Danny's Blog

Oh Malaysia, My Country

2011-07-13T21:50:00.000+08:00

13 July 2011

Oh Malaysia, my beloved country, what has happened to you? You fought off the Japanese occupation during the Second World War. The children of your bosom spilled their blood to shake off the yoke of the occupiers. Now, you are saturated with the blood of so many of your beloved children. They were from various ethnicity. To you, ethnicity is irrelevant. We are all your children - born of the land. Skin didn't matter. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust all will be. To you, those who died were your patriots - colour makes no difference. The blood is red always.

Oh Malaysia, my beloved country, how happy you were when Tunku Abdul Rahman, our founding father convinced the British to give us our independence. Shortly after that, how you wept as once again, the sons of the earth of various ethnicity had to shed their blood for you to repel a neighbouring invasion.

Oh Malaysia, my beloved country, how you must be sobbing now. One of your sons have died and another in hospital. Scores were taken away violently. Why? They just wanted fairness in a democratic land. The man empowered by the children of the land disobeyed the king. And gave the order for violence. Tear gas thrown into a house of healing where the harmless sought refuge. Thugs mercilessly rushed the helpless children of the land.

After the smoke cleared and the chemical laced water drained away, those working for the children of the land spun a great joke and said all that was to create chaos. What a laugh! No chaos were created by the children of the land. All the violence and chaos were done by the minions of those who were supposed to care for the children of the land. The brutal and unnecessary suppression of the peaceful children of the land shall long be remembered. United we stand. One for all and all for one regardless of ethnicity. We are brothers and sisters of the land.

How long more must the children of the land endure before the heroes rise up and rescue all? Newcomers chasing the children of the land away. I'm the fourth generation born of the land. Those who are first generation born of the land claims possession of the land. Is that fair? Who can claim the land? We are only the children of the land. We belong to the land. When we die, the land claims us back; ashes to ashes, dust to dust regardless of ethnicity or status. All the power or riches we have are all left behind and we return as we were born.

Our legacy will be the love we show to each other. That will make us live on in the minds of all generations to come.

Air Asia - Now, Everyone Gets Conned

2011-05-20T12:32:00.001+08:00

Air Asia - Now, Everyone Gets Conned

20 May 2011

I wasn't enthusiastic when Charmaine booked our Air Asia tickets for a long trip end of October. Yes, she booked the tickets early. She's a good planner. Why wasn't I enthusiastic? My previous flights on Air Asia didn't impress me.

Recently, she saw that we could upgrade our seats to premium. We thought why not since it's going to be about 14 hours' flight and I've a back problem. So, she wrote to Air Asia asking if our meals and luggage purchase would be refunded or deducted from the premium price.

Air Asia's (Case ID: LTK5360396876X ) reply was:
We would like to advise you that? if you get the upgrade through UTo, you will get all the benefits associated with Air Asia X premium such as fully flat beds, premium meals, priority baggage, priority check in and others and if we are unable to provide you the Upgrade, the upgrade price is fully refundable. We would also like to advise you that if you get the upgrade through UTo, any additional charges already paid to the airline such as for baggage, meals or any others will NOT be refunded.

Please be advised that even after the upgrade you will be allowed to carry only 20 Kg baggage per person.

This is what I mean by getting conned. We have to forfeit the meals and the additional luggage we paid for earlier. Where's the logic behind this? We want to upgrade on the same flight on the same time and day. There's no costs to Air Asia at all. In fact, Air Asia stands to benefit. I would think that Air Asia would be very happy to let us upgrade and refund the meal and luggage costs.

I have assume the customer service staff made a mistake. And hopefully, after the management reads this, the mistake would be rectified. Otherwise, I've to say Air Asia is one idiotic company and that reflects on the management and the CEO.

Betty's Midwest Kitchen

2011-05-18T13:53:00.001+08:00

18 May 2011

Betty's Midwest Kitchen
A-G-40, Jalan PJU 1/43,
Aman Suria Damasara,
47301 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.

Tel: 03-7880 0196
Email: reserve@midwestkitchen.com.my
Website: www.midwestkitchen.com.my

Charmaine, her parents and I went to Betty's on 17 May 2011. We tried to eat there on two other occasions but the restaurant was fully booked with a long waiting list.

As usual, I went as an ordinary diner. Even when the lady, whom I believe is the owner, talked with me, I just played my part. To be honest, the meal was supposed to be a family affair. I had no intention of writing a review about it. I thought the meal would be the usual normal tasting stuff.

So, why am I writing now? Let's just say the food knocked my socks off! Maybe I shouldn't review Betty's. It'll get even more crowded and I won't be able to eat there again.

Okay, hang on to your socks. Here we go!

We ordered two Ham and Mushroom Soup as starters, one Pork Chop With Orange Cream Sauce, one Grilled Beer Braised Boston Butt, one Pig-In-A-Blanket (6 pieces) and one Baby Back Ribs. The soup came with 2 pieces of garlic bread. The soup was excellent! It was well simmered. The taste from the various ingredients blended together very nicely. And yes, the ingredients were generous.

The Baby Back Ribs came next. It was so tender and juicy. Excellently done.

The Pig-In-A-Blanket came next. It was nice but not exciting. I personally feel Charmaine's Pig-In-A-Blanket is a lot nicer.

The Pork Chop came next. Having eaten the tender ribs, the Pork Chop was tougher. But, it was still excellently done.

We were still hungry. So, we ordered the Grilled Beer Braised Boston Butt. What can I say, those of you know me personally know how much I can pack it in. Anyway, it was another well prepared dish. So, tender. The meat just melts in your mouth. Excellent!

This is one of the rare times I can't think of anything to suggest for improvement. How do you improve on what is already done well? By the way, warm water is free. I really dislike it when eateries charge for plain water. Betty's is in my recommended list.

The service was excellent and polite as well. The total bill came up to RM126.50 for 4 people. Not bad.

They close on Mondays. Their hours are: Tuesday to Sunday; 11.30am to 3pm and 5.30pm to 10pm. They don't take reservations for DINNER on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, eve of public holidays and public holidays. However, you may still make reservations for lunch on those days. If you don't wish to be disappointed, I very, very strongly suggest you make reservations.

So, what are you waiting for? Go to Betty's. But, don't go too often, yeah. I want to have a table when I go back again. ;)

Of Dogs And Cats

2011-05-04T14:45:00.000+08:00

4 May 2011

Of Dogs And Cats

Bailey poo on the porch again after the punishment. He's been trained for 3 years. He is not stupid. He knows where the toilet is. He goes to the toilet when I stand outside. He's actually a very smart dog. He learnt to give high five in a week. He just love to challenge the boundaries and limitations.

My mother-in-law asked me to return Garfield to the vet on 1 May. Garfield was adopted a few weeks earlier because my in-laws had a rodent problem. His duty was to leave his scent to deter rodents from coming in. When he first arrived at his new home, he was given free access to 2 rooms. A litter box was provided but no training was done. He was left to do whatever he wanted to do.

It took Garfield a few weeks to feel comfortable in his new home. Then, he started to mark his territory. Peeing at various spots in the 2 rooms got my mother in law upset. So, we were called to take him back to the vet on 30 April. I don't know what happened during that time. Garfield stopped eating and he was terrified when I got there. He was frozen with fear at the top of a cupboard. I've never seen a more terrified cat before. The poor fella was so terrified that he peed in the cage all the way to the vet.

I did sense a very negative energy from my mother in law when I arrived. So, I think Garfield would have definitely sensed that. And that terrified him which caused him to pee even more. It's only natural.

So, what happened? Garfield was never told his boundaries and limitations when he got to the house. He was given full freedom of 2 rooms. For a cat, that means the 2 rooms are his territory. For a male cat, he has to mark his territory. And he only did it after he felt safe in his new home. So, he only did what was natural to him. For that, he became homeless again.

When we first bring a cat into our home, we cordon off a small area for it, it's food/water, play things and it's litter box. That enclosure is it's territory. The areas outside of the enclosure is our territory which we occasionally allow it to use. But, it is only borrowing our territory. This is the setting of boundaries and limitations. Sometimes, the fella would soil the enclosure. It then has to contend with the smell till we are able to clean it. Soon, it learns that using the litter box is a much better idea. That's training.

All our cats went through that. And all our cats know their boundaries and limitations. Now that Guinness is given free run of the porch and garden, she still knows her boundaries and limitations. The only fella who is soiling the place is Bailey, the dog. He is lucky he is living with us. Otherwise, he would have been evicted by now.

Understanding cat language is very useful in maintaining a peaceful home and relatively low injuries. Guinness began teaching me cat language while she was still a kitten. As she grew up, her patience with my slow understanding wore out and I'd get "punished" for not understanding her needs. It's good to have all the necessary jabs when keeping a cat. No, I'm not only talking about jabs for the cat but also jabs for yourself.

Now (almost 2 years down the road), I'm able to understand Guinness very well. I know what her meows mean. And I definitely know her angry/irritated meows and her killer stares. I've the scars to remind me.

That knowledge helped me understand Daquiri, Mimosa and Garfield. However, I notice that even in the cat world, there are slightly different "accents". I'm not humanising them. I just can't find a proper word to describe it. I can understand most of Guinness' meows. But, I noticed that Daquiri, Mimosa and Garfield all have slightly different meow for the same thing.

Of course, cat language doesn't stop at meows. There are the rubs and eye contacts. The rubs are easy enough to learn. The eye contact is a bit tricky as cats don't like to be stared at. To cats, staring is a challenge/threat. So, I've to learn to look for their eye signals by looking at them indirectly. The ultimate in cat communication is the nose rubs. Guinness, Daquiri and Mimosa have all rubbed noses with me. That's a sign of acceptance as a member of the pack. Guinness still refuses to rub noses with Daquiri because she refuses to accept him into the pack.

We put Guinness into her cage whenever we drive the car in or out for her safety. I eventually taught her to got into her cage on command. And if I don't want her to go into her cage yet, I give the "not yet" command. She obeys them. I used to put newspapers on the cage before she enters in case she has to do her business. Later, she'd walk to the entrance of the cage and look at me whenever I forget to put the newspapers. She doesn't like to walk on the cage without some kind of lining. She'll give me her command to put on the red carpet for her majesty. Now, we put a wooden board there and she treats it as her throne. Guinness is a real diva.

Being able to communicate with the animals really makes life easier. It's a pity for Garfield. But then, he didn't get the chance to teach his owner cat language before he was uprooted from his home.

Daquiri gave me a big scare on 30 April. Charm let him out of his enclosure. As usual, he tried to make friends with Guinness but was rebuffed again. I've to say that Daquiri is a very persistent fella. So, due to boredom, he went out of the compound. I searched for him frantically once I noticed his disappearance but couldn't find him. There's a pack of dogs in my neighbourhood which goes around attacking cats. When I couldn't find him, I thought he was dead.

Surprisingly, he came back. But, he couldn't recognise our house and went to the neighbour's house. When he couldn't get in, he was confused. I called to him. He looked at me and recognising me, promptly laid down on the ground. I had to carry him from the neighbour's place to our place. What a pampered fella. He must have gone very far. He was panting and his tongue was hanging out. He was also very thirsty. Mimosa who was meowing away for him proceeded to sniff him and groom him. Mimosa is our kitten and Daquiri's adopted kitten.

Bailey - the discipline

2011-04-29T18:11:00.001+08:00

29 April 2011

Bailey - the discipline

Last evening was funny. After about a month of cleaning Bailey's poo from the porch, I lost my patience. Mind you, Bailey knows the toilet is at the garden and not the porch. Whenever he does it on the porch and he sees me going out, he'll run and hide.

Well, yesterday afternoon, I saw it and Guinness, our eldest cat, also saw it. She gave him a disapproving look after she took a sniff of it.

Anyway, during dinner, I decided that since he wants to test his boundaries, I'll have to let him know who's the pack leader. Instead of serving his dinner on his plate, I dropped his dinner all over his poo. The look on his face was priceless. It was a mixture of dismay and disgust.

But, that was his dinner. He knows if he doesn't finish his dinner, he'll have to wait for his next meal. So, he proceeded to eat. And each time, he'll take a wide berth before going back for another bite. The look on his face was so funny. Hmm.... it was yummy to the last kibble.

Today, no poo on the porch. So, he gets to eat from his plate.

Restoran Pucuk Ubi

2011-03-22T13:03:00.001+08:00

22 March 2011

Restoran Pucuk Ubi,
2 Jalan Teratai,
PJU 6, Kayu Ara,
Bandar Utama,
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7725 0712

Restoran Pucuk Ubi sells Sarawak dishes.

Restoran Pucuk Ubi advertised in the Media Focus their buffet meals which showed various Sarawak noodle dishes and a drink. The voucher said 15% discount on food. The buffet was RM10.90 per person.

We went there on 20 March for their buffet lunch. The sign at the entrance said First Come First Serve. To me, that means tables. I noticed the buffet was set up outside the restaurant. We went in and asked about the buffet. We were told their buffet was on. We then asked for the drink shown on the voucher. The person said there wasn't any drink. After some argument, he said the drink on the picture was for illustration only. We then asked about the noodles. After another round of argument, he said the noodle dishes on the voucher were also for illustration only. We then, confirmed with him again if the buffet was on and he confirmed it.

Okay, I wonder how a person would feel if he goes to a car dealer after seeing the ad for a BMW and the dealer says, the picture is for illustration only. I sell Kancil.

Okay, I saw some dishes on the buffet table which looked interesting and we went all the way there. So, might as well eat there. I'm a very tolerant person.

As we were eating halfway, some dishes finished. So, I asked when they're going to replenish the dishes. He told me they won't replenish anything. What???!!!!!???? A buffet which is not replenished??? And he didn't bother telling us before we ate. Then, he said the sign said first come first serve.

During the meal, I saw a staff digging and then, looking at his huge chunk of booger at the entrance of the restaurant. I hope he wasn't the cook. While we were eating another staff dusted dust from a cloth in front of the entrance. I could see the dust (and there was a lot of dust) flying in. The buffet table was in the path and so was our table. Come on people, anyone heard of hygiene?

When the bill came, only the person who ordered ala carte received the 15% discount. The 3 of us who ate the buffet didn't get the 15% discount. We asked him about it and he said the 15% discount was only for ala carte. The voucher clearly states 15% on food. Nothing was mentioned about ala carte and he never mentioned it to us at all when we showed him the voucher and asked about the buffet. He then said terms and conditions. Well, the terms and conditions were not stated anywhere on the voucher or at the premise. So, how does a customer know what the terms and conditions were? And he had many opportunities to inform us of the terms and conditions but he didn't until we asked about the bill.

In the end, he said the meal was on the house. We didn't want a free meal. We only wanted what was fair.

Improvements:

1. If it's a buffet, please ensure that food is replenished.
2. If you should provide all the dishes and drink you advertised. You can't say that all the pictures were for illustration only.
3. Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene.
4. If you mean 15% discount on ala carte, please do NOT advertise 15% discount on food. Customers cannot read minds.
5. Arguing with customers is not a good idea.

Other comments:

The food was nice (whatever was left). I've eaten Sarawak food in Sarawak. I've to say that the hospitality I received from the hawkers in Sarawak was a lot better. I didn't feel cheated. At Pucuk Ubi, even though the meal was on the house, it left a bad taste in my mouth (and I'm not referring to the dust either). What was supposed to be a fun family meal turned into a stressful event.

Steamed Pork

2011-01-14T20:31:00.002+08:00

14 January 2011

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All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

1. 250 grams minced pork
2. sesame oil
3. 4 small eggs
4. light soy sauce

Portion: 2 to 4 people

Method:

1. Beat eggs in bowl till fluffy.
2. Add minced pork, sesame oil and light soy sauce (to taste).
3. Stir thoroughly.
4. Let sit for 2 to 3 hours and keep stirring as many times as you can.
5. Add half cup of water.
6. Steam for 30 to 40 minutes.

Note: I prefer to steam the dish and cook the rice at the same time in the same pot. Your pot must be able to accommodate a second level where you'll be putting the dish. When the rice is ready, so is the dish. The pork should melt in your mouth. Enjoy!

Cabbage Surprise

2011-01-14T20:17:00.001+08:00

14 January 2011

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All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

1. One Small Sized Round Cabbage
2. One Medium Sized Crunchy Green Apple
3. Grape Seed Oil
4. 250 grams minced pork
5. Salt

Portion: For 2 to 4 persons

Method:

1. Skin and core the green apple. Cut into slices or cubes according to preference.
2. Put apple slices into a pot.
3. Add salt (to taste).
4. Add water to almost cover the apple slices.
5. Boil at medium fire.
6. Cover pot for about 8 minutes.
7. Add pork and 4 tablespoons of grape seed oil.
8. Cover pot.
9. When pork has turned a lighter colour, add chopped round cabbage.
10. Cover pot and let simmer at low fire for about 5 minutes. Stir the ingredients once in a while to infuse the flavours.
11. Serve.

When done, the apple slices should still be a little crunchy. Enjoy!

Maxis Wifi Broadband Service - part 6

2010-12-31T15:43:00.001+08:00

31 December 2010

Is part 6 of the long running Maxis saga the end? I hope so.

On 20 December, we went to the Maxis Service Centre to settle the free modem charge of $400 issue. As usual, the queue was long. Knowing the infamous Maxis long wait at the service centre, I called the Maxis call centre for other Maxis Service Centres in the state. Maxis staff, Moer, answered my call. He asked why I needed to go to a Maxis Service Centre and I told him about the modem issue and my intention to port my line to another telco. He immediately offered to help me get my modem issue resolved. I also told him that I've been waiting for Kiren's supervisor to call me since 15 December even though Kiren said the supervisor will call within 30 minutes. I guess time must move very differently in Maxis.

Anyway, Moer promised he'll get a supervisor call me within 45 minutes. When the time was up, Moer called to apologise because apparently the broadband department called the broadband number instead of my mobile number. Hmmm..... they actually think I'd be able to answer their call even if I haven't terminated the broadband service? How would they know that I'd be online? So, how was I going to answer the call even if the account wasn't terminated?

Later, a supervisor, Veenoth called me. He said I've to return the FREE modem. I told him when I subscribed on 31 October 2008, I was told the modem was FREE and I didn't have to return it when I terminate the account. That was the reason why I subscribed because I didn't want to go through all that queuing and waiting for hours again. Veenoth said he'll investigate.

Jonathan called me the next day and said the FREE modem had to be returned and they'll reverse the $400. I asked why should I return a FREE modem? He said he'll investigate and would give me a case number. He asked me to hold and after a while, the line went dead. A few minutes later, I received a few missed calls from Maxis. Missed calls meaning the phone rang once and stopped. Why was Maxis giving me missed calls for?

A few days later, I received an sms saying that I couldn't be contacted. Hmm.... Maxis couldn't get through to me using a Maxis line. So, how reliable is Maxis service then? I called Maxis Call Centre. I got to hear the music over and over and over and over but no one answered the call several times. I gave up.

On 30 December, we went to Maxis Service Centre to get the issue solved. Yes, there was the usual long, long wait to be served. While waiting, I heard a very interesting conversation between another customer and a Maxis staff on the phone. Apparently, the customer was given a FREE mobile by Maxis and later, he found charges in his bill. The very animated and loud conversation with a lot of "f" words went on for quite a while. The customer even asked the Maxis staff is he/she went to school because apparently, the Maxis staff didn't know what FREE meant. Sounds familiar, eh?

Finally my turn came. The staff serving me insisted that I had to return the FREE modem. I asked him if he would return something which is given to him FREE? He said no. But, I had to return the FREE modem. I asked him why and he said the promotion was actually rental free even though the banner indicated FREE modem and the staff at that time assured me it was FREE. I told him rental free and FREE modem are totally different. But, he insisted they meant the same - that is, rental free. I really wonder whether the Maxis staff actually went to school like the other customer mentioned. Rental free and FREE modem meant the same thing????

I asked the staff to check my records to see how long I've been a Maxis customer. He said since 1997. I asked him if they still wanted to cheat such a long time customer and he still insisted the modem be returned.

The issue is not the modem. The issue is the principle behind it. I subscribed under the understanding that the modem is FREE and belonged to me; not a rental. I terminated the service about 1.5 years later because the service level dropped and my emails to the CEO, Sandip Dass. was ignored. Yeah, if the CEO doesn't even bother to reply a customer's email, naturally, the company wouldn't care about the customers.
one would know how good a company is from how the CEO does the work.

How did I get the CEO's email? I called up the CEO's very own secretary who was kind enough to give me his email address.

I don't like dealing with people or organisations which I cannot trust. Can I trust Maxis after it has cheated me? I think the answer is obvious.

I transferred my line to Digi yesterday. I was on Digi before midnight. I hope Digi doesn't let me down.

Maxis Wifi Broadband Service - part 5

2010-12-15T21:18:00.000+08:00

15 December 2010

I cancelled Maxis wifi broadband service on 8 March 2010. If you wish to know why, read parts 1, 2, 3 and 4. The gist of it is I paid for broadband service and got snailband service. Well, the saga continues....

In my part 4 dated 17 May 2010, I wrote that Maxis still charged me after I terminated their pathetic no class service. They managed to reverse the charges they tried to cheat me for. Finally, they managed to fully reverse all the charges in last month's bill.

Today, I received their bill. Of course, I expected to see my call charges only. Lo and behold! There was a RM400 charge for modem. Modem? What modem? I used my phone to make calls. What modem? I called the Maxis 123 number and the guy said yes, he sees the modem charge in my bill. He said to call 1800 82 2000 as that's the Maxis broadband number. I called Maxis broadband number and Kiren says it was a mistake and he couldn't see it in his system. He said to go to Maxis centre to get it cancelled. What is going on? Maxis makes the mistake and I have to waste my time going to a Maxis centre? The guy at 123 says he can see it on my bill but Kiren says he can't. So, what is going on?

I asked to speak to his supervisor. He said the supervisor will call me back in 30 minutes. That was at 8:25pm. It is now 9:17pm and still no call from Maxis.

Whatever you do, DON'T use Maxis! Their service is pathetic at best. Down right cheating customers at worst! I sure hope Rais Yatim is reading this. This is the kind of companies he should be going after.

YTL YES Internet Service

2010-12-02T12:25:00.001+08:00

We have been eagerly awaiting YLT's internet service since the first announcement over a year ago. When it was launched recently, we were very happy; more than happy. On 28 November, we went all the way to KL with the intention of signing up. They claimed to be the cheapest in town.

