3 (not so) Easy Habits to a Healthy Lifestyle

I could not recall (and as such could not give credit to the writer) from where I took this article. I do hope my reader can gain something from this and do remember that there should be 'with Allah will' at some points. The picture is from the face book, courtesy of my good friend, Prof Bidin Yatim.
Now that the new year is approaching, maybe it is a good time to start living a healthy lifestyle as promoted by our beloved RasululLah pbuh.
There has never been a time in human history where you can live longer and live better than you can today. Incredible advances in pharmaceuticals, medicine and healthcare enable people to overcome disease and illness and continue to thrive well into their 70s and 80s. Perhaps the largest growing demographic group in America today is people who are 90 and 100 years old, or more. Your job is to join this group and to be fit and healthy all the days of your life.
For almost the entire history of the human race, longevity was a matter of accident or coincidence. Today longevity is a matter of design and choice. You can actually decide today to enjoy superb levels of physical health, and by developing specific health habits, you can assure that you live longer and better than has been possible for any other generation in human history.

1. Choose to Be Healthy and Fit
The first habit for you to develop is the habit of achieving and maintaining your proper weight. More than 40% of Malaysians today are officially classified as “obese.” This means that they are more than 20% above their ideal weight, based on height and weight charts. Even worse, there are many millions who are officially classified as “morbidly obese.” This means that they are 40% and 50% above their ideal weights. They are in danger of dying from being so overweight.
Everything you are, and ever will be, is the result of your choices and decisions. If you want to change some aspect of your life, you have to make new choices and new decisions, and then you must discipline yourself to follow-through on your decisions.
Being overweight is very much a matter of choice. No one can eat for you but yourself. No one can put the food into your mouth for you. You only eat as the result of your own decisions and your own actions. Anyone who is overweight is in that condition because they have been unable to restrain themselves in the presence of food for a very long time.
The only way to achieve your proper weight is to develop the habit of eating less and exercising more each day and each week. But just as it takes you months and years to become overweight, it takes you many months to get rid of the weight once you make that decision.
It is not easy to lose weight. This is because you develop automatic habits of eating that are hard to break. You get into a rhythm of eating certain foods – morning, noon and night. You become accustomed to eating snacks between meals, and to overeating in the evening. It is not easy to break these habits, but it is definitely possible. This is your goal.

2. Eat the Right Foods
The second habit you need to develop for long life full of health and fitness is the habit of eating a proper diet. You have to develop the habit of eating the right foods, in the right proportions, at the right times.
Everyone knows that they should eat a more balanced diet, containing more fruits, vegetables and whole grain products. In addition to this basic principle, there are several things that you can do to modify your diet, and develop the habits of good nutrition, which will lead to a combination of weight loss and higher levels of energy and fitness.
In addition to eating a peak performance diet to achieve rapid weight loss and improved functioning, you should develop the habit of eliminating the “three white poisons” from your die, which are salt, sugar, and flour. This change in your diet is so simple and yet so powerful that every one of my students who tries it is absolutely amazed at how quickly they get noticeable results.

3. Get Lots of Exercise and Rest
The third habit you need to develop is the habit of effective exercise. Many people stop exercising in their late teens and early twenties, even people who were active in sports when they were growing up. However, the human body, made up of 610 muscles, is meant to be exercised regularly throughout your life.
Develop the habit of articulating and moving every joint in your body, every single day. This keeps your muscles and joints agile and flexible. Regular exercise assures that you have greater balance and mobility. It helps to diminish the likelihood of muscle or joint pain or problems.
Develop the habit of exercising 200 minutes each week. If all you did were to go for a walk, 30 minutes per day, seven days per week, you would be one of the fittest people in our society. If you disciplined yourself to ride an exercise bicycle, work out on a treadmill, swim, jog or engage in any aerobic exercises that get your lungs and heart pumping, you will dramatically improve your levels of health and energy in a short period of time.
The next habit that you need for superb all around health is the habit of proper rest. You need seven to eight hours of sleep each night for optimal performance. If you get less than six to seven hours of sleep per night, and you continue to work as hard as you normally do at your job, you will eventually develop a “sleep deficiency.”
You can change the way you feel about yourself, and your performance in your work and personal life, by developing the habit of going to bed early, by 10:00 pm each night and getting a good night’s sleep every night of the week.

May you, my friends, be blessed with the will power and courage to stay fit and healthy.

A note on worldly life - Part 1

This is a note taken from a tazkirah at the main mosque in my area.. Masjid Al-Ubudiah, Kampung Ampang Tasik and the teacher - Ustaz  Shahril Long, one of my favorite teacher who can quote the verse from the book (almost at will). For the lack of time I am going to partition the tazkirah's note to 3 parts.

The worldly life is nothing but illusory enjoyment (003:185)
Human beings may be disillusioned by worldly life on three matters or ways:-

1. worldly wealth
2. Worldly position
3. Worldly power

1. Worldly Wealth

One who has worldly wealth is exemplified by Qarun, who when asked how do he got to be so rich.. His answer to the question is recorded in the Book.

He said "This is given to me because of the knowledge (I have) with me".028:078

He has been disillusioned by his wealths and has become arrogant.

The danger of being wealthy are illustrated in :-

 Should Allah expand His provision to His servants ( to full extent), they would spread mischief on the earth..042:027

 In fact, man crosses the limit. He deem himself to be free of needs..096: 006-007

by no means!(can he ransoms himself out). It is a raging fire that will pull out the skin of the scalp. It will call him who had turn his back and fled away (from the truth) and accumulated (wealth) and hoarded (it).070: 015-018

The end of man disillusioned by worldly wealth is recorded as:-
We made him and his home sink into the earth. So there was no group for him who can help him against Allah nor was he one of those who can defend themselves.028:081


Happy new year (Selamat menyambut Awwal Muharram)

Awal Muharram

Sebagai peringatan untuk diri Doa akhir tahun untuk dibaca selepas solat asar, 14 hb November 2012.

