Captain's log, stardate 16 October 2013 (Wednesday). Ha ha ha just reminisces the memories of star trek USS Enterprise. Anyhow, coming back to our current topic, on a lighter note I just wanted to share some funny signs I came across the internet that I personally found funny and amusing. It would be a nice recap in the hopes the weekend would swiftly come faster... Mr. Scott take us to lightspeed warp 10 to the weekend. Engage! 

Listed below in no particular order, the signs I thought was funny. Have fun perusing the below.

One of my favorites, well as you had guess it. I'm a Volvo owner. 

Although this is not a sign, a mere photoshop edit of a picture of some innocent women with words subsequently added, but I think its simply cool.

This is definitely not a sign but simply awesomely funny. Sorry no punt intended and although being sexist which I do not condone, its just funny and lets end it at that.

   

Who can argue with Ali G! 

I don't know if this is photoshop and I do not condone vulgarity especially in public but enough said. Can anyone argue with Amitabha Batchan.

Now this is how a daycare would be run if men were placed in charge. Respect. 

Ha ha ha, hang on I need to post this on Fb.

I wouldn't mess with her. Would you?

Harry Callahan: I know what you're thinking, punk. You're thinking "did he fire six shots or only five?" Now to tell you the truth I forgot myself in all this excitement. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and will blow you head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?

My own twist, beware of owner, recently released from asylum and has skipped his medication, dog is equally shady, cat is always scheming and the duck is ferocious due to frequent abuse. Ha ha ha   

Don't take this the wrong way. I love the Avengers and so does my lovely son. But the below is just funny!

    

Cactus Garden...

14 October 2013 (Monday)

I always had a fascination with cactus's, ever since I was a kid. Something about its shape, pattern and exoticism attracted me. I guess you could say, staying in Malaysia with its vast "Khatulistiwa" jungle and lush tropical scenery made a cactus oasis even more desirable, exotic and appealing, well to me anyway. That's how I saw it then and that's how I see now (sometimes anyway).

So a few months back I began planning my vision and execution only was completed yesterday. Below are the pictures as a guide (for sharing purposes) in the event viewers would like to do the same.

The white ceramic and black clay pots were previously used for a bonsai plants but as you can guess by now, it has long died. Hence, as an advocate for the environment, began the recycling pots process. Firstly, I placed a flat piece of rock at the bottom of the drainage hole in each pot. The reason being is to ensure that sand does not sip out every time I water the plants. You could also use dried coconut husks in replacement of the flat stone.  Then placed small pebbles for better all around drainage. I also placed broken pieces of charcoal "arang" to retain moisture. I dried all items for a minimum of three days under direct sunlight to ensure that all bacteria and weed growth is hindered. This is to ensure that I do not get any unwanted weed growth in the pot at a later date.    

I purchased 3 cactus's at a local peddler in the Section 6 Shah Alam market  on 12 October 2013 for RM5 a pot. I don't know the scientific name of the cactus I purchased. I merely choose the ones I think looks nice and filled my criteria for the pot or vision.

Thereafter, transfer them to your selected pots. As depicted below.

Place black sand in the pot surrounding the cactus. I use black sand as its the most fertile. Purchased at RM2 a bag. It can be bought from most nurseries. Press the black sand down to compress it and cover all gaps or air pockets. 

Thereafter, I place clear crystal white sand to cover the black sand. This is to create the illusion of an oasis or desert. You would still need to compress the sand with your fingers. This is to ensure that there is no loose gravel that will spill out every time you water your cactus. Sprinkling water once a week will suffice as these are desert plants and has adapted to minimum water supply. Furthermore, if the roots are soaked in water, the cactus will die. The other reason for the minimum water supply is to ensure that the sand remains white and no mildew grows destroying illusion of a desert oasis. I had placed miniature figurines to create a more realistic illusion. Use your imagination and become creative with visions of how you would like your desert oasis. You could also place some small stripes of blue plasticine to create an illusion of a flowing river and place some animal figurines. You are only limited by your own imagination, equipment and off course size of pot. Cheers and good luck!      

      

Another view of the desert oasis taken from a different angle for your viewing pleasure. 

Famous people and their conversation pieces...