We were sadly mistaken. You have to pay first for what you intend to use. Therefore, you need to know your own usage. Since we're subscribed to Digi's 10GB plan for about RM83 per month, we decided to use that as our benchmark. To buy 9GB of YES is RM189 (RM270 [9 cents per 3MB] less bulk discount of RM81). Cheapest in town???? How can RM189 be less than RM83?

Mind you, that's basing on YES giving only 9GB instead of 10GB from Digi. Yes, YES claims to have speed. But, didn't I hear all those new kids on the block claiming to be the fastest when they launched? And why would I pay more than double for less? Would the speed drop once more subscribers sign up (just like it happened to all the other ISPs)?

They also claim that your credit won't disappear. However, you still have to spend RM30 per month. Hmmm..... So, what does that mean?

They have coverage (or so they claim) in our home. However, they have no coverage in my parents' home in Penang. Wide coverage, eh?

I heard a friend had to use YES outside his house because it doesn't have coverage inside his house. Imagine me bringing my desktop outside my house to use the net. And the weather is extremely hot (33 C). My desktop would probably burn in no time and I'll have sunburn as well.

While other ISPs give away the dongles, we have to buy the dongles from YES.

So, did we sign up? No way! YES really needs to reconsider their pricing. I think perhaps instead of spending so much on publicity, YES should spend less on publicity and charge less to customers. No point carry potential customers to such heights and drop us smack on the ground like falling from a plane without a parachute. This is a story of massive propaganda and little substance.

I've to admit, YES has the greatest marketing team I've ever heard of. They can really shovel it... loads of it.

Volume is the name of the game. Lower the price = more subscribers = more profits.

Mother Cat & Kitten

2010-11-26T22:24:00.000+08:00

Mother Cat & Kitten

26 November 2010

We were asked to help foster a mother cat and her kitten on Thursday, 4 November 2010. They had parvo virus which is transmittable to other unvaccinated cats. Alternative is they would have been put to sleep. I guess as it was the eve of Deepavalli and long weekend, there were no fosterers around. Letting them be put to sleep was naturally the last thing we want. So, we took them in.

Man! They were scrawny and sick cats. The first day, they hardly moved, eat or drink. By Saturday afternoon, they were starting to move around in their quarantine cage and also started to eat. Guinness is vaccinated but she's still not used to them and she's extremely territorial.

As usual, giving them medicine was an adventure. The kitten is worst than Bailey the dog. He'll keep the pill in his mouth and refused to swallow. Later, he even pretended to swallow and the moment, I let him go, he'd spit out the pill. And giving them liquid medicine was also tough. They'd spit it out.

In less than a week, they'd recovered enough to eat, play and groom in spite of wasting much of their medication.

To our surprise, the 2 cats reminded us of our beloved Yoda. The mother is more affectionate than Yoda. She'd call to be petted. She'd stretch out fully and simply savour the petting. She just couldn't get enough petting. She'd happily allow (insist) I pet her. After petting her for an hour, it's still not enough for her.

The kitten is as acrobatic as Yoda. He'd climb on anything, anywhere. He jumps too. But, petting is not his thing. Yesterday, he noticed me petting his mother and heard her purring contentedly. He was confused and surprised. All the other days, he was jumping and climbing while I petted the mother cat. So, he never noticed it.

So, why am I calling them mother cat and kitten? Well, once I name them, I feel a bond. I'm trying to resist bonding with them. But, looks futile. So, to keep them or not to keep them. That is the question.

Sanitary Pads And Youth Involved In Social Ills

2010-10-22T19:23:00.000+08:00

Sanitary Pads And Youth Involved In Social Ills
22 October 2010

I read with shock and horror at what Azura Mohd Afandi, Johor Bahru Puteri Umno member said about sanitary pads advertisement on the TV.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/breakingviews/article/sanitary-pads-and-their-relevance-to-intelligence-dina-zaman/

“For example, commercials on sanitary pads are openly shown on TV and this could influence the young to get involved in social ills,” said Johor Bahru Puteri Umno member."

Is Azura implying that guys get turn on seeing the sanitary pads advertisement??? I'm a guy and I can tell Azura without any hesitation that guys don't get turned on by sanitary pads. Where in the world did she get that idea from???? It takes a very sick and dirty-minded person to think that sanitary pads turn on guys. Now, she's made me curious. A normal person in a normal circumstance would not think of such a ridiculous idea. Unless...... hmm..... a person who is intimate with a weird guy who gets turned on by sanitary pads...

Okay, maybe vampires will get turned on too. But, how many vampires are there in Malaysia? Did Azura meet a vampire? I mean a real vampire. Not those on TV or cinema.

Antics Of Sales Callers

2010-10-20T16:00:00.000+08:00

20 October 2010

The antics of various bank sales staff calling to promote credit cards, personal loan, etc., are hilarious. Or maybe me being Chinese and can't speak Cantonese or Mandarin caused the phone connection to break up all the time? Here are the various scenarios I encountered.

Scenario 1
This morning, I received a call from Standard Chartered Bank staff.

me: hello?
lady: Is this Mr Ong?
me: yes
lady: I'm calling from Standard Chartered Bank. *Starts speaking in either Cantonese or Mandarin*.
me: I'm sorry, I don't understand.
lady: hello? hello? hello? Are you still there? Mr Ong?
me: yes, yes, yes, yes.

Line went dead. Same lady called a second time.

me: hello?
lady: Mr Ong?
me: yes
lady: hello? hello? hello?
me: yes, yes, yes

Click.

Scenario 2
Also from a bank.
me: hello?
lady: Mr Ong?
me: yes
lady: *starts speaking in Cantonese or Mandarin*
me: I'm sorry I don't understand.
lady: You don't speak Chinese? Okay, I ask my colleague to call you.

me: hello?
2nd lady: Mr Ong?
me: yes
2nd lady: *starts speaking in Cantonese or Mandarin*
me: I'm sorry. I don't understand.
2nd lady: you don't speak Chinese?
me: no
*click* The phone went dead

Yes, I don't speak Mandarin or Cantonese. But, I speak Hokkien and they can't understand Hokkien. So, is it my fault that I don't understand Mandarin or Cantonese?

These sales callers should learn basic English. I mean they are in Malaysia not China. If they speak Mandarin or Cantonese to the Indians (for example), how far is that conversation going to go?

Cathay Cineplex Damansara @ Curve

2010-10-20T15:24:00.000+08:00

20 October 2010

Cathay Cineplex Damansara @Curve (formerly Cineleisure Damansara), Level 2 & 2M,
No. 2A, Jalan PJU 7/3 Mutiara Damansara Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia 47800
Tel: 03 7727 0724
Fax: 03 7727 7397

Yesterday, we wanted to watch a movie at Cathay. I called the (above) which I got from the Cathay website at http://www.cathayholdings.com.my/cineplexes/contact-us.html.

Me: Hello, is this Cathay Cineplex?
1st lady: Yes.
Me: What are the English movies you have today?
1st lady: Please hold on.
2nd lady: Hello?
Me: What are the English movies you have today?
2nd lady: Fish Head.
Me: What? (scratched head.... must have heard wrong)
2nd lady: Fish Head.
Me: Fish Head? Is that the only movie you have? (wondering what kind of movie is Fish Head)
2nd lady: Yes, Fish Head.

A hunch came to my mind.

Me: Are you selling fish head?
2nd lady: Yes, fish head.
Me: You are not Cathay?
2nd lady: No. Fish head.

Okay, that was a very interesting conversation. Why is the world did Cathay put a fish head shop phone number on their own website???? Cathay doesn't want customers to contact them? Is the website updated? What gives?

Talk about poor service. I really don't know what to say.

What Is Religious Tolerance?

2010-10-11T16:39:00.000+08:00

What Is Religious Tolerance?

11 October 2010

Ustaz Ann Wan Seng's totally unprovoked insult to the Buddhist religion (please refer to the url below) compels me to write this.

http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/from-around-the-blogs/35027-buddhism-is-king-kong-religion-says-convert-ustaz

Each religion has it's own unique rites/rituals which people of other faiths might not understand. For instance, (from Wikipedia) when the Haj is being performed, the faithful have to walk 7 times around the Kaaba counter-clockwise and either kiss the black stone or use the right hand to point towards it on each circuit, etc.

I do not understand the ritual. But, does that mean I've the right to ridicule it? No! No one has the right to ridicule another person's faith either in private or in public. Therefore, I'm very shocked to hear this ustaz ridiculing the Buddhist faith so callously.

In January, during the burning of churches, the Muslims and Christians stood side by side giving out flowers to passers by. I've heard of Muslims who stood outside some churches to protect the churches. That is what I call practising the faith - any faith. After all, isn't it the essence of God's law; justice, compassion and mercy?

That simple act was better than sitting down at a table and dialogue. That act was a dialogue in action. It did much more to promote compassion and peace between religions than any other dialogue would have done.

I hope Ustaz Ann Wan Seng and others like him remember the essence of God's law - Justice, Compassion and Mercy.

No Dog Zone

2010-10-04T17:10:00.000+08:00

4 October 2010

No Dog Zone

I was wondering why Bailey stopped near or under the cats' cage after Yoda's vicious murder. I thought perhaps Bailey missed Yoda. The answer came last Friday. Guinness declared the cage area a no dog zone. I saw Bailey went under the cage. Guinness immediately jumped down from the platform and tried to whack him. Bailey quickly retreated from the area. Very strange. Perhaps some kind of self-defence strategy after the 25 September event? When she's outside of the cage, she allows Bailey to be near her though.

Yoda's Tribute

2010-10-04T14:08:00.000+08:00

4 October 2010

Yoda's Tribute

This is a cocktail which I made using the Vitamix blender.

1. one orange - peeled
2. one apple - halved
3. 4 small lime (calamondin)
4. 3 tablespoons of powdered milk
5. rock sugar to taste
6. 3/4 cup of brandy (or according to preference - be careful, it has a slow kick)
7. 2 cups of water
8. 2 cups of lemon juice
9. 3 teaspoons of coco powder

10. pour into container and leave in fridge (at least overnight)
11. remember to shake container well before serving the cocktail

Note: drinking this cocktail on a full stomach is strongly recommended.

To make lemon juice:

1. cut 2 lemons into thin slices
2. bring 1 litre of water to boil. Switch of fire.
3. add lemon into the boiled water.
4. close lid and leave overnight.

Aftermath Of Yoda's Vicious Murder

2010-09-30T16:18:00.000+08:00

30 September 2010

Aftermath Of Yoda's Vicious Murder

When a cherished pet dies, there are financial and emotional costs involved. However, if one has a pack, more costs will be involved. The costs will affect the remaining pack members.

I noticed a rather significant change in the pack after Yoda was viciously murdered by the husky at 10am on Saturday, 25 September 2010.

Bailey, the dog, our first pack member, no longer sits/sleeps near or under the cats' cage. Maybe because his best buddy was Yoda, the black cat, who is no longer with us. I noticed Bailey has become less energetic as well since Saturday.

However, the most profound effect is happening to Guinness, our first successfully rescued cat and the second animal to join the pack. Guinness has been calling for Yoda several times a day. She has a special call for him. It's loud and mournful. She used the same call when Yoda escaped from the driveway and went adventuring for 2 days. She used the same call whenever I took Yoda out to play out of her sight.

Guinness has suddenly become more affectionate as well. Guinness is usually very aloof. She's a diva. She'll allow you to touch her for a few moments and then, you must stop or she'll get upset. However, she's now so affectionate.

This morning, I experienced something which was very odd. Guinness rubbed her head on my shoulder. She is not that sort of cat. She'll scratch my shoulder but not rub her head on my shoulder. Yoda was the one who used to rub his head on my shoulder or anywhere else he can reach.

A few moments later, another strange sight! Guinness trying to walk on the edge of the litter box. Yoda used to do that. He was Mr Acrobat. He'd do all sorts of acrobatic stunts. Guinness is the type which just lays down or sleep. She never liked any activity of any kind. Besides, she's not slim. She can't do those kind of stuff. Hmm...... it's as if she's trying to be Yoda.

Memorial - A Tribute To Stout/Yoda

2010-09-27T19:06:00.031+08:00

27 September 2010

Memorial - A Tribute To Stout/Yoda

"You walked into our lives (literally) .... but was violently snatched away from us ... too soon"
"You were always escaping from the bathroom and dashing to my workstation to watch me work. So, you will be immortalised on my blog - to be remembered always"

"It took you 30 minutes and 15 bites by that crazy husky for you to die on Saturday at 10am on 25 September 2010. The scene will be etched in my mind forever"

The killer husky was evicted on the rainy night of 27 September 2010. Strangely, from 25 September till the dog left, Bailey, our first pack member, a beagle-mixed and Guinness, our first successfully rescued cat and our 2nd pack member, would stare at the exact spot Yoda died at exactly the time he died. And since the vicious attack, Bailey who used to play with the killer 24 x 7, refused to have anything to do with her. Bailey would stay at his own spot away from her. It was a good thing she left. I saw her staring at the chain we used to double secure the cage door. She used her eyes to follow where the end of the chain was secured to. She was probably thinking of sending Guinness to be Yoda's company.

Stout aka Yoda was our favourite because he was a cat who wasn't a cat. He was friendly to a fault (which probably cost him his life) and he was so loving. We've never been cat people until he came into our lives. To us, cats were aloof and fierce (as demonstrated by Guinness). But, Yoda showed us how wrong our assumption was.

Yoda was named by Charmaine shortly after he walked into her hands and into our hearts. Why did Charmaine name him Yoda? I'll let a picture tell you why. However, I noticed he won't answer to Yoda. So, recently, I renamed him Stout. He turned to look at me when I first called him Stout. Why did I change his name to Stout? Well, it's easier for me to call both cats, Guinness Stout.

One evening, we were walking home when we spotted a black kitten tottering around on the street. He was skin and bones. His eyes were infected. His fur was matted with his poo and whatever else. He was a kitten who was in serious trouble. He was in worse condition than when we rescued Guinness. Unfortunately, it was Wesak Day (Saturday, 2009) and the vets were closed. So, we took him home. Cleaned him up and cared for him as much as we knew. Luckily, we had our experience with Guinness to draw upon. The vets were only opened on Monday. We kept him in a cage in the kitchen where it was nice and warm.

Once the vet gave the okay, we brought Guinness out to get to know him. She considered him as an intruder. She growled and hissed when she saw him. He was in his cage and was safe from Guinness' attempts to swipe him. Anyway, I was holding her. Guinness was kept in the guest bathroom at that time as she was still quite young. Guinness is a very territorial cat. She doesn't like to share our affections with any other animal. At times, Guinness would even growl or hiss from the bathroom whenever she hears him. To our surprise, he didn't meow. He yipped.

As Yoda healed and gained weight, his fur started to grow very silky and nicely. He developed a close rapport with Charmaine and I very quickly. Soon, we learnt that he was an extremely lovable, kind, patient and friendly cat. We have to learn to forgive others. Yoda didn't have to forgive anyone. He just didn't take any offense. During the times when we took Guinness out of the bathroom for her daily "visits" with him, she'll growl and hiss while he tried to make friends with her. At the same time, we took Yoda out to Bailey to make friends. The two boys hit it off quickly. Bailey would give Yoda a bath by licking him all over.

Our initial plan was to put Yoda up for adoption once he recovered and gained strength. We didn't realise that he had already conquered our hearts. We couldn't give him away.

Yoda loved sleeping on my chest as I laid down on the sofa. He also loved climbing to my shoulders and sniffing my face and hair.

Eventually, we put him into the bathroom with Guinness. The lovable fella had also conquered Guinness, the temperamental princess' heart as well. They played like crazy in the bathroom. Eventually, Guinness looked at me for help; panting away. I'd go inside the bathroom to play with Yoda while Guinness took her much needed rest.

When Yoda first lived in the bathroom, he didn't know how to use the litter box. He would do his business on the floor and I'd to clean up after him. As Miss Fussy was living in the same space, she taught him how to use the litter box. And he didn't know how to clean himself either. So, Guinness became the big sister and started cleaning him as well. Although he learnt to use the litter box very quickly, he "didn't" learn how to clean himself. We suspected he was taking advantage of Guinness to give him his daily baths which he thoroughly enjoyed.

When he was neutered, Guinness was so concerned for him and hovered around him most of the time. Ha! Ole Yoda could even break down the armour around Guinness' heart. Guinness bullied him during meals. She'll use her head to push his head away from the eating bowl. Soon, Yoda learnt to push Guinness' head away from the eating bowl too.

Yoda was a very intelligent cat. Soon, he learnt how to open the bathroom door to explore the kitchen. Then, he started exploring the hall. He even tried to explore the upstairs. Eventually, he would open the bathroom door whenever he liked and come looking for us. He could jump very high and far! We had to put up barriers to prevent his great escapes. Once, we saw him jump across the high barrier at the bathroom door from inside the bathroom. Guinness looked at him with wide eyes and opened mouth.

Soon, we decided that the bathroom was not the place for them and moved them into a big dog cage at the driveway. Charmaine came up with the idea of making a wooden platform for them on one side of the cage. We put them in their new cage and left the door opened so that they have the freedom to play in the garden and go back to the cage to rest or sleep. We put them outside on a Saturday.

On Sunday, we were shocked to find him missing. He had squeezed out through the front gate. Charmaine had seen a pack of dogs killed a cat opposite our house earlier. So, we were very concerned. We went looking for him around the neighbourhood. We then, took Bailey to help in the search. We still couldn't find Yoda. Guinness was getting frantic and was calling for him. So, we took her out to help look for him. We couldn't find him. We were frantic and worried. So was Guinness. She kept meowing for him.

On Monday morning when I opened the front door, I found Yoda inside the cage eating his breakfast. We were so happy and relieved. We decided that for his safety, he'll have to stay inside the cage and only come out to the garden under strict supervision. To keep him company, we also put Guinness inside. And both of them will always play with each other inside the cage especially at nights.

Yoda loved all food. Very much like me. He loved chicken, bones and even Bailey's food. He loved the treats we recently bought for the cats. I wish I had given him more. And whenever Guinness eats at the same time with him, he would take a mouthful of food and put it on the tile in the cage to eat at his own pace. He also started grooming himself when we put them in the cage. Guinness must have realised she was being conned. So, she refused to groom him.

When my mum first saw Yoda, she was aghast that he was a black cat. She asked me to give him away. But, when told of his death, she was quite sad. She kept saying it's a pity because he was such a great cat. Yes, Ole Yoda can conquer anyone's heart.

Yoda also allowed anyone to touch him any where. Very different from Guinness. If we touch her belly or tail, she'll either bite or scratch us. For Yoda, if he's not comfortable with how he's handled, he'll just move away without harming anyone.

Yoda was shortlisted for a commercial but fee negotiations fell through. Pity, it have been a nice remembrance to see him in a commercial.

Yoda was also an acrobat. He would stand on top of the scratch post in the cage on all fours. Must have been honed by all the great escapes from the bathroom. And he loved to move around at all the difficult positions in the cage like walking on the edge of their litter box. Speaking of litter box, he loved to lie down on the fresh litter inside the litter box whenever I cleaned the litter box and changed the litter.

Whenever I played with Guinness and Yoda wanted to join in, she'd hit him on the head. The poor lovable guy kept being bullied by her. But, he took it in his stride. He had not a gram of anger in him at all. Charmaine loved to play rough with him and he allowed her. Guinness would respond to rough play with a scratch. When the cats played with Bailey, Yoda got bullied by Bailey too. Bailey loved humping him and rough playing without injuries though.

When I stroked Guinness, Yoda would never be jealous. Instead, he'd use the opportunity to clean her behind. He was such a lovable fella. But when I stroked Yoda, Guinness would sometimes be jealous and used her body to push him aside.

Yoda never harm anyone. He accidentally scratched me once because he didn't know how to retract his nails when with us. I was standing up eating. He was beside me. As usual, he loved food. So, he wanted to have a taste. He jumped up and grabbed my side. I wasn't wearing any shirt. Yup, it was painful. But, he didn't mean it.

Yoda loved smelling and tasting anything. And he loved playing with sticks. And he loved trying to catch flies with his paws. Must have learnt that from Bailey. He never caught any though.

Once he was staying outside, he would only allow me to hug him for a short period. I think I generate too much heat for him. His fur would be all wet. hehehe....

He felt so safe and comfortable in the cage that he'd sleep on his back with all his legs sprawled out. Unfortunately, I don't have any photo of that. I intended to take one but kept putting it off. He was afraid of lightning and thunder. Whenever there's lightning and thunder, he'd huddle in a corner in the cage with his tail tucked in and his eyes closed.

People say cats cannot be trained. However, Yoda could give me paw... awkwardly. But he did it. He understood "no", "stop it", "come" and other commands.

Whenever I open the front door, Yoda would never fail to greet me with his soft meow. And when I put my face near him, he'd smell me and even rub noses with me. With Yoda, I dared to go nose to nose. I tried to get close to Guinness and nearly lost my left eye. Guinness would be very friendly one moment and then, she'll be moody the very next moment. Her mood changes in an instant. Typical cat. But, I can't figure Yoda out. He's so loving.

Of all the animals I've ever cared for, Yoda was the only one who never made me angry at all.

Yoda, my boy, we'll always remember you and love you. Bailey and Guinness are already missing you. Take good care of yourself wherever you are. We hope St Francis will take care of you too. Visit us anytime and let us know you're with us. You cannot be replaced. You are unique. You are a very rare cat. We hope to see you again...........

Yoda when shortly after he walked into Charmaine's hands. He was in a very bad condition.

How he got his name. The Force was strong in him.

This is why our bond was very strong.

Yoda joined Guinness in the bathroom.

My, what long nails you have.

And Mr Houdini starts his act.

Yoda enjoying the basket Charmaine provided for him and Guinness to share inside the cage at the driveway.

Yoda felt so safe that he could sleep so soundly.

Yoda the kitten king.

Yoda loved hanging around the palm tree.

Mr Handsome.

Yoda on the makeshift platform in the cage.

Yoda and Guinness having a cat nap.

Simple Facts About Dogs

2010-09-26T21:02:00.000+08:00

26 September 2010

Simple Facts About Dogs

Through fostering and (basic) training dogs, I've noticed a few characteristics about dogs.

