Tribute to my Papa...

A great dad, loving husband, heroic brother and steadfast friend and comrade...

Lt. Col Chua Hong Kang

29.1.1945 - 21.6.2009

Dedicated to my Papa....

This was my eulogy...

My Papa… Chua Hong Kang

I would like to tell everyone a little story of what life with my dad has been like…. Just to share some fond memories we have growing up with him and living with him…

My dad has lived a very rich and accomplished life. His one aim in life was to join the army and he did so regardless of the objections and obstacles in his path… and I can truly say he has never regretted it one bit…

He was in service for 30 years of his life and during those years, he has touched many a hearts and is fondly remember by his comrades.. He served the armour core faithfully and full of pride. As many of his comrades may know, my dad was a through and through armour boy inside and out for the whole of his life. His life was the military…

His life was all about observing rules… and he was even strict about us observing rules, so much so that we were even taught proper table etiquettes when we were young… Stir your tea clockwise, scoop your soup outwards, do not leave your spoon in the cup while drinking… we were very well manner kids… :)

For us, growing up in the military has given us many experiences which otherwise we would never have had… As much as him, we cherished the many wonderful and unique experiences we have had as we moved with him from camp to camp. We have fond memories of our experiences taking rides in army landrover without air cond and wet cushions… (you never know what you would get when you get off… a wet skirt is highly probable… (I myself loved lowering the tailgate to let ppl in and out) and three-tonners, pajero, and ….. having a batman around whom we would charm to help wash our school shoes only to get scolded by mum…. Not many kids are fortunate to have these sorts of experiences in their childhood. To play around tankers, have actual hideaways in the forest or even the simple fact that we were surrounded by green uniformed pakciks who were all so doting on us…

As we move from camp to camp, we got to know many people who have been nice and friendly to us. It seems no matter where we went everyone knew our dad… how odd… my dad was very popular… :D and til today still is as popular as ever…

As much as we loved those times while my dad was in the service, my mum also had many stories to share like the time when she had tea with the Agung... truly, how many ppl would ever have such chances.. not forgetting the fellowship of friends she had with all the other wives from BAKAT… they would share recipes, handicraft techniques… while the husband was supposedly working, the wives got to enjoy each other's company and had many activities… Those memories of days while my dad was in the service will always stay rooted in our hearts and minds…

My dad is an avid sportsman, and he has a deep passion for sports. Fortunately, the army has provided him with a great number of opportunities to realize his passion for sports. My dad wind surfed,parachutes, sky dives, plays squash, hockey, and even golf. Wednesday in the army is golf day!!! Not even when he injured his back while parachuting and was stung by a jellyfish while wind surfing would deter him from pursuing his interest in both. He always tried to share his joy for sports with us…We would go to the seaside to see him surf trying to spot him out in the ocean.. I would tag along with him to the squash court on his motorbike.. He would even bring us to watch him parachuting…My sisters told me about this little ball my dad gave them which you would stuff a parachute in and when you throw it in the air, when it falls the chute with open… Wonder why I never got one…hmm… I must complain to my dad later… Did I mention the time he wanted us to learn how to swim better? Guess what he did… He brought us to the Olympic size dive pool and just threw us in the water.. then he told the life guard "Jangan bagi dia orang pegang tepi".. and so everytime we went to the wall to hold on, the guard would knock ours fingers with his whistle telling us to continue swimming… there were even frogs in that pool!!! and that was how we honed our swimming skills.. However none of his children has inherited his passion and talent for sports. Ehem, we did try… Ai May even cried during a session of squash…. Thank God we inherited his brains… :) (or so he always say but mum would beg to differ)

My dad is also a huge Tiger Woods and MU supporter. He would dress from head to toe like tiger wood if he could… and guess what, my dad was featured on the same page as Tiger Woods in the sports section of the Star newspapers yesterday… he would have been real happy to know… As for MU, he would catch every match there was, live, repeated, 3am in the morning… it didn’t matter when or where he would by hook or by crook be home to watch it…no sleep also never mind… but then whenever he watches them live, they will often lose and I would win the bet!! I always bet on whatever team that plays against them… We would start off watching the game together, I will doze off, when the game is over if MU won my dad would immediately wake me up to announce… If they lost, he kept quiet and left me on the couch…. So cruel… :(

Ai Li, just outright discouraged him totally from watching them and instead was bent on converting my dad into a Taiwan, Korean, and Japanese serial watcher… in the end she succeeded and it became our family pastime. There was even a particular serial, my dad would wait for my sis to come home and say "Ai Li, lets watch the show!!". My dad the non Chinese speaking fella watching Korean… go figure… After that we went out for Korean food as well…. Full package..!!!

