Sarong Woman

Recently the Road Transport Department of Malaysia yielded to an outcry aroused due to a security guard who abused his power and acted like a religious policeman insisting a Chinese Malaysian woman to wear a sarong when she was in the process of transferring the ownership of her car at one of the offices. The Deputy Director apologized and subsequently transferred the guard to another section according to a newspaper report.

Who Was The Sarong Woman?

Her name is Suzanne Tan, She uploaded images of her on her Facebook post earlier but was later removed.

Credit: The Star Malaysia

What's wrong with her clothes? Well, based on the conservative dressing codes, her pink skirt was too short; a few of inches above her knees and hence it's considered as indecent exposure. See that?

I don't know about you but this kind of indecent exposure certainly won't arouse my sexual desire at all.

Then, how about if she were to dress in a long sarong like this?

Credit: Alibaba

Nope, that won't conform to the dress codes either although I would love my girl to put on this sexy and fashionable peacock sarong.

The Dress Codes Of The Public Transport Department For Visitors

So what are the codes? In English, the codes stipulate that:

Visitors must dress in clean, tidy clothes that conform to the practice of the Malaysian society.

Wear appropriate dress shirts, T-shirts with collars, shoes, long pants, long skirts that extend below the knees especially when dealing with the departments on official businesses in the premise.

Visitors are prohibited from wearing indecently and too revealingly such as: skirt's hem that is above the knee level or short pants; sleeveless shirts; tight pants or skirts; and sandals.

Visitors are advised to follow the dressing rules in the Public Transport Department, Visitors who violate the rules will not be allowed to enter.

Credit: Public Transport Department of Malaysia

To be on the safe side, I would advice women who deal with the department to wear burqa like what the Taliban women do; something like this:

Credit: news.bbc.co.uk

Malay, Chinese and English Proverbs That Share The Same Meanings

The Malays, Chinese and British differ greatly not only in their physical appearances but also cultures, religions, languages, and values. However coincidentally, they have some proverbs, idioms or sayings that contains the same or nearly the same meanings. This shows that they share some common values.Translating those sayings in other languages is a tedious task since the 3 races have very different histories, customs and environments.

Some of the examples

Kalau bertepuk sebelah tangan tidak akan berbunyi.
孤掌难鸣
It takes two to tango.

Berfikir sebelum berkata, berunding sebelum dibuat.
三思而后行.
Look before you leap.

Batu yang selalu bergolek dalam sungai itu tiada dihinggapi lumut。
滚石不生苔，转业不聚财
A rolling stone gathers no moss.

Berpahit-pahit dahulu supaya manis kemudian.
先苦后甜
He that will have egg must endure the cackle of hen.

Biar lambat asalkan selamat.
宁求稳，不后悔。
Better be safe than sorry.

Masuk kandang kambing mengembek, masuk kandang kerbau menguak。
入乡随俗
When in Rome, do as the Roman do,

Payah-payah dilamun ombak, tercapai juga tanah tepi
苦尽甘来
Every cloud has a silver lining.

Bagaimana acuan begitulah kuihnya
虎父无犬子
Like father like son.

Bumi mana tak ditimpa hujan
人非圣贤
To err is human.

Cakap sejengkal dibawa sehasta
To make a mountain out of a mole hill.

小题大作

Nasi sudah menjadi bubur.
米已成炊
Don't cry over spilled milk.

Di mana ada kemahuan, di situ ada jalan.
有志者事竟成
Where there is a will, there is a way.

Hutang darah dibayar darah, hutang nyawa, nyawa padahnya.
血债血还
Blood demands blood.

Jiwa bergantung di hujung rambut
一发千钧
To hang by a thread.

Air yang tenang jangan disangka tiada buaya
人不可貌相
Still water runs deep

Jangan difikir air pasang sahaja.
好景不长在
All good things must come to an end.

Diberi betis nak paha.
得寸进尺
Give (someone) an inch and they will take a mile.

