Demolition of Pudu Jail

Pudu Jail should have been preserved as a National heritage. Instead, Pudu Jail has to tear down at the expense of development. The controversial demotion of Pudu Jail began on 21 June 2010 (Monday night) when the walls of the historic 115 years Pudu Jail were torn down. The facade of the entrance should have preserved for historical reasons and its significance as the prison was one of the country's oldest building.

Why were plans to tear down the infamous Pudu Jail not met with objections? The mural by the convicts on the walls of Pudu Jail has set a record and it is definitely sad to see the iconic building go.

Sad to say, a historical landmark has to go after so many years

Jet Lag

Jet Lag is the reaction to the changes in the time zones when we travel particularly from West to East or vice versa. Jet Lag sure can dampen the travelling spirit. The other day I was having a discussion with a friend of mine on how to reduce symptoms of jet lag.

The following are some of the ways to reduce symptoms of jet lag:
Keep your posture right
Keep your posture right is the key. Do not slouch.

Reset your watch
Simply setting your watch to the time zone you are travelling can make the difference as you are mentally preparing yourself to the time difference. Get enough sleep so that you are at ease and energetic once you are awake.

Hydrate yourself
Drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as they dehydrate the bodies fast. Fruit juices or water are the best to stay feeling good throughout the journey.

Stretch
Improve circulation by stretching your limbs as and whenever possible. Remove your shoes when you stretch your feet.

Take deep breath
Take deep breath so as to enable your brain get enough oxygen.

Keep yourself busy
If the need persists, read a book or listen to music. Interesting activities such as reading a book, listening to music will help pass those long hours. Relaxing is also very important as you travel.

Last but not least, ensure you eat right, carry light and keep yourself stress free.

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Myths About Being Thin

We are what we eat. Fashion experts glorify size zero and many attempt to look beyond a woman's size or weight and say that ultimately it does not matter that much. Size does not matter.

Append below are some the myths about being thin
Myth: Thin people are healthy
Healthy people are fit from the inside out. What we see outside may not really be the truth as thin people may be having illnesses such as digestive problem, infections and so on. Likewise on the other side of the coin, plump people are also encountering the same problem.

Healthy people have a healthy mind and body and able to balance between work and play.

Myth: Starving is a good way to lose weight
It would not be advisable to starve oneself as one may be depriving of proper nutrition. There are side effects if one starve oneself as it will harm the entire body and its mechanism. Starving oneself and becoming anorexic is definitely not the answer.

Myth: Thin people do not need to exercise
If one engages in physical exercise/activities, it will boost the energy to a level of great health benefits.

Myth: Being thin makes you happy
Being happy is a state of the mind. It does not have any co-relation with being thin. Happiness comes from a sense of achievement, good and healthy relationship and positive thinking. Happiness also depends on one's interpretation of life.

Myth: Thin people are not prone to heart diseases
This is a common misconception. Heart diseases are related to one's stress level and the cholesterol level and any one may be at risk irrespective of the body's weight.

Myth: Thin people can eat and not get fat
No, it depends on how fast one can burn the calories and maintain the weight according to the body metabolism.

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BE Activities

I attended a BE dinner at Lemon Garden on 040610.

The purpose of a BE dinner would be manyfolds:

o to establish closer working relationship with my peers, superiors and colleagues;
o to maintain a better two way communications with my working colleagues;
o to take a good break from the work and be able to relax.

However, it did not really achieve the objectives, simply for the reason that layout of the tables was such that staff tend to sit with their colleagues in the same unit. There should be intermixing the staff so as to get to know each one better.

BE also encompasses the best practices such as organize birthday celebrations, out of office activities such as dinner and games. In this manner, employees develop a strong emotional bond and team spirit with one other. I strongly believe the the BE champion will have to co-ordinate the activities in such a manner that staff will get together to have fun and interact with staff of other unit ie fostering a better working relationship with others.

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Knowing me, knowing you

I have attended a course `Knowing me, knowing you' from 25 May 2010 to 26 May 2010. It relates very well to the song `Knowing me, knowing you' by Abba. It also inspired me to register for the course as I need to understand myself first before others ie me before you.

The course covered the following areas:

NLP Communication Model
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) embraces the art and science of personal excellence. It is think, act and results. Thinking by visualisation in picture form, then putting into action and having the desired results. The power of the brain was clearly demonstrated by focusing on the pencil attached to an end of the string by forming a visual picture of the pencil turning in a circular movement. I also experienced using my inner senses to fully relax in a state of mind without any pressure and still receptive of the surroundings.

DISC Personality Profiling
By observing the DISC personality, it goes a long way in us having a win win situation with our customers. It also assists in our interpersonal skills and relationship with your peers, superiors and friends. Half the battle will be won if we can analyse our customers DISC personality. We even went to the extent of profiling strangers on the street by identifying the manner they carried themselves and the way they talked.

The power of words
The words we used have a direct impact on our thinking and feelings. We have to change the word `failure' to `learning curve' or `feedback'. There is no failure, only feedback. It will have a more positive impact that failure. Change the negatives into positives. We will we respond to the positive faster than the negative.

The importance of nutrition
We are what we eat. In this era of fast paced and stressful working environment, we have to maintain a healthy body in order to face the challenges ahead.

Last but not least, we have a facilitator that is very entertaining at times. Adrian (the facilitator) has his sense of humour and that made the difference. Adrian also have an innovative way of presenting the certificates at the end of the day. Each of the participants has to identify the rightful holder of the certificates.

At the end of the day, it is still me and only me that will decide my destiny in life. I first need to make the change by thinking positively, take the necessary action to get the best of the desired results.

Bak Kut Teh

The test of the pudding is in the eating. How very true. We were at the Ka Ka Bak Kut Teh store in Jalan Kepong, opposite Carrefour Kepong. We were impressed by a lot of diners when we passed Jalan Kepong some time back. The number of diners is testimony enough of good food.

Ka Ka Bak Kut Teh has tables placed in the open air. We got to enjoy a pot of Bak Kut Teh in herbal soup together with crunchy `yau zher kwai'. We were very impressed by the onion rice and guess what my friends all have had a second helping of the rice.

At the time we left the place, the diners did not fill the place to its full capacity, reason being most of them would have stayed at home to witness the semi Final Thomas Cup between Malaysia and China.

Well, you may have Ka Ka Bak Kut Teh in mind if ever you decides for a pot of pork cooked in herbal soup.

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Traffic Rules

`Red means stop' is the fundamental rule in the traffic light. The different colour of the traffic light denotes something `green' allows traffic to proceed, `amber' is a signal to slow down and prepare to stop and `red' means stop.

However motorists have not observed the rules of the traffic as some motorists have blatantly crossed the junction when the traffic light has turned red. Are they ignorant of the rules or are they adopting a `tidak apa' attitude? Whatever it is, the motorists should not do it at the expense of others particularly when a human life is involved.

How many road casualties have to occur before the motorists realise the importance of adhering to traffic rules? These are simple fundamental rules and motorists should not have brush them aside in their haste to reach their destination.

Just imagine how chaotic the traffic will be when motorists choose to ignore the rights of traffic from the opposite direction.

Don't wait until untoward accident to happen. Right now, change your attitude and don't take the gamble.

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