My dad's other passions was food. He loves good food, in particular Chinese and Japanese food. He would search high and low for the best Char Siew in town supposedly and bring us there to try it out…He Initially, he only enjoys tempura, but we subsequently "trained" him to enjoy a wider variety of Japanese food, for example, sashimi. Not forgetting his Kaki Furai…. Which is his special dish only shared with Ai Li…. (these high colestrol ppl…) *shakes head*

His army training has influenced his expectations for neat and smart dressing. He insists that his pants and shirt must be ironed in such a way that there is only one line. And shoes must be polished till mirror finish!! Only my mum could get the lines on the shirts and pants and my dad has given up trying to get me to iron his clothes for him… The lines would miraculously multiply… Perhaps arising from his long years in the army, after he left the army, he was particularly "adventurous" in his dressing. He is all for colours… pink, yellow, purple…. Anything goes…as long as we have bought him a matching tie… Everytime we bought him a tie, he would insist on going shopping the next day to buy a matching shirt… 1 shirt, 1 tie… no more, no less…


As a father, we remember him as someone who was always there when you need him the most. Someone who is always cool under pressure. Unlike my mom, papa was an oasis of calm. Therefore, whenever any of his daughters get into trouble (for example in car accidents), we always call him first to help us out, to avoid being lectured by our mom. He was also the one we go and manja to when he got a bruise somewhere… papa will always urut for us… :)

My dad is a strict father. He is strict in how we should dress… No too low or revealing tops… (his statement would be "wah! So sexy ar?" that means a non approval)… He even imposed curfews on me starting for 6pm and that was when he finally agreed to let me out of the house… which was in form 5… He is strict about punctuality…especially when it comes to bf picking us up.... You must be at the house door on time or you would get his stamp of disapproval… And no boy is good enough for his daughter… he will always put up this fierce look to scare them… and scared they would be… I think they would drop 20 pumping if he asked.. :D

My dad will always remember all our birthdays because we remind him one month in advance to book his calendar. Ai li in particular reminds him a month in advance, a week advance, then 3 days, then 2 then 1… my dad never had a chance to forget…

Above all, my dad has always said that his three daughters are the biggest accomplishment in his life. Or at least we ensure that he says that when we are present… :) He has always been very proud of his three angels, and we know this from his actions.

As a loving husband, even after 36 years of marriage, my dad never fails to give my mom a kiss and hug before he goes off to work. I have always felt that, that was the sweetest gesture ever.. He also always says my mom's cooking and baking is the best. Everyone else is second class… But above all, he is always there in moments when it matters the most. My dad is always the first my mum would call whenever she was in some trouble… car broke down, house phone cannot call out… anything goes… Dad to the rescue!! But my fondest story to tell was of how they met and got attracted to each other… My dad was in this red t-shirt which caught my mum's attention and my mum was in a mini skirt showing off her fantastic legs which my dad fell for immediately… :D

As a friend my dad was steadfast and loyal…to everyone lucky enough to be his friend, I think he has shown what a true friend is like… We were told by one of his friends on how my dad saved his wife's life… His wife was in ICU in need of 34 pints of blood and my dad was first in line to donate and he also made all his staff donate as well just to make up the numbers.. my dad was a man of actions when it came to his friendship. It's not just talk only…

My father was a brave man. He has fought for his country and won all the time. He has also fought bravely throughout his illness and it has never stopped him from living his life to the fullest.

My dad will always be the silent figure in the background, supporting and encouraging us in whatever we do. We know that he will continue to watch over us.

He is a man of principles, integrity and discipline… He is a very meticulous and organized man. He has taught us to differentiate right from wrong, taught us to live with integrity…Told us it wasn’t wrong to have strong principles… To always stand tall in adversity… MY Papa has always been and will always be the 'bestest' dad in the world!!! Always…. I would like to think that for all those whom have known him, they would think of him a great man as well....

I am such a teeny bopper...

Yeap...you read it right... at the ripe old age of almost 28 years, I am still a teeny bopper at heart... Why? I dont know why... I just am...

I just watched Hannah Montana the Movie and I liked it!! Not shy to say it either... haha!! If you gave me another Lizzie McGuire the Movie, I would watch it too... Happily pay the RM12 to watch it in the cinema...

I myself am not sure why I am such a teeny bopper but I suppose I enjoy watching such movies... Simple story lines which teaches us a lesson in life... I like the simple love stories which only seem to exist is the love life of teenagers apparently... haha!!