Dogs need to be kept occupied... to what extent depends on individual dogs (not necessarily breed). The best way to keep a dog occupied is to have another dog.... unless you are going to let the dog follow you all day and night. We need to remember that dogs are pack animals. So are cats. Anyway, as pack animals, they socialise with other members of the pack - that is the nature of dogs. A home which has cats and dogs means that there is a pack consisting of dogs and cats - not enemies. Therefore, no member of that pack should attack or kill another member of the pack.

Another good way to keep a dog occupied is through walking/running it. Please get your vet's advise before doing this. Some dogs might not be able to take too vigorous activity. Some dogs may need to have some jabs to protect them from diseases they might contract from outside the home.

By nature, dogs do not kill unless threatened or hunting for food. Therefore, a dog which kills when not threatened or hunting for food, is a thrill killer. That means it kills just for fun. In human society, we call people who kill for thrills as serial killers or psychotic killers. We do not say it is human nature to kill others for fun because he/she has nothing better to do. Saying that a particular breed of dog kills because it has nothing to do is like saying a person of a particular ethnicity kills because he/she has nothing to do. Is that correct?

Stout, My Lovable Stout

2010-09-26T09:40:00.001+08:00

26 September 2010

Stout, My Lovable Stout

Stout, our black cat with white chest, was previously known as Yoda. He was about 2 years old. We rescued him on the street near our house less than 2 years ago. He was starving - just skin and bones. He was very weak. He had infection on the eyes. His fur was all matted. And he walked right into Charmaine's hands. It was Wesak Day on a Saturday. We tried to get him to several vets but they were all closed for the holiday. So, we cared for him as much as we could until Monday. More details are in my earlier story.

Around 9am yesterday, we were leaving the house for our class. As usual, Stout came to the edge of the cage to greet me whenever I step out of the house. I stroked him through the cage but I didn't hug him. I never knew it was going to be the last time I see him alive.

Shortly after we left the house, Sierra, the husky, the new member of the pack we provided a home out of kindness, managed to unlatch the cage and opened the door. She promptly attacked Stout. Stout, being the lovable creature he was, didn't even defend himself. He only started defending himself towards the end. And he fought a good fight from Sierra's wounds. It took him half an hour to die. He died at about 10am.

Although I've prepared myself for the inevitable deaths of my pets, I wasn't ready for this. An animal I brought into my pack out of kindness viciously killed a cherished member of my pack for sheer pleasure.

I've always dreamt of having my children play with Stout (when we have children). He was the only pet I could totally trust. Guinness, our other rescued cat is very temperamental. Her mood can switch in an instant. I can't trust her completely. Bailey, our beagle mixed is human aggressive at times. I can't trust him completely either. Bailey loved Stout. They would clean each other's ears.

Stout made me into a cat person. I used to prefer dogs than cats. Guinness reinforced that perception until Stout came into our lives. He was a cat who wasn't completely a cat. He loved to sniff at us face-to-face and we never had to worry that he might scratch us. He loved chicken and chicken bones. He figured out how to open the bathroom door when he was still a kitten. He loved the cat treats we recently bought the cats. Guinness didn't quite like them. She's more fussy. Now, who are we going to feed the treats to?

Stout's early demise broke my heart. The way he died broke my heart even more. And me bringing in his killer into our home with the misguided sense of charity will probably haunt me for a very long time. He was so carefree and trusted us to protect him. He would lie down in his cage on his back without any fear. He trusted us totally. And I know he loved us in his own way. He used to yip. Only recently, he started to meow softly. People say cats cannot be trained to give paw. Stout gave paw.

Stout, Yoda, my friend, rest well and do visit us whenever you wish. I never knew a cat, a black cat, can touch my life so much.

Plight Of Orphans In Malaysia

2010-09-20T17:07:00.000+08:00

20 September 2010

Plight Of Orphans In Malaysia

The life of an orphan is not easy. Living in an orphanage means limited love and no bonding with parents which are essential elements to a healthy development of a child. At the age of 18, the orphan has to leave the orphanage. Some orphans would not have any Identification Card (IC) because one needs to prove citizenship of one's parents to get an IC. A child who has been abandoned does not even know the parents. So, how would that child get an IC?

And without an IC, one cannot enroll in government schools or other centres of education. Without IC one cannot get a proper job either. So, how would one make an honest living?

Is this what we mean by being a caring society? Throwing away our children. Putting them into a life of non-existence. Making them stateless.

Personally, I believe that if the orphans were given equal opportunity, they would grow up to be responsible citizens. They would also become tax-payers. If the government doesn't give them IC, the country cannot collect tax from them.

Now, we have an organisation called OrphanCare. The patron of OrphanCare is HRH Sultanah of Pahang, Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom. OrphanCARE aims to help change society's mindset towards orphans, recognizing that children should not be left permanently in orphanages which should really only be 'transit points' before they are placed with families who can bring them up in a proper family structure.

Why are orphanages reluctant to allow OrphanCare to help the children at the orphanages get adopted? It is to the benefit of the children to be adopted. Of course, it is also to the benefit of childless couples. So, this shows it is a win-win situation. So, why the reluctance?

The 4 key points we need to focus on:

1. Efforts should be made to quickly get the children into the loving homes of caring families.

2. Orphanages should cooperate with organisations like OrphanCare to help the children get adopted quickly.

3. All efforts should not be spared to quickly and efficiently legalise the adoption of orphans.

4. The Home Ministry should ensure ICs are issued to the children in orphanages once they reach the age of 12.

These children need our help. Let's do everything to help them.

Air Asia Cancels Australia to KL Flight

2010-09-17T14:42:00.000+08:00

17 September 2010

Air Asia Cancels Australia to KL Flight

This morning, our friend from Australia who's supposed to visit on 23 September informed us that Air Asia has cancelled his flight. The reason is because the Air Asia plane didn't arrive. Hmm....

Okay, I'm a firm believer of being creative in business. I've also heard that it takes money to make money. But, I've never thought it meant selling seats to a plane one doesn't have. I've heard of Malaysian developers selling buildings before they start building them. Something about not enough capital to hire the workers and buy the items. But, selling seats before getting the plane??? Wow! Very creative! ;P

This Tony Fernandez, founder and CEO of Air Asia sure is a creative businessman.

So, what's next? Would our taxi drivers start collecting fares before they go and buy their taxis? Maybe I should also start my own airline. I'll call it Vapour Air. Those who took up computer studies would have heard of vapourware. So, you know what vapour airline is. ;) Anyone wants to be my partner?

2 Sisters Char Koay Teow, Penang

2010-09-14T17:56:00.000+08:00

14 September 2010

2 Sisters Char Koay Teow,
Lam Heng Coffeeshop,
Macalister Road (near the junction of Perak Road and Maclister Road),
Penang.

Much have been said/written about the 2 Sisters Char Koay Teow in Penang. The prices are RM3 no egg; RM4 with egg, RM5 with egg, large. It is the best tasting Char Koay Teow I've tried, no doubt. However, the price is just too high for such a small portion. I ordered the RM4 plate. The only extra it has which other Char Koay Teow don't have is a slight (yes, very slight) sprinkle of crab bits.

Yes, it tastes very nice. But, they should not make it so small. I could get an almost as nice Char Koay Teow at RM3.30 with egg, the portion almost double at Batu Lanchang market.

The Hokkien Mee (prawn noodles) there was also very nice but I almost asked the lady what happened to the other half of the portion! Gosh! The price was RM3.50! Charmaine says it's too salty for her. The Lor Mee (noodle with thick gravy) was also shockingly small. Charmaine says, the Lor Mee at the coffee shop near Lam Wah Ee hospital is better. And yes, the portion is also double. The otak-otak (made from fish) was as nice as it used to be when I was a kid. But, the price increased and the size shrank. I saw otak-otak being sold at the chee cheong fun store (owner's name is Alan) at the Batu Lanchang market. The chee cheong fun was nice but I haven't tried the otak-otak yet.

So, if you have a big appetite and don't wish to order 3 plates of Char Koay Teow to satisfy your hunger, don't bother going to the 2 Sisters Char Koay Teow. I felt cheated. If you have a fat wallet and wish to have it as tea or dessert, go ahead.

Simple Courtesy

2010-09-13T12:26:00.000+08:00

13 September 2010

Simple Courtesy

We've often heard of elders lamenting about the lack of manners among the younger generations. However, sometimes, this is just a one-way thought.

When an elder comes to my house, s/he should comply with my house rules. Very simple courtesy. And it's also the manners which some elders have been lamenting about. The funny thing is, those who criticise the younger generation are sometimes the culprits themselves.

My house rules regarding my pets are made because I've nothing better to do. They are made to protect my pets' health and to maintain discipline. Why maintain discipline? If pets are not aware of their limits and boundaries, they will think they are the pack leaders and they will create havoc to the household. And most of the time, when they create havoc, it's a danger to them.

So, when an elder comes and I say I've fed the pets, don't stubbornly ignore me and feed the pets. This shows this elder is simply rude to me and obstinate. And this elder will be fast to comment about the lack of manners of the younger generations.

Now, what would happen? Animals are very perceptive. The pets will sense that some humans can be ignored. If some humans can be ignored, why not ignore all humans. That is when havoc happens.

Feeding the pets extra is just a small matter, right? No. To the animals, it has a far-reaching meaning. It means they can start to manipulate humans. At the end of the day, I'm the one who has to clean up all the mess caused by the animals.

This elder was offered the opportunity to adopt one of my pets but refused because the animal cannot be controlled. So, why break my house rules knowing very well that I've to do the clean up after that? Is that polite behaviour? How would this elder like it if she adopts that pet and I go over and get the animal to cause havoc to her house so that she gets to clean up?

What if the pets get sick over-eating? Is the elder going to pay for the medical bill?

Simple courtesy is to comply with the house rules of the homes you visit. The owners know what is best. It's just like the house rule for elder is for visitors to take off their shoes before entering her house. What if I stubbornly wear my shoes inside? Would the elder like that?

Digi Broadband

2010-09-07T10:44:00.000+08:00

Digi Broadband

7 September 2010

I used to subscribe to Maxis broadband (for over a year) before I switched to Digi broadband. I had no problems using the Maxis broadband at my parents' home in Penang. Before I subscribed to Digi broadband, I asked the staff at the SS2 Digi Centre to confirm good coverage for both my location in PJ and my parents' location in Penang. She showed me a map which showed good coverage at both locations.

We arrived in Penang on 29 August 2010. I started installing the Digi broadband modem but I couldn't log on to the internet. I thought maybe the Digi server was down. So I called the Digi call centre to find out what was going on. I was told the server was fine. The staff told me to do the usual stuff like uninstalling it, restart the PC, installing it, restart the PC, etc. In the meantime, they would reset my account for me. I still couldn't get online. I called the Digi call centre again and was told they would escalate it to the next level which would take 24 hours.

On 30 August, I managed to log on for about 5 minutes before the signal went back to zero again. Mark from Digi called me and walked me through the various settings, etc. He said that if it still didn't work, I should call the Digi call centre so that they send someone over to investigate.

On 31 August, since the Digi broadband didn't work, I called the Digi call centre again. The staff tried to get me to go through the settings again. I told the staff that Mark had already done all that with me and was supposed to send someone over. The staff said it will be escalated in 24 hours.

On 1 September, since the Digi broadband didn't work, I called the Digi call centre again. The staff tried to get me to go through the settings again. By now, my patience was wearing very thin. These people keep reading from their scripts without understanding the customer's problem. Once a customer calls several times with the same problem, they should chuck away that script and start to do real trouble-shooting. The staff said it will be escalated in 24 hours.

On 2 September, since the Digi broadband didn't work, I called the Digi call centre again. The staff (Nash) told me that there's no signal inside my parents' house but there's good signal outside the house. He then proceeded to suggest I bring my desktop outside to try! Yes, during the entire episode, I told all the Digi call centre staff that I was using a desktop. In any case, which fool would use the computer (notebook or desktop) under the sun???? I then proceeded to tell him that I was assured by the SS2 Digi centre staff that I would be able to use the broadband at my parents' location. I asked if he's implying that the SS2 Digi staff was lying to me. Nash replied that the SS2 staff had a different map. I then asked him whether there's 1 Digi company or 2 Digi companies. He replied there's only 1 Digi company. So, I asked how could the same company have 2 different information? He couldn't answer and said that he'll call me back the next day. I requested to speak to his supervisor but he refused to pass me through.

On 3 September, I still had zero signal. And the Digi call centre guy, Nash, called me and said there's actually signal at my parents' house. It was a modem problem. He then asked me to bring my modem to a Digi centre in Burma Road near a police station.

On 4 September, we went to the Digi centre in Burma Road near a police station. Luckily, Charmaine used to work for Digi and had been there. It was actually near a Catholic church not a police station. Hmm.... there's a vast difference between a Catholic church and a police station.

Anyway, the staff confirmed that something was wrong with the modem. And asked why it took us so long to go to the Digi centre with the problem. I told her the Digi call centre had been escalating it daily without any results. I don't think any company has so many levels of escalation. I believe the call centre staff were just too lazy to do anything and lied to me about the escalation. The staff said that she couldn't give me any refund for the whole week I wasn't able to use the net; implying that I took too long to go to the Digi centre. Well, it took me so long to go to the Digi centre because the incompetents at the Digi call centre kept promising me they would help me but didn't. I requested to speak to a manager but was told there was no manager at the Digi centre. Amazing! I mentioned that I was surprised no one was in-charged. Then, I was told Rozita was in-charged. We spoke with her and she promised to request for a refund on our behalf.

My goodness! I'm shocked at the service level of a company which is partly owned by a Norwegian company. Is this a Norwegian work culture? I would like to know what the management of Digi would do to compensate me for all my calls to their idiotic call centre and my frustration of not being able to use the net for a whole week! Incidentally, I'm not the only customer with problems. When we were waiting for our number to be called, we saw a lady there who was totally pissed. Apparently, she bought a HTC phone from Digi but it kept giving problems and she had to keep going back to Digi centre for them to reset it. I can't blame her for being pissed. When she demanded an exchange, the staff printed out a form for her to sign. Fair enough. However, it only infuriated her more when she read that the reason for the exchange was due to customer negligence. We all heard the lady explaining to the staff that it was a Digi staff who opened the phone and put in the simcard. The lady said she never opened the phone at all. So, how can it be customer negligence? Good gracious! Digi really has extremely POOR customer service.

Digi, if you really need a consultant to help you NOT piss off your customers, please contact me. I'm no expert in customer service but I'm sure I can train your staff to be much better than they are right now.

La Gomera Restaurant PJ

2010-08-28T22:39:00.001+08:00

28 August 2010

La Gomera Restaurant
Block E-LG 1&2 Neo Damansara
Jalan PJU 8/1
Bandar Damansara Perdana
47820 PJ
Tel: +603 7710 0262
email: lagomera0102@hotmail.com

We went to La Gomera Spanish restaurant on 27 August 2010 for their buffet dinner. I made the reservation a week in advance and spoke with Sulaiman because when I called them weeks earlier, the person told me that they need 1 week's notice to ensure a table. I called them again on 25 August to make sure they still had our reservation.

It was a very difficult place to find. We got lost and had to go in and out of the car park 3 times. In the end, we asked the car park attendant for directions. We called their telephone number for help but no one picked up the call. We even called their mobile number listed in their brochure but no one picked up the call.

When we arrived at the restaurant.... finally....., I found out that we were given a table outside the restaurant. I requested for a table inside the restaurant but the waiter told me there's no place since I only made my reservation on 25 August. I told him I made my reservation a week ago but he didn't believe me.

Well, that wasn't a good start to the experience. We were not told what we the items available for the buffet. I had to ask which drinks were part of the buffet. Later, I had to ask if coffee was also part of the buffet.

Charmaine found out that behind the buffet area through a narrow corridor, was the grilled food, pizza, pasta and seafood area. No one bothered to tell us even though we were the second group of guests to arrive.

Overall, the food was nice. Nothing spectacular.... just okay. The fresh oysters ran out at about 9pm even though the buffet was till midnight. No, they didn't replenish it in spite of me asking them twice and Charmaine asked once. The fresh oysters had a peculiar taste. They were probably washed in tap water.

There should also be signages leading to the restaurant. And someone should have answered our repeated phone calls. They are located at a new complex which is barely inhabited. Most people do not know the area yet.

Their service was below average. I'm assuming that Sulaiman messed up my reservation and that the waiter was not lying to me. In any case, a waiter should not argue with the guest. Politeness should be a key concept in the restaurant business. La Gomera is supposed to be a Spanish cuisine restaurant. Is this the kind of service a guest should expect?

Fresh oysters should be washed in filtered water so that no strange taste would mingle with the oyster taste. Believe me, oyster eaters know.

Food should be replenished. If they didn't replenish the food 30 minutes before the buffet closes, then, I can understand. But, they stopped replenishing 3 hours before the buffet closes is ridiculous! People paid money for it.

This experience is shockingly the opposite of our experience at The Meat Experts. The management of La Gomera should send their staff for training at The Meat Experts.

No, I don't recommend La Gomera. No, it's not only due to the poor service but also due to the mediocre offering. One could find these food in any other decent restaurant at a much lower price. Why waste hard earned money at La Gomera?

Charmaine and I had upset tummy the whole of the next day too. I had to sit on the throne 6 times!

Government Lawyer In Malaysia - The Teoh Beng Hock Case

2010-08-20T19:47:00.000+08:00

Government Lawyer In Malaysia

20 August 2010

I pray very, very, VERY hard that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecutor Abdul Razak Musa, did NOT pass from any Malaysian education system. Otherwise, I don't think parents would send their children to study in Malaysia. There goes our foreign exchange.

His attacks, yes, attacks and NOT cross examination of Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand was totally uncalled for, unprofessional and infantile. Or in psychology talk, he's at the anal stage.

Well, if Malaysia doesn't recognise a university which is the top 5 in Asia, then, something must be wrong with those idiots who made that ruling. Oops... did I say, idiots? I meant something else. What do you call people who have totally no molecule of brain?

How does someone strangle oneself? Abdul Razak Musa demonstrated that and he was still alive to slam his car door after the court proceedings. Abdul Razak Musa obviously demonstrated to himself that one cannot strangle oneself.

Have you any experience jumping off a building. Okay.... valid question.... if you're cross examining a ghost. Was Abdul Razak Musa cross examining a ghost? Or maybe Abdul Razak Musa needs the experience of jumping off a building before he asks such questions. Go ahead, Abdul Razak Musa, please get that experience. You'll be able to really badger Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand once you get the experience. May I suggest the Petronas Twin Towers? It'll be a wonderful experience. Just go all the way up to the top floor and JUMP!

Abdul Razak Musa got his facts muddled up and yet, he claimed he spent 3 days reading the 11-page report. Hmm..... did Abdul Razak Musa pass his reading tests in school. Seems to me, he's rather slow in the brain (if he has one).

Abdul Razak Musa also questioned Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand why she said Teoh Beng Hock was dead when he fell from level 14 but alive when he hit level 5. Wah! I didn't know Abdul Razak Musa is a Christian. So, Abdul Razak Musa believes in resurrection like Lazarus' case? Interesting.....

If Teoh Beng Hock was unconscious, his body would be heavier. I admit I'm no expert in science or anatomy. Can you say, moron? Where does the buffoon get his facts? The Great Book For Idiots?

The Dog

2010-08-18T15:37:00.000+08:00

The Dog

18 August 2010

Sierra joined the pack on 13 August. The cats don't like her. Guinness, our diva, especially dislikes Sierra. She'll growl and hiss whenever Sierra comes near. Quite similar to her treatment of Stout, the younger cat when he first joined the pack. But, now, Guinness and Stout are inseparable. Stout still gets bossed around by Guinness. But then, he's so good natured, he takes everything in stride. Hopefully, Sierra would eventually be accepted. Bailey is losing his naps due to Sierra's playfulness.

Someone commented that Sierra is now in a camp. Some people seem to think that dogs are humans. If dogs are humans, won't that mean that humans are dogs? Okay, if someone wishes to sniff my butt, go ahead. But, I draw the line on sniffing someone's butt.

This is what happens when 2 dogs meet.
Dog1: *sniff* hmm.... you had Alpo dog food just now. You live with humans.
Dog2: *sniff* poor thing, you had scraps many days ago. You live on the streets.

Okay, to me, a butt is a butt. I only know 2 things about butts. Either they are washed or not washed. I wouldn't have any idea what the other person eats no matter how long I bury my face in his butt. If I want to know about a person, I say, how do you do. Where do you come from. I don't go sniffing his butt. So, are humans dogs? Are dogs humans? If not, why do people seem to think that dogs should be treated like humans? Anyone wants to sniff my butt and tell me what I ate last night?

To understand a dog, one has to look at dog psychology. See where dogs come from before they were domesticated. Dogs derived from wolves. They were and still are pack animals. This means they hunt in a pack and they live as a pack. In a pack, discipline is enforced by the pack leader - the top dog. I repeat, the pack leader enforces discipline. The dogs are not allowed to do anything they wish in a pack. The pack leader sees to that.

The pack leader will initiate a hunt. The pack leader will mate with the females. The pack leader will eat first.

I enforce similar rules to the dogs I encounter. And most dogs do sense the "leadership" immediately. I'm talking about dogs which have never seen me before. The stubborn ones do try to challenge that "leadership". But, as long as you maintain the "leadership", they will comply. Dogs are followers (most of them). They prefer to follow the leader. If a human is not strong enough, then, the dog will feel compelled to lead. That is when trouble starts. It's a survival instinct. In the wild, if a pack is led by a weak leader, the entire pack will die.

So, my "camp" as some people put it, is actually a simulation of what they get in a pack. And if they don't like my leadership, would they walk and sit by my side? Which is a more contented dog? A dog who stays with a human because it wants to. Or a dog who stays with a human because it expects food.

Sierra has taken the role of my assistant. Smart dog. She wants to be #2 dog. So, whenever I order Bailey to be quiet and he refuses, she'll physically remind him to keep quiet. I don't have to go near any of them.

However, she is far from being #2 dog in the pack. She gets excited during meal times. She learnt that from the rescue pound. The "big" rescue organisation didn't see to it that the dogs are calm before feeding them. Dogs should only be fed when they are calm. That is the proper dog behaviour. However, I see excited dogs being fed. That implants the idea in their minds that to eat, they have to be excited. In a pack, the excited dog will be chased away from the meal by the pack leader or the pack itself. So, I've to help her unlearn certain abnormal dog behaviours she picked up at the pound. Whenever we dog-sit for friends, I insist the dogs be calm before I feed them. That applies even to huge dogs..... especially huge dogs. In their excitement, they might accidentally hurt me or anyone around. Think about it, do you want a dog which is double your size to jump on you in it's excitement?

