Christmas Songs!!

Hi,

Here are some Christmas songs that I want to share with my blog readers, Joy To The World and Feliz Navidad (Merry Christmas in Spanish). These are the YouTube videos that I found:

Joy To The World

The full lyrics for Joy To The World is as follows:

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Source: Joy to the World Lyrics, http://www.carols.org.uk/ba27-joy-to-the-world.htm

I have noticed that some singers only sing 3 verses in their covers of this song. The Anne Murray's version in the video above is one of the versions that has 3 verses. The full song has 4 verses in total.

Feliz Navidad

The full lyrics for Feliz Navidad is as follows:

Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Prospero Bano y Felicidad.

Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Prospero Bano y Felicidad.

I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
From the bottom of my heart.

Source: Christmas Songs - Feliz Navidad lyrics, http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/c/christmas_songs/feliz_navidad.html

That's all. Enjoy the Christmas songs!

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

The True Meaning of Christmas

Hi Everyone,

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The season of Chirstmas comes again in December 2009. Just 2 days to go. What does Christmas day signify? Is it signified by Santa Claus and receiving presents? Is it having Christmas parties with church friends, relatives or colleagues only? Is it a time of family reunion and Christmas tree decorating? Is it only when we perform gift exchange?

Well, it is good to have Christmas parties with relatives, church friends and friends. For the relatives, family reunions are good to get updated on what is happening with the family. Even so, we also need to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

For Christians, the true meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was born on Christmas day. Without this event, we would not even have Christmas. Why is it so important for Christians? Jesus is our Lord and Saviour who died for our sins and rose again on the third day. Jesus is sinless and perfect and yet he chose to die for all of us.

Jesus showed us the meaning of true love. He loves us unconditionally even to the point of dying for us. During his 33 years life on Earth, he has shown us what it really means to love and to be authentic Christians. He has shown us that we need to show love to others even if it is our enemies. His love is for all people in the world. Just accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, confess our sins and believe that he died for our sins and rose again on the 3rd day. As a result of this, we have a changed mindset that everything that we do or say, it is for God's glory. Our lives need to be pleasing to God and not continue to keep on sinning.

The Parable of Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25-37 shows us how we should care for others without discrimination. It talks about how a man who was attacked by robbers when he was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho (Luke 10:30) and he was half dead on the road. The man was also stripped off his clothes and beaten. In Luke 10:31-32, a priest and a Levite went by without helping the half dead man. They were from Jerusalem and yet they did not help the man. Meanwhile, a Samaritan who was passing by saw the man. The Samaritan, whom the people of Jerusalem did not like then helped the man by bandaging his wounds and brought him to an inn and took care of the man. The next day, he gave the innkeeper 2 silver coins, 'Look after him, he said and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have'. (Luke:33-35) The Samaritan has shown kindness to the wounded man. He helped the wounded man even though he was not like by the people of Jerusalem. Therefore, we should also help / love others regardless of race, country and religion. This is the extent of God's love.

There are more lessons that we can learn from God but that is all for now. All His teachings teaches us to live righteously and to live with a purpose to glorify God. By what we do or say, we will be witnesses to everyone we meet. That's all.

Enjoy the holidays. Feel free to comment on this blog post. Thank you.

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

Singapore Trip

Hi Everyone,

I went to Singapore with my family recently to attend a function. At the same time, my family and I also vacationed in Singapore and spent time visiting Orchard Road and Sentosa Island within 2 days. We arrived at Singapore on Thursday and we only have Thursday and Friday to visit the Singapore places of attractions.

When we arrived in Singapore, we were impressed by the efficiency of the baggage system as the airport. Our baggage were ready for collection immediately after immigration. All the baggage were already there when we walked to the baggage carousel from the immigration counters. We then went to the taxi stand and the Singapore taxis are ready for us. Took the Ssangyong van and arrived safely at Somermet on Grand Cairnhill Residences.

Somerset on Grand Cairnhill Residences located on Cairnhill Road is within walking distance to Orchard Road, the shopping street in Singapore. It is just about 2 minutes to Orchard Road from Somerset. We past The Heeren on the way. The taxi stand is located right in front of Somerset as well. Singapore utilises Korean cars for taxis such as Hyundai Sonata Diesel, Ssangyong and Kia with the exception of Toyota Crown. The taxi drivers are quite friendly as well.

Orchard Road is the shopping street of Singapore. Down the street from Somerset, Takashimaya Departmental Store is on the right.

