A Happy Day!

Thur 280808

Yesterday was 27th Aug. A special day. For a special someone. Yup, you got it! If you haven't as yet, my sincere apologies...hehe...

The theme for the day? To be happy together...

Started simple enough. Breakfast out. At 1 of our regular coffee shops. Kwan Lo Mee. It's not the food nor the cost of it...the atmosphere & the mood. More of the company one is with.

Then off we went...on the surface it appears to be one of those monthly outstation trips. But it wasn't. It was the start of a happy day for two. In our ole, but comfy & reliable, junk. No stress. No uneasy feeling like before when me was travelling in a brand new ride, with God knows who...
First stop. At Car4. Spent abt an hour. Temporarily separated as we roamed our different haunts of interest. Re-united once more at the payment counter.

Then off again...across the Penang Bridge. Traffic was dense but moving smoothly.

Next stop. The Main Stop. Queensbay Mall! Both have not been there for like ages. Ha ha! Parked our ole faithful on the 4th Floor. 2 old guys kinda got "lost" in the corridors when faced with conflicting arrows pointing towards each other... in opposite directions to where we wanna go! Should have snapped a pic of those arrows. Then you would know how they confused us. Luckily, a kind & friendly security guard realised our predicament & cleared all doubts by pointing us to the "correct" direction. Rare these days, right? TQ, fren!

A couple of pics here...one of the main concourse area, with decor ready for Malaysia's 51st Anniversary of its Independence. And the other of the nice view from Qbay of the Penang Bridge in the distance.Both cruised the Central & South Zones before adjourning for Lunch. Yup, me promised a nice lunch. Something we enjoyed during our last trip there. Yup, it was lunch at The Chicken Rice Shop! The Bday girl ordered her choice of their Roasted Chicken Rice set meal. Me? Me, the Adventurer, went for the Merdeka Chicken Sate meal set. Ha ha!

Well, this time around, the usual meal set was disappointing. Although it came with the usual menu items, a lot was left to be desired. In appearance. In taste.

However, my adventurous choice paid off! So, it does pay to try the unknown...sometimes.

After lunch, we went exploring Jaya Jusco...the main "internals" of Qbay. I found 1 small item of use for me & so did my other half. Paid for them & it was time to move on.

Next came her personal wish list...of what to do & where to go. And so we headed for Minden Heights. To visit her fav cousin. Situation was as good as can be expected, considering the facts of her condition. Her cousin was doing reasonably well and in good spirits. In the midst of our conversations, all present agreed that what is important is not how long one lives to be but the quality of life that one gets while there is still life. Agreed?

Last stop was at my bro-in-law's place. With Parkinsons, diabetes & failing kidneys, not forgetting a heart problem, he was reasonably ok. What makes him sad (& both of us, too) was his emotional state. A sad case. Well, all that ppl like me can do is only to lessen his negativity of his present situation, bring a few smiles to his face. Even a few laughs. It was a very rewarding feeling to be able to put whatever little happiness into his lonely life.

Like all good days, time really flew. And it was time again to make the trip home. The Bridge was choked but luckily still moving. However, the rains then came. Heavy. Off & on. Till we reached the Toll Plaza at A/Star.

Being late...8+pm...we decided to stop over at AS Mall for dinner. Free & COVERED parking. Best & only choice with the rain pouring like anything outside!

Dinner at WTG wasn't an easy task. Crowded. Maybe due to the rain. Makes AS Mall the best venue for a meal w/o getting soaked to the skin!

Finally, we were warm & safe back in our OFH. In Lot 10. The monsoon drain outside was already full & had started overflowing...and so I wished. We both wished.

And, Thank God it didn't worsen to start flooding our porch this time around. Phew!

Today is just another day. Routine. Maybe this coming weekend would bring some life back into this ole OFH...hehe...maybe...
Till then, bye...

As if that day's events weren't bad enuf...

Sun 24th August 2008

Yup, events that took place recently (or rather didn't take place, really...) were bad...but that was not the end of my downhill ride in Life's rollercoaster ride. One more was in store for lil ole me!

Yup, like the Chinese believed, bad things happen in threes. Me hope not really true cos at the moment, one after another is bad enough!

