joz' journey

My dad's shop in Ipoh

2009-03-19T23:39:00.000-07:00

Just for curiosity, I googled my dad's shop today. To my surprise, I found a brief article which featured in someone's blog and even claimed "Ipoh's Best Wan Tan Mee" as well as another "Ipoh Food Forum" also claimed the similar about my dad's noodle shop.

The one in white pagado t-shirt in front of the cooker is my dad and next to him in red t-shirt is my elder sister while my elder brother reading out the orders to her.

Not long ago, I bought this "PERAK - good food guide" from The Star's promotion booth at the Mama Mia Broadway Show in Kuala Lumpur. Yes! I found my dad's shop being featured in this guide. For the first time my dad agree to let the shop info to be featured in the media after operated for more than 40 years. Besides he's a humble guy, there is another reason he's not willing to do that is because something to do with... (sensored)

Anyway, I really proud of my dad and I always do, giving it is because of his great success in his career or being a father. Especially those mornings before school when I was 6 years old. That's what true love is to me -- unconditional.

If you happen to be in Ipoh or making a "makan" trip to Ipoh or Perak, try the "some-blogger-claimed-Ipoh's-Best-Wantan" noodle:

Cheong Kee
542 Jalan Sekolah, Buntong n/v
30100 Ipoh, Perak
Malaysia
Tel: 05-2550789 or 019-5166781/016-5111282
(Due to the renovation works, my dad's shop is operating two shops away, 545 Jalan Sekolah and probably till end of May, 2009)

Open from Mondays to Saturdays
Operating hours: 7.00pm-12.00 midnight (it may be closed earlier if noodle finished)

25 random things about me

2009-03-18T21:23:00.000-07:00

I find it no harm to "expose" myself this way... to the person I care and love. Am I truly honest to my own feeling when writing them? I guess that should leave it to the third-party perspective to review, well, the third-party can be myself -- only if you know what I mean.

1) Things that I written here are based on what "is" and may be varied anytime.

2) I am a procrastinator, whenever I notice it, I would try to take action as soon as I can. I guess the obvious/regular ones are settling bills, loans, exercise and so on.

3) I know I'm only attracted to men since I was 10 but suppress it until older age.

4) I'm still taking quite some times to be "recovered" whenever criticize by others and I shall learn how to let it go quick and accept it and see what's missing or doing nothing because I don't live for others.

5) I tend to sleep long hours during weekends, long as in more than 12 hours or up to 16 hours.

6) I visit my family in Ipoh almost every month because they are important to me.

7) Dad operating the noodle shop in Ipoh for almost 45 years now and recently featured in "Perak Food Guide" which published by The Star Publications.

8) I'm staying alone in a 2+1 rooms and 850 sq apartment. Simple deco, mostly wood with earthy colour fabric. Thank goodness I don't feel lonely (anymore) when being alone at home with no one talk to. Books and movies are my companion.

9) I'm not ashamed to admit that I wish to have a life companion but appreciate what I'm having now. Believer of "No Company better than Bad Company".

10) I'm not a coffee person but it will be great if I got one in the morning.

11) I still misses my mom who passed away for 7 years now. Miss sharing with her -- my feelings, chatting about food or new recipe and being her shopping consultant (typical gay man... ha ha).

12) I became a buddhist in May 2008. I'm glad that I've found a way to live, the way I can deeply connected to.

13) I feel blessed that I always surrounded by good people, family members, friends, colleagues, clients and even strangers.

14) I don't eat chilies or food with chilies or spicy food, don't like pumpkin cooked in oriental style (stir fry with dried shrimps) but I love pumpkin & potato cream soup (the western style). Don't quite like pork esp. steam with preserved vegetable (chinese style). Other than these, I almost eat anything and preferably food produced locally.

15) One of my favorite activities during past time -- drive to Shah Alam's Agricultural Park and rent a bike, bring my book and some snack along to spend my afternoon or to Kepong's Reserve Rain Forest for the same activity. Or simply go for a movie and a good meal all by myself.

