Turtle challengers...

From eggs to hatch-lings to adulthood...

Turtles feel good

Incubated and hatched under watch. Sadly, because of that chances are high that they will be all females as they require fluctuations in temperatures and ambient atmosphere for males to develop. Perhaps Abe Nizam can help be the male of the species heh heh

Good luck guys err gals, may the force be with you and lead you to safety...

May god have mercy...

You are arrogant. All this is because of your arrogance. That is what the mystic told me. Huh ?

Granted, I am the type who makes very bad first impression. Being an introvert lacking social skills does that. “I am arrogant to everyone, if anyone can’t accept that then keep - a w a y - why pretend to be a friend yet simmer in anger and go this far?”

The discovery came about because a colleague recommended that I seek alternative treatment for my legs. Perhaps they are tired of seeing me limping around the office yet manage to trundle on a mountain bike up and down hills and valleys with aplomb. The masseuse that we went to see turned out to be a middle aged unassuming guy. Not one you would associate as being someone knowledgeable in the mysterious arts of spirits and demons. He did not even let on that he is such a person. It was a day after the first session that he called and asked for an appointment. Odd, a care giver asking for an appointment with a patient when it should be the other way around. I said yes, thinking that maybe he felt that he did not do his job properly the first time. It was only after the second treatment that he told me the exact same thing that has been said by other ustazs and spiritual healers. Something that I find hard to neither accept nor believe. That it was sort of a voodoo curse put on me by someone very close, as close as my own sibling.

The main reason appears to be anger, envy and hurt because of my arrogance and ignorance. The aim seems to be so that I end up losing my mobility, ability to work and beg for help. To put me in my place. Huh ?

Therein lays my main weakness, thinking that everyone thinks just like me. Straightforward, sometimes blunt. Life is short after all and I am not one to beat around bushes. You like someone keep them close and around, if not then keep away. You like something keep it going; don’t like it, for god’s sake just say so. Yet, there are those who are not able to do that and prefer to simmer in anger, seeking vengeance instead. Perhaps for these types, it’s more fun that way.

As for me, I believe in a higher power, I leave it to him and pray for the best. If what all these people have been telling me is true, I sincerely hope that the person(s) responsible for my predicament see the light and start thinking of putting themselves in a proper place instead...

My main regret is not so much the physical pain, the cost and the time spent trying to find a cure but the fact that decades of building a relationship was gone simply because they can’t look me in the face and say “I don’t like what you have become”. At least the bridge will still be there and the door will remain open, maybe just maybe things could be worked out. Now, I am burning the bridge and closing the door.

To all my friends or whom I consider to be my friends, I beg of you, if there is something that is not right, words that may have hurt you [gods knows I have a sharp tongue...], actions or inactions that seems to be unpleasant to you. Please, please tell me. If you are uncomfortable in a face to face then email, sms or FB [woohooo finally got it], and we could work it out. In extreme cases just keep me away and I will stay away. Just don’t harbour a grudge as it will eat you alive.

There’s enough venting, now I want to go swimming...

BTW, disgusting pictures follows:


That is a 1 x 1 feet tile. Can you believe that the crap just dropped out of a six year old ? This was after many, many days of not being able to pass motion.


A dead bird on my doorstep. I love animals, cats would have shredded it but it stays that way when I found it. Coincidence ?

Another excruciating output from a little girl who does not have any health, eating or drinking disorder. Fluke of nature ?

A dead dried up lizard which was not there in the morning...


If its me you are angry with, why does the kids have to suffer ? May god forgive your transgression for I am unable to find even a speck of forgiveness, not when I have to see innocent children suffer.

Equipment Failure - Thomson Stem

I love this stem. Noticed it yesterday. I emailed Thomson, lets see what they say. Would also like to hear opinions from my local consultant [Dee ?] heh heh.

The teeth gnasher...

Its been a long day, I only get to leave after Maghrib prayers. Am looking forward to the drive home. The solitude and tranquillity as the car glides past the empty country roads lined with palm oil and forested land. Definitely personal quality time used for contemplation and entertaining fantasies. Bliss accosted in the Volvo engulfed in great music and the lonely open road. Except for the few lorries there were not much traffic. The sky was clear, lit with glittering stars and a wedge of moon.

Two hours into the journey, lit a cigarette, roll down the window slightly to let the pungent smoke out of the car and slowed down a bit. The lilting tune of Kenny G setting the mood for a slow drive. It was then that i saw the shapeless thing flying past the car. It was as long and broad as the car itself. Perhaps it was just a shadow but the goose bumps on the back of my neck say otherwise. Dump the cigarette, rolled up the window and start moving faster. Perhaps I could catch up with some other vehicle up front.

It came again, like an aircraft performing flyby in air shows. The faster I drove, the closer it gets as it flies by. A shapeless, black blob playing catch with my car. As the speedo reaches 180, the thing is no more. A relief I thought would come was replaced by dread as I sense there is something on the back seat. The rear view mirror was dark but it was the sound that really gets to me. The sounds of gnashing teeth drowned the tunes of Kenny G. The sound was so close as if it was just inches from my ear. I drove faster while reciting all the holy prayers that I could think of. I did not dare to mute the music for fear that the sound its making will become more audible.

