Fishes on treadmill...

Started last few week, I need to get back doing some exercises, especially on weekend. Reason being, I was unfit to donate blood. Perhaps due to moral obligation, I need to give back what the society had given me last time. I had anemia problem when I was a kid, and the doctor ran blood transfusion.

While jogging, walking, jogging, stop and walking again, I stopped by a bridge running across the huge monsoon drain. Catching breath, I snapped the photo above.

I was wondering why the fishes avoid the deeper water and prefer staying on the shallow water, where the water is running fast. Perhaps they are avoiding being carried away by the current and have to stay in the lake, where's the predator lurking. I saw most of the fishes feed on the grass.

Or perhaps they enjoy swimming while in static position, braving the rapid water stream, just letting their gills open for diluted oxygen....

The way I see it, they were just exercising on treadmill..........

Patience...

I spelled wrongly the title with 'patient'. This is what happen if you relying too much on the check spelling function of current word processor... Some of our intelligence brain function being taken over by machine.

A friend of mine recently professed, that among all the things that has taught him through life experience, formally or informal... he's still fail to undertake patience. For him, thing he want now, he really meant now or probably a bit later, but not so late. He can't bear waiting or just being patience, and he's not so smart in hiding it. His expression of dissatisfaction or impatience is written all over his face.

He's mentioned, that I am fairly have certain level of patience....

Me, patience..... Are you sure? you are knocking on the wrong door my friend. The recognition just struck me. Is he just pulling my leg, or I am actually reached that level of virtue. Or perhaps I am getting older, slow in response and retaliation, less sudden surge of energy to shout or being vocal... making this inferior to become good moral value, p a t i e n c e.

Since he's insisted, I just told him that patience is something that cannot be learned easily. Life experience, hardship, good example from other people and time will only expedite the learning process.

Most good moral values require us to take action either verbal or physical. Such as generosity, we need to take action by making contribution either material or moral. And kindness, we need to show or kindness by being polite, smile a lot, talk nicely etc. In short, our muscle need to be in motion, in order to generate good moral action.

Patience is totally different game. Being patience, means abstain yourself from making any action, physically or verbally, against misfortune, pain, hardship, annoyance, intimidation, unfairness, criticism, mistreatment and all other negative thing.....

For me, real patience is more than that. It's something to do with inner strength and virtue for abstaining or refraining yourself in taking action or retaliation to the inflicting subject, while you are in power or highly capable in defeating the subject.

But normally we use the term patience, when we know we're losing, or incapable of doing anything. That's not patience, but a kind of terminology to make ourselves feel better....

..... and about my friend, I think he need to talk to wiser people......

TUDM open day...and Thunderbird air show

Two week ago I managed to witness the performance of the famous US Air force acrobatic team, the Thunderbird. This event was in conjunction with TUDM open day at Subang air base. Since the opening of KLIA and LCCT, I have never been to Subang airport. KLIA has taken over the function of the main airport while LCCT has played as budget airline airport.

And to my surprise, Subang airport has been renovated and look quite nice from the outside. I pass through the place as I headed to TUDM air base .

The air show began with TUDM Sukhoi Su-30 solo air show. I was amazed with the boldness yet highly skillful maneuver performed by TUDM pilot , especially when the jet plane take almost vertical climb then dive sharply toward the landing area. It's just seem the plane would crash and couldn't pick up the altitude.

And I have to admit, fighter pilot are different breed of human, perhaps due to their training, high discipline and professionalism.

The show continue with Thunderbird showing their skill, maneuver and formation. All the stunt and formation precisely choreograph. It's like watching ballet or circus show. The 1 hour air show, seem like 15 minutes.

Even though the weather is not so hot that day, the heat is almost unbearable, probably due to the crowds and open concrete landing strips.

The spokesperson for the team give information on the formation names and the skill level involved, with their loudspeaker. Some information on the history and the pilots involved was also told.

