Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea...

Wed 270509

For something to pen...and, of course, to grouse...maybe?

Yup, it's what's happening to me now...and... I feel, to many others like me, too. See if you agree with me after you have reached the end of this post.

And yup, it's about MONEY! Yup...$$$$$!! The "dirtiest" (figuratively & also literally) but also the most "potent" of all articles in this material world!

All my life (ie until my retirement), I never thought about nor bothered to prepare for my retirement nor my old age. Frankly, I would not have even my present house to call my very own if it had not been for a concerned & outspoken elder... an aunt on my wife's side. But that's another story...

To me, with all my misfortunes ( a long list...), I was happy to be able to survive, provide the necessities & care for my family. And from time to time, to throw in even a few luxuries when times were better.

There were no articles in newspapers nor magazine that I could read as to how one should prepare for one's retirement & old age...esp the financial aspect. And so, at that point in time, I was living in pure "ignorant bliss"!

And yup, in those younger carefree days when working, I only think of living from day to day. Having enough to go on with a satisfactory life was good enough. Most importantly at that time, being able to provide for the needs of my growing kids & their future was at the top of my list! Nothing else mattered. My own future needs never came to mind at all!

To tell the truth, I continued to be in such "ignorant bliss" even after my retirement...with positive thoughts about every aspect of my life then & in the future. It was only after incidents that took place after my retirement that truly opened my eyes to what Life truly is when one is, sad to say, "no longer needed". We truly Thank God that I ( and my other half) still had our "Kay Pa"...we being Civil/Govt Servants & pensionable. Or else I dread to think of how or what we would be today...

In that aspect, I've been a witness to a number of parents who were so neglected & disrespected by their own "grown-up" children, just because they could not support themselves esp financially...each one finding any lame excuse to pass the buck. Tai Chi of the 1st degree. A pitiful sight & situation that one can never ever get used to...nor understand...

Now back to my story...

Once my eyes were opened wide, I could see my true present situation. Not nice but that's what it is and will be...and we have to accept it & adapt to it in the best possible way. Or be prepared to suffer till that very last day...no one's gonna shed any tears cos ppl would only say, "He's such a dumbo...living in his own fantasy world...does he not know the REAL world!"

Well, we have Two options in this issue. What are they?

One is to continue to live in "ignorant bliss" and hope & pray that the future works out fine. That's the so-called "Devil"!

Two is to take action and be prepared for the future ahead, come what may! That's the "Deep Blue Sea"...as deep as it can go.

The former is the ultimate High Risk path to take. Like what I told my other half ie when the time comes & she needs my help, I don't think I can just stand by & watch her suffer...unable to do anything to help. Powerless...cos $$$less!

The second option is the only logical road to travel. A long long & difficult road in preparation considering the low income we now have per month (only our pensions) and to save enough to tide us over in time of need, is not going to be an easy task. Maybe not even to the level of need, considering the time we have left...whatever that is.

Well, once again, Thank God that our Kay Pa had been thoughtful of our needs and our pensions had been increased a couple of times. With those revisions, we had made it an urgent "need" to put aside a small sum towards our future needs. Like the saying goes...

"a little a day goes a long way"

or the Malay proverb...

"Sedikit sedikit lama-lama jadi bukit..."

Although that's a slow & long winding road to slowly but steadily build up our financial capability & stability, with God's blessings, we will get there in due time...hopefully there is enough time. At least we can say that we tried...a bit late but like they say,

"better late than never!"

And, as a rough idea of how much one needs at the time of one's retirement so as to be capable of continuing to live with the same lifestyle as when one was still working, an advisory report in the local papers had once stated a minimal sum of about Rm750,000 for someone earning RM2k - 3k per month!!

Do you have that sum now? Would you have that sum when you do retire? I did not. And I still do not. Not even close to it. In fact, far far far from it! Even if I didn't spend a sen of all my wages throughout my working life, I still would NOT have that sum when I retired...

So, if you are still not prepared for your own retirement days, do start now! And only then would you be most happy & very thankful when that day comes...don't live to regret not doing so when you should have, ok? Time flies...

All the very best!! Like the Scout's motto...Be Prepared!

New for Old...

Sat 230509

Yup, the theme today is New for Old. And it's firstly a New week for everyone, right? And yup, another New COD (Chef's Off Day) is here!

But before we go into that, there is now a New scene before the eyes of Lot 10 OFH inmates. Yup, the New housing development is entering its final stages. Although expected by its New owners to be ready by April ie last month, it appears to be kinda delayed now but should still be ready before its official date of completion, namely October, 2009.