That’s all it does, making that sound. As the car proceeded along the winding bits, I remembered that perhaps all it wants is to make me go faster till I crashed. I slowed down to a more sensible speed and forced myself to ignore it. Finally, lights, Plaza Toll Jabor. Drove through the Smart Tag lane and stopped in the layby. Of course the thing was not there but I was soaked in sweat and shaking....


Based on a recent experience of a friend - not my personal experience, though I do drive on the same route - in a topless car !!!

Seasick !

I am not one to easily succumb to motion sickness, be it on land, air or sea. However, a recent "mencandat sotong" or squid fishing trip proves my gullibility to this problem. It started out well enough. I was excited as this is a first for me. We left the serene waters of Pulau Kapas under a beautiful sky. Gliding on the moonlit shimmering seas. Smells and sounds of the seas is really soothing and therapeutic. As the occasional spray of salty drops hits our skin we feel refreshed. Until we hit open waters and the boats starts to move in rhythm with the swells. It starts to roll and pitch. A small boat trying to keep up with the long slow swell. It was just swells. It wasn't even breaking. Yet the motion of the boat, which I am told later is common because of its stiff characteristic. It rolls one way and before you could sway with it, jerks the opposite way. Salty sprays turns to salty showers as the bow ploughs into the sea.

It was fun. Reminded me of those times on real ships going through Bay of Biscay. Even then I rarely if ever got seasick.

My seasickness starts when nature calls. Once in the bathroom, the putrid smell in an enclosed space just drove my senses over the edge. It forced me to remember what seasick felt like. It was horrible. I ended up lying on a bench, holding onto the railings and just let the boat rock me however it wanted to. The boys had fun squid fishing while I was silently praying for them to have had enough and head back back to the steady shores. So, now I can really appreciate what Jag felt like when we were in Tioman. Lets do it again Jag.

Viet Nam War Museum

A place worth visiting if only to see the atrocities of war. Next to a quote "every humans right to freedom bla bla bla" hangs a picture of two boys by a padi field, the elder protecting the younger. Both shot to death. A group of women and children with horrified looks on their faces just before being killed en-masse. Naked men bound by their feet and dragged to death by the war machines. I supposed when they say "human" it means human like them not human like us - if that term could be used to describe "us".

I shudder to think that this may be happening again today...




A picture is really worth more than a thousand words.

Moving on ?

It was late afternoon, I was at one of the rest areas that seems to be a prominent prop in my current routine. Half way to my destination on the other side of the country. My brother called, "Abah has been out from early this morning and has not been back, I've been looking for the past hour and not found him. What should I do ?"

The best I could offer was to wait and do another search along the route that he might have taken. Also to enquire at hospitals in the area and if all fails to go to the police. Abah is in his mid sixties, quite healthy and has been working all his life. He just quit a couple months ago. Goes everywhere on his bike and that is the worrying bit. Has a driving license but refused to drive a car. I felt a slight twinge of guilt as I recall giving him some money a few days ago. Perhaps it was that money that became the cause of this incident ? I prayed that all will be well and continued on my journey.

Later that evening I was informed that my sister is on her way to pick up Abah from Dengkil. Apparently, Abah got lost and was found by a native in one of the villages in the area. He was observed to have been circling the area a couple of times and when he fell off his bike, the native assisted and only then knew that he was lost. [MEN GENETICALLY DESIGNED NOT TO ASK FOR DIRECTIONS]. Luckily Abah has my sister's number in his wallet.

See, the thing is, Abah is from Cheras Baru, his intention was to go to Pudu to buy some stuff, yet he ended up in Dengkil which is way out either by direction or distance. According to him, he failed to remember the way. I suspect its his idleness that is causing his mind to behave as it did. Most importantly, I shudder at the thought that I might be looking at my future.

The Visitor

Work finished late, almost midnight. Needing respite we went for a slow drive. Enjoying the cool night breeze and beautiful moonlight in the open top car. Stopped for a drink, some chicken wings and fries at Danga Bay.


By the time we got back it was almost 2am. The gate was closed, even with the bright beam of the xenon headlights no one appears to open the gate. Damn, "makan gaji buta..." A toot of the horn brought not the guards, instead another colleague appear from the guard house. He opened the gate and we cruised in.

Get the roof up, cut the engine and walk slowly to the main door. Just as I reached for the door knob, the two guards appear. They look shaken and the Indian guy start muttering in Tamil to our Administrator. It turns out that just before we arrived, the guards saw something that looks like a lady dragging a long white cloth. They followed it right up to the door before it disappears.

This, after our colleague left his room to sleep in the guard house. Why ? He keep hearing someone or something calling out to him whenever he is in his room.

