Karaoke Finds A Home...

Karaoke diehards of The Royal Lake Club of Kuala Lumpur finally got a dedicated lounge to call their own last night - thanks to years of ceaseless pleadings, cajolings, petitions as well as well-timed indignant outbursts [read berating the sitting Board at AGMs to make them feel guilty .... :-)]

The lounge is located at the old building, taking part of the space of erstwhile Bunga Raya Chinese restaurant which has been shifted to the main lobby for easier accessibility due to high traffic.

The one-time restaurant is now home to the club gymnasium, aerobics room and karaoke lounge (with two private rooms attached).

We gave the spanking new AV system a go last night. Everyone agreed it needed a bit of fine-tuning.  

Frankly, the old system at the theatrette has more 'ooomph'. Hope they'll do the needful pronto since the place is operational as of today.

Operation has been extended to six days a week (closed Mondays) as opposed to the previous three. There is a full-time DJ now, with a stand-in whenever required.

Another bit of cheerful news is that F&B service is now available within the lounge, eliminating the need to bring our own bottled drinks (food was strictly off-limits in the theatrette). 

A waiter is on hand during operation hours while drinks and finger foods can be ordered from the Poolside Terrace cafe and Tokyu Tengu Japanese restaurant next door.

Best of all, there's a new lift installed especially for karaoke patrons, in particular the senior citizens.

Heck, almost all of us diehards are SCs! I certainly find climbing up the many flights of stairs taxing on my wonky knees.

The lift is located on the ground floor facing the mini fountain underneath the staircase leading up to the swimming pool.

Finally having a place to call 'home' no doubt soothes the frayed nerves of long-suffering Lake Club karaoke fans.

They had suffered the indignity of being shunted from place to place within the club for umpteenth years, with all kinds of lame excuses ranging from no space to no budget to no priority..

The lounge's new system is fully computerised and song selection is up-to-date. However, members can still bring their own discs (but originals only, to avoid future legal entanglements re copyright issue).

Some 50 members, mostly karaoke regulars, turned up for the official opening last night by Club President, Dato Ir A. Sani Karim. Due to space constraint, the organisers were unable to invite more.

General Committee members too were there in full force. Thank you guys for the support..

Dato' President chipping at the ice block to reveal (and subsequently sign) the plaque. 

A mean crooner himself, Dato' Sani started the ball rolling with perennial favourite "My Way."

Yours truly staking a claim on the limited number of chairs.. 

There's a grinning Leona with the V sign..  

Charges (for the private rooms) are pretty reasonable. Lounge singing, as before, is FoC (i.e. no cover charge) but is strictly for members, while the private rooms are for both members and their guests...

All things considered, we are pleased our pressuring efforts have finally borne fruit... 

Creative minds at work..

who says mathematics' boring...?

A year older..

mixed fruit meringue 

chicken pie

breads

chocolate

The birthday came and went, three days ago. For the first time, the kids got together and brought food to celebrate at home, instead of the usual family dine-out.

I offered to prepare dessert - was thinking english trifle or bread pudding - but they told me to lay off the kitchen for a day. Like I needed reminding, heh.. 

Pies were the meal of the evening, super rich and meaty chicken pie and shepherd's pie. The former went in the blink of an eye; the latter made it to breakfast the following day.

Completing the menu were a bowl of mixed vegetable salad with balsamic dressing, various types of buns and rolls, slices of succulent Thai mangoes, and a jumbo-sized, super-sedap mixed fruit meringue. 

[PS: I 'returned' the favour by accidentally breaking the salad bowl; butterfinger me. Thankfully, it was neither Bohemian crystal nor someone's family heirloom. Phew!]

In all, it was a memorable evening - good food & good company. Nothing beats having the ones you love around you; thank you guys!

A couple of days earlier, Izan, who made Awwa's wedding favours recently (story here), turned up at my doorsteps with a surprise birthday gift of a heart-shaped chocolate. Much appreciated, Izan.. 

What Bank Cashiers Do In Their Spare Time..

kalau rajin sila teka which note belongs to what country. saya malas nak berfikir..:-) 

Cuban Delight

Another gift for my ever-growing collection of decorative plates from around the world.

