Terminal symptoms that weren't...

Monday 30th June 2008

Nope, the above title has nothing whatsoever to do with any human being...am happy to say so...haha!

It's my ageing TV....a Philips Matchline. It started months ago with a "folding" upper section of its display...everyone on TV became kinda descendents of ET! You know la...with a flattened head...haha!

This was followed recently by the sudden appearance of a thin white line & the screen would just turn blank...the audio was still on though! I could then just switch off & on again to regain the display. However, last week it just didn't work like that anymore...I had to keep the TV off for some time before I could get it working again and even then the display did not last long. For awhile, me thought the time was up for this ole faithful...can't really remember but it is at least MORE than 10 years old!!

Well, me thought me should give the "ole gal" one last fighting chance to live on. So me called our local Philips service agent & based on my description, the technician affirmed that my TV could be saved...a simple matter of replacing a coil...."less than RM200...for a genuine part replacement", he said.

That was on last Weds. And yesterday, Sun 29th, me called for help...my TV was carted away & believe me or not...it came back in less than 2 hours...including transportation time!! Phew! Now that was SERVICE!! Real fast & efficient, too! The Bill? Only RM155...

Have you guys ever experienced such wonderful service? I had NEVER...ever!!

TQ...TQ...Mr C & Raj!!

My ole faithful...

Looks like it's not time for us to part company....yet!

Going back a few days, 1 of my nephews celebrated his Bday...down under. He's presently a medical degree undergrad there. A kinda belated wish here...Happy Birthday, CB!! ( I did send an sms on the actual day though) Sincerely hope you had a great day with friends!! Like the words in 1 of my fav songs....Be Happy Don't Worry...

Before I end today's entry, something happened recently as did many other such incidents all over the country & world at large. And all because of 1 of the so-called "7 Deadly Sins"!!

Yup, GREED. Man's greed...a so-called short cut to riches? To me, there is NO such short cut. All my life, everything I have & owned, has been acquired thru plain hard work & sweat! And everything I could enjoy, I enjoyed with complete peace of mind and pure satisfaction!

But there will always be ppl who, somehow, feel that there is a quick, short & easy way to get large sums of $$ FAST! Of course, there have been past cases of those (an insignificant few) who were lucky enough to succeed a first time. But if they repeated their acts, they also finally got burnt! We used to hear of drug smugglers who became millionaires in the old days but now what do we hear? Drug couriers, very young ones...even graduates & girls, being caught & sentenced to death!

I remember very clearly the motto of 1 of my former schools...

"Susah Dahulu Senang Kemudian"

It means that if one endures the hardship one faces & works hard at it, one would finally enjoy the sweet fruits of one's labour.

Well, do pls think about the consequences of your actions b4 you do anything out of greed...esp if you do have a family to be responsible for. Nothing comes free or cheap or easy...there's always a price to pay! Let's not talk about crimes that come with the death sentence. Even losing huge sums of hard-earned (worse if it's non-existent) money or going to prison, would be enough to cause untold anxiety & hardship to one's family...

And do pls listen to those around you who love you...Love is a mutual 2-way respect of each other and caring... not just a word to say but not mean...

An "UNofficial" Father's Day...

Tues 24th June 2008

Yup, as previously mentioned, my daughter decided to make up for her miscalculated miss of the "official" Father's Day which fell on the previous Sun 15th June. That she did on last Sun 22nd June. And as she now works on every Saturday, she & fmly only arrived in the late afternoon on Sat 21st June. Anyway, like me told her before, any day a father's child thinks of his/her father IS Father's day!

Well, as me always believed, it's the atmosphere & feelings generated that makes any day a good day! Not forgetting, too, the Lot 10 philosophy of "Come Happy... ". So the best part of the weekend was the happy time we could spend together. Dinner was at our fav Timuran coffee shop with its tasty "Sar Hor Fun". And time literally flew, being further enriched by our loving, playful & fantastically energetic grandaughter, KL!

