Feeling Sick

I'm going to be down with something already. I haven't been able to sleep well at all for the past month since Snoopy hasn't been too good. He's suffering from old age general weakness and has mobility problems.

I am helping him as best as I could but still, it is very tough. Do you know that caregivers are so mentally and physically that their lifespan is shortened by a few years? I absolutely believe that!

In addition to being unable to get a good rest, I was caught in the rain last evening. I didn't realize the rain was so heavy but I was rushing home as I had to get back to Snoopy. Sigh, what to do, what to do but to see this through. I swear I am over keeping pets FOREVER!

Five Earth Hours

I have already celebrated Earth Hour and will not be participating tomorrow night from 8.30pm - 9.30pm. LOL

Yesterday, in one of the freak thunderstorms that we are experiencing on a daily basis, lightning struck one of the main power supply cables, shutting off electricity to my neighbourhood.

At first, I was afraid that it was an internal electrical issue but it turned out that half the houses in my area were affected as well. It took Tenage Nasional five hours to restore electricity, which they had to disconnect everyone's supply of electricity, including street lamps, before being able to restore for the entire neighbourhood.

See, with five hours without electricity, I don't see why tomorrow I have to shut of electricity again for an hour, after all, the time is 8.30pm local time, not as if the whole world will shut off lights at the same time, which I think will make an even bigger impact.

Anyway, things will be as usual for me tomorrow night. Hehe What about you? Will you celebrate Earth Hour and for how long?

Perfectionist

Or maybe this neighbor of mine is just exceptionally fussy. You see, he started renovating his home back in June 2008 and until today, almost ten months later, he is still not satisfied of his new house enough to move in.

I went inside his house to survey and noticed that everything is already in place but he told me that there is still something missing. Guess what? I wants to install a couple of wall fountains first before declaring it READY and move in.

Sigh, luckily I am not his wife or I will be so pissed off with his fussiness! But you know what? From what I see, his wife has a similar character as well! Perhaps that is why they make a couple. LOL

RM3000 Handbag

My friend told me that his wife asked him to buy a RM3000 brand name handbag a couple of months ago, which he did. Recently, his wife told him to buy another handbag which she says is RM800 after discount and that it is "very cheap". The normal price was more than RM1000.

My friend, the husband, does not understand why she needed so many bags, after all, she already has a new one and so expensive too! I told him that seasons change and fashion follows suit. He will have to be prepared to buy yet another expensive handbag in a few months' time.

I asked a few of my male friends and none were willing to buy such expensive handbags every season, at their current income level. Only one older guy says that if he could afford it, he wouldn't mind.

Hmmm I think that I wouldn't want to spend that much on a handbag even if I love handbags. I would rather use the money on something else, like a vacation.

Effects of Economic Downturn

I guess we are all feeling it now! My friend, Paul, told me that he used to have six projects concurrently but now only have one project going on one at a time only. I guess it is better than none. Still Paul had to let go many of his workers and to cut cost, he is doing many things himself now. It keeps him busy too, which is good.

Yesterday, actually early this morning here in Malaysia, Paul called me up saying that he did not go to work because he had to go shopping. He went to buy exit signs and emergency lights from a specialist store for his new construction project.

I tell Paul that I am envious of him. Being his own boss, he could take the day off just as he likes. Sometimes he stays in just because the weather is too cold outside. LOL. Man, wish I have such a life too!

Celcom Promotion

I received a call from Celcom yesterday and the lady informed me that Celcom is running a promotion whereby there is a 20% discount on this month's bill that is more than last month's bill. This means that if our bill for last month was RM150 and this month was RM180, will be receiving a rebate of 20% on the difference: RM30. This will be reflected in next month's bill.

I don't think I will benefit from this promotion because my monthly bills average RM180 and I certainly would not make more calls just to enjoy the 20%. My bills are high enough as they are, no need for me to balloon them up some more!

However, if you are someone who makes a lot of calls and text, this is a good promotion to take advantage of. 20% off the excess, remember.

Upgrade Monitor

My friend told me to take advantage of PC Fair next weekend and upgrade my monitor from my current 17in CRT to an HD LCD screen. I do want to upgrade but am reluctant to spend more money as I have to buy a printer already and as you know, the economy isn't doing that well.