That night the three of us ended up moving beds, mattresses and pillows to spend the night like refugees in one single room. Forgoing privacy and privileges, succumbing to fear. Letting our base instinct pacify itself with the perceived security offered by the proximity of another human being. But...

As I lay myself to sleep, I can't help but wonder, is it really my two other friends that is sleeping in the room ? Is it really them or what appears to be them. I do not dare ask, nor do I sleep as I lay waiting for the morning sun to burn away the fear and uncertainty.

A woman's scorn

I received a disturbing phone call early this morning. A cry for help and desperate need to share her troubles. It came from Sim, a character whose story I posted some time back. I thought that after all this time, things would have settled somewhat. I was wrong.

He has another woman, an Indonesian whom he showers with money. I can't keep this to myself anymore. Please help me.

Huh ?

That old bastard is two timing me. I thought he is just getting bored with our lives but no, he is enjoying his other life. He ignores us, ignores his daughters, seldom comes back. We are reaching our twilight years. We have shared so much together. This should not be happening. When he didn't visit me in hospital I thought he was busy, when he didn't join the kenduri, I thought he was busy. It was with that bitch. What should I do ?

Come on, we have talked about this before. At this age, with his looks, do you still want him ?

He is mine. How can I let it go just like that ? He ignores us and now he only gives me RM20 per day for expenses. Why should I suffer like this ?

I don't know what to think or say, just seek solace from god.

Please find someone (witch doctor) who can help me. Just destroy them. If I am to suffer then he should too. Please, I have my savings. Use that, just help me to find someone who can do this for me.

Hmmm.

She was crying at certain parts of the conversation. I could feel her pain and desperation but what can I do ? Even if I could, I don't think I would like to be involved. I am just an observer and Sim is just paying for her deeds. I still fail to understand why she still wants him. Why keep something that you already despise, that bring hurts and pain whenever in sight ? Would it not be easier to just let go and get on with whatever life she has left ? I have told her this, but my words seems to be hitting a brick wall.

Please, don't tell me about feelings, its only so much that feelings could fulfill. It won't stave your hunger would it ?

Dick & Jane

For lack of a better title...

What makes a woman listen to gossip monger, refused to listen to reason and sacrifice the happiness of a child to throw her husband out of their home ?

What makes a man let his wife stomp all over him like that ?

I fail to understand such situation. Then again, perhaps I do. Communication is essential. Give and take is crucial. Understanding and tolerance is mandatory. Most of all, the initial reason of the co-existence and co-habitation must be pure and true, not because of external pressure or for show to the outside world.

Hence the title, Dick in name only and Jane, she has a lot of soul searching to do and a lot to learn instead of letting her emotion rule her behaviour.

Life

Beautiful colorful busy yet the time comes when what you really need is solitude and serenity.

Fruits in the Night

And some of you were thinking of other types of "fruits" more suited with "night"... heh heh heh

Anyway, I need to put up this post to supersede the previous one. Even though the cat poop issue needed to be solved, I hated the illustration that came with it.

We stopped by one of the fruit stalls along the trunk road in Tangkak, Johor. This is the last stretch of road before joining the highway which will take us back to KL. These stalls used to be makeshift wooden/bamboo/canvas sort of construction. FAMA - the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority, a government agency had made moves to standardise them. They look much better, well lighted and more attractive now. Well done FAMA.

Of course, there are still a lot of improvement that can be done. Safety for instance. The last photo shows how precarious the position of customers and parked cars are against the zooming traffic on the straight road. Position blinkers a few meters before, along and after the stalls perhaps ?

Cat Poop

My household is facing a problem. Smelly, ugly, revolting cat poop in our front yard. A couple months ago my neighbour adopted a cat, one cat which has now become 5. I love animals and don't mind the cats roaming my yard but of late they turn the place into their lavatory. This is annoying as the kids are even afraid to play on the swing for fear of the booby traps left behind by the cats. When they can't play outside, the ruckus they made inside get to my nerves. Imagine, at least four kids ranging from 2 to 12 in age at any one time. I bring them over if I am home to give my poor mother in law a break. In total there are 7 of them, 3 are mine while the other 4 are my nephews and nieces. I love them all but they sure can ransack the place and the noise they made either when they are jovially playing or ganging up against each other can really get to you.

Back to the cats, once they pooped on the driveway, I cleaned it up then sprayed a liberal amount of insecticide and they never did it again. The yard is a different matter. I tried spraying but it does not work. Hopefully you guys can give me some tips on how to manage the situation.

You might say, talk to the neighbour. True, but I don't have the heart to do so. You see, they are nice obliging neighbour and I am certain that they will have to get rid of the cat if I were to complain. I do not desire that as they are a childless couple. They treated the cat like their kids with names and all. Calling out every day when they reach home and at night before bed. Plus the fact that the arrival of the cats also reduced their own catfights, much less shouting matches that can be heard through the walls.

So, any practical advice ? Things to put in the yard to discourage the cats from pooping there ?

Five out of seven. Minus the eldest and the youngest. Can you imagine the energy that needs to be released from this bunch ?