Hello, My Name Is Alice

The Kitties of MoonTree 47 Cafe

2012-02-12T23:58:00.002+08:00

In December last year, I passed by this cafe called MoonTree 47 on Muntri Street with a friend and it was closed because it was a Wednesday. Today, I went there again to spend time with a group of friends. I loved it there! In this post, I have decided to do something different by showing you the cats at the cafe captured through my iPhone, so here you go...

Mini Meow

A Good Samaritan came and fed the kitties fishes. I think they recognized him because the moment he arrived, they rushed to him. I didn't understand why at first but when he whipped out the fishes and fed them one each, I saw why the kitties welcomed him with excited mews.

FEBRUARY: Remember Love

2012-02-11T23:58:00.002+08:00

I come to understand one critical fact about my happiness project: I couldn't change anyone else. [...] I could only work on myself. For inspiration, I turned to the twelfth of my Twelve Commandments: "There is only love." —p.40

The chapter for February is on love. The author Gretchen Rubin said that she decided to include marriage in her happiness project and tackle it early because it is the foundation of all the other important choices in her life.

It got me thinking hard on how to apply it to my life. I have no luck in love and I am not looking for it. I am also thinking why did I choose the quote I posted on top? Well, I am in agreement with it. It is true that I could only change myself to revise and make a better version of Me. Now, back to love. If it comes to me, I will embrace it. Until then, I will continue to work on myself.

I still have a lot to read in this chapter so I'll get back to it tomorrow. I have been slacking a bit to make way for social activities. I hope everyone's having a great weekend!

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More on JANUARY: Boost Happiness (The Happiness Project)

2012-02-09T23:59:00.002+08:00

As part of January's plan to live energetically, and of course, happily, I am blessed to have a great friend (Ty) who also share the same passion of eating healthfully and so we spent some time picking up the good stuff to feed ourselves. For example, today. It was a happy after-work outing of dinner and walking around the mall and grocery shopping.

I ran out of "rabbit food" and replenished stock on garlic, tomatoes, zucchinis, potatoes and couscous. I really do feel the difference when I made it a point to eat fresh foods such as salad. Shopping for them was even more fun, especially when done with a friend who knows what he's talking about when he talks about cooking. (I still can't cook to save my life.)

I brought home this cute, stuffed kitty key chain. I couldn't resist it. This is a Valentine's present I gave myself. Meow~

Coffee with a friend, chit-chat, shopping—they're all great for your well being and definitely contributes to energetic living. Quoting Rubin (p.35), To feel more energetic, I applied one of my twelve Commandments: "Act the way I want to feel." This commandment sums up one of the most helpful insights that I'd learned in my happiness research: although we presume that we act because of the way we feel, in fact we often feel because of the way we act.

Start with the basics and see the rest of the everything slowly fall into place. I am going to un-complicate my life.

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JANUARY: Boost Energy (The Happiness Project)

2012-02-08T23:05:00.014+08:00

Completing the first chapter was a breeze for me, because it dealt with a topic that is close to my heart: vitality.

"Sleep is the new sex." Try to dispute that because I know I can't. It's so true. But I failed miserably at getting my 8-hour sleep. The fact that I am writing this post now, right this moment, is proof that I will not be clocking enough hours on the bed.

Apart from getting enough sleep so that you feel more energetic and cheerful (which is true, by the way, because on days I do get enough snooze, I'm particularly perky and nice), exercising is also very important. So much has been said about exercising but getting around to it is a challenge for most people. For me, though, exercising is fun! I walk home after work for about 45 minutes and add on an hour of weight lifting as "round two" for my workout routine. Echoing Rubin echoing Nietzsche who wrote, "All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking," I can totally relate to that. Most of the time, while walking in a longer but safer and cleaner route in housing estates, I get useful insights and ideas of what to do with my life. It's really, really good.