The Meat Experts Deli-Butchers-Restaurant

2010-08-16T22:49:00.002+08:00

16 August 2010

The Meat Experts Deli-Butchers-Restaurant (TME)
G.15 & G.16 Hartamas Shopping Centre
60 Jalan Sri Hartamas
Tel: 603 6205 2577
Fax: 603 6205 2578
Email: themeatexperts@gmail.com
Website: www.themeatexperts.com

When we went to TME on 15 August, I had no intention of writing anything about it. We just wanted to fill our stomachs before going for the Reluctant Saint musical.

The menu didn't really excite me. It seemed like any normal restaurant menu. There were pork dishes, fish dishes and pasta.

The service by Ally, a Vietnamese lady, was excellent. She refilled our cups of water without us beckoning her. The set lunch came with soup or salad and Lavazza coffee or tea. While waiting for our food, Charmaine noticed a plate of salad being brought to the next table. She enquired if it was for the set lunch which we had ordered. It was. And Ally immediately asked if Charmaine wanted to change her order from mushroom soup to the salad. Charmaine agreed and it was done. No fuss.

The mushroom soup was nice. I can really taste the mushrooms. It's not those canned soup or those watered down mushroom soup either. Charmaine liked the salad. My dory fish was done perfectly and the texture was rather unique. It came with capsicum. And the chef managed to cook the capsicum slices in such a way that the texture was almost like noodles. By the way, I'm not a vegetable person. And I dislike capsicum. But, I liked it at TMC.

Charmaine's pork chop was interesting. I haven't been able to find it in any other coffeeshop or restaurant. It tasted almost like ham and the texture was also almost like ham. I wonder how they did it. I was impressed.

I accidentally left our tupperware at my seat when we left the restaurant. So, after shopping and going to the car, I realised it and went back. Ally had kept it and passed it back to me.

Refilling patrons' glasses of water and being polite are very easy habits for any establishment to emulate. However, the patrons can feel it only if it's genuine acts of good service.

Such excellent service is very rare in Malaysia these days. So readers, you must go over to The Meat Experts if you want excellent service and good food. It's worth every single cent.

Key points for restaurants and other eateries to note are genuine excellent service coupled with good food. You can't go wrong with that formula.

To the management of TME, bravo to you for providing good food and for hiring Ally. Well done! To my dear readers, please give TME a try. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as Charmaine and I did.

Deaths In The Family

2010-08-16T16:53:00.001+08:00

15 August 2010

Deaths In The Family

Granny left us on 7 January. Grandaunt #6 passed away 2 weeks ago of pneumonia. Grandaunt #5 passed away last Friday of colon cancer. Both were granny's sisters. Grandaunt #6's death was a shock for me. Grandaunt #5's condition was already known for some time. And suddenly I feel down.

Why?

Is it because the grandaunts' passing brought back memories of granny's passing?
Possible.

But why should I be still affected by granny's passing? I was at the hospital and I was with her when she took her last breath. And I helped the family dressed her later. There should be no unresolved issues with me.

I never allowed myself to grief. I shut off emotions and just occupied myself with helping out people, went for parties, taking the course, etc.

So, the initial stage was ignoring the emotions in order to cope. That's avoidance. I should have revisited the emotions after everything was over. I didn't. I jumped into activities which gave me the illusion that everything was alright - denial stage. And I thought I had it handled because I didn't feel anything. So, when the grandaunts died, the controlled emotions became overwhelming.

Now, well, during the semester break, I need to find quiet time to revisit the emotions and settle the unresolved issue. The issue has to be faced head on in order for me to move on.

Las Carretas Mexican Restaurant

2010-07-19T08:43:00.000+08:00

19 July 2010

Las Carretas Mexican Restaurant
B-07 Semantan Avenue
10 Jalan Semantan
Damansara Heights
50490 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603-2093 0380
website: www.lascarretas.com

If you are thinking of Mexican food, DO NOT go to Las Carretas! Well, if you have loads of money and you wish to share it, DO NOT go to Las Carretas! It's better to donate your money to charities.

Two friends, Charmaine and I went to Las Carretas for lunch yesterday. The food was so-so but the portions were surprisingly small. You can get nicer and bigger portion of Fajitas at Uncle Chilli.

Since it was a Sunday, we were entitled to 15% discount on the total bill. We only realised that they didn't give the discount after we left the place. That's just plain cheating. You don't rip off your customers. To add salt to injury, Christian, the bartender added RM3 for Habanero which he said he was "letting us try". Our 2 friends and I tried it. No, he didn't give us a whole bowl each. No, he didn't give us a tablespoon each. No, he didn't give us a teaspoon each. So, what did we get? Less than half a teaspoon each! And for RM1 per person! Rip off!!!!

The bartender was also too inquisitive. I know bartenders tend to talk a lot. It comes with the job. But, Christian was even butting into our private conversations.

Well, looks like Las Carretas didn't change after all these years. A few years ago, Las Carretas in another location tried to cheat us by charging us for a large drink when we ordered the small drink. We thought Las Carretas would have improved by now. Well, we were seriously wrong.

Our Sunday outing with friends was totally spoilt by the Las Carretas rip off. So, people, DO NOT go to Las Carretas.

Dog and Cats - part 1

2010-07-05T16:08:00.000+08:00

Dog and Cats - part 1

5 July 2010

Yesterday, we let Guinness (the female cat) and Yoda (the male cat) roam the porch and garden under strict supervision. Immediately, Bailey, the neutered male dog, tried to rape Yoda. Bailey tries to hump Yoda every time we let Yoda out. Bailey didn't even pay attention to Guinness. Hmm.... I wonder if the vet did a thorough job with the procedure. On the other hand, it might not be due to incomplete procedure since Bailey didn't pay attention to Guinness. Poor Yoda doesn't seem to have the force to repel Bailey's unwanted advances.

Maxis Wifi Broadband Service - part 4

2010-05-17T16:01:00.002+08:00

17 May 2010

I cancelled Maxis wifi broadband service on 8 March 2010. If you wish to know why, read parts 1, 2 and 3. The gist of it is I paid for broadband service and got snailband service.

If you cancel the service of a world-class organisation due to poor service, they would normally apologise to you and try to make up for it. Well, I received no apology. So, no doubt, Maxis is definitely not a world-class organisation. In my humble opinion, Maxis is a no-class organisation. The CEO, Sandip Dass didn't even have the courage or courtesy to reply my email. If he had acted responsibly, I might have been convinced to continue using Maxis wifi broadband service.

Anyway, once I canceled the service, I shouldn't have any stress from Maxis, right? Wrong. Till today, I'm still being charged for a service which I cannot use. Oh, they were very efficient in canceling the service. Within 2 hours, I couldn't use it anymore. But, they still continue charging me till today.

So, is it Maxis company policy to cheat customers? Yes, it's cheating. They keep charging me RM138.00 per month for a non-existent service. One would think that such a big company did not need to resort to cheating in order to make profits. But then, maybe that's how they make profits. I can't see how Maxis can make profits with such poor service. So, yeah, I guess they've to resort to cheating customers. I wonder how many customers have been cheated without knowing it.

This is what I got from the Maxis website:

"Trust is crucial in every successful relationship and this is true between customers and Maxis, just as it is true between the company and its employees. All good relationships are built on trust which inspires confidence, and, assurance, conviction and reliance.

To be trustworthy is a way of life."

These guys are funny. Trust? What trust? Maxis is cheating me and they talk about trust???? Do they really think that cheating me would inspire confidence in them? Are these people dreaming? Are they literate? Oh... I think they might be illiterate; that's why Sandip Dass couldn't reply my email. He doesn't know how to read.

Anyway, I called Maxis customer service again this morning and spoke with Jonathan. He checked and admitted that the other guy I spoke to on 8 March 2010 did note down that I was canceling the service. And he further admitted that Maxis is charging me for a non-existent service. Jonathan assured me that it would be rectified and shown on my next bill. Well, we shall see. My trust in Maxis has fallen to the very rock bottom. So, only action will assure me that everything is fine. Trust? Can you trust Maxis?

How Catholics Deal With Affront

2010-04-06T14:05:00.000+08:00

How Catholics Deal With Affront
by Danny Ong

6 April 2010

Excerpt from http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=5928
Angry at criticism of Pontiff, archbishop cancels newspaper subscription
April 05, 2010

Archbishop John Vlazny of Portland, Oregon, has cancelled his subscription to the local newspaper, The Oregonian, and recommended that pastors do the same, to protest an editorial cartoon mocking Pope Benedict XVI. The archbishop said that the cartoon had been "a portrayal dripping with hostility, an attack against our high priest." The newspaper issued a public response denying the charge of anti-Catholicism.

This is how Catholics deal with an affront. No need for riots, no need for burning of any building, no need for violence of any sort. Just a simple cancellation of subscription speaks volumes. It tells the world that Catholics believe in peace, in love, in harmony, in truth and in justice.

Who Are The Patriots?

2010-04-01T15:41:00.003+08:00

Who Are The Patriots
by Danny Ong

1 April 2010

I read Lim Kit Siang's blog with interest. http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2010/04/01/challenge-to-all-the-other-17-umno-ministers-and-other-bn-ministers-to-stand-up-and-be-counted-to-declare-whether-they-are-malaysians-first-and-malays-chinese-indians-kadazans-or-ibans-second-or-th/

Lim Kit Siang asked whether Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin really supports Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia concept, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin declared he is “Malay first” and then only a Malaysian.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said: “I am Malay first! But being Malay does not mean you are not Malaysian. It is not a race issue.”

Does this mean that Najib's 1Malaysia concept has failed?

Actually, I see no reason for this 1Malaysia concept.... well, maybe only in Malaysia. Let's look at USA. If you ask Cesar Millan whether he's an American first or Hispanic first, he'll say he's an American first. If you ask Oprah Winfrey whether she's an American first or a Black first, she'll say she's an American first. Let's look at Australia. The Aussies will say they are Aussies first and Irish, Hispanic, etc second. It's a given.

So, why can't our Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin say he's a Malaysian first? I mean he's in the same political party and cabinet as his boss. What gives?

For a national concept to work, it has to flow from the top down. It doesn't start from the bottom up. I hope our cabinet ministers are paying attention here. I repeat, for a national concept to work, it has to flow from the top down. I mean, have you ever heard of a waterfall flowing up? Come on!

If people refuse to be Malaysians first, can we have a patriotic society? Think about it. Well, I don't wave any kris around, but I've been referring to myself as a Malaysian for decades. Surprisingly, many of those who refer to themselves as Malaysians first don't need to go around waving the national flag. What's the point? The national flag is already in our hearts, in our blood and in our souls. True patriots don't need to give the illusion of being patriots. They live and breathe patriotism.

Does it matter where our ancestors came from? Most of our ancestors come from somewhere else. The important thing is, the moment we leave our mother's womb, we breathe Malaysian air, we drink Malaysian water and we eat Malaysian food. How can we be other than Malaysians?

Now, I ask, who refer to themselves by race first? Who refer to themselves by their nationality first? Are those who refer to themselves by their nationalities first not the true patriots?

Topmark - Part 2

2010-04-01T15:18:00.002+08:00

Topmark - Part 2
by Danny Ong

1 April 2010

Previously, I mentioned how good the salesman who handled our sale at Topmark was. I also mentioned he preferred to remain anonymous. On 27 March, we went to see him to collect our road tax. First thing he did was to pass us a attachable rear view mirror.

Why? He noticed our attachable rear view mirror on our car was held together by nylon strings. The thing was, he never mentioned about our old attachable rear view mirror. Most people would comment and mention that it's time we change it. No, this salesman said nothing but gave us a new one.

We can afford a new one. But, we just didn't want to throw away something which can still be used. Recycle and reuse, you know. No, it's not expensive. But, his action shows that he's a salesman who is willing to go above and beyond his job. It's such a small matter. But, it makes a big difference to a customer. That is a salesman I can trust. A lot of sales people forget that to the customer, those little things make a big difference. And no, the value of the little things doesn't matter. It's the thought that counts.

So, will we recommend our relatives and friends to him? Most definitely!

Laminin

2010-03-24T18:18:00.004+08:00

Laminin
by Danny Ong

24 March 2010

I came across the word "laminin" today (thanks, Anthony). I did some research on this word. And it's very interesting.

According to wikipedia, laminins are a family of glycoproteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding in almost every tissue of an organism. They are secreted and incorporated into cell-associated extracellular matrices. Laminin is vital for the maintenance and survival of tissues. Defective laminins can cause muscles to form improperly, leading to a form of muscular dystrophy, lethal skin blistering disease (junctional epidermolysis bullosa) and defects of the kidney filter (nephrotic syndrome).

So, this protein in all our bodies are in the shape of a cross. A cross. Interesting. So, is this halal? I remember not too long ago, there was a big hoo haa about school badges which have a cross. Hmmmm...... To remove laminin or not to remove laminin; that is the question.

Whose Rights?

2010-03-15T16:24:00.004+08:00

Whose Rights?
by Danny Ong

15 March 2010

I'm puzzled with all the talk about this people's rights and that people's rights. What's going on? How many Malaysias do we have? When I was schooling, my group of friends included people of all races and religion. We were race and religion blind. We sat on the same table and ate our respective food our own way on that same table and it was not a problem. To us, we were friends. We were never Caucasian, Chinese, Indian, Malay, Punjabi, etc. We were simply Malaysians. What happened since then?

If we are going to talk about rights, why didn’t the Malaysian government sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Are the Caucasians, Chinese, Indians, Indigenous people, Malays, Punjabis, etc not humans? If the Malaysian government is really serious about rights (and I mean serious without any secret motives), sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Then, there’s no need to talk about this people’s rights or that people’s rights.

In the United States of America, there are a lot of people from different cultures. They have African-Americans, Latinos, Europeans, Red Indians, Indians, Arabs and many others. Much more than in Malaysia. But, do we hear them talking about African-American rights? Or European rights? Or Latino rights? No. But, all of them prosper through their own hardwork. None of them demanded for money to be handed to them on a silver platter. Incidentally, USA signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Why this talk about Chinese and Indians being pendatang (immigrants)? Our ancestors have been here for a very long time. And we contributed to the country in our own way for a very long time. Our blood and our sweat have mingled with the land for a very long time. We never requested nor demanded special rights. We only ask to be treated fairly and justly and to be able to live in peace and harmony. Is that demanding too much?

“The earliest known inhabitants of Malaya had physical characteristics that suggest an affinity to present-day Melanesians and Papuans. They lived in caves, made rough stone tools, and were probably in undisturbed possession until a little before 2000 BC, when a people with a Neolithic culture arrived from the north, possibly from southwest China. These were farmers, kept domestic animals, and were skilled in pottery making and in selecting and working stone to make tools and ornaments”.

These were the first inhabitants of the land which we now call Malaysia. I note with interest too that the book, Japan’s Greatest Victory Britain’s Worst Defeat From The Japanese Perspective written by Colonel Masanobu Tsuji has similar understanding. In the book, it was also stated that this land was later invaded by the Palembang Kingdom of Sumatra. Later the Kingdom of Java invaded this land.

The Palembang kingdom was an Indian-influenced Buddhist state. Its Sanskrit title was Srivijaya. For 700 years the Maharajahs of Srivijaya ruled a loose-knit maritime empire that controlled the coasts of Sumatra, Peninsular Malaya, and Borneo. Sometimes they also ruled parts of Java, but Javanese states resisted Srivijayan hegemony. Srivijaya was based on trade, welcoming annual trading fleets from China and India, and further afield, including Japanese, Iranians and Arabs. Its greatest enemies were the Siamese in the north. To secure a powerful ally against these enemies, the maharajahs paid tribute to the Chinese Emperors, but they were never under Chinese control.

The power of Srivijaya declined from the 10th century CE. Never a centralised state, it was apparently weakened by a series of wars with the Javanese, which disrupted trade. In the 11th century CE a rival power centre arose at Melayu, a port possibly located further up the Sumatran coast at what is now the Indonesian Jambi province. Melayu's influence is shown by the fact that the name is the origin of the word "Malay”. The power of the Hindu Maharajahs was further undermined by the spread of Islam. Areas which were converted to Islam early, such as Aceh, broke away from Srivijaya’s control. By the late 13th century, the Siamese kings of Sukhothai had brought most of Malaya under their rule. Not long after around 14th century, the Javanese Majapahit empire made the Malay peninsula one of their vassals.

Note: CE is the same as AD. CE being Common Era and AD being Anno Domini (in Latin).

There were numerous Malay kingdoms in the 2nd and 3rd century CE—as many as 30 according to Chinese sources. Kedah—known as Kedaram or Kataha, in ancient Pallava or Sanskrit—was in the direct route of invasions of Indian traders and kings. Rajendra Chola, Tamil Emperor who is now thought to have laid Kota Gelanggi to waste, put Kedah to heel in 1025 but his successor, Vir Rajendra Chola, had to put down a Kedah rebellion to overthrow the invaders. The coming of the Chola reduced the majesty of Srivijaya which had exerted influence over Kedah and Pattani and even as far as Ligor.

The port of Melaka (Malacca) on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula was founded around 1400 by Parameswara, a rebel prince of the Srivijaya royal line, who was claimed in the Sejarah Melayu to be a descendant of Alexander the Great. Expelled from Sumatra for killing the ruler of Temasek (modern day Singapore), Parameswara established himself in Melaka. The kingdom rapidly assumed the place previously held by Srivijaya, establishing independent relations with China, and exploiting its position dominating the Straits to control the China-India maritime trade, which became increasingly important when the Mongol conquests closed the overland route between China and the west. Within a few years of its establishment, Melaka officially adopted Islam, and the Raja became a Sultan.

Okay, so, Parameswara, a (supposedly) Greek descendant, was a murderer.

Parameswara's conversion to Islam was unclear so far with no evidence as to whether Parameswara had actually converted. According to a theory by Sabri Zain, Parameswara became a Muslim when he married a Princesss of Pasai and he took the fashionable Persian title "Shah", calling himself Iskandar Shah.

The first wave of Chinese settlers came during the Malacca Empire in the early 15th century when Princess Hang Li Po married overseas to the Sultan of Malacca, bringing along her huge retinue of nobles, companions and servants from China. These people came mostly from Fujian Province.

These early Chinese brought over brides from China or married locally available Malay women. Their original tombs can be found in Bukit Cina, Malacca today.
Their descendants are called baba (for men) and nyonya (for women), and they still retain their Chinese surnames through present day.

The second wave of Chinese immigrants came during the 19th century and early 20th century. Most Chinese immigrants to Malaya came from southern China, particularly the provinces of Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan.

They first settled in the Straits Settlements as traders. They were subsequently encouraged by the British to work in the tin mines of Perak and Selangor (which at the time included Kuala Lumpur). Thus, the Chinese were mainly concentrated on the west coast of Peninsular Malaya.

An early census of ethnic groups in the British Malay states, conducted by the British in 1835, showed that ethnic Chinese constituted 8 percent of the population and were mainly found in the Straits Settlements, while the Malays and Indians made up 88 percent and 4 percent of the population respectively. Malaya's population quickly increased during the 19th and 20th centuries, although the majority of Chinese immigrants were males rather than females. By 1921, Malaya's population had swelled to nearly three million, and the Chinese constituted 30 percent of Malaya's population while the Malays constituted 54.7% of Malaya's population, whose growth was fueled by immigrants from neighboring Indonesia (the Indians made up most of the remainder). While the Chinese population was largely transient, and many coolies returned to China on a frequent basis, 29 percent of the Chinese population were local born, most of whom were the offspring of first-generation Chinese immigrants. The British government began to impose restrictions on migration during the 1930s, but the difference between the number of Chinese and Malays continued to close up even after World War II. The 1947 census indicated that the Malays constituted 49.5% of the population, compared to the Chinese at 38.4%, out of a total population of 4.9 million.

Unlike some colonial powers, the British always saw their empire as primarily an economic concern, and its colonies were expected to turn a profit for British shareholders. Malaya’s obvious attractions were its tin and gold mines, but British planters soon began to experiment with tropical plantation crops – tapioca, gambier, pepper and coffee. But in 1877 the rubber plant was introduced from Brazil, and rubber soon became Malaya’s staple export, stimulated by booming demand from European industry. Rubber was later joined by palm oil as an export earner. All these industries required a large and disciplined labour force, and the British did not regard the Malays as reliable workers. The solution was the importation of plantation workers from India, mainly Tamil-speakers from South India. The mines, mills and docks also attracted a flood of immigrant workers from southern China. Soon towns like Singapore, Penang and Ipoh were majority Chinese, as was Kuala Lumpur, founded as a tin-mining centre in 1857. By 1891, when Malaya’s first census was taken, Perak and Selangor, the main tin-mining states, had Chinese majorities.

The Chinese mostly arrived poor; yet, their belief in industriousness and frugality, their emphasis in their children's education and their maintenance of Confucian family hierarchy, as well as their voluntary connection with tightly knit networks of mutual aid societies (run by "Hui-Guan" 會館, or non-profit organizations with nominal geographic affiliations from different parts of China) all contributed to their prosperity. In the 1890s Yap Ah Loy, who held the title of Kapitan China of Kuala Lumpur, was the richest man in Malaya, owning a chain of mines, plantations and shops. Malaya’s banking and insurance industries were run by the Chinese from the start, and Chinese businesses, usually in partnership with London firms, soon had a stranglehold on the economy. Since the Malay Sultans tended to spend well beyond their means, they were soon indebted to Chinese bankers, and this gave the Chinese political as well as economic leverage. At first the Chinese immigrants were mostly men, and many intended to return home when they had made their fortunes. Many did go home, but many more stayed. At first they married Malay women, producing a community of Sino-Malayans or baba people, but soon they began importing Chinese brides, establishing permanent communities and building schools and temples.
Okay, let’s see where all this data leads us to. The first inhabitants of this land were islanders possibly Melanesians and Papuans. The second group of people to settle in this land were people from south-west China. Then, the Srivijaya kingdom conquered the land. As our indigenous peoples are still around, it is a fair assumption that the Srivijaya kingdom did not exterminate the existing inhabitants. Perhaps the inhabitants hid in the jungles and escaped notice. Anyway, as the Srivijaya kingdom was a Buddhist kingdom, it is unlikely they would have practised extermination of other people. For the Buddhist, it is very bad karma to do that. The Srivijaya kingdom was an Indian-influenced kingdom. Is it safe to assume that at least some of the Indian traders would settled in this land?