This one depicts Castillo del Morro - proper name Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro - (story here), a picturesque fortress guarding the entrance to Havana Bay in Havana, Cuba.

The fortress, built in 1589 when Cuba was under Spanish rule, has become a symbol of the city over the years and is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 

This plate is made of clay and the design is three-dimensional. I loved it the moment I laid my eyes on it; there's a certain edginess to the artisan's creativity in crafting this plate..

 Muchas gracias Fuzz, for obliging this old lady...

**Cuba sounds like an interesting holiday destination...

The Answers They Gave....

(Kama says: it's a good thing they do have lots of big-sized dames in Mississippi..)

(Kama says: they are starting 'em young these days..)

Schoolboy Howlers

The following gems of wisdom were gleaned from test papers and essays from elementary, junior high, high school, and college students of USA.

As one teacher noted, "It is truly astonishing what weird stuff our young scholars can create under the pressures of time and grades!"

• Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water.
• Blood flows down one leg and up the other.
• Dew is formed on leaves when the sun shines down on them and makes them perspire.
• Mushrooms always grow in damp places and so they look like umbrellas.
• Momentum is what you give a person when they are going away.
• To prevent milk from turning sour, keep it in the cow.
• The parts of speech are lungs and air.
• The inhabitants of Moscow are called Mosquitoes.
• A census taker is a man who goes from house to house increasing the population.
• Most of the houses in France are made of plaster of Paris.
• The spinal column is a long bunch of bones. The head sits on the top and you sit on the bottom.
• The word trousers is an uncommon noun because it is singular at the top and plural at the bottom.
• Iron was discovered because someone smelt it.
• Syntax is all the money collected at the church from sinners.
• Beethoven wrote music even though he was deaf. He was so deaf he wrote loud music. He took long walks in the forest even when everyone was calling for him. Beethoven expired in 1827 and later died for this.
• The sun never set on the British Empire because the British Empire's in the East and the sun sets in the West.
• Gravity was invented by Issac Walton. It is chiefly noticeable in the fall when the apples are falling off the trees.
• Finally Magna Carta provided that no man should be hanged twice for the same offence.
• After his death, his career suffered a dramatic decline.
• Actually, Homer was not written by Homer but by another man of that name.
• Bach was the most famous composer in the world and so was Handel.
• Handel was half German, half Italian and half English. He was very large.
• The Greeks were a highly sculptured people, and without them we wouldn't have history. The Greeks also had myths. A myth is a female moth.
• The invention of the steamboat caused a network of rivers to spring up.
• Queen Victoria was the longest queen. She sat on a thorn for 63 years.

Luahan Hati Anak Luar Nikah ...

Dalam zaman dunia serba maju dan moden ini masih lagi wujud segelintir manusia yang berfikiran sempit, yang enggan membuka minda walau sekelumit.

Paling menyedihkan mereka orang Islam, walaupun tindak tanduk mereka tidak mencerminkan keislaman yang konon persadakan.

Umat sejati Nabi Muhammad (saw) seharusnya melapangkan dada, menerima qada' dan qadar, dan menggunakan akal kurniaan Allah swt dalam membuat sebarang pertimbangan.

Pilu sekali membaca luahan hati seorang jejaka nelayan dari Taiping, Perak, yang sudah tiga kali pinangannya di tolak oleh keluarga calon isteri apabila mendapat tahu statusnya sebagai anak luar nikah (Harian Metro, Sabtu 15 Oktober 2011).

Kebanyakan keluarga teman wanitanya menolak lamaran dengan alasan sinis tidak mahu keturunan atau cucu mereka nanti mewarisi darah daging anak zina.

Status Mohamad bin Abdullah, 35, sebagai anak luar nikah mula menekan hidupnya apabila dia seringkali terkandas setiap kali mahu mendirikan rumahtangga sejak 1999.

Kata Mohamad, keluarga calon gadis pilihan kerap bertanya mengapa beliau berbinkan nama berlainan dengan nama bapa (angkat) yang menjadi ketua rombongan semasa meminang.

Oleh kerana tidak mahu menjadi salah faham di kemudian hari, mereka mengambil pendekatan berterus terang. 

