Life's not the same without POSTMAG

Gosh... how I miss my Sunday edition of the Postmag this morning. The last issue was out on July, 13, 2008. Dammit! What a great date to pick. Sad... very sad indeed. Well, at least the last personality out was our very own blogger, Kenny Sia.

Surely do miss the Entertainment section.

How am I gonna find out about what's going on in our local music scene now? The section, Local Beat, (my favourite section of all) Dayak Music... then n now, will surely be missed by all. Hats off to you, Jadit.

The Fashion section... huhuhu.... am not a great fan but it's ok.

Cuisine... this section always makes me hungry.

Well... I do hope that The Borneo Post will bring back Postmag soon. I don't want my Sunday morning to be dull and boring. Pleaseeeeee... C'mon you guys... give something back to the public. I'm a loyal fan of The Borneo Post... hehehe... (hear that Steph).

Will be right here waiting for my Postmag.

My Favourite Comic Strip... BLONDIE

The Blondie comic strip was created by Chic Young, in the year 1930. Anyway, Blondie Boopadoop was this gorgeous flapper who had a ton of boyfriends...one of whom was Dagwood Bumstead. Dagwood, in those days, was the bumbling, playboy son of billionaire railroad tycoon, J. Bolling Bumstead. In his town, J. Bolling not only owned all of the property on his side of the track, but also all the property on the other side of the track....plus 3,000 miles of the track! Dagwood wasn't exactly a successful playboy. For instance, his polo pony would stop and eat grass in the middle of the field during a chukker. And once, when he became lost in his own mansion, he experienced the humiliation of having to join a sightseeing tour to get back to the living room.
Then, the miracle! Blondie and Dagwood fell in love. Really in love. They made plans to get married. So, in true storybook fashion, love conquered all obstacles. After a tumultous engagement that included a 28 day, 7 hour, 8 minute, 22 second hunger strike, these two unlikely misfits tied the matrimonial knot in February 17, 1933. Dagwood, of course, was immediately disinherited by his parents for marrying "that gold digger blonde."When J. Bolling wrote him out of his will, Dagwood and Blondie had to go out into the world and hack it like the rest of us. Settling down to a modest lifestyle with children and a dog, they became concerned with real life...making ends meet, raising a family, eating, and sleeping.
When I saw you I was afraid to meet you. When I met you I was afraid to kiss you. When I kissed you I was afraid to love you. Now that I love you, I am afraid to lose you. - Dagwood Bumstead.

Today, Blondie and Dagwood appear together in blissful love and happiness. "When you are in Love you can't fall asleep because reality is better than your dreams." - Dagwood Bumstead.

Dagwood Bumstead. Surely, the greatest victim of circumstance the world has ever known. He loves food, sleep, baths...and most of all, his wife and children. Three chronic problems are: sales-men, running into the mailman, and getting to work on time. He is not above defending a principle or his family with brute force. Is famous for his super-duper sandwiches.
Blondie. Beautiful wife of Dagwood Bumstead. Her great good looks serve as validation for Dagwood to operate without all his oars in the water. She is warm, gentle, sweet, loving...and all Dagwood’s. She owns and operates her own business: “Blondie’s Catering Service.” Her own brand of unique logic can solve problems that might confound the most brilliant scholar.
Alexander. Blondie and Dagwood’s teenage son. He resembles Dagwood somewhat in appearance, but seems to be more level-headed and stable. He is a star athlete on the high school football and basket-ball teams. Cookie. Blondie and Dagwood’s teenage daughter. Has her mother’s great good looks. She is an “A” student and a member of the varsity cheerleading squad in high school. A typical teenager in all respects...especially when it comes to boys.

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.- Captain Corelli's Mandolin. "Love is the beauty of the soul." - St. Augustine
Elmo Tuttle. The five-year-old neighborhood boy who fulfills the child-role character in the comic strip. He is Dagwood’s little pal, as well as his nemesis.

