Merepek

Holidayssssss...

2008-05-31T02:04:00.009+08:00

The initial holiday plan was to travel to New York in December last year and then to visit a relative in Canada and then to come back together with her for Chinese New Year but tak jadi lah. So gua not very happy loh – I already psyche myself that I’ll be going for a holiday – so…so….mati-mati I must go somewhere.

So end of January, I called up the tour agent and booked for a packaged tour for March 7 2008. Manatau, our PM then decided to hold the 12^th General Election on March 8 pulak. Aiksss…..This resulted in many of the people in the travel group to opt out of the tour…me included. So, tak jadi jalan again! Still determined as ever to go jalan-jalan, I then booked for the next date, that is April 24 and just kept my fingers crossed that there will be no more cancellations. I told myself that if the agent were to call and say that trip cancelled because of insufficient pax, then this year 2008, gua tak mau pigi sana lagi….next year baru cerita liao.

Anyway, the travel agent called on April 9. “Ms Tan ah…I am Joe from YYY Tours. I call to let you know we have confirmed your hotel booking for 2 nights extension in Hong Kong ….bla…bla….bla…”

“You mean the packaged tour confirmed jalan ar? Enough pax ar?” I asked.

“Of course! Early-early also enough people ledi. We now have 22 pax.” he answered.

YIPPIESSSSSSSS……………….Finally…Finally….I would be going on a holiday.

So on April 24 2008, I boarded flight no. CX 724 KUL/HKG; transit in HKG for 2 hours and then flew non-stop HKG/LAX for 13 hours. No joke lar….the 13 hours cooped up in Economy Class…..body ached…legs ached…arms ached…and I think I walked out of the plane head 'senget' to one side too. First stop at Immigration and the guys there had to take a photo of my oily-face with panda eyes peeking out from under a dishevelled mop of hair.

Cleared Immigration and collected our bags, we then walked out of the terminal building into the nice, cool night air of Los Angeles…temperature at a comfortable 16 degrees or so. Very seronokssss.

The drive from Los Angeles International Airport to our hotel in Anaheim took about 50 minutes. As it was already close to 11.00pm local time, our accompanying guide asked if we wanted supper and she would then get the bus driver to stop over at Carl’s Junior for tapau. One Uncle in the group asked to stop by a mini-market. He wanted to buy bottled water and Maggi Mee. Soli, Unker. So late liao, mini-markets closed already.

Since most of the people in the group felt tired more than hungry, we went straight to the hotel. By the time we got the keys to the room it was close to 1.00am. And our morning call was 6.00am, followed by breakfast at 7.00am and then on the bus by 8.00am.

It was a glorious Friday morning…clear blue skies with temperature of 19 degrees …..wonderful weather for Disneyland. As we were quite early, the crowd was not that heavy yet so, the queue for the rides was a breeze. At first, I said I will only go for those ‘milder’ ones lest the poor old heart cannot tolerate the other head-spinning, heart-thumping, stomach-churning, adrenaline-rushing and mind-blowing rides. But then, it looked like everybody else would be going and I did not want to look like a spoilt-sport. So I closed my eyes, said my prayers and joined them. No regrets…. I enjoyed as much as I did when I visited way back more than 10 years ago. I won’t mind visiting again…..but then, first let me get over and forget the ‘trauma’ of long-distance economy flight. Or pray that I strike it rich and can then afford First Class comfort.

It was a long, fun-filled day. By dinner time, I was already very tired. Could have gone back to the hotel but then I wanted to stay back to watch the fireworks display. To keep myself awake I went for the leisurely train ride. Bad move! I fell asleep on the train. Cannot blame me mar….cool, night air blowing on the face and with the gentle rock of the train….I visited Snoozeland. The show started on the dot at 9.00pm and it was spectacular…the night sky came aglow with glittering sprays of colour and there was Tinkerbell flying across the night sky waving her magic wand. Yes, it was pure magic.

Saturday – Universal Studios.

Got to sleep-in a little bit longer. Wake-up call at 7.00am; breakfast at 8.00am and on the bus by 9.00am.

Breakfast was same-same like the day before except they replaced the French toast with pan-cakes served with butter and syrup, potatoes, scrambled eggs and crispy, fried bacon with juice and coffee/tea. No fruits.

Wah…..morning temperature was already 26 degrees and the weather forecast said it was going to be hot day…may reach 32 or more. By the time we reached Universal Studios, the sun was already shining bright in the cloudless sky and ya, it was getting hotter by the minute. We went for the back-lot ride first…all of an hour or so riding on a tram going round the studios and movie sets.

After that, we went for the rides and I tell you, it was no fun queuing under the scorching sun…..the temperature rose steadily and I can safely guess it to be around 36 degrees or even more. It was that hot and I was being burnt to a crisp! There are not many trees and shaded areas in Universal Studios, unlike Disneyland, so walking and standing in queue took a toll on me. Plus, jet-lag decided to kick in. By late afternoon, I was practically withering away…..the head throbbed, the injured foot hurt, eyes blood-shot and sore and I needed to shut-eye so badly. What to do? I found an unoccupied table outside a food outlet and I just plonked myself down and slept for an hour.

So all in all, I did not cover a lot in Universal Studios because much time was wasted in the queues. Next time, must visit in February…cooler weather.