While exercising is effortless for me, what I struggle to work on is decluttering. I have books, magazines, papers, and stuff lying around the small apartment I'm renting here in Penang. I want to declutter but I also want to be surrounded by them. Well, I suppose if being surrounded by them makes me happy, I should leave them be. OK, problem solved. Having said that, I will be trying the 'virtual move' and that is walk around my apartment and ask myself if I were moving, would I pack this or get rid of it? For tackling to-do lists, (note-to-self) remember to stay calm and attack them bit by bit. One of the best ways to lift your mood is to engineer an easy success. OK... I will remember that.

I say this chapter is practical and definitely sets the tone for happiness throughout the rest of the year. I found Rubin's project to be mine too, so I didn't have to start from scratch. I'm looking forward to reading the February chapter and looking into love!

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Finding More Happiness in My Own Kitchen

2012-02-07T13:26:00.010+08:00

Lately, I found that I have been "led" by some unseen force to ponder more on happiness and most of the books I read or bought recently dealt with this subject. And the best part about acquiring those books is that my purchases were sponsored by the Malaysian Government through the 1Malaysia book vouchers. So, I didn't have to pay for them but only topped up a few Ringgits to bring those books home. A week or so earlier, I bought 50 Ways to Feel Great. Yesterday, I brought home Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project. Rubin's book is a gem.

Yesterday, I was hanging out with the "Meow" brothers and Borders was, naturally, one of the stops. Before Borders, we zoomed around the mall from Material to Sakae Sushi for lunch, then Switch to ogle at some Apples, then Borders, and finally Daiso the RM5 store before dinner.

What I found to be fascinating is how everything ties up together. I was thinking about reorganizing my digital photos and perhaps showcasing them in printed forms, especially in a photobook format. At Switch, I floated from one station to the other and ended up at the one with brochures and samples of photobooks in various formats of binding. "Ty, this is what I'm thinking of doing! Isn't this nice?" I said to Ty. I was super excited.

Next stop: Borders. Thinking really hard on what to buy, I checked out every shelf and landed in front of the one with a book that has a happy blue cover with bright yellow fonts for its title. The Happiness Project. Very nice. It has all the elements that will make me take a second look: the word "project", the color blue and well, it's a book!

I got started immediately and found that the first few pages of the book is already resonating with me. For example, at the end of the chapter "Getting Started" on page 15, Rubin says:

The time to start exercising, stop nagging, and organize our digital photos was when everything was going smoothly. I didn't want to wait for a crisis to remake my life.

At this point (and several points before this), I was already thinking, this is so for me! I am already exercising (way to go!), I have nobody to nag at for now (so that is not an issue) and the "organizing our digital photos" bit did it for me. The author and I are on to something. We're aligned because we are thinking the same thoughts. Right now I'm happy and could be happier.

At the bookstore, Miao the funny guy who is also Ty's older brother said to me, "You love your job. You don't need this book." Coincidentally, the author faced the same question, too, with her own husband. This is what he said on page 12:

"I don't really get it," Jamie said as he lay on the floor to do his daily back and knee exercises. "You're already pretty happy, aren't you? If you're really unhappy, this would make more sense, but you're not."

I'll be taking my own sweet time reading and pondering, taking notes, making charts, lists and all the same time updating the blog as I journey along this one-year project of making me a happier person. Working on my happiness wouldn't just make me happier, it would boost the happiness of the people around me. This is going to be fun!

Do check out the Happiness Project Toolbox website.

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Wordless Wednesday: The Khoo Kongsi Kitchen

2012-01-04T18:23:00.004+08:00

It's Wednesday once again and that calls for another post for Wordless Wednesday. For those who are familiar with the Khoo Kongsi in Penang, yes, this is the kitchen area of one of the most distinctive Chinese clan associations in Malaysia. I've done quite a few posts on Khoo Kongsi, so please click here to see more of the story, the carvings, the structure, and so on.

This is a replica of the old red bricks Chinese kitchen with open wood stoves.

Isn't this pretty? I loved the floral patterns on it.

This stone grinder (I'm not sure of its exact name), is HUGE and HEAVY. I could barely moved it when I tried to. I wonder how the folks back then worked it.