There is also 2 particular songs I like in the movie, the first is 'The Climb' and the second is 'Butterfly'... at least I think that is the title of the second one... It's a story sung by the daughter for the father which I felt was pretty sweet and touching...

I am just such a sucker for such stuff.... Even cried during some scenes in the movie... yea yea..I am hopeless... hehe!! But I am happy being hopeless... :p

The act that instilled fear....

Yesterday, 4th June 2009, my baby bolster died... :(

My mum was having her bouts of spring cleaning and decided to give my bolster a few hard whacks to shoo away any dustmites that might have been there... In the act of doing so, she murdered my bolster because the the skin of my bolster was already old and frail and it could not take the hard blows by my mum... so it just split and it's inerts started spilling out... It was truly a sad day... I have had the bolster since I was a wee little baby and have hugged it with me so such a very long time.... I hope it died feeling well loved... :)

What made the act worse was that it was done with the witness of some of my other frens which were sitting quietly on my bed... upon seeing the cruel act, everyone feared for their life... They were worried that if they misbehaved that they would get the same treatment and their inerts would be exposed as well... So one by one started lining up along the wall and stood real still... "sshhh.... if we stand real still she wont notice us... " they stood so still they were hardly breathing... There were just worried if they made any wrong moves, that it would be their lives next...

But dont they look adorable squeezing in fear...? hehe!! my cute story of the day....

Isuzu Duramission - Day 3 & 4

Day 3 - Lawas to Maliau Basin

We left Lawas at about 0930 hrs and headed to Keningau..... Not an eventful journey as it was all on tarmac...

We did stop at a coffee factory in Tenom to have a cuppa local coffee as well as buy some coffee... it was actually quite good.. the chilled coffee was yum!!

We then head on to this absolutely beautiful lookout point which was a sight to behold... I was honestly surprised at how the crew managed to find such a huge piece of empty land with such breathtaking view for our photo-op session...

We then stopped for lunch at Keningau and made a fuss around the Toyota roadshow... that was entertaining... We just circled the roadshow and the entire convoy started honking... :D After lunch, the fun part for me began... I requested to take over the wheel on our Single Cab coz I just wanted to drive so badly.. I kept sleeping as a possenger in the Recovery 01 vehicle... So on I hopped onto the Single Cab... The radio/walkie talkie session was so much fun... there was jokes and pokes being thrown here and there... it was just a fun ride... :D Not as boring as the radio in the Recovery vehicle which sole consist of what model and make of vehicle was coming at us at what speed...*boring!!*

After all the tarmac road... finally we came to the exit towards Maliau and onto an unfinished highway which was all sand and stone... It was a dusty drive from there onwards with visibility almost down to nil...you can hardly see the vehicle in front of you much less anything else... It was just dust dust and more dust and the painful experience of listening to rocks hitting your vehicle body so often... The amount of dents was unimaginable... But there was a beautiful sunset en-route that was such a feast on the eyes....
We safely arrive in Maliau and was greeted by this....
My oh my... a bbq has never looked so good... hehe!! We had prawns, lamb, chicken wings and sausages.... All my fav... washed down with a cold bottle of beer... that's the life.... We had some late nite or more accurately midnight nature walk after dinner... we trying to spot some wild animals... the first round with a huge group of ppl was unsuccessful... All I spotted was plenty of leeches on Bakry''s legs... hehe!! Went for a quiet second round with Tang and we managed to spot a mouse deer sitting quietly in the bushes... It was so cute!!! After a long day... we went to bed in our bunkers...

Day 4 - Maliau to Tawau

We woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed (NOT) and headed for breakfast and our morning canopy walk...

We first stepped on a suspended bridge across the Maliau river...

A quick 20 mins later and we have reached the end of the canopy walk... time to head back to camp....

I didnt really get a chance to explore Maliau as there was limited time... I suppose that would be my biggest disappointment... But definitely Maliau is a place I would plan a trip to... I want to hike to the Maliau Falls and set my eyes on the 7 tier waterfalls which Maliau is so famous for... :) But for the moment I would have to settle for a photo from a helicopter ride I didnt get to get on due to space constraints... Oh well... better luck next time...

All in all I enjoyed the entire trip... It was a fun event for all to share and a good time to get to know each other better... :) Hope that I will get a chance to participate in next year's event as well... Keeping my finger, toes and eyes crossed... :D

*all pictures are courtesy of Rudy our photographer... only the canopy walk pictures were taken by me...

