OBAMA

Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is the President-elect of the United States of America, and the first African American to be elected President of the United States. Obama was the junior United States Senator from Illinois from January 3, 2005, until his resignation on November 16, 2008, following his election to the presidency. His term of office as President of the United States is scheduled to begin after he is sworn in as the forty-fourth President of the United States at noon EST (17:00 UTC) on January 20, 2009, in an inaugural ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. He worked as a community organizer, and practiced as a civil rights attorney in Chicago before serving three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. He also taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, Obama was elected to the Senate in November 2004. Obama delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004.

On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the general election with 365 electoral votes to McCain's 173 and became the first African American to be elected President of the United States. In his victory speech, delivered before a crowd of hundreds of thousands of his supporters in Chicago's Grant Park, Obama proclaimed that "change has come to America".

On January 8, 2009, the joint session of the U.S. Congress met to certify the votes of the Electoral College for the 2008 presidential election. Based on the results of the electoral vote count, Barack Obama was declared the elected President of the United States and Joseph Biden was declared the elected Vice President of the United States. Obama is scheduled to be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States at noon EST (17:00 UTC) on January 20, 2009, in an inaugural ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.

m.o.v.i.e > Bedtime Stories

Bedtime Stories is an adventure comedy starring Adam Sandler as Skeeter Bronson, a hotel handyman whose life is changed forever when the bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew starts to mysteriously come true. When he tries to help his family by telling one outlandish tale after another, the kids unexpected contributions that turn all their lives upside down. 

Director: Adam Shankman (Hairspray, The Wedding Planner)

Starring: Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Russell Brand, Richard Griffiths, Jonathan Pryce and Courteney Cox. 

Rating by me: 8/10

Comments: A very fun-till-the-end movie, made me laugh my pants off the whole entire time. Worth the watch by young and old, just for a laugh. It has been a while since i've laughed that much in a movie. 

days are numbered...

I still remember few months ago when i was planning for my trip to Australia.. and guess what! Its coming so so soon and .. faster than i could swallow my saliva. Today is already Tuesday, few more days till Chinese New Year.  And on the 6th day of  Chinese New Year, which is next Saturday .. i'll be heading to this new place called "Melbourne". Southern Australia, city that actually sleeps early.. Hahaha. Just Kidding.

So, i'm actually kinda nervous about this trip. Am kinda new to college life, wonder how is it gonna be. So i would truly appreciate if i could get some advice from ma friends. Though i really look forward to it, but sometimes from all the stories i've heard from my friends being in colleges like KDU, Inti, bla bla bla.. its kinda scary. But, hey .. what scares me right?! Muahahahaha. College aint gonna pull me down! I will work my ass through it ! YEEHAAA!!

By the way.. can you feel whats in the air lately? GONG XI GONG XI songs of course. Its Chinese New Year around the corner. Are you guys ready for it? Great food, great friend's and family get-together, fireworks, cookies, desserts, sugar, cholesterol ........ oops shouldn't have mentioned that particularly. 

have fun guys.

Peking Opera º–º

Ever since i was a kid, i've always loved to watch opera. Even though its in some language that i totally don't understand .. but i enjoy watching it, glued to my seat in front of the stage from 8pm to 12am. Usually, opera will be played during festive seasons, sort of like Deity's Birthdays or the famous Nine Emperor Celebration. There will be costumes, masks, songs, music .. and lots more of interesting facts about it.

KNOWING that i'm basically an english educated person, "ang mo sai" (which means english shit • a saying from chinese-ed people), and i totally not understand what the show is all about.. i guess i developed this interest way back from my grandma. I still recall those days when she brought me to see these shows during the ghost festival. I would sit there for hours and not leave my sit. Wierd huh.. well i'm always into these chinese culture stuffs. 

Here are some facts about peking opera i picked up from wikipedia. Just for reference.

