Citigroup Slashing 50K Jobs

NEW YORK (AFP) - - Citigroup said Monday it was slashing a near-record 50,000 jobs worldwide as the US banking giant tightens its belt further to cope with a global financial crisis and heavy losses.

The company, in a document for a presentation to employees by chief executive Vikram Pandit, said that the headcount was "expected to be down 20 percent in the near-term from peak levels."

At that peak, in the 2007 fourth quarter, Citigroup had a global workforce of 375,000 employees, according to the online document.

By the end of September the workforce had been trimmed to 352,000; the additional job cuts announced would pare it to approximately 300,000.

It was the second largest job-cut announcement on record, according to global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, tying with 50,000 job cuts by retailer Sears, Roebuck & Co. in 1993 behind the all-time largest the same year: 60,000 by IBM.

The approximately 50,000 job cuts "would be split into the current divestures, and some natural attrition, plus lay-offs," a company source said on condition of anonymity.

Citigroup, whose shares have been battered amid the credit crisis, said it was "getting fit -- fast!" and would reduce its overall expenses by 20 percent in the short term from peak levels, to some 50-52 billion dollars in 2009.

But the string of announcements has failed to calm investor fears that the bank, once the country's largest, may not weather the financial crisis.

Shares plunged 6.62 percent to close at 8.89 dollars, after losing some 24 percent last week.

Citi, a component of the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average, has tumbled 70 percent since the start of the year, with the bank hit by hefty writeoffs linked to the US real estate crisis.

Douglas McIntyre, analyst at 247 Wall Street, said the company's plummeting share price "leaves the question of whether Citi becomes the next Wachovia or the next AIG," referring to government actions to prevent the collapse of the bank and insurer, respectively.

"If the problems at Citi deteriorate quickly and it falls, as it certainly does, into the 'too big to fail' bucket, the government may simply have to pour cash into the bank in exchange for a majority ownership position," McIntyre said.

"That would involve bringing in new management to sell off enough assets to get the bank stable."

On Friday the bank announced that Pandit and other key executives had bought 1.3 million shares to show confidence in the company.

Citigroup said its capital position was "very strong" and it had made a "significant reduction in risky assets."

The ailing bank was among the nine big US banks that agreed last month to give the US government equity stakes in exchange for a combined 125 billion dollars under a 700 billion dollar financial sector rescue plan. Citi got a 25 billion dollar injection.

Citi has penciled in 2.1 billion dollars in charges this year for the planned elimination of 22,000 jobs, of which some 13,000 have been completed.

Last month, Citi reported a third-quarter loss of 2.8 billion dollars, its fourth straight quarter in the red.

The troubled bank is saddled with billions of dollars in losses tied to mortgage investments that lost value in the collapse of the US real estate market and the credit squeeze that erupted last year.

Since last year Citi has raised more than 50 billion dollars to shore up its balance sheet, reduced its investment portfolio by more than 100 billion dollars, reorganized activities and sold several businesses, such as CitiStreet, CitiCapital, BPO in India and a retail bank in Germany

Learning More On Failure Than Success

Failure is simply part of life. A world without failure is a fanciful dream incapable of withstanding reality. No matter how much failure hurts, it teaches us valuable lessons for future endeavours. Do it enough while learning from it, and a pot of gold awaits the daring at the end of the rainbow.

Success and failure are just the result of competition for the best answers to questions that beset humanity. Who is the fastest runner in the world? Who blew the biggest balloon ever? Who is the smartest kid in the class? Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the prettiest among them all?

In search for the best, somebody must lose. Somebody must be in second place, or last. Not all can take the No. 1 position.

How do we cross the ocean? How do we get to the moon? How do we conquer the final frontier? Failures greeted us along the way before we successfully answered the questions. Remember the tragedy of the Apollo 1 and the Space Shuttle Challenger. Their failure led us to learn more about ourselves, our capabilities and our mistakes. It is because we learnt that they did not die in vain.

The glorious discovery of scientific methods which played no small part in aiding the relentless progress of humanity itself stands firm as a witness to the importance of failure: observe, hypothesize, predict and test.