Takashimaya Departmental Store

Opposite Takashimaya is Paragon, another shopping centre which Metro is one of the tenants.

Paragon

We ate at the Din Tai Fung restaurant there known for its Shanghai Siew Long Bao. It was quite nice. 

Din Tai Fung

Further down the road are Tang Plaza and Ion Orchard. Ion Orchard is the newest shopping centre in Singapore having some of the luxurious brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana and Dior. The underground Orchard MRT Station is located at Ion Orchard too. The main tenant of the Tang plaza is of course Tangs. There is also an Isetan branch before Ion Orchard.

More shopping centres are found on the left of Takashimaya. Orchard Central is located opposite the road. There are some fashion brands there too. Opposite Orchard Central is the Centre Point. The main tenants for Centre Point are Robinsons and Cold Storage. John Little, another departmental store is located near Centre Point also.

Orchard Road will be lit up at night. All the Christmas decorations will be lighted up. It is a very beautiful sight. Unfortunately, I did not take the pictures of the colourful Christmas lights at night.

These are some of the brochures that we collected during our trip:

The Official Map of Singapore (Can get it at the Airport or major shopping centres or tourist spots)

Sentosa Island Map and Attractions

We went to Sentosa Island on Friday. We took the MRT from the Orchard Road station to the Harbour Front station to go to Sentosa. From Orchard Road, we need to change trains at Dhoby Ghout station to change to the North East (red colour) MRT line to go to Harbour Front station. From Harbour Front station, we took a Sentosa shuttle bus to go to Sentosa Beach Station where the bus stop is located. All are very convenient. In fact, the ticketing officer at the Orchard MRT station came to check with us if we have bought the tickets. Then at Harbour Front bus stop, another Singaporean man told us where to buy tickets for Sentosa shuttle bus (SGD$3 per person) and where to queue up for the bus. They were very friendly to us. The network map for the MRT and LRT systems in Singapore is at this website, SMRT Website - Network Map.

During the shuttle bus ride to Sentosa, we also passed the Resorts World Sentosa construction site. It is about 70% completed. It has an amusement park as well. Below is the site:

Resorts World Sentosa (Genting Sentosa)

At Sentosa Island, the management provides shuttle bus services to travel along the attractions which include Imbiah Lookout, Siloso Beach, Palawan Beach and Underwater World. Not only does the management provides the shuttle bus service, we can also visit Sentosa Island via the MRT at VivoCity, opposite the Harbour Front MRT station. This is the information about the transport services on how to get around Sentosa Island.

We took the Beach Tram at Beach Station and it brought us along Siloso and Palawan beaches. Along Siloso beach, there are grand restaurants, bars and hotels. At the end of the Siloso beach is where the Underwater World is situated. I have been to Jakarta's Ancol SeaWorld and it is better than Underwater World. There are more attractions at Ancol SeaWorld in Jakarta. In Underwater World, you get to see the different sea creatures such as fishes, jellyfish, sharks and giant octopus. There is also a Dolphin Lagoon but there were no shows on that day. Instead, a sea lion show was being performed. The show lasted only 5 minutes. In Ancol, it lasted about 10 to 15 minutes. There were more tricks performed by the sea lions at the Ancol's SeaWorld. Had lunch at the Kowloon Food Express at Underwater World. A ticket at Underwater World costs SGD$22.90 for adults and SGD$14.60 for children between 3 to 12 years old.

After Underwater World, we took the shuttle bus to Imbiah Lookout. There were a lot of attractions at Imbiah Lookout such as Butterfly Park and Insert Kingdom, Tiger Sky Tower (Observation tower), Images of Singapore (history of Singapore), Sentosa Nature Discovery and The Merlion and Merlion Walk.

  Imbiah Lookout

We only went to look at The Merlion. It has the Singapore's Merlion statue and you can take a lift up there to see the island of Singapore. It costs SGD$8 to go up. We only took several pictures there and off we go home after that.

Tiger Sky Tower

Images of Singapore

The Merlion

We had dinner at Jumbo Seafood at Raffles Boulevard on our first day there. It is situated at the Riverside and near Clarke Quay. We were given aprons to wear when the crabs were served. The food are excellent, different from what we usually get from KL.