Herb Woodley. Dagwood’s best friend and next-door neighbor. He finds himself often caught, inexplicably, in the web of Bumstead-inspired plans which have gone astray. He and Dagwood are tuned to the same frequency.
Tootsie Woodley. Blondie’s best friend, next-door neighbor, and business partner. She is an attractive brunette who enjoys doing anything and everything with Blondie. She and Blondie are able to commiserate together over the zany lifestyles of their husbands.
Julius C. Dithers. Founder of the J. C. Dithers’ Construction Company and Dagwood’s irascible boss. A tyrannical dictator who is constantly abusing his employees, verbally and physically. He has ice water in his veins and is certain that the most important quantum in life is “the God Almighty dollar bill!” He is lord and master of all he surveys, with one notable exception...his wife! Deep down inside of him, he claims to have a heart that beats and bleeds for all humanity.
Cora Dithers. Frumpy wife of Julius Dithers. When riled, is apt to refer to her husband as a short, fat, sawed-off, tin-can Napoleon. She exerts control over her husband in every conceivable way, but primarily by verbal fusillade and the unmitigated violence of her ever-present umbrella. She loves Blondie to pieces and would do anything for her.
Love at last baby, no more shall we hide like cast, or sneak around to see each other in masks. We can finally be together, everyone knowing that we are, and forever will be. Yeah that is you and me, and we can finally be, and have our love at last. - Dagwood Bumstead

Telling Old-Wives' Tales :)

Hi there. Just wanna share some of the con stories that I've got from my mum recently. Have fun reading it. Here goes......
Everyone has a collection of tales to share that they inherited from their childhood. These are stories that stick in your head from the very moment you hear them. Tales that seem so far-fetched to us now but were so realistic when we were younger. Apparently based on legend, these stories would be used by mothers across the land to get their kids to do things. Some call them Old Wives' Tales - others or me call them con stories.
Take for example the one told to get kids to eat vegetables. I didn't really enjoy eating my veggies when I'm young. In fact, I didn't really enjoy eating any of my "greens" whatsoever, even if they were mushrooms white of carrot orange. But my mum had this strategy that always work on me whenever I wasn't keen on finishing what was on my plate (which was quite rare mind you) : If there was anything left, she would proceed to describe how the wasted food would climb out of the dustbin, scamper into the garden and cry out to GOD and ask why I hadn't eaten it. Pretty distressing for a five-year-old! Hehehehe... But she always have the last say. You're the BOSS mum. ;)
Mild hysteria would set in during the next couple of meals as images of rice and broccoli standing in the garden late at night crept into my imagination. On hindsight, that probably wasn't the best thing to do to the already plump (hehehe) infant with voracious appetite.
Food seemed to be a good reason to make up stories. There was this other time when I was told to make sure that I didn't swallow pips and seeds in fruits. The story was that if you accidentally consumed the seeds, they would grow into a tree inside your stomach, which would one day bear fruit. This would keep me awake late at night and would make me hesitant about eating larger fruits with bigger seeds.

Imagine what a durian would do, and imagine the torment I went through eating grapes.
A similar story was told when cautioning about the risk of swallowing chewing or bubble gum. Apparently, it would never be digested and would stay malignantly in the depths of your tummy. Formal education and biology classes finally put that tale (and mind) to rest.
Then there were the creative tales, like the ones we would hear when we asked our parents about where babies came from. Some of us were told that adoption was the only way child was introduced in a family.It was the easiest explanation that they could give at that moment. (Thank GOD).
As we grew up, the tales changed and evolved but continued relentlessly. There was the one when you were told not to laugh too much. Whenever you had a real good giggle about something, you were always warned that you were going to cry later that day. Sure enough, at some point of the day, as if by magic, you would end up crying about something, only to be told "I told you so". I've never really figured this one out till today. Why does too much laughter bring about sadness and tears?
Most people are also familiar with the tale about not going out to play at sunset. I still can't forget the infamous story about a young girl being enticed by an old lady to eat cendol (other variations included laksa and bee hoon goreng) at around Magrib or around 6:30pm - 7pm. In the end, she instead fed a bowl of worms and maggots by a witch. Or was it the "Penyamun?" As we got older, the tales evolved into taboos and things not "proper" to do. But the objective was still the same.