...........to be continued

P.S.

I may not have time to reply to comments as I will be away for another really, really short break next week. Here's wishing you all a great weekend! Stay beautiful, always. Cheeersssss.....................

Ta-Taaaa.......

2008-04-23T17:40:00.008+08:00

Sometimes I can be so ‘free’ with nothing much to do and I can just laze and procrastinate. And other times, the plate is just too full; not that I am complaining though. To me, got work to do means good lar. If no work hor, then 'jialat' liao. Betul tak?

And when I am trying to push as fast and clear as much outstanding work as possible so that I can go enjoysss cukup-cukup my holidays, I had to fracture a toe 10 days back which kinda ‘immobilise’ me– can hobble but cannot drive; I had to have blocked nose and sore throat since 2 days ago; and a small but none the less painful ulcer decides to take position in the mouth. Arrghhhh.......Murphy's Law!

The handphone too, chose to 'misbehave' - it had some minor software problems causing me to lose my playlist and pictures but luckily the contacts list was spared. Had to send it in for rectification and for the few hours that I was without the phone, I felt kinda lost but come to think of it, it was actually quite a peaceful few hours. Weird or not? I just got the phone back and it has been beeping non-stop. aiksss…….Looks like all of them decided to call me at the same time and … and….they want their things yesterday. Geezzzzzz.....

Nevermind. Let them wait a while…I wanna put up a short update here before I fly off tomorrow for my short horniday. Shall be back in 2 weeks.

To all my friends here……have a great day and stay beautiful, always!

Look Before You Kick

2008-04-13T15:22:00.006+08:00

Clumsy me kicked on the leg of the bed…OUCCHHHHH…ADDOIIIII…….NIAMAHHH....%$@#*&^%.....and I instantly fell forward onto the bed, hands reaching out for the injured foot. OMG....my foot looked something like this…..

The fourth toe bent something close to 70 degrees towards the little toe. Seimou!…It looked so weird and on impulse, I gave it a push and I heard a soft ‘SNAP’ and the toe settled back into position. Ahh…looks as good as before. A cold compress and some Voltaren gel and then to roll it up in grib-bandage should do the trick.

Woke up this morning and I realised the foot is unable to bear my weight and there is swelling at the base of the toes. Went to the doctor's and had imaging done…oh…oh….there is a phalange fracture. Doctor’s prescription – a buddy splint and some oral medication to relieve pain and swelling and to rest the foot.

Lesson learned - 'Look Before You Kick.' And this has to happen when I am going off for a break in 11 days time. WAAAAAAAaaaaaa……….

Color Me Red

2008-04-10T01:29:00.004+08:00

My favourite colour is red…ya…solid, bright, vibrant red in all shades. I have many things in red…dresses, blouses, t-shirts, footwear, bags, phone pouches, a squiggie pillow and I just noticed…..even that humble langyard is also in the brightest red.

Red attracts me….when window shopping and browsing through the stores, I am somehow drawn towards the color red. I know…I know, a couple of my friends have been telling me ever so often, “Aiyoh…why so red? You looked like an over-ripe tomato lar.” And my response would go something like this, “Cantik lar….gua suka lar…..'ang-ang' very swee lar…” hehehehe…..

The 2 boys are as different as chalk and cheese where their choice of colors is concerned. No. 1 likes plain colours….his wardrobe consists mainly of whites, blues, greys and browns. Aiyah…kinda dull lar, if you ask me. As for No. 2, he is the exact opposite…..he takes to bright and loud colours and you can certainly find the full spectrum of the rainbow and more in his wardrobe, neons and metallics included. hmmmm…can be kinda 'jarring' at times.

And when I came home from work yesterday evening, I saw this on my bed…......

From my no. 2

Waaaah…..I was thrilled to bits. A red-red t-shirt with a handmade card. Momma sukaaa…….sooooo red…..soooo 'kelip-kelip'……soooo me…. I melted like ice-cream.

Thank you, Son. **muakssss.....**

Ding-Dong Bell

2008-04-09T01:56:00.004+08:00

As the workers had to tile up that postage-size excuse of a garden, the external ‘rocket’ water filter would have to be re-located first. So when they came in yesterday morning, they turned off the water mains, saw off the old pipes, shifted the filter to one side and then proceeded with the tiling works. By late afternoon, they then carried the filter to the corner, fixed it up and then turned on the mains. Lo and behold! No water came out….only hissing sounds from a dry tap. Die lar…what happened? What got blocked? The filter malfunctioned already? Quickly ran in to the house to check on the other taps which connect to the reserve tank Alamak….just a very slow trickle and then it all went dry too!

A call to the Water Supply Department confirmed that there was a burst pipe somewhere in the neighbourhood (nothing new, actually...happens all the time) and repairs were underway and would be expected to be completed by 10.00pm or so. So how? I have not a drop of water in the house; the workers had used up all the water in the spare tank. So no need to cook lor…no need to wash….no need to bathe…no need to do laundry.....

Then at about 11.00pm, supplies finally came back in spurts. The water was dirty…yellowish-brown in colour but what the heck! I needed a shower. After that, I wanted to start the washing machine but it was a no-go. The pressure is so low, it’s gonna take maybe 4-5 hours to run the full cycle if it's gonna run at all. The water is still yellowish and it’s sure to stain the laundry.

