Two Mandarin words made huge difference

Assalamualaikum to all..
Just wanna share my experience purchasing some stuffs for my dissertation project..

About 5pm just now, after finishing preparing my raw material for concrete to be mixed tomorrow, i went to a hardware store to purchase steel hook..wanted about 8 in numbers..

Got my right foot into the shop, an old Chinese lady asked me,
"Ya, mau cari apa dik?" (Yes, what u looking for?)

"Owh, sini ada jual handle tak?" (Oh, do u sell handle here)

Then, she calle a middle-aged man, think was his son..

"Yes.."

"Sini ada jual, itu handle ka?itu letak dekat pintu punya.." (do u have handle here? use to put at the doors)

"Ini ka?" (This?)
-showing me a latch

"Bukan, itu lock, ini handle.." (No, its a latch, i want steel handle)
and the handle was right next to the latch..
and i said,

"ha, ini lah.., u ada yg besar punya?" (Ha, this is it, do u have a big one?)

"Ada, ini lah.." (Got, here it is) by showing me a bigger size, in a plastic showed "RM5"

and those magic to Mandarin words i use was,
"Duoshao qian ah?" (Berapa ringgit? / How much one of this?)

"Yi ge ah?" (One of this?..er..wait ah..)
He went to the cashier to ask his assistant, maybe..

while waiting, i calculated myself, supposely, one handle cost about RM2.50..

then he came back and said, "saya bagi RM1.00 saje lah.." (I give u RM1.00 only)

"owh ok, saya mau lapan" (Owh ok, Give me eight please)

and the conclusion from this, how those suppliers can give way low prices if we can speak their language..
Here in Malaysia, most of them, when i spoke with them in Mandarin, the tendency to get lower prices or discount is quite high..

had before, i dont know how and dont want to speak in Mandarin, they hardly give discount
on not even 10cents..

so, i was totally surprised today, from RM2.50 can be down to RM1.00..
thats only for a unit..how bout if i ordered about 100pcs..RM150 i can save..

Meryl and Family at AFI2004

Just got this picture and decided to post it in here..
what a lovely family she has..
"Meryl and Don are the greatest love affair"

(Grace, Mamie, Louisa, Meryl and Don Gummer)

Nasihat kehidupan

1. KETIKA MENCARI CALON

Janganlah mencari isteri, tapi carilah ibu bagi anak-anak kita

Janganlah mencari suami, tapi carilah ayah bagi anak-anak kita.

2. KETIKA MELAMAR

Anda bukan sedang meminta kepada orang tua/wali si gadis,

tetapi meminta kepada Allah melalui orang tua/wali si gadis.

3. KETIKA AKAD NIKAH

Anda berdua bukan menikah di hadapan penghulu,

tetapi menikah di hadapan Allah

4. KETIKA RESEPSI PERNIKAHAN

Catat dan hitung semua tamu yang datang untuk mendoa'kan anda,

kerana anda harus berfikir untuk mengundang mereka semua dan meminta maaf apabila anda berfikir untuk BERCERAI kerana menyia-nyiakan do'a mereka.

5. KETIKA MALAM PERTAMA

Bersyukur dan bersabarlah.

Anda adalah sepasang anak manusia dan bukan sepasang malaikat.

6. SELAMA MENEMPUH HIDUP BERKELUARGA

Sedarilah bahawa jalan yang akan dilalui tidak melalui jalan bertabur bunga,

tapi juga semak belukar yang penuh onak dan duri.

7. KETIKA BIDUK RUMAH TANGGA GOYANG

Jangan saling berlepas tangan,

tapi sebaliknya justeru semakin erat berpegang tangan

8. KETIKA BELUM MEMILIKI ANAK .

Cintailah isteri atau suami anda 100%

9. KETIKA TELAH MEMILIKI ANAK.

Jangan bagi cinta anda kepada (suami) isteri dan anak anda,

tetapi cintailah isteri atau suami anda 100%

dan cintai anak-anak anda masing-masing 100%.

10.KETIKA EKONOMI KELUARGA MERUDUM

Yakinlah bahawa pintu rezeki akan terbuka lebar berbanding lurus

dengan tingkat ketaatan suami dan isteri.

11.KETIKA EKONOMI BERKEMBANG

Jangan lupa akan jasa pasangan hidup yang setia mendampingi kita semasa menderita

12.KETIKA ANDA ADALAH SUAMI

Boleh bermanja-manja kepada isteri tetapi jangan lupa untuk bangkit secara bertanggung jawab apabila isteri memerlukan pertolongan Anda.

13.KETIKA ANDA ADALAH ISTERI

Tetaplah berjalan dengan gemalai dan lemah lembut, tetapi selalu berhasil menyelesaikan

semua pekerjaan.

14.KETIKA MENDIDIK ANAK

Jangan pernah berpikir bahawa orang tua yang baik adalah orang tua yang tidak pernah marah kepada anak,kerana orang tua yang baik adalah orang tua yang jujur kepada anak ....

15.KETIKA ANAK BERMASALAH

Yakinilah bahawa tidak ada seorang anakpun yang tidak mahu bekerjasama dengan orang tua, yang ada adalah anak yang merasa tidak didengar oleh orang tuanya.

16.KETIKA ADA PIL.

Jangan diminum, cukuplah suami, isteri sebagai ubat.