And not forgotten, the US propaganda in maintaining the so called world peace.
The sound of the jet engines, the sight of jet plane flying over your heads and the incredible air stunt maneuver, transform me back to a little boy.

early morning sun....

It's has been quite some time, I haven't write anything on this blog... probably I still 'mabuk ketupat' and 'lodeh'. Took a week long break for Hari Raya Aidil Fitri back in Muar. Perhaps when our mind and time preoccupied with thing or person we are concerned, everything else became less significant.

This photo was taken in the morning, around 7:15am, 2 days ago. As I prepare to go to work, I saw the sun was rising on the horizon. Get back inside the house and took some shot. The red/orange color of the sky probably indication of unhealthy level of air quality, which getting worst gradually.

SE W995...

I received my new hand phone a few weeks ago. It's a SE W995, it has been quite some time that I use Ericsson hand phone. My first ericsson mobile phone was during the analog ART900 service, and I can't remember what model it is.

I lost my N95 during my tour of duty in Hanoi, .... N95 missing in action. It was a very good hand phone,.. I really like the Carl Zeiss lens camera, either for taking photo or short video clip. The GPS functionality also not disappointing.

Nevertheless, there are a a few let down such as short battery life... one full charge wouldn't last a day or probably my battery has gone bad. And the other thing is the casing, why they didn't make the back cover casing from sturdier material, stainless steel or aluminium....

I am glad, W995 address both issues... but I am not quite happy with the camera quality. N95 image quality is better.

The accelerometer function, which are now very popular with the new mobile phone... introduce by IPhone... provide lots of fun, especially with motion game. Bowling is my favourite game, although till now, I haven't finish the gold cup level...

The Walkman functionality is just amazing... you can increase the volume by moving the unit toward you, or decrease by moving the unit away from you. You need to press the Walkman button while doing this. In addition, you can shuffle the track by shaking the unit...

Ramadhan... 3rd day

Salam,

Hari ini adalah hari ketiga dalam bulan suci Ramadhan. Alhamdulillah aku maseh diberi kesempatan dan nikmat kesehatan dariNya untuk menjalani ibadah puasa. Antara bulan dan masa yg aku paling suka adalah bulan Ramadhan. Mungkin kerna setiap muslim pada bulan ini menjaga diri masing2 dari melakukan dosa dan banyak bersabar. Suasana jadi tenang dan jiwa tambah tenteram.

Tapi ada juga golongan manusia yg terang2an muslim, bercakap Melayu, kulit sawo matang... tidak berpuasa di khalayak ramai. Apa yg dia nak buktikan agaknya.. keegoannya, keberanian dan kemachoan sesama manusia... atau angkuh mencabar perintah Allah. Semalam aku baru terjumpa spesis ni sorang, beratur nak beli tiket... berkepul2 asap rokok dari jari dia... cakap bahasa Melayu, muka memanglah Melayu.. aku tenung je, kalau dia berlagak dengan aku, memang aku belasah dia on the spot....

Waktu aku dlm perjalan pulang aku terfikir, patutla H1N1 datang.. untuk memberi peluang org yg berfikir untuk berfikir... untuk org yg angkuh dan tidak berfikir, datanglah bala sehebat mana pun.... ada saja alasan logik untuk mentakrifkannya.

Aku maseh teringat dulu waktu bekerja di negara jiran, kalau ada kesempatan dan tak malas, masjid Rahman di celah-celah rumah dan kedai di karet Pedurenan lah tempat solat terawih. Antara jemaah2 sekalian yg memakai baju koko, ada sesat seorang jemaah pakai baju Melayu...

Semoga Bonda cepat sembuh...

Early this week, my older sister and I send our mother for medical checkup in a private hospital. She's being dry coughing for the past few months. Before I left for Vietnam 6 months ago, I was the one who's coughing profusely.... luckily during that time, H1N1 is not as serious as now. If not, I will be surely lock down, quarantined somewhere in Hanoi medical detention facility.

