Buy Two Get One Free

Dengan keadaan ekonomi yang tidak begitu memberangsangkan, pelbagai cara digunakan oleh peniaga-peniaga bagi memastikan perniagaan mereka terus hidup. Recently the most hottes things ialah promosi Buy One Get One Free or Buy Two Get The Third Free.

Pengedar-pengedar kenderaan di Victoria telah melancarkan satu promosi bagi merancakkan jualan kenderaan yang merundum iaitu Buy One Get One Free. Macam tak percaya but that is the reality.

I think di Malaysia pun boleh dilaksanakan promosi begini kalau para peniaga di Malaysia tidak hanya memikirkan keuntungan berlipat ganda semata-mata. Tapi rasanya di Malaysia peniaga sanggup jatuh bankrup dari berfikiran untuk terus hidup.

Last few week I bought 2 pair of watches and I received this beautifully crafted pendant. I am not sure how much is the value but at least I got it free.

Hmm.. who should I give it to?

Anyone want this?

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Above 40 Degree!

What you do when the mercury reach 42 degree? Stay put, drink a lot of water. The temperature is not going to cool down soon. It is predicted that Victoria and South Australia will have to bare with the heatwave for another few days. In Victoria the public transport are effected by the heat, train services has been cancelled due to the air conditioning problem, bush fire is everywhere, power distruption is imminent.

Mandi 10 kali pun lum tentu hilangkan panas.. But it hit 43.1 degree at midday

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Dior Homme Sport

Just another experiment with over exposure effect. This time I tried on a more simpler perfume bottle.

Words to tell about it

Fresh Spicy Woody

Top Note

SICILIAN LEMON: The fresh, uplifting notes of Sicilian lemon are obtained by cold-pressing the peel of the fruit. They are used in eaux fraîches, men's colognes and floral notes. Spontaneous and energizing, Sicilian lemon brings its refined, daring quality to the top notes of Eau Sauvage and Diorella.

Heart Note

GINGER: Ginger is a tropical plant originating in Asia that flourishes in moist, sunny climates. In addition to its medicinal properties, known since Antiquity, it is also highly appreciated for its fresh, suave scent. Its perfume comes from the plant's rhizome (gingerroot), and is obtained through steam distillation. Ginger brings a dense, fresh sparkle to the middle note of Dior Homme Sport.

Base Note

CEDARWOOD: Native to the United States, cedarwood essence is obtained by steam distillation. Its refined, noble aura makes it a perfect base note in men's fragrances such as Jules, Eau Sauvage Extrême, Dune pour Homme, Dior Homme Intense and Higher, as well as in the women's fragrance Dior Addict Shine, to which it brings an intense, energetic quality. (source from Dior)

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First Hand On Olympus E-30 DSLR

Frankly, I always amazed with the technology that Olympus bring to consumer and it always become a trend setter to other big name such as Nikon and Canon. The introduction of Live View, AF Imager, Face Detection, SWF effective sensor cleaning, Articulate LCD has become a norm to DSLR. Thanks to Olympus.

I believe that the newly launch Olympus E-30 will also become a trend setter fo rfuture DSLR development. I manage to have a quick test on this camera today and it is really good. The 11 AF all crossed sensor is very fast. The body is ergonomically design with a comfortable hand grip. It look very sturdy and it seem that it can withstand the harsh usage.

The images below are from in camera JPEG. One thing I like about Olympus JPEG is none other camera can match it color and tone accuracy. So we can imagine how good the color is if it is in RAW. The rendition of skin tone is better then the E-3 IMHO. The dynamic range is good but can be better as it still clipped the highlight a bit.

I suspect the sensor is the same as Panasonic Lumix GI but with the combination of Olympus TruePic III+ processing engine it produce better image quality.

I heard that Olympus will soon announce the replacement of E-3 and I can't wait what technological advancement and improvement they bring.

Good dynamic range

Good Dynamic Range- I shoot my camera and my hat with an auto WB and ISO100 in JPEG mode

Black and White art filter the mimic the old film SLR output.. this is my favourite

The soft art filter produce soft images... suitable for weeding or portraiture job

Malim: The above review is just from my personal view and from the eye of an amateur photographer.

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BearistaBear 2009

2009 BearistaBear is here. I managed to grab a pair of it..... it seems that this year BearistaBear sold out very fast. For 2009, these BearistaBear will find their new home soon to join other Bearista from all over the world.