This is what happened yesterday. You see, I have not been checking my ole junk ever since it's last "service" done by me own self. There had been that kinda difficult starting of the car each first time. I have been attributing it to the age of the car. Actually, I was not wrong. When removed, the spark plugs of cylinder #1 & #4 were well & truly oil-fouled! See pics below...with a close-up of spark plug #4 :The surrounding area of the cylinder head around spark plug #4 was also oil covered! That showed that engine oil had even leaked out. That could be due to a loose attachment of the spark plug. However, the worrying factor now is oil-fouled spark plugs are due to bad engine wear, causing engine oil to enter the combustion chambers. Not good sign. The engine, therefore, is in need of an overhaul...or like ppl sometimes do, an engine transplant...soon!

Well, that would mean spending big bucks! And in my financial position now, sad to say, that is not good. Plan now is to hold on...delay the inevitable...until times are better or there is no other choice. Sorry, me now only half the man I was...

Not like some young, disrespectful punk recently promoted manager driving around his new Hyundai Accent, oblivious to his background, how he was nurtured & supported until he could stand on his own 2 feet.

Has he asked himself lately a few simple questions? Like...

1. who saved his marriage when it was on the rocks?

2. who provided for the needed subsequent treatment of his son after his birth?

3. who saved him from conviction and a probable time in jail with consequent loss of job?

and finally but not least, where would he be if not for the continuous behind the scenes support throughout his life?

That "punk" is strutting around like a proud peacock, not knowing his roots and hardly conscious of what life is all about! Like one saying goes, "the higher they are, the harder they fall... ".

Guess what?

Me patiently waiting for that fall to happen...hehe. Me used to catch him on each & every one of his numerous "falls" in his life. But NOT this next time. Not anymore. To enable such disrespectful punk to learn Life's lessons, we have to let him feel how it is to fall onto solid hard cement! Not into someone's loving & supportive arms. Somehow me feel that there is a God. And God is fair in his ways...a matter of time before He acts. Sincerely hope me allowed to live long enough to witness it.

Well, enuf said...Life is not what one expects it to be. But what it really is. And will be. The important thing is that we find our own paths to happiness. Agreed? No point wallowing in self-pity...esp over events beyond our control.

Frankly, bad event #3 had already happened, too. But that is too personal to pen as a Blog entry here. My humble apologies. TQ.

At least that ends, hopefully, the spate of bad events. Three in total. Thank God! Am looking forward to happier better times. Amen.

ps. Tonight is the Closing Ceremony of the China Olympics. Gonna watch it. On Channel 318 of Astro. @8pm. Also on at the same time is the European F1GP. Now which should I watch? What do you think? Yup, which would you choose?

A "No-Go" long anticipated event...

Fri 22nd August 2008

For some background on what me am gonna write abt this time around, pls refer to my old entry way back on March 4th, 2008...

Yup, at that time, I was "bitten" so unexpectedly & so shockingly by someone me & my other half had supported from the time he was a babe till long after he had his own babe!! To repeat (sincere apologies...), I am a strong believer that one should do all that one can for someone we love dearly & close to our hearts...with only one simple wish & hope...that that person should NEVER ever "bite" us...if you know what I mean...

Well, I was told on Wednesday, late in the afternoon, that the said "biter" would be coming for a visit. After almost 5 months. A BIG "favour" was requested by my other half, a sincere wish which me could not refuse. Never can refuse any request from my other half. I love my other half more than anything else in this world...kinda the main reason me still hanging around in this world...hehe...

The "favour"? To not bring up the said "biting" incident and to not start any hint of a confrontation on the said issue...but instead, to give the "biter" one more chance to redeem himself. To make amends. I was told that if I don't do so, there would never be any chance/avenue open for any apology, statement of wrong-doing, disrespect, etc. Since almost 5 months had lapsed without any sincere nor genuine attempt to do so. How could I ever say "No" to my other half who has stuck with me thru thick & thin for over 39 years? Unless me already a "nyanyok" case ( AD to the uninitiated...hehe...). Which I am not...yet!