The day before that, we visit the hospital but the specialist wasn't in. We were very worried about her health.. coughing, lethargic, and no appetite...When I meet her and kiss her hand, I could felt that she's losing weight, and weak.

Seeing current H1N1 pandemic, I am really concerned on her condition , though several time she's as usual replied, "It's just a normal cough, I am OK...no need to worry"

The doctor conducted the checkup thoroughly, asking lots of questions, asking on her current medication... checking the x-ray, that we have done earlier. My mother is on regular medication for hypertension. According to the doctor, some high blood pressure medication has some side effect.

In her case, Linospril is known to cause nausea, dry coughing, loss of appetite etc... The doctor advise her to stop taking the medicine containing Linospril and wait the for the progress.

It's really heartbreaking seeing and knowing your love one, suffering from illness, tirelessly coughing without knowing the reason and the right medication.....

Alhamdulillah, last few days I called her, she's getting better, the serious coughing has subside and her appetite improving... I pray for her quick recovery...

After the medical checkup, my sister send her home.... and due to hastily want to get home, I regret that I forgotten to hug and kiss her, like I usually do.....

Each of us may have one or more lovers, wives, husbands and children...through romance, marriage, divorce, remarriage, death, etc....... But each of us can only have one and only ireplacebale biological mother......

H one End one

Last Friday, before the Friday prayer, the muezzin remind the congregation that there will be a 'solat hajat' after the Friday prayer. The purpose is to seek help and assistance from the Almighty in this time of desperation and calamity, due to H1N1 widespread epidemic. On that day, 14 people have died......

A few month ago, perhaps all of us civilian would think, this is just a normal short term outbreak, localized in far country, and won't hurt us or our family. The government issue instruction on media, on how to minimise the risk of getting infection, such as wearing mask, washing hands, stay away from large crowd etc...

Perhaps the best course of action taken is, conduct the root cause analysis of the pandemic or epidemic..... the major culprit is no other than swine. Since the Nipah virus outbreak a few years ago, the major vector or breeding ground for the virus is the swine. That does not count with JE, which also closely related with swine.

One of the main reason why the first outbreak start in Mexico, is because there are many large industrial type pig farming in the country. Mostly operate and invested by giant American company, for the purpose of exporting pork for their own consumption..... not so different from our country, instead of north, the major consumer is in the south.

I watched Natgeo documentary on Nipah virus outbreak not so long ago... scientist found out that the virus spread from the infected fruit bat to the swine (via the fruits they eat) then to human. Once it's jump to human, it began spreading within human. They also found out that the virus have been within the fruit bat for long time, and seem the fruit bat have the ability to suppress the virus. Same case with H1N1, it's a concoction of bird flu virus, human flu and swine flu... all brewed inside swine biological lab.

Swine and human share some common biological system.... any pathogen, virus, bacteria which can infect swine and adapt to the biological system..... have high probability to jump and infect human. In other word, swine is a perfect training ground for these organism to invade human. And swine is bridgging all the sickness or virus which so far limited to other species, with human. Who knows what else lurking, breeding and staying dormant in other animals... just waiting the right time to make contact with the swine, and start other infectious diseases.

People may say, human have consume pig since the beginning of time, why the outbreak just start now. Perhaps they need to read history, there were several outbreak related to swine, but probably during that time the scientist don't have the technology like now, in detecting the virus. And before this pig farming was done traditionally ... not like nowadays, hundred of acres of area for industrial pig farming for the purpose of shareholder profit.

People also may say, this is the good time for us to say that why pork consumption is forbidden in Islam, even touching it. H1N1 outbreak show clearly why pork is haram. And there are many scientific justification I read in the Internet in supporting the above.

I don't agree with this and why...... let say in not so far future, scientist created genetically modified pig, which stop any pathogen transmigration to human, which are very clean and does not produce high toxic waste, which does not have tape worm or any parasite..... Is it during that time pig is OK for us to consume... due to our earlier reasoning is being totally squashed.

