Financial Planning

We never know how important financial planning/funds managing is until we encounter "personal financial crisis"... It is not only important for retirees to have their finances well-planned, it is even crucial for young people like us (my peers and me) to really plan for their future.... 

The 8th Habit From Effectiveness to Greatness

This is the ever best second best book I ever read. (The Bible is the best book!)

Have read around 33% of the book. And this quotation is very striking: 

When the morning's freshness has been replaced by the weariness of midday, when the leg muscles quiver under the strain, the climb seems endless, and, suddenly, nothing will go quite as you wish... it is then that you must not hesitate. - Dar Hammarskjold

Afternoon and Evening

Do you prefer weather like this: 

where the sun shines mercilessly from a cloudless sky and causes your shirt to cling to your back, drenched in perspiration? 

Or do you prefer this: 

where the sun is slowly retreating through the clouds casting a golden hue? 

I guess many prefer the latter but from photography-wise, the former always gives the sharper, more vivid and living feeling.. 

Sufficient Grace

2 Corinthians 12:9 - And He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly therefore I will rather boast in my weakness that the power of Christ might tabernacle over me. 

Hymn: God hath not promised skies always blue

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

*But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

God hath not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He hath not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.

*

God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain, rocky and steep,
Never a river, turbid and deep.

*

I feel that it is quite a coincident that I post quite a few things about this. Like in my facebook, I said "What are the impediments in our life? Our endless, aggravated, negative thoughts!!!"; but please don't feel sorry or wanna console me (If you wanna shower me love, you're always welcomed though), it is because recently I experience what others experience, get reminded something I have forgotten quite sometime ago, and most importantly, I realize I have been stubborn for quite sometime on things I do not desire anymore. 

My friend told me this "As time advances, your goal is no longer the same, people's expectation on you has also changed, the world is changing everyday; but you still trap yourself in the regret of things you think are glorious, punish yourself by being lugubrious on things you did not manage to get which are no longer important. It simply doesn't worth that." 

I see how people stand up because of the love and grace of the Lord. I see how people run after the Lord despite many tumbles. 

I think I need to confess... 

Matthew 6:33 - But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  

I am not sure if I will have this deep faith.... O Lord... 

Semi-attached or Semi-detached?

I don't understand why people only call house like this as semi-detached but not semi-attached. Why? 

Sick, Sick, Sick~

Having 3-5 days a week not feeling well is torturing!!! I want to be healthy!!

(In life how many times can we actually rant, and things will be getting better? NO!!! So I'd better keep quiet and continue to toil~)

P/S: It sounds that I am so upset or down, but actually I am not... *wink* I am just sick of getting sick. (No pun intended)

It's still here...

Luckily it is still here..

Nearly lost it yesterday due to sleep deprivation six-hour-sleep the day before yesterday. Well I am a baby! I need 10-hour-sleep! 

Luckily my friend is so honest and she returned to me after I tried calling my number. I left it outside computer lab. WTH =.= It must be when I was keeping things in my bag that I left it on the shelf. *Don't laugh*

So-called "Abalone"

Recently people like to have this for their steamboat, including my family.

I heard about this abalone for almost a year, and have no chance to really look at the ingredient and manufacturer. So this morning, when my mom was talking on phone, I got the chance to sneak into the kitchen and flipped front and back of this so-called abalone. Just for sharing, I snapped the ingredient and manufacturer. 

It is manufactured in Taiwan. Not sure how true it is.

Because, nowadays, China like to say things are

manufactured in Taiwan, Japan and Thailand. Hmn..

Relax in Penang Island

Since I am going back PJ on Saturday and Shane is working in Penang Island, I decided to visit him and take the Langkawi pictures from him. If not, I would not be able to blog about the trip since Shane snapped 95% of the pictures.

Shane works until 5pm. So I decided to visit some other places first before paying him a visit in the hospital (yes, he is working in the lab of Pantai Hospital).  

First place was Batu Ferringhi, a place I visited with my friends a year ago. The place was still the same. So, I would say the maintenance is good, though it still cannot be rated as any cleanest or prettiest beach. The sand was quite wet, I guess it was due to the high tide couple hours ago. I was there for around half an hour as the sand was not comfortable to step on. An interesting unfortunate thing was I saw a yacht on fire. But it was quickly rescued. 

Next, my friend and I made our way to Teluk Bahang Dam. It is located at the most northern part of Penang Island, whereby not many people know about it. The entrance was not opened. And the sun was scorching hot, we did not see a single soul there. So we thought we probably did not have the luck to enjoy the breathtaking sceneries. But when we made our turn back, we saw a crew photographing there. So we quickly made our turn back and walked through by a small entrance. The sun was like flaming! Yet we walked for around 1km to rest at a pavilion finally. *phew*

Many people high-rate the view there.

