Remembering The Princess of Wales

Wow! Its been 12 years since the death of Princess Diana on August 31, 1997. Can you believe how fast time flies? It seems like yesterday I was waking up to get ready to college and read the morning news to find her death sprawled all over the front page. As I was always a fan, I was saddened by this. A woman who had selflessly given herself to help others in time of need. She did a lot for humanity and I certainly miss her presence here on earth.

Absolutely beautiful person inside out , she proved to be the people's princess. Princess Diana blossomed from a shy, private member of the British aristocracy into the people's princess. She was the most photographed member of the Royal Family, but the demand for pictures intruded on her private life even to her death. Truly an icon , she was a tireless campaigner for the dispossessed and disadvantaged, a woman whose support for individual organisations has been described as 'incalculable'.

I still remember the day I met the Prince of  Wales when I was in Buckingham University , where I was given the once in lifetime opportunity to welcome him with a bouquet of flowers ! It was an odd day which I did not know I was chosen to represent the students and I was in my Indian dress ! The Prince thought I'm from India and told me that I reminded him of the Princess because she loves to wear lots of Indian dresses ( Salwar Khameez ). He spoke of his fond memories , visiting Thailand when I informed him that I hailed from Malaysia :)

Happy Birthday Malaysia !

It was one sweet day when I sat with my parents , talked about "Merdeka" stories. "Merdeka" means "Freedom". A lot of stories........not just one but so many things I learnt , how Indians came and settled in Malaysia , the hard and rough times , the importance of being part of the nation.

Those were the days , sitting on daddy's lap and listening to stories about anything and everything. I appreciate what we are blessed with and the hard times all those national heroes done for us. Today we are enjoying the fruits of their hard work , the struggle they've done for MALAYSIA. Happy 52nd Birthday Malaysia !! August 31....will always be remembered no matter what :)

Those beautiful days I've spent my childhood....... for what makes me a Malaysian...... the list goes on for me to feel proud of being a Malaysian !!! Things I really miss now :

1. Nasi Lemak the pure vegetarian taste
2. Roti Canai & Teh Tarik - 12 a.m at Mamak stall
3. Mee Goreng , I ate Kakha mee , Mamak mee goreng
4. Maggie mee is our national noodles :)
5. Sri Jaya and mini bus @ Bus Mini Wilayah
6. Pasar malam ( Night market )
7. Fresh soya beans and tau foo fah
8. Rojak
9. Going to Pudu Raya station to travel anywhere !
10. Subang Jaya International Airport now it's KLIA
11. The lovely view of KLCC and KL Tower at night ( visible from my bedroom )
12. The Merdeka celebrations at Dataran Merdeka
13. The beautiful Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad
14. The tropical paradise
15. LRT , Monorail
16. Genting Highlands Theme Park , casinos
17. Langkawi Island
18. Brickfields and Bangsar as the Little India
19. KLCC shopping mall and Midvalley Mall
20. Ice Kacang !!!
21. Cendol
22. Putu mayyam and Idiappam
23. Appam balik at Leboh Ampang
24. P.Ramlee movies
25. Travelling to Port Dickson and beach fun
26. Durian
27. Mangosteen
28. Rambutan
29. Mata Kuching fruit
30. Our diverse language and dialects and mixed english !
31. All the festivals , Chinese New Year , Deepavali , Thaipusam , Hari Raya , Christmas...!
32. My FAMILY !
33. My friends !!!

Definitely , I'm proud to be a Malaysian !! Happy Birthday Malaysia !

Senator Edward 'Ted' Kennedy - "Liberal Lion of the Senate"

America has had a few precious individuals who are both passionate about social justice and who also understand deep in their bones its practical meaning. Ted Kennedy is definitely an American hero. A master politician called "Liberal Lion of the Senate" , who altered the shape of American life more completely than any other member of his storied political family.

A great leader , a great democrat and a great man. He demonstrated the true nobility of public service and he was an inspiration to all. We have a duty to ensure that his commitment to human and civil rights is carried on ! His passing is an inestimable loss.

Chris Gardner

Christopher Paul Gardner born February 9, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a self-made millionaire, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and philanthropist who, during the early 1980s, struggled with homelessness while raising his toddler son, Christopher, Jr. Gardner's book of memoirs, "The Pursuit of Happyness."

As of 2006, he is CEO of his own stockbrokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Co, based in Chicago, Illinois, where he resides when he is not living in New York City. Gardner credits his tenacity and success to the 'spiritual genetics' handed down to him by his mother, Bettye Jean Triplett, née Gardner,and to the high expectations placed on him by his children, son Chris Jr. and daughter Jacintha.Gardner's personal struggle of establishing himself as a stockbroker while managing fatherhood and homelessness is such a fact of reality which made me adore this man !

Magical words of Chris Gardner which he quoted, could inspire everyone , even a child : -

1. "I was homeless , but wasnt hopeless , I knew a better day was coming."
2. "It's ok to fail , but you cant quit.....and most importantly you cant quit on yourself".

3. "The cavalry ain't coming. You got to do this yourself".

4. "Baby steps count , as long as you are moving forward. You add them all up , one day you look back and you will be surprised at where you might get to".

5. "Though my mom had too many of her own dreams denied , deferred and destroyed , she instilled in me that I could have dreams. Not just dreams but had a responsibility to make them a reality. My mom taught me from an early age that I could do anything I wanted to do."

With so many people wondering why their life aren't what they'd hoped to be , Gardner is a model and an idea that you can do anything to which you set your mind , but you have to do it no matter what , even if you have to do it yourself , alone !

Season's ending

Sensing Fall already !!! I'm gonna miss Summer !