In Memory Of My Dad Whom I Respected

In memory of my dad, I'm going to write, for the very first time in my life, about him. I will talk about how he brought me up when I was a kid, the relationship between us, the sacrifice he made, his religious belief and his outlook on life and so forth.

The Way He Brought Me Up

In the eyes of my dad, I was a mischievous boy and he didn't hesitate to discipline me using corporal punishment when I was a kid resulting in skin bleeding and leaving behind red cane marks on my buttock, thighs and legs for days. My sister was always the one who treated my injuries if I am not mistaken. At one time I even thought of running away from home as I hated my dad for beating me with a rattan cane or the handle of a feather duster.

Table manners was something he attached importance to. In addition, he insisted me to use chop sticks and a rice bowl when taking a meal as he wanted us to follow the Chinese traditions.
He detested my listening to popular songs, which I like, except for classical music which I didn't know how to appreciate. I learned how to play harmonica from him though.

He expected me to perform well in school and I did, I was the top student in my class for 3 consecutive years from grade 10 to 12 in a private secondary school. He tutored me English as he knew the importance of it for my future.

He dislike me for keeping long hair and mustache but I didn't listen. He suggested saving at least 10% of my income for rainy days but I found it hard to do that. He advised me to control my temper but I did give some people a piece of my mind.

He never talked about the birds and the bees with me or how to date girls, either he didn't have much experience or he felt uneasy. I taught myself in sex through reading adult magazines.

The Sacrifice He Made For Me

My dad was a very thrifty person who never bought any toys for me to play with during my childhood and never showered gifts on me. However, he wouldn't think twice in spending money on me when it came to education. Although he never said he loved me or hugged me, he did pay for my first motorbike and followed by a new car and two used cars upon my request further down the road.

My dad was never a rich man but he was the one who paid for my university education and my living expenses with his life-time saving and the money he got by selling his only house when I was studying in Texas Tech University. Much to his relief, I obtained a bachelor degree in Industrial Engineering eventually.

I couldn't pay him back for the sacrifice he made for me no matter how much I tried and I feel bad about it for the rest of my life.

Our Relationship

I seldom talked to him before I furthered my study in the States. However, during my stay as an international student in the university, I did write to him very often and he replied to every single letter I wrote him. We exchanged views on lots of subjects under the sun. I believe he knew me much better as a person during the four years or so than all those years combined before that.

I dated an white American girl who was pursuing her Civil Engineering bachelor degree in the same university. My dad didn't object to my seeing her but nether did he encourage me to date a girl outside my race. He told me that my priority was to complete my study and everything would fall into place when I returned to Malaysia where there were many Chinese girls for me to choose from as a life partner.

We did have something in common but we didn't agree on many things as he was a conservative Asian and I was a very Westernized one after having stay in America for years

His Religious Belief

My dad was a devoted Buddhist. We discussed on religions in general and Buddhism in particular.
Over the years since I returned home, he had been trying to convince me that Buddhism was the best religion and he hope that I would be a Buddhist too. I don't deny that Buddhism is the most peaceful and tolerant religion in the world. I was and still is a non-religious person due to my inclination and academic background. Nevertheless, I am a semi-vegetarian partly out of compassion for animals.

Drinking in Buddhism is forbidden and he advised me to stop drinking but I didn't simply because I enjoyed it.

His Outlook In Life

There were lots of things we discussed and naturally we didn't agree on some of them such as the my freedom in selecting my life partner. Somehow he didn't like me to marry a woman whose race and religion are different from his.

He asked me to work hard and enthusiastically. On the other hand, he said if I had a chance to accumulate wealth, be satisfied when I could live comfortably and not kept on accumulating it.
He asked me to stay away from drugs and I listened to him and I never tried any drugs until now.
There was once I told him in no uncertain terms that I was an individual and I was entitled for my opinions and I won't let him run my life. I think he was hurt by what I said and the way I exhibited my rebellious nature.

