Performing a back flip is always an impressive feat, so doing one despite having only one leg takes some beating.

However, gymnast Adam Starr, who lost a leg to cancer in 2009, can do them for fun and has posted the evidence on YouTube.

Adam lost his leg after suffering lymphangiosarcoma, a rare cancer of lymphatic vessels, and made the video in the hope that it might inspire other amputees, as well as impress his loved ones.

He told MailOnline: ‘I was hoping to show my friends and family what I was able to do again, but I also hoped that other amputees would enjoy it. I’ve been inspired by videos of other amputees on YouTube, such as Sarah Reinertsen.’

Adam trained as a gymnast for 11 years, but the day he shot the video was the first time he’d tried flips since losing his leg.

He said: ‘I had been thinking that I felt strong enough to do a standing back-flip off of one leg – it wasn’t until this week that I finally got to the gym to try it!

‘Landing is probably the hardest part – its all about balance!

‘I’ve tried to stay active since my amputation, but recovery has been a very long process. However, I’ve gotten back into downhill skiing, swimming, and biking. I weight train most days of the week.’

His acrobatics are an incredible sight and have drawn plenty of praise from YouTube users.

TheTregster writes ‘You are awesome man, that’s all I can say’, while MccRus posted ‘much respect to you for getting back up and facing the challenges you have with a big smile on your face… inspired’.

OMGHuygens was also amazed, saying: ‘Even with one leg you’re 10 times as agile as I am.’ – MailOnline

Gimnas cacat mampu buat aksi akrobatik

STARR mahu kesungguhannya menjadi inspirasi kepada orang lain.

MINNESOTA, Amerika Syarikat (AS) – Seorang ahli gimnastik membuktikan dia masih boleh melakukan aksi akrobatik meskipun hanya mempunyai sebelah kaki.

Adam Starr, kehilangan kaki hingga ke paras lutut akibat kanser pada 2009, memuat naik video dia sedang melakukan aksi lompat kuang ke laman perkongsian video, YouTube yang bertajuk Adam’s First Time Back At The Gym.

Lelaki berusia 21 tahun itu merakam aksi berkenaan ketika berada di kelab Gymnastik Northfield, Minnesota. Ini sekali gus membuktikan tiada halangan untuknya melakukan aksi yang pernah dilakukan sebelum dia kehilangan kaki kanannya.

“Saya berharap dapat memberi inspirasi kepada mereka yang turut kehilangan kaki seperti saya,” katanya kepada MailOnline.

Adam berkecimpung dalam dunia gimnastik sejak berumur 11 tahun. Namun ini adalah pertama kali dia membuat lompatan balik kuang sejak kakinya dipotong.

“Perkara paling susah ialah ketika mendarat. Ia memerlukan keseimbangan,” katanya. – Agensi

Suatu ketika dahulu apabila membincangkan soal ikan hiasan, ramai berpendapat pemeliharaannya adalah hanya sekadar hobi kerana struktur, bentuk, jenis dan rupa haiwan itu berjaya menarik perhatian. Kini, ramai mulai sedar ikan hiasan bukan sekadar hobi, tetapi boleh dimanafaatkan sebagai pelaburan mampu menjana pendapatan mencecah ribuan ringgit.

Industri ikan hiasan pada hari ini mempunyai masa depan cerah dan mempunyai daya saing tinggi di pasaran global. Peternakkan haiwan itu mampu memberi pulangan mata wang asing kepada negara kerana hampir 95 peratus daripada pengeluaran ikan hiasan adalah untuk dieksport, manakala selebihnya bagi pasaran domestik. Melihat kepada potensi industri ini, pihak kerajaan telah merangka beberapa strategi, garis panduan dan penambahbaikan supaya indsutri ini tidak tercicir seterusnya menyumbang kepada komoditi negara.

Peranan tumbuhan akuatik.

Ciri utama kesesuaian tumbuhan akuatik untuk akuarium ialah tahan hdiup di dalam air dan mempunyai bentuk yang menarik sebagai hiasan dalaman akuarium:

*Kepentingan tumbuhan akuatik di dalam akuarium bertujuan menyerap bahan toksik dihasilkan dari perkumuhan ikan dan isi makanan ikan. Sisa makanan dan bahan perkumuhan akan mendap di dasar akuarium dan menjadi baja kepada tumbuhan akuatik.