If the prediction is successful in verifying the hypothesis in the first try, then congratulations. If no, then hypothesize sensibly anew. Each time we hypothesize and fail, we are one step closer to the answer for we now know yet one more path we should not take, cutting down the odds in our favour. It is simply so because failure eliminates the wrong paths.

We learn from failure by marking the false doors and knocking tirelessly on unopened ones. The whole process, to generalise it crudely, is an exercise in trial and error. Needless to say, repeated trial and error involves failures and successes.

Evolution, for one, is the great trial and error game. Since time immemorial, nature has constantly tried countless combinations to find the building block of life and reach where the whole earthly living world finds itself today. It is through evolution that nature finds the perfect fit for all. It systematically tries everything in its mind and systematically purges failed combinations in favour of the successful results from many trials.

Evolution is a competition of designs, as Eric Beinhocker writes in “The Origin of Wealth” as he tries to promote complexity in economics to challenge the neoclassical models. Evolution is a contest to look for the best design and eliminate the failed ones. The inherent Darwinism is harsh but trust the evolutionary processes to produce greatness by exercising the liberty to err and the liberty to learn.

The parallel is seen in the free market system. Through the creation of free competition enabled by the free market system, various ideas compete against each other to satisfy our needs, our demands and our questions. The best ideas and decisions will be rewarded while the worst will be punished, as judged by participants of the market. In other words, the free market mechanism simply adheres to the concept that failures eliminate the wrong paths. The free market is evolution.

This is exactly what we have witnessed for the longest time. An economic downturn occurs for a reason and each time it happens it is because of the mistakes which we commit. The irrational exuberance of the 1990s, for instance, saw massive investment into businesses with weak models. When these models failed as the market finally turned around to revolt against our acts of foolishness, so too those who invested in it. We then adjust our expectation to a more reasonable level.

The current economic crisis is characterised by failure to see the mistakes in time. Mistakes of encouraging home ownership with disregard to creditworthiness; mistakes of loose monetary policies to solve the previous economic downturn; mistakes from leveraging too highly while failing to manage risk; mistake of bad regulations. When the mistakes converged as the fruits ripened too much to turn sugar to poison, the time for punishment at long last arrived.

There is no doubt failure is painful but we are only likely to learn something when it is painful. The fear of pain will encourage us to not to repeat the same mistake. We know fire is hot only after we have burned ourselves.

While we learn, we must remember that we are only humans and we are not perfect. Some will learn and some will forget. Some will learn to adapt and others will fail to do so. For those who failed, the system will keep reminding them why they failed.

What we are witnessing at the moment is the free market taking its course to correct the paths we have mistakenly taken. The system now demands that we learn from our mistakes. For those who have learned something from the past, they will not be affected as badly as those who commit the same mistakes again out of ignorance or arrogance.

Regardless of that, failure is part of the free market system because failure is one of the manifestations of free will. Mahatma Gandhi once said that freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. Without failure, the free market cannot function on paper or in practice.

Without failure, the best cannot be found. Without failure, there is an implicit assumption of the equality of results where everybody lives as miserably as the other in a dull monotony: at its centre is the equality of poverty. We have seen how such systems failed to incorporate the very basic economic lesson — that individuals respond to incentive. We have seen how that has failed and how the human spirit revolted against it. That failure too is merely a function of evolution embraced by the free market philosophy.

While keeping this in mind, one should be mindful of missing the wood for the trees.

The series of failure across the Pacific and its subsequent ripples spreading globally are not a failure of free market capitalism. It is not a failure of liberty. On the contrary, the series of failure is an automatic reaction against our mistakes. The system is responding because we respond to events around us and that alone shows that the idea of economic liberty with its carrot and stick model works.

Malaysian Education Rating Goes Worst From Bad

According to latest finding, Malaysia has also lost to Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines. For the second consecutive year, the 2008 Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) - Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ratings indicates that Malaysians universities fell far off the world's top 200 universities.

That also places us nowhere near Singapore, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea.