Here is a video of KL doing what she enjoys most...that me recorded on Sat 21st June using my ever-reliable N73...

Enjoy the vid...KL on a ride at the new Tesco Mergong in A/Star.

As in our lives, nothing is really perfect. And that evening the inevitable happened. You see, I had previously chipped off a small part of a large filling in my right upper molar tooth. I'd just ignored it cos the rest of that tooth appeared none the worst then. But during dinner at Timuran, a bigger chunk came off & I could feel a big hole in that tooth!! Phew!

Well, luckily for me, the Dental Clinic that I've been frequenting lately, was open the next day...a Sunday. And luckily, too, me went early enough to be the 1st patient of that day! And less than an hour later...under the capable hands of Dr K, me had a completely new reinforced filling, making that tooth "as good as new"!! But me was RM85 poorer...hehe...(in the end me only a lil bit poorer cos of my understanding daughter's contribution...being a Father's Day event.)

And as all things, even good happy ones, must come to an end, it was soon time to say goodbye to KL & fmly...

Sunday 22nd June was F1 GP race day. However, my luck ran out...again. The Wheels Channel supposedly was to screen the event from 8pm Msian time. However, there was a program change & the event was missing from its schedule. With only 1 other choice open, me tried streaming of Star Sports Channel. The quality was horrible! So, rather than strain my eyes and esp after no excitement whatsoever after a few laps, me decided to skip the event this time around! No Oomph la...poor video & no kicks!

On the political front, the long & eagerly awaited "vote of no confidence" upon our PM as proposed by Sapp, presumably to have been tabled in parliament, kinda didn't materialise on Monday 23rd June, as expected by most. Maybe it would happen when least expected? As always, only time will tell. Moreover, Msian politics = Msian politics...all me can say...sorry.

Due to the sp Father's Day weekend, the usual Chef's Off Day on Saturday was pushed to Monday 23rd June. Lunch was at my other half's fav Hokkien Mee place. Dinner, however, was kinda different this time around. Rather than go to our usual haunts, we decided to give a new residential seafood place @Taman Purnama, a try. Crab porridge & Beehoon soup with white pomfret were ordered. Both dishes turned out tasty & enjoyable. Prices were reasonable considering they were seafood dishes.

On the home front, the morning of Tues 24th June started with a power failure @abt 6:40am. Couldn't help feeling maybe it was a power rationing attempt since electrical tariffs are slotted for increase wef July 1st. Ever since the huge fuel price hike early this month, every other consumer item has been following suit...

By the way, power was restored only @around 9:20am. Almost 3 hours w/o power! Phew! Maybe a blessing in disguise, too? A reduced electricity bill for this month? Ha ha! We'll see...Bye!

F.A.M.I.L.Y.

Thurs 19th June 2008

Well, just the other day me stumbled upon this acronym, namely F.A.M.I.L.Y. in a very active Blog - kh7883.

Now, firstly, to clarify...What is an acronym? Chambers 20th Century Dictionary defines it as :

A word formed from the initial letters of other words.

And I was kinda surprised & humbled at the same time to find out that F.A.M.I.L.Y. could stand for :

F ather A nd M other I L ove Y ou !

Now, how many of you knew that? I, for one, didn't...

And that brings me to one very important question we should ask ourselves...at least before it's too late...namely, "What is FAMILY?". Besides, of course, the words the acronym appears to represent...which, I somehow feel, is a good clue...to eventually "What is Life all about?".

To go to basics, each & everyone of us (or rather the majority of us...in modern scientific times...if you know what I mean...) was given Life as the result of the union between our Father & Mother. And our mothers subsequently gave birth to us, starting us on our journey through life. We went through the earlier phases of our lives as a baby, a toddler, a kid, a teenager and finally achieved adulthood...all that with lots of help (appreciated or not, good or bad - from our point of view) from our parents. The important thing is that they brought us up in their own way...the only way they knew how & to the best of their ability!

