The first dialogue is between me and Val from USA. It was in December 1997, at the height of the so called 'Asian Economic Crisis'.

It was a pleasant surprise when I receive you messages like ‘immediately’. Wah you write so fast eh? I hope you don't expect me to reply to you so fast. Normally it will take a week or two before I replied. It was due to my very tight schedule. I normally came back very late from work. I surf the net using my computer at home after dinner and TV. That normally will be after 11.30pm. If I'm in the mood for writing something, than it will be until 2.00 to 3.00am. If I fall asleep in front of the TV (due to exhaustion), than most probably I will wake up at around 5.00am and I will sit in front of the stupid screen until time for me to go to work at 9.00am.

I'm glad now you were reminded and hopefully you will be able to work to make it as good as you want it to be. Don't worry,,,, html really isn't all that difficult. A good guiding principle is the KISS principle (Keep it simple). I'll be glad to help in what I can. I am also planning to try to hold a semi-regular chat session as the need may be, to allow people to discuss their problems with their pages, get some ideas and suggestions and hopefully learn something from the others. a few people have expressed an interest, both those that need help as well as those willing to be help others. Please let me know if you would be interested and we shall see how we can organize it.

I can never find the time to make it as good as I want it to be! No, not because difficulty in handling HTML. Like I mentioned to you earlier, it was due to time factor. If I had the time, I will be very interested to learn more. In fact I had already bought a book how to create a home page and few other reference. The book is so thick that I used it as a pillow after reading it before going to bed. Furthermore, if you knew me, I will not be easily satisfy with anything less than `perfect`. I really had no idea where is my home page now. I even lost a few of my earlier e-friend when I upgrade my computer.

Ouch,,, sounds rough,,,, actually I am getting ready for Christmas. I will be leaving town to go to New Mexico to see my family. I usually spend Christmas there since I live alone here. Its really quite different and I love being in the mountains,,,, and some great skiing and even better food,,,

Skiing. Hmmm…. I really would like to do it. But as you know there is no real snow in Malaysia. They had the artificial one at Mines Wonderland (a theme park). And also an ice skating ring in the atrium of Sunway Pyramid (a shopping complex). I guess it pale in comparison with New Mexico snow-cape mountains! How far are your hometown and the place you are staying now? I hope you will drive carefully. Why do you have to live alone? Work? You don't have to answer me if it's private. Actually I'm typing this letter on my laptop in my kampung (village) about 150km from KL (you can find about it in my hp, if I remember correctly). I arrive at around 9.30pm, after stopping by at my condominium unit in Port Dickson. I had left the key with the electrician so he can install my air-cond unit, water heater, lighting etc.

I don't know if I mentioned to you I have been to Kuala Lumpur a few times,,,,, That was many years ago and I'm sure it has changed a great deal since that time. I lived in Thailand when I was a teenager and we had to leave the country fairly regularly so we had to go to a Thai consulate and renew our visas. Usually we went to Penang, which was certainly a nice vacation anytime:) but we have also been to KL a few times.

You're right. I myself cannot keep up with the pace of development going in and around Kuala Lumpur. Although the apartment I'm staying in smack right in the middle of the city, I seldom had the time to wonder around it. On the other hand, if you are familiar with Bangkok, than most probably you will feel at home in KL. I had never been to Bangkok myself. But from the story I listen from my boss who had just when there to interview a few people, it's about the same. Except maybe the traffic, and the level of pollution, and the population. KL only had less than 2 million people in it. By the way, KL made it to the no. 7 spot in Asia Best cities in Asiaweek. Penang is in no. 5 spot.

Thank you for a great overview,,,, I really did enjoy that. I was working in international affairs with the labour movement for some years and I have always been familiar with economics, as my father is a labour economist.  I had some training in university though none of it really advanced or truly statistical.