In response, the public have been reacting to the report, bordering from absolute rubbish to some substance. Along with it we are also getting to read arguments bordering on racial sentiments and party politics.

Our education system given its track record lead in the past and the huge budget allocations these past fifty years, should rightfully be a model for the developing world.

Instead of blaming race and political parties for the decline in our international standing, we need to have the courage, ability and learned disposition to see the problem in the eye. We need to look at this problem by being focused on nation building through the raising of a human capital that serves Malaysia first.

If Malaysia is successful, all Malaysians will be the beneficiaries. Only with such an un-blinkered view can we appraise the problem with a resolute will to effect change.

Malaysians as a whole have to take the blame. Leaders have to feel the guilt. Leave politicking and race out for the moment.

Malaysians generally are not interested in the pursuit of knowledge. What matters is how much money one can make. How much influence one can have over those that matter. And merely getting A-grades through spotted questions seems to be the only passion.

Listen to how parents parrade about their children having obtained so many "straight A's". No one says my child is pursuing higher education.

In universities, speculating on what the exam questions are likely to be seem to be the narrow perspective among students.

Reading, research and intelligent debates are not our way of life. Just take a look at the blogs. The content, comments and articles are often so narrow and speaks volumes about our intellectual maturity.

At the workplace too, intelligent articulate reasoning and having a broad knowledge about things around us is often sneered at. To be "pandai" is a sin seemingly.

Take stock of what transpires within Parliament. The exchanges and antics re-affirm our bankrupt state of mental capacities.

Hear what politicians blurt out through the media all so often? It is also void of articulate, intelligent and honorable thoughts most often.

School going children are not taught to think, critically appraise and reflect. Learning by rote and regurgitating in whole is the safe and predominant approach taken by teachers, students and schools. Tuition is a clear benchmark of the state of education in this nation.

Hence, what goes into the university is short of being garbage.

Yes we have many JPA 'scholars' entering institutions of higher learning. But what is their attitude towards learning? "Pass the exams" seems to be their only attention.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to pass exams. One has to be graded at the end of the day to know if he or she qualifies.

But the problem is they do not read and research outside of their study area either. It is not a question of no time; on the contrary it is all about "why waste time".

Pass the exams. Get a job. Earn and enjoy. That is the national mantra.

Then how would you expect better substance to enter universities?

And leaders are not able to revolutionize our education system. We lack courage and will to act decisively in the long term interest of the nation.

Party politics and interest are more important than having a world class education system in place.

And voters patronize anything as long as it meets their immediate selfish personal interest.

Therein lies our dilemma.

Perhaps it would take a miracle for us to pull ourselves out of this rut.

