I was looking at a woman walking past. She had high heels and was wearing a sleeveless white blouse and a tight leather skirt. Sporting colored hair, very fair in complexion, and with a big smile, she attracted my attention. In my mind, I was thinking, “She is so beautiful.” My friends followed my glance and one of them immediately said,” Uncle Beng, she is old enough to be my auntie.”
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I am supposed to be on a diet but it isn’t easy when the spirit is willing and the flesh is weak. I was invited out last night. I thought it would be another session of a few kongpia or something but we ended up eating chicken wings, mee mamak and sandwiches at Tanahmas Hotel. I never expected it or I would have brought along my camera 
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The evening started well. I saw a rainbow at Lanang Road.
I was invited for dinner tonight. But I had no idea it was a grand occasion. I was a little unsuitably dressed for the occasion but dressing wasn’t really that important. It was the good company and I was made to feel very much at ease. It was to celebrate the birthday of one of the most well known men in Sibu for his contributions to the local community, educational institutions and welfare bodies.
Look at this quaint birthday kuih. Isn’t it cute. It is filled with crushed nuts. It tasted lovely. 
Cold dish. The obligatory food pic to show it was a dinner
Pic from archives
This group of men are well known especially at the Central Market. They collect contributions from the public without fail every week in the form of vegetables, meat and other food items to be donated to the local old folks home.
This is one of the reasons I love to stay in Sibu. The people have hearts of gold.
Thanks to Will Chua for helping me to take the video and some of the pics.
I arrived home to see Benghui beaming. I was wondering what had happened? Was Benghui to get another sibling soon? I looked around and Mrs BB was not around.
” I am a bicycle,” Benghui shouted. Then I remembered. I had spotted the essay Saya sebuah Motokar ( I am a motorcar ) . He was glad a similar question came out but a bicycle instead of a motor car. He was pleased. So was I.
It is this way in my son’s school , in tuition schools and in many Malaysian homes. We try to spot the questions most likely to come out in the examinations. At first when I first started tutoring Benghui, I bought many reference books and concentrated on increasing his vocabulary and improving his grammar. At the same time, I tried to make Mathematics relevant to him by using as many concrete examples as possible. This method is not wrong but will bring forth fruit when he enters secondary school.
I found that at primary three level, this doesn’t help much when it comes to the school based system. In his school, a lot of memory work is involved. They memorize lots of stuff and regurgitate it out during examinations. So the scope of learning is limited to what is immediately relevant in the examinations. There is very little room for creativity.
Sometimes he brings home a list of essays to memorize. When I try to write new essays together with him with the same topics, he gets worried. For example if in an essay, it is written my mother is a housewife he dares not change the script. In the end, all the essays come out looking almost all the same.
He is pleased as punch. But I am getting discouraged as I can’t read Mandarin and his grades in subjects taught in Mandain are really beginning to suffer. I have heard in primary four they are going to be streamed according to their performance in school.
On a lighter vein a lady friend made this remark about the 2008 Olympics :
I enjoy the Olympics so much. I spend all my time watching tv now. I enjoy all sports. I don’t really care who wins or loses. I just enjoy looking at the men. They are all so fit and healthy. Handsome 
The American basket ballers are so tall. How are they going to sleep in our Malaysian bed? I wonder what my mother would say if I were to marry some one as tall as that. For one, she will have to get used to the color. It will be such a culture change.
A matron in her forties commented :
A tall guy? Do you know there is such a thing as too much of a good thing? You are so petite, in bed you may not be compatible. It is not the accessory that counts but how the guy utilizes it that counts. My lao kung is still very active I like to look at good looking men too. It is only natural. But it is ok to watch but not to touch hahahaha. I have heard there are male masseurs in town. If I can gather my courage, I will go see him one day. hahahahha
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Today Papa Bear left me a comment about him giving me an award. It gives me a chance to give recognition to my blogger friends. Bloggers whom I look up to and whom I feel have brilliant weblogs and have contributed to international understanding. Thanks Papa Bear!
As promised, I have now placed this award on my blog and in keeping with the tradition of this award, I will now nominate seven or more blogs that I sincerely feel deserve it as well. By the way, I read lots of great blogs out there and it was not easy to present this to only seven of them.