My friend hooks her laptop to a 30in HD LCD TV and told me to get a 40in one that would enable me to open multiple browsers and applications without overlapping each other as I am doing now. Whoa, such a large screen, even if I could afford, I don't think I would be comfortable using it regularly. I would even have to use tv mount and mount it on the wall instead of placing it on my computer desk. LOL

Well, I just have to see how much I have to spend on the mono printer first only decide what other things I NEED to upgrade.

Silence OST [Taiwanese Drama]

I am watching this wonderful 2006 Taiwanese drama, Silence, which is a collaborative effort among Taiwanese, Hong Kong and South Korean actors. It stars Vic Zhou (Zai Zai) of F4 fame as well as Park Eun Hye and Andy Hui.

Like all awesome dramas, I am hooked not only to the drama but also to the music. I did a search on YouTube this morning and found the opening as well as ending themes of Silence.

The opening song is called Jing Jing De Ai by Harlem Yu. Jing Jing De Ai is Mandarin for Quietly Love. In the context of this song, it reads, "Quietly love me".

The closing song is by Vic Zhou and it is called Familiar Gentleness. Although I do not understand Mandarin well, I really love these songs. The videos shared here are English subtitled and gives us a better understanding of the storyline. Enjoy!

Old Age Problems

I have been having a tough time taking care of Snoopy this past month but I have no choice but to see it through. I just hope that it will not be too tough for him in the end. I pray that I will never have to make the tough decision of putting him to sleep.

While I could opt out of keeping pets forever after Snoopy, I still will not be able to escape taking care of my parents in their old age. I remember taking care of my grandparents in their final couple of years. I think I can never recover from the mental scarring. Although things were made easy with modern facilities and medical supplies like incontinence products and accessories for senior citizens, it was still very a difficult time.

It's always mentally challenging for caregivers. I read that caregivers actually suffer from decreased lifespan; possibly from lack of sleep as well. Sigh, life is such! What to do?

PC Fair (I) Ipoh 2009

PC Fair Ipoh is just two weekends away. This time, thankfully, they will be at Stadium Indera Mulia (Jalan Ghazali Jawi, 31400 Ipoh, Perak). If you are interested, it will be on from 11am to 9pm 3rd to 5th April, 2009.

I am happy that they managed to book the Stadium. This is way safer than holding it at the Yuk Choy Primary School hall. Gosh, you should see the traffic!

Like I mentioned in a previous post earlier this month, I would like to replace my old Canon Bubblejet printer. However, I have no idea which printer to buy at the moment. Of course I am looking for a low maintenance mono printer but which brand name and model? Should I go for laser or dot matrix? I am so confused!

I do have an EPSON color printer-scanner-copier combo right now but it really is not viable to print documents. One set of genuine EPSON ink is already more than RM110. Blekkk!

Besides a mono printer, I don't think I have anything else to pick up this PC Fair. Well, I hope I wouldn't. I really am trying not to spend too much money!

Wasabi Mon Amour [2008 TVB Drama]

I'm currently watching this TVB drama, Wasabi Mon Amour. I am only at episode 3 out of 20. While I enjoy some parts of the show, I am at a loss when Japanese was spoken. I don't have English subtitles and the copy I have is subtitled in Chinese. That makes it difficult for me to follow.

I am also watching E.U right now and I also find it hard to follow without English subtitles, each time King Kong speaks. He's the Taiwanese guy whose lines are in Mandarin. Luckily he only has a small speaking role.

For Wasabi Mon Amour, what I like about it is the food. No, I don't imagine eating them but I admire the food arrangements and decorations. With the word wasabi, I am sure you know that the food here is Japanese food.

Well, I hope that as I continue watching Wasabi Mon Amour, I will enjoy the drama better. I enjoyed the past few dramas and hope my streak continues!

Bed Rest Starts Now!

I was a little worried when my friend Michelle updated her Facebook status with "Bed rest starts now." I mean, I am so tired I could sleep standing but I still couldn't bring myself to get the bed rests that I should. You know, just sitting or lying in bed and not doing anything. Wow, that's luxury!

Michelle though, is pregnant and I thought something happened to her baby but it seems that the doctor ordered her to rest as a precaution and she is taking it very seriously. She doesn't even have her laptop in bed anymore! I hope she and her baby will be all right!

