A much-needed break...

Mon 290609

First of all, a proper apology is in order...I've not been able to make any entries in my Blog these few days and probably for a few more...

Reasons? Mainly personal ones...of an emotional nature.

COD on Saturday last (270609) started well enough though. Breakfast was the usual nutritious "Breakthru" bread by Gardenia. Then a walk-walk session at Tesco Mergong with some "donation" via my sign-sign means...haha!

It was before dinner that a question that came up for discussion expanded and the issue became a full-blown conflict of views of a very old but yet unresolved (almost 16 months now) father-son conflict!

And it was only late last night that a mutually agreeable end to the issue was arrived at. Thank God for that!

As is, yours truly need time to recover. It was a very strenuous, physically & emotionally draining episode...for both inmates of Lot 10. My last BP reading shot up to 169/99... a level never ever before reached! And that was in spite of my being on hypertension medication...

So, I do beg for your forgiveness & patience as I take this much needed break from my regular activities.

Thank you. Have a good week ahead.

Father's Day, The day after

Mon 220609

See? What did I tell you? Any day can be Father's Day...even today...if one has one's father in one's heart! If & when you do think of your dad & have him in your heart, that day IS Father's Day to you & to your dad. Isn't that so?

Days come & go...no matter what we do or try to do. But nice memories, thoughts & feelings never go away...they'll always be there, in our minds & in our hearts. Try it & you'd be pleasantly surprised...

So, how was my Father's Day?

Well, surprises of surprises! KL, my fav grandaughter, came all the way from Taiping to share this special day with her ole grandpa. But with a great difference! She came only with her mom!! Owing to an impending event, KL's dad could not make it. However, my ever-loving daughter did NOT make that an obstacle to enable KL ( and, of course, her own self!) from having some value time with her grandpa (KL's mom's dad la!). So EL, with KL in tow, made her first "adventure" trip to A/Star, driving her Avanza! Now, that's an achievement both mother & child can be proud of!! Congrats to both KLs...

There were no grand celebrations. Me had never been in favour of such extravanganza. What I've always looked for is pure sincerity of heart & actions, not in the monetary value.

They arrived in the late afternoon on Fri. In the evening, we went to KL's fav haunt. Yup, Tesco lo...hehe...You should see how KL's face lit up & her instantaneous wild happy response when she saw the Tesco sign on the building! And dinner was at KFC there, too! KL enjoyed her meal of mashed potato & bun.

See? In pic above? Pure concentration towards what was on her plate...hehe...

And here's a bonus for all ye KL fans...hehe...

Yup, a pic of KL enjoying vids being played in my laptop...

And yup, KL never fails to enjoy vids of Barney & those that I've taken of her with my trusty N73.

As always, all good things had to come to an end. KL & mom left for Taiping after late breakfast on Sun. Well, as a daughter-in-law, one also has to consider the other family that one has married into. Fair is Fair. We, as parents, had always taught both our kids to show love & respect for their In-Laws as well as their own parents cos we believe that by so doing, it would hopefully rub off onto the other half...if you know what I mean. Agreed?

Most important of all was that, during all that time that was spent together, there was not the slightest hint nor any indication that my daughter is an FM...it was simply just a family spending value time happily together as one family!

Another surprise of surprises was in store for me! My other half had my fav snacks ready for this special day! One was as a present on Father's Day (a packet of roasted cashew nuts)...the other was for my enjoyment that day itself (1kg of my fav yellow fruits). Simple tokens but really great for the spirit & the soul. Thanks a meg, my dearest B...!!

And to add our own mark to the day, we had lunch at WTG @ AS Mall...nothing grand as always but when 2 hearts are together as one, that's the best feeling & celebration that one can ever have! Don't you agree?

It would have been dinner if we had not had one particular event scheduled for the evening ... one that we had always shared together whenever it took place. Yup, our fav F1 GP race. Live!

And finally, the evening ended wonderfully...we were ONE!

Well, how was your Father's Day? Sincerely hope that yours was as meaningful as mine was.

Father's Day... through my eyes

Fri 190609

Yup, it's time for the posting I'd promised that I would do...about Father's Day which falls on Sun, 21st June this year.

