So the other day, while at a new restaurant with Rebecca Saw, a food blogger, I remarked “You know what? I think I should start food blogging”.

Rebecca Saw then choked on her drink.

And I was like “Dear, I know you’re a damn popular food blogger, but doesn’t mean I can’t try okay”.

I think the emoticon that best describes me is (-_-)

Anyway she eventually relented, and the following pictures in this post were taken with her camera. Just kidding, Rebecca’s cool. In fact, the first time we met was a foodie gathering more than a year ago. Since then she’s been a source of good food, and I’ve long since forgiven her for inviting me to try the terrible, terrible chicken rice in a certain outlet in Damansara Utama.

Anyway, the scene of the above conversation was none other than The Pink Sage. Newly opened about 3 days ago in Solaris Dutamas, The Pink Sage was formerly in the rather obscure area of Capital Square. I think it’s a good move for them.

Don’t let the “Solaris” part fool you. This isn’t in the usual Solaris Mont Kiara, but in Solaris Dutamas, which is further down the road (not walking distance).

I’m telling you this so you don’t make the same mistake I did. Park in Solaris, then walk around trying to find the place only to find out that it’s not in Solaris.

Anyway, Solaris Dutamas is rather new, but its vincinity to the hip areas of Solaris and Plaza Mont Kiara should ensure that it gets populated pretty soon. Right now, Solaris Dutamas isn’t too crowded (in fact, rather empty), but the upside of that is of course, it’s easy to find parking.

Anyway, on to surface impressions.

Deco is notable. Probably best described as modern, with old time kitsch thrown in. Tasteful use of wood textures, and a refreshingly high ceiling. Comfy, presumably custom made leather seats, presumably expensive.

Not entirely related. But my new iPhone case matches well with the classy wood texture of the tables.

Outside seats

Nice seats. Comfortable too.

Note the vintage posters and the attractive woman at the counter

The operations director of The Pink Sage, who is also an avid tweeter (@thepinksage) is a slim, pretty, presumably Malay lady named Noreen. If you check out The Pink Sage tell her your discovered it through this blog,  Josh.my. You can also tell her that I’ll like to ask her out sometime.

Me and Rebecca were one of the three groups dining there at the time. The other one was a whole family of 7 and a group of 3 friends.

The water at The Pink Sage is free, as water should be. (Context: My family recently paid RM15 for 3 bottles of water at Hilton PJ, wtf).  The classy glass bottles also have cute messages scrawled on them.

And speaking of drinks, one of the things you should definitely try is the Strawberry Malt. It was very good - a very natural tasting blend of strawberries and milk, with bits of strawberry left in it.

You know how fake strawberry usually tastes like? The type in cheap Neapolitan ice cream? Well, the one there didn’t taste like that at all!

It was damn awesome. You drink the Strawberry Malt, and small bits of strawberry will slip into your mouth. It seems to have been blended at the right consistency. This one you definitely must try.

Left: Strawberry Malt: Good! / Right: Passionfruit Something whatever = Not Good

Tabasco Garlic Pepper Edition. I'm still undecided.

The drink you must not try, unless you like drinks that leave weird aftertastes is the Passionfruit Kiwi Mango Smoothie (RM12.50). It’s an exotic combination, but it tasted too much like starfruit for my liking. (I hate starfruit). And it left an aftertaste that took a while to come off. To its credit it tastes healthy. If you are one of those people that like to drink wheatgrass and chlorophyll, funny tasting things that are good for you, maybe you should give it a try. Then again, I do like wheatgrass and chrlorophyll but I stil didn’t like the Passionfruit Kiwi Mango. Neither did Rebecca, we left the drink unfinished.

They have a special Tabasco sauce here. It’s interesting, but I probably would like to try it a couple of times more before I come to a conclusion. Overall its stronger than the usual Tabasco.

Service is good. I wouldn’t say it’s just Rebecca knows the operations director there, but the rest of the staff that attended to us were quite quick and efficient.

Music played there is reggae and light hip hop. Good choices of song selections, although I’m not usually a fan of the genre.

If you are a reader of josh.my, there is a very high chance you drink alcohol. And yes, there is beer here. Tiger, Corona’s, Beck’s, Heineken and Leffe. I didn’t drink that night, but I probably will come back and try the Leffe. Mainly because I’ve never tried Leffe or heard of it before. Btw you can also bring your own wine (no corkage implied) until they have their own winelist. They actually suggest you to do that on the menu.