I'm not and economist myself. What I write to you is what I read and see happening in my country. Maybe now I'm more involve in it because I had to put forward recommendation on how to make our company stay afloat during this trying time. It's involve a lot of down sizing and cost cutting, which directly means less staff, less remuneration for staff, less perk (no bonuses for this festive season - last year we got 4 month bonus!) etc. Do you know how it feels to tell your subordinate that their services no longer required? They are all my friends. I personally interview them. Most of them I hand-pick before they even graduated from school. Some are staying with me in the apartment! 

But than, do I have the choice? Can I do anything about the economy? If I can, I will definitely do it. In small ways I had started. I had cancelled my planned trip to Singapore (instead I went to Port Dickson), sell all my foreign currency (which was not much!), use local products. mmm… what else, ha, do my own cooking ?. I will do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING for Malaysia. Wah, sound too Nationalistic am I? Well who am I without my country? My country has given me so much that others living somewhere else can only dream of. I am a son of a farmer with 6 other siblings, from a small village in a developing Asia, had made good. Had good education provided by my country. Can my parents afford to send me, my brother and sisters (my 3rd sister when to Ohio State U for her 1st degree and to Scotland for her masters) for tertiary education without help from the government? Will I be writing to you this moment if I'm uneducated, in a language foreign to my mother, using this laptop that my father thought a small TV? I think you get the point. 

In a certain sense the situations between your country and mine are very much different, at the same time very much the same.  You are probably scratching your head wondering what the hell I'm talking about. Well,,,, we are always hearing the economy hasn't been this good in a generation in this country. True things have stabilized somewhat, at the same time wealth has been redistributed upwards so the common people (we call them the middle class-a vanishing breed) see very little of it.

During the 80's we saw speculators and financiers grow rich beyond any imagination, though that has calmed somewhat the stock market is at such high levels that stock owners are getting rich. Still, at such high levels and with the degree of instability, particularly in Asia (with such important trade relationships for this country) one really has to be sceptical that this boom period will last,,,, and with us the boom periods get shorter and shorter while the depressions get longer. Still there is little being done to address the mis-distribution of wealth (after all our legislators are generally rich people to start with)

I agree with you to a certain extend. However, recession for a developed nation and a developing country is vastly different. An economic growth of 1 to 2% a year is very good for a developed country. For a developing country, however, it's means recession! We need to maintain a growth rate of 7 - 8% to catch up with the developing world. That is the only way to put the unemployed rate at less than 1% (like what we were enjoying before). Unemployed in a developing country like us did not receive handouts from the government. So if you are unemployed in Malaysia, you are doom (not the end of the world kind of doom though.

In some ways you are very lucky to be living in Malaysia. Why? Well, this country has a very strange social structure and values. There is far less of a social unity, rather a lot of different competing groups. Partly that is because of the diversity of this country, partly due to the size.  But think of it this way,,,,, under Islamic law you give a certain percentage of your annual income to care for the needy. When I visited turkey, for example, I think I only saw a total of three beggars. Here on the other hand there is no such thing. One is cared for by government programs that are constantly being cut and more and more people are depending on charity to see them through, and even those resources are ever more thinly stretched.  

I don't know if you are familiar with the American tradition of thanksgiving. We eat a turkey on thanksgiving and give thanks,,,, well since my family is not here I normally go help out at the homeless shelter. You would not believe the number of people we served this year,,,, one thing that is particularly painful is the amount of children that are undernourished remember the children at first are very nervous about taking much food that we serve at thanksgiving,,,, almost like they are embarrassed,,, but more because they are not used to it. We have to tell them that its OK, they can eat as much as they want and there is plenty of food for everyone,,, of course thanksgiving here is very good, since people always donate money to charities to make such things possible,, sadly it doesn't happen that way through the year,,,

I know that I'm very lucky to be Malaysian. Like you mentioned, nobody is going to go hungry because of our social structure. Nobody will be left living on the street due to our close knit family structure. And yes, Muslims had to pay zakat (tithe) 2.5% of their income. Most of us will not wait until specific date to start giving to charity. We had 4 major religious celebration space out through the year. Although all the major celebration are closer to each other this few years. Deepavali in October, Christmas in December, Hari Raya and Chinese New Year in January. Normally, people will be more generous around this time. Muslim will start fasting on 30th December 1997. During the fasting month they are encourage to contribute more to the needy besides the compulsory tithe that they had to pay. Maybe this year the affect of the economy will not be felt yet. 