17.KETIKA INGIN AMAN DAN HARMONIS

Gunakanlah formula 7 K

> 1 Ketaqwaan

> 2 Kasih sayang

> 3 Kesetiaan

> 4 Komunikasi dialogis

> 5 Keterbukaan

> 6 Kejujuran

> 7 Kesabaran

Sekadar perkongsian..

I have no idea!!

I have no idea at all, what i'll be doing in 5 weeks time..
eventhough my holiday is about 7 weeks time..but still, 5 weeks, equals to 35 days..
i dunno..maybe 35 boring days, full of PS3-ing??
aiyoh..

1 2 start my dissertation work?erk~haha..
but im looking forward for my last 2 weeks before starts new semester, which will be in January09..

owh ya..im waitng for 'Doubt' dis december..wonder if that movie arrived here yet..
just wait n see people..
just wait n see..

Upcoming movie - Julie & Julia

here's some picture of Meryl Streep on set of her new movie
"Julie & Julia" will be aired August 2009

with Stanley Tucci

notice how lovely shoes she's wearing..i want those pls..tq..hehe

Meryl Streep, finest actress in 20th Century

Meryl in 1990

here's a cute video of her
and her children Mamie and Gracie back in 1990's..
see how she react afterwards..

Big Fan of Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep born: 22-06-1949 birth place: Summit, New Jersey, USA Born Mary Louise Streep to father, Harry Streep Jr., a pharmaceutical executive and mother, Mary, a commercial artist. Harry loved to play the piano and Mary loved to sing, so Streep and her two younger brothers grew up surrounded by music.
(quoted from thebiographychannel.co.uk)

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep, is a big name in America..
She is a star..
a wonderful, magnificent actress..
Wish meet her someday..
she is very humble and funny person..
Recently in Mamma Mia! The Movie
and upcoming movie, "Doubt" aired in December 2008 and "Julie & Julia" in August 2009.

Meryl Streep Potrayed Miranda Priestly in Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Won AFI Award in 2004
and here's some about achievement of her (quoted from AFI website, By Rochelle L. Levy)

The trustees of the American Film Institute have selected Meryl Streep to receive AFI's 32nd Life Achievement Award.

Meryl Streep is like no other. She's authentic yet ethereal. Self-possessed yet vulnerable. Intellectual yet instinctive. And she deftly combines these disparate qualities onscreen in a way that has made her a cinematic icon.

Meryl Streep has presence, resonating with both audiences and critics for the past 26 years. Beginning with THE DEER HUNTER in 1978-just her second film-Streep has been nominated for 13 Academy Awards, more than any other actor in history. She was named Best Supporting Actress for KRAMER VS. KRAMER in 1980 and Best Actress for SOPHIE'S CHOICE in 1983.

No matter the character, Streep's work is suffused with dignity and decency. She makes us believe. Which is no small thing, considering most actors find it difficult to separate their public persona from their onscreen portrayals. But Meryl Streep is not like most other actors. Her sense of self and understanding of those she is portraying result in realistic characters, regardless of their nationalities, ethnicities or physicalities.

The breadth of her talent seems limitless. No matter what the challenge, Streep commits fully, serving as the anchor in each of her films. She sings (SILKWOOD, IRONWEED, POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE), dances (DEATH BECOMES HER), even plays violin (MUSIC OF THE HEART). And these extraordinary abilities are matched by her astounding facility for dialects. From Polish (SOPHIE'S CHOICE) to Australian (A CRY IN THE DARK) to Danish (OUT OF AFRICA), Streep's flawless vocal transformations imbue each role with a wealth of knowledge and experience, an innate understanding of life's foibles, blessings and mysteries. While making it all look effortless. Yet she calls this gift the "auto mechanics" of her craft, preferring to focus on the complete person rather than on any one characteristic.

Streep's most challenging role-as wife and mother-informs her career choices, both geographically and emotionally. Early in her career, she insisted she'd never give up theater, her first love. But being home for dinner and schoolwork with her four children is a top priority. So the stage must wait.

That maternal instinct is apparent onscreen as well. While the mothers she plays may not always be perfect, she brings a humanity to even the most troubled relationships. We're both repelled by and understanding of her decision to leave her little boy in KRAMER VS. KRAMER. We see the fierce love lying just beneath the surface as she battles with her rebellious teenage son in MARVIN'S ROOM. And, we respect her decision to live with a philandering husband-and accept the scorn of her daughter-in order to keep her family together in ONE TRUE THING.

An outspoken advocate for women, Streep is active in Equality Now, working for women's human rights around the world. She also fights for equal pay, in her own profession as well as in public education-an arena she knows well, since her children have gone on location with her to Africa, England, Australia, Texas, California, New York and Connecticut.

And she continues to take on new artistic challenges. In 2002, she starred in both THE HOURS and ADAPTATION, earning an Oscar nomination for the latter. Earlier this year, she played four different characters in HBO's ANGELS IN AMERICA, including her first male role, an aged rabbi.

American cinema has been graced by the presence of Meryl Streep. With a poise and eloquence all her own, Streep has continued to astonish audiences with her range of characters. Because of her unparalleled talent and integrity, the American Film Institute is honored to present Meryl Streep with AFI's 32nd Life Achievement Award.

Family picture (taken from exposay.com) -click the picture for full view
From left : Louisa, Grace, Mamie, Meryl Streep and husband, Don Gummer
(not in picture: Henry Gummer)

Meryls Streep, her son, Henry and husband, Don Gummer

Below are the vids on the AFI 2004 night..
-speech by Jim Carey which so hillarious
-speech by Goldie Hawn
-Meryl's TQ speech to all