skeletons in the island

When I was in Klang, first practical year in medical school, I went with a friend to Pulau Ketam. It was a laidback place with good seafood, relaxing stroll down the wooden pathway and children goes to school with boats and bicycle. I did noticed some stray dogs over there. perhaps one or two roaming.

From TV smith, a veteran blogger, I was made aware of a shocking revelation in Pulau Ketam.

Pulau Ketam, 2nd May 2009: Saved and Safe. The rescued dog in the safe hands of Sabrina and on the way to a vet for treatment.

But time is running out and there might be only skeletons and carcasses left to collect on our next trip.

Boat hire is expensive there. It is a tourist area and it has already cost me a few hundred ringgit for boat hire alone, so far. The rescued dogs cannot be transported on the regular ferries. Almost nobody will lift a finger to help without a fee. This is understandable.

The locals are already shaking their heads in disbelief that there are outsiders who want to save the animals they so casually discarded. Instead of pointing fingers and antagonising them, we need their co-operation to help save the unfortunate creatures. In the process, we also hope to educate the islanders on better treatment of animals. It would be an impossible mission if we didn't win their hearts

Fellow bloggers, do help by linking to http://www.mycen.com.my/rescue

tambun | revisited

I guess it's been some time since I last went for seafood in Tambun. Tambun is like, think of seafood, think of Tambun.

Of course, whenever I think of Tambun, i think of the Tambun biscuit, which I like so much. But I guessed the best Tambun biscuit is found in the Penang Island from either Fu Lok Shou or Him Heang.

FYI, Fu Lok Shou is near Gama, opposite the old cinema in Chun Mai Huen, the area opposite Trader's Hotel. Found their pandan Tambun biscuits totally awesome.

As for Him Heang, it's too famous not to know bout it.

What about Ghee Hiang? The oldest and Lao Zhi Hao? Pretty well branded, but their tambun Biscuits by far, totally inferior to Him Heang and Fu Lok Shou. It's like UM, i guess - not that I am not proud of it. I just prefer to stick to the fact than keep ourselves entertained with make believe.

Oh ya, this entry supposed to be about Tambun, not Tambun biscuit.

I went there with my family and Aedan (of course), after the tiring trip to Taiping Zoo. It was afternoon, and exposed to blazing sun outside. But within the restaurant, it's just the cool river breeze and you. Not much of massive crowd at that time, and easy to get a good parking spot.

I remembered going there last time at night for my grandma bday's, which was like years ago. The whole area is full of hustle and bustle. Parking darn difficult. If you don't park, you'll have to wait for 3 hours or more. If you park, you'll have persistent worry about the car next to you might scratch yours on the way out, or another car on the way in. The whole restaurant will be packed with people. Your order will come after 1 hour. Some uncles and aunties will start shouting and complaining, yet want to eat there. It's a very meriah environment and after all the noise and the parking worries, the only thing that could take those all away is a good cup (or pint) of beer, which unfortunately I don't take.

This time around, it was a really relaxing experience eating there together with my family.

The only thing I found noteworthy would be the shrimp.

Tame river | soothing breeze...

Lot's of korek korek to do with the hwa lei...

Big juicy succulent shrimp... Am I over reacting?

warmer than winter

best jokes from reader digest: what's the one-man guy favorite shop? second hand shop.

just some photos from wei pin's birthday gathering...

tis piggy pergi zoo

short talk: HOTM is calling the swine flu is just another swindle...

when the swine flu was announced last week, the Dow Jones went down, but the pharma stocks when up.

A(H1N1): what's with the H & the N?

WHO moved to re-tagged swine flu as Influenza A(H1N1), IMHO, probably due to several reasons:
1. more of human-human transmission, rather than from the swine. apology to the porcine society.
2. virus cannot be transmitted by eating pork, therefore may unnecessary put the pork industry in jeopardy.
3. it is believed to be a new strain which combined bird, swine and common human influenza, by right should be call bird-swine-human flu (quite a mouthful, i guess)
4. it is rather difficult for a Muslim to be labelled as a swine-flu patient.

Once, people asked me, what's with the H & the N?

Here's the thing.

Virus is a very simple thing. It consist of the shell and the core. The shell is protein encoded by the core, which is the DNA or RNA.

To multiply itself, it will need a living cells, for by itself, virus is not a living thing.

Flu virus labelled as A, B, C as there are difference in its RNA segments and protein coding, and was further differentiated by its H & N.

H is for haemaglutinin. haem-blood, aglutinin-clump together. Haemaglutinin is simply a glycoprotein on influenza virus responsible for binding the virus to the cells that is being infected. So far, at least 16 subtypes of H had been recognized H1 to H16.

Once the virus is in, it will start to multiply and multiply and multiply and multiply until the cells is bloody loaded with viruses and they're ready to break out and chill.

That's where the N comes in.
N is for neuraminidase. neuraminidase is an enzyme on the surface of influenza viruses that enables the virus to be released from the host cell, but cutting one of the structures of the cell membrane.