16) I am a rather organize person as well as tidy but i believe tidying up is for others or myself to mess it up and tidy up again.... So, I don't really mind when people come to my house or work place to mess up my stuff.

17) 10 years ago, the very first time I can feel the difference between having sex and making love. And now, it doesn't matter if I'm doing only one at a time, am glad am free from the burden of feeling guilty if only having sex, occasionally.

18) I do travel almost every year, mostly to South East Asia (except New Zealand in 2004) because is cheaper. Just had this thought last night ---not to travel for the next few years and save those money and travel to US (around San Francisco).

19) I have been journaling since 1987, a few hiatus in between due to laziness or way to avoid myself (ha ha). Well, I find it helpful for self-discovery, where I can clean house of personal problems, pains, patterns, and reactions as well as uncover our essence and purpose.

20) Besides having the habit of reading before sleep, I also making a list of things that I feel grateful about for the day... is especially works when picking up myself when I feel down.

21) I like to collect bookmark and fridge magnet whenever I travel to other countries.

22) Sleep naked is one the most comfortable things to do in a day.

23) I'm glad that for the past few years I feel like I am actually grown up. From 19 yo (in fact I was 35 yo then) jump to 41 yo within days... only if you know what I mean.

24) In 2008, I spent about 29% of the time sleeping, 26.5% working, 5% traveling, 6% being with family in Ipoh, 3% being with friends, 0,5% with strangers, 8% volunteer works, the remaining 22% goes to going out with boyfriend then, watching movies in the cinema or home, reading, workout, gardening, house cleaning, laundry, eating of course etc... and also doing nothing.

25) One of my major goals this year is to eat healthier, gain some weight / muscle, good quality sleep, keep hydrated most time and so on.

Be myself

2009-03-16T23:18:00.000-07:00

Does be myself mean simply act how I feel? I would say acknowledging all that I feel at the moment, then taking responsibility for my actions by consciously choosing which level of my feelings I am going to respond to.

Sometimes I feel trapped by my feelings, which I couldn't change them, I shouldn't try to even if I could. At times, I see many negative feelings inside me that I don't want, and yet I feel that I must express them if I were going to be myself.

Since then I have realized that my feelings do change and that I can have a hand in changing them. They change simply by my becoming aware of them. When I acknowledge my feelings they become more positive. And they change when I express them.

Another thing I have realized is that my not wanting to express a negative feeling is a feeling in itself, a part of me, and if I want not to express the negative feeling more than I do, then I will be acting more like myself by not expressing it.

Accept what "is". That is what is required. Accept reality as reality is to me now. Recently, I have been keep on feeling anxious about a few things, is my work creative enough? Is dad all right to work at his age? Will San (my younger sister) getting "Denggi", she's been admitted for 3 days now? Am I worry too much? Right now this anxiety is my reality.

Don't fight a fact, deal with it.

Revisited HongKong after 10 years

2009-03-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

I travel at least once (almost) every year. Mostly countries closer to home such as Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and China because it's cheaper. The only farthest country I'd been to is New Zealand, not the best destination so far in my opinion but NZ has the cleanest air I have ever breath in. My best so far is Cambodia, why? She gave me lots of in-depth thinking about myself.

Besides sight-seeing and the usual stuff, I also like to observe myself how I feel about all these unfamiliar places that I have visited. Feelings toward their culture, custom, people, environment and so on.

I will save this for now and will continue further details about my trips when I have more time.

Picture is taken by Micheal Chang - my HK trip travel companion cum best friend

What am I feeling?

2008-12-20T12:23:00.000-08:00

Many of the qualities that bring fulfillment in life are feelings, like love, joy, freedom and gratitude.

In our overly rational world, I tend to think about how I feel, which, of course, is not feeling at all -- it’s thinking.

Honor my feelings and be willing to experience them. They give me valuable feedback about what is and what is not working in my lives. They are the signposts to meaningful inner work.