The Srivijaya kingdom was subsequently defeated by the Javanese Majapahit kingdom. A rebel Hindu prince of the Srivijaya royal line, Parameswara, was expelled from Sumatra for murdering his uncle, the ruler of Temasek (Singapore). Parameswara founded the port of Malacca around 1400 and it prospered. But, Malacca needed to ally itself with China to survive against its enemies.

As Malacca’s relations with China continued, the Chinese emperor sent the princess Hang Li Po to marry the Malacca sultan. She brought along her retinue. Of course, if the Chinese emperor had wished it, China could have easily conquered Malacca. Such noble warriors like admiral Cheng Ho, Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, etc. also visited/stayed in Malacca. And the warriors, Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat, etc were the heroes who defended Malacca from her enemies.

Under the British rule in the 19th century and the 20th century, more Chinese arrived in Malaya. They were poor and worked in the mines, etc. Indians were also brought in to help in the plantations, etc. Later, Indonesian immigrants started coming in.

The Chinese were poor. But, their Confucian belief encouraged them to be very frugal and hardworking.

Note, the Chinese NEVER came to this land as prostitutes. In fact, most of the Chinese who came here were men. China allowed princess Hang Li Po to marry the Malacca sultan as a sign of mutual understanding. I do not think that anyone would call a sultan’s daughter a prostitute, right? So, princess Hang Li Po was never a prostitute either.

Note, the Chinese only achieved intellectual and economic progress solely through hard work and frugality. The Chinese did not take the economic pie from anyone through any dubious means unlike what was implied by a certain former PM. It’s just through pure sweat and toil. Naturally, only those who achieved success through pure sweat and toil would understand. Those who wish to understand, try putting in some real work. It’s very exhilarating to know that the food you put on your table is from your own hard work and not taken from another person’s hard work.

As for the remark made by a certain former minister in the PM’s department about Indians being labourers, is there something wrong putting food on the table through our own sweat and toil? Without these great people sweating and toiling at the plantations, etc, where would the country be? Some Indians are probably the descendants of those traders who settled here centuries ago. That means, they’ve been here longer than certain people.

The country should fete these people as the heroes of the country. The country would not have progressed if it wasn’t for all those who sweat and toiled for her. All of us owe these people our undying gratitude. Do not begrudge those who have to put their backs to the wheel to earn a living. So what if they finally become successful? Is it not from solely their own hard work? If people succeed through their own hard work, how can any sane person say that it is not fair?

To the poor: the Chinese, the Indians, etc are not taking money away from you as claimed by a certain person. Look at the facts. The same group of people have been making policies to “help the poor” for decades. This group of people have been “defending” your rights for decades. Are you still poor? It’s like the fox going into the chicken coop to “protect” the chickens. What happens to the chickens?

Just practise human rights and everyone's rights will be protected.

Awake, awake, awake, Malaysians. Open your eyes and see the truth.

References:
http://www.city.com.my/malaya-history.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Malaysia#Srivijaya_Empire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_Chinese#First_Wave
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parameswara_%28sultan%29
Japan’s Greatest Victory Britain’s Worst Defeat From The Japanese Perspective written by Colonel Masanobu Tsuji

Attorney General Refuses To Prosecute

2010-03-10T14:47:00.004+08:00

10 March 2010

Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail said in a statement that he decided not to prosecute the two men because "they did not intend to offend anyone. It was an act of sheer ignorance." This excerpt came from Washington Post. More information can be found at the following sites:

1. http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=5623
2. http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20100304-202490.html
3. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/04/AR2010030401227.html

It is the first time I've heard that ignorance of the law allows a person to get away with it. So, I suppose all the jails and prisons in Malaysia will be very empty soon. Why? I think many of the accused or prosecuted people are ignorant that they've committed any crime.

Hey, I think even Kamunting camp will be quite empty as a lot of those people there don't even know why they are there in the first place.

Let us all take heart what AG Abdul Gani Patail is implying - ignorance of the law is not a chargeable offense. Hurrah for Abdul Gani. The courts won't be overloaded with cases anymore. All the judges need to do is to ask the defendants if they are ignorant of the law or not. If they are ignorant of the law, there's no case. Wow! What a country!

Of course, if Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail says I'm wrong, then, Malaysians must be ruled by two DIFFERENT sets of law in the same country. Hmm.... there goes 1Malaysia.

Allah - Who's God?

2010-01-28T12:36:00.003+08:00

28 January 2010

I received this email from Charmaine who received it from someone I don't know.

A man came home from work and his children ran to him and called out Ayah!
Ayah!.
His neighbor got very upset and said to him, Can you please tell your
children not to call you Ayah?
The man asked, Why?
The neighbor retorted, Because my children call me Ayah too. They might
get confused and mistake you to be their father.
Then the man told his neighbour, are you not ashamed to say that your
children do not know who is their 'Ayah'. So you are saying by using the
word 'Ayah', your children will call me ayah too without knowing who their
father is.
The neighbour said yes,only I should use the word 'Ayah'.
The man said, then there is something wrong in what you are teaching your
children. They are not sure and do not know who is their 'Ayah'.

Neighbours - part 9

2010-01-27T14:50:00.005+08:00

27 January 2010

On 25 January 2010, I personally passed Daniel C's mail to him. It was wrongly delivered to our house. I resisted the urge to throw his mail over the wall as he did to mine. Well, the olive branch has been extended. I hope he will return the favour.

This morning, I caught Daniel C feeding the stray dog at the backyard. No, there's nothing wrong with feeding a hungry dog. Well, feeding it will encourage it to hang around the area more often. But, the main thing is, he purposely fed the dog in front of my backyard. Why? So that in front of his backyard won't be dirty but in front of mine would be dirty. Sigh.....

Topmark

2010-01-20T17:12:00.002+08:00

20 January 2010

Topmark Petaling Jaya
52, Jalan Penchala, 46050 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel No: 03-7782 1155
Fax No: 03-7782 1133

My wife and I went to several car outlets looking for a suitable car. Our experience at a Toyota outlet turned us off Toyota. And we got interested in Nissan.

Recently, my wife told me that Topmark had a Nissan used car for sale. We went there to have a look and to test drive it. The experience at Topmark was vastly different from our experience at the Toyota outlet in PJ.

Of course, he initially proposed the used Toyota cars. But, we told him that we were interested in a specific Nissan. So, he showed us the car and let us test drive it. Then, he told us the features and other details. After finding out that the road tax would be very hefty, we shifted our focus to one of the Toyota cars instead.

The next day, we went to Topmark to book the particular Toyota but it was already booked by someone else. We told him that we are heart-set on that particular Toyota car and he made some calls and even drove us to the other Topmark to test drive the car.

Needless to say, we bought the car. What this salesperson did was to listen to our needs. He didn't push us to get a Toyota car. And he went out of his way to help us get the particular car. That is what service is all about. So in the end, because he listened to our needs and dialogued with us, he made the sale.

Listening to customers is a skill which a lot of salespeople seem to lack. Many are more interested in getting a customer to sign on the dotted line. This salesperson who attended to us is a great salesperson who takes our needs into consideration. I highly recommend Topmark to prospective used car buyers. And if you wish to deal with the salesperson who attended to us, let me know.

Oh yeah, what did we drive off with? Well, it's a demo unit which is less than 2 years old with 17000+ mileage. We've driven it to Penang and back. Drives like a new car.

Latest Recipe at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur

2010-01-19T12:21:00.004+08:00

19 January 2010

Latest Recipe
Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
2 Jalan Stesen Sentral
Kuala Lumpur Sentral
50470 Kuala Lumpur

Direct line: +6 03 2263 7543
Hunting Line: +6 03 2263 7888
Fax: +6 03 2263 7222
Email: latestrecipe.imkl@lemeridien.com

My in-laws took us to the Latest Recipe at Le Meridien KL for buffet lunch on 17 January 2010. The moment we entered the restaurant, I was impressed with the buffet spread. There were Japanese, Indian, Chinese and Western food sections. I was blown away when I saw the various varieties of cheese available. Ah... the sushi was also equally appetising.

I didn't know what to start with. It's a rare moment that I could not choose due to overwhelming choices. I decided to start with sushi.... a bit nervously. I wasn't sure if the raw fish was fresh. I've had my share of bad experiences with raw fish even at some expensive places. To my delight and surprise, the fish was fresh. And the grilled prawns was incredible. I could barely contain myself from jumping with pure delight.

And the varieties of cheese. Wow! I've to admit I took a tad too much cheese. But, I love cheese.

The raw oysters were big, juicy and fresh. I started wishing that I had pants with expandable waist. There was just too many things to sample and too little space in my tummy.

Sadly, I had to forgo the Indian section and most of the Chinese section. I missed some of the food at the Western section as well.

The dessert was okay. The ice cream was very nice. The jackfruit was very sweet. Unfortunately, the papaya, watermelon and honeydew were not as tasty.

I almost forgot, the food was replenished constantly. I know of some places like Vincenzo Ristorante, Bangsar which won't replenish the food.

The service from the staff was excellent. I didn't have to ask anyone to clear my plates. I remember my experience with certain hotels where I had to ask someone to clear my plates and the staff would purposely bang the plates loudly. The staff at Latest Recipe were among the best I've encountered. I would even go so far as to say they are comparable to the staff at YTL hotels.

Charmaine and I requested for decaf coffee thinking that it's part of the buffet. But, my mother-in-law mentioned that decaf coffee isn't part of the buffet. So, Charmaine called the waitress to clarify. The waitress was nice enough not to charge it to the bill.

Yes, it's small things like that which makes a customer remember an establishment. It's the small things like that which counts. I'm impressed with my overall experience at Latest Recipe and highly recommend it to everyone.

Oh yeah, the price is RM93++. But, considering the excellent food and excellent service, I would say it's money well spent. My experience at Latest Recipe was fabulous. It's many times better than Vincenzo Ristorante for nearly the same price.

Management of Latest Recipe, bravo! bravo! bravo! Please keep up the excellent food and excellent service. Your staff is among the best I've ever come across. You have set a standard which many food establishments would have difficulty achieving.

Teoh Beng Hock's Inquest - part 3

2009-12-09T15:11:00.002+08:00

9 December 2009

Acclaimed Thai forensic pathologist Dr Porntip Rojanasunan, who attended the second post-mortem on Teoh Beng Hock last month as an observer, maintains her view that there was an 80% possibility of homicide and 20% chance of suicide in the political aide's death.

The flamboyant forensic expert had pointed out that among others a contusion on the right side of Teoh's neck as shown on the post-mortem pictures was compatible with injury caused by manual strangulation.

She also found penetration injury in the anal region which can be caused by inserting an object in that particular part.

She told the inquest the fracture of the skull might have been caused by a direct blunt force to the skull prior to the fall.

This raises a few questions in my mind.

1. how did the first post-mortem failed to discover such vital clues in such a high profile case?

2. was there a cover up?

3. if such glaring clues can be missed in a high profile case, would clues have been missed in all the other lower profile cases? How many criminals got away free? How many innocents sent to jail or the gallows?

4. would Teoh Beng Hock's name be banned as well like the name of the Mongolian woman in another high profile case?

5. would the authorities who insisted that Teoh Beng Hock committed suicide say that he sodomised himself, strangled himself, apply blunt force to his skull by himself and then, threw himself out of a locked window?

Malaysia's Brain Drain

2009-12-02T15:51:00.002+08:00

2 December 2009

It was reported recently that the brain drain in Malaysia is the highest in Asia.

The government indicates that it is actively stopping it by attracting smart people to work in Malaysia. It is a good move. But, it is not enough.... unless the cabinet controls the United Nations. Then, they can demand goods and services from other nations at discounted prices due to our Bumi status. If the other nations refuse to comply, just send in the stormtroopers as usual. Very simple.

Before the cabinet gets all excited and get their underwear bunched up, let's remember that the rest of humanity does not live in a fantasy world.

Okay, drawing in the brains is a good idea. But, it is not enough. We need to stop brains from leaving as well. How do you fill a bucket with water if there's a hole at the bottom of the bucket?

So, how to encourage people to stay? Well, for one, don't keep telling them to leave. I keep hearing those in power say to people that if they are not happy, leave. And leave they did. That's how the brain drain started.

Change your policies to be inclusive rather than exclusive. As long as citizens believe that they have a share in the economic pie and have a say in what happens to their lives directly and indirectly, they will stay and work as a team with other Malaysians regardless of race, religion or position.

Corruption is another thing which drives people away. Significantly reduce corruption.

Let the Rule of Law prevail and people will stay.

Reassign the stormtroopers back to their original duty - defend the normal citizens from criminals.

In case someone says let's become an agriculture country. Yes, I've always been saying build more farms and fewer skyscrapers, shopping malls, office complexes, etc. But, agriculture does not mean that odd cow or tractor. To be successful in agriculture, we need new farming ideas, new farming methods, new farming tools and machines, etc. But, we need brains to come up with all that.

Yes, we can buy those from another country. But, that means out-flowing of funds. Eventually, the out-flow of funds from buying new technologies or machines will surpass the income from the agricultural goods.

So, no matter what industry the country intends to focus on, we need the brain power to succeed. Hence, we need to stop the brain drain. Hence, those in power need to change.

Syabas

2009-12-01T16:47:00.002+08:00

1 December 2009

I've to say syabas (bravo) to Syabas. Before noon, I called Syabas that there's no water in my house (Taman Mayang). The girl checked quickly and efficiently and told me that a water pipe had burst along my road. She said water will be restored at 4pm.

Before 3pm, I checked the water and presto there's water. Soon after that, someone from Syabas called me to ask if the water has been restored.

This is what I call excellent service.

1. Prompt service.
2. Give an estimated repair time.
3. Meet the deadline.
4. Follow up with the customer.

Well done, Syabas! Please keep it up.

Brake Pads

2009-11-29T17:57:00.003+08:00

29 November 2009

Made In Malaysia Brake Pads Are Killers

Road Safety Department director-general, Datuk Suret Singh, said that made in Malaysia brake pads could be the cause of the high accident rates in the country, reported Minderjeet Kaur of the News Straits Times dated 23 November 2009 (page 11).

From my personal observation while on the road, I see the newer cars speeding and weaving in and out of traffic. In all my years of driving, I've never seen an old car doing such things. So, how can old cars be blamed for accidents?

Anyway, now, they are saying we shouldn't be using locally made brake pads due to the poor quality. So, are they now saying that we should avoid Proton cars since they are locally manufactured? Mind you, I agree with them that locally manufactured products are not up to standard. But, all these years, the government has been asking us to buy locally manufactured products; claiming that the quality is good. So, now do we stop buying locally manufactured products since the Road Safety Department has found they are defective?

Little Taiwan 1 Utama

2009-11-29T11:52:00.003+08:00

29 November 2009

My wife and I decided try out Little Taiwan at Lot LG 1Utama Shopping Centre (New Wing), tel: 03-7729 5582 on 27 November 2009. It's one of the newer eating establishments.

We ordered Homemade Pumpkin Cake, Toast with Garlic, Spicy Hot Ramen and Three Treasures Noodle. Incidentally, Jasmine Bubble Tea is not jasmine tea with the pearls. It's just jasmine tea with a little foam.

All the dishes were very ordinary. The portions were shockingly small. It was definitely not value for money. The service was good though.

Hong Leong Bank..... again

2009-11-26T14:48:00.004+08:00

26 November 2009

I pride myself for being a very patient man. But, this time, Hong Leong Bank really tested my patience to the very limit. Thank goodness I could still keep my cool while speaking with their Customer Service staff.

I tried to log in to my online account to pay my credit card bills. I got this message:
G0020. Your account with Hong Leong Online Personal has been deactivated for security reasons. Please visit any of our nearest ATM to create new Internet PIN to Reset your Password. Alternatively, you may call our HL Online Customer Service at 03-7626 8899 for assistance.

Fine. I called the Customer Service. After listening to the recording of their promotion, instead of transferring me to a staff, the line went dead. I called again. This time, I managed to get to a staff. She said my online account was deactivated because I haven't logged in in 2 months. What is going on??? I've been paying my credit card bills via online banking every month. And they pissed me off on 20 November 2009 by doing maintenance during office hours which prevented me from doing my transfer. Anyway, she asked me to create a phone PIN and I was supposed to be transferred back to her. After creating the phone PIN, the line went dead again. Fine... I called again. Another girl answered. And she asked me to create a phone PIN again and I will be transferred back to her. After creating my phone PIN again, I was transferred to another girl. She didn't know what was going on. She said she will call me back. What is going on????

First, they prevented me from doing an online transfer due to their own incompetence because they didn't know how to get the server online again after the maintenance. Now, they deactivated my account for being inactive for 2 months when I've been using it regularly.

Bank Negara, you guys should do something about this poor service. Otherwise, bring back the Saturday banking days.

I got fed-up of waiting for the girl to call me. I called the Customer Service again. Got a Jossie Yap. I demanded to speaking with the manager. Naturally, she asked me what's wrong. I told her I spoke with 3 of her colleagues to get my problem solved and the last one who promised to call me back didn't call me back. She saw the note to call me back on her system. So, she assisted me. And she solved my problem while we were still on the phone. Simple. Her 3 colleagues failed to handle such a simple thing. I know reactivating the account is very simple. I've done it for my customers numerous times. Just a click here and click there. That's it. So, how come her 3 other colleagues failed to help me? Am I being harsh? I don't think so. I know how easy it is to reactivate an account. So, I know there's no excuse for them delaying me.

In Malaysia, the moment you ask to speak with the boss, the employees can suddenly perform miracles. Things which they "couldn't" do earlier could suddenly be done instantly.

One verification question all 4 girls asked me is very funny. How do I make my credit card payment? Ummm.... I called to say that I couldn't log in to make my credit card payment. So, how do I make my credit card payment? Magic?

Hong Leong Bank

2009-11-20T16:48:00.002+08:00

20 November 2009

This morning, I tried to do a Hong Leong Bank online transfer from my savings account to my cheque account. I got an error message. I called the Call Centre at 03-76268899. The woman told me they were doing maintenance and to try later. I told her I need to transfer money to my cheque account urgently. She told me to call my bank branch to explain the situation.

I called the SS23 Branch (Taman SEA) and explained the situation and told Rafidah that it was the instructions from the Call Centre. Rafidah told me that her part of the job is to process the transaction. She gave me extra time.

I continued trying to do the transaction via the online system until the time was up and called the Call Centre again when I couldn't do it. This time, the Call Centre refused to pick up the phone.

I called Rafidah and explained the situation. She didn't bother to understand the situation. She told me she'll give me slightly long time to rush to the branch to manually do the transfer via the counter. She was getting irritated when I explained that it's their own online service which is preventing me from doing the transfer.

Okay, the Call Centre and Rafidah are both working for Hong Leong Bank. And both were pushing the problem to each other instead of helping the customer.

My family and I have been customers of Hong Leong Bank for decades. Is this the kind of service long-term customers can expect?

Yes, I agree that Rafidah had to do her job. But, understand the customer. And be more polite. I was doing all I can. What was I to do? Hack the Hong Leong Bank computer system?

As I don't have transport, I had to asked a friend to drive me there. Luckily, she was at home and was able to help out.

The crux of the matter are:

1. Hong Leong Bank should have made sure their online banking system is operational especially during working hours.

2. If their online banking system couldn't work for some reason, they should give leeway to the customer. If the online system is down for several hours, the customer should not be fined for issued bounced cheques. Once the online system is operational, the customer should be given 24 hours to do the transfer without incurring any charges or penalty. It is NOT the customer's fault that the online system is down.

3. The staff should be more polite. Hey, I didn't bring down the online system. I'm the victim here.

Should I have contacted Bank Negara (the central bank) about this? I've been lodging complaints with Bank Negara whenever problems come up. Initially, they thanked me for my complaints. Recently, they started asking me to go to the banks myself. Yes, those idiots at Bank Negara prefer to sit on their hands rather than do their jobs. That's how efficient our government agencies are. Malaysia Boleh? You judge while I roll of the floor laughing.

Medical Examination & Blood Donation At Kinrara Service Centre

2009-11-18T12:38:00.002+08:00

18 November 2009

A free medical examination and blood donation drive at the Taman Kinrara MBPJ hall last Sunday was organised by Teresa Kok's Kinrara Service Centre. Well done, Teresa. That's what I call the hearts and minds tactic.

Was it a big project like building a road, a bridge, etc? No, it was just a plain medical examination and blood donation campaign. So, what makes it so special? Malaysians tend to think of action as doing something big or spectacular as worthwhile action. Why? Maybe it's how we think. Small minds like to do big things to give the illusion that they are big? No, it was special because Teresa took the time and effort to do something good for the people. That shows care. That shows love. Who doesn't love the MP who loves us?

I hope all PR assemblymen (and women) and MPs emulate Teresa Kok before it's too late. PR won seats last General Elections not on the strength of character of the candidates (with exceptions of course). I personally believe PR won the seats because the people were fed up with the current regime. People were (and still are) crying out for change. So, it was not so much a vote of confidence for some of the PR candidates but a vote of no confidence for the BN candidates.

Therefore, PR should follow up with action. As I said, no big action is necessary. But, action we must see. All internal bickering must be settled and set aside. You, PKR, DAP, PAS, must stand united. And don't think you can pretend to stand united in front of the cameras. The people are a lot wiser these days. And all the shortcomings of your predecessors must be rectified or at the very least attended to.

And PR people, remember that you were elected by the people and the people can choose not to re-elect you next GE. Be humble. If you do wrong, apologise. Being humble will endear you in the hearts of the people. Forget about revenge or rhetoric. Do roll up your sleeves and get to work. Time is running out. It takes a bigger person to forgive. It's a very small person who seeks to persecute. Guess the size of some in the cabinet. If your predecessor did something criminal, get a team of knowledgeable people to look at legal avenues. But, you still need to serve the people. Don't waste time whacking the predecessor. Otherwise, you're going to get whacked next GE.

I know the current regime thinks the people are stupid. But, Malaysians (and I don't mean any race in particular as race is irrelevant to us) of today are more street-smart. It doesn't mean that if the idiot blocks our internet access, we stop talking. During our forefathers' time, there was no internet and talk they did. So, PR, don't make the same mistake of thinking that the people are stupid. The people listen and watch and....... talk. During chit chats, names come up - names of those who work for the people and names of those who have yet to do something. From that, I can already gauge who have captured the hearts and minds of the people.