Why don't we just said "It's against Islam and God forbid it"..... full stop. No need for justification or scientific proof.... There are always human who like eating pork,... even if their close friend or family died of H1N1 or Nipah.....

Once, my Vietnamese friend asked me, "So you Muslim don't eat pork, because of H1N1".... I answered, "No, I don't eat pork because it's against Muslim religion and God forbid it"..... he silent, and then ask me again "What is God?'......This time, I am the one who silent.. I forgot that most of the population are non believer and don't have any religion....

aliens among us...

Recently I had quite a long telephone conversation with a close friend. Many thing were spoken and discuss, some with certain level of seriousness while others.. are just plain jokes.

He did mention, before this he just thought that all of us human are merely the same, although not exactly similar, but the difference or delta in the level of attitude and behaviour almost the same. But now he realized, after turning to the age of wisdom and point of no return.... there are too many kind of people, in term of behaviour, attitude, characters etc.

In short, there are many so called aliens living among us, either we realized, accept or not. We do not need a warp drive spacecraft like the Enterprise to take us million of light years away, to far side galaxy for us to make contact and interact with aliens. Open our door each morning and we'll meet them on the road, office, supermarket, kedai makan and so on...

When Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek, probably his intention is to reflect mirror image of human character in the form of space aliens from other galaxy. The infamous Klingon species with their sole purpose to expand the empire with whatever means, and uphold their honour and respect. For them, other species is insignificant and not brave enough to govern anything.

What about a few of us, or probably a part of us who share the same idea and attitude... thinking other peoples who's not at par with our standard and academic level, not qualify enough to handle their responsibilty, or worst, giving their opinion...

The Vulcan and Romulan once come from the same root, separated and become rival due to different idea on dealing with emotion. One side believe in emotion suppression and control, following logic... while the later believe in total freedom of emotion.... Both are not so different from us....

And what about the Borg, who's objective to create higher level of perfection, according to their perception, and assimilate others who's they see fit.... with or without their subject consent. Objection is irrelevant....for them, their idea, ther perception and their way, is the upmost correct way.

I could sense a few Borg among us, who's disregard other opinion and shut the door for any negotiation... for them, resistance is futile....

happy people and unhappy people...

Sometime why is it so hard for some people to admit their mistakes and ask for forgiveness. Probably for them, talking nicely and sweetly to the person involved, is enough as a representation of their acceptance for their mistake. Adding more effortless lies and misleading information eventhough the sign of retribution is visible must be less ardous task than expressing for simple apology.

Maybe now we are living in the world of deception and secrecy, where almost everything we see and hear, is not totally what it seem to be. Truth become a very alien word,... invaluable for person who's seeking for it... but become mocekry and joke, for people use lie to cover other lie...

Secret, if it does not carry the weight of death or faith, should only be burdened on the adult who's conducting the deed not to other innocent soul.

Wise man say, "happy people happy when they see other people happy, and they are unhappy when other people unhappy. On the contrary, unhappy people happy seeing other people unhappy and unhappy when seeing other people happy".

so choose who we are....

happily everafter.... or unhappily everafter......

Happy father day.....

A few days ago my FB friend posted a link on this song, "Father and Son" by Yusuf Islam......

Father
It's not time to make a change,
Just relax, take it easy.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to know.
Find a girl, settle down,
If you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.

I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy,
To be calm when you've found something going on.
But take your time, think a lot,
Why, think of everything you've got.
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.

Son
How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again.
It's always been the same, same old story.
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.

Father
It's not time to make a change,
Just sit down, take it slowly.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to go through.
Find a girl, settle down,
if you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.
(Son-- Away Away Away, I know I have to
Make this decision alone - no)

Son
All the times that I cried, keeping all the things I knew inside,
It's hard, but it's harder to ignore it.
If they were right, I'd agree, but it's them They know not me.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.
(Father-- Stay Stay Stay, Why must you go and
make this decision alone?)

