What you are doesn't matter ...

A friend, who until recently held an influential post working for a political VIP, is out-of-job but he is taking things in his stride.
“Don’t worry, I’ll survive with the little things I do here and there,” he told me over the phone yesterday.
He went on to tell me about his situation after being sidelined by his ‘boss’.
What touched me was when he asked if I still consider him a friend.
“Of course… you’re my friend because of who you are, not what you are,” I said.

I admire his character and determination to take on whatever jobs to support his family.
“I even work at construction site… mixing cement and lay bricks during weekends…at least I can get RM150 a day, life has to go on,” he said.
His self-esteem reminded me of two guys who were basking at a food court near the KL Hospital.
Their rendition of local hits made my breakfast of tosai and ‘teh halia’ even tastier.
"I respect them...it's a better way to earn money than begging," said a hospital staff who shared the table with me.

A memorable day for Fairuz ...

Muhammad Fairuz Syuhaimi and his university-mates were among thousands who made their way to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Saturday for the PM's "100 days in office" public gathering. They got to see not just Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak but former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as well.
When I met him later at a fast-food restaurant, the 19 year-old Fairuz, who is doing Physics at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, was excited about meeting Dr Mahathir.
As proof, the Taiping lad took out his handphone and showed me the photo of him with Dr Mahathir.
I asked him if he could forward me the photo so I could post it on this blog.
"I can do it now if there's wi-fi here," he said and remarked that he had his laptop in his knapsack.
"Well you guys are so IT-savvy...I had to depend on the typewriter when I first joined Bernama," I replied.
As the place was crowded, he said he would emailed me the photo.
So, in keeping to my promise, I'm posting the photo which Fairuz sent to me this morning.
He may not realize it but thanks to Dr Mahathir's foresight, ICT is now part of our daily life.

(It's not difficult to identify Fairuz -- the guy with the knapsack, of course, on the extreme left)

Dare to dream…

When I was at my daughter’s school the other day, I was inspired by the many “Words of Wisdom” that adorned the walls of its corridors and classrooms.
One that caught my eye was: “ALWAYS AIM FOR THE SKY, AT LEAST WHEN YOU FALL, YOU CAN REACH THE CLOUDS”

And so it was a coincident that I met Air Asia’s ‘big boss’ Tony Fernandes for the first time at the PM’s 100 Days in Office gathering at KLCC yesterday. Several students – boys and girls were obviously excited to pose pictures with him. For the man, who helped made possible for anyone to fly, Tony has literally piloted the airlines to great heights not just across the country and region but across continents.
As he posed with the students for their cameras, I thought he had sent another strong message – no matter how high you have gone in life, never forget the humble ground.
I suppose this is partly what the PM’s “walkabout” philosophy stands for. Since assuming the “No 1” post on April 3, Najib has gone to the ground numerous times to hear the people’s grouses and to “feel the pulse of the people”.
He told the gathering that he has yet to find a Malay term for “walkabout”.
The closest I can think of is “turun padang”, a phrase normally used to describe the occasion when leaders go and meet the people under their care.
Three university students I met after the event were appreciative of what the government has done for the people.
“I cried when I was about to go for my PLKN stint but after three months there, I shed my tears when it was time to go home…it was just so sad to leave,” says 19 year-old bespectacled Shikin, who is taking Physics at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

Her university-mate Noraida who could easily be mistaken for a secondary student because of her small-built said it was worth the trip from their campus in Bangi to see the Prime Minister in person.
When she told me she was studying Maths, I remarked how proud her parents in Tok Uban in Kelantan are of her academic pursuit.
Another student Fairuz, who is doing Physics, was equally happy to be there.

“I met Dr Mahathir,” he said and gleefully took out his handphone to show me the photo of him with the former prime minister.
Talking to them was so refreshing as they carry the hopes for the future. Moreover, I was about their age when I joined Bernama in 1980.
I told them that during my schooldays, the scope was not that wide for students to dream of what they wanted to be when they grew up.
But now the sky is the limit – literally -- as Malaysia can be proud to have our own “Angkasawan”.
This could be summarized in Najib’s own words which were highlighted in an exhibition held in conjunction with the gathering:


“For the next 50 years, we will open up the minds of the settlers’ children to see whatever possibilities that we have never dream of, but with opportunities given, we will be able to achieve those we have never thought of,” he said after launching the national-level Settlers Day 2009 celebration at Felda Maokil, in Labis, Johor on July 7.