Ganesh Chaturthi 2009

Ganesha Chaturthi or Ganesha Festival is a day on which Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees. It is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi in Sanskrit,. The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhaadrapada, starting on the shukla chaturthi (fourth day of the waxing moon period). Typically, the day falls sometime between August 20 and September 15. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Ananta Chaturdashi.


In 1893, Lokmanya Tilak, an Indian nationalist, social reformer and freedom fighter reshaped the annual Ganesh festival from private family celebrations into a grand public event. It is interesting to note that the festival was not celebrated in a public manner until this time but was a family affair among Hindus, who used to celebrate it in a traditional manner.


Lokamanya Tilak visualized the cultural importance of this deity and popularised Ganesha Chaturthi as a National Festival “to bridge the gap between the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins” and find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them in his nationalistic strivings against the British in Maharashtra.


Tilak chose Ganesha as a rallying point for Indian protest against British rule because of his wide appeal as “The God for Everyman”. It was an important festival during the Peshwa rule in Maharashtra, but acquired a more organized form all over India during the Swaraj movement (Freedom struggle).


Tilak was the first to install large public images of Ganesha in pavilions, and he established the practice of submerging all the public images on the tenth day. The festival facilitated community participation & involvement in the form of learned discourses, dance dramas, poetry recital, musical concerts, debates, etc. It served as a meeting ground for common people of all castes and communities, in a time when social & political gatherings were forbidden by the British Rule to exercise control over the population.



Ganesh Chathurthi today went well. We went to Livermore temple and had good darshan.

Vegetable Samosa

Today , I'm all energized with a new feeling..... happiness for no reason and decided to have samosa with coconut chutney.... watched Rambo movie again....simply loving the weather and people around me !

Remembering my first driving test in US

19th August is the day I got through my written test at DMV Santa Clara, *phewwwww* that was a lot of hard work ! The pressure was so high coming from the man of the house ! Well , I had all the interest to read any other book including magazines and novels BUT not the DMV book.

I know driving illegally in the US is against the law ( which I did it in fact by having only one year validity International Driving Licence from Malaysia ) therefore I started getting all geared up to be a good resident of California :D

Married to a person who is always busy , I did not even choose to train myself with a driving instructor ! My heart was pounding out because the man of my house fixed my road driving test immediately as I passed my written test.

He promised me to teach me driving on the road which I am seeing for the first time ! The rules are so different here than to Malaysia , obviously back home we followed the left hand traffic contrast to the right hand traffic in the US...*bangs forehead*.

Finally , I told myself that I might not pass this road test for the first time..... may I need a couple of trainings with the instructor , I mean with a real driving school instructor. Time was passing by , the head of my home , my dear dear dearest husband did not turn up on time , which he promised teach me at 4 and finally he arrived at 6.30 pm.

On the road.....rounding on the same Pomeroy , Flora Vista , Calabazas , on El Camino Real , the same mistakes I've been repeating with tears in my eye ( though a man can love you like a Shah Jahan , when we make mistakes , we bear the consequences of it ! ). For the real first time I saw extra frustrations on his face. Okay... I thought I am not going to pass test...*anger*

Next morning , my driving test fixed at 11.30 am. I started my day as usual with hubby driving up till DMV.... he was praying that I should not get a lady tester... because they will fail everyone. Guess what..........exactly the same lady tester came to take me up on the road !!!! Oh gosh , this time my heart was pounding up like anything......and instead of remembering the rules , the road and my confidence , my heart was jumping in the name of 'rama rama rama' I was communicating with God internally :))

I started driving the car , it was too bright and I've forgotten to carry my shades in the tension of the test. I speeded up at the corner of the road where the radar indicated I was driving at 29 mph where I need to be at 25 mph only ! Then parking test on Homestead Road... unprotected left turning... gosh what not that my head and heart boiled in the heat !

Finally.....finally..... I came out passing at 96% ( which qualifies me to be a driving instructor in California ). I could not believe that I did it. Call it luck , prayers or just I did it with caution.... I finally came out smiling from the car joking with my lady tester who passed me generously saying that my eyes are unique green...lol... , she said I did it very carefully.

Aaaaahhhhh..........what a relief !!!! Thanks a bunch to my everdearest love , for all that tears , tensions and pain. Finally I am a legal driver in California !

Laksa noodles (vegetarian)

Malaysian famous laksa. Waited 2 years to have this and I'm so happy that I found all the ingredients at Lawrence Expressway chinese grocery.

Pan Am Flight 103 & Al-Megrahi "mercy"

Pan Am Flight 103 - : "Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways' third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from London's Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. On Wednesday 21 December 1988, the aircraft flying this route—a Boeing 747-121 named Clipper Maid of the Seas—was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members. Eleven people in Lockerbie, southern Scotland, were killed as large sections of the plane fell in and around the town, bringing total fatalities to 270. As a result, the event has been named by the media as the Lockerbie Bombing."


Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi , a Libyan was convicted for this act of insanity. 270 people were killed and this guy was released !!!! How sick ! 'Mercy' on a terrorist just because he's diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer ? Where is justice ???? An unjust law is not at all a Law !!! What about the innocent victims ?

I strongly feel this is not the right thing !! Libyan govt is giving compensation of USD 10 million per family of the victims ! "Blood money" to replace lost lives ? What about the mourning ? A child who've lost parent , parents who've lost their kid , students who've travelled with ambitions and goals in them ? Pain is a pain , it can never be replaced !!!! It's ridiculous to let Megrahi out. An act of crime is a crime , Scottish law now tempered with compassion !!

New York style Blueberry Cheesecake (vegetarian)

Simply love baking..... this is one of my fav.