And so it was. I promised. Promised that I would not say or do anything to prevent any opportunity/ possibility that the "biter" would be able to make use of, to get back onto the right path of realising his wrong-doing, apologise accordingly to admit his disrespectful actions and consequently diminish the deep hurt he had caused from that shocking event. That hurt can never be completely erased...

Well, the day came. Thurs 21st Aug. My other half's hopes were high...of a good conclusion. Esp so after my promise to her. To follow & practise her belief that this was the correct way to a solution...not thru my direct approach philosophy but to give the "biter" the opportunity to take the step to right the wrongs he had done. To do things her way...for once. (Note : Fyi my direct approach philosophy had worked once before. )

The door was finally opened, physically & figuratively. After the expected usual conventional address & my acknowledgement, there was Nothing...Nothing but SILENCE. Nothing was said. He just stood there. SILENT. In the doorway. C'mon...the ball was in your court. Why did you come in the first place? Supposedly to mend the break. But it appeared not to be so.

Seconds ticked by. Still SILENCE. The SILENCE was killing me. No apologies. No admission of wrong-doing nor regrets. NOTHING. Not a word more. The love, which we had assumed would be there & be the "mover", was NOT. The supposedly "close" relationship that we assumed we had, did not appear close at all and was proven as truly NON-existent at all. I had always so said & believed that if one has that feeling of love & closeness in one's heart, words of such expression would flow out without any effort. There is no shame in such admissions. Would have been a great sign of sincere humility, coming from within. Would have earned due respect. But none came from those tight lips of firm denial. Maybe from having a heart of stone?

To end the excruciating session, I spoke. I had to made it really clear then...that what me would do now is that me will keep to the promise me'd made. The door closed. And with it, the opportunity to make amends & to secure a better relationship faded away. A real pity...really sad that 37 years of love & nurturing just flew out of the window...real sad that ppl we love just don't have it in their hearts. A case of pride? Kiasu? Whatever. God only knows.

When told later abt what had transpired (actually practically nothing...), my other half could not help expressing utter disbelief & disappointment that her hopes were dashed completely! By the same person whom she had felt would not fail her...in her judgement. It truly opened her eyes. That one can be THAT wrong in one's judgement of someone close to us. Yup, we live, we learn.

To me, it just proved that upbringing has nothing to do with securing one's lifelong love for another. It ultimately boils down to the stronger & more dominant effects of environmental influences after that upbringing. Thank God for opening my eyes.

I truly learnt that one can never really know what is in another's heart until a crisis demands it. .. exposes it for what it is. For then a strong & committed heart would overcome all obstacles. In a Malay proverb, it is said "Air dicicang tak akan putus." (Literally translated..Water that is chopped would not be cut). In this case, there was no water...only a block of wood.

Luckily, after that, time passed by not as badly as I had expected. Thank God, I also believe that children are innocent of any adult's wrong-doing. And they should not be made victims. So I had memorable moments here & there with the kids who are definitely too young to understand adult problems. Bless them. May they never have to feel what I have felt nor "bite" anyone they truly love.

The tunnel seemed endless as the minutes & hours ticked by. The light at the end of the tunnel that me so longed for, seemed so far away. Finally, me got confirmation that the light would be visible soon...that the end of the tunnel would be reached soon...after breakfast on Fri morning. Me sought strength from God. A much needed support. To reach that end of the tunnel. And the light.

Thank God, breakfast was soon over and I was once again in the Light. Out of the tunnel. Merdeka!! My BP was up @139 at the start of the event...and God knows how much higher it climbed later on. Dared not check it out. Feel it should be down to normal soon, as the stress & disappointment gradually wear off. Esp as time pass & I learn to accept the situation for what it really & truly is.

For a nicer & more pleasant event, and also, for a breath of fresh air, for relief, de-stressing and to kinda celebrate, me took my other half to our fav "Sundry Shop". A ring with a solitary "diamond" caught her eye. Then an even better one...practically multi-"diamond-studded". Ha ha! It went right onto her finger. Fitted like it was made for her. Really glittered like fabulous expensive & rare diamonds in the bright lights at Tesco Mergong. A smile. Our moment of happiness. Invaluable. Not need loads of $$. Felt inside our hearts. Reminds me of our courting days. How we started. Just the 2 of us.

