豐富的和食晚餐

今晚，琴美煮了一道豐富的晚餐給我們全家。最高興的還是我的胞弟因爲他超愛吃日本美食，特別是壽司。她今天中午到超級市場挑選了好吃且新鮮的魚生還有配料，好讓我們一家品嘗日本料理。我們對她的熱情款待感到非常高興。

除了壽司，我們還有羊肉羹加馬鈴薯和豆腐料理。我們吃得不亦樂乎。加上我媽剛剛買來了漂亮的長形和四方形的碟子，很適合今晚的料理搭配，所以顯得晚餐特別美味。好吃的料理配上漂亮的碟子，真是太好了。

朋友的廚藝令我們有福分享日本料理。我們也很高興可以籍此同時互相交流不同的飲食文化，也促進彼此的認識。真是一個非常有意義且有深度的晚餐。

有朋自遠方來

星期一，我的日本籍朋友琴美從澳洲飛來找我小住。雖然是小住，可是要上四個星期。好漫長的四個星期。我們給了她萬萬沒想到的貴賓似的招待--有自己的專用臥室和洗手間。還有，從星期一到現在足足五天，我幾乎把吉隆坡的景點都給她帶去了，還品嘗了許多好吃的美食和看精彩的電影。

和她相處了幾天，我才知道原來我和她還真的有許多巧遇的事情。如：她媽媽生日日期和我一樣，大家都是同月生，也喜歡旅遊等等。這幾天，注意到她容易滿足開心的模樣。她很樂意嘗試新的事務和會見我不同層次的朋友和大家打成一片，玩得很開心。而且，她還不時和我道謝呢。雖然我不知道那種舉動是出於真心還是日本人一貫的生活一部分，不過，聼起來還真高興。

看到她開心和我度過的這幾天，我也顯得格外高興。原來有朋自遠方來是不亦樂乎的。

表面功夫

時下年輕人都是喜歡很表面的東西。所以，這也是爲什麽時尚的新事物會得到年輕人的青睞。擧個例子LV的包包。因爲媒體的鼓吹還有別人眼光的炫耀心態，所以大家都想擁有一個價錢非凡的LV手提包。試想想，要是不是家境允許，一個普通的中大學生，甚至剛剛出來工作的朋友，怎麽會有這麽多錢買名牌包包？就算真的省吃省用買包包也是要騰出一個到兩個月的薪水吧？


其實，現代人做事情非常表面。不只是物質上的表面，即使是人與人之間的關係也是屬於表面。大家都是持有hi and bye的關係。古時代的人講求信用，一言九鼎，一言既出駟馬難追。這可見誠信是一種責任，不是口頭上的膚淺答應了事，而是真的用心去完成所承諾的事務。現在的人覺得這種做法是在愚昧不過，有時作了傻子賠錢的事，吃虧不當話，所以大家的對彼此的承諾已經不再是遵守。君子之交，不再出現了。因爲信口開河的作風是現代人風氣，因爲不想要有太多的責任所導致現在的局面。

可能因爲習慣了生活上所作的表面功夫，所以說起話來也會比較誇大其詞。身上有幾個臭銅錢就拿來把自己打扮成貴婦一樣。先敬羅衣后敬人嘛，習慣就好。因爲虛僞心重説話漂浮不定，大家也沒有必要那麽認真看待彼此的關係和承諾，畢竟這些都是虛僞的動作。一切無謂的虛假，表面層次的戯兒。

這是殘酷的事實。彼此的信用以及信任，不知道往哪裏去了。人與人之間的關係就只有表面工夫而已嗎？我很想相信這只是短暫性的變動，不會長久。不過事實勝於雄辯，看來我們也要從新評估我們和朋友之間的關係距離，因爲大家不知道嬉皮笑臉的背後會不會藏著不爲人知的陰謀與妙算。這種互相猜測的心理，也因爲大家做的表面功夫太豐富，所以不得以掉以輕心。原來防人之心不可無。

打小報告

昨天和友人W談起工作上的種種。其中最令我們感到百般不解的是爲什麽同事之間要針對彼此的缺席率大感關心。不是一般的關心，而是很密切留意。我和W覺得奇怪，不但他們對同事們的缺席率還有他們的去向也大感興趣，甚至到達一種地步向上司打小報告。

我們都在想，報告的人也是鬼，自己不在辦公室的時間和經驗也不少，怎麽會想到出此招數對付其他同事呢？除非本身是僅守崗位，沒有做過半點的不良行爲，才有權利舉報他人。不然，這樣的擧子真令人堪不過眼，甚至招徠有關的同事的憎憤。既然是這樣，“原告”又何必做到這種地步呢？

