Home again...

Thur 170311

Yup, me back home again! Lot 10 is safe & secure...

And yup, it's been a pleasant 3D2N stay @our fav niece's place in Penang! Both inmates were made to feel truly at home although away from home...a great feeling indeed.

Btw we also received happy news that our fav grandaughter, KL, is now in much better health & her overall development is progressing steadily...good news really!

And here is the most recent pic of KL sent by her mom via MMS (150311) :

Yup, it's KL enjoying one of her fav foods...French Fries @ KFC!!

Wish we were there to share them with her, too! Would have been fun...

Well, a wish is still a wish...this ole man is getting older by the day though... haha! What's more so for my ole junk! Each long distance trip is cause for worry...

Who knows...maybe one fine day, things might change? Godwilling, right?

Anyway, back to our recent stay in Penang...

The 3D2N just went flying by and we just had to say goodbye this morning after breakfast. However, we left with "We'll be back!". And methinks me had heard something like that in one famous movie series...

Anyway, me came home with a pretty addition to my so-called "new toilets". Yup, it's something small & pretty...even an original branded item! It's a Sony music player, namely the NWZ-B152F in Gold! Not all in gold actually...hehe...but just gold-painted in certain parts. Two units, ie the model with 2Gig built-in memory, were purchased from the Sony Centre located on 3rd floor of Gurney Plaza @RM159 each. There were 4 colours as choices. Me chose the Golden one...and the other was a Red...

And yup...the purchase came with a free disc of original Sony "Love Songs" mp3 disc each!

Pics above show the unit c/w its own earphones and a close-up showing its special feature of red LEDs which would flash in tempo with the bass of any music played when set in its special "Bass" mode. A rare gift these days...esp one w/o any expectations!

Thanks a meg, Amy!

Well, it's back to routine once more in Lot 10...until some time in the future?

After a long interval...

Mon 140311

Yup, it's been a long interval since my last entry...

And yup, cos nothing that can be considered exciting or interesting, has happened to Lot 10 inmates...which is kinda good, too. Agreed?

Of course, except for the disaster & tragedy that had happened in Japan due to the huge 8.9 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that had resulted in the loss of more than 1500 lives with still thousands unaccounted for...

Our sincere condolences & sympathy go out to all those who had suffered such terrible losses in lives and property...

Indeed we, in Malaysia, should count our blessings!!

Well, to recap, after we came home to Lot 10 from our longest stay in Penang @ our fav niece's place, I tried to buy from our local auction site a "spare" AV Splitter for our Astro distribution system.

Fyi I had bought one 1 IN 4 OUT Splitter unit from the same seller last month to replace my original MASPRO unit which had become faulty ie one OUT port not working & picture quality in another was bad. The replacement unit has been working fine since then.

This time it had to be a 1 IN 8 OUT AV Splitter unit as I could not find the same 1 IN 4 OUT unit on sale in that website, even by other traders.

However, when this newly bought unit arrived, it was sheer disappointment! Even the power indicator LED would not light up!! On reporting to the seller, I was asked to send the unit back for a working replacement. I did. Then came the "waiting game"!

Like the saying goes.... "All's well that ends well.... " I finally got a good functioning replacement yesterday! Pics (taken much later) below show the new replacement AV Splitter...front & rear views respectively. Tested to be working fine. Phew...guess my activities in that local auction site would have to take a long breather now...just can't take all that unnecessary "stress"...

Another item of interest was that my past interest in Air Purifiers was re-kindled. As is, Lot 10 is experiencing another bout (with more to come...) of very dusty air! Yup, owners of the new bungalows in front of Lot 10 had started doing renovations cum reconstruction of their newly acquired houses!

Moreover, we have been experiencing uncomfortable episodes during our sleep periods...which, we suspect, might possibly be due to the presence of dust mites & their what-nots!

After having some experience of the Sharp Plasmacluster Air Purifiers that our fav niece had installed in her home, I decided to investigate & find all relevant info about them. All findings came back mostly positive. Proven to destroy dust mites & neutralise their "by-products" as well as even the capability to destroy numerous bacteria & viruses such as the Avian Flu Virus & the H1N1 Virus!!