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Romance Reading Challenge 2012

2011-12-28T15:48:00.004+08:00

Yes! I'm participating again after taking a break in 2011. I haven't picked out the novels that I'd like to read for this challenge, so I'll let my heart lead me to wherever it wants to take me to.

For more details, please check out Naida's blog at the bookworm. Here are the rules:

The challenge runs from January 1st, 2012 through December 31st, 2012.
"Romance" isn't limited to steamy Harlequin novels. There is a huge selection of books in this category such as contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance to name a few. As long as the story has romantic love between the two main characters your selection will fit this challenge. The novels do not need to have a happy ending either, there can also be unrequited love.
Choose at least 5 novels to read. You can change your choices at any time. Crossovers between other challenges are fine. All kinds of books count such as eBooks, Audiobooks...etc. If you are looking for suggested reading see Best Romance Novels Today, Romance Novels on Wiki or Best Romance Stories. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with Jane Austen, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks and Georgette Heyer.
Read the books at your own pace in 2012 then post the link to your review(s). You don't need to have a blog, posting your reviews on Goodreads and LibraryThing counts as well.

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THE LOST SYMBOL by Dan Brown

2011-12-27T11:13:00.007+08:00

When I saw my friend Hanson Tan posted a status update of Facebook saying he's now reading The Lost Symbol, I couldn't resist the urge to ask if he would like to do a joint-reading with me. To my delight, he agreed and off we go embarking on an exciting and thrilling journey of codes, secrets and unseen truths, all set within the hidden chambers, tunnels and temples of Washington, D.C.

The Lost Symbol is a follow-up to The Da Vinci Code and it was indeed my plan to first read the latter. However, I reckoned there is nothing wrong with jumping the queue by reading The Lost Symbol first, so I threw all caution to the wind and started the puzzle-driven journey with Hanson.

Revisiting Robert Langdon is a mind-blowing experience and an educational one, as well. My first time getting to know the Harvard professor of 'Religious Symbology' was during Angels and Demons. In The Lost Symbol, I was exposed to the influence of Freemasonry on America's Founding Fathers, the Masonic architecture of Washington D.C., characters such as the German artist Albrecht Durer (and his work Melencolia I) and the tattooed villain, Mal'akh. Dan Brown cleverly weaves all of these elements together, making subjects that I would not otherwise be interested in, into something that is fast-paced, thrilling, and intellectually stimulating.

As in all Langdon stories, there is a female lead in them. We get Katherine Solomon in The Lost Symbol. She is a fifty years old woman, beautiful, and is a leading researcher of Noetic Science. Almost murdered from the start by Mal'akh, she manages to escape and finds Langdon. Her brother, Peter Solomon, is already captured and when his severed hand—tattooed to resemble 'the Hand of the Mysteries'—turns up at the U.S. Capitol Building, the frenzy begins.

***

Now, if you would like to further explore the history and ideas underpinning The Lost Symbol, you may want to read Behind the Lost Symbol by Tim Collins, as well. The book gives readers insights into the rituals, the settings, the symbols, the history, and the science behind the book. Collins also referenced the chapters in the novel so you would know exactly what happened where. For example,

The Great Architect of the Universe. In Chapter 6 of The Lost Symbol, Robert Langdon speaks positively about the religious tolerance and open-minded attitudes of the Freemasons. He says that to keep the fraternity open to men of all different faiths, they use the general term 'The Great Architect of the Universe' (also known as the Grand Architect of the Universe).

The Hand of the Mysteries. In Chapter 13 of The Lost Symbol, Robert Langdon realizes that Peter Solomon's severed hand has been tattooed to resemble 'the Hand of the Mysteries', an ancient summons to an initiate to receive secret knowledge.

***

Have you read The Lost Symbol? If yes, how do you find it?

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In the Mood for... Coffee

2011-12-16T19:14:00.007+08:00

Something old: I like the mood that's projected in this picture. I was peeking through the window into this cafe with Chong when we were exploring Muntri Street in Penang, and couldn't resist taking a shot of it. I could imagine walking up the wooden stairs (would they creak as my feet touch each step up the way?)... The stuff in the premise look old and antiquated but still very appealing. The red thermos, the hanging baskets, the stand fan... The sunlight. Too bad it was closed on the day of our visit. I would definitely like to enjoy a cup of coffee in a place like this.

