Official Crap of Mine!

Friday the 13th, 2012

2012-01-26T11:20:00.001+08:00

I still remember what happened to me on Friday the 13th in May 2011. (http://marlinasara.blogspot.com/2011/05/friday-13-may-2011.html)
Since that incident, I became a bit phobia when I hear Friday the 13th.

So this January 2012, Friday the 13th came again and I was a bit worried. Some friends consoled me, asking me to be extra careful. Even Dr Pandiraja told me to be careful! Hahha…

And so that day came, I went to work. I was indeed being extra cautious. As I go through my day, everything seems alrightin fact, the day was awesome.

I went home, very happily.
What made me happy?

I spoke a to colleague, since I’m new to this place, we were chating and getting to know each other. She thought I was in my mid 20s!

That’s it!! She made my Friday, the 13th extra special and to always remember it, I’m putting it in my blog today.

Realistic Resolutions

2012-01-20T07:45:00.000+08:00

**as appeared in Sunday Star, 15 Jan 2012

LAST January, when I made my New Year resolution, I told myself I would make it happen, come what may. I wanted to go on a vegetarian diet, for a healthier lifestyle and to be more disciplined when it comes to food (difficult for a Penangite).

I actually kept it up until March, when I had to undergo minor surgery and had to change my food intake.

But, hey, I maintained the vegetarian diet for 90 days! Hence, I decided that if I made short-term resolutions, I could achieve them and feel proud, rather than not do anything to shape my life. I also decided not to wait till the first day of the new year to do so – I could make the list as I went along.

First on my list was to lose 3kg by the end of 2011. A very realistic goal.

Many people I know aim to lose 10kg or more and when they do not see any result (at least within a month), out goes their resolution and they never want to talk about weight loss again.
But I can guarantee you that when you lose the targetted 3kg, you will be motivated to lose more. It worked for me, and some of my friends. Try it.

I also resolved to drink at least one litre of water every day. I mean plain, boiled water, not teh ais, limau ais, or soft drinks. Do you know that when you have enough water in your body, it increases your ability to fight off sickness. I have a 800ml water bottle on my table and I make sure that I fill it twice daily.

Making someone smile and making his/ her day better is another of my resolutions. The someone here means anyone, even total strangers. I often talk to the cleaners in my office. I will ask them what home-cooked food they have brought and chat a little.

When I walk into a bank or any government office, I never fail to ask the name of the person I’m dealing with. I like to say thanks and goodbye to them by using their name. You should see how their faces light up when you do that. Coming from a customer service background, I know how it feels to be addressed and appreciated.

All these little things that I achieve daily make my day complete and make me smile to myself. – Marlina Sara Sylvester

Food, food, food :)

2012-01-12T08:25:00.005+08:00

What is the least nutritious vegetable?

Iceberg lettuce is considered at least one of the lowest, followed by celery and cucumber.
*I can't believe celery is in this list!

A kilogram of cucumber has merely 130 calories and hardly any minerals and vitamin C. Moreover, it has 96.3% water content.

Top 5 best fruits: kiwi, blueberries, strawberries, guava, cranberries.

**source: wikianswers

Some best foods: sweet potatoes, mangoes, watermelons,broccoli, salmon, carrots, spinach, brussels sprouts, asparagus, beans, cauliflower.

**source: http://www.cspinet.org/ & http://www.perfectshape.com/

Starchy vegetable such as corn, winter squash and sweet potatoes are filled with calories.

These vegetables do have health benefits, but you need to eat them in moderation.

**source: http://www.livestrong.com/

High cholesterol foods: egg yolks, cheeseburgers, macaroni and cheese, ice-cream, rib-eye steak, muffins, lobster with melted butter, fried chicken, beef liver, snacks: French fries, onion rings, and crackers.

**source: http://www.everydayhealth.com/

Top 5 low cholesterol foods: oats, soy, fish, nuts, sterols from plants

**source: http://ldlhdlcholesterollevels.org/

High protein foods that is highly recommended: Permesan cheese, large beans, tuna, anchovies, salmon, lentils & peanuts.

**source: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/

All these are just indicators & guideline, and should be eaten in moderation. We can't avoid macaroni & cheese, cheeseburgers or french fries totally, right...

What should I do on my birthday this year?

2012-01-10T23:46:00.003+08:00

1. Pray. Then tell to myself ‘younger at heart..younger..younger..’

2. Wish Thilagaa.

3. Go to work.

4. Wear my favourite baju, favourite shoes & favourite earrings.

5. Ask mom to cook my favourite food.

6. No yoga/dance/workout on this day. Perhaps find a playground and sit on the swing.

7. Buy a pair of shoes during lunch time or after work on this day; a treat to myself.

8. Ask mom to bring BM water for me.

9. If possible, catch up with Josephine & Elena soon, my first friends in Darjah Satu and friends till today. Jeyanthy is in AU L

10. Say the mantra again…‘younger at heart..younger..younger..younger..younger..'

You are beautiful, just as you are

2012-01-10T23:41:00.002+08:00

**appeared in Herald 21 Sept 2011

I just returned home after visiting a young girl. Our dads were good friends and I’ve known her since she was 10. Daisy**(not her real name) was at the hospital, in a critical condition. She has been diagnosed with Anorexia nervosa. When she was a little girl, she was considered obese.

She was born a healthy baby, and started to look ‘big’ when she turned 2 years old. Her mother claims it’s due to the amount of milk she consumed daily. All her family members loved her, as she was funny and very cute, with those bun-like cheeks. But unfortunately, everyone around her started calling her ‘fatty’ when she went to kindergarten. We all know how kids tease. But this girl was affected badly.

Everyday she would come home and cry. Her mother even took leave and went with her, but all her friends didn’t tease her the day her mother was around. Hence, the girl wanted the mother to follow her everyday. The mother had to take her out from class and taught her from home, until she went to Standard One. She faced the same problem in primary school, but it wasn’t that bad, as she went to an all-girls school.

Often, she kept to herself. Her mother started to see that she was losing weight and we all thought maybe because she was growing taller. She was actually starving herself in school. When she reached home, she would refuse lunch and lie that she had eaten in school. So, the only food that she took was dinner and the serving would be very small. We saw her losing all this weight and we were happy about it, thinking that she was healthy.

Then, when it came close to the UPSR examinations, her body structure changed. She started to bend more and often complained about knee and joint pain. She never took part in sport; I guess she knew that she didn’t have the strength to take up any sports. She didn’t excel in her UPSR last year, as her mind was not so sharp, but her family members didn’t let her down and encouraged her that she could do well in secondary school.

Her family members were always there for her, but this girl was only focusing on being thin. She felt very sick just before the mid-year exam, and had to be taken to the clinic a few times, before her condition worsened and she was admitted in a private hospital. Due to this, she missed her examination.

She will need to stay in the hospital for a few more weeks before she can return home. She regrets taking this step and is now praying to God to give her a chance to live. I wonder why some girls just can’t accept the way they are. Everyone should know that God made each one in a very special way. There is no one like you in this world. There is no one as talented as you are. No one has the same eye colour as you do.

No one has the same smile like yours. There are many beautiful things in this world to savour. Great food, great places, great people, beautiful Mother Nature and the list goes on. To all young girls like Daisy, stop worrying too much about yourself and make a difference by touching other people’s lives and make them smile. The smile that you see is truly priceless. — By Marlina Sara

New Year 2012

2012-01-02T11:54:00.001+08:00

Spent the New Year in KL.

We attended mass at Cheras, St Francis of Assisi, 8.30pm Tamil mass on 31^st Dec. Mass was celebrated by a priest from Tamil Nadu, awesome mass & homily. He was full of energetic. J

After mass, we had simple Chinese food near Ampang before we head to sis-in-law’s family house in Ampang. We welcomed the New Year at her place. We watched the awesome fireworks from the balcony, which are fireworks near KL Twin Towers and KL Towers. We could see from the condo.

Then, her sister, Selina suddenly had some difficulties, she is 9-months pregnant and was expecting her baby on 5^th January. We planned to drive around KL but ended up un KL Hospital Bersalin as her sister was admitted. We knew that a baby is due on New Year’s day. After visiting her, we headed home and knocked off around 2.30am.

Then on New Year, mom was busy cooking. Then she told me the news that Selina had delivered around 4am. After a nice lunch at brother’s place, we headed to the hospital to visit the baby.

Oh, he’s such an adorable baby! He was sleeping so soundly. Selina’s husband was also there at the hospital. My mom carried the baby and he started to open his eyes. He has long legs, I’m sure he will grow tall.

After leaving the hospital, we headed to KLCC – saja jalan-jalan. And we saw Datuk Seri Samyvellu there with another Indian man. He was heading out. KLCC was crowded yesterday, filled with foreign tourists. We had tea & coffee at Rasa food court before we left. We had planned earlier to visit I-City, Shah Alam.

We reached I-city around 6pm; I was stunned to see a ferris wheel. But the wheel hasn’t started to operate yet. Next time then. They have Snowalk too, next time, it was crowded. We then waited till night fall to see the lights. It was awesome, I’ll upload the photos soon. It’s really nice and the place was so crowded, like a pesta.

We walked a bit, and we left at 8pm. Lucky we came early, as we saw hundreds of cars getting to I-City. The parking costs us Rm10, which I’m sure included the entrance fees (indirectly).

We reached home, had our New Year prayer among us, dad prayed that we always live happily as a family. And we had wine with satay Kajang!

What a great New Year!

Meeting mum’s expectations

2012-01-02T11:27:00.000+08:00

**as appeared in The Star, 27 Nov 2011

WHO is your strongest critic? My mum is mine. She can notice just about anything. Really, ANYTHING.

She will notice the flab (tyres, whatever you call it) around my tummy whenever I wear an outfit that’s tight-fitting. She will tell me not to wear such clothes and show off my ugly flab.

She will notice how I never wear make-up to work. She will nag me, whenever I return home from work, saying that I look like I’ve been out under the sun, like those workers who tar the roads! She still never tires of telling me, every day, to use some make-up.

She will notice the dust mots in my room. To me, my room looks clean and acceptable; to her, it’s still not-so-tidy. I often say that she has “scanner” eyes.

She dislikes the way I dress; she says I’m very cincai (not fussy). She often reminds me that in her day, she wore mini skirts and dresses. Girls in her days were very feminine, unlike those today, who go mostly for low-waisted jeans and tee-shirts.

But having mum as my biggest critic means that I strive to become a better person. I try to lose the flab around my tummy and avoid wearing figure-fitting clothes.

And my room is much cleaner now – it’s up to mum’s expectations. I make sure my clothes are neatly organised and hung properly, which makes my room look neat and clean.

Mum wants me to be presentable, always. Because of her, I take extra effort to take care of myself because I know it will be worth the effort.

At her age – she turned 56 in October – she is still very “stylo”. I think I should be proud that she is my best critic. – Marlina Sara Sylvester

How one can live without a father’s love?

2012-01-02T10:53:00.002+08:00

**delayed article posted in my blog**

**as appeared in Herald, July 3,2011**

In conjunction with Fathers’ Day on June 19, Deacon Martin played a very touching video before he ended the homily. Many people were moved. It was the video of Derek Redmond, who failed to finish the race during the 1992 400m Olympics. Derek was leading but halfway through, his hamstring muscle tore and he collapsed on the track.

He saw the stretcher coming from afar, but Derek wanted to run, to finish the race. He got up and started hopping on the track. He was in pain. He was weeping. His dear father saw his pain and came to his rescue. He held his hands and told him, let’s do it together. Despite being warned by the security, the duo continued on the track and finished the race.

Though Derek was disqualified in this race, he did what was on his mind: to finish the race. Derek and his father received a standing ovation from the 65,000-strong crowd that evening. This event is well remembered in Olympic history. His father held his hands, his father gave his hand, his father opened his arms and held him on his shoulder, his father motivated him to get up and finish what he aimed to do. All because of Love.

After watching this video, I googled about Derek and read about him. I asked my dad, do you know this athlete? I was only 10 back then. Yes, he was so famous. It was in the papers and television, he recalled. I wonder how one can live without a father’s love? How do they grow up without the hero man? I pay tribute to all those who lost their dad at a young age and failed to experience a father’s love.

