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!