It would not take a brilliant person to acknowledge that with less personal income, less will go to charity. The biggest contributors are normally the big corporation like Tabung Haji, Banks and other multinational company (with majority Muslims stake). These will ensure free food in every mosque during the breaking of fast every night. When I was a student, I sometimes break my fast in the mosque (any mosque nearby where I was at the time of breaking fast). Convenience is just one of the reason. The other is money that I save for the Hari Raya! With most of them (contributors) affected with the crush of the stock market and the devaluation of our Ringgit, their contribution will be less. I myself will be going to the mosque more frequently this fasting month.

The job situation here is very bad despite what the news says,, the news of course says that unemployment has never been lower,,,, which technically is true. At the same time, wages are not at all higher and many people who still have jobs are finding they need to work longer hours and do more in order to keep their job, so really its not easy at all here either, except for some people.

I'm not worry about the wages that I received. I'm more worried the purchasing power that I had with the money received. To tell you the truth, I think we, Malaysian are the most well to do people in the world. Although the salary we receive is incomparable with anyone from the developed nation, the standard of living is much better. (I think). Just take me as an example (a yuppie). My salary is about RM 5,000 per month. I have a car, a motorcycle, a house, a jet ski, a piece of bungalow lots, living in the company's apartment etc. I spend only RM15.00 for food everyday (average). RM50.00 for petrol per month. The rest… mmm not much. The beauty here is that all important item are still relatively cheap. I share the same view with Dr. Mahathir, the important things is not to raise salary but to lower down prices. Make a lot of sense right? But now with our currency devalued, prices of things will shot up. The government can only subsidized so much.

It does sound crazy that the government in your country would be cutting infrastructure expenditures by 20%. naturally,,, cutting the military by that much or more would have benefits much more likely to contribute in the long term unless of course they start using soldiers to add manpower to labour intensive projects. perhaps just one idea, My feeling is that the international community will surely come to the rescue in terms of creating some sort of financial aid rescue package from the IMF world bank, ADB etc. where those projects centre on things that will realistically contribute to the common good of the population at large rather than a limited sector of the people (the rich and the business community) there might be some real long term progress. The role of foreign speculators.. well not much to say about that really.. capital is capital and knows really no borders.

No, not crazy at all. That's what all the foreign investors and so called 'economist' are telling us. ‘Cut your spending on infrastructure!’. You don't believe me? Read Far Eastern Economic Review, Asiaweek, Fortune, Time or any other magazines that talk about east Asian Economic turmoil. As far as I know, Malaysia has the best physical infrastructure in this region. You can travel from the border of Thailand to Singapore on a hassle free (a lot of tolls though) highway. Everywhere you go you will see new public, industries and commercial building being constructed. Our new International Airport will be open next year. And we are building more of this project when the speculators start spreading the news that we are building more than what we can afford. That send most of the foreign investor here packing, leaving a huge hole in our economy (you've heard about herd mentality).

Your feeling is right. The IMF and World Bank will definitely come to our rescue even when we only start hinting at them. But as you probably know, our Prime Minister will not allow that to happen. Call us proud people, or whatever. But begging for others to bail us out is not in our action plan (at least not yet!). You know the effect if we ask IMF to help us. They will put a lot of condition with their help. These conditions will kill a lot of our local company (including our small architectural firm). Look at Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines. They all received IMF bailout. Is the condition there improving? Their currencies value still going down, dragging our Ringgit together. Their stock market had not recovered. To contribute to the common good of the population is to revive the economy. 

