Lunch at Lakshmi Vilas, Lebuh Ampang, K.Lumpur_31.03.10

I went to Lakshmi Vilas today for lunch with my friends. The restaurant is situated at Lebuh Ampang, walking distance from my office. I have not been to this restaurant for a long time. It brought back some old memories. It was twenty one years ago in January 1989, when I first had a meal here. My father drove me to KL from Klang to attend an interview for the post of Engineer in a consulting firm, Zaidun-Leeng Sdn. Bhd. (ZLSB) at Jalan Gereja, close by. My father waited at the lobby while I was inteviewed and subsequently was offered a job in ZLSB. After the interview, he took me for lunch at Lakshmi Vilas. I remembered the lunch because I requested for chicken and the waiter politely informed me that this was a purely vegetarian restaurant. We had a delicious vegetarian banana leaf meal. The quality has been maintained all these years as I enjoyed lunch with my friends today, just as I did with my father. My father passed away in 1992. Years have passed by and I have come a long way in my profession working for ZLSB. I miss my father and wish that he would been around longer with my family. I would have taken him to Lakshmi Vilas for lunch.

CIMB Scrabble To School Selangor Programme (Secondary Schools)_27.03.10

After our inaugural "CIMB Scrabble to School Programme” in Selangor for Primary schools held on 6th March 2010, 25 secondary schools were invited to take part in the Scrabble Workshop today at Sek. Men. Dato' Hamzah, Pelabuhan Klang. The programme, which is sponsored by CIMB Foundation, involves inviting four students accompanied by a teacher from each school to attend a scrabble workshop followed by hands-on scrabble games. Four scrabble sets and a scrabble dictionary were given to each school to introduce Scrabble as an enjoyable tool to improve the usage of English Language in schools.

The Malaysian Scrabble Association (MSA) team again consisted of Martin Teo, Chitra, Chim Wai Main, Priya & myself. This time, Rama was unable to help as he had to report for National Service at Sungkai, Perak in the morning. Chitra, Priya and Chim looked after the registration which started started at 8.30 a.m. while Martin & myself set up the equipments and seating arrangement.

Registration at Canteen

We started of the programme at 9.15 a.m. with my opening speech and followed Martin's PowerPoint presentation for the scrabble workshop. After the presentation, Martin was invited to present the scrabble sets and dictionary to the schools.

Martin conducting the workshop
Attentive secondary school participants

Presentation of sets & dictionary

The participants were treated with chicken rice and refreshment at 10.30 a.m. The hands-on scrabble training commenced at the canteen after the break from 11.30 a.m. till 1.00 p.m.

The hands-on scrabble training was conducted for one & half hours with the teachers and students participating playing scrabbles who kept the helpers quite busy.

Chitra discussing with the participants

Mr. Chim busy guiding the players

Priya offering some pointers in scrabble play

After the training, the participants went back to practice playing scrabble as they would be invited back in one month's time on 17th April 2010 for an interschool scrabble competition.

A big thank you for CIMB Foundation for the grant which enabled us to organise this event. We also thank the Pengetua and teachers of Sek. Men. Dato' Hamzah, P.Klang for providing the venue.

The schools that took part are as below:

CIMB Scrabble To School Selangor Programme
Secondary Schools List
1. SMK SUNGAI PELEK, 43950 SUNGAI PELEK
2. SMJK YOKE KUAN, 45400 SEKINCHAN
3. SMK SUNGAI RAWANG, 43950 SUNGAI PELEK
4. SMK SIJANGKANG JAYA, 42500 TELOK PANGLIMA GARANG
5. SMK JUGRA, JALAN SULTAN ABDUL SAMAD, 42700 BANTING
6. SMK BUKIT GADING SUNGAI PLONG, 47000 SUNGAI BULOH
7. SMK DATO' MUSTAFFA PASIR PANJANG, 45400 SEKINCHAN
8. SMK KUALA KUBU BHARU, JALAN KOLAM AIR, 44000 KUALA KUBU BHARU
9. SMK SAUJANA UTAMA IJOK, PERSIARAN SAUJANA 3, SAUJANA UTAMA, 47000 SUNGAI BULOH
10. SMK SULTAN ABDUL AZIZ, JALAN DATO' HAMZAH, 45000 KUALA SELANGOR
11. SMK SRI ANDALAS, TAMAN SRI ANDALAS, 41200 KLANG
12. SMK DATO HAMZAH, 42000 PELABUHAN KLANG
13. SMK SRI ISTANA, JALAN ISTANA, 41000 KLANG
14. SMK TENGKU AMPUAN RAHIMAH, PERSIARAN RAJA MUDA MUSA, 41200 KLANG
15. SMK LA SALLE KLANG, 41200 KLANG
16. SMK TAMAN KLANG UTAMA, PERSIARAN SG KERAMAT, 42100 KLANG
17. SMK CONVENT KLANG, 112 JALAN TENGKU KELANA, 41000 KLANG
18. SMK (P) BUKIT KUDA, JALAN PERAK, 41300 KLANG
19. SMJK KWANG HUA, 41150 KLANG, SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN
20. SMK RAJA LUMU, JALAN RAJA LUMU, 42000 PELABUHAN KLANG
21. SMK BATU UNJUR, JALAN NILAM 1, BUKIT TINGGI, 41200 KLANG
22. SMK RANTAU PANJANG, JALAN KAPAR, 42100 KLANG
23. SMK MERU BATU 7, PEKAN MERU, 41050 KLANG
24. SMK (P) KAPAR, PERSIARAN HAMZAH ALANG, 42200 KAPAR, KLANG
25. SMK (P) RAJA ZARINA, PERSIARAN RAJA MUDA MUSA, 42000 PELABUHAN KLANG