The trip back home then was simply wondrous! With the stress mostly gone, we were one again...in our ole but lovable junk! Relaxed, comfy, happy & at peace. Compared to the uncomfortable & seemingly torturous endless ride that I had earlier although in a brand new car! A ride I could not wait to get over with. A car I could not wait to get out of. I have sat in better new cars eg BMWs, Mercs, Honda CRV, MPVs, etc...so what is another car? It's the atmosphere, mood & relationships that exist among the ppl in the car that matters. A ride in an ole junk with loving ppl with closeness & a happy feeling makes for an exhilarating ride! Not the car...

To me that is what Life is all about. Not abt parading a new procurement. It's just a materialistic item. Can be here today & gone tomorrow. Not an object of pride... esp when one has yet to settle a many-years-old debt...a loan which was personally asked for & promised regular repayments but whose rare repayments quietly stopped as if that loan had been fully repaid (when it has hardly been...) and with even more debt incurred? Banks would label such as "NPLs". Am I a bank? Nope. Just a man who would do anything, within his capability, to help & support someone he loved so much...in spite of the fact he himself did not & does not have much.

Unfortunately, it has been a case of "Tuang air ke atas daun keladi... " ie like "pouring water onto the leaf of the yam plant... ". Get it?

I remember a saying..."A man without any debt is a rich man. " Similarly applicable... "A man with debts is really a poor man... " More so if that man acts as though he has no debts to be repaid...Agreed? If so, how can such a person earn our respect? Conveniently totally forgetting a loan and then making handouts like as though one is doing good deeds?

Frankly, the above is not the last nor the only incident. Just the worst. Many many more. Washing above dirty linen in public is bad enuf. To hang out more to dry would be suicidal. No happiness is derived from such actions. Re-living the hurt over & over again would be worse than torturing oneself. But, as is commonly heard, I need to "let it out... " or I'll burst!

To go back to the original subject matter...Life is certainly not abt the value of a gift. A gift is a gift. A gift is just the opposite of a loan. Plainly a matter of just doing the right thing, at the right time, at the right place. The feeling was so indescribable. From within. 2 hearts met. And shared the joy. The love we had, have and will continue to have. Hopefully for many more years to come. Like the Malays say..."Godwilling... "
Update: The "diamond-studded" ring remained on the finger. We took home an empty gift box!! Ha ha!

That is now, & will be, my quest. To have more such moments. Before I have to go. Then no regrets. TQ, my dearest. I love you.

ps. My sincere apologies for above rantings. From this episode, I also learnt that love can never be forced. It comes from within oneself. Either it's there or it's not there. Period. TQ for reading this far.

For something to do...

Sat 16 August 2008

Days have passed. Life has been routine. Quiet. Peaceful. Good. Except for all the politic-king that is so rife these days...that has been the norm these days...esp after March 8...

Since this is my personal Blog, it will continue to be about me & about anything else related to me. Maybe even remotely related to me...for something to pen, if nothing at all...haha!

Well, for something to do...to improve on what has been getting to me as an "eyesore" of sorts...yup, it's the main pastime of our lives at Lot 10 OFH. In case you not know...OFH = Ole Folks Home. Ha ha! What else can you call it? 2 ole folks in a Home...?

Yup, our daily life has been centred around the so-called "Idiot Box" & its accessories. And if you have a look at what it looked like previously...having had to make do at that time with whatever me had, it was truly a makeshift affair. Works tho...Pics above show what our "media centre" looked like...way back in May 2005.

Now, this is the "minor" renovated look as from yesterday 15th Aug 2008 : Now, doesn't that look so much better? Kinda "flows"...with the rest of the furniture, huh?

Total cost? RM37.99 x 2 for the cabinets (chocolate beech colour)...supposedly vertical cabinets but me placed them horizontally for the different, improved look & better placement! And 1 pack of anti-skid rubber protectors to act as base protectors @ RM6.89.

Frankly, I was hesitant to spend that sum of $$. The following thoughts made me shrug off the negativity & made it a reality...

