Happy New Year 2009!!

Wed 311208

Yup, it's that time of the year once again...the Last Day of the year...of 2008...

So, was it a good year? Sincerely hope it was...most of the time...for you...

Me? Well, like me always believed, Life is truly a "rollercoaster ride". With its ups & downs. On the whole, me should not complain but just count my blessings. That me am still around, alive & kicking, with clothes on my body, food on the table and a roof over my head! Thank God for all that...

We have to face reality. Those who disrespected us will continue to disrespect us. Those who hate us will continue to hate us. No one knows what the future holds for us. However, most importantly, those who love us will similarly continue to love us. That, I feel, is good enough, isn't it? Don't you feel so?

An update : My other half's sis did turn up, with her hubby, CW, for an unplanned visit at Lot 10 & all 4 had a wonderful value but kinda short time, sharing views & comparing "notes"? Lunch was at Sweet & Cosy. We adjourned after that for a quick visit to our common aunt, SHK, who had just been discharged from the local private hospital. And then, it was "bye-bye" time cos the couple had to rush back to Penang for another "date" with other relatives there. Thanks a meg, CI & CW, for making the special trip!! We do appreciate it. 'Twas good to see you both again. Have a safe & pleasant trip back to Australia soon...

Btw, methought the tally of 3 "bad" things happening in a row was all that would happen to end the old year...but unfortunately, it was not to be so. My other half revealed that she had diarrhoea that morning & had concealed the fact till after her sis left. So, it was a quick visit to our fav fmly doc. who confirmed that she's having a bout of food poisoning! On retracing our food consumption activities for the previous day, it was probably due to our lunch at WTG in AS Mall...the chillies! The chillies that came with the "cucuk udang" dish. So you guys/gals who love chillies with your meals outside, pls remember that you're taking a big risk of possible food poisoning by doing so lo...

The good news is that my other half is much better now,on soft diet today & recovering well. No worries...

Well, today is the LAST day of 2008...me am hoping & praying that that's all there is & will be for the old year and the New Year will start with good tidings & great happy happenings in our rollercoaster ride this time around!

So, here's wishing one & all a Great & a Very Happy New Year 2009!! Cheers...

Happy moments...

Mon 291208

The night of Sun 28th Dec. was one of those happy moments in my life. An evening spent with my other half with other happy people at a happy function. Yup, it was the wedding dinner of the son of 1 of my former colleagues. And yup, he's also retired. Nope. Not the son. The father la...hehe...

And for once, we were earlier than other guests! Parking was easy. And so was the choice of table location. Ha ha! Got a great view of the main stage.

However, as in Malaysian functions, although the time for the dinner was 7.30pm sharp, it only got started after 8pm. Normal lo...

Here are a couple of reasonably ok pics which my N73 hp cam captured...from where we were seated.1st pic is a projected image of the happy couple on screen before the start of the dinner proper. The 2nd is of the group toast session of the bride & groom with both families.

Congrats, JJ & KH!! Not forgetting congrats to the happy & proud parents, Mr & Mrs P...!!

A little bit of not so nice news next. Yup, the trip to Penang to attend the special gathering of relatives to meet my other half's sister from Down Under had to be cancelled. This was due to lack of information provided about the meet & the list of ppl who would be attending. So, for the good of one & all, it was best that this "little black sheep" be kept far away from those who proclaim themselves higher & mightier than lil ole me! Sad but true again.

A little consolation that there is still hope in this troubled world which is full of "bad" guys. My other half's sister & hubby would be making a special unplanned trip to visit us tomorrow. That is certainly a good sign for humanity. TQ, CI... and sincerely hope our meet would be a happy one...

My only wish now is for 2008 to end on a happy note. According to my "records", THREE "bad" incidents had occurred one after another in this last week of 2008. And, as the Chinese believed, "bad" things happen in threes.

Now to welcome the goodies in 2009...2 more days & counting...

So, once again, Happy New Year 2009, Everyone!!

ps. An update : To bring the outstanding family issue to some kind of conclusion, it was decided to change a long-existing policy for visitors to Lot 10 OFH, namely the "Open Doors Policy". Previously, Lot 10 OFH was open 24/7 to family members who have their own set of keys & even the alarm codes, enabling entry literally 24/7! Latest developments have deemed such a policy highly precarious.

And so, it is deeply regretted that, in the name of peace, harmony & happiness in Lot 10 premises, the new policy is now, to put it nicely... "with Invitation only...& for respected loving members only."

To all concerned parties, pls be kindly so advised. TQ.

D-Day...finally!

Sun 281208

An Update: A sudden turn of events occurred this morning. A call was received by my other half that that said close family member (referred to in my Fri 251208 entry) & family would be coming...

" For what? ", me asked. Answer? Dunno. Maybe just a visit?
My response? "After what has happened? After 9 months...? "

Well, what ensued was a continuous flow of sms-es which finally confirmed the inevitable truth, namely, our "fren" did not, in the least, feel that he was arrogant, direspectful nor wrong in all his actions towards his beloved elder. Period. He even had the nerve & notion to say that the elder he'd wronged should be the one to go to his place to meet him because of his "tight schedule" managing his work & 2 kids! As if others, including managers, never had kids before. Moreover, what would you think of a manager who cannot manage to fit in time to settle such a serious & long outstanding family issue for NINE whole months? Do you believe that? Can you? Ever? 9 months...not 9 days or 9 weeks...

Anyway, it's too long to narrate here except that he went even as far as to question my belief in God. Somehow, I can't help feeling if he does believe in God himself. Somehow feel that a person who believes in God...a God-fearing person...would NEVER do what he had done! Not to an elder so related to him. Sad but true.

Me just wanna reiterate that

"What's not in the heart cannot be forced..."

And... like in a famous quote...

"If that limb is gangrenous, we must cut it off to save the rest of the body..."

And so, in view of this latest turn of events & a long series of exchanges of sms-es, one has but only one way out. To accept that only God can open the eyes of such an unseeing person to the wrongs that he has committed and which he has, up to this day ( 9 months plus), still insists differently & unrepentantly! Imagine calling what transpired that morning a "Battle of words"! Wonder who's battling with him...probably himself?

My only prayer to God now is the hope that the day will come, with God's help & blessings, that he will see the light and return to the right path...be once again the person we thought we all knew & loved so...Amen.

Now for some happier events...

We have been invited to a wedding dinner of a former colleague's son tonight. Would be great to meet ole friends & former colleagues once more. That's what is so wonderful about such an event, besides celebrating & joining in the merriment of the wedding. Congrats, Ah P.... !! CU tonight lo...

The next day is a planned trip to Penang. To attend an arranged meet of relatives to share time with my other half's sister & hubby. They have come back to Malaysia for a holiday. And, as a concerned sis, she has bought & brought back supplies of the daily med for my other half. It would certainly be a "noisy" time with one & all! Ha ha! Thanks, CI!! Esp so for the thought...would be great to CU in person after so long...

Me would try to post pics of the above 2 events if me remember to snap some with my trusty ole N73 hp cam & they turn out clear enough.

3 more days before it's time to welcome in the New Year! With the confirmation of the inevitable outcome of that long outstanding family issue, its resolution & disposal, I now look forward to a truly Happy New Year 2009!! The obstacle hurdle has been cleared...& the "gangrenous limb" removed! We now know who we are to those around us and also where to go from here. The road ahead is clear.

My 2009 New Year Resolution? To be happy & thank God for His Blessings & All whom I love & who love me in return...

Happy New Year, Everyone!! PEACE.

How much time...?

Fri 261208

That's the "multimillion dollar" question...

"How much time...?"

To remove the cloud of mystery surrounding that question, here's the full question...

How much time does one give to a very close family member who has shown utter disrespect & issued a threat/ultimatum to an elder who has provided for him, nurtured him, supported & protected him (both knowingly & unknowingly to him) till he is now able to stand on his own 2 feet, so that the wrongdoer can explain, apologise, show regret/remorse/sadness, and right the wrongs that he has committed?

The "wrongs"?

1. Issued a direct threat/ultimatum to the said elder at the elder's residence (theoretically & practically a very disrespectful & unforgivable act by someone, if considering his position in the family);
2. Vehemently stated that the elder owed him MORE than the reverse (How could the elder owe him more in any conceivable way, considering the very senior status of that elder?);
3. Claimed that the elder started the incident (if the 2 phone calls made by him are put forward as evidence, it would be clear who started the incident).

So, is 9 months a long enough time for him to do so? What do you think?

"Doors" have been opened for him to do so but, alas, our "fren" was probably too high & mighty to grab the opportunity...most probably, he could not humble himself so. I would say that it's more of his feeling that he had done NO wrong...a denial? Or maybe he did not & has not been getting the correct /proper advice from those around him? I fear to think of a worse scenario...