BearistaBear 2009 collection

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Demi Masa

Another watch added into my collection. I have starring at it so many time and at last I couldn't resist my temptation to have one. So far I never had this kind of design. I like the orange marker and needles with a black face dial.

It's on sale...

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The Year Of Ox

THE EARTH OX 1949 AND 2009

The most reliable and diligent Oxen belong to this collection of Oxen. The Earth element balances many of their negative characteristics. These Oxen are show good judgement, a good characteristic for successful financial dealings. Other people tend to look up to Earth Oxen because of their reliability, sincerity and their modest ambitions. They are willing to tackle the workload when it become overbearing for others and are loyal and compassionate with family and friends.(source)

For this year, Chinese New Year Celebration at Crown does reflect the downturn of the global economy. No fancy show like last year. Everything has been simplified. All the lanterns are just a static deco without the animatronic except the dragon. I expect the Ox instead of the dragon though since this year is an Ox year or the Earth Ox to be precise.

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Congee

Been busy the whole day, no breakfast and lunch. Rushed back home and I decided to cook Congee. I purposely cooked extra so I can have it for breakfast tomorrow. Keep it in a tight container and freeze it. What I need is just the condiment that go with it. Salted fish, ikan bilis, spring onion, chillies and salted turnip.

Saw a Chinese lady with a bowl of Congee make drooling

Congee for dinner

Served with ikan bilis, salted fish, coriander leaves, salted egg and chillies

Malim: I have a problem with my 35mm lens. It locked the AF before it focus properly.. It happen before and I sent for repair once and it happened again.. huhhhh

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The Man Who Sell Trunks

Summer already at it peak and the weather is still unpredictable. The wind still very cold compared then last year. As the temperature fluctuate frequently it mean that it can reach above 40 degree.

Usually thong, sandal, short and hat are the most famous and sell like a hot cake, but not to forget trunks too. Like this man..... he's one of the people who take an advantage of hot summer by selling a beautiful and unique undergarments.

Trunks are a type of men's swimwear style. They resemble shorts and cover from the waist to the mid-upper leg. Trunks are normally shorter than boardshorts, which extend to the knees. Trunks are the most popular type of male swimsuit in North America. They vary in style and design, though most are made of nylon with a mesh lining for quick drying.

A trunk is also a type of men's underwear similar to boxer briefs. Like boxer briefs, trunks cover the mid-section of the body (hence the name "trunk"). They are usually form-fitting like briefs, but some styles are loose fitting like boxer shorts. Trunk briefs extend over the legs like boxer shorts. Trunk briefs have a shorter inseam than regular boxer briefs, covering only the upper thighs and resting below the true waist.

Trunks are also the outfit worn by many professional wrestlers. Daniel Craig famously sported a pair in the James Bond film Casino Royale. (Source from Wikipedia)

Hi how much is the trunk?

Funky trunks for 20bucks

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Sand Carving

Dulu saya ingat bila orang buat sand carving ni mereka pakai 100% sand. Actually that is not the case. Kalau sand saja sure akan runtuh bila kering or ditiup angin. Jadi macamana mereka carve the sand? Sebenarnya sand tu dicampur dengan bahan lain which is clay. The clay will hold the sand and to preserve the color. Otherwise it will look white.

Melbourne is always full with activity in summer and all year round


Look closely.. it is not only sand but it is a mixture of sand and clay


The biggest sand carving is in Frankston near the beach...


We cannot do this with 100% sand..

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Perlukah Seni Dalam Hidup Kita?

I percaya tidak semua orang mampu menulis dengan baik. Sesetengah orang lahir dengan kelebihan sebagai penulis. Tetapi ada juga golongan kecil yang lahir dengan kelebihan membaca visual. Salah seorang yang tidak pandai menulis ni I lah tetapi Tuhan bagi kelebihan yang lainnya. I dan sebahagian kecil dari umat di bumi ini diberi kelebihan sebagai seorang anak seni, dimana kami menceriakan setiap kehidupan harian sesetengah orang dengan hasil seni tangan kami.

Dulu waktu awal-awal I nak masuk universiti ada juga dengar desas desus kata kalau ambik bidang seni ni tak de future, tak leh kaya, tak leh buat duit. Walaupun persepsi itu lama berlaku ianya masih juga ditanam diminda fikiran ibu bapa sekarang. Kalau sekarang kata anak nak masuk Art and Design, pasti orang pertama yang akan membantah niat itu ialah ibu bapa mereka. Kalau di Malaysia ni kerja jadi Doktor, Akauntan, Peguam, Arkitek ni kira kerja yang mulia dan tinggi.

