The new Church of God in Miri

This is the new Church of God in Miri, just opposite Boulevard Hypermarket in Boulevard. I was told that it is the largest in South East Asia and can accommodate 3000+ worshippers at any one time.
It is due for opening on 1st June 2012

Amazing tree

This tree is getting very common nowadays. The hardiness of this plant is simply amazing. You can see it growing out of roof, concrete crack of building or concrete fence.

We also have one growing from the highest point of a wall and we can't seem to destroy it!
On close examination, it has tremendously strong, thin and penetration root which can suck out any nutrient from the concrete wall. It also seems to be able to control the amount of water needed to withstand "long" drought... ie, a week without rain would mean that the wall is absolutely dry and yet, it has no effect on the plant. Does it mean that this plant actually absorb water moisture from the air? Whatever,  scientist should have a study on this plant. Perhaps, on day, we have vegetable growing on walls rather than in bed of soil!
Look at the above plant, the leaves are green and healthy even without fertiliser.

Bersih 3.0 Miri

Some photos taken this afternoon at Miri. Only about four policemen standing at a distance watching. No problem encountered as of the time I left.

For more photos taken in Miri, click here.

This is KL Bersih 3.0 Awesome! Above photo from facebook - not sure who took this.

Curtin Graduation ceremony 2012

Today, we saw the graduation ceremony of Curtin University of Technology, Sarawak Campus.

More than 450 students graduated from the university.

The above is graduation from the school of business.
Click on the photo to see a larger image.

Most Ignored Cancer Symptoms by Dr Oz

Click here to watch this informative video on early symptom of cancer. I have captured the important points of the video below:

Possible signs of esophagus cancer
Difficulty swallowing; feeling a lump in your throat

Possible signs of stomach cancer
Pain in upper abdomen; heart burn or feel full after small meals

Possible signs of colon cancer
Extended periods of constipation; diarrhea; change in stool size,

Possible signs of bladder or prostate cancer
Pain during urination; blood in urine; change in frequency

Possible signs of leukemia (or many other types of cancer):
General fatigue; overall weakness; unexplained weight loss

Possible signs of lung cancer
Difficulty breathing; persistent cough; chest pain when breathing in,and wheezing

Possible sign of voice box or thyroid cancer
Hoarse voice; unusually husky or deeper voice

Possible signs of skin cancer
Black or brown streaks under fingernail

Possible signs of liver cancer
White or pale fingernails

Possible signs of ovarian cancer
Abdominal pain; pain during intercourse; urgent urination issues

Possible signs of pancreatic cancer
Yellowing of the skin or whites of eyes; dark coloured urine; light grey coloured stool; unusual skin itching

Note: The above is provided for your information. Proper diagnosis must be carried out by doctors. I am not responsible for the accuracy of information provided.

Is TheStar online worth reading?

I found that TheStar on-line is such a pro government paper that it is not longer worth reading! It carries news which, in my opinion, not worth to be published! My interpretation is that they are nothing but a vehicle for government propaganda.

Story 1:
Anwar told to step down!

KUALA LUMPUR: Several non-governmental organisations have urged parliamentarians to propose a law that allows impeachment of leaders.

A delegation of eight men representing five NGOs led by the Selangor Anti-Irregularities Federation (GAPS) met Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Abu Zahar Nika Ujang and submitted a memorandum demanding the resignation of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday.

On the other hand, if such a law is passed through, most YBs from BN will have to resign!

Story 2:

Cancel rally for our sake, cabbies tell Bersih organisers

KUALA LUMPUR: Taxi drivers in the Klang Valley are pleading with the Bersih 3.0 organisers to cancel their proposed rally.

They claimed that 36,000 taxi and limousine operators would be affected if the rally went on.

I pity the taxi drivers! But they are so short sighted! Why can't they bring passengers to the rally?

Poor in possession but rich in faith

Last week I went to Long Malim, a Penan Settlement. Our purpose was to do follow up and to teach the  Penan children basic language and maths. Along the way, we passed by ...

... Long Peran. The people of Long Peran worship ...

...  their ancestors. To them, there is no other god other than their own god.

The next Penan settlement is ...

...  Long Singu. Long Singu is a Christian Community. You will notice that at every of these settlements, there is a big compound which is used as a helipad. The flying doctor came in once a month! So, please don't get sick in between! Otherwise the nearest clinic is 70KM away and will require 3-4 hours of travelling through logging tracks.
After travelling for 8 hours, covering 224KM, we finally reached Long Malim Penan settlement.

Surrounded by cloud shrouded mountains, Long Malim is a beautiful place! According to my Garmin satellite navigator (GPS), it is just 520meters above sea level. At the highest point, the road is about 800+ meters above sea level.

But alas, the once crystal clear river is now a permanent yellow river! The fishes are gone and the simple livelihood of the Penan is gone forever. Now, they learned how to plant ...