So it was that it was decided to get one such suitable unit and guess what? My other half was so supportive and even suggested that "if we want to get one, we might as well get the best possible affordable one"!!

Well, we did! Cost? RM1580. A free gift of a Thermos 1.9L jug was added by the sales person for our fast purchase!

The pics (above) show the unit now sited in its own little corner in our room...the front view followed by the top view. The blue light at the bottom on the front display panel indicates the Plasmacluster (patented) system is activated and Plasmacluster (both positive & negative) ions are being released!

This Sharp Plasmacluster Air Purifier KC850E-W is now purifying daily the air in our Master Bedroom! And yup, it's "fresh mountain air" always in our room...and of course, no more dust mites & related problem! Haha!

Another item is thus now struck off our list of "Do's" for Lot 10...many more to go though...

Anything else? Guess I should stop boring all of you at this point...

Lot 10 inmates might be making another Penang trip soon...maybe as early as tomorrow?

A definite trip is scheduled for 29th March to be there in person for my other half's sister-in-law's birthday. We had told her much earlier that we would share her 70th birthday.

A future trip would be in early April...for a stay...so sincere apologies are in order should this Blog be noticeably quiet? TQ...

CNY is over?

Tue 210211

Yup, CNY is kinda over...at least the celebrations period, right?

And yup, Life As Is is kinda back to routine...for me & you...at least most of you, right again?

Well, the 15th day & night of this CNY kinda ended well. As the 15th Night of CNY, aka Chap Goh Meh, is the Chinese Culture's version of Valentine's Day, me had a surprise gift for my gf, my valentine for life!

Yup, the Chinese V-Day gift was bought through our local online auction site and was surprisingly well-timed & delivered on that very day ie 17th Feb aka 15th Night of CNY!!

The "Gift"? A replica of Calvin Klein ladies watch with genuine leather strap. Kinda unique design, too...

The great part of it was...my gf loved it...in spite of the kinda unique "Hi-tech" design! Haha! All the efforts were so worth it!! All RM63 (incl delivery charges via Poslaju) of it!! Pic on left is the "Gift"! Nice, huh?

The day's evening ended with a pleasant drive for two around A/Star city...as was our usual CGM do.

Surpise of all surprises...after my gift to her, my gf suggested that I should get a watch for myself, too! Since I'd not been wearing one for quite some time since my "Rolex" gave out on me some months back & the SS strap of my "John Masters" was giving me some skin allergy reactions...

So afer scouring that very local online auction site once more, me found one which appealed to both of us. An "Army Tech" watch. Even stated as "Original". Well...I entered my bid and voila! I got it that very same day! Total cost? RM70 incl Poslaju delivery charges.
Now awaiting despatch & delivery...hopefully by tomorrow. Well, wish me luck! TQ.

Pic of "Army Tech" watch above is captured from the auction site as I've as yet to receive the item.

That's the good part. Unfortunately, in Life, there's always a not-so-good part.

Our grandaughter, Jan, is now hospitalised after a bout of high fever since a week ago...probably due to a return of her Kawasaki Disease which she had caught very early in her childhood days. All signs & symptoms pointed in that direction but blood tests had come back negative to confirm. A heart scan was done this morning and we are all awaiting good news...

Stay strong, Jan, and both your grandparents are with you all the way to a very speedy recovery...soon!!

A piece of better news now.

Our other grandaughter, KL, would be under the care of a new babysitter wef next month as the former was probably the cause of her continuous repeats of bad health, namely fever, diarrhoea, sore throats & what have you! A professional also suspected that poor hygiene at bbs was a very probably cause, too, as KL was good & healthy when solely under the parents' care in-between those periods. As is, only time will tell...

Finally, both these inmates will be off to Penang once more for a stay at our fav niece's place for about a week beginning tomorrow ie 22nd Feb. We are indeed looking forward to sharing happy & value time with her & family. CU soon, Amy!

So until me am back in good ole Lot 10 OFH once more, this Blog would be kinda quiet...sincere apologies for the coming "long" leave of absence...