1. Thinking of how bad times are now & everthing else associated with our financial well-being as pensioners...& with hardly any visitors to Lot 10 OFH, it was felt that any aesthetic improvement to the OFH interior would be a waste of much-valued funds. But, one statement from my other half, which went something like this: "...we do things NOT for others BUT for our own satisfaction & happiness in what we can do for ourselves...and get to enjoy in our daily lives - that's what matters most!!"

2. Life would have NO meaning at all if one just simply waits for that inevitable day to go...with nothing to live for! Everything ends when one gives up totally...might as well go today itself, right?

3. And, most importantly, the Chinese saying (in Hokkien), namely..."Beh Chak Kee..."!! Yup, what's the point of keeping that insignificant sum (can hardly do much with it these days, right?) when spending it brings the personal satisfaction of having a much better interior view & ambience for Lot 10 OFH inmates!

And yup, what is Life, without its little pleasures?

Well, today is our Chef's Off Day. Lunch would be @Sweet & Cosy. Our Chef would be enjoying her fav curry mee. Me? My fav Kwan Lo Mee, of course!
Dinner? We'll see what our Chef has in mind then. Ha ha!

However, a visit to our fav video centre is a need. Most probably after lunch. We have run out of DVD videos to use for Cine Nite tonight. On the big screen.

Well, we count our blessings, right? Like what is commonly heard among retirees & pensioners...take every new day as a bonus! Enjoy the moment...bye!

Update : Managed to get a few 90+% clear DVD movies @our fav vid centre just now. Kungfu Panda; Hellboy II & Hancock. Gotta feeling it's gonna be Hancock ( starring Will Smith )for Cine Nite movie tonight...don't ask me how I know...hehe...

080808 - A magical date?

Sat 090808

As in all things inevitable, the Earth spins 1 more round and another day is past! 080808, the date touted to be so full of wondrous good happenings is over...

And what do we have to remember it by? For most, it would be the start of the China Olympics...a long-awaited event for the world! The theme of "One World One Dream" is no more a dream...it became reality on 080808...

Well, since I'd stopped subscribing to Astro Sports channels due to rising subscription rates, I no longer have free access to special channels telecasting live the China Olympics. So, I was kinda resigned to watching the only Live transmission over RTM1. However, the start time was stated to be 8.30pm ie after the 8pm news! I thought...how can that be? The Opening Ceremony is scheduled at 8.08pm! And Malaysia is supposedly in the same Time Zone as China!

Determined not to miss the first part of the OC, I went hunting for live video streaming in the Net. Found CCTV1 & CCTV5 available via TVants. Was disappointed as a trial run of the streaming was bad...slow & jerky intermittent streaming! Felt I was doomed to watch the OC via the only choice left...

Then came a call from a former colleague...just before 8pm! Asked if me was watching the Live Telecast over Channel 318 of Astro...and was enlightened that that channel is for ALL Astro subscribers! Wow! That was the magic of 080808! A godsend piece of info! TQ, Mr LCP!
So it was Ch 318 that was beamed via my projector onto my BIG screen for the night! Wow again! We thoroughly enjoyed the OC which was the best ever in the Olympic history!! Way to go, China!! You did it!!!!

Now, to turn time backwards a bit...080808 started quite sedately for Lot 10 inmates. After a simple breakfast of toasted bread & the usual drinks, it was a quiet morning. Lunch was normal. Routine. Home-cooked dishes. Tasty nonetheless. And yup, we had self-fried chempedak in batter! As desert?

Feeling kinda bored & in spite of feeling rundown after all the frying, a trip to AS Mall was made to change the mood of this special day. And, as seems to be the norm, a special event was on there...a Karaoke Contest. We arrived at the time when the event was already in full swing. Don't ask me what kind of Karaoke Contest it was...me can't read Mandarin!! Sorry...but you'd have to find out yourself ie if you have that capability. Check out this pic to help you...

Well, now back to the night of 080808. All the OC presentations were spectacular and a truly well-kept secret. Very well planned & executed. Congrats to one & all! However, the march-in part of the OC was boring...with 204 (if me not wrong) contingents! The climax of the OC was the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. And the way it was done was unique, to say the least! It's gonna be a difficult act for future Olympic organisers to beat...or even to follow!!