**sighssss....**

Perhaps, digging a well is not such a bad idea afterall……"Ding-Dong Bell....come and help me dig a well....."

hmmm.....Simply Slurpilicious....

2008-04-02T01:02:00.005+08:00

Ice-creams….my indulgence on a lazy weekend…my reward for a job well done on a weekday…and my comfort food for just about anytime of the week. Whether on a stick, or a thick slice held between 2 pieces of thin wafers or plain scoops in a cone or cup or multi-scoops in a glass bowl with the full works…I’d lap it all up….slurpsssssss….I just lurrrve ice-creams.

So, the 31^st day of the month will find me at one of the Baskin Robbins outlet to stock up supplies and just 2 days ago, I was there, standing merrily in the queue. Normally, it would not take more than 20 minutes or so but this time around.whoaaa…….20 minutes passed and the queue didn’t seem to move at all. What happened? Well, as I inched closer to the counter, I saw a few of the customers testing out the myriad of flavours. Point…point…point and then lick…lick…lick and then shake, shake…shake their heads and then point…point…point again and then lick…lick…lick..Aisehman….apparently they could not decide which flavour they wanted and they appeared oblivious to the people in the queue who were getting agitated by the minute.

Seriously, can you actually taste the difference when you are like sticking more than 6 little spoons, albeit with different flavours, one after another into that trap? I dunno, but for me, I cannot tell them apart beyond the third spoon…..all would somehow taste the same…just sweet!

Anyway, back to the main story. This time, it took close to an hour to have them finally call out my number. Chihsin,….gila…..mad or not? Actually halfway through, I had thought of walking off but then, no lar…how can???...how can walk away empty handed when I have already 'invested' 30 good minutes in the queue? Mati-mati also must get something, right? So I shove them my number slip with my order written on it. Then the chap said, “Sorry, Ma’am. We ran out of covers for the half-gallon tub.”

So how, holy cow? “Nevermind”, I told him to just pack into 2 x 1 quart tub per flavour.

“Then you gotta pay RM29.67 x 2 instead of RM55.20 for the half-gallon”, he said.

As I was not willing to pay the extra RM8+, I told him I’d pay for the order and collect it the next day. Not too much trouble really, since the outlet is just walking distance from my house and I am happy as punch that I saved a princely RM8.69. That would be good for another slurpilicious scoop.

I Am So Indiciplined

2008-03-27T00:52:00.007+08:00

It has been a long day. The sky was clear the whole day and I managed to move about more freely and covered more appointments, unlike past few days of inclement weather when the morning sun got covered quickly by dark storm clouds and then followed by lashing rain in the afternoons. A half an hour of heavy downpour is good enough to cause pools of water along the roads …a solid one hour and flashfloods is not uncommon. Driving can be treacherous.

And it was just one of the few evenings when I had to sit down and sort out the stack of paperwork I brought home. I don’t normally bring work home and the few times that I did, the papers just stayed where they were…in the bag. I would then bring it back to the office the next day for completion. Carry in and carry out. Silly, isn’t it? Honestly, I planned to finish the paperwork that evening but somehow, I got distracted……I’ll read the papers first lar…I’ll read the comics lar…..I’ll chat on the phone lar…..I’ll fixed the loose button on the shirt lar……I’ll catch some food reviews on the TV first lar…I’ll check my emails first lar…I’ll blog-hop a little lar...etc..etc.... Well, it’s everything else except opening my workbag and by the time I remember the work, most times my eyes refused to stay open and my brain just turn cottony. shuckssss……I am so indiciplined.

So I forced myself. Past couple of hours, I sat down and diligently completed my work and now I am wide awake….eyes big-big and brain sharp-sharp…good enough to bang the keyboard to string a few words for this post. And now, I think I should go and start counting sheep.

F1

2008-03-21T00:36:00.004+08:00

For how many years already, we have been hosting this F1 thingy at the Sepang Circuit? If I were to be asked to answer this simple question to win some free tickets, I know for sure I won’t win any because I just don’t know the answer. I am not a fan and it does not bother me at all who drives what and who races for what and who wins what and who races where and whatever…whatever lah. I don’t follow the news and I don’t watch the races on the box but of course now, names like Schumacher, Coulthard, Raikkonen, Alonso, Hamilton do ring bells in my head. I know lar…they are world-class racers, right? Other than that, I know nuts. Would you believe that long, long time ago, the first time I heard someone mentioned Formula 1, I thought it was a brand of infant milk powder? hahahahaa....Gua big-time 'suakoo' lor. BTW, back those days, there was this well-known brand of infant formula called 'S-21'. Perhaps, some of my friends here would have heard of it or used it.

All my life I have only been to a Grand Prix once. It was eons ago in Penang and sad to say, I did not enjoy it one bit. The noise was deafening and half an afternoon in the scorching sun left me looking red like a cooked crab and followed with horrible peeling skin days after. To suffer like that for something I don’t know how to appreciate and enjoy…gila or what?

