Friday Frolics - The Five Factor Emotional Intelligence Test

Ahh.. the haze is back in Kuala Lumpur but it rained early this morning, so that helped to clear the smog a little. The good side of "our kind of haze" here in Malaysia is that it's only at certain times of the year, not all year round. Phew! But I digress. It's Friday again, so a personality quiz is in order. Find out how emotionally intelligent are you this week..

Happy Friday, everyone!

You Sometimes Attend to Your Emotions

You find expressing your emotions to be quite natural. You just say and show how you feel. You balance heart and head when conducting your life. Facts matter, but feelings matter too. You are somewhat emotionally responsive. You react emotionally, but you are not overly sensitive. You are an extremely empathetic person. You find it easy to put yourself in someone else's shoes.

The Five Factor Emotional Intelligence Test

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes!

Last Week's Quiz: The Night Test

Michael Jackson - Slave To The Rhythm

We interrupt update on the World Cup to pay tribute to a musical icon.

Five years ago on this day, June 26, the world was shocked by news of the death of Michael Jackson.

MJ may be gone but his music lives on and better yet, there is still new material coming out which could be part of his many unpublished recordings that he made for his children. This could be one of them. Check it out! Enjoy..

Slave To The Rhythm

Pandas open to the public on June 27 - Zoo Negara

The long wait to see pandas in Malaysia is soon over.

Pandas (Ms) Feng Yi and (Mr) Fu Wa are scheduled for public-viewing on June 27, that's a week away, at the panda complex at Zoo Negara...location map. Zoo Negara, the National Zoo, is not far from the city, so you may want to include seeing pandas in your itinerary the next time you visit Kuala Lumpur.

Tickets to enter the specially-built Panda Complex are at RM20 for adults and RM10 for children aged between 3 and 12. Entrance tickets are available on the same day at the zoo’s website.

(Strangely, I made a call to the Zoo and the nice lady on the other end said they have yet to receive instructions/information about ticketing so she couldn't provide more than what she knows. But I did confirm that ticket to see the pandas at the Panda Complex is in addition to the regular Zoo entrance ticket.) Call it inflation, all categories of tickets have been increased from last year when I posted about it - by roughly RM5.00.

For your easy reference, here's the current Zoo Negara Entrance Fee schedule obtained from the Zoo Negara website:

According to Zoo Negara deputy president Rosly:

“We can accommodate only 3,500 visitors at the complex daily. We hope visitors will plan their visit as the zoo has about 12,000 visitors during weekends.”

Rosly said adjustments to the complex were made during the pandas’ one-month quarantine, which started on May 21.

“We adjusted the water pressure at a man-made waterfall in the complex as the pandas dislike loud noise.

“We are also increasing the maximum temperature from 24°C to 27°C based on the temperature at the pandas’ native home in China.”

“On June 21, a trial session will be held, where about 900 visitors comprising zoo staff and their family members will view the pandas before the opening day.”

Rosly said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is expected to launch the complex on June 25.

“There will also be a celebration to commemorate the 40 years of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China, as well as the zoo’s 50th anniversary, on the same day.”

The zoo will close at 3pm on that day instead of 5pm.


Source: NST

Friday Frolics - The Night Test

Good morning! I'm kind of in a hurry to get the next post up (about when we can see 'our' very own pandas in the zoo), so I've chosen a very short personality quiz this week.

Pick the night scene you prefer to see what it says about you.

(Off to continue with the Panda post..) When can you see the pandas? You'll know soon enough.

You Are Together

You are extremely determined, sometimes to the point of being stubborn. You don't give up easily. Everyone who knows you can see how dedicated you are. If you take on a responsibility, you see it through. You are very conscientious, and you never resent doing the right thing. You believe that working hard is its own reward. You are well-rounded and informed about the world around you. People seek out your opinion and advice.

The Night Test

Lots of Fun, Free Quizzes!

Last Week's Quiz - What's Your Coffee Style

2014 World Cup Results Update

How is your favourite World Cup team doing so far?

Source: FIFA

A US$9.5 million rare stamp

In a packed room at Sotheby’s in Manhattan, this incredibly rare 19th century postage stamp, a tiny one-cent magenta from British colonial Guyana just sold for approximately US$9.5 million on Tuesday making it a new world record price for a stamp.

Measuring 1.25 inches (2.54 by 3.18 centimetres), the stamp is octagonal, printed in black ink and bears the initials of its past owners on the back.

Just a tiny piece of paper, this makes it the most expensive object in the world by weight.

Encased in glass, the stamp dates back more than 150 years and has passed through great collections, now breaking a world record price four times since 1922.

The auction house says the stamp is the only surviving example of a one-cent magenta, so rare that it is missing even from the British royal family’s philatelic collection.


Source: NST

Another Fun Day of World Cup..

