Too Much Cheese Is Not Too Cheesy

Perhaps in honour of fellow Founder Dian Hudson's yellow-inspired tudung, the unofficial motto and mantra of the Founders Four has been adopted: "Too much cheese is not too cheesy". Coined by Founder Shukri Legolas out of his wildest imagination, one can only stop to wonder what he actually meant. The belated birthday girl nonetheless got a memorable mini Effour celebration by the Bay and Hut, quality never compromised!

Celebration by the Bay

And we had the second Finger Game match of the year. It's been too long a wait people! Despite her celebration, Dian's luck did not extend to the Game. Champion of 2007 Founder Shafizah Jolie however regained her top spot solely by Founder Hazwan Kent's doing, he who lost his gold position he acquired for the first time ever the previous match this year.

First Place - Founder Jolie

Second Place - Founder Legolas

Third Place - Founder Kent

Fourth Place - Founder Hudson

Dinner at the Hut

Dinner at Pizza Hut was a funny affair as usual. These 2 pics were chosen to show how wild the girls are, while we men were certainly more civilised in all respects. Hehe. Too much cheese is not to cheesy! We even thought of the official Malay translation: "Terlalu banyak keju tidak begitu keju". Ahakz. A normal day in the Effour Universe.

China Winners, America Losers

By now at the end of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, the world is simply all praises for host nation China. It was the superb Games they organised and the gracious welcome the Chinese gave as they went full-gear to take on the world stage. The People's Republic also broke record for being the first nation to attain 51 gold medals, the most number ever. Thus it is the first time China tops the Olympic medal tally charts, a spot normally dominated by the United States and the former Soviet Union (now Russia). It clearly reflects China's rise in this Asian century. But Uncle Sam is unhappy. Compare the two charts below showing the final top 11:

The tally above is the somewhat official chart with China on top due to its highest number of gold, as these charts normally depict. It is of course a fact that the US do get the most number of medals in total but by the standards accepted by all civilised nations of the world, this chart is the accepted version and thus appeared in all the newspapers in the world, except...

the American ones. The US media chose to depict the chart which shows the total medal tally as being the top. So not surprisingly, the United States is at the top of the charts, with China second. I mean, how irritating is that? This move has already drawn huge criticisms from many parties. Here is America, who could harp on Michael Phelps endlessly for his 8 gold medals, but simply feel insecure over China's overall performance in its own homeground? And they have the cheek to keep repeating on the Chinese media being too restricted when its own so-called free media has not openness enough to embrace true victory? I would say shame on you America. You are the losers. When people remembers the Beijing Olympics, surely they would know the Chinese are the real winners.

Around the (so-called) World in 3 Days (Goddamnit)

This can be considered as one of the most inaccurate accounts in Keongomaniac history. Typically panned by critics but loved by the masses, that is how these things go these days. The happy photos displayed below are but the last 3 days of Taiwan. Other 'restricted' pics may appear in other entries to seem less obvious. Famous amusement parks were visited, phenomenal rides taken, personal records broken. Albeit rushed and time restricted (word of the day)."You'll be my American boy... American boooyy.." Once considered to be taboo in Haz Wayne's World, the Star-Spangled Banner is embraced in the Wild West section of the amusement park.A typical ode to the natives of America, they who perished and exterminated by the Anglo-Saxons of yesterday, presidents of the present.Unleashing the Clark Kent in me. Farm and barn things reduced to seats.Now to the Pacific, and the Big Smiles of the Mysterious Ones. Those ancient race of people must have been happy people. Another native. Fascinating tatoos would drive any beng nuts.
Walking with the Dinosaur, transported momentarily to prehistoric times this time. Now to Ancient Egypt. Embracing a long-lost brother turned into stone a long time ago by the Egyptian mother.

Guarding the citadel is hard work.
Another long-lost brother. The Sphinx asked me: "Which creature walks with 4 legs in the morning, 2 in the afternoon and 3 at night?" I answered, "That creature does not have to wait till night to walk with 3, nor does he walk with 4 only in the morning". Kinky.Me and Jufri trying to confuse visitors on the right way to the North Pole.Galileo was executed for saying the Sun is in the centre of the Universe. A better trick is to say the Tower of Pisa is not leaning.The closest I've been to the Forbidden City. It once houses one of the mightiest monarchs in history, until they put a woman in-charge which ultimately destroyed 1000 years of Chinese history. "Mushu, ring the gong!". Erm, bell in this case. For luck I think. After the supposed around the world tour in 3 days, back in Taiwan. At Taipei 101, the beautiful colours of life converged to erect the world's tallest building.

The ancient coins say "1-0-1". Can you see it?
Apparently Singapore is not the only place with LOVE. This one is red.
Bye bye Taiwan. Enter the Last Five Months.
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101 reasons Past with Present

On the last day of Taiwan, I went with my fellow medic friends to behold the current tallest building in the world. Taipei 101 is the symbol of Asian dynamicism, following the tradition of Malaysia's Petronas Twin Towers it overtook 4 years ago. Witnessing the towering building is a breathtaking experience. Humbled by its high presense the Taipei 101 embodies a modern architecture inspired by ancient design - an inverted pagoda of contemporary stature complete with ideals like the Chinese old coins and heavenly clouds. A definitive symbol of Taipei and Taiwan as a whole, the Taipei 101 is truly an exemplary success story of blending the past and present in the context of looking forward without forgetting one's great heritage.
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