Tick tock tick tock.... time marches on.

Vincenzo Ristorante Italiano

2009-11-16T13:11:00.005+08:00

16 November 2009

Vincenzo Ristorante Italiano Sdn Bhd, One Bangsar, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur. Telephone: 603-2287 1686. Fax: 603-2287 3685. Website: www.vincenzo-ristorante.com.

If you are thinking of going to Vincenzo, be prepared for a disappointment. My wife and I went there in the hopes of enjoying a nice and relaxing Sunday buffet brunch yesterday. Since it was so fully booked, we thought it must be a wonderful restaurant. Yes, you have to make reservation at the very least, one week in advance. Unfortunately, they didn't realise that it's the little things that matter.

Okay, let me start with the good points. Thank goodness there were good points. The seafood dish was very nice. It was a superb idea to remove the shell from the prawns' bodies; leaving the heads and tails intact. It allowed the nice sauce to seep into the prawns' flesh. At the same time, with the heads and tails intact, it makes for very nice presentation. The prawns and clams were fresh and big. Excellent.

I normally don't eat thin crust pizzas because they tend to injure my mouth. So, I tried out their thin crust pizzas very cautiously. To my delight, the crust was done perfectly - not too hard and yet not too soft. It was the first time in my life that I had so many slices of thin crust pizzas. Bravo!

The buffet brunch we took included 2 glasses of champagne each and free flow of sparkling wine, red wine, white wine and mocktail. When we arrived, the waiter wanted to pour us the champagne. We asked if we could have the champagne after our meal instead and he said yes. Towards the end of our meal, we asked for the champagne, the waiter poured us sparkling wine instead. So ... blatant cheating or hard of hearing?

I happen to know the difference between champagne and sparkling wine. So, we requested for champagne again. This time, we got our champagne. But, after filling my second glass, the bottle was finished and the waiter refused to pour my wife her second glass of champagne. Yes, it would mean he had to open another bottle. But, we are paying for a meal which includes 2 glasses of champagne. Naturally, we felt cheated.

We also asked for them to replenish the dessert about four times but it was not done. The waiters were either not bothered or too scared to come back to us with a status update ... at least tell us what's going on or what to expect! So, we missed out on some of the desserts. That is very unprofessional of Vincenzo. A fine dining restaurant should not short-change it's patrons.

During the course of our meal, I noticed a waiter who was extremely polite to the patrons but when he turned away from one of the patrons, he said very vulgar words to his colleague and they both smiled. I presume he was referring to the patron. Yes, the restaurant may be frequented by expats who won't know what they are talking about. But, as a fine dining establishment, professionalism should be kept high at all times.

We've been to other fine dining places and have experienced excellent service. Two places come to mind - Cilantro and the YTL hotel in Cameron Highlands. In any case, the service at Asian Rice Pot beats Vincenzo. Asian Rice Pot is in this blog. These three establishments have exceeded expectation. Vincenzo would learn much from them.

If we were dining at Cilantro, I'm sure they would have opened another bottle of champagne to pour my wife her second glass. At Cilantro, if the desserts were finished, I'm sure we wouldn't have to ask more than once to get them replenished. And at Cilantro, no staff would have used vulgar words or said anything negative about a patron whether in his face or behind his back.

Let me give you an example of Cilantro's exemplary service. Mango pudding came with the meal we ordered. But, my wife gave me her mango pudding as she doesn't take mango. Upon noticing that, the staff enquired if there's a problem. And my wife explained to them. The staff asked if they could give her something else. My wife declined but the staff insisted. So, my wife ordered some other dessert. No, Cilantro didn't charge us for that extra dessert. That is what I call exemplary service. The staff were attentive enough to notice my wife giving me the mango pudding and the staff went all out to make sure my wife left the restaurant happy. The extra dessert wouldn't have cost the restaurant much. But, it gained Cilantro a recognition.

At a fine dining establishment, it's the small things that count. After all these years, I still remember Cilantro for giving exemplary service. And whenever friends ask recommendation for a good fine dining establishment, we always recommend Cilantro. That small gesture of Cilantro's went a very long way for them.

I hope Vincenzo could learn a thing or two from Cilantro.

Vcd, vcd, vcd

2009-11-13T14:44:00.002+08:00

13 November 2009

Malaysia is really becoming a joke of the world. I won't recap since the list would be too long. Anyway, now, it seems they are going to take action against those who possess even 1 generic vcd. Tsk, tsk, tsk.... I think the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs minister has nothing to do. I would really suggest he focus on cleanliness of fruits sold in hypermarkets here. A while back when I called to complain about rat feces and urine found on kiwi fruits sold at a hypermarket, the officer told me they are only interested in generic vcd peddlars.

What is their pre-occupation with generic vcds? Isn't public health more important? Who dies from watching generic vcds? Also, we have snatch thieves who cause deaths but get away with it and they are pre-occupied with generic vcds. Tsk, tsk, tsk....

By the way, the Ministry of Health has been issuing generic drugs and medicine via the government hospitals. MoH claims that the generic drugs and medicine are good. Maybe that's why the ministers and their family go for medical procedures overseas.

Hey, I saw the local council using generic vcds at their premise a few years back. They had a whole stack there and they were playing them for the public to watch/listen as we waited to pay our bills. Must have been the stuff they confiscated from the peddlars.

Anyway, let me get back to point. I'm aware that the various organisations are deprived of money when people use generic vcds. Yes, those branded drug and medicine companies are also deprived of money when we use generic drugs and medicine, right? So, if we are going to say no to generic vcds, we should also say no to generic drugs and medicine. Let's go branded totally.

Join The Police Force

2009-11-13T12:43:00.005+08:00

13 November 2009

I want to join the police force. It's the best job. You get paid for not doing your work. In the private sector, if you don't perform, you're sacked. In the police force, if you don't perform, the public is demonising you. What a job! In the police force, your incompetence is protect by your pointy-haired boss who blames everyone else.

So, the crime rate is going up. It's not the police's fault. It's the public's fault for demonising them. Okay, let's rewind. Whose fault was it when the crime rate was going up and the public still had confidence in the police? The pointy-haired guy's fault?

Okay, maybe it's the figment of our imagination that the crime rate is going up. So, why are there so many guarded residential communities. Hey, I'm not talking about the rich people's area. I'm talking about the normal man-on-the-street areas. I feel like I live in a war zone. Want to visit a friend? Give your details to the security guards before they let you in. I remember the time when I could visit friends without going through various security check points. They renamed Port Dickson, Army Town. I think they should rename Petaling Jaya, War City.

Oh yeah, who's paying the police staff's salaries? The last I checked, it was us, the public, who are indirectly paying for every single police officer's salary. Apparently, it's okay for us to pay their salaries but, it's not okay for us to rightly criticise their shortcomings (to put it nicely).

So, next time if you see a murder in progress and call the police, don't hurry them. Let them finish their kopi O or teh tarik or whatever they are having. Let them take their time. You don't want to "demonise" them (as the pointy-haired guy says). Better still, just call the coroner. By the time the police arrive, they'll have to call the coroner anyway.

I've an idea, all you services, software and hardware providers to the police, you can give them lousy service/products. When they complain, say, don't demonise us.

So, when are they going to allow us to carry guns? This country is turning into a cowboy town. There's no sheriff in town. We, the people, need to protect ourselves. Wow! After 52 years of independence, we're regressing into the 1800s. I wonder if I'll bump into Billy the Kid.

Bailey & Me (and Toffee) - part 5

2009-10-09T15:13:00.003+08:00

9 October 2009

Having two dogs is very useful. I get to observe how to behave. I noticed Toffee will bark to alert me someone is passing outside the gate. Once the person passes our house area, she stops barking. When we have visitors, she will stop barking once she sees me talking to the visitor. Sometimes, we strangers are at the gate, she'll bark until I tell her to stop. And she never went into a barking frenzy that she tried to bite me. She licks me a lot even when I discipline her but never bite. That is how I've always envisage a dog would behave.

From the very beginning, I've been concerned about Bailey's behaviour. He would bark at people passing by ferociously even after they are gone. He'll even try to tear out the wire mesh we put at the gate to go after the person. When we have visitors, he'll go crazy and bark non-stop even when the visitor has entered our house. He also bite me if I happen to be standing within range. Basically, he goes into what some dog trainers call "red zone". Sometimes, when being disciplined, he'll bite. He's totally different from any other dog I've encountered.

Both dogs are trained and disciplined the same way. Toffee learnt within two weeks. I've long suspected Bailey has mental problems even as a puppy. But, I've been hoping that he'll improve as he grows. Unfortunately, there's no improvement yet. Toffee's owner is very lucky. The person is getting a dog which behaves accordingly. As for Bailey, I wouldn't dare let him be near children without very close supervision.

Perhaps Toffee might be a bit difficult for the owner. After seeing how I unlatch the cage door and main gate, she's trying to unlatch the doors herself. So far, she couldn't unlatch the doors mainly because she's been using her mouth to do it. If she decides to use her paws, we're going to have a problem. Smart-aleck dog.

The Hacking Of Malaysia Today Website

2009-10-08T15:29:00.004+08:00

8 October 2009

We will probably never know who ordered the hacking of Malaysia Today's website a while back unless a whistle blower steps forward.

So, just out of my own curiosity, I decided to analyse the event based on currently available information. I am not accusing anyone or any group.

Facts:

1. Malaysia Today website was brought down by hacker/s.
2. The site was attacked several times in the course of several days.
3. The site was brought down by professional hacker/s.
4. It was unable to determine who the hacker/s was/were.
5. The articles deleted were all critical or related to the Malaysian government.
6. Particular ministers who were very vocal about internet security, cyber crime, etc were strangely very quiet about this crime.

Okay, let us look at the hacker/s. In this analysis, we'll just assume the deed was done by a group of hackers. I might not be too far off from the truth in this assumption due to the persistent nature of the attack.

There are generally, two groups of hackers; the casual hackers and the professional hackers. The casual hackers generally, just evade the security measures just for fun. They just relish in the challenge and tend to leave behind messages like Kilroy was here, etc. These are sort of like the shoplifters in malls, etc. Some of them just want to show-off their skills to impress their peers.

The professional hackers are more dangerous. These can be considered the "hitmen" in the cyber world. They are paid for doing the deed. And their contract price is rumoured to be very high. They seldom leave behind a trail.

Now, from the facts I stated above, it would appear professional hackers did the deed.

Let's look at some of the facts again:

1. The articles deleted were all critical or related to the Malaysian government.
2. Particular ministers who were very vocal about internet security, cyber porn, cyber crime, etc were strangely very quiet about this crime. Mind you, this is a bigger crime than porn.

Questions:

1. Who would benefit from deleting articles critical or related to the Malaysian government? I seriously, doubt the Opposition Front (Pakatan Rakyat) would benefit from the act.
2. Why didn't the ministers who were very vocal about internet security, cyber porn, cyber crime, etc do anything about it?
3. Which group would have been able to transfer a big sum of money without raising any suspicions? I doubt the Opposition Front can even afford the services of the professional hackers.

So, which group was the employer? Now, depending on who their employer is, those professional hackers might be in danger themselves if someone finds out something and the employer decides to "clean house". Would it not be better for the professional hackers to come clean now?

Bailey & Me - part 4

2009-10-01T14:52:00.002+08:00

1 October 2009

When Toffee arrived at our home for fostering on 28 September, I allowed Bailey and her to sort out their hierarchy on their own. Most dog training experts suggest letting the dogs settle their hierarchy issues on their own. On hindsight, I did notice Bailey was wary of her and she was testing her boundaries. The two of them fought from the first day. Obviously, both dogs wanted to be assistant leader to the humans.

My other mistake was, I allowed Bailey to discipline Toffee after I disciplined her. And they'll end up fighting until I break them up. Breaking up two fighting dogs with bare hands can be a bit dangerous, though. But, like Cesar Milan says, it's the energy we project. I didn't feel afraid but felt determined. So, I suppose that energy was felt by the dogs. Mind you, if both of them turned on me, I would have been in serious trouble.

Anyway, Charmaine said we shouldn't allow Bailey to put in his 2 cents. So, whenever Bailey tried to "scold" Toffee, I disciplined him as well. And after a few walks as a pack, now, both of them don't fight. They now play together. I don't sense the wariness anymore either. I suppose now, they both know that they are equal members of the pack. And the humans are the leaders.

Now, to convince Toffee that Guinness, the queen.... I mean, the cat, is not her prey. Must convince Toffee that Guinness is also part of the pack. Problem with Guinness is that, she hates walking on a leash. Yesterday, when I let Guinness out on the garden, Toffee scared the living daylights out of Guinness by attacking her. Guinness who always bugs us to let her out of their cage actually begged me to let her back into the cage. The queen was reduced to a disheveled pile of quivering fur. She doesn't bug us to let her out anymore. Poor Guinness. Hmmm..... wonder if a mug of beer would cheer her up.

Bailey & Me - part 3

2009-09-29T12:03:00.002+08:00

29 September 2009

Yesterday afternoon, our friend brought her puppy, Toffee, for fostering. Initially, I thought she would be a small puppy. I prepared the puppy cage for her. When our friend arrived, I looked at Toffee and said to myself, Houston, we have a problem. Nope, Toffee isn't going to be able to squeeze into the puppy cage.

Under ideal situation, we should have let Bailey meet Toffee outside the gate (neutral territory). Then, the humans are to enter the compound, followed by Bailey and Toffee being the last to enter. However, yesterday, Charmaine was not back yet. So, it would have been too dangerous to our friend's children if I took Bailey out. Thus, he was tied up inside the compound. Toffee ran into the compound ahead of the children and I was the last to enter. This must have sent the wrong signal to Bailey.

The entire time, he was fearful of Toffee. And he walked with his tail and head all the way down. Our other mistake was, we allowed Toffee to jump on us. That's dominance. Anyway, I trained Toffee to use the garden as her toilet. I reminded her whenever she used the driveway as her toilet.

This morning, I found my driveway used as her toilet on 3 different locations. I proceeded to reprimand her. Bailey watched. Then, he proceeded to bully her immediately after that. She replied and there was a huge dog argument. I immediately reprimanded both dogs. Peace reigned. I have reclaimed my position as the pack leader. The dogs are the followers. All this while, the 2 cats were watching and thinking, why are the dogs so silly to get punished. Our 2 cats love watching Bailey gets punished.

Anyway, now, Bailey is walking with his tail and head up. He must have thought Toffee was going to be his replacement. Now that the ranks have been settled, we can focus on training Toffee with the help of Bailey, Guinness and Yoda.

Garbage Enzyme Way To Help The Environment

2009-08-20T10:41:00.002+08:00

20 August 2009

I am doing a kitchen experiment - turning kitchen refuse into garbage enzyme.

*** Credit goes to Dr. Rosukon and Dr.(H) Joean Onn. ***

Garbage enzyme was developed by Dr. Rosukon from Thailand. She has been actively involved in enzyme research for more than 30 years and encourages people to make garbage enzyme at home to ease global warming.

Why do I want to do this?

By recycling our kitchen refuse, we can reduce the amount of garbage which goes either into the landfills or water. The other benefits are useful to the environment and us. From the day you start to make garbage enzyme, the chemical reaction will produce ozone gas. We all know that our ozone is depleting very quickly. This will help to replenish it. The enzyme converts ammonia to nitrate and carbon dioxide to carbonate. Nitrate is useful to plant life and carbonate is useful to sea plants and marine life.

What are the uses of this enzyme?

1. DIY natural household cleaners;
2. Natural household cleaner, air purifier, deodoriser, insecticide,
detergent, body care, car care, organic fertiliser, etc;
3. Methane gas released from disposed garbage can trap 21 times
more heat than CO2, worsen the global warming condition;
4. Removes odour. Dissolves toxic air released from smoking, car exhaust,
chemical residues from household products, etc;
5. Enzyme that flows underground will eventually purify the river and the
sea;
6. Reduces mosquitoes, flies, rats or cockroaches etc;
7. Natural antiseptic for your home;
8. Releases residues accumulated in the pipe of basins or toilet bowls thus, prevents drainpipe blockages.

Items required:

1. Airtight plastic container.
2. Water
3. Fruit and vegetable dregs
4. Sugar - (brown sugar, molasses sugar or jaggery) - Preferable
to use jaggery.

Steps:

1. 10 parts water (fill up 60% of the container) Please do not fill up more than 60% of the container because the kitchen refuse will release some water.
2. 1 part sugar (10% of the water).
3. 3 parts kitchen refuse (fill till the container is 80% full).
4. Close the container tightly. Open daily just to release gas for the first month.
5. After one month, keep the container tightly closed for another 2 months.
6. At all times, keep the container in a cool, dry and well ventilated area. Avoid direct sunlight.
7. After 3 months, the enzyme can be used. But, keeping the enzyme until 6 months would give you a better enzyme.

Notes:

1. Do not use glass or metal containers that cannot expand.
2. You may gradually add your kitchen refuse. Fermentation process only starts when all the parts are complete.
3. Paper, plastic, metal or glass material cannot be converted into enzyme.
4. Oily cooked food, fish or meat will produce very foul smells. They are better for garden compost.
5. Adding pandan leaves, orange or lemon peel will produce a fresh smelling enzyme.
6. Ideal colour of the enzyme is dark brown. If it turns black, add a little more sugar to restart the fermentation process.
7. If a white, black or brown layer on top is found, ignore it.
8. If flies or worms are found in the container, ignore them. The fermentation process will dissolve them.
9. The leftover refuse can be reused the following ways:
a. for the next batch of enzyme;
b. fertiliser for the garden. Dry the residue, blend it and bury it in the ground;
c. purify sewage. Grind pour into toilet bowl, add some brown sugar and flush.
10. Do NOT store enzyme in the refrigerator. The enzyme has no expiry date.

Threat To Bloggers

2009-08-18T12:25:00.002+08:00

18 August 2009

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/8/18/nation/4540459&sec=nation

Bloggers who incite hatred or harp on sensitive issues like race and religion in their postings can be prosecuted for sedition, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein. He said the Government would put in place a mechanism to monitor and prevent seditious content from being displayed on blogs.

That excerpt is taken from Star Online. Please refer to the url above.

I saw the writing on the wall months ago. First Dr Rais Yatim tried to force bloggers to be registered. Then, Dr Rais Yatim asked for tenders for a filtering software. He claimed that the software will be used to filter porn sites. True, that software can be used to filter porn sites. But, it can also be used to filter any other site the government wants. Now, it seems from Hishammuddin's statement, the government is going to filter (at least some) bloggers' sites and charge bloggers under the Sedition Act. I predicted that's what the filtering software will be used for from the very beginning.

Okay, what is sedition, at least in the context of Malaysia? Saying/publishing/doing things which will upset a particular race or religion, correct? Has the government taken action against the two journalists who recently offended the people of a particular religion yet?

What happened to freedom of speech? Are the common Malaysians now denied of free thoughts and free speech? Is Amnesty International looking into this? Why is the government so afraid of the common Malaysians thinking for ourselves and voicing our opinions? I know those who have nothing to hide are not afraid of people saying anything.

Yes, a handful of bloggers may have posted some less-than-polite statements. But, from what I've read in the newspapers and on the television and radio, it's those who are in power who are saying a lot of less-than-polite statements about others. So, who is going to monitor the very ones who are monitoring the rest of us? I remember one guy even raised his kris during an assembly but not a single blogger has ever done anything close to that.

So, why come after bloggers? Is it due to the 8 March 2008 general election embarrassment those in power received from Malaysians? That defeat wasn't due to bloggers. It wasn't due to the opposition parties. It was mainly due to all the draconian laws/rules, corruption (as perceived by Malaysians) and mismanagement of the country. Therefore, the common Malaysians decided to say enough is enough.

Would more draconian rules/laws help the ruling party perform better in the next general elections? Come on. Think about it, guys. Put yourselves in the shoes of the common Malaysians if you can. The answer is very simple. Malaysians have always been very tolerant. For decades, Malaysians have looked the other way to corruption, mismanagement of funds, etc. But, there is always a limit which one can tolerate. Once that limit is reached, then, people will feel that something has to be done.

I believe typically, most common Malaysians including bloggers just want a fair and just government. Give us that and no draconian laws/rules need to be imposed because no one has anything to complain about.

And why is the government wasting precious resources to muzzle the common Malaysians when crime is so rampant that neighbourhoods have to resort to hiring guards to protect ourselves and our property? Why is the government wasting precious resources on honest Malaysians voicing our thoughts when our broadband is as good as slowband or narrowband or snailband? There's so much which the government can do to endear itself with the common Malaysians again. But, muzzling the common Malaysians like dogs won't work. The time of the big stick is past. It's time to look at the man in the mirror.

Our PM wants to be known as the people's PM. Dear Mr PM, if you wish to be the people's PM, you must first listen to the people. And all those bloggers, etc are trying to tell you something. Most of the complaints (even the less than polite ones) are clues for you to improve on and endear yourself with the people. If you listen and act upon it, you will surely be the people's PM. I don't know where you are getting your ideas that silencing the people will endear you with the people. I tell you clearly now, it will only distance you from the people. And someone somewhere will find another way to speak out. For decades, the people had to live in a society where the newspapers are controlled by the government, the television channels are controlled by the government and the radio stations are controlled by the government. In spite of all that, people's unhappiness grew and people still talked. You need to let people vent out their frustrations. For example, if you keep the lid on a boiling pot, the water will spill out. It's exactly the same with people's frustrations. You need to let out some steam so that the boiling water doesn't spill out.

Do not be afraid of criticisms. One can learn a lot from criticisms. Criticisms actually help one to improve. If you do not want to improve and be a better government, then, go ahead, try to stiffle the voices of the people. The next time the people speak will be in the next general elections and it won't be a shout. It will be a roar, a thunderous roar due to all the pent up steam. It will be a thunderous roar which will herald major changes. In any case, the people will still complain and talk. It may or may not be on the internet. There are coffee shops, mamak shops, etc.

Listen to the people. It's the common Malaysians who are paying the salaries of the ministers, various officials and the men and women in uniforms. I feel the ministers and police seem to have forgotten that their salaries are from the common Malaysians' pockets. It seems like the police think that the government is their boss when in fact, the common Malaysians are their bosses. And the common Malaysians are the bosses of all the ministers. If any minister or police wish to argue that their income is not from the common Malaysians, please tell me where you get your income from.