Ultimately, we got married (most of us, anyway...hehe...) and our very own Cycle starts! We have our own kids...

Now...Let's stop here & reflect for a moment...
To be frank, wasn't that what we also did? And, aren't our kids, who now have kids of their own, going through the same actions? All bringing up their kids in the best way they can & know how to?

The older generations had only their own background & experiences as children, besides maybe guidance from their own parents, to rely upon...the later ones had help (practical or otherwise) from the mass media, books & other materials...also maybe guidance from their own parents. Or maybe even their peers? That is, if they wanna listen...and follow...cos advice given may be ruled as right or wrong, worthy or otherwise.

So, if we now take a step backwards and try to see the whole giant picture...what do we really see about Life? Dunno if you see the same thing or not....but me see it's plainly Family to Family to Family to Family....never ending...right from the very beginning of Mankind!!

My conclusion? About "What is Life all about?". Simply...It's all about FAMILY!

And if F.A.M.I.L.Y. = Father And Mother I Love You is of any significance or value, then if everyone were to truly & sincerely love their Fathers & Mothers, Life would be just great & wonderful for everyone!

Don't you think so? Yours to ponder...Bye!

Time for reflections...

16th June 2008 - The day after...

Yup, Father's Day 2008 has come & gone. How was yours? If you are a father. Sincerely hope the day was good & spent with yr family and with yr own kids making it a special day for you.

Mine? For once, the old adage of a couple growing old and that of all their children having left the nest, leaving the old couple all alone...has proven true...for me & my other half, that is. Yup, me used to hear old ppl saying that no matter how many children one might have, it would finally end up just the two old folks. Now me truly know the meaning of it all. Life is what it is. . . whatever will be, will be...

Yup, Father's Day 2008 for me ended up with my other half spending her time with me and treating me to a sp breakfast and my fav sate dinner! Just the 2 of us. Cosy, loving and bringing back memories of times we used to spend together when there was only the 2 of us...as is now....still the 2 of us! Ha ha!

For reasons of their own, both our kids could not make it home this time around. As me told my daughter,

"...any day a child thinks of his/her father with love & respect in his/her heart, that day (any day, for that matter...) IS Father's Day!! Not just that 1 day in a year called 'Father's Day'..."

(NB. My daughter would be spending her own Father's Day with us next weekend...due2 a miscalculation. . . & of course, no access to the mass media - a characteristic so prevalent in the lives of most of the youths of today. Apologies accepted. )

Nowadays there are lots of reasons why grown-up & working children are unable to find time to spend with their aged parents. Even on sp days like Father's or Mother's Day. Reasons may include :
1. they now have kids of their own & their own kids want to celebrate the day with them...cos they are now also a father or a mother (thought they should remember their own father & show a good example to their kids? Not that their fathers stop existing when they have their own kids?);
2. they are so busy that they do not have time for their own activities or to spend with their own families. So how can they find nor have time to spend with their ole parents?
3. Spend time with their parents? Nahhh...no fun wan...hehe...better to spend time with wife and own kids!
4. Jealousy of spouse. Jealousy looms its ugly head when one tries to spend time with parents. I have told my kids to show their love for their parents...both parents. Be fair. Coz they have parents and so do their other halfs. However, one can only tell...the efforts have to be theirs...
5. worst of all reasons...Parents? Who or what are they? I don't owe them anything! They gave birth to me, so they have to provide for me. Their responsibility & duty. Now I have my own family to care for...

Well, above are just a few of the probable reasons. The list is long...maybe you can add to them?

Whatever the reason may be, one must never forget that, esp if one is a parent now & have one's own kids, that Life is a cycle. And, with that, I leave you to look into what that really means...if you can find the time. Otherwise the time will come in time & you will find it out the hard way...hehe....your choice!