"Saya cuba berlaku jujur menceritakan latar belakang hidup kerana tidak mahu ia menjadi masalah selepas perkahwinan kelak.

"Saya bimbang jika ada orang kampung atau saudara mara terlepas cakap sehingga saya di tuduh penipu."

Malang sekali pendekatan terbuka yang di ambil oleh Mohamad telah menyebabkan pinangan di tolak bulat-bulat atas alasan tidak sanggup bermenantukan anak haram.

Malah kata Mohamad, ibu seorang calon pilihannya pernah menghina dan menyifatkan anak luar nikah sama tarafnya dengan haiwan serta tidak layak berkahwin dengan manusia suci.

"Mungkin jodoh saya hanya sesuai dengan gadis yang juga dilahirkan sebagai anak luar nikah," keluhnya lagi.

Hati saya bagai diguris apabila membaca laporan ini.  Amat memalukan apabila seseorang itu tidak dapat membezakan hakikat sebenar.

Yang melakukan zina ialah ibubapanya. Kenapa pula di hukum anak yang tidak berdosa? Bukan dia minta dilahir sebagai anak luar nikah.

Janganlah kita angkuh bila berhadapan dengan keadaan begini. Kita tidak tahu apa yang tersimpan untuk diri kita dan keluarga kita di masa depan... 

(Link berikut khas untuk commenter pertama dibawah. Kot-kotlah merasa pengetahuan agama sudah begitu tinggi dan lebih handal daripada kebanyakan ahli agama yang menyaran pendekatan yang lebih sensible, seperti Dr MAZA.

Saya nasihatkan awak supaya muhasabah diri; jangan terlalu menyombong dalam mengeluarkan kata-kata, takut kalau-kalau di satu hari nanti, dengan izin Allah, kelancangan mulutmu itu akan berbalik makan tuan. Semoga kamu mendapat hidayah).

http://drmaza.com/himpunan_fatwa/?p=42

Break-ins..

There have been a spate of break-ins (3 in just as many months), something unheard of in the past for this condo development.

And this is a low-density residential area with (purportedly) high security coverage. Is somebody sleeping on the job, or sleeping with the crooks? 

We need answers, and we need them fast. Otherwise, there'll be hell to pay for the condo management and the security company.

There are only 4 blocks in this development;  1 highrise and 3 lowrises (2 of which are walkups). All have full view of the pool and the tennis & badminton courts.

The highrise comprises 120 units with only 8 units on each floor (capped by a couple of penthouses) while each of the lowrises has 24 units.  

Undeniably, there's strong security presence; both the entrance and the lobby are fully manned, with regular 24-hour patrolling. 

Then there's CCTV all over, not to mention us paying a hefty monthly premium for maintenance, a sum that almost equals the monthly rental of a decent-sized flat.

Still, one unit on my floor (just 2 doors away from ours) was broken into during the raya period when the occupants were away 'balik kampung.'

The lock of pensioner Cikgu Mat's abode was picked clean; there were no signs of forced entry. Quite a fair bit were carted away. His wife is still traumatised by the 'invasion'. 

Strangely enough, no one noticed anything unusual, not even the guards, who were supposed to be vigilant.

Investigations have revealed nothing. Until today it's still a blank wall, said a management executive when I dropped by their office on the ground floor this morning.

If that's  not bad enough, a couple of days back two adjoining units in Lowrise C suffered the same fate. One was very badly hit; the perpetrators made away with precious jewels worth quite a lot.

According to the officer, the story got even stranger as events unfolded (all of which I am not at liberty to relate because it has become a police case). 

Suffice to say the entire security force has been replaced; we are now seeing stern new faces everywhere we turn.

Save for recognisable residents, all manners of visitors - family members, guests, delivery people, workmen et cetera - are now escorted to wherever they are going upon entering the gounds.

Harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi. Who can we trust now?

Halal Kibbles

I was thrilled to bits upon finding this at Tesco today. Halal kibbles. Now, that's really neat!

Felines have been dominating my existence for as long as I can remember. My life, then and now, is not complete without the presence of these furry creatures. 

