THE CLOWN

Really cannot avoid it. Have to be busy shopping around for the next ship to ride on the next wave to the promised land.

So what is it that we are looking for? A start-up ground floor opportunity? A good company? A good product? An enriching marketing plan? Short term or long term?

To begin with, as the cliche has always been, "Life is a never ending learning curve". And the best way to get out of the learning curve is to eat one's humble pie as much as possible as well.

Went back home from KL early on a Monday morning 2 days ago with the intention of showing an old friend this ground floor opportunity that we are having. Probably on purpose, he made me went to his house as soon as I reached Mentakab.

Well, it was a mind opening sight. There was his house on a major renovation, extending another 2 storey costing him a cool RM200,000.00!

Over breakfast, I learned that he managed to settle b his debts with local AhLongs in excess of RM100,000.00.

He has also built a RM50,000.00 house for his mom in a kampung nearby. In his office after breakfast, a lady from a Finance company paid him a visit to settle all the paperworks for purchasing a brand new Toyota Camry for his wife. And of course, already bought a car for his son studying in a local university. All happened within a period of between July last year to August this year.

Now, this is the same guy who was dead broke over slightly a year ago. Real BROKE!

That takes me to a another level of deciding whether to eat my humble pie or keep on pretending that nothing great has happened. And I was shown the same opportunity around the same time last year. But, poor proud old me, the messengers were not impressive at all. Spoke in badly in both languages, English or Malay.

But the fact is, look at this friend. He has amassed in excess of RM1.2 million within the same period. Yes, it looks more like a scam than anything else. Yes, the Matrix has been the main attraction to get people in. But if the membership of 300,000 (that's what they claimed) they are having now is any barometer for their performance, it needs no further explanation.

I was brought to meet the founder/owner of the Company and also bumped into some high flyers none of which looked like any one whom has acquired a certain degree of wealth worth mentioning.

And so, it brought me to another level of self iterrogation, "What is really wrong with me?" If I am so smart, how some other people have literally amassed in excess of RM1 million withing the last 12 months and I earned only a fraction of it?" Is it because I am drowed in my own sea of idealism of always wanting to build something legitimate, something long term and so forth?

Another couple I met recently also amassed that kind of money. Yes, the whole game has gone the drain, but at least they are a million ringgit richer. And most of all, she has a network of serious business builders all over Malaysia, also into as far as Jamaica, South Africa, not having to mention Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand all established within a period of less than 2 years in the previous endeavour. And she is in Thailand now with her husband, approaching friends from the previous network.

This time around, while waiting for the this ground opportunity to take off, it leaves me no choice but to shopp around looking at whatever that comes our way. This time, it has to be, look, see and decide later. After all, making a wrong decision is always better than no decision at all.

m.a.
KL.

Mentakab

Temerloh's Pekan Sari

Mentakab by Night

MENTAKAB - TEMERLOH. IS THERE LIFE?
It is a Sunday morning today. Missed my orning walk but going to do it later in the afternoon. After all this is Mentakab. No traffic jams. No exhorbitant parking rates. And Temerloh is just less than 10 minutes away.

I have been spending 90% of my life in KL past 10 years or so, so much so Mentakab & Temerloh has become almost non-existent in my life with all the business of business. Been traveling quite a fair bit all over Malaysia plus the anual pilgrimage to Australia and a bit of New Zealand for first 6 years in business mostly due to speaking engagements than anything else. There after it was all business building which in the last 10 months have also included Brunei, Medan and Jakarta.

In retrospect, one might have the impression that was the ultimate life one could dream of. Yes and no. Sometimes we got so much immersed in whatever we were doing without creating the time for the single most important thing we should do: REFLECT.

And so we could get dead intoxicated with the present forgetting why in the first place we ever got into such commitments!So is there really no life to be back home here in Mentakab and Temerloh the twin towns? Well, some people do live in huge mansions and drive expensive luxuries around , plays golf, also go on overseas holidays - if that is the barometer to the quality of life.

Looking back, one cannot but accept the fact that the quality of life is many times better here than KL. After all, KL is just slightly over 1 1/2 hours away (the same time one could get stuck in the jams sometimes moving to Point A to Point B especially after the rains).

One can get most of the things here in the twin towns. From Montessorises, swimming pools, music schools, futsals and a couple of golf courses near by. The Batu 3 golf course is only 7 minutes or so from Mentakab or Temerloh. And of course, we are not short of shopping spots to go to and not short on fast foods either - KFC, Pizzahut, Mac D's ?

Every night is Pasar Malam night in Mok Hee Khiang, Mentakab. With the current durian season, you can eat until you get sick without burning a hole in your pocket. A good dinner at the Pasar Malam is still reasonably good for less than RM10.00 for two.

You want halal Chinese food? A 2 minute walk from Mok Hee Kiang in Mentakab is Ledo the original family restaurant open for breakfast of original Hainan kaya & butter toast with half boiled eggs still charged at the old kopitiam prices. The main business is of course lunch and dinner.