Good news for the people...

Marking his 100th day in office as the prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced 11 "people-friendly" measures at a public gathering in the federal capital that was telecast live over national radio and television.

He made the announcement at the "100 Days of Najib with the People" function at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC).
The measures are:
1. A 20 per cent discount for users of the pre-paid Smart Tag and Touch n Go cards who pay toll 80 times or more in a month.
2. The government offer for sale of 44,000 units of public housing to people renting these premises in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.
3. A 50 per cent discount on the licence renewal fee for hawkers and petty traders in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur with immediate effect.
4. The government's raising by 3,000 the number of taxi permits, the applications for which will be approved over the next three months.
5. The introduction of drastic measures to reduce crime and fight corruption.
6. Facilitating applications for registration of births in Sabah and Sarawak.
7. Construction of additional roads in Sabah and Sarawak.
8. Upgrading of water and electricity supply in Sabah and Sarawak.
9. Reduction to RM211 the fee for learning to ride Class B2 motorcycles of 250cc and below, beginning Sept 1.
10. Increasing by RM150 million the allocation for Tekun Nasional, with RM15 million to be made available for young entrepreneurs from the Indian community.
11. Introduction of the new Amanah Saham 1Malaysia (1Malaysia Unit Trust) with a size of 10 billion units.

100 days in office ....

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today marks his 100th day in office as the Prime Minister. Here are some of his quotable quotes since assuming office on April 3.

* "In our national discourse and in pursuing our national agenda, we must never leave anyone behind. We must reach out to the many who may have been disaffected and left confused by political games, deceit and showmanship. The people first must transcend every level of society." (When assuming office as the sixth prime minister on April 3)

* "I urge us to rise to the challenge of building a 1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now." (When assuming office as the sixth prime minister on April 3)

* "My visit is to meet the ordinary people and to find out their problems." (During a walkabout in Kuala Lumpur on April 4)

* "I do not want my presence to be assessed by the kompang beat, a red carpet, and even my name is not in the backdrop today. I dropped by to celebrate the Kaamatan Day because I would like to stress that I am the prime minister for all the people." (When opening the 14th Klang Valley Kaamatan Day celebration on May 2)

* "The interest of the people should be given priority. As such the KPI is the most relevant medium of reminder... the benchmark is the people." (When addressing the Prime Minister's Department monthly assembly on May 5)

* "I don't craze for power for the sake of power but I need power to serve the people and ensure successful nation building." (Addressing a farewell reception at the Finance Ministry on May 20)

* "The 1Malaysia is not a new concept or formula but its ultimate objective is national unity, which is the primary vision of previous administrators translated into various forms over the last five decades or so.
In other words, 1Malaysia is a concept to foster unity in Malaysians of all races based on several important values which should become the practice of every Malaysian." (Replying on the 1Malaysia concept during question time in the Dewan Rakyat on June 15)

* "We must break the race barrier. We should not look at skin colour but as one Malaysia. If one needs help, he should be helped. If we have that attitude, we will move forward." (Launching the 1Malaysia logo and song at Dataran Merdeka on June 27)

'Blue rice' for breakfast ...

Nasi Kerabu is an authentic rice dish from Kelantan. The rice is tinted blue after it is soaked and cooked with local flowers called bunga telang.

The blue rice is then served with a combination of fresh aromatic herbs, or known as ulam.
The “kerabu” (some foreigners it described as salad) could be any vegetables or edible leaves though the more or less standard version will have daun kesum, taugeh (bean sprout), thinly cut long green beans, bunga kantan, cucumber and daun kadok.
Apart from that it is also served with fried breaded fish, keropok keping, salted egg, solok lada (fish fillet and coconut-stuffed chillis), and pickled garlic (local gherkins).
You need not go to Kelantan though to get the popular breakfast dish as a number of places in Kuala Lumpur have them. A favourite place is at the Datuk Keramat market which also offers nasi dagang, nasi berlauk and laksam -- all popular Kelantan dish.
I was fortunate to meet an uncle -- Halim, an occasional patron of the place. He was just back from Kelantan where he stayed a for week to attend a relatives wedding.