Universal Laws and Principles of Success

For anything to function effectively there needs to be some kind of structure. There are laws that govern our universe called Universal Laws. These laws apply to everything, everywhere at all times in our universe. These laws enable our universe to function in an orderly fashion. Without these laws there would be chaos in the universe. By studying, understanding, cooperating, and applying these Universal Laws in our daily lives we can lead the most successful, fulfilling, abundant, joyful, and healthy life possible.
Successful people have an intuitive understanding of these Universal Laws applying them consistently in their lives. These laws and how they work may or may not be consciously understood by the individual. Very often beliefs are taught to us during our youth by our parents or teachers. The Golden Rule -- do unto others as you would have them do unto you -- is an example of such a belief. Joe Batten, author of the best-selling management book Tough Minded Management, teaches the importance of this type of respect in his philosophy. We may not have given too much attention to how this Golden Rule works or have an understanding that it is a part of the Universal Law of Cause and Effect - that thought is cause and the physical is its manifest likeness -- however, if it has made sense to us and someone whom we admire practices it then we probably have adopted it as a part of our own lifestyle.
Sometimes we may have been aware of a Universal Law from a young age even though it wasn’t taught to us. Some people have an innate understanding that there has been the existence of the Self before this lifetime. They may also have an innate understanding that there is existence of the Self after this lifetime, even though they have never been taught ideas of reincarnation. This was my own experience at about age three. This would be an understanding of the Universal Law of Infinity - that we are always at a point of beginning and ending. Any moment is a reflection of a stage in a process of continuity. A universal principle that is agreed upon by most successful individuals is that there is some greater power than themselves. They believe that there is a reason for everything that occurs in life, and often that they are guided by that greater power.
Those who truly desire to direct their own lives pursue the reason for the situations they encounter. They do not spend their time and energy blaming others, finding a scapegoat for their victimization. They recognize this is a distraction for them. They strive to identify the cause. By identifying the cause, which is always mental, they can then see how they have created their present situation whether it is desirable or undesirable. When the present situation is a manifestation of their desire, they can see how to reproduce this success. This is application of the Universal Law of Cause and Effect -- identifying the causal thought -- and the steps taken to manifest the desire which would be using the Law of Relativity.
Successful individuals have a “can do, will try” or “I can, I will” attitude. They know believing they can do something is half the battle. They know their attitude determines their altitude in any endeavor. But they’re not just thinkers or talkers. They talk the talk and walk the walk. They know that they have to get out there and physically cause their goal or ideal to become a reality. They have determination and don’t stop until they have reached their goal. They’re called the “extra milers”. They have developed their imagination and will. They can image what they want and then make the choices and put forth the effort until it is realized. They believe and know that success will be theirs. Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich said, “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind of man can achieve.” Successful people never buy into the limitations of physical conditions. They know their imagination is much more expansive and powerful than any limitation of the physical experience.
Successful people know about the Universal Law of Duality. Duality is necessary for creation to occur. The positive and negative, male and female, or aggressive and receptive principles must be present to create. Successful people are creative people and know when to be aggressive and when to be receptive. “Any best-selling books have been Divinely inspired” Joe Batten put it. An inner idea was conceived in the conscious mind of the individual. How many people have ideas that have come to them, but fail to respond to those ideas? Many people lack receptivity to new ideas because they are insecure. They think that receiving something from something or someone outside the self weakens the self, could threaten or take from the self. Successful people respond - aggressive principle - to good ideas that they receive. They are not attached to the source of the information. The universe is their resource. They recognize truth from wherever it comes. They also express from the heart. They listen to their own thoughts and then communicate those thoughts honestly without adding to or taking away from the image that they perceive in their mind.
Notable individuals have the courage to pursue their dreams. They are not stopped by public opinion, people saying it can’t be done. The desire to learn and grow and realize their dreams is always strong. Against all odds they will commit themselves to what they desire. A perfect example is Dr. “D” Brown, the first black female surgeon in the south who grew up in an orphanage in New York. She was the only black child in the orphanage and at age five determined she would become a doctor. Resourceful and determined, successful people are always looking for good ideas and are open to receive from any source. They are always striving to be a greater individual than they were yesterday -- a better parent, boss, spouse, employee, friend than before. They do not compete with others, they compete with themselves, always wanting to add to themselves. This is the Law of Evolution in action.
Because successful individuals respect and use their free will, they live with no regrets for the past. They realize that what has already occurred cannot be changed and so their attention is firmly placed in the present while holding their ideals firmly in mind. They are willing to be responsible for who they are and the choices that they make. They recognize that being in the physical plane means making choices on a daily basis. Learning means that we are approaching something new, something that we haven’t yet mastered, and so we cannot know ahead of time all the right answers. Making mistakes is a part of the learning process. Successful individuals make a note of what hasn’t worked and they imagine what other options could accomplish the desired result. Then they move forward by trying the new ideas, until they find the one that works. They respect their own choices and the choices of others. They look for what is productive in every situation.
People are attracted to the charisma of great individuals who appreciate what they have and who they are. They are content with who they are at the present moment, while always looking to improve themselves. In recognizing that they are part of a whole, they strive to aid others in whatever way they can. They realize that they are like a grain of sand on the beach. They are not the beach, but they make up the beach, and without them the beach would not be the same. They believe in teaching rather than preaching. They lead from the front rather than push from the rear. They teach and lead by example. As one great leader, Mahatma Gandhi said, “My life is my message.”
Joe Batten talks about two flocks of sheep and their shepherds in the desert. The flock that was herded from the rear by the shepherd became nervous, always looking over their shoulder, not eating well. The flock that was led from the front by their shepherd were healthy, content sheep with a good attitude. People respond in a similar way. They want to aspire to something greater than themselves. The successful individual aids others to become the most that they can be. They always have the time to give to those in need. Gandhi exhibited great leadership by spending time each day talking to individual followers about their daily challenges and domestic life. This did not limit his ability to aid heads of state and world leaders, he gave wherever he could give. Successful individuals are open to all kinds of people. They welcome diversity as a place to learn more about themselves and others. They embrace different physical origins, knowing that we are all part of a greater family. They look for the good in other people, and they appreciate what is good about themselves. They practice the Law of Abundance in their lives.
Successful individuals are very serious about their ideals and mission in life. They do not take themselves too seriously though. They have the ability to laugh at themselves and use humor on a daily basis. The Dalai Lama who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize exemplifies this. Even while facing the obliteration of his native Tibetan culture by the Chinese, His Holiness harbors no hatred. He practices discipline to still his mind and lives with compassion, giving him an endearing charm. People who have learned how to be happy at whatever they do know how to create purpose for their life. They have given attention not only to their physical desires but also to their emotional, mental and spiritual desires. They are individuals who balance their time and endeavors to lead a balanced, well-rounded life. They understand how to use the Universal Law of Proper Perspective. They know what area of their life needs attention at any time and they respond to that.
Successful people come in all shapes and sizes. One quality that is common to all of them is that they give their love and their life blood to whatever they set out to accomplish. By learning from their attitude toward life and emulating their example, we can all embrace the Universal Laws and the Principles of Success.•