Beijing opera or Peking opera (simplified Chinese: 京剧; traditional Chinese: 京劇; pinyin: Jīngjù) is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century.^[1] The form was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China.^[2] Major performance troupes are based in Beijing and Tianjin in the north, and Shanghai in the south.^[3] The art form is also enjoyed in Taiwan, where it is known as Guoju (國劇; pinyin: Guójù). It has also spread to other countries such as the United States and Japan.^[4]

Beijing opera features four main types of performers. Performing troupes often have several of each variety, as well as numerous secondary and tertiary performers. With their elaborate and colorful costumes, performers are the only focal points on Beijing opera's characteristically sparse stage. They utilize the skills of speech, song, dance, and combat in movements that are symbolic and suggestive, rather than realistic. Above all else, the skill of performers is evaluated according to the beauty of their movements. Performers also adhere to a variety of stylistic conventions that help audiences navigate the plot of the production.^[5] The layers of meaning within each movement must be expressed in time with music. The music of Beijing opera can be divided into the Xipi and Erhuang styles. Melodies include arias, fixed-tune melodies, and percussion patterns.^[6] The repertoire of Beijing opera includes over 1,400 works, which are based on Chinese history, folklore, and, increasingly, contemporary life.^[7]

In recent years, Beijing opera has attempted numerous reforms in response to sagging audience numbers. These reforms, which include improving performance quality, adapting new performance elements, and performing new and original plays, have met with mixed success. Some Western works have been adopted as new plays, but a lack of funding and an adverse political climate have left Beijing opera's fate uncertain as the form enters the 21st century.^[8]

xbox 360 for sale

Xbox 360 (3months old)

90% NEW (barely used)

All basic accessories included
18 Games included (non-ori)
20GB HD
Modded

Penang sale / Cash only.

Price: RM 1200

keep fresh kitchen tips

have you always wondered how to keep all your produce fresh at home?

does all the informations you get from friends ever worked?

dig this!

Today's homemaker is hard pressed for time. Yet, dishing out quality food continues to be in her list of top priorities. Even though making it to the market everyday is almost impossible, you can still keep things fresh. Here is how:

• Paneer or cottage cheese that has been left in the fridge for a few days tends to get hard. Put the paneer in boiling water for a few minutes and its softness is restored.
• Potatoes begin to "bud" when stored for a while. So, to keep them from budding, place an apple along with the potatoes and store in a plastic bag.
• To keep bread fresh, wrap it in a plastic bag and put a sprig of celery in it before storing it in the refrigerator.
• Wrapping celery and coriander leaves in an aluminium foil before storing in the refrigerator will help keep them fresh longer.
• To keep cheese fresh a while longer, wrap it in cheesecloth that has been rinsed in vinegar.
• To prevent fruit slices from browning, soak them in pineapple or lemon juice before storing.
• Moulding of papads can be prevented by putting a piece of blotting paper in the box where it is stored.
• Soft biscuits or cookies should be stored in tightly covered tins while crisp ones should be left loosely covered. This will help to keep them fresh longer.
• Freshness test for eggs. Immerse the egg in cool salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh. If it floats it is stale.
• To preserve the fresh flavour in fish, thaw it in milk.
• Tomatoes stay fresh longer when stored with their stem pointed downwards.
• Cook vegetables without a cover. This will help retain the colour and freshness of the vegetables.
• To keep berries nice and crisp, wash them just before serving. Washing them way ahead of time will result in softening them.
• To retain the flavour and freshness of ground herbs, store them in an opaque container.
  
  
  cheers!

world at fear

the following post contains pictures that might not be suitable for people with an upset stomach or a weak heart. ™

 أرجوك استمر في تمرير هذه الرسالة، اجعل العالم يعرف ماذا يحدث هناك في

NEWS • ABCNEWS.com

Israel's relentless assault on the Gaza Strip has entered a third week of pounding by warplanes, artillery and ground forces, as Hamas fighters hidden in strongholds deep inside densely populated urban areas have defied attempts to root them out.

Israeli army armored vehicles drives towards Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on a combat... 

(Sebastian Scheiner/AP Photo )
More Photos

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, speaking in Ashkelon today, showed no signs of putting an end to the war in Gaza until Hamas concedes to Israeli conditions for a cease-fire.