"I was so happy to be there although not many of our relatives are there anymore," said Halim who has been living in Kuala Lumpur for more than 30 years.

Al-Fatihah for 'Kak' Nawal …..

A light drizzle fell from the sky as the remains of ‘Kak‘ Nawal Ismail was laid to rest at the Taman Ibu Kota Muslim burial ground after the Friday prayers.
The former Bernama journalist died at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital at 3.10am.
Bernama quoted her daughter, Farah Naz Abdul Karim, 32, as saying that Nawal died of septicaemic shock with multi-organ failure. She was 56.
Apart from Farah, she had four other children from her marriage to Abdul Karim Shukor who retired as Bernama chief news editor in 1995.
They married in 1972, a year after Nawal joined Bernama as a cadet reporter. The marriage lasted 20 years.
Nawal left the organization after four years to join a public relations company. She was also involved in publishing magazines and writing drama scripts.


Besides Farah, another daughter Yasmin is also a journalist with The Star, says ‘Abang’ Karim.
Al-Fatihah ...

Stamping the '1Malaysia' feelings ...

The Stamp and Philately Unit at Pos Malaysia headquarters in Kuala Lumpur is full of people every time new collection of stamps and first-day covers are issued. Today is no exception.

Featuring traditional houses of all Malaysian states, the latest collection is aimed at highlighting the rich architectural heritage in the country.
The series of 16 stamps – each in 50 sen denomination – depict the different traditional houses of the 13 states. While many like the designs, some have their reservations.
“Too many varieties…they should have come out with two series,” says avid collector Andy Tan, a regular face at such first-day stamp launch at the post office.


Like many of his fellow collectors, the occasion is an opportune time for them to catch-up with one another.
“For senior citizens like me, everyday is a complimentary, you never know when or where you'll be next,” said the 65 year-old Tan.
Brought together by their philatelic passion, the place is like a friendship area for young and old from various backgrounds to share their interest.

Think about the ‘1Malaysia’ concept and you could consider the situation as one aspect of it.

'Atukship' in mind for Halid ...

With his eldest daughter getting married soon, long-serving Bernama staff Mad Halid Shariff is ready to enter a new phase in his life.
"It's time to prepare for 'Datukship'...a natural Datuk," said a beaming Halid, handing out the invitation cards for the wedding to office-mates.
Twenty-five year old Norhidayah, a research officer at Universiti Putra Malaysia, is the eldest of his six children.
Halid, 54, and his wife Norrizah will hold the reception at their home in Bandar Baru Sentul on August 1.
Widely-known as Bongek -- the name of his kampung in Negeri Sembilan, Halid has been in Bernama for 35 years and had witnessed much of its progress.
"I could not imagine then that Bernama would develop from a news agency to a multimedia organisation with radio and television outfits," said Halid who joined Bernama in 1974 as a library staff.
When the audio-visual department was set-up in 1999, Halid was among its pioneer batch with the crucial responsibility of archiving the visuals. The AV department eventually became what is now known as Bernama TV -- the 24-hour all-news channel on Astro 502.
"I'm glad Bernama is more visible now with the news bulletins in four languages over TV," he said.

Openg gets his Exora...

After waiting anxiously for three months, my colleague Openg finally got his brand-new Proton Exora delivered to him today. Even then, he had to book the vehicle from another outlet which kept its promise to hand it over within a month.
"In fact, I got it in less than two weeks," said the proud owner of WST7696.

Openg can take credit as the first owner of Exora at Wisma Bernama.
The Exora was launched on 15 April 2009 and is the first Malaysian-designed MPV.
"This is a new experience and excitement in my life," says Openg who chose "Blue Haze" for the colour of his 1.6 automatic trasmission.
"The colour tone can change according to the amount of sunlight it gets," he explained.
Asked where he would be taking his family, he said: "Outside KL, it will be Port Dickson, insya-Allah before the fasting month."
While Openg took delivery of the vehicle, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak unveiled Proton Holdings Berhad's Exora 1.6 Manual Transmission (MT) version alongwith Saga Special Edition (Saga SE).
The event was held at the Felda Settlers Day 2009 at Felda Maokil in Segamat, Johor.
The Exora MT will be priced at RM64,998 (metalic) and RM 64,548 (solid) with insurance coverage.
The cars will be available for sale at all Proton Edar and EON showrooms from August 15.