Isuzu Duramission 2009 - Day 2

Day 2: Ba'Kalalan to Lawas

All lined up and ready to go... 10 Dmax media vehicles... 2 D-max recovery and 2 Bighorn recovery... we are all set!! Time to leave the town of Ba'Kalalan...

Right out of town and these are the terrains awaiting us......

Stopped by at a spring water salt making shack... surprisingly the spring water was actually salty... haha!! never knew there was such things... it was really salty too not just mildly salty....

Right after the salt... back on those muddy tracks... some cars got stuck...

Some had to be pulled out of the mud...

We travelled a good 11 hours in such conditions... with stops at the salt shack and the Merarap Hot Springs where the water was scalding hot I might add... Me being in the recovery car was lullaby-ed by the constant andulations and slept most of the way only waking up where there was food served or ppl were getting off the car *paiseh*. hehe!! What can I say... the back seat of a D-Max is comfy enough to sleep even when the vehicle is off-roading... :D

There isnt much photos to take as it was just mud mud and more mud... hehe!! and the hotel in Lawas welcoming us was not a sight to behold... haha!! 2 more days to go... Yaay!!!

In Loving Memory....

Although our interactions has been few and apart I remember the first time I saw you, you ran to me and I was so worried you would lick me and you did!! hehe!! but only once... then after that you were such a good boy... Everytime I visited, you just followed me around hopeful to get some chin scratches and belly rubs.... Such a frenly boy... so cute and well behaved... Not once have you pounce nor lick me again.... You would just sit by my leg everytime I was there contented that I would stroke you occasionally... Ignoring ur little owner instead... hehe!!


You definitely will be remembered fondly.... May you rest in peace Max...




*Picture stolen from Renee

Isuzu Duramission 2009 - Day 1

Day 1: Miri - Ba'Kelalan

Off I went last week to enter the jungles of Borneo to travel the roads less travelled... Destination :A little area called Ba'kalalan... There is no other way to call it but rural... Even MASWings calls them rural... haha!!

We went on this tiny little propeller plane which flew over the Mulu Caves (looks fun, must go one day) and we could feel every single turbulence.... It's like riding a roller coaster but the only problem is the ground is way way way below.... The plane was so small that the cockpit was in sight and there were little fans inside instead of aircond... The view however was spectacular...

Landed on the cute little landing strip (if you can call it one) in Ba'kalalan...
Where else can you sit in the middle of a landing strip without no one to shoo you or even worry that a plane is coming... The plane only lands twice a week... heheh!!!

Ba'kalalan is famous for 3 things in particular... It's vast paddy fields which plants highland short grain paddy, it spring water salt and last but definitely not least, the one and only apple farm in Malaysia... yeap..you heard me right... apples!!! They had the a few different species called 'Manalagi' , 'Rome Beauty' and a couple of others I cant remember... They gave us some to try but it lacked in taste because they were not fully ripe yet however I managed to get hold of one which was ripe and it tasted exactly like our ordinary green apples... yum!!! I also had some passion fruit, some nectarines and some cotton candy looking fruit...

The place was serene to say the least... the townfolks were friendly and always greeting you with a smile... it was peaceful and quiet... It was just a nice place to live if you dont like the hustle and bustle of the city... It was the perfect getaway... Why?!! Mainly coz there is absolutely no reception whatsoever in the entire area so you cant do much but relax... only problem... the water is freezing cold!!!!

Found a cute little puppy along with his brothers and sister playing about....awww so cute... hehe!!

Everyone went to bed anticipating an exciting day ahead... :)

Arrrghhh.... Such old fashion thinking!!!!

Okay... this is going to be a long one..... haha!! well since my blog has been pretty quiet the last month, this long one will make up for it all...

This is a true story of my uncle and aunty which I feel is tooooooo extremely old fashion or just toooooo chauvanistic to even exist is such times and day....

My mother came back home one day and told me... ur cousin is getting married soon... The gf has passed all the requirements... Yeah...u read right... requirements... For the past few months, she has been tested on her cooking skills.... she works full time and has been requested to cook during the weekend for her future parents-in-law.... She wakes up uber early on weekends to go to the morning market to buy fresh produce just to cook lunch and dinner for her in-laws-to-be every weekend for the past couple of months!!! That in itself I find really a ridiculous test to be given by my uncle and aunty.... But the best has yet to come...

My mum told me that my uncle has stipulated to the gf that the girl should do ALL the housework in the house.... It is a girl's job to do the cooking and cleaning for her man and therefore she should... If she feels that she doesnt have the time to cook and clean because she has to work, then the cost of hiring the maid should be paid by her due to her inability to do so.... If they were to have kids and she cant be there to take care of them, the cost of the nanny is also onus to her...I just simply blew my top when I heard this!!!

