Dachau, the graveyard without the tombstones

It was wet the day we visited Dachau. The ground was scattered with puddles of water. Apparently before our arrival it had rained. In the sky grey clouds were inching slowing toward each other to fall again at a later time. That might be why the weather was so bleak.

Dachau, the first of the many concentration camps Hitler built to torture people he hated. A place everyone during his reign feared to go. Except for a lucky few all who filed through the black gate with the word “Arbeit Macht Frei” never came out alive. Work never set them free.

The compound is huge. We had to walk quite a distance to get to the barracks which were converted to exhibition halls. Some of the buildings had been torn down and what left were their cemented floors. Where there were no sands, small white pebbles were spread over the surface of the grounds.

The brochures obtained there revealed that Dachau was established to house political prisoners which half were Jews. The photographs displayed on the display panels revealed the harsh treatments inmates received during detention. Reading materials were lengthy and due to time constraint I did not pause long enough to finish a paragraph. Flipping through the pages, a glimpse of the images was sufficient. So my knowledge of what actually happened in Dachau was shallow.

The living quarters were particularly gloomy. The wooden bunks solid and strong. The washroom area is nothing to boast about. And the execution chamber with the torturing devices.

With so few visitors that day , the place was awfully quiet. Respecting the dead, I dared not raised my voice to speak aloud. Our conversations were in whispers. With so many lives lost here no wonder the atmosphere feel so eerie. I expected to hear the souls of the inmates crying for release, moans of pain after being tortured or the weak mumblings of the hungry. All these made me sneak from room to room like a thief, glancing around me to see whether I chanced upon a specter.

I was happy to leave the last exhibition hall. If we part with a small token, we could help towards the maintenance costs and come home with some reading materials. Our tour guide, David advised we relieved ourselves before leaving. Dutifully we lined up at the washroom to follow his instruction.

By road travel, Dachau is approximately 13 miles (22 km) from Munich. As the Bavarians were broadening their roads it was a long journey back to our hotel.

Melamine a competitive product

Melamine in milk? Hey, how can that be? I could not believe it. Melamine is plastic used for manufacturing my plates and bowls! Yes, silly you are not hallucinating. They grind it, they mix it in your milk and you drink it. Simple and clever.

This problem created by the greed of the Chinese milk producers has really caused havoc to our lives. So much inconveniences and losses to manufacturers, despair to sellers and fear to consumers.

I am sure I have stored some melamine in my body system besides other alien substances since I am one who consumes quite a substantial amount of Chinese products. I champion their pharmaceutical and herbal products. I eat their fruits and vegetables. I swallow anything manufactured in China. And look what they have done to me. Disappointment, distrust and vengeful anger crept into me each day. However I can only blast off helpless air. What is done is done. Chinese are Chinese, devilishly resourceful, full of mischievous ideas and endless daring monkey business.

My initial response to the melamine contamination is “we are not importing any dairy products from China, we are safe”. But on scrutinizing closer it is more than that. All products that contain milk or by-products of milk which are hidden as raw materials of consumer products imported directly or indirectly from China are affected.

Although our powdered creamer was sourced from Holland, we are still not satisfied whether they are indirectly milked from Chinese cows. A letter from our supplier’s supplier is insufficient to rest our doubtful mind. We insisted our supplier produce a lab report for total clearance that our Nigella Mineral Coffee is safe for human consumption since this global milk-scare has caused great concern for all. They sent our product to a local laboratory for product testing and the result is void of melamine. We are still waiting for the release of the document and when our distributors demanded a proof we can produce the lab certificate for assurance.

To stay competitive you have to source for competitive raw materials. Melamine is a competitive raw-mat that produces results by leveling up your protein nutritional value.

Loneliness is in our hearts

Loneliness is in our hearts. We may be alone yet we are not lonely when we adapt to our surroundings and treat people as our friends. We may be in a crowd with laughter coming from around us, if we close our hearts we can feel lonely.

I experienced loneliness and it reduced me to tears when I was at KLIA before boarding my plane. Belinda Lee was supposed to go along with me for a 8 days trip to Beijing, Chengde and Tianjin but an accident befell her mother-in-law. She had to give up her trip to be with her.

Things were not going smoothly for me too. I had to stay back to attend a meeting and was released at only 9 pm the night before departure. By then I was mentally and physically exhausted as I was running a temperature. Having paid for the trip I refused to give up. Swallowing 2 tablets of panadol to relieve the fever and dizziness and equipped with a bottle of chrysanthemum tea plus a blister pack of panadol I was ready to conquer China.

My taxi driver was a cheerful uncle who had visited China before. “Very good to visit”. “ Many things to see”. “ Many things to buy”. Mmm, China seemed a fun place to visit. He dropped me at the entrance, wish me well and left me ALONE.

Upon entering the airport I look around me. Of course, there were no familiar faces. Most people were traveling in pairs. Loneliness overpowered me. I was on the verge of tears. Along came two ladies in their late forties. They sat beside me on the bench. I turned to them and asked, “Where are you traveling to?” “China”. After a few pleasantries we became friends. We were with the same travel agency. I agreed to “look after them” (This was requested by one of them. As if they needed looking after. They looked kuat to me) and they invited me to “join them”.