Story of the Real Entrepreneur - Michael Dell

Entrepreneur: Michael Dell
Company: Dell Computer Corporation
Founders: Michael Dell
Year Started: 1984
Description of Business:
Dell Computer Corporation provides products and services for information-technology and Internet infrastructures. The company’s revenue for the past four quarters totaled $31.2 billion. Dell features one distinct and innovative business practice: its products are not manufactured until after they’ve been ordered. With Dell, customers design a personal computer based on their own specifications. After their order is submitted, the computer is assembled.
Biography of Michael Dell: Dell was born in 1965 in Houston, Texas, and attended the University of Texas in Austin. Dell has earned the title of "Entrepreneur of the Year" from Inc magazine, was named "Man of the Year" by PC Magazine, "Top CEO in American Business" by Worth Magazine, "CEO of the Year" by Financial World and Industry Week magazines, and was on Business Week’s list of "Top 25 Managers of the Year" from 1997-1999. In 1992, Dell became the youngest CEO to earn a spot on the Fortune 500. He also sits on the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Science and Technology.
How the Business Started: Michael Dell went to college intending to become a doctor. Meanwhile, his hobby was working with computers. His hobby won out. Dell began selling computers out of his dorm room. And as his new venture progressed, he developed an innovative approach to conducting business: his idea was to sell computers directly to the consumer without going through retailers, and in the process design and deliver a computer based upon the customer’s own specifications. Thus, in 1984, Dell founded the Dell Computer Corporation with $1,000. In 18 years, Dell has grown into a $31.2 billion company. Today, Dell's average earnings are $40 million per day, and it is the largest online commercial computer seller in the world.
Outstanding Contributions:
Entrepreneurs make unique contributions to the American economy: Dell currently has offices in 34 countries with nearly 36,000 employees. Recognizing the extra and unnecessary costs of retail distribution, Dell’s innovative direct service industry has created a PC that is inexpensive and designed to meet the needs of the individual customer. Michael Dell currently is the longest-serving CEO in the PC industry.
Entrepreneurs create innovations that improve our quality of life: Michael Dell has established a number of foundations within his organization committed to philanthropic and community services. These foundations work to advance educational, environmental, business, economic, and social issues.
Entrepreneurs create new jobs: In just 18 years, Dell has grown from a one-person operation to a company of 36,000 employees. In 1988, when Michael Dell took his company public, Dell employed 650 people and posted sales of $159 million.
Entrepreneurs improve our position in global economic competition: Dell’s corporate headquarters are in Austin, Texas, where the company was founded. Texas also is home to Dell Americas, the regional business unit for the United States, Canada and Latin America. Dell has regional headquarters in England, for Europe, Middle East and Africa; in Singapore to serve Asia-Pacific; and in Kawasaki, Japan, for the Japanese market. The company manufactures its computers in six locations: Texas, Tennessee, Brazil, Ireland, Malaysia, and China.
Michael Dell was born in 1965 in Houston, Texas, and attended the University of Texas in Austin. Dell has earned the title of Entrepreneur of the Year from Inc magazine, was named Man of the Year by PC Magazine, Top CEO in American Business by Worth Magazine, CEO of the Year by Financial World and Industry Week magazines, and was on Business Week�s list of Top 25 Managers of the Year from 1997-1999. In 1992, Dell became the youngest CEO to earn a spot on the Fortune 500. He also sits on the U.S. President�s Advisory Council on Science and Technology. Provided by: National Commission on Entrepreneurship. Article on michael, dell by National Commission on Entrepreneurship

