2009 Contract

After receiving this mail from our friend Ng Teng Seng, I thought this is really wonderful to share with others and zoom, I just forward it to my list of Thomian friends. I am pleasantly surprised with the responses & thought I should post this to share with others.

Happy reading and wishing all a great year ahead.

"geoklian kueh"
23/12/2008 01:35 PM To"Angelia Lin (Bee)" , "Anthony Bong" , "Arthur Lee" , "Beatrice Naeg" , "Bee Yian Lau" , "Clarence Lei" , "Deborah Law" , "Edmond Song" , "Edward Tan" , "Emily Ngang Siang Yeo" , "Francis Ho" , "Jack Kho" , "Justin Tsan" , "Kia Siew Pang" , "Lai Choo Lee" , "Lian Kee Lim" , "Mui Thin Lai" , "Ng Cheng" , Poh , "Raymond Tan" , "Ricky Ng" , "Rita Lau" , "Rodney Tan" , "Shirley Aw" , "Siew Fah Bong" , "Sim Kheng Boon" , "Simon Lai" , Simon Lim/AULSY/AP/COLPAL@COLPAL, "Sok Kim, Amy Lim" , "Sylvia Lee-Wee" , "Teng Seng Ng" , "William Tay" , "Yian Kwan Ang"

2009 Contract

After serious & cautious consideration.....your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2009 & beyond!
It was a very hard decision to make.
My Wish for You in 2009

May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
May happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy
May the problems you had, forget your home address!
In simple words ............

May 2009 be the best year of your life!!!

Merry Christmas to you and a Happy New Year!!

From: Geok Lian & Family

Responses

Hi,
Thank-you and hope all of you & your families & love ones also have a Blessed Happy, Healthy and Peaceful Christmas.

Regards,
Simon Lim
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sim Kheng Boon wrote:
Thank you geoklian. Merry Christmas and bountiful happiness for 2009 to you all. Cheers !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Dear Geok Lian,
Wishing you and Family a Joyous Christmas and A very Happy New Year for 2009.

Luv,
Sylvia and Family
P/S And to you friends who are copied in this message as well.
Do let us know when you are visiting Melbourne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear all,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your families.

Angelia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr Clarence Lei Chang Moh wrote:
Merry Christmas to all.

Please note my NEW email address:

clarencelei@gmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi
A blessed Christmas and joyful New Year to all.

Cheers!

Deborah & family

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello Lovely People!

Here's Wishing Each & Everyone of Us - Seasons Greetings & Happy Holidays!

Best Wishes
Francis Ho & Family in Kuching
24 December 2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William Tay wrote:
Hi all
It is glad to see so many familiar names!

Wishing you and your family all the bests and prosperity for the New Year!

Let's celebrate a happy new year!

Which reminds me of an old joke to brigthen up your day especially during these difficult times as the world suffers from its worst financial crisis!

Apologies in advance if anyone of you find it offensive or 'blasphemous'......

-----------------------------------
A new pope is installed. So he is brought to the secret chamber to view the original 'Bible'.
He came out very angry and flustered!
Why, the accompanying Cardinal enquired are you so upset my Holiness?
He said: why no one told me there is a spelling mistake in the old documents over the years? It said 'Let's Celebrate Life' for priests and not 'Led Celibate Life'!

And I have remained celibated my whole life because of that blooming typing error! And even if I want to 'celebrate life' now, it is too late because I can no longer perform!

Cheers and let's celebrate life.......
Sharing by William Tay

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merry White/Wet or Dry Christmas to all of you. Prosperous & Happy Cow Year(Right?)

Poh(Agatha)-Adelaide

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lai Mui Thin responded:

Dear GeokLian,
Thanks a lot for giving us hope in this challenging time by renewing our
contracts. Let us pray and hope that 2009 will be a good year and all will
enjoy peace,joy and good health .
Here is something to share with all of you.

YOU BETTER WATCH OUT,
YOU BETTER NOT CRY,
YOU BETTER KEEP CASH,
I AM TELLING WHY,
RECESSION IS COMING TO TOWN!!!!!

IT IS HITTING YOU ONCE,
IT IS HITTING YOU TWICE,
IT DOESN'T CARE IF YOU HAVE BEEN CAREFUL AND WISE,
RECESSION IS COMING TO TOWN!!!!!

IT'S WORTHLESS IF YOU GOT SHARES,
IT'S WORHTLESS IF YOU GOT BONDS
IT IS SAFE WHEN YOU GOT CASH IN HANDS.
SO KEEP CASH FOR GOODNESS SAKE. HEY!!!(REPEAT ONCE)

Wishing all a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year.

