Month: June 2002

Brazil wins the world cup by beating Germany 2 – 0 at Yokohama, Japan. I was watching the world cup finals at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur on big screens. There are about 5 huge screens around that area and about few thousand people on the streets. The place was packed, smelly, wet and worst of all, we cant even see the huge television screen! Furthermore, it rained throughout the first half, we were all soaking wet! The organisers stupidly placed the television on the ground and everyone had to push around to get a good view of the tv. My friends and I settled for a highly placed television screen. However, the match was showed by our national television channel and not cable, the match was delayed 3 seconds!
The Brazilian supporters went mad after the final whistle. Most of them, half drunk chanted, danced, hugged each other as if Brazil was their home country. My friends and I stayed for a while to watch the fabulous closing ceremony before headed to Jalan Alor for yummy Beef Noodles!
The other final.
The World’s worst football team, Montserrat lost to the World’s second worst football team, Bhutan.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/other_news/newsid_2075000/2075692.stm
– 3:23AM
Slinky
Slinky was disastrous. The dj was late 3 hours and he plays lousy music. Despite that, I had a great time! My friends and I arrived at 11:30PM. t0rnflesh and his girlfriend, Leia was already there but the club was totally empty. My friends and I conquered the dance floor and started putting powder on it to smoothen the dance floor. I was running around with my camera snapping pictures with my friends.
The atmosphere was perfect, an almost empty club but with just my friends around. It was as if a private party! However, after 2am, the club started to pack.
I met loads of people today. There was this 26-year-old girl nicknamed devil69 that I knew from my communityzero. She was celebrating her birthday in Elements. She was fucking drunk but yet we still managed to take a picture with her. And then there’s this guy named Mavic who approached me and asked whether I was the guy who was dancing on a video. It seems that he saw the Melbourne Shuffle video I made for my friends.
Ju Leun dropped by at 3am. He was pretty fucked by then because he had been drinking at Beach Club. He sneaked into our club without paying the RM30 cover charge we paid.
By 5am, we were fucking tired. Hence, we headed straight home.
– 6:42AM

South Korea lost to Turkey for the 3rd place playoff. Although the South Koreans worked hard on the last few minutes by attacking offensively, they are still down by one goal! However, the ending was sweet. Turkish players and South Korean players were hand in hand to celebrate their final appearance on the World Cup finals. Great sportsmanship! However again, the fucking Malaysian television did not show the entire celebration, they ended it within minutes of celebration! I was left hanging! fucking hell!
My friends and I are off to Elements for Slinky. Gary White is spinning tonight!
– 9:12PMgrrr…apparently the news about the Ecuardorian referee who got murdered was a hoax
– 6:32AMGood looking girl!
http://www16.brinkster.com/sosyalan/gandababae/
– 5:21AM

Mum brought back loads of mangosteen. I’ve been always wondering why sometimes there are yellow substances on the flesh. I surfed for the answer but it yielded no results. Instead, I found some facts. Btw, anyone knows why are there yellow substances on the mangosteen flesh and is it edible?
Known as Mang cut in Viet
Mang Khut in Thai
Manggis in BM
Scientifically known as Garcinia mangostona
Also known as the ‘Queen of fruits’
The flavour is slightly acidic but sweet and delicious. Each fruit has 1 to 2 seeds.
Queen Victoria apparently offered a reward to anyone who could transport a still-edible mangosteen back to England
Mangosteen fruit, besides being much prized for its superb flavor, also has other properties:
– the skin contains 13% tannin, and is used as a colouring for foods. It also has medicinal properties and is used as an astringent, and as a cure for dysentery;
– the trunk of the mangosteen tree consists of a hard and heavy wood of a dark-brown colour, and is used for making furniture;
– the tree is almost ideal for planting in urban environments to provide shade, since it has a deep taproot, with few lateral ramifications, and a pyramid-shaped canopy with persistent leaves.
– 10:35PM
Couple of days ago, i heard that the Italian mafia was going to hunt the Ecuadorian referee who was the referee for the Italy and South Korea match. Apparently they claim that he accepted bribes from the South Koreans and eventually cause the Italians to be kicked out from the World Cup. And today, according to a daily Chinese newspaper the controversial Ecuadorian referee has been shot dead.
– 8:41PM
It’s been a long day and I’ve been awake for 21 hours. I just got back from KL international airport to send Hong Yong and Yong Lin off. They were my high school mates and used to play football together often. And now they’re leaving for Brisbane to study in University of Queensland. geee, amazing how time flies. We were planning to stage a tearful airport scene for Yong Lin but apparently our ‘main actress’ refused to make any moves. Consequently, the goodbye scene was totally calm. It was just handshakes and hugs.
It was 4:30AM and I was too tired to drive to KLIA and therefore I got a driver to drive my car. I convey my profuse thanks to Kadet Yeap Soon Yean from the Royal Malaysian Airforce! I was happily sitting at the backseat towards the whole journey.
I am going to Thailand on July 11th and Brisbane on July 28/29! yahhooo!
– 9:53AM

