How Achilles or Beatrice will look like today

Today marks the 13th week of Achilles/Beatrice's creation.

Here's how he or she would look like inside Darleng

Achilles @ Week 12

Not exactly clear on pix, but definitely active and kicking in the womb on LCD screen.

Another 28 weeks to go and we have a complete family on board.

Achilles @ Week #8

The clinical visit at Sunway Medical Centre shows a profile pix of Achilles (with little hand waiving to Samantha). He is about 17mm, that's double the size of what he was 2 weeks ago.

Progressing well, I reckon. Pix to be loaded when time permits

Sunset at Miri

The city of Miri's symbol, the statue of the Seahorse stands guard at the mouth of the river, as majestic as the Merlion of Singapore and the Cat statue from Kuching City.

This pix is taken just before sunset from the balcony of my hotel room at Parkcity Everlyotel, located adjacent to Marriott Miri. At USD61 / nite, it is a pleasant place to bunk in (4*). Circa 6 Nov 2008 (sunsets at 6.15pm)


A magnificient view of the sunset a the Luak Beach, where ParkCity Everly Hotel is located. Caught sunrise at Kuantan's Teluk Cempaka recently (where Hyatt Regency Hotel is located), the sunset here completes the saga.

The final minutes before the light vanishes across the South China Sea. Pix taken on wide angle using Panasonic TZ5 (pre-set on 'sunset' mode)

Dinner at nearby popular Taman Selera (equivalent to Medan Selera) food center. Located next to seaside, the sea breeze adds flavour to the ambience. Many stalls are located here, mostly with Chinese names. Popular in East Malaysia (particularly Sarawak) is the Paku vege dish (locally known as Midin). This cost an affordable RM 6.

This one kg plus of delicious crab only lightened my wallet by RM18. I think my wife enjoyed most of this 'crab' thingy.

The fish was rather small for RM 15. Taste wise rather blend. Nothing to shout about. But then, it's only one stall, at least a dozen there.

We visited the Boulevard Shopping Mall located about 5 km from the Hotel. Supposingly the largest (with a hypermart inside). Nothing extraordinary, except the usual cashiers we see in Klang Valley hypermarts are replaced by locals (and they are chinese). Also not seen are the hordes of populace with scarfs and unlike at the Peninsular, we have all races sitting together at the open air chinese restaurants enjoying dinner (much like Kuching).

Will be heading to Brunei tomorrow and take a gasp at Jerudong Park

Americans have chosen a new President

'Change has come to America'

Obama claims historic U.S. presidential win

Barack Obama has won the 2008 U.S. presidential election, defeating John McCain, and will be sworn in as the first African-American to hold the nation's highest office.

Achilles is now 6 weeks & 4 days

Achilles on 3 November 2008










Achilles on 20 October 2008

Tokyo stocks on Deepavali 2007 at 26 year low

World markets slide further;

Nikkei at 26-year low

HONG KONG: World markets resumed their slide on Monday, with Japan's Nikkei stock index falling to a 26-year low, as government rescue measures failed to ease fears of a prolonged global recession.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Achilles' observation:

Looks like the prophecy of some wise men last year (2007) made during a dinner is slowly but surely coming true. It was then the peak of everything, oil price at record high, commodities such as palm oil at record high, tin, gold and whatever metal are all at record high. Of course the stock market was at record high too together with extended credits on loans and house prices were then at record high.

What was observed was back in the roaring 20s (1920s to be precise), everything then were at record high from rubber, tin, gold and and economies were exhilarated with new found usage and demands soring from industrialization. Stock market then was at record high (then).

What followed as we now have in every economic literature, was the Great Depression. The wise men prophesied the coming of another great depression, given the identical symptoms and similar causes for the high prices.... a bubble, a big big bubble that got bigger than a layman could ever imagine.

Bear Sterns was the start of what we have now. Will be have World Depression II? We had the Great War during the 1910s. The 2nd great war was named World War II and the Great War renamed World War I. The coming of another great depression seems imminent but those in authority seems quite concerted in moving towards preventing the collapse (judging from the learnt experience from the other depression). If that happens, will we have World Depression II and rename the Great Depression as World Depression I? I certainly hope such would not materialise.