Best Regards
MT
Phone: +6072535001, Mobile: +60193381374, E-Mail: muithin.lai@basf.com
BASF (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Johor Malaysia, 81100

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edward Tan wrote on 28 Dec, (last one to respond so far) :
Dear GeokLian,

Thank you for your renewal of friendship. I have only just got to read your email tonight! And it is gladdening to read the 'renewal' responses to your email from a number of our old schoolmates and classmates.

So here: I renew mine for another year as well. I wish everyone a cheerful and meaningful 2009! Stay fit and healthy too!

Best regards,
Edward

Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!


If you celebrate the above, here's my hearty season's greeting to you:


http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1626689451719&source=jl999


: - )



Edward

Art Design - How To Say That

The is from a Japanese website - TAMALOG, and clever though I am, don’t know how to read Japanese! Nor Chinese, Bahasa, etc. So I have no idea what this is all about; but i like it, it is beautiful and I hope you all like it too. I love designs of all sorts.

BTW, its October now and once again the year seems to have sped by! Scary isn't it how time flies. So let's make the most of it and make time to share the things that we like or love - HERE.

Vitamin B12 May Protect the Brain in Old Age

Oh dear! I'd not posted in ages; so here's some useful health information. AND I need to take some Vitamins B12 and so do the rest of you ... *wink*

Vitamin B12, a nutrient found in meat, fish and milk, may protect against brain volume loss in older people, according to a study published in the September 9, 2008, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... C: wait... SD: wait...

Eva & Sylvia meets in Singapore

The blog has been so quiet so I have to post this gathering, after some encouragement from the members in this photo.

It was by chance that we had 2 visitors, Sylvia from Melbourne and Eva from London. Friday 15th, was the only evening when the 2 were in Singapore, before Via takes off to Melbourne & Eva's first day in Spore. Deborah & myself, the "local residents" met the 2 at Chilli Padi, a Nonya restaurant.

It was great catching up. For Sylvia, Eva and Deborah, its their first meeting after we left St Thomas. Thanks to the blog, we have glimpses of how each one of us has matured over the years. So, not loud surprises when we see each other.

The young girl among the four ladies is Gemma, Eva's "bao bei"

The Right Stuff: Performance Food

Yeah - I'm back in Kuching and back to the grind after looking at the crystal clear beautiful waters of Fiji ... I'd also made a brief stopover in Sydney but did not have time to look up Simon Lim Poon Kiat. Next time perhaps. As is with most things in life; there had been a lot of changes since my last visit to Sydney years ago. Sydney is a most beautiful city and definitely warrants a visit.

Anyway here's something that I came across that may be of interest to most of us I think. (Except perhaps for the "Trying to get Pregnant" one!) So happy eating but eat right!

Certain foods can actually help you get the things you want: a good night’s sleep, a big raise, a long-awaited pregnancy, and more. For the lowdown on the perfect fuel, we asked the experts for their secrets on what to eat to gear up for life’s little (and big) challenges.

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Battling the sniffles

Best to eat: Warm fluids, plus garlic

Why: Liquids help by thinning mucus, easing a dry cough, and fending off dehydration due to fever, Heller says. “Garlic has disease-fighting compounds that can give your body a little boost,” she adds.

Try: A soup that has garlic or onions. Either can easily be added to chicken or vegetable broth.

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Dreaming of sleep

Best to eat: Whole grains with protein

Why: If you toss and turn in bed, the right snack can help you unwind. Whole grains have carbohydrates that will increase the serotonin in your brain. Eating a meal with carbs, along with proteins that have the amino acid tryptophan, can help insomnia.

Try: A half-cup of whole-grain cereal with skim milk about an hour and a half before sleep. Other picks: hummus on a whole-wheat pita or a rice cake topped with tomato and a slice of turkey breast.

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Trying to get pregnant

Best to eat: Complex carbs and protein, plus folic acid

Why: The carb-protein duo keeps insulin levels stable, and that helps fertility, says Jeremy Groll, MD, coauthor of Fertility Foods. “High insulin levels prohibit normal ovulation,” he says. Take a prenatal vitamin (ask your doctor), Dr. Groll advises, and fill up on foods rich in folic acid to reduce the risk of spinal-cord defects.

Try: A fruit smoothie with yogurt and protein powder. For folic acid, eat more asparagus, leafy greens, oranges, and fortified cereals.

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Before a workout

Best to eat: Light snack with carbs and water

Why: A small bite a half-hour to an hour before a workout will give you staying power but won’t weigh you down. “It takes the edge off hunger and gives your body some calories,” says Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, author of Managing Your Mind and Mood Through Food.

Try: Yogurt and a few whole-grain crackers if you have an hour or more before the workout; half a banana or 6 ounces of orange juice if you have less time, because they turn into energy (glucose) faster.

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Hitting the road

Best to eat: A low-calorie meal that travels well

Why: Since you’ll probably be sitting for hours in a car or plane, you don’t need a lot of calories. You may not be able to keep foods fresh either, so nonperishable, portable foods are also a smart bet. And a healthy snack will keep you away from fat-filled fast foods.

Try: A prepackaged green salad with chicken at the airport, or soup and a whole-wheat roll. For a short flight, shoot for a protein bar with about 15 grams of protein, Wurtman says. For a long road trip, Heller suggests trail mix made with whole-grain cereal, nuts, and dried fruit.

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Asking for a raise

Best to eat: Lean protein and whole grains, plus caffeine

Why: You want to be alert and upbeat when you’re hitting up the boss. Protein foods have an amino acid, tyrosine, that helps increase mental alertness, and whole grains have been shown to improve energy, says nutritionist Samantha Heller, MS, RD. Also, caffeine improves attention and short-term memory. The effect is strongest if you down one to two 8-ounce cups at least 20 minutes (but no more than an hour) before your sit-down with the boss.

Try: An egg-white and spinach omelet, or a whole-wheat bagel with low-fat cream cheese and java.

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Speaking to a crowd

Best to eat: A high-protein, low-fat meal

Why: It’s the perfect combo to help concentration and keep those butterflies in check. “Amino acids from the protein will not only help you with the ability to learn and recall information, but they’ll also enhance your ability to concentrate and stay alert,” Moore says. Combine chicken, fish, beef, or tofu with some veggies or whole grains, but go easy on the greens, which have fiber that can make you feel gassy or bloated.

Try: A lightly dressed tuna salad with whole-wheat bread or grilled chicken on a small bed of greens.

By Ziba Kashef; Photos by James Worrell

Battle at Kruger Park

A friend directed me to this.

Thomian Reunion

27th May 2008

Dear fellow Thomian,

RE: Old Thomian Association Dinner: 160th Anniversary of St. Thomas' School on Saturday,19th July 2008, Crowne Plaza Riverside at 6.30 pm, RM80 per pax

Dr William Voon (who is organising the above dinner) sold me some tickets for the above. He requested me to disseminate this information to as many old Thomians as possible to make this a viable occasion. May be Francis Ho can also put it on the blog site. For further information and purchase of tickets, his contact is as follows:

Dr William Voon
Klinik Rakyat
No. 8, Jalan Petanak
93100 Kuching
Tel: 082-248416
e-mail: wehvoon@yahoo.com

He can arrange for the tickets to be delivered.

I look forward to seeing some of you at the dinner.

Yours sincerely



DR CLARENCE LEI CHANG MOH

Pig farms bloom in Muslim Morocco

Moroccan Jewish farmer Jean-Yves Yoel Chriqui at his farm in Agadir.
Photo: AFP

Shunned by most Muslim countries where pork consumption is a religious taboo, pig farming is booming in Morocco thanks to a growing tourist industry and pragmatic breeders.

"If there's tourism, it would be better to have pigs," said Said Samouk, 39, who raises 250 porkers at his farm 28 kilometres (17 miles) from the seaside town of Agadir.

After being battered by a wave of bird flu, he launched a pig operation 20 years ago in partnership with an elderly Frenchman.

Today, Samouk spins dreams of doubling his production within three years to help meet the demands of some 10 million tourists expected to visit Morocco in 2010 - up from 7.5 million who flocked to the north African country in 2007.

"I'm a practising Muslim. I don't eat pork and I don't drink alcohol but it's just a breeding operation like any other and no imam has ever reprimanded me for it," he said of raising pigs -- whose consumption is prohibited in both Islam and Judaism.

Outlawed in Algeria, Mauritania and Libya, pig farming is nonetheless authorised in Tunisia as in Morocco, to cater to the flocks of European and other non-Muslim tourists who head to north Africa's spectacular beaches and deserts.

"Our clientele is 98 percent European. They want bacon for breakfast, ham for lunch and pork chops for dinner," said Ahmad Bartoul, a buyer for a large Agadir hotel. Signs are posted on buffet tables to avoid any confusion about the meat's origin.

Morocco's swine industry comprises some 5,000 pigs raised on seven farms located near Agadir, Casablanca and the north-central city of Taza. The breeders include a Christian, two Jews and four Muslims.

Annual production is currently estimated at 270 tonnes of meat, bringing in some 12 million dirhams (1.6 million dollars) in revenue.

The breeders include Jean Yves Yoel Chriquia, a 32-year-old Jew who owns the country's main pork processing factory along with a farm of 1000 pigs. Chriquia also buys pigs from Samouk and another local farmer at 22 dirhams a kilo.

