My 7 Series

No. Bukan. 不是.

This ain’t my new car. It is just my first 7 days in year 2006.

To start a post with denial was certainly not Chinese, let alone finishing it with fourteen photos. Chinese, especially those who speaks Cantonise, will try their best to avoid the number four, 四 (sei) because it sounds like 死 - - That’s “die”, alright!

On the other hand, Fourteen, 十四 (sat sei) will sounds like 实死 - - “sure die” !!!

Ok, I am going to stop explaining right here. It’s New Year! I thought I heard someone cursing already…As usual, let’s start with the first, and then all fourteen…


There’s a Great Wall in every Chinese’s house.

Or few, sometimes. Great Wall here actually means Mahjong, a Chinese game for four. One of the many ways we improve family ties while enjoying the gamble. I mean game. Haha! Just like when you are in Japanese’s Ofuro, this is where we catch up all the gossips and exchange conversation about almost everything: Your son, my daughter, his husband, her boyfriend, Chinese soap-opera, Hollywood movies, etc. depends on who is playing, and watching!

I’ll most probably get something like: “So, when you’re going to get married?” And I turn on the TV volume…

Even if I know how to play the game, but I don’t indulge too much into this game, because I don’t know how to win! Most of the Chinese communities here will play mahjong during Chinese New Year, either with relatives, among friends or family members. Occasionally we will play mahjong to kill time during gathering, some retirees will took up the game as serious hobby.

Tonight, this is the best way to end the gather-and-eat session at my aunt’s place. As they play, the clock on the wall slowly ticking from 2005 to 2006…


I woke up late in the morning of January the first, with another wonderful gathering in mind. Finding our way to Michael, fellow SCI-Malaysia’s house was never easy. But for his open-house invitation, I can only say: I DO!!!


Long before I visit their house, I’ve been told that Michael’s better half, Guna is a good cook, an Indian food specialist! And the rumors was right, sometime we had to try it to believe it, as far as food is concern. As the usually quiet terrace-house filled with joy and laughter, I’m helping myself to fill up my stomach…


Michael said he felt like an important person that night. Why not! He was such a cheerful and wonderful host, joking and serving his guests all night long. All some 30 of them, friends and relatives, on four-wheeled or two-wheeled, Malaysian or not!

I offered myself to take photos for him together with his guests, but he refuses. Well, that’s why I have my camera! Hehe!!!


Other than the main curry dish and delicious Putu Mayam, my all time favorite was the crunchy muruku!!!


There is a secret of every wonderful meal, and I suppose I found Guna’s secret here in the kitchen. Still a secret for me though. Not until I figure out how to mix up all the spices and ingredients together producing what’s all in my stomach now.


I suggest you to have a close look at the calendar, when you are in some Malaysian friend’s house. Don’t be surprise to find more than one type of calendar, as we usually start the same New Year, twice. We grown up getting used to two time frames, like some European altering their clock's timing in order to catch a glimpse of sunrise during the winter season.

Just like Chinese Lunar calendar, most Malay and Indian calendar used for dating our New Year, festival, or even choosing auspicious date for a wedding, moves into a new house, etc. We were born with the age of one, considering that 9 month pregnancy period.

And I’ll be celebrating Chinese New Year on 29th of January, 2006.


Before leaving Michael’s residence, Stephen and I were equally excite and surprised by these few chicken-on-the-gate. We didn’t ask Michael why they behaved so, it’s his neighbor’s chicken anyway.

Perhaps we will get the answer to our curiosity in next visits, but honestly, I am more interested to what Michael likes as much: Food! Thank you so much for the night, my friend!


Back home, I found Randi finally completed her 3 days traveling in the eastern part of KL, a small town called Jerantut. Too much trekking now, huh? Haha! Other than my balcony which offers KL’s city view from 8th floor, Randi would loved to be in the kitchen, peeling the apple or ciku fruits before sharing it with me.

Good thing is we both like to eat, and almost anything…(Sorry, Randi! My bad!) She found her most delicious Ais Kacang here in Kepong, not to mention the tasty Chee Cheong Fun, Hainanese chicken rice, wantan-mee…Oh, you will missed ‘Mealaysia’ for sure!!! Hehe!!!


We must have watched 4 movies in 5 days, be it Japanese’s Fireflies: River Of Light, Mandarine’s Perhaps Love, funny Wallace And Gromit: The Curse Of Were Rabbit or Vomit (silly Cantonese movie: A Chinese Tall Story!). Randi finished the like of Narnia, Harry Potter, King Kong, etc while she’s in the northern part of Malaysia, Penang island. Our GSC or TGV should have given her a VIP pass or something!!!

She probably won’t shed a single drops of tear if she watched Pride And Prejudice with me, her last movie before leaving Malaysia. I guess she is happy to get her one last Ais Kacang after that movie, together with my dad and sisters.

It’s been wonderful, brilliant and fun. Thank you so much for sharing, eating, walking and talking, Randi! I will make sure I know how to pronounce feta with rugbrod before I visit your dad’s residence…I mean and you in Copenhagen or Arrhus as well, haha!

Actually, I would really loved to have a horse rather than 15 sheep…Opps, I’ve been asking too much, did I? Hehe! Until I see you again, all the best, my friend!


Kai-san and Miwa-san arrived almost 12 hours after Randi’s departure. Miwa-san, Hajimemashite! Yuroshiku onegaishimasu! Oh I still remember Kai-san’s hospitality and tempura in Tokyo, warm hugs and nasi lemak can’t really replaced that. As usual, both of them drinks only fresh fruit juice. Teh tarik? Maybe later! Hehe!


And when Kai-san works, he hardly rest. I was about to rest my eyes and called it a day before I took one last shot…There is a reason why our former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir kick-start the Look East Policy, some 24 years ago. Having said all that, there’s always something to learn, share and do together.

Have a good time in Indonesia, my friend! And omedetouu, Kai-san! We shall meet again!!!


Nowadays I would rather lie nicely and chew my magazine rather than trying to beat the busy traffic and long cinema queue after I finally found a parking space for my car, spending 30 minutes of so circling the bloody multi-level basement carpark. I’m just getting lazy sometimes, which is a must!

My living room is quite cozy during raining season, so much so that I could just doze off like that! Especially when I’m at '…infrared light concentrated by Spitzer’s mirrors falls on detectors chilled close to absolute zero to detect the faint heat as…infrared Spectrograph…Multiband Imaging Photometer…'and good night!!!


These days I would wake up in the late afternoon and found almost the same weather outside: Cloudy skies, minutes before heavy down pour. I could see the Twin Towers were ‘under-siege’ and decided not to venture into the city center. Some of my friend has even better view: She can actually observe the traffic situations from her 15th storey before choosing which route she will eventually take on. There’s always a higher floor, higher level, huh?

Let’s hope for a healthier, happier year!!!