A huge door of opportunity was opened in August but it was just simply "abused". 2 days 1 night passed without any attempt at reconciliation. From what ensued, it was clear that he came with no such intention in his heart nor mind!!

That was 5 months after the incident. 2 more months passed. Another door was opened. On the said elder's birthday. A little "poking" was initiated with the hope that it would invoke any latent feelings of respect/love & consequently, some concrete & positive actions would be forthcoming. Nope. Not a whimper of hope. Once again all efforts were in vain. Not a teeny weeny response. Sad but true. If you don't have it in you, you just don't have it! No amount of stimuli would be able to bring forth what is not in you...

Numerous reasons /excuses had been put forward (by others who came to know of the incident)...including the likes of these listed below:
1. busy with work (any1 of you so busy that you couldn't find time in 9 months to settle such an important family issue?) ;
2. lost control of himself (how does one in a managerial position get to be so if one cannot handle serious issues well? An error in a promotional exercise or....?);
3. stress (family & work) related (won't this add to all existing stress? Or is this a way to cut down his stress load?);
4. undue pressure by a third party prior to incident (still stress-related, right? Moreover, should be able to get one's priorities in correct perspective. );
5. no apology or similar actions cos of fear of that elder (just imagine how courageous & arrogant he was when he uttered the threat & ensuing accusations!);
6. his hope to be forgiven without any effort on his part (ridiculous assumption, right?);
7. he feels that if he acts like nothing happened, the said incident did not happen (logical?);
8. Etc., etc....not wanna bore you ppl lo...

The moral of it all?

What is not in the heart cannot be forced.

That line has been repeated countless times by so many. It kept on ringing in my mind over & over again but as each month passed, it slowly but surely dawned on me that there might be some truth in that quote. It is now so clear to me how true that is. Yup, there is no escape from that truth, is there? We can only let time heal the wounds & the deep hurt that resulted.

Well, to move forward, one must accept what life puts in front of us....good or bad. That is the 10% in the 10/90 philosophy that works so well to make our lives happier and to enable us to move forward. The 90% is for us to react, accept & look more positively towards the future ahead without such burdensome & painful encumbrances. Such a person is not worth the heartaches nor the headaches that come with continued involvement & pursuit. He will learn one day...hopefully...possibly the hard way! And yup,

"what goes around comes around"

...or so the saying goes. Is there truth in that saying too? Only time will tell...

Thank God that besides the excuses forwarded, there were also lots of re-assurances from caring & understanding ppl around. Such words provide further strength to the said elder to move on...w/o looking back in regret...eg.
1. The saying that "Water in a stream never flows upstream.";
2. A son doing so to his own father does not deserve any respect, esp since he's now also a father himself;
3. A parent has no choice as to what kind of child he would have;
4. Life is a cycle...he will go through worse when his time comes as the newer generation is expected to be less filial & less loving, being more materialistic;
5. A relative even said, "Thank God your son only did that...my son even wished for me to die earlier!!" Phew!
6. Let him be. He doesn't deserve your love...it's his loss! His sin.
7. You may have brought him up the best way you could and with the love you have all those long years but it only takes a short time with the wrong ppl around him to undo all the good you have done! Beyond your control...
8. It's not like you need him to survive.
9. He's the one who really owes you MORE! Only he himself & God knows...
10. One day he will not like what he sees of himself. Hopefully it's not too late...
And so on...

So sorry to be so philosophical today but I would like to move into the coming New Year of 2009 with happier thoughts and happy memories. Life is short & 9 months thus wasted on a non-productive issue is definitely not the way to go. Every bonus day is precious. Agreed?

So, let's enjoy the moment...the bonus days that God has given us & be thankful for what we are blessed with! Wishes remain wishes...dreams remain dreams.

A belated Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year 2009 to one & all!!!

One tiny little hiccup...

Sun 211208

Remember 151208 - Long long day...? Methought that was the end of problems with my ole junk cos 3 events affected it that time. But, alas, that was not to be so. At least for 2008...

Yup, since that day, there has been a steadily enlarging pool of a red liquid underneath my ole junk. Not blood tho..hehe... but actually ATF (Auto Transmission Fluid). Me suspected & kinda confirmed it's probably due to a faulty oil seal where the newly replaced drive shaft is joined to the auto-transmission box.

And so, this morning, it was off to our fav workshop at nearby Shell service station. There, my suspicion & personal pre-diagnosis was confirmed. The wait for the replacement part to arrive then started. Finally all that was necessary was done. Only RM15 for the replacement oil seal including labour. An insignificant sum, considering cost of parts & labour these days. Only the hours spent at the workshop...
And, hopefully that was the last hiccup...that is, all there is that needs to be done for my ole junk to sail into the new year of 2009 with a great feeling & with peace of mind.

And yup, when me reached home after leaving the workshop, I just couldn't open the auto-gate with my remote unit! No matter how many times I pressed the button on the remote unit! Methought then..."Oh no! Not another problem...."

Btw our autogate works by a direct mains supply electrical motor & does not have any back-up power supply unit...unlike most others which use a 12V motor & thus have their own back-up battery in the event of a power failure. As such our auto-gate cannot be operated in the event of a power failure but has to be opened manually after unlocking its operating mechanism. Fyi, ours is an imported Italian motorised unit but with a local control unit PCB.

The good point is that this unit has served us reliably & unfailingly ever since it was installed...compared to a neighbouring unit that was installed at abt the same time as ours but have failed numerous times & is currently missing from its installation site!! Maybe in the workshop? Again? When I queried the higher cost of our unit, I was assured that I would reap the benefits of paying a bit more for such a unit after 2 years and... true enough, it's still providing good service where others have failed much much earlier...

There is this Chinese/Hokkien saying...

"Chit Chee Lui Chit Chee Hoay..."

Translated...it simply means "you get what you pay for..." True? Agreed?

Tried pressing the door-bell but not even a tinkle. That must be it...another power failure! My other half had to manually open the small access door on the auto-gate and me had to manually unlock & open the auto-gate. Phew!

All's well that ends well cos in a few mins, the power came back on & life in Lot 10 OFH is back to normal once more...

An update : Cine Nite last night was the screening of the DVD of the movie "Transporter 3". Enjoyment would be heightened if the sound track had been better. Otherwise, it's the usual Transporter stuff...action with car chases & even a car on a train sequence! Would say it's great publicity for Audi...haha!

A few days b4 Christmas...

Sat 20th Dec., 2008

Yup, it's just a few days before Christmas...that joyful time to end the year. And yup, 2008 will end in joy for some but also sorrow for others. That's life...to me...always a rollercoaster ride...depending on where you are along the track at this point in time...

As mentioned in my earlier post, we had lost a kind & caring cousin. On a better note, his daughter, who was kinda critically injured in the same accident, is now out of danger & out of the ICU. Thank God for that! We sincerely wish her a speedy recovery... & with God's blessings, be able to celebrate CNY with all who love her soon...

Well, 1 more bonus week has passed...albeit with sadness then but now with hope.

Today is Saturday. Another COD. COD is "Chef's Off Day"...for the un-initiated. Lunch was @Jin Ho, one of our fav coffee shops, with my fav Fried KT...and my other half's Pork Leg Rice! Yummy!

Whilst walking around the nearby City Plaza Mall, I stumbled upon a video shop screening a clear copy of "Transporter 3", a very recent movie...still screening in local cineplexes. Me asked the shop asst. if it was a 100% clear copy. The answer came back positive & so me bought a copy. On further enquiring if the 007 Quantum of Solace movie was also available in the same degree of clarity, that guy confirmed it & so me got a copy of that, too.

Now, what can I say? Back home later, me tested the Transporter 3 copy. Clear. However, the sound has a tinge of cinema mode, if you know what I mean...you know, that kind of "hollowness" in a recording? A kind of resonance to it?

Testing the 007 copy, it was worse! Image was just that of a good cinema kinda of "clear" quality with a worse "echo" soundtrack! Real disappointed me...

Once more my faith & trust in ppl's honesty & integrity is severely dented! Now, it'll be some time before me will take a salesperson's words on face value to be what it is. Except the lady at my fav video centre. She has never disappointed me & knows exactly what I meant when me said "100% clear copy", namely truly a 100% clear copy...not even 1% short of that!!

Unfortunately, that lady also had an accident while on her way home from work abt a week ago. She was luckier...lots luckier than our cousin! She only suffered fractures in one leg...

We also wish her a speedy recovery...cos with my aforementioned experience, we do need a truly honest & trustworthy supplier of our DVDs!! Namely, she!

