Goodbye Little One...

Figo, our darling 2 year old doxie died from a snake bite yesterday. Mom called from M'sia just to let me know that he is nor longer with us. They rushed him to the vet but it was too late. He died in my Dad's arms. Seems like only yesterday that Figo came to our home and our lives. Our sunshine on a cloudy day. Always full of life, bringing so much joy to our family. We shall miss you very much!

M.T., my friend and former co-worker

"May You Rest In Peace"
October 24, 2007
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We say that the hour of death cannot be forecast, but when we say this we imagine that hour as placed in an obscure and distant future. It never occurs to us that it has any connection with the day already begun or that death could arrive this same afternoon, this afternoon which is so certain and which has every hour filled in advance. ~Marcel Proust

This one's for the girls

I was flipping through my local daily - The Record, when I saw this on Page A-10. This will surely please my female friends back home. Instead of from "Iowa to the space station, via Kazakhstan" (this article was written to highlight the proud achievement of Flight Commander, Peggy Whitson), may I re-write the headline again:

"From Kuala Lumpur to the space station, via Kazakhstan"

The caption below reads:

A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off from Kazakhstan on Wednesday, en route to the International Space Station. Aboard is Peggy Whitson, right, from Iowa, the first woman to command the space center. Also making the journey are Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, left, a Malaysian physician, and Yury Malenchenko of Russia. Shukor, a Muslim, will observe Ramadan in space by fasting and praying.

The Record - World, Thursday October 11, 2007

On that note, Ramadan ends tomorrow and my Muslim friends will be celebrating Eid Mubarak, commonly referred to as "Hari Raya Aidilfitri/Puasa" in Malaysia. So...

Dear friends,

(e-card courtesy of 123Greetings.com)

on
Saturday, October 13th. 2007

P.S. Please enjoy your satay, ketupat, lemang, curry, rendang & other kuih-muih raya responsibly or else, you'll be needing your ENO. Haha!

Astronauts, Cosmonauts & What-nauts!

Malaysian news is abuzz over the first Malaysian doctor & so-called angkasawan (Malay for astronaut) in space. A few hours ago, the space craft Suyoz blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Jak sie masz? My name-a Borat Kazakhstan and it is now headed to the International Space Station (ISS).

I can't help but feel that this whole she-bang has garnered extra attention because this particular commercial astronaut is rather rabbit teethed cute. My in-box has been flooded with swooning, licking (yeah, the ladies wanna lick him) and excited chatter about him since last week!

Yes, all my lady friends in Malaysia are going ga-ga over Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor. Never mind the fact that he isn't doing anything significant at the ISS apart from studying some live cultures and eating Eid or Hari Raya (end of Ramadhan celebration) goodies.

One of my female friend read Dr. S's blog and discovered his food list: biryani chicken, satay chicken, rendang Tok, sliced dried mango, banana rolls (hmpf!), tempe, ginger jelly (yucks!), Roselle granola bar, kuih Raya bangkit. To cap this off, another friend hoped that Dr. S, for his own good, won't suffer from diarrhea as a result of consuming all the rich Eid food he brought to space. Would be tricky if he suffered severe stomach ache in his space suit. Hmm.....

First Monkey in Space

Name: Curious George
Nationality: American (originally from Africa)
Age: Unkown
Occupation: Best friend of Man with the Yellow Hat/Part-time Astronaut

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First Malaysian in Space

Name: Dr. S.M.S (please see above for full name)
Nationality: Malaysian
Age: 35+
Occupation: Orthopedic Doctor/Lecturer/Milo* Model/Astronaut

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Cultural Trivia:

*Milo is Malaysia's favorite chocolate + malt beverage. According to Wikipedia, Malaysia consumes 90% of world wide consumption of Milo. NO kidding! In that case, I also want to be a Milo character.

Name: Serenity @ Milo Girl, Avatar style
Nationality: Malaysian
Age: 15 (in Avatar Age)
Occupation: S8ter Girl

When You Wish Upon a Star...



I saw this advertisement at The Borneo Post website yesterday. At the bottom of this ad there was an incentive:

"Tell us your wish for Malaysia and win attractive prizes"

What a ploy. Paying people off to say some airy-fairy, fine & dandy patriotic things just before Independence Day. Anyway, it got me thinking. Should I make these wishes known on public domain? What I am about to wish for might land me in an infamous precinct if I were a blogger in Malaysia. Oh well, for my beloved Malaysia on her golden jubilee on August 31, 2007, my wishes are:

#1.
The end of all race (and religious) based political parties in Malaysia. Stances on social and economic issues should be the platform of political parties instead.

#2.
Reduction and ultimate abolishment of the NEP (a policy that favors only a certain group of people for the past half century). Time to move forward.
"Let's not use the crutches for support all the time, the knee will become weak". Who said this? And..?!