6 Hours

Whoa, guess what? I managed to get six hours, SIX HOURS of sleep last night. I must have slept like a log with my computer on, lights on and even did not set my alarm clock to wake up in the middle of the night.

How long has it been since I managed to get such long hours straight? I think it must have been right after Dino died. I was pretty depressed and did not want to do anything but sleep. But then, I slept on purpose. Last night, I over slept because I was too tired. There's a difference, you know?

Anyway, there's still just less than two weeks to month end and I really need to put up some hard work or I would not be able to meet my monthly expenses. SIGH!!! The stress, the pressure! I wanna retire. LOL

Mini Gym

I visited my friend at his million Ringgit home just last week. It is finally furnished! How long it took in total to construct the house from the ground until it is ready to be occupied, I don't even remember but it's something like two years.

Although I did shoot quite a few photos, I am not going to publish them on a public domain to respect his privacy. It's enough to say that the house looks very "grand". I could live there forever and not come out. But then that's not my house! LOL

I really like his sound proof entertainment room which has a projector in place of TV, his bar and mini gym. This guy knows he has a weight problem but I am not sure if he would have the discipline to even use his spanking new elliptical machine for longer than a month! If I were him, I'd prefer to take out a membership at the gym. At least I would be spurred to work harder with the encouragement of like-minded people!

Freakish Weather

I don't know if it's just in Ipoh and KL (confirmed by my KL friend), it has been raining really, really hard for the past month. Every evening will be the same, without fail. If I remember correctly, this time of the year, we should be experiencing sunny weather, right?

Each time it rains, I will have to unplug everything. You can say it's a habit, you can say I'm chicken. Whatever it is, I am not leaving it to chance. Just the other day, my aunt, who lives in the adjacent residential housing estate, got her computer and TV struck by lightning. This isn't the first time and I thought that I already taught her the importance of unplugging all sensitive electrical and electronic appliances.

Each time there's a thunderstorm, I think of Dino and the fear that he had and am comforted by the fact that even though Dino is no longer with us physically, he is free from the fear which developed in the last few years of his life.

DIY Wedding Flowers

My friend, Soo, and his fiancée, who is also a friend, will only be getting married at the end of the year. That's almost nine months away. Soo, though, thinks that there isn't enough time to prepare a grand wedding. Of course, he could hire a professional wedding planner but he is a hands-on person and would like to get the wedding ready all by themselves, with the help of friends and family members.

Soo's fiancée is very worried about buying fresh wedding flowers for the occasion. Many people would have opted for balloon flowers to avoid the hassle of looking for affordable fresh cut wedding flowers but she says that nothing could replace the fragrance of fresh cut flowers and I have to agree!

Fifty Flowers has been in the business of supplying fresh cut flowers for major occasions, including weddings, and it looks like there is nothing to worry about when it comes to ordering fresh wedding flowers!

Long Weekend For Fans of E.U. [TVB Drama]

Urgh! it will be a long weekend for us fans of TVB drama, Emergency Unit [E.U.] as I understand that episode 20 will only be aired on Monday, 16th March, 2009, instead of Friday, 13th March, 2009, which is tonight.

I think that Hong Kong did not air an episode this week and so they are slower by an episode than us here in Malaysia. In order to be in sync with them, Astro will postpone the broadcast of E.U. episode 20.

Although I enjoy watching E.U. because it has a pretty exciting storyline and I think that Michael Miu is still hot looking even at his age, I am not dying to follow the drama so it doesn't really matter to me that episode 20 wouldn't be aired yet and I would have to wait for next week.

Right now, I have Taiwanese drama Miss No Good to keep me company. This drama is really funny but of course, it has its sob moments as well, which touch me so much that I have to cry as well. SIGH!

Playstation: Buy or Not?

Samm tells me that she wants to sell her playstation 3 and upgrading it to some other game console. I am not sure which because I am certainly out of touch with game consoles. The last time I owned any was the days of Atari and Micro Genius. Boy, don't I just love playing those games every evening. What total time wasters!