Well, dinner for today's COD is yet to be confirmed at time of writing this. Our "boss" has yet to decide...hehe...
The same goes for the movie in Cine Nite tonight. Ha ha!

Anyway, it's been a reasonably good week in Lot 10 OFH. Time passed easily enough although with sadness during the early days of the week that was.

A few events are lined up before we call it a year in 2008. A wedding dinner on 28th (cos the son of a close colleague will be getting married)...with a planned trip to Penang to meet up with my other half's sister from down under, most probably on the 30th.

And... the next day, 31st Dec, at the stroke of midnight, it's Goodbye 2008...Welcome 2009!!

Merry Christmas & a very Happy New Year to one and all!!

Saying "Goodbye"...

Wed 171208

On the afternoon of Mon 15th Dec., as a few workers were putting the finishing touches to setting up of a couple of tents outside a house in Taman Wira, a quick shower of "holy water" came down from the sky...to those who believed, it was the heavens crying. Crying for someone good & kind who had departed from this world...

Yup, that fateful morning, we lost a very good cousin...a caring friend to many who knew him. He was so suddenly taken away from all who loved him so. A fatal accident involving him & his daughter took place as he was sending her to work that morning. He was killed instantly but his daughter survived...albeit with serious injuries...or else it would have been a double trajedy for the family!

I met many of his friends during the time I spent at the 3-day wake held for him. One comment I got from a group that paid their last respects to him, was

..."why do good people die so early & taken away so suddenly...when the evil & bad guys continue to live on & enjoy the fruits of their evil/wrongdoings?"

I could not answer them except saying that it's probably God's will or simply maybe it's just time for him to go. Can you?

Tears flowed so freely from not only family members & relatives but also from friends who came by the numbers every day...everyone shocked by the event and all lamenting the fact that a good & kind person had been taken away from their midst...on such a cruel & fateful day! A lovely morning turned ugly & so full of sorrow.

The funeral was this morning & our dearly beloved cousin & close friend to many was given a great but solemnly sad final send-off from his home just after 10:30am.

A few pics me snapped (using my trustly ole N73 hp cam) to share of the final rites & start of his "journey"...
Above pics show the ceremony before the send-off, followed by members of AS Sai Baba Centre, giving the close friend a good farewell gesture, namely personally sending him on his journey to a better place...

Pic on left shows relatives & friends during the final send-off from the house.

Well, a close & loving friend & relative is now gone but still dwells in our hearts...in the hearts of all those who knew him & will continue to remember him & cherish memories of him. Goodbye, Ah T as he is known to his relatives or Mr K, or just plain K to his friends.

May God keep you & bless your soul always. May you rest in peace...in God's loving arms.

Long long day...

Mon 151208

Yup, it was one of those days...Sun 141208, yesterday, that was! A long long day... for me & my ole junk.

Well, it started simply enough. My plan for that day was to have the rubber boots/bellows of the LHS drive shaft of my ole junk. You see, a couple of days ago, I noticed that there was grease splattered around the inner boot of that drive shaft. So the rubber boot/cover there was suspect...probably damaged.

Alas, because that was not to be. Not that simple, anyway. Upon examining the area & checking the drive shaft proper, the mechanic told me that it would be a waste of time & $$ to just replace the rubber covers. Simply because the drive shaft is worn & loose now! The RHS shaft was subsequently checked & found to be in a similar state. Phew!

Now what would you do in my position? Insist that you wanna just change the rubber covers? No? Yup, that's what me also concluded. Better to be safe than sorry! Not save now & be sorry later, right?

Now that was a hefty price to pay though. RM320 in all, including labour charges! In the course of the work being done, a torn rubber cover/bellows of the steering arm was also detected & changed @ minimal cost. Only RM16.

That was only "phase 1 " of the day.

Since the steering linkage had to be disconnected to replace the rubber bellows, a front wheels alignment had to be carried out as that configuration was affected. So it was that me took me ole junk to a nearby tyre shop with wheel alignment facilities.

Returning from a test drive, the alignment staff found he could not get a good result from his efforts. And on further investigations with help from his other colleagues, it was found that the steering collar bushes were worn & the looseness affected the alignment even after adjustments were made.

That was the start of "phase 2". The ole junk was back again to the mech's workshop & the collar bushes were replaced albeit with minor hiccups. RM30 was added to the day's expenses.

Now back again to the tyre shop to redo the alignment. Hooray! Finally the results were good! Another RM34 dug out from me pocket lo...for toe-in & camber adjustments. Good point is the second round of adjustments were on the house! TQ, Mr N...great service there!

Phase 3? Yup, me forgot to mention that at the mech's, one other mech noticed that the fuses for my upgrades headlamp system were BURNT! Melted! Kaputt! Me didn't even noticed that...our last trip back from Penang had no problems with the lights that night.

So, when me mentioned that in conversation with the Mr N of the tyre shop, he recommended a nearby auto-wiring shop just a block down from his. Me was gonna take the ole junk to a car accessories shop to have it done if not for his suggestion.

A few mins later, the burnt fuses were replaced with better ones...covered ones! Only RM8 was added in this final leg. A pic of the burnt fuses below to share...after dismemberment from my ole junk!Total expenses? A whopping RM392! Practically almost my pocket money for the month from "Kay Pa" gone. Thank God, too, that "Kay Pa"' was early this month or else me would have to dig into my reserves! Not good then, right?

The time? Almost 4.30pm!! That was certainly a long long day....

As the Chinese believed...Bad things come in threes. So me looking forward to good things now...a good 2009!

A blue blue day...

Fri 121208

Nice number, huh? 1212. Yup, nice number. However, me woke up this morning feeling kinda restless...

Now, how to pass the day in a better, faster way than just laze around whilst staring at the "Idiot Box" from time to time? Walk-walk sessions at Tesco Mergong, AS Mall & Star Parade were like only yesterday. So, methought...yea, a trip to nearby Jitra might just do the trick!

And that idea got immediate support...from uknohu!

So, first stop was to fill up the ole junk's tank. With the reduction in petrol price till RM1.90/litre now, me could not fill up enough to redeem a bottle of drinking water at the nearby Petronas station. About RM8 short. So, me just got a cup of mineral water. Better cheaper petrol than free drinking water, right?

From past experience, we had found it faster & probably cheaper, too, to go to Jitra via the PLUS highway rather than the trunk road...being faster & shorter travelling distance.

First stop was at Jitra Mall. There was hardly anyone there. My other half found 2 blouses & couldn't decide which was better. So what better solution than to buy both! Ha ha!

Had a minor scare when we went to our car to leave the Mall. A rather big puddle of liquid was flowing out from under our car's engine bay! So the bonnet was popped up but me could not find anything linking the puddle to our ole junk. Further checks revealed it was a colourless liquid & most probably only water...probably from the air-con unit! Ha ha again!

Lunch time came all too soon. Went for our fav Bah Kut Teh meal at the coffee shop next to C-Mart. Well, the tummy didn't complain about what went in...hehe...

After lunch, we adjourned to C-Mart. Compared to Jitra Mall, C-Mart was kinda like going to the "kampung" from the city! Hardly 30 mins were spent there before it was decided it's time to go home.

Taking the highway route, it was home sweet home in under 30 mins!

Then it was a short rest before it was time for "Love" on HHD...Channel 333 on Astro! Ha ha! Yup, back to the ole "Idiot Box" routine...

Well, 3 more days to go before our "Kay Pa" sends his love via his $$ train...actually 2 more days according to my other half's interpretation. Nice feeling lo...hehe...

Another "bonus" week is ending. So far so good. Have a great weekend, everyone!

An Update : It's been some time since I published a view of what the housing development (directly opposite Lot 10 OFH) looks like. According to 1 of the buyers of the units being built, completion is like not long after CNY or maybe April 2009. Not October, 2009 as in their advert boards. Here is snapshot of the bungalow lots from our "roof terrace"...


See the diff now?

So, it's really "bye-bye" to fresh breezes & gone is our great Gunung Jerai view on clear days! It's a "concrete" world out there now...

Bits & More Bits...

Mon 8th Dec 2008

Believe or not, 1 more week has passed us by...and life has been ok lo...nothing worth complaining nor should we cos every day of life is a bonus! For inmates of Lot 10, that is...

To recapture the past week...

Weds 031208 - Made a trip to BM. Bukit Minyak area to be exact. Visited other half's bro to collect a couple of bottles of med for her, bought & brought back all the way from down under...courtesy of his son. That med, by Blackmores, unfortunately, is still not available here in Malaysia. Thanks a meg, CB!!
Lunch was courtesy of the bro & fmly. Thanks, KY!