The New scene that greets us from our main front door...

See the difference? Mind you, it was vacant padi land before all that...a New concrete jungle now!

Sorry, no more greens & trees...no more Gunong Jerai in the distance on a clear day...

One more New thing...this is inside Lot 10 itself. Yup, a New tap has just been installed. It replaces an old one for the basin in the common rest room ( toilet cum bathroom...hehe...). It's now easily operated by both old & young...yup, just by pushing the lever control from right to left & vice versa. We had to turn & turn clockwise or anti-clockwise for the old one...not for aching bones!

This was the OLD...ready to be put to rest...
And then, on the right, is the New, shiny modern one! What a diff, right? And yup, that's what money can buy...supposedly solid brass & chromed @RM45!!

And now there is the New COD today...

Breakfast was in as usual. No big deal. Bread & oats. However, the "Super"man then headed for...where else?...but another Super or rather the same ole Super, namely Tesco Mergong which is still the best place for walk-arounds in Alor Star...to pass time in cool comfort.

Well, that walkaround was not for free though...almost RM80 was kindly "donated" by this ole couple.

Lunch was at a place we rarely go these days. A New place? Nope, not really. It's the ole Lee & Lee's Noodle House...just slightly opposite Star City Hotel. And yup, yummy noodles with BBQ meat & shrimps. We also ordered a side dish of really tasty stewed roasted chicken feet, complete with crunchy bean sprouts! RM14.30 including drinks .

Dinner? The secret is no secret this time around. Yup, it's gonna be at Lot 7...with our fav Sate! We missed our monthly Sate affair...somehow we forgot this regular item last month. So it's kinda a New venue for this month...ha ha!

Cine Nite? Now that is really a case of "your guess is as good as mine...." cos me really not know what movie would be the Chef's choice for the evening at the home movies. It will certainly be a New movie. Not to worry though...cos it's not the movie that counts...that makes it a good evening but the mood & the company...

Ok..enough of the boring stuff. Do have a good weekend for yourself too, ok?

UPDate : @12:36am on Sun 240509 ...

The movie for Cine Nite was "Slumdog Millionaire". Great movie. Great storyline. Touching. Probably true to life in India. Try to watch it if you haven't. And yup, the evening was just great!

It's ALL mine...finally!

Thu 210509

Yup, me lappy is 100% my lappy now! Hip hip hooray! And yup, that is the advantage of using "plastic" to pay for purchases...

Yup, I bought the lappy on 120409. Signed for it using 1 of my "Gold" cards. And I've been using it like me very own since then although I've not actually paid a single sen for it!

And yup, my billing date falls on the 6th of every month. And yup again, I only have to settle the bill on the 26th of that month. So, theoretically, I have been using the lappy for free from 1204 and can do so till 2605! And that is, roughly almost like 1 & half months...before I even had to pay for it! That's great, ain't it?

However, me, being one of conscience, just couldn't keep on having that "I owe them" feeling in my mind that long. And so, I actually paid for it a few days back ie shortly after I got the bill in the mail. And yup, all RM2557 of it! RM2299 for the lappy & the rest for the wireless router & misc items.

You know what one great saying is? Yup, it is simply this...

"He who owes nothing is a very rich man... "

And yup, so me am now quite a rich man! In fact, RM2557 richer!! Agreed? Ha ha!

Well, as always...every month...our Kay Pa is right on the dot! Yup, our May contri from our Kay Pa came in late last night itself. TQ, KP! You're truly a great caring "guy"!

Now, if only all those who are responsible for the monthly upkeep of their old folks (esp their parents) do emulate our KP...rather than keep the poor ole folks waiting day after day, not knowing each & every month when such financial help would come. There'll then be more happy old folks around in the world! And, more importantly, resulting in the development of a truly more caring society...

In this aspect, all pensioners can thank their lucky stars ( & God, of course!) that their Kay Pa had been, is and will (hopefully) be a truly reliable & responsible contributor & caretaker of their financial well-being, practically till the day they have to leave this world! And that, frankly, is what all people in their golden years would wish for...peace of mind. And that they are not waiting for "handouts" but only what they deserve in the Cycle of Life.

On the political front, however, a new chapter & some excitement, will be witnessed today (& tomorrow maybe) in the Perak Govt constitutional impasse ...depending on the outcome of the court case being heard today. And, in the meantime, democracy & the people continue to suffer while politicians play their games. Sometimes one wonders who are the masters in a democracy...the elected politicians or the people?