While I would like to own a PSP 3 as well, my sister just bought a Nintendo DS Lite, by the way, I don't think I could spare the time to play more games. As I mentioned, I am already obsessed with Pet Society and I easily get addicted to games, and then I could say bye bye to work, and even dramas, at least for the next few months! Scary!!!

iPhone In Malaysia

Finally, iPhone will be officially launched this 20th March, 2009 by Maxis. So the rumour that Maxis will triumph over other telco providers proved to be true.

I checked the iPhone 3G plans and rates provided by Maxis and I am not impressed. Of course, we could buy one without a plan but that would be almost RM3K. For those who are willing to sign a new contract with Maxis, then the more upfront payment is paid for the phone, the less one has to pay monthly.

Although nobody expects Maxis to subsidies the iPhone, I think that it's awful that they force us to commit with them at a certain amount monthly but the payment is only good for voice calls and minimal data transfers.

I would expect them to know that most of us wouldn't mind the monthly commitment of minimum RM100 for two years, but we would prefer that this amount be good for voice calls, data transfer as well as text messages. Usage exceeding RM100 would be charged according to the rates of voice calls, data transfer or text messages.

SIGH, blood suckers!

Need Larger Screen

I was telling a friend that I would like to change a new monitor. I am still using a 17in CRT monitor and I need a LCD screen of at least 20in since I view three to four windows or active applications at the same time. Yes, see how busy I am!

My friend, coincidentally, just upgraded his LCD screen from 19in to 24in and he told me that because his screen was too large, he had to upgrade him power supply too. And you know what, the heat generated was too much for the existing couple of fans and he had to add even more.

In the end, due to all the extra hardware, he had to go through a couple of computer memory upgrades. After listening to all his computer woes, I think I will just stick to a 19in screen and not be too ambitious with a 24in screen. I certainly couldn't afford to keep troubleshooting the system because I wouldn't know how to!

Obsessed With Pet Society

I know I mentioned that I have no time for games anymore but then a week ago, I was so bored working that I decided to play Pet Society on Facebook. I installed the game a long time ago when I joined Facebook but only just recently created my pet on the insistence of Samm, so I did. Below is a screenshot of my pet, Poopy, visiting Samm's pet, Mina4 in his game room.

I am actually not obsessed with the game per se but there is a part of the game where we have to make our pet skip rope a hundred times consecutively. I did that for 96 times and then "died" and ever since then, I have been a bit crazy trying to complete the rope skipping requirement. Unfortunately, I have never been that close to a hundred times anymore. I swear that once I have that rope skipping trophy, I will never skip rope another time!!

New Wardrobe

My sister told me that she is waiting for sale so that she could get a new change of wardrobe. Hahaha I have been meaning to do that for ages already but each time I think of the amount of clothes that I have that are still in good condition, I will hesitate. No wonder I still can't change my image!

My sister, on the other hand, is not looking for a new image. She said that she has put on weight and most of her clothes seem too tight. I think that she would do better investing in diet pills than to buy a whole new wardrobe of clothes!

It scares me each time I buy new clothes only to find that I need a bigger size. I have this nightmare that I wouldn’t even realized that I have ballooned!

Miss No Good (Taiwanese Drama)

I am currently watching Taiwanese drama, Miss No Good, besides TVB drama, Emergency Unit.

The Miss No Good drama that I am watching is dubbed in Cantonese. Even though I don't watch Taiwanese drama because I didn't like those that I watched when I was a kid, I Do gave me a very good impression of how Taiwanese dramas have improved over the past few years that I decided to watch another.

I don't have any idea who the actors are in Miss No Good so the good thing was that I watched it with an open mind. If you are looking for something to watch, Miss No Good is really good; pun intended!

I have been laughing none stop since episode one but then I know that towards the end, Miss No Good has a total of 21 episodes, it will be quite sad because of rectangular love. Love always brings pain but it looks like it's worth it in the end.

Something For Everything

I was telling a friend that the skincare products that I bought don't seem to work. If you have read my earlier posts, you would have known that I spent a mini fortune on those products and I would spend even more if there is a guarantee that these products would work for me.

Instead of helping my skin, it has gone from bad to worse. I wonder if it's because I just have bad hormones or genes or just have used the products wrongly. I understand that there are not ugly women in this world, just lazy women. I am in the group of lazy people!

My friend suggested that I should try natural products now. I was rather surprised when my friend told me that there are now natural product alternatives for almost everything from acne to vaginal dryness to joint pain and many other ailments.