Me wearing an apron during crab eating

After our Sentosa trip, we had dinner at Dian Xiao Er. It is a Singaporean restaurant serving authentic Singaporean dishes. The signature dish is the roast duck cooked with 10 herbs. The food serve here is excellent. All tasted great and it is not that expensive. Dian Xiao Er is opening a branch at Mal Taman Anggrek at Jakarta. Perhaps, they can consider opening here in Malaysia. We also ordered Claypot Beancurd with Seafood, Tung Po Yuk, Spare Ribs and several other dishes. I recommend this restaurant to you when you are in Singapore. It is located at 203 / 204, Level 2 Marina Square, next to the Marina Mandarin hotel. It is also opposite the Pan Pacific Hotel.

Dian Xiao Er at Marina Square

That's all.

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

Hi,

Here are several terms of science and mathematics in both English and BM. Notice that the terms used for BM can be quite different from that used in English.


You can also find out the mathematical and statistical terms for English - BM and BM - English at the Universiti Malaya Institute of Mathematical Sciences - Faculty of Science website for Mathematical and Statistical Terms. 


The links are as below:
English - BM
BM - English

Scientific Terms:

English	Bahasa Malaysia
Displacement	Sesaran
Force	Daya
Centrifugal / Centripetal force	Daya pusaran
Energy	Tenaga
Power	Kuasa
Friction	Daya geseran / geseran
Mass	Jisim
Weight	Berat
Heart	Jantung
Lung	Paru-paru / Peparu
Liver	Hati
Oxidation	Pengoksidaan
Catalyst	Pemangkin
Rust	Karat
Light	Cahaya
Growth	Tumbesaran
Reproduction	Pembiakan
Digestion / Digestive system	Pencernaan / Sistem pencernaan
Mammals	Mamalia
Amphibians	Amphibia
Reptiles	Reptilia
Light reflection	Pantulan cahaya
Light refraction	Pembiasan cahaya
Hair	Rambut (Head), Bulu (Facial)
Feathers	Bulu (Birds etc)
Head / Eyes / Ear / Nose / Mouth / Hands / Legs (Foot and Feet also) / Elbow / Neck	Kepala / Mata /  Telinga /  Hidung /  Mulut / Tangan / Kaki / Siku / Leher
Human / Human being	Manusia
Pressure	Tekanan
Law (as in Newton's First Law)	Hukum
Air	Udara
Water / Liquid	Air (Ar Yay) / Cecair (Ce Ca Yay)
Freezing (process)	Pembekuan
Melting (process)	Peleburan
Condensation (process)	Kondensasi
Boiling (process)	Pendidihan
Test tube	Tabung uji
Bunsen burner	Penunu bunsen
Temperature	Suhu

Mathematic Terms:

English	Bahasa Malaysia
Add / Addition	Tambah / Penambahan
Subtract / Subtraction	Tolak / Penolakan
Multiply / Multiplication	Darab / Pendaraban
Divide / Division	Bahagi / Pembahagian
Function	Fungsi
Fraction	Pecahan
Differentiation	Pembezaan
Statistic	Statistik
Trigonometry	Trigonometri
Circumference	Lilitan bulatan
to the power of (two to the power of three = 8)	Kuasa
Volume	Isipadu
Area	Luas
Angle	Sudut
Degree	Darjah
Average	Purata
Perimeter	Perimeter
Geometry	Geometri
Percent / Percentage of	Peratus / Peratus daripada
Range	Julat
Progression	Janjang
Arithmetic Progression	Janjang Arithmetik
Geometric Progression	Janjang Geometri

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

Grasshopper

Hi Everyone,


A grasshopper fell on the ground from our ceiling fan yesterday. I've heard a splattering sound, something falling from the top and when I look over, it was a brown grasshopper. I was surprised that it fell from the top. It lost one of its wings as well.


These are the pictures of the ceiling fan and the friendly grasshopper:

That's all for today,

Rogerkoo

Hillsong - Saviour King

Hi Everyone,

Another post today! I recently discovered a new song by Hillsong. It was actually on my music collection that I got from my friend. Later, I found out that the Don Moen's I Believe There Is More album I bought recently also contains this song. Both versions are good. I like especially the chorus but the lyrics are not bad, I think.

Here is a video of Saviour King that I've found on YouTube. Enjoy!

I still like How Great Is Our God by Chris Tomlin. Saviour King has just been added to my favourite Christian songs list. There are Christian songs which you can hear it over and over again.

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

Blog posts on 7th November 2009:

Saviour King

Loving Others

Loving Others

Hi Everyone,

In the last week's sermon, the speaker called us to love others. The sermon last Sunday was on Why Christians Should Not Sin. In the bible, we are called to love our neighbours as ourselves and love our enemies. Easier said than done in real life. Certain people are very difficult to like.

