Malaysia celebrates 50 Years of Independence

Today, Malaysia celebrates 50 Years of Independence from Britain.

For the past few days, some of the main roads downtown were closed for parade rehearsals causing massive jams. Being the big 50 years, this year's national parade was held in the nation's capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Many locals and tourists alike thronged to where the parade was held. No, I wasn't one of them though it would be quite an experience to be there personally. The crowd and being under the hot sun for several hours are not really my idea of fun. I watched the parade on tv in the comfort of my home.

For an idea of the parade, here's a little snippet - not much to see but at least something. Happy Merdeka!

Friday Frolics: How Open Minded Are You?

I don't know about you, those of you who have done these quizzes, but I find the results pretty close to who I am - scary in a way, you know. But don't worry, they don't rule me. I won't let them. As a matter of fact, I forget the results as soon as I finish reading them. That's the beauty of being able to turn your mind off things. Bliss.

You Are 64% Open Minded

You are a very open minded person, but you're also well grounded. Tolerant and flexible, you appreciate most lifestyles and viewpoints. But you also know where you stand firm, and you can draw that line. You're open to considering every possibility - but in the end, you stand true to yourself.

How Open Minded Are You?

More Friday Frolics

Bon Odori

When I read about this article about the Bon Odori festival being celebrated here, I remembered that a colleague attended this celebration several years ago. She enjoyed it very much.

THE Bon Odori festival has captured the hearts of Malaysians with the crowd growing yearly. Some 30,000 are expected at the event on July 14, which is held for the 31st year here. (Pandabonium, I quoted only 10,000 in your post. Oops!)

“Bon Odori is summer time. Well, the chief purpose of the festival is not only to remember one’s deceased relatives but it is also meant to be a joyful time, celebrating and bringing family members together,” Japan Club of Kuala Lumpur Bon Odori organising vice-chairman Natsuhiko Kato said.

“It is a festival to honour the ancestral spirits who returned to his or her earthly home,” he added.

“It is a beautiful festival that is celebrated throughout the land of the rising sun. Over here in Selangor, the festival has taken a twist as it has turned into a great get-together,” he said.

“We encourage parents to bring their children as it will allow the young ones to understand and get a feel of the Japanese culture. At the same time it will be good as we want to celebrate 50 years of friendship with Malaysia,” he said.

“While you are there, just join in the dance that goes in circles around the yagura - a raised platform where the drums are placed. Wear simple, loose clothes and flat-heeled canvass shoes for comfort and appropriate when taking part in the dance,” he said.

Kato added that besides taking part in the dance, those who come also get to savour Japanese food such as kaki gori (Japanese ais-kacang), oni giri (rice balls), fried rice, fried noodles and ice cream.

Source: The Star


Pandabonium has a great post on Bon Odori. Read and see how it is being celebrated in Japan.

Pocahontas

Pocahontas is one of my favorite cartoons. I thought it's a beautiful story that Disney concocted but little did I know that Pocahontas really did exist.

According to The Learning Kingdom, a site I subscribed a few years ago, Pocahontas was the daughter of Powhatan, chief of the Algonquian Indian tribes. In 1614, while a prisoner of English settlers in Jamestown, Pocahontas married colonist John Rolfe. Their marriage brought temporary peace between settlers and Native Americans. In 1616, Pocahontas went with Rolfe to England where she died, probably due to a respiratory illness. She was 22 years old.

Below is a picture of Pocahontas, quite different from what we know from the cartoon, don't you think?




More about Pocahontas.

Get Taps for Much Less

The advantage of shopping online is that you get to see all items pictured nicely and in adequate detail. I believe online stores are more well-stocked than the little neighbourhood store. Online shopping also allows you to shop from home, thus saving you time and parking woes.

Take for instance, shopping to outfit your bathroom, Taps4Less.com has more items and a wider selection of bathroom paraphernalia from taps to bathroom accessories, bathroom suites to bathroom furniture, bathroom cabinets, baths, bath tubs, bathroom enclosures, shower valve, and more.

My favorite item has to be the Corner Whirlpool Bath. After a long day, it would be just perfect to spend some quiet relaxing moments in such bath. Taps4Less stocks more than 4000 products! They don't call themselves The Bathroom and Kitchen Superstore for nothing.

Taps4Less provides a 100% satisfaction guarantee and they accept all major credit cards. If you're in mainland UK, it's even better because they deliver for free.If you're looking for kitchen taps and kitchen sinks, you're in the right place as these items are right now among their Best Buy items. At Taps4Less, that's what it is, you pay less for taps (and others).

Want to Learn Hypnosis from A Real Coach?

What do you know or how much do you know about hypnosis? In movies, we normally see the hypnotist (most times, he's the baddie) dangling a pendant from a chain in front of the one who is about to be hypnotised. We then see him or her doing the bad things he or she is being told (controlled) to do.

Did you know that there is hypnosis and there is real hypnosis? Real hypnosis provides you with an ability that allows you to HEAL anyone of long-standing fears and problems in just a few minutes. It also provides you an ability that allows you to CONTROL another person's thoughts – EVEN during regular day-to-day conversations! And, it also has the ability that allows you to change your OWN thought patterns instantly – literally drop bad habits, improve your brain, anything, in an INSTANT!

Not anyone is able to teach or willing to share the secrets of Real Hypnosis. I recently came across online, a Hypnosis Coach that shares the secrets in his powerful online guide. Dr Michael Masterman has worked in the self-development community now for over 26 years and has trained with some of the best, including Tony Robbins, the late Earl Nightingale, Bradley Thompson and Dr Richard Bandler. He has been running his hypnotherapy business for over eight years.

Dr Masterman is the best-selling author of "The Speed Reading Secret" and "The Cheat's Guide to Instant Genius," and even helped produce the powerful Motivator software.

Want to learn hypnosis and discover the TRUTH behind hypnosis – what it is and how it works or uncover the myths of hypnosis or learn the simple hypnosis formula you'll never forget? Then check out the powerful hypnosis guide on:

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You'll be glad you did.

8 Simple Steps to Combat Debt

Debt...ooh that scary little four-letter word. Scary in the sense of burdensome. Debt comes in many forms. These days, debt usually comes more in the form of credit card balances. Of course, some of us are wise enough to stay debt-free, card-wise, that is.

In debt and wanna get out of it? Learn from these 8 simple steps...

Step 1: Separate "Bad debt" and "Okay debt"

Step 2: Don't Pay by Their Rules

Step 3: Get Intimate with Your Visa

Step 4: Play the Heavy with Your Existing Lenders

Step 5: Shop Around for a Better Deal

Step 6: Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Step 7: Be Prudent

Step 8: Resolve to Spend Less Than You Make

What kind of Mailbox do you have?

The other day, a friend sent pictures of some very nice and creative mailboxes found in the U.S. Over here, we have the standard type of single-unit mailboxes and they have to be in the standard color, red. The only difference is the size, either the regular unit or slightly bigger, some with a barrel-like receptacle at the base where rolled-up printed matter can be slotted into. As for apartments, there's the standard cbu mailboxes which are normally the aluminium type. So much for creativity and aesthetics.