I am willing to give something new a shot, I just want better skin!

SPM Results Out Today

Wah, I read in the papers that SPM results will be released today and I think back of the time when I collected MY SPM results. That certainly was a long time ago.

You know, I kind of regretted that I took studies lightly back then but I blame it on my parents. They never forced us to study but my friends got serious caning when they don't achieve up to their parents' expectations. Perhaps that is why they are all professionals now while I am not. SIGH!

Well, like it said, it was so long ago, I don't even remember my SPM results. How many As did I get? I remember that I didn't do too badly, but seriously, it could have been better. After so many years, SPM no longer is relevant for me anymore but if I were to collect my SPM results today, I would feel all jittery again! LOL

Saving With Coupons & Free Shipping

As more and more people are losing their jobs in this global economic distress, my friends told me they should start shopping online more often, like me. I do it because it is convenient for me since I do not drive but for them, they need to be more prudent in their spending, especially now that gas prices have risen, even though slightly.

A friend, who has never shopped online before was amazed that she could buy almost everything online. She was skeptical at first but soon realized that she may get to save some money by shopping online thanks to coupon codes and free shipping offers.

My friend says that she is looking for orthopedic shoes and may just buy it online since these shoes aren't cheap at all and any savings would be welcomed!

Cheap Mono Laser Printer

I am on the market for a cheap printer, not necessarily a laser printer, just something that's for heavy use for document printing to replace my old Canon Bubble Jet printer. It is so old already that I don't even remember what year I bought it; it finally broke down.

I am thinking of replacing it with a cheap printer, Brother printers are cheap, but I read a guide on buying laser printers and it is not a matter how cheap the printer is but how cheap to maintain it. The more I read, the more confused I become.

I thought I would do my research now so that I could just buy what I need during PC Fair which I expect to be held some time in April, 2009. I HOPE that they will hold Ipoh PC Fair at Stadium Indera Mulia. The previous one was a disaster, in my opinion, due to wrong location.

I spoke to a couple of people and they both told me to get a dot matrix printer instead, and I thought that dot matrix printers are already out of production! I wonder if parts for dot matrix printers would be more expensive and will there be connectivity problems? I understand that they still connect with parallel ports instead of the common USB ports and are there new computers that still have parallel ports installed?

Why are purchase decisions so difficult to make?

MATTA Fair Perak 2009

Gee, I just got to know that MATTA Fair in Perak will be held at the Ipoh Airport this year from 13th to 15th March. Boo... I thought that it would be held at Stadium Indera Mulia like previous years and just when I thought that this year, I will fight the crowd and go check out for cheap air tickets, they have to change their venue.

I really am not keen going all the way to Ipoh Airport which is so far away from where I am. Anyway, it's now like I would have the opportunity to go travel yet, at least not so soon in the next few months. I still have to care for Snoopy.

I hope that the next MATTA Fair will be held somewhere closer to home so that I could go and be a busy body and tempt myself with cheap tours. LOL

Fat Boss Kent Cheng

I recently finished watching TVB drama, A Journey Called Life. It was aired in 2007 or 2008, I think, I couldn't remember. TVB actor, Kent Cheng had a major role. It surely has been a long time since I watched any of his shows. I think the last time I watched him was about five to ten years ago.

My, how he has ballooned! I don't remember him as big as he was in A Journey Called Life and I am pretty sure that his fat in the drama was real and he did not wear a padded suit. The massive weight that he has to carry along everywhere he does would surely tax his body, his joints and his backbone. Surely he knows that growing to that size uncontrollably isn't healthy?

I wonder if he has tried weight loss products to help him slim down a little. I wonder if people around him; his friends, family and colleagues, have pointed out to him that he has to keep healthy and doing nothing about his weight would not help at all.

Frankly, while watching the drama, I was worried about him especially when he had to climb the stairs or run, since he was supposed to be a marathon trainer.

Victim of Domestic Abuse

I read that the case of Rihanna who was allegedly beaten up by boyfriend Chris Brown has served a call to women to pick up some sort of self-defense. I have to say that this is easier said than done. My aunt was a victim of domestic abuse and she would be slammed left, right and centre by her husband almost daily. Police reports made no difference except that they made him even madder.