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Wordless Wednesday: Seeing Red

2011-12-16T18:37:00.003+08:00

I'm late for this week's edition of Wordless Wednesday, but better late than never! Here is another set of pictures taken during my walk-around in Penang with Chong. They were taken at the Penang Hainan Association Thean Hou Temple. I'm seeing red!

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Mailbox Monday: Of e-Books, Audiobooks and Something Borrowed

2011-12-12T03:50:00.011+08:00

It's been weeks since my last Mailbox Monday posts (I was on a book-buying ban) and during the absence I have acquired quite a few books of various versions from Audible.com (for audiobooks) and for my Kindle (e-books), all between October and November.

Here are the Jo Nesbø novels (Audible.com):

And, the other titles also from Audible.com:

For my Kindle, I got myself the following books from Amazon.com:

Something borrowed:

My friend Khoo has also so kindly lent me a novel titled A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute (thanks, Khoo!). I can't wait to get started as the story is set in Malaya when the Japanese invasion begins. The protagonist is Jean Paget, a strong and courageous young woman who joins a group of other women and children when she is captured by the Japanese, and becomes the leader of these prisoners. She meets and forms a bond with Joe Harman, an Australian prisoner, who steals food for them and is horrifically punished for that. The Times describes the book as "A ripping tale of budding romance and grace under pressure."

***

On the reading-front, I'm currently enjoying two books: The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng, which I'm totally in love with (Penangites will appreciate the book and the beautiful, descriptive narrative by the author who is a fellow Malaysian like me); and The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, which is a fun joint-reading with Hanson into the intriguing world of Freemasonry, Noetic Science, suspense... (I'm currently at Chapter 26 and we have agreed to finish at Chapter 40 before deciding on our next "destination").

I wish all my bookish friends happy reading!

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Wordless Wednesday: Golden

2011-12-07T00:23:00.002+08:00

Wordless Wednesday: A Walk in the Park @ DESA PARKCITY

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000+08:00

Reading Challenge: What's in a Name 5

2011-11-24T21:36:00.010+08:00

For 2012, I have made the decision to be active once again in reading challenges. With this resolution in mind, What's in a Name 5 will be the first I am signing up for. I came across the reading challenge at Beth Fish Reads.

Here's How It Works

Between January 1 and December 31, 2012, read one book in each of the following categories:

A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title:
Dune by Frank Herbert.
A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title:
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, and
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.
A book with a creepy crawly in the title:
To be decided.
A book with a type of house in the title:
Safe House by Nicci French
A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title:
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title:
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami.

The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category. Please visit Beth Fish Reads for more details.

I can't find any title for the category creepy crawly, so I'll decide later. I don't have to make a list of books beforehand but completing it now sort of gave me a sense of structure and order. Haha!

Wordless Wednesday: The Lotuses of Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000+08:00

My Bucket List

2011-11-21T22:38:00.004+08:00

We’ve all got one. I was inspired to do mine when I stumbled across Carol's post. A bucket list. A list of things we want to do, or see, or accomplish, or taste, or feel, or try in our lifetime.

Here’s my bucket list of 15 THINGS:

Learn to drive a car
Learn music theory
Play the guitar
Dance hip hop
Run a half-marathon
Run a full-marathon
Master yoga
Southeast Asia tour
Live in a beautiful cottage up in a hill or by the countryside with my cats and dogs
Write and speak Mandarin
Learn massage (I need to find me a willing guinea pig)
Write a book
Watch the entire Three Kingdoms TV drama
Fall in love
Learn how to cook a signature meal, from appetizer through dessert

Do you have a bucket list? How about sharing your 15 items?