*Tumbuhan akuatik mengeluarkan oksigen dari proses fotosintesis. Gas oksigen ini akan digunakan ikan untuk proses pernafasan.

*Tumbuhan akuatik berfungsi sebagai tempat ikan kecil berlindung dari musuh.

Industri ikan hiasan adalah satu komoditi utama

Industri ikan hiasan adalah satu komoditi utama disenaraikan dalam Dasar Pertanian Negara Ketiga (DPN 3) selain udang harimau, tilapia merah dan siakap.

Kadar purata peningkatan pengeluaran ikan hiasan secara tahunan adalah 30.3 peratus sejak 1991. Pengeluaran ikan hiasan negara bermula 2001 berjumlah sekita 338 juta ekor bernilai RM81.03 juta.

Di Malaysia, Johor adalah pengeluar utama ikan hiasan dengan jumlah 68.16 ekor bernilai RM14.18 juta atau 21.3 peratus dan diikuti Perak dan Selangor.

Saiz dagangan ikan hiasan di pasaran

Saiz perdagangan ikan hiasan dan produk berkaitan dalam pasaran global dianggarkan mencecah RM27 bilion (ASD7.2 billion)

Negara pengimport utama Amerika Syarikat (25.25 peratus), Negara-negara Kesatuan Eropah terutamanya Jerman (9.23 peratus), Perancis (8.41 peratus), United Kingdom (8.25 peratus) dan Jepun (11.61 peratus).

Negara Asia pula lebih dikenali sebagai negara pengeluar utama kepada pasaran ini. Asia setakat ini mewakili 59 peratus pasaran ikan hiasan dunia apabila Singapura muncul sebagai negara pasaran global terbesar (22.7 peratus) diikuti Malaysia (7.87 peratus).

Ciri ikan hiasan

Kebanyakan ikan hiasan mempunyai sisik nipis berlendir berfungsi sebagai pelindung daripada bakteria. Kulit ikan mengandungi chromatophoraes iaitu pigmen sel memberi warna tertentu kepada ikan. Ciri istimewa ikan hiasan boleh dilihat pada warna, sisik, saiz, bentuk badan, sirip, cara dan tabiat makan, jantina dan gaya berenang.

Jenis ikan hiasan punyai potensi

Flower Horn

Ikan hiasan paling digemari di Malaysia. Ikan ini unik kerana boleh berubah warnan melalui pemberian bahan kimia tertentu di samping faktor genetik ikan.

Corydoras

Sejenis ikan hiasan air tawar berasal dari Amerika Selatan yang digunakan sebagai bahan pembuatan kosmetik di negara maju.

Cichlasoma Severum

Sejenis jenis hiasan air tawar berasal dari South Arhazone, Amerika Syarikat. Tubuhnya pendek dan gemuk dengan warna dasar bervariasi coklat kekuningan atau hitam kecoklatan. Jenis ikan ini juga mempunyai nilai komersial tinggi.

Hiasan Diskus (Symphysodon Discus)

Sejenis ikan hiasan air tawar berasal dari sungai Amazon, Brazil. Bentuk tubuhnya pipih, mirip ikan bawal dengan warna dasar coklat kemerah-merahan. Antara ikan hiasan terkenal. Ia berasal dari China dan mempunyai sifat suka bermain di dasar dan hanya sesekali berenang.

Arowana

Arowana adalah ikan berpontensi tinggi yang tergolong dalam keluarga ikan ‘karuhun’ iaitu Osteoglasidae atau keluarga ikan lidah bertulang. Ikan ini digelar sedemikian kerana mulutnya berbentuk tulang berfungsi sebagai sebagai gigi. Arowana memiliki pelbagai nama timangan seperti Ikan Naga (Dragon Fish), Barramundi, Saratoga, PlaTapad, Kelisa, Siluk, Kayangan, Peyang Tangkelese, Aruwana, atau Arwana. Habitat asal ikan ini adalah di sungai besar berarus deras. Spesis ini banyak ditemui di Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Burma dan Thailand.

Ikan Laga

Ikan ini digemari kanak-kanak, ia mempunyai keistimewaan tersendiri, selain memiliki rupa cantik ia berlaga apabila diadu.