Anyway, on to the food: I went for the Stacked Breakfast Set (RM17.50) with lamb sausage. I’m not a fan of lamb as a sausage (though I do like lamb with mint sauce or Middle Eastern style), but I ordered it to be less “boring” because I’m usually either a chicken or pork guy.

Perhaps this is not the best angle to photograph a sausage. The replacement chicken sausage was thick, juicy and delicious!

Didn’t quite like it (the lamb sausage), but Rebecca informed me it was usually better (she’s been before when the outlet was at Cap Square). It was good that the staff were accomodating, and agreed to replace it with chicken sausage. The chicken sausage was excellent.

As for the rest of the dish, the eggs (ordered scrambled), streaky beef brisket, mushrooms and baked beans were done very well. Not too sure about the bread though.

Personally I think the normal white bread (or something more crisp instead of chewy) goes better with this kind of dish. But all in all, a good item for breakfast.

Rebecca ordered the (menu item name) which came with nachos and avocado. This was good, and was as tasty as it looks here.

Overall? Give The Pink Sage a try. They’re an honest outlet with reasonable prices that would benefit from a larger audience. Prices are reasonable, and you can have a good meal, a drink and a soup for RM30-50 per person. It’s accessible enough to bring your family with the menu selection they have, and classy enough to bring your mistress too. Not at the same time lah though.

Anyway, I’ll definitely be back to The Pink Sage to review the rest of the items. And try the Chocolate Malt too.

Disclaimer: Not a paid review, and food was paid for like a normal customer would pay. Thanks to Rebecca who bought me dinner (see, I’m a supporter of equal rights for women). No la actually, it was a treat for me helping her fix up her blog.

So what did you think of my first food review? Comments please

Remember to rate it here yeah?

Bonus: If you like props, Owl City and plasticine:

Original article here, translation below by Google Translate and refined/reworded by Josh Lim. And of course, see this post for more about the issue. And if anything, let me know if my translation is accurate.

Beware Of Mixed Marraiges

PUTRAJAYA 25 February - The young people, especially artistes/celebrities are reminded to think ‘thousands of times’ before having a mixed marraige because studies have shown that the success rate is only 3:10.

Minister of Information, Arts and Heritage, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim, said scientific studies conducted by several members of sociology in this country between 1995 and 1998 found that in out of  10 mixed marriages, only three succeeded.

In fact, he said, failure is very significant when mixed marriages involving partners from those of White/Caucasian descent.

But “intermarriage in Malaysia involving the men and women who are non-Muslims who later converted to Islam to marry is very successful compared to those who marry foreigners from the west.

“This (mixed marraiges) has become normal, so, young people especially artistes can take instructive example of this and if you want to scrutinize this study that comes with a guide, you can get from the civil registration of marriage records storage sharia in Johor and the Federal Territory, “he said to Utusan Malaysia today.

Rais was asked his opinion regarding the marraige problems of  actress Maya Karin, 31, who reportedly does not stay with her husband anymore.

The beautiful actress who confirmed the matter said, her household problems with her husband, Steven David Shorthose or Muhammad Ali, 41, of Italy are their own mistakes because they do not realize the cultural differences factor when they were in love.

Refusing to directly comment on the matter faced by Maya Karin, Rais, an expert of the Federal Constitution and legislation, said that there are many challenges faced by mixed couples who seek to marry.

“The failure of marriage is caused by cultural differences, religion and how a person in raised by their respective countries”

“Most marriages are based more on “short term love”, and after a brief period, people will return to the culture and religion that they were born into, “he said.

In law terms is, Rais said that “a mixed marriage couple is expected to face quite serious problems if their marraige dissolves”

“It is not easy to get citizenship in Malaysia, the question here is that it is easier if it involves a woman marrying a Malaysian man than the other way around.”

“This is due to citizenship regulations in Section 16 and 17 of the Federal Constitution that the consideration is based on the patriachy (male), and not the matriachy (female). ”

He said “What is even more worrying about mixed marraiges, especially if the couple has children involved, then the father will take the  children back to England and Europe, and regarding this matter, a failed mixed-marraige, it is better if they don’t have children.”

Okay, maybe I didn’t really meet him. No I didn’t get to talk to him. But as you can see I got close enough to take a picture. Hahaha.