On that note, it's time to call this the entry for today. Have a good weekend, ok?

Life goes on...

Sun May 2009

Yup, Life goes on...Life as is...

Another weekend is almost over. Another COD (Chef's Off Day) just passed yesterday.

Breakfast was the usual simple one...bought from our nearby wet market in the vicinity of the nearby shophouses. Roti Canai. It smelled nice this time around...

Around lunch time, Giant Hypermarket was the first to "receive" us. Ha ha! My favourite brew was on offer. So got a 200gm bottle @RM19.99. Also noticed new Van Houten chocs of the semi-sweet kind...in blocks & with whole roasted almonds! Yum yum...yup, me took home 2x100gm blocks!

Lunch was at our fav roasted chicken rice stall @ Jalan Telok Wanjah. Really fresh from the kuali. 2 drumsticks with extra meat @ RM10, with rice for two persons.

While cruising by Star Parade, we saw a sign indicating a special Thai fair being held there. Home could wait...it was so decided. The underground car park was kinda full but on scouting around, "some kind soul" left us an empty lot!

In the ground floor exhibition area, quite a number of booths were set up with a variety of Thai goods for sale. One particular item caught our attention. Ladies' accessories eg brooches & ear-rings made from FISH SCALES! How ingenuous!! Bought a nice pinkish brooch for my other half @a reduced RM6 from RM7. Ha ha! Btw that brooch fit right onto her blouse like it was part of it...hehe....

By the time we reached home, it was almost tea time. More of siesta time. But one food item we bought while at Star Parade was practically "screaming" at us! Yup, it was a packet of Thai durian!! OMG! Those were purely fragrant & delicious. All fears of diabetic consequences were thrown into the wind! Ha ha again! However, we were still cautious enough not to finish all that was in the pack of durian. Half of it was kept in the fridge...supper?

Being kinda full, dinner was delayed. Instead a pre-dinner walkabout in AS Mall was suggested by our "boss" of the day. And yup, it was to kinda work up an appetite for dinner.

We adjourned for dinner just opposite the Mall. At the food court. Fish Meat Beehoon soup & Fried Koay Teow. Both dishes ended up being a mite too much though. Leftovers were evident.

Cine Nite started @abt 9pm. Movie was the recent "Love Affair" by Jack Neo. Very enjoyable. And like most of his other movies, the story line was witness of what could happen in the lives of real life people.

And yup, me almost forgot! Remember, the rest of the durian pack that was kept in the fridge earlier? Yup, that lot was finished before the show was over!! That's right...supper! Phew!

Like all other days & nights, another good day & a pleasant evening had to end. Bed soon called.

Today, Lot 10 is back to its mood of peaceful slumber? Not really. More of back to my still "new" lappy...haha!

Updates, updates & updates...

Thu 140509

Yup, Updates are like never-ending. Nope, I do NOT mean updates in Blogs, Facebook, Forums, etc.

I mean Updates to our daily "necessity"...yup, our very own Personal Computer or PC! This lappy is like my 6th PC ( or maybe 7th?) and I fear to realise that I'm becoming a kinda "Update Freak", so to say...

Do you realise that whatever OS (Operating System), programs & the like that come installed in our PCs or those that we ourselves installed, never stay the same? OSes change (eg fr DOS to Windows 95...recently to Vista & soon to Windows 7!) and programs come & go eg Wordstar ( Now what is or rather was that?). Frankly everything in computers evolve...changes...even the same program! Eg the OS Windows Vista...do you know how many updates to it have been made since its release? SP1 has been released & SP2 Beta is under processing & would be released soon.

So, how many of you do keep up with all these changes...all these updates? Do you set your PC OS to auto-update itself? Of course, if your OS is not an original/genuine or licenced copy, you cannot do that...and your OS would be kinda out-of-date now!!

The same goes for all the bits & pieces that keep your PC working. One aspect of interest would be the "Drivers" of the various hardware installed in your PC. Do you realise that the manufacturers of all the devices do update their software in order to overcome bugs, problems encountered when users are confronted with them, reported them & action taken? Yup, in the PC industry, nothing truly stagnates. It's an on-going process...esp so when the device is new in the market. The updates usually stop when a new version of that device is offered. Then the updates for that new replacement starts...

Fyi, since I bought this HP lappy, I've discovered that practically every driver installed in it has an update...a newer version of the same device driver! And my lappy was shipped only in March 2009! Luckily for me, HP has its own software update & download section in its website. Even then there are so many different devices for different models. If you ask me, it's no easy task to find out which is installed in which model!

What happens if you don't update all those software as & when the updates become available?

Well, in simple terms, you probably might encounter problems as you continue to use your PC without those released updates. However, you might say that you've been using your PC as such for years and have had no problems. What I can say is that you have probably only been using your PC for its minimum capabilities...how about trying to use most, if not all, of its features? Then you can send in a second comment. Ha ha!

OSes which are not updated at all, are exposed to all kinds of vulnerabilities. Do go read all about them in Microsoft's own webpages...too many to mention here. However, if you do not have a genuine OS which you can update FOC & easily, advice is that you should have a good Internet Security and /or Anti-Virus software installed, not forgetting a good Firewall setup...and do scan your PC's HDD regularly.

What can I say? Using original, genuine software provides one with all the security & peace of mind in our use of PCs...but how many can afford to buy such original genuine items? I purchased my genuine OEM copy of Win XP for over RM300! But I must say that I have had peace of mind for years now. Such a single licence of Win Vista Ultimate ( I am told) costs over RM700! The Vista Home Premium was offered at one time for about RM320+. A similar "pirated" copy of either one (updated with SP1) is available for a mere RM13!! Maybe even for less? With no update support, of course!

Now which would you, a home user, prefer? YOU tell me...

ps. Pls understand that I do not condone Piracy of software. However, one has to look at the ordinary guy-in-the-street...his income & his priorities. At the same time, he needs to keep up with the rest of the developing world. Also he needs to provide for his kids' education & the use of a PC is no luxury but a necessity these days. Now how's he gonna do all that? Can he afford to pay for each & every single software he needs to use in his or family PC?

Of course, there are alternatives, too...freeware! Now that's another story...

A short update...

Still Sun 100509...

Yup, today and ie Mother's Day is not over yet...but me am really tired...

And yup, me am tired...physically...since KL's arrival on Fri 8th May in the afternoon. And yup again, KL is truly a very active child! Wonder where she got all that energy from...if only she could pass over some of hers...to me, of course!

And so, I beg to take leave here (sincere apologies...but this ole man is old...hehe...) but will write a bit more after me have regained my ole stamina back...possibly add a few more pics to "KL in 2009" slideshow in this Blog, too.

For now, here's a pic of KL during this special "Grandma's Day" visit...KL today itself...So, until these ole bones have recovered, I wish all mothers once again...a Very Happy Mother's Day!! Do have a great day with family & all you love...

ps. Never ever forget that, without your mother ( & of course your father, too...it takes 2, right? ) , you'd not even be around now to read this post at all!! Ha ha! True?
And yup, you may be a mother yourself now (or a father, even) but as long as your very own mother esp your own biological mother, is still around, do show her the love you have for her in your heart (if it's there, of course! Just don't BS her with whatever lame excuses you can find. ). Like the saying goes...

"Actions speak louder than words..."

Over to you now...

Eureka! I got them!

Sun 100509

Yup, I got them! And yup, I got the special Lightscribe DVD discs...finally! And of all the unlikely places, too! In a small computer shop in the ole "City Point" ( now Billion ) section of the MPKS building in town...

The going price tag was kinda high though...@RM5 a piece. But on getting 2 discs, me got them for RM4.50 per pc. And if I were to get 10 pcs, I would be getting them @only RM4 per pc. Well, we will most certainly KIV that, won't we?

Btw, the discs are branded, too! Verbatim ones. With a few colours to choose from.

So when me got them home & got some free time, me just went ahead & burnt my first Lightscribe covers right on the new Lightscribe discs! Time taken : 26 mins approx. My settings were the Best available...thus the longer time taken.

And the result? Do see for yourself...below :One pic was taken with flash on my N73 & the other without flash. The Lightscribe Template utility program has loads of different templates (for different occasions & uses) which can be downloaded from its website (given in my earlier post).

The one that I used allowed me to insert 2 pics of my own choosing. Of course, me inserted 2 pics of KL...haha! What else could I use...right?

So what do you think? The general opinion in the family was "good", to say the least! A bit on what most might say, the "expensive" side...but it's not every day that one does such things. Agreed?

Ok...kinda late now....past 12:30am here. And before me forget, KL & family are here to celebrate Mother's Day with her grandma. Yup, Mother's Day is today....hehe....10th May!

So here's wishing all mothers & mothers-to-be a very Happy Mother's Day !! Each & every one of you truly deserved this special day in the year...

Alor Star - how far behind are we?

Thu 070509

Cyberspace & IT..those are the in-things these days. And Malaysians have been trying to cope with the advances & progress in all related fields that the rest of the developed world have achieved. Such thirst for advanced technology especially in the world of computers is evident practically almost everywhere...esp more so in cities like KL & Penang. However it appears that Alor Star is still in the doldrums...like centuries behind, figuratively speaking?

Now why do I say so? (Frankly I feel so, too.) Why?

Simple. My lappy has a drive that is a Lightscribe supported DVD-RW optical drive.
Pic on Left : Can you make out the Lightscribe logo on the right side of the door of the optical drive?

Most laptops & even deskstop PCs now come fitted with such Lightscribe enabled drives.

However, one needs to have Lightscribe discs to use such drives to its fullest capabilities ie to permanently "burn" our own design disc labels right onto the top of the discs. The old way was to print such labels onto sticker-type labels to be stuck onto the discs. That old method produced labels which were prone to peeling & caused problems when such discs (with improperly stuck-on labels) are played, not forgetting the fading of the printed material.

And guess what? Me went in & out of at least 5 computer shops around Alor Star, even up to the PSK area, but not even one has a single one of such Lightscribe discs! Unbelievable? Believe it!

And a few of them had not even heard of the term "Lightscribe"...even asking me what it was...phew! Just imagine...ppl in the computer line not knowing what Lightscribe is all about! How backward can one be?

And one of them had the nerve to tell me that their stocks had run out! Can you believe that? With shops around not knowing what "Lightscribe" discs are, you can have one whose supply of such discs had been sold out? Now who was that salesperson trying to kid? Feel it's more of a nice way of saying, "We don't have such discs..." True? Maybe we should give that person the benefit of the doubt..maybe once upon a time, they did have...?

Well, there are a few more shops that me have not tried to ask about the Lightscribe discs yet. So maybe there is still a tiny glimmer of hope? Maybe not all is lost...yet?

Alor Star, a City? The only signs of a city that most can see are that of daily traffic jams! Not much else in terms of what a truly modern city should have. What else can I say or feel when I can't even get a single "Lightscribe" disc. Sad but true...

Will keep you folks updated...yup, either way the quest turns out... in my present seemingly futile attempts. Ok?

ps. For those who need more info re Lightscribe, pls goto http://www.lightscribe.com/

My lappy has a new skin!

Wed 060509

Yup, my "new" lappy now has a chameleon-like feature...it has just changed its "skin"!

Nope, it didn't happen overnight nor just like a chameleon. How then?

There was a small PC Fair @Star Parade here recently...think it was only a 4-day affair organised by tenants of the Mall. There was this one accessory that caught me eye. Professional Laptop Skins made of vinyl with a matte surface print. Original price @ RM28. Now on offer @only RM12. A bargain, right? A multitude to choose from. Finally I decided on one that didn't look too "garang" ( in Malay ). Frankly, I was very tempted to get one with the insignia of my childhood hero though...yup, it's the "Superman" one! Ha ha!

The lappy came with a translucent plastic protective sheet, with a square hole in the centre to show off the Compaq logo. Sad to say, that protective sheet has been peeling off bit by bit and only about half of it would stay stuck on these last few days!

So this morning, me decided it was time to pluck up enough courage to carry out a transformation. Yup, that new Laptop Skin that was bought (but was still in cold storage) was calling out so loudly..." Use me...Use me! "

And so it was...
Above pics show my lappy with its new skin! Looks great, doesn't it? To me, it's now unique...my very own lappy with its very own skin. And yup, my very own RR!!

And that's one very happy lappy...and a very happy owner, too!

Happiness in different forms...

Tue 050509

Have you ever wondered what or how it would be like when you grow old? Frankly when one is young, one never ever thought of being old at all! And definitely never of what it would like growing old. Do you get what me am trying to say...?

Well, last weekend me was involved in events about older ppl. Yup, one was on Sunday, 030509. A birthday buffet for our 2nd Aunt. When asked about her age, family members went as far as to say she's only 88...but me gotta feeling that she's probably older than that! Whatever the age, she certainly looks like one with a clean bill of health and with many more years ahead in her life. Only in private did she divulge that she has problems with her legs.

The event was well-attended and the buffet...well served & with many choices of dishes. Unfortunately me could only go one round...me tummy must have shrunk! The "bubur cha cha" desert was on the tip of everyone's tongue...