Kubur Pesawat (The Boneyard) ialah gelaran yang di berikan oleh masyarakat tempatan kepada Pusat Penjagaan dan Pembagunan Semula Aeroangkasa ke-309 (AMARG) yang menempatkan beribu-ribu bankai pesawat di kawasan gurun di tucson, Arizona, Amerika Syarikat (AS).

Terletak bertentengan dengan Pengkala Udara Davis-Monthan, ia merupakan tanah perkuburan pesawat terbesar di dunia. Nilai kira-kira 4,400 pesawat yang ditempatkan di situ ialah AS$85 bilion (RM108 bilion).

Selepas tiba di tanah perkuburan ini, bahan bakar, minyak dan cecair hidraulik akan dikeluarkan dari pesawat, begitu juga bahagian-bahagian yang berharga sebelum disimpan di tempat selamat. Pesawat itu akan dilitupi dengan lapisan cat pelindung yang dikenali Spraylat yang melindungi jentera itu daripada matahari.

Pelancong

Secara kebetulan, lapisan pelindung itu berwarna putih lili sekali gus melambangkan ‘ketenangan selepas mati’ bahkan mewujudkan pemandangan yang agak menyeramkan pada waktu malam.

Keluasan kawasan ini ialah 1,000 hektar atau sama besar dengan 1,430 buah padang bola sepak.

Semasa dibina pada April 1946 fungsi utamanya adalah untuk menyimpan kapal terbang kargo dan pesawat pengebom Perang Dunia Kedua.

Objektif itu masih kekal apabila Eddie Romero mula bekerja sepanjang hari di situ pada 26 tahun lalu.

‘Operasinya masih kecil pada masa itu. Kami dihantar ke kawasan padang pasir untuk bekerja sepanjang hari dan pulang lewat petang.’ kata lelaki itu.

Perkuburan pesawat yang luar biasa dan jarang ditemui di dunia ini telah menarik ramai pelancong iaitu di antara 25,000 hingga 30,000 orang setiap tahun.

Di sebatang jalan yang panjang, dikenali sebagai Celebrity Row, tersergam sebahagian kapal terbang penting dalam sejarah AS, termasuk YC-44, prototaip kapal terbang kargo yang direka bagi menggantikan C-430 Hercules dan F-100 Super Sonic Sabre, pesawat pertama tentera udara AS yang berjaya memintas kelajuan bunyi.

Bahkan bagi mereka yang melihatnya setiap hari, kubur pesawat tersebut masih mendatangkan kekaguman. Jeffrey Gammel, seorang pekerja awam, masih teruja apabila datang bekerja dan melihat pesawat C-5 galaxy, salah satu pesawat tentera terbesar di dunia, diletakkan di situ.

“kadang-kala semasa memandu kereta, anda akan nampak seolah-olah C-5 sedang bergerak di landasan, ia memang pemandangan yang mengasyikkan,” kata Gammel.

Sesetengah pesawat cuma diletakkan akan terbang semula tetapi lebih 80 peratus item sedia dibekalkan sebagai alat ganti pada bila bila masa.

Filem

Pada Februari tahun lalu, imej setelit resolusi tinggi tapak perkuburan itu diedarkan buat pertama kali oleh google earth. Ia menunjukkan secara terperinci barisan pesawat yang menghuni kawasan lapang dengan latar gunung-ganang di belakangnya.

Antara pesawat yang ditempatkan di situ ialah pesawat pengebom B-52 daripada era Perang Dingin.

Turut dipamerkan ialah berdozen-dozen pesawat pejuang F-14 yang di berhentikan perkhidmatan daripada tentera AS pada tahun 2006 dan digunakan dalam filem Top Gun. Ia juga digunakan sebagai latar belakang beberapa buah filem seperti Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen.

Di samping menjadi tempat letak kapal terbang gergasi, AMARG juga bertindak membaik pulih pesawat hingga ia boleh terbang semula atau menyediakan kemudahan bagi memindahkan pesawat berkenaan melalui jalan darat.

Dalam tempoh 25 tahun lalu, lebih satu per lima daripada pesawat berkenaan kembali terbang, kata para pegawai. Sama seperti kilang kitar semula bersaiz besar, beratus-ratus pekerja awam ditugaskan untuk mengasingkan beribu ribu barangan terpakai.