Kuala Krai…remembered

Kuala Krai – the small town in Kelantan where I spent my early childhood, hit the news today as the Manik Urai state by-election gets underway. The nomination was held at the Sultan Yahya Petra secondary school with Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS locked in a straight fight. The school, where my late father was once a teacher before he took up another job in Kuala Lumpur, would also be the vote tallying centre for the polling on July 14.

In the late 60s and early 70s, I remember Kuala Krai as a small, remote town “at the end of the road”. The railway station was popular though as the train provided the access to the west coast – via Gua Musang to Kuala Lipis and right up to Gemas. The train was the preferred mode of transportation then as going to KL by road was cumbersome.
The radio was popular too during the era known as "pop yeh-yeh". The schoolboys had a band called "Khafileanos" which played alongside several top singers they invited from Kuala Lumpur for their concert at the town's only cinema.

The Bradley Steps was another prominent feature as the place to measure the water levels during monsoon floods. I'm told that the location has been renamed as 'Tangga Krai'.
There was also a kindergarten at Jalan Geale which offered lessons in English for six-year olds. Looking back, it’s a wonder that we could have English classes in such an ‘ulu’ place at that time.
After kindergarten, I went to the Sultan Yahya Petra primary school until Standard 3 before moving to Klang.
With the by-election on, Kuala Krai -- the nearest town to Manik Urai, would no doubt be the dateline for the election news in the coming days.
Bernama reported today that on an ordinary day, Manik Urai with its peaceful environment away from the hustle and bustle of city life, is nothing more than an isolated Malay settlement situated along Jalan Kuala Krai-Gua Musang.
However, all that has changed overnight as approximately 30,000 people who live and work as rubber tappers in Manik Urai, face the intimidating presence of city folks, dignitaries and politicians in their area.
The serene environment changed with the death of its state assemblyman, Ismail Yaacob of Pas, on May 22, which called for a by-election.
How did Manik Urai got its name? I Some claim that the name is connected to a story of a broken necklace which was made of beads (manik) but some older residents believed the name originated from a Malay beauty by the name of Mak Nik Urai who once lived in the village.
"Mak Nik was famous for her beauty and her long beautiful hair, hence they named the place Manik Urai and so I heard," said a resident, Abdullah Jusoh, 64, from Kampung Laloh, about 30kms from Kuala Krai.
His view was shared by Olak Jeram district chief, Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman who said that the woman's family came from Northern Thailand and were among the earliest settlers in the area.
"Although there are varying stories of how the place got its name, most of the older residents insist that it was from Mak Nik Urai who lived in Kampung Pasir, near the Keretapi Tanah Melayu track, around 1940s.
"Mak Nik Urai's family and relatives who were farmers and rubber tappers, continued to expand and they opened other settlements across the railway," he said.
Manik Urai is also famous for its Lata Rek waterfall, located in Kampung Laloh.

Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vintage point.
- Harold B. Melchart

Friends make you happy ...

It was a beautiful Sunday morning for my friend Halim who had breakfast with his wife at the hillside Al-Ghufran mosque cafe at Pinggiran Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
He thoughtfully sms me about it just as I was getting my hair cut at the barber. I had told him about the cafe when he came to see me at the office on Thursday.
He was at the cafe after sending his 16 year-old son for a school-organised course held at the mosque complex.
In our sms exchanges, I asked him what he like about the place.
"As we were eating we were entertained by the chirping sounds of birds. The after rain air smells so fresh. And having breakfast with my darling wife tops it all!," said Halim who was in UPM with me.
Just to know how happy a friend is makes me excited too. For in my silent hope, I would want to make at least three people happy each day as their joy is our strength.
The value of friendship could never be measured in monetary terms.
My primary school-mate Rauf is another happy man today. He held a grand feast at his home in Klang to celebrate the wedding of his son.