Even so, we should show love to them as well just as Jesus showed His love to us through his death and resurrection. Jesus came as a saviour for sinners, which for us when he died and rose again from his death. Yet, people rejected Him but Jesus still loves them for they did not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34). ³⁴Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. (BibleGateway.com, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+23:34&version=NIV)

In our everyday life, we may find it very hard to care or to be friends with certain people. However as Christians, we should really pray to God regarding this that we should love or care for others even though they are very difficult to be liked. We should treat and respect them for who they are even though they might did something that has hurt or insulted us.

Also, in the bible, we are called to be reconciled to someone whom we have hurt before giving offering in the altar. This is found in Matthew 5:22-23.

²²But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother^{a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]}will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,^{b]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[b]}' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.²³"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (BibleGateway.com,http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205:22-24&version=NIV)

If we have hurt someone or someone has hurt us, we should not keep it in our heart. As Christians, we need to show forgiveness to the other party. We need to reconciled with the other party so that our burden can be lifted. Of course, it's easier said than done. Therefore we need to pray constantly to God so that we will be able to forgive just as God forgave our sins through Jesus Christ.

Loving others who are very difficult to like is a very hard thing to do. We need to have the open mindedness to love that person for it is what God commanded us to do. By doing so, we not only obeying God's command but it is an action which really stands out. We also need to always pray to God that we can forgive others and others can forgive us. We need to take action to be reconciled with the other party no matter what the response are. It is then up to God to show us His power of reconciliation and love. As long as we have done the right action, our burden are lifted. I believe that in the future, all the parties would be reconciled but it would take time.

As Christians, we are not perfect but with God's help and constant prayer, we would be able to love one another and will do our best not do hurt other people's feelings. We should also take the right steps to be reconciled with the other party if we did hurt his / her / their feelings.

Any comments on this? Please feel free to leave the comments or discuss it. Thank you.

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

Blog posts on 7th November 2009:

Saviour King

Loving Others

Sergeant Keroro

Hi Everyone, Sergeant Keroro is a very funny anime that talks about 5 amphibians (frog) led by Sergeant Keroro himself to take over the world known as Pekopon. They come from the Keron country. Each attempt to take over world failed miserably. Enjoy the hilarious acts of Sergeant Keroro and the gang on Pekopon. While they were at Pekopon, they are under the care a human. Sergeant Keroro is kept busy doing house chores at the Hinata's house. Characters: Sergeant Keroro (Green) The Leader of the Keroro gang Under the care of Fuyuki Hinata The Hinata family consists of Fuyuki, his sister, Natsumi and their mum, Aki Hinata Likes to make Gundam models and watch the Admiral Geroro show He is helping out at the Hinata's with the house chores. He can be lazy sometimes. Private Tamama (Dark Blue) Cute and lovely character of the show Can throw a huge fireball from his mouth which gives a very bad damage. It is called Tamama's Impact. Under the care of Momoka Jealous of anyone who gets to Sergeant Keroro especailly Angel Mois who is an Earth Destroyer. Angel Mois is actually Keroro's cousin. Her duty is to destroy the world. Can see her in action in certain episodes. She likes Sergeant Keroro. Giroro (Purple) Skilled and trained in combat and firearms Serious in his duties to take over the world He likes Natsumi He thinks Sergeant Keroro is not serious in his duties as a leader Kururu (Yellow) He is the intelligence member of the gang He invents things and makes gadgets. He is technologically sound. He has a trademark laugh (Ke Ke Ke) His eyes are spirals Under the care of Saburo Dororo (Light Blue) The quietest member of the gang Trained in ninja Under the care of Koyuki where she saved Dororo while he was in a trap when he was separated from his platoon Sometimes got left out in the gang Below are the 2nd opening and closing theme songs of Season 2 of the show. They are quite catchy. Sergeant Keroro is currently showing on Animax, Astro Channel 715 at 1800. It is repeated at 2100 and weekends either Saturday or Sunday. Opening Theme 2 Closing Theme 5 It is a hilarious anime. The episodes could be very funny sometimes. Will have a good laugh.

Just Some Thoughts

Hi Everyone,

Is money the most important thing in our lives? How about cars or houses? Well, all these are important but as a Christian, God is the most important in our lives. We are serving God as an expression of thanksgiving and in everything that we say or we do, it is for His glory.