All in all, another time immemorial saying that has been repeated umpteen times...it tells us that most parents have 1 hope & wish in their golden years, namely that they would be blessed with at least one child who truly & sincerely loves them deep within his/her heart! One such child would be blessing enough...more would mean God truly loves them! Or maybe credit carried over from their past lives? Probably 1 of the reasons why, in the olden days, many couples had more than 2 kids. Maybe thanks to NO family planning help? Kinda too late for most of us now, right?

May you be so blessed...

Now there "is" & Now there "isn't"...maybe "will not be"?

12th June 2008

Yup, many many things do we hear these days. Esp related to fuel prices. In Malaysia.

Firstly, some time back we heard that an announcement would be made in August, most probably before the Annual Budget, abt steps to be taken to solve the looming fuel subsidy issue. Then came the announcement that our PM would make an announcement on the decisions made abt it after their cabinet meeting. And then the hammer fell...our PM announced on June 3rd, the whopping huge fuel price increases that shocked the nation!! Furthermore, fuel prices at the pumps would be reviewed every month according to world market trends...can be raised or lowered, albeit with a fixed 30 sen/litre subsidy.

This was followed by info on how the Govt was gonna cushion that shock on the lower & middle income groups by giving cash rebates...spread out over a year ie according to when one renews one's vehicle licensing tax/ road tax. Me already paid my road tax in March & according to the scheme, me can only get my rebate next year when I renew it...almost a whole year of waiting but paying the new rates in the meantime, from my own pockets!!

Then came announcements of extensions of diesel fuel subsidies to specific groups.

And last evening was decorated by the PM's announcement that there would be NO further fuel price increases for the rest of this year!! Not matter if world fuel prices go up to USD200 per barrel. Now, could someone pls tell me what's going on? Is this for real? Good news? Will the PM keep to his words? Or find a good excuse later to raise prices? The Govt has been saying it cannot bear giving out subsidies any longer...reason for the sudden imposition of the fuel price increases on June 3rd.

Well, only time will tell...your guess is as good as anyone's...in the meantime, we pay more...

An update here. Remember the new Tesco branch in Alor Star? In Mergong, to be exact? Yup, me noticed something kinda special abt it. It appears to be the only Tesco outlet (that I've been to...hehe...) that states its location on its exterior signage on the wall!! Can you see the "Mergong" clearly displayed on the wall signage in the pic below?

Btw, Father's Day in Msia is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of June annually. So this year it would be on 15th June. So here's wishing all Fathers & Fathers-to-be, a very Happy Father's Day!! May your children shower you with the love & respect that is deservedly yours...a true sign that they do have that love & respect in their hearts!

And yup...love & respect...those are qualities in oneself which can never be forced. It is either there or it isn't. One can be misguided by seemingly shows of "virtual" feelings or pre-thought-out acts of such nature. But such displays are nigh to impossible to perform at times of stress or crisis. Displays of such feelings can be purely superficial, skin deep or the true sincere ones that come from deep within the heart. Times of emotional stress are times when one's degree of love & respect are put to the ultimate test. Then & only then would the true nature of our "loving" kids break out & be shown in their true colours! If from deep within their hearts, a Father can then be truly warmed by the revelation or... otherwise, be figuratively shot down in cold blood...pain that cuts deep with no mercy!! The hurt felt then is real & deep...so different from a real wound cos that would heal with time. This scar would last one's lifetime...

In my upbringing of both my kids, I remember very clearly something that I told both of them, namely,

as their father, I would do all in my power to help, protect & provide for them and I would understand if they were unable to do anything for me. But one thing they must never do...never ever "BITE" me!!

Well, hope your kids have not, do not & would not ever "bite" you, ever...

Finally, I've been wrestling with a decision that comes annually...to continue insuring Lot 10 ( our present haven ) or not. As the value of the property increases, so does the premium. There has always been the nagging thought of what would happen to its 2 ole inmates should anything unforeseen happen to this OFH. The prospect of having to move in ( like forever... ) with any1 is not appealing under present circumstances...home being where the heart is.

