Buying a Car

In this modern world, we have various way to search and look for a car. We can search through the Internet, newspaper, pamphlet etc. Nevertheless, we must be extra careful when making the decision. Basically, once we decide, there is no turning back except for "admiring" and "adoring" our newly bought car (what ever condition it is). For that reasons, i would to give you some tips in making decision (based on my own experience)- so you can get this types of car

but not this types of car



First of all- set your objective; what type of car do you want? big car 4WD or Sedan, Why do you need this car? big family (8 seater) or small family (5 seater) or maybe other related reasons..

Secondly, set your budget...Don't get over excited once you reach that place (sales car or individual seller).. keep in mind that you are willing to pay only certain amount of money- if the price over your budget, try to bargain and if he/she does not agree than forget about the car..

Thirdly, act like an auditor when inspecting the car...always be very detail in and out...look at the engine, tyres, maintenance record...and ask why he/she want to sell the car? be very precise..

Fourthly, try to influence the salesman or the seller and not the other way around. Any seller will try their best to promote the car.Don't believe what they talk good things about the car (such as memorable, fast, reliable) but pay attention on the bad things (such as sometimes the car..., minor scratch...etc)

Lastly, the 'deal'.. this is the moment when you say deal or no deal. Remember, buying a car is always a risk ( regardless of new or old car).. you just need more luck when you buy used car.. Good luck

Living in other country

Our life is a process of learning...before we are able to walk, we learn how to stand, and by learning how to stand, we eventually start learning how to run. Basically, taking the next step forward is not an easy task.

When me and family decide to go abroad, we don't think much of the consequences, we just go and face the rhythm. Well, as most people experience, being in other country does postulate some pros and cons experience:-

1) Doing something that you have never done in your country : Back in Malaysia, i will not go fishing or crabbing as it is too hot and the facility such as fishing port etc are not much encouraging. Well, in Adelaide, i went to fishing and crabbing frequently and surprisingly, i enjoy doing it. Other than that, in Malaysia i would not be able to walk my kids to school always drive them to school; but here i did it and its fun.

2) Homesick : friends and relative : Well, it is normal for anyone to be homesick as most people say : There are no better place than home. I miss the foods, friends,my car etc....

3) Feel different in any place: definitely! an Asian family walking in the city surrounded by white people...however, in some occasion, we did see other Asian family here in Adelaide but majority of the people are white. I could not imagine, what my kids will say when we come back to Malaysia...

4) Start comparing life: This will be the key point in any travelling experience. We start comparing the social culture, the facilities, the government transparencies and policy, the quality life, the car prices etc...at the end, we may start cursing our government or vice versa..

In conclusion, take some times to go away from your country and spend some times in other country...you may get more than less. You'll learn more than staying at home country..it's true the more you travel, the more you realize that's life is not for yourself.

How much blind spot could cause you?

One saturday morning, we went to church for the feast of St Ignatious at 9 am at the Announciation Church, Hectorville.

after the mass, we go back to our house...and on our way back, I was drving at the left lane and wanted to go to the right lane. Not by chance, after giving signal to change lane, someone gave a big horn from the right just near my car. I did not see the car was coming cause they were in my blind spot. And what make this event even interesting, it was a police car.

So i have to pull over and stop. A police woman approached me and asked for my licence. Well you know what happen next- all the rules and regulation advise and so on..bla bla bla..comes out. She wrote down my address and phone number. Then, the final question comes out- Will you prefer to receive the ticket (summon) by post or now? I asked how much would it cost me...she said around AUD100 to AUD200. Goodness me, because of blind spot error i have to pay that much?..

Well, luckily i have my own persuasive skills and manage to get only stern warning from the officer. From that time, you could guess how will I drive in Australia.

Moving House

Its funny but true- i have been moving house house frequently in Adelaide. This is the third time i moved to a new place within 1 year. Only this time, we really move to a house- as before was a flat unit consist of two bedrooms.

