Resolutions for 2016

Every time a new year starts, I look at the calendar and think "Oh boy, that's a long time before the year ends!" however, before I know it, it's a new year again.

I have given up on making new year resolutions a long time ago. This year, I thought I will try again but with more realistic goal.

1. To spend less time on social media. I am already doing this so it's possible. I don't think I can give up Facebook entirely. I tried to duplicate what I do on Facebook here on this blog but it's really hard. The sharing of hyperlinks from fb can't be exported out easily with the android app. So when I do see something interesting I will comment and share it on fb.

2. To exercise more during lunch break. I think I will take up walking more during my lunch break. It will be a welcome respite from sitting down the whole day at work.

3. Eat healthier. This one is going to be harder. The challenge will be to eat more of a balanced meal each time.

Here's to a good start for the year.

Refraint

Since my last post, I've been on and off social media. I only had some moderate success in staying away.

I think the reason for that is my need to communicate my thoughts and feelings. Facebook is an easy outlet to vent my frustration at the daily things I see online. Also, I want to share the pains and joy of my parenting experience.

When I abstain  from posting on Facebook, I feel that somehow I am not documenting in that exact moment what I was thinking and feeling. However I constantly have to remind myself that what I say sometimes amounts to nothing really when I look back at it.

Facebook has been reminding me of what I have share in the past few years almost everyday. The parenting stuff is somewhat sentimental to flashback on... but the majority of the stuff just amounts to social media junk. Oh it might have been emotional strong then, but it doesn't really mean anything a few months down the road.

I also found that I was addicted to people commenting on what I shared. Somehow I feel important and intelligent. However, that illusion is fleeting and imaginary. Whatever importance that was granted by what I shared again, disappears down the road of time.

Nothing is important in social media. It is all an illusion.

Resisting the urge to update

It's been a few days since I decided to stop updating my Facebook for a month. I'm still going through some withdrawal symptoms.

Every time I read about something I feel strongly about in the internet; or when I'm frustrated with something happening to me I feel like updating my FB.

So far I've resisted the temptation. 

Even when I see someone post something on FB I want to comment on, I've resisted the urge. Oh, let me tell you there was just so many things I wanted to say on FB.

The political situation in Malaysia used to be one popular topic I would comment on. Politicians say and do the dumbest thing all the time and I felt like speaking up.

The truth is, it all amounts to nothing more than me just venting steam. It has no effect in correcting any wrong. My updates carry no social weight in effecting a societal change that I desire.

I wish some of these politicians would dissapear but that's wishful thinking.

There were other things that were happening in my personal life too that was going on during the Chinese New Year that I wanted to write about. I thought about it and it was just probably me rambling that no one cares (kind of like this post)

I've got a few days more to go.

Inspiration from local heroes

Over the past few days while I was self enforcing my own social media blackout, there was a few things that I experienced that I wanted to share. Since I don't consider this blog a social media, I guess that's one loophole I can take advantage of.

I had a change to interview Datuk Siti Nurhaliza. It was a brief interview in my office in between her hectic schedule.

Siti and me in 2014

The last time I saw her was in 2007.She looks the same but I've obviously put on a lot of weight since then.

Siti and me in 2007

She's an amazing lady. She's always friendly and finds the time to take photos with her fans. 

I also had the opportunity to meet Datuk Jimmy Choo. It was only a short interview but he spend more time talking to me. Such a nice guy.

He spends a lot of time traveling now promoting Malaysia. I think he's perfect for the job.

Social Media blackout

Dear readers,

It's been awhile since I wrote anything here. Over the past few years, I've been spending more time in Facebook and my other social media accounts.

It got to a point I would share almost anything on my Facebook account; from news articles I have read or things I've seen. Initially I choose to share in FB because it was more private and at least I know who would be reading it. With this blog, it is more public and some of my personal views are not fit for public viewing.

A few days ago, I realized that all the time I spend sharing in FB was probably a waste of time. I decided to stop posting to Facebook for a month to see if it is possible to give up this social media addiction.

Instead, I want to build up more personal one to one relationships/conversations with friends. 

Besides that, there are still things I would like to share so that is why I am turning to my blog again.

It doesn't matter if no one reads this. I just like writing and documenting my observation of life.

Hi

How are you?

Chung Wa Dae korean restaurant in Ampang

Couldn't decide what to have for dinner tonight so me and the wife decided to be adventurous and drive to Ampang and try a Korean restaurant I read about online.

The place was called Chung Wa Dae at One Ampang Avenue. Took me about half an hour of driving from PJ to get there. I took the longer route by using the DUKE highway and the MR2 but at least there was no jam.

After 30 minutes of driving and following my GPS, we finally got to the little korean town in Ampang. There were many Korean and Iranian shops in the area.

There was already a few people waiting for a table outside the restaurant, so at least that's a good sign that the place was popular. Even with so many competition along the same row of shops, theirs was the only restaurant with a long queue waiting outside. After 15 minutes of waiting we finally got our table.

Before we were shown to our table, the lady boss took our order. We decided on the RM88++ set of pork, grill eel and prawns.

The place was packed, the decor looks dated. It looks like they have been in business for many years and didn't have the time to refresh the decor.

There was a large LCD TV at the back which was playing a concert by PSY in Korea. I was totally distracted by the TV. I was watching the concert on TV and Gangnam Style came on. The crowd just went wild. The guy isn't very good looking but man... he's a really good entertainer. It looked like a fantastic concert.

Anyway, after 5 minutes, the condiments arrived. Here's some of the photos.

 This one is my favourite. It's cockles in spicy sauce. Not many Koreans restaurants in Malaysia have it.

 Some wierd Spring Onion salad with spicy dressing.

 The usual spicy sausage. This one has been soaking in the sauce too long, the sausage was too soft.

Another usual fare, fried anchovies.

 They had century eggs, this was something different.

 Potatoes, I like this.

 Some wierd tasteless jelly. There's spicy sauce on it but the jelly was tasteless. It was odd having dessert with chilies on it.

 This was the marinated grilled eel. It's the same style as how the Japanese do it.

 We had a small bean paste soup too. It was quite nice.

 

Our prawn. Only one wasn't fresh. The rest was nicely grilled.

I took some videos of the pork being grilled but taking forever to upload into here so I'll skip that. The pork wasn't marinated either so nothing to shout about.

We had another kimchi soup, it was more sour than I what I was expecting.

Overall, the bill came up to RM106 for 2 person. Not bad considering there was prawn and eel also.

Anyway, good meal but I probably won't drive to Ampang again for it.