更可恨的是他們這些害群之馬不但沒有被處分，反而連累我們勤力工作的一分子。同人不同命，真的不公平。討論了半天，我和W的結論是做好我們的本分，我們相信其他的事和人將會有他們的回報。

錢不夠用

我婆婆的年代，五分錢可以溫飽一餐和養家。我媽的年代，小時候五分錢可以買到好吃的麵條。我的年代，五分錢可以買什麽？小時候還可以買一兩粒糖果。現在拿來找超級市場的小數目。可見年代的差別可以讓金錢的差距拉遠。真的不可思議。

生活費提高的年代，不是省就是花掉。花掉不要緊，最重要是花在有利率的投資上。讓我們辛苦賺來的錢可以生值。要是給了房貸，車貸和車資，父母和孩子的零用錢，貸學金，保險金等費用，試想想我們的工錢還剩多少呢？

錢真得越來越小而且少，不知道老闆可以加我的工錢嗎？因爲錢真的不夠用了。

現實生活

現實是殘酷的。因爲在今年六月四日政府提高油價，使到國民的生活更加辛苦。爲了艱苦的生活，工作的朋友不斷努力提升自己的工作效率，不讓老板有機會解雇他們。做生意的也不容易，要節省開支。巴士和德士司機也要提高收費。在這個油價高漲的時代，樣樣都貴。不但油價貴，連食物米糧也漲價，真叫人有點吃不消。

最近也發現，道路上的車輛也逐漸減少，使用交通工具的朋友們以及摩多機車的使用者也有上漲的跡象。所以說，一個危機也可以製造商機給不同行業的朋友。所以狀況也不是那麽不樂觀，畢竟還是有人賺錢有人悲。航空業，運輸業是大大和石油有著密切關係的行業，也很難逃一劫。石油公司則是賺到笑得見牙不見眼。有人悲傷一定有人高興的。陰陽平衡。

在不久的將來，大家的生活會更加困苦。汽油的漲價也對這原本已經緩慢的經濟多了一份負荷。人民的工錢也不見有什麽起伏來抗拒高昂的生活費用和通貨膨脹。難道，我們要這樣下去嗎？這也不是辦法。所以，唯有節省開銷，避免多花無謂的金錢在豪華的奢侈品，如汽車樓房珠寶等。要買，也不是現在。能省則省。

錢也變得越來越小，不知道要有多久我們連前的價值都看不見，回到香蕉錢幣的日本佔領時代。真的不想像印度尼西亞或者是其他南美洲國家有著貶值的貨幣。這樣太痛苦了。誰也不想看見這樣的情景發生。

現實總歸現實，雖然無法抗拒，也只能做好心理準備，未雨綢繆，以迎接生活費高漲的年代了。

10th Year Anniversary Reunion

On 7th July, my high school reunion dinner at Bruno's @ Jaya 33, Jalan Semangat. Wow, time really flies that I realised that what have I been doing for the past ten years. It seems to be so recent that I have graduated, singing routine school songs every monday that ryhmes "....tersegah megah di Selangor, Sekolah Menengah Katholik....", I guess I may not have been keeping tab with what's going on in my life, or I still have the younger Shin Yeen within me until I did not really care about what's happening in the world surrounding me. Maybe I just refuse to grow up, though I have grown horizontally over the years.

The dinner was attended by Kok Yung, Hong Yeo, Tow Guan, Huey Wen, Hui Ling, Kim Yew, Lip Yung, Khei Hon, Pn Lim, Mr Leong and Shin Yeen (me). This reunion dinner was something to look forward to, simply for a couple of reasons:

• My dear karaoke cum movie mate, Kok Yung, is backed from Texas for 3-week holiday;




• My dear charming friend, Meng Chong, aka former headmaster's son, is getting married on 27 September (Saturday) 2008 at Armada Hotel;




• Meeting with our dear Mr Leong (master kung fu) on his exciting encounter with Kuan Cheng students, mostly girls;




• Pn Lim (miss chemistry) with her task to start a concert for H&G club soon;




• Li Yen flown down from Penang, dressed in sexy pink dress;




• Khei Hon whom I have not seen for almost 10 years, is now doing mutual funds;




• Tow Guan, the master dancer within the group, going dancing classes 2 times in a row;




• Kim Yew, who everyone misses seeing;




• Hui Ling and Huey Wen, the lean and tall girls;




• Hong Yeo, for being a sport in the limelight.