Funny F1 Cartoon - The funniest movie is here. Find it

And from the time since having the races at Sepang, I remember being offered a couple of times, free tickets which I have not once accepted. And I am invited to go for this weekend’s races too. Kamsiah very much. No point lar…..I don’t know what’s going on except to see those sleek machines zooming past fast and furious with a deafening roar round after round. Just imagining it gives me a headache already. And I am also not keen to be roasted to a crisp or drenched to the bone (the weather past days has not been too promising).

And also the huge crowds at this type of events is deterrent enough for me. I cannot handle being in too crowded a place...believe me…..a super-crowded LRT is enough to make me feel all faint.

Nevertheless, I wish all those F1 fans a most enjoyable weekend! Cheeeeersss..........

Chicken And Duck Talk

2008-03-19T00:09:00.007+08:00

The phone conversation with my friend went something like this:-

Me : Woei...whatchoo doin'?

She : Washing the cabinet.

Me : Why?

She : Wash oni lar...nothing to do mar.

Me : New one ar?

She : Ya lar.

Me : New oso wash. Make sure they fix them up properly, k?

She : Ya...ya...betul....those not working one, kasi keluar...

Me : What??? New and yet rosak liao ar?

She : Huh? Rosak? What rosak?

Me : Your cabinet lar. Kena conned liao lor.

She : HAHAHAHAHA.....Apalah lu!!! Am talking 'bout Pak Lah's new Cabinet lah.

Me : HAHAHAA....Apalah...Gua talk 'chicken' and you talk 'duck'...HAHAHAHAA... And can talk so long summore....hahahaha

** She said 'watch' but I heard it as 'wash'.

A Weekend Getaway

2008-03-16T19:07:00.007+08:00

We arrived early afternoon but as the rooms were not ready, we opted to go for tea and some snacks. The weather was hot and humid and I felt uncomfortably sticky. Sitting around the open reception area did not provide any respite; it was a ‘breezeless’ day and I felt myself drifting off to the land of the nod. If not for the occasional shrieks and burst of laughter coming from the swimming pool below, I would have fallen asleep there on the armchair.

Only managed to get to the room at about 6.00pm and after a quick wash to wake the sleepy face, I took to the pool. It has been ages since I last swam and OMG, my stamina is zilch. A few strokes here and there and my lungs felt like it’s gonna burst. I am so unfit. A few strokes again and then rest and then a few more strokes and rest….I began to get better after a while.

That night I slept like a log and when morning came…ADOOiiiiiiii…I nearly could not get up from the bed. My whole back was sore…I felt as if I had been whacked by a wooden paddle….the muscles were aching so bad I felt as if I was gonna bend over double….my lazy muscles protesting….OUCHhhh…..

“No…no breakfast until after another swim”, I told myself. Just have to work on those underworked muscles. After some serious paddling and kicking in the cold water, I felt very much better and refreshed. Had a relaxing shower and then breakfast and then did some reading and then……..

Zzz...Zzz...Zzz...Zzz...Zzzz...Zzzzzz.......

And in the evening I had the opportunity to attend a corporate event….something different…..dinner was served sitting on the floor ala kampong style…….and music was by a very talented young man performing contemporary pieces on the 'angklung'.

close-up of table setting

There Goes $$$$$$.....

2008-03-06T19:45:00.004+08:00

When the water meter shows lower than ‘normal’ readings, you can bet you don’t have to do anything and the Water Supply Department will send their guys over in no time at all. No need for any phone calls from your part….No need to make any reports….No need to feel flustered to being pushed from pillar to post. You can be quite certain the workmen will come by to change the faulty meter than gives ‘abnormal’ readings.

But when it is the other way around…when the meter reads abnormally high readings…ahhh….you gotta call them up and make a report and then they will send their guys over. Despite leaving them your contact number and giving specific instructions in the report for them to call beforehand, some how or other, they prefer to come by when everybody is out of the house during the day. You come home to find a note in the mailbox saying the guys were here at what time..what time and that the gate was locked and that nobody was around. The Water Supply fellas do that, the guys from Telekoms do that…the chap from Electricity Board does that…..sighhhhhssss……

And they said the water meter works fine. So, they suggested that only Syabas approved plumbers be appointed to determine the cause of the high readings and the plumber came by this morning. What else? The piping has to be re-done. There goes another bundle $$$$$.....

Learning from Ah Beng......

2008-02-27T00:48:00.005+08:00

If you want to know what they are talking about…… here are some useful words from Ah Beng’s Dictionary of Geographic Terminology …..

GORGES

Ah Beng’s dictionary meaning * adj. stunningly beautiful

Eg. “That guy is gorges!”

BEACH

Ah Beng’s dictionary meaning * noun. A derogatory term for a disliked woman.

Eg. “That Nancy is such a beach, man!”

CANOPY

Ah Beng’s dictionary meaning * a phrase as in impossible, unlikely, cannot be…

Eg. “He got a new gerfren???? Canopy!”

CIRRUS

Ah Beng’s dictionary meaning * adjective. Certain

Eg. “Cirrus or not? Dun bruff!”

CORAL

Ah Beng’s dictionary meaning * verb. To bicker.

Eg. “Where got coral? &#@%$...”

CORAL REEF

Ah Beng’s dictionary meaning * verb. To argue with.

Eg. “Want to coral reef me, issit?”

DAM

Ah Beng’s dictionary meaning * noun. A swear word to express disgust or dismay.

Eg. “Dam it, call her go Zook, she dun wan.”

