Tsunami Alert.

Received a sms alert from Berita Harian just now about an earthquake occurring in Sumatera and a tsunami warning too. Hope nothing bad will happen especially not like the one a few years back.

Read the alert here.

Learn To Give Yourself A Break.

by Pok-Kam

There are always things in life that we normally took for granted. Forgetting to look after our well being and health is one of them.

We always thought ourselves to be indestructible and that we forgot twe are just like any other mechanisms that are bound to have breakdowns. We are so caught up with the modern world style of living that we have overlooked the significant of taking a decent but short break from that damaging routine.

I used to ignore scene like this one but not anymore.

Take me for example. One of my job requirements is that I will need to travel a lot. I may spend a few months in one place and moved on to another after that. I have seen and experienced the life of so many different places but sadly I never did took the time to really savour them and scenes of that particular place as I am always too engrossed with my work. That was the day-in and day-out routine of my working life for the past decades.

Presently, I drive up to work on almost daily basis from Kota Kinabalu to Ranau. There is a lot of breath taking scenes along the way but as they have become such a familiar scene and my mind is always caught up about works that I will not even give them a second glance.

Normally while driving home I will ignore scenes such as this one but nowadays I will stop and watch until the sun really had set on the horizon.

All that has now changed since the day I began taking my daily dosage of hypertension medication.

Now on any particular stressful day, I will really pull the brakes on everything. I will give myself a short break and to loosen myself. It may sound strange but there are days that I can’t even stand the sight of my own men and worst still, my own boss and I really hate it if my lunch is interrupted.

So a few minutes break from all that is a most welcome break. I will have my lunch break at my favourite private spot – away from the crowd. I will turn off my cell phone as I like to have such moment uninterrupted and undisturbed. In a way, it’s good for my health it will help to bring down the level of my blood pressure. ;)

So folks, do yourself a favour, stop and take a much-needed break.

A Wish.

Being an amateur photographer, I have always dream of owning a much better camera. The one that I am using are the normal digital type and there are also occasions that I will use my cell phone (cum with camera) as well to take pictures.

Well maybe one day I will have my dream camera. One day … after that little girl in the picture had fully grown up and completed her education or … maybe even sooner, who knows. Till then I am working towards making that dream and host of others a reality. Insyaallah ...

Picking driftwood at the Teluk Likas beach.

Sunduk.

As always without fail, we made our first visit after the Raya prayers not to the livings but to the departed to pay our respects and offered our prayers.


Visiting the graves loved ones and offering them prayers on the first day of Hari Raya at the graveyards along Jalan Bubul, Semporna

There is a certain uniqueness about the tombstones found here in the East Coast of Sabah. They are similar to the one found in the Southern Philipines where the population are predominantly of the Bajaus ethnics. These tombstones are different from the 'normal' tombstones that are found at other Muslim cemeteries.

I now have learned how to differentiate the grave of that of a male or female by the unique and elaborate design of the tombstones. The Bajaus of the East Coast of Sabah called these tombstones Sunduk or what is commonly known as Batu Nisan in Malay.

The tombstone for a male deceased will look something like the one below.

While the tombstone and design for a female will look similar to the one below.

How To Fix Generic Host Process For Win 32 Services.

For those of you who still clings on faithfully to the Windows XP version, I'm sure some of you may have encountered a similar problem with the message as the one below:

If the answer is yes and you are still looking for a quick fix, then just log on to this address www.troublefixers.com and follow the instructions given and your problem will be solved.

Have a nice day.

Which One Is Deadlier?

I drove all the way from Kota Kinabalu to Semporna and also the return trip during the Hari Raya Holiday and was really thankful that I did not witness any fatal road accident involving vehicles along the way.

It is always a depressing sight to behold whenever there is a road accident and what more those involving lose of lives.

However, elsewhere in the country it's a different story altogether. The latest death toll as at yesterday as reported by the Star on Ops Sikap stands at 192. Ops Sikap is in its 11th days and that comes to an average of 17 lives per day.