Wishing one & all a very happy year ahead!

First week of the new Rabbit Year...

Fri 110211

Yup, the 1st week of this new Rabbit Year 2011 is over. And yup, it's the 9th day today.

And of course, last night was a night of noise...firecrackers & loud fireworks! All kinda sort of in protest of the Govt's ban of such items being fired, even on festive days when they are supposedly a "necessity" according to beliefs of the Chinese community! And yup, last night was the offering of prayers to the "Jade Emperor" of Heaven. At the stroke of midnight, the festivities started c/w the letting off of firecrackers & fireworks!

Not that it was any disturbance nor of any consequence to this ole guy though...he had earlier just popped in 1 tab of Xanax (remember the late MJ & his Xanax?) and was in so-called peaceful "La La Land" when all those "explosions" took place! Haha!

Well, a recap here...
Firstly, a pic of our fav grandaughter to share. Yup, it's our very own KL!

Can you see how happy she was @AS Mall enjoying one of the many rides there! KL & family came a day earlier than expected. And I'm pretty sure that KL went home after day #1 of this Rabbit Year with many happy & pleasant memories...leaving behind 2 ole & very tired grandparents! Haha!

We wish KL a very progressive & speedy development in 2011!! May God bless her with the gift of being a normal healthy kid soon!

CNY eve was the first re-union dinner of the Tan family after 3 years! Why? It's a long long story to relate here but if you dig deep enough into the archives of this Blog, you might get lucky....

And so it was, both our "kids" & their families were back in their childhood home and so it is sincerely hoped that they had recovered at least a wee bit of what being part of this Tan family was all about and the meaning of family in Life ie not just about one's own extended family but also one's own family & roots, namely one's own parents. As is, we have long accepted that such feelings cannot be forced upon anyone but have to come from within oneself. Agreed?

Above : Pic of Lot 10 inmates with 2 of our grandkids taken on CNY Day #1.

Anyway, Day 1 of CNY2011 saw the departure of everyone...including these 2 ole inmates of Lot 10! As had always been the practice for years...time to visit our relatives in Penang!

Visits? Not really. More of only just 2. As is, most of our elders are long gone, with 2 of them leaving this world as recent as last year. It is sad but that's part of Life...everyone has to go, true?

We spent most of that first day & night at our fav niece's place and had to leave (as was the usual practice) the next day, in spite of continuous kind offers to extend our stay by our truly great host. As always, we left with the words, "We'll be back again...soon!"

Life was back to routine once we were back in Lot 10. Home Sweet Home. And yup, we were relieved & happy to find Lot 10 all safe & secure. It's where our home & our hearts have been, are and will still be...

There were the regular "mid-week breaks" & "CODs" for my other half. And of course, the walk-walk sessions at the local Malls.

And guess what? At one such session, we were fortunate to be there @ AS Mall when a LIVE acrobatic performance by some artistes from China was on! Not bad! Especially for an FOC one! We truly enjoyed all the acts put up by those talented youngsters...

Pic on left : 1 of the balancing acts. A truly great pair, huh?
And in the following pic, another act...a uni-cyclist. Can you see him...kinda in the "distance"?

BTW, me managed to modify the Dettol auto handsoap dispenser unit so that it can be continually refilled with a suitable but differently branded handsoap. And guess what? So far it has worked!
Now me not have to worry about getting any new Dettol refill for RM16.90 each! The anti-bacterial handsoap that me can use now only costs RM4 at the most!

On 7th of Feb, it was decided to add a bit more security for Lot 10 since we have been away a few times and would also be away from Lot 10 from time to time in the near future. As is, we knew of a group of RELA personnel who have been making rounds & checks on houses in our housing area for an affordable monthly fee. Well, me contacted them & applied to be in their list of residences to be included in their nightly surveillance rounds.
The very next morning we awoke to find a red painted metal box (pls see pic above...), with a big letter "R" (short as for "RELA"), attached to our front wall railings! And in it was a small "555" notebook with its first entry of a visit by our friendly neighbourhood "RELA" friends on their very first stopcheck @ Lot 10!