The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion: The Story

2011-11-20T17:37:00.009+08:00

Legendary in the annals of the history of Penang is the awe-inspiring Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Leith Street. Dubbed "La Maison Bleu", this flamboyant masterpiece of 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 windows took a very special man to create. Arriving penniless from Guandong province, China, to this part of the world at the age of 16, Cheong Fatt Tze grew to become one of the most historic and colorful personalities of the era. "One of China's last Mandarins and 1st Capitalists", such was his aura and fame that Dutch and British authorities ordered that flags be flown at half mast throughout their colonies when he passed away in 1916.

Of his vast empire, Cheong Fatt Tze chose Penang to build the most elaborate of his homes and to raise his sons. It is reputed to be the only one of two such buildings of this size, outside China and certainly most perfected. While the Mansion's floor-plan is essentially Chinese, the overall effect is eclectic and typical of 19th Century Straits Settlements architecture. Gothic louvered windows, Chinese cut-and-paste porcelain work, Stoke-on-Trent floor tiles, Scottish cast iron works and Art Nouveau stain glass are among the features to be found in this inspired work of art. The aura and "chi" of the man pervades the entire edifice.

The above is an excerpt from the lovely bookmark handed out when entry tickets were purchased. The tickets cost MYR12 or approximately US$4 each.

I had a wonderful time exploring the Mansion with Chong last Wednesday. The guided tour was informative and the guide was a great storyteller. She told the story of how Mr Cheong established his presence in Penang and the eight wives he married, of which only the picture of the seventh wife is available. I had to keep reminding myself to not let my jaws hang loose because I was awed by the place. The high ceilings have beautiful peony motives and I almost jumped in excitement. I love, love, love peonies. Everything was well laid out and feng shui elements very strong. A fluffy cat even strutted around and came to say hello to everyone of us by "greeting" us personally. I love that furry fellow.

Chong was once a resident of the Mansion; he and his father were born there. His grandfather worked in the mansion. While the guided tour was going on, he was exploring the area on his own. I could see him walking here and there, looking this way and that. I wonder what was going through his mind when he was back in the place he grew up in. Before the guided tour started at 11 a.m. he showed me around outside the Mansion. He pointed to where his room was, the rooms where his brother, mother and grandmother stayed, the spot where once it was a pond the horses washed, and so on. It was a very special visit.

Below is a collage of shots I took of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. This is another set of pictures apart from the one featured in the post by Ah Yang the Sheep. Click here for that post.

Coming up for Wordless Wednesday are the pictures of lotuses in the courtyard or garden. They're gorgeous!

P/S: The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion is now also a heritage boutique hotel. For enquiries, call +604 262 0006 or e-mail cftm@tm.net.my or visit their website at www.cheongfatttzemansion.com. They are located at 14 Leith Street, 10200 Penang, MALAYSIA.

Related Post: The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, in which Ah Yang the Little Sheep Blogs...

The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, in which Ah Yang the Little Sheep Blogs...

2011-11-17T18:38:00.014+08:00

Hello, I am Ah Yang the Little Sheep and here I am blogging once again under the supervision of my "godma", Alice. In my second post and first for Wordless Wednesday, I will tell you how excited Alice was when she visited the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. She went there with Chong, my Daddy. (Yes, I have two dads. My other daddy is Ty whom I talked about in my Hiking Penang Hill post.)

Alice said: "I was super excited about Wednesday because it was the day I went to the "Blue Mansion" with my friend, Chong." What made it even more exciting was my Daddy (and his daddy) was born in the mansion, so this visit was special. My Daddy's grandfather was one of the workers there serving the Cheong household. Alice will tell you more of the history of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion in her next post. Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures!

Ladies and gentlemen, behold the magnificent Blue Mansion. Indigo blue is the color. If you look at the two windows with white curtains, the one on the left closer to the dark blue wall used to be Daddy's room.

From the picture above, if you look up to the far left, this is what you will see. It is really too bad that visitors cannot take pictures of the interior. Alice said this is the best she can do at the moment. To be able to do interior photography, a written permission must be obtained from the Management Office.

Mossy ground. While exploring this area, Daddy and Alice were attacked by mosquitoes and the little blood suckers literally attached themselves to their bodies. Alice got it real bad from them.