Firstly, I understand fully where he comes from being that my aunty has always done the cooking and cleaning and the taking care of the kids... Of course this is coz my aunty doesnt work. Why doesnt my aunty work? Coz my uncle could afford for her not to work and still pay for a house, 2 cars and living expenses to the standards of my aunty (ie: no downgrade).

So, with that said, if I were the girl I would just remind my uncle that it is not her choice to work but his son's failure to be able to afford a wife, the house, 2 cars, the kids and all living expenses as per how she is accustom to... It is not her fault that the son has to live in a house that is bought for him by his dad albeit he can afford one I dont doubt that.... I just feel it is absolutely chauvanistic for my uncle to think that til this day the image of a woman has non changed... That all the cooking and cleaning is done by the wife... Well during those days, the men were man enough to be the sole bread winner... They could earn enough so that the wife dont have to work and still provide the wife with the things she likes and needs.... So kudos to those kind of men who are few and far these days.... it is not the women's fault that the men today are not as capable as today.... Although admittedly cost of living these days are not as cheap as they used to be but also because of this fact, the men nowadays need their women to work... so how in the hell can it be the girls fault for not staying at home and doing all the cooking and cleaning....? Jeez!!!

The thot that such ideas still exist just makes me see Red... I repeat again it is "your son's failure to provide"!!!!! If I was there when the conversation took place, rest assure my uncle and aunty would have a piece of my mind... And the girl would get it too for not retaliating to such absurdity... Come on... are you that desperate? Trust me, my cousin isnt that great a catch. There are plenty of fishes in the sea which doesnt come together with such parents.... It is so not worth being married into such an old fashion thinking family.. Nothing good can come out of it except your own suffering... These are the kind of ppl who think that it is the men's job to sit and do nothing while the women dot all over them...

Some men may think that I have a women empowerment thing going on but I am looking at all of this based on logic....

In the past, men has such right because they were capable enough. My family is a perfect example. My dad works and my mum is a homemaker. Throughout the years, my dad has managed to put a roof over our head, provide a car each for himself and my mum to get about town, paid for our food (which is not cheap coz we like the finer things in life), paid for our education and pay for everything else that we want and need including the luxuries which we pamper ourselves with occasionally.... With that comes certain power, my mum does all the house work and everything else and my dad just comes home from work, sits on the couch and order for his things like drinks and fruits and he gets them without lifting a finger. My dad is chauvanistic enough to not even pick up the phone even it he sits next to it... But then again, if he is able to provide for everything, with that comes certain power...

However, the men nowadays cant do that... At least most of them cant... If their women dont work, they would be on a shoe string budget... They might still be able to afford but meagerly... Small house, one car and basic food and necessities.... But if the girl grew up with a better lifestyle, why should she downgrade herself? Especially if she is more than capable to earn the money and afford her own lifestyle... So basically women who chose to work have just taken the load off the men's shoulders... With that the power that the men have over women has also decreased.... Well it should right?

So how can it be that you(men) want the best of both worlds... You want the women to work so that you lessen your burden... Share the house... share the household bills... pay for our own car... shop at our own expense... and yet you want us(women) to cook, clean, bear children and take care of them? What kind of an imaginary world do you live in? Pray tell me, why then would be need a man in our lives? No such need right? Unless the sex is so mind blowingly good... coz essentially, we can do all those by ourselves....

All in all, I am just trying to say that times have changed and so should the mindset of ppl when it comes to roles and responsibility. Things are more equal out nowadays and people should just accept the fact and not hang on to old ideals which dont work anymore... Be a bit less chauvanistic...

A burger like no other....

This burger epitomes Malaysian food at it's best... it has survived all evolutions of food... All threats from the more spiffy likes of Burger King, Carls Junior, Wendy and so many more... No other burger hits the spot like this fella over here...

Still operated from a shack like stall on wheels with a flat pan to fry/grill the patties, a scraper that acts as a egg yolk breaker cum egg wrapper, the original Ajinamoto pepper and maggi seasoning and worchestershire sauce for the added tastiness... not to forget the lightly planta-ed bread grilled slightly the flat pan and then piled with a smattering of raw cabbage shreads, chili sauce and mayo....

Who else can I be talking about? Most definitely our dear old Ramly burger... Ramly has truly stood the test of time... What did I have last week? Most definitely the "Burger Ayam Special Double" to appease my appetite... hehe!!! It still taste exactly how I remembered it... Absolutely DELICIOUS!!!