And, since there have been no comments as per my request, this is my version...through my eyes & my experience as a father for 38 years...

Firstly, IMHO a person is a Father from Day 1 when his first child is born. And he remains & will be a Father every single day of his life! Agreed?
He is NOT a Father only on that 1 day in a year that has been designated (not even officially) as Father's Day! Agreed?

If that's the case, then why is there a Father's Day? As quoted in my previous entry ( from Wikipedia), Father's Day is just a day to complement Mother's Day (to be fair...kinda, right?). A day for those who cannot show their recognition of their father's role in the family and of course, his care & love for them, due to their busy study, work or family schedule, etc, etc.

In my family, I'd told both my children that "your father would do what he can to help you...at any time you need help. But I have only one request. Just don't bite me! "

So, if you're unable to be with your father or to do anything for him but you do respect him as your father & have him in your heart, I feel very sure that he would understand & would know it. Just don't hurt him...not the kind of hurt that would pierce deep into his heart. Not to a father who had cared for, loved you & stood by your side & supported you till you'd succeeded in life...

If one asks around, one would find that Mother's Day is more remembered & celebrated and thus a mother would feel more appreciated & loved than a father. This is especially so for those fathers who spend most of their waking hours to provide for their families. Understandably so. Agreed?

So, having a Father's Day would open a door...a special day that can be planned ahead. Leave can be applied for & taken. Any form of appreciation/celebration can be arranged and so on & so forth.

In spite of that, there will be those who would not even bother to use the opportunity to appreciate the fact that they still have a father. Of course, they will realise often too late...when they themselves become fathers & their families not even give any indication that they are still alive & around! Ha ha! That would definitely be poetic justice. Life's own vicious cycle.

Frankly, one can just show care & love for one's parents on any day...at any time. A phone call, a simple gesture to get your dad's favourite dish, snack or whatever...just the thought & simple action says more than all that one can "burn" for their dad as taoists do after their dad is gone. Are you sure that he'd get those items that you "burn" for him? Nor would he get those special dishes you place at his altar, his grave or his niche in the columbarium?

Wouldn't it so much better & an action bringing forth pure joy & happiness that you would feel to SEE your living dad's face light up with a great happy smile when you, for example, got him his favourite special 3-seeded bread or special sate? Would you get to see & feel so if you had to "burn" them for him after he's left this world?

Out of curiosity, I wonder if they do make paper replicas of such bread or sate? Maybe then those children would feel it's so much cheaper...maybe? Or maybe they might not even "burn" them for you! A waste of good money, they would feel...so sorry for you then...haha!

Btw have you read the story about "The Boy and the Apple Tree"? If not, it would be of great significance if you do. It's a great moral story of what parents are to us. Have a good read when you find that story.

Note : A simple version (w/o illustrations) is available here... http://z11.invisionfree.com/The_Kopitiam/index.php?showtopic=3393&st=0&#last

Anyway, in my life, I've had a very "educational" tour of what Life can be as a parent...as a Father.

My journey through life as a father has been a "rollercoaster ride" ...like yours & everyone else's. That's acceptable cos that''s what Life really is. But what I'd gone through since March 2008, has been a sheer drop from the highest point in my rollercoaster track! Yup, straight down to the very bottom! A tremendous downfall & sheer utter frustration! A son gone bad. In an instant! The shock that I'd received then was beyond belief. It's been 15+ months now. Today, just a couple of days before Father's Day 2009, nothing has changed.

For more details, pls check out my post in March 2008 & a few more after that...including one that I wrote on its anniversary this year...an anniversary that I would want to forget!

And since then, Father's Day has become a day that would fill my mind with bad, bitter memories...of frustration, regrets & the mystery of how a son can turn into someone we do not know anymore...

Thank God that I have more than one child...there is a glimmer of hope...hopefully.

I had always, in all my years, believed that our children, when they finally have families of their own, would exhibit the good caring & loving values we had tried to instill in them when they were under our care & support. But no...I'd been badly disillusioned! For it had been proven ( at least in my family...can't say for others ) that all those efforts would just go down the drain when least expected...for reasons only best known to that son. Maybe it's a case of an over-elevated position in his career that had gone to his head...or having succumbed to his disastrous inability to manage the stress of being so elevated or stress exerted by those around him? A lost soul...?