The garden.

Alice just smurf all that blue! (Me, too...)

The lantern is original way back from the good old days.

These trishaws were from the days of filming the 1992 movie "Indochine" at the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion starring Catherine Deneuve.

The trishaws all lined up.

The promise of beauty. You will see the full bloom ones in the next Wordless Wednesday! Alice will be in-charged of that one.

Isn't this awesome?

That is all. I hope you have enjoyed the post! I'm getting better at this. Who says sheeps can't blog? *GRIN* (Alice: Thank you, Ah Yang. Good job!)

I DON'T KNOW YOU BUT LET ME SAVE YOU by Hoong Ling

2011-11-15T09:59:00.010+08:00

“For most Malaysians, organ donation remains an idea far removed from their everyday lives. Until they need one. Hoong Ling has managed to demystify the whole process of organ donation, from signing the pledge to actually donating one, in an easy, even humorous, way. Hopefully this will encourage more Malaysians to pledge their organs and help save lives...”

Marina Mahathir
Women's Right Activist

Hoong Ling is a friend I met during a few conferences where both of us were invited as guest speakers. I am glad to be her friend and she is a down-to-earth, funny and friendly person. She is engaging and one can easily sense her sincerity in the cause she believes in, and that is organ donation. When she published her book, I Don't Know You But Let Me Save You, I was elated and did not hesitate to get a copy for myself.

On January 14, 2009, Hoong Ling parted with sixty percent of her liver to save a child's life. Lee An Qi was the girl who received the gift of life. She wrote this book to promote awareness of organ donation and hopes that her story will encourage more people to come forward and pledge their organs. In her book, Hoong Ling systematically breaks her book into three parts:

PART ONE: Organ Donation and My Life. Here, she tells the story of her journey with wit and humor. She describes the six stages she had to go through from the initial matching tests to post-operation. Potential donors will be able to learn about what to expect if they were to donate their liver. She has done all the homework and actually went under the knife for it. What makes the story real is that she also talks about her own self-doubts and many times she feels like chickening out, but the thought of saving a life and the expenses An Qi's family had incurred to perform tests on her, strengthens her to go through with it.
PART TWO: More on Organ Donation. Hoong Ling addresses the many questions about organ donation and relation information in the form of easy to digest "Frequently Asked Questions".
PART THREE: How You Can Pledge. This section contains forms for readers to pledge to donate their organs after death. Hoong Ling hopes that readers will complete the form, cut out the donor card and carry it with them at all times.

I have created a Wordle to illustrate the parts of organs and tissues that we can donate after death. Quoting Hoong Ling: Our body is like a car. Parts of a car may be reused in another car, just like our body. When we die, the "spare parts", our organs, can still stay in this world to continue serving others.

I am inspired by Hoong Ling and will be pledging my organs. I may pass away but my body parts can continue to give life to others. This also reminded me to keep my body healthy and fit, so that the living will get the best of me.

You can purchase the book at MPH Bookstores or MPH online.

Related Post: Special Appearance by Chew Hoong Ling

Wordless Wednesday: All About Lanterns

2011-11-09T00:02:00.001+08:00

After a one-week break from Khoo Kongsi, it is back and this time featuring the beautiful, elaborate lanterns found there (last week's Wordless Wednesday was a picture of a pair of pigeons). They are beautiful and since I love lanterns, I took my time admiring them. Here they are for your enjoyment, too.

Wordless Wednesday: The Pigeons of Penang

2011-11-02T00:02:00.000+08:00

Wednesday was a day of fun exploring Penang with my friend, Chong. We walked the streets and lanes of Lebuh Muntri, Love Lane, and Lebuh Farquhar. We visited the Thean Hou Temple, The Carpenter's Guild, and a few other sites. I will be showing more pictures in the upcoming Wordless Wednesday posts. Meanwhile, here's a pigeon for you with rice grains in its beak...