Notice someone with male progressive baldness on the bottom right? Yes, it's him. Rais Yatim!

If you’ve been on Twitter and are following more than 10 Malaysians, chances are you’ve heard of the #yorais hashtag. Heck, the world has heard of it. It’s Malaysia’s second ever trending topic on Twitter. (Rais Yatim has Net users boiling, creates global sensation).

In short, Rais Yatim is “famous” on Twitter because of several things that he has said, and some unwise actions. As you can guess, these are unpopular opinions. These include:

1. “Twitter and Facebook are tools of the west and can erode Malaysian culture”
2. Making anti-communist statements just as PM Najib was visiting China. Not very smart for bi-lateral relations.
3. Prying open a safe left by Tunku Abdul Rahman without informing the late Tunku’s children, or the person that discovered it.
4. And most recently he mentioned “7 out of 10 mixed marraiges end in failure. Learn from that. Don’t marry white guys.” (Okay I am paraphrasing but that’s what he is clearly implying.)

To his credit, he has said some things that make sense. Check out the article, he talks about how religion has to be balanced in government schools, and how teachers in government schools need to be improved. And also, that local radio stations must play songs by local bands.

And well, possibily the most truthful one of all:

“Rais: Malaysians aware of online laws but just don’t obey them.”

Yeah, because you’re setting the rules right. How to obey stupid rules? Yo Rais, remember Samy Vellu increased the speed limit because Malaysians kept breaking them? Maybe you should take a cue from him.

But Rais Yatim saying things that make sense, is rare.

Anyway, the #yorais hashtag has recently become popular again, due to Rais’s recent comments on mixed marraiges. They can best be described as misinformed, which is ironic for a Minister of Information.

From Utusan Malaysia:

Menteri Penerangan, Komunikasi dan Kebudayaan, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim berkata, kajian ilmiah yang dilakukan oleh beberapa ahli sosiologi di negara ini antara 1995 hingga 1998 mendapati dalam setiap 10 perkahwinan campur, hanya tiga berjaya.

Malah, kata beliau, kegagalan perkahwinan campur amat ketara apabila melibatkan pasangan dari kalangan warga kulit putih atau mat saleh.

”Tetapi perkahwinan campur di Malaysia melibatkan si lelaki atau wanita dari kalangan bukan Islam yang kemudiannya memeluk Islam begitu berjaya berbanding kahwin campur dengan warga asing dari barat ini.

”Ini sudah jadi lumrah, jadi, orang muda termasuk kalangan artis boleh mengambil iktibar ini dan sekiranya mahu menelaah kajian ini yang turut dilengkapi dengan panduan, anda boleh mendapatkannya daripada bahagian pendaftaran perkahwinan sivil dari rekod simpanan syariah di Johor dan Wilayah Persekutuan,” katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia hari ini.

Rais ditanya pandangan beliau berhubung keretakan rumah tangga aktres Maya Karin, 31, yang dilaporkan sudah tidak sebumbung dengan suaminya.

Summary in English: Rais Yatim says that according to some sociology study, only 3 in 10 mixed marriages work. The rest fail. He says that it becomes worse if it is an ORANG PUTEH! (white man) Here’s where the statement gets funny: He says that other marriages are okay (to other races, who then embrace Islam because they married a Muslim), but the with the ORANG PUTEH BARAT (white people from the white west world)  it doesn’t work. He then goes on to summarize that young people should take it as an example.

As an appropriate visual aid, here’s a picture of Maya Karin, to give you some context.

MAYA KARIN: RAIS YATIM DOES NOT WANT YOU TO MARRY THIS WOMAN!

Er, okay, now I need your focus back. Let me continue…

Here’s his thought process:

1. Maya Karin’s marriage is on the rocks.

2. Maya Karin is in a mixed marraige. (an Italian, Steven David Shorthose)

3. Thereby all mixed marriages will end in failure.

This makes as about much sense as this:

Logic Fallacy

Let’s say one thing. Maya Karin herself is the product of a mixed marraige.

Her parents are still together.

And well, Rais Yatim’s son, Dino Rais (probably named after Rais’s prehistoric pet that he had back then) is currently being sued for not performing his duties as a husband. Also, perhaps the fact that he divorced his wife BY SMS of all things might have something to do with it.

Perhaps he should talk to his son first about the sanctity of marriage before telling Malaysians who to marry.