Bruno's has cosy ambience, nice music, retro and expensive cigar and wine bar and furniture, and quiet setting, just perfect for our gathering. Though I must say the ambience does overshadow the over-rated food from the same profound owner of Food Foundry, based in Section 17. Well, most importantly, we have enjoyed ourselves.

Dinner does not end without a photography session. A ten-year anniversary photo after school. Only this time, Kok Yung is our SLR-lense master, instead of our usual Hong Yeo. Well, say cheese~ From the photos, I see gleams of happiness in everyone's face. Tired maybe, but satisfaction in the end, that we have maintained our dear friendship for 10 years, and counting.

Happy 10th Year Anniversary everyone!

Standing (L-R): Khei Hon, Hong Yeo, Kok Yung, Shin Yeen, Hui Ling, Kim Yew, Huey Wen, Meng Chong, Tow Guan

Seated (L-R): Li Yen, Pn Lim, Mr Leong, Lip Yung

Signage: A Symbol of Identity

Signage: A thing that people usually take for granted, but complain a lot when it has not one.
Signage: An important tool to lead you to where you want to go, and make that decision whether to proceed or not.
Signage: A thing that people rely on to be remembered or a sense of identity.
Signage: An image foretell.

I was visiting my customers, whose specialty is in signages. I must say, with their current product portfolios, they are serving a really niche market with high taste of luxury that bring a new light to the signage industry.

I was wondering while looking at their products. I was at awe. How could a small insignificant product as a small sign dictates an importance in the whole pictures in the operations.

Say for example, a door sign that carries your MD's name is just on a plain paper and stick to the door. What does that tell you? Cheap and penny-pinching philosophy? Or just a make-shift office? A building with no signages, is it abandon or what? And, if you are travelling on unfamiliar road, do you look for signages to guide you to your destination, or you just simply wondering around, figuring it out yourself?

After having these thoughts in my head I realized there is more to a simple signage. So, next time, I will think again for how a simple signage would make a big difference. Because signage is truly a symbol of identity.

Exhorbitant Price to Pay

Yesterday, I was in KL and PJ for the whole day to do some running to lawyer's office in TH Perdana and to meet my customer in KL Convention Centre, to Bukit Bintang to settle my outstanding balance and also to rush to KPMG office to hand some stamped documents to my customer.

Besides my precious times spent, I have also burnt fuel, which doesn't come cheap nowadays, and of course the exhorbitant parking fees to pay in golden land of Kuala Lumpur. After doing some rough calculation, I think almost spent RM16 just on parking alone. My gosh, how could that be!If with fuel cost, I think my cost of running around easily to be around RM30-RM40 just on transportation in a day. Come to think of it, I haven't include expense of my only meal taken for the day (I did not have breakfast nor lunch).

I wonder how KL-lite would be able to sustain such stressful, hectic and pricey lifestyle of commuting to work. Perhaps, next time, I will take a public transport to KL town centre if I am not in a rush. But I foresee there would not be a chance of that leisure at all in the near future.

Petrol Price Up Up and Coming

This morning's papers, you will notice that everyone in the country is very much anticipated the announcement of petrol subsidies adjustments. It was said that the adjustment was scheduled to be in August to anticipate the drastic surge in oil price. Who knows, in the evening, after the cabinet meeting, the oil price cannot wait till August, but to be raised immediately.

Frankly speaking, it is the first time I see the government is moving so efficiently to anticipate market forces. I must say, I was shocked, surprised, and impressed all mixed in one.

I think something major is coming our way...

倔強的性格

人家說，江山易改，本性難移。這句話真有意思。試觀察一下身邊的朋友，是不是有一些怪脾氣和動作是很難改變的呢？相信你們一定會異口同聲同意古人所說的名言，本身的性格是很難改變的。

我記得我媽告訴我的倔強性格，老是找麻煩欺負別人，真得讓別人頂不順，有些朋友還真的恨我，還把我的名字公佈於世，怕大家不知道我這個“壞人”。可是很奇怪的，也是因爲這種性格也交了許多不打不相識的朋友。是怨還是緣，我也搞不清楚。

倔強的性格通常比較容易闖禍。有時不是故意的也會演變成意外。也會因爲一時之氣惹禍，變得後悔莫及的時刻無時不有。但是回想起來，也因爲倔強的性格，所以不容易放棄，追根到底找個水落石出才罷休。有時為別人出氣，被人當偶像崇拜，那種感覺也真不錯。當然碰釘子的機會也比其他人來的高。可能這是我的性格所抉擇的必經路。

雖然我所遇上的種種波折，也闖過不少的禍，我其實還蠻欣賞我的性格而感到驕傲。因爲沒有一個像我一樣有我一樣獨特的性格吧。