Soon after lunch, we popped over to Penang Island to visit my other half's cousin in her home. Spent more than the usual time there and being late already then, we opted to call it a day. Dinner was at Tesco's food court before we made the trip home. As previously, we were once again caught in a crawl across the bridge!!

Sat 061208 - COD. Yup, one of those uknowhat days...haha! After breakfast, it was a walk-walk session @our local Tesco. Made a small contri to our not-so-new but still lots to see "sundry shop". Lunch was my fav ie fried KT, followed by another walk-walk session @Billion. Dinner was accomplished via our newly-adopted style, namely ordered dishes @Cola Coffee Shop near our OFH. RM24.60 incl a pot of "koke poh" (kinda mixed type) tea.
Cine Nite was not boring with the movie "Iron Man" based on Marvel Comics. Wonder if there will ever be a sequel...?

Sunday, 071208, was quiet. Routine this time around. The usual "idiot box" slots were there.

Well, today was like a mini "merdeka"!! A new billing month. Time once again to kinda "sign my life away"...not really actually! Like me told my other half...no worries...me am definitely not the suicidal type...hehe...like the proverbial "barking dogs don't bite" kind of person.

Location? Tesco Mergong had me signing away Rm100+. Adjourning to Star Parade resulted in a further RM500+ worth of my signature, besides "losing" some cash in the process.

The final total came to over RM600++!! Phew...a whopping sum, right? But whatever it was, at times we do need to pamper ourselves. Not really pamper with luxuries but with necessities. Items we needed but had to postpone till a better time. Like today. Ha ha...

Anyway, for our purchases at Guardian, we got quite a lot of unexpected goodies, with some extra discounts in the process, too! Like me kinda commented on the side...like striking a mini lottery!

This so-called "fling" was kinda motivated by our "Kay Pa" announcing our Xmas allowance soon...early...on 15th Dec. And also, the great possibility that we would be getting our CNY $$ in early January, 2009 since CNY this time around falls on 26th Jan. What's more... with a promised 20% increase from "Kay Pa" come Jan 2009! If that promise is fulfilled, that is...

However, all that can only mean one thing. Feb would be a long, long, long month! Well, you can't win them all, right? Like most would say...win some lose some!

Or like a common philosophy these days...Enjoy the moment! Not to worry, we are! Ha ha...

Enjoy yours...

Doing something kinda "crazy"?

Mon 1st Dec 2008

Good morning, everyone!! It's the 1st day of the last month of the year 2008! 1 more month to enjoy this year...

Well, me enjoyed it the day before...haha! And it all began like this...

Yesterday, for no reason, me woke up very early! 6am. On a non-working day? (Actually me not working every day liao...hehe...) Phew! And then this thought just came in. How about making an unplanned trip to Taiping? The furthest we've been for the past 2 months was only Penang.

So, me woke up me other half & popped the question..."what do you think about doing something crazy today?" In a blurr, she asked back..."what crazy thing?" And me said...Go to Taiping lo...

Her response? "So early ah. Ppl still sleeping la." I had to clarify that by the time we do get ready (wash up, morning call, breakfast, fill up car petrol tank, etc), it would be late enough then.

And so it was. We left A/Star just before 8am. Traffic was minimal all the way although weather was kinda threatening but nothing happened except for a minor teeny drizzle at the start.

Well, it was a "crazy" idea that went well. Haven't done such "crazy" things for quite a while. The best part of this "crazy" do was it was well worth the effort. Both had a nice time with KL & family...even had time to visit the local Tesco Store!

A short video clip to share...KL enjoying a bubbles session! Of course, grandpa was the "bubble-producer" using a newly acquired "bubble gun"!
It truly warms the heart to see a happy kid enjoying herself...
(Video was captured by KL's mom, using a Motorola 3.XX. Yup, me busy producing bubbles! Haha!)
Btw, me also adding a couple of new pics of KL in "The Many Faces of KL in 2008". The shots were taken during this surprise visit. Enjoy...

As always, time to leave came before we knew it. The sky was practically pouring lots of "tears" when we left the Kamunting Toll Plaza!!

Dinner call was at SP South. 3 simple dishes. RM17.40. Drinks = another RM2.

Safely back in good ole Lot 10 OFH just after 7pm.

How was your weekend? Did anything "crazy"? Sincerely hope it ended as well as mine lo...

Sweet Ole Me...

Fri 281108

Chocs & more chocs...nuts & more nuts...that's what me enjoyed so much while sitting in front of the "idiot box" immediately after my retirement! Life was good...no worries...no more stress @work! Doing what me wanted & felt like doing at any time. Sleep when me wanna sleep. Wake up when me wanna wake up. No schedules to follow. Pure bliss...the culmination of years & years of yu-know-what. Finally, me am my own boss...hehe...

Well, like a quotation that me had heard somewhere before...

"...in everything we do, there is always a price to pay..."

And how true it is!

Yup, not long after my retirement & esp after all the indulgence in chocs & nuts, me felt kinda tired & drowsy more & more often. Attributed it to my not having something definite to do daily. Then one day, a voice in me told me that I should not just explain away what I'm feeling...cos it might be something more than what I think or feel...

Took a blood test...and that really stopped me in my tracks! 14+ was my blood sugar level! That most feared bell then started sounding...if me not do anything about myself, me was gonna go downhill all the way! That was kinda scary... me was classified as a "pre-type 2 diabetic"!

Well, that was history today...cos me took positive steps following my Doc's advice eg exercising regularly & controlling my food intake & diet. That was years ago...about 7 years, to be exact...haha! Me was like anyone else...except for the exercise routine & diet control.

However, last month it was noticed that my fasting blood sugar level just refused to go down. It remained way past the normal range. Moreover, the level for 2 hours after meals climbed to within the acceptable range of diabetics! Upon doing some investigation, it was found that most pre-type 2 diabetics move into true type 2 diabetes after 5 years...at the most! Me already way past that time limit!!

Upon consultation, my Doc told me that we couldn't just let the situation continue as it was. It would have harmful & irreversible effects on my vision (eyes), kidneys & even the heart in the long term. Factually, it was gonna be like immersing all my body organs & parts into a sugar solution!! We had to keep the level within the normal range with medication now.

And so it was. I started taking 1 tablet of Glucophage 500mg after breakfast. This medication was recommended cos it was time-tested to be effective & known to be "harmless", besides being of low cost. That brought down the sugar level for meals...after an hour & even after 2 hours. That certainly was a good sign.

In spite of that, my fasting level still remained past the normal range...showing that the effects of the medication had worn off by evening. A week later, a second dose was advised to be taken after dinner. Did so for 2 weeks. Tests later showed a remarkable improvement! Now my blood sugar level after fasting averages only 5.7. That is within the normal range. Phew...

Now what does all that mean? Yup, without a doubt me am now a confirmed Type 2 diabetic person. No denial is gonna help here. Accept my body for what it has become. Ageing process lo...remember the same 10/90 Philosophy? Being what I am now is beyong my control but how me react would make a lot of difference to my life from here onwards. Agreed?

Yup, I cannot change what has happened to my body but I can control the course it will take from now. That way I can have a better quality of life! Uncontrolled diabetes can result in many serious complications. Lots of suffering. Not need to go into details here. One just needs to Google for them, right?

Now me just need to pop in a tab after breakfast & one more after dinner...then me can enjoy my life as any other guy next to me! Yup, life is short...let's not make it any shorter...

And yup, TGIF, too! Another weekend is here again...and you know the rest ie if you are a regular visitor to Middle Lip...

A Visit to the Dentist and more...

Wed 26 Nov 2008

Well, it all started last night when my other half checked & found it's time to do some "spring-cleaning" of her teeth. Yup, the plaque thing. Time to de-scale. And so it was decided to make that trip to our fav dentist...

We left for the dental clinic right after breakfast...a simple one of bread & milk. At the reception desk, we were informed that we had to wait for only 2 more patients before our turn. That was just a bit after 10am. Time passed by. A long wait...even for 2 patients ahead of us. Almost 3 hrs passed. A nurse told me that our turn would be next. But when the next patient was called, imagine our surprise when it was NOT for my other half but for a family of PR Singaporeans back on holiday!

Actually there was a lady earlier who exhibited sheer impatience & the arrogance that she was to be treated special! She had kept on going to the reception counter to remind the staff in attendance that she had made an appointment for 11am and what the time was already at that time! Some ppl do feel that their material wealth, or whatever, makes them so deserving of special treatment! Her face was certainly not one to enjoy viewing. Angry, unhappy lines were deeply etched in her face. Not a happy lady! Probably someone bearing a lot of bad "garbage" around, finding every opportunity to dispose of it on others! She does not realise that she's the one suffering...