Tapi bila di fikir-fikir balik, kalau lah kerja sebagai anak seni ni tak penting, macamana plak yer kita hari-hari menceritakan sesuatu yang cantik. Baju cantik, kereta cantik, rumah cantik, dan segala apa yang cantik.... Bukan ke itu sema datangnya dari pemikiran seorang seni? Jadi seni ni sebenarnya ada di setiap diri kita. Setiap manusia ada nilai seni cuma yang membezakan antara seseorang ialah sejauh mana mereka percaya bahawa seni ini sebenarnya penting dalam kerja dan hidup mereka.

Kita buat analogi lah sedikit. Ini pengalaman lama I dulu waktu berurusan dengan sebuah hospital di Melaka. Rakan baik saya ni ayahnya dimasukkan ke hospital kerana sakit pendarahan usus. Oleh kerana mereka ini dari kampung maka tidak lah mereka tau segala bahasa perubatan nih. So one day seorang doktor pakar nih memeriksa la ayah rakan ni. Dengan yakin doktor ini bercakap Bahasa Inggeris dan menceritakan segalanya di dalam bahasa perubatan. Dari jauh saya perhatikan saja pakcik nih terkumat kamit dengan muka yang agak lost. Kesian pun ada..... entah dia faham ke tak apa yang diucapkan pakar tu..

Jadi dalam hati saya pun bertanya, kalau kita jadi seorang doktor nih, apakah yang membuatkan kita menjadi seorang doktor yang berjaya? Adakah hanya kerana kita doktor pakar kita dikira berjaya? Atau doktor yang berjaya ini adalah seorang doktor yang mempunyai ilmu kedoktoran yang tinggi dan juga doktor yang mempunyai seni. Seni bercakap mungkin, seni berkomunikasi dan juga seni menilai sesuatu keadaan?

Maybe seni juga boleh dibincangkan di bidang kita masing-masing.... Tetapi yang penting kita gunakan lah seni yang kita ada untuk kebaikan sejagat. Kalau kita mempunyai seni menulis, gunakan lah untuk mendidik, menjana minda, memberi ilmu dan begitu juga seni yang lainnya.

Coming to my third year soon... and I am still here.... start to write something..... something that might change my life.. maybe this is an exercise for me to lebih rajin menulis.....

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The Day When I Ran Out of Idea

There is a day when I ran out of idea what to cook for my lunch or dinner, and today I am in that situation. Rasanya sema dah pernah makan. So I opened the fridge and I saw my Miso paste and chicken pieces. Then I decided to do some experiment. I rebus Miso paste then masukkan bawang, chillies and the chicken. Boiled till the chicken tender. Lastly I added my left over broccoli.

The scorching temperature killed my appetite..

When I ran out of idea.. ni la jadinya..

How do MK Go Green today? Tak de hari ni.. huu huu

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The Day After Boxing Day

Adakalanya hati terdetik mengingatkan apa yang selama ni saya nkmati dalam hidup. Sambil duduk-duduk nih teringat pulak bagaimana rakyat negara ni boleh hidup dan berbelanja serta membeli apa yang mereka rasa nak makan atau pakai. Rata-rata bila diperhati, jenama barangan mewah di sini boleh dinikmati oleh hampir kesemua penduduk.

Masing-masing bangga mengayakan barangan jenama tempatan dan luar negara. Rata-rata mampu bergaya, mampu memandu kereta mewah atau kereta-kereta yang di Malaysia dianggap kereta mewah sedangkan di sini hanya lah kereta cabuk.

Walaupun saya bukan pakar ekonomi tetapi secara mudahnya saya boleh berfikir bahawa rakyat Malaysia sebenarnya perlu menanggung kos sara hidup yang tinggi. Itu kalau saya bandingkan nilai dollar to dollar yang saya rasakan memang sepatutnya lah kalau nak compare berapa banyak rakyat perlu berbelanja. Kalau setiap hari kita bandingkan dengan menukar currency pastinya secara nilai Malaysia memang murah. Tapi kalau murah kenapa kebanyakkan rakyat Malaysia tidak mampu membeli barangan berjenama dan terpaksa beli lah di PS butik contohnya kerana kempunan untuk bergaya. Itu mungkin hanya kesimpulan dari pengamatan mata saya yang hanya seorang rakyat biasa dan juga bukan pakar ekonomi.