From that moment on, I looked forward to my trip. By the time I boarded my plane I was enjoying myself and knew I would not be lonely anymore.

I have never regretted my trip to Beijing although there were one or two frightening experiences. In fact if I got the chance I hope to travel alone again.

Datuk Shah Rukh Khan

The Star headlined it as “People just Khan believe it!” I think it is absurd, illogical, utterly nonsense.

Just because Shah Rukh Khan came to shoot a movie ‘One 2 ka 4’ at the A Formosa Resort in Alor Gajah in 2001, he was knighted as ‘Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka’. He now goes by the title Datuk.

He was not even respectful enough to be present during the investiture ceremony. His fans were at the Dewan Seri hoping to catch a glimpse of him. I am sure they were all disappointed. His fans and the Yang di Pertua Negri of Malacca, Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob.

Tun Daim Zainuddin, our former Finance Minister who suggested this conferment will arrange to bring him here where a special ceremony will be arranged for Datuk Shah Rukh Khan to receive his award. This guy has more priority matters to attend too.

According to Daim Zainuddin “It was a means to promote Malacca and the actor had shot a movie scene here several years ago”. “This resulted in many people visiting Malacca. The award was given in recognition of this” was the Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam’s reply.

If I promote Malaysia through this blog will they ‘Datuk’ me?

Looking out my window

I like standing at my office window and looked down at the street below. Usually it is full of traffic, vehicles and people. Due to the lack of parking spaces, most of the cars will double parked. And when the MPPJ guys came a calling, with their summon books in hand, I could watch them going from car to car slipped a summon under the windshield wiper. Sometimes I could see an office staff hurrying over to the traffic officer, saluted to him profusely, apologized and then drove his car away. This guy was lucky, his colleague must have spotted the MPPJ officer and alerted him.

Sometimes cars got blocked by those double parking behind them. If the owner of the car is sensitive and concern, he would leave his calling card on his dashboard. A call to him and he would hurried down from his office to remove his car. But some just couldn’t care less. The poor person who got blocked would press his car horn. If the car belongs to a student, you would never get him to remove his car. He was in his classroom attending his lectures. Once I watched the Minolta guys using their forklift to remove a car to allow their colleague fulfilled his business appointment.

Buses, trailers, lorries and vans are common visitors in our street as this is a commercial area. But when cars double parked, the road got so narrow only a vehicle could only pass through. Parking too close to the entrance gave trailers a difficult time entering and exiting the office buildings. But these drivers are a special breed. They managed to manipulate their trailers after some help from sympathizers and bystanders.

I like watching drivers parked their cars. Some are hopeless like me. In and out they would go until they got the right position they desired. It is horrifying to watch those inexperienced drivers. “Oh please, do not dent the car next to you,” my colleagues and I would cry out.

I do not stand by my window and waste my time away. When I need legs stretching or when work gets my mind so saturated I can’t go on or when the horning below attracts my attention and distracts my concentration.

Keeping in touch

It has been a while since I met up with Lily. I have told myself numerous times to visit her or to give her a call. When I met her at Giant recently I was glad to see her so cheery, her spirit was strong and full of energy.

I have known Lily since primary days. We ate together and we played together. She is now happily married to Leong, a complete opposite to her chatty, jovial and high spirited self. They complement each other so well. He has stayed with her through hard and difficult times. Lily has to go for dialysis thrice a week. Medical tests revealed her kidney disorder when she was pregnant. Her baby has no scalp. She had to abort her fetus for it could not survive after its birth.

Just recently Chong Lee Kun SMS me. “Did I contact Chan Choy Lan?” A long, long time. In fact, years. Chan Choy Lan joined Amore as a tea lady in 1986 when we moved from Pudu to Wisma Hangsam. We had a close friendship and kept in touch frequently. But not often enough to know she had health problems. She passed away from stomach cancer recently. I regret for not being with her at a time when she needed friends to cheer her up.

I always cite ‘no time’ for not meeting up with friends. Call, my cell phone discharges too much radiation. SMS, I need my glasses. There are so many excuses.

Life is so flimsy. Even a crystal ball can’t foretell what will happen in the future. Time is what I do not have much. Time is what I need to keep in touch.

Breaking the needle of the weight machine

First, tobacco companies are banned from promoting their products during TV programs and later disallowed their sponsorship of sporting events. Now it’s confirmed. No more screenings of fast food advertisements during children’s TV programs.

But that does not prevent Sean from wanting the toys from MacDonald or KFC. And he has a collection of them. He is not interested in the food they served but the toys they promoted. He has secret codes for these fast foods, M for MacDonald, K for KFC and P for Pizzas.

It is a little stupid to blame fast foods for obesity in our children. Asking them to list down the nutritional value of their products will not deter us from indulging ourselves in buying a meal served with high content of fats, carbohydrates and sugar. We also broke the needle in the weight machine from wolfing down foods we prepared at home and other food outlets.