Although it has been 36 years since we left the Simpang Lima Primary School in Klang, we still keep the contact. He had in fact phoned me two weeks ago to inform me about the reception.
"Bring along your family," he had told me. I did and it turned out to be another great family outing especially when my elder daughter is getting back to campus this week for her final semester.

Thanks to Rauf, I got to meet other classmates who turned up for the reception. Dr Jayaraj, who runs two dental clinics, Stephen Tew (whose business foray includes futsal centres), Arifin and Tirath Singh.

Hopes dashed for cross-border rugby friendly ...

Forty years after their last rugby friendly, Victoria Institution (VI) and Vajiravudh College (VC) of Bangkok were expected to revive the cross-border match tradition at the Kuala Lumpur school field on Monday. But it looks like the plan has been dashed, at least for now.
I received the news from VI Parent Teachers Association chairman Raja Amir Shah Raja Abdul Aziz, who had been working hard to revive the friendly, via his sms this morning:
“Dear all, unfortunately, VI VC rugby game is cancel due to VC player are quarantine in mckk due to H1N1 flu. The monday game is cancel, pls let others know - ydp ras”

I can imagine how disappointed he is. The first VI-VC rugby match was held in 1963 and later in 1965, 1967 and 1969.
"After being accorded the heritage status and getting its old name back, this would be a motivating factor for all VI stakeholders to support the VI aspiration to be the top school in the country again, both in studies and sports," he had said a few days ago.
Indeed, it would have been great if the friendly match could be revived, not just for both schools but the two neighbouring countries – Malaysia and Thailand.
Dya Singh, VI Sportsman of the Year 1969, remembers the VI-VC rugby tie of that year.
“They were here and they were really good,” he recalled after I told him about the VI-VC game when he dropped by at my office yesterday.

No, Dya Singh did not play in that match. He represented the school in cricket, hockey and football (including alongside his junior, the late Malaysian soccer legend Mokhtar Dahari).
They were in the VI squad who won the Khir Johari Cup for the inter-schools championship in 1969 after defeating the Royal Military College.
The 59 year-old Dya Singh has carved his name as a top musician in Melbourne, Australia, which is his home now.
He leads the Australian multicultural music group named after him and the troupe has been to Japan, Singapore, Kenya, Tanzania, United States, Canada, UK, Pakistan, Germany, Ireland and Thailand since its inception in 1984.
Dya Singh was in the news recently after embarking on a 160 kilometre, six-day charity walk from Kuala Lumpur to Melaka with two friends.

1Team, 1Dream, 1Bernama ...

Taking the cue from the Prime Minister's 1Malaysia call, Bernama formally launches its '1Team, 1Dream, 1Bernama' campaign today to magnify the spirit of oneness among the staff.
For an organisation which has expanded from merely being a wire service, the esprit de corps drive is timely.
Having established itself as the national news agency, Bernama has ventured into the broadcasting sphere with Radio24 Bernama and Bernama TV on Astro Channel 502.



The campaign took off in high spirit with a treasure hunt that drew participation from some 70 staff.
They had to answer 20 questions based literally on "photographs and writings on the walls" on various floors of Wisma Bernama.
The participants were also required to hand in two treasures which were really 'giveaways'.

But the best part of the hunt was that everyone was a winner simply by being a team.
Isn't that what team stands for -- Together Everyone Achieve More!

Being yourself ...

Bon voyage Monsieur Bob ...

Paris is like a second home for my buddy Bob. He has been to the City of Love a couple of times over the last two years. Like many visitors, Bob could not escape the magic and aura that surrounds the city.
He remembers fondly the Citedine and Monoprix. And of course, the Unesco headquarters.
This time around he will be covering a 'new' man -- Muhyiddin Yassin, the deputy prime minister who also holds the Education portfolio.
As Malaysia sits in the Unesco executive board, Muhyiddin will now represents the country at its meetings in Paris, having taken over from Hishammuddin Hussein who has moved to the Home Ministry.
I'm sure Bob will give his best, no matter who's in charge.


File photo of Bob with Hishammuddin at the Unesco hq in 2007

The hillside mosque cafe ...