South Korea’s World Cup adventure has ended. They lost 1 – 0 to Germany disappointingly. I was so looking forward to see South Korea in the finals! Now I’ve totally lost interest in World Cup.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO jinhan aka sei fei toot!
– 1:12AM

FAQ on Tooth grinding
If you wake up with dull headaches or vise-like pain, you may be one of many people who grind their teeth at night. Many people are unaware they even have the disorder (called bruxism) because it often occurs at night during sleep. Your dentist can usually detect the telltale signs of wear on your teeth.

Problems Caused by Bruxism
Bruxism can either directly or indirectly cause many problems. Grinding can cause teeth to become painful or loose. Patients can literally grind away parts of their teeth, leaving them with worn surfaces or fractured enamel.

Causes of Bruxism
More research is needed to determine the exact cause of bruxism, but it is thought that both emotional and physical factors are involved. Some of the contributing factors may be stress or sleep disorders, an abnormal bite or crooked or missing teeth.

Treatment of Bruxism
There are a number of ways to treat bruxism. Your dentist will determine which single treatment or combination of treatments is right for you. When stress is the major cause of bruxism, people need to find ways to relax. People who have difficulty handling stress may need to seek counselling or the dentist may prescribe muscle relaxants to relax jaw muscles. To help alleviate muscle pain, physical therapy may be needed.

The following tips can be helpful to prevent grinding:
To help break the habit, place reminders around the house, or try repeating phrases that help you relax.
To help relax clenching muscles, apply a warm wash cloth to the side of your face.
To relieve stress, cut down on caffeine, take warm baths and ease up on yourself.
Because it is thought that an abnormal bite may predispose a person to grinding, treatment may involve removing the “high spots” of a tooth. Another treatment involves wearing a plastic mouth guard at night to prevent tooth grionding. A bite plate is a removable plastic device which prevents teeth from coming together. In some cases , such as with an overbite, it may eventually improve the bite. A method used to treat the damage caused by more serious cases of grinding involves reshaping or reconstruction of the biting surfaces with crowns or inlays.

Grinding is a common occurance among many people at some time or another. If you develop facial pain, fatigue or other problems, treatment may be needed. Talk with your dentist if you suspect that you are grinding your teeth. Dr. Degel will help relieve you from the daily grind of bruxism.
– 3:10PMI bumped into loads of friends today. This morning while parking my car for my dentist appointment, the striking yellow coloured Citroen driven by Khai Fei was behind me. He told me that he’s heading towards the bank in sign language.
Lei Kuan is working in the dental clinic that I’ve been going to ever since I was a kid. She was my former high school classmate and also my editor when I was the Chief editor of our class’s editorial team. The ever-capable Lei Kuan made a big impact on our publication. Furthermore, she’s much better looking now with big eyes, fair skin and great smile!
I had 3 of my chipped tooth fixed. It looks much better now except for a couple of white patches. Furthermore, I had a night guard made to stop my teeth from being flattening by bruxism (teeth grinding).
While having seafood beef noodles for lunch at OUG, I bumped into Weng Yew, another of my former high school classmates. He was clad in office attire and apparently he just had a job interview. We were updating each other on our former classmates namely what are they doing now and where are they now. The conversation lasted for 10 minutes. Few moments later, babysun came over to my table. Apparently she was sitting opposite me ever since I arrived!
– 3:07PM

FAQ on dengue
Dengue is a flu-like viral disease spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a severe, often fatal, complication of dengue.
Dengue occurs in most tropical areas of the world.
There is no specific treatment for dengue.
Prevention centers on avoiding mosquito bites in areas where dengue occurs or might occur and eliminating breeding sites.