If you have not noticed, Google is working overtime for World Cup 2014. Today's doodle is Doodle #15. Its inspiration comes from the streets of Rio straight to the homepage.

Scores for the latest matches.. Lucky Korea Republic.

A South Korean fan reacts during a Group H football match between Russia and South Korea in the Pantanal Arena in Cuiaba. (Source..The Star)

I got a kick last month when I first came across these World Cup men's underwear displayed high up on the wall of a sportswear shop. But of course you've got to have these to show your support for your favourite team(s)! I didn't check out the price but I read they are for a princely sum of RM25 a piece.

Happy Father's Day and World Cup reactions

To all Fathers out there, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!
And if you're a footie dad, what better treat than to have the World Cup happening in the same month, yes?

This morning, England vs Italy... 1 - 2. Ouch!

And for an earlier match, someone showed me a similar image as the one I recreated below. See if you can figure it out.

Clever, eh?

Friday Frolics - What's Your Coffee Style?

Some quizzes make you think a bit, in a good way, that is. This week's quiz is like that. If you drink coffee, this quiz is more meaningful and will probably yield a result closer to home.

Take this week's quiz to know your coffee style and to learn something more about yourself.

Happy Friday!

You Are an Espresso Drink

You love coffee, but it's likely not an everyday thing for you. You see coffee more as a treat. You love to indulge in a latte, cappuccino, or even an espresso from time to time. You enjoy a coffee break. You are both reflective and friendly. You love to have a long chat with a good friend. Your energy tends to be steady and consistent. You take life as it comes and try to keep everything on an even keel.

What's Your Coffee Style?

More Fun, Free Quizzes!

Last Week's Quiz: The Paris Test

FIFA World Cup 2014 - Opening Ceremony, Facts and Schedule

Source
Let the fever begin, football fever, that is. With the English Barclay's Premier League and the UEFA Champions League having ended their season, football fans here will have something to look forward to in the football department. The World Cup will keep fans entertained for the next month. Unfortunately, the games will be played at rather odd times for us here as we are 11 hours ahead of Brazil, give or take an hour difference the country being so big, some match venues vary in time.

FIFA World Cup 2014 Opening Ceremony will start at 3:15 p.m. June 12 (local time) at the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It will be at 2:15am June 13, Malaysia time. The 25-minute ceremony will feature 600 artists including acrobatic gymnasts, trampolinists, marshal arts-style capoeira performers and stilt walkers.

Yes, Jennifer Lopez will be among the performers, having overturned her decision earlier on to pull out of performing the official World Cup song at the ceremony. She will perform We Are One (Ole Ola) alongside rapper Pitbull and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte.

Live telecast available on RTM and Astro. Options for live-streaming is limited here in Malaysia but if you are in the United States, you can actually live stream all 64 matches via ESPN. However, The Star offers these Twitter options:

You’re welcome to follow Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) or Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney), but those guys aren’t as interesting as you think they might be. Far better to follow are guys like Rio Ferdinand (@RioFerdy5), Joey Barton (@Joey7Barton) or Michael Owen (@TheMichaelOwen), who may not be in the World Cup, but are not afraid to speak their mind about anything (which makes for some entertaining tweets indeed).

Of course, you can also follow @MyStarTwo, @StarOnline, StarSport_My and @mStarOnline for updates.

Get a glimpse of what to expect at the Opening..

The Opening Ceremony will serve as the prelude to the opening match of the tournament between Brazil and Croatia, which kicks off at 5pm local time.

The opening ceremony is a tribute to Brazil and its treasures: nature, people, football.

Match schedules and other information on World Cup 2014 can be found here on the official FIFA website. The month-long World Cup will end with the finals on July 13.


By the way, did you know that..

- This Will Be The First World Cup Ever With Goal-Line Technology. Finally!
- Brazil Is The 5th Country To Host A World Cup For The 2nd Time
- Brazil Will Use Drones and US Robots During The World Cup
- 2014 World Cup Is The Most Expensive World Cup Ever
- A Paraplegic Teenager Will Take The First 2014 World Cup Kick
- Official 2014 World Cup Song Is Called ’We Are One’
- France Demanded 2 Types Of Soaps In Each Hotel Room
- Germany Built Their Own World Cup Hotel And Training Camp - in Bahia
- Brazil Is ‘The Most Expensive Team’ In The 2014 World Cup
- Lionel Messi Is ‘The Most Expensive Player’ In The 2014 World Cup
- 2014 World Cup Champion Will Win 35 Million US Dollars
- FIFA Will Ban Players From Showing Messages Under Football Shirts

You can read more about the above facts and other Facts of World Cup 2014 here.


A Google Doodle for FIFA World Cup 2014..