People say that if a man raises his hand once, he will do it again. It is also said that certain women like to attract guys who are women beaters. I don't know how true this is because as far as I could tell, after my aunt's divorce, her other partners did not beat her up.

However, I do know that my ex-uncle continued to beat his new partner but because they were not married and have no children together, the woman just upped and left one day while he was at work.

I feel that taking up self-defense, while useful, wouldn’t work when the person who beats you up is a crazed man, so many times bigger and stronger.

Too Much Free Time

I have a lot of free time on my hands lately, which is a bad sign for me! As you know, if I do not work, I do not have income. This is something that worries me but lately I have just whiled away time watching TVB and Korean dramas every night, playing games from internet casino games to Yahoo! Games to Pet Society on Facebook.

No, I am not addicted to dramas or online games but I do feel that I deserve a break after slogging for the past three years, or was it longer? I would have gone on holiday if Snoopy didn't need me but he's not young anymore and needs lots of assistance, and I willingly aide him.

I am also taking this lull in my work schedule to catch up on sleep. I used to sleep for about four hours a night only. I now get about five and I consider it an improvement! Any longer and I might as well get married so I am my husband’s responsibility and I could retire from working! LOL

Nine Months

It is hard to believe that Dino has left us for nine months already. If I was pregnant when Dino left on 6th June 2008, I would have given birth to a baby already. Nine months is not a long time and neither is it short. I still miss him dearly and hoped that I was given a chance to be with him a little longer, be with healthy Dino and hear him bark and laugh at his cute antics.

I still dream of him occasionally and in my dreams, he is still as adorable, very fit looking and as playful as when he was just a puppy. I guess that is his way to let me know that he is OK now, wherever he is and that I don't have to worry over him anymore or feel sad about him and his passing.

I guess one can never come to terms with the death of someone we love.

Sacking The Boss

I caught up with a friend a couple of weeks ago and asked him how things are. The last time I spoke to him, he told me that he found a new job with a company that runs a couple of internet casinos. His pay was high but he had to travel to the Philippines a few times a month as that is where the company is based. I understand that it was because of the casino license that was issued by the Philippines Government.

My friend told me that he is no longer working with this company and that he has sacked the boss. I was surprised. Of course, we know that the economy is lean and frankly, anyone would fight for that kind of job. Many people live daily with the fear that they would lose their jobs and unable to pay their home loan installment and here is this guy who gave up his job!

I guess he grew tired of flying or many he has found a sticky girlfriend who doesn’t allow him to be away so many days of the month! LOL

Do You Feel The Recession?

I talked to a few friends in various industries in major cities in Malaysia if they felt the recession setting in. They tell me that no, they still have business and orders to fulfill right until the end of the year. Well, that is if the orders aren't cancelled!

Those in the restaurant business did not see any slowdown as well. Maybe no matter if we have a job or not, we still need to eat, right? Those in the real estate and construction business tell me that business continues as usual. The pace did not slow down but in fact, they are busier than ever. Perhaps those with cash to spare are picking up cheaper properties, which require renovation.

I spoke to a friend in the finance sector and I asked him why these people tell me that they do not feel a difference this year compared to a couple of years back before the global financial crisis and this friend says that this is because people still have their jobs which means they are able to continue to support their lifestyle.

According to him, when more companies are forced to close and more people lose their job that is the time when people will feel the effects of a global recession. Hmmm that sounds bad, doesn't it?

Moving Again

My aunt received news from her landlord that she has to vacate the house by the end of the month. I actually feel pity that she and her family have to move to another rented home every couple of years. On the other hand, I have stayed put in my parents place since I was born.

My aunt and uncle actually owned a place previously, which has since been sold, because they don't like living in that neighborhood which they say are far from all they favorite stores, shopping and eating places, post office and banks.

I offered to help my aunt move her smaller household items over the weekend but she declined my offer. She is going to use her regular Moving Company, a company that she has used every time she had to relocate. I guess she has established a working relationship with the company after all these years and she has no problems entrusting her valuables and personal effects to them.

It does not matter that my aunt usually just moves around the same neighborhood, as long as she does not have to worry about the condition of her items when they are delivered because she knows that they are in safe hands.