What is dengue fever? What is dengue hemorrhagic fever?
Dengue fever is a flu-like illness spread by the bite of an infected mosquito.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a severe, often fatal, complication of dengue fever.

What is the infectious agent that causes dengue?
Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever are caused by any of the dengue family of viruses. Infection with one virus does not protect a person against infection with another.

How is dengue spread?
Dengue is spread by the bite of an Aedes mosquito. The mosquito transmits the disease by biting an infected person and then biting someone else.

Where is dengue found?
Dengue viruses occur in most tropical areas of the world. Dengue is common in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Australia, and the Americas. It is widespread in the Caribbean basin. Dengue is most common in cities but can be found in rural areas. It is rarely found in mountainous areas above 4,000 feet.
The mosquitoes that transmit dengue live among humans and breed in discarded tires, flower pots, old oil drums, and water storage containers close to human dwellings. Unlike the mosquitoes that cause malaria, dengue mosquitoes bite during the day.

What are the signs and symptoms of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever?
Dengue fever usually starts suddenly with a high fever, rash, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle and joint pain. The severity of the joint pain has given dengue the name “breakbone fever.” Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are common. A rash usually appears 3 to 4 days after the start of the fever. The illness can last up to 10 days, but complete recovery can take as long as a month. Older children and adults are usually sicker than young children.
Most dengue infections result in relatively mild illness, but some can progress to dengue hemorrhagic fever. With dengue hemorrhagic fever, the blood vessels start to leak and cause bleeding from the nose, mouth, and gums. Bruising can be a sign of bleeding inside the body. Without prompt treatment, the blood vessels can collapse, causing shock (dengue shock syndrome). Dengue hemorrhagic fever is fatal in about 5 percent of cases, mostly among children and young adults.

How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?
The time between the bite of a mosquito carrying dengue virus and the start of symptoms averages 4 to 6 days, with a range of 3 to 14 days. An infected person cannot spread the infection to other persons but can be a source of dengue virus for mosquitoes for about 6 days.

How is dengue diagnosed?
Dengue is diagnosed by a blood test.

Who is at risk for dengue?
Anyone who is bitten by an infected mosquito can get dengue fever. Risk factors for dengue hemorrhagic fever include a person’s age and immune status, as well as the type of infecting virus. Persons who were previously infected with one or more types of dengue virus are thought to be at greater risk for developing dengue hemorrhagic fever if infected again.

What is the treatment for dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever?
There is no specific treatment for dengue. Persons with dengue fever should rest and drink plenty of fluids. They should be kept away from mosquitoes for the protection of others. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is treated by replacing lost fluids. Some patients need transfusions to control bleeding.

How common is dengue?
In tropical countries around the world, dengue is one of the most common viral diseases spread to humans by mosquitoes. Tens of millions of cases of dengue fever and up to hundreds of thousands of cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever occur each year.

Is dengue an emerging infectious disease?
Yes. All types of dengue virus are re-emerging worldwide and causing larger and more frequent epidemics, especially in cities in the tropics. The emergence of dengue as a major public health problem has been most dramatic in the western hemisphere.

Several factors are contributing to the resurgence of dengue fever:
No effective mosquito control efforts are underway in most countries with dengue.
Public health systems to detect and control epidemics are deteriorating around the world.
Rapid growth of cities in tropical countries has led to overcrowding, urban decay, and substandard sanitation, allowing more mosquitoes to live closer to more people.
The increase in non-biodegradable plastic packaging and discarded tires is creating new breeding sites for mosquitoes.
Increased jet air travel is helping people infected with dengue viruses to move easily from city to city.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever is also on the rise. Persons who have been infected with one or more forms of dengue virus are at greater risk for the more severe disease. With the increase in all types of virus, the occurrence of dengue hemorrhagic fever becomes more likely.