Some of my friends grew up without a father’s love and I salute those mothers who became both father and mother to their children. I’m indeed blessed to have my father by my side all my years. And I pray that he will live long and healthy. — By Marlina Sara Sylvester

CHOICE 56

2012-01-02T10:46:00.002+08:00

**delayed article posted in my blog**

**as appeared in Herald, June 14,2011**

The Penang English Choice 56 weekend was held recently at St Anne’s Domus. The weekend was attended by 20 young single youths from Penang diocese and 1 participant from Melaka. CHOICE is a self-enrichment experience.

It is a weekend getaway from the busy lifestyle. It's about making choices, looking into every aspect of our relationship with the significant people in our lives. Our weekend experience provides young single adults to look at the various relationships in our lives e.g. family, friends, Church etc, in a relaxed and informal environment. Fr Dominic Santhiyagu celebrated Mass before the closing of the weekend. Elizabeth Anthony is the Penang English CHOICE Coordinator 1.

It was a great rediscovery of myself during the weekend, the live-in experience of belonging and being cared for by real people unconditionally is priceless, says Felicia Wong from St Anne’s BM. “Choice experience widened my knowledge about myself and my life.

It gave me a new perspective on how I see the people around me, most importantly my loved ones, giving me a more profound understanding of the person I should and could be. This journey has also taught me to be more grateful to others and appreciate the gifts that God has blessed me with,” shares Edwina Edwin from Penang Immaculate Conception Parish.

CHOICE Penang is currently preparing for its 1st Weekend of CHOICE Mandarin which will be held in Aug and CHOICE Tamil Perak which will be in September this year. Calling all young single adults to participate in the CHOICE weekend: Look out for announcements with your local parish. — By Marlina Sara

Pets Blessing

2011-10-25T10:23:00.002+08:00

*as appeared on Herald, 23 October 2011

In conjunction with the feast of St Francis of Asisi, the parish priest of Holy Name of Mary, Permatang Tinggi Rev Fr Augustine Wong called for all parishioners to bring their pets for blessing.

St Francis of Asisi (1181-1226) is perhaps one of the most popular saints in church, due to his love of creation. It is a tradition to bless animals on the feast of St Francis of Asisi on 4^th Oct. Fr Wong too this opportunity to have a pet blessing in this church.

Randy getting ready for the blessing.

The pet blessing took place at the church field ground at 5.30 pm last Sunday. Many Catholic families brought their pets for this first-time ever pet blessing held here. There were almost 90% dogs and the rest were birds, hamsters, sugar gliders, tortoises and cats.

Before the blessing ceremony started, Fr Wong walked around, looking at every pet that were brought along. Most of the Catholic owners who were gathered there brought their entire family and it was like a mini fun-fair of pets of all kind.

“Pets are therapeutic. In appreciations of our pets and thanksgiving to God, let us proudly bring our beloved pets for the blessings of pets. To thank God for the happy effects our pets have on our lives and to ask God to bless and keep them healthy, loving and lovable. Pets bring joy and healing to our lives,” said Fr Wong in his opening speech.

Parishioners gathering at the field with their pets.

Fr Wong then sprinkle holy water on each pet as kids were busy checking out other pets around them. Some dogs were barking and some were seen making friends. It was a friendly environment at the field that evening.

Guzaarish 2010

2011-09-19T15:50:00.002+08:00

I turned on Fiesta last Saturday and saw Hrithik Roshan, when I checked, it’s a movie called Guzaarish. Then I saw Aishwarya too, so decided to watch this movie.

Wow, what an awesome movie.

"Guzaarish" revolves around married nurse Sofia D'Souza (Aishwarya Rai) and a quadriplegic, wheelchair-bound patient Ethan Mascarenhas (Hrithik Roshan) with whom she develops an intimate bond. However, at the fourteenth anniversary of his accident, Ethan decides to take matters to his own hands and files an appeal to the court for mercy killing.This leaves Sofia in an impasse that challenges their relationship and their love. Ethan is also the famous, most accomplished magician who becomes quadriplegic after an accident. He then become a radio jockey since the accident for 14 years.

The movie is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the man behind Devdas.

I like the sets on this movie, including the photo frames, the furnitures, the kitchen; it was bit dark, but it fits the story well. Aishwarya played her role so well, but that character looked very familiar to me. I love the attire she wore.

From Wikipedia: The movie is set in Goa, and hence, Bhansali wanted to give a Portuguese touch to his frames. Sumit Basu, the Art Director, created Ethan's House in Mehboob Studio with a very Spanish/Portuguese flavour and the auditorium for magic acts, the court room, Martin's Bar in Yash Raj Studio. For the costumes, Bhansali hired Sabhyasachi Mukerjee as the costume designer, who had worked Bhansali in Black

Everyone else in the movie really played the character with passion. They really turned into the character. The lawyer, Devyani Dutta - I like the way the director placed her character, a trusting friend of Ethan and lawyer & another character, Dr Nayak. I can really sense how each one was really driven with passion in this movie.

This movie was an average grosser at the box office but the film received critical acclaim and awards and nominations in all the leading award ceremonies of the country.

International Indian Film Academy Awards: Best Cinematographer - Sudeep Chatterjee

Global Indian Film & Television Awards:Best Actor In A Lead Role Jury Award - Male -Hrithik Roshan

Stardust Awards:

Best Actor (Drama) - Hrithik Roshan

Best Actress (Drama) - Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

New Musical Sensation - Male - Shail Hada - Tera Zikhr Hai

New Musical Sensation - Female - Vibhavari Joshi (Saiba)

and many more.

This movie really touched my heart and a standing ovation to the all who worked in this movie. This movie teaches you LIFE.

ST Anne's Feast 2011

2011-08-09T07:58:00.005+08:00

The 2011 St Anne’s annual novena and feast day celebrations for this year carried the theme Deepening our Discipleship: Discipleship through Family Life with the slogan My Family, My Life.. The novena began on July 22.

Throughout the 9-day novena celebrations, priests from Penang diocese as well as from other diocese celebrated the mass, focused very deeply on strengthening and building a good Catholic family.

More than 1,500 volunteers from St Anne’s parish took part in this year’s event. There were many helping hands as well from parishes nearby, namely from Butterworth, Permatang Tinggi and Kulim.

This is the first time for Parish priest Rev Fr Henry Rajoo organizing this huge feast. But he truly did it with the help of organizing committee & the parishioners who have been organizing this feast every year. Deacon Martin Arlando & Rev Fr Mark Michael, who is on holiday was a great help as well.

Few weeks before the feast began, Fr Henry invited all parishioners to join in a special mass, to prepare ourselves spiritually. The masses were held on every Wednesday and Thursdays since July 6^th. A mass for all volunteers was held on July 21. Rehearsals for the processions were also held 2 weeks before the novena began, to ensure smooth and organized event, especially for those who are participating for the first time as lantern bearers, flower girls & statue bearers.

The Free Food & go green project initiated by former Parish priest, Msgr Stephen Liew is being continued this year too. Every day, free food & drinks were provided. There were chicken curry, nasi lemak, fried bihun & mee, capati, to name a few. Donations in cash and in form of food items were donated by many parishioners and by many anonymous people. There were also a BEC group who got together and cooked on one of the days.

Besides masses in English, Tamil & Mandarin, there were masses in Thai and Kadazan languages. On Saturday there were 7 masses, followed by procession at 10pm to accommodate more than 100,000 strong pilgrims during the celebration.

26 July marks the actual feast day of St Anne’s. There were 2 English masses to accommodate the huge crowd on this day. The 7.30 pm mass was celebrated by Bishop Anthony Selvanayagam. The theme for the day was My Family and Vocation.

In his homily, Bishop Selva stressed on the vocation that each of us play in our daily life.

“All of us play a vocation role, whether you’re a father or a mother, but are we answering to our own vocation? Or do we look at our families as a mere accident?

Families are built between a father, a mother and children and it is built with God, faith and love. We need to pray always as a family. Nowadays, families don’t even have time to eat together. Put God into your family, open your hearts to God and listen to Him. Your family will surely blossom and God in His own mysterious ways will work wonders for you.”

Bishop Selva then led the procession, followed by the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

The second procession was held on Saturday, after the 8pm mass. The procession in honour of St Anne took place right after the mass. The crowning of the Statue of St Anne and young Mother Mary was held just before the statue was carried by volunteers of this parish. Bishop Selva, Father Henry, former Asst Parish Priest Fr Simon Ee, and some priests from around the country led the procession with the Rosary recited throughout the procession, which took 30 minutes.

Then, the petitions and thanksgiving letters offered to St Anne by pilgrims throughout the Novena was burnt by Bishop Selva, seeking her intercession, that the prayers of the pilgrims will reach to our heavenly Father.

On Sunday, 31 July, there were 5 Eucharistic celebrations beginning as early as 6.30am. The church was really packed for every mass. We were honoured to have the Chief Minister of Penang, YB Lim Guan Eng who joined in the 11 am English mass, celebrated by Rev Fr Francis Xavier.

In his homily, Fr Xavier mentioned that in our life we have fall down a lot and must remember to rise up. God is telling us to rise up to a great height. In the Gospel, Jesus says happy are the poor who is in spirit but the world is telling happy are those who are rich. “Don’t just be devotes, we are all called to be His disciples,” he said.

YB Lim & his wife, YB Betty Chew, YB Chong Eng, YB Lydia Ong, YB Michael Tan and several MPSP councillors visit the St Anne's Church. Fr Henry presented a souvenir to YB Lim as a token of appreciation. YB Lim and his group only left after the final hymn and he was seen shaking hands and meeting the people. Bishop Selva who was making his way for the 12.30 pm Tamil mass, met YB Lim and bade farewell.

The feast of St Anne has been listed in the Penang Tourism calendar.

Actual intention

2011-07-07T12:11:00.002+08:00

I was quite stunned when I read this on the papers, and it appeared many times.

- “Police have re-arrested six people out of the 30 being investigated for waging war against the King, under the Emergency Ordinance.”

- “Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj and 30 others who were arrested with Communist materials are being investigated for allegedly intending to wage war against the King.”

- “On Saturday, the six, who are among the 30 people being investigated for waging war against the King, were re-arrested under the Emergency Ordinance.”

Lim Kit Siang: “A proposed peaceful rally cannot under any stretch of the imagination be equated to a war against the King',” he said at the DAP Ubah Dialogue.

The actual objective of Bersih is:

§ Automatic voter registration

§ Reforms to postal voting

§ Use of indelible ink

§ Access to the mainstream media for opposition parties

§ A minimum campaign period of 21 days

§ Independence of institutions

§ An end to electoral graft

**Whr got war against King???

Bersih's demands have been repeatedly dismissed by the Election Commission. The group, chaired by Dato Ambiga Sreenevasan is pushing the Election Commission of Malaysia (EC) to ensure free and fair elections in Malaysia. They have demanded that the EC clean up the electoral roll, reform postal voting, use indelible ink, introduce a minimum 21-day campaign period, allow all parties free access to the media and put an end to dirty politics.

Sauna experience

2011-07-05T09:26:00.001+08:00

Sauna feels so good! Awesome! Terrific! It’s just wonderful to be sitting in the sauna room with the hot air.

My mom and I used to go to a sauna center in Alma. Its rm100 per month for 2 person. But we only have the time to go on weekends. So it’s really a waste of my money when I’m not making full use of the sauna. I enjoyed the sauna session. We sit in for 30 mins, but I tend to come out and catch for air every now and then. I feel a bit breathless when I sit in too long. My mom doesn’t face such problem.

Sometimes dad will follow too. 2 person are allowed at every session. But we stopped the membership after sometime.

Benefits of Sauna:

Induces relaxation and promotes sweating

Reduce the incidence of the common cold, and temporarily relieve the symptoms

Increases performance in endurance sport & red cell volume in athletes

Sauna improves function in conditions such as congestive heart failure, and high blood pressure, improves heart arrhythmia, and reduces heart rate on exercise.

Reduce levels of stress hormones.

Some gyms & sports centers include sauna facilities. In Absolute Fitness, they have 1 sauna room in the restrooms. My brother often uses it and says it really feels good.

After using it for myself, I truly agree with my brother. It feels so relaxed, even though I sweat terribly while sitting in the sauna room, but after you come out and have a good shower, you can feel the difference.

I’ve been going to this gym since April and just got the chance to use it yesterday. And I’m going to use it as much as I can from now on.

An interesting note found on internet: In Thailand, women spend hours in a make-shift sauna tent during a month following child birth. The steam is typically infused with several herbs. It is believed that the sauna helps the new mother's body return to its normal condition faster.