What Do I think Of My Dad

My dad passed away at the age of 84. He died of natural death during the wee hours. As he was a Buddhist, he was cremated.

In retrospect, I feel proud of him for being able to feed the entire family of six and provide full financial assistance for his two sons for the entire duration of my pursuing my dream as an Industrial Engineer and my youngest brother's as a Medical Doctor although he wasn't earning a high income. He sacrificed a lot on material comfort for the sake of my tertiary eduction and that of my youngest brother.

He was a great father to his children although I disagree with the way he punished me for my behavior when I was a kid. Also he was a faithful and responsible husband to his wife even though he wasn't romantic towards my mom or showed physical affections in front of his children. I know deep inside my heart, he loved my mom and the rest of the family members.
Dad, I sincerely thank you and will forever remember you for what you had done for me and I take my hat off to you.

Do You Want To Know How Clean Or Dirty Public Restrooms Are In Malaysia?

If you are interested in knowing the conditions of public restrooms in Malaysia, look no further. This is my firsthand account of some of those I had used over the years

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Kuala Lumpur 

If you are interested in knowing the conditions of public restrooms in Malaysia, look no further. This is my firsthand account of some of those I had used before.

Kuala Lumpur

Bierhaus is a pub at a residential area called Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (abbreviated as T.T.D.I.）. The restroom was clean mainly because there were only a few customers at that time. Do you really need a urinal and a flush toilet bowl to answer the call of nature? The toilet papers were not put in the dispenser.

 

This restroom, which was designed for handicapped persons, in a fast-food outlet was clean and spacious.

The photo below shows one of the uni-sex restrooms in a pub called Thai Club was dirty; the management cut cost by not providing toilet papers and the seat of the bowl was missing.

Customers threw trash on the floor since there was no trash can. Always remember to bring along your own toilet papers when you feel like quenching your thirst or eating there.
By the way, the name Thai Club is misleading since you can hardly find a Thai girl there. However I saw many Vietnamese women there either accompanying male customers for a fee or soliciting.

The restroom next to the reception area of Kuala Lumpur International Hotel is reasonably clean although the hotel was pretty much run-down. Again, do not be misled by the name. It is not even a 2-star hotel.

Same old story. This restroom in a coffee shop at Taman Melawati is filthy and wet. I had to stand on the elevated side of the floor to take this photo since the left side was flooded. Did you forget to bring some toilet papers with you again to do number two?

The two photos below show a restroom in a government general hospital. The water pipe was leaking and the maintenance staff tried to stop the leak by tying a piece of cloth round the pipe. Why couldn't they fix it properly? Sorry, no sign of toilet paper.

Belakong, Selangor

I found this coffee shop restroom at Belakong disgusting. I could not flush the toilet since the handle of the cistern was damaged. The tiles were stained as you can see.

Do you see the plastic pail on the floor? You are expected to use the water in the pail to flush the squatting toilet manually after you are done with your business. The trash basket was hung on a valve next to the cistern. Toilet paper? Forget it!

Petaling Jaya, Selangor

The two photos below show the same restroom, which was quite shabby, of a mini-mart at a residential area called Taman Magah. Someone forgot to turn off the tap when I was there. I turn it off after I had done number one.

A lot of times you can judge a place by checking out its restroom like this one. Right! It's a restroom of a coffee shop. A urinal is the only thing you can find here. Dirty, to say the least.

This one wasn't that dirty but the toilet seat was damaged and toilet papers were not provided.

 

Bukit Tinggi, Pahang

What you see is what you get in this coffee shop restroom. Does it look familiar to you? It was filthy but you need to ease yourself in this place, what choice do you have?

 Shah Alam, Selangor

I went to view the latest models of Mazda in a big Mazda showroom at Glenmarie, Shah Alam. As usual I inspected one of the restrooms and found it to be very clean. I wish all the coffee shop restroom could be like this. But it remains a dream until now.