Home Ownership In Bangkok

If you have been following my blog, you will know that I have a friend who is an expatriate in Bangkok. recently, I have talked to him about owning property since the economy is slow and it would be a good time to pick up property.

My friend thinks the same too and is looking for property to buy in Bangkok. He says that he will purchase a townhouse in Bangkok, joint names with his girlfriend, who is Thai.

According to my friend, if he were to buy a condo, he could buy under his individual name but buying landed property, Thai housing law stipulates that foreign owned properties must be held at least 50% by Thai nationals.

Oh.... I believe in Malaysia, foreigners could own any property above RM250,000. That is cheap. Anyway, my friend's budget is also RM250K - RM300K for a three-story townhouse in Bangkok and according to him, it is way cheaper than owning property in Kuala Lumpur!

AmBank AmCash Guarantee 21

In view of the seriously low bank interest rates, I have been wondering if I should start saving with AmBank’s AmCash Guarantee 21.

It's a three in one savings plan that comes with savings, maturity bonus and insurance. The insurance protection for savings of RM2000 annually is RM25,000. I have no idea if this is term life ins but it covers 36 illnesses, permanent disability and death.

Interest is paid every three year interval and for the first three years, it will be RM2000. Subsequently, it will be RM2500 every three years. This is for savings of RM2000 per year.

I consulted a friend about this and he said that this is not a good plan at this moment. Of course, I was just thinking of this as some sort of gratuity or EPF. So I guess I will have to continue searching for a better plan.

Ireland, Goong S & Miss No Good (Dramas)

It has been a long time since I watched dramas. Wait... it seems like just a couple of days when I finished watching A Journey Called Life, a TVB drama that made me cry and cry... very rare, you know. The story line was great but it's not something for the fainthearted, especially not for women expecting a baby as the lead character had to give birth to a still born child. It was seriously awful and I can't imagine the pain that a woman goes through if this was for real.

Since then, besides watching Emergency Unit (E.U.) which is just an episode a day from Monday to Friday and has a total of 30 episodes which means it will last 1.5 months, I am not watching anything else.

BUT I guess I will start my multiple-drama watching again. I have in my collection Ireland and Goong S which are Korean dramas and Miss No Good, a Taiwanese drama dubbed in Cantonese.

Which shall I watch first? I am quite partial to Goong S. I watched and loved Goong but Goong S is not its sequel and I read that Goong S is not as good as Goong but I guess it doesn't matter if we were to watch it with an open mind, right?

Recession

Many parts of the world are in recession or on the brink of recession right now. There are indications that the economy will continue to be weak, for how long, nobody knows yet. We could guess when the turn around will be, but from now till then, many more companies would go under. Isn't it scary that hundred year old banks could collapse just like that?

Smaller businesses which are not as exposed aren’t having an easier time either. It's just like a disease that has spread to many sectors of the economy, damaging the economies of many countries.

I personally know of friends whose companies are in debt, but on the other hand, I have friends who have problems collecting bad debt. There was a guy who supplied chicken, fish and prawns to a restaurant but couldn't collect payment after months, running the bill up to five figures.

This friend had to resort to hiring a Collection Agency to deal with the debtor because he felt that he did not have the time, energy and even persistency to continue chasing for payment.

Besides, he still has a business to run and realized that by outsourcing debt collecting, he could better concentrate on his business.

Perak's Historical Rain Tree

The Perak political fiasco is still on-going. How long has it been already? Frankly, I can't remember because I have better things to do that watch this bunch of so-called politicians struggle for power.

My friend told me that I should go and shoot photos or a video of the historical rain tree at the Perak State Secretariat where a state assembly was held. It's historical, but only if the State goes back to Pakatan Rakyat before the next General Election. Right now, it's just like any other rain tree, right?

I was even told that there are plans to build a monument or something at the foot of it. Well, like I mentioned, this will also only materialize if the BN state government is ousted before the next General Election. Otherwise, the monument would hold no special meaning, right?

Vehicle Reimbursement Programs

I was telling a friend that the employment market here is so bad that I am considering moving to the capital city. I figured that perhaps he could help me look for a job. He asked me if I drive and if I own a car and I said that I could drive, though I do not own a car. Besides, I thought that I would be provided with a car for some sales jobs.