#3. Socio-economic success, educational & employment opportunities based on meritocracy.

#4. Uphold the Federal Constitution and the real meaning of democracy, not "controlled democracy". For Malaysians to know and exercise their rights freely.

I wonder.....If I won, what would my prize be? 2 days/1 night stay at the luxurious Sri Dang Wangi Hotel?

Post note:
Wishes #1, 2, 3 & 4 are Serenity's personal opinion. Readers' views & comments are duly respected but please comment/criticize constructively. I do not expect all thoughts to be amiable but take heed that reviling, nonsensical comments will be thrashed.

Rant, rant!

I hate to say this but it's time to rant. Even though I am thousands of miles away, I still like to know what's going on with the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2007; which by the way is happening this coming weekend.


Imagine how I felt when I saw this headline on Borneo Post online. Ashamed for the organizer. I wouldn't even call it a snag. Snag is so tame. Like they're playing down the situation.

News source: BP Online with scribblings of an irate reader, sorry!

The CEO's pooh-pah, lackadaisical attitude that "hopefully, it'll be better next year" is downright ridiculous. Clearly, Ms. Geikie isn't familiar with the term "once bitten twice shy" or "first impressions, last impressions". Would you come back to a place that turned you away?! Would you want to be slapped in the face twice?! D-uh!

I just have to say something about Sarawak Tourism Board (STB). They're getting complacent with dire consequences for the much beloved RWMF. Instead of continuous improvement, they're practicing continuous degeneration.

For starters...
This festival has been going on for the past 10 years. Each time, with supposed major success and more attendees. Yippee, so we're proud about it and all. And then..?!! Why on earth is Damai Lagoon, a Holiday Inn chain of hotel near the festival site totally closed for refurbishment during this busy yet crucial period? I heard something about cash flow problems but that's NOT GOOD enough. What were they thinking? Business sense: zero. Lost of revenue: priceless. *with sarcasm*

Unbelievable...
Racial discrimination towards the local attendees & other Malaysians who have booked the hotels for this event. My girlfriends never missed the opportunity to go to the RWMF. Lately, one of them received a funny phone call from Holiday Inn because they wanted to know her personal profile i.e. nationality and race. Okayyy! Fortunately for my smart friend, she could smell a rat and knew that the 3 star hotel was trying to bump her off to make room for international travelers. No offense to the overseas visitors but how would you feel if someone cut you off and pushed you to the curb? Anyway, she refused to answer that absurd question and kept the room that she booked since last year. For standing her ground: two thumbs up!

This is something else I learned from my friends back home.

1. If you booked your room on the web and if your name sounds Caucasian the they would do anything to accommodate your request(s) or at least put you in one of those above-average hotels within the City's golden triangle area. A girlfriend of mine is, should I say, "lucky" to have such a name so she got a good alternate deal.
2. If you're Malaysian, you will be relegated to a 2 star or lesser abode somewhere at the edge of the City.
   

What customer service?
"Service with a smile" is Holiday Inn's catch-phrase but sometimes a smile just isn't enough. Sorry but this isn't the Mary Tyler Moore Show. To avoid traffic congestion, this sod-off hotel offered a bus shuttle service from Kuching but the bus only drops passengers off at the Sarawak Cultural Village (RWMF site). What if you've booked to stay for the weekend at their sister hotel at Holiday Inn - Damai Beach? Too bad, you have to drag your bags from the Cultural Village, over the steep hill to your hotel and then, check-in. *pant, pant*

Adding salt to the wound, they also conveniently neglected to inform my dear friends that they had to collect a special car sticker in order to get through the gate.

Hotel employee (in a casual matter): Eh??? I didn't tell you about the sticker?
My anxious girlfriend: #@!^*

I don't blame her for being so riled up. Who wouldn't?! *sigh* Still, my gal pals are off to the RWMF this weekend and somehow, I know this isn't the end of the story. I just wish them all the luck dealing with them retards.

But, dealing with those incompetent hotel staff could be advantageous sometimes. When the RWMF was in its 2nd. or 3rd. year, my girlfriends & I helped ourselves to a free buffet breakfast because the hotel we stayed in was short-staffed. Yeah, short-staffed on the busiest weekend of the year. After calling out many times for the check without success (the waiter saw us but didn't even bother coming), we left the restaurant in anger but with full-bellies. Tit for tat, I say!

Before I BLog-Off...

RWMF is a precious event that generates a lot of positive attention along with other economic benefits for Kuching City & her people. However, STB and the Tourism Ministry must tighten their grip on the hoteliers to ensure a comfortable and guaranteed stay for all visitors regardless of their skin color. And please, franchise the RWMF for business acumen sake before more States come in and steal your thunder! Unbelievably lackadaisical yet snooty attitude of STB. What about staying a couple of steps ahead of your competitors?!

Fire at Chin & Sons, Rock Road (Cont.)