That was 080808...my 080808. How was yours?

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

Thurs 7th August 2008

Yup, it's that month again! Come 31st August, it would be the 51st anniversary of the day Malaysia achieved Independence. But what do we see now? After almost 51 years of independence? You tell me...

So sorry but yup, me not wanna be one of those "sacrificial lambs" used as "scapegoats" to silence the increasing voices of dissent in the country today! Hot news today included that of another Blogger being arrested for posting what the authorities deemed to be seditious. Nope. Not for me. Me no coward but me in my Golden Years now & just wish to enjoy them in peace & in my own happy world. Me fighting days are over. So, me prefer to watch & follow the turn of events as they unfold...like in the saying "The world is a stage... "...a great show is on, with me as a spectator. The final act would be interesting to see! Just practising my new philosophy...in a twisted sort of way...Enjoy the moment! Ha ha! Can only hope & pray that the action on stage would not spread & affect those off-stage esp the spectators...

However, sorry to say, events in my life for the past days had been kinda quiet. Simply because of a need. The need to save. Not the time to satisfy the temptations of the "want".To keep within my monthly limited budget in the face of rising costs & expenses while my income remains stagnant.

The Govt says that the inflation is abt 7% but to the man-in-the-street, that has no real value. If we just look around us, prices of almost everything has gone up by 10% or more! Petrol prices had already gone up by almost 41%!!

To pass our time, we made a few visits to our local malls. Star Parade, A/S Mall & our most recent "Sundry Shop", namely Tesco Mergong. More walk-walk than buy-buy...hehe...
Like someone once said to us..."Borrow ppl's air-con lo... " Ha ha! Also such walk-walk sessions actually is part of our regular exercise... a former colleague once told me...ppl climb mountains, we climb stairs. We climb floors of shopping malls! Ha ha again!

Earlier in the week, we ventured farther...a bit. Took a drive via the old trunk road north. To Jitra...abt 20km from A/Star. Toured the quite new Jitra Mall...the main tenant being Aneka Dept Store. Had Bah Kut Teh lunch for two at the Phoenix coffee shop & visited the C-Mart - Jitra branch for the first time. Paid our "dues" & left @abt 3pm. Came back to A/S via the Plus highway. Toll was only 40sen! Saved abt 7-8mins of travelling time tho.

Today was $$-moving day! Finally, me decided to move whatever little me had in one bank to another. You see, the motivation to do so came when me tried online to move a little bit of $$ out of my savings acct & could NOT do so! Was so frus! Each time me tried, me got red letterings of the word "DORMANT"! How can banks expect everyone to have $$ to keep on putting into their savings acct. regularly? Where is a poor retiree like me gonna get the $$ to keep on doing so? Me don't remember such R&R in savings accounts in the past. Do you?

What is worse is that once your acct becomes labelled as DORMANT, you will have RM10 deducted from your acct each year as a service charge! A joke, right? I only get a ridiculous annual interest of only abt 11 sen from the bank AND I would be charged RM10 for keeping a DORMANT account in the bank? A huge loss of RM9.89!! So what good reason have I got left then to still keep my $$ in the bank? So that it can drain whatever little I have left? Might as well keep my $$ in my pocket la! At least it's mine to use...to spend...to enjoy!
Btw & fyi, closing the account reduced that little bit I had, by another RM10! The charge for the closing of an acct. Phew! Guess me might have to go back to the ancient ways of keeping $$ under the pillow or the mattress...heheh....

And so, with that little bit of $$ in my pocket, me took my other half to our fav "Sundry Shop" again...had our regular walk-walk exercise session PLUS to enjoy my newly acquired $$!! Ha ha again!
For the first time, we tried a couple of dishes at the Old Delight Kopitiam there. Rendang Chicken Rice & Nasi Ayam Masak Merah. Not bad, too. A bit on the hot/spicy side for me tho...
With drinks, the bill came to RM21.35 incl a 10% service charge.

Besides the usual time spent browsing in the Net, that's abt it. Sincerely hope your days were more interesting...TC till next time.