The Importance Of Friendship

I saw this article inside The Star (24/12) newspaper on Christmas Eve. They interviewed 2 old friends and one happens to be my good old friend too. Their story made me think about how beautiful a real friendship can be and how important it really is to our lives! We all need good friends who can share our tears & joy besides giving us the pillar supports and words of kind encouragement. They should accept me as I am without any conditions.

"We also say at times, ‘This world is so mean’, then how come there are few people who are ready to take all your sorrows and are always there for you when you need them. I can say this because I have been gifted with such a beautiful gift called “F.R.I.E.N.D.S” in my life....."

Recipe For Leadership - This is about Helen & Abby who were classmates from a Convent School in Ipoh who met up again after one had failed marriage and the other had spent many years living in London & Hong Kong.

Gift Of Friendship - They met up again at the school reunion and clicked like cakes & cream.....exchanging cook books and this led to the chain of "Ms READ" boutiques and "DELICIOUS" restaurants being sprouted all over Kuala Lumpur!

"With so much dire need of friends in our life how can we think of existing without them? Though we have many people around us, but there are only close friends who make all the difference. If they are present nothing else matter. "

.......My Old Photo.......

When Abby was the corporate figure at Bristol Myers - Malaysia & Hong Kong, she often attended high profile meetings in Chicago. One day she got off the meeting and simply boarded the next plane to visit me at Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. I was so happy and took her around to tour the city. We ate the best food and stayed at the best 5 Star hotel. Abby paid for everything as I was just a student! Abby felt that the city was really beautiful. The current movie "JACK REACHER" by Tom Cruise was filmed entirely in Pittsburgh too.

"What makes a good friend?

A good friend is honest.
A good friend is fun, unique and interesting.
A good friend is attentive and adaptable.
A good friend is supportive of you and your goals.
A good friend is a someone you can trust.
A good friend is someone who you can talk to about anything.
A good friend makes it clear that they care about you.
A good friend sticks with you in good times and bad.
A good friend accepts you for who you are, even when you’re being a butthead."

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 

TO ALL THE READERS WHO ARE MY FRIENDS!

The Art Of Multitasking

I went to have lunch at the famous Uptown's Village Park where Tun M, Jib Kor, Botox Queen & a host of celebrities have eaten their world's best Nasi Lemak spread. It was so packed like sardines so we shared table with a young couple. They really stunned me with their multitasking business while eating their Christmas Day lunch.

Both of them ate their plate fulls of Nasi Lemak while Facebooking and YouTubing at the same time. They still engaged in non stop conversations and taking photos!

That's not all, they took turns to cradle & hug the new born baby!! I was so impressed and thought of my fellow hamsap bloggers who often bragged about their abilities!

I have always been hearing from fellow blogger friends who are experts in "Multitasking" anywhere be in at home, in the office, toilet or even while  Grrrrr...Grrrr... on the bed!

Corporate Taiping Office:
- First Sip Blogging, Drink coffee, Check Emails, Watsap, Blog Spamming and take Telephone Calls!

Ngap Ngap On The Run:
- Marathon Running, Eat Kote Mamak, Listening to Music, Ogle Hot Korean Men in Suit & Pergh! Phoawr! Ngap! Woots!

Pussy Tai-Tai Style:
- Buy Books, Grrrrr Grrrrr, Read Books, Grrrrrr Grrrrrrr, Spammed "I'm Coming" in comments!

I Hate Dentists No More

It has been 10 years since the last time I went to a dentist. Earlier, I had developed a terrible phobia since childhood towards the extreme pain caused my those govt clinic's dental nurses. I swore that I would let my teeth rot and drop off by themselves rather than get drilled by them!

Well recently my wife hypnotized me to discard away some bad habits from my subs conscious. Not knowing that the process actually managed to successfully stop my snacking habits and even my lifelong phobia towards dentists! Voila!

A student friend who just enrolled to the dental school explained to me that they are always desperate to look for patients for their 4th Year practical otherwise they would not be able to graduate. Anay just pitied them and remembered my uncle who died in Bangkok & pledged to donate his body to the medical students at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok. I have blogged it HERE. So I am doing some charity too!

It has been many weeks when I would go to the torture chamber at their dental school on Fridays. They use the latest equipments!

They also use the best hi-tech gadgets like Star Wars weapons etc. There is also a mini screen monitor to view my tooth X-Rays! Goodness! I have over 10  BIG cavities to be done besides the full scaling, extractions and canal treatments. Sobs!

 I would cry and had to beg for injections to numb all my gums otherwise my legs will rise up in pain!

Look at me getting masked like this every week for 2-3 hours! My lips would tear open and my jaws would ache! Thank goodness I have finished 5 visits and have another 5 more to go. It costs only RM10 registration fee per visit. So cheap and good! Would you like to be a Guinea Pig too?

The Great Mosque of Xi'an

On the freezing late afternoon, we walked into the famous Great Mosque of Xi'an at last. We were very stunned and speechless to see its very ancient Chinese architecture instead. It does not have any domes or minarets at all. The whole walled complex of 13,000 sq meters was so well preserved, neat and beautifully landscaped with so many artistic arches and 4 big landscaped courtyards. I took over 100 exciting photos here but will only post some 20+ nice shots.

