LIFEJOURNEY

Ryan Pyle of Extreme Treks has a lot to say about this...

I seldom quote hadiths, in the light of what is transpiring now, this is aptly so.  In Malay:- Abu Hurairah RA meriwayatkan Nabi Muhammad Rasulullah SAW bersabda: “Akan tiba pada manusia tahun penuh kebohongan. Saat itu, orang bohong dianggap jujur. Orang jujur dianggap bohong. Pengkhianat dianggap amanah. Orang amanah dianggap pengkhianat. Ketika itu, orang Ruwaibidhah berbicara.” Ada orang bertanya: “Siapa Ruwaibidhah itu?” Nabi menjawab, “Orang benak yang menguruskan urusan umum.” (HR Ibnu Majah)  In English:- Abu Hurairah RA narrated that Prophet Muhammad Rasulullah SAW said: “There will come to mankind a year full of lies. At that time, liars were considered honest. Honest people are considered liars. Traitors are considered trustworthy. Trustworthy persons are considered traitors. At that time, the people of Ruwaibidhah spoke. " Someone asked: "Who is Ruwaibidhah?" The Prophet replied, "People full of folly who manage public affairs." (HR Ibn Majah)

MTR Vegetarian Restaurant nestles in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur serves marvelous authentic Bangalore India food such as Masala Dosa or commonly known here as Masala Tosei. It goes with lentil bean as the inner gravy and olive oil poured on the dosa. My favourite drink is its special filter Arabica coffee bean with fresh goat milk. A clean and fast serving food restaurant, MTR has been here since 1924. Must try cause I enjoyed every minute of it! Friday 18/2/2022.

Interesting to note as we are surrounded by these islands and the tiny red dot as our neighbours.

East Ukraine, the epicenter of present crisis between Russia and Ukraine, the USA Allies i.e. Canada, UK, Europe and Japan. Sanctions on 5 Russians banks, 3 of Putin's cronies and oligarchs by UK Govt yesterday added more tension followed by the USA. Note that Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014 and became Republic of Crimea which then added to federal subjects of Russia in favor of most Crimeans in that region who are pro Russia. The people of Luhansk and Donetsk are at risk. The world equity markets have fallen but the prices of oil remain high due to the impending war. It will be intriguing to watch how this will play out in the coming weeks or months.

Pudu Prison, once the cell of the notorious Wong Swee Chin aka Botak Chin until the day of his execution, is now Bukit Bintang City Centre or Lalaport which has been developed by UDA and Ecoworld Bhd. It boasts 7 storey of shopping mall - Japanese lifestyle. It was officially opened on Thursday 20/1/2022. Many quarters have stories to tell about this eerie prison site. Moreover, the spot is deemed to be among the most haunted in this country, just you should know...scary eh? 👻 but I guess our Japanese counterpart is already accustomed to ghostly encounters as it created scenes like the Ring, Dark Water, Grudge etc...gee wiz!

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/tianjin-china-library/index.html  Binhai Cultural Center   The new Binhai Cultural Center, spanning 90 hectares, is a major project initiated by the Tianjin government to showcase the city's cultural power and boost tourism. Phase one of the Central Center was open to the public last month, together with the library. The four other cultural buildings are the Binhai Modern Art Museum, the Binhai Modern City and Industrial Discovery Museum, the Binhai Performing Arts Center and the Binhai Performing Arts Center -- all designed by famed firms including Bernard Tschumi Architects, Bing Thom Architects and HH Design. https://www.history.com/news/8-impressive-ancient-libraries  House Of Wisdom  The Iraqi city of Baghdad was once one of the world’s centers of learning and culture, and perhaps no institution was more integral to its development that the House of Wisdom. First established in the early ninth century A.D. ...

A timely Stevie Wonder classic. Greg Manning's Love Today Project kicked off with a soulful rendition of “Love’s In Need Of Love Today” in July 2020. It’s now a reminder of what the world needs right now. A collaborative effort that blends the smooth tones of vocalists Matt Cusson and Rebecca Jade, with the seasoned and uplifting sound of guitarist Darrell Crooks and saxophonist Najee.         