LATTITUDE

Ah Beng’s dictionary meaning * adjective. A disagreeable demeanour.

Eg. “She really got latitude ploblem, man!”

THERMOMETER

Ah Beng’s dictionary meaning * phrase. Meet the next day.

Eg. “Ah Lian say thermometer at Led Box.”

VALLEY

Ah Beng’s dictionary meaning * adverb. Extremely

Eg. “That ChiowChiow Amani shirt valley nice!”

Do I Look Like A BIG LULU?

2008-02-22T13:36:00.009+08:00

The car battery died on me when I was at the tint-shop to collect the car. Aisehman, I can remember clearly that it was not too long ago that I changed a new battery and a quick call to the motor workshop, CITIREAN AUTO SERVICES SDN BHD at Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya confirmed that the battery is less than a year old and still under warranty. The guys at the tint-shop helped to jumpstart the car so that it can be driven straight to the mechanic. Test..test here and test, test there….okie….the battery is faulty and the warranty stands.

Then the lady boss of CITIREAN AUTO SERVICES SDN BHD said that they no longer carry this particular brand of battery and that I leave the faulty battery there for her to claim a new unit from the HQ of the supplier. And as she now no longer carry/sell this brand, she suggested that I buy another new unit of another brand from her at RM320 per unit and then she will claim the replacement unit from the supplier.

“Wah so expensive ar this new brand?” I asked

“Aiyoh…batteries increased price a lot loh.” she answered.

I told her I remember I bought the existing one at RM280 only.

“That brand also increased price now. It should be RM320 or thereabouts liao”, she said.

I then asked her what am I suppose to so with an extra battery. She said that she will give me a cash refund for the faulty unit and then she will sell the new unit. Okie. But then I asked here how much refund she is giving me? I expected nothing less than RM280, so that means I will have to pay her RM40 if I were to take the new XX brand. Wah. …she twisted and turned and spun a tale and was non-committal on the price. I pushed on and she said she will refund me the price that the supplier charged her, which is her cost price lar….which is definitely is very much less than RM280.

“Hey, mana betul lidat?” I asked.

“Okie, lidis. I get credit note from supplier and I refund you the amount.” she said.

She wants to refund me the cost price and then sell the replacement unit at a marked-up end-user price. She thinks she is the only one with brains ar?

HAHAHAHHAA.........Adooiii....hahhahahaa

Preposterous!!!! Kepala otak dia ini…..she already profited when I bought the battery last year. And now when it is still under warranty she tried to pusing-pusing around and make from both ends. Warranty means replacement one for one and this cunning woman wants to profit from 3 ends - the old unit, new XX brand unit and when she sells the new replacement unit.

Do I look like a BIG LULU? hahahahahah..........

In the end I decided to deal direct with the HQ and I got a brandnew unit for free and without fuss. Thanks to CENTURY AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS SDN BHD.

Addendum: Can you all see the BIG NAME up there? hehehee.....

I DUNNO, Really!

2008-02-16T14:12:00.005+08:00

Two mornings ago, a woman called my mobile:-

Woman : Ms Lim izzit?

Me : No.

Woman : Can I speak to Ms Lim?

Me : Kenot.

Woman : Err….I’m from XX Water Filter Co. Our records show your filter element is due for replacement…bla…bla….

Me : Lemme tell you and you go and tell your whole ofis again that I am Ms Tan and I have been telling you all that for the past 20 years! Can you just amend your records immediately, please?

Woman : OK...K...K......

Then this morning another fella from the Company called:-

Man : Ms Lim ar?

Me : No.

Man : Ms Lim, please?

Me : There is no Ms Lim.

Man : Ehh…..? I am from XX Water Filter Co….bla…bla….

Me : Aisehman…what does it take for your kongsi to update records? I have told your kongsi ten thousand times liao…I am Ms Tan…it's T-A-N.

Man : Err…arrr…err….dunno lar…..bla…bla….

Me : Dunno????? T-A-N larrrrrr…..Please get that right, OK?

That poor chap was trying to explain that he is merely the store-hand and that record-keeping is not his purview,etc..etc. I have heard that line a million times…”That this one is not done by me…it’s a different department…I am new here la...bla…bla…...” And the one that always gets my goat is “I DUNNO.” That’s the problem with many companies. The training of their staff, more so those who deal directly with customers, leaves much to be desired. If the bosses DUNNO that ‘I DUNNO' is not an acceptable answer, then they have no business being in the business. Whoever will have faith and confidence in ‘I DUNNOs’, anyway?

Sitting on the sofa reading the newspapers, he overheard me giving an earful to the chap and he just couldn’t contain a chuckle.

He : heee…heee…..Kesian that fella lar….seven-early eight-early, you kena him lidat.

Me : Told that stooopid kongsi berapa kali liao…gua mia nama Ms TAN.

He : Small matter nia lar…

Me : What??? Change my name…..change my ancestors’ name..bla..bla...

p.s. I think I need help with paragraph indentations. :P

Year of the Rat

2008-02-06T01:32:00.000+08:00

Past week was sheer madness. There were just so many things to get done…the ‘TO DO’ list somehow got longer with new items added just as I ticked off the numbers one by one. And Momma Mouse decided to spring a surprise on me.....a not too pleasant one, I must say. Last Friday, I saw this outside my gate. Grosssssss..........

