Amazing Achievement: 9 DCP Points in 5 Months

 

Today, Sunway University Toastmasters Club have achieved 9 DCP points making us a President's Distinguished Club (of course, assuming we also achieve our April 2016 renewals) for the fourth year in succession! And we did it in a record time of five months! Truly, an amazing club!

And we are one of ONLY 3 clubs in District 51 (i.e. Peninsular Malaysia) to have earned this "President's Distinguished Club" accolade todate; the other two being Penang Hokkien Association Club and ITC Bintang Toastmasters Club.  

On Tuesday, National Feedlot Corporation executive chairperson Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail was acquitted of two criminal breach of trust (CBT) charges involving RM49.7 million.

 

On August 28, 2015, the Court of Appeal had rejected his bid to dismiss a High Court decision to strike out his application for the two CBT charges to be dropped, and ordered the trial to proceed in the Sessions Court.

 

It looks like the cows will continue to take up residence in the condos. Sham justice!

 

On Thursday, Liverpool reached the Europa League last 32. Jurgen Klopp's side defeated Bordeaux 2-1 at Anfield having endured the worst possible start when injury-plagued England striker Daniel Sturridge's comeback from a knee injury stalled when he hurt his foot in the warm-up.

 

The English side then fell a goal down in the Group B clash in bizarre fashion after 33 minutes when goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was penalized for holding onto the ball for 20 seconds rather than the permitted six. Henri Saivet (33) buried the resulting free-kick but Liverpool were level just five minutes later when James Milner scored from the penalty spot after Ludovic Sane fouled Christian Benteke. Belgian star Benteke then hit what proved to be the winner in the fifty-fifth minute with a rasping right-footed drive.

With one round of group games remaining, Liverpool, whose final match is against second-placed FC Sion in Switzerland on December 10, are guaranteed a top-two finish.

Meanwhile, Celtic slumped to a tenth consecutive Europa League game without a win – this time, they lost 1-2 at home to Ajax in Group A. And Scottish interest in this continental competition came to another sobering end.

Tim Ho Wan's Dim Sum

I am not a food blogger. I don’t have discriminating tastebuds either. And yes, I am generally ambivalent about food. 

So if I am going to tell you about this dim sum restaurant – it must be really special.

 

Then again, do you really care what I think about the place? I don’t believe so. Still, on its own, Tim Ho Wan is pretty much well-known – this hole-in-the-wall eatery that supposedly defied all odds to gain an entry in the Michelin guide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is reputed to be Hong Kong’s dim sum specialists and it is now in Kuala Lumpur. At the Gardens MidValley. 

 

I loved the dim sum here – at least those I have tried.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Baked buns with BBQ pork, RM11.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panfried carrot cake, RM10.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prawn dumplings, RM12.50

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beef balls with beancurd skin, RM8.30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tonic medlar & Osmanthus cake, RM7.20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mango sago pomelo, RM9.30

 

But don’t take my word for it – go and check it out yourself! And please invite me to come along!

 

I was at the MII Toastmasters meeting on Tuesday. And I was the sole speaker! I delivered my CC speech #9 titled “Choose Life”.

 

 

Prior to the said meeting, I had the shock of my life when a thunderous crash screamed at my ears as I alighted from my car that was parked along Jalan Semantan 1 in KL’s Bukit Damansara. Hardly 50 meters away, a container lorry toppled over on its side, just like that!

 

 

Woman Power

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The photos with captions say it all! Women rock!

And just in case you miss the point, some things are indeed worth fighting for! Like your home. Your community. Your country. Running away never solve anything.

 

Liverpool produced their best performance since the arrival of manager Jurgen Klopp to beat EPL title chasers Manchester City 4-1 on Saturday.

 

A stunning first-half display of high pressing and counterattacking saw Klopp's side surge into a three-goal lead. Goals from Brazilian duo Philippe Coutinho (23) and Roberto Firmino (32) stunned the Citizens which had fallen behind after Eliaquim Mangala put through his own net in the seventh minute.

 

Sergio Aguero pulled one back in the forty-fourth minute and that was all City could manage. In fact, it was almost a surprise Liverpool restricted themselves to only one more goal in the second half – when the ball dropped to Martin Skrtel at a corner and he buried his shot in the eighty-first minute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was the Reds’ biggest win of the season and Liverpool are now in ninth place with 20 points.

