A little faith & determination

Had asked Twain to rate year 2007 on the scale from 1 - 10 and guess what, he rated this year a 7!

I was surprise. Totally out of my expectation as I was so sure that the best he could do is to give it a 6 for this year or the worst 5 but here he is giving it a 7 for a year that is actually unpredictable, volatile and tough for his business.
I felt pleased, that although things and business is so tough on him and there are just so many things going on at the same time now but he is still feeling optimistic and still think that all these are only for the better. He thinks he can sail thru the rough sea.

FAITH and DETERMINATION makes a lot of difference...

The 3 of us will pull through, I know!

With God's will, hope everything we went thru prove to be worthy one day down the road.

(*Renee holding tight to mommy's hands)

Banana - The way to go

After reading this, you'll never look at banana the same way again!

Bananas Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, it gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey, amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many illness. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Happiness

“The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the best of everything that comes along their way."

-anonymous

Words Women Use

A friend of mine sent me this and I was laughing my lungs out reading it not only because visualizing these words being used is entertaining but also because it is so true!
I am giving my personal salute to the person who record every single detail of these "coding".
Here's to help the men out there from getting into a lot of shit by learning and understanding the women's coding and therefore avoid the disasters from hitting.

"Fine"
This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.
"Five minutes"
If she is getting dressed, this is half an hour. "Five minutes" is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

"Nothing"
This is the calm before the storm. This means "something," and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with "nothing" usually end in "fine".

"Go ahead"
This is a dare, not permission. Don't do it.
This is not actually a word, but is a nonverbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "nothing".

"That's okay"
This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can make to a man. "That's okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

"Whatever"
It's a woman's way of saying *!#@ you!

The way kids see love…

I specially loveee this article, it's on The way kids see Love…, it's awesome!
You will be so surprise what they see in Love compared to us and that they have definitely help us look at Love from a totally different angle.

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over andpaint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time,even when his hands got arthritis too.
That's love." Rebecca- age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your Frenchfries without making them give you any of theirs." Chrissy - age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." Bobby - age 7

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate" Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." Clare - age 6

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." Elaine-age 5

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." Lauren - age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image) Karen - age 7

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." Mark - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." Jessica - age 8

Mexico Bun Competition

Competition: Mexican Bun Competition
Date: 25-05-05
Venue: Gurney Tower, Penang
Judge: Blair from Australia
Secretary: Sue Lye

All Mexican Bun you can get in Penang..
Mexican Bun from Bread to Brag
Mexican Bun from Bread Story
Mexican Bun from Roti King
Mexican Bun from Bread History

The professor of Mexican Bun is taking his first bite during the Mexican Bun Competition..

and he is taking many more bites...

start to slowing down after having too much of it...

Sue, the secretary is jotting everything down for the boss..

The Comment:

Bread to Brag:- too soft, not flavored enough

Bread History:- too soft, coffee flavored too mild, similar to Bread to Brag.

Roti King:- thick top, chocolate flavored, can't taste the coffee, not nice..

Bread Story:- Chocolate flavored, slight taste of coffee, nice & crispy, chocolate chips on top makes a difference. nice taste, less butter which is good..

The Result:

1.Bread Story

2.Bread History

3.Bread to Brag & lastly

4.Roti King

Success is not a goal

Dear Oprah,
Although I feel you are a little overacting and dramatic sometimes, but I totally agree with what you said on the below and I specially like the verse where you said: ‘if you want to have success, you can't make success your goal, the key is not to worry about being successful, but to instead work toward being significant’.
This is so true and I couldn’t have agree enough with you!

You said: "Everyone has the power for greatness—not for fame, but greatness, because greatness is determined by service." Even before I first heard my all-time favorite quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., I knew in my heart that the message was true. As far back as I can recall, my prayer has been the same: "Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself."

All of us need a vision for our lives and even as we work to achieve the vision, we must surrender it to the power that is greater than we know. It's one of the defining principles of my life that I love to share: God can dream a bigger dream for you than you could ever dream for yourself. Success comes when you surrender to that dream—and let it lead you to the next best place.

What I know for sure is that if you want to have success, you can't make success your goal. As my friend, the gospel singer and minister, once told me, the key is not to worry about being successful, but to instead work toward being significant—and the success will naturally follow. How can you serve your way to greatness? When you shift your focus from success to service, your work as a teacher, clerk, doctor or dot-commer will instantly have more meaning.

Again, I totally respect you for what you have believed in above.

"Triangle of Life"

This is worth a read, it could save your lives.
Its high time we start learning these survival skills as Malaysia should no longer be considered a nation free from natural catastrophe.

Doug Copp is the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI), the world's most experienced rescue team. In 1996 he made a film which proved his survival methodology called "Triangle of Life" to be correct.

What is "Triangle of Life"?
When buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them. This space is what Doug called the "triangle of life".
The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured.
The next time you watch collapsed buildings on television, count the "triangles" you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape you will see in a collapsed building.

The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul, University of Istanbul Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. They collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside. 10 mannequins did "duck and cover," and 10 mannequins used "triangle of life" survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse they crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results.
The film showed there were 0% survival for those doing "duck and cover". There would likely have been 100 % survivability for people using method of the "triangle of life."

Roberto Rosales, Chief of Rescue in Trujillo was trapped inside a collapsed building when he was 11. His entrapment occurred during the earthquake of 1972 and 70,000 people were killed. He survived in the "triangle of life" that existed next to his brother's motorcycle. His friends who got under the bed and under desks were crushed to death. He claimed proudly that he is the living example of the "triangle of life" and his dead friends are the example of "duck and cover".

TIPS DOUG COPP PROVIDES:

1. Everyone who simply "ducks and covers" when buildings collapse is crushed to death -- every time, without exception. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are always crushed.
2. Cats, dogs and babies all naturally often curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.
3. Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. The reason is simple: the wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.
4. If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the back of the door of every room, telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.
5. If an earthquake happens while you are watching television and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.
6. Everybody who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the door jam falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!
7. Never go to the stairs. The stairs have a different "moment of frequency" (they swing separately from the main part of the building).The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads. They are horribly mutilated. Even if the building doesn't collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged.Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by screaming, fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.
8. Get near the outer walls of buildings or outside of them if possible it is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The further inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.
9. People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway. The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them. All the crushed cars had voids 3 feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.
10. newspaper offices and offices with a lot of paper are fairly safe. Paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.

I hope this useful information is never needed.....