For example, how many of us have been told to leave some rice"for the pot", or to spill some water on your plate after you've eaten? I always do that when I drink my beer. Leave some when you're about to leave the pub so that the next time you come again, you'll get to drink MORE! Wooohooo.... (now I'm thirsty).
Who's been told never to give a clock or white flower as a present?
About not turning the fish over when it's served during dinner (Chinese New Year).
Who's been scolded for cutting their nails at night?
Or for sleeping with their hands between their legs (I've never figured this one out)?

Then there's the "don't go opening an umbrella in the house" or a snake will enter.
Finally, how many of us have got a good whack on the head when whistling after dark? Kurrrr... smengat!
I guess these tales will continue to be told up and down the land. I'm sure they're becoming more and more elaborate mothers become more creative.
With more forms of communication such as internet and television, these ideas are getting around quicker. Who knows what's in store in the future, and what we'll be telling our kids?
The hard core tales will nonetheless continue, as they have done for many years, handed down from generation to generation. It will be interesting to see if our kids will get smart enough not to fall for them or will they be just as gullible as we were? - Kwazi Frog.

Great Moments at the RWMF 2008

I was with my wife, Sally, at the just concluded Raniforest World Music Festival 2008 for two crazy days of FUN! Below are some of the pictures taken during our two days (Saturday and Sunday) of boozin with some of our great friends and relatives at the RWMF 2008. See ya'all at the 12th RWMF 2009! "To live exhilarating in and for the moment is deadly serious work, fun of the most exhausting sort."

My best friend, Walker Christopher Giang concentrating on the live show. "No man is a failure who is enjoying life."

"Look... it's a bird, it's a plane.. noooo.. it's just some guys getting drunk and running around naked!" Hehehehe :) My niece Shiela Ningkan of NTV7 and boyfriend Reza. "Take it easy baby, take it as it comes - specialize in having fun!"

My good old buddy, Tony Eusoff and girlfriend (sorry, can't recall her name but I know she's my niece's colleague in NTV7) ngansar ke kaki. "Hey... aku palau." "Man consists of two parts, his mind and his body, only the body has more fun."

"Now what am I gonna do next?"hmmmm.... guess that's what Catherine's thinking? "You'd be surprised how much fun you can have sober. When you get the hang of it."

Gud buddies of ours, Mr. and Mrs. Maverick Chia. (They're thinking of having TWINS!) Gud Luck. "You go for it. All the stops are out. Caution is to the wind, and you're battling with everything you have. That's the real fun of the game."

Me, my niece Shiela Ningkan, My nephews Wilfred Isaac Kang and Aaron Abel Donald aka Junior. "There is work that is work and there is play that is play; there is play that is work and work that is play. And in only one of these lies happiness."

Nephew, Wilfred Isaac Kang and niece Shiela Ningkan. "He who does not get fun and enjoyment out of every day...needs to reorganize his life."

Me, Tony's galfren, Tony and Walker. One go Langgak! "Each day, and the living of it, has to be a conscious creation in which discipline and order are relieved with some play and pure foolishness."

Me, myself and I. "Take time every day to do something silly."

Best of Friends Linda David and my wife Sally. "The true object of all human life is play. Earth is a task garden; heaven is a playground."

Auntie and niece, Catherine and Sally. "All for fun, and fun for all!"

St. Marys' beauty Queens, Amanda Umi, Dawn and Marcella Chia. "For a small child there is no division between playing and learning; between the things he or she does 'just for fun' and things that are 'educational.' The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play."

Walker, Sally Tony and galfren. "There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy."

Walker, Me and Junior. "Have fun even if it kills you!"

Junior, Isaac, Job, Shiela and Reza. Had a great fun with you guys. "The human race has only one effective weapon --and that is laughter."

Newphews Junior, Isaac and Job. "We don't stop playing because we turn old, but turn old because we stop playing."

With former Thomian Schoolmates, Goh Ming Teck and Danny Liew. "If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun"

Me and Danny Liew. "An hour of play is worth a lifetime of conversation."

Junior, Isaac and Shiela. "The word 'silly' derives from the Greek 'selig' meaning 'blessed.' There is something sacred in being able to be silly."

My niece Dewi Emilia with Friends. "Almost all creativity involves purposeful play."