Global Internet Summit 2008

Saya telah menghadiri sebuah seminar bertajuk " Global Internet Summit " bertemakan " The Evolution of Internet Wealth" yang bertempat di Wisma MCA, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. Dengan anggaran bilangan peserta sebanyak 300 orang yang terdiri daripada mereka yang berminat untuk memulakan perniagaan internet, veteran2 usahawan internet, professional dari pelbagai lapisan umur, dari budak 15 tahun hingga ke orang tua berumur 75 tahun. Juga pelbagai bangsa yang kebanyakan dari Malaysia, ada juga peserta dari Singapore, UK, USA dan lain2.
Seminar ini selama 3 hari bermula 15/11/2008 hingga 17/11/2008 menampilkan pakar2 pemasaran internet dan juga usahawan2 / jutawan2 internet dari seluruh dunia untuk berkongsi maklumat dan teknik terkini, pengalaman, pengetahuan, dan juga untuk mempromosikan produk2 dan servis2 mereka.
Antaranya ialah Stephen Pierce seorang pakar pengoptimuman bisnis internet. Kisah hidup silamnya amat memilukan, beliau berasal dari keluarga miskin, telah dibuang sekolah, terlibat dengan jenayah, pernah masuk penjara, pernah tiada tempat tinggal (homeless), muflis, kini merupakan antara usahawan internet yang terkenal diseluruh dunia. Dengan cara persembahannya yang amat meyakinkan, beliau mengutarakan idea2 baru pemasaran internet, membuat produk2 terkini, juga menyediakan latihan untuk mereka yang berminat menceburkan diri dalam dunia perniagaan internet yang sedang berkembang pesat di dunia ini.
Speaker kegemaran saya yang utama ialah Adam Ginsberg, seorang usahawan muda yang mempunyai pengalaman dalam bidang bisnis dan latihan keusahawanan yang cukup luas. Beliau merupakan pakar dalam bidang bisnis Ebay, menjadi jutawan Ebay, memegang rekod jualan yang cukup hebat dalam Ebay. Beliau telah menjual produk/servis lebih USD 20 juta dalam Ebay tahun lepas. Beliau menjadi rujukan utama seluruh dunia dalam perniagaan internet, pernah diwawancara oleh majalah Entrepreneur, CNBC, ABC dan juga ABC World News. Persembahan beliau juga agak menarik dan bersahaja. Beliau menceritakan pengalaman lampau semasa melibatkan diri dalam perniagaan internet. Beliau juga telah menulis sebuah buku yang laris dipasaran mengenai perniaagaan melalui Ebay.
Speaker lain yang terlibat ialah Mark Joyner (Godfather of Internet Marketing),Janet Switzer (How to build an empire), J.T Foxx (How to promote yourself to millions) dan Mark Vurnum (Renegade lead runner). Setiap speaker mempunyai keunikan masing-masing dalam mempromosikan produk dan servis mereka. Secara keseluruhannya semua berjalan lancar, banyak juga maklumat, ilmu dan teknik pemasaran internet terkini yang saya dapat pelajari. Disamping dapat kenalan baru seluruh dunia yang mempunyai minat yang sama tentunya akan dapat mengembangkan rangkaian saya dan juga dapat menjalinkan kerjasama bisnis JV dengan mereka. Semestinya akan saya gunakan untuk meningkatkan prestasi perniagaan internet saya yang baru setahun jagung tak termasuk perniagaan Ebay yang telah mejangkau 3 tahun.
A Journey to infinite awesome universe

updating...