Malaysian, in general, nowadays did not rely too much with the government. Most government institution had been privatized and listed in the stock exchange. Most staff are holding shares in the company they are working with. Some of my friends hold share in public listed company like Telekom, TEN (energy) and Petronas Gas. That's what make things more complicated. Even my parents living in my small kampung held shares that are directly link to the stock market. This is part of the government programme on wealth distribution i.e. everybody will get something from the economy. Trough trust funds and loan to purchase shares, the ordinary people are directly involve in the economy. The poor are not given cash but shares in company so they will benefited from it in a long term.  The responsibilities to ensure healthy economic growth are not in the hand of a bunch of corporate people. Everybody matters. But than, there's the speculator. With funds amounting to a couple of times more than the country budget (that is only 1 company), they start to manipulate with our economy. They create a false demand on stock market and the currency that shot up in value. Then one day, out of the blue, they had decided that they had make enough money and pull out abruptly, leaving us with a huge hole in the country account deficit.

Like I said earlier, although capital knows no border, they are all human creation and can be regulated. If we saw flaws in the system, we should try to correct it. With millions of people affected by decision made by a small number of people, that the population at large cannot vote out, we must start doing something, if we truly believe in the democratic way. If we don't like our government now, for instance, we can always vote them out through the election. How are we to vote out the CEO of this big corporation who had manipulated with our economy? Unless you are a majority shareholder. But than, the shareholder are not living in the country affected! This process will take long time, I'm sure, but we must make the move for the benefit of future generations.

May I ask a small favour of you,,,,, I am planning on writing a new web page about Asia,,,, and one thing i want to write about is batik but I also want to include some photos of the Kelatan kites,,,,, do you know where I might find that sort of thing? i think the batik should be no problem, I have plenty of links and photos for that,,, but i have not one of the Kelatan kites,, any suggestions would of course be greatly appreciated.

Sure I can. As you know, my time is limited browsing through the net. Although I had visited a few home pages with graphic of the kites, I did not jot it down. Why don't you give me your snail mail address so I can send you some postcards or something with the photo you want. I would also like to put up a home page about Malaysia. You know, most of the home page about Malaysia that I came across sound superficial and lack human dimension in it. Definitely Malaysia is more interesting than that, as you yourself had discover, right? I just don't know whether I had the time. However, if I were retrench…hmm… Hopefully not.

I look forward to hearing from you again. Thanks for writing such a super letter,,,, it really surprised me and made my day,,,,

best regards
val

Maybe next time I tell you about my holiday in Port Dickson. Normally during the month of Ramadan I will use my lunch hour to write. Than maybe I will be able to write more. Oklah, time for me to say salam mesra and jumpa lagi.

@luk

Date: Monday, January 27, 1997 12:04 AM 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Abdul, 

I didn't realise how far and fast a message would reach until you just replied. It would be nice if travelling was so quick!!! I'm forty-six years old, Miami-Oxford educated, married to wife who also attended there, and now is a director of here department, with a 11 year son. 

Ted 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Hello Ted, 

Your message was received at 4.46am. Sorry for not replying to you immediately because I went to sleep after having my sahur meal. I just drop by at my house at lunch time to pick up some document for my site meeting (local time now is 1.45pm. I'm fasting today so no lunch). I'm writing this from my house. My office is yet to get connected to the Internet. 

I have a few friends who are studying in Oxford Brooks University. During my visit to England a few years back, I stayed with them. 

Judging from your letter, can I assume that English is not your mother-tongue (sorry if I'm wrong. English is not my mother tongue either)? 

@luk 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Abdul, 

Sorry that you thought I meant Oxford in Britain. Miami valley is the name of this area and Oxford is the small town that the school is in. As for me, I was born in Middletown Ohio---I just can't spell! My self I am medically retired from the United States post office (blood pressure) and I love it!!! My time is now mine to do with as I want!!! My hobbies are electronics, collecting military guns, collecting knives, and this computer!!! I love my computer!!! 