 Your Verdict?

I am a Malaysian and I feel ashamed to show you all these especially for tourists who visit my country.However, I have got to tell it like it is in order for those who intend to travel to this country to be psychologically prepaired.
So after you have explored the restrooms, what's your verdict as comparing to those in your country?

What Do English And Chinese Proverbs Have In Common?

As far as some proverbs are concerned, I find that there are similarities between English and Chinese even though the cultures are very much different. It is interesting to compare the two. Almost all Chinese proverbs can be expressed in just four words. Take a look at some of the marvelous examples:

• Killing two birds with one stone.
Chinese equivalent: 一箭双雕.
Literally: Killing two eagles with an arrow.

• Don't teach your grandmother to suck milk.
Chinese equivalent: 班们弄斧.
Literally: To show off your skills in front of an expert.

• As close as a clam.
Chinese equivalent: 一毛不拔.
Literally: Not pulling even a hair.

• As plain as a nose on one's face.
Chinese equivalent:一目了然
Literally: It is clear at a glance.

• Love at first sight.
Chinese equivalent: 一见倾心
Literally: The heart inclines at first sight.

• To carry off with a smile.
Chinese equivalent:一笑置之.

• To owe one a day in the harvest.
Chinese equivalent: 一饭之恩.
Literally: The favor of a meal.

• As like as two peas.
Chinese equivalent: 一模一样.
Literally: Exactly the same.

• To hang by a thread.
Chinese equivalent: 一发千钧
Literally: Hanging forty thousand pounds with a thread of hair.

• A drop in a bucket. .
Chinese equivalent: 九牛一毛.
Literally: A thread of hair from nine oxen.

• All things to all men.
Chinese equivalent: 八面玲珑.
Literally: Octagonal porcelain vase.

• A wolf in sheep's clothing.
Chinese equivalent: 人面兽心.
Literally: The face of a man but a heart of a beast.

• Putting the cart before the horse.
Chinese equivalent: 本末倒置.
Literally: Putting the root at the top of a tree.

• Silence is golden, speech is silver.
Chinese equivalent: 沉默是金.

• You made your bed, now lie in it.
Chinese equivalent: 自作自受.
Literally: One is responsible for what he has done.

• You make a mountain of a mole-hill.
Chinese equivalent: 小题大作.
Literally: Writing a long essay on an minor subject.

• Where there's a will there's a way.
Chinese equivalent: 有志者, 事竟成.

• An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Chinese equivalent: 以牙还牙.
Literally: A tooth for a tooth.

• It's never too late to mend.
Chinese equivalent: 亡羊补牢.
Literally: To mend a fence when a sheep is killed.

• A burnt child dreads fire.
Chinese equivalent: 惊弓之鳥.
Literally: A bird dreads a bow.

• Prevention is better than cure.
Chinese equivalent: 预防胜于治疗.

• Strike while the iron is hot.
Chinese equivalent: 打铁趁热

• When in Rome do as the Romans do.
Chinese equivalent: 入乡随俗.
Literally: To follow the customs when one enters a village.

• Blood is thicker than water.
Chinese equivalent: 血浓于水.

• A leopard cannot change its spots.
Chinese equivalent: 本性难移.
Literally: It is difficult to change one's character.

• Between a rock and a hard place.
Chinese equivalent: 进退两难.
Literally: Either advancing or retreating is difficult.

• You can't have your cake and eat it.
Chinese equivalent: 鱼与熊掌.
Literally: It is difficult to have a fish and a bear's paw at the same time.

An Introduction To Block Board

What Is Block Board?

Block boards are not recent invention. In fact the Egyptians had conceived and built furniture with block boards in their pyramids dated back thousands of years ago.