My family and I - part 2

2011-06-24T09:37:00.002+08:00

My parents got married in 1978, and my elder brother was born the following year. Stanislaus is his name. He went to Kg Baru primary school and continued at SMK, Kg Baru. He then left to KL and been working in various places in KL for the past 7 or 8 years. He lives in Kajang. That house belongs to my father’s cousin, whom my bro is renting it for the past 6 years. My brother and I were living there when we both were working in HSBC, Cyberjaya (2005). But I came back to Penang after 8 months. Shervina, Kasturi, Jayanthi and Kumaraguru were some of my housemates who lived there. My brother got married in 2009 to Catherine from Ampang and still living in that same house in Kajang, only 2 of them.

I am the second child, Marlina Sara. Now working with Dell for 5 years. Graduated from USM in the year 2005. A former student of Convent BM. Did form 6 in BM High School.

The youngest is Kenneth Leo. He was born 3 years after me. He went to SRK Stowell and BM High School. Graduated from Uniten, Bangi in the year 2008. He has worked in various places in KL before returning back to hometown. Now he is attached with MEI project engineer as an electrical engineer.

We live in Permatang Tinggi, we moved here 5 years ago. We lived in B’Garden for almost 20 years.

Oh, 1 more person, Randy our new, youngest member in the family. We found him at St Anne’s church compound when he was 3 weeks old and has been with us since 2006. We love him so dearly.

My family and I - part 1

2011-06-24T09:24:00.001+08:00

My Father

My father’s name is Peter Sylvester. He was born to VG Peter and Sarathambal. VG means Victor George. And I was named after my patti, ‘Sara’. My dad was born and raised up in Butterworth. But they did move a bit, due to the transfers that my tata encountered. My tata worked in TNB, previously known as LLN. My father did a bit of schooling in Alor Star too. My dad has 2 sisters and 3 brothers, 1 has passed away, and I think it was 15 years ago. My father is the 2^nd child in the family.

I never met my patti before, as she died the year before my parents got married. Tata died when I was 10 years old. My father and his brother Raymond joined LLN right after finishing high school and both of them retired with TNB, with long serving service.

His elder sister is Caroline, lives in Glugor now. She was married to Peter Dass, who passed away 4 years ago. My periya atheh has 4 children (all married) and 4 grandchildren. The eldest is Mabel, married to Xavier, has 1 son, Kevin who is studying in KDU College now. They live in Batu Maung. The second is Catherine, married to Bhajan Singh, has 2 girls, Simran (Std 6) & Alisha (age 5). They live in Relau. The third is Francis@ Tony, married to Mei Ling, lives in Bangsar, KL. And the youngest is Helen, married to Carsten, with 1 daughter, Lara, age 5. She migrated to Germary after marrying Carsten. She is living here for almost 10 years now. She recently came back for Christmas last year.

After my father, is his younger brother Raymond, married to Rita. They have 4 children, James, Christopher (recently passed away, only 26), Mabel & Tina. They live in Butterworth.

Next is Alphonse, who has passed away due to liver failure. He was married and has a daughter, Thinisha. They live in KL.

Next is Susila, she is married to Edward and lives in Penang. They have 4 children; Laura, Luke, Leon and Lily. Laura is married to Indran, just less than 2 years ago. And Lily works in the same company as me, in Dell.

The youngest is Sherman. He is not married yet and lives with Raymond.

My Mother

My mother’s name is Anamary. She was born to Nayagam and Philomena. She was born in Selama Perak and lived here a while, a while in Taiping before she married my father. Mom is from a simple family background. Only 3 siblings, in which the youngest was born after many years. Mom stayed by herself most of her years, as she worked in Taiping and Penang a while and would go home once or twice a month and during festive seasons.

She has a brother who was born just 4 years after her. His name is Selvam, married to Clara, had 2 daughters. My mama works with Pusat Serenti BM for many years and will be retiring soon. His eldest daughter, Carol Anne, is a special child, studies and works with Sekolah Sinar Harapan, while the 2^nd girl is Cynthia Anne, just enrolled with KPJ College in Nilai 2 weeks ago, after completing her SPM. They live in BM. My mama is the Tamil choir master.

The youngest is Jerry Nayagam, was born very much later. He lives in JB and is working with Hyatt Hotel Singapore. He is good at mimics, loves acting and acted in a local Tamil tele-movie recently (Rahasiya Police 999), also acted in a small role in local Tamil drama many years ago. He went to India to try his luck and manage to get a super small role in the movie Vinnaithandi Varuvaya. But luck was not on his side and he returned back from India. He did some roles too, in some India produced low budget serials. He is not married yet.

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-21T14:07:00.000+08:00

In conjunction with Father’s Day last Sunday, the preacher of the homily Deacon Martin played a very touching video during the Sunday mass. Many people were moved.

It was the video of former athlete Derek Redmond, who failed to finish the race during the 1992 400m Olympics. I’m sure many know about this inspiring video, but it was my first time watching this and indeed I’ve never heard of this true story before.

For those who don’t know this video, let me share with you what this video is about. Derek was leading the race, but halfway through, his hamstring torn and he collapsed on the track. He saw the stretcher coming from afar, but Derek wanted to run, to finish the race. He got up and started hopping on the track. He was in pain. He was weeping.

His dear father saw his pain and came to his rescue. He held his hands and told him, let’s do it together. Despite being warned by the security, the duo continued on the track and finished the race. Though Derek was disqualified on this race, but he did what was on his mind; to finish the race. When he finished the race, Derek and his father received standing ovation from the strong 65,000 crowd that evening. This event was well remembered in the Olympic history.

His father held his hands, his father gave his hand, his father opened his arms and held him on his shoulder, his father motivated him to get up and finish what he aimed to do. All because of Love.

As I was watching the video, I saw Derek’s strength and courage to get up and hop. He would have fallen again, as I could see the pain through his tears, but because his father ran to him, he did not fall again. The father is the hero of this video.

After watching this video, I googled about Derek and read about him. I asked my dad, do you know this athelete? I was only 10 back then.

Yes, he was so famous, it was in the papers and television about this ‘fallen race’, he recalls it.

I wonder how one can live without a father’ love? How did they grow up without the hero man?

I pay tribute to all those who lost their dad at a young age and failed to experience a father’s love. Some of my friends grew up without a father’s love and I salute to those mothers who become both father and mother to their children.

I’m indeed blessed to have my father by my side all my years. And I pray that he will live long and healthy.

The video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5dgJwEvhrA&feature=related

From 1st June 2011

2011-06-07T07:23:00.000+08:00

June 6: Today is PH replacement, due to Agong’s birthday on Saturday, 4^th June. Working as usual, but seated with Amin’s team, to assist the TS agents as they are in Care queue. Aft 4pm, went to Tune Hotels and met Dewi and Ayin. I was indeed so excited to meet both of them, esp Dewi, I last met her during her convocation in USM, 2006. And I last met Ayin in Kajang last Nov. the roads were pretty jam yesterday, why la? After picking them up, we headed to Gurney. They both have certified me as a true Penangite driver! Bangga-nya!! We jalan2 in Gurney Plaza, wah I haven’t been to this place for quite some time. Ayin introduced us to a smoothie drink, they both bought it. And bought some Famous Amos cookies. I finally bought Wong Chun Wai’s book at Popular. Then we headed to the local food at Gurney Drive, just near the roundabout. But the food wasn’t that fantastic L, guessed we were at the wrong stalls. They packed McD food, before heading back to Tune Hotel. I’m so glad to have met them; we had such wonderful moments, those days in USM. J

From 1st June 2011

2011-06-06T10:17:00.001+08:00

From 1^st June, so many things are happening around me. From 3-5 June, it’s a weekend of 3 hari 3 malam weddings! HAHHAHAHA!

1^st June: the launch of OTOG within the ANZ CSMB team. Pizzas were supposed to be ordered, but it was delayed to the next day, so we had Pizza on 2^nd June instead. I was conducting the Care training for the new hirers at the Client lab, last day, and I finished it by 12 noon. Then at 4pm, I conducted refresher training with the Care team, mainly those agents who are within 4-5 months in the team.

2^nd June: the main agenda on this date was lunch with Rakeesh, Nainan and Karen. It was a long-awaited lunch and we had lunch at Tajudin’s. My 1^st time here. Then by 1pm, I saw pizza arriving and saw some agents distributing it. I just had 1 piece though. Then after work, went for threading. Little India was so packed, on a Thursday, why? Then collected cake from Kitty Bakes and delivered to Sangari. Off to Montage hair salon. And rushed to St Anne’s for Ascension mass. Was late a bit, roads were jam, why why? When I reached, the 1^st reading was being read, in Mandarin. I sat at one of the last pews. I saw mom and Kenneth from afar, also saw Terence too; he is back from China. It’s Deacon’s birthday. After the final blessing by Fr Henry, there was a little surprise for Deacon. There was a huge cake and we all sang birthday song for him. I wonder if anyone took pics of this event? He was truly surprised and thrilled! The cake was distributed to everyone after mass. After mass, went home and start packing for the Kajang trip. Mama came abt 11pm, and passed us Cynthia’s huge bag.

3^rd June: we left home at 8am. Randy was seriously gloomy when he saw us packing our bags into the car. He didn’t even finish his food; sigh. We reached Sg Buloh R&R at 11am. Lucky I took a spoon of cough mixture and really slept well in the car. Hehhee… We stopped to ease ourselves and had some drinks and kuih. We headed straight to Kajang, had lunch at one of the food court and we were at my aneh’s place by 1pm. Rested a while, before we started to get ready for the wedding. Wedding at 4pm; Thava akka’s wedding. We were there early. And just as we got into Kenneth’s car, we noticed the crack on the windscreen, damn how did this happen? Very good sermon by Fr George, fantastic choir. Dinner was at the church hall itself. We went home, had tea and came back again for the dinner, lucky we stay pretty nearby. Theme used at the dinner was purple, oh my fav color. Food was good, the band started pretty lousy, but it was getting better when the female singer was replaced with another gal. Dad and aneh left to Singapore, 12midnite bus.

4^th June: had an awesome breakfast; spicy nasi lemak and putu piring. The putu is really something peculiar and damn tasty. Dad & aneh reached Sg at 5am and William aneh fetched them from Customs office. Abt 10am, we went to Semenyih to visit the newlyweds. Thava akka was around. We were introduced to their relatives, chit chat. We had lunch somewhr in Kajang and back home. Its Stella’s wedding today, mom’s niece from Sitiawan. Her mappilai is from Kajang. This is the 1^st time, we are attending a wedding mass and wedding dinner at the same place and back-to-back. Stella’s dinner was also held at the same hall as Thava akka’s dinner. Good to see all my Sitiawan’s relatives. Mass was good, but at the dinner, there was a lousy DJ. Gosh, can’t stand him. Food was good, took some photos. And we left before 9pm. Then around 10.30pm, Kenneth and I went to uncle Barna’s house to see Cynthia before she leaves to college the next day, also need to pass her bag. We canceled our Nilai plan on Sunday AM, due the crack on the windscreen. The crack is getting longer as it’s exposed to the sun. Met Uncle Barna & his family too, he served us a nice red wine and some kek lapis Sarawak. We said goodbye to Cynthia, a tearful bye…

5^th June: we left at 5am. We wanted to avoid the sun until we reach BM. We reached home at 8.30am. Bought chicken rice for Randy boy. Aft un-packing, we doze off. I woke up earlier and went to Thilagaa’s house with mom. She just moved in to her new house today. Very nice place and very nice lunch too. Went to Tesco, buy barang, had tea and came home by 4pm. Mom made fried rice for Kenneth. Then, getting ready for the 3^rd wedding, my form 6 classmate and former housemate at Kajang, Kumaraguru. Jayanthi followed us. The band was awesome, and we became the center of attention, after every song, we clapped for them and the singer commented, that this is 1^st time, ppl clap without being asked! Well, if you’re good, you deserve an applause. Astro Aruna was there too, and we heard this band works with Astro. Pics will be up soon in FB. And when we left, I heard the male singer commented, ‘oh no, the clapping family just left; their claps gave us so much motivation.’ We just laughed as we were walking out.

Gosh, so busy since 1^st June!!

Finally... lunch with them... 2/6

2011-06-02T14:14:00.002+08:00

The day started pretty well today, I woke up early with no neck pain (as I usually have).
It was a bit cooling and my heart was filled with excitement. I have few missions to accomplish today.
As of now, mission 1 accomplished.