Suasana nyaman dan udara segar dengan kurangnya pencemaran dek polisi kerajaan membolehkan taman-taman di sekitar Melbourne digunakan sepenuhnya untuk beristirehat oleh penduduknya


Yasai Udon yang pedas dan masam

How do MK Go Green today? Close the water tab while brushing the teeth

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Hangus La Pulakk

As I said before nothings better then home cooked meal. Kalau study di negara orang ni perkara yang menjadi routine selain study ialah menguruskan segala hal sendiri termasuk makan minum.

People always ask me bertuahnya study abroad sebab dapat university yang bagus. For me that is not the case. Belajar ni di mana-mana sama saja epecially when you are at the postgraduate level. Semuanya terletak pada diri kita. Tetapi yang sepatutnya di kutip sepanjang berada di luar negara ialah pengalaman-pengalaman lain yang berguna. That make the different.

Salah satu ilmu yang penting ialah ilmu menyediakan juadah sendiri lah. Tak kira senang ker susah ker sedap ker tak yang penting we need to pick up that experience. As for today I panggang kepak ayam yang diperam dengan crushed garlic, soy soy dan honey.

Walaupun sedikit hangus, he ehee masih boleh dimakan.

Usually I sprinkle with Tabasco sauce

How do MK Go Green today?By reducing the use chemical and aerosol product in the house.

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When Caffeine Flow Into My Brain

Last week I am stuck with my study. I read the most difficult journal I ever have in my life. I've been reading again and again but I am failed to find what exactly this scholar want to tell. My biggest weakness is understanding all those technical and philosophical words from these people.

My argument is, does research paper has to be written in a complicated way or it has to be simple and easy to understand to encourage people to read just like newspaper probably.

Kadang tuh bila baca satu journal tuh cita macam nak rak lah dengan bahasa berbunga-bunga, putar alam sana sini, in the end.... sebaris ayat jer pun yang nak disampaikan. Huhhh.....

Then when this happen to me, coffee or tea is the answer. Sit back forget about it and enjoy my Green Tea Latte or Cappuccino. Where is the best place to have a coffee kalau bukan di my usual spot.

A bit of caffeine for my brain. Christmas dah habis tapi cup masih pakai.. pitammm la Starbuck sini

Masa kecik-kecik dulu my grandmom selalu buat kopi sendiri sebab dia ada kebun kopi..

This coffee bean is very tiny compared to what I used to see masa kecik-kecik dulu. Imagine this little tiny bean can supply a caffeine to your brain...

How MK Go Green today? MK bought Green Umat liquid detergent made from natural ingredients that safe to the environment

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Nek Rock's Boutique Turn 1 Year

Nek Rock's Boutique turn 1 year this January 15, 2009. Semoga business bertambah maju. Sempena sambutan 1 tahun, Nek Rock's Boutique mengadakan Clearance Sales bermula pada 12-15 January 09, Kuiz dan juga give away. Click here

How do MK Go Green today? By participating in Go Green campaign for greener environment

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Landing Hand On EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS 5D Mark II has been on the market to replace EOS 5D Mark I since at the end of last year. Since I am quite busy I only had a chance to visit my regular store last weekend. Since Adam was there so I got an opportunity to try all the full frame camera even the latest Nikon D3x.

First impression of the EOS 5D Mark II was it must be very fast in terms of auto focusing but after a while its kind of disappointing. IMHO, the Olympus E3 does have the fastest auto focusing so far seconded by Nikon.

One thing I noticed about this camera was how muted the color. The color was a bit pale compare then Nikon. The in camera JPEG compression is not the best for me. With the tag price of almost 6kAUD, one have to think twice to buy a full frame camera like this unless you really going to get back what you have invested.

Ah not to forget the complexity of the menu.... I rather go for a super menu kind of type of camera.

Testing the camera....

Candid test

How do MK Go Green today? By washing his clothes once a week to save the precious water and use the biodetergent that friendly to the environment.