The world didn't learn from the Great War and that lead to the 2nd great war. Hope is all we have. Consumers' confidence is utmost required to save the world, not the trillions of 'printed money' churned out by the governments. The more they print and pump into the system, the worse it will be.

The bubble had burst. We must blow new but manageable bubbles to fuel the economies. Those with cash must invest and consumers must spend. Else, the ironical but famous oxymoron "paradox of thrift" be out from the Pandora's box. Everyone starts to cut, from governments, banks, those who have, leaving those who have not to face once again, the deserted markets.

Food for thoughts

Mark Twain once wrote "The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."

I reckon correspondingly, "The man who does not eat good food has no advantage over the man who can't eat." So, I'll feast myself tonight with my family.

To Win, you must play the Game

An old guru taught us during a management training program, that to win, one has to play the game. Much like no venture no gain (vis-a-vis no pain no gain). As Thomas Edison had left the legacy, that there are no losers, only those who quit along the path to success.

As a Chinese Sage had once said, if you can keep the hills green, why worry for the lack of woods to burn. Sun Tzu's Art of War also advocates the strategem of retreat as a mean to advance. So losing is also part of the game, if you pursue in your course to winning, but you must play the game.

New Trainee

Our office, in addition to our new recruit, has a new trainee for this year end break, a refreshing welcome replacing the UUM industrial trainee, Danny who completed his period of studies last month.

We had a good couple of hours of work planning for this coming assignment out of klang valley. Size does grow with time.

Financial Meltdown Continues Unabated

Today in Financial History reporting:

Published: Thursday October 23, 2008 MYT 8:52:00 AM
Updated: Thursday October 23, 2008 MYT 9:37:59 AM

Asian stock markets open lower Thursday

TOKYO: Asian stock markets opened lower Thursday in the wake of the lower closing in New York, Europe, Latin America and elsewhere overnight.

Japan's key stock index has plunged more than 7 percent in early trade on worries over weak corporate earnings.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average dropped 658.08 points, or 7.59 percent, to 8,016.61 as of 9:55 am (0055 GMT) on Thursday.

The Japanese index extended losses after tumbling almost 7 percent Wednesday as investors dumped shares on growing pessimism over corporate earnings and fears over a slump in the global economy.

Sentiment in Tokyo was also sluggish in line with a 5.69-percent loss on Wall Street on Wednesday amid worries that the global economy is poised to weaken.

In Kuala Lumpur the benchmark Composite Index was 1.6% lower fifteen minutes after opening at 889.85 points down 14.43 points.

Losers led gainers 183 to 33 and 48 counters were unchanged. Volume was 259574 lots.

Jusco J Card Day

Spent 2 hours, of which 15mins trying to get into the car park, 15mins trying to leave the car park. Luckily a parking space just appeared when on the roof top (thanks to Achilles' lucky star).

Not sure why so many people get to have time off during work hours just to shop. OK, the 10% rebate in vouchers was attractive but still.... how so many could have made it there (with or without the Boss' knowledge). Or recession had hit hard, so many retrenched, or life in the city is so good, every other person is a sole proprietor.

Got what I wanted, including a smoothies' blender. Now ABC and Cendol is my making when I crave :)

Great Photos

Jackie with Alex & Samantha Chan - Hong Kong 2006




















Sydney's Harbour Bridge Climb 2007
















Nelson Bay, Australia Sand Surf (Honeymoon)
































Kota Kinabalu 2007 & Mount Kinabalu

Achilles or Beatrice

While the Chinese Calendar (from the web) points to Achilles, Beatrice might just do a coup.

Both are highly sought for in the inner circle between Samantha & Alex. Positively created on 22nd September, after the Hangzhou Sojourn (Hangzhou Sojourn 17 to 22 Sep), it's been 4 weeks since.

We look forward to 16 June to party with either Achilles or Beatrice :)

The short but sweet 'love story'

between Uncle Raymond's daughter and Auntie Sawleng's son

Kuantan Sojourn 2008

Rather than duplicate, let's replicate

1st Blog

Blogging of a million pages begin with the first blog