Doa awal tahun untuk di baca selepas solat maghrib,  14 hb November 2012.

Semuga Barakah, Rahmah dan Maghfirah Allah bersama anda sepanjang tahun

Tanpa suara dan wajah

Masih jauh rasanya
Perjalanan hidup ini
Semakin suci niatnya
Mencari redha ilahi

Makin longlai langkahnya
Menyusuri lembah ini
Tanpa suara pintanya
Bahkan wajah sekali

Telah terasa goyahnya
Sesekali terpesong begini
Kurang mengerti pangkalnya
Menyusuri laluan jerih ini

Kenapa begini payah
Mencari sedikit cinta
Tanpa kelibat wajah
Serta lunaknya suara

Bermujahadah lah ya akhi
Mengejar cinta suci abadi
Bercahayakan redha ilahi
Mungkinkah tergapai disini

Suruhan cinta kepada anbiya
Suruhan cinta kepada ilahi
Tanpa wajah dan suara
Miripkah cinta segila ini

Akan setiakah kau menanti?

Tazkirah - my notes

It seems that there were few events that have been weighing the mind of many religious teachers(ustazs/ustazahs) during the last few days of fasting month (Ramadhan in 2012).
picture from I love Islam.com

On the night following the second day of Ramadhan after Isya Prayer, someone was said to be arrested for giving Tazkirah in AlRahman Mosque, a mosque in close vicinity of University Malaya .

Then there was a recent call for the need to curtail the tazkirah activity...

There are also Muslim who wrote pages to Imam and teacher complaining that tazkirah is unneccessary since there is already Terawih prayer during the Ramadhan.

An ustaz gave a Tazkirah on this subject matter in musolla DarusSalam in my Taman Bukit Teratai, Cheras the other night.

Verse 29 suratul Insan (076:029). Indeed, this is a reminder(tazkirah); so let anyone who so wishes, adopt a way to his lord.

Tazkirah is a command from Allah...
As AlQuran is guidance for human being, anyone who aim for Allah Pleasure and anyone who believe Allah's promise needs Tazkirah.
Verse 9 to 12 of Suratul A'la (087:009 -087:012)
009 :so extend advice/reminder (to people), if advice/reminder is useful
010 :the one who fears will observe the advice/reminder
011 :it will be avoided by the most wretched/unfortunate one
012 :who will enter the biggest fire

From above we can see that tazkirah is obligatory and useful for those who believe and fear Allah. It was said that Prophet's friends asked for Tazkirah .. One of Prophet's miracle is that he knew his friends strength and weakness, their character.. even their walking style ..as told that during mikhraj.. when the Prophet asked Gabriel whether the sound he heard is the sound that came from the sound of his friend, Bilal walking.

The ayah 011 and 012 are self-explanatory.

So going back to the incident at the AlRahman Mosque above.. can you imagine what will happen to the one who reported the Tazkirah and the one who actually arrested the ustaz who gave the tazkirah.

Verse 21 surah Alghasiyah 088:021 So continue to give tazkirah, for you are a tazkirah giver.
It seems that Allah has declared the prophet is a giver of Tazkirah.

Verse 11 of Surah Albaqorah (002:119) Surely, we have sent you with the truth, as a bearer of good tidings and a warner and you will not be asked about the people of Hell.

Verse 2 of Surah AlAnkabut (029:002) Do people think that they will be left ( at ease) only on their saying "we believe"; and they not be put to any test?
From all the argument above, I guess that in all probability, that IT IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT for a Muslim to avoid or detest Tazkirah.

Have a good day

My Beloved

I was busy chasing rainbows.. now that I have 'lost' 3 trusted team members due to some realignment and yet to lose another one soon due to someone powerful (?) enough to enforce a policy that was rather unnatural... 'you cannot marry somebody from the same organization'!?
My usual reason for resorting to my normal act of posting something from the internet. You might have come across this but I think it is good enough for me to document it for my future reading. Hope you like it ;)



There was a time in my youth,
When Islam was only a custom.
They said “say there is no diety except God,..
And pray, you’ll go to Heaven.”

Ah, how simple, no struggle in this,
Just a word, and simple act.
Thereafter I’m absorbed in this world again,
With my ‘assured’ place in Paradise intact.

But this was not to be my fate
For ALLAH chose to guide my heart.
I learnt of a man who struggled so hard
When his mission was from the start.

The story of someone who had morals,
Spoke gently, kindness he knew.
Never fearing to say what’s right,
His conviction in ISLAM was true.

The touch of his hand was as soft as silk
To comfort a crying child.
To mend his clothes, or do the chores,
Never complaining, he always smiled.

His smell was always of musk,
And cleanliness he kept at his best.
Stark contrast with the heroes of today,
Who stink of beer and sweat.

He held the hands of his companions.
Unashamed to play with many children.
So modest, so humble, a perfect example,
That strangers could not recognise him.

His eyes slept little for nights were precious,
His prayers he treasured much greater.
To pray in the depths of night,
Seeking forgiveness, and nearness to his Creator.

He broke his tooth for me at Uhud,
And bled for me at Ta’if.
He cried for me, tears of concern,
Just so I could have this belief.

His enemies admired his teachings,
Uniting every religion, every clan.
Till ISLAM came to every corner of the world,
O, but indeed he was only a man.

To own a house, or build his wealth
Was not his main priority.
To establish ISLAM was more essential,
To bring us under a Higher Authority.

Don’t you want him to plea for your case,
When before ALLAH-The Judge-you stand?
Don’t you wish to be around his fountain,
A burning desire to drink from his hand?