A few days ago on tv, I saw a politician being roughed up by the police. Please read the history books again. On second thought, our history books are so modified, I can't even tell fact from fiction. Forget history books. Look at Burma. The regime has been using strong-arm tactics for decades. But, they will fall just like the Berlin wall. So, be fair and just to all Malaysians and everyone will live in peace and harmony which is what the PM wants, correct? Most of us Malaysians are not emigrants. We were born and raised in this country. We are the sons/daughters of the soil. Our parents were born and raised in this country. And their parents and so on. So, each of us, no matter what race or religion, has a stake in this country. And generally, Malaysians just want to live in peace and harmony. So simple. Listen to us. Repel the draconian laws/rules. Let us tell you want we want and we concerns us. Do not muzzle us.

Antics Of A Deputy Defense Minister

2009-08-14T13:24:00.005+08:00

14 August 2009

Last night, we went to KL PAC for a musical on National Service. To me, it was a comedy on NS. Like many KL PAC performances, it was a good spoof on NS.... errr... I mean good musical on NS. Our local talents from KL PAC have never ceased to amaze me. If the creative people at KL PAC is any indication, then, our local theatre and musical performers have definitely come a very long way.

Okay, everyone in the audience knew that those people on the stage are players or performers. We all knew that they are not real NS trainees or real military personnel.

The deputy minister of defense was in the audience. After the musical finished but while the performers were still on stage, the deputy defense minister was invited to go to the stage and say a few words to the audience.

He went to the stage and promptly did an inspection. Hello.... those performers were not giving him a guard of honour to inspect. I was shocked when he saluted the performers playing the part of military personnel. I also noticed the shocked/surprised looks on the faces of the audience and the performers.

No, he didn't say a few words to the audience at all. He said a few words to the cast though. I guess it's because we audience didn't go to the musical in our camo attire. Duh!

I sure hope we are not paying peanuts to the deputy defense minister because we all know what we get when we pay peanuts. If we are paying good money to the defense minister, I think we need a refund.

Let us pray that our beloved country doesn't go to war anytime soon. The enemy might be mistaken for visiting dignitaries and be invite to a formal reception. *shakes head*

Teoh Beng Hock's Inquest - part 2

2009-08-13T11:33:00.004+08:00

13 August 2009

Some people believe there would be marks on TBH's hands if he didn't jump. My opinion is, if a person is standing at a 45 degree angle (facing down) and held by the belt from behind. Facing downwards, there is no way one can reach behind to grasp anything. Thus, no marks on the hands. In any case, I doubt we'll ever know the truth unless there are witnesses.

But, my main questions are:

1. Why would a man who is going to get married the next day commit suicide?
2. Why would a man who is going to have his first baby commit suicide?
3. How does a man jump out of a locked window?
4. If he got the key from someone, who gave him the key?
5. How did the window lock itself after he supposedly jumped?

It might be just me, but I smell something fishy in this whole incident. Things just don't add up to suicide.

I remember when I was about to get married, I made sure I even looked left and right a few times extra before I crossed the road just to make sure I'm alive and well to get married. Men don't jump off a building on the eve of their marriage. It doesn't make sense. If I hear news that I'm going to be a father soon, I'd be very happy. I wouldn't jump off a building. I'd be passing out cigars or something.

Will we ever know the truth behind this? I really doubt it. Will we ever know who were present, I doubt it even more. But, that's just me.

If the number of deaths under the care of our authorities are not so high, I think, not many people will even bat an eye. But, considering the increase in deaths under the care of our authorities, it is a cause for great concern. We are afterall the ones paying for the salaries of those whose duty is to serve and protect us, Malaysians. I hope the members of the various government agencies realise that it is not the federal government who is paying the salaries. It is the regular Malaysians who are paying the salaries.

Teoh Beng Hock's Inquest

2009-08-12T13:21:00.002+08:00

12 August 2009

Yesterday's news, the doctors who did the autopsy on Teoh Beng Hock said that there were no defensive marks on his hands.

Does that support the government's claim that Teoh Beng Hock jumped through a locked window on the eve of his marriage? And he was about to have his first baby. Would any man who is about to have his first baby commit suicide?

Let's review the facts I heard so far.

1. Teoh Beng Hock was in a government building. Unless someone can tell me otherwise, I'll assume a government building is a secured building.

2. His broken belt with an unknown DNA was recovered.

3. The doctors said there were no defensive marks on his hands.

4. He fell through a window which is locked and only a few authorised staff had the key.

Since there are no defensive wounds on his hands, it reminds me of Raja Petra Kamarudin's theory that someone threatened Teoh Beng Hock and things went wrong. So, could someone have held Teoh Beng Hock out of the window by his belt and the belt broke? The lack of defensive wounds and the broken belt with the unknown DNA would fit in perfectly in this picture. This would also explain how a locked window was unlocked.

So, who was the person who held Teoh Beng Hock's belt?

Is Rais Yatim Curbing Freedom?

2009-08-07T14:02:00.002+08:00

7 August 2009

Is Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim curbing freedom again? The moment he became the Information, Communications and Culture Minister, Rais Yatim proposed controlling bloggers. According to the radio this morning, Rais Yatim has announced a tender to install an internet filtering software to block undesirable sites. Apparently, this move is to protect Malaysians.

What undesirable sites is he thinking off? Bloggers sites? Malaysiakini? The Sun? Recent events have made me lose confidence in our government's efforts to "take care of all Malaysians". I have yet to hear of any action taken against the 2 journalists who desecrated the consecrated eucharist which is sacred to Catholics worldwide. But, if it were something done against a particular religion, you can bet the action would have been fast and excessive. So far, have these so-called powers to protect "every Malaysian" been beneficial to ALL Malaysians or only a certain group of people?

Recently, the PM announced that the ISA is being reviewed. I don't get it. If the ISA is being reviewed? Why propose another silly idea to curb freedom? Are the PM and the Information minister on the same page? Considering what the Information minister is proposing, it seems there are two possibilities:

1. the Information minister is implying that the PM is not sincere about reviewing the ISA;
2. the Information minister is blatantly disobeying the PM.

I wonder which possibility is correct.

I know China uses an internet filtering software. China is a communist country. Is the Information minister implying that Malaysia wants to become a communist country too? Come on, Rais Yatim, if you wish to do a good job, don't waste the money on the internet filtering software, use the money to improving the internet service in the country. Currently, our broadband service is more like snailband service. As Communication minister, Rais Yatim should improve the internet service. I throw you a challenge, Communication minister. Show to all of us your abilities as Communication minister by focusing on improving the internet service. If you succeed, then, you will go down in history as the Communication minister who really made a valuable contribution to Malaysia and to all Malaysians. Do you dare to take up the challenge?

A Martyr

2009-07-22T14:14:00.002+08:00

22 July 2009

I've been reading a lot about the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock while under the care of MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission).

I believe he has become a martyr for democracy, justice and truth. How many more martyrs would the corrupt and oppressive regime demand of us to satisfy their own gains? Does our soil need to be irrigated by innocent blood for them to satisfy their own selfish needs?

I suppose Teoh Beng Hock's death will be swept under the carpet just like Altantuya's death and Kugan's death. No doubt the chaps who carried out the dirty orders were supposedly executed in the Altantuya's case. But, it was never revealed who gave the dirty orders. Just like in Kugan's case, no one was held accountable. I wonder how many more mysterious deaths which the regime has succeeded in keeping quiet? When will it all end? When there are no more innocents in this land?

Religious Tolerance In Malaysia

2009-07-20T14:58:00.004+08:00

20 July 2009

A friend wrote an article on Malaysia Today that there should be due respect shown to the Catholics over the sacrilegious act committed by the two journalists. There was an immediate response that people should first respect the Muslim faith.

That was a very puzzling response considering that at no time at all did anyone from the other faiths shown anything disrespectful towards the Muslim faith that I can remember. Those of other faiths did NOT desecrate the mosque or the Holy Quran. And during the Muslim fasting month, my friends and I refrain from eating or drinking in view of Muslims as a sign of respect to them.

I do remember the Hindu and Buddhist temples being demolished or damaged. I do remember a Catholic children's first Holy Communion being disrupted. And recently, the sacrilege act against the Holy Eucharist.

God in any name is still God

2009-07-19T13:45:00.002+08:00

19 July 2009

I cannot understand what is the issue over the use of "Allah" by non-Muslims. If my Muslim brothers and sisters believe that there is only one God and there is no other God, then, what is the issue. By believing that there is only one God, that means ALL of us are worshiping the SAME God.

God is God no matter whether we call Him Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, The Almighty, etc, etc. So, who has the right to say someone cannot use one of God's names?

From what I see, there are only one possible reason why someone can prevent the rest of us by calling God in any of His recognised names:

1. the person who wants to prevent us does NOT believe that there is only one God.

From my point of view, if I have to call God by a particular name, that means there must be many Gods and each God has a particular name.

So, which is which? Is there only one God as the Muslims profess in their daily prayer? If so, why is His name an issue?

Spying On The Catholics

2009-07-15T14:35:00.003+08:00

15 July 2009

http://www.thenutgraph.com/the-furore-over-al-islam

As a former journalist, I'm appalled by what the reporters of the Al Islam magazine did for the May issue of the magazine. There is a very fine line between chasing a story and offending a person, a group of people, committing sacrilege against another religion, etc. A good journalist would not cross that line.

I understand about going after a nice juicy story. I felt that urge many times myself. But, one needs to temper that urge with respect and understanding for people.

What prompted that journalists to do such a thing? Did they think that they'll be protected? Did anyone outside of the magazine put them to it?

It's very amazing when I look back. When the two historical Buddhas were blown to smithereens in Afganistan, did you see street protests or death threats, etc from the Buddhists world-wide? No. When it was found out that the Muslim journalists took part in a very sacred part of the Mass - the Holy Communion; and later spat our and photographed and published it, was there any street protest or death threats, etc? No. In fact, a Catholic priest and Catholics actually forgave him.

But, I also remember the time when someone drew a silly caricature and there were world-wide street protests, riots, etc. I also remember the time when the Pope's speech was misinterpreted, there were street protests, etc. In fact, it the Pope's speech was even discussed in Parliament. My question is, will this blatant disruption of another group's faith be discussed in our parliament? This involves the people of the nation. This involves national security and national harmony.

In case some people are not aware of the seriousness of what happened, let me try to explain it in easier terms. How would the Muslims feel if a non-Muslim enters a mosque and desecrate the Holy Quran? How would the Buddhists feel if a non-Buddhist enters a temple and desecrates the Holy Relic of Buddha? To the Catholics, the Eucharist is that sacred.

Although each of us treasure our own religion, everyone of us are brothers and sisters in humanity. We tend to forget that. We tend to think of ourselves as a person of this particular race, religion or social status. We need to look deeper. We need to see that we are all brothers and sisters in the human family. Just like in any normal family, each sibling has his or her own particular preferences. But, we still sit down and share a meal on the same table. Why? Because we are a family. When we argue with our siblings, we still forgive. Why? Because we are a family. So, as siblings of the family of humanity, can we not forgive each other when one makes a mistake?

One day, if we say or do something which our siblings of the muslim faith find offensive, remember that we forgave you; we did not cause any violence in response to what you have done. In this case, proper and just action must be taken and then, forgiveness with follow.

We must remember that we are all siblings in the human family. There will be mistakes done. But, once restitution is made and justice is served fairly. And I really mean fairly. No sweeping things under the carpet. Then, love will prevail and will be forgiven. So, will justice be served fairly?

Dell gives pathetic service

2009-06-18T15:59:00.002+08:00

18 June 2009

Dell has been sending me promotional mailers for a long time. In August 2008, I called Dell at 1800 88 0287 to request for a change of address. The staff said it was done. Subsequent month, the mailers still went to my old address. I called that number again and requested for a change of address. Again, the staff said it was done and the mailers still went to the old address.

25 May 2009, I got tired of calling them and decided to email to the address provided in the promotional mailer - apcc_msia_mail@dell.com. I requested for a change of address and an acknowledgement. No response. On 14 June 2009, I went to my old place and got another Dell mailer. On 16 June 2009, I wrote another email to that same email address and I cc it to my friend working there as well. This time, I was rather upset and my email showed it. She promptly wrote back to say that the email went to over 3000 Dell staff. Hmm.... I wonder why did Dell mailer ask customers to write to that email address for?

My friend gave me Onn Lay Kim, the Customer Service Manager's email address at Lay_Kim_Onn@dell.com. I immediately wrote to Ms Onn and my email promptly bounced back with the undeliverable error message.

Hmm..... I give up. I've done my very, very best to contact Dell but, it seems Dell doesn't want to be contacted. Is it deliberate? Wow! This is the service from a Multi-National Company. I'm shocked.

How long does it take to change a customer's address? When my customer informs me to update their address, I could get it done within a day. Is Dell computer system so ancient that updating of customer details take over 10 months? Hey, perhaps Dell would like to buy Writech computers instead. They are very much more reliable and efficient.

HSBC Staff Excels

2009-05-09T08:51:00.002+08:00

9 May 2009

A few months back, we were approached by HSBC Assistant Team Sales Manager, Jeremy Sim Chee Wei at the Damansara Uptown, PJ, branch. He convinced us to sign up for the HSBC Amanah credit card. We did.

Yesterday, we received a thank you note from Jeremy (individually). Inside the envelope, was a small gift. Charmaine received a bookmark and I received a pen. It was a very unexpected but much appreciated gesture.

This is what more sales personnel from companies should be doing. No, customers don't expect an eight course dinner as a thank you. A small gesture goes a VERY long way. The pen will run out of ink eventually. But, I will still remember Jeremy.... not for the pen. But, for the effort of thanking me.

In that thank you note, he also asked us to let him know if our friends wish to apply for the credit card. Will we recommend our friends to get the credit card from Jeremy? Of course! Finding someone who serves you well is like finding a needle in a haystack these days.

HSBC board of directors, you have a good staff in Jeremy. Do all you can to keep him. I believe he's going places. I've had dealings with other HSBC staff and if you read the other articles in this blog, you'll know they don't measure up.

Jeremy Sim Chee Wei, thank you for your excellent service. Yes, we'll definitely recommend anyone to you. And we also look forward to giving you more business in the future.... even if you move to another organisation. You will be an asset to any organisation. Bravo! Keep this up and the sky is your limit.

Guinness & Me - part 1

2009-05-08T11:58:00.004+08:00

8 May 2009

I think it was in January when we saw a kitten on the highway. I found a spot to stop the car and Charmaine went down to get her before anyone runs her over. She was in a bad shape. Just skin and bones and her eye had an infection. She has beautiful black-whitish-brownish fur. We took her to our vet immediately.

Other than starving and eye infection, she also had a fever. Feeding her the medicines and vitamin was a real tough chore. How she struggled.

Our intention was to foster her while looking for a good home for her. Due to the colours of her fur, I named her Guinness. Big mistake. Don't name a dog or cat if you don't intend to keep it. So, that's how Guinness became a member of the human-dog pack.

What have I learnt about cats? Guinness is our first cat.

1. Cats are different from dogs.

2. You can't play rough with a cat. It gets upset and the teeth and claws come out.

3. I don't know about other cats but Guinness has to sniff us first thing in the day just like the dog.

4. I also notice she loves to sniff everything just like that beagle.

5. Watch out for the teeth and claws. They are very sharp. I have the scars to prove it.

6. Keep your face out of the cat's teeth or claw range. She would strike for no reason while we pet her.

7. Watch the head. A cat's head can move like a snake. My face got bitten at least twice.

8. Beware of their tricks. Guinness is a cat with a bag of tricks. We keep her in our guest bathroom until she's bigger. We put a board at the door to stop her from coming out unsupervised. While we were on holiday, she managed to escape twice. Cats can really jump. When we are around, she'll pretend to hide but would quickly turn and zip out of the bathroom.

9. Discourage cats from biting or scratching you. When they are bigger, the experience isn't going to be very pleasant.

10. In the beginning, cats are very shy. So, leave them alone when they need to answer the call of nature. I notice that when I'm watching her, she turns her back to me whenever she answers nature's call.

11. Their claws are very bad for your furniture. Discourage them from clawing the furniture from the very beginning. Get them a scratch post. A simple one will do.

12. Wires are very dangerous for cats or any other animal for that matter. One bite and they're fried. So, discourage them from the beginning.

13. Get the tablet feeding device as soon as you can. It prevents injured fingers... believe me. But, watch out for the claws. They'll do their best to stop you from giving them medicine/vitamin.

14. Who says cats and dogs don't mix? Okay, I admit when we first got her home, Bailey was looking at her like his treat.... smacking him lips. Bailey loves catching and eating birds or any animal smaller than him. The trick is how you introduce them. We put her in a cage and put the cage out with him. We monitored the "introduction" phase closely. Any sign of aggression from Bailey and we immediately reprimanded him. A few days of that "introduction", we took her out of her cage and held her on our lap as Bailey starts to sniff her. Once we were sure the aggression was gone, we can let her down but monitor both of them very closely. Now, both of them play with each other like best friends whenever I take her outside.

15. Watch the tail. If the cat twitches the tail rapidly, be careful. It's getting upset.

16. Don't expect the cat to come to you for affection like the dog. The cat will tolerate your affection if it needs food or it's toilet cleaned. After that, it will dismiss you like the royal servant you are. So, get used to it.

17. On very rare occasions, Guinness allows me to let her lie down on my lap while we watch tv. Note the word "allow". When she wants to go back into her royal chamber, she'll let me know in no uncertain terms.

18. Cats are very fast. I mean very fast. So, keep your eyes on it at all times when you let it out.

19. Guinness knows whenever Charmaine is out of town. I don't know how she knows. But, she knows. Then, she'll ignore me.

20. Keep a lot of plasters and alcohol swipes handy. You'll need them.

21. Make sure your medical jabs are up-to-date. You're going to get a lot of injuries.

22. Bailey would instigate Guinness to play with him by offering her his hind leg to bite. At first we were wondering why was the dog trying to sit on the cat's face.

23. Never pull your hand away when a cat bites you. Their teeth bends in. If you pull away, the injury will be worse. I push my hand back at Guinness and she'll release.

So, should one keep a cat? Well, if you don't mind being a servant to His/Her Royal Highness and be tolerated to stroke him/her at his/her whim, then, it's ok. But, being a dog person, I find having a cat soothing (when she doesn't attack me). Guinness loves to ambush. So, to me, it's worthwhile to have Guinness. The antics she and Bailey gets to when they are together are interesting to watch.

Bailey & Me - part 4

2009-05-08T11:22:00.002+08:00

8 May 2009

This morning when I was unlocking the main door, Bailey heard me and ran to the garden to hide. I was wondering what he did this time.

Anyway, I went out later. The moment I opened the door, I detected a slight whiff of urine. I also noticed my ole friend rushing under the car. So, I started sniffing the air just as my old beagle does. And he watched me from under the car. My nose led me to the car tyre. As usual, he did it again even though he knows he wasn't supposed to do it.

Bailey slowly crawled out from under the car and remained in the down position with his ears back. I scolded him of course. Well, looks like he's going to have a smaller portion for dinner.

Oh yeah, I read from somewhere that for dogs with digging problem, bury his poo in the hole and close it up. I tried it. The trick is to NOT bury the poo too deep. Make sure there's only a thin layer of soil covering the poo. This way, the moment he digs, bingo! pay dirt.

A few days ago, I was so frustrated that buried a big pile of poo in the hole. The incorrigible fella decided to break my rule and dug while we were sleeping. He didn't get to dig far to find my surprise waiting for him.

I wish I could have seen his face.

Bailey & Me - part 3

2009-05-07T15:54:00.003+08:00

7 May 2009

It's been over a month since my mother-in-law played with Bailey. He's gradually re-learning his training. Yup, it took so long to re-train him. He's not back to his trained self yet. But, at least no more soiling on the porch so far. His digging has somewhat reduced too.

What did I do to re-train him? I gladly declare that I'm a Cesar Millan fan. However, his methods have not been completely successful on Bailey. Okay, maybe I did things wrong. But, unless Cesar is here to correct me, there's no way I can get things right. I also read many dog books and so far, none has helped much.

So, what do you do when all the dog training DVDs, books, etc. fail? Give him away? Whack the living daylight out of him? What if he loves to be whacked? Outsmart him? Reason with him? What if all else fails? I know dog experts say don't humanise the dog. I've always believed that a dog is just an animal..... until Bailey came along.

I've managed to get dogs I've met for the first time or a few times to sit, etc without any problems. I've even trained an old dog a few tricks. But Bailey.......

I know experts say dogs sense our emotions, etc and react accordingly. Dogs live for the moment. Okay here are some observations. I invite any dog expert out there who dispute my comments to please come and prove me wrong.

1. I saw Bailey about to chew a piece a plastic bag flown in from outside the gate. He looked at my balcony. I reprimanded him from the balcony a few times. He looked at my bedroom window. I reprimanded him from the bedroom window a few times. He looked at the sliding door of my hall. I reprimanded him from there many times. Then, he was about to chomp on the bag. I reprimanded him with a sound. His mouth opened and he dropped the bag instantly. He looked around trying to spot me. And quickly walked away from the bag and looked innocent.

2. He has either peed or pooed on the driveway and I'm unlocking my front door. I had no idea what he did as I couldn't see anything until I step outside. He runs away and hides from me the moment he hears me unlocking the door. Normally, he would lie down and wait for me to pet him. He couldn't have picked up my displeasure as I didn't even know what he did at that time.

3. He realised that with the current hot weather, he could pee on the driveway and it will be dry before I wake up. I suspect he did that a few times. Then, one day, I put my nose close to the ground and started sniffing during my inspection. Yes, I make an inspection every morning when I step out into the driveway. And I only pet him after he has passed inspection. When I smell pee, I reprimanded him and he immediately runs away.

So, how do I deal with such a dog? Believe me, I've considered giving him away many, many times. In fact, he is currently on probation. So, I've created a training regime through trial and error.

1. Whacking him isn't effective. He seems to enjoy it.
2. Reduce his food. That is more effective.
3. Fast him. Most effective. The next day, he's an angel.
4. Ignore him. He loves attention and ignoring him upsets him.

I've found a very effective way to leash/cage him whenever we want to drive the car in/out. He would obey the command to go to the leash area or go into the cage. And after the gate is locked, I'd release him and play fetch with him. He loves it.