Block board (also known as lumber core) is a man-made board similar to plywood but the center layer or core is made from strips of softwood.The strips are put edge to edge and sandwiched between veneers of softwood, hardwood, particleboard or MDF (medium-density fiberboard), pasted under high pressure and heat with glue.

In terms of construction, there are three main types of block board , i.e. 3-ply, 5-ply and 7-ply.
A 3-ply block board consists of a core sandwiched between two layers of veneers whereas a 5-ply and 7-ply block boards are made of a core and covered with 2 layers and six layers of veneers on each side respectively.

The first one is normally used for hidden application. The second is preferred to build furniture that requires decorative quality. The last is utilized more in manufacturing doors and construction.

The picture below shows an example of block boards.

Source: bbmcgroup.com

An exploited view of a 5-layer blockboard is illustrated below.

Source: thediyworld.co.uk

The following pictures show some good examples of what block boards can be utilized for so far as furniture are concerned.

Source: associatelumbers.com

Source: associatelumbers.com

Source: associatelumbers.com

Dimensions

Depending on the market, the most common sizes are: 2070x5200mm (German), 1850x3660mm (Italian), and 1220x2440mm (Chinese). Thickness varies from 13mm to 60mm.
Manufacturers can fabricate a variety of applied finishes for block board such as plastic laminate surfaces, wood veneers and melamine papers.

Classification Of Blackboards

Basically block boards can be classified based on: (1) types of wood used i.e. softwood and hardwood, and (2) composition and quality, i.e. grades.
(1) Classification Based On Core:
Softwood Core
The cores, which consist of softwood strips placed adjacent to each other lengthwise, are sandwiched with one or more hardwood veneers.
Hardwood Core

The cores and veneers are both made of hardwood. Not only are they heavier, they are more expensive in general.
(2) Classification Based On Grade:
Interior Grade
Moisture-Resistant (MR) grade block boards are used to fabricate furniture and doors.
Exterior Grade
Comparing to MR grade block boards, Boiling-Water-Resistant grade ones provide superior quality for exterior applications.

Advantages Of Block Boards

Besides being a poor conductor of sound, heat and electricity, block boards are light, stable, easy to cut, reclaim and to preserve in sea water than most competative materials. In addition, these boards are cheaper, lighter, stronger and more resistant to warpage as compare to raw wooden planks. Owing to their light weight, block boards extend furniture and door life span as they exert less stress onto hinges.

Manufacturing Process

Basically there are 6 steps in fabricating block boards:
1. Mixing glue using a glue mixer with water and powder resin proportionally.
2. Spreading the glue on core and veneer by using a glue spreader.
3. Setting different layers of core and vaneers on wooden batten frame and followed by compressing under high pressure and temperature with a hydraulic press.
4, Drying the boards.
5. Using a saw cutting machine to perform side cutting.
6. Finally, top layer finishing is done by a sanding machine.

As this article is meant for the general public, I have skipped the technical aspects such as mechanical/physical properties, specifications and quality standards.

What A City Dude Like Me Doing In A Small Town Like This In Pahang, Malaysia?

Location

Most of you, even Malaysians, have never heard of a small town called Lanchang, let alone been there. Lanchang is a sleepy small town located in the state of Pahang, Malaysia. It's about 109 km from Petaling Jaya and accessible via the tolled East Coast Expressway. It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes depending on traffic condition.

Credit: Google Map

What The Heck Was I Doing There?

I didn't go there for holidays, for sure. As a matter of fact, Lanchang was never my holiday destination unless I choose the life style of a hermit.

I drove a friend there many times about 2 year ago as he was trying to sell some fertilizers to a fruit/vegetable farmer and also help him to apply for more farmland to expand his business.The farm is actually some 8 to 10 km away from the town. You need to go through a stretch of narrow and winding road (4 to 5 km) before it leads to a non-paved and dusty road for the remaining of the trip to the destination.

Bukit Tinggi

We stopped for late breakfast at this coffee shop. This was my friend's favorite "pit stop" whenever we went to Lanchang.