The Al-Ghufran Mosque at Taman Tun Dr Ismail is extraordinary. Situated on a hillock, it has a cafe which offers good food and a breathtaking view that makes an excellent spot for family and friends get-together. It serves local and Western cuisine from 6am to 11pm daily.
The cafe, which can cater up to 400 people, was opened for business on May 10. It is reputed to be the only one of its kind in the country.


But the cafe is not the only special feature of the mosque. It also provides rooms called 'Kamar Musafir' for out-of-town visitors travelling alone or with families. The rate ranges from RM60 to RM220.
For further information:
Masjid Al-Ghufran
Kompleks Balai Islam
Pinggir Taman Tun Dr Ismail
No 6C, Jalan 4/71B,
Jalan Damansara,
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-77282127

Like stars ...

Friends from the Pacific ...

Joseph Ealedona is Managing Director of the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) of Papua New Guinea and one of PNG’s most prominent journalists. He is currently the President of the Pacific Island News Association (PINA) -- the premier regional organisation representing the interests of media professionals in the Pacific region. It links radio, television, newspapers, magazines, online services, national associations and journalism schools in 23 Pacific Island.
PINA runs an online regional news service -- Pacnews which is headquartered in Suva, Fiji.

During our discussion this afternoon, Ealedona expressed interest to link Pacnews with Bernama so as to bring news about the Pacific to Asia and vice-versa.
That would be a win-win situation as the media could encourage people-to-people contact by highlighting news that could interest them such as in trade, tourism, culture and sports.

With internet connectivity, the proposed link-up would not be a problem.
Alternatively, NBC could readily utilized the NAM News Network – NNN either to upload their stories or extract items. PNG is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and had attended the grouping’s ministers of Information conference in Kuala Lumpur in 2005 which gave the go-ahead for the
setting-up of the Malaysia-initiated news exchange entity. NNN is based in Bernama.

Make new friends but keep the old ones ...

Away from home on this Fathers' Day, I must thank my colleague in Kota Kinabalu Newmond for keeping me company. We were at the waterfront just as the sun was going down. It was a fantastic view that would remain vivid in my mind for sometime.
I had arrived in the Sabah capital this afternoon for the 1st Joint Committee on Information and Communication Technology (JC-ICT) Meeting between Malaysia and Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Bernama was roped in as the PNG side had proposed to have exchange of programmes and news between its National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) with us.

As I look forward to meeting the PNG representatives, I cherish the evening chat with Newmond, who has been heading our KK bureau for the last three years.
We spoke about work and non-work stuff. In the process, I learn more about him.
While I get the chance to meet new people as I carry out my job, my friends will always be important in my life. Just as the saying goes:
Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.

Starting a friendship with flowers ...

Browsing the internet, I came across this article about friendship. I thought I should paste it on this blog, more so after a friend emailed me the photo today -- well ahead of friendship day.
Though many of us have little problem of making new friends, some struggle just to get near people they are interested to know.
Here's what the article says:

Starting a friendship is a social skill that takes years to learn. Doing it successfully, like with most skills, involves a lot of trial and error on your part. Knowing when to approach a person, picking the right topic to start a conversation, and finding the guts to start it may come naturally to some people.
Others find making friends difficult due to shyness and the lack of confidence in their verbal skills.
Whichever the case is, one good way to start a friendship without some of the awkwardness is to give flowers on the right occasions.

Flowers can sometimes be more eloquent than people. Different roses, for instance, have varying shades of meaning for every affair.
Also, giving flowers mean that you value a relationship (or future relationship) enough to go out of your way to make the person feel special.
Starting a friendship involves confidence, trust, and effort. Giving flowers certainly makes the person appreciate your efforts more in trying to be friends.
However, before giving flowers to people you'd like to be friends with, make sure that you know the right flowers to pick. They should be appropriate to the occasion.
For example, if you're attending a birthday celebration for a person that you are not that closely acquainted with, giving orange roses says that you want to know her better.
If you're at a wedding, giving yellow roses to the newlyweds mean that you are glad to share their happiness.
Peach and pink roses convey admiration, so if you want to start a friendship with an officemate (or anyone whose work you appreciate), pink or peach flowers are the best choice.