So I love him more than all creation,
My Leader, my Humble Prophet.
Muhammad (SAWS) was a mercy to all mankind,
And to me, he is MY BELOVED !


To all Malaysian.. happy independence day

Romancing Rocks

I was busy planning this fact finding geological fieldtrip in Labuan and Bintulu from 13 July until 20 July 2012. The purpose of the trip was to collect data required for us to prepare a "Guidebook" for future fieldtrips. Although numerous fieldtrips have been conducted in these two areas, we have promised our management that this field trip would relates more to our daily work as three of us are involve on the subject matter on daily basis.

I am only showing you a few pictures of our three days stay in Labuan in this post because I thought you might get bored with too much rocks. Maybe I will put up more similar posts and pictures later.

Please note that these picture are considered an intellectual property of my friend, Mr Yap, and any use of them for any purpose is strictly prohibited. i.e. you have to get my permission to use them.

On my way back at Tg Layang Layangan beach.
Yes! we do worked till sunset ;)


At Kg Ganggarak.


Now! what happens to the Ophiomorpha?.


Cuestas near Bethune head.


Los conquistadores de las cuestas

At Tanjong Kubong


Figuring the waves action at Tanjong Kubong


Now! how do these sand beds get to be vertical?


At Layang-Layangan beach


Near Tanjung Layang-Layangan


"Kelaparan - Jalan jalan cari makan"

For Muslim friends.. Selamat berpuasa di Ramadhan yang Mulia.
Have a nice weekend to all.

Life's manual? -part 1

I was pleasantly surprised, the other day, to note that one of my junior at school who used to be my badminton partner, Ustaz(teacher) Shafiee Muhammad Amin, was delivering a tazkirah at Surau Al Muhsinin, level 2T in Tower 1, Petronas Twin Tower, KLCC. Last Thursday, my developer friend, Haji H, called me to attend Ustaz Shafiee’s Quranic class at Surau Jamilah (named after Haji H’s mother) in Merdeka Villa, Ampang.

Note: Non-Muslim readers are much-welcomed to read but may find the content is a tad too "Islamic".

The class is a once a monthly affair and Ustaz Shafiee is known to go by one verse (ayah) per session. That days’ program was on the first verse of the first surah (AlFatihah). The teacher, however felt that he should go into an introduction so as to make the attendees better understand his approach.

He started his class by going into how Allah has introduces Himself in verse 007.180
For Allah there are most beautiful names. So, call Him by them and leave those who blaspheme His names. They shall be recompensed for what they have been doing.

The teacher said that we should call Him for most if not all our major need for example:-
· Decision making - Ya Hadi
· Short of sustenance (rezqi) -Ya Razzaq
· In fear – Ya Hafizd

The word “call Him” is the supplication (du’a) which is defined by the Book in verse 002.186
When My servants ask you about Me, then (tell them that) I am very near; I respond to the call of one when he prays to Me; so they should respond to Me, and have faith in Me, so that they might be on the right path.
He told the class that du’a is obedience as words in italics above signify.

He further elaborated
· that good life is defined by life of taqwa or compliance.
· Receiving merits, bonus and elevated to higher rank/position can be a burden
· That health is not a rezeqi as health is given for us so that we can be obedient to Him.

That whatever is given can be taken away.. and should that happen we should not despair as written in 057.023
So that you may neither grieve on what has escaped you, nor over-exult on what He has given to you. Allah does not love any vainglorious boaster:

He looked into the definition of rezqi(sustenance)in AlQuran and concluded it as whatever that is given that make us obey Allah i.e. amal soleh(good deed).

The teacher said that “amal soleh opens up the door of rezqi”.
He relates amal soleh as life currency as per verse 016:97
Whoever, male or female, has acted righteously, while being a believer, We shall certainly make him live a good life, and shall give them a recompense in proportion to the best of what they used to do.

To turn our daily activities to amal soleh (good deed); the activities has to fulfill two criteria
· Sincerely performed
· Accordance to Al-Quran and as-Sunnah.

While the opposite of amal soleh is sin, an activity that is either
· Not sincerely performed
· Not in accordance to Al-Quran and as-Sunnah.

He told us to be careful about sin as “sin opens up the door of disaster”.
A bombshell of sort..

· The teacher further stressed that one of the common sin committed by most Muslim (that they are sometimes unaware of) is not learning to read the Al-Quran since:-
a) To acquire ilmu Al Quran (knowledge, skill etc.) is fardhu ain (obligatory on every Muslim.
b) To read Al Quran properly, we have to follow what the Book told us how.. tartil (with proper tajwid, makhraj etc).

· We should refer to Al Quran to live our life if we believed that Al Quran was sent by Allah as a Muslim living manual, just as we should send our car to the manufacturer or its agents (who follow the manual) for service or excellent repair work.


Have a nice weekend..

Birthday and Anniversary Bliss

Have a productive week ahead dearest friends.

Makan makan at the office

Today we organised an office lunch to celebrate the success of two of our exploration wells. I was happy as one of them is the one that my team has drilled at the start of 2012. All geoscientists and non geoscientists working on Malaysian acreages was invited to join in the thankgiving celebration of Peninsular Malaysia Exploration team (XPM).
I was caught by surprise when a cake was put up for the XPM staff that celebrate birthdays in May, more so because we already have one earlier...rumours has it that one satisfied customer (read boss) has used his own money to show his appreciation.. Alhamdulillah..
You can see that a small part of the cake has been consumed by one hungry birthday boy even before a picture can be taken. Burpps! I am getting older.
Have a nice day..

Am I a collaborator?

I only worked two days for the week of 30 April to 4th May.. On the 1st May my son came back with not so good news that our toyota's air conditioner has gone kaput..