The next recipients of this award are:
sargecharlie A blogger I appreciate as one who has done his bit for his country and the world. Takes very beautiful pics.
tnchick A blogger who through photohunters has done much to contribute to international understanding and goodwill amongst the blogging community all over the world. The photohunters blogroll is literally a mini United Nations
thepoor mouth A blogger who has something to say and says it brilliantly
vuthasurf Morn Vutha is with Opem Forum of Cambodia. Gives us a peek into his world in Cambodia
Indrani Based in Bangalore, India, Indrani writes brilliant posts. Read about the banyan tree and all her other stuff.
teczcape-travel Makes the world smaller by emphasizing the similarities in us rather than the differences through food. Brilliant food shots
untraditionalhome Heather is a blessing to all those around her and those who read her blog. I would term her blog as ‘inspirational’ especially to those who are new to the faith.
Now, for those who receive this award, there’s a little “reciprocal” rules that you must do. I didn’t make this rules, so it’s up to you to make a link back to me or not.
The award may be displayed on a winner’s blog.
Add a link to the person who you received the award from.
Nominate up to seven other blogs.
Then add their links to your blog.
Add a message to each person that you have passed the award on to in the comments section of their blog.
Congratulations!
Today Papa Bear left me a comment about him giving me an award. So, I hopped over to his blog and there I found this award waiting for me. Well, I have to admit that he is one of my regular readers and it feels good to recognized by him. Thanks Papa Bear!
As promised, I have now placed this award on my blog and in keeping with the tradition of this award, I will now nominate seven blogs that I sincerely feel deserve it as well.
By the way, I read lots of great blogs out there and it was not easy to present this to only seven of them.
The next recipients of this award are:
dead_cockroach
antzworld
quest-quench
napaboaniya
willchua
foongpc
wisecurve
Now, for those who receive this award, there’s a little “reciprocal” rules that you must do. I didn’t make this rules, so it’s up to you to make a link back to me or not.
The award may be displayed on a winner’s blog.
Add a link to the person who you received the award from.
Nominate up to seven other blogs.
Then add their links to your blog.
Add a message to each person that you have passed the award on to in the comments section of their blog.
Congratulations!
Every parent deigns to provide a safe and loving environment for their children where they can be nurtured and cared for until they are ready to leave the nest. There is this endless struggle to earn a living, earn just a little bit extra to be able to meet their expenses. Most of us do it well but there comes a point where we have to let go. The children have to learn from their own mistakes.
Once a kid enters the school gates, our responsibiity ends until the bell rings for dismissal. There our kids get an education. If a parent tries to get too involved, there is this worry he or she would be deemed as interfering with the school’s administration. A parent just has to learn to let go and trust in others to do their job in their absence.
A school is a microcosm of the real society at large. Children of all backgrounds come together to become one big happy learning community. Unfortunately in school, the children are at different stages of physical development. Thus a 12 year old kid would be deemed to be a giant by a standard one pupil just as an example.
Any threats made would be taken seriously by these children. Sometimes money is handed over for fear of reprisals. The traumatized kids keep it all deep inside of them and hide it from their parents. Until they cannot keep up with the demands. Then the kid has no choice but to demand more from the parents on the pretext of buying new books, money not enough to buy enough food etc.
A source commented when he approached the administration of a particular school about the matter, the school dismissed it as a ‘non-relevant’ issue and non-existent. But my friend persisted and went higher and was told it was the fault of the parents for letting the kids live in an artificial environment where the kids are too sheltered. He was told that a child has to be tough to survive.
Perhaps he is right. Perhaps he is not. But it is best not to press the issue lest the case brings unnecessary unwarranted reprisals from certain quarters. Kids just have to learn to be tough and learn to depend on themselves within the school compound or wherever they happen to be.
It is unwise to let children have access to money when it can attract attention from others who need it for extra pocket money for cyber cafes etc or just to buy toys.
I learned this concept tonight and just wish to share with the readers. Often we go through life accumulating burdens which require our time, labor and thoughts. They become our prison without walls. That hobby, that new club, the NGO, that extra commitment at the office, blogging, that new gym etc.
They become our prison without walls. They limit our freedom and some of them do not bring us any fulfilment or joy. People may even judge our achievements in these new commitments and when we have overextended ourselves, our performance is bound to suffer. There is a song Born Free and indeed we are born free but we gather all these new burdens and put them into a sack and carry them over our shoulders until our backs are bent.
Learn to let go. As long as we obey the laws of the land and our God nobody has a right to find fault with us. We can’t please every body. Do what we can within reasonable boundaries and nobody should expect more.
Thanks to every body for giving feedback on my blog. For the time being, I have just regained control of my blog. We will have to see how the situation goes. In the meantime, thanks for all the assistance and encouragement my dear friends and for the IT assistance. I will always remember your kind gesture and humbly I say I am deeply appreciative.