Yes, I do rate it as panoramic too, but some part of it is quite infertile, which I would say spoils the serene and living dam. 

The dam is really really well maintained. I guess it is partly due to few visitors. Another interesting thing is, every year there would be dragon boat competition there. 

This is the pavilion we were resting. The path to the pavilion is nicely decorated.

After taking a short break and a text from Shane asking us to visit him at 5pm, we quickly headed to the hospital. But sorry to Shane, we reached at 5.30pm. It was quite far from Teluk Bahang to Bayan Baru, and the traffic was slow too.

Shane briefly explained to us what he does everyday in the lab. Also we managed to see the machines used to scrutinize saliva, blood, phlegm, urine, etc. We also visited baby gynae department. Newly born babe are only 40-50cm! We then went to drink coconut ice blended somewhere near PISA after Shane suggested it. At first I thought it was something like grated coconut meat, since Shane said "yea ka" in TeowChew. Soon after that, we went to Queensbay Seaside to sample grilled fish! 

The place was very cozy, tranquil and relaxing!

After ordering grilled fish, fried squids, a plate of kangkung, and satay, we quickly started our photo-taking session! 

The food was soon served. It was normal for me. Still Cheranting grilled fish tasted the best!  

After the dinner, we were chatting happily. We chatted almost everything, and the main thing was how to snowball our savings! Sometimes, perhaps, we are just building the castle in the air, but it is quite exciting when we talk up and down, left and right! It is just like some aggressive and ambitious young kids planning on their promising future. *grins*

We forgot to take the picture of the grilled fish, as we couldn't resist tasting the food! So we took one after the dinner for compensation. 



Then, we headed to Ying Xuan's house to take Shane's pictures. Yea, Shane is staying in Ying Xuan's house for the time being as he is undergoing his internship. No other thing else, okay!? No gossip. Shane then shared with us how to edit pictures with Photoshop, he shared with me for the second time; this time it was shared mainly with Alvin. We then bid farewell with Shane and headed back mainland at around nine something. 

I like the last picture in this post. I feel that for the first few pictures, I didn't edit "heavily" to make the pictures more vivid. All pictures are in widescreen format, but vertical one might not be as nice as horizontal one. 

P/S: Shane please comment on my editted pictures. Thanks!

Camera & Insurance

I am wondering when would we need an insurance for our cameras or when would insurance companies spot this opportunity. More and more people are spending an exorbitant amount of money on cameras. *cool*

Langkawi Trip "Trailer"

Just back from Langkawi half an hour ago.

Fun.. 

Will blog about it in more details and more pictures are on the way. Stay tuned.

Just wonder as we are getting crazier in taking pictures, do we really still enjoy the breathtaking scenery, building, culture etc? Or we are just aiming and finding good angles to snap nice pictures? And thinking how to pose nicely? *grin*

Failed~

Shut up and study!!

I have no progress in my external exam throughout 2009!! 

I would not be stumbled! Will continue to work hard.. Thanks for all the love showered on me! Thanks...

Streamyx Sucks

Last night, when I was so excited uploading my outing pictures, suddenly my internet connection disconnected! WTH! 

Ms Streamyx is so moody, she always likes to jump off when people get high, and then come back to meet you when you have been so frustrated fixing the line, plugging in and out, restarting router, repairing your connection...

And I wonder if this Ms Streamyx is too fat, she runs ridiculously slow! I don't think she is fat or what, but more to our Malaysian style, LAZY, no training! 

CRAP!!!!

I'm just writing to vent my frustration and disappointment over this Ms Streamyx last night... *grin*

eat = fat

Just realize eat and fat are from the same keys in mobile phone... Indeed they are positively related, if not exponentially! 

Reunion

Went to visit my secondary Chemistry teacher.. I'm inspired by her life of planning... She considers a lot when she comes to making every decision! 

I think blogger squeezes pictures a lot!

It doesn't justify my camera! *joking*

We practically talked everything. At one juncture, we talked about health. Then my teacher told us she has a weight scale which can measure our body fat, internal organ fat, metabolism rate and tell us our age according to our body condition. T.T I have 30.4% of body fat! Internal organ fat is the most consoling thing, scale 3. And guess what?! My age were 26!!!! 

TIME TO EXERCISE AND EAT LESS!!!! 

Since I don't have any new year resolution, this should be the one! IT MUST BE THE SHORTEST GOAL!  

I like my teacher's house design. Her house is not big but very cozy! 

Like this corner a lot!!