So, thank God for what me have been learning & trying hard to practise...keeping my cool in such high stress situations. The 10/90 philosophy was right on target! We played it well...the 90% part. And as it turned out, others were the ones who felt bad...who were apologetic. We smiled. And the events ended in goodwill & we left with a nice feeling for what we had accomplished.

Yup, how our day is & will be is within our control. Me feel now if me can keep it up, such control would hopefully become second nature in me.

Me just read an entry in 1 of my fav Blogs, namely http://kh7883.blogspot.com/ and that entry ended with this paragraph which I feel is another piece of good advice :

...love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't. Believe that every thing happens for a reason. If you get a chance, TAKE IT! If it changes your life, LET IT! Nobody said it would be easy... They just promised it would be WORTH IT Cheers!"Life is short. Enjoy the journey."

Yup, Life is certainly short. Feel this is the umpteenth time me had quoted that phrase. Sorry. And for all in my position, we certainly can't afford to waste whatever time we have left catering to the whims & fancies or whatever "kiasu" attitudes they might have. We should be enjoying the remainder of the journey...to the best of our abilities, right?

And, yup, we would be happier persons by letting such ppl with lots of bad "garbage" pass us by...
I would like to end this entry with another extract from that same Blog entry...

...successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? Here's my bet. You'll be happier.

So how many "garbage trucks" have you let pass by you? That many? Good for you!

Have a good day!

What is Life (Part II)....

Tues 251108

This time around it appears that my philosophical self is pushing his way out...and thus the same ole philosophical question of " What is Life... "

For newcomers to this Blog, I had put some of my thoughts about what life is in "What is Life? Do you ever wonder...", namely my entry dated Nov 5th 2007.

Well, this time around, me put that question to my other half. Her answer? Life is a struggle...
To her, from the moment we were born, we struggled to survive in this world...overcoming all obstacles we might meet along the way. Each person has his/her own means to go through life...to survive. Living each day. Passing each day. Even up till the moment before death, many still struggle to survive...those who succeed get to live a little bit longer. But, ultimately, we all die. We came with nothing and we will leave with nothing...

The difference between one human being and another is how they live while they struggle to live. The lucky ones would get to enjoy more of life than the less fortunate ones.

Lucky ones? To some, they would tell you there is no such thing as luck! That it is all hard work & sweat. Me? I don't believe so...cos some ppl are born with golden spoons in their mouths, as the saying goes. Their lives are pre-laid out for them...from birth to at least adulthood.

Some achieve success in all they attempt to do. Improving their lives & how they live, as time passes...although they might have started similarly as others. Luck? Or Fate? Even destiny?

To quote Shakespeare (pls correct me if wrong...TQ):

"Some are born great;
Some achieve greatness;
Some have greatness thrust upon them..."

Others, like me, had to really struggle through each phase of their lives. From the time I was in Form 1, my life had been a downhill affair. My education was possible through "charity" from various welfare depts., obtained through my mum's initiatives & perseverence. A long story to tell here. Also, my personal fear of cockroaches came from living in a roach-infested house! Thousands everywhere...even flying around at night!

I can still remember the nights that I had sat together with my mum in her employer's kitchen (she was working as a housekeeper then)...re-assuring her that I would provide her with a better life asap...and that kinda resulted in my choice of careers when I had 2 offers. The choice I finally made was partly because the other would mean my graduation 1 year later and my mum, at that time, told me she might not live to see me graduate. Luck? I see it more of fate...

Yup, we, of that generation, did think of our ageing parents...in my case, my surviving mother. Of providing, caring & looking after her. But do the kids of today even harbour any of those thoughts? Any thought of providing a better life for their parents? Thinking of their needs? Or even just caring for them? Thinking of how they are doing? I wonder...

Note : Would certainly love to hear from visitors to this Blog....your comments, pls. TQ in advance.

What are your parents to you now? Are they in your thoughts? Daily or once in a while? Perhaps never? For most of the time? A burden perhaps? Would you even feel the loss of that someone who loved you & maybe whom you loved too, should they pass away? Or would it be a burden off your shoulders? Frankly, I have yet to witness any sadness at most wakes for deceased parents that I've attended these days...sorry, sad but true.

Are you a parent now? Think of it..."what goes around does come around", as the saying goes. Me had a few discussions of future generations and what may be in store for them. The general consensus is not good...to say the least! Most agreed it would be worse for the next generation & worse still for the next after that! One reason why so-called "Nursing Homes" are flourishing in this country these days. Another sad fact but true.

Sincere apologies for that diversion...And now back to the luck & fate thing...

To me, it's like one is destined to be what one is to be. I have been what I was & is what I am today. Not for want of trying. Me tried. A few examples. Floods prevented my attendance at an interview for a change in career. An attempt at biznes failed after a year...with losses! Investment efforts in the local bourse resulted in losses...even when purchasing newly issued units by a bank...something that never ever happened before!

Now you tell me if that is luck or fate?

That sad part of my struggle in my life made me more determined to ensure that my future family & kids would never have to go through what I had to. And I can happily say I'd achieved that by overcoming all odds stacked against me all those years!

And so it was & has been...both my kids knew no such sorrows nor had to struggle like me had to. I found the means...when I did not have those capabilities....to provide for what I felt I should do for them...going that extra mile, as the saying goes. They were not even troubled by a single cockroach!!

Even so, I couldn't help having that nagging feeling that my kids might still feel that I could have done more...possibly even someone feeling that me owed him/her more than he/she owed me? Now can that be true?

But now, fate has taken its course. Not luck. Not what I could do. That 10% which is beyond our control. My golden years are turning out to be not what I had wished & hoped for. But, frankly (like my other half has been reminding me off & on...), if me were to look around, my life...and hers...isn't too bad after all! With a good "Kay Pa" looking after both of us (till the day we have to leave this world, so to say...), we would never starve nor not have clothes on our backs or a roof over our heads. In fact, we can consider ourselves blessed!! And hopefully, with reasonably good health, we would find our own little happiness along the way...in the days left...

Yup, every day of life is indeed a true bonus! Happiness is there...all around us! It's up to us to enjoy it the best way we can! At this point in our lives, material things do not matter much...besides the basic necessities of a reasonably comfortable home (which we already have...). It's the feeling that prevails...as we pass each extra day given to us...without the need to struggle anymore...in PEACE!

Thank God for what we are blessed with...this Life in us! To have what we already have. Amen.

COD on 221108

Sun 23 Nov 08

Hi...it's Sunday again! Thank God for another 7 bonus days!

As most visitors to this Blog would know, every Sat is known as ( what is practised by these 2 inmates of Lot 10 OFH) the "Chef's Off Day" or COD for short. And it usually ends in a session of "Cine Nite"...watching a selected DVD movie on our "Big Screen".

Well, this latest COD on 221108 turned out kinda differently. On our way out before lunch & when the "Chef" (you know who, right?) was asked what she would like to have for lunch, she answered (albeit wrongly...as she admitted soon after), "Duck Rice". And so it was to be...actually though, she did earlier (at home) suggested "Chicken Rice" but somehow she said "Duck Rice" when re-asked as mentioned above. A slip of the tongue, perhaps? Or so she said...haha!

So, me picked up on that & acted like me got the hint and turned towards our nearest Toll Plaza to head towards Sungei Petani (SP), where the Duck Rice that we so enjoyed before was sold. Frankly, me already planned to take our Chef for the Duck Rice treat! But, due to her slip of the tongue, me could act out as if it was me fulfilling her request...hehe...

She further realised that this ole man had planned the trip beforehand when, upon reaching the Toll Plaza, she saw me taking the Touch & Go card out of me pocket...shouldn't have been ready in there, right? Esp if trip was not pre-planned? Ha ha...

Well, lunch was as planned. Duck Rice complete with gravy & soup & with an extra fried Kangkong in sambal belacan dish. Yummy! RM21.40. Great meal.

After lunch, we adjourned to nearby Parkson @SP Parade to get a suitable plastic overlay for our room window. To prevent easy direct viewing of our room "contents" by occupants of the new houses coming up directly opposite our house. Bought 1 meter @RM15.90.

Next stop was at the Village Mall just next to Tesco SP. Both had to do what most ppl had to do to gain access to the Village Mall from the Tesco carpark area, namely "vaulting" a fence that separates the two! Wouldn't it be most considerate of both of them to provide an open "gateway" for one & all to move freely between the two areas?
Well, some kind soul(s) had padded a section of the lower round fencing bars with rubber sheeting...probably some unfortunate "fence vaulters" might have slipped & fell in the past!

Upon arrival, there appeared to be some official function about to take place...with booths promoting local products on exhibition. Pics below tell the story...
And here's our local "Mike Tyson" in attendance at the ceremony...

That event made the Village Mall a little bit busier...