Dari Jay Bee Ke Melaka Ke Seremban Ke KL

Bandaraya JB makin sesak dan tak terurus. Itulah akibat pembangunan yang tak dirancang dengan teliti. JB jadi makin berserabut. Pada mulanya saya niat nak bermalam kat pusat bandar JB, tapi tak jadi kerana rimas dengan suasana yang kelam kabus kat situ. Jadi saya ke pekan Masai naik bas, sampai kat Masai lebih kurang pukul 7 mlm, jumpa sebuah hotel yang kecik tapi menarik, rate pun ok rm 50 smlm. Pada mulanya semuanya ok, tapi kemudiannya baru saya sedar sambungan internet wi-fi kat situ bermasalah. Saya cuba tanya staff kat kaunter tapi tak berjaya diselesaikan. Semua keja online terpaksa ditangguhkan kemudian. Keesokan harinya saya check out pkl 11 jalan ke stesen bas Masai terletak dekat dengan hotel tu, naik bas ke terminal bas Larkin dekat JB. Dari situ saya ambik bas ke Bandar Melaka dengan tambang rm 19. Sampai kat Melaka Sentral (stesen bas) dalam pkl 4, ambik bas ke pusat bandar dengan tambang rm 1. Dalam 5 minit sampai ke Bandar Melaka, sebuah bandar paling bersejarah di Malaysia.
Disinilah Parameswara menubuhkan sebuah kerajaan melayu Melaka yang kuat dan berpengaruh. Bagaimanapun saya agak keliru dengan sejarah kerajaan melayu Melaku yang diasaskan oleh Parameswara seorang berbangsa Jawa yang lari dari kepulauan jawa. Mungkin dia berkahwin dengan orang2 tempatan kat Melaka ketika itu. Begitu juga dengan kisah Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat dan juga hang2 yang lain, pendekar 5 sekawan. Ada teori yang mengatakan Hang Tuah/Jebat/lain2 berasal dari negara China yang datang ke Melaka mengawal puteri Hang Li Po yang berkawin dengan sultan Melaka ketika itu. Untuk mengesahkan teori ini maka satu ujian DNA harus dijalankan ke atas rangka2 pendekar2 berkenaan. Juga nama asal mereka menurut teori ini ialan Hang Tu Ah, Hang Jee Bat, Hang Lee Kiew, dan lain2.
Banyak tempat yang menarik kat Melaka antaranya ialah Kubu Kota Melaka, ...
Saya menginap di Samudera Backpacker dengan kadar rm 25 semalam, murah memang la murah tapi tak ada wifi, tv, aircon, bilik air kat luar -sharing. Sekali sekala apa salahnya merasa dok tempat bajet macam ni. Boring juga dok kat hotel 5 bintang kalau datang sorang2. Lagi satu yang best stay kat backpackers hostel ialah dapat jumpa ramai pengembara2 dari seluruh dunia. Kat Singpore dapat jumpa Kamoto dari Jepun, Steve dari Australia, Nia dari Indonesia dan ramai lagi. Dapat la bertukar2 pandangan tentang isu2 semasa dan juga bertukar email.
Selepas dua hari malam kat Melaka saya bergerak ke Seremban menaiki bas ekspress. Memang ada niat nak stay 1 malam kat Seremban tapi tak jadi sebab nampak macam tak best saja. Ni first time saya sampai kat Seremban. Dari Seremban saya naik komuter ke KL Sentral. Sampai kat KL Sentral dalam pukul 4 petang terus check in kat Central Hotel.