What’s your religion that requires fasting? I'm not much on religion, I was forced to attend church as a child and that was (to me) enough! As for you, I've deduced you’re highly educated, from your letter. And if your country warm all year long it must be paradise! It’s snowy and cold here right now. I'd like to visit during our winter months. 

ted 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Hai again Ted, 

I envy you! All the free time that you have. Well for me, busy all the time. Collecting military guns and knives? Wow, that's sound... em.. dangerous (does it?) I'm a Muslim. We fast during the month of Ramadhan. Today is the 18th day. 11 or 12 days more to go before we celebrate the Eid al Mubarak. Religion is, in my opinion, very important in live. It will make your live had a purpose. It wills differentiate a human being from God's other being (like plant and animal). Don't you think so? 

I'm an architect, and yes it's almost like paradise here especially if you go to some of the deserted islands scattered off the coast. Come, do visit us, since you had plenty of time. Sorry, got to go to work Ted. Hope to here again from you. Meanwhile take care of your health. Chao.. 

@luk 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Abdul, 

Glad you wrote back. I noticed you mention how important religion is and ask me my opinion. Personally I was brought up very strict religious - Christian a Protestant. Well at 17 I was in the United States marines in Vietnam. It sorta soured me on government, war and especially religion! But religion is such a factor in world events I have noticed. I only know a small fraction about your religion, but I feel its much more demanding for women (from news) than men and I can handle Jesus was a porofit(spelling) as opposed to his having come back from the dead. I also tend to regard Buddhism, also. There’s things I've read or heard that makes me think there's some truth but religion is a means of control!!! 

Someday I'd like to come over. Your country was in the travel news, but they didn't mention prices for airfares sometimes off-season prices are cheap---don't worry I am not dropping in on you, just curious. Can you sail? If you lived here you’d have a gun or two too!!! 

ted---- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Hello Ted, 

So, you were in the marines in Vietnam! That means you have been to this part of the world, except not at the right time and not the right mission. Well if you come to this part of the world today, I think you will be surprise. Even Vietnam is doing quite OK now. I know a few of my friend went to work over there, helping the Vietnam people to built their country to catch up with the other members of ASEAN country which is currently undergoing tremendous growth in their economy (Vietnam become a member in 1996). There is a lot of Malaysian Architect practising over there. 

I don't know what happen to you in Vietnam that make you turn your back from religion, but I think I have some ideas (mostly from books and movies, you know, all those Oliver Stone's movies, `Good Morning Vietnam', `Shanghai Beach' etc). No, I don't think its too demanding for women. You think all those millions of Muslim women stupid, to embrace a demanding religion? I don't think so! Well if I were to justify my claim, you might think I'm biased because I'm a man. It's better if you here it from a Muslim women. 

Control? OK lets me try to give you a simple example (I'm an architect you know, not a religious expert) If you had the power to create a community of human being and put it in a place, lets say your backyard, what's the first thing you do? You establish a few rules and guidelines, right? Like, don't enter your kitchen when you're not home. Don't throw rubbish into your neighbour’s garden etc. You don't just simply let them loose and do whatever they like. You are their creator so you will make the rules (Of course if you had the power to create them, you had the power to impose your rules on them) Or, will you let them make their own rules? I don't think so! That's a metaphor that I can think of right now - you being God (The Creator) and why we as a human being had to submit ourselves to God's rule. Muslim all over the world follows the rule set out in the holly Quran and the Sunnah (the practice of the prophet Muhammad). 

Hello, hello, are you still awake!! :-) Serious stuff eh? Just something for you to think about. If you want to know more about my religion you could visit one of the `Islam' site on the net. I'm no expert but I'm confidence in my believe. 

Oh yeah, I think air travel had become cheaper now. I spent my New Year holiday in Bali. Malaysia Airline's fare is quite competitive. And the service is excellence. (I can tell you that because I travel a lot. I've been to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Amman, Lahore, Karachi and Singapore) Sail? You mean like handling a sailboat? No, I don't know. Never had the opportunity yet but one day... This year, my plan is to get a diving licence from PADI. I like the marine live so much. Every year, my friends and I will go to Perhentian Island, off the coast of the state of Terengganu in the East Coast. We will spend most of the time snorkelling around the island. The underwater world is beyond description. You just have to visit them to understand what I mean! 