Even up till now, the Village Mall has not changed much since it's opening. A lot of shoplots are still not taken up...a few on level 1 but even more so on the 2nd floor level.

More window-shopping there than contributing to their survival...haha!

After that, it was "vaulting" the fence again to get back to Tesco SP. Made a small contribution here though.

By then it was almost 6pm...believe it or not! Great mall/hypermarket explorers, aren't we?

Back in Lot 10, a short rest & it was time for another planned activity! Yup, this one was no secret though. Me had told the Chef that when we get our "allowance" from our "Kay Pa" for this month, we would have our long time fav dish ( one that we haven't had for a long long time...) again. And yup, it's what is known as "soft shell crabs" fried in batter.

And it was an opportunity to try out the food at the "quite new" Seafood Restaurant en route to AS Mall. Well, it was a fruitful & nice experience. Cheap, too! RM23 for that special dish, a mixed vege dish & "Hokkien Char" incl drinks.

Cine Nite was kinda delayed cos we adjourned to AS Mall...so near already, right? There we were attracted to a stage contest being held for kids. Great show, really! But, unfortunately, we couldn't stay till the end or there would no longer be a Cine Nite...

Here's a taste of what we saw...enjoy the video...

Phew! One is stumped by what kids of today can do....

COD 221108 ended with Cine Nite...watching the movie "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" starring Adam Sandler. Nothing great about this movie...kinda vulgar in most parts. Purely for entertainment. Kinda wonder how it was screened in the cinemas/cineplexes...if it was censored as it should have been in this country.

With that, me sincerely hope the start of your weekend was as good as mine...

A New adventure...

Weds 19 Nov 08

A New place to explore...in AS!! Yup, another venue for these 2 OFH inmates to explore...to enjoy...hehe...

And yup, a new adventure began earlier today...to further our lifelong hobby...that of enjoying movies! You got it! A new cineplex had just opened in A/Star! Belonging to the chain of cineplexes around the country known as Star Screen Cinemas, this new venue opened in AS Mall @ Tandop Baru, just a few days ago.

After making an initial visit (spying??) for info, both had an early simple lunch of potato bread & milk and then we were off to nearby AS Mall...not for our usual walk-walk session but for a movie date!!

Tickets were bought @RM6 each...sorry but no discounts for senior citizens...yet....

and then loaded with a box of their smallest popcorn pack, we were ready for the first show in the new cineplex! The movie? 007 in Quantum Of Solace. What else? Ha ha!

And this is the way in...
Not bad, eh? A total of 4 cineplex halls, the biggest seating abt 170 patrons. Sorry but can't remember the capacity of the other 3.
Well, the one screening the 007 latest movie was Cineplex #1, the largest.
Seats were comfy & on a great slope...no blocking by patrons in front rows which is a very good feature. Air-con was cold though towards the middle of the movie.

However, 1 minor (can be considered serious, too!) irritation or shortcoming was the performance of the projectionist at that screening. Blurry image when the movie started. Obvious. Although other patrons kinda appeared to tolerate & accept it (maybe they didn't expect high quality from an AS venue?), me felt that me was not gonna sit through an entire supposedly great movie and suffer such poor quality images!! Even the subtitles were horribly out of focus...

So me went outside, found a cineplex employee & voiced my observations. Within a few minutes, we could see the focus being adjusted and, oh my...clear clear movie on screen...at last!!

Unfortunately, that clarity didn't last till the end of the movie. When the projectionist changed over to the 2nd projector in use, the screening lost a bit of its sharpness...but it was not as bad as in the first instance. Tolerable...and so it was for abt one-third of the movie. Luckily...when the projectionist switched back to the first projector that was re-adjusted, it was good & clear again...phew!!

Another thing me noticed was that the subtitle format/fonts were different, in size & type, when the switchover of projectors took place. Was the cineplex supplied with mixed reels or...?? Can anyone confirm that or explain why? TQ.

One good point that me can mention here abt the service provided by the Cineplex staff is that the one to whom me voiced my complaint, was efficient & prompt in dealing with the said problem. He even came in to confirm with me that the focus was ok already a short while after the adjustment was made & even wished me, "Enjoy the movie..."!! Frankly, me was pretty surprised that he could pick me out from among the other patrons in the dark! Maybe it was easy because I was the only patron with almost a headful of white hair? Glows in the dark? Ha ha!

However, the projectionist himself remained kinda unaware of his own failings. That's why when there was a projector change, the quality deteriorated slightly. Maybe due to his inexperience? Only he knows...

As we all know, first impressions are very important. Advertisements by word of mouth count a lot...more than any printed media. So extra care must be taken to ensure patrons get their money's worth in the early days of a new cineplex operation. Or else....

Well, only time will tell if this new cineplex would survive where others have failed. Frankly me sincerely hope it would cos both inmates here would welcome a local cineplex to enjoy certain movies...rather than have to travel all the way to Penang!!

The movie itself? Not bad, I must say...lots of action, too! Probably done with lots of computerised graphics help? Enjoyable nonetheless.

Anyway, me would still get a DVD copy of Quantum of Solace when it becomes available...hehe...feel there are parts that were missing...if you know what I mean...haha!

ps. An update here : Yup, my tooth that lost its old filling was successfully re-filled! Hooray! Cheers! Saved!! Thanks a meg, Dr K!! For saving 1 of the very few teeth that me could chew with! Me have been a grandpa for years but looks like it won't be long before me not grandpa in name/status but gonna look like a real grandpa soon...with totally white hair & NO teeth!! So, any tooth saved makes that day a little bit farther away...hehe...

The Good, The Bad and The ....?

Mon 171108

End of another bonus week...thank God 4all blessings...

And like life always is...there is the Good, the Bad and whatever comes next...

First the Good...

Last Sat started as the usual "COD"...another Chef's Off Day. Breakfast was the local fare from the nearby open market. Then "borrowing" the air-con @Tesco Mergong. Kinda paid a small "instalment" to Tesco Store's kitty...need to replenish a few daily needs eg fresh milk.

Lunch was supposed to be Hokkien mee at a nearby coffee shop but on arrival, the stall was not operating! Maybe closed for the day. So the alternative was a similar do at the other end of the block. Me was adventurous though...tried the curry mee of a new stall. And what a letdown...the curry was too HOT for my needs! Eventually...after a couple of mouthfuls, my tongue & mouth just couldn't stand the hotness! Me gave up & opted for a plate of econ rice with a few selected dishes. Phew...that was close!

A rose plant that was totally covered by aphids & on the verge of dying, was saved by a number of sprays of Malathion insecticide. Now it is in full bloom...looks great, doesn't it? Nice....That was certainly worth the save...a beauty of a bloom!

Next was a real happy event! We were on our way out for dinner at Timuran...a place our "Chef" missed for the past few weeks. Me got a call from our daughter asking where we were...and the revelation that they could not find us at home! It was a great dinner do for all at Timuran...with our fav grandaughter for lively company!

A pic of her to share...taken with my N73 phone cam:

That's KL saying "Hi!" to all visitors @ Middlelip...

Do check out a few more pics of KL in her slideshow in this Blog. Those pics were snapped during this surprise visit by KL & family...a happy KL...

As for all good things, the weekend with KL passed all too quickly & soon it was time for her to go home. We could see that strange & puzzled yet sad look on KL's face as she & family in their car slowly pulled away from Lot 10. KL must be wondering why she's waving goodbye to these 2 nice guys who gave her happy times during this weekend. Well, KL...grandpa & grandma will be seeing you again...hopefully soon....

Now for the Bad...

Lot 43, KL's home, was broken into during the family's absence!! It was a shock to her parents...esp her mom who lost the most.

No worries, MDEL...what matters utmost must always be the safety of oneself & family. $$ is only $$ and can be replenished in due course. As long as we are alive, capable & in good health. Experience is a good teacher. And, with experience, one comes out stronger & better for it. And always remember, you can always count on us for any support that you may need. With love in our hearts, one need not feel and is NEVER ever alone...cos we will always be one FAMILY!! The Tan Family. Of course barring those who feel that once they are married & have their own families, they have no more ties with this "old" Tan Family. Cos to such ppl, the "old" ppl are not family anymore & is more of a burden than anything else...ppl whom they can do without! Sad but true....wonder if such ppl will ever realise how they came to be in this world & how they could be what they are today? Could they be so today w/o the original Tan Family standing solidly behind them? Or is it the proverbial "Seperti kacang lupakan kulit" thing?

I, for one, firmly believe that God is fair... only time will tell though...we will see...