2nd May saw me taking unrecorded leave ( by virtue that I worked during the weekend 21 and 22 of April ;)). I went to my foreman Ah Lai (of Ampang under the big tree fame) who recommended a friend about 200 meters from his workshop..

The compressor was found to be broken ( due to one filter that has been overlooked.. Thus putting much strain on the compressor) and need to be replaced.. Chemical cleaning agent has to be used to clean the whole system so as to avoid further complication apart from replacing all air conditioner filters.. That made me poorer by some RM 2400..

We have Friday, 4th May as an off day, a replacement for Wesak day that falls on Saturday. I went to service my mini .. and the whole thing cost me some RM 450.. I was told that the car airconditioner need to be serviced at least once every two years.. I have the feeling that the mini parts might be a lil bit more expensive than that of the toyota, hence the reason for back to back visit to car air conditioner workshop.

I took a bus trip home that Friday as there were at least nine cars waiting to be serviced at the workshop and the work on the mini was expected to be completed at 5 p.m. that day.

picture from lfslessonsasia.com

I gave the fare of one ringgit requested by the bus conductor, he took it off my hand without giving me the ticket.. I thought of doing some light reading on the bus but the incident of not getting the ticket was too heavy on my mind.. Am I considered a collaborator to a bad deed?.. due to the fact that I know the conductor is taking my money for his own good rather than giving the money to the bus company.. How do I handle it without creating a commotion?.. The conductor can always say that I did not pay up and get me kicked off the bus.

So I called the conductor and asked him to give me a ticket for my journey and I will gladly give him a ringgit for him to keep.. He was not very pleased but he gave me the ticket without taking the extra ringgit offered.

Alhamdulillah..

Have a nice day.

Today I taught my child

I am in the middle of completing reports on the three exploration wells drilled recently coupled with monitoring an ongoing seismic survey program. I am also grappling with Early Production System and development planning for the recent oil and gas discoveries apart from the normal hectic struggle of producing more well proposals to fulfill country's insatiable thirst for new oil and gas resource replacement.
Have to resort to the similar trick for this entry, again thanks to Zubia Kiran. I had been pressured to spank my children for quite sometime now, the only thing that hold me is the thought that I might be directly responsible for their behaviour.. the raisson d'etre for this entry. A post that I would like to dedicate to all mothers, aunties, fathers, uncles, teachers, kindhearted & tireless volunteers and those who are fortunate enough to have direct contact with children.

When I got mad today and hit my child
"For his own good, " I reconciled,
and then I realized my plight...
Today, I taught my child to fight.

When interrupted by the phone,
I said, "tell them I'm not home."
And then I thought, and had to sigh...
Today I taught my child to lie.

I told the tax man what I made,
forgetting cash that was paid,
And then I blushed at this sad feat...
Today I taught my child to cheat.

I smugly copied a cassette,
To keep me from one more debt,
But now the bells of shame must peal...
Today I taught my child to steal.

Today I cursed another race,
Oh God, protect what I debase,
for now, I fear it is too late...
Today I taught my child to hate.

By my example, children learn
That I must lead in life's sojourn
In such a way they are led
By what is done and not what is said.

Today I gave my child his due
Praise for him instead of rue.
And now I have begun my guide;
Today I gave my child his pride.

I now have reconciled and paid
to IRS all that I have made.
And now I know that this dear youth,
Today has learned from me the truth.

The alms I give are not for show,
And yet, this child must surely know
That charity is worth the price:
Today he saw my sacrifice.

I clasp within a warm embrace
My neighbour of another race.
The great commandment from the above.
Today I taught my child to love.

Someday my child must face alone
This fearsome undertone,
But I have blazed a sure pathway:
Today I taught my child to pray.

It is Friday.. have a great weekend my friends.

Eye exercises! Anyone?

I have been busy chasing rainbows and have been neglecting this blog. Here is an article that I would like to keep for my future reference and share it with my blog readers, maybe it might be useful to them as well. 
This is downloaded wholesale from wonderfulinfo’s article entitled “Simple eye exercise which can improve your vision “.




The yoga practitioners attach special importance to eye exercises, for two reasons.


Firstly, a lot of eye problems in later life are due to a loss of tone in the eye muscles. These muscles become rigid, and this loss of elasticity reduces the ability of the lens of the eye to focus at different distances. It also causes the eyesight to become weaker. These exercises tone the eye muscles up and keep them elastic. If you already have eye problems when you begin these exercises, you will find your eyesight improving after a few months.


Secondly, any eye tension present will tend to produce a general feeling of tension, due to the eye's connection to the brain via the optic nerve. What happens is that eye tension produces an increase in the nerve impulses in the eye muscles. This increase in nerve impulses travels along the optic nerve and bombards the brain, causing a general feeling of tension and anxiety. The eye exercises will reduce tension in the eye muscles, as well as reduce general tension. 


It is best to do these eye exercises while lying down after you've finished the asanas. This way you're resting after the asanas and doing the eye exercises at the same time, thus reducing the time taken to do your yoga routine. 


When doing the eye exercises keep your eyes open and don't move your head.


Sitting (as in the exercises for the neck given above), open your eyes, then check on your posture. Is your spine erect? Hands on the knees? Body relaxed? Head straight? That is how you should always remain while doing eye exercises. The whole body must be motionless; nothing must move except the eyes. 


Raise your eyes and find a small point that you can see clearly without straining, without frowning, without becoming tense and, of course, without moving your head. While doing this exercise look at this point each time you raise your eyes. 


Next, lower your eyes to find a small point on the floor which you can see clearly when glancing down. Look at it each time you lower your eyes. Breathing should be normal. In other words, you don't have to do deep breathing.