Is it dangerous living in your neighbourhood? Owning gun without permit is a serious offence in Malaysia (punishable by death penalty). Generally, we don't own gun (we don't need to). It's quite save walking along streets in KL. OKlah Ted, got to go now. It's 10.30pm. I'm going out. Tell me more about yourself, your family, your hometown or whatever. Just keep the e-mail coming! Jumpa lagi.. 

@luk 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Abdul, 

Here in the States we have a constitutional right to own and bear arms. All my guns are quite legal and yes parts of every large city is dangerous-mostly due too a drug called crack, and then I'm white and a lot of blacks resent whites due to past and present treatment. 

For my time in Vietnam I receive a small pension which adds to my income and is untaxable, and I also get free medical treatment at the veterans hospital. My son will also qualify for a few benefits if I die prematurely. When I was in Vietnam I thought it one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. The sky was so blue and the ocean gorgeous. The people were nice---but then I had a gun and an attitude!!! 

I love the water I've snorkelled down in Florida and Jamaica with my wife and son, its really fun!! I'd like to buy boat... My wife is a very devote christen, takes care of me, our son, and still holds down a job as director of human resources in town, and makes good money!!! So I'm lucky there. She’s really nice, she was my next door neighbour as a kid. You know, just yesterday I bought two new pistols for my collection. I’ll bet I could have got or at least come close to getting round trip air fare to just about anywhere for price. Doesn't anyone hunt where you’re at? There’s lots of dear around here and turkey. 

Well I'll close for now-take care 

ted 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Hai Ted, 

I also enjoy Internet. I gain a lot of knowledge from it. I also met a lot of cyber friend from all over the world. Oh ya, before I go, can you give me your snail-mail address. Maybe I can send you some postcard or picture of my country. I like to collect postcards and stamps. Not a serious one though. But whenever I travel, I will send postcards to myself, for collections! My snail-mail address is: 

@luk 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Hello @luk 

Good morning, I've been writing you for a while now and I should know...but I don't, your first name!!! Your address it seems Menara is your first name but I'm not sure. At any rate I'm glad you sent your address as I can keep in touch if my computer breaks!! My address is: 

Ted 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Hello Ted, 

Good evening (it's 10.48pm in Kuala Lumpur). Today I break fast at home. I just had KFC `dinner plate’ takes away. I'm too lazy to eat out. You know why? When I'm fasting, I tend to order a lot of food for breaking fast. But once the time came, I only eat a little. Another things, during the month of Ramadhan, there is a lot of stalls selling food and delicacies for breaking fast all over the place. I don't know which one to choose!!! Normally we will choose something that I haven't tried before. When I reach home, I found out that my friends have also bought food for breaking fast. Again ended up with plenty of food. We have to finish everything because Islam abhors wasting food. Access food we kept in the fridge for sahur. 

At the office, people had already in holiday mood. I cancelled my site meeting today. I spend my time reading all the greeting cards that we received and cleaning my `in' tray for the long holiday, which started on 6th of February. Oh ya, during this time, you might not receive any e-mail from me because I will be home with my family in Tangkak, Johor. I will be busy for the whole week entertaining guests, friends and relatives to my house. I myself will do some visiting to old friend’s houses and relatives. You can still send me your messages though. I will reply to all when I came back. 

Oh dear, I'm so sorry. I forgot to properly introduce myself to you. I send messages to a lot of friends, normally answering their question. Since you did not ask mine, I assumed you know! My full name is Abd. Muluk Bin Abd. Manan. Abd. Is short for Abdul. Abd. Muluk is my given name and Abd. Manan is my father's name. Bin or Ibnu is arabic for `son of'. `Menara' means tower. Menara Megah is the name of the condominium where I live. 203 is the unit number (there's block A and B). `Jalan' is street. Most of my friend and colleague address me as Abdul Muluk or Muluk. @luk is what my mother calls me and also my e-mail signature. 