It all happened without any proper planning. It started when my wife told me that we really need a three bedrooms house. The kids are getting bigger and there are not enough space to play and so on. So i just went to the agent and tell them my intention. Within a week, they call me back and said that one house is available and they will give it to me if i want it (it is very difficult to get a house through an agent if they don't trust you). Since, they are the same agent for my previous unit so they now what kind of tenant we are.

However, in this new house, we have to move everything including dawson and daniel school. So new house and new school for the kids. And another unplanned situation happened. One day before moving to the new house-all of us went to look for a van that was published in the newspaper at AUD1600. We though it will be nice for all of us. Once arrived there, the van was taken by someone else- so we went back frustrated but on our way back, we passed this used car shop and was just looking for a van. I saw one and enter the shop- test drive and talk to my wife then we took it- trade in with my sedan car. Then, we have a van (enough space for everybody) and a house (enough room for everyone). I hope the next move will be to my own house.

My writing experience?

How may i start my writing experience? it's funny but true- the most difficult part in writing is when i try to write my introduction. It took me two days to figure out my outline and i only able to finished two paragraph. Some people suggested for me to write the other parts first like the theoretical background and so on. But being a sequences kind of person, i need to start from the beginning.And believe me writing the introduction particularly in the academic paper is really challenging for me. I'm not sure how to start- should i start in general term or more specific on the topic.

Therefore, i salute the academic writer particularly the regular writer. Some friend say - practice make perfect and i really hope so. My other constraints will be the language. I have read most of the journals and they masterpiece was brilliant. Some of the articles seem to communicate effectively with me as a reader and that really amaze me. Being a non-English speaker, writing a paper for a journal especially in English really challenge me a lot.My bad grammar and poor vocabulary may influence my way of writing the paper.

Anyway, i hope things will get better soon. All i need is focus and learn.

Values in life

I just arrived in Adelaide and happy to be united with my family again after 6 weeks apart. However, i experience drastic weather changes, from a hot and warm tropical country to a cool and freezing place. My body need to quickly adapt in this winter to avoid any unwanted sickness.

Suddenly, i miss the weather in Malaysia. It's funny how we value things according to our priority. When we are in a hot country, we seek for cool weather then when we are in a cool country we seek for warm weather. I remember what Edward de Bono's write about value :

"Values give purpose, meaning, enjoyment and value to life. We can also become hostage to our values, just as we become hostage to our desires."

For the same reason, i feel that being in two places changes my value accordingly.I wonder what will other person that travel more than two places in a month value the most? work? family? money?

Coming back to Sabah

Its been almost three weeks i have been in Malaysia and last friday i have just arrived at Sabah, my home land.

At first, i was very excited and happy to be in Sabah (meeting friends and relative here) but after few days here especially without my beloved family (my wife and kids) i feel really lonely. My body is here but my heart is there with them.

I wanted to finish my work here as soon as possible and go back to Adelaide. I did not felt this when i was in Peninsular Malaysia. But after coming back to Sabah and looking at my house here- the old memory keep reminding me of them. I will always pray that they will be patiently wait for me and i can keep go on with my survey here.

I owe them for their noble sacrifice for me- being there without any family members except for my sister will not be the same as being here in Sabah. God Bless them.

Why we need Blog?

In this modern world, via globalization and information technology we are inevitably write our daily life not in a journal nor in a dairy book but in a website blog.

Long time ago, we write on wall, leaves and papers until few centuries ago we developed a binding machine to bind a book. Then we write on a book and this practice of writing continue over the years. Until 15 years ago, we developed our communication technologies and created a website which recently have been widely used worldwide. Then, some group created their owned website which they called blogger while other company created special website such as facebook and so on. What ever website emerge during this transition- blogger are increasing everyday. Why most people like to write they personal life in website? What's wrong with dairy etc? Here are my own personal opinion :-

a) Blogging is much more viable than dairy book - so to say, the moment we post our story in blog- we know that it will remain in the website for the next generation to read. Dairy book might not be durable as website- we might loose it or misplace it somewhere.

b) Blogging is much more alive than dairy book- Our writing will not be dull for century- someone might respond to our feeling/ experience or even might quote our life as their guide. It's a two way communication or even more.