For me, this is truly a strong and full of message song, although I am not a regular music listener. Make me thinking,...... sometime the hardest person you want to communicate and uderstand, is with the person you love most, either your father or your son.

We normally have this kind of feeling, that our closest person have the most understanding of ourselves. But in contrast, we also tend to have the feeling that he is the last person who could understand our dream or ambition.

And most of the time, both of them failed to communicate their heart in bridging this paradox feeling. Deep in our heart, we undeniably love each other, but perhaps male communicate this way between male, especially when certain issue arise.

Communication doesn't always mean a transfer of information via vocal or writing. Silent and gesture, sometime can be a powerful and lasting message. It's not easy being a son, and it's not less harder being a father.

Happy Father Day, though this message come late.....

I miss my late father, and far away son.

Rain, Sickle and Hammer....

I was quite naughty when I was a boy. My mother had to keep up with me and my 4 small brothers and sisters. It was a hard time, earning daily income as smallholder rubber tapper and raising 5 children. Whenever it's raining, we were very happy, playing around and I could not understand during that time why my parent look worry, sitting down in the house front. For us, it's extra playing activities, when the grass was wet and soft, but for our parent, it's extra day of lost income......

Though I understood after that...., most of the time I still complain when it's raining, which cause coming late to work or back, traffic jam etc... but at the and of the month, no extra lost income day due to rain...

And, I can still remember my mother always scolding and reminding me "don't be a bad and naughty boy, else communist guy would come in and take you away"... normally I become obedience after that ... scared probably. During that that time, communist is the numero uono bad company, probably second ranking after the devil. There's no Decepticon, JE, H1N1, bird flue, Mat Rempit, Venom, Darth Vader etc.....and the list goes on

And look where I am, in the middle of Sosialist Republic communist nation with close link to sickle and hammer founder, Lenin. Whenever I talk to my local friend on this thing, they laughed... and they really laugh loud. Afterall, it isn't so bad living in this country, minus the halal food la. I will write later on that....

In the end, my mother was right, Communist guy and company did really take me away... to do their job.

this is the punishment for being disobedient boy......

.. stay on on track please....

.. for the past few posting, I think I have probably swayed from my original purpose of writting this blog. Probably due to lacking of ideas, passion, no materials.. or just plain lazy... I think the later best explain my sudden full of picture posting.

I should post it in my "fotografi blog", but I just need to put something or anyhting that kept the monthly or weekly posting, alive.....  

I just forgot what is the main reason for me going blogging,.. get distracted, and of track. Well perhaps, this is the idea of blogging... just write whatever you feel to, put posting whatever you like..publish your ideas and experiences or non experience, .. not for others to read or comment, but for your own satisfaction of writing... or posting...  

Nonetheless, I do believe in sensitivity and manners in posting... 

Menyusui Tam Coc bersama LUMIX FZ-28, bahagian 4

Cruising Tam Coc with LUMIX FZ-28, part 3

You can take daily visit to this beatiful place from Hanoi. It cost around USD18 per person, depature from Hanoi by tour minibus at 8:00 am. Took around 2 hours journey. At by 5:00 pm you'll arrived back in Hanoi.

Cruising Tam Coc with LUMIX FZ-28, part 2

Cruising waterway and limestone grotto at Tam Coc, Ninh Binh with my FZ28...

These are a few pictures that I took using my Panasonic LUMIX FZ28 camera during my visit to Tam Coc, Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam. Some people relate this beautiful place as "Halong Bay on land", probably due to the almost similar stunning scenery, with water and limestone grotto.

This posting is a copy of my posting in my fotografi blog. 

.. I badly need Polarizer/Filter for my Lumix FZ28...