Sketching a new dimension ...

The National Art Gallery's latest display sketches a new dimension -- tourism through art.

Entitled "Mosaics of Malaysia", the exhibition showcases the wide-ranging work of China's renowned artist Zhang Zhou.
National Art Gallery director-general Dr Mohamed Najib Ahmad Dawa said the exhibition was significant as it commemorated 35 years of friendly relations
between Malaysia and China, capped by the recent visit of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to Beijing.
"What makes it special is the sharp observation of a foreign artist to transform the beauty and prosperity of Malaysia's rich culture and landscape into enthralling art pieces," he said as we walked along, admiring the display.
Zhang Zhou has captured not only a number of popular tourist destinations in
detail on canvas but also the country's flora, fauna and habitat. Commissioned by a Malaysian collector, the artist took six years to produce the 100 paintings on display.
The panoramic night view of Kuala Lumpur city centre, Penang Bridge, the Putrajaya mosque, the Siti Khadijah Market in Kota Baharu and the national day parade are among scenes illustrated by the 52 year-old Beijing-born artist.
At the centre of the magnificent spectrum of artworks is a huge, delicate touch entitled "Keranamu Malaysia".

The exhibition, which began yesterday, will run until Aug 31. Admission is free and the opening hours are from 10am to 6pm daily except on public holidays.
"This is something not to be missed as the uniqueness of his artwork illustrates the perspective of a foreign artist towards our surroundings which we often take for granted," Dr Najib said showing Zhang Zhou's fine drawing of rubber trees.

Peace of mind ...

Din 'discovered' this place in Semenyih and jokingly told me that I would cry if I miss it. He told me about its clear stream, clean air and serenity.
Getting to the place was not difficult as it fringes a residential area. But not many people know about it except for those who were bold enough to take the risk to clear the area and turned them into orchards. Apart from matured durian trees, starfruit, banana and papaya were being cultivated.

We bumped into an elderly man on a motorcycle, carrying a basketful of durian which he had just collected from the area.
"This is good durians from the jungle," he said, happily selling us the whole lot for RM40.



A sight to remember ...

Success is an inside job …

Just as someone had tried to boost my sagging morale with words of encouragement, another emailed me about the importance of self-esteem to achieve success.
“It can be hard to identify what exactly healthy self-esteem is.
The signs of an unhealthy self-esteem are usually obvious. Someone who cuts themselves down a lot and is always afraid to make big decisions or use their talents doesn't have healthy self-esteem.
Arrogance and boasting are also signs of a poor self-esteem, even though the person comes across as supremely self-confident. I think we all know our fair share of braggarts. It's hard to spend time with them," he wrote.
"To trust one's mind and to know that one is worthy of happiness is the essence of self-esteem," he remarked.
He goes on to say that someone with high self-esteem is able to persist in the face of difficulties.
And the more one perseveres, the more one is likely to succeed.
"Self-esteem doesn't let us simply feel better...it lets us live better.
And to respond to challenges and opportunities resourcefully.
We usually tend to feel the most comfortable with people whose self-esteem level is similar to ours.
So if you think you have low self-esteem, start seeking out people with healthy self-esteem.
Take note of how they think and behave and try to emulate that. We all need role models and mentors.

P.S. Success is an inside job because success starts from within, with your self-esteem.

Strength within ...

Someone I met a few days ago took the trouble to visit this blog after I told her about it. She had came to see me in the office on Tuesday to explain about the unit trust which she specializes in.
"You don't have to take it, just give me time to explain," she said on the phone prior to the meeting.
I told her it was not only the lack of money that has kept me away from such savings but the anxiety of committing myself into a long-term undertaking at this ripe age.
To this, she spoke of three regrets that most people have when they reach their twilight years: They regret:
* they didn't pursue their dream,
* they didn't show enough love to the people they love and care,
* they didn't let go by not being forgiving enough.

Those words stuck deep in my mind as I slowly picked up the courage to confront my persistent fear of failing health as I get older.
And yes, I've been asked to remind myself from time to time of the inner strength that I have.

"Rule No 1: U are consciously a strong person.
Rule No 2: Don't forget Rule No 1."