Four times a month, he goes to the slaughter house in Agadir -- but must enter from a door other than that used for deliveries of meat that is halal, or authorised under Islam.

"We have a special place for this sort of slaughter. After cutting up the meat and getting the veterinarian's stamp, we transport it to the factory and put it in cold storage," Yoel said.

Almost 80 percent of his products are earmarked for hotels in Agadir and Marrakech. The rest heads to supermarkets and butchers -- and to feed some 220 Chinese workers building a nearby motorway.

"My wife was certain we would never find pork because we were in a Muslim country," said French retiree Bernard Samoyeau, as he ordered pork at a butcher in Agadir. "We have been pleasantly surprised."

Yoel is also pleased.

"We have more than doubled our sales in three years and it's starting to snowball. But since we rely on tourism, we must be careful," he said.

The Moroccan farmer speaks from experience: the 1990 Gulf war, the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq ultimately forced him to shutter his last business burdened by 2.8 million dirhams of unpaid bills.

Three years ago, he opened up a new company that employs 31 people.

"Hotels all over Morocco are calling me up for deliveries, but for the time being I can't respond to all the demands. We're getting there, little by little," Yoel said.

Nor does he see a conflict between his job and his Jewish faith.

"Religion is a private matter. What I do is just another way to earn a living and my rabbi has never said anything about it," he said.

AFP

Tun Mahathir's Blog

Dr Mahathir Mohamad our former Prime Minister has started his blog - www.chedet.com on 1st May 2008. Chedet is his 'pen name'.

I.KIA - Learning Hokkien

Kayaking “Vacation” @ Lake Toba, North Sumatera. Indonesia

FH2o in his element @ beautiful Lake Toba - largest volcanic lake in the world. 24th March 2008. Photo by Mindy (talented Singaporean photographer)

I think most people around our age would prefer a quiet and placid golf or a cruise liner holiday. I do too … But I’d rather be kayaking out on the blue yonder in some wild places! Which is what I did on the long Easter (and Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday) weekend; with a group of other adventurous spirits – 2 from Australia (one was a cameraman from Al Jazeera), 2 Germans, 1 retired Brit who now lives in Pattaya, Thailand and 4 Singaporeans, when we went on a kayaking expedition on Lake Toba visiting the shorelines of places less travelled (definitely not on kayaks!).

Holding up our paddles and me the flag for Malaysia on this Kayaking Expedition. I'm fourth from the right.

And a fine vacation we had indeed when on the first day of kayaking we were on the waters for more than 15 hours and were caught up in a fierce storm in the middle of the lake in the middle of the night! That was the ‘highlight’ of our trip although we would gladly forsake such ‘highlights’ in future …

Anyway here are some photos of my ‘kayaking vacation’ for the contemplation of those who think ‘oldies’ like us should be snug up in bed reading novels or at the most on the bowling green instead of messing around in the lake in the middle of the night! I don't think we are ever "too old" or "too busy" for anything - it's just our mindset and attitude. We only have one life - Live It, NOW. Be Well.

Elections In Malaysia 8th March 2008

It was Elections Day in Malaysia on Saturday, 8th March 2008. Barisan Nasional, the ruling coalition (as usual) was returned to power BUT with a greatly reduced majority (no more two thirds majority) this time. The winds of change was finally blowing this time round. *sigh*

And like any typical, responsible, tax-paying loyal citizen of Malaysia who wants to make himself happy on that fateful day .... I went kayaking!

Visiting Fiji

On a boat ride to the island on my last day in Fiji.

I'd never thought that I would visit Fiji one day but I did! On a business trip from the 13th to the 20th February 2008 flying from Kuching to KL then to Sydney where we change plane for another 3 1/2 hours flight to Nadi, Fiji. Suva is the capital city but most international flights land in Nadi about a 3 to 4 hours drive away - figure that out!

Magical islands and beautiful waters abound in Fiji.

I had a great time and here are a few photos - I had posted more at my personal blog. Coups or no coup - Fiji is a most beautiful island replubic. Cheers.

With such beautiful waters - naturally I went kayaking. Corals are just at the beach's edge. Amazing.

Hysterical

Chinese New Year Greeting!

Sin Nien Tau Ler, Won 4ze Lu Ee, Sin Nien Kwhy Ler

Wishing all my Chinese ex-school-mates a happy lunar new year, one that will be filled with abundant wealth and good health.

Happy Chinese New Year 2008 Wishes

Chinese New Year is on Thursday, 7th February 2008 and here's wishing all the Monkeys all the Best in the Year of the Rat.

Credit card

There are so many credit card scams going on all the time, so when a friend emailed this to me (and quite a few other people as well), I thought this might be of interest to all.