For everthing you've missed...

Today I finally sold our condo unit, a place we had called home for 11 years.

Good friends I made in the condo, Fuziani and Nor, never a dull moment with them

The gorgeous litle Aisha who lives on the fifth floor

Ah Hoy, the ever helpful condo handyman

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "For everything you've missed, You've gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else"

Malacca, rich in history, culture and heritage

I have not set foot in Malacca for several years and it did not disappoint. Malacca, one of the two UNESCO World Heritage Cities in Malaysia (the other is Georgetown, Penang) is rich in history, culture, heritage, with famous historical sites, some dating back to the 1500s. Maybe should come back to visit a bit longer.

Walk the march with courage

Today is your day to paint life in bold colors, set today's rhythm with your heart-drum, walk today's march with courage, create today as your celebration of life.- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


Our new addition to the family, my nephew Freddy's daughter, born 29 December 2010 at about 8pm.

The Retirement Docs' Quiz

I took the Retirement Docs' Quiz and scored 167. This puts me in the top 40%, indicating that I am on my way to a successful retirement but need some fine-tuning in specific traits.

If you are retired or near retirement age...why not take the Quiz to find out which areas you may still need to improve? It takes only about 5 minutes.

Her scalp was torn from her head and her toenail was pulled off!

In New Zealand, a 30-year-old West Auckland woman is alleged to have inflicted a range of horrific abuse and torture on her terrified daughter - causing injuries so bad that those now involved with the case, including experienced child abuse investigators, say they have been deeply affected.

The injuries range from her scalp being torn away from her head while she was dragged by her hair along the floor, to vicious beatings with various weapons, and having her toenail pulled off and salt and boiling water poured on to the bleeding wound.

The girl's parents have both been charged over her injuries which allegedly occurred over a two-year period. The Father also faces charges of using a broomstick and a vacuum pipe to assault her during eight days in November. The Mother faces 32 charges including injuring with intent, assault with various weapons, wilful neglect by failing to seek medical help, withholding food, and causing grievous bodily harm.

The case has shocked and horrified members of the public. After featuring in the story in the Weekend Herald, the paper received more than 50 emails from concerned readers, many of whom wanted to know what they could do to help the little girl who is now being looked after by caregivers. Her siblings are also in safe care.

Please read: Child Abuse Case: What the Mother told officials

"Children are our most precious national assets. It is up to every one of us to make sure that they are given priority and their safety and protection is top of the nation’s agenda" - UNICEF NZ Executive Director, Dennis McKinlay

12 year old abused girl in a vegetative state since 6 years ago died

A 12-year-old California girl who was beaten into a vegetative state by her stepmother 6 years ago has died. The stepmother, who is serving time for child abuse, could now face homicide charges, according to a published report.

Truly Lo, of Natomas, a neighborhood in northwestern Sacramento, was just 6 years old in 2004 when her stepmother beat and strangled her. The abuse was so severe that Truly sustained brain damage and fell into a coma. Evidence showed Truly had been slapped, spanked, beaten with a hanger and strangled for four to six minutes on May 11, 2004.

Doctors estimated Truly would only live for a day or two. Despite the dire diagnosis, Truly's Father refused to remove his daughter from life support. Truly remained in a vegetative state for six years and never regained consciousness.

Last Tuesday, Truly's oxygen levels dropped and she died at a children's care facility.

Reference: http://www.aolnews.com/2010/12/27/stepmom-may-face-homicide-charges-as-girl-dies-after-6-year-coma/

I learnt some shocking facts from http://www.childhelpusa.org/ about child abuse in the USA:

A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds.
Almost five children die everyday as a result of child abuse and more than three out of four are under the age of 4

A busy cultural calender

I think multiracial Malaysia may have one of the busiest cultural calendar of events in the world. Just a few days ago on 22 December the Malaysian Chinese community celebrated the Winter Solstice Festival. Isn't it strange to celebrate a winter festival in an equatorial climate? Although the ancestors of the Malaysian Chinese community had migrated from China to Malaysia 4, 3 or at the least 2 generations ago, the Winter Solstice festival continued to be observed in all earnestness. A must-have on the menu is glutinous rice balls stuffed with brown sugar and boiled in sweet ginger soup.

Glutinous rice balls for the Winter Solstice festival

Today is Christmas, a public holiday in Malaysia. Although the Malaysian population is majority Islam (about 60%), the Christmas atmosphere is alive everywhere. Malaysia is so culturally diverse, with many different ethnic groups, and religions. Every festival seems to be celebrated in a big way - whether it be Christmas, Hari Raya (Eid al-Fitr), Deepavali, Thaipusam, Chinese New Year, Wesak Day, Gawai Dayak, Tadau Kaamatan (Harvest Festivals),Mooncake Festival, ETC.

Christmas Eve in a popular eatery /shopping complex in my neighbourhood in Petaling_Jaya

Christmas Day lunch with relatives and friends in a Hotel in Subang_Jaya

We are already there!

Source: unknown

Joining in the fun!

I actually gate-crashed a lion dance party at the opening of a restaurant in the vacinity of my housing area. Very loud...very noisy...very interesting.... First time I witnessed one of these at close range, and treated to cakes and coffee too!

Lion dance performances are actually not uncommon in Malaysia, normally seen during the Chinese New Year, grand openings of chinese businesses, or at special functions among the Chinese community in the country. I believe it is usually performed as a ceremony to scare away evil spirits and to bring good luck and fortune.

Leisure time

Chilling out with friends on a leisurely day.

I need so much time for doing nothing that I have no time for work.

Huigh Pierre Reverdy (French Poet and moralist who first reflected Cubist and then Surrealist influence. 1889-1960)

Their lost childhood

Picture credit: http://www.bigpicture.in/

Picture credit: http://www.lightstalkers.org/

Picture credit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/

In the normal lives of families with steady and adequate incomes, parents go to work every day and children are left to play with friends and go to school. However, such is not the case for the 218 million child labourers the world over who daily find themselves working long hours under harsh, dangerous and exploitative conditions.

• Globally, 218 million children are child labourers
• 126 million of these children are engaged in hazardous work
• 73 million working children are less than 10 years old
• Every year, 22,000 children die in work-related accidents
• The largest number of working children-122 million-are in the Asia-Pacific region

-quoted from http://www.freethechildren.com/

6 year old adopted boy with bruises and welts over his body

In Denver, Colorado, a 6 year old boy, whom a couple adopted in 2006 suffered a bruised brain and had bruises and abrasions all over his body, weighing only 30 pounds when he was taken to the hospital. Doctors had diagnosed the boy as suffering bleeding in the skull and that he was at a "substantial risk of death."

Read more: Parents of brusied, underweight 6-year-old to face abuse trial

Some facts about child abuse:

• In 2005, 12.1 of every 1,000 American children, almost 900,000 in all, suffered abuse by adults, with parents of victims accounting for almost 80% of abusers.
  
• Every day, about four children die in the U.S. because of abuse or neglect, most of them babies or toddlers.
  
• For every incident of child abuse or neglect that gets reported, it’s estimated that two others go unreported.

Source: http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-child-abuse