1# : Lunch with Rakeesh, Nainan & Karen. It has been long planned, but finally the day came! We went to Tajudin’s at Queen Street. It’s my first time at this palce. But I’ve heard a lot about this place from Rakeesh. We ordered briyani and some ‘ros’ gravy. The fish gravy was damn tasty, the chicken was soft and tender. Thank God, took half rice only. That half rice was so full!
We went in Rakeesh’ new car. Well, I just got the chance today to hop on his new car. As usual, Penang Street is crowded. But we manage through it.

Nainan really knows what to order, he must have been most visited customer, could he? :p

Had a good lunch and thanks to Rakeesh for the treat, truly appreciate.

Next round, Nainan’s turn to drive for another lunch out!

Mission 2 – in the next update!

Taking after mum and dad

2011-05-23T09:23:00.000+08:00

*as appeared in The Star, 22 May 2011

THE GAP
By MARLINA SARA SYLVESTER

WE learn a lot from our parents. Sometimes we emulate their behaviour and attitude, and it becomes a part of our life. I’m sure you must have heard people say, “You sound like your father/mother.”
When I was young, I always wondered how Appa knew a lot of things – he simply had answers to anything we asked. As I grew older, I knew the answer – he read the newspaper every day and never missed the news on TV. Even now, when he has the TV all to himself, he will be flipping from CNN to BBC to Al-Jazeera.
I began to pick up the habit of reading the newspaper too. (I don’t really watch TV news.) As I grew older, I started to read story books and novels. Gradually, I began to write poems and short stories.
In 2005, I started writing to the Herald. I’m proud to say I’ve been an active writer with the weekly Catholic newspaper until today.
I also beamed with pride when my first article appeared in The Star last October. Whenever I read short articles in the papers, I used to dream of seeing my name in print too. Dreams do come true. I owe a lot to Appa for my reading and writing skills.
Amma is a walking dictionary when it comes to cooking. She can cook and bake just about anything. I’ve picked up her skills, although I’m better at baking.
Thanks to mum’s commitment in the kitchen, I can bake almost-perfect breads. Together, we have a small-time home business for cakes and cookies during festive seasons.
When I was still in school, my brothers and I often helped in the kitchen when mum got cookie orders. Our customers were friends from the same neighbourhood. Now, my colleagues are my regular customers.
Recently when I was admitted for a minor surgery, Amma stayed with me in the hospital. When the anaesthetic started to wear off after the op, I was in great pain.
Amma wiped my tears, gave me something to eat and combed my long hair as it looked messy. She helped wipe my face with a wet towel and touched it up with talcum powder.
I felt like a kid again. I’m in my late twenties but I’m still her little girl. No matter how old we are, we will always be children to our parents.
I’m sure there are many blessed singles who, like me, still have their parents with them. Parents often show unconditional love and all they want in return is your love and, most importantly, your time. Do not forget to say “thank you” for all the things they do for you.

I want to say thanks to my wonderful parents, who celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary recently.

Friday 13 MAY 2011

2011-05-16T01:00:00.003+08:00

Friday the 13th has always been a normal day for me, every year. But this May 2011, Friday the 13th has proved me wrong!

I went to GMC for 2 matters; visit Alisha and my check-up with Dr Somas. I visited Alisha on 5th floor, chatting with her and her mother. My mom came with me too.
Since I still have time, Alisha and I took a walk around 5th floor, while she was chatting and saying hi to every nurse and the children patients there. Such a friendly gal!
When it was 3pm, I left, as I needed to go to Dr Somas clinic, leaving my mom with Cath akka and Alisha.

Took the lift, instead of going to 1st floor, I accidentally pressed 2dn floor, and got off there, it was the ICU, CCU floor. When I stepped out, I noticed, aiks I’m at the wrong floor. I quickly turned to press the lift, as it was halfway closing its doors. Damn, the quick turn I made was so quick and I slipped and fell so hard. I had nothing to hold except the smooth wall, which didn’t benefit much. What a fall!
I still stayed on the floor, waiting if someone could lift me up, but this floor is so damn quiet, there’s just no one around! I got up myself; I could feel the pain on my left ankle and on my knees. I used my knees to support myself, or else I would have fall straight on my face.
I know my face must have turned red, I could really feel the pain. I just bend down slowly and massaged my ankle, but the pain was starting to build, and I was ALL ALONE!!

What should I do? Go up to 5th floor where my mom is? Or go to Dr Somas clinic?
I decided to see Dr Somas. When u got to his clinic, with a very trembling voice, I told him what happened. He lift my jeans off my ankle, whoa, what a big swell on my ankle we saw! It looked like a ping pong ball. He immediately contacted A&E (accident & emergency) dept and took me down. The nurse brought a wheelchair, as I really couldn’t walk.
Dr Somas’ nurse took me to A&E and I was attended very fast. Thank God, no bone fracture. An ice bag was placed immediately. And Dr Somas came over to see me as well. I was really pleased!
After that, I went back to Dr Somas’ clinic, still on the wheelchair. After chk-up with him, I thanked him for his wonderful treatment, that solved my 10-year battle!
And when I paid for my treatment, I noticed, that I wasn’t charge for the treatment at A&E. hmmm.. Then, an office came to see me, to get an explanation how the accident happened.
After explaining to her, Dr Somas’ nurse wheeled me to my mother at 5th. She was saying, your mother is gonna be so shocked. Oh yes indeed! When I reached 5th floor, the nurses who saw me walking earlier with Alisha was all surprised. And when mom and Cath akka saw me, they were all so shocked!

** when I reach home from GMC that Friday*
I was driven by the GMC to my car, which was parked pretty far. Lucky I have an Auto car, or else, I’m sure I can’t drive back.
What a drama on Friday on the 13th!

** On Sunday, got worse. :( **

Jalan-jalan Penang

2011-05-11T09:32:00.003+08:00

This was one of the shortest outing plan we made and we made it happen! Yay!

I was planning a jalan-jalan outing on my mind and I was wondering with whom shall I go… then I thought of my Choice roommates! Christy and Rebecca!

When I met Rebecca for lunch one day at Autocity Winter Warmer’s in March, I told her what I have in my mind- she was excited. She was also stressed at work like me and we badly needed a getaway. So we planned, let’s just go somewhere nearby, it’s more realistic.

So we suggested to Christy and she said OK straightaway. We couldn’t plan the outing in April, as it was the season of Lent and a bit difficult to go jalan-jalan (as I was on full vegetarian). So we planned on 7th May – and it’s accomplished!!
But our plans changed from Plan A to Plan B – but we still made it.
The weather was really hot, so we planned for movie in the afternoon, so that we don’t get that tanned after all. Hahhaa!
After parking my car at Rebecca’s house, we had a good Chinese breakfast at Chai Leng Park, before we headed straight to Penang Hill. We took the new train, RM8. Fewer crowds in the morning, but the weather was still hot & burning up there!
We walked around, took lotsa photos and we took the train by 12 noon. I met an India tourist who helped to take a pic of 3 of us, he also asked a favour of snapping his pic with the train as the background. We then spoke to him, and found out he came to Penang via Dell from Bangalore. And I saw him in the office on Monday. Hehhe

We headed to Kapitan Penang & had a nice briyani lunch. We were really hungry and we makan sampai pinggan bersih! Hahhaha.

We then headed for Vaanam movie at 3pm at the Penang Odean. I last went to this theatre to watch VasoolRaja MBBS & Boys – that was sooo long ago!

Then before we head back home, we dropped by at Lam Wah Ee hospital as uncle Xavier was admitted. The gals waited at the lobby, while I went to see uncle and Mabel akka was there too.
I sent Christy home and went home, tired because of the scorching sun but was glad! Had a good shower & slept early!

5 Years in Dell

2011-05-04T14:44:00.003+08:00

I was interviewed by 3 person before I joined Dell.

Rakeesh, Lisa Tan & Lin See. Rakeesh is still around; Lisa too, but in a different country in a far far away continent.

Once I got the offer letter, I tendered my resignation from HDPM HSBC and packed my bags to Penang.

I bought a 2nd-hand Kancil, so that I have my own transport to work, before I invested on my Hyundai 1 year later.

Before I joined Dell, I did deal with Lisa via email. She requested my Herald articles, so I forwarded to her.

On my 1st day, Lisa came to welcomed me from the employee Entrance E and we went to 1st floor. She then introduced me to my work desk and to my cube mates; Punita, Si Mun & Siew Yean. I was under Lisa Tan & Patricia Yap, under Apcustserv.

After a few months, I moved to Jo Ann’s team, the call team, I think its POD 3. I met Clare Wong, Sheila, CP, Adelene, Hei Li, Ian, Elizabeth, Tracy, Selva, Bathma, Zee, Teh, Suzie, Kwai Peng, Yen Ching, Ai Ling, Corina – the then director. And many others, whom I know by name, but hardly deal with them.

I buddy with Beatrice before I was on my own.
I met Thi and we made a bit of commotion, as we didn’t expect to see each other here. We were from the same school, attended same Uni, also met her at HDPM before meeting her again in Dell.

Sumir, Karen & Melissa were my trainers. Sumir had a very serious face, suits well as a trainer.
Thank God, I still have good relationship with my first friends from Dell.

I remember attending the townhalls during Corina’s time; we have them every month and rewards was the best thing, and not forgetting the food we get during townhall meetings.
And I remember attending the Call Center award dinner in KL during my 1st year. That was a good trip – all paid for.

Many changes happened in Dell since I joined, but it was a rough journey that made me stronger.
Now as a trainer, I deal with more people than ever. I’m very bad in remembering names, so pls forgive me, when I just say Hi to you when I bumped into you…
And together with me, there are many seniors still around in Care; Sathya, Hazzel, Audrey, Raja Teh, Naina and Michelle & Tan Tse Ming.

It’s been a great journey, filled with bitter-sweet memories! For those who journeyed with me – a big thank you – you got de lil gift? :)

And not forgetting the many friends from ANZ TS DHS team whom I know since 2006. Many of them; I still keep in touch, like Anil, Nava, Karthik, Deva, Safar and few others.

Meatless Day....

2011-04-19T01:01:00.003+08:00

I was truly impressed to read the meatless day article on Sun, Apr 17: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/4/17/sundaymetro/8483404&sec=sundaymetro. I’ve always wanted to go vegetarian for a healthier lifestyle, but I was doubt with my own self, if I can do it or not. I enjoy eating meat, especially seafood. Every New Year, its common for people to make resolutions, year after year, I know of many successful resolutions made; failed ones too. I usually never make resolutions (I don’t know why till today), because New Year is the time I hope for something, and every year, sadly none of my hopes happen by the end of the year, so I stop being hopeful. So for a change, I thought to myself, why should I hope for something, I want to make a resolution this year and make it happen. I want to believe in myself; I want to make that change in me, like the MJ song Man in the Mirror, ‘I’m starting with the man in the mirror, I’m asking him to change his ways…take a look at yourself and make that change.’ My 2011 resolution was to adapt vegetarian food step by step. I still remember on 31st Dec 2010, I was still deciding, should I go once a week, twice a week? Then I decided, I’ll make a resolution that will make me disciplined and change my diet. So I decided, I’ll go vegetarian on weekdays, that is Monday to Friday; 5 days a week. I avoid meat & all kinds of seafood; I do not avoid eggs though. And I did it! But like Gelber (from the Star article), there are days, when vegetarian food is not served, then I’ll eat whatever that is served, but I’ll try to avoid meat. And on my birthday, which fell on a Tuesday, for that one day, I gave up my resolution, and enjoyed my seafood dinner. But I’m proud of myself. It’s almost 4 months since the year began, and I’ve been almost 90% in keeping up my resolution. I even attended a team buffet dinner on a weekday, and I was still able to keep my resolution, despite seeing a wide array of non-veg food. Since I started to eat vegetarian, I began to eat various vegetables, fruits & cereals. I feel so much lighter after every meal. And once a week, I eat purely fruits and vegetables only for the whole day, including replacing coffee with fruit juice. And I noticed that my bowel system has improved a lot. My hair loss has improved too. The best part in keeping my resolution, to me is my self-discipline, my strong will, to choose to stay with my principles and to lead a healthier lifestyle. But I don’t feel guilty eating non-veg on weekends, as I eat moderately and I consider that as a treat to my self-will. Well, this is my first step.

Columbarium of St Anne’s

2011-04-19T00:51:00.001+08:00

**as appeared on Herald, 3 April 2011

Last Saturday on 19th March, the columbarium of St Anne’s was officially blessed and opened for booking. The Catholic cemetery of St Anne’s is better known as St Anne’s Catholic Memorial Park. It is situated behind the St Anne’s church behind Taman Mas, just at a walking distance from the church.

Parish Priest Rev Fr Henry Rajoo together with Deacon Martin and close to 50 parishioners attended the blessing of the columbarium, held on Saturday morning.

In his welcoming speech, Fr Henry was glad that we were given this land for the departed, “we thank God for giving enough resources and grace to succeed in building this columbarium; today we joyfully bless this columbarium which will be the resting place for our loved ones till they rise on the last day.”

A short prayer, followed by a reading from St Paul to the Corinthians and gospel reading from the Gospel of Matthew was read.

In a short sharing, Fr Henry said, “This is a glorious body when we die and it’s beyond our imagination what this body can be. The son of man was raised and all who believe in Him will be like him (that is to be raised) on our last day. What we see in the eyes of faith is what we believe & we ask God to raise in His glory.”

Soon after, Deacon Martin recited the Litany of the Saints.

A prayer of blessing for the columbarium was said by Fr Henry followed by sprinkling of holy water on all the 26 blocks that were built. A decade of rosary was said.

Before the final blessing, Fr Henry thanked the cemetery committee, the St Joseph Committee for completing this. This blessing ceremony was initiated by the St Joseph Committee Chairman, Boniface Xavier.

The columbarium project began in August 2010 initiated by Msgr Stephen Liew when he was the parish priest at that time. There are 66 niches per block, named from A-Z. In total, there are 1740 niches. Each block has six levels and the price varies according to the level. The eye-level niches are more expensive while the lowest level is the cheapest price range. Additional charges will apply for installation of marble slab, engraving, photo, etc.

8 Common Dating Lines - decoded

2011-03-24T08:54:00.002+08:00

It’s no secret that the language of love isn’t always the most, well, direct. That’s why so many single people spend hours analyzing emails from dates trying to figure out if “I’m busy at work” is a brush-off, or wondering whether that invitation of “I’ll make dinner for you” indicates a desire to share a whole lot more than a favorite garlic chicken recipe. How can you suss out what someone’s really trying to say? To help you out, we got a bevy of dating experts to decode eight common lines so you’ll spend less time scratching your head and more time communicating.

Line #1: “I’d love to stay out, but I have to get up really early tomorrow.”What it means: “Sorry, you just aren’t floating my boat.”Of course, if it’s 2 a.m. or your date follows up with, “But let’s get together soon — maybe this weekend?” the fact that he or she want to end the date is no big deal. But if the night is young or your date mentions an aversion to staying out late in the middle of, say, appetizers, that’s not a good sign. Your date may sense there’s no connection and want to exit sooner rather than later, says Steve Nakamoto, author of Men Are Like Fish: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Catching A Man. At least look at the upside: this person’s also freeing you from a situation that’s not going anywhere, so just enjoy your dinner, then skedaddle.

Line #2: “I had such a good time with you.”What it means: “Wow, you’re actually fun and different from all the other guys/girls!”This sentence might sound generic, but try saying it out loud. It sounds far more intense than a mere “I had a nice night,” doesn’t it? “This is a way of revealing how you feel without getting too heavy,” says Laurie Puhn, J.D., author of Instant Persuasion: How to Change Your Words to Change Your Life. “The person is letting you know that he or she really might like you, and trying to find out if you possibly feel the same.” So if the interest is mutual, let your date know by responding in kind.

Line #3: “I’m just not ready for a relationship.”What it means: “I’m just not in love with you.”It’s hard when someone you like tells you he or she’s not in a place to seriously date anyone. But it also makes you hope that the problem is timing, not your personalities. If you can just be patient, you think, things could percolate, right? Wrong. “This means ‘I don’t love you, so if that’s what you want, we should break up,’” says Puhn. Don’t be fooled — when this person does meet someone who has that spark, he or she will indeed be ready for a relationship.

Line #4: “I’d love to meet up, but I’m just really busy with work right now.”What it means: “I’m trying to think of a really nice way to blow you off.”Of course, this person could very well have a full schedule that week. But if he or she doesn’t offer any alternative dates to hang out, what you’re really being told is that this person would rather work than hang out with you. (Sorry.) “Your date very well could be busy. The question is whether your date’s focusing on the problem or finding a solution,” says Puhn. “You can always get away long enough for dinner or a coffee with someone or say, ‘I’m going to call you in two weeks after this project is done.’ It’s a matter of priorities.” So if your date isn’t trying to pencil you in, it could be time to write that person off.

Line #5: “So, gotten any funny emails on Match.com lately?”What it means: “Are you interested in seeing each other exclusively?”Let’s face it, it’s intimidating to ask: “So, are you seeing anyone else?” And with online dating, there’s a sneakier way to put out feelers: by asking a question that reveals whether someone’s been checking his or her Match.com account for new suitors. “In online dating, you can receive flirtatious emails 24/7, so leaving your profile up sends a message that you’re still open to other prospects,” says Nakamoto. So if your date’s asking anything about your online activities, it’s probably a sign he or she might pop the “So... do you want to see each other exclusively?” question soon.

Line #6: “So, want to meet for coffee?”What it means: “Want to meet for a coffee and then have dinner if we like each other?”It’s always smart to schedule a short, easy-to-end date when you’re first meeting a new person. “Committing to dinner with someone new can seem like too much for a person who doesn’t want to get stuck at a table for hours if things aren’t clicking,” explains Puhn. Still, many online daters will leave the ensuing hours free in case you two hit it off. That doesn’t mean you should head to your rendezvous with overly high expectations and an empty stomach. If you’re hungry, eat already. If you end up wanting to prolong the fun on your date, you can always suggest going for dessert or a drink.

Line #7: “I’m meeting my friends — want to come?”What it means: “I really like you and want to know if you get along with my pals.”It may sound like a casual invite, but what your date is saying is that he or she is totally comfortable being seen with you as a couple — and is interested in how you’ll relate to his or her closest comrades. “Meeting the friends is an approval thing,” says Nakamoto. “Women want to see how he treats their friends, and men want to know if his friends like the girl.” It may seem intimidating, but it should actually boost your ego: You’ve passed the first tests and are now on your way to becoming a full-time boyfriend or girlfriend — provided the buddies sign off. If you’re feeling just as positive about the relationship, say “Yes,” and charm away.

Line #8: “Why don’t you come over and I’ll cook for you?”What it means: “Ready to see whether you want to take things to the next level?”Cooking for a person is a show of intimacy in a couple of ways. “The person is really inviting you into his or her life,” says Puhn. “Someone’s apartment is his or her whole world, so it shows this person is obviously very comfortable with you.” Then, of course, there’s the fact that you’ll conveniently be just a few steps from the couch — and cuddling — later that night. If it’s a first or early date, this might actually be a bit too personal, especially if you’re not sure how you feel about your future together. But if you’re pretty sure you’re ready to explore things further, congratulations, tonight could be the night!

New York City freelance writer Laura Gilbert has written for Health, Stuff, Maxim, The Knot, and other publications.

Countless Blessings

2011-03-23T08:47:00.003+08:00

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

If you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness .. You are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.

If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... You are ahead of 700 million people in the world.

If you can attend a prayer without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world.

If your parents are still alive and still married ...you are very rare.

If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair.......

Installation of Parish Priest in BM

2011-03-23T06:51:00.003+08:00

The Bishop of Penang, Rt Rev Bishop Anthony Selvanayagam was in St. Anne’s parish last Sunday, for the ceremony of the installation of the new Parish Priest of St Anne, Rev Fr Henry Rajoo.

During the homily, Bishop Selva posed a question to all of us present, ‘why are here for?’
“In today’s reading, the call is to go deep into ourselves, very internally. And ask yourself if you are really following the same way that God wants us to be or have I created my own way. No one can answer this, except yourself.”
Bishop further explained on the First Reading that when God’s words need to be put in our heart and soul and it have to be within you. God said through Moses that His words need to be the center of our life and if you keep his word, you will be blessed and cursed if you don’t listen to His words.
Bishop Selva truly stressed on the importance of God’s word during the homily, he further added that we are a people who complains a lot, especially when our prayers are not answered immediately.
“Are we really listening to what God is saying? The Saints intercedes for us, but we are the one who really needs to listen to God’s words.”
He also quoted Saint Anthony, a man who changed because he listened to God’s words.
Even in the Gospel today, Jesus said , listen to His words. In any Catholic celebration, we do not have any celebration without God’s words.

Fr Henry then said the I Believe before the installation ceremony took place after the homily. The PPC chairman, Mr Lazarus Anthony read the official letter from the Bishop of Penang on the appointment of Rev Fr Henry Rajoo as the parish priest of St Anne’s Bukit Mertajam and administrator of Sacred Heart of Jesus church Kulim effective from 4th October 2010.
After signing of the official documents, there was a great applause from the congregation, officially welcoming Fr Henry as the parish priest.

Father Henry then spoke a few words, “it’s really challenging to be a parish priest and I urged you to join me, pray for me as we journey together. I’m here to build the parish and need your support”.

Rev Fr Henry Rajoo was ordained in the year 2001 and is very fluent in Mandarin. Fr Henry studied Mandarin in Taiwan.

*submitted to Herald

Dialogue

2011-03-21T07:13:00.004+08:00

*appeared on Herald 13 March 2011
A Muslim-Christian dialogue was recently held at St Anne’s church Bukit Mertajam. Parish priest Fr Henry Rajoo said that inter-religious dialogue is very important for us to live in harmony in this nation. He encouraged the parishioners to come together and understand and know our local interpretation of Islam and the correct and incorrect perception of Islam.
This dialogue is organized by the PHDC (Parish Human Development Committee) and the speaker is Dr Hj Dzulkefly Ahmad, the MP of Kuala Selangor.

Close to 150 people participated in this 2-hour dialogue, and nearly 20 Muslim brothers and sisters joined in as well, who came with Dr Hj Dzulkefly Ahmad, better known as YB Dzul.
Dr Mary Rose Fernandez, the chairperson of PHDC gave a warm welcome to all present & gave a slight introduction of YB Dzul, he obtained his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from Imperial College (St. Mary's Hospital Medical School), University of London (1993) in the field of Medical Sciences (Toxicology) and a Master of Science from the University of Surrey, and first degree from the University of Birmingham, England (1980) in the same field. He also did courses in Economics and Finance in 1998-99.

In his welcoming speech, Fr Henry openly welcomed inter-religious dialogue such as this to be conducted often. “Many people have fear to attend inter-religious dialogue, because of the image portrayed by the media. We are here to dialogue; the idea is to learn how we look at Islam and learn the correct perspectives.”

Soon after, YB Dzul began his dialogue, addressing both the Catholics and the Muslim present.
“I thank God almighty for creating this occasion. We are here to engage in a mutually rewarding dialogue. We are all believers of God and this is what brought our hearts together. Despite our differences, we do have enough common values and common vision as we live in this country. One of PAS policy is to advocate and encourages inter-faith dialogues”
“We are certainly not a perfect nation, as we live with multi-religion practices & various cultures in this land. Islam celebrates pluralism and I strongly support this idea.

Father Henry then talked salvation, as there was a question from one of the Muslim brother.
“Christians believe that salvation comes through Christ. If you’re a Christian, then this is exclusive for the Christian believers. In the church, as we journey year to year, there has been lots of problems and obstacles we face within the church. But as we journey towards the 20th Century, the church still believes that salvation is through Christ and that other religions in this country are on their way to salvation too.”

He further explained that the church is also adjusting itself, when it brings cultures into the church, especially the Indian and Chinese culture.
YB Dzul further discussed on the respect and harmony within religions. He said that God sent numerous prophets and messengers and thus religions existed. He said that all of us are given exclusive rights and freedom to practice a certain religion and the ability to relate to others, to respect and to tolerate. And this is important so that we know one another, live in harmony and not to despise.

“I strongly believe that Islam is the way to God and at the same time I equally believe that Fr Henry and all people present here also believe that Christianity is the way of salvation, and if I don’t believe this, then I’m not a true Muslim,” said Yb Dzul.

YB Dzul also mentioned an interesting thought that a religion shouldn’t be practiced only at the place of worship, as in the mosque, church, or any synagogues, but also to practiced outside the place of worship.

Overall, this was indeed a lucrative and interesting dialogue. Unity and harmony did fill the room as we sit with our Muslim brothers and sisters and exchange views.

A closing prayer was said and everyone proceed to the parish center for light refreshments.

Scott McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Denise Jackson American Idol 2011, Las Ve...

2011-03-04T06:56:00.000+08:00

Ponggal celebration at St Anne, BM

2011-03-01T06:58:00.006+08:00

**as appeared on Herald on Feb 20 2011 issue.

BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Tamil Community of St Anne’s Church celebrated the harvest festival recently during the 5.00pm Mass. The Tamil Apostolate group organised this event. The church compound was decorated with thoranam made out of coconut leaves and kolam using coloured rice at the entrance of the church.

At 4.00pm, the ‘boiling of milk’ event took place. When the milk boiled over, rice and sugar were put into it and the women present shouted Ponggolo Ponggal. In Tamil Nadu (India), Ponggal is closely connected with agriculture. It is an occasion of joy for all to share the harvest with the workers.

It is also celebrated here in Malaysia, to give thanks to God for the wonderful harvest of food that He has given us. The Mass was celebrated by parish priest Fr Henry Rajoo.

Before the Mass ended, Mr Savari read a poem, thanking God for this harvest that is so blessed. After Mass, everyone was served with the sweet Ponggal rice at the parish centre, followed by entertainment of songs, dance and games. — By Marlina Sara

CHOICE New Year 2011

2011-02-18T08:57:00.001+08:00

**as appeared on Herald on Feb 13 2011 issue.

The Penang CHOICE New Year 2011 celebration dinner was held recently at the Little Cottage restaurant in Penang.
Close to 100 choicees attended this event, most of whom brought their family members as well.

The guest of honour for that night was the Bishop of Penang, Bishop Anthony Selvanayagam, Father Dominic Santhiyagu, the CHOICE priest & Fr Gerad Theraviam. Initially Bishop couldn’t make it for the dinner, but he came to the dinner and surprised us all.

The dinner began with a welcoming speech by the Penang CHOICE Coordinator 1, Elizabeth Anthony & followed by the Bishop, and he blessed the food before the dinner was served.

There were lots of lucky draws & almost everyone won something. There were gift exchanges as well; where everyone who attended came with a gift and then it was later exchanged in a very unique way, by narrating a story.
We also took this opportunity to celebrate birthdays of all those born in the month of Jnuary; Fr Dominic is one of them, who cut the cake together with a few others.
The dinner ended about 10.30 pm, with everyone carrying a gift home.

The next English CHOICE Weekend will be in May 2011 & the Mandarin CHOICE Weekend will be held in August 2011. Calling all single young adults to join and experience a fulfilling weekend; please email ann_eliz1@yahoo.com.my

Top Movies 2010

2011-02-07T12:09:00.004+08:00

The top ten grossing Bollywood films at the Indian box office in 2010...

Rank:
1 Dabangg - Salman Khaan, Sonakshi Sinha
2 Golmaal 3 - Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor
3 Raajneeti - Ajay Devgan, Katrina Kaif
4 My Name is Khan - Shahrukh Khan, Kajol
5 Housefull - Akshay Kumar, Lara Dutta
6 Tees Maar Khan - Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif
7 Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai - Ajay Devgan
8 Kites - Hrithik Roshan
9 I Hate Luv Storys - Imran Khan, Sonam Kapoor
10 Anjaana Anjaani - Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra

The top ten grossing Tamil films at the Indian box office in 2010...

Rank:
1 Enthiran - Rajinikanth, Aishwarya Rai Bachan
2 Singam - Surya, Anuska
3 Paiyaa - Karthi, Tamannah
4 Boss Engira Bhaskaran - Arya, Nayantara
5 Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa - Simbu, Trisha
6 Madrasapattinam - Arya, Amy Jackson
7 Mynaa - Viddharth, Amala Paul
8 Thamizh Padam - Shiva, Disha Pandey
9 Angaadi Theru - Mahesh, Anjali
10 Kalavani - Vimal, Oviya

Zee Cine Awards 2011

2011-02-03T14:37:00.004+08:00

Held at The Marina Bay Sands in Singapore... the host Sajid and Akshay did a fantastic job - they really kept the crowd entertained & what I liked best was the way each nominated best movie was portrayed by Priyanka Chopra.

Best Actor Male
Shah Rukh Khan - My Name Is Khan

Best Actor Female
Vidya Balan - Ishqiya

Best Film
Dabangg

Best Director
Karan Johar - My Name Is Khan

Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Male)
Arjun Rampal - Raajneeti

Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Female)
Prachi Desai - Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai

Best Actor In A Comic Role (Male/Female)
Boman Irani - Well Done Abba

Boman Irani

Best Actor In A Negative Role (Male/Female)
Ronit Roy - Udaan

Most Promising Debut Director
Abhinav Kashyap - Dabangg

Most Promising Debut (Male)
Ranvir Singh - Band Baaja Baaraat

Most Promising Debut (Female)
Sonakshi Sinha - Dabangg

Best Playback Singer (Male)
Mohit Chauhan - Pee Loon (Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai)

Best Playback Singer (Female)
Richa Sharma - Sajda (My Name Is Khan)

Best Story
Karan Johar - Shibani Bathija (My Name Is khan)

International Male Icon
Ranbir KapoorInternational

Female Icon
Deepika Padukone

Best Lifetime Jodi
Rishi Kapoor - Neetu Singh

Lifetime Achievement Award
Shatrughan Sinha

Best Marketed Film
My Name Is Khan

Jury Award For Best Actor
Hrithik Roshan - Guzaarish

Jury Award For Best Actress
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - Guzaarish

Jury Award For Best FilmUdaan

Jury Award For Best Director
Vikramaditya Motwane - Udaan

& others...

SUGAR

2011-01-31T10:43:00.002+08:00

Sugar includes glucose, fructose (as in fruit sugar), lactose (as in milk), sucrose (as in table sugar), maltose or malts (as in rice malt and honey), jam (contains concentrated juice, which is high in fruit sugar), maple syrup, corn syrup, palm sugar (traditionally used in macrobiotic cooking), and the very deceiving organic brown sugar, which is not all that different from white sugar. Even alcohol is a sugar.

All of these sugars are problematic in many different ways.

* Sugar can decrease growth hormone (the key to staying youthful and lean)

* Sugar feeds cancer

* Sugar increases cholesterol* Sugar can weaken eyesight

* Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children

* Sugar can interfere with the absorption of protein

* Sugar causes food allergies

* Sugar contributes to diabetes

* Sugar can contribute to eczema in children

* Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease

* Sugar can impair the structure of DNA

* Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children

* Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection (infectious diseases)

* Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections)

* Sugar contributes to osteoporosis

Wedding!

2011-01-24T09:12:00.003+08:00

James Ramesh & Gahyatthri Pandian – they were united in marriage on 10 Dec 2010.

Love blossomed among them when they were working in Dell; that’s how I know them both.
I know them both when we were all working in the Customer Care dept in Dell.

I become close to Gahya when she became my CRM when she joined the ANZ region; initially she was supporting SA. We were sitting next to each other; with Thi & Hazzel same cube with us.
We became very good frens, chit chat gossips, eating oats together, etc.

Things changed a lot when workstream was introduced and Gahya had to leave. James left the company much earlier.

After she moved to KL, we still kept in touch and I guess our friendship grew stronger. We shared lots of marriage planning agenda. I bet it helped her a lot.

The wedding is a perfect union of 2 people; it was a beautiful service at the church and dinner at the Long Say building.

I met them 2 days before the wedding; they were glowing; I could see God’s countless blessing shining on their faces. James is so lucky to marry Gahya & Gahya, you’ve got the best too!

Audrey and me helped with the ushering, but we panicked a lot! We don’t know most of the guests and we did take some time going through the list, and it wasn’t in alphabetical order, we did take extra time; oh how bad I felt! Lucky, we put on our best smile, to melt the guests! *next time, using Excel file on a laptop would be perfect, just Ctrl+F and whoa! Lucky Geeta was standing near us, and she gives us the name when she some guests coming from afar. The only ones we knew for sure was our Dell colleagues. We didn’t have trouble looking for their names!

My mom & I sat rite in front; felt honoured! The food was awesome!! And thank God, my video clip turned out well. it wasn’t playing on the projector when I tested with Joshua. Then, Sugu guided over the phone & then the video was playing in full – phew!

I was so glad that James & Gahya liked it so much – I almost had tears! That’s why I told Shobana, that I don’t wish to say anything on the mic, my voice may go one kind…

It all ended well! Though I dented my car, my own error, but it was the last thing on my mind!

I wish them life filled with happiness and good spring!

New Year 2011!

2011-01-12T13:11:00.003+08:00

Hoping for a better me, with less unfortunate events!

31st December was declared a Public Holiday for Malaysia, as Malaysia won the Suzuki cup football match against Indon. But Cust Care still need to work, but we were paid OT, it’s double happiness. There wasn’t much work to do anyway.

Upon reaching home, got ready for New Year eve mass; I was the commentator for the night, 8 pm mass.

My elder bro + anni has left to KL on the 29th and they are celebrating the New Year at their home at Kajang.

Aft mass, we ushered the New Year at Uncle Asogan’s house. Had a superb time there, we belanja KFC, while aunty prepared some dishes. The fireworks were awesome and non-stop too!
New Year’s Day, kitchen closed, YAY!

We had lunch at Selvi akka’s house. She’s been asking us to come after Christmas, but we also busy jalan-jalan. So decided to go on New Year’s day, unfortunately, Selvi akka had to attend a wedding lunch, but her mom & sister were at home. Had a good lunch and sembang a lot.

For dinner, it was Vichitra’s 16th Birthday party, so again we were at Uncle Asogan’s house.

My New Year resolution: eat more vegetables & fruits; exercise more; I want to seriously start a healty lifestyle.

CHRISTMAS 2010 Part III

2011-01-10T10:56:00.002+08:00

26th Dec:
Our gifts (among my siblings) were exchanged the next day! On the 26th, after lunch, we headed to Penang; Benedict anneh’s house & Mabel akka’s house. Helen akka from Germany is here with Lara, glad to see them. We passed our gifts to them all.

We had mamak style Noodle at Benedict anneh's house. It was so good - had lots of laughter, like every year!

And at Mabel akka's house, spent time with Lara. She can dance well.

27th Dec:
Sadly, Uncle Augustine's funeral - very sad moment. Went to the house and attended funeral mass at St Anne's - it was so crowded and went to the cemetary too. We didnt go anywhere after that, as we were in a sad mood too. Jerry left to JB that night. Met Bro Martin at the funeral mass.

28th Dec:
Headed to Cameron Highlands, due to water disruption throughout Penang, so we decided to jalan-jalan. Kenneth went back to work.
It was an awesome weather at CH; just a one-day trip. Had the famous Chicken Rice at CH and visited Uncle Tangam & Aunty. Beautiful house!
Pics on Facebook.
Reached home about 11pm.

CHRISTMAS 2010 Part II

2011-01-10T10:42:00.001+08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas dinner – we ordered some food from Sivaj, and some we cooked. The food was good, indeed.

This year, we baked lots of cookies, mostly new recipes. And all 98% of them turned out very well indeed. Pics can be viewed on Facebook.
We did the traditional fruit cake, steamed for 6 hours, and traditional cookies which is murukku, achi murukku & halwa.

My colleagues were the first guests to arrive: Suba, Subenes, Thunesh, Vashini & Punita. I was happy they came. Then slowly, others came in; Mas came with her family; I was really overjoyed to see her and her mom. Azleena came a bit late, so she missed Mas, but I think she enjoyed the food too.
And I was happy to pass them with my gifts as they left.

Then our usual loyal guests; Uncle Siva & family, Uncle Asogan & family plus my childhood friend, Jayanthi, Aunty Mages & Family with the extra member, Banu’s fiancé.
It was just wonderful!

We exchanged gifts with Jayanthi, she bought for each one of us, and we bought for them all too. Aunty Vimala made a wonderful fruit cake as a gift. Awesome!

CHRISTMAS 2010 Part I

2011-01-04T11:13:00.004+08:00

I had the best Christmas – Christmas 2010!