CIMB Scrabble To School Selangor Programme (Primary Schools)_06.03.10

The inaugural ‘CIMB Scrabble to School Programme” in Selangor was conducted today at Sek. Men. Dato' Hamzah. Pelabuhan Klang. It was organised by Malaysian Scrabble Association (MSA) and sponsored by CIMB Foundation. 25 primary schools were invited to attend a scrabble workshop followed by hands-on scrabble games.

The MSA team consisted of Martin Teo, Chitra, Chim Wai Main & myself. Rama and Priya also helped out during the event. Mr. Eugene and his colleague from CIMB were also present during the event. Registration started at 8.30 a.m. as usual by Chitra and Priya.

Chitra & Priya registering the participants

Opening speech by Raj

Mr. Eugene explaining CIMB Foundation's initiatives
Four students accompanied by a teacher attended from each school. Four scrabble sets and a scrabble dictionary were given to each school to introduce Scrabble as an enjoyable tool to improve the usage of English Language in schools.

Mr. Eugene handing out the scrabble sets
Martin Teo conducted an informative and interesting PowerPoint presentation for the scrabble workshop. The participants listened attentively with the teachers asking a few questions.
Martin conducting the workshop
Workshop participants
After the presentation, the participants were treated with light snack of mee hoon/nasi lemak in the school's canteen at 10.30 a.m.
Snack time in canteen

After the refreshment, hands-on scrabble training commenced at 11.30 a.m. till 1.30 p.m. The teachers and students participated with gusto and kept the helpers busy for the full two hours.

Teachers joining in to play scrabble
Helping hand for a bingo word

Having fun playing scrabble
Scrabble pointers from Chim W.M.
Eugene joining in to teach the players
After two hours of noisy and fun-filled scrabble games, everyone went back happy and tired. We advised the teachers to keep motivating the students to continue playing scrabble in their schools. The schools shall be invited back in one months time for an interschool scrabble competition.

Thank you again for CIMB Foundation for the grant which enabled us to organise this event. Also thank you to the Pengetua and teachers of Sek. Men. Dato' Hamzah for providing the venue.

The schools that took part are as below:
CIMB Scrabble To School Selangor Programme
Primary Schools List
1. SJK(C ) Pui Ying, Klang
2. SJK(T) Ldg. North Hummock, Jalan Meru, Klang
3. SK Sungai Binjai, Meru
4. SJK(T) Jalan Meru, Klang,
5. SK St. Anne's Convent, Persiaran Raja Muda Musa, P. Klang
6. SJK(C ) Hin Hua, Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang
7. SJK(T) Persiaran Raja Muda Musa, Jalan Watson, P. Klang
8. SK(1) Tengku Bendahara Azman, Pandamaran, P. Klang
9. SK Bukit Kapar, Kg Bukit Kapar, Kapar
10. SK Methodist (Acs), Jalan Melawis, Klang
11. SK(2) Tengku Bendahara Azman, Pandamaran, P. Klang
12. SK(2) Simpang Lima, Persiaran Raja Muda Musa, Klang
13. SJK(T) Ladang Highlands, Bandar Bukit Tinggi 2, Klang
14. SK Taman Klang Jaya, Jalan Seruling, Klang
15. SK Klang, Jalan Dato' Hamzah, Klang
16. SJK(T) Methodist Kapar, Jln Bukit Kapar, Kapar
17. SK(P) Methodist, Jalan Raya Barat, Klang
18. SK Telok Menegon, Batu 3, Jalan Kota Raja, Klang
19. SJK(T) Jalan Tepi Sungai, Klang
20. SK Bukit Tinggi, Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang
21. SK Sungai Udang, Jalan Yadi, Klang
22. SK Methodist Pelabuhan Klang
23. SJK(T) Ladang Batu Ampat, P. Klang
24. SK Bukit Kuda, Jalan Landasan, Klang
25. SK Telok Pulai, Taman Bertek, Klang