The mosque was built in the year 742 A.D.during the Tang Dynasty and it was restored over the years with many ancient furnitures and buildings being added on from the period of Ming until Qing Dynasties.

  It is simply awesome to admire them when cold teperature always made Anay's mood very HAPPY.

 They were so many layers of arches and doors to explore........

......... and so many interesting corners to camwhore!

I simply loved this corner as the buildings were so greyish and tranquil looking!

 

 Anay surely had to pose there and do his signature "golek kaki" a bit. Tell me nice or not?

It was lovely to walk around and Winter is definitely the best time to visit Xi'an as thousands of tourists would normally jostle here everyday in Spring, Summer and Falls.

 The grounds were spotlessly clean and well swept. We loved it.

 We spent over 2 hours relaxing on the benches like new courting couples in love.

 There are different arches to pass through before you enter another courtyard.

 Even their washing area before prayers has the majestic and grandeur looking entrance!

 I saw an old bicycle!! ........Anay was going to fetch Letchumy to ronda-ronda!

 Letchumy waited lovingly for Anay to come on his old bicycle.

Poor Letchumy had to carry so many heavy bags of souvenirs!!! Anay bought so much dried fruits for Lina, Ah Hua and the rest of the Hamsap bloggers & relatives!

.....Every door leads you to a new environment.....

"May each new day leads you to a new happy beginnings"

 Letchumy mumbled that she wants to climb the 99 peaks Jianghuai Mountains in Anhui next year!! Poor anay's legssss!

 An ancient well.

 Here is where they kept the big drum to call for daily prayers.

The Chinese Muslims are mostly the Hui Clans and they are friendly & very polite. This grandfather was surprised that Letchumy could speak fluent Beijing's Mandarin but she is from Maaaalaaaaaiiiissiiiaaaaa! (Long ago Letchumy was doing the voice over to speak & report from Malaysia during the News Hour at Astro-Phoenix Channel) So she pandai to croak out her Beijing Putonghua.

This kind man offered to show us around to view some ancient stone tablets which were displayed in the museums. The Great Mosque is over 1,250 years old and has received more than 10 million visitors since it opened it doors to the public in 1978.

There is a lovely mosaic art piece of the Mecca and they were made from tiny pieces of jade pieces in its natural colours!

It was very warm to see all the Muslim brothers chatting away happily in every available corner prior to their prayers.

This is the final arch and you will enter the main building of the big prayer hall. No photos were allowed inside and I had to stay outside as a respect too.

 All the Muslim brothers hurriedly walked into the hall on time for the call of prayers.

 At that moment the Azan filled the air, naturally I suddenly thought of our friend Blogger Lina, therefore I told myself that I had to dedicate this interesting post to her with the hope that she could bring her family there someday in Winter too!

The Streets Of Xian

This is my 2nd last post about my happy Xian trip. Follow me to tour along the Chinese Muslim streets in Xian where they sold many interesting native products and food. I loved the ancient looking shops there with all the Chinese carvings on their beams. We found that most of the Muslims in Xian are most good looking with their mixed features and have very polite manners. I read up some facts that there are over 20 million Muslims in China.

We started walking from here on the way to see the beautiful "Great Mosque".

We passed all the Muslim shops and restaurants which were run by Chinese Muslims. Their food was interesting and delicious!

This street is a must to visit, for all visitors to Xian. Everything is very much cheaper compared to the street markets in Taiwan or Hong Kong.

Anay posed outside the most famous dumpling shop in the whole of China. We went in there to have our dinner.

They sold very colourful stuffed decorations made of cloths with good luck charms and greetings. I regretted for not buying them!!!! I thought I could get them in Singapore but I forgot about the price conversions!

Xian has interesting  many sculptures everywhere along the boulevards.

My wife sat on the bench as I was always busy snapping photos. I realised she smiled to the Lion Stone and they were chatting!!!!

A young lady weaved using the traditional way to make scarves. Many people crowded around to watch her speed!

Letchumy was stunned to see them selling fried hot BIG chillies mixed with nuts!!!! The Xian Muslims ate them like peanuts. We bought one bag and never finished till now.

 

This guy sold the best Sesame Biscuits I had ever eaten. I came back twice to buy from him. It was so fragrant and crispy thin.

Their Xian food was nice and unique! I did not take much photos as I am not a food blogger.

It was a popular stall selling a latest clip that could tie a beautiful hair bun in less than 30 seconds.

I was impressed to see many stalls selling huge sized paper-cut motifs. All were hand made and beautiful.  I could not bring them up the plane without tearing them.

Guess what was that brown stuffs on the right?? It is Walnuts inside!! You need to crack its hard shells to extract the walnuts out.

The meat sticks dipped with yummy sauces and grilled over charcoal. It was nice to eat them in cold Winter.

This traditional bread seller looked like a handsome Bollywood actor - Saif Ali Khan but he is a Chinese Muslim.

My wife loves this and bought so much!!! I forgot its name but ate them like junk food tablets when I was in primary school. My mum used to say they were toxic colourings! All wrong, that is the original safe colouring.

They sold many funny things but I was not sure what they were. Any idea?????

We have reached the walls outside the beautiful "Great Mosque". I have saved the best for the last. I will post them this Friday and dedicate to Blogger Lina. Thank you for reading.