There were so much happiness & joy & love in our homes & in our hearts. That’s what Christmas is all about. Many people have a wrong idea that Christmas is about Santa Claus, new clothes, lots of food, presents & wine & alcohol. Well, I would not deny that those listed things are part of Christmas, but people tend to focus on this more & missed the most important part of Christmas; sharing the joy & love of Christ.

Due to some family issues, we were a bit gloomy for past few months, but things took a better turn towards the end of the year and my heart is filled with joy.

I decided to buy gifts for almost everyone! I didn’t spend so much, I spent wisely on the gifts; some gifts were purposely purchased few weeks earlier, then when it came to Christmas week, I started to make a list on who gets what. My mom thinks I did a good job, cos it was well-planned & you wouldn’t feel a big hole in your pocket! So, mom decides to do the same for 2011 Christmas too.

In 2009, we had a quiet Christmas, cos it was just 1 month after my brother’s wedding. We spend so much on the wedding that we were so broke by the time Christmas was here. We didn’t have an open house, we spend it in Penang. But we had a small dinner on New Year’s Day (1 Jan 2010) for our cousins who helped in the wedding; they helped a lot!

So since 2009 was a quiet Christmas, we wanted to have a blast for 2010, it’s the usual Christmas, actually. We usually have our guests for dinner, so that from afternoon, mom & I prepare the food, while the boys prepare the chairs, tables, ice box filled with beer, etc.

The extra thing in 2010 was I felt extra happy & joy in my heart & all those extra Christmas gifts we bought for each other, we really thought of everyone when buying gifts among my family members. This is the first time, the gifts under the tree were so full, u see yourself! And we could feel the bond strengthened since we start to shop for gifts & exchange among ourselves.

What I got for my family:
Dad: 2 formal shirt; I gave him before Christmas, wanted him to wear on Christmas.
Mom: A Polo purse & MGR old love songs CD; she really loved this, cos it has the compilation of her fav MGR songs.
Anneh & Anni: Hanky + Polo socks & spice tray (all Indians uses this :p )
Kenneth: Hanky + Polo socks (not easy to buy shirts for my bros)
Jerry mama: A t-shirt

What I received:
From Anneh & Anni: A dinner handbag (damn nice) + very cute alarm clock
From Kenneth: Saree, will wear soon.

We went for Christmas mass and after Mass, we had supper at home. Then the next morning, everyone was up and by 9.30 am, we had our family prayers in front of the altar, thanked God for everything He has done for us, and then we took family photos.

*to be continued

15th Year Anniversary Celebration (TAMIL CHOICE)

2010-12-31T11:04:00.004+08:00

This event was held on 4th December. I represented the English CHOICE group. Thank God, that weekend I didn’t have other function and wanted to attend this Anniversary event, to show my support for the Tamil CHOICE.
But after buying the tickets, I found out that many girls were not going, the girls I’m close with. Then I rasa tadak mood to go. On that Saturday, it was raninig heavily, lagi la, I didn’t want to go. But mom insisted that I should go, since I paid for the tickets, so I went.
Fiona & some of the girls were already there. I wore a simple attire; the rain really spoilt my mood to dress up.

I met Sagaya as I reached the entrance & she guided me to the English CHOICE table; it was at the front. Fiona, her dad, Maureen, SuSee, Liz, Jacinta, Mary were all seated. Thank God, the show haven’t started.
Bishop Selva was there, as well as Fr Dom. After the opening speech, food was served. Jaya Catering Food, not bad la.

What I enjoyed most: the 2 MC’s – they were very entertaining & funny. They speak good Tamil. The other thing I enjoyed was the performance – wow, really superb! I really didn’t know they have so much of talents; the singing – superb voices; the dances – superb steps! Most of them sang as though they were professionals; no stage fright and there was Style when they sang. Really, damn good!
There were CHOICEe’s came from all over Penang diocese and also from KL too. There were also 2 singers (twin bros) who recently released their album and their songs are currently been playing in the local radio stations. They are like our local Tamil rappers; their song was really good. Another talent - they hail from Sg Siput.

The setback: The MC’s did a good job, but most of the time, they were talking among themselves. Since this is a 15th Anniversary, perhaps they could have done ‘walk down memory lane’ & share with us some interesting stories/facts. However, their jokes were really good.
Another thing, there was no door gift given. At least something to commemorate this event.

But overall, the event was awesome & 2 thumbs-up for them!

Friends!!

2010-12-31T08:20:00.002+08:00

Friends that I often sms:
Jayanthi
Bro Martin
Gahya

Friends that I often email, besides colleagues:
S Karthik
To Herald
Thi
Telly

Friends that I often joked and laugh with:
Raja Teh
Vashini
Punita
Hazzel
Jane and mom

Friends that I share my emotions and crisis:
Raja Teh
Vashini
Punita

Friends that usually rings me:
Geeta
Banks!

Mantra, to keep you going...

2010-12-07T09:47:00.001+08:00

This week Mantra brings you a couple of quizzes.

Let’s start with this one…

Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

Name the last five Booker prize winners.

Name the top five winners of the Miss World contest.

Name the last five winners of the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

Name the last five winners of the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Could you answer all the questions?

Now, let’s try the second quiz…

Name three teachers who aided your journey through school.

Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

Name five people who taught you something worthwhile.

Name three people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

List three heroes whose stories have inspired you.

Didn't you find the second quiz easier?

The people who make a difference in our life are not the ones with the maximum credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care for us; the ones who want us to make it big in life!

Old Man

2010-12-02T07:54:00.003+08:00

I always admired when I see old people still working. Of course, there are some who work because they are forced to, but I noticed most of them work because they want to earn by themselves and not be a burden for anyone.

My mom always tells me, that some old people, esp the Chinese, they work, so that they have their own money on their last day. Seem that their funeral should not be a burden for anyone. She knew this, cos earlier, we were staying in B’Garden, she had some Chinese friends.

So every time, mom & I see an old man/woman still working, usually at the market, she will remind me how hardworking they are & how they do not wish to burden anyone.

Yesterday, my family & I went for dinner at the restaurant just behind my house. While waiting for our food, a very, very old man was seen walking with the lottery tickets. My eyes were fixed on him immediately. He is soooo old! He was thin & walking so slowly & his face was so crumpled.

He came to our table; wave the tickets to my dad. He just waved back ‘tak mau’, but my mother said, ‘buy la for 10 ringgit, see your luck’. I even insisted my dad to buy, as I just can’t take my eyes off that old man.

I started to admire him. He must be so old, yet he is still working, earning for himself.

My dad bought for 10 ringgit, but luck was not on his side, but the old man said ‘u tengok paper hari Sembilan belai ini bulan’.

‘Pa, ask his age’, I was so curious. Dad asked, HE IS 90 YRS OLD!

Talking to dad

Memang expected! Cos he really look so old. But he can talk pretty clear, can hear his words, and the best part is he can speak Malay.

The restaurant where we went, there 2 young boys (teenagers), I think it’s the boss sons, and due to school holiday, they are here to help. They can’t speak Malay well, they don’t understand what we were ordering! We were not ordering fettuccine or fundue! My bro was pist, ‘what they learn in school then, malay also tak faham, ask to bring baby kalian, but we got the wrong vege!’

The old apek started to chat with us. He drove a Kancil & parked outside the restaurant. He showed his car ‘kereta kecil cukup untuk saya. Saya duduk dekat saja, taman jentayu, dengan anak pompuan.

Dad thought, surely he got lotsa children but he has only 4. ‘apek, dulu2 orang banyak anak, kenapa apek 4 saja’. Apek just laughed. ‘saya punya kawan, 2 tahun lagi besar saya, ada 1 bini, 16 anak. Bini saya sudah pegi 14 tahun. Saya punya anak besar sudah 61 tahun. Anak cucu saya sudah high school’ (cheh wah, cakap English). Even his cucu has a son!

Dulu kerja apa apek?

‘Muda-muda, kerja tukang emas. Duduk penang, pi butterworth, manyak tempat saya duduk, sakarang duduk sini la. Dulu ada itu orang England, itu KL odean tepi ada gaduh, saya ada sana. U ada ka masa tu?’ he asking my dad.

Saya lahir tahun 50, saya tak tau la apek.

‘Hari-hari saya kerja, dapat duit, sikit-sikit dapat, cukup untuk makan itu hari juga. Cukup la untuk saya. Tak mau kacau sapa sapa.’

Ah, I just admire this man! I’m sure the commission he gets from this lottery wouldn’t be so high, but its enough for his daily life. But I can see he can’t stand too long, so he sits even when someone is just taking their money from the pocket/wallet. He said goodbye & moved to the other tables, very slowly. And surprisingly, every table, at least 1 person bought the lottery tickets from him. And then he left.

Memorable Day

2010-11-24T07:12:00.002+08:00

Saturday, 20th November seems to be a memorable day.

It was Berintha’s engagement! Though we are not such deep friends but we have a good bond.
We knew each other when we studied tuition at IBM during form 6. That’s all, she is just my tuition friend and that was like 10 years ago. We got bonded mainly because of the color Purple – we are both purple maniac!
But we were close back then, err… I can’t recall what class we attended. PA & Economy class, I think.
Then when we parted from IBM, just before STPM, we took pics – wait, I’ll go look for it and load them.
But since then, we didn’t stop our friendship. Every year, I post her a Deepavali card & in turn I get a Christmas card from her, EVERY YEAR WITHOUT FAIL!
Then, we got connected through Facebook too. But I didn’t get a chance to meet her in between as she was studying in KL. And she got engaged last Saturday- I attended the function, it was held on Saturday from 10am, & lunch was served.
We hugged so tightly – so happy to see each other! Her family members are so friendly too, & the vegetarian food served was really fantastic. Spoke to her mom, introduced myself & told aunty that I’m meeting Berintha after 10 years! Took a photo with her, will wait for the photo from her. Regret that I didn’t bring mine :(

Then after lunch, mom & I went to Kamdar to look for curtains. We are planning to change the curtains this year. There were lots and lots of designs & materials – we were spoilt for choices!
We liked a particular design but we KIV, cos we want to check at other places too before we finalize. We want the best price at the best .

Then, I went to Max Style at Tesco with Jayanthi. Went for hair scalp & hair spa treatment, using their promotion voucher. Wah, it was nice! I enjoyed the treatment plus the service. I’ve never done treatment like this before. And for Jayanthi, the gal did feedback that so far she is the 1st gal to come in with the longest hair! Jayanthi was thrilled!

We were pampered with a wonderful massage! And came out with good results!

Deepavali 2010

2010-11-23T07:52:00.009+08:00

...More pics...
Vichitra & Me, Deepavali Lights

With Vichitra, Pooja & Mom

Uncle Mohan, Uncle Ashok & Dad

Cheers for our friendship

Suba's house

Deepavali 2010

2010-11-23T07:22:00.003+08:00

This year, Deepavali was totally different for me.

We spent it with our long-lost childhood friends. Meeting them after so many years, though we did contact a bit some years ago, but Deepavali 2010 was indeed a real reunion.

With Jayanthi, the gal on her lap is Divya, with me is Pooja, Vimala's 2nd gal. Aunty Vimala behind me. Red top is Ambrish's wife.

On Deepavali eve, as usual, we went to uncle Siva’s house. He is dad’s colleague from TNB & he will be retiring soon. We know since we were small, as they were working colleagues & we often visit them during Deepavali & they will come over for Christmas.

Few days before Deepavali, we went to Ashok uncle’s house, just to kaypoh on their Deepavali celebration. Aunty Vimala was baking cookies at that time & she showed us what else she has baked so far. Then she told us that this year her brother-in-law, uncle Mohan & the whole family will be in BM to celebrate Deepavali.

I was so excited!! Uncle Mohan & their family were our childhood friends.

Aunty Vimala say, ‘come spend Deepavali with us.’

So on Deepavali morning, we were there – met uncle Mohan, Jayanthi & Ambrish – lots of hugs, smiles and hand shakes!

Uncle Mohan was our very next door neighbor when we were in Desa Damai flats. I was 2 when we moved there from Baling. And we moved out from Desa Damai when dad bought a house in B”Garden – I was 5. Jayanthi was close to me and my elder brother, while Ambrish (Jayanthi’s bro) was close to Kenneth.

Uncle Mohan also moved (before us), they went to Butterworth and his brother, Ashok came & lived in their house (next to us), that’s how we know uncle Ashok well too.