Morning all. I guess that depends on what time you are reading this. Today, 2 October 2013 I took the time off to update this blog on a topic I find interesting. Each and everyone of us has something in our home that will be the center of attraction. For some it may be their blossoming Japanese Cherry Blossom (sakura) in their garden, others might be their koi pond while sipping on their evening tea, or maybe even their antique collection of rarities or Extra Super Huge LED TV, some their deluxe top notch kitchen (signature kitchen / aino) or it could be something niche or even small like a rare autographed book on your coffee table, a unique painting/portrait, an old clock and etc. I think you get the picture.

Celebs on the other hand with their quirks and eccentricities have a preference for the not so faint of heart...Mike Tyson had pet tigers (even white Bengals), Nicolas Cage on Castles, Shrunken Heads and pet Octopus and the list goes on.

What I would like to raise here is, what would the normal average Joe and people on the street like me or you want in their home as a conversational piece without raising your neighbors eyebrows yet you will become the envy of many.

Here is my two cents worth. An elegant coffee table. No! Not the usual rare wood or some metal art work made by a struggling artist but one made from an actual car engine. Note to readers... This is a guys and petrol heads thing. See the pic below to get an idea. If its good for Jeremy Clarkson on BBC's Top Gear, its good enough for me. Enumerated below are some pictures I obtained from the internet.

          
A real petrol head would adopt or extend his vision of the man cave to the bathroom as well and below would be the result...

 Pic from Internet.

As time goes by I would add some pieces from my home for sharing purposes. With that I hope readers would aspire to do the same and have pieces of items at your home that reflect your identity or highlights you that makes you unique and standout from the crowd. Cheers!  

Illustrated in no particular alphabetical order would be some of my personal items / conversational pieces. They are not centered in a showcase or "almari" but scattered thought the house to be displayed and enjoyed by all my house guests.

Tibetan singing bowl. This is the genuine item. The forging process is done mixing numerous materials to produce a humming effect.  Singing bowls produce harmonic overtones creating an effect that is unique to the instrument. The subtle yet complex multiple harmonic frequencies are a special quality caused by variations in the shape of the hand made singing bowls. The art of making singing bowls in the traditional way is often called a lost art, but traditional craftsmen still make singing bowls in the traditional manner. They are one of the longest made traditional objects still being made today. Note, this is not an antique singing bowl but one made during the mid 2000's.

Now this is an antique glass butter container. Made in England during the 1970's. Guess where it is located? Right. In my fridge to store butter. I pray it will go on lasting for years and all family members who use, use it carefully and diligently as its class and breakable. 

Now this is a genuine piece of history. The plates from Federal Hotel during the 60's where Tunku Abdul Rahman dined. Located at 35 Jalan Bukit Bintang  Wilayah Persekutuan, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, it was a place where TIME seems to stand still in the interior of Mandarin Palace  and exuberant history since the  hotel's opening in 1957. The interior decor of the restaurant has remained untouched and most of the artifacts, chinese antiques, carvings, pillars, paintings, furniture and fixtures  handpicked and custom-ordered by hotel founder Tan Sri Low Yat have hardly  moved from their original position where the business tycoon first placed them in 1957. Tunku had advised Tan Sri  to have the hotel built quickly so that it could host the Merdeka celebration that year.  The hotel,  after much work,  was completed   on Aug 28, 1957.  Atlas, the piece de resistance...the place used in the hotel during the 60's. And where is it kept? In storage for now. HA ha ha. Have not found a suitable location for it. 

  

Now here's something nostalgic. Diners of kopitiam during its heyday (1960's to 1980's) would remember this tea set. Those were the good old days. No i'm not talking about the kopitiam (Hailam Kopitiam, Old Town White Coffee, Pak Li Kopitiam Benta Kaya and etc) of the present but the kopitiam of yesteryear (Ah Lai, Hui Mui, Sin Seng Nam, Yut Kee and etc. You will remember this tea set you would had engulf your coffee with a piping hot bowl of delicious curry laksa. Currently this set I have kept in storage and will be used when required. 

      

Also have added to my collection, a Japanese Dragon and Phoenix tea set with geisha lithophane. Atlas, behold.  This is a genuine set from the 1970's and not a modern reproduction. One way of identifying a genuine product is it will not be perfect and will be time correct based on the period of production. There will be hairline fractures and cracks in line with age of the item and also lumps in the ceramic. This will be due to the fact that during those times, they had not perfected the art of mass production in perfection. Hence no two sets are the same. Even in my collection I had noticed that they are minor defects from one cup and saucer to the next.