Anyway, back to the original theme...I'd always believed that ppl with ill-gotten things/$$ will never really enjoy their so-called profits from their wrongdoings. Consider what such ppl have taken from us to be our charity to them who need it more than we do. It's their grave desperation to survive & not knowing how to nor well-equipped to, that has driven them to such acts of theft & disrespect of others' legal & hard-earned property. Whatever we achieve & enjoy with our own sweat, gives us the most satisfying feelings beyond words to describe. Thank God for our safety, ability to continue living & for us to be able to continue to enjoy our future to come...

Well, 2009 is approaching fast...and with its coming, we all can look forward to better & happier times ahead. I certainly do. Every day is precious. Let's live the moment, count our blessings, and not let those with selfish & bad thoughts & actions spoil our lives.

ps. Update : 1 more Bad event occured during lunch today. An old filling of 1 of my teeth came out!! Unfortunately, my fav dentist is off on Mondays. Will have to get that tooth filled early tomorrow morning...keeping my fingers Xed that it can indeed be filled... Sincerely hope that's the last of Bad events for this session. Not wanna end 2008 in such a fashion.

TGIF??

Fri 141108

TGIF? Maybe so for those of you still working...hehe...but definitely, it's just another day, another bonus day, for me & everyone else in similar conditions to mine!

So congrats to all who have managed to survive another week at work & congrats, too, to my fellow retirees who have been blessed with another week of life! Sincerely hope you did have good memories of the past 1 week of bonus days...

Me? Kinda quiet tho. But happy. Peace & Happiness. Good. And...Oh yes! In mid-week, me sort of yearned for a plate of nice succulent roasted duck. And so far, such a dish hasn't been found in A/Star in spite of my making enquiries from former colleagues. Tried one at Sbg Jln Putra once but it didn't measure up to the SP quality. Another was a stall next to the former Rex theatre but the duck meat that greeted us then, was not in the least inviting. (Any other recommendations?)

So, it was... that on last Weds, me made a special trip down to Sungai Petani where me had last enjoyed our lunch serving of tasty roasted duck!

As it was still too early for lunch when we reached SP, a detour to the nearby Giant hypermarket was in order. Although we do have a Giant hyper in A/S, certain items found in one appear to be not found in the other. So, such a visit has never been dull nor boring...got new things to browse through, not forgetting the shoplots within the same premises. More of such shoplots in SP than in the Giant in A/S. Me had my first experience with those "fish spa" treatments...those tiny fish which could cleanse your skin of dead cells, etc. Kinda ticklish experience...with a strange sensation that lasted a while even after treatment...haha!

Now about the roasted duck for lunch. What can I say? That wasn't my lucky day cos upon arrival outside the restaurant, it was found that the restaurant, with its special roasted ducks, was NOT open that day! The disappointment was instantly felt. The restaurant must be closed on Wednesdays. That was duly noted down.

Well, looking back, we realised that we had our first taste of the roasted duck when we actually went down to SP to have a second round of "Pan Mee" which was sold in a coffee shop nearby. At that time, the "Pan Mee" was not available. And so it was...this time around..., that since the roasted duck was not available but the "Pan Mee" was, we opted for the "Pan Mee" this time around...with extra "Mani" vege, too!!

And so, that trip was not totally in vain. And a nice but simple lunch it was!

After lunch, Parkson's was the next stopover. A redemption of my Bonuslink points was made...I'd lost 500 over points collected over the years! So, if you had not made any redemption of yours, don't forget to do so or your points would just fly away. Frankly, there's not much choices of redemptions to be made. With my total of just over 2000 pts left, I could just redeem 2 X RM10 Parkson vouchers. Well, better than nothing, right? I would have lost some more points by end of this month if I didn't redeeam them then. RM20 is still $$....

And yup, me almost forgot...a 2nd Tesco Store appears to be coming up soon in A/S!! Location? At the new Stargate development area just after the A/S (S) Toll Plaza. Saw the banner announcing it on our way back from SP that afternoon. Maybe ready for opening in time for the CNY 2009? Can't help wondering if biznes is that good in A/S...with 2 Billion's, 2 Pacific's/The Store, 1 Giant...and now gonna be 2 Tescos? Phew...

To me, however, it means 1 more venue for our "walk-walk" sessions...hehe....another place to while away our time! Wonder when is Jaya Jusco coming to town....??

In the meantime, me gotta etch 6 more marks on me prison wall before the prison gates are open once more so that me can take my other half on our rollercoaster ride upwards. 1 thing is for sure...one can feel confident that our "Kay Pa" will never fail us & will always be on time...even earlier at times!

Until then, do have a great weekend ahead...I will...with "COD" on tomorrow with the usual Cine Nite!

Prison Break!!

Sat 081108

Target achieved! Time to break free! Yup, that was the feeling me had on 071108...

And yup, it was a long long term served. But a break well-earned! Both me & my understanding other half decided to enrich our "economy cake" further a mite...so tightening the proverbial "belt" was the only way to achieve that. That was 10 days ago. And it culminated with a great icing on our "cake" when that day arrived...071108!

And as me had "promised", we broke out from our self-imposed prison! Truly a great feeling of satisfaction & joy. Unity is certainly Strength...and with it comes everything good & nice.

Now, what could 2 freshly released jailbirds do? Fly....fly...fly...

Yup, we almost literally "flew" out of our nest! To somewhere new. A new Mall. En route to Penang. And yup, it was the newly opened Aeon Seberang Prai City...where the main tenant was Jaya Jusco.

Frankly that destination was not pre-planned. And so it was that we had to proceed there kinda blindly...had maps of the route there printed out days before but, being on the spur of the moment decision, those maps were left at home! So the drive there became a simple test of this ole man's memory bank...haha!

Well, what can I say? Me passed the test la...haha! Yup, the route there was kinda straight & simple...as me had remembered from the map. Most important was the road to take at a roundabout after turning out of the highway & going towards Bukit Mertajam town. And, being a newly opened Mall, signboards were visibly placed at intervals at the roadside along the way. The final move was to make a left turn at the traffic lights when the "Jusco" name was clearly visible at the top of the building to one's left! No way anyone could miss that...hehe...



This is the frontal view of Aeon Seberang Jaya City. Grand & imposing look.
On arrival, we headed for the indoor parking area but it was found almost totally empty (only 2 cars were there!) & so kinda "unsafe". Maybe it was early & a weekday...a working day for others. So we decided to go down back outside and park in the outdoor car park area just in front of the building...so much safer lo...haha!

That was what greeted us on entering through B Zone....there were a few other entrances.

And this is a view of the main (Jaya Jusco) tenant's entrance on the First Floor.

Well, everything was spick & span. Floor tiles were shiny. Air was cool. No crowd. Easy free strolling at our own leisure & pleasure. However, only 2 floors are occupied at the moment.

When lunch time came, we found there was no food court. Only various shoplots that were occupied by the likes of Nandos, KFC, Pizza Hut, etc. After checking out the menus at a few, it was finally decided to have simple KFC selections. My other half had the Festive Rice Combo & me a simple Snack Plate. Hot & Spicy. Tasty, too!

The rest of the day was spent crossing over to Penang Island & visiting the usual relatives. The sad part was that my other half's cousin & my bro-in-law did not seem to be doing so well...healthwise. We did what we could to cheer both up & can only hope & pray that they would receive God's care & blessings...

The return trip was uneventful. Which is good. Along the way we popped a couple of semi-sweet Van Houten Almond chocs to stave off any hunger pains we might get if we don't! And yup, that was 1 of 2 items me bought at the new Mall...the other being a block of special DARK (85% cocoa) imported choc...Lindt Excellence from France! Dinner cum supper was our fav bread meal.

Soon life returned to normal once again at Lot 10 OFH.

Today is another "COD" (for those not in the know...COD =Chef's Off Day!) with Cine Nite tonight. Movie would most probably be Mamma Mia, the Movie.

So until my next post, do have a great weekend, everybody!

The Quality of Life...

Thur 6th Nov 2008

So sorry for the lack of entries since my last effort...nothing much had happened around these parts...

Therefore, to prevent any wrong misconceptions of my personal well-being, me thought me had better allay all "fears" of my long absence! Nope, me not kicked the proverbial bucket yet! Ha ha....

Well, latest news that kinda "shocked" the world was that of Obama winning the 2008 Elections in USA...truly history in the making! For the first time, an Afro-American has become the President-elect of USA & who will be installed in Jan 2009 as the new 44th President of the USA!! Living proof that nothing is impossible in this world...

And he won...mainly because ppl in USA wanted CHANGE...a real change in the way their lives are being affected by the ppl in power! Yes, WE can! Said the Americans.

Now, back home here in Malaysia, can we? Can we have a real change...changes to how our lives are being affected by our politicians and the powers that be? Mutual respect between all the peoples in Malaysia?