It’s funny that that Rais Yatim didn’t think of a variety of other reasons why celebrity mixed marraiges fail in Malaysia:

1. Celebrities are subject to a higher amount of media scrutiny than most. Buying groceries is tough enough, let alone sustaining a marriage.
2. Converting to a religion for someone you love may not always work out well in the long run.
3. An increasing amount of marriages in general are failing.
4. Beautiful people have more options.
5. The younger generation in general do not feel the need to stay in unhappy marraiges as much as their parents before them.
6. The possibilities are endless!

Good luck Maya Karin. I hope things pan out well in your favour. It’s unfortunate that Rais Yatim capitalized on your distress to make an unsavory statement that Malaysians don’t agree with.

Let’s summarize this.

It seem that Rais Yatim is just jealous he didn’t get to marry Maya Karin.

"Josh Meets The Temptress" - Photo by Juin Hoo

To give you some context, I consider myself fortunate, although I do not have a fortune.

I grew up in SS2, Petaling Jaya. Both my parents work. I’ve always had a maid when I used to stay with my parents. I got to finish my secondary school education, and further education overseas was an option that my parents could afford. Chose not to go though. You could say I’m comfortably middle class.

Maybe even upper middle class. But we live a humble existence. No one in my family drives a car over RM150,000. No expensive jewellry. Terrace house, not bungalow.

You know, the whole “I once cried because I had no shoes, but then I saw a man with no feet” proverb?

One person once remarked that my family must be doing very well to be able to live in SS2. I found it surprising, because I thought it was “normal” and knew of people that lived in much classier areas. It did help put things in context.

Then again, I know I could do better financially, seeing some of the more wealthy people around me that I see regularly, because I’ve also heard of the counter to that proverb: “I once cried because I had no shoes, but then I saw a man with so many shoes that he had no time to wear them all. Then I cried great heaving sobs until I could no longer walk”.

And yes, although my surname is Lim, I am not related to either Lim Goh Tong or Lim Kok Wing. Here are the stories.

Read from it what you wish, but they are all true.

Story 1: Sex Drives

There was this time, 1-2 years ago. Simple story: Met this girl through a friend, she was pretty damn cute. Her name, demeanour, reminded me of a certain Asian Youtube star who does this really cute makeup tutorials. Things seemed to be going well, we seemed to be hitting things off on the phone, online etc, flirting in the clubs, etc. Then I picked her up for our first date in my car a few days later.

Would I get a dream girl to go with my dream car?

I didn’t see her much after that, not for lack of trying and I didn’t know why.

I was curious, so a few months later I talked to her friend. I found out through a friend that she’s used to dating guys with expensive cars and that “my car was the reason”. It seemed to be a pre-requisite of sorts.

Later on I found out that she was mad that her friend told me the reason (the friend eventually confessed to her that she told me), because it made her sound shallow.

But she did not give any other reason.

For some reason, I met one of her ex-boyfriends recently, a handsome chap, which she left for someone else recently too.

To her credit, she lives in a small place which can be best described as the outskirts of town. It’s far. Perhaps she was looking for a knight in a shiny white expensive car to rescue her from her humble existence. Not a boy in a Proton. I don’t blame her, but it was then easier to forget her given that she’ll judge me based on something like that.

My car, is a humble car la. It runs, it has tires and all windows are intact. And it’ll do for now.

As an entrepreneur, sometimes you have to make a decision that how people perceive you is less important than what you actually have (or will have in future). While the curious side of me wonders what is the minimum effective type of vehicle needed to date her (eg Civic can? Second hand Audi can? Above RM160,000 can?), knowing her reason, made it easier for me to just fuggedaboutit.

Suggested additional reading from this blog: The Mistress, The BMW and The Lesson.

Story 2: Ambition & Skill Of The 3 Ex-Boyfriends

This was her favourite soft toy. His name is Checkers. He is a little dog, not a bear.

5 years ago. I was but a young boy, albiet one with my own business.

She was an advertising account executive, older than me by a bit, a Subang girl, and sometime reality TV star. (There was a precursor to Malaysian Dreamgirl, similiar in concept).

She was also my longest-term ever girlfriend. While the relationship had its up and downs, I think deep down we really did love each other at some point.

She said this to me, which I still remember clearly:

“My first boyfriend, he no ambition but no skill, so I doubted he could go anywhere”.

“My second boyfriend, he had ambition but no skill, and after a while I lost faith”.