I took these two photos while visiting Tam Coc, in Ninh Binh province, about 2 hours drive from Hanoi. It was a sunny day, and when I arrived, it's already about 11:30am... the sun shine brightly.
This what happened if you don't have polarizer for your camera. The sun glare and reflection just overexposed your image. I definitely need a polarizer for my Lumix FZ28. These two photos was taken using my polarized sunglass as the improvised polarizer. I put it in front of my len, and snapped. 

Look how the depth and the clarity of the photos improved. And the most important, the sun glare or reflection was significantly cancelled, when I shot the river plants under the boat.

People say, Circular Polarizer (CPL), instead of Plane Polarizer is more suited for autofocus digital camera like my FZ28. I do not know the science behind it, but I need to grab one of those.

Else, I have to buy larger polarized sunglasses.

Convert and compress document to PDF...

I always facing problem when converting documents (word, excel, etc...) to PDF format, especially if the original file is big and full of images. I normally use CutePDF , because it's free and easy to use. But it does not support compression, so file as big as 50MB would end up 45-50MB in PDF format.... File this big won't pass my email... either for sending or receiving.

Then I found this amazing free software; primoPDF. It is like CutePDF, but it do more by putting additional feature, ... data compression. This is the file converter that I been looking, first it's free and downloadble from the Internet... and second, it can compress document.... to quarter of it's size... depending on the quality setting you want.

I having trouble when receiving report  document, prepared with 140MB file size. I need to send it across the street or province or across the continent... I need more manageable small size file.

And primoPDF can do it, easily and free....

... Reunification Day...

It's raining this morning, and unlike the usual, the traffic is quite smooth. Probably many of the city folks have taken the opportunity of long weekend to head home or take some vacation.

Tomorrow, 30th April is a public holiday here, to commemorate The Libertion Day, or The Reunification Day between the late North and South Vietnam.

I captured this text from other site;

On 30th April, 1975 the Vietnam People’s Army (NVA) captured Saigon, the South Vietnamese Capital. This day marked the end of the Vietnam War (Khang chien chong My), commonly known as the “American War”. It resulted in the reunification of Vietnam under Communist rule and Saigon was renamed Ho Chin Minh City. Those who supported the war remember it as the liberation of Saigon. Vietnam celebrates this day every year as Vietnam’s Liberation Day.

The Vietnamese name for it is Ngay Giai Phong. Today it is one of the Major Vietnam Festivals & Events. It is also called the Victory Day or the Reunification Day and Vietnam celebrates it every year declaring it a public holiday. This day initiated the process of reunification of North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The reunification took place on 2nd July, 1976.

To the exiled Vietnamese who are settled abroad and the supporters of the Southern government Vietnam’s Liberation Day is the Ngay Quoc Han (National Day of Infamy) or the Fall of Saigon. In present day Vietnam, supporting the cause of the then southern government is regarded as betrayal to the nation and is punishable by imprisonment. For the Vietnamese who served the country and were in the process hurt and exiled overseas the Liberation Day in Vietnam is a day of remembrance.

.. And for me... I don't know where to go tomorrow, surely all the nice vacation spots thronged with hundreds of visitors...

... KL, a lonely city....

……”Sometime KL city, with all the hustling, bustling city dwellers and relentless traffic, still a lonely city” .. I couldn’t agree more when one of my close friends said this to me. The message was clear and you can comprehend it straight away, without needing any mental digestion, if you’re in similar situation.

Nowadays, we seldom say hi or salam to old and new friends, asking how they are doing, without associating to one’s profession. We normally ask how things are going with our friends’ business or job. Or worst, we only communicate to our long lost friend if we are looking for business or opportunity for job. We are more likely to associate people with their profession or how much money they earned, or how much they can give opportunity to us… Perhaps we see other peoples, especially our friends, like merchandise paraded on the shelf of hypermarket, with label and packaging. The branded, imported and expensive item, normally nicely packaged and displayed with their own class, while the rest, group in their own class…. Socially and demographically, separated.