“AMARG bukan pemilik kapal terbang yang disimpan di sini, ia masih milik agensi kerajaan dan tentera,” kata jurucakap pengkalan berkenaan.

“Sebahagian kapal terbang itu dipunyai oleh muzium-muzium penerbangan seperti Muzium Kebangsaan Tentera Udara AS, Muzium Kebangsaan Penerbangan Laut, serta Muzium Angkasa dan Penerbangan Udara Kebangsaan Smithsonian.

“Kawasan ini dipilih sebagai tempat letak pesawat terbesar di dunia kerana dua sebab. Pertama, cuaca kering Tucson meminimumkan kerosakan yang disebabkan penghakisan. Kedua, ia mempunyai lapisan tanah keras setebal enam inci.

“Di bawahnya pula ialah satu lapisan tanah liat. Tanah keras itu membolehkan pesawat ditarik dan diletakkan pada posisinya tanpa perlu membina landasan simen atau konkrit,” katanya – Sumber Agensi

The festival, which stems from Confucian teachings of loyalty to family and tradition, is also celebrated widely among the Chinese in Malaysia, who make up a quarter of the 28 million people in the mostly Muslim but multicultural country.


“Some of my customers have dreams where their departed relatives will ask for luxury items including the iPad 2,” said prayer item shopkeeper Jeffrey Te as he filled cardboard chests with fake money at his shop on the outskirts of the capital.

“I can only offer them the first iPad model,” he added, pointing to shelves stocked with the gadget along with paper iPhones and Samsung Galaxy Tabs.

Te shipped in 300 iPad 2 replica sets from China for the Qingming festival, which has just flown off the shelves and left him struggling to meet demand — a scenario Apple Inc also faces.

In Te’s shop, the first and second generation paper iPads sell at a dollar for 888 gigabyte capacity, an auspicious number in Chinese culture. A basic 16 gigabyte iPad for the living costs $499.

For some Chinese, technological gadgets will not be part of the shopping list for their dead relatives.

“They belong to the older generation. If you give all these so-called iPads, they don’t know how to use it,” said Thomas Soong, 61, as he set fire to a pile of fake money at his grandmother’s grave on the fringes of the Malaysian capital.

“So traditionally we give them shoes, shirts … all the necessities,” he added.

Is the world ready for a toilet with its own foot warmer, heated seat, bidet washlet and built-in music system, all controlled by a touchscreen remote. Kohler recently unveiled the Numi, the fanciest toilet we’ve ever seen, complete with motion activation, foot warmer, retractable bidet, rear speakers, and an MP3 player hookup. We take you on a tour of its features.

Open Image

As you begin your business, you quickly notice that there is no smell thanks to the Kohler Numi’s built-in deodorizer, which uses a charcoal filter to eliminate even the nastiest of scents. But you’re bored, so you pick up the touchscreen remote control from its magnetic docking station. The control lets you control everything about the toilet, and make a profile for yourself so that the Numi knows just how you like things and if you’ll need a full flush or an “eco flush.”

Using the control, you navigate to music, which lets you listen to tunes on the Numi’s built-in rear speakers. The toilet comes with pre-programmed audio and FM radio, but you choose to hook up your MP3 player (or smartphone) using the audio input jack. And so you sit back and relax to the soothing tunes of Rebecca Black. For you, it’s Friday.

When you’re finished, you leave as the Numi flushes itself oh so quietly.

The barrier between you and this dream is $6,400. That’s how much the Numi will run you when it becomes available (U.S.) at the end of this month. If you’d like to learn more, head to Kohler’s Numi site. We recommend watching the video.

Mangkuk tandas dilengkapi sistem bunyi

NEW YORK – Sebuah mangkuk tandas yang dilengkapi sistem bunyi dan skrin sesentuh akan dijual pada harga AS$6,390 (RM19,316), lapor sebuah akhbar semalam.

Tandas itu dikeluarkan oleh sebuah syarikat Amerika Syarikat (AS), Kohler yang diberi nama Numi.