c) Blogging symbolizes globalization-Whenever you end up reading other people blogs, you know that someone following these blogs- not someone near but someone outside the country, someone whom we usually call 'stranger' yet this stranger via blogging was transform into friend or even best friend. This what we call world without border- where we express our feeling freely. Nevertheless, we can visit any country easily via blogging.

d) Blogging creates new community-via blogging, we creates new community, new structure of society that come from common objective and idea- regardless of political , society or economic point of view. Positively- we have new nation in the making. Nation that united under one goal and objective, that share every detail information we ever needed in nation building.

e) Blogging updates your family tree and friends- well, it's the unexpected that is most interesting in this reason. By blogging, we may meet or write to our long lost cousins/family in the country or even oversea. Sometimes we don't expect to meet someone we rarely meet in the website but it does happen. Cousins/friends are somewhere out there-it's a kind of marketing also for us and family.

Gift from God

It's amazing to experience what many people would say "something impossible becoming reality."

Last weekend, i was so upset and frustrated with my work until I end up having this gout in my foot. Not sure if there is a significant relationship with stress but it surely feel the same. I was on my way to the clinic when suddenly my phone rang. I picked up the phone and my wife with her strange voice asking me if i ever bought something last week. Surely, i say with our financial constraint in Adelaide, buying something expensive would be quite impossible.

Well, she said that someone has just send us a new double bed complete with mattress. I said who ever it is, it's not me. Then she started to mumbling at me; telling me not to buy things that are not important. You can imagine how i feel with my gout and this news- painful yet joyful.

After i received my treatment, i quickly hop in my car and drove back to my house. I know something was wrong- someone might have mistakenly sent the bed to our house. As i arrived in our house- my wife still with her anger, waiting for my explanation. I looked at the bill and the boxes, my name was clearly written on it. It was strange and funny. I then asked my wife- what does the man said when he delivered the bed. My wife explained that the man told her- the bed was a gift from God. Someone bought it for us, so she thought that i was playing a joke with her. At last, my terrible weekend end up with fixing and putting up the bed for my sons. They were so happy and exited. And When ever they asked me who bought the beds?, i told them that "it was a gift from God."

something that i and my family do not expect at all. Thanks God

The baby that went straight up to Heaven

This is Dawson favorite story. For this reason I post this story in my blog for all of us to share.

Once upon a time, there is this beautiful family who happened to live far from they other families and cousins. They live and stay in a big and beautiful island. In this family, there are two boys and one girl name Dawson, Daniel and Bridget. Dawson is the eldest son and when his father went to work, he will help his mother to take care his brother and sister. He loves them so much, they played together, went to school together and sleep together. One afternoon, his father come back home early and waited for him with smiling face. His father told Dawson that they are going to have a baby, which mean another brother or sister for Dawson. He was very happy and went off to tell Daniel and Bridget. Every night, they prayed for this baby, prepared the baby bed and clothes to wear. Dawson always recited this prayer “God thank you for the food, family and school. I give thanks for this coming baby, help me to be a good big brother. Amen.” This goes on every night.

One evening, Dawson mother was not feeling well. She was in depth pain and his father was comforting her. That night, his parent told him that his mother has a miscarriage and unable to save the baby- She was bleeding badly. Dawson was very sad and pray to God for this baby. Poor Dawson and his other brother and sister. However, what they do not know that the baby soul went straight up to heaven. In heaven, the baby sitted with Jesus. The baby said “look!look! Jesus, there’s my brothers and sister. They looked sad. Can they joined me here someday?.” Jesus replied “Of course my angel, but you have to pray for them, for your family.” The baby was very happy with the reply and pray for his/her family especially for brother Dawson, brother Daniel and sister Bridget. The baby recited this prayer everyday “Lord God, I give you thanks for life in heaven and blessed you for your love to all of us here. I pray for my family on earth. Let they be blessed with loves and joy, let my brother Dawson, brother Daniel and sister Bridget be faithfull to you and obey your commandments. Send your holy spirit to guide them in what ever they do. Amen.” This goes every night and day.