Almost no more unconditional greeting or salam or hi or out of the blue message or call, asking how are you truly…. without associating with jobs, business, job contract or money.

When a friend of mine mentioned the above, I was quite surprised…. hearing a confession from married person with family. I always thought loneliness is the effect of being alone…. Like the word cleanliness from the word clean. I’m wrong and I need to understand from the psychological human behavior, not from English 122.

I thought I was the only one lonely from being alone, not only here or previous places that I have been, but also in my beloved home city… The only place where I felt lonely is an alien word, is my kampong. The almost 3 km square of space is all that I need, for me to feel connection to other people not just for their job, money or business….. rather than this vast land of busy city but lonely greeting.

Maybe this is one of the reason why people who felt he/she not as good as their siblings or their friends, felt self intimidation, not just from how much money you earned, or what type of car you drive…. But also from the life you lived and how happy your life is.

The feeling of inferiority and lacking, will lead to seclusion…

It’s a paradox for someone who’s job planning technology for peoples in far countries, to enjoy mobile communication and connection,… but he himself felt less connected to others. It’s like chef, whose job preparing the good food for major grand banquet, but at the end of the day…. had his meal, alone.

So pick up the phone, start calling your friends asking how they are doing. Wrote emails or sms… saying unconditional salam or hi. I would like to believe this action will improve the life of others, but in reality, it takes more than this effort to uplift human spirit………

At least we’ll not make KL, a lonely city...for someone…..

Finding North using watch..

Actually we can use our watch and sun to find the North direction. I saw Bear Gryll use this methods a few time whenever he find direction in the wilderness. That's why if you noticed, some chronograph watch have this North face bezel that can be rotated.

There 2 simple methods, depending on which hemisphere you are living... Northern or Southern hemisphere. Malaysia fall under Northern hemisphere even though we are just nearby the equator. This method is more accurate if you are further away from the equator.

First method: Northern hemisphere... Align your watch with the hour needle pointing to the Sun. Keep your watch steady... and look at the 12 O'clock position. Look at the the closest path between the hour needle and 12 o'clock position. The halfway position in between hour needle and 12 o'clock is South direction. The North is the opposite end.

Second method: Southern hemisphere... This time you align the 12 o'clock position to the sun. Fixed your watch, and look at the closest path between the 12 position and the hour needle. The halfway position in between that, is the North direction.

You may also use digital watch. Just draw on paper the position of the hour needle and the 12 o'clock position.. and follow the above procedure.

Condition:
* the watch must be in working condition and show the actual time.
* this procedure will only work with normal analog watch. It may not work with Franck Muller Crazy Hour, or 24 hour watch or anticlockwise watch.

Local Sholat time.... Qibla direction... and info on local Mosque and halal restaurant...

Most of the time when we are travelling away, we find it's hard in getting information on the local sholat time, Qibla direction and any mosque or halal restaurant nearby.

My friend show this very helpful site, www.islamicfinder.org to me, and it's really a big help.

I would log in to this site most of the time to get the local updated sholat time. So my dear readers, please log in into this site if you should go on travel and don't forget bring your compass.

Today menu... Fish tomyam...

...I was starving, my stomach ache and making terrible sound effect as I step outside the office. The KFC Combo Tom I had for lunch is not enough... I need a real, solid dinner.... and unfortunately, I am cooking...

After reaching home, I straight went to Citimart, bought some cilipadi, zuccini, Onion, limes etc... Zing the cashier, smile as usual seeing me bought kitchen food stuff.... I don't see Ngguapp today. Perhaps it's funny seeing men buying kitchen food stuff here... alone.

I had a few pieces of fish, left over from last week... freshly frozen... cut into pieces and stored in fridge.... Cut some onion, crush few garlics, put the them all inside cooking pot, with some water... boil with Thai Tomyam paste.... put the fish inside... let it cook slowly.

Finally, squeeze fresh lime for the sour and tasty juice....

Dinner is ready sir...