*taken using a borrowed phone....picture quality not good*

And Saturday morning, I found this next to my car. It was alive and rolling on the grass and it squeaked too when I used a piece of paper and grabbed it up. The 2 little mousies must have dropped out from the car. Eeeeekkkksssss!!

OMG, Momsie Rat chose to nest in my car and for the past few days, I was at my wits end trying to find the nest. My car stank to high heaven…I suspected there must be a few more dead and rotting somewhere. Ewwwwww…….

Sent the car to the normal car-wash for them to jet-spray them mousies out but nopes…tak jalan langsung…the stench got worse by the day. Tak boleh tahan liao…I drove the car straight to the workshop at the dealership and begged them to get the carcass out. After 2 days there, they finally found half of a rotten baby mouse stuck in the fender. And despite the vacuuming and washing, the horrible decaying smell is still there. I just got from the kind satay lady 3 pieces of charcoal to put inside the car to absorb the foul smell.

A Momma Rat nesting in my car! The mechanics laughed……"Go buy numbers!" they said. My clients laughed…."Can lidat one ar?" they asked. My friends laughed......"Never seen before wor?" they chorussed. I also laughed.......

HERE'S WISHING MY DEAR FRIENDS

KEONG HEE HUAT CHYE.

'Kalah Mahjong' Mood

2008-01-27T18:15:00.000+08:00

Chinese New Year is round the corner and now we are experiencing Chinese New Year weather….blue, cloudless sky, terrible headache-inducing scorching heat. The sun is relentless…it is very, very hot outside and I am all cooped up inside the house. A quick dash outside to bring in the crisp laundry is enough to cause momentary blindness the minute I stepped into the house. So instead of going out jalan-jalan and look-see-look-see, I stayed home and just laze around…upstairs to downstairs to upstairs to downstairs…..It’s sooooo hotttt…..makes me so lethargic. And I am bored to my eyeballs.

And yesterday evening, I thought of taking a drive up Gentings for some cooler air. In my haste, I dropped my handphone….OOOOPSSSS…..into water. Arrrrrghhhhhh…….it is not water-proof....

Okie, mood spoiled liao…..sour-faced already......like 'kalah mahjong' lidat....don't want to go anymore..........just stay home and mope.

Adoooiiii....Sakiiitt.....!

2008-01-22T00:04:00.000+08:00

My friend would make hell of a lot of noise each time her car is due for road tax and motor insurance renewal….not so much for the road tax and insurance itself but because that would be the time when she finds out the value of her wheels. Noise or no noise, the issue is usually forgotten soon enough and she continues her love affair with those beauties. …changing to new models whenever she gets tired of the old one.

Those early days, she moved around in Japanese models but is now into German technology. She bought new a 2006 model in February 2007 for close to RM270,000, discounted RM20,000 from the original selling price of about RM290,000. What a steal! Now, just a mere 11 months down the road, she discovered that the current market value is nothing more than RM225,000.
**gasped...** A whopping RM60K+ loss in value for a 11 months old car! Adoooiiii.....sakiiiitt....!

"Ada betul kah?" she asked in disbelief.

Betul…more than betul…she was told. In the motor trade, cars are valued based on model-year and in her case, Year 2006, is now considered 2 years old eventhough she has been driving it for 11 months only. Based on an average of 20% depreciation rate per year, the RM60K+ loss is about right – [RM290K x 20%] x 2 years.

She can afford the car but it is painful nonetheless ….”RM60K wor!” she wails.

I know...I know.....buying and maintaining a car has burnt many holes in my pocket too. **sighs…** If only I am brave enough to learn to ride a motorbike.

Something To Chew On

2008-01-18T00:06:00.000+08:00

The article by Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK)* read, “Too many of us are spending money we haven’t earned to buy things that we don’t need to impress people we don’t like….”

hmmmmm…..something to chew on.....

* This agency is set up by Bank Negara Malaysia to provide free financial education, credit counseling and debt restructuring services to individuals. To help individuals who wittingly or unwittingly fell into the deepest end of the debt pool.

Easy-payment schemes, zero-interest plans, 24-hours approval soft-loans and flexi-financing, wallet-full of credit cards and the most creative of what-have-you plans for anything and everything tempt us and it is just not too difficult to go overboard and spend beyond our means. Oooohhhh….that pair of the most lustrous pearl earrings…. that elegant pair of stilettos that sure made us walk taller …..that sexy number that accentuate our curves at the right places….. that classy handbag that complement so well….that watch that we must have on the wrist……gifts/angpows for that big gang of relatives and friends…..that new set of wheels to replace the old-banger….a vacation to places far and wide that we have only dreamed of visiting…..new pad at a nice address, if not, to re-style our current nest….a new this and a new that. Wahhhh…..all also want…..

It is so easy to spend and spend and spend more. Every item, edible or not seems to be calling out to us to buy, buy and buy. At the malls, you see people walking with arms laden with shopping bags….at the food outlets, you see tables fully taken and it is so common to have queues waiting for seats, snaking out onto the walkways….at the hypermarkets you see people pushing overflowing trolleys and waiting patiently in line to ring up their purchases. We are being enticed left, right and centre and it sure takes great effort to reign ourselves in….and a steely resolve to only spend the money available in the pocket.