Yes, do send me their photos. I only weight around 55kg. And 174mm high (sorry I don't know imperial!). My mother always complains that I'm too thin although I ate a lot. I like to keep myself fit by doing light exercise. I like to walk. Although I had a car and a motorbike, normally I walk around Kuala Lumpur. 
OKlah Ted, see you again buddy. 

@luk 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Dear Ted, 

I had a piece of land in my kampung (village) about 3 acre. It's an orchard. We grow durians, rambutan, manggosteen, coconut and cocoa. I plan to build my country house when I have enough money. It's not far from my family home. There's only my parent's left in the family home. All my brothers and sisters had left, most of them is working in Kuala Lumpur. I try to visit my parent at least once a month or on any long holiday. My kampung is about 200km south of Kuala Lumpur (about 2 and a half-hour drive). It is situated at the foot of Gunung Ledang (Mount Ophir), the highest mountain in the state of Johor. Last October my colleague and me organise a camping trip to the top of the mountain. It took us 2 days to scale up until we reach the peak. 
I had a laptop and a hand phone. But whenever I'm in my kampung I don't like to be near electronic gadget (except TV!) I will try to spend most of my time close to nature. I will climb fruit trees, pick up some fruit, swim in the river or things like that. Even in Kuala Lumpur, there are a lot of picnic spot such as jungle, waterfall, nature reserve, and parks within an hour drive from the city centre. 

@luk 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Hello @luk 

Your land that’s located in your village sounds a lot like what I want! to be out in the country and still have TV and a computer would be great! Sounds like you and your school buddies know where to eat! I enjoy trying food from other countries--or even different parts of our country! Incidentally I weigh 275 pounds and I'm 6foot 1 inch (sorry don't know metric) so you can tell I like my food!! I'd like to see your village and that mountain you climbed. Sounds cool, I'd really like to see the view from on top the mountain! 

Ted 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Hello Ted, 

How are you today? I thought of writing to you yesterday after breaking fast. But I fell asleep. Yesterday, my friend organise a gathering among our `x' college mate and friends from ITM and the Oxford U (23 of us). We break our fast together at `The Legend’ (a 5* hotel). They had a special Ramadhan buffet spread. Since it's an international buffet, we kept going back and forth, piling our plate with western, eastern, local, Japanese, Indian and Chinese food, while chatting away and catching up with each other news. We stop eating for a while to perform our Maghrib prayers before continuing eating more food and desert. We left the hotel at about 11.00pm. (We’ve been eating from 7.30pm). When I reach home, I fall asleep in front of the TV. 

@luk 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Hello, 

Hey, another thought: the Japanese, I've read a few books about WW2 and the one thing that was really gone over was the Japs cruelty to people. This is just me thinking but they must have been something else for so many tales to be told about them!!!! And at the start of WW2 their weapons were superior-------until the war had gone for some time and then their factories started producing junk. Early items from the war bring lots of money! Collectors will pay a lot for their stuff, and German war goods!!! Just thought I'd mention that and the fact that Jews are getting over due to their treatment during the war from the Germans. Many older Americans really feel guilty over treatment that Jewish people got, and now bend over backwards to make up-------just a few opinions I'm throwing out You have a good day!! 

Ted 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
Hello again Ted, 

Wah, the discussion had turn really serious here. Are you sure we're not on `60 minutes' or something? :-> 
War always involves extreme cruelty. People commit atrocities that in normal circumstances are unthinkable. This violence is not only confined to any one race or country. German History is marred by inhumanity. The British killed countless Indians during their colonial rule even putting them across the mouth of cannons and shooting through them. These things happen in war, and the pacific war is no exception. The Japanese committed atrocities. Human nature is such that the person who is nice to you today may be the very one who brutalises you tomorrow. For example, Malaysians are quite familiar with the Yugoslav. They do business with our country and we were on very friendly terms. Yet recent events shows that they are capable of incredible brutality. This potential lies in all races. 