... padi.
The Penan settlement seems to be temporarily as they will require to move again due to Murum Hydroelectric dam construction. Read more here.
Now, we talk about fairness by the government and the way they treated the indigenous people here. I don't know who build their "long houses" . They used recycled zinc roof which is ...

... full of holes. During the day, the sun will ...

... will shine right through and you will see bright light spots on the floor. During rain, the water will get right through those holes.
In the name of development, I am sure that they were probably worse off then before. Their kitchen is still ...

 ... as primitive as ever.

 True that they have gas tank but can they afford to operate it? I was told that they are very expensive. So, the same kitchen has both LPG fired stoves and the traditional wood fired cooking place.

Back in the sixties, Milo was a luxury and for a big cup, we could only use half a tablespoon of milo with equal amount of sugar. The drink was a faint brownish colour just like what this boy was drinking!

If you get sick in this place, my Garmin told me that the nearest clinic is more than 70KM away! So, the best way is to pray and ask Jesus the Healer to perform miracle as the next flying doctor will not come in for up to a month time. Praise God that most people are Christian and there are countless miracles there. I can only conclude that their faith is strong! Do pray for them and always remember the super poor community at Malim, a place above the cloud! Also pray for their children as most of them don't go to school!
Over there, the Penan speak Malay and Iban in addition to their own language!

Hannah Yeoh

I tried to avoid posting political article. But I just can't ignore some good one. I am not being biased but if anyone has good one from any party, I would be more than happy to post.
Hear her speaks. On youtube, some criticized her English. But many young people of her age can only speak broken English!

What does Chief Minister mean to you?

Sarawak Report has reviewed some very disturbing reports about the chief Minister of Sabah and the system! Read these two reports for yourself in Sarawak Report.

Article one
Article two

There are many more articles at Sarawak Report which is worth reading... find out yourself there and make conclusion for yourself! Reading them made me scare!

The reports reviewed " the investigation has been blocked at the highest levels and its findings kept secret, ..."

Long Malim - Land above the cloud

Last weekend (14/4 - 16/4), a group of 9 from the Yi Eng and Grace Methodist visited the small Penan settlement at Long Malim. Long Malim is about 224KM from Miri and 520 metres above sea level in Ulu Belaga. The place is surrounded by high mountains and a river.
The whole journey took eight hours. The most difficult part of the trip was the last 20 KM of road which was windy and high gradient. This 20KM took 1.5 hours! Apart from this, the place is beautiful and full of trees.

As we arrive at the settlement at about 2:40PM, we found that the place was very quiet. There were not many adults except 20+ children.

As we inquire about it, we realised that the adults went to the field for harvesting.

The mission house is at the edge of a large flat ground which is used as a helideck. I was told that the flying doctor came in once a month to this place to see the sick. Therefore, if anyone is sick, he/she must wait for a month! It seems that the common problem is gastrointestinal related problem, vomiting, stomach ache, fever and one suspected malaria.

We can only pray for the sick and provide them with very simple medication. Surprisingly, the people there are full of faith and miracle healing is quite common. 

Saturday evening service was conducted and also Sunday service. The attendance could had been better but   this is planting and harvesting month and many adults were away.

Our two ladies gave basic classes, teaching them the alphabet and counting. They are bright and very attentive. They remember what they learn. Unfortunately, they have no opportunity to go to school.

These children can remember gospel songs!

 The youths there are attentive to the bible teaching....

... and irrespective of age, they are always ready to come forward to nail their sins and confessions on the cross!

Look at this, our city folk would have backed out. They are full of faith, ready to confess and forgive each other. We were called to visit a family where there were conflict. They wanted to seek reconciliation and forgiveness. At the end, they all hug each other ... all conflicts were remove.
This is my first instalment... more to come.
To see more photos, click here.

中文萬歲！！！

Unfortunately, the following passage needs to be in Chinese in order to feel the power of the Chinese language. So, translating it will make no sense. My apologies to all who don't understand Chinese!

一美女興致勃勃地問醫生：「我想豐胸，但是豐胸後會有什麼效果？」
醫生淡定地答道：
「豐胸後，一般會有四種結果：
1. 大不一樣；
2. 不大一樣；
3. 一樣不大；
4. 不一樣大！」
世界上沒有其他的文字能夠有這樣的功能，中文萬歲！！！


〈中文字的奧妙〉
外國人學中文，確實不容易。
中文字的奧妙，常常讓學中文的老外暈倒，說幾個聽來的段子：


一、方便
一位剛學過一點中文的美國人來到中國，中國朋友請他吃飯。到了飯店落座，中國朋友說：「對不起，我去方便一下。」
那老外沒聽明白，「方便」是哪裡？
見老外疑惑，中國朋友告訴他說「方便」，口語裡是「上廁所」的意思。
哦，老外意會了。
席間，中國朋友對老外說：「我下次到美國，希望你能幫忙提供些方便。」
老外納悶了：他去美國，讓我提供些廁所幹嗎？
道別時，另一位在座的中國朋友熱情地對老外說：「我想在你方便的時候請你吃飯。」
見老外驚訝發愣，中國朋友接著說：「如果你最近不方便的話，咱們改日……」
老外無語。
「咱找個你我都方便的時候一起吃飯吧。」老外隨即暈了。