For starters, I think will I need to learn to go out with not more than RM30 in my purse.

How Come So Busuk?

2008-01-14T00:03:00.000+08:00

The no. 1 walked into the house, wrinkled his nose ** sniff…sniff..** and then asked, “Ma, you cooking salted fish ar?”

“Errr…no lar. Kitchen's closed today.” I answered.

“Then how come so busuk? Smells like dirty socks or something….hmmmm…” he continued

“Err…maybe neighbour’s cooking lor…”, I replied and then carried on with my reading. A couple of paragraphs down and I too, began to sniff something unsavoury. I walked to the kitchen, opened the back windows wide but there was no ‘fishy’ smell. I then walked back into the living room and instantly, that funny smell wafted into my nostrils…something a bit burnt and something kinda putrid.

No mood to continue reading already…..I must go look for the source of that offending odour, same time praying that not another rodent has decided to commit suicide atop the ceiling boards. I recalled a horrible experience years ago when, after enduring a few days of horrible stench coming from dunno-where, live maggots started to drop through tiny crevices on the ceiling boards into my bedroom….ewww….geli betul….I was home alone at that time…kids were in school and I had just woken up bleary-eyed and all and was toddling towards the bathroom when I saw small white clumps along the floor skirting. I walked closer, bend down and rubbed my eyes and I freaked out. OMG….help…tolong…..kiew miah…kow meng….Aitelyu…..I raced down the stairs, reached for the phone and practically dialed all the numbers that came to mind for help, short of calling 999!

An inspection up the ceiling boards revealed more crawlies and a huge clump of hair and a long tail….yucksssss…..the carcass had rotted away. Don’t ask me how they cleaned the place….I was outta house by then and only returned home late evening when confirmed 201% that everything is betul-betul bersih and thoroughly disinfected.

And back to my story of the latest episode of putrid smells. I checked the whole house…drawers, cupboards, the pantry, the fridge, behind the chairs, underneath the beds and just about any other place that I can think of but was unable to locate the source. However, I noticed there was no smell upstairs…somehow the smell was stronger in the living room. I turned out the shoe cabinet to check for any unwashed socks but nopes….it's not there either.

Woke up the next morning and the minute I opened my bedroom door, I was instantly greeted by that offending smell. I quickly went down to the living room, opened the door and switched on the ceiling fan at full blast to blow out the foul air. Standing near the switchboard I sensed the smell was stronger...more pronounced…..some kind of a funny burning smell…..I reached out to touch the ELCB and gosh! it felt warm and then I saw this....

Melted ELCB cover on the outside and a burnt ELCB on the inside.

**shudderssss...**My whole family could have been roasted alive, no thanks to slipshod work done last year by a supposedly reliable and qualified wireman.

It Has Been Ages Since.......

2008-01-11T00:02:00.000+08:00

Two evenings ago, we decided to take a drive from PJ to this place in Jalan Pahang, KL, said to serve one of the best hokkien-mee this side of the planet. Yup, those sinfully delicious, lip-smacking noodles that glisten in thick and black soya sauce. I like it when it is presented with generous amounts of meat, prawns, white sotong and vegetables.

We left PJ at about 8.00pm, thinking that the afterwork traffic would have eased up by then, but we were soooo wrong. Main roads and highways were chocful of vehicles after the earlier downpour and a couple of fender-benders along the way only made the crawl worse.

So after something like an eternity, we finally arrived in 'mum-mumland' and by that time the tummy was already growling. Heard that it is not uncommon to have to stand around and wait for seats but we were lucky…managed to get a table along the five-foot way so, it was alfresco dining for us. I quickly waved the chap over to take our orders. Err...not too friendly…no smiles…no hellos, no menu, just stone-faced, so I just asked him for recommendations. He mumbled something and I thought I heard him speak Cantonese that sounded kinda foreign. Not too sure if he is an orang asing from Myanmar, Tibet or Vietnam, I switched to bahasa pasar, only to have him respond loud and clear in Cantonese. Ahh….so he found his voice. And I thought I saw him rolling his eyes too..hehehheee…

As we were already very, very hungry by then, I looked to the table next to us and simply indicated to Mr Stoneface that we shall have just that. Service was reasonably fast and the food arrived soon enough…..piping-hot fried fish cake, a plate of sweet-and-spicy lala, a plate of greens and of course, the hokkien-mee. Then I eyed another dish….not sure what it was but it looked delicious so, I signaled to Mr Stoneface that we shall have that as well. Ahhh….I was pleasantly surprised……

This is pek-kueh fried hokkien style and it has been ages since I last tasted it. I like its chewy texture and I think it is made from rice and tapioca flour dough, cut into thin, thumb-length strips and then boiled. The cooked strips are then fried hokkien-mee style or served soupy-style with minced meat, gizzards or seafood.

3 of us cleaned out the plates and bowls in no time at all…**burrpssss….**

Tummies filled, we then decided to go for a spin.....slow and comfy…..no worries about my face turning green and then regurgitating the hokkien-mee. And it has been ages since I last went up on a ferries-wheel.......