“And you, my third boyfriend, the reason I’m with you is because you seem to possess both”.

I remember taking her shopping often enough, but she ended up leaving me for a white expat living in designer condo in KL.

He was very much below her usual standards lookswise (I’ve seen her ex-boyfriends), so it doesn’t take too much to guess the reason why she traded me in for an older, fatter boyfriend.

To her credit, marriage and a “stable guy” was important to her. Last I heard she’s hit 30, not married, but in a relationship. But not with that expat guy.

Story 3: The Career Question From The Girl Across The Table

If you ask stupid questions, sometime buying me a drink helps.

12 years ago. Meeting a girl for the first time. It was at the then Chill Club in Phileo Damansara. Which was pretty happening in it’s day. I remember the conversation went this way, after a few words in:

Girl: So what do you do?
Me: I’m a freelance web designer. (this was true at the time).
Girl: Oh, so you don’t have a steady income?
Me: (I forgot what I said to this…but don’t blame me, hello what would you say to this?)
Girl: “said something, wasn’t too comfortable”

In retrospect, I should have said something like “Oh, so you don’t have any manners?”. But I remember not saying anything in particular, and I remember right after that (to her credit) she bought me a drink. I think she felt guilty for being rude. Especially because she was talking to me from across the table.

But it’s not too hard to see what she was thinking. She seemed interested (perhaps from a physical viewpoint - I used to be a lot fitter okay) - but it was pretty obvious that she was looking for someone with money, from what she inadvertedly blurted out. I didn’t bother asking for her number.

Suggested additional reading from this blog: Ask Josh! How Much Should Dating Cost Nowadays?

Story 4: The New Girl

Dear, I guess I don't need to give you a thousand of these right? :)

I met another girl recently in the past week. I think she’s special. The chemistry was pretty incredible. The way we met and what we discovered about each other seems beyond chance. And I think we’re gonna go out on our first date very soon. She said something to me that really made sense the first time she saw me.

Let’s say that even though she’s young, she’s experienced quite a bit of heartbreak. And despite what she’s been through in the the past, she strikes me as smart, funny and level-headed. She’s not conventionally pretty, but she is beautiful.

Here’s what she said to me:

“I want a rich guy. But I don’t want him to be rich yet when he meets me first”.

“I want to be with him as he grows rich”.

You know what? I can live with that.

Because honey, dammit, I want to be rich too in time as much as you want me to.

And I want to be marry and get old, fat and rich with you, or a girl who thinks like you, dear. Because then, that’ll be worth it.

Josh,

Im considering breaking up with my girlfriend but Im unsure. Shes perfect for me in almost every way, but I wish she could be more outgoing in daily activities (Shes quiet and never cares what we do) and bed (she usually just lets me do everything).

It would be better if she initiated some “activites” or would be “sexier” for me. I want to break up because i want to find someone closer to perfection then her, but if i do i cant go back and may regret my decison. This is a 2 part question, should i stay with her, and if so how do i tell her to be more outgoing?

thanks for your time

Josh says: You do not realize the possibility that you might never have anything better than her right? Here’s a 2 part retort to your 2 bit question. And yes, I am trying to be helpful even while judging you.

Guys like you are presumptuous assholes. I don’t know if you’ve had the benefit of having many choices for your whole life, but I seem to be getting the impression that you don’t, and you got lucky with this girl.

You seem ungrateful for something which sounds pretty damn good already. It’s like asking God for cheese dip to go along with your manna from heaven. Or getting a Porsche for your birthday, and whining because you didn’t get a pair of sports rims to go with it.

Anyway…

An appropriate visual aid. In this picture of Maria Ozawa, she looks a bit like Megan Fox.Don't you think?

“should I stay with her?”

Yes, as long as she can stand being with you. Assuming you’ve been with her for a long time, do you honestly think there is an infinite world of better girls out there?

You do realize there is some kind of balance to life right - let’s say you find a more outgoing girl, chances are she will be not as attractive as your first one.

Or if you find one better in bed, chances are she might not be as faithful to you.

If there weren’t a balance to life, we would all be dating Megan Fox / Maria Ozawa lookalikes with great personalities, awesome in bed, but somehow still faithful and submissive.

Let’s face it. While a lot of us might want perfection, the majority of us (99.9999999999%) of us will never get to have sex with Megan Fox. Or in Maria Ozawa’s case, perhaps 99.999% will never get to have sex with her.