How can dengue be prevented?
There is no vaccine to prevent dengue. Prevention centers on avoiding mosquito bites when traveling to areas where dengue occurs. Eliminating mosquito breeding sites in these areas is another key prevention measure.
Avoid mosquito bites when traveling in tropical areas:
Use mosquito repellents on skin and clothing.
When outdoors during times that mosquitoes are biting, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants tucked into socks.
Avoid heavily populated residential areas.
When indoors, stay in air-conditioned or screened areas. Use bednets if sleeping areas are not screened or air-conditioned.
If you have symptoms of dengue, report your travel history to your doctor.
Eliminate mosquito breeding sites in areas where dengue might occur:
Eliminate mosquito breeding sites around homes. Discard items that can collect rain or run-off water, especially old tires.
Regularly change the water in outdoor bird baths and pet and animal water containers.
– 7:27PM

Seems that the Prime Minister withdrew his resignation. Something fishy is going on here.
Our Prime Minister of 21 years, Dr Mahathir announced his resignation as the President of UMNO, Barisan National and the Prime Minister of Malaysia. The Prime Minister, in tears gave his speech during his closing speech in the UMNO general assembly shocked the entire assembly. The high committee in tears too, rejected profusely on his resignation. Is this the beginning of Malaysia’s new political chaos?
Korea beats Spain 5 –3 on penalty shootout. They will be in the semi-finals! Goooooooooooo Asia!!!

My tenant from China, Qua Xin was diagnosed with dengue fever. She was down with fever and has been vomiting for the past few days. My other tenant, Mei and I bought her to a private hospital at Taman Desa. She had loads of trouble trying to communicate. The nurses kept on speaking Malay to her! After couple of administrative procedures, the hospital finally put her on an administrative care. The cost, my god, RM1200 deposit for a single room! We could only afford a four beds ward for an rm800 deposit. She was then bought to the ward and my god, the ward was stinky and full of weirdoes. There are 2 women chanting and tried to cast some Qigong on an elderly lady! Ignoring them, we closed the curtains and left hoping that she’ll get well soon.
– 10:30PM

For the first time, after years of knowing my maid’s son, I went out with him. haha, He was asking me to how to enlarge the earlobe. I was explaining to him the process of doing so namely getting a con shaped earring to stretch the skin. We then went to Mid Valley to get the stuff and he bought 2 enlarging horns. Initially, he had problems getting it in his newly pierced earlobe. I had to force it in while he screams in pain. haha Anyway, his house was burned down last week and they lost most of their stuff. Now they’re staying at home community centre while waiting to be relocated temporary.
– 11:59PM
Finally, I bought a SLR camera. It’s a Canon EOS 300 QD.
– 4:01PM

KOREA WINS!!!!!!! Italy is out! Go Korea!
– 10:13PMJust had breakfast with dad. We had a long talk and he asked me to join him for lunch this Friday for some Japanese buffet. Then we went on talking about golf. He encouraged me to take up golfing by taking golfing lessons at some golf club. He was once a golfer himself but it seems that work has taken up his interest in golf. “Golf is a high class game and profession like you will have to take up golfing so you could mix with the cream of the society”. So Khaifei, let’s go golfing when you’re back okay? hehe
– 7:16AMI’m addicted to garlic *yummy*
After my arcade session, I came back finding that there’s a strange smell in my room and mum’s room. It smelled like gas. I searched for the source of the smell and even headed towards the kitchen but yet in vain. Frustrated, I decided to ignore it. Hours later, I found out that the source was from a box on top of the fridge which contained 10 pieces of yummy durian. Looks like mum left it there for me. *burp* garlics with durians smell!
Garlic benefits
Cholesterol Reducer
There is little doubt that garlic reduces blood cholesterol. In studies of people with high cholesterol (over 200), one-half to one whole garlic clove daily typically lowered their levels by about 9 percent, according to a major review of the evidence by Stephen Warshafsky at New York Medical College in Valhalla. Benefits showed up in a month and also came from garlic supplements. Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter suggests two cloves of garlic a day might be as potent as some cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Artery Protector
A newly discovered garlic plus: It prevents bad-type LDL cholesterol from oxidizing, a process that initiates plaque buildup on artery walls, which can lead to clogging, heart attack and stroke. The theory is that unoxidized cholesterol is not very harmful. In a study by University of Kansas researchers, taking 600 milligrams of powdered garlic every day for two weeks reduced LDL oxidation by a remarkable 34 percent. So garlic eaters might have less harmful cholesterol than non-garlic eaters with identical cholesterol counts.