From that day on, Dawson and family nor have they forget the baby neither do they stop praying and give thanks to God. Even thought sometimes they have difficult times, without any food to eat or any place to go- they stay united in God. They believe that God loves them and will provide everything they need. They faith and hope in God in this big island grew stronger everyday. Thanks to the baby that went straight up to heaven. The End

After this story, Dawson smile and went to sleep. This beautiful story, mostly reflects our real life in Adelaide. Sometimes, it’s nice to make up a story from the real world. We can turn sadness into joy- and bad news into good news.

WHAT MATTER MOST IN EDUCATION?

I was amazed when I watched a documentary movie entitle : the evolution of the cave man. In this movie, the narrator mention few things about the cave man evolution; 1) he said that the cave man move from one place to another- once they arrive to the new place they started adapting themselves with the environment surrounding, 2) the cave man will give gifts to their mate, if the woman accept this gifts, it’s mean that she is belong to the cave man, 3) the cave man start to eat cooked food after 500 000 years. For sure, there are lots of other important information in this movie but for the purpose of this article, I will focus on what these three things mean, it’s merely about the preamble of human kind education.

What is education? Why do we send our children to school? What skills do we expect our children to learn and acquire? Education is the process of learning something (subject) and acquiring skills through various types of knowledge. We distinguish knowledge such as mathematics, science,language,geography and so on. So in the same manner, do we send our children to get all this knowledge? If it is, how can they learned this knowledge - should the school force them to memorize these knowledge and test it with a method which we call examination. When I recalled the documentary movie, I realize one act that may stimulate the cave man education . I realize that they ability to think (in adapting with new environment and so on) that promote their civilization. However, during those time, they tend to act more than think, they want to survive first than to settle down in one place. That’s why it took them 500 000 year to learn how to eat cooked food for thinking was not they priority. But what happen today? Our mailing technology evolve rapidly – we invented telegraph machine but within 100 years we create fax machine and then, less than 50 years we are able to write email in the internet. Now, we are in the (short messaging system) SMS era. The world is getting smaller every days, months and years when invented something new. What sparks these invention? Simply, it’s our ability to think of making new things-creating new way of living-and so on. In this modern world, we are so attached with the sense of settling down-making our self comfortable where ever we are, adapting our self accurately-even on the moon. Our new invention and technology really changes our way of thinking.

Over the years, we distinguish knowledge into different subject such as math (the skills of counting), history (the skills of understanding things from past experience), geography (the skills of knowing what this planet made of) or science (the skills of knowing how things work in this planet). Eventually, these knowledge once we acquired and understand- complete our reasoning to live in this planet but the most important thing is this knowledge indirectly force us to think -to ask the why, when, what, how and where questions –to develop our thinking skills. However, this basic skill was not thoroughly enforce in education. Thinking was the indirect skill that emerge while we are learning other subjects especially in the primary and secondary level. Eventually, what we care most in this level is the certificate- how many A’s you have achieved in the past examination? And how many D’s you have avoided? Our parents only cares about how good is your achievement in the examination rather than asking how far does your thinking skills have developed?
When we investigate further the post-education level - the higher the level of our education goes, the higher our thinking activities ability are needed. When we enter undergraduate degree- we will be exposed with other specific knowledge which come from this big branch of knowledge. For instance, Management can be divided into specific knowledge such as human resource, management function, organization culture and so on. We will study and understand this knowledge. Once we get to the other level which is the post-graduate level, then we start to apply our knowledge- try to put this knowledge to work in the real world (master degree) or even contribute to a new knowledge (PhD degree).

Generally, our main purpose to educate people are not only to pass them these knowledge but to make them actively to continue thinking- to stimulate our brain. Researchers indicate that when we think a lot, our brain cells tend to actively evolve. In other words, even when we are old or retire, we must never stop thinking. In conclusion, in this modern world, our ability of thinking evolve rapidly-our children IQ getting higher everyday- not only because of the education system we have but also relate to the sophisticated technology we acquired. For instance, PlayStation games- stimulate children brain and thinking ability. Simply, if we like to think creatively and actively- we can be as par as PhD holder. The only thing that differentiate between a thinker and a PhD holder is the certificate.