Cakes, chocolates, carbonated drinks, potato chips, tit bits, nasi lemak, fried koay teow, bak kut teh, pizzas, pastas, curries, roti canai, fried eggs, fried rice, home-fried chicken, chicken rice (the margarine in the rice), soups, fried fish, yong tau foo, fried vegetables, sausages, ice creams, potato salad, mayonnaise, burgers. The list is exhausting. But we overlook them for we need someone to blame on for our own mistakes.

Most food contains PERMITTED flavorings, colorings, conditioners, artificial sweeteners which accumulated through the years contributed to the poor quality of our health. Some of us are unaware, some of us refused to acknowledge their presence, some of us couldn’t care less. Any food that taste good and popular, we just enjoyed them.

At the back of our minds, we are all aware nasi lemak and roti canai are as bad as fast foods. By blaming others we are diverting our mistakes to them. We need a scrape goat to camouflage our responsibility for being bad parents.

Who are the ones who write those persuasive lines to capture our hearts, lure us to make purchases?

Who are the ones who design those captivating toys our children love so much?

Who are the ones who send their children to act in those commercial ads? Who are the ones who arrange to screen those ads on television?

Who are the ones who work in those fast food companies.

Who are the ones who invite fast food companies to contribute to their charity fundraisings?

Who are the ones who approved the licenses for the fast food companies to operate in Malaysia?

We have ourselves to blame for letting our children become what they are today. Fast food companies are here to stay, so are the soft drinks companies who have planted their roots here. Should we ask them to leave?

Fluctuating prices of petrol

Our prices of petrol are similar to prices of commodity stocks in the share market. They fluctuate.

In the wake of the escalating global prices of oil due to shortage, our government’s effort to decrease price to curb the nation’s woe have owners of petrol kiosks worried when writing purchase orders for replenishment of depleting stock. If petroleum is low, it is understandable you have to stock up your supply. What happens if there is a sudden decision by the government to decrease the price of petrol? Overnight you have to sell your petrol at a lower price. Buying at a higher price and then selling it out at a lower price? It is obvious you are running your business at a loss.

This is the main reason why there were shortages of petrol at some petrol kiosks during the Raya holiday. Owners are hesitant to stock up for fear the decrease in sales prices will affect their accounting figures. I visited the petrol station at Section 19, Subang Jaya last Saturday. Notices of “stock out” were placed on all V-Power pumps. I was lucky I was able to fill up with the regular unleaded oil. Some petrol stations were completely dried up.

In whatever we do, we have to be firm in our decision. To increase or not to increase. To increase and later to decrease will not help the nation. The increase in oil prices has help to increase prices of all goods and services. But when prices of petrol drop will prices of goods and services decrease as well? No, definitely not. They remained unchanged.

Our government failed to analyze this oil crisis rationally and intelligently. It has, in fact not helps us but left us at the junction of a crossroad – to spend or not to spend. To spend we have to readjust our budget for we are short of 40% in our income. Not to spend will stagnate our market activities, stiffen our economic growth and have us staggering into an financial stress.

I only know that business has to flow from hand to hand for a healthy economy and a prosperous nation. Now that the United States and Britain and gradually Europe too, are experiencing a miserable economy, when it reaches us can we survive?

Ang Jae Han

Gave Jae Han a farewell dinner last Sunday. He’s really a big boy now. He’ll be 19 years old on Dec 29. This Saturday, he will fly off to further his studies in Accounting & Finance at the University of York. At first I thought one of his parents will accompany to see him settle down but I was completely wrong. He insists he travels with a classmate from HELP Institute who is pursuing an Economic Course at the same school. His plane will transit at Abu Dhabi. MAS is more expensive and it does not fly direct to Manchester where both will board a train (the train station is in the airport complex) to York.

As a fleshy he is allowed accommodation in the hostel. He wills on single occupancy; complete with a bathroom, but shares with the others the living room and kitchen. There is no restriction leaving campus anytime so obtaining food from outside is not a problem although he can opt to include meals from the canteen.

According to his mother, he has made all arrangement himself, starting with the application for courses, accommodation to his traveling plans. His parents just have to finance his course.

Jae Han has always been an independent kid. When his parents were at work, he grew up with his little brother under the guidance of his Filipino maid. Living a pampered life, he did not even know how to make a mug of milo until my mother reasoned he ought to learn to do so. Now, he does know how to cook a meal of Maggi mee.

Football is his passion and Manchester United’s Paul Scholes is his favorite. Jae Han loves music and he introduced me to Ares, where he downloaded his favorite songs. As long as he does not get into trouble, he has the liberty to lead a life he chooses.

His mother is the discipliner and she knows when and how to steer him back to course. His father, due to his work commitment is often away. He is more resilient and often weak to Jae Han’s ‘nagging’. Jae Han gets what he wants probably because his parents are comfortably capable to meet his requests.

My mum dotes on him and he has great respect for her. In his quiet manner, he can sit in a group and yet you feel he is not among you. Not that he is in a world of his own but he is more an observer than a participant. He will be good in his field for he has the patience and a calm personality to analyze a situation.

His guardian angel will have to guide him, protect him and take care of him for he is so far from us.