Now that we have the numbers, what if we were to compare the deaths caused by the dreaded H1N1 influenza against the deaths on our roads across the Country. H1N1 death as reported by Bernama at the moment stands at 77.

So folks which is deadlier? Is it the H1N1 virus or the combination of reasons such as the condition of our roads, our driving habits and the condition of our vehicles. Which one?

And please, whatever the reason is don't simply put the blame on fate ...

Selamat Hari Raya.

Today is the 5th day of Syawal or otherwise also known as the Hari Raya Kelima.

Today I am already at at work but still feeling groggy and tired. Come to think of it, I don't think I can consider the Raya holidays as my preferred break.

I spent those few days driving almost non-stop and on daily basis visiting relatives and friends and enjoying lots of Raya delicacies that I'm sure after the holiday ends, all the 4kg that I've lost during the fasting months will soon find their way back home - to me.

In other word, the only real break I had was the time I lay asleep.

That was in Semporna and I now will have to prepare myself for the friends and relatives in Kota Kinabalu too. Oh, how I wish my metabolism was what it was like twenty years ago. No "simpan-simpan" but burn, burn, burn...

Anyway, as I still think it is not to late to wish the readers of this blogs and my friends and relatives alike a very special:

"SELAMAT HARI RAYA & MAAF ZAHIR DAN BATIN."

Nabbed For Growing Ganja Plants

SEREMBAN, Sept 11(Bernama) The police have detained two men and a Vietnamese woman for alleged possession of ganja weighing 22 grammes and growing three ganja plants at a house in Taman Labu Jaya here, early Friday.

This followed a police raid at the house in Jalan Sungai Ujong about 2am.

State Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department deputy chief DSP Maidu Abu Bakar said the suspects, aged between 30 and 57, were remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations.

BERNAMA

Note: It could be that the economic downturn had affected them badly enough to resort to this course of action. Anyway, it is wrong and illegal and as the saying goes - It's time to face the music.

UPSR

Hari ini bermulalah peperiksaan Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah untuk semua murid-murid tahun 6. Kepada adik-adik yang menduduki peperikasaan ini, saya ucapkan semoga Selamat Berjaya. Insyaallah ...

Sabah CM Orders Probe On Claim Illegals Having Mykads.

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman has ordered a probe into an allegation that a village head and the National Registration Department colluded in an attempt to register illegal immigrants.

Read more ...

Ah yes... again one of those never ending story. I heard about it too but not in the place mentioned in the article but in one of the district in the East Coast. Like I said, I only heard about it as no one could provide with me any proof so it remain as hearsay. But too many hearsay of the same version makes you wonder though.

A Visit To The MV Doulos.

It was a hot Sunday afternoon yesterday when the family and me paid a visit to the visiting ship MV Doulos. (For more info about the ship and its crew, please log on to here.)

The MV Doulos

Actually this was not the first time the ship berthed here in Kota Kinabalu. In fact it’s been several times over the years. I was in primary 5 when I first visited the ship back then and now after a lapsed of 35 years I paid my second visit.

A section of the crowd.

It’s a sort of floating bookstore and there are a variety of books available for sale. I dare say most of the books are not available here in the local bookstores and the prices offered are quite cheap too in comparison.

These greeting cards pictures caught my attention.

Especially this.

The crew that handled the visitors are interesting too. All of them are volunteers and comprises of different nationalities. We bought several books and some souvenirs like key chains and left only when my daughter started to feel seasick.

We were all quite hopeful to seethe ship making another port call again next year.

Can Making Dreams Come True Be As Easy As Brushing Our Teeth

Can Making Dreams Come True Be As Easy As Brushing Our Teeth

by Masami Sato

What if making dreams come true is just so easy? Can we let go of our doubts? Is it possible? How can we do it so magically so that it is as easy as brushing our teeth? This excerpt from ONE Book by Masami Sato shows us exactly how to do it step-by-step, preparing you to start walking towards your dreams today.