Excessive Use of Power

2009-05-07T12:24:00.006+08:00

7 May 2009

I heard from Tony Pua that an elected people's representative was recently arrested for wearing black while eating at a mamak store. What's going on? Since when the government decided to dictate what colour of clothes the citizens can wear? Do we live in a democracy or dictatorship?

Man! Chinese tradition is to wear black during mourning and funerals. The jails will be filled up very quickly if wearing black is an offense. And is the government going to reimburse the citizens for discarding our black outfits? Is the government going to the shopping malls to close down all the shops selling black attire? Wouldn't that hurt the economy considering that almost every shop sells some kind of black apparel?

What about the judges? Is the government going to arrest the judges and the lawyers? They wear black too. Gosh... the black cats. I think they will be arrested too. Poor cats. What is happening to this country? I don't think communist countries arrest their citizens for wearing a certain colour of apparel. Wow! What about our visitors from the Arab countries. I notice a lot of the women are garbed in black attire.

Is our Royal Malaysian Police discriminating against those in black? If black attire is not allowed, our Foreign Ministry better inform the world community. Imagine this scenario; a plane carrying tourists lands on Malaysian soil. The moment, the wheels touch down, our Gerak Khas (police commandos) storms in and arrest all those wearing black. Imagine the shock. But, Malaysia will surely be well known throughout the world as the only country to arrest people for wearing a particular coloured attire. What about skin? Is dark skin allowed or will people with dark skin be arrested as well. A plane touches down. Gerakan Khas moves in and say, "freeze! all dark skinned people must shed their dark skin or be arrested"! Wow! Another MY-wood production.

No wonder the house of the chief of police in Johore was burgled. Our police are too busy arresting innocent civilian while the real criminals are running amok. I heard of a woman killed during a snatch thief incident. Another woman is in coma from another snatch thief incident. Where were the police? Ah... they were busy arresting innocent civilians. So, who is going to protect us, the tax paying innocent civilians?

Pathetic Service at Companies Commission of Malaysia

2009-05-07T11:16:00.003+08:00

Note: my apologies for the long absence. Please read my article on Maxis and you'll understand.

7 May 2009

I went to Companies Commission of Malaysia (aka. SSM - Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia) to renew my business registration yesterday. That was the last day of my business registration. No, I did not wait till the last minute to do a renewal. I tried to do a renewal as early as 31 December 2008.

When I went all the way to the SSM office in Shah Alam to do an early renewal of my business registration on 31 December 2008, I was told they cannot do it because it's too early. I brought cash to do it. What? They didn't trust the money issued by the Malaysian government? Their computer cannot do early renewal? If so, how do they do 5-year renewals? The 5-year renewals are pre-payment for 4 years. So, if they can do pre-payment for 4 years, why can't they do pre-payment for a few months? Are those people in SSM using our public money to invest in those Flintstone computers? You know the type where you have to chisel your information onto a piece of rock. If so, I'd be very happy to sell them better computers where you don't need to chisel anything.

Okay, after I was disappointed that I couldn't do early renewal, I asked the lady at the counter if there are any alternative way to pay my renewal. Yes she said. Use the internet. Ah... that's the way to go. I was estatic!

On 30 April 2009, I tried to do my renewal. Guess what? I couldn't find anything which says payment. I called up SSM. The girl said click Main to do payment. Okay, I did that. What I got was:

Could not connectCan't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/run/mysql/mysql.sock' (61)

I told her that. And she made a comment which implied that I was some dufus. Then, she tried it herself. She came back and said server down. So, who's the dufus now? She said the server will be up on 1 May. Fine. I tried again on 1 May and still couldn't get in. I have been trying everyday since then.

Yesterday, I got desperate so, I went all the way to KL to do my renewal. And their system was down at their office too. I asked the lady what am I going to do since I've been trying to do my renewal but their system can't do it. She said I've 7 days grace period from 6 May. After that, I will be fined for not renewing my business registration.

Not renewing my business registration???? Hey, I've been trying to renew my business registration since 31 December 2008! Why is it my fault that SSM is incompetent? I don't run SSM. Come to think of it, I believe the Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs run SSM. So, SSM should sent the fine to the minister not to the public.

I tried again today and still got the same error message.

Observations / Comments:

1. If the government is truly sincere about improving service to the public, the government should really look into SSM.

2. Why does it take over a week and yet the server problem is still not solved? Did SSM hire Flintstones R Us as their computer vendor?

3. Why can't we do our renewal a few months earlier?

4. The SSM staff should be reminded that they are "Public Servants". Apparently, they still think they are little napoleons as our former PM so aptly called them. Public Servant means those who "serve" the "public". So, show some respect. The public is paying their salaries afterall.

5. When MBPJ, Immigration Department, etc can do early renewal, why can't SSM do it? Those agencies also serve the public.

6. When a citizen willingly pays his/her dues to the government, the government agencies involved should make things easier and pleasant rather than making it difficult and frustrating. How is the government going to encourage citizens to be honest this way?

Now, should I send my bill to the director of SSM or the Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs? The transport cost was RM7 and the time cost was RM600 (for 2 hours).

Neighbours - Part 8

2009-04-23T20:27:00.002+08:00

23 April 2009

This morning the other neighbour (an old man) mentioned that by hanging a garbage bag for garden refuse in the middle of my own garden, it attracts birds to his house. This has gotten me stumped the whole day. How does my garbage bag "signal" to birds to go to my neighbour's house? Is there a neon sign pointing to his house which I can't see?

To think in a logical sense, if for some strange reason, birds are attracted to my garden refuse, shouldn't they come to my house?

What's with the neighbours? We've always been polite and nice to them from the beginning. Are they trying to bully us just because we are new and we are younger? So far, those giving us problems are the older ones. Those neighbours our age are nice.

I notice their comments are always over things which are within our area. I'm always willing to listen to their suggestions about things within my area if they are paying for our bank loan. But, we are paying for our bank loan. So, what right do they have to say anything when it doesn't affect them? I'm not being petty or rude. But, my patience is wearing very thin. We moved here thinking we'll live happily and peacefully with the neighbours not having neighbours harrass us.

Arrest Warrant Out On Raja Petra Kamarudin

2009-04-23T20:06:00.002+08:00

23 April 2009

I just heard that an arrest warrant has been issue on Raja Petra Kamarudin.

I'm unfamiliar with royalty or those in the corridors of power. I'm just a common man-on-the-street. So, here's my musings or questions if you may.

Over the past few weeks, I've heard the government talk about ALL of us respecting the royalty and not disrespecting royalty. I've even heard of civilians arrested for disrespecting royalty. I agree. We should respect royalty.

Out of respecting royalty, comes questions about the warrant of arrest for RPK.

RPK said that he couldn't attend the court hearing because he was in self-imposed exile for being "durhaka" (traitorous) to his family, the royal family of Selangor. RPK cited this is the punishment for any member of the Selangor royal family for more than 250 years. My understanding is RPK is punishing himself for whatever he did or did not do to his family. Apparently, it's the normal punishment for royalty for more than 250 years.

So, if RPK is arrested, he would not be able to continue his punishment (and maybe reconcile with his family?). I've heard of this phrase called "obstruction of justice". Does this apply to Malaysia? If RPK is punishing himself and someone or some group stops him, does that not mean an obstruction of justice?

If RPK is stopped from continuing his royal punishment, does that not mean that the person or group is disrespecting the royal family? I mean it's a fact that RPK is a royalty.

So, what are we to believe? The powers that be are sending conflicting signals. On one hand, people are arrested for disrespecting the royalty. On the other hand, a royalty might be stopped from carrying out a royal punishment - therefore, disrespecting this particular royalty. So, does that mean that the powers that be have to arrest themselves after arresting RPK? Then what? Oh my... what a confusing state of affairs.

Postmen Caught In Inaction - part 3

2009-04-22T13:26:00.006+08:00

22 April 2009

Photos were taken at the park behind Jalan SS25/39, Taman Mayang, Petaling Jaya.

Top photo was taken on 20 April 2009 at 10:27am.

Middle photo was taken on 22 April 2009 at 9:36am. Our friend couldn't find his buddies here today. He quickly left when a jogger came along.

Bottom photo was taken on 22 April 2009 at 12:58pm. This was after the postman without the jacket just finished peeing right in the field. He didn't bother to hide behind the tree or anything. I couldn't reach my camera in time for the candid shot though.

Today, I received an email from Pos Malaysia's Wan Ezzety Kamarudin that my complaint has been escalated to the State Manager, Pos Malaysia Bhd, Selangor. Apparently, I will be informed of the outcome within 3 working days. I was even given the IMS reference number 412799.

Will see what happens next.

Maxis Wifi Broadband Service - part 3

2009-04-18T10:32:00.004+08:00

18 April 2009

Yesterday when I was doing my usual internet work, the browser and email program stopped working. The Maxis USB modem (which came with the Maxis package) showed I was connected (as usual). After going through the pathetic Maxis for so many months, I knew it was another Maxis problem.

Thana from Maxis told me on 30 March that after 2 weeks, their vendor would have fixed the problem and if I still have the problem, I should call Maxis. Yesterday was 17 April. I know my maths is not very good. But, I do know how to count. 2 weeks is 14 days, right? Therefore, 17 April is more than 2 weeks. Perhaps these Maxis staff should be sent back to school to learn how to count to at least 20.

Kishan answered my call and was not polite at all. It was 7pm. As usual, he made it sound like it was my fault that Maxis wifi broadband is not working. I don't know what's the matter with these call centre people in Maxis. Like I have access to the Maxis server. If I do, I wouldn't be calling them, would I? And aren't the customers the one paying their salaries? They are the first point of contact with the customer.

Anyway, he said that I've exceeded my quota for the month! Quota? What quota?

1. When I first signed up for Maxis wifi broadband service, the sales person did not mention anything about quota. I told him that I'm online practically 24x7. I asked him if I could still do it with Maxis without any problems. He said yes but access to Bit Torrent is blocked. That's fine with me since I don't download movies or music.

2. I do understand about quota. Kishan mentioned that once the quota is reached, surfing speed is reduced. My question to him was why did the speed reduced to nothing? Yes, the Mobile Connect screen showed 1MB connection speed. But, nothing was moving.... emails, surfing. Nothing. He suggested I use during off-peak between midnight to 6am.

Okay, so by subscribing to Maxis which I'm paying $138 per month, I've to change my sleeping cycle in order to use the service. If we are looking at it this way, does that also mean that I should change Maxis' billing cycle and only pay Maxis 1 year later? It's fair, right? I've to stay awake at night to use the service. So, I should only pay 1 year later. If I'm to pay every month, then, I should get the service I'm paying for.

Dr Rais Yatim should look into this matter. I believe telcos cheating customers is more important than bugging bloggers.

Another issue is, I sent an email to Sandip Das, the Maxis CEO to complain about poor service on 1 April 2009. He still hasn't replied or called me since then. Hello... isn't Maxis a telecommunication company? And the CEO doesn't communicate with the paying customer? By the way, I've been a Maxis customer for over 10 years. And the CEO doesn't even reply or call.

Oh well, if Sandip is not interested in my business, once the 1 year contract with Maxis wifi broadband is over, I'm moving. And guess what? I'm going to transfer my mum from being my supplementary to my wife's supplementary. My wife is using Digi. Then, I'll also become my wife's supplementary.

I always prefer to deal with companies whose CEO and staff value me as a customer. Why should I give business to companies which don't value me?

Maxis, the ball is in your court.

Postmen Caught In Inaction - part 2

2009-04-17T12:04:00.003+08:00

17 April 2009.

This was taken on 16 April 2009 at 2:14pm at the park behind my house. 3 postmen in that picture.

Malaysian Government Wants To Control Bloggers

2009-04-15T11:44:00.003+08:00

15 April 2009

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/15/nation/3694117&sec=nation

It was reported in the Star online news that Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim, the new minister of Information, Communications, Culture and Arts, warned of legal action against bloggers.

I think before any government even thinks of controlling bloggers, they should first find out what a blog is. Wanting to control something which one doesn't even know the definition of, is like someone trying to make laws without knowing the definition of law.

"A blog (short for weblog) is a personal online journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs are defined by their format: a series of entries posted to a single page in reverse-chronological order.Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or reflect the purpose of the Web site that hosts the blog. Topics sometimes include brief philosophical musings, commentary on Internet and other social issues, and links to other sites the author favors, especially those that support a point being made on a post.

The author of a blog is often referred to as a blogger."

This was extracted from: http://searchwindevelopment.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid8_gci214616,00.html.

Yes, bloggers are people who keep diaries online. Furthermore, most bloggers don't get paid; unlike journalists. Instead of having volumes of physical diaries (which require the chopping down of lots of trees), bloggers write online. Therefore, if bloggers are to be controlled by the government, does that mean that Dr Rais will be asking all the citizens and residents of Malaysia to surrender their physical diaries to him for inspection? The last time I checked, Malaysia was still a democratic country. I can understand China doing such things as China is a Communist country. Did I fall asleep for a few years and missed out on some changes?

Okay, I need to repeat myself here. Those readers who are of normal or above normal intelligence please ignore this. The others, please read this. T H I S B L O G I S M Y P E R S O N A L D I A R Y. I hope I wrote it slow enough for certain people to understand.

Postmen Caught In Inaction

2009-04-14T12:00:00.008+08:00

Please view from bottom up. This is my first time uploading pictures. I didn't know the last picture uploaded would appear on the top. And since Maxis is still as lousy as ever, I rather not re-upload them. It took a very long time to upload these 5 pictures in the first place.

These photos were taken at the park behind road SS25/39 on 13 April.

This was taken at 1:47m. What a wonderful job. They are paid to relax.

This was taken at 1:47pm. They are back.....

This was taken at 10:33am. You can see the last postman riding away to do his deliveries.

This was taken at 10:28am.

This was taken at 10:28am. Having a wonderful time, relaxing.

Poor Postal Service - part 2

2009-04-08T10:15:00.003+08:00

8 April 2009

As I write this, 3 postmen are at the park behind my house chit chatting and one was smoking. They arrived on 3 separate Pos Malaysia motorcycles in full uniform at about 10am.

My email to Pos Malaysia's customer service sent yesterday was not acknowledged.

What is this? Is this Pos Malaysia's policy to allow their staff to enjoy work? Man! I think I'll join Pos Malaysia since the staff get paid for chit chatting!

The Dawning Of Night

2009-04-07T20:09:00.004+08:00

7 April 2009

Once upon a time, in a place far, far away there lived a people called Candos. They lived in a land called Candoland. They were peaceful, fun-loving people. All tribes lived in harmony with each other. They were good, hardworking farmers. They elected a good sheriff and good councilmen. The Candos were happy. Their granaries were filled to the brim.

Years of plentiful turned into decades of plentiful.

After many sheriffs and councilmen, a new sheriff and councilmen were elected. Changes started to happen slowly. The sheriff and the councilmen started collecting taxes from the Cando farmers. Great monuments were erected at the farmers' expense. Cando town's treasury; decades of savings; were whittled away. But, the sheriff and the councilmen were very devious, they manipulated and lied to the Candos. The tribes were pitted against each other. There was no more harmony amongst the tribes.

One day, that sheriff retired. A new sheriff was elected and Sheriff Sleepy was a promising sheriff. He made a lot of promises to the Candos. Few promises were fulfilled. He wasn't the hero the Candos were hoping for. He didn't know what was happening.

One day, the Candos were so frustrated that they voted heavily for honest people as councilmen. This did not go down well with the Sheriff Sleepy, Deputy Sheriff L'Poop and their cohorts. They summoned a former councilman named D'Zack to sow discord among the tribes. D'Zack had erected a huge castle without approval. They had acquitted him. D'Zack refused to do the despicable act. They kept threatening and badgering him. Then, D'Zack had a heart attack and died. Their plan to create discord so that they could have an excuse to forcibly attack the peaceful Candos failed. They sent D'Zack's body back to his castle. Got their medicine man to say he died of natural causes.

Deputy Sheriff L'Poop was doing a lot of evil things. His men murder someone to hide his misdeeds. L'Poop's men were mindless zombies who would only act if ordered. So, who could have given the order? L'Poop was found out but, he denied it. All those who talked about it were scared off, paid off or jailed.

L'Poop bribed and threatened the good councilmen, one by one. The privacy of one good councilman was even invaded and that councilman was forced to resign. The peeping tom was never caught.

The Candos were in a dire situation. They never believed in violence. They were a people who lived under a yoke of tyranny. But, they believed in peace. The councilmen continued to sow discord among the tribes. The sheriff's men continously arrested peaceful Candos who spoke their minds. They came like a scythe and plundered their granaries. Some Candos were captured and never seen again.

If that was not enough, the Candos had to content with brigands in the fields and along the paths home. The sheriff's men were too busy arresting peaceful Candos to arrest the brigands. Crime became rampant. Of course, the councilman, SA, who was in-charged of crime always said that crimes in other towns were worse.... which was not true. But, SA was a great spin doctor.

At last, the Deputy Sheriff L'Poop achieved his wife's dream and was named the new sheriff in spite of protests from the Candos. The 3rd day of the 4th month of the year 9002 was etched into the minds of all Candos. That was the dawning of the night. That was the day pure evil was let loose upon the Candos.

Four Letter Word

2009-04-07T13:27:00.002+08:00

7 April 2009

Last night, I was watching the investigative series, Bones. I was surprised whenever the cast mentioned "Pope", the word was censored. Okay, granted it is a four letter word. But, it is not a vulgar four letter word. So, why did the staff at the censorship board censor it? Were the staff ordered to censor ALL four letter words? If so, they'll have to censor words like word, them, they, call, shot, seek, week, work.... should I go on or you do you get the picture?

Hey, maybe the government should instruct the censorship of ALL four letter words. Then, since work is taboo, all of us don't have to work. Cool..... oops, that would also be censored.

Poor Postal Service

2009-04-07T11:45:00.003+08:00

7 April 2009

I noticed that the postman in my area has been delivering my letters to my neighbour. Sometimes, my other neighbours' letters come to me. What is this? Is Pos Malaysia hiring illiterate staff these days? This is happening several times per week! That is too much. And guess what??? I can see two postmen at the park behind my house relaxing and chit chatting away. One of them is supposed to be serving in my area. No wonder he keeps delivering to the wrong address. He's spending too much time playing hookie. What kind of service is this?

Neighbours - Part 7

2009-04-07T11:34:00.003+08:00

7 April 2009

Yesterday, after dropping my wife off at the airport, I came home. I parked the car on the opposite side of the road to chain up the dog before driving in. The old lady at the corner house (next to mine) started shouting that I'm not allowed to park there as her daughter will be leaving for work soon.

It was about 6.20am. Yes, she was shouting at about 6.20am. First of all, her daughter drives a proton saga. And I didn't block her at all. If she cannot reverse out with plenty of room, then, she shouldn't be driving in the first place. Second of all, that is public road. Anyone can park anywhere.

In fact, Daniel C's daughter parks her car directly opposite our house. That is why I couldn't stop our car there. And the road in front of our house is narrower than the road in front of the corner house. My wife and I are able to reverse our car out even when some idiot parks on our side of the road as well. And we drive a proton saga. So, unless the corner house's daughter is driving a tank, there's no reason why she would have problem reversing out. Immediately opposite the corner house is another house. So, there's plenty of room for her to reverse.

Oh yeah, and this old lady loves to pound chilli or something with a granite pounder on weekends. Weekends are the times when people like to sleep in and not be woken up by the pounding sound.

Ah.... to have a nice and thoughtful neighbour.

Neighbours - Part 6

2009-04-07T11:25:00.002+08:00

7 April 2009

Yesterday, the postman delivered my letters to Daniel C again. And again, Daniel C threw the letters over our separating wall. Needless to say, as the ground was wet, the letters got wet. He then peeped over the wall and called me to pick up the letters. We do have a big letterbox outside our gate. Very easy to put in letters.

Maybe he was trying to be nice this time? Or is it because 3 out of 4 of the letters are for the previous owner? The previous owner hasn't changed his address. So, we receive his letters regularly and when he's passing by, he'll pick them up.

HSCB Experience

2009-04-06T18:11:00.002+08:00

6 April 2009

Around mid-March, my wife and I went to HSBC. A staff there convinced us to apply for the new HSBC Amanah credit card. We agreed.

My credit card arrived about a week later. My wife's credit card never arrived. So, last Wednesday, she called the call centre. She was told that the credit card was sent to our old address. My wife had filled in the application form with our current address. Why in the world did HSBC tried to "be smart" and send it to an old address? One shudders to think what else HSBC will do. Sending to the old address is totally unauthorised. Why didn't HSBC follow what was written on the application form? Does HSBC have the leeway to simply change a customer's details without permission or knowledge?

My wife's HSBC Amanah credit card arrived today. Guess what? HSBC retrieved the package from Pos Laju and resent it with just the change of address. There was no apology what-so-ever in the package.

This is not the first time HSBC goofed up. Previously, we considered taking our first housing loan from HSBC. We decided to go with OCBC instead. And we informed HSBC we're not taking their housing loan. Several years later, my wife received a call from HSBC asking her if she's still interested in the housing loan!

Hello! We were already staying in our apartment at that time. I wonder what do the staff in HSBC do? Sleeping on the job? This coming from a local bank would be shocking. This coming from a premier foreign bank???? My goodness! It's scary!

Ikea Crispy Bread

2009-04-06T15:44:00.003+08:00

6 April 2009

Recently, we bought Ikea's crispy bread. It's that big round type. We thought why not eat something healthy.

I ate it on Thursday night (2 April). I spent more than half of Friday in the toilet. I had diarrhea 5 times that day. It was my worst diarrhea in my life. There were what looked like weevils in the crispy bread.

I am shocked that a company like Ikea sells this kind of food to the customers. I wonder what else the food which Ikea serves in their cafes may contain. A lot of customers eat there.

So far, my experience at Ikea has not been good. I've bought furniture from Ikea. Came home, it cannot fit. Took it back. Came home, still cannot fit. I had to force them to join by hammering them in, etc. And this has happened so many times. I thought I would not be disappointed by the food. Well, I was wrong.

So, if you have constipation problem, you might like to try out Ikea's crispy bread. I think for people with constipation, they might have diarrhea twice or thrice. And if you are okay but adventurous, do bring a book into the toilet with you. You'll have time to finish a few chapters like I did. Of course, the stomach churning feeling makes reading a bit difficult. But, in between the torture, you'll be able to read.