No matter what triggered his ugly side to assert itself, a 15+ month cooling off period is a period long enough for any sane, respectful person to realise his wrongs. Don't you agree?

Whatever the reasons, only God knows...and of course, the person himself! I've finally decided that it is not worth any more of my Golden Years to waste my energy & whatever time I have left, to understand...not after 15+ months! Life is short and me am not gonna let this selfish, unthinking & disrespectful guy waste mine...period.

People say, " You reap what you sow..." I didn't. Hope he does. Life is a cycle, too. So only time will tell. Wish me luck...

Sincerely hope that you don't ever have to experience what I had to live through...

Happy Father's Day!!

Happy Father's Day, Sun 210609

Wed 170609

3 more days before it is one of those special days in our lives...for some, it would be just like any other day but for others, it would be a day of celebration. Yup, it's Father's Day, 2009 on Sun 21st June!

Now, what is Father's Day?

According to Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fathers_day ) :

"Father's Day is a celebration inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting, and to honor and commemorate fathers and forefathers. Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and typically involves gift-giving, special dinners to fathers, and family-oriented activities".

So what really IS Father's Day to you? As a father yourself? Or... as the wife to a man who is the father of your children? Or maybe...as a son/a daughter?

Maybe it would be a great idea for you to answer those questions...? Sincerely...from the heart? And then I could compile your answers and post an entry just before that day? If there are no opinions expressed, then perhaps I could make only my own views known? Then maybe...you could either agree or disagree with my points?

Ok...let's give the issue a couple of days for you all to toss it around in your minds & your hearts and hopefully put it down in writing here.

CU back in here... in a couple of days...ok?

In the meantime, here's a nice pic that was taken with my N73 just before 7pm on 140609...a nice rainbow forming just above but more to the left of Lot 10...can you see it? (Pls click on the pic to see an enlarged & clearer pic of the rainbow, ok? )

God's promise not to flood the land?
Or is there a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?

Whatever you believe or think of a rainbow, it's certainly a great sight to behold. A beautiful one. A wonder of nature. Don't you agree?

My World, Another page in

Sun 140609

My World, your world, the world out there...

The world out there? Frankly most of us do not bother much about what goes on out there in other parts of the world unless what goes on affects us in some way. Correct?

And yup, your world...what is it like? Only you tell me. Correct...again?

My world? Now that's a different story. I can tell you that. Ha ha!

My world? Not that colourful...compared with the world that some of you might have. Most of the time, that is. Kinda like surviving day to day...passing time in the best possible way we can, considering the means we have. Now, isn't that what most retirees do?

And, for both inmates of Lot 10 OFH, yesterday, Sat 130609, was another COD ( Chef's Off Day). Yup, another one of our self-created moments in our retired lives. For something different in day to day living. A break from daily routine.

What's different this time around?

Breakfast? The "Chef" bought back Roti Canai from our nearby morning wet market. A change from the usual Gardenia Breakthru bread.

A suggestion to the "boss" was acceptable & we prepared for a walk-walk session at our local Tesco branch. Yup, Tesco Mergong. This venue has been our latest "sundry shop" since it opened more than a year ago...if me not wrong. Lost track of time somewhat there...hehe....

We had previously nicknamed Taman Sultan Badlishah Superstore as our "sundry shop" when that store opened years ago. It even had an eatery & we used to have our lunches & dinners there from time to time. That eatery had since closed down...maybe partly due to our inconsistent support of it as time passed? Ha ha!

Then it was Billion's turn when its branch opened nearby...at the new main Alor Star market premises along the western by-pass road.

And when the AS Mall started operations with the Pacific Hypermarket as its main tenant, we shifted our focus to it. Billion dropped down a notch in our "sundry shop" list.

Now with the Tesco Mergong branch in operation, even AS Mall had to drop down 1 place in that list! Wonder what's next...? Jaya Jusco?

Well, back to COD...