Exercise 1
Move your eyes upwards as far as you can, and then downwards as far as you can. Repeat four more times. Blink quickly a few times 1 to relax the eye muscles.


Exercise 2 
Now do the same using points to your right and to your left, at eye level. Keep your raised fingers or two pencils on each side as guides and adjust them so that you can see them clearly when moving the eyes to the right and to the left, but without straining. Keeping the fingers at eye level, and moving only the eyes, look to the right at your chosen point, then to the left. Repeat four times. Blink several times, then close your eyes and rest.


Exercise 3
Choose a point you can see from the right corner of your eyes when you raise them, and another that you can see from the left corner of your eyes when you lower them, half closing the lids. Remember to retain your original posture: spine erect, hands on knees, head straight and motionless. Look at your chosen point in right corner up, then to the one in left corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest. Now do the same exercise in reverse. That is, first look to the left corner up, then to the right corner down. Repeat four times. Blink several times. Close the eyes and rest.


Exercise 4
This exercise should not be done until three or four days after you have begun eye exercises given here.


Slowly roll your eyes first clockwise, then counterclockwise as follows: Lower your eyes and look at the floor, then slowly move the eyes to the left, higher and higher until you see the ceiling. Now continue circling to the right, lower and lower down, until you see the floor again. Do this slowly, making a full-vision circle. Blink, close your eyes and rest. Then repeat the same action counterclockwise. Do this five times then blink the eyes for at least five seconds. 


When rolling the eyes, make as large a circle as possible, so that you feet a little strain as you do the exercise. This stretches the eye muscles to the maximum extent, giving better results.


Exercise 5
Next comes a changing-vision exercise. While doing it you alternately shift your vision from close to distant points several times. Take a pencil, or use your finger, and hold it under the tip of your nose. Then start moving it away, without raising it, until you have fixed it at the closest possible distance where you can see it clearly without any blur. Then raise your eyes a little, look straight into the distance and there find a small point which you can also see very clearly. 


Now look at the closer point-the pencil or your finger tip then shift to the farther point in the distance. Repeat several times, blink, close your eyes and squeeze them tight.


Exercise 6 
Close your eyes as tightly as you possibly can. Really squeeze the eyes, so the eye muscles contract. Hold this contraction for three seconds, and then let go quickly. 


This exercise causes a deep relaxation of the eye muscles, and is especially beneficial after the slight strain caused by the eye exercises. Blink the eyes a few times.


Exercise 7
This exercise is called 'palming' and is very relaxing to the eyes. It is also most important for preserving the eyesight. Palming also has a beneficial, relaxing effect on your nervous system. 
It's an ideal way to finish off the eye exercises. 


Remain seated on the floor. Draw up your knees, keeping your feet on the floor and slightly apart. Now briskly rub your palms to charge them with electricity and place the cupped palms over your closed eyes. The fingers of the right hand should be crossed over the fingers of the left hand on the forehead. The elbows should rest on your raised knees and the neck should be kept straight. Don't bend your head. Do the deep breathing while palming your eyes. 


If you are going to do the palming for longer than a few minutes, better sit down at a table, place some books or pillows in front of you to support your elbows so that you will be able to keep the neck straight, and palm the eyes in this position. If the palming is done for only a short period one can do deep breathing for half a minute or so at first, gradually increasing it every week.


Benefits:
This exercise helps to do away with eye strain, and tension. Your vision will get better and clearer as the ophthalmic, or eye, nerves receive a richer supply of blood. Some people use this to improve their vision.

Have nice days ahead!

Not so free weekend and Gganu breakfasts

This was written on and off during the weekend to be posted early Monday to give some space to the long winded health article. ;).
Saturday morning started with Yohwang rushing to buy coconut milk at the wet market and Mokyang rushing to her kitchen to kukus (steam) nasi dagang immediately after Suboh (dawn)..my ..the steamers leaked steam.. And have to be changed 3 times as the ' center ' part of nasi dagang was not properly cooked! The tuna was steamed on Friday morning and has been cooked to Gganu gulai ikan aya in the late evening of the same day. The results.. Our Saturday breakfast ..voila!

Nasi Dagang

Saturday afternoon saw us in Branang still trying to fix my not so good shoulder..have to abandon the plan to go and search for that Bangi golf club due to time constraint.. My geophysicist , angling, fisherman friend will be holding his wedding reception there in the evening. We rushed back to our place, buy some sardine fish (ikan selayang) and went home to bathe and change before rushing back to Bangi.. Went to Bangi and failed to find the place although we circle the area for more than one hour and asked three guys for direction ;(((. Have to abandon the wedding reception plan and on reaching our home, mokwang quietly went to the kitchen to steam 'ikan selayang' . Then came the sticky part of preparing laksam.. Another steaming process .. Steaming the rice powder.. Ah time consuming... The steamed ikan selayang was deboned, blended to paste and will be cooked with santan.
So when the morning came Mokwang heated the kuah laksam and chopped the laksam into small morsels and voila... our Sunday breakfast..

Laksam

After breakfast.. We went to wet market and supermarket for our weekly food supplies before attending another wedding reception in Melawati. The evening saw us in Mahbob Restaurant in Bangsar after some 20 days abstaining ourselves from mamak food... Oh Mokwang has managed to cook some laksa noodle .. Looks like another Gganu food - laksa Gganu style for Monday breakfast.. No picture this time to busy trying to reach office in time in the morning rain.

Have a good productive week.

Want to live to 100? And stay healthy too!

I have received this rather long article from a practising medical doctor friend, Abdullah Daud and thought maybe it will be good for my blog readers as well.