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Vitamin C For Skin Booster

The biological half life for vitamin C is fairly short, about 30 minutes in blood plasma, a fact which high dose advocates say mainstream researchers have failed to take into account. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences decided upon the current DRI based upon tests conducted 12 hours (24 half lives) after consumption

Vitamin C fights off the effects of having high cholesterol. Cholesterol repairs micro-fractures of blood vessel walls, but the sticky nature of cholesterol when filling in these micro-fractures promotes the buildup of more cholesterol at these areas of blood vessel walls. With the supplementation of Vitamin C in higher dosages the micro-fractures of blood vessels are repaired by the vitamin C and thus the buildup of cholesterol and subsequent blockages of blood vessels will not occur. (Dr. Craig Mencl researcher) Source from Wikipedia

I went to the pharmacy last week to get my monthly supply when my regular consultant told me that my facial skin look tired. Yeah I realized that. He suggested that I boost the skin and he recommended that I should try L'oreal for Men Hydra Booster. It has been a week I am using this product plus my Clinique for Men and I think it really works.

How MK Go Green today? By rolling down the curtain blind to cool the house so MK didn't need to turn the fan.

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Pheromone And Perfume

I ada baca one article di internet long time ago masa zaman-zaman Pheromone enancher tengah rancak diperkatakan. One of the fact is that human being actually tertarik kepada sesuatu pasangan kerana kita mengeluarkan pheromone sama seperti binatang juga. Pheromone yang dikeluarkan akan merangsang yang lain.

So bila kita pakai perfume actually the perfume overpowered our own Pheromone yang digunakan untuk menarik pasangan kita.

Tapi kalau tak pakai perfume bau ler semacam plak kann. Tapi pernah dengar tak ada perempuan suka cium baju dalam suami, suka cium ketiak suami, suka bau suami and begitu sebaliknya? More reading on Pheromone here.

My new Givenchy Neo

How MK Go Green today? By buying a product that the container or the box can be recycle later

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Lake Wendouree, Ballarat

The visit to Ballarat to Sovereign Hill last Christmas holiday brought us to another historical attraction. The Lake Wendouree near to Botanical Garden was our last stop before heading back to Melbourne.

As many visitor curious about this lake not many of them knew whether this lake is a natural lake or artificial lake.

This is actually an artificially-created and maintained shallow urban lake in Ballarat. This lake hosted the rowing and canoeing for the 1956 Olympic Games, but unfortunate prolong drought has dried out the lake completely since 2006. What left? A small swam in a middle of the lake. It shows how the climate changes since lead to water issues and water restriction in Victoria.

What left at Lake Wendouree


Little bit of trace of water can be seen where the birds flock around


The stream that flow to the lake has dried out

This is Lake Wendouree taken by Biatch in 8 July 2006. His larger photo can be seen here

How MK Go Green today? By following the local government advice not to waste the water. Take a shower less longer than normal.

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Siapa Kata Aku Tak Pakai Pink? Pitammmmm

Untuk menyahut cabaran dari si Kasih and Cah.. aku beranikan diri jugak lah memakai sesuatu warna pink. But not pink shirt ok. Just a ring with a pink stone.

Bila aku pakai rasa nak pitammmm.... memang tak sesuai ngan kulit aku yang terbakar nih.. apa-apa pun aku berjaya memakai sesuatu yang pink.. pitammmmmmmmmmm....

Ha aku tak akan pakai dah cincin pink nih so I will give it away kepada sesiapa yang nak. Saiz cincin nih 7 yer. *matilaa jari jemari gemuk dahh....

Pitam 20 kali

How MK Go Green today? By using less water to wash the dishes so MK can save the water usage to minimal.

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30 Minutes Meal

Selepas cuti panjang dan banyak masa makan di luar it's time to go back to my daily routine where I cook my own meal. As a part of my new resolution, I cook just enough to cover my lunch and dinner. No waste of left over food. I cook lunch and dinner once and refrigerate some for later. This will save an energy and at the same time less waste been produce from left over food.

The portion of the meal is controlled as not to consume more then required. So today my lunch and dinner is a simple recipe of mince meat with basil serve with dipping bread.

Mince meat with basil

Simple meal yet tasty

Ingredients:

Mince meat
Onion (chopped)
Green chillies (chopped)
Thai hot chillies flake
Fish sauce
Soy sauce
Brown sugar
Ikan bilis granule
Fresh basil
4 table spoon cooking oil

How to cook?

Stir fry the mince meat in a hot oil until it slightly dry and cook. Add the chopped onion, green chilies and Thai chillies flake. Stir and let the onion soften and almost caramelize.

Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar. Stir another minute. Add the seasoning and lastly add the basil. Stir well for 15 seconds and it ready.

How MK Go Green today? By preparing his lunch and dinner at once to save energy and cook less to reduce waste

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