Nothing exciting nor interesting to shout about our walk-walk session this time around. Had a look-out for a few items of use. And to re-stock our RO water supply. Tesco Drinking Water, which is in reality RO (Reverse Osmosis) water, is now our main source of good quality drinking water with very low dissolved solute content. This resulted from the unreliable RO water vending machines around town which are now dispensing water just as bad as our kitchen tap! The sad part is many users are being fleeced cos they do not know so...sad but true. One machine that we had tried, was even supplying plain filtered TAP water as RO water!!

Why should ppl pay for water that they could just as easily get from their own homes? You tell me...

I'd even called up the ppl supplying & servicing those machines but as is, no action has been taken to rectify nor improve the situation. Wonder which authority is responsible for the control & enforcement of proper maintenance of such water vending machines? Any idea?

Sorry for that distraction...back now (really...) to COD.

Lunch was at another fav food court. Yup, the one opposite AS Mall. And yup, the Pan Mee that we tried to take a number of times, was available! Yum-yum...only RM3 per bowl. Even with extra "money" vege...

With a full stomach, we decided to walk it off rather than go straight home. Where else, right? Yup, AS Mall! Right next door then.

Saw one item of interest in Homemart @ Pacific. A "Wallercode" water level control valve unit.

The first pic ( on left ) shows the box it came in & the pic after shows the gadget installed in our toilet water flush cistern unit. And yup, it works! Better than the old ball-lever valve system. A timed refill took less than 4 mins...compared to ages before the replacement. With higher water pressure, the refill would be very fast! Cost? RM11.90.

Back at Lot 10, it was siesta time. Till dinner time. that is.

Dinner was at our fav Cola coffee shop. 3 dishes were ordered. Tasty...as always.

Cine Nite? Yes Man...starring Jim Carrey. Great comedy. Also teaches a couple of lessons to make one's life more interesting & positive. A bit too late for muah, right? Ha ha!

And yup, me almost forgot...for once Lot 10 was full of fruits! Apples, mangoes, mangosteens, bananas & rambutans! Phew!

And one more item of interest...PC Depot is opening its newest branch here! Just near the entrance to Jalan Teratai, our main road to Persiaran Sultan Abd Hamid. Undergoing renovation now, it should open for business soon. Now me got a new & hopefully better source for my computing needs...reasonably priced, of course...hehe...

So how was your weekend?

Since 6th June 2009...

Thu 11th June 2009

Just a round-up of a seemingly "uneventful" 4 days that had passed by...since June 6th...

7th June : Another power failure during the night! Fortunately it was not that bad...considerably shorter duration. Just an hour or so. Phew! And luckily for inmates of Lot 10 OFH, the emergency lamps held on till power was restored. And luckily too...me cooled down our master bedroom earlier in anticipation of that possibility. And it helped! The room was reasonably cool throughout the power out period. No sauna session. Ha ha!

8th June : There was a split second or so of an impending power failure in the morning! However, it didn't materialise...which was great! Maybe a way of saying "Adios"? Hopefully it'll be a long while before another June 6th "disaster" happens...

9th June (1) : Re-painted (actually touched up...) various parts of the frontal wall of Lot 10 with leftover ICI Weathershield white paint. Now ppl passing by Lot 10 can see a brighter & lit up "face". Last paint job was when me retired. That was almost 9 years ago. A full re-paint job then. Great lasting paint. Proven. Wonder how much is a tin of 5L now...it was almost RM100 that time.

9th June (2) : The greatest disappointment in the Tan family was brought up for debate. Yup, the Father-Son issue. 15 months+ have come & passed. What had not happened has proven how true wise sayings of old are. Sayings like " Water never flows upstream in a river ", " A son is a son only before he takes a wife " and quotes like " when one becomes a somebody, one forgets one's past or one's roots" or "Fame & fortune can go to one's head, making one forget how he could have got them without the support he had in all the years he was down..." Who was there for him when he needed support most? And what is a father when he is old & not needed anymore? Just an old man " who makes his children's life miserable "...so said that son. Can't be? Don't believe so? Believe it! That was a true quote. And I have that in black & white...as proof. Lucky me.

My advice...to that prodigal son? That son is also a father now himself. So, son...NEVER grow old, ok? Now only God can help him back onto the right path & salvation...Amen.

10th June : Real quiet day. PEACE after the "storm". Good for the soul.

