Creative Maths

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Stylishly Sempoi..

An award totally undeserving, considering how lacklustre and sempoi I am in more ways I care to remember.

Still, thank you Ezza for it, although I know for sure I can never live up to being stylish, until the day sempoi becomes the new style.

Mini Charity Bazaar in TTDI

If you have yet to plan for this weekend and would like to chalk up some brownie points in the spirit of the forthcoming Ramadan, do drop by a charity bazaar in Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

Ummi Enterprise, which runs childcare centre Taska Ummi Sayang at No. 26, Jalan Rahim Kajai, TTDI, will be organising a mini charity bazaar at their premises [Sunday, 24th July 2011, 8am - 3pm] in aid of several worthy causes.

Below is their (edited) appeal. Do spare a minute or two to peruse through. The good folks behind this noble drive are known to me personally. Volunteerism is in their blood. 

Assalamualaikum, Peace Upon Everyone & Greetings

On behalf of Ummi Enterprise, we wish to invite everyone on board this humble effort to please give your support and help raise funds for those very much in need.

We have identified an organization and some individuals we wish to give whatever assistance we can. They are:

Yayasan Chow Kit

This organization is very much committed to giving underprivileged children in Chow Kit, as young as newborn babies to 18 year-olds, a meaningful life.

They do get support from corporate bodies and other organizations. However, being responsible for the day-to-day caring and activities of these young people, funds are always not enough.

We have been to their centres, and have met the children and youth there and we believe Yayasan Chow Kit is doing a remarkable job.

Ummi Enterprise and our volunteers have decided to focus our assistance and help them make their Wish List a reality. This wish list is a list of essential items for the children's daily needs, i.e. from milk to tuition fees.

At the Bazaar, besides giving part of the proceeds, we plan to present their Wish List and hope to get pledges or contributions. The children and youth will also have a stall to sell their mocktails.

Individuals

We all go through some 'roller coasters' in life, occasionally mild but some can give quite a jolt. Most times, when we tumble we pick ourselves up again and move on. But there are times when the fall is so hard that we need the support of others to help us through.

This is the case of the following individuals; after putting in so much effort, they need this push, a little break to get on with their respective lives.

Puan Nor Aini - is struggling to make ends meet, trying to get revenue to care for her bed-ridden husband suffering from cancer.

She is a strong-willed, resilient woman who doesn't know how to give up. Besides other efforts she had made so far, she is now embarking on a catering business to help sustain her income.

At the Bazaar, we will also be giving part of the proceeds to her, at the same time introducing and selling the food she is catering.

Zanariah and Rashidi - They are running a beautiful lodge in Rompin, Pahang, called The Muara Lodge; a great place for those who love fishing!

However, times are pretty bad for them, business has been extremely challenging. It would be a great shame to let go. They are in need of financial aid to help pick up their business.

They have been persevering to save the place, and have been looking at various avenues. So, we hope to give them the opportunity to promote their Lodge and help sell their merchandise and other items at the Bazaar in our effort to help market this Retreat.

The children of Chow Kit and these individuals are facing much challenges and difficulties. We are hoping, in our small way, to give them a break so that they can continue a healthy and stable life. And we hope you can lend us a helping hand and please give your kind support.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. We accept any form of contributions or sponsorships, such as:

- used but good condition clothes, shoes, bags, household items, toys, books/magazines (to be delivered to 16, Lorong Rahim Kajai 13, Taman Tun Dr Ismail or at the Taska address above BY OR BEFORE Thursday, July 21)

- cash or raw ingredients for the catering food eg chicken, lamb, potatoes, pasta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese

- Environmentally friendly paper cups, plates, bowls, take away boxes

- paper or shopping bags of different sizes to place purchased items

- if you wish to donate, especially with the coming of Ramadhan, 'telekung' and kain pelekat

for the children and youth of Yayasan Chow Kit, you can buy at the bazaar or place your

orders (Telekung: RM80 each for adult size; RM60 each for children size)

- Other donations in cash & kind

2. You are welcome to volunteer

- help promote the event

- help sell at the bazaar

- we need baby-sitters, those who love children and can occupy them with creative activities while parents attend the parenting and presentation sessions

- conduct activities

- help clean up, too

3. Attend the Yayasan Chow Kit Wish List and Muara Lodge presentations at 10 - 10:45am at the Bazaar

4. For young parents, come and join the Parenting Sharing Session at 11am at the Bazaar

5. Please be there with your family and friends!

Besides the catering food by Pn Nor Aini, there will be other scrumptious foodstuff and drinks, badge and costume jewelry making, massage, games and other activities.

For any inquiries, please call:

Aunty Zai: 017 872 2968.

Hana: 012 656 9876

We hope to see you at Bazaar. Please help spread the word and may The Almighty reward you abundantly for your kind deeds. Ameen.

PS: You may want to go to their link (here).

Unfinished Groin and Other Gems..

Go on, raise a ruckus. Please, we beg you. After all, the operators are already standing by...

We forgive you, now that we know you were born yellow-bellied ....

.. specially made for those whose mind is hopelessly lost in the gutter...

One iced latte please, and be generous with the WtFs and MoFos, if you don't mind.. 

Wonder what the poor vegetarian did to deserve this...

Oh, this is so anal. For the best aroma, try Animal Colon (air freshener); it stinks fast and good! (I hear KittyPoo brand is just as effective....)

For pete's sake don't rush the fall; take your time, plunge gently..

Yo, fire fiend! Try Housekeeping; it's pyro heaven in there, what with all those beddings..

Anyone for hamster & apple curry? Says here the curry's cute; don't know if the hamster's still cheerful, though..

Uh uh, Clotty Pussi. Sounds all clogged up. And painful to boot. This definitely calls for My Fannie toilet paper.. 

Don't be too surprised if their other store is called Bullshit. Perhaps they specialise in Dungarees?

Don't burn Fire Chief san; he's flame-resistant. Torch the mayor instead; word has it he's not eco-friendly..

Your groin's unfinished and you still have 'activities' down there..? Fuuuhh.. Cayalah!

Carless in KL

We have been without a car, our own wheels that is, for a good part of the month now, ever since it stalled in heavy traffic in Ampang on the first of July.

It was then towed to a workshop nearer home in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, but broke down again just hours after we collected it. 

Taken back to the same workshop, it remained there for three days whilst the mechanics fiddled with it. Again.

I was completely pissed when they told us they couldn't put a finger on the problem. I felt they didn't look hard enough.

I guess an old Merc didn't interest them as much as all those luxury makes clogging their space. There's definitely more money to be made from such marques.

In frustration, we had the car moved to another workshop, a place we had patronised a couple of times, in Kg Sungai Pencala.

And there it remained for a week, until last Wednesday, when the mechanic informed the car was ready for collection. 

We thought that was the end of our misery brought forth by this car. How wrong we were! The tin can wasn't finished with us yet.

That same evening, on the way home from Lake Club, it stalled five times along the highway, finally giving up right smack in the Touch 'n Go lane at Bukit Kiara toll plaza, just metres away from Pencala Tunnel.

As it was already late in the evening, almost 11pm, we had no choice but to leave the car there (after notifying the toll plaza personnel, of course) until a mechanic could be summoned to it the following day.

The plaza security guy was kind enough to help push the car out of the lane and to the side of the road. [I think I have bad karma with cars; I always end up pushing them somehow..]

This morning Pak Abu called to check on things, and was told that they were making a thorough inspection of the wirings. We'll follow up again tomorrow.

I don't know how long more do we have to put up with this inconvenience. Carless in KL isn't fun, not when public transportation leaves much to be desired.

To move around we have had to borrow our daughter Ann's compact Viva. Thankfully, the journo is office-bound for now, although I hate to impose on her all the same.

Sometimes I wonder just what exactly is wrong with the blinking Merc....

Sunday Funnies ..

This is so reassuring; no, we won't forget..

People are indeed a dangerous specie...

For those whose brains have gone missing..

That's ok. We love you just the way you are...

I'll take that less bratty one, please..

Waitress: Soup or sand, sir?

Customer: I'll have two of those egg sand, please..

What will I Christmas of this year present?

Do I get it what it is?

Remember you Santa present for ask?

"I'm a lil bit cuntry, I'm a lil bit rock & roll.."

Bash it with your bare head,

you get hurt faster that way..

See? THIS is why we sent you to school!

Thanks but no thanks; I'm not into your nuts,

no matter how fragrant...

One hand coming up, a leg to follow,

all in the name of charity...

Ahah, a kosher bunny!

These pesky Peruvians are everywhere!

I'll share my fannie paper with your fannie..

Pecker hole pretzel, nothing could be more apt..

May I outside then?

Please slow down the stairs,

the handrails need catching up..

Mini Tazkirah: Ujub

Nabi Muhammad (saw) pernah bersabda: "Ada tiga hal yang dapat membinasakan diri seseorang; pertamanya kedekut yang ditaati, keduanya hawa nafsu yang diikuti dan ketiganya ujub”. (HR Al-Bazzar dan Al-Baihaqi).

UJUB ialah perasaan kagum atas diri sendiri. Merasa diri hebat. Bangga diri. Terpesona dengan kehebatan diri.

Sufyan at-Tsauri mengatakan: "Ujub adalah perasaaan kagum pada dirimu sendiri sehingga kamu merasa bahawa kamu lebih mulia dan lebih tinggi darjat".

Muthrif rahimahullah pernah berkata: “Kalau aku tidur tanpa tahajud dan bangun dalam keadaan menyesal, adalah lebih baik dari aku bertahajud tetapi berasa kagum dengan amalan tahajud tadi.”

Seorang sahabat Nabi, Abu Ubaidah al-Jarrah, yang menjadi imam, pernah setelah selesai mengimamkan sembahyang berkata: “Syaitan sentiasa menghasut aku supaya merasa aku ini lebih hebat dari orang di belakangku. Aku tidak mahu jadi imam sampai bila-bila.”

Perasaan ujub boleh datang pada bila-bila masa, antaranya:

Orang yang rajin ibadah merasa kagum dengan ibadahnya. Orang yang berilmu, kagum dengan ilmunya. Orang yang cantik, kagum dengan kecantikannya. Orang yang dermawan, kagum dengan kebaikannya. Orang yang berdakwah, kagum dengan dakwahnya.

Ingatlah, semua kelebihan adalah anugerah dari Allah swt, oleh itu kagumlah hanya kepada Allah swt, bukan diri sendiri.

(dipetik dari sini)

Honey Snaps

Honey Snaps.. crunchylicious..

Had been eyeing those leftover cornflakes for weeks (half a box left, since God knows when), recipe at the ready, before deciding to get on with it this afternoon.

There's this recipe book titled "The Big Book of Beautiful Biscuits", a publication of The Australian Women's Weekly, that has been in my possession since the 1980s.

I know it's been that long because my name and the old Malay Mail office telephone numbers 445444 (still 6 digits!), with my extension line, 415, are still discernible on the inside page.

Of all the 100-odd recipes in there, I must have tried only a handful. I guess I bought the book because of the pictures.

Can't really deny that I love looking at those mouth-watering cookies, without bothering to even try making them.

Anyway, those 'eyesore' cornflakes have since morphed into delicious crunchies. Darn easy to make, take it from this greenhorn. The verdict? "Sedap, Ma!" :D

Ingredients

60g (2oz) butter

1/4 cup honey

1 tbsp sugar

4 cups cornflakes

90g (3oz) unsalted peanuts *

*I skipped the peanuts because there was none at home : -)

Method

Place butter, honey and sugar into small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until butter has melted.

Combine cornflakes and peanuts in a basin, pour mixture over. Mix until cornflakes and peanuts are well coated.

Place spoonfuls in paper cases. Bake in moderate oven for 8-10 minutes. Stand 15 minutes to firm. Makes 30-35.

Lady Gaga..

Not dissing, not condemning, not making any judgement whatsoever; just desperately trying to come to grips with this, this... err phenomenon (?)

Will I ever understand why she is ranked by 'Time' magazine as among the 100 most influential people in the world? It's kind of distressing to know this...

I doubt if she holds any influence over the combined populace of China and India, the two most populated countries in the world... (or.. is my argument skewed?) Help!

Tun Dr Siti Hasmah...

Wives (some, not all) of current leaders should take a leaf on "How To Behave Appropriately" from this woman.

Blogger GAP (link below) has successfully captured the essence of this iconic lady. A heartfelt piece, GAP. Simply beautiful...

http://gerakan-anti-pkr.blogspot.com/2011/07/tiba-tiba-teringat-dr-siti-hasmah.html

Friday Funnies..

 They go the extra mile for clean living..

(wash those hands buddy, or you're dead!)

Marketing strategy for those clever by half.. ;D

"When you have to ho, you have to ho..."

Don't worry about NEAT!

Be smile with How to English!

[Agreed! Be laugh! Mess is best!]

"I''ll have the mouth remover instead, please."

Just the kind of breakfast for grouches..

Retreat! Retreat!

It's the Charge of The Teakettle Brigade!

Dear hotel guest, you have been warned:

You had better use this sponge, OR ELSE...

So your tyres need Tender Loving Care?

Just park 'em here for a hug or two....