Blood Thinner
Studies suggest that garlic compounds help thin the blood, says Eric Block, professor of chemistry at the State University of New York at Albany. Block has isolated a garlic chemical, ajoene, (ajo is Spanish for garlic) with anti-coagulant activity equal or superior to that of aspirin. Raw garlic (three cloves a day) improved clot-dissolving activity by about 20 percent in a double-blind study of medical students in India. Cooking garlic might enhance its anti-clotting activity.

Cancer Blocker
Much research shows that garlic contains many chemicals that in laboratory animals block cancers of every type, including breast, liver and colon. A specific garlic compound suppressed the growth of prostate cancer cells in test tubes by about 25 percent, reports John Pinto of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Dedicated garlic eaters may escape certain cancers. Example: In a recent study of 42,000 older women in Iowa, those who ate garlic more than once a week were half as likely to develop colon cancer as non-garlic eaters.

Infection Fighter
Garlic kills viruses responsible for colds and the flu, according to tests by James North, a microbiologist at Brigham Young University. Eat garlic when you feel a sore throat coming on, he says, and you may not even get sick. (Eat garlic when you’re stuffed up, too: It acts as a decongestant.) Other studies suggest that garlic revs up immune functioning by stimulating infection-fighting T-cells.

Baby ‘Appetizer’
Even babies like garlic. When nursing mothers eat garlic, infants stay longer at the breast and drink more, not less, milk, according to tests at Monnel Chemical Senses Centre in Philadelphia.

Raw or cooked?
For anti-bacterial or anti-viral effect, only raw garlic will do. Both raw and cooked garlic seem to have cardiovascular, decongestive and anti-cancer benefits.
Eating more than three raw cloves a day can cause gas, bloating, diarrhoea and fever in some people. Cooked garlic is gentler on the stomach.
All garlic (crushed, chopped in jars, paste, even garlic powder off the spice shelf) can have health benefits.

Garlic Breath
Eating parsley or mints or sloshing mouthwash only temporarily dims garlic breath. Garlic infuses your blood and lungs, typically giving off an odour for 4-18 hours. The strength and duration of the odder depend on your body’s individual reaction.
If you are a garlic-lover, it’s wise to surround yourself with others who enjoy garlic, or try munching on parsley to rid yourself of garlic breath. And, to rid your hands of the smell after peeling and/or chopping garlic, simply wash your hands and then rub your clean hands on a chrome faucet. It works like magic!

Science
Garlic, scientifically known as Allium sativa, is a complex mixture of chemicals displaying anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer, anti-blood clotting, decongestive, cholesterol-reducing and immunity-boosting properties.

Garlic through history
Louis Pasteur noted in 1858 that bacteria died when they were doused with garlic. At the turn of the century, garlic was the drug of choice for tuberculosis. Albert Schweitzer used garlic to treat cholera and typhus. And during World War II, British physicians treated battle wounds with garlic. In Russia, it’s called Russian penicillin.

Animal anecdote
French farmers sometimes feed garlic and onions to their horses to dissolve clots in the animals’ legs.

Pregnancy
New research shows that taking garlic during pregnancy can cut the risk of pre-eclampsia (raised blood pressure and protein retained in the urine). Studies reveal that garlic may help to boost the birth-weight of babies destined to be too small.

When garlic cells are ruptured by cutting or pressing, they release an enzyme called allinaise chemically changing the inherent alliin into allicin, a sulfur-containing molecule, which results in that heady, pungent garlic smell which is a mainstay in kitchens around the world. These sulphur molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream and lungs, escaping through exhaled air and perspiration. Thus, the garlic breath. And, in some people who consume massive quantities, a noticeable garlicky body odour can result.
– 4:02AM