11 Habits That Will Help You Live to 100
Healthy Steps to a Longer Life

One of the biggest factors that determines how well you age is not your genes but how well you live. Not convinced? A study published in 2009 in the British Medical Journal of 20,000 British folks shows that you can cut your risk of having a stroke in half by doing the following things: being active for 30 minutes a day, eating five daily servings of fruit and vegetables, and avoiding cigarettes and excess alcohol.
While those are some of the obvious steps you can take to age well, researchers have discovered that centenarians tend to share certain traits in how they eat, move about, and deal with stress—the sorts of things we can emulate to improve our own aging process. Of course, getting to age 100 is enormously more likely if your parents did. Still, Thomas Perls, who studies the century-plus set at Boston University School of Medicine, believes that assuming you've sidestepped genes for truly fatal diseases like Huntington's, "there's nothing stopping you from living independently well into your 90s." Heck, if your parents and grandparents were heavy smokers, they might have died prematurely without ever reaching their true potential lifespan, so go ahead and shoot for those triple digits. Follow these 11 habits and check out Perls' lifetime risk calculator to see how long you can expect to live.

1. Don't Retire
"Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease skyrockets after retirement," says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The Chianti region of Italy, which has a high percentage of centenarians, has a different take on leisure time. "After people retire from their jobs, they spend most of the day working on their little farm, cultivating grapes or vegetables," he says. "They're never really inactive." Farming isn't for you? Volunteer as a docent at your local art museum or join the Experience Corps, a program offered in 19 cities that places senior volunteers in urban public elementary schools for about 15 hours a week.

2. Floss Every Day
That may help keep your arteries healthy. A 2008 New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of gum-disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease. Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries, another sign of heart disease. "I really do think people should floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits," says Perls.

3. Move Around
"Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists," says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's like the oil and lube job for your car. You don't have to do it, but your car will definitely run better." Study after study has documented the benefits of exercise to improve your mood, mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bones. "And the benefits kick in immediately after your first workout," Olshansky adds. Don't worry if you're not a gym rat. Those who see the biggest payoffs are the ones who go from doing nothing to simply walking around the neighborhood or local mall for about 30 minutes a day. Building muscle with resistance training is also ideal, but yoga classes can give you similar strength-training effects if you're not into weight lifting.

4. Eat a Fiber-Rich Cereal for Breakfast
Getting a serving of whole-grains, especially in the morning, appears to help older folks maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day, according to a recent study conducted by Ferrucci and his colleagues. "Those who do this have a lower incidence of diabetes, a known accelerator of aging," he says.

5. Get at Least Six Hours of Sleep Each Night
Instead of skimping on sleep to add more hours to your day, get more to add years to your life. "Sleep is one of the most important functions that our body uses to regulate and heal cells," says Ferrucci. "We've calculated that the minimum amount of sleep that older people need to get those healing REM phases is about six hours." Those who reach the century mark make sleep a top priority.

6. Consume Whole Foods, Not Supplements
Strong evidence suggests that people who have high blood levels of certain nutrients—selenium, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E—age much better and have a slower rate of cognitive decline. Unfortunately, there's no evidence that taking pills with these nutrients provides those anti-aging benefits. "There are more than 200 different carotenoids and 200 different flavonoids in a single tomato," points out Ferrucci, "and these chemicals can all have complex interactions that foster health beyond the single nutrients we know about like lycopene or vitamin C." Avoid nutrient-lacking white foods (breads, flour, sugar) and go for all those colorful fruits and vegetables and dark whole-grain breads and cereals with their host of hidden nutrients.

7. Be Less Neurotic
It may work for Woody Allen, who infuses his worries with a healthy dose of humor, but the rest of us neurotics may want to find a new way to deal with stress. "We have a new study coming out that shows that centenarians tend not to internalize things or dwell on their troubles," says Perls. "They are great at rolling with the punches." If this inborn trait is hard to overcome, find better ways to manage when you're stressed: Yoga, exercise, meditation, tai chi, or just deep breathing for a few moments are all good. Ruminating, eating chips in front of the TV, binge drinking? Bad, very bad.

8. Live Like a Seventh Day Adventist( just an example and article written for American )
Americans who define themselves as Seventh Day Adventists have an average life expectancy of 89, about a decade longer than the average American. One of the basic tenets of the religion is that it's important to cherish the body that's on loan from God, which means no smoking, alcohol abuse, or overindulging in sweets. Followers typically stick to a vegetarian diet based on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, and get plenty of exercise. They're also very focused on family and community.

9. Be a Creature of Habit
Centenarians tend to live by strict routines, says Olshansky, eating the same kind of diet and doing the same kinds of activities their whole lives. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is another good habit to keep your body in the steady equilibrium that can be easily disrupted as you get on in years. "Your physiology becomes frailer when you get older," explains Ferrucci, "and it's harder for your body to bounce back if you, say, miss a few hours of sleep one night or drink too much alcohol." This can weaken immune defenses, leaving you more susceptible to circulating flu viruses or bacterial infections.

10. Stay Connected
Having regular social contacts with friends and loved ones is key to avoiding depression, which can lead to premature death, something that's particularly prevalent in elderly widows and widowers. Some psychologists even think that one of the biggest benefits elderly folks get from exercise the strong social interactions that come from walking with a buddy or taking a group exercise class. Having a daily connection with a close friend or family member gives older folks the added benefit of having someone watch their back. "They'll tell you if they think your memory is going or if you seem more withdrawn," says Perls, "and they might push you to see a doctor before you recognize that you need to see one yourself."

11. Be Conscientious
The strongest personality predictor of a long life is conscientiousness—that is, being prudent, persistent, and well organized, according to The Longevity Project, coauthored by Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin. The book describes a study that followed 1,500 children for eight decades, collecting exhaustive details about their personal histories, health, activities, beliefs, attitudes, and families. The children who were prudent and dependable lived the longest, Friedman says, likely because conscientious types are more inclined to follow doctors' orders, take the right medicines at the right doses, and undergo routine checkups. They're also likelier to report happier marriages and more satisfying work lives than their less conscientious peers.