Naib Presiden Pemasaran Kohler, Jim Lewis berkata: “Ia merupakan satu produk penciptaan yang tulen. Kami membayangkan sebuah tandas yang mewujudkan satu kategori dalam kualiti yang tersendiri.”


Skrin sesentuh itu bertindak sebagai alat kawalan jauh dan mengawal ketinggian bunyi muzik dan dilengkapi alat pemain muzik MP3 serta pembunuh kuman.

Ia turut membolehkan pengguna mengawal suhu di bahagian tempat duduk mangkuk tersebut selain tekanan air dan mengandungi kemudahan memanaskan kaki. – Agensi

Diamonds are supposed to be a girl’s best friend, there’s nothing friendly about this piece of artwork. Prized Swarovski crystals are usually used to create elegant items of jewellery, fragile sculptures or delicate chandeliers.

But artist Nicola Bolla has transformed them into something a bit more sinister – macabre tokens of death that include an AK47 assault rifle and human remains.

The latest works by the Italian sculptor caused a stir after going on display at Milan Design Week last week.

One installation entitled Ossuary consists of 15 individual pieces – including skulls, a ribcage and thigh bones – that supposedly represent the transience of human life. An ossuary is traditionally a burial place for someone who has died a violent death.

Mr Bolla, 47, is reknowned for using materials of natuarl beauty to create disturbing or even vulgar objects. He has previously used crystals to create a series of toilets.

Mr Bolla, who is also a qualified doctor, has exhibited regularly in Turin and across Italy for the last 20 years. His work has also been shown at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Raifal AK-47 diperbuat daripada kristal

MILAN, Itali – Kristal mewah Swarovski sinonim dengan barang kemas, ukiran elegan dan candelier tetapi seorang pengukir, Nicola Bolla, menggunakan kristal tersebut untuk menghasilkan pelbagai arca yang menakutkan.

Menerapkan tema kematian, sebanyak 15 arca yang dihasilkan pengukir terkenal berusia 47 tahun itu termasuk raifal AK-47, tengkorak, tulang rusuk dan tulang paha dipamerkan kepada umum sempena Minggu Seni Reka Milan minggu lalu.

Dia menjadi popular kerana menggunakan bahan yang mewah dan cantik termasuk berlian untuk menghasilkan pelbagai objek termasuk mangkuk tandas. – Agensi

Anatoly Konenko has made just about everything else in miniature – or should I say micro-miniature. A painter and model maker of the tiniest of objects, the Russian designer has made mini masterpieces of paintings, books, sculpture, fashion, jewelry out of so many materials that he has become a favorite of collectors, especially heads of state.

Now Konenko has created a miniature for the living – an aquarium; the world’s smallest aquarium that can contain fish, and I would not doubt that, based on the fact that Konenko’s items have been recognized so many times by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Here, Konenko demonstrates the love and care he has given to the aquarium, as he shows you how it is put together.

Akuarium paling kecil di dunia

MOSCOW – Seorang seniman di bandar Omsk, Siberia, Rusia, Anatoly Konenko mencipta sebuah akuarium paling kecil di dunia yang mengandungi air dua sudu teh, lapor sebuah akhbar Metro.co.uk semalam. Akuarium itu dilengkapi dengan satu penapis air dan ia mengambil masa selama dua minggu untuk dihasilkan.




Menurut akhbar dalam talian, Voice of Russia, akuarium itu dilengkapi dengan pasir, batu pelbagai warna, ikan dan rumpai laut yang mengandungi air sebanyak 10 mililiter. Konenko merupakan pakar dalam menghasilkan pelbagai perhiasan mini sejak 30 tahun lalu. Dia sebelum ini menghasilkan tulisan pada beras dan rambut manusia. – Agensi

Welcome to the Mae Klong railway market in small town Thailand. The town of Mae Klong is about 72 kilometres, or a casual 1 drive, south west of Bangkok. Mae Klong is the local name for Samut Songkhram, the capital of the Samut Songkhram province and district. The market right in the centre of town, the last 100 metres before the station. It’s quite surreal in a temporary sort of way, like a movie set. The only place to walk is in the centre of the rather narrow railway tracks. Small stalls line both sides, every available bit of real estate is used, low plastic trays of vegetables and vibrant Thai fruit including rambutans and mangosteens, are stacked right up to the steel rails. What happens when the train comes through?