"Anything else will be met with the Israeli people's iron fist," Olmert said. "We will continue to strike with full strength, with full force until there is quiet and rearmament stops."

Israel Defense Forces attacked dozens of new Hamas targets across the territory overnight. Another humanitarian cease-fire was observed by Israeli troops between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. today to allow embattled Palestinians to leave their homes and stock up on food and seek medical treatment. But even during the cease-fire the Israelis say Hamas militants continued firing rockets into southern Israel. At least 20 Palestinians died today -- according to Gaza health officials -- some from earlier                                                                                            wounds.

According to Israeli police, at least 15 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip, one of which directly hit a home in the city of Ashkelon, 10 miles from the border. There were no casualties. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh today told militants that their bloodshed "will not go to waste," speaking on Hamas Al Aqsa television, according to The Associated Press. 

"As we are in the middle of this crisis, we tell our people we, God willing, are closer to victory. All the blood that is being shed will not go to waste," Haniyeh said. However, he said Hamas was also pursuing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Haniyeh said that Israel must withdraw from Gaza and open border crossings before Hamas would agree to any cease-fire. 

Tony Blair, the international Mideast envoy and former British prime minister, is working with Egypt to negotiate a truce. He said "the elements of an agreement" for a cease-fire in Gaza are in place, but both sides have so far failed to agree on terms.

a child killed during the attack by explosives

a man buried alive as he was suspected to carry explosives on his body

As a reminder to all my friends.. life is not always the way we see just because we're on the other side. Have your prayers to all these innocent lives. 

Doris's Birthday Bash

Oooops i totally forgot about these pictures i took on Doris's birthday bash at So11 . I couldn'tremember the date actually but it was sometime in December. 

i will be .. hiding her age for now.. ahaha. PANTANG right?

Happy Be-lated Birthday Wish Kai Ma II

"quickly light up my cake. I wanna eat!!"

removing the candles with her mouth O_0

"aint that cool!! hehez i did it!"

payback for messing up the table

back to the west

today is just another day of me being .. "legless" as in like, no transport/car to go out. I wondered all morning, what to have for lunch. What to have for dinner.. So i went searching the fridge again, looking for food mum bought/stored for rainy days. Lolz. I din wanna eat chinese food anymore.. too much of rice lately. So, i thought ... how nice if i would make myself a plate of an old american brunch.

      Roast chicken with mashed potatoes, sausages and vegetables.

Its simple n delicious. Finger licking good! Hey, my mashed potatoes was awesome. Did some changes on it compared to the usual one. Tasted superb.

SO this are the recipes :

Roast chicken
1 whole chicken leg
olive oil
garlic pepper
yellow mustard
mixed dried herbs
- rub everything on the chicken well, and bake in an oven for 35minutes at 175degrees.

Mashed Potatoes

potatoes

milk

garlic pepper

mayonnaise

butter

salt

-boil the potatoes till soft. Mash it with a fork together with all the ingredients in it. to own taste.

For the sausages, and vegetables .. just do it like usual. saute with butter n season to taste. I experimented the sausages by adding a little bit of mayonnaise while frying it. Gives a layer of coating outside of the sausages and a slight cocktail taste to it. 

Simple recipes to share. Cheers.

h.e.l.l.o 2 0 0 9

Wow . Its already 2009. Year of the OX, year of new hopes, year of new beginnings and year of new successes. Its countdown of 30days till i fly over to Melbourne and .. i have mixed feelings about it. Wonder why.

So how was everyone's New Year's Eve countdown? It was all over the place!! Tv, Neighbors, much much more noises !! Hahaha. So i preferred to stick my hands n feets at home, laying down on the couch, watching some tv with a bowl of peanuts and hot chocolate. That's new year's eve for me.


so i celebrated the night with a home made bread butter pudding with prunes n cinnamon n chocolate.


This was how jingles looked like after a whole night staying up watching fireworks. Hahaha.