We are told to earn as much money as possible to support our family and ourselves. Maybe also to support the church too if we are Christians. It may be true in some churches that the more you give, the better you will be blessed. Not that money is not important but our focus should not be only money. Please buy things that are within your budget. Do not overspend it until we have not much left. We should be content with what we have. Call it a blessing if you have more. Spend your money wisely. Yes, we can buy the things that we like but at the same time, we also need to think if it is important to us. If it is too expensive now, we can opt to buy it later. Save more and buy it at a later date. At that time, it may be cheaper or a new model may be launched. Buy when there are discounts unless we could not help it when the need arises.

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

Greetings from Rogerkoo

Hi Everyone, Going overseas again today. Might not be able to update this blog often but I can update through e-mail if I can. My Top Songs (doesn't include Christian songs in this section)

• Avril Lavigne: When You're Gone, Complicated
• Bee Gees: IOIO
• Beyonce: Halo
• Boyzone: Better, No Matter What
• Colbie Caillat: Fallin for You
• Daughty: No Surprise
• Enrique Iglesias feat. Ciara: Taking Back My Love
• Full Metal Alchemist Theme Songs
• Il Divo: Una Noche, La Luna, Music in My Heart, Caruso, Unchained Melody, Adagio
• Kris Allen: No Boundaries
• Michael Jackson: Man in the Mirror
• Miley Cyrus: The Climb
• Taylor Swift: You Belong With Me, Love Story
• Slam Dunk Theme Songs
• Tears to Tiara Theme Songs

Here's the latest music video by Taylor Swift. You Belong With Me is her latest single released. It is the 6th song in her Fearless album. My Top Christian Songs

• Before The Throne of God
• Chris Tomlin: God of This City, How Great Is Our God, Sing Sing Sing, Made to Worship
• Friend of God
• Give Thanks
• Hillsong: Hosanna, At the Cross, Mighty to Save, With All I Am, For All You've Done
• Hymns: Be Thou My Vision, The Old Rugged Cross
• In Christ Alone, In Christ Alone My Hope Is Found
• Lincoln Brewster: Everlasting God
• Matt Redman: You Never Let Go
• Ruben Stoddard: Shout to the Lord
• Sufjan Stevens: Come Thou Fount Of
• The Solid Rock
• To God Be The Glory

Mobile Phone / Smartphone Wishlist

• IPhone 3G(S)
• Samsung Jet
• Samsung Star 3G
• LG Crystal
• LG Cookie

This is my 107th blog post. See you next time. Cheers, Rogerkoo

Unity

Hi, We always hear news on unity these days. What does unity mean? We are called to be united in Christ Jesus. We should stay united with people from all walks of life. Unity is not about having the same opinions with each other. Unity is about sharing the same common goal with each other. For example, unity in Christ Jesus, united about certain policies, career or global issues like global warming and save the environment. Unity means being tolerable and respectful to people from all walks of life and backgrounds. This include respecting each other's culture, tradition and the way we do things. There are several good things that we can learn and embrace from each other too. Unity means we can be friends with people from all walks of life without insulting each other. When I studied in Melbourne, I have friends from different countries such as Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Hong Kong. We don't have any issues being friends with each other at all. All of us may have different opinions on certain things. This does not mean we are not united. We are merely sharing with each other about what is good and what alternatives do we have to reach the goal. Every decision or opinion has its pros and cons. In the end, we will choose a decision or decisions which benefits all (A win win situation) where everyone is satisfied out of outcome. It may even be a compromise or win lose but it is the best solution. Our opinions may be different but when the reason(s) of why this / these should be chosen or should not be chosen is / are explained, everyone will have a clear understanding on what is happening. In the end, the goal is achieved. Listening to others is perhaps the key aspect to unity. We should listen to each other and make the best possible answer to the issue on hand. There may be dissatisfaction among certain parties but it needs to be addressed correctly. Detailed explanations should be told to the parties / stakeholders involved on why the solution or the correct way to handle it is chosen. As a result, these things or issues may be resolved in the best manner possible. For Christians, these are several goals and things that we are united in:

• Worship God (includes every point stated below and singing praises to God)
• Prayer - praying for the nation, world, for each other and for our family and friends
• Evangelism - direct and indirect (We need to have both because each one of us have different skills and abilities to do so. Together we will achieve the goal.)
• Living - Living out our lives as authentic Christians. Our character, lifestyle, actions, behaviour, speech should be the same as that of Jesus Christ and God the Heavenly Father
• Fellowship with one another among others
• Church policies / traditions - This should be the same among all church members

