Saturday 29 March 2008

3 am Sunday morning, that's tomorrow, officially ends daylight savings for 2007/08. Many families came out to celebrate the end of daylight savings, by enjoying the extra sunlight by the river. Tomorrow we will go back an hour, which means I get an extra hour of sleep in the morning.. haha..

I rather like daylight savings. It gives me that extra sunlight to do the things I want after work. Now many west Australians would disagree with me on this. The government has given the people a 3 year trial, and at the end of that 3rd year, the people will vote whether to have it for good or to reject it in a referendum. Ah well, whatever the outcome is, I will enjoy it while I can. Until next summer...

Wednesday 26 March 2008

A friend emailed me this last night and after reading it, and after much laughter, I thought I would share it here :-) Now, if you can identify with what is written, then you come from where I come from :-) Here it goes ...

You Are A True Sabahan When..............

1) You drive at right lane of the road, with a speed of only 50 KM/H. If people horn behind you, you still don't know what's wrong.

2) You have the luxury of working from 8 AM to 5 PM (get off work punctually).

3) You don't believe that there is any 'clean' politician in Sabah.

4) You feel 'obligated' to reach the top of Mount Kinabalu at least once in a lifetime.

5) You prefer a big car than a big house (probably you can't drive a big house around to show off)
6) You wear slipper and short wherever you go, even in city.

7) You still think that Labuan belongs to Sabah.

8) You will not go to any FREE seminar / function that has no food or refreshment.

9) You don't care about service. You just want things cheap, cheap, cheap.

10) You know where to get your candles and torch light quickly in the total darkness (due to training by frequent blackout).

11) You know what 'aramaitiee' means...

12) You shout 'referee bodoh' and at the same time throw mineral water bottles on the pitch during a football match at Likas Stadium..
(eeerrrrr... not that bad.. hehe)

13) Your Timorese maid ran away with her lover, taking your money or jewellery along..

14) You doubt someone's mykad whether it is real or fake..

15) Your favourite assemblyman whom you vote and supported all this while...gambled away and lost a whopping 60 million ringgit in a London casino..

16) You go inside a karaoke at 12 pm and realise that the place is still open at 5 am...

17) You come across a supposedly local person but with a very foreign accent..

18) You cannot vote in an election because someone has voted on behalf of you...

19) You own a bakakuk

Tambah.... you are a Sabahan if u say and understand these words....

tuuuna/ saaaana - points with the lips - (there-- at a distance)(the longer the 'tuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuna / saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaana' the further the place is.)
2. limpas (to pass/walk by - Maaf, saya > limpas dulu? Excuse me, can I passby?
3. palui (stupid, duh! )
4. tapuk (to hide )
5. bida (ugly)
6. bubut (as in proper malay- 'kejar', to chase)
7. sakai (ignorant, uncivilized, 'hoosier')
8. andang-andang (that's how it is)
9. sapak (kasi campur/gaul --utk masakan-to mix as in cooking)
10. inda/tia (short form of 'tidak' - not, no)
11. wicin (another brand of msg as in 'aji-no- moto' - a seasoning or food enhancer)
12. talampau (proper malay - 'terlampau'- too much)
13. takajut (proper malay - 'terkejut' - shocked, startled)

hehhe.. and another friend added this to the list...

1. belusir - to run away
2. tiwas - serve you right, you can also say ..sabak...(p'pang punya..)
3. sial/ silaka - celaka if in bm (a curse word...'s...')
4. syiok oh..- seronok ba... (very enjoyable)
5. kasih panjang tangan ah..... when you ask someone to take the food on the table
6. jangan malu2 - dont be shy....


Are you smiling yet?? :-)

Monday 24 March 2008

This long weekend brought me down South to visit Anda and Nicolas. It took me 3 hours to get there, after a short detour into Safety Bay.. heheh.. that's because I missed a turning. But all was not lost as I discover that Safety Bay was actually a very pleasant place. Situated in the City of Rockingham, about 40 mins from Perth I actually felt comfortable being there :-) That's the wonders of being lost, you get to discover new places!! Stopped by the petrol station to ask for direction and 15 mins or so later I was back on track. It was good experience.

Anyway, last night we went out for dinner at a small country town, Balingup, about 40 mins from Boyanup. Right there in the heart of the small town ( and believe me when I say small ) was this small french restaurant Fre-Jac, which serves french du pain and delicious cuisine. They even serve escargot! Now everything I learnt in french class was put into use last night, when reading the menu. But luckily there was a translation to every menu listed!! hahah...

Today as I was driving home, I prayed that I wouldn't miss a turn again, and thanks to Nicolas' clear instruction, I was able to avoid some traffic and got home just before 4pm. This Easter has indeed been a time well spent, in church and with good friends.

p/s didn't take any pics though :-) sorry..
Happy Easter everyone

a time for reflection, a time for renewal, a time for letting go of the past and start anew.

Friday 21 March 2008

The Thirteen Apostle, the book I am currently reading. Written by Michael Benoit, it talks about the thirteenth disciple of Jesus. As we all know there are only 12 disciples but according to this, there is apparently a no 13. I have read a few books that contradict our catholic belief, and this is by far the most challenging of all. It is not easy when someone tells you what you believe in all your life might be false, and so it helps to read with an open mind. I have not finished reading yet but I am sure it will be faith challenging till the end.

Sometimes when reading books like this, I wonder if there are any truth in them. The books talks about the hidden secrets of the church, and the constant search for the truth. This book refers to the ancient scrolls found in the caves at Qumran, and the writer presents some very convincing storyline. If you are contemplating reading this book, then all I can suggest is to read it with an open mind :-)