoughts and daren’t infringe your private space too often. If they don't respect your convictions and still thinks they can dominate your life, then you may not want to be around that person anyway.
2. Be firm with your defined convictions – Be firm with your convictions, but in a very polite manner. Eventually, when you stand up for your principles, others will also adhere to it with respect. In other words, if you are always putting yourself down or vague about your own faith, then others will take you for a ride. Get rid master of slavery out of your life and start treating yourself with the respect that you deserve and others will follow suit.
3. Don't let others dictate your life - Being submissive, means that you are letting others tell you what to do and when to do it all the time. Fill up the gap where, others attempt to dictate your life by taking charge of your life. When others know you are in charge of your own life they won't be able to dictate you anymore.
I was fixated to write up this fascinating subject, out of excitement to share my true encounter with such extremely obsessed human characters. Domination is their ultimate motive to achieve their sadistic pleasure. I have come across several characters resembling the authoritarian behavior to master the life of others besides theirs. It’s pure obsession that makes them to take authority into their own hands and gives instruction to others. What’s even worse is, this type of character dominates other people’s life NOT for their wellbeing’s (literally meaning NOT for optimistic progress of the other party), instead to shun them from being successful or being a match up to them. But the real publicity stunt is, their overwhelming compassion deceives us into something I call a ‘lion’s den’. *ROLF*. Their pushy nature, eventually chuck us into a ditch kind of circumstances. The masquerade fades away when reality hits us, the hard way.
You might be wondering how I handled such culprits. Simple and downright direct on the face! Hahahaha…Nothing will teach them to keep their hands off other people’s affairs. Only tell them to buzz off from your life, will they ever shut their mouth. Even then, such culprits find it hard to accept their discontentment to further dictate. One thing for sure, they will not attempt to face you directly coz they never anticipated for someone to rebel against them. Then can go yakking about you at the back, but deep down, you will realize you made the right choice to stand up and put a stop to this.
Reflect on how you can prevent yourself from being taken advantage by them and help you start feeling better about yourself and you can feel more empowered. It is of no harm to be harsh with such characters to defend your rights. No one can question you.
Let us steer our life with all the values added to make it a distinct space of our own.

Traffic Woes in KL City

A ray of hope is something that we, city dwellers look forward on the horizon who crawl our way through the notorious Federal Highway jam daily (snail-drive, I name it). Sometimes I can see pedestrians are faster than motorists. Each time I hit the Federal Highway (highway is not an appropriate name for it anymore), I imagine a city centre without traffic jams. Not just during off- peak hours or public holidays but every day, where I don’t need to sit idle staring at the sea of cars, hearing impatient honking and looking at disgruntled drivers with frown all over their forehead. It’s a mere sight each day when we are battling to reach our destination, HOME after a hard day’s work. What sort of life do we have here in city? Now I began to realize why my parents love their small town, Ipoh and look forward to settle down post retirement.
Traffic inch is all over routes in KL and Selangor. Both directions of road are filled with engine fumes and impatient drivers. Let it be, you’re exiting the city or reaching towards city, it makes no DIFFERENCE. And worse still, the traffic congestion is unpredictable! Regardless of public holidays or school holidays makes it even ghastly. Obviously, this is a daily anguish for all of us which there are no end to it, unless the authority does something about it ASAP!
Let us have a quick look into what is the root cause for the never-ending traffic brawl in the city. The focal reason for traffic congestion in the city was due to the substantial increase in the number of single occupancy vehicles coming into the city. It will still be zilch efficiency anywhere in the world even if the PWD authority escalates the number of new routes or roads, or expand roads to keep pace with the rapid increase in passenger cars. Why is this happening? Isn’t the public transportation sufficient to cater the public to commute from work to home and vice versa? One reason the public still chose to use their own vehicles was because the public transportation system was still inadequate and did not fulfill the demands of users especially in accessibility, continuity and being on time. There is no way the current road system can take in more cars; the only solution is for an alternative mode of transport – improvisation of public transportation.

I believe, a comprehensive and integrated plan should be put into place by the Government to solve the erratic traffic woes in the city. Integrated public transportation system should be established and not become a near reality, a distant future or just a pipe-dream. This is a serious matter and should not be looked at being unrealistic. The on-hand public transportation exclusively the LRT/commuter should be innovated to greater heights and channeled to various destination especially offices, factories, hospitals, and shopping malls via underground or amid the skyline. The rail transit will be the most effective mode of transportation for a quick and safer travelling. This included expanding LRT services, improving the quality of commuter trains and increasing the number of buses and their stops.
It comes of no surprise that almost most big cities in the world experience this sort of predicament. But the authority comes up with innovative ways of dealing with this problem. I.e. car pool, limit the cars on the road, improve the services of public transportation with better comfortable trains and reliable LRTs and also a combination of cycle-park and taking the train. In most developed countries, 60% of the people use public transport but in our country, it is about 20%, so we are way below the world average. So this is why we are still struggling with traffic anguish.
There must be nationwide campaign to get all the people including the company’s directors, bosses and political leaders to take the public transport at least once/twice a week. After all this is about leadership by example and walking their talk.
This is not something out of the ordinary, since even in USA, their Vice President Joe Biden commutes by metro.
My greatest doubt is how PWD and government streamlined the physical criteria’s of roads in KL and survey the traffic conditions prior to developing the infrastructure for traffic systems? The elevated roads are constructed for routes that only a handful motorist uses it. Why? The peak-hour traffic congestion on the highway which is one of the city's main arteries should be scrutinized and given a paramount importance for improvisation of roads.

Another immediate suggestion is to come up with a proper management scheme to control the flow of traffic on the highway. The traffic controller can play a major role by making their presence felt and worthy especially during peak hrs all throughout the day (from dawn till dusk) irrespective of the weather conditions. A holistic solution was definitely considered necessary to solve traffic problems in the city for the next two to three decades.
It is time to give it a big boost as we make Kuala Lumpur city to be even better and greater.

Myriad Faces of Old Railway Station

Standing in pride at night








KL Railway station is a heritage that ought to be proud off and cherished for the future generation.