Let's say we go to a restaurant or coffee shop. Everyone ordered nasi lemak except me. I ordered something else healthier. Does that mean I am not united with them? The answer is no. I merely made the choice of choosing something healthier. We respect each other's decision whether or not we choose the nasi lemak. Sometimes, more than one person may not choose nasi lemak also. Or to solve a particular issue, person A proposes Solution A and person B proposes B. After a round of discussions, Solution B is the right method to solve it. Person A might feel a little unhappy about that but he understands why Solution B is chosen. He agrees with it. We are united in solving the issue. It is not that the group does not have unity among its team members. That's all, Rogerkoo

52nd Merdeka Celebrations

Hi Everyone, For all Malaysians, Selamat Menyambut Hari Merdeka ke-52. Happy 52nd National Day. Tomorrow is Malaysia's 52nd National Day since its independence in 1957. The celebrations this year will a lower key due to the H1N1 situation here. There will be no fireworks at KLCC and Dataran Merdeka. I still remembered that I used to sing the Merdeka songs in school. Our school, S.M.K St. John will have celebrations in conjunction with the Merdeka spirit. There will be the singing of Merdeka songs such as Tanggal 31, Jalur Gemilang, Bendera Berkibar Di Angkasa and Keranamu Malaysia among others. Group of students from various levels (Form 1 to Form 6) will be performing some traditional Malaysian dances, dikir barat and also the kompang showcase. Classes may hold parties to celebrate it together. We also listened to speeches from the Education Minister. Here are some videos of our patriotic songs: 52nd Merdeka Official Song (1 Malaysia) Tanggal 31 51st Merdeka Theme Song (Perpaduan Teras Kejayaan) Jalur Gemilang Keranamu Malaysia That's all, Rogerkoo

No Boundaries

Hi Everyone, Kris Allen was crowned the American Idol in the beginning of the year with Adam Lambert in 2nd place. Both have cover versions of the American Idol single, No Boundaries. Here are the videos taken from YouTube. Can compare the two. Two different styles with Adam having a faster beat. Kris is good too with his version of No Boundaries. No Boundaries - Kris Allen No Boundaries - Adam Lambert Cheers, Rogerkoo

Some New Christian Songs

Hi, When I was at the Elevate held at my church on Saturday, I've heard some new songs which I've not heard before. One of them is Hosanna sang by Hillsongs United. God of This City sang by Chris Tomlin is quite good too. I've sang that before the event though. It is a song in the Hello Love album. Sing Sing Sing is from this album as well. Here are two YouTube videos of Hosanna and God of This City. Hosanna God of This City

Man In The Mirror

Hi,

This is one of my favourite Michael Jackson's songs, Man In The Mirror. This is a video taken from YouTube. Cheers, Rogerkoo

Guys Wearing Pink

Hi, What do you think of this? I've seen a lot of guys now are wearing pink. I have 2 pink shirts myself in my wardrobe. What does it symbolise? Some of us may not think it's right for men to wear pink. They have their own personal reasons. I've watched a show on KBS World talking about this topic. It seems that pink is not that suitable for guys in certain countries. It is also mentioned that Asian guys look good in pink. For me, I wanted to be a little unconventional and explore some new colours. If the shade of pink or the pink stripes is / are good, it does look good. I think it is fine. Is it right or wrong for guys to wear pink? Is it the trend to have pink shirt(s) now? There are discussions I've found in the Internet in which there are some who disagrees to this idea. What do you think? You can post your comments here. Would like to hear from all of you. Cheers, Rogerkoo

Don't Look Twice by Andrew Gross

Hi Everyone,

This is my 100th post for my blog already. My previous post two hours ago was the 99th post. This blog has been nearly one year old in about 3 months I think. 9oo+ visitors. Still not quite there though.

I just bought this book last week, Don't Look Twice written by Andrew Gross. Andrew Gross was co-author with James Patterson in some of James' books before writing on his own. This is his 3rd book. The paperback came out this year. I saw this at MPH 1 Utama where it is offering 20% discount to members and non-members (purchase of RM5 to quality for offer) until 31st July 2009. Because I am a MPH Readers' Club Member, I bought this at 20% off instantly without the need to buy at least RM5 of items for MPH. It is a savings of RM7.20. I bought this for only RM28.70 instead of the usual price at RM35.90.