11th June : Today. Me about to take breakfast. What else? Good wholesome nutritious Gardenia Breakthru bread! We thank God for what we are about to receive. And another bonus day. Bye...

Bits & Pieces...Past & Present

Sat 060609

Yup, it's Saturday again & time for another COD! And yup, that means "Chef's Off Day"...to new visitors to The Middle Lip.

But let's turn back the clock a bit...

There was this one item that me bought to add to my "arsenal" to support my not-so-new now "baby", namely my lappy. You see, after my purchase of a new Samsung HDD for the lappy, I could no longer access my old files in the original Toshiba HDD that came with it. And I had quite a number of folders of useful files there.

And so it was, while I was in Taiping on 31st May, I decided to get a portable HDD holder as I'd confirmed that it was possible to use my original HDD by connecting it via a USB port. At Taiping Sentral, 2 choices were available...1 unknown (Made in China) unit cost RM25 (after a bit of bargaining...) while the other (a locally-made one), ClipTec, was at RM35 ( also after a bit of bargaining...)...Ha ha!

Which would you buy? Me? I got the ClipTec one! Philosophy? I was told that the unit came with a better, more reliable chipset although both came with a 3-month warranty. This unit came with a coloured aluminium alloy holder box, a USB cable with supplementary USB connector, a cloth bag and a USB installation disc (which, I was told, would not be needed actually except for old OSes that do not support USB 2.0!)

Here it is but without the presentation box (that it came in) & the disc...(sorry!) :

Not a bad-looking set, huh? It's not as slim as the Made in China unit but its internals are well-designed with a plastic frame, insulated HDD holder proper...even screws to attach the HDD firmly to that inner plastic frame with the chipset! And oh! A small screwdriver is even provided! Kinda thoughtful, don't you agree?


So what do you think of such a manufacturer? Considerate & thoughtful of all that might be involved in the use of its product? Yup, that's exactly how I felt when I checked out the contents of the set prior to purchase.

Well, so far it's been serving me well & fine. No complaints.

Besides that, I was kinda busy the last couple of days. For one thing, I patched up a crack in the wall of our roof terrace that had started to become an ugly sight. We could see it each time we drove into the porch. And yup, me repainted that inner wall, too! Now the roof terrace has kinda brighten up a wee bit...hehe...

The other DIY house maintenance that was carried out was to improve on the condition of the area around our kitchen sink. The plywood ledge area just before the edge of the sink had been suffering from water rot for years. The formica piece that covered that strip was practically coming off! So me did a simple patch-up using whatever leftover cement & fine sand that was in our storeroom. Now that rotted ledge is no more! In its place is one solid ledge that should last till "GOK"....sincerely hope long enough for you know what...hehe...

Now back to COD today.

Lunch was out...as always. No big deal. But at a different place. Riverland Restaurant @ Star Parade. Nothing grand. Simple fried dishes.

The Walk-Walk session that followed was fruitful though. Bought a couple of cargo pants for meself. At 70% off! A good deal. And a blouse for my other half.

Dinner appears to be Bah Kut Teh. Location? As yet unknown...

Cine Nite? Another guess for you...

UPDATE 070609 @9am :

Bah Kut Teh dinner was at the corner shop @PSK. Not bad...with extra pig's tail. RM17.20 not including drinks.

Cine Nite had to be abandoned! Not even started! We came home to a Taman in darkness! Appeared the power failure started @abt 8pm. Only 2 of my 5 emergency lamps were functioning. Need to get replacement batteries asap if this scenario is gonna be repeated.

Power came back momentarily @abt 10pm. However, it went off again @10:30pm! "Free" Sauna...
Power was restored only early this morning ... @ almost 2am!! Phew! The worst blackout in our area for years...more than 5 hrs total!! Buck up, TNB!

The 6th Month of the Year...

Thu 4th June 2009

Yup, we are in the 6th month of 2009 now. The saying that "Time flies..." is really true cos time has really flown! Agreed?

And yup, me ended the month of May & started the month of June with value time, namely with family. This is what Life is truly about. Family.