For your convenience, thought I'd borrow this full schedule of matches and where to watch them from, International Business Times:

Thursday, June 12
Group A: Brazil Vs. Croatia, 4 p.m. ET, Sao Paulo (ESPN)

Friday, June 13
Group A: Mexico Vs. Cameroon, noon, Natal (ESPN2)
Group B: Spain Vs. Netherlands, 3 p.m., Salvador (ESPN)
Group B: Chile Vs. Australia, 6 p.m., Cuiaba (ESPN2)

Saturday, June 14
Group C: Colombia Vs. Greece, noon, Belo Horizonte (ABC)
Group D: Uruguay Vs. Costa Rica, 3 p.m., Fortaleza (ABC)
Group D: England Vs. Italy, 6 p.m., Manaus (ESPN)
Group C: Ivory Coast Vs. Japan, 9 p.m., Recife (ESPN)

Sunday, June 15
Group E: Switzerland Vs. Ecuador, noon, Brasilia (ABC)
Group E: France Vs. Honduras, 3 p.m., Porto Alegre (ABC)
Group F: Argentina Vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 6 p.m., Rio de Janeiro (ESPN)

Monday, June 16
Group G: Germany Vs. Portugal, noon, Salvador (ESPN)
Group F: Iran Vs. Nigeria, 3 p.m., Curitiba (ESPN)
Group G: USA VS. Ghana, 6 p.m., Natal (ESPN)

Tuesday, June 17
Group H: Belgium Vs. Algeria, noon, Belo Horizonte (ESPN)
Group A: Brazil Vs. Mexico, 3 p.m., Fortaleza (ESPN)
Group H: Russia Vs. South Korea, 6 p.m., Cuiaba (ESPN)

Wednesday, June 18
Group B: Australia Vs. Netherlands, noon, Porto Alegre (ESPN)
Group B: Spain VS. Chile, 3 p.m., Rio de Janeiro (ESPN)
Group A: Cameroon Vs. Croatia, 6 p.m., Manaus (ESPN)

Thursday, June 19
Group C: Colombia VS. Ivory Coast, noon, Brasilia (ESPN)
Group D: Uruguay VS. England, 3 p.m., Sao Paulo (ESPN)
Group C: Japan VS. Greece, 6 p.m., Natal (ESPN)

Friday, June 20
Group D: Italy Vs. Costa Rica, noon, Recife (ESPN)
Group E: Switzerland VS. France, 3 p.m., Salvador (ESPN)
Group E: Honduras VS. Ecuador, 6 p.m., Curitiba (ESPN)

Saturday, June 21
Group F: Argentina Vs. Iran, noon, Belo Horizonte (ESPN)
Group G: Germany Vs. Ghana, 3 p.m., Fortaleza (ESPN)
Group F: Nigeria VS. Bosnia-Herzegovina, 6 p.m., Cuiaba (ESPN)

Sunday, June 22
Group H: Belgium Vs. Russia, noon, Rio de Janeiro (ABC)
Group H: South Korea Vs. Algeria, 3 p.m., Porto Alegre (ABC)
Group G: USA VS. Portugal, 6 p.m., Manaus (ESPN)

Monday, June 23
Group B: Netherlands VS. Chile, noon, Sao Paulo (ESPN2)
Group B: Australia VS. Spain, noon, Curitiba (ESPN)
Group A: Croatia Vs. Mexico, 4 p.m., Recife (ESPN)
Group A: Cameroon Vs. Brazil, 4 p.m., Brasilia (ESPN2)

Tuesday, June 24
Group D: Italy VS. Uruguay, noon, Natal (ESPN)
Group D: Costa Rica Vs. England, noon, Belo Horizonte (ESPN2)
Group C: Japan Vs. Colombia, 4 p.m., Cuiaba (ESPN)
Group C: Greece Vs. Ivory Coast, 4 p.m., Fortaleza (ESPN2)

Wednesday, June 25
Group F: Nigeria VS. Argentina, noon, Porto Alegre (ESPN)
Group F: Bosnia-Herzegovina, noon, Salvador (ESPN2)
Group E: Ecuador Vs. France, 4 p.m., Rio de Janeiro (ESPN2)
Group E: Honduras VS. Switzerland, 4 p.m., Manaus (ESPN)

Thursday, June 26
Group G: USA VS. Germany, noon, Recife (ESPN)
Group G: Portugal Vs. Ghana, noon, Brasilia (ESPN2)
Group H: South Korea Vs. Belgium, 4 p.m., Sao Paulo (ESPN)
Group H: Algeria Vs. Russia, 4 p.m., Porto Alegre (ESPN2)

Round of 16
==============
Saturday, June 28
Match 49: 1A Vs. 2B, noon, Belo Horizonte (ABC)
Match 50: 1C Vs. 2D, 4 p.m., Rio de Janeiro (ABC)