Best of all during the evening was when we got to meet up with & had a long chat with our 1st Aunt who came all the way from KL. She's proud to be 95! A bit frail-looking but she certainly still had all her senses & alertness working for her.

Wonder what I'll be like should I live to their ages...

On the Left is a pic which me took of these 2 grand ole ladies on either side of my other half...the "Birthday Girl" is the one on the left.

We didn't go back to Alor Star that night but stayed at our fav niece's place in Tg Bungah.

And guess what? The "African" tortoise which wandered into her compound one day years ago, was still around...well & fine! Below : a snapshot me took of it in its very own area...We had a simple breakfast the next morning...a Monday ie 040509. However, our niece treated us to a sumptuous Chinese lunch at the new wing in Gurney Plaza! Venison, the meat for Kings, was on the menu...besides a special herbal "black chicken" soup. Thanks a meg, KI!

After spending some time back in Tg Bungah, we left for my brother-in-law's place. He was reasonably alert & well despite his various ailments when we last saw him during CNY. However, lately we've been getting updates that do not augur well for him. He's now 80+.

Well, 2 surprises awaited us when we arrived. For one, his physical & health conditions had both deteriorated. However, the 2nd surprise was the best! He could still recognise us & know who we were! That was just great...beyond words! It made our day!

We did what we could to bring some happiness into his life for the 2 hours or so that we spent with him. He did smile & even laughed during our long chat. Yup, it didn't take much ( didn't cost anything!) to bring that little happiness into his life. However, we had to leave when the time came so as to beat the jam at the Penang Bridge.

The trip back was uneventful...which was good. A safe pleasant journey was all we asked for...back to Lot 10 OFH.

Home Sweet Home.

Happy Workers' Day!

Fri 010509

Yup, here's wishing everyone, esp those who are still working, a very Happy Workers' Day (Hari Pekerja or aka Labour Day) today!! Also good wishes to all for a great holiday...maybe a day of well-earned rest?

And yup, me was still up when 1st May arrived...and was still awake up till 1am +!

Waiting to usher in the special holiday? Seriously? You think so? Sorry to disappoint you but Nope. Me still up cos me itching fingers tried to do something to a program in my still "new" lappy!!

Yup, I discovered that my pre-installed Nero 7 software could be updated to a later improved version. So, being the "up2date" freak I sometimes turn out to be, I followed the steps in the program to do exactly that. Step by step. I was informed by dialogue boxes that popped up that the existing program had to be removed before a new version could be installed. On clicking "Ok" , the process continued. Removal went well. The lappy was rebooted in the process. Then the download of the files for the new version started.

Now the problem (& headache & worries...) appeared. The download was really, really, very, very slow...and that is NO exaggeration! Less than 10kB/s...most of the time it was a mere 1-2 kB/s only! 6 hours later, it reached a download of a bit past 100 MB of files out of a total of 300+ MB!

As it was late then, me had to take up the lappy to our bedroom...can't leave it alone in the hall, right? A new lappy? No la...hehe...

That was when the problem worsened! On reaching the room, I checked & found that there was no more incoming bytes. Yup, the downloading kinda stopped. Hey! My lappy was on wireless Internet connection! Could such a phenomenon happen to a wireless setup? Didn't know it could till now...

I tried whatever method I could think of to regain the download...finally even to the extent of re-starting the lappy. Alas, all was in vain... There was no way to resume the auto-download process. All the steps to update were automatic...self-initiated.

To cut a long story of a very strenuous road to recovery short, I was lucky to have asked for during our dinner out period earlier (in anticipation of problems arising) & thanks to 1 kind comp shop owner, me got an old but working OEM disc of Nero 7 Essentials for FREE (Believe it!) !! That saved the day...finally! Phew.
Thanks a meg, Mr T @Sentosa!! My lappy is whole again! Cheers!

Finally me could go to bed. Time was past 1am on May 1st. What a way to start off the special day...truly it was gonna be a day of rest...besides keying in this special post now...hehe...

Thank God there's a happy ending...

Happy Workers' Day!!

ps. A little advice? Like mechanics used to advise me...

"Don't touch what is not broken..."

In this case, don't touch anything that is working fine. In other words, pls do not be "greedy" like me. Easier said than done, right? Me, a preacher who cannot follow what he preaches? Ha ha!

As in what my other half told me...

"As long as you can accept the consequences of your actions & can shoulder the responsibility of the outcome, ok lo... "

Feel that's fair enough...don't you agree?