In the Pacific war, the Japanese prove that the Western power was not invincible. Previously Asians thought the West could never be beaten, but Japan showed us that the West could be defeated. That convinced us that we too could do what Japan did-not fight a war, mind you, but develop our country. Despite the wartime atrocities, Japan has been a source of inspiration. 

I believe it is wrong to dwell in the past. Present relationships are what count; there's no point in quibbling over what happened long ago. I think military confrontation can never create a true peace based on amity and cooperation. It only reinforces distrust, the vicious circle of hatred, suspicion, and antagonism. In my opinion, there are many alternatives to confrontation, opportunity to co-operate with those with whom one disagree, or at worst agree to disagree without being disagreeable! 

Am I sounded a bit like a politician? Well actually I do have the ambition... One day... Nah!!! Anyway VOTE ME!!! 

@luk 
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Hello @luk, 

Well you got my vote if you run. The only thing about the past is too learned from it! There’s no point in doing anything but making day to day life better for all people, not just a handful. But you’re right it's a bit too serious of a topic of conversation. Personally I wish to find some land out in the country and spend time hunting and camping out. I'm not really happy living here in the city. Although it has many advantages over country living. But as long as you can get power anywhere is in contact with the rest of the world. With power and modern electronics even remote mountainsides are in contact ------to me. This stuff, like me and you being in contact, is really cool! I enjoy the Internet and the chance to be in contact with others through the chat rooms. Well I'm off, 
Your buddy 

Ted 
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Hello Ted, 

There are many holidays in Malaysia. Besides the coming Hari Raya Aidil Fitri which will fall on 9 or 10 of February and the Chinese New Year on 7 of February, we have the Deepavali and Thaipussam (Hindu Celebration), Maal Hijrah, Maulidur Rasul, Hari Raya Aidil Adha and Nuzul Quran (Muslim), Wesak (Budist), Cristmass and New Year (Cristians), Gawai (Iban & Kadazans) Labor day, Birthday of The King, Merdeka (Independence day) and a few more others that I can't remember. Well I enjoy ALL especially the big festivals. Malaysian of all races and religions will celebrate together by throwing `open houses'. Open houses are open to everybody to come and visit. Even the King and the Prime Minister will open their houses and palaces to everyone to come and exchange greetings with them. Food is serve to all the guest and children will be given small packet that contain money. So the children especially will try to visit as many houses as possible to collect money. Of course small people give small money and big people give big money and you guess which one they choose to visit!!! This is when to observe the true harmony among the races in Malaysia (not only a political slogan) I think the most important things here is the food. You see who had the time to argue with their mouth and hands are fills with food! 

OKlah Ted, got to go. Tomorrow I'm sending my sister and her family to the airport. She's going to study Masters Degree in English in Scotland. My parents will be here too. My brother picks them up from our kampung (village) tonight. See yea. 

@luk 
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Hello @luk, 

From the way you describe it your all going to be having a heck of a time celebrating. I sorta wonder why are your New Year and our New Year on different dates? There’s no reason they should be, oh well. You and your sister are lucky to be bilingual, id like to speak Spanish-and can too a very small point. I keep meaning to get a CD on Spanish and putit off! I'd like to go to Britain also. I lived in England for 3 years with my parents as a kid.  
My dad was career military; all of us served in the military (but not career) and in Vietnam. My brother and I both receive pensions for it-----small for my brother and me, mines fair sized. I'm so lucky lol!!!!! We both hate our government, but love our country!!!!!!!!! 

I'm wondering will you ever be coming to the United States? I just bought 2 pistols and a rifle that could have gone to plane fare to somewhere, but I really wanted those guns. But I also like seeing new places and like you I enjoy eating different foods! I'll probably use my money on a small farm-as I've said. 
This morning I when over to the next state (Indiana) and gambled in/on a riverboat. I like gambling!!!!! It’s fun, but expensive as I lost. Well, I’ll close for now, happy holiday!!!! 

Your buddy 
Ted