And really, which part of “she usually just lets me do everything in bed” is a problem???

If you need spontaneity, why don’t you give her a few suggestions, and then tell her to randomly do one the next time you do it. There’s always this too. You can read this too - Ask Josh “I no longer find my girlfriend sexy…”.

If your girlfriend looked like this, do you really care if she can get along with your friends or not? Seriously? Would you care? Seriously!

“how do i tell her to be more outgoing?”

This requires her changing her fundamental personality. Sure, it may be great to have a girlfriend you can bring out more often to meet more friends, but do you really need it?

There are some ways though - perhaps bring her to Toastmasters, or bring her to more parties, and see if it awakens a more sociable side of her. Functions with alcohol helps.

But if you do it for a few weeks and you find it doesn’t work, just give up.

Remember, more outgoing also means more likely to cheat on you.

Perhaps she can’t be changed.

Perhaps she doesn’t need to be changed.

And perhaps, she’s good enough for you as she is right now.

But are you good enough for her?

ENGLISH VERSION:

It’s not a giant leap of imagination that praising certain thing’s attributes does not mean that other things are inadequate. Neither does a statement that could apply to a lot of people, apply directly to you. Nothing wrong saying you don’t like something or praising something right? No need to take it personally.

I remember a mini blog/forum war that erupted over me. Think it was about 4 years ago. It was due to me doing a guest post on this female blogger’s blog (it used to be a pretty popular blog, you won’t be able to find this post). In the post I referred to some people “as sad people who have nothing better to do than read this all day”. For some reason, some forum people (the forum is gone now btw) took offense. Okay, so they were big fans of this female blogger la.

But seriously…Hello! Not talking about you. Why you “terasa?”

The forumites then started discussing my personal life, speculating if I was romantically involved with the blogger, my parents, my web design business and how to “gunny sack” me and whack me up. It was freaking hilarious. Even more funny than the time I had a gay admirer openly professing his love for me on the Klue message boards. I was doing theatre that time, which is understandable, but that is a story for another time.

This is why you shouldn’t take offense for no reason. It’s like this, here’s an example:

Figure 1: This is a SOHAI driver. Pic from ahfook.krova.com

*Teacher walks into class*

Teacher: All the SOHAI in the class, please stand up!
Ah Beng: *Stands up angrily* Why you call me a SOHAI!
Teacher: Aiyo…who say you are a SOHAI, you’re a SOHAI only because you stood up! Aijojo!
Ah Beng: “…” *nothing to say*

Lesson to learn: It may not apply to you, people might not even be talking about you…unless you say it.

Or to give another example:

This other girl was pretty popular too back then. She was a Malay female blogger blogging under a pseudonym (that you wouldn’t know unless you read the BM version, hint). At some point we were dating. She was hot, but that is irrelevant. Anyway, she once wrote about how much she hates mullets. You know, “rempit / redneck” style hair.

The post got lots of comments. One even went as far as to e-mail her: “But what’s wrong with my hair!??!”

Lesson to learn: So what if she doesn’t like your hair. It doesn’t apply ONLY to you, and she is entitled to her opinion. And it’s not as if she said it specifically about you, she said it about a group of people.

Please learn a lesson from these examples. Don’t take offense if you’re not supposed to. Don’t take something directed at a group of people personally. Because you end up looking stupid lah, and it’s usually your loss.

“Mereka yang rasa kecil hati atas pujian kepada orang lain atau mengambil hati atas pencacian sekumpulan orang, biasanya ada perasaan malu tentang diri”.

VERSI BAHASA KEBANGSAAN KITA YANG DISAYANGI, BAHASA MALAYSIA:

Tidak susah untuk difahami bahawa memberi pujiaan terhadap orang atau benda bukan bermakna benda lain tak bagus. Juga, jika satu pencacian dikatakan tentang segolombongan orang, tak patut kamu terasa sebagai individu.

Saya teringat 4 tahun lepas ada satu perkelahian di blog/forum yang telah bermula kerana saya kerana saya buat “guest post” di blog seseorang gadis. Dalam “guest post” itu, saya telah mengatakan satu perkara seperti “mereka yang takde kehidupan yang menarik sahaja yang akan duduk baca blog ini sepanjang hari”.