Noodle Lessons

2008-01-08T00:13:00.000+08:00

The other day I had a craving for ‘pan-meen’ and a kind friend directed me to this little shop carrying some unmemorable name which reputedly serves some mean bowls. After going round and round the blocks of Kota Damansara shophouses, I finally found it nestled among a newer row of shops a couple of roads further up.

Already famished by then, we walked in and were happy to find an empty table. A smiling waitress plonked the menu down, mumbled something and then bolted off to help clear the other tables. An ‘Excuse Me’ with a wave of the hand brought Ms Waitress running back to take our orders and she rattled off in rapid-fire Mandarin. Aisehman….”Sorry, I cannot understand Mandarin.”, I said in Cantonese. Ms Waitress gave a toothy grin and signed to me to wait while she go get someone else.

Another lady came by but before I could even say 'Hi', she mumbled something and just as quickly, she walked away to attend to another table....wrong order or something like that. I needed help with the menu as I can’t read Chinese and the English translation, well….left me scratching my head. How do you read this word on the menu….’Teared'’?

And what in heaven’s name is item no. 204....‘LOR TEARED NOODLES’?

Addendum 1:

Farang Teared Noodle.....errrr....."HAIMEHLEIKAR?" hahahahaha......

Angeles is right...'Farang' in Thai, refers to orang putih/angmoh. And according to Chev, the Chinese words read 'Kuei Lou Pan-Meen'....so, I think it is pasta or something similar.

Addendum 2:

Pan-Meen shops are sprouting like mushrooms after the rain around the Damansara area and last weekend, I saw one shop appropriately named 'MEE PAPAN'. I should have taken a picture of it.

Addendum 3:

I went to the famous Kin Kin Restaurant in KL for chilli pan-meen today....and endured a 'hot' tummy for the whole afternoon resulting from an overdose of chillies. :P

Sin Nien Lai Lohhhhh.......

2008-01-04T16:54:00.000+08:00

I was walking pass the shops and I just could not resist stepping in. Wah….all the vibrant reds and golds; the sparkles and the twinkles of the lights; red lanterns of all shapes and sizes hanging from the ceilings, decorations for the house, from flowers to vases, streamers and banners and the unmistakable accompanying loud music…clanging of cymbals and banging of drums and the songs which we all know so very well…..”Sin Nien Lai Lohhhhhh……Chai Shen Tau..Chai Shen Tau…..Gong Xi Gong Xi Ni….” blaring away in the background....announcing that the new lunar year is round the corner. We get ready to usher in the Year of the Rat, the beginning of a new 12-year cycle.

And the Year of the Rat is especially meaningful to me......I have an adorable rat at home. Love you, Son. **muakssss.......**

KEONG HEE HUAT CHYE

Pengsanssss......

2008-01-03T00:27:00.000+08:00

First, I read of an 18 year-old Singaporean girl doing brisk business by putting up pictures of her worn-unwashed thongs, panties and bras as well as pictures of her posing in the undies, and selling the items online.....her ingenious way to raise money to finance her studies....

I was kinda incredulous when I read the above until I read something else…of a hawker’s helper by the name of Hong who actually called up the Press to find out where to buy the used/soiled panties. He was reported to be willing to fork out RM690 to buy a pair of worn and unwashed panties in the hope that it would change his luck. Apparently, his friend had won RM230,000 in a lottery after putting such panties on his head (this takes the cake!) six years ago. The friend spent RM460 to buy the panties.

Tolonnnnnggg....gua mau pengsanssssss liao........kedeboommmm....

**pengsansssssss**

A New 366 Days For Us

2008-01-01T18:27:00.000+08:00

I was scrolling through the in-box on my phone reading all those lovely and heartwarming New Year greetings when I saw these 2 messages, I am quoting here word for word:-

“Congratulations! Anda memenangi WANG TUNAI RM15,000 from Celcom prepaid. Info sila hubung Perkhidmatan Celcom prepaid. 006 285880339216 http://www.xpax.com”

“Pengumuman dari PETRONAS MAS. TAHNIAH SimCard anda bertuah memenangi undian hadiah cek RM14000. Sila hubungi esok pagi 00628157018729 Terima kasih.”

Wah…..A windfall!!!! Durian Runtuh!!!! Money for nothing!!!! Sounds too good to be true lar! Then I remembered my momma’s wise counsel, ”If it is too good to be true, then it can’t be true.”

So okie…no such thing as a free lunch….stop dreaming....better lift the bum from the couch and get back to work….This song is dedicated to all my friends here. A new year....2008.. a totally new 366 days for us to make the best of it.

***”She works hard for the marneyyyyy…so hard for it honey...she works hard for her money...so you better treat her right...."*****

Wang Kertas Baru Spesel

2007-12-29T14:55:00.001+08:00

I managed to get a set of the RM50 banknote issued by Bank Negara Malaysia to commemorate the 50^th Anniversary of Malaysia’s Independence Day. It comes complete with special packaging/covers and only 20,000 sets are up for sale to members of the public. Nice or not?

These new notes will be distributed through commercial banks effective January 30th 2008....in time for 'angpows'.

And I did some ‘koreking’ in my drawers and found these old coins (in denominations of RM25, RM5 and RM1) which were passed down to me by my dear momma-in-law many, many years ago. Remember seeing them before? They are more than 30 years old...older than some of my friends here.

obverse

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