Good nasi lemak with sotong? Go to Kowloon, next to the former New Capitol cinema site, the same row with HSBC Mentakab. That is one of the best in the world, taking Brunei, Indonesia, London, Brussels, Belgium, Paris, Amsterdam, Singapore, Dumai, Batam, Pekan Baru, Medan, Jakarta, Bandung, Bali, Brunei, Australia & New Zealand into comparison!.. Wooohooo!

And for a good plate of fried mee, go to Batu Kapor next to the Primary School. There is only one stall right smack in the kampung and his customers go all the way as far as Temerloh. The famous Mee Zainal ( I bet Zainal doesn't know that!!) One of the tastiest one could ever get. Coliseum Cafe charges almost RM8.00. Zainal charges RM3.20 with a big portion. I am a good eater and I have been traveling a fair bit. I know what I am talking about.

Ah yes, if you are lazy, the fried mee at Happy Fried Chicken in Mentakab is reasonably good.

IKAN PATIN MASAK TEMPOYAK?

Your visit to Temerloh is never quite complete without eating the ikan patin cooked in tempoyak gravy. It could be a an acquired taste if you are not a Malaysian though. But once acquired, it is amost addictive.

What makes it so special? Apparently, the location of Temerloh along the Pahang River is reputed to the most suited location for breeding of ikan patin. The natural Pahang River patins could easily cost you RM40-RM60 rinngit. I was told that the patin muncong cost around RM300 per kg now! And the next best alternatice is the cultured patins bred in cages in the Pahang River. And in Temerloh you can't get them any fresher, caught, delivered and cooked the same day the patins are supplied to the restaurants.

If you take the bus from KL at the Pekeliling Bus Terminal ( 3-4 companies providing almost an hourly service to Temerloh for less than RM10.00 one way). Recently Danny, a friend took the bus from KL just to have lunch. He never had patin before and he surprisngly really enjoyed the fish.

Enjoy the journey, and once you got down to the Temerloh Express Bus Terminal, just walk to Saniah Restaurant same row with the Seven Eleven. Quite reasonable. Less than RM5.00 a piece of patin cooked with tempoyak.

But of course, if you drive, go to Restaurant Pak Usop ( the No 1 spot in Temerloh for patins ), by the riverside of Pahang River. Look for the Petronas fuel station in Bandar Lurah Semantan and ask your way there on. On Sundays, this stretched of road by the river side is The Pekan Sari (Sehari) , the One Day Market on Sundays.

The Temerloh Pekan Sari is one of the oldest in Malaysia and one of the longest stretch in Pahang. You can get almost anything. From traditional herbal medicines, to traditional kuihs, fruits, live patins, toys, batiks and all kinds of stuff. Truly, a Sunday walk through the Pekan Sari which stretches from the road near the mosque right up to the exit on the main road near the Temerloh Mini Stadium is a therauphatic experience. There people who drive all the way from KL or Kuantan just to go to the Temerloh Pekan Sari. Imagine the Sydney Paddington the open air version and many times over in size. That is the Temerloh Pekan Sari.

And if you like the Chinese style steamed ikan patin, try the Temerloh Resthouse ( look for the Temerloh mosque and find your way there on), or Centerpoint Restaurant located at the Sakura Hotel (previously the Centrepoint Hotel in front of the Temerloh Supermarket on the Jalan Kuantan Road).

Spend a night or two in Temerloh. Stay at the Sri Malaysia Hotel, Greenpark or Bukit Bendera Resort in Mentakab. These are more decent 2 and 3 star hotels. Of course there are countless lodgings around.

And after all the good food, don't worry about falling sick. The Temerloh Hospital Complex just across the Temerloh Bridge on the Jalan Kuantan about 2 km away, houses all the modern state of the art medical facilities around.

But if you decide to stay healthy, take a stroll around the Taman Tasik (The Lake Garden) in Temerloh right smack in town or drive 10 minutes away to another walk in Taman Tasik Mentakab. It is truly a beautiful experience to walk around well shed by the canopies of trees around the lake.

So? Life is not that back in Mentakab isn't it? Perfect place to buy a piece of land if you can afford it and build your own dream house. Fifty years down the road, it would be a privilege to own a private house like that on your own piece of land. Look at Janda Baik...

Take a drive to Mentakab and Temerloh on your weekend. You will love it. Better still spend a night here. And if you truly have no friend at all, just call me. Doesn't matter who you are. I'll host you. After all, making another new friend doesn't hurt, does it? Feel free to call, anytime.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday,

Warmest regards from me,

m.a
016-328 6788
mentakab.

CUL-DE-SACS

It's certainly amazing how life negotiates it's journey.Out of the blue, Kwong called earlier tonight. Sounded very excited with what he has to tell me.

As the waiting is beginning to look rather unpromising, certainly the calls from Jeff earlier on today and from Kwong is something else. At last something that gets my adrenalin real high again.

Looking back 3 years ago, I would certainly would not have allowed me to view things before saying no, due to the 6 years of subtle indoctrination by that XYZ company leaving huge emotional and financial scars which no doubt will take a long time to heal. Sometimes the nightmares of what has happened still bothered my sleep.

And that company of arrogant fools has certainly had it's own demise as their testimony of their own doings. At the end of the day, everbody lost everything!

Anyway, we do get wiser eventhough the tuition fees could be extremely dear. And as happened so many times before in our life, as we had reached some certain cul-de-sacs, some how or rather The Creator without fail has a door or two opened to us.

This time around, I am surprisingly taking a little bit longer than usual to decide. But true enough, sometimes, it is time that no man has the liberty over. And It is a kind of heartwarming to know that I still have friends coming my way. Two days ago it was Ijad. Saturday Ted Ang got me to meet this total stranger from The Phillipines. And of course Dato Ahmad called me last Sunday. And along the way, Nasrin has been trying to get me as well.

But frankly, I just need one of the 2 propositions by Kwong or Jeff to happen. If what Kwong mentioned was true, the sky is the limit, and again God willing, it is going to defy gravity again even in Ramadhan which is just around the corner. We made it happened last year. Am looking forward to get something off to the stratosphere real soon, again.

Yours truly,

m.a.

mentakab.

P.S . Today my 4th day of self punishment. But not bad, today walked 5 miles. Just want to do something manageable and continuous.

2. *Mee Zainal has increased to RM3.20 a plate. But I swear, it is still the best fried mee in the world with generous portion.

Can Money Cause Short Memory?

Basically 2 things worth noting today.

1. I literally forced myself to go for an hour's walk eventhough it was already 9.30am. My sugar level was on boderline being at 6.6. Don't want to end up diabetic. Apart from cutting sugar intake, a little bit of exercise helps.

2. Had this sms from Hong Kong! Apparently a character I introduced into a business last September has finally made his way to be 'a partner of the parent Company' after ditching everybody along the way, me being the first. Obviously he has bridged himself well directly to the pot of gold and there is no need for anyone any more.

And I am being offered accounts, company support for running promotional events and was also told to run things in the comfort of total absence of the characters (previously all the heroes he so much adored who enabled him to be where he is now).

Yes, I am impressed, but on second thought, not really. Time has changed. The excitement over the same product has fizzled away. And also not forgetting the severe damages done here and also in Indonesia by some smart people.

Anyway, I would probably see him when he comes back to Malaysia on the August 12th. Just see what he has got to say and see the goodies he has, to entice a kampung boy like me. Basically, during the 3 months in business, we have been dealing with nothing but a bunch of 'almost crooks'. Can we still do business together? Under normal circumtances, Nope!

And I wonder, can money really shortens one's memory? Obviously that is what some people thought...

Yours truly,

m.a.

BUSINESS EMPIRES. FACTS OR PERCEPTIONS?

Went all the way to Bandar Puteri Puchong last night meeting someone, a total stranger connected by a friend from Cat City.

After about touring almost the whole of Puchong, finally was led to his house by a friend of his.

A Filipino who was one of the founding Directors of one network company sometime back here in Malaysia with networks in the Phillipines, Indonesia and of all places, Iran!!! And when we always basked in our our own delusions, it was also another learning curve to meet some people in MLM that we never knew were making big money many times than us, with networks truly beyond just one country.

Anyway, if the luxury cars and very impressive banglow was to go by, this guy definitely has made some big money compared to most of us I knew. And he knew what he was talking about.

Alas, he showed me something that I have seen but in a very different picture. Here is a Company which has been in business for last 16 years, whose owner is a billionaire, where money is truly not an issue whith a vission of being another Amway of Asia (well we have in excess of 2.5 billion population, why bother about the US and Europe where people are less hungry?).

We are talking about a simple basic product, almost one of it's kind in it's class, patented worldwide. Within the last 6 months they have expanded officially into Singapore, Indonesia and The Phillipines with India down the pipeline.

This company is talking about going listing on Nasdaq in the near future. And this guy showed me how a simple equation of multiplying growth by 2 would lead to an income of USD60,000 within 10 months.

And so now, what is the magic equation of growing business empires? Is it just mere facts? It's still called vision and perception. Say what ever we like, perception is still reality. I was shown the facts about the business 6-7 months ago. But I was not shown the vision and my skeptism of the messenger and origins of the business was my complete blinkers!

What do we need in businesses of this nature? A strong product from a strong company financially with strong leafdership at the helm + the right leadership in the field with the right culture. I have seen it before. Helped made things happened but the immortals thought they have become gods! And so, at the end of the day, everbody lost eveything with even the founders losing all his fortune and the company.

Made a decision yet? Very soon. Coz as was claimed, some one has laready made in excess of USD10,000 a month over the past few months in The Phillipines. Don't swallow everthing, but it is worth taking with a pinch of salt.

Yours truly,

M.A.

KL.