For those of you from the first-world countries, don't be surprised when you see the restroom of this coffee shop. You need to squat to shit. Not only that; you have to bring your own tissue papers or wash your ass with the water only, okay?

Rest Area

On our way to Lanchang in one of the trips, we stopped at a rest area to smoke and to stretch our legs. I saw a whole bunch of wild monkeys on a slope looking for food.

A Very Old Tailor Shop

There ain't such a run-down tailor shop in Kuala Lumpur anymore but I found one here before reaching the town center along the main road. I thought I was going through the time tunnel turning back the clock by half a century.

I saw 3 sewing machines arranged very closely to each other in a row. 2 of those machines were antique; operated by a foot paddle and the center one was electrically operated.

A Workshop In Bad Shape

Next to the tailor shop was a workshop in this shabby building. It was closed for business on that day or forever; I didn't know.

Meaningful Life Quotes

While taking our budget lunch at a food stall close to this building, I saw these life quotes, in simple Chinese.

Do you want to know what do they mean in English? Here you go:

It doesn't matter whether you have lots of money or little, as long as you have enough to eat.

It doesn't matter whether you are attractive or ugly, as long as you don't look disagreeable..

It doesn't matter whether you are old or young, as long as you are healthy.

It doesn't matter whether your family is poor or rich, as long as you live together amicably.

It doesn't matter your husband coming home late, as long as he returns.

It doesn't matter your wife being long-winded, as long as she cares about your family.

Teach your children to be a good person when they are still young.

It doesn't matter whether your house is huge or small, as long as it's habitable.

It doesn't matter whether your clothes are branded, as long as you can wear them.

It doesn't matter whether you own a 2-wheel or 4-wheel vehicle, as long as you can ride or drive it.

It doesn't matter whether your employer is bad, as long as you can tolerate him.

It doesn't matter having all the problems, as long as they can be solved.

It's better to let go than to hold on to something.

It's good enough if  we lead a peaceful and safe life.

It doesn't mean you will definitely lead a good life if you have money.

Your fate will be good if you have done good deeds and are kind-hearted.

It doesn't matter who is right or wrong. as long as God knows.

Take it easy on lots of things.

Every day will be good if everyone is doing fine. 

If you and I are doing fine, this will be a better world.

In short, think not on what you lack as much as on what you have.

I have said so much but being able to walk the talk is the best.

The Farm

I left my car near the junction of the road leading to my final destination and we continued our trip in a 2x4 twin-cab Toyota pickup truck driven by a farmer.

Finally we reached the fruit farm.

This was the farmers' house and they were extending it.

Their Myanmar workers were not just farming assistants but also good at basic building construction.

The farmers, who were bothers, kept 2 dogs by the names of Bobby (white dog) and Black Woman (black dog). They greeted their master when his truck pulled over. The dogs were barking at me as if I was an enemy. Maybe I was their enemies in my past life; how the heck do I know?

They finally crawled under the truck when their master assured them that I ain't an enemy but just a friendly city dude visiting.

There were lots of lime trees at their farm. During my last visit, some other visitors, whom  my friend invited, were there as well.

The elder brother showed them his fruits of his labor and answered all the questions the visitors threw at him in great details; and he could talk for hours, non-stop. Unbelievable. That showed how knowledgeable and passionate he was about what he did for an honest living although his methods of farming was self-taught.

I thought of filming a documentary on his farming and upload it to YouTube.

Besides limes, he planted other fruits also, such as mango.

Bobby liked company and followed us wherever we went.

Water supply

 They got their water supply to irrigate the farm from this pond.

Accommodation

I have no idea how often he put up a night here, but if he did, he would sleep on this bed.

Returning

My Friend bought some vegetables at this fruit/vegetable stall at Bukit Tinggi on our way back to Petaling Jaya. Those fruits and vegetables were fresh and cheap. Worth buying.