Pengguna forum itu amat marah! Mereka pun membincang hidup peribadi saya, keluarga saya, bisnes saya, dan berkata nak bungkus saya dalam guni dan belasah saya. Seronok betul saya baca forum itu. Amat lucu, lebih lucu daripada kali sebelum ini ada satu peminat seks rambang yang berkata dia amat menggemari saya di forum Klue. Pada masa itu saya seniman, berlakon di teater oleh itu mungkin sebabnya tetapi ini adalah cerita untuk lain kali.

Sepatutnya, mereka tak perlu ambil hati atas perkara macam ni. Bukannya katakan mereka pun, betul tak?

Contohnya:
*Cikgu masuk kelas*
Cikgu: Semua budak yang bermuka cibai, sila berdiri!
Abu: *Berdiri terus dengan marah* Kenapa kamu kata muka saya macam cibai!
Cikgu: Aduhai, kenapa kamu berdiri…saya kata hanya mereka yang bermuka cibai berdiri!
Abu: “…” *tak ada apa untuk cakap”

Ini yang dipanggil “terasa”. Ambil tunjuk ajar: Bukannya kamu…selain kamu berkata adalah kamu!

Satu lagi contoh:

Ada satu lagi blog ditulis oleh perempuan. Perempuan jelita dari Hartamas yang menggunakan nama samaran “Cherzleen”. Dia gadis yang seksi, dan kami telah berfoya-foya sebelum ini, tapi ini bukan fokus cerita. Di telah menulis satu blog post tentang kenapa dia tak suka stail rambut “mullet” yang dipaparkan oleh banyak “Mat Rempit”.

Figure 2: Gaya rambut "mullet".

Post itu dapat banyak komen! Adapun seorang yang yang e-mel kepada dia: “Kenapa la? Kenapa tak suka stail rambut saya?” Aiyo. Janganlah kisah tentang perkara macam ini.

Ambil tunjuk ajar: Jangan rasa kecil hati. Perempuan tu kata dia tak suka stail rambuat “mullet”. Bukan “saya tak suka stail rambut Abu Bakar dari Balakong yang berumur 23 tahun”.

Sila ambil tunjuk ajar dari cerita-cerita ini. Janganlah ambil hati jika tak perlu. Kerana, awak mungkin akan nampak bodoh dan malu. Dan biasanya, kamu yang rugi, jadi jangan memalukan diri.

Bonus Content untuk Mereka Yang Tahu Baca BM: Tahu tak? Malu dan kemaluan adalah perkara yang berbeza. Orang besar seperti Samy Vellu pun tak tahu. Dia telah bercakap “Kemaluan saya sangat besar!” di satu mesyuarat besar apabila dia ingin menunjukkan perasaan malu atas perkara yang telah berlaku.

This was the case he was talking about. From the Tali Tenang post.

Here are a few overdue Josh-related questions for the advice column of this blog, Ask Josh!™.

And here they are, in random order!

From “tau”:

“hey where did u get ur 3gs cover from and how much eh?”

Congratulations on your choice of phone, and your taste in covers. It’s called the iClooly Ring, it’s a bit thick but functional. You can get it at the Mac Shop (forgot which one, there are 2 I think) in The Gardens. It’s about RM99. See it here: http://www.iclooly.com/

From “nico”:

“hi..hi.. thanks for visiting my blog. yeah, can you give me any advise in my future career?? T-T”

Nico saw my talk at the recent Star Education Fair 2010  and blogged about it, which I then commented on. Read it here . The talk was also covered here on The Star.

Well, Nico, here’s are a few pointers:

Josh speaking at The Star Education Fair 2008

1. Don’t ever bring your mother or boyfriend to job interviews ever. This merits a whole post by itself, which I will probably post later. Over the past few years I have interviewed some people who did that. It shows that you are not independent.
2. Find out what you like to do, and chart out an acension path. Eg if you like hairdressing, aspire to have your own salon within 5 years or so. Or if you want to be a lawyer, find out how long you think it’ll take to become a partner of a firm or a director of your own law firm.
3. Especially on #2, think of how far you want to go and how much you want to study. I have a relative who is a doctor, but advises me against becoming a doctor because you have to study for 5 years, and serve the government for 2-3 years. That means by the time you go out and work you are almost 30 already.
4. Do you need to study to do your dream job? Or are you skilled enough, and need working experience?
5. What is your backup plan if you do not manage to do your first choice?
6. What can you afford? Education is getting more and more expensive. It’s best to make a choice that is justified.
7. Meet some industry people or take an internship to get a feel of your future job. Don’t make a decision without doing that first.
8. Start as early as possible. You don’t need to wait for college to start learning.
9. Work on your soft skills - presentation, talking, grooming, etc. These skills are beneficial no matter if you are an executive, a manager, a hairdresser or a lawyer.
10. Find something you can enjoy doing, OR something that you can see yourself doing (even if you don’t enjoy it that much) and enjoy the money earned.

and finally, from “Richie”:

“hai Josh..