Thank you for trying to take care of your goodselves even though if you have skipped a lot;).

Have a good weekend!

Retirement?!

I do not know what came over me when I made a promise to my respected blogger friend, that I will write something on topic of retirement this time around. Maybe I was envious of his predicament(?).. Maybe my friend knew that I have a deep seated wish to have my own place where poor and needy children can improve themselves. Come to think of it I did talk to him the raison d'etre of my involvement with food production thingy that has more or less put me in a lot of heartaches.. to get a few acres of land for tahfiz and agricultural activities to co-exist in a symbiotic manner.

A few years before my 55th birthday (the day most of Petronas staff retires) two of my colleagues came to me( at different times and locations) to talk about retirement.

The younger one, albeit some seven years my junior, came up and talked to me on his retirement plan.. to retire from Petronas and become an unpaid mosque or surau caretaker and as always, Q & A session ensued:-

Me: " So you think you will have enough for you to retire gracefully then?".

Him: " If you want to talk about enough.. It will never be enough!"

Me: " Have you ever tried to stay in the mosque from dawn prayer to midnoon prayer?"

Him: " No, I have not but it would not be too difficult, would it?"

Me: " I have tried and failed miserably and I have yet to see someone who has successfully do that in this modern time, maybe those students in Tahfiz can easily succeed.. But try it first before rejecting an offer to work when your retirement time comes".

Him: "May be I should try to do that one of these days".

Me: " No harm checking to see whether you like the task you set for yourselves first before you embark on it full time, I heard it is easy to loose money when we retire and go into business doing something we are not familiar with.."

Him: " That is what I heard also and that why I want to quit and stay out of trouble.. Stay in kampung's mosque".

Me: " I heard a story that one successful businessment in KL who built a 200,000 ringgit bungalow in a remote fishing town.. And leave his business to his two capable and qualified children( after mentoring them for more than 2 years) just after his bungalow get completed and furnished.

Him: "Don't tell me he came back to KL again after that!".

Me: " After exactly two weeks of being a Tok Siak (caretaker) of the biggest mosque in the town ( a walking distance from his bungalow).

Him: "what happened exactly.. The kampung folks ostracised him?."

Me: " Nothing of that sort, he was treated like a big man.. A tan sri of sort treatment.. but the fishermen talk about weather, who catch most fish for the day, who was not able to go to the sea.. Those small talks, laissez faire life .. He can take it for a few days, but after a week, he started to miss his business friends, his mosque friends in KL, Those talks that he was used to.. challenging talks, technical talks, KLSE etc etc talks.."

Him: " Now what do you proposed..? " He sounded a bit exasperated....

Me: " It looks like you do not need so much money.. Come back and work as a geoscientist that you have always been.. Take half of your salary and you probably can hire more than 10 Tok Siak to do the work that you have set to do yourselves .. That way Petronas get to keep its experienced geoscientist.. You get the reward of getting more than 10 Tok Siak in more than 10 mosques.. Tok Siak job would then be a well paid job in the kampung etceteras.. And you get enough money to pay most of your bills"

Him: " hm.. Sound good but I am not sure that I will sacrifice half of my salary to get more than 10 Tok Siak.. Even if I want to"

Me : " That is a good problem to have.. non?,".

As for the older colleague, three years my senior.. He wanted to buy a taxi and be a taxi driver whenever he do not have golf games on..
He do not really need more money as he have been working oversea for quite a long time where he has been highly paid. As always, a Q & A followed:-

Me: " Don't you think being a taxi driver is a rather taxing job for a geoscientist that is used to work in an air- conditioned room looking at the desktop computer screens (geoscientists used high end computer with at least two monitor screens) all day long?".

Him: " Maybe tiring lah but that one is only a front.. to while away time waiting for my friends to finish their daily tasks and join me at the golf clubs".

Me: " Careful .. our mutual friend Encik A said that he get one invitation to join golf games a month when he retired from working as compared to more than ten invitations a month while he was working in Petronas ".

Him : " Oh what happened exactly?".

Me: " Nothing much.. But then people tend to forget you when you are not around or they thought you are enjoying retirement and do not feel good asking you out for a game of golf .. ".

Him: " Oh oh! then I might as well continue working if my service is needed".

Me : " I think I am also going to do the same..when my time comes".


I did advise them not to get involved in business sometime during the interactions.. and in contradiction I do get involved in one that is not my expertise... thinking that it is for the good of my country and my religion etcetera..

Ah by the way, I started the day with the good old ketupat palas goreng ( wrapped in Kelantanese style) and rendang ayam.. Daun palas was bought from Kuala Dungun wet market last week and our Chinese neighbour who is nearest to our kitchen get to sample about nine ketupat.. Mokwang thought that the smell might be too tempting for the family and the recipient later confirmed her thought.. Luckily our two Chinese neighbours, living on the right and left sides of our house, are out working;)

Have a fantastic and fabulous weekend / days ahead to all!

Law of the Garbage Truck

For a long time I have been toying with the idea of posting an article on Allah’s guidance to our prophet Muhammad p.b.u.h. and his friends (sahabah).
I have yet to complete my research on it but I saw a part of material posted here entitled “forgive those who hurt you”.

The title of that post, however, reminds me an e-mail from a friend entitled “Law of the Garbage Truck”. Searching the web on the subject I found this on www.bewareofgarbagetrucks.com(please go to the last para if you have seen this before ;)

Beware of Garbage Trucks!
By: David J. Pollay

How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly one can get back their focus on what's important.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab when my taxi driver told me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.''