The market is your veritable one-stop-shop. Spectacular fresh-cut flowers, every fruit and vegetable you can imagine, fragrant spices, cuts of meat, poultry and seafood so fresh, it was being persuaded to stop flapping about by an earnest man wielding a lump of wood. There are kids’ toys, clothes, lingerie, thongs of both varieties, dodgy DVDs – you name it. Makeshift awnings – tarpaulins, even a bedspread – cover the stalls. They combine to give the market a temporary roof that is quite low, so I had to stoop to walk through. It was fairly dark under the awnings, with a pungent buffet of unrefrigerated fish, meat and cut fruit, garnished with spices.




Some of the stalls are basic; others well set up. Some aren’t even stalls, just people sitting beside the tracks with fruit laid out at their feet. Then it happened, The shopkeepers calmly but quickly started folding down the awnings. Most were held up by poles, a simple but effective design. Trays of produce were dragged in; some more high-tech versions were on wheels. It happened in a chain reaction, odd because I hadn’t heard a train whistle or horn, but the timetable is adhered to fairly well.

The train rounded the corner and rumbled through the market. There were only inches to spare between the trainand the produce on the ground. The two carriages were past in a flash of grey and yellow and milliseconds later, the stallholders were on the tracks putting up the awnings, even before the train had disappeared from view. It was as though nothing had happened. The Mae Klong railway market raises plenty of questions.

TRIP NOTES

GETTING THERE

Car: By far the quickest and simplest way is a day trip from Bangkok — but aim to arrive early in the morning.

Bus: Slightly more complicated. Mae Klong is on the Bangkok-Damnoen Saduak line. The first bus leaves from the stop at 5.40am then every 30 minutes between 8.30am and 9pm.

The trip takes about two hours and costs 80baht ($2.75).

Train: This one is even more complicated — it involves catching a train from Wong Wian Yai station in Bangkok to Samut Sakhon (which the Thais call Mahachai). The line ends here so you will need to catch a ferry across the Ta Chin River to Ban Laem. Then you need to catch another train to Mae Klong (Samut Songkhram). Allow a few hours or more. A word of caution, the timetables aren’t exactly synchronised.

In 2008 Burger King, the fast-food giant, launched a $200 burger in the name of charity. Setting a new record, the world’s most expensive burger is available at just one restaurant in West London, England, once a week — but it will eventually be available to order via a hotline.

The fine ingredients of what is called simply ‘The Burger’ include Wagyu beef, white truffles, Pata Negra ham slices, Cristal onion straws, Modena balsamic vinegar, lambs lettuce, pink Himalayan rock salt, organic white wine and shallot infused mayonnaise in an Iranian saffron and white truffle dusted bun.

53 years of blood, sweat and toil have carried us to our current perch on the world stage. Sure, we’ve had our share of false starts and disappointments, but they pale in comparison to our triumphs and moments of resilience.

Here are the top 10 things that all Malaysians – regardless of ethnicity, religion, or creed – can be proud of and thankful for.

1. Relative peace and stability

It may be odd to have this on the list, what with the infamous cow-protest, attacks on places of worship, and the seemingly worsening relations between Malaysia’s ethnic groups. Yet it’s an unassailable fact that Malaysia remains one of the most peaceful and stable countries in Southeast Asia.

Call us uninteresting, but take a look around: Thailand is frequently paralyzed by a yet unresolved political crisis and massive protests. Religious minorities in Indonesia are sounding the alarm about violent acts directed at them, and the government’s inaction at stopping this. Journalists were massacred in the Philippines and trial witnesses wound up dead.

So if all that makes us the dull kid in the group, so be it.

2. Natural disaster-free, comparatively pleasant weather

Mother nature’s been good to us. Sure, the hot days have been getting hotter and the wet days wetter – no doubt thanks to climate change.

But we don’t get the almost biblical, catastrophic floods that have ravaged Pakistan and China in the last few months. We’re also earthquake and volcano free. Our neighbour, Indonesia, isn’t so lucky.

So next time you’re cursing under your breath when cranking up the air-conditioning, remember that we have it pretty good in this region.