And yup, since then, somehow, maybe psychologically... Lot 10 inmates slept much better...and hopefully, for many many more nights, weeks, months to come, too!

Sincerely hope you are sleeping well, too...

Gong Xi Gong Xi, Everyone!

Sun 30th Jan 2011

Yup, it's really that close to saying "Gong Xi Gong Xi" to one & all! And yup, it's only just 3 days to Welcoming the Year of the Rabbit on Feb 3rd!!

So one update here of events of interest (at least to muah...hehe...) to post and before a long leave of absence cos of the festive holiday atmosphere!!

For one thing, the Pedilanthus plant so kindly donated by our #8 neighbour has grown steadily and very recently got an added stem...a cutting off its own self! Haha! Now me just waiting for this small bush to flower....hopefully lots of pinkish red "Hsiao Niao Hua" soon...

Pic on left shows its present status. Not bad eh? Do compare it with what it was on Jan 14th.

And yup....during our recent stay in Penang, both inmates were so well-treated...even to a sumptous lunch at the Miraku Japanese Restaurant in G-Hotel!
It was truly an honour & privilege to feel so very a part of the family. Thanks a meg, Amy!!

We will forever cherish such warm & pleasant memories....

On our return to A/Star ie on 27th Jan, our #8 neighbour was also generous and offered us a LIVE...mind you, a LIVE...Tilapia fish! He hooked 4 of these at a friend's pond.


Well, as it was the first time Lot 10 inmates had to deal with a real life LIVE fish, me tried "Googling" for how to kill a live fish! Thanks to Google me got a list of how to's and finally decided on the most humane way to do so...using ice & ice-cold water (since we do have enough ice at hand!)
One suggestion, including a video, even suggested slamming the fish onto a hard cement/concrete floor!! Phew!

Above...our very first "Tilapia" after cleaning & marinading...ready for the frying pan! Haha!

Well, what can I say? It was indeed a very fresh & tasty dish to set before this "King" & his "Queen" at dinner time! An enjoyable, nonetheless unforgettable, event!

Next, on 28th Jan, we saw an advert in The Star re a new product by "Dettol", namely an Auto Handsoap Dispenser! It was being intro by Tesco. Well, as you know, me always had an attraction for new tech-related gadgets & esp so for home improvement. Moreover, this one was definitely affordable @RM19:90...a complete set with dispenser, 250ml of hand soap & 4xAA batteries! Pic on left shows the installed gadget.

Nice? Worth it? For these 2 ole folks, it certainly was and is! No more pressing/pumping of hand soap dispensers! We just need to put our hand below the spout & out comes a measured quantity of hand soap. Just the right amount, too! Truly pampered...

And finally, this is what Lot 10 looks like now at night...externally, in preparation for the Year of the Rabbit...a small fairyland of lights & more lights...

As most of the light are so-called "twinkling" lights...the latest being of the LED kind..., not all the lights were, however, captured by my trusty ole iPhone.

Anyway, the mood is set for a Happy & Healthy CNY come 3rd Feb!

And for the first time in 3 years, Lot 10 inmates would have the whole family (Godwilling...) back home on CNY eve ie Feb 2nd.

Gong Xi Fa Cai, Everyone! Have a great Rabbit Year...

Second page of Year 2011...

Fri 140111

Yup, this is gonna be the 2nd page for year 2011 in The Middle Lip!

And yup, how time flies...it's already mid-month for the 1st month of the New Year...

Well, Life in Lot 10 OFH has been kinda nice...most of the time anyway. As is, Life, as I've come to realise & accept, is never all nice. We thank God for His blessings for each & every day we see the sun rises in the morning and the pleasures ( & pains, too!) of another day of Life As Is...

For a start, my 2-doors away neighbour was kind enough to offer me a successfully cultivated cutting of what was last CNY's (Chinese New Year) popular plant, namely the Pedilanthus Bracteatus aka "The Tall Slipper" plant or locally nicknamed the "Xiao Niao Hua" aka "Little Bird Flower".
Well, this cutting has yet to bloom...but the flowers would look like little green birds then....beautifully-shaped flowers! I had further made 2 more cuttings which now appeared to have taken root. So, instead of a solitary plant, I now have THREE stems!!