R.I.P. Khoo Boo Hock

I am always saddened by the death of a good person, a good Toastmaster and a good friend. It is from this sadness that a feeling of gratitude emerges.

 

I feel honored to have known Khoo Boo Hock – he passed away on November 20, 2015 – and blessed that his passing serves as a reminder to me that my time on this earth cannot be calculated with certainty and therefore, I should seize every opportunity I have to forgive, share, explore, and love.

 

I can think of no greater way to honor my friend than to live this way.

For Toastmasters who didn't know him, he was a member of Metro Toastmasters Club. 

 

Rest in Peace, Boo Hock!

The PAC Chairperson is Just Being Honest

The one person entrusted to investigate 1MDB has turned out to be another joker.

Public Accounts Committee chairperson Hasan Arifin Hasan (left) had said Wednesday it was not necessary to call Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak over the 1MDB probe.

 

And when pressed further on the issue by reporters, he said, "Janganlah, saya pun nak cari makan” (Please don't, I too need to earn a living).

 

Huh? If Najib is not summoned, then what is the point of even investigating 1MDB because he is the person who is actually calling the shots? If this gagster equates his job to “cari makan” – then I think we might as well "close shop" and forget about the PAC. 

Methinks, he is merely warming the seat until the time comes for Najib to reward him with a ministerial position – so that he can then start to really “cari makan”!

 

I think we can just forget about due process. Forget about PAC. Forget about Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. Forget about Bank Negara. Forget about the Attorney-General. Forget about the police. Forget about the judiciary. Forget about the government. And there you have it!

 

1MDB is one big con job!

 

On Friday, Liquid Gold Advanced Toastmasters Club met at Maharaj Restaurant in Jalan Gasing, PJ – our maiden official meeting. We had fourteen members who turned up as well as two guests. One of the non-members was Division P Director Benny Chia.

We had the usual feasting and delivering and/or listening to speeches (and evaluations) as these photos show:

 

Sorry! Unfortunately, not everybody was captured in this photo. Those not in the picture were Sasigala Subramaniam, Hanson Lau, Uma Uturaju and Cheryl Tan.

We also turned heads when the 3D “Musang King" durian cake made an appearance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It weighed not more than 1.4 kilogram and it is not the fruit! It looked so damn real! For sure, this "creation" is very Malaysian and something different with a definite wow factor.

If you love to have the cake and eat it (pun intended), then please contact Songket Artisan Bakery's Helen Wong at 012 3603460 to make your order. Three days' notice is required.
 
Overall, it was a memorable meeting. As we have come to expect.

 

The meeting also marked my 250th Toastmasters meeting for this calendar year!

 

 

 

It’s about my love, my excitement, my passion!

Keep Calm and Drink Beer

Some drinkers are prepared to go to great lengths just for a pint of beer!

 

After the outside of their pub flooded in Leeds, UK, there was only one thing to do for John Kelly and Steve Holt. They decided to do the most sensible thing! Embrace the rain, get wet and have a pint.

 

"The water came in pretty quickly and pretty heavily and once we realized, Steve (the pub's owner) drove off to get some sandbags", the manager of the Kirkstall Bridge Inn tells Newsbeat.

 

"I stood and shouted at the water but it didn't seem to do much".

 

John adds: "Then we realized it wasn't getting any higher and the damage had already been done, so we decided we might as well sit in the beer garden anyway and have a pint".

 

The water came to within a couple of feet of the Kirkstall Bridge Inn's back door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/34836397/leeds-pub-garden-floods-men-go-for-pint-anyway door.

 

"It was remarkably cold. The first 15 minutes were a little bit uncomfortable but once we settled down it was surprisingly therapeutic, to sit not just by the river but in the river". I can imagine so. 

 

He adds: "It was a little surreal but it just became normal".

 

There were no seats available inside the pub at the time. It was full of customers having Sunday lunch. 

 

"So it was either loiter outside or sit in the river. We just thought we're not going to get beaten by a river, we're going to have a beer", John explains.

 

"The customers thought we were pretty stupid – they're probably right", he says. "Especially the parents who'd told their children off for running too close to the river".

 

I can relate to this story! I really can! Now I need a beer!

 

BTW, I truly believe: