Religious Sect in Kenya

Members of a religious sect in central Kenya, introduced in Kenya in 1997, are bracing themselves for a nuclear war predicted to take place no later than 12 September 2006 and have begun building special shelters to protect themselves.. (wonder why will Iran or Israel (being nearest to Kenya as it’s too far for N.Korea) aim 1 nuclear at Kenya???)

This is the doomsday warning issued by their spiritual leader Yisrayl Hawkins, who is based in the United States and traces his origins back to Israel. (Can you imagine a person staying so far away could influence the people back at his home country. And what is he doing in USA???)

The sect members refer to their creator as Yahweh, not God, and the male followers all sport long goatee beards. House of Yahweh is the latest, but intriguing, sect to have emerged onto Kenya's packed religious scene, where more than 100 groups are now registered by the Kenyan government.

Six years ago, neighbouring Ugandans were shocked by a tragic end to a doomsday prediction. After the world failed to end in December 1999, as predicted by the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, hundreds of the sect's followers were found murdered four months later.

Many Kenyans are concerned that should this prophecy prove untrue, its fallout will not prove as fatal. (Please don’t panic and start building a shelter/bunker for yourself unless you are their member) (Source: BBC News/Africa)
Tags: Kenya, Uganda, Religious Sect, House of Yahweh, Doomsday, Yisrayl Hawkins, Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God

The Libertine / Chaos - movie review

The Libertine – starring John Malkovich, Johnny Depp & Samantha Morton. Set in the King Charles II era. A Shakespearean type of movie. Johnny Depp, a king’s aide who was good in theater. He tried to train a lady to become a well-known stage actress. Somehow on 1 of the stage performance, he made a fool out of King Charles and was chased round England. A slow movie. Doesn’t relate to any historical facts on that era and nothing extraordinary. I got no other choice as the movie selections are drying up already. So watch if you have nothing else better to do, like me during night time.

Chaos – starring Jason Statham (the hero in the Transporter I & II movies), Ryan Phillippe & Wesley Snipes. A bank robbery was committed by a group of men with hostages held up. A genius get away plan allowed them to escape. Thereafter, the ringleader was killing his gang members 1 by 1 including a police office who was on the take. Jason & Ryan went hunting for Wesley but Jason got into a mishap. Hence, Ryan was alone……the story brought us to a mastermind plan in the end which will baffle all of us watching it. Worth my time.
Tags: Movie, The Libertine, Chaos, Review, Cinema, Johnny Depp, Jason Statham

Football match in Khartoum (I)

Yeah, my office organized a football match between our team (Malaysians and our Sudanese friends) against another team (European/other African countries) yesterday night. Good organization managed to bring in sponsors like Coke, KLM Airlines, Sudan Liquid Air, DAL Food Industries, Hilton Khartoum, Langkawi Restaurant (joint M’sian/Sudanese owners).

Last minute briefing on our strategy and positions to be played and changed into our gears for warm-up sessions.
The bigger cup is what men are willing to 'die' for....hehehe. And a picture taken with our Malaysian Ambassador to Sudan before the start of the match.
With Sudanese referee/linesmen, the match started at 8pm. The opponent had been playing regularly and our team comprise of players who can play but didn’t play regularly or worse, for a long time. We were 2-0 down not long into the game. People could tell the fitness of our players. Mine was as suspicious too……hahahaha
Tags: Journal, Diary, Life, Khartoum, Sports, Football, Soccer

Football match in Khartoum (II)

The line up of both teams while listening to the speech being delivered by the Malaysian Ambassador to Sudan.

Played as captain & in a striker position with another Sudanese. Forgotten the timing but a pass came to me on the right side of the field in the middle of the field. Brought the ball up a bit & noticed a white shirt Sudanese running pass on my left. With a calculated pass, it got to the front of him and it was 1 on 1 against the goalie and he scored with me closely behind. So we thought we could hold them now. I gave my all in the 1st half with all the runnings hoping to catch through balls and only had 1 shot at goal later with 1 defender pushing me on the left and another 1 breathing down my neck.

Just 1 minute before the end of the game, I gave chase on a Moroccan, right from (left side) middle of the field to the penalty area. I could say it was a good sprint. That guy was really fast and I still have time to think, should I tackle now or not. Well, I went ahead with the tackle and I caught him flat. The referee came straight to me and I was shown a yellow card. The opponent’s players were asking for a red card as I was the last man. The whole defence collapsed and imagined a striker have to do this job. My M’sian colleague, Nazril, was on top form and he saved the penalty. However, the 1st half ended in 4-1, not in our favour…..hehehe.
A big, almost bald, dry field for us to kick about. Just when the young boy rushed in, the football officials stopped the game indefiniely.....HEHEHEHE!!! just joking.

I opted out for the 2nd half. Too exhausted playing in a hot country even at night. We managed to pull 2 goals back. The opponent knew how to respond too, with 3 more goals. I went in later and helped out at the defence who was totally out. Final score 7-3.

Some of the local Sudanese watching the game. My dear colleague, Meor (in yellow shirt) was adjudged the unofficial best supporter for the night. His comments, in arabic, made the local Sudanese laughed.
The score stood as it is but everyone enjoyed the game. The best has yet to come. As we were giving final handshakes, I thanked the referee too (if you noticed me as no. 9 placing my hand on the referee's shoulder thanking him as shown above). He remembered my face, being the only Chinese on the field. He told me this exact words “I could have given you a red card but because it was a friendly” ………….hehehehhehe….phew!!

Prizes were given away to both teams for their participation. Lots of drama for me on this match day. At the end, we were served with some food. To eat comfortably, I took off my boots/shin pads/socks. Just when I walked away to obtain the prize we received to distribute it, my boots/pads/socks were gone within that 1 minute. Even with my colleagues there, it disappeared into thin air. One of our footballs disappeared too. This is 3rd world country.

One of my colleague consoled me….tomorrow by lunch time, my half day salary would have covered the cost of my lost properties…..hehehehe, true also. Anyway, the boots’ outer skin was coming off already and I did have in mind to get new shin pads next trip back to M’sia.
Came back home by 10.45pm and a few of us took instant noodles. Cleaned up, did my daily devotion and typed this out.
Tags: Journal, Diary, Life, Khartoum, Sports, Football, Soccer

Ethnic Relations

I wonder what pushed a local uni to rush a subject when the so-called not ready textbook which is so bias & untruthful. The main purpose of the Ethnic Relations' topic is to integrate the multi races in Malaysia but the so-called suggested textbook has topics which blamed certain parties for certain past events in Malaysia (a bit racial too). Reasons given for that were history could not changed.

What was going through their heads when this topic was to bring everyone closer? I really cannot understand. But thanks to the wisdom of our Prime Minister, he ordered the so-called textbook to be withdrawn immediately.

Urgent steps need to be taken too as certain youngsters are also influenced by external parties for various selfish reasons....... as seen in this video, which was taped at the UPM's canteen recently Incident at UPM.

Police intervened after receiving calls but swept under the carpet as they considered it's internal uni matters due to no injuries/assault.

It's really sad to see such situation knowing that in future all this undergraduates are going to be in the real working-life world.
Tags: Politics, Education, UPM, Ethnic Relations, Racial

The Descent - Movie Review

The Descent – no big stars here (maybe to me & colleagues). It’s about 6 ladies venturing into a remote mountain range and started exploring an unexplored underground cave. Only way out is to continue. A real suspense/thriller movie as they have to put up their primal instinct up for survival against a bunch of underground beasts. Not a ghost story. But it’s quite some time back since I got startled by a movie.

Why half movie review on the title? Can’t write much as the DVD was not moving after 1hr 7 mins of play…….man….wasted my time and not knowing the ending of it……. If you do watch this, please tell me the ending.

* Latest update - caught hold of this movie at last......the 6 ladies fought their way out of the cave but only 1 survived.
Tags: Movie, The Descent, Review, Cinema

My Lunch at Amwaj Restaurant

Want to know what I could get for my lunch? Took my lunch at Amwaj Restaurant, one of the better ones in town.
This is Roast Chicken with Fries.













Steamed Chicken with Rice













Our lunch. It cost 3 of us Sudanese Dinar 5,500 (US$25 equivalent) with 3 glasses of mango juice too.

Cost of living in Khartoum, Sudan is way too high for the normal citizen here. In Malaysia, this meal would have cost us half the price.
Tags: Journal, Diary, Life, Khartoum