"O you believers, fasting is prescribed to you as it was presribed to those before you, that you may learn self-restraint". The Quran 02:183.  In a matter of two days, marks the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, which occurs on the ninth month of the lunar-based Islamic calendar, all Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk for 30 days. As Ramadan shifts approximately 11 days earlier each year on the solar-based Gregorian calendar, Muslims experience Ramadan in different seasons throughout the course of the lives. The act of fasting is meant to remind Muslims of the less fortunate and to reinforce the need to be thankful. As one of the five pillars, or duties, of Islam, fasting during this month is mandatory for all healthy adult Muslims. Children who have not reached puberty, the elderly, those who are physically or mentally incapable of fasting, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and travellers are exempted.  May this year Ramadan br...

The artist of this painting is a 9th grader Ajunath Sindhu Vinayala of Trissur, Kerala, India. He painted this because his father continually introduced his mother as "she is just a house wife, she doesn't work". Ajunath was surprised because he never saw his mother idle, so he painted this to depict his mother's daily routine and showed it to his teacher who sent it to the state govt office where it got selected as the cover for the 20 - 21 gender budget document. An all-rounder, a multitasker and versatile woman without a shadow of a doubt.  (8th March 2021 is the International Women's Day) 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

A little recount of this distintly famous batter bowl. Over the past hundred years or so, almost every object in the domestic kitchen has been adapted to changing needs and fashions of society. But there is one object that is almost unchanged since it was first made over a century ago. The mixing bowl. Not just any mixing bowl – but THE mixing bowl, the one that almost every house in the country has. The one that appears on every cookery programme and in every photograph of a modern kitchen, mason-cash-mixing-bowls-shot.  Yes, that generic mixing bowl in a familiar cream colour with a bit of a pattern around the outside that almost everyone owns is not just some random object churned out in their millions in some dusty part of China, but is a 112 year old design classic, and is still made by the same English pottery company. It is sentimental indeed.  - Hand Mixer v Stand Mixer - Are you all mixed up and wondering: hand mixer versus stand mixer – does it really mat...

  It tells the struggle between Larry the Liquidator (Danny Devito), the Manhattan-based predator, and Jorgesen (Gregory Peck in his final feature film role), the salt-of-the-earth president of New England Wire & Cable. Larry, who already owns a chunk of the company’s stock, decides that it’s undervalued. The way to make a killing is to get rid of the wire & cable division, which is running at a loss, and keep everything else. Jorgesen, defending the livelihood of his employees, won’t hear of it. Undaunted, Larry starts the proceedings that will lead to a hostile takeover. Jorgesen brings on board his daughter Kate, a high-priced New York lawyer, to defend his company. She visits Larry and turns on the charm. He is smitten but being in love isn’t enough to derail his business interests.  Most importantly, we have the clash of two men whose worldviews could not be more opposite—the sentimental communitarian Jorgesen, and Larry, the cunning but mildly conscientious c...

The curtain of 2020 will be descending and a new year will be arising in a matter of hours. It has been a year none of us could have predicted, in which there have been downs and also ups when we saw everyone pulled together to overcome the challenges thrown at us by the pandemic. As we welcome the New Year, let us build on the best that we have learnt from 2020 and look forward with renewed hope for a healthy, safer and better year with the Almighty's grace and accord. Happy New Year, with kind regards from me to you readers, your families and loved ones.   💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫

The Two Things Killing Your Ability to Focus - William Treseder  I used to wake up, stumble over to my phone, and immediately get lost in a stream of pointless notifications. This digital haze continued throughout the day, keeping me from accomplishing important tasks. I was distracted, anxious, and ineffective as an individual. I knew I had to change but could not seem to break free from the behaviors that kept me locked into the same cycle.  This problem is not unusual. Executives across the world stumble through each day in much the same way. Two major challenges are destroying our ability to focus.  First, we increasingly are overwhelmed with distractions flying at us from various connected devices. Smartphone and tablet use is spiking, and, as of 2019, we now use digital media for an average of over 12 hours per day. This hyperconnected state does not allow us to process, recharge, and refocus.  Second, we rely excessively on meetings as the default form of inte...