And yup, to those whose family means more than just their own spouse & their own kids! And yet there are ppl who believe that their family consists of only they as parents & their own kids! Not even their own parents! Doesn't such people realise that that's why there is such a thing known as a "Family Tree"? Can there be a tree without roots? Where does one come from? A virgin birth? No la...Parents, right? You just can't marry someone and then say that your family includes no one else except only your spouse & kids, can you? That's pure & simple denial...

Now picture this. Some time in the future. And your own kid turns around & say that you no longer are part of his family! Only his/her spouse & kids are. Wouldn't that be plain simple poetic justice? If only I could live to see that day...I could then really really RIP...

Well, back to my month end & month start...

The end of May was a very busy one for me. For 1 simple reason. The new-to-be-released Operating System for computers, Windows 7 Ultimate RC, was available for official download & use till March 2010! With auto-updates even. An offer so irresistable! I grabbed it!

You see, an RC version is the "Release Candidate" version ie the version prior to official release of the Operating System. And this is from Microsoft themselves, mind you! FOC. To download, install & use. A rare...actually never before...offer. RCs had been offered for testing in past OSes before release but never for so long...

And what does the user have to do in return for this huge "favour"? Just agree to use (test, actually) the new OS. Info & problems encountered would be sent directly back to Msoft. That's your payment to Msoft! Ha ha!

Unwilling to touch my original HDD that came with my lappy and of course, its well-setup contents, I went out & bought me a new Samsung 160GB HDD! Just to install this new OS as NEW! Cost? RM155. And a matter of 9 tiny little screws...

And so it was that yours truly downloaded the image file of the new OS. Burnt an ISO disc of it to facilitate installation. Took me 1 whole evening & night. But it was worth it. In the process, an official product activation key was provided FOC online.

That was on 29th May. It was indeed a very enriching experience...just to be among the millions trying out the new OS before its release. And offhand, I can say this Windows 7 is definitely much better than Vista, its predecessor. Looks like me gonna have to put aside some hard cash to use when Win 7 is out for public sale...probably at the end of this year or the start of 2010.

Next in the list of things to do...a trip to Taiping. Yup, to my daughter's place. Why? Simple, too. Her birthday. June 1st.

We went on 310509. After late breakfast. A long drive.

Pic on left shows a snapshot of KL on 310509 soon after our arrival. Pretty little girl, isn't she?

And this is the uniquely worded Bday caramel cake, specially bought for the occasion. Ha ha!

Happy happy Birthday, ODEL!!
We shared in the birthday joy with a dinner @Panorama Hotel & a seafood dinner the next day @Matang, not forgetting a simple laksa treat. Ha ha!

And... to cut a long happy story short, we came home on the morning of 020609. More of value was our happy times spent with our fav grandaughter, KL. A happy ever-smiling kid can truly be more effective than all the painkillers & meds that one may take. Unfortunately, this time around, KL rejected all our attempts to feed her her porridge for lunch...a clear sign of how her deeply-embedded trauma had created such a great suspicion of whom she can trust to feed her. At the moment, it appears that only her mom can feed her. Not even her dad.

It's a sad but unavoidable departure for both grandparents when the time came and we had to leave. Our view on leaving...a sad & puzzled KL waving bye-bye to us...not understanding why these 2 ole folks, with whom she had a few happy enjoyable days, had to leave her now.

Not to worry, KL, Kong Kong & Ma Ma will see you again soon...and we'll have more happy times together.

On the way back, we stopped at Sungei Petani for our long-missed roasted duck rice with fried belacan Kangkong vege dish. This was followed by a "walk-walk" of the Village Mall next to Tesco SP.

If not for a book exhibition being held there, the Mall was kinda deserted. Many shoplots were either not taken up or closed. Maybe an effect of the current economic downturn?

Can you see the practically empty row of shoplots at the topmost floor? And the almost empty lower floor?

However, in spite of all that, we both managed to "donate" a reasonable sum while there. I got myself a new leather belt. Swiss Polo Leather @ 70% off! My other half got herself a nice pair of ear-rings.

Well, what can I say? The best feeling is to find oneself safely back home in Lot 10. And more so to find Lot 10 safe & secure...the way we left it on 310509.

Home Sweet Home. Yup, Lot 10 is just all that...cosy, peaceful and more!