Sunday, June 29
Match 51: 1B Vs. 2A, noon, Fortaleza (ESPN)
Match 52: 1D Vs. 2C, 4 p.m., Recife (ESPN)

Monday, June 30
Match 53: 1E Vs. 2F, noon, Brasilia (ESPN)
Match 54: 1G VS. 2H, 4 p.m., Porto Alegre (ESPN)

Tuesday, July 1
Match 55: 1F Vs. 2E, noon, Sao Paulo (ESPN)
Match 56: 1H Vs. 2G, 4 p.m., Salvador (ESPN)

Quarterfinals
=============
Friday, July 4
Match 58: match 53 winner Vs. match 54 winner, noon, Rio de Janeiro (ESPN2)
Match 57: match 49 winner VS. match 50 winner, 4 p.m., Fortaleza (ESPN)

Saturday, July 5
Match 60: match 55 winner Vs. match 56 winner, noon, Brasilia (ABC)
Match 59: match 51 winner Vs. match 52 winner, 4 p.m., Salvador (ESPN)

Semifinals
==========
Match 61: match 57 winner VS. match 58 winner, 4 p.m., Belo Horizonte (ESPN)
Match 62: match 59 winner Vs. match 60 winner, 4 p.m., Sao Paulo (ESPN)

Third-Placed Game
=================
Match 63: loser of match 61 Vs. loser of match 62, 4 p.m., Brasilia (ESPN)

Final
=====
Match 64: winner of match 61 Vs. winner of match 62, 4 p.m., Rio de Janeiro (ABC)


Ole Ola!

Google Doodle honouring Honinbo Shusaku - 185th birthday

Do you play this ancient Oriental board game called GO? If you do, today's Google doodle may interest you. It commemorates the 185th birthday of Honinbo Shusaku considered by many to be the greatest player of the golden age of Go in the mid-19th century.

This is how it looks like..courtesy of Wikipedia.

Friday Frolics - The Paris Test

Oops! I'm late again this week. But hey, it's still Friday, right?

Let's go to Paris this week..

You Are Optimistic

Some people may consider you to be too shy, but you are simply thoughtful. You are a naturally creative person. You are always looking for your next inspiration. You value your relationships, and you try to learn as much about your friends as possible. Novelty and variety recharge you. You are a true adventurer at heart.

Now take the quiz..
The Paris Test

Fun, Free Quizzes!

Last Week's Quiz: What Kind of Storm Are You?

Happy Dumpling Day 2014

Today is the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese Lunar calendar and which is also known as Duanwu (double 5th). Today is a commemorative day for the Chinese community as we celebrate Duanwu Festival which we refer to it here as Dumpling Day or Zongzi Festival, the food synonymous with this festival.

Source: Google
This festival is also referred to as the Dragonboat Festival. There is a legend attached to the (rice) dumplings and the dragonboat which you can read about on Wikipedia.

I'm writing about it here so as to have a record of it and to keep the tradition alive (for me at least) and, to wish you if you are celebrating this festival. Happy Duanwu Festival!

Last year, I included a traditional recipe on how to make savoury rice dumplings, if you're interested to try making dumplings. Last year, it was celebrated on June 12.

Hey look! A Google doodle..

Gangnam Style hits 2 Billion views

Remember Gangnam Style? In 3Q of 2012, yes, that's how long ago this video has been, Gangnam Style had then chalked up 96 million views and everyone was like, Woh!

The video even won Best Video of the Year at MTV's EMA that year in November.

Today, that figure has ballooned to a cool 2,000,000,000, that's two billion! And I just contributed one more hit which makes it 2,001,466,086 views.

Here's the video again if only to see what the hype was all about then..


ALL COMMENTS (5,188,468) on YouTube.. just saying.


Alright, here are the lyrics, in English, if you're interested.

Oppa is Gangnam style
Gangnam style

A girl who is warm and humanle during the day
A classy girl who know how to enjoy the freedom of a cup of coffee
A girl whose heart gets hotter when night comes
A girl with that kind of twist

Im a guy
A guy who is as warm as you during the day
A guy who one-shots his coffee before it even cools down
A guy whose heart bursts when night comes
That kind of guy

Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Now lets go until the end

Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh

A girl who looks quiet but plays when she plays
A girl who puts her hair down when the right time comes
A girl who covers herself but is more sexy than a girl who bares it all
A sensible girl like that

Im a guy
A guy who seems calm but plays when he plays
A guy who goes completely crazy when the right time comes
A guy who has bulging ideas rather than muscles
That kind of guy

Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Now lets go until the end

Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh

On top of the running man is the flying man, baby baby
Im a man who knows a thing or two
On top of the running man is the flying man, baby baby
Im a man who knows a thing or two

You know what Im saying
Oppa is Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh

Songwriters
YOO, GUN HYUNG / PSY,

Published by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

Read more: PSY - Gangnam Style Lyrics | MetroLyrics