Im richie. I just want to know how can i apply exclusivity for my Advertlets account?

Because it seems my blog has generate some amazing earnings with advertlets. I hope i can get a reply from u soon “

Sure thing Richie! (Nice name btw). You can drop an e-mail to asking about exclusivity, and they’ll take you through the process. Thanks for your interest in Advertlets

Btw, Richie has already been approved for Advertlets Titan exclusivity for both his blogs - RidzuanRichie.com and MatKepoh.com

You can submit new questions for Ask Josh!™ here.

Ever done this before? Flipped a coin? Btw “heads” (for Malaysian coins at least) is the side with an illustration covering the majority of the coin face. In the US, they usually have pictures of former presidents heads on the coins, hence it’s called “heads”.

On a related note, I have tossed a coin and got heads 10 times in a row before. Yes, I was asking on the answer to something. Freaky huh?

When faced with a difficult decision with two possibilities, flipping a coin might be just as good as long thought about it (and faster). I met two people once with very conflicting opinions on how to make decisions:

- One believed that it is best to make a decision fast, because anyway, “anything after you’ve made the decision is post-rationalization”.

- Another believed that its best to take time to make a decision, even if you lose money over it as the additional time bought to make the decision is worth it.

Which would you agree on?

And something else, that’s always been there and you might not have realized about your humble mouse (assuming it has three buttons). Yes, the wheel is a button as well. And did you know it can do something special?

The one above…so obvious, but I didn’t know until now. And I bet many people don’t! This should save me quite a bit of time when I’m browsing on my Streamyx / Firefox. I usually have about 8-10 tabs open…and quite frequently have to scroll the tab lists. This may make me spawn even more tabs. Hahah. More helpful hints soon!

Don’t know whether I mentioned this earlier, but the place of the auditions was the rooftop of Lot 10 - best known for having Rootz, Teeq & The Actors Studio. You can also see Celebrity Fitness visible from the rooftop garden. Very picturesque place indeed with lots of greenery.

Not pictured here are also two Hitz.FM deejays (JJ and Rudy dropped by), as well as someone who requested I not post her picture because she took leave for the day, and doesn’t want her colleagues/boss to know, ahaha!

Here’s a collage of some of the many interesting people I met/snapped.

I also met this year’s Miss Malaysia, but no photos. The conversation went something like this.

Me: Hey, I know I’ve seen you before. FHM Girl Next Door? Some Pageant? Where ah?
Thanuja: Mm, probably not there…
Me: Oh, yes! Not I remember, at the Veuve Clicquot champagne  party a couple of months ago! Hmm, but where do I know you from?
Thanuja: Well, I’m this year’s Miss Malaysia.
Me: Oh cool! Sorry about that. embarassed. Er, can I have a picture?
Thanuja: Pageant rules say no pictures, sorry. *

* Got such a thing mer? Not that I know of…

Anyway…that aside…

Lastly, the cutest outfit award goes to this petite lass, Sarah Hildebrand! She wasn’t auditioning, but she dropped by to support a friend. I couldn’t find my lighter, (because I smoke, duh) and got a light from her (because she was smoking…hot. Ahaha.) She’s Pan-Asian, and I think she has an interesting eyebrow pattern. You can follow her on Twitter here: @SarahHildebrand

Turns out she’s as talkative and bubbly as she looks…apparently she recently came back to Malaysia recently from the States, and this is one of her favourite hoodies (and presumably her favourite sports team). Nice to meet you, Sarah!

Here’s another pic of Sarah. Remember what I said about the eyebrows?

And as a special surprise, here’s a very different picture of Sarah (yes, it’s her in a rather Lady Gaga-esque photo shoot). Goes to show that you don’t have to be tall and lanky to be stunning:

And another:

Okay, that’s all! For more you can visit Hanie’s blog (I used her camera to take the pics here).