Even when Uncle Mohan & family moved to Bw, we still kept in touch, we would visit them quite often. Jayanthi & I wrote letters, and we lost touch as we grew older – when she finished SPM, went to college, & we lost contact, but we still had contact with Uncle Ashok, cos they were still staying in BM. Uncle Ashok married Vimala & have 2 gals. I’ve seen both gals grow since they were born. The eldest is now 16.

Wow, we really know these 2 families for so many years indeed!

Ambrish is married & has a 2 year old very cute gal. Jayanthi also married (registered last month), and will migrate to Canada soon. I will miss her so badly!

We were at Ashok’s houser till 12 noon, then left. But Aunty Vimala said not enough time spent, so she asked us to come for dinner. We obliged!

With Jayanthi, in the morning, uncle Ashok's house.

I went to Logis house, had lunch there. Her parents were so happy that we came. I was so glad to see Logis after so long. We went home after that, had a short rest at home, before we went for dinner, again to Ashok’s house.

At Logis house

I went to Suba’s house, for dinner, catch up with my Dell colleagues. I dropped appa & amma at Ashok’s house and went to Suba’s house. Had good time at Suba’s place, but I missed seeing Ruby; she came a bit late. I had to go.

Then, we were back again at Ashok’s house. Chatting & catching up a lot of things. We were there till midnite & everyone was wide awake, busy chatting. We took photos, as this is indeed a memorable Deepavali for all of us. Uncle Mohan & Ashok, as usual, joking away - & we laughed a lot!

Thank God Jayanthi is still around – we need to catch up lots of things indeed!

Threads of love

2010-11-10T07:22:00.003+08:00

For the first time, my article appeared in The Star. It was featured on The Gap. I've written this imaginary story almost a year ago, and finally it was acknowledged and published on 7 Nov 2010.
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=%2F2010%2F11%2F7%2Flifefocus%2F7348693&sec=lifefocus

THE GAP
By MARLINA SARA

MY sister and mother stopped speaking to each other when I was 10. Jani is five years older than me. She was only 15 when she started dating a boy from school. He was not an Indian boy and my parents were against it when they found out.

I was her only sister, but Jani never shared anything with me, unlike my pals, who were very thick with their sisters. I just assumed that maybe I was too young for her to share things with me.

My mother took early retirement to be a full-time housewife after I was born. She used to be a discipline teacher, so you can imagine what the house rules were like.

We had a timetable which she glued to the refrigerator. And our dining table was also the study table. Mum’s style of bringing us up was: “Always eat your food and widen your knowledge at the same table.”

As Jani was doing poorly in her studies, dad decided to watch her after school hours. He noticed that most of the time, she skipped school. One day, he found that she had been out with a boy.

That night, mum locked me in my room and we heard her beating my sister. I will never forget the sounds that night.

Jani stopped speaking to mum after that. After her SPM, dad sent her to his sister’s house in Seremban. I remember helping her pack her things and we chatted a bit, but I dared not ask her about that night.

We waved her goodbye at the train station and I saw mum hug her. But Jani stood like a statue and didn’t even raise her arm. Mum passed a small bag to her. I wondered what was inside.

It had been eight years since Jani left. She wrote to dad, but only twice a year. I learnt that she did Form 6 but didn’t continue her studies after that.

One day, a letter came, addressed to mum. After reading it, she held it close to her chest and I saw that she was crying.

Mum announced that Jani was coming home. We went to the railway station to greet her.

Jani brought a big suitcase and I saw the small bag that mum had given her years ago. She had a big smile on her face – I had missed that for a long time.

Mum ran to her, held her hands tightly and cried as much as she could. Those were tears she had kept within her heart for many years. I saw tears streaming from dad’s eyes too.

For one whole week, I was unable to speak to Jani. Mum was with her all the time, chatting and laughing away.

One night, Jani took some plain tee-shirts and gave one to each of us. They were all white but she had embroidered our names and beautiful patterns on the sleeves. It was beautiful. She had sewn them really well.

“Jani, you must tell me what mum gave you in that bag when you left home,” I insisted.

She handed me the bag and asked me to open it. Inside, I saw a letter, written by mum:

“I’m sorry for hitting you that night. Mum hates to send you away but it was dad’s decision. This roll of thread, when knitted, will turn into a beautiful piece. I know your hands can do it. Come home with a beautiful piece.”

Jani said: “Mum gave me a roll of thread and a needle. She knew I am good with sewing, rather than studying. And I did this for all of you.

“I was angry with her as I thought she had sent me away. After opening the bag, I decided that I would only come home when I had made some beautiful pieces for each one of you.”

In tears, Jani and I hugged and promised that we would never be apart again. We bonded our relationship by learning embroidery together. Mum joined us, too, and sealed our bond.

BM parishioners bid farewell to Msgr Liew

2010-11-10T07:18:00.001+08:00

**as appeared on Herald on Oct 31 2010.

PENANG: The transfer of priests for the Penang diocese was announced recently. The parish priest of St Anne, Msgr Stephen Liew has been posted to St Michael’s Church, Ipoh. A thanksgiving Mass and a farewell dinner were held for Msgr Stephen Liew in St Anne’s Church on Oct 10. During the homily, Fr Francis Xavier from Nibong Tebal shared the Gospel.

“We hear about the 10 lepers who were healed by Jesus but only 1 came back to give thanks. Today, we are reminded to count our blessings and give thanks to the Lord.” “If you’re a grateful person, then God is with you. Saying ‘Thanks’ is another way to express the presence of God.”

Fr Francis Xavier also commented about Msgr Liew leaving the parish, “We studied together in the seminary and we were good friends, even though we were not in the same class. This is a good chance for me to celebrate Mass with him and give thanks for his friendship.” After Mass, a farewell dinner was arranged at the St Anne’s Hall, right opposite the church. It was also a farewell dinner for former resident priest Fr Clement Pereira who recently moved in to the Little Sisters of the Poor in Batu Lanchang.

Bishop Antony Selvanayagam, together with Fr Victor Louis, Fr Maiccal Sinnappan and Assistant Parish Priest of St Anne Fr Simon Ee, attended the dinner. The PPC Chairman, Lazarus Anthony, began his speech with a prayer. He welcomed everyone present. The hall was packed. . The Bishop was then invited to say a few words to the outgoing priest. “It’s so pleasant to see a big crowd here. He did a lot of things for this parish during the past 5 ½ years.

And now he should go and do the same in his new place in Ipoh. It’s a Catholic custom to welcome a priest and say goodbye after a period of five to six years. And every priest has new ideas to improve the parish. This is a way of extending one’s skills.” Msgr Stephen Liew was indeed touched and thanked the PPD and the Finance Ministry for organizing this. “I thank each and everyone of you for being here tonight. I thank you for working with me for the past 5 ½ years. I also thank Fr Clement, for his great help while he was here in St Anne’s.” A souvenir gift was presented to Msgr by the PPC Chairman. —By Marlina Sara

GOD, make me into a TV

2010-10-21T12:48:00.001+08:00

A teacher from Primary School asks her students to write an essay about what they would like God to do for them... At the end of the day, while marking the essays in the house, she read one that made her very emotional.

Her husband, who had just walked in, saw her crying and asked her:- 'What happened?'
She answered- 'Read this. It is one of my students' essay.'

'Oh God, tonight I ask you something very special :
Make me into a television. I want to take its place and live like the TV in my house.
Have my own special place, And have my family around ME.
To be taken seriously when I talk....
I want to be the centre of attention and be heard without interruptions or questions.
I want to receive the same special care that theTV receives even when it is not working.
Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired.
And I want my mom to want me when she is sad and upset, instead of ignoring me...
And... I want my brothers to fight to be with me...
I want to feel that family just leaves everything aside, every now and then, just to spend some time with me.
And last but not least, ensure that I can make them all happy and entertain them...
Lord I don't ask you for much... change me into a TV, I just want to live like a TV.'

At that moment the husband said :- 'My God, poor kid. What a horrible parents!'

The wife looked up at him and said:- 'That essay is our son's'.....

Kuih-kuih / Cookies # 1

2010-10-11T11:11:00.005+08:00

These are some of my mom's and my signature cookies ;) - chehwaaah.....

My mom is good in baking and cooking and everything actually. But thank God, I inherit at least her baking skills.

But sometimes, when it comes to testing the oven's temperature or re-bake a cookie/cake that looks under-cook, I still need to seek her.

Some of our famous cookies.

Let's begin with....

Jam Tart cookies is my mom's ever-famous cookies. Made with pure pineapple puree (home-made). I still remember, one-time, we made over 500 Jam Tart cookies, it was a Deepavali order some years ago. My mom also personally loves Jam Tart cookies and this is a MUST-DO cookies during Christmas, and sometimes on Easter too.

Jam Tart Cookies - 50 pieces
RM19
** prices may change according to economy standard**

Choc Cake

2010-10-08T08:53:00.006+08:00

Chocolate cake has always been my craze.

I started to bake my own, which I inherit from my mother. My elder brother is also good in baking during his teenage years, then I cultivate my interest through him actually.

Tips on baking a good chocolate cake.

#1 - Make sure you're in the good mood and you're happy to bake a cake. If you're mood is out, I can bet, your cake will turn ugly.

#2 - Ensure all ingredients are ready; some of the ingredients can be substituted, but if you're baking for the first time, follow the recipe 100%

#3 - Your kitchen is clean; and everything you gonna use is clean - most importantly, make sure you are clean!

#4 - Need a good oven & the right heat on the oven.

These are the main tips :)

Just started

In the hot oven

It's ready - putting simple Choc icing

More on Endhiran

2010-10-04T09:02:00.000+08:00

Rajinikanth Endhiran is the most expensive movie made with Rs 150 crores, fans are going crazy to watch Rajinis movie. Sources said that the movie have already earned Rs 210 crores clearly making a profit. Endhiran is set to be the biggest hit in the history of indian cinema.3 idiots earned a total net amount of Rs 201 crores, Endhiran set to break that record. Endhiran released worldwide on friday and on its way to break the record.It was also released at Europes biggest cinema hall colosseum Kino. The state’s Chief minister Karunanidhi too watched the movie at special screening at Sathyam cinemas in chennai.

First day earning is not announced but the movie was released in packed houses. The robot based movie released in 2,250 prints. It is expected that the movie is going to be biggest hit ever and is also ready to break all records at the Bollywood box office.

The expectation for the movie business is around Rs 400-Rs 450 in first month. Rs 190 crore was the cost of expenditure for the movie. Rajinikanth and Aish starrer movie Endhiran has been made in 3 languages i.e. Tamil, Hindi & Telugu.

Transfers of Penang diocese priests 2010

2010-09-30T14:24:00.002+08:00

The transition will take place in October and by November 2010.

Farewell to Msgr Stephen Liew – farewell Mass and dinner on 10/10/10

We welcome Rev Fr Henry Rajoo to St Anne’s BM.

Official Crap of Mine!

Friday the 13th, 2012

Realistic Resolutions

Food, food, food :)

What should I do on my birthday this year?

You are beautiful, just as you are

New Year 2012

Meeting mum’s expectations

How one can live without a father’s love?

CHOICE 56

Pets Blessing

Guzaarish 2010

ST Anne's Feast 2011

Actual intention

Sauna experience

My family and I - part 2

My family and I - part 1

Father's Day 2011

From 1st June 2011

From 1st June 2011

Finally... lunch with them... 2/6

Taking after mum and dad

Friday 13 MAY 2011

Jalan-jalan Penang

5 Years in Dell

Meatless Day....

Columbarium of St Anne’s

8 Common Dating Lines - decoded

Countless Blessings

Installation of Parish Priest in BM

Dialogue

Scott McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Denise Jackson American Idol 2011, Las Ve...

Ponggal celebration at St Anne, BM

CHOICE New Year 2011

Top Movies 2010

Zee Cine Awards 2011

SUGAR

Wedding!

New Year 2011!

CHRISTMAS 2010 Part III

CHRISTMAS 2010 Part II

CHRISTMAS 2010 Part I

15th Year Anniversary Celebration (TAMIL CHOICE)

Friends!!

Mantra, to keep you going...

Old Man

Memorable Day

Deepavali 2010

Deepavali 2010

Threads of love

THE GAPBy MARLINA SARA

BM parishioners bid farewell to Msgr Liew

GOD, make me into a TV

Kuih-kuih / Cookies # 1

Choc Cake

More on Endhiran

Transfers of Penang diocese priests 2010

THE GAP
By MARLINA SARA