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you.
When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did.


TOP: The Garbage Man life is an idealic ride...
...from vista to vista.

So this was it: 'The Law Of The Garbage Truck.' I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, 'I'm not going to do it anymore.'

I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie 'The Sixth Sense,' the little boy said, 'I see Dead People.'
Well, now 'I see Garbage Trucks.' I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favorite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best.
Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks takeover their day.

What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?

Here's my bet. You'll be happier.
Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...
Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don't.
Believe that everything happens for a reason.

If you get a chance, TAKE IT!
If it changes your life, LET IT!
Nobody said it would be easy...
They just promised it would be worth it!

Close to home... I have been telling members of my family that our hearts can be likened to small rooms. However big those rooms maybe, we should not fill them up with garbages (I relate garbages to slanders, gossips, worries, hate, anger, dissatisfaction and other people issues), as there will be little space left for us to put in perfumes and other nice staff (relating them to zikrs, search of ilms and knowledge, prayers, zakah etcetera).

Whatever you consider as garbages maybe..

I sincerely wish you

Have a garbage-free days ahead!

If I could speak

I have just completed the third exploration well in a three well sequence. The results as they say - are mixed but yours truly will have 2 to 4 wells to be drilled for the rest of this year, hopefully with better success insyaallah. On the agenda there are two areas to be developed and later to go on production. Have to resort to the similar trick for this entry, again thanks to Zubia Kiran. This entry I would like to dedicate to all mothers, aunties and especially to one of my blogger friend whom I have yet to meet, Cikgu R.A.S.


If I could speak, here's what I would say
Happy in your arms, I want to stay.
I am your gift, and you are mine too!
Let love bond together, both me and you.

Lets enjoy this time, right here, right now.
Don't let a schedule furrow your brow.
Right now is the time, for me to hold,
When you're less busy, I'll be too old.

Snuggle me tenderly, close to your chest
It is here next to you, I am, at my best.
Your rhythmic breathing and beating heart,
Contentment, and comfort, to me impart.

To see you, smell you, assured by your voice,
All, wonderfully simple, yet help me rejoice.
A cuddle, a kiss, some playful fun and frolic,
Can banish a mood, and prevent nasty colic.

Hold me, hug me, please show me your day
You'll be sharing your love, in a marvelous way.
My learning is best when perched at your side
With arms as my classroom and you as my guide.

Please hold me up high, so I might see
All the many wonders, surrounding me.
With time spent close, as you socialize,
My mind expands and clearly I vocalize!

When you work, walk or take a short trip
With me safely balanced, upon your hip
My muscle tone and self esteem are greater,
I'll be walking much sooner, rather than later.

When we are in 'touch', it reduces our stress
We are happiest then, and worry much less.
Safe in your arms, dispels all my fears.
My beaming smiles, replace anxious tears.

To dream of our future is significant too,
And I know a career is important to you.
When I am older, then we'll join in the race
We'll be more able, to keep up the pace.

Right now, what I know, as certain and right
Is that you are my sun, the source of my light.
I don't need many things, expensive or new.
What I need is your love, your time and you.

Have a good day.

Childhood doesn't wait

I was fiddling too much with many ideas that I want to post on my blog that I realised I will not find them good enough for my discerning readers with the limited time I have at my disposal.. As always I look back into many e mail I kept for emergency. Then I read an e mail from Zubia Kiran, a friend from one of my e-mail groups, a good entry on chilhood.
I always find children fascinating and I love to befriend them especially those cuddly one..
Here is the whole content of Zubia's e mail.. uploaded wholesome.. (many thank to Zubia for allowing me to post it)

Childhood doesn't wait

I was sitting on a bench
while in a nearby mall,
When I noticed a young mother
with two children who were small.


The youngest one was whining,
"Pick me up," I heard him beg
but the mother's face grew angry
as the child clung to her leg.


"Don't hang on to me," she shouted
as she pushed his hands away,
I wish I'd had the courage
to go up to her and say...


"The time will come too quickly
when those little arms that tug,
Won't ask for you to hold them
or won't freely give a hug.


"The day will sneak up subtly
just as it did with me,
When you can't recall the last time
that your child sat on your knee.


"Like those sacred, pre-dawn feedings
when we cherished time alone
Our babies grow and leave behind
those special times we've known.

"So when your child comes to you
with a book that you can share,
Or asks that you would tuck him in
and help him say his prayer...

"When he comes to sit and chat
or would like to take a walk,
Before you answer that you can't
`cause there's no time to talk.

"Remember what all parents learn
so many times too late,
That years go by too quickly
and that childhood doesn't wait.

"Take every opportunity,
if one should slip away
Reach hard to get it back again,
don't wait another day."

I watched that mother walk away
her children followed near,
I hope she'll pick them up
before her chances disappear...

~Unknown~

Save Money

I was surprised when I was informed by my friend about his exploit today.. He wanted to buy a book and went online to check on local bookstores.. one rather very famous bookstore in KL do not have it and will order for him. As you can see below he will receive the book 3 weeks from the day he place his order and the book will cost him RM 501.23.


He then thought maybe he should check on Amazon.com site to see whether he can order the same book and get it cheaper. Below is the result oh his effort.

Putting USD 10 for postage and the total cost would be USD 82.01, conversion to Malaysian Ringgit using current rate would made him some RM 250.00 poorer should he proceed to order from Amazon.com and the book will reach him in 3 weeks.

You can see that you can order two books from amazon.com for the price of one book should you get it from local bookstore.. Hopefully my bloggers friends can find this entry useful for their future purchases.

At first, I wanted to post the above two pictures and called this entry as Wordless Wednesday.. but then I guess I am not that fashionable.. being a country bumpkin.. so they say ;)

Have a good day.