During my childhood, cats were fed either boiled fish flakes mixed with rice, or meal leftovers, or both. Processed cat food was unheard of.

Over the years, my cats have been feeding on whatever kibble brands I could lay my hands on - Iams, Eukanuba, Friskies, Purina, Royal Canin, Science Diet, Snappy Tom, Whiskas.

Iams, Eukanuba and Royal Canin, expensive but runaway favourites, topped the list. Science Diet gave God-awful smelling poo. Friskies and Purina were good for kittens. Snappy Tom was a welcome treat. Whiskas, way down the scale, was barely tolerated.  

Although in Islam there is no specific requirement for pet food to be halal, I knew I would feel more comfortable handling kibbles that have been so certified.

Fed Awang & Lillie their new chow today. Verdict? They seemed to like it... :-))

More feline tales here:
1) The Last Meow
2) Rumpus of The Rump
3) When A Cat Goes Missing
4) Missing Kids & Cats...
5) Awwa & The Pregnant Cat
6) Purrcy
7) Goodbye Purrcy
8) Lillie
9) When Jealousy Reigns
10) Not Again, Lillie!
11) Lil Blue Eyes
12) Awang Jules
13) Awang Oh Awang!
14) Please Adopt Me!
15) MummyCat & Co.

Izan's Chocolatey "Bunga Telur"

Bunga Telur (wedding 'party favour/door gift') has come a long way from a single boiled egg with red-dyed shell, glued to green crepe paper shaped like a leaf and stuck or wired onto a thin bamboo stick topped with flowers of coloured crepe paper, satin or lace.

These days anything goes for bunga telur - sweets and candies, chocolates and cookies, sliced cake, traditional treats like dodol, bahulu, serunding, sagon (dessicated coconut mixed with sugar), even mini jars of pickles, jam or preserves.

[I have also received scented candles, mini Qur'an, personalised plates, mugs, cups, potpourri ... ].

Then there's the packaging, from simple drawstring mini sachets to mini vases of clay or porcelain, to the more lavish boxes made of paper or wood.

[Someone went retro not so long ago by giving out fish-shaped bahulus tied in handkerchief.. simply lovely].

For Nawwar's wedding, we decided upon chocolate bars in personalised wrapping. All we had to do was find a chocolate maker, and we found a very comel young lady named Izan of Dhahabiy Chocolates Ole Mekah through the Net.

Nawwar's graphic designer office mate designed the wrapping; we had them printed and delivered to Izan who, I must admit, did a wonderful job with the wafer-clad rich bars.

If there is anything more to say about this bubbly young mother, it's the fact that she is very consumer-oriented; she's got that one down pat.

She's a good listener, and gracious in giving room to negotiate prices. I hope this hardworking entrepreneur will go far. Izan, this post is for you...

Monolog Pagi Selasa

Si Eli pembantu rumah separuh masa ku sedang rancak mengelap pintu kaca sliding door di balcony when I launched into one of my usual celoteh..

"Pagi tadi kan Eli, pukul lima, masa saya bukak sliding door tu, saya nampak bayang-bayang entah apatah kat tepi pagar dalam kawasan kubur kat bawah tu.

"Berderau darah saya sekejap. Apalah agaknya. Eli lalu kot situ kan hari-hari? Bukanlah nak takutkan Eli, saja tanya." 

Senyap.

Saya angkat muka; dia tengah mengelap dengan penuh kyusuk dan tawadduk. "Kadang-kadang saya pun boring gak dengan benda-benda macam ni. Bukannya saya nak tengok sangat pun. Nampak dari hujung mata, nak buat macam mana.."

Senyap.

Jari jemarinya semakin pantas menari atas permukaan cermin. Berkelip pun tak si Eli ni. Pandang muka saya jauh sekali. Dia buat derkk ajer. Haisyyy, kurang asam betul. Respond la sikit kalau ya pun!

Saya angkat muka sekali lagi. Saya perhati dia betul-betul. Laaaa, patutla takdak response; sliding door tu bertutup rapat dan dia di belah 'sana' dok mengelap, mana dia dengar potpet ku!

Dok bercerita sorang-sorang rupanya saya...