Every one of us has dreams. But every one does not have faith in themselves to have and live those dreams in their own lifetime. In reality, the secret of having such assurance is simple. The reason for our doubting it so much is also clear.

We can now start by asking ourselves the first question..

Why do we not do the things we want to do?

Our thoughts usually stop us from acting. Sometimes the more we think about something, the less we become committed to achieve what we set out to do in the first place. Because the more we think about it, we tend to come up with more and more reasons for not doing it.

Is it then possible to be sure that we will definitely accomplish what we want to do in our life?

Yes, absolutely! For a start, let's look at the power of habits

If we are scheduled to go to a meeting tomorrow night, we wouldn't spend lots of time thinking whether we can get there or not. We wouldn't be concerned about the chance of having a car accident and missing the appointment. Just like when we are walking to the bathroom, we wouldn't worry that the toilet might be broken!

We have so much more sureness about these types of 'normal' activities we indulge in every day. They are the habits.

However, we are doubtful about our dreams

The interesting part is that there are several things that we are not very sure about. These are the things that we really want to do in our lives - our Dreams!

So, what is the secret for the assurance that we will realize our dreams?

First: Decide to make it a daily habit!

We can get started by being more confident about our acts meant to meet our desires - the type of dreams that actually fosters our life.

So, for example, if your dream is to give and contribute to society and giving is a key desire in your life, there is no reason to doubt that it's possible for you to contribute to others. It can just become one of your daily habits.

Second: Try to make it as important (and as much easy) as brushing teeth..

Achieving our dreams can be just like brushing our teeth. It wouldn't feel good if we didn't brush our teeth for a long time, would it? We wouldn't spend hours thinking of which toothpaste to use or delay the good feeling of having clean teeth for other 'priorities'. We feel uncomfortable if our teeth are not clean. So we just clean them!

Looking at our example, if giving is what we desire most, then we should ask ourselves a few questions: What if giving is truly as important as brushing one's teeth? What if it is giving us a comfortable feeling? What if it aids in remaining healthy?

No matter how much or little we perceive we have right now, we really can start giving and sharing today. So no matter how seemingly impossible it is to achieve our dreams, we can start walking towards them today. We can if we see it as something important, a top priority that we should do every day! Then we won't feel comfortable if we don't do it. Just like brushing our teeth.

and Third: Always give first, then we will get

When we start giving before we even have what we hope to get - that which we dream of - we are sending out a powerful message to ourselves which tells us, 'there is enough, and more will come.' It allows us to feel the joy today - the joy of giving.

If you want to be prosperous, be generous. And then you would be blessed with loads of everything. If you are knowledgeable enough to do so, do not be scared of teaching others. And you will learn more. If you want to share things, share freely. Do not expect anything in return. Just let go. And joy will automatically be returned to you. The simple joy o f giving.

So do not be afraid to share and give what you have, for it will not hinder you from achieving your purpose, whatever it is. It will only make you achieve your dreams quicker. And your journey there will be full of joy.

But are not habits very small, when compared to our BIG dreams?

Just do it, don't be concerned about the 'scale'

Anything can happen in life. Things may develop in a small way. And these small things might take us to another action, and that will connect to another. The sureness we feel about our actions, and managing them one by one, keeps on taking us forward. But if we think that it is not possible to do something now, just because it is a little formidable, it simply will not happen.

The secret of achieving one's dreams has always been there, and it will always be there. Those who are winners, who have inspired others, and have known perfect joy, have realized this. They are continuously using it.

Dreams and marvels are not accidents. We make them through our options.

So, are you likely to start moving towards your dreams today?

Contents are excerpted with minor modification from ONE, a book written by Masami Sato. To get a free copy of ONE, visit www.B1G1.com and start sharing the joy of giving. Feel free to use or republish the content of the above article, fully or partially, as long as it is preserved in its original content, with proper attribution to Masami Sato and www.B1G1.com.

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