My friend told me that the trend has changed. Now, companies no longer find it viable to provide employees with cars and employees are expected to use their own car but they will be provided with car allowance every month. I think this isn't as good as driving a company car but that's the way things are right now as most companies have subscribed to vehicle reimbursement programs, especially companies with a fleet of mobile employees.

This friend told me that by using such a service, both employer and employee could ensure that they are on the losing end. Both parties would benefit as reimbursement would be paid accordingly and fully.

Well, maybe now, before moving to the capital city, I would have to start looking for a car, and one that is in fairly good condition too!

Comeback of Gillian Chung and Cecilia Cheung

Recently, Gillian Chung and Cecilia Cheung are making a comeback after the Edison Chen nude photo scandal. I have no problems with that because I believe that everyone makes mistakes and the important thing is that we should admit our mistakes; learn from it and move on, making sure there is no repeat performance.

I also believe that everyone should be given another chance and in the case of Gillian Chung and Cecilia Cheung, it couldn't be a better time than now. Their careers came to a screeching halt when the photos began circulating and they lost their sponsorships and contracts but now, more than one year later, it is time for them to pick up the pieces and rebuild their lives and careers.

Unfortunately, people can be pretty unforgiving. I actually spoke to many people about this and they say that they are still angry. I found out that the anger stemmed from the fact that these one-time fans felt that they have been cheated. They believed that these ladies were squeaky clean because of the image they projected only to find out that behind the spotlight, they were sleeping around and taking naughty pictures.

I think that their anger is misdirected. They should ask themselves if celebrities are saints. No, they are just like you and I; just better looking.

Laser Eye Surgery

My cousin brother, who is a pilot with a major airline, told me that when he first joined the industry, all airline companies only wanted pilots and air crew with perfect eyesight. Now, they have no problems recruiting people who have had corrective eye surgery.

I guess they know that many people have spoilt eyesight which could easily be corrected with laser eye surgery. I told my cousin that since there are so many people who need the help of eyeglasses, if airlines do not change, there wouldn't be that many people left for them to hire!

While some people think that it is risky to meddle with eye surgery when it is not absolutely necessary, technology has become so advanced now, most people who have had laser eye surgery have no regrets and do not feel any side effects or whatever.

Frankly, if I were to opt for laser eye surgery, I would be apprehensive as well but if I calculate the risk against the freedom of living without having to wear eyeglasses every day, I would go for the surgery.

Luckily, my eyesight, while not perfect, isn’t all that bad either and at the moment, I can even go without spectacles. I know this isn’t good and may worsen my condition but I feel very uncomfortable sticking a pair of glasses in my face.

Property Ownership

As Malaysia is now on the brink of recession, it is actually a good time to buy property. I don't mean right now but within this year and next as Bank Negara will probably cut Overnight Policy Rate (OPR), by another couple of rounds in the next two quarters.

Bank interest rates are so bloody low now there isn't any point to keep cash in the bank because the returns are almost insignificant. Savings and Fixed Deposits are no longer viable investments and the only thing good about them is the almost ZERO risk. If you have RM60,000 or less in the bank, you will even be covered by deposit insurance and that means you will carry no risk at all.

So I was checking out properties in Kuala Lumpur and to my horror, I could only afford those run down low cost properties that are in desperate need of maintenance. The most I could afford are medium - low cost flat or smaller houses. I could probably buy something better in Ipoh but the difference will be slight. Besides, real estate development is so slow here in Ipoh, it is not a viable investment.

I regret that I have been supporting my family so well these past years. If I had been a little selfish, i would have been able to seize this opportunity of an economic downturn and secure a property or two and poise myself for an upswing.

Obama Dog Breed & Name

What a big deal it is that the first family of the United States is going to take dog into White House. It's like as if they have never kept a dog before or that they are not keeping a dog because they love dogs but because apparently it's "tradition".

I understand that while Mr. President Barack Obama said that he would not mind taking in mutt if it was up to him, First Lady, Michelle Obama has decided on Portuguese water dogs because they are allergy sufferer friendly. I don't know how true this is; not the allergy sufferer friendly part but the chosen breed part.

Now that they already have a dog breed in mind, the next thing that Obama fans would be interested to know is to see which is the lucky dog, which apparently (again) will be a rescue dog. Next would be the name of Obama dog. What do you think would be an appropriate name for a White House dog?