Hazy Kuala Lumpur

We are seeing hazy skies again in Kuala Lumpur. The rain this afternoon did not help much. Through the shroud of haze, this is how the Petronas Twin Towers looked like (picture borrowed from The Star).


It is that time of the year again in which temperatures are high, matched by high humidity. Malaysians can expect hotter and drier days till September as an El Nino phenomenon is forming.

Open burning adds to the problem with 125 hot spots spotted in the country since May 25 to June 7 though some are not man-made but due to peat fires and landfill fires. To worsen the situation, there are 996 hot spots in Sumatra and 108 in Kalimantan and if it gets worse, air quality in this region may be affected. I am thinking rain right now, lots of it.

An Artist's Work is Never Done

Art is so varied. It allows for endless opportunities for expression of one's creativity. In other words, anything goes. Of course, we are not talking about mainstream, conventional paint-on-canvas art here.

Let's start with sidewalk art. These 3D drawings are so real that at times, it is difficult to tell where art ends and reality begins. Two of Julian Beever's works for your appreciation.

Julian Beever is an English artist who’s famous for his art on the pavement of England, France, Germany, USA, Australia and Belgium.



































And then there is sand art. Those of us who have dabbled in making sand-castles on the beach would know how difficult it is to make a form and make it look real, let alone remarkable. Here, Homer Simpson is relaxing after a hard day.












Vegetables sometimes do not end up in the pot but on a canvas like this vegetable art of the famous lady with the mysterious smile, Mona Lisa.














Here is another interesting work of art, Azevedo's Ice Sculptures of Melting Men. Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo created hundreds of sitting figures out of ice. The installation lasted till the last one melted in the heat of the day.






















This installation of a Chair building is Art too. This and the one above of Melting Men are among 10 Fascinating Art Installations. Doesn't this Chair building remind you of piling up chairs at the back of the classroom end-of-schoolterm?






















And finally, no art is complete without some form of nudity. For more art appreciation, please visit Spencer Tunick's photo album. Interesting work. I salute the models.

Rules for Being Human

Couldn't help but agree with these 10 Rules for Being Human..


1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life."

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work."

4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

6. "There" is no better a place than "here." When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."

7. Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

10. You will forget all this.


Anymore to add?

So You Want A Pet Dog?

Keeping pets is serious business though there is limited choices of animal or rather pet products here. I am referring to pet dogs in particular.

Even if my life depended on it, I wouldn't know where to look for a pet shop that stocks something as important as a dog bedding or other dog care products.


I mean, if one has a pet dog, wouldn't it make sense to give him or her the best or at least the best of the minimum necessary? I know I would treat him or her as one of the family though just short of having him or her at the same table at mealtimes.

Many of my friends who keep a dog or two at home resort to online shopping for their dog grooming needs. Travelling to more advanced countries also enable them to bring back gifts and toys for their pets.

Losing Weight with the Best Diet Pills

Not all of us who are overweight are fortunate enough to be blessed with discipline when it comes to diet and exercise. Some of us turn to miracle supplements, i.e., diet pills for the answer.

Even though diet pills may not be the desired way of losing the extra pounds, they can produce positive results in the appropriate dosage. Of course, they are no replacement for a healthful diet of the right kind of food and adequate exercise for a healthy, fit body.

If one were to turn to diet pills for help, one would need to do some research to get to the best diet pills available in the market. Do yourself a favour, choose wisely.

Xbox from Microsoft

Technology has really stepped us up in a big way. Take something as frivolous as recreation. I got you there, didn't it? These days, recreation is certainly not a frivolous pastime. Recreation is big time when it comes to games, particularly in the technological sense. Kids, even adults, are talking games and XBox from Microsoft and such.

More and more consumers are shopping online for electronics gadgets and paraphernalia. Firstly, you can get better discounts online and secondly, normally there is a more comprehensive range to select from. Are you a gamer? Maybe a serious gamer? Do you buy your sets online?

Friday Frolics - What Finger Are You?

Let's do the finger test this week. Well, whaddaya know.. I get along well with the middle finger.

You Are the Thumb

You're unique and flexible. And you defy any category. Mentally strong and agile, you do things your own way. And you do them well. You are a natural leader... but also truly a loner. You inspire many but connect with few. You get along well with: The Middle Finger Stay away from: The Pinky

What Finger Are You?

Other Fun Quizzes

The Summer Trend

Ah, summer is here again! Though it's summer all-year-round here, what is there to prevent us from being in trend like our sisters and brothers of temperate climes, eh?

For you, fashionistas, Vogue UK has drawn up an interesting list of fail-safe options to add some pizazz to your wardrobe, your life, this summer:

The options include:

* Buy a hat (or a head scarf or a hair accessory of some description - the ponytail tubes at Louis Vuitton are a good option);

* Buy a really, really fabulous pair of heels (you need asking twice?);

* Buy at least one single-shouldered dress (one for evening and one for summer daytime flirting would be best);

* Buy something gold;

* Plan plenty of monochrome outfits;

* Put all your blues together, and all your greens, and practice wearing them layered up, all at once;

* If you're keen to invest in one of the bags of the season, go for a long strapped one slung across your body or clutch a teeny weeny one in your palm (as at Chanel and Louis Vuitton), or, for the real deal (and bank) breaker, check out the scrunchy, hand-held ones at Prada, Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton;

* Plus, if you're feeling brave and you really want to look the spring/summer 2009 part, be the first to master Stefano Pilati's Yves Saint Laurent baggy nappy pants. We dare you.

There, you have it - and there's more..

The A - Z trend of the season.

Happy Summer and Have Fun!!