In my lifetime? Nope. Don't think nor believe so. We hear a lot of ppl saying lots of things. However, in practice, me feel that those ppl were just practising their rhetoric abilities. Ha ha! We are way way behind the USA...in almost everything. Sorry...but the truth hurts. Sad but true.

Anyway, to be more close to home, our own lives are still what they are. Family relationships are still very uncertain...being controlled by so many factors.

For instance, every parent hopes & wishes for their kids to grow up & be successful in their own lives. Each parent takes care, nurtures, protects their kids the best way they could...hoping that they would one day be able to relax & enjoy whatever is left of their lives..in peace, happiness & with luck in relatively good comfort. But do their hopes & wishes come true?

That depends. Depends on lots of factors. I've found out the hard way that upbringing alone does not leave a strong enough imprint in the young minds to ensure such an achievement nor realisation of such hopes & wishes.

A parent normally hopes that when his son gets married, he would not be losing his son but gaining a daughter-in-law!

However, a son who marries, might be "lost" as quoted in a much-repeated Chinese saying...

that a son would no longer be a son but become only the husband to his wife after his marriage.

It would be worse, if the wife he marries, has a worse family background & worse parent relationship than your son. For then all would be lost! No son. No daughter-in-law. Sad but true. The risks are very high these days.

Similarly, in the olden days, a daughter who takes a husband might be compared to "water in a basin that is thrown out..." Like quoted in a current Taiwan serial over Astro's HHD Channel...Mother's Home. However, to the parents, the daughter's family home would always be her home. That is, should she feel the need to come home.

To my kids, I've always told them that the doors to our home would always be open to them if they feel that our home is still their home & part of their lives. They have the keys. Only 1 condition. Come HAPPY!

Inversely, if they don't feel that our home is still their home & that we are still their parents, all such rights to enter would be withdrawn. One cannot treat one's parents disrespectfully and expect to be treated well. Love for one's parents is either in one's heart or not. Such feelings can never be forced nor be an pretense. Love & respect in a family is a 2-way emotion. Period.

I thank God that these past few weeks have been kind to me. Peace & Happiness....my birthday wish... seems to have been heard. And hopefully, too, my other half's added wish...Good Health, would be a great added blessing indeed.

So, earlier during dinner today, a phrase uttered during a documentary on TV caught our ears. "Live Life to the fullest! " And I commented, "Maybe we should live our lives to the fullest..."

"That's what you wish for," my other half added. "But if you live your life to the fullest, then you would not be happy should there be a downturn in your life! When you have nothing left to fall back on."

So, poor lil ole me had to correct myself...adding that we could only live our lives to the fullest within our true capabilities & not beyond our means. That way we could be happy & still be "safe"....if you know what I mean.

In other words, do live life in the best possible way...be happy with what you have. Accept what cannot be yours to have. There is this "10/90 Philosophy" that I read in a Blog I frequent. In short, it means you cannot control 10% of whatever happens in your life but the remaining 90% ie how you react, is what you can control. And that could make your life a better & happier one.

Yup, I've learnt that and am now controlling how me react to "bad" events in my life. Never let such "bad" events affect your happiness. You don't need them! Find your own happiness. That's exactly what me am doing these days...so far so good. Thank God!

Be happy! Have a happy weekend!

Abuse...physical or otherwise

Mon 27th Oct 2008

Today is a good day. A day of celebration. Celebrating what is known as the "Festival of Lights". Deepavali or Diwali. Hindus celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Attainment of knowledge over ignorance.

Now what is good & what is evil?

In our daily lives... & more specifically for discussion in this entry..., we can label "Love" as good...and "Abuse" as evil.

Abuse can manifest itself in many forms. What most of us witness are of either the physical or the emotional kind.

As an example, in your courting days, yr BF or boyfriend (for ladies) leaves you stranded to find your own way home after a quarrel. That is a "veiled" form of abuse. An emotional threat...equivalent to saying, "If you do that again, you will be on your own...no help from me!" Total abandonment! Now, would you say that is Love or Abuse?

If you really do love that person, would you ever leave that person (whom you are supposed to care for & protect - when you do marry her) alone...to fend for herself? Can you ever forgive yourself if anything were to happen to her after you'd left her there alone...to find her own way back? If so, then what the hell are you here for? Does she need you anymore if she has to fend for herself in such times of crisis? Wouldn't she be safer & happier without 1 less threat to her well-being & safety? Namely without YOU? And your threats? YOU are supposed to protect her from threats & harm...not do so yourself! For God's sakes!!

Let's say you are somehow lucky & managed to close your eyes and pass that danger sign. Now, what is a marriage? Why do 2 ppl get hitched...legally? A mere formality? To prove to society at large that they can find someone who would marry them? Or do they really find in each other what they need to live their lives ahead, caring for & loving each other "for better or for worse till death do us part..."? Or is he/she just another trophy in your mind? A good catch? YOU tell me...

To many young couples, what comes after marriage is like pure bliss. Like nothing can ever go wrong. Like no quarrels. Like courting times are forever...even after marriage. Let me tell you...that is only in "fairy tales". In dreams. Wake up, ppl!! Believe me, marriage is NO bed of roses! (Note : Me should know better...after 40 years of marriage! ) No fairy tale nor romantic novel ever tells you what comes after...they all just end with "...and they lived happily ever after!" Do they? Really?

Now...This is Reality...

A couple is really 2 different individuals of different character...with lots of differing ideas, likes & dislikes. With short courting periods, couples do not really get to know the other well. Both are usually on their best behaviour...the best actor they could be. Pleasing the other as much as possible. Rocking the boat might mean losing the "game"...a slap in one's face. A lost pride.

After marriage...as the mist drifts away...that is when the true self is slowly exposed. Now only does the true compatibility comes into play. Can you truly & fully accept the other for what he/she really is? At least come to grips with the life ahead for what it really is? When whoever who was acting finally stopped acting...?

A common advice given during quarrels or misunderstandings between marriage partners, is that both should open all channels of communications. Both must talk things over. Both must see the light...the root cause of the quarrel / misunderstanding. Where apologies are in order, they should be made. No such thing as losing face. Don't ever blindly follow one quote in one romantic movie...that "Love means not having to say sorry..." That only applies in the right context...at the right time & at the right place for the right reason.

A good advice is that all issues should be threshed out & resolved before one goes to bed for that night. If that is somehow not possible, it should be settled...cleared ASAP!! Not pushed under the carpet...cos one fine day, all that under the carpet is gonna blow up!

In any marriage, no one should use his/her knowledge of the other's weaknesses to his/her advantage to secure submission to one's will. For example, a husband should not ever use his wife's love & attachment to her child to force her into submission...to abide by his will...a threat even!! That is cowardice of the worst kind in any one's eyes. Instead he should be proud to have that mother of his child as his loving wife. Not an easy find in this modern world. Just look at the number of women abandoning their kids these days...many wives would even give up their kids for a better life ahead should their husbands fail to care & love them as promised.

One last but very important point...Never ever use physical force to settle any marriage issues. God made Man muscular & stronger than the Woman for 1 main reason...to protect the weaker sex...the Woman. Not to hurt her. Not to put her in harm's way. To be there for her. To protect her. I believe most societies look down on any man who uses his masculinity to do harm to the woman whom he has promised to "love & cherish..."

Note : One sees a lot of "slapping" around in Taiwanese serials & movies. Everyone seems to be slapping everyone. Sincerely hope it is not the true culture in Taiwan as portrayed. Sheesh...

Such exhibition of male physical force & dominance might be understandable in ancient times. At that time, maybe the husband is the BIG head in the family...the sole breadwinner. The lord of the house. In barbaric times. But not anymore. Not now in this 21st century. Esp so when both partners are working & providing for the needs of the family. Sometimes even with one providing more than the other so that the family's needs can be met. Acknowledging the roles each play in your life together would go a long way to provide understanding & stability in the union as husband & wife.

Marriage is now a partnership. And for marriage to work, both must respect each other. An understanding of one's responsibilities. That one's actions now can seriously affect the other & with a kid or kids, what one does can make or break a family. One needs to think of the other in all one does. No more just about oneself...but for family. Sacrifices...compromises & more have to be considered when the need arises. For only with mutual respect & understanding, can one build up a lasting working relationship in the life partnership...in any marriage.

If you disagree in any way, I would like to know your views. After all, what I've tried to discuss here is for the good of any couple who needs help. Thanks for reading this far.

As ppl used to say...in the Net...Just my 2 sen...hehe...

ps. Let's all work towards a brighter future ahead...a happy one where good triumphs over evil and knowledge makes all of us better husbands & wives.
Happy Diwali to all our Hindu friends!! Happy hols to one & all...