二、乳


一位老師向老外學生解釋「乳」字的含義：乳即是小的意思，比如乳鴿、乳豬等。講解完，老師要求老外學生用「乳」字造句。
老外學生造句說：「現在房價太高了，所以我家只能買得起20平方米的乳房。」
老師聽了，冒著冷汗說：「再造一個！」
老外學生：「我年紀太小，連一米寬的乳溝都跳不過去。」
老師冷汗如雨下，說：「再造一個！」
老外學生說：「老師我真的想不出來了，我的乳頭都快想破了！」


三、意思


某老外苦學漢語10年，到中國參加漢語考試。
試題之一：
請解釋下文中每個「意思」的意思：
阿呆給領導送紅包時，兩個人的對話頗有意思。
領導：「你這是甚麼意思？」
阿呆：「沒甚麼意思，意思意思而已。」
領導：「你這就不夠意思了。」
阿呆：「小意思，小意思。」
領導：「你這人真有意思。」
阿呆：「其實也沒有別的意思。」
領導：「那我就不好意思了。」
阿呆：「是我不好意思。」
這老外聽了，一頭霧水。
中文的「意思」太深奧了，於是他交白卷回國。

My legs turned jelly just by watching

How safety concious are you? For the sake of survival, are you willing to gamble your life away. I was witnessing these four guys trying to hang up a sign board. Just by watching I felt that numbing feeling on both of my legs. They must be 30 feet above ground and worse, the ladders they use were rather small and the persons holding onto the ladders pay no attention at all. One even walked away!

Did you notice that both ladders were slanting? I went over to tell the guy in red and he said that he knows. I wish I could issue a stop work order like in Shell.
Life seems to be so worthless! Love your life and work safely. Your loved ones are waiting for your return in the evening.

Bulatan Park is Hard Hat Area

My walking buddies at Bulatan Park decided to wear safety helmet in order to proof a point.... 

Ever wonder why?

While walking at the park, they need to watch out for projectile from above ... it is not bird dropping... but

.. flying dried branches! The other day, dry branches broke off and came crashing to the path below just in front of me! Small branches may not cause a great deal of physical hurt but they were all quite big which is a safety hazard.

A closer look reviewed that there are quite a lot of dry branches and they can come crashing down any time.  Some are very big and some are small. Whatever, they are hazard!

This entrance had never been level and always collect water after rain. The road is slippery and also a slip hazard.
When can the authority instruct the park maintenance people to pull down dry branches instead of chopping off harmless palm leaves before anyone is hurt? Don't forget to level this stretch of road.

Dead granddad wanted grandson to teach him PC skill

I read this news from See Hua Daily today. It was reported that a young man decided to give an "offering" of laptop computer to the deceased grandfather during the Ching Min.
Now, the dead grandfather spoke to the youth in his dream that he doesn't know how to use the laptop and would need him to "go down" to teach him. This scared the shit out of the youth and he fell sick the next day causing the family to seek treatment from medium and all kind of medicine men ... east and west!
Lesson learnt ... don't give any "offering" to the dead if they don't know how to use it when they were alive.

Dato Sebastian to "Go Bald"

Our friendly Dato Sebastian (political secretary) will "Go Bald" on 13th May 2012 at 11am at Bintang Megamall Miri to raise money for Children suffering from cancer. It is a Sunday and that means a lot of people can go and support! So, please remember this date.

Osprey Fishing for Lunch

Amazing! Watch this short video ...
 

Moral Studies down the drain...

Our children went through moral studies in school until the fifth form. Yet, we are living in a society as if there was never any moral studies. Take this huge rubbish container placed at public place for the public to place rubbish....

Someone set this thing on fire! It could be because the bin was full or smelly but I couldn't find a reason to have it burnt! Can you? Surely tax payer money had been burnt here just because of some irresponsible people.

Disappointing footwear from Bata!

During my younger days, Bata was known to make good quality shoes. Now, the quality has deteriorate so much that they may be worse than those you pay much less. Or is it an issue of poor quality control?
I bought this pair of sandal and used it for about a month. You can see the tear right through the centre...

I went back to the Bata centre and was told that "this batch" received a lot of complain in W.M.

Apparently, I don't get a replacement pair because I think Bata can't afford a "recall". As for me, I think this is the last time I will buy any sandal from Bata. The quality is simply too disappointing.
In another country where consumer's right is strong, they will replace with no question asked.
Do you have similar experience? I made a complain at Bata Facebook and they made no attempt to reply.

Update: Bata did reply to me via their FB after I wrote on their fb wall. Good of them as ignoring complain, whoever is right/wrong is not a good idea.