Last Saturday (7/7/07), I wrote about a fire at my neighbor's showroom/house. Today, I received an e-mail from Albert who was kind enough to send me a photo to complete the post. Thanks very much. I really appreciate it.


I believe the fire was in its intermediate stage when this photo was taken. Albert, please correct me if I'm wrong. My friend who lives 8 minutes away from my parents' place said that all she saw later that evening was a blackened building and only the ground floor was relatively ok. My Mom said that the back portion (store/workshop) area is completely gone. It's really sad to hear about it.

The only damaged to our part was the area nearest to the fence. A partially brown & very dehydrated langsat (Lansium domesticum Corr.) tree, a medium sized tree (voluntary chopped down by my Dad for safety reasons) and a Rose of Sharon tree bush. Of course, this is nothing compared to the emotional trauma that my neighbors went through as well as the precious items and documents lost during the blaze.

We're thankful that nobody was hurt in this fire. We can always rebuild a damaged building but our lives cannot be replaced. So, praise God that everyone is safe.

Another Fire News from Home!


Just barely a month after the Serian incident, another fire broke out. This time it hit close to home. My home.

My brother called a few hours ago and promptly informed me that my neighbor's showroom/house was razed to the grounds. Only the concrete frames are left standing. My neighbor is in the car business. The blaze started at about 3 p.m. (Malaysian time) and it took the fire department almost 2 hours to completely douse off the flames! What's new, right? This is M'sian public service in action.

My house is ok. Thank God! Fire happened to the right of this photo.

It was a scary moment for my family with a minor explosion from the storage/workshop area and the partial collapsed of the rear concrete roofing. In the midst of the inferno - the structure was three stories high (U.S. definition), my Dad somehow still managed to chop off one tree near the fence in fear of the spreading flames. He said the flames was so hot, he had to ask my brother to spray water all over him. Completely drenched, he continued hacking the tree. Aiya! Sorry no action photos here.

My Mom was busy at the phone as rellies kept on calling our house to ask if they were ok. Then, the door bell rang repeatedly for no apparent reason.

A couple of middle age women (who had nothing better to do!) pressed our door bell furiously and wanted to come into our house to look at the fire at close range. Shiishhh!

Now, what did our parents tell us about opening the door to strangers??? NEVER. So BUZZ OFF, ladies!

The traffic was jammed up on both sides of the road. I could only imagine a sea of cars just like Courts Mammoth's grand opening 6 years ago or a rock concert scene outside my house. My brother said that the water pressure was so weak (as usual). No surprise. I think all houses in Kuching should start digging their own pond since the hydrants are useless!!!

False alarm but a near miss


News from home: Last Thursday, the old shops in Serian burnt down. Since the shops were situated opposite Uncle Simon's coffee shop, Papa was naturally a bit anxious about his youngest brother's business. Being the usual concerned #4 brother, he had to call home just to make sure everything was ok.

Thank God, the coffee shop wasn't effected and their rellies' Shell station is still standing. Fire & gas/petrol...errr! Would have been worst.

Anyway, we received these photos from Adrian's cousin a few days ago but I was over-whelmed with other things so didn't open my e-mail until today.

Here's some photos for those who are missing some "news" from home.

I have no idea who took these photos so pardon me for not referencing.

Funny how my home news headline is usually about fire. What are the bomba people doing??? Isn't the Fire Station just a few blocks away from scene? Even if they thought it was a prank call, they would have smelt, heard or seen something. Bomba = Fire Department in Malaysia; not a nuclear bomb or Puerto Rican musical style.

Razed to the Grounds

Even though I am in Jersey, I still have very good friends who keep me up-to-date with home news. Last night, I received a phone call from my brother who informed me that one of my hometown's oldest institution The Sarawak Club had burnt down.

The Club's mainhall with all its wooden structure and historical memorabilias, restaurants and watering holes were destroyed. Adrian & I celebrated had our wedding reception at the Hornbill Restaurant a couple of years ago.

These photos - courtesy from friends back home...thanks ladies.

Looking at these pictures, I question the efficiency of Kuching's fire houses and the security guards at the Club. The nearest fire house is just 5 minutes away and considering that the fire allegedly happened early in the morning and there's no heavy traffic at this hour, why weren't they able to quickly arrive at the scene and reduce the losses?

Was it because:

(a) Sarawak Club guards were sleeping on their job;

(b) Firemen were sleeping on their job;

(c) Equipment used (fire trucks) not powerful enough to handle the blaze and/or fire hydrant coughs out water ala spring showers only;

(d) Inexperienced firemen working on scene; or,

(e) All of the above

Some might say that the Club is a snobby institution for the rich and privileged but whether you like it or not, it's still an endearing historical landmark for Kuching City, being 130 years old. Sad to see the old wing and the newly renovated areas destroyed.