It talks about a police detective, Ty Hauck who had a good life. He had a waterfront house, a new girlfriend and even a hero after unconvering a Wall Street scandal. Then during a day trip with his daughter, they encountered a shooting that an innocent man got killed. Now he has a new investigation to follow. It is just a normal shooting? Is it because of revenge? Ty suspects things go deeper and everyone, from the FBI to his own family wants him to stop finding out the answers. He could not turn away from the case for his estranged brother, Warren is also in danger. Here we will see how Ty continue to find out more about case despite the devastating consequences that he will be facing. I've started reading this book. Will have time to read it again when I'm overseas again. This is a summary of it. Another crime & mystery book in my collection.

I also have been waiting for The Associate written by John Grisham. The paperback will be out next month. I placed an order for it earlier this month at MPH already. The Associate will be another good book to read. You can find out more about The Associate at John Grisham's website.

Cheers,

Rogerkoo

Toyota Prius

Hi Everyone,

We have only seen a hybrid car on the market now which is the Honda Civic Hybrid. There are over 100 Civic Hybrid owners on the road. Priced around RM162,800 initially, it is now sold aroudn RM128,000. This price reduction is due to the reduction of several taxes for hybrid vehicles. It is still relatively expensive for some of us who wanted to play a part to save the environment. It is a 1.3L car which combined with the electric motor produces power similar to a 1.8L Honda Civic. It is priced nearly the same as the Honda Civic 2.0L.

Similarly, Proton is developing its own hybrid car as well. Dato' Seri Abdullah, our former primer minister has sat on it to go to one of the events he attended before he stepped down.

Toyota Prius, one of the first hybrid vehicles in the market, now 3rd generation has been selling well in US, Japan and Australia. Recently, Toyota Prius is the top selling car in Japan with over 22,000 cars sold. It is the number 2 car top selling car trailing only the Honda Fit (Jazz in Malaysia).¹

The 3rd generation Toyota Prius Hybrid will be launched in Malaysia next month. It is great to hear that this car is finally here in Malaysia. We can now play a role in reducing air pollution in the South East Asian region. The 3rd generation Prius has a 1.8L engine which produces 98hp and the electric engine produces about 80hp.² Combined, the new Prius performs like a 2.4L car. To differentiate Toyota Hybrids from the normal Toyotas, the logo has a blue glow around it.

Prices for the Toyota Prius in Malaysia is expected to hover around RM170,000 similar to a 2.4V Toyota Camry!³. So expensive for a Prius. If it is priced around the same price around a Toyota Vios or even a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic Hybrid, it might appeal to more people. Why do we have to pay so much for a Prius? We can buy MyVi or Persona or even Viva which have high fuel efficiency? The Prius has a better fuel efficiency than these cars. Taxes for hybrid cars should be reduced so that the hybrid cars selling here would be less costly.

Why do we need to pay a high price to own a Toyota Hybrid or Honda Civic Hybrid? In Australia, it is priced at 37K for the normal model and 46.5K for the higher end model. More expensive for the 3rd generation model. Previously it was only about 30K. Even though it's higher now, if we do a direct conversion, it s around RM108-111K for the normal model and around RM137K to RM140K for the higher end model.⁴ I do not know the number of models are in Malaysia. Please note that the US Prius has 4 models to choose from. Not sure which models are available here. Prices in the US starts from US$22K.

I would be interested in the Toyota Prius if it would be priced lower. However, I will still stick to the normal petrol cars like the Persona or MyVi for now if I am to buy a car in the near future. Maybe in the future, I will be able to afford to buy hybrid cars.

To find out more about the Toyota Prius, you can go to Paul Tan's Automotive News or Toyota Prius website. You can also read The Star Motoring for more details of the car in Malaysia.

¹Toyota hybrid is Japan's top selling car in June, The Star Online, http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/6/business/20090706122753&sec=business ²The 3rd Generation Toyota Prius Hybrid, http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/ ³3rd generation Toyota Prius - first impressions, Paul Tan's Automotive Blog, http://paultan.org/archives/2009/07/24/3rd-generation-toyota-prius-first-impressions/#more-16020 ⁴Toyota Prius vs Honda Civic Hybrid Road Test >> Car Advice, http://www.caradvice.com.au/2214/toyota-prius-i-tech-vs-honda-civic-hybrid-road-test/