Well, after a week or so of weighing the pros & cons, it was decided that it would be in the best interests of all parties that Lot 10 be protected...for as long as we can afford it...so that any unforeseen incident would only be temporary. Paying for the premium is, like everything else in this materialistic world... just $$$...the Chinese say "Beh Chak Kee" in Hokkien. With that issue settled, both can now look ahead towards another year (& hopefully more...) with 1 less major worry...seeking day to day peace & happiness. Like my recently acquired philosophy...Enjoy the Moment!!

With that, do have a good weekend!

An eventful week, that was...

Monday 9th June 2008

A new week and most probably a quiet one, too. But the week before this wasn't that quiet though. Now let me see...

It started simple enough...a planned trip to Taiping. Planned because my daughter had accepted a new job...a new post. And as this new beginning needed some adjustments to time schedules and a need for no distractions for the creation of a good impression at work, we decided to give her the peace of mind that she should have. Her main worry was about her daughter, KL. So, our main purpose was to ensure KL was in good hands during the first week of her "orientation" in her new place of employment...keeping her mind free to make whatever decisions without any family concerns.

And the Sunday b4 day#1 of that week coincided with our daughter's own birthday! And so our decision enabled us to spend that day of the year with EL besides KL! Killing 2 birds with 1 stone...as the saying goes.

KL was surpisingly just as easily adaptable to us as during her last A/Star visit. No problems sharing time with her & feeding her meals gave no probs, too...that's my other half's main task. Here are a couple of pics of KL to share...Pics show KL on June 1st...at her Kiddie Electronic Keyboard ( referred to as her "piano") and KL trying on her "headgear" for size...hehe...

The next event was kinda expected & at the same time unexpected! Expected, to me, cos there was an announcement that the Prime Minister would be making an announcement abt the implementation of how the existing fuel subsidies would be removed. That this announcement came after a previous one by the minister i/c of consumer products that the possibility of fuel price increases would be unavoidable with the planned action on fuel subsidies...planned for August this year.

Putting 2 & 2 together, I had a gut feeling that the PM was going to announce a price increase for fuel at the pumps! So me went to fill up my petrol tank of my car to the brim! Also told my daughter abt my "premonition" and suggested she did the same. She was hesitant but finally did so. My SIL also took my advice and did the same. That was on Tuesday 3rd June.

And, true enough, on Weds, June 4th, at 5pm plus, as my SIL & me were out to buy back packed dinner, me heard on his car radio that the PM had announced an increase of 78 sen per litre in the price of petrol wef midnight that night!! My gut feelings saved us lotsa good $$$...to most Malaysians, that huge increase was a great shock...some even calling it a fuel price "tsunami"! Besides the increase in petrol price, prices of diesel and even the electricity tariffs have been increased!!

And the resulting chain reaction from those huge price increases are still taking place...effects on transportation charges & fares and esp so on food prices...prices of practically everything are now spiralling upwards! Guess all Malaysians, esp the lower & middle income groups have now to brace themselves for harder times ahead...

But somehow, I can't help feeling that it seems as though our "Kay Pa" knew what he was doing when he announced (some time earlier in the not-too-distant past) the review of our pension calculations wef Jan 1, 2009 ie from being based on 25 years of service to 30 years. That would mean an overall increase of 20% in our monthly pensions. Would definitely go a long way to help to cushion the shock of all the price increases now apparently on the way. Should have been implemented wef July 1st, 2008 though...

Well, like ppl always say...something is better than nothing...Moreover, beggars can't be choosers, right?

After all the unpleasant news, maybe me should leave you with a nicer scenario. What else can be more gratifying than a kid who has made a step forward. Here is a pic of KL after having acquired her pen-ning skill! Taken on June 3rd. Just look at her with pen in hand so naturally... With that, it's time to say...Bye!