P/S: I know, I know... It's not a very Wordless Wednesday, this post. *GRIN*

Books I Read in 2011: October

2011-10-31T00:02:00.001+08:00

One Day by David Nicholls
Tiger, Tiger: A Memoir by Margaux Fragoso

Total books for October 2011: 2
Total books for 2011: 21

Wordless Wednesday: Beautiful Wall Carvings at the Khoo Kongsi

2011-10-26T03:55:00.004+08:00

Today's edition of Wordless Wednesday focuses on some of the wall carvings found at the Khoo Kongsi on Cannon Square. They are lovely and intricate. There are also so many of them, I could stand there the whole day taking in the beautiful craftsmanship and art. My camera went into a frenzy trying to capture them. I hope you'll enjoy them.

Hiking Penang Hill, in which Ah Yang the Little Sheep Blogs...

2011-10-21T00:00:00.004+08:00

Hello, my name is Ah Yang and I am a little sheep.

That's me blogging.

My daddy has gone on a vacation for two weeks in some place called Kuala Lumpur, so here I am spending my baa-baa-black-sheep days with Alice. I think she is doing a good job babysitting me (although I think I do not need any babysitting at all... I'm a good sheep.). She taught me how to read, and now she is teaching me how to blog. This is my first sheepalicious post—enjoy!

Alice took all the pictures that you are about to see. She told me they were taken using her good ol' Nikon D40. She also said something about "manual setting"... I have no clue. Read on...

On a sunny evening of I-can't-remember-which-day, Alice went hiking with Daddy. The 5-KM hike was tough in the beginning but, but, but when they reached the first rest stop that looked like a gazebo, the hike eased a wee bit. Alice said there was a cute topless guy in geeky glasses stretching and doing some push-ups on the bench. (But I always thought Daddy is the cutest...) It was an easier stretch after that but soon it got tough again, especially nearing the top.

The view is worth panting for.

Continuing on, they reached yet another rest place—this time a bigger one—and it's called 84. This was at about KM 3.5 or so? Here, hikers could get a drink to quench their thirst and apparently there will be food served for early hikers. There is a donation box on the table alongside the kettles below.

Fancy a drink?

One hour and thirty minutes later, they reached the top. Oh, look at the view! This is Penang from atop... Beautiful, lovely, Penang.

Lovely red flowers... I feel like nom-ing them. Must taste quite as good as they look!

Alice loves this picture and made it her laptop wallpaper.

By the time the pair of them were coming down, it was already dark. Crazy people, these two. Alice told me it was nice like that. Almost stepped on a huge lizard, too, but avoided murdering the creature in the nick of time. At 8.30 p.m. they reached the bottom, at the start of the 5-KM hike.

That's all and blogging is fun. Happy Friday!

Bookish Mission Accomplished: Barcode-Scan My Books

2011-10-20T00:02:00.003+08:00

I can't believe the last time I updated my book catalog on LibraryThing (LT) was January this year. As it stands today, I have close to 1,400 titles in my personal library catalogued on LT, excluding the Kindle ones. Believe me, my "non-performance" has been bugging me for a few months now.

I finally decided to put an end to self-agonizing and do something about it, so I have been thinking. Thinking of ways to do this painlessly and quickly. I thought about scanning the bar codes of my newly acquired books using iPhone and integrating it with LT. But how?

I found my answer in the app RedLaser. It's so easy to use! The idea is to do multiple scans of bar codes, then email the list to self, and thereafter copy the said to LT's "Import books" page. Easy-peasy. I am going to save time by pointing you directly to an excellent post on how to do this at JulieDuffy.com.

I have experimented with three of my new books and it worked beautifully. All you need to do after importing is wait for the queue in LT to clear and for your books to magically appear in your library. Fear not for duplicates because LT is capable of detecting those and you can opt to exclude them from the import.

With this, I will make it my immediate weekend project to merrily scan all my books!

Before I go, here's another BKM: I want to work even faster so to speed things up even more, I recommend bookmarking the LibraryThing "Import" page on your "Bookmarks Toolbar". All I need to do in the future is just click a button to get there!

Coming up next on Friday: Ah Yang the little sheep blogs!