Heard of this plant? Pots of them were selling like "hot cakes" for CNY 2010!!

Anyway, dunno if mine would bloom before this coming CNY...in abt 2+ weeks... ?

Anyway, like me said earlier, Life is never all nice....And yup, me had my fair share of misfortunes to start this New Year!

Somehow or other, me was careless enough to put my specs next to me while I was doing some re-wiring of our lounge area TV & sound system. And guess what? I stepped on the specs & got my first shock of 2011! The screw on the RHS part of the frame holding the lens broke...the frame was distorted & the lens dislodged! My heart practically dropped!

It was then a long, long night. Misfortune couldn't have knocked on the door @ Lot 10 at a more unfortunate time. Luckily, I finally found a way to put the specs back together, albeit only satisfactorily, with a bit of delicate re-adjustment, a string & some araldite glue! A temporary delay until finances are in better shape? Thank God for that!

Slept like a log that night...

As promised, these 2 ole inmates would be leaving for Penang on 17th Jan to be with our fav niece... to spend abt a week with her & family.

Frankly, there is a deep feeling of calm, peace & contentment to feel so honoured that one can still be of service to others...more so to be so much appreciated. For nothing much more than just our presence. And more so, to be able to share the same, coupled with close & happy feelings, at this point in our lives.

If only our very own "flesh & blood" could find it in their hearts to realise that they do have such ppl in their midst who have that much love in them but had to shower it somewhere else...simply because they do not see what they do have right in front of them. Unfortunately, they do not know how to appreciate what they have but would only realise & feel what they have lost when it's too late...too late to turn back time!

My comment to them had always been that they are " also a parent now... ". However, sad to say, that had been pitifully misinterpreted...

As is... I am, nowadays, always ready with this very simple piece of "advice"...to the young... :

"NEVER grow old... "

That's Life As Is....

Well, that about makes up the ending of this entry...

Me will be "off the air", so to say, till both inmates are back in good ole Lot 10.

Until then, do have a good first month in year 2011! Be happy...

First week of 2011...

Wed 05012011

Yup, it's day #5 of the New Year 2011!

And yup, the days have been happy, peaceful & nice...what more can one ask for?

The main event in Lot 10 during the past few days had been a kinda re-location of our favourite pastime "tools". Yup, those "tools'" are, in fact, our quite new 32" LED TV & Blu-ray Player!

Why? It was felt that with them in our bedroom, we were indirectly being "imprisoned" in that room!! As is, being "couch potatoes" have been, without a doubt, our favourite pastime do's. And yup, that meant hours & hours within the walls of a 17ft by 10ft room! A bit claustrophobic, don't you agree?

And so it was that me decided (& my other half concurred...heheh...) to move the LED TV & the BD Player down to our so much larger Lounge area, with an open adjoining Dining area. A few other re-locations of a couple of other related items were inevitable to bring about a new ambience to the Lounge area and, of course, in the process enhance its capabilities.

A minor spring clean was also inevitable! Phew! Didn't realise the amount of "uknowat" that had accumulated over the years...so unsuspectingly & so well hidden!

Pic on left shows the LED TV now occupying the prime position of our ole Philips 29" CRT TV in the Lounge area.

The following pic shows how slim this LED TV is... lots slimmer than LCD TVs! Phew! The wonders of technology never cease to amaze me...

Conclusion? It was a good move indeed! Both inmates now can enjoy modern amenities in a better environment...no longer so cooped up as it was pre-2011!

A great start to a great year ahead...I sincerely hope that the days & months ahead will continue to be so! May God bless this OFH & its 2 ole inmates...

Btw, the Year of the Rabbit isn't very far off...less than a month to go...Feb 3?

So, in the event, this ole man kinda forgets to make a special entry to make the wish, here's wishing one & all, especially all Chinese visitors to this Blog, a very Happy & Prosperous Chinese New Year!!

"GONG XI FA CAI"... "KEONG HEE HUAT CHYE" in the Year of the Rabbit!!