3. Awesome vacation spots

Redang, Tioman, Pangkor, Langkawi, Sipadan, and more. We’ve got awesome vacation spots. And they don’t lack in either number or diversity.

Fancy the sun, sand, and coral? Try one of the islands. Wanna gamble your savings away? Head to Genting Highlands. Hiking and climbing your thing? Mark Kinabalu National Park on your map.

4. A robust economy

Okay, so we’re not a rabid mutant overdosing on steroids (see China) when it comes to the economy. But we’re still doing pretty good, especially considering the fact that there was an OMG-worthy global recession recently.




The economy expanded by 8.9% year-on-year in this year’s second quarter, following a first quarter figure of 10.1% – the highest since 2000. And oh, we’ve got the highest GDP (gross domestic product) per capita in Southeast Asia after Singapore and Brunei. Not too shabby, we think.

5. Cultural diversity

If you want a rich cultural experience, you could do worse than Malaysia. Here, we’ve got three major ethnic groups – Malay, Chinese, Indian – plus countless others that contribute to the country’s diverse melting pot. It’s easy to be enamoured with the various customs, quirks, foods, and festivities of each group.

Malaysia is heaven for linguists and language buffs. Spoken are English, Malay and its regional dialects, the various Chinese dialects, Hindi, Tamil, and many others. Also, fashionable shoppers have access to the full breadth and range of Asian attire.

6. Sales all the time

There always seems to be a sales event/period just around the corner. And that seems quite appropriate too.

After all, where would our economy be if not for the millions of Malaysians and foreign tourists who are imprudently generous with their pockets? To hell with savings.

We Malaysians suffer from long traffic jams, longer working hours, and slow, unreliable Internet connections. Constant retail therapy keeps us happy. Also, it keeps our economy happy too. We can’t lose here.

7. Food, glorious food and all the time

Malaysia can be accurately described as a 24-hour buffet. At ungodly hours (say 3 a.m.), one could stroll out and grab almost any kind of grub.

This is in contrast with many Western countries where most shops and restaurants close shortly after dark (or at least extremely early by our standards). You’re probably too familiar with complaints about this from Malaysians studying or working overseas. Lucky you, lucky us.

It’s a miracle that our population doesn’t consist entirely of lumbering balls of fat already. There must be something about the heat and Asian metabolism that keeps obesity in check (somewhat).

8. Lots of holidays

Who doesn’t love holidays? And thank the stars, we have plenty of them. (Workaholics, go read something else.) In fact, this year we welcome a brand new holiday on September 16th – Malaysia Day.

Thanks to Malaysia’s ethnic and religious diversity, the country has more excuses to take the day (or two) off than most other countries. Even if you’re not celebrating or observing, everyone looks forward to Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Wesak, Christmas, and the list goes on.

We are truly 1Malaysia in holiday love.

9. Ramly burger

This is no ordinary burger, no ordinary food item. The Ramly burger franchise is one of the most successful homegrown businesses and emblematic of Malaysian’s East-West dichotomy. The burger is Western, but its fillings and many possible ‘modifications’ thoroughly Malaysian. Its status in Malaysia is nothing less than iconic.

One is often overwhelmed by smug satisfaction after uttering the words “Burger daging/ayam double special tambah cheese tambah sos” in rapid succession. (Um, all you vegetarian Malaysians could perhaps opt for “Burger kosong tambah sayur banyak-banyak”?)

Few things can beat the sloppy, buttery joy (and calorie value) of digging into a Ramly burger with some company out on the street. Sure, you may be condemning yourself to cardiovascular doom, but do it for palate and country.

10. Mamak

The mamak is not just a food outlet, it’s a communal experience. Millions of Malaysians spend hours and hours (entire nights and early mornings) just sitting around at a mamak and talking about a million different things. It’s an essential, ruthlessly unavoidable part of Malaysian socializing.

The mamak serves almost every purpose – whether to catch up with friends, to watch a major football match, to have a heated political/philosophical discussion, or to grab a late night snack after bar/club-hopping.

Though not necessarily delicious or even sanitary, the food is almost always cheap. Hence the mamak is also a great equalizer – Malaysians of every class and background regularly participate in the mamak ‘ritual’. That’s why it deserves number 1 on our list. It’s the best thing to happen to this country since… well… the Ramly burger.

*source:MSN