Influenza A (H1N1) Information

Hi Everybody, Influenza A (H1N1) flu cases has started in April and the number of cases has been rising until now. It has started from Mexico and spread to the US. From then on, it has spread across 89 countries until now. According to WHO, as at 6th July 2009, there are over 94,512 cases of H1N1 reported all over the world with 429 deaths. ¹ Overall, only 0.45% of the reported A (H1N1) cases reported result in death. The number might be more because more cases were reported after this WHO update. It might be more than 100,000 Influenza A (H1N1) cases now. In comparison with the seasonal influenza, it is actually less than the number of deaths caused by the seasonal influenza. Initially Malaysia only had 7 cases and thought that it may remain there but suddenly it has now increased to 772 with 85% recovery rate over 2 months.² There were also more local transmissions than imported ones with 34 local and 28 imported. Other countries in South East Asia such as Thailand, Jakarta and the Phillippines also reported more cases now in the past few weeks. WHO has been monitoring the H1N1 situation in the past few months. In the start, WHO declared a low level of pandemic around April. Then WHO raised the H1N1 level from Phase 5 to Phase 6 (Level 6) on. It means that Influenza H1N1 was Pandemic. It was the highest alert that WHO can declare. ⁹ A lot of countries were infected then and continued spreading. Airports around the world uses the thermal scanner to detect if passengers show fever and other H1N1 symptoms. For passengers coming to Malaysia, they need to fill in a form to declare their health, This will enable easier follow up with the passengers if they show symptoms in the future. I also noticed that a majority of air passengers do not wear masks. Only a small percentage, I think about 5-10% wear masks. What is Influenza A (H1N1) ? It is a new Influenza A virus that has never before circulated between humans. It is not related to current seasonal or previous influenza viruses. There are also no cases of this strain being reported through exposure to pigs and other animals. It also has an unknown location of origin.³ Personally, I think that the definition above from WHO is more accurate than other sources. Here are some others as well: Definition from The Star Online: It is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by Type A strains of the influenza virus. It has a high flu outbreaks in pigs and low death rates. There are 4 main sub types of the virus but the most recent isolated cases are found in pigs.⁴ It is also most commonly known as Swine Flu. Signs & Symptoms^3,4,5

• Fever
• Cough
• Headache
• Sore throat
• Muscle / joint pains
• May have diarrohea and vomitting
• Lack of apetite
• Lethargic / fatigue
• Chills

Proper precautions need to be taken to curb the spread of the Influenza A virus. Prevention

• Cover our eyes and nose with tissue or handkerchief when we cough or sneeze^3,4
• Washing hands with soap or anti-bacterial soap such as Protex, Lifebuoy and Dettol and water^3,4
• Wear masks at airports or at the right situations. Incorrect use may increase the chances of spreading. According to WHO, you don't have to wear a mask if you are not sick. However, it is good to ensure proper precautions are taken to prevent H1N1 from spreading³
• Have good health habits such as having enough sleep, eating nutritious food and keeping physically active³
• Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth^3,4
• Avoid crowded places³
• Avoid contact with people who are ill or sick^3,4

Vaccinations Tamiflu (osteltamivir)⁵ Relenza (zanamivir)⁵ However, it is reported in several cases that Tamiflu is not effective. Some of the viruses are resistant to Tamiflu. A vaccination that fully effective vaccine has not been developed yet. It is still under research by pharmaceutical companies. Also, the vaccine for H1N1 will take at least 4-6 months to develop. The vaccine therefore is excepted to be ready around year end by November and December.^7,8 Influenza A (H1N1) is a milder form of influenza as compared to the seasonal influenza. The seasonal influenza resulted in more deaths. However, we still need to take proper precautions to ensure we are not infected with H1N1. I am continuing to pray that the Influenza H1N1 situation will improve and in the future, the Influenza H1N1 pandemic will end. References: ¹ Pandemic H1N1 2009 - update 58, WHO (World Health Organisation), http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_07_06/en/index.html ² More local H1N1 cases, The Star Online, 14th July 2009, http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/14/nation/4314690&sec=nation ³ What is the new influenza A (H1N1)?, WHO, http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/frequently_asked_questions/about_disease/en/index.html ⁴ Influenza A (H1N1) FAQ, The Star Online, http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/28/nation/20090428132524&sec=nation ⁵ 2009 Flu Pandemic, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_flu_pandemic ⁶ WHO | What Can I Do?, http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/frequently_asked_questions/what/en/index.html ⁷ WHO sees little Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 flu spread, http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/8/worldupdates/2009-07-07t224352z_01_nootr_rtrmdnc_0_india-408745-2&sec=worldupdates ⁸ WHO: H1N1 Vaccine Will Take 4 to 6 Months to Make, http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/702258 ⁹ WHO declares swine flu pandemic, The Star Online, http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/6/11/ah1n1flu/20090611163547&sec=ah1n1flu