Losing A Friendship

I have been very, very upset these past few days, a 360 degree turn from the mood of my previous post. It is because something happened that has jeopardized a friendship, a friendship that I cherish deeply for the past 4 years or so. Granted, I may not have as many friends as others due the my lifestyle but I treasure each and every friend whom I am close to but it looks like I may lose this friendship. It's not something that I want to happen but if it does, I will let it be, since I am not able to give more of myself.

I can't write too much because a blog is a too public for some issues and this person who may be out of my life soon, or perhaps already is, may read this post and put two and two together, but once again, this incident has made me question if it is possible for a single man and a single woman to be friends.

I remember I once asked a friend before if it's possible and he told me that it is not because one party or the other would demand more from the friendship. And he said that's why I have no problems being friends with married guys because they don't threaten me and the single life that I am familiar with.

I thought that I have made it clear that I only seek friendship and nothing else. I am not pursuing any relationship with anyone. I guess it is because all these while, I have led a very regimented life and I have made it clear to my parents, especially my father, that once Snoopy doesn't need me anymore, it is time to lead my own life. It is time to take control of my life.

I thought that after Snoopy passes on, I wouldn't have to live with stress again but now this happened and I have been ill for a few days, can't do anything and didn't even go anywhere. Heart sick.

Visiting Putrajaya

I am planning to visit Putrajaya tomorrow. A friend is going down for work purposes and I am tagging along, as I have planned for a long time but couldn’t because I had to take care of my dogs who fell ill one after another.

Anyway, it is going to be an exciting trip for me even though I may not be going with someone that I really want to holiday with but hey, it’s a free trip and I certainly cannot resist “free"!

But I will be back with photos and blog fodder! Yay! I hope my photos turn out fine even though I only have a small memory card and two sets of rechargeable batteries. So tomorrow, if everything goes as plan, I will be offline for the better part of the day. What a change it will be!

Branded Crystal Accessories

A friend Yeen, showed me some of the crystal bracelets that she designed and made herself. She is in a business partnership with another lady and I have to say that they are both very creative and talented.

Yeen told me that they have big plans for their designs but need an idea on how to start their business of selling handcrafted accessories. Although they only have a small budget enough to set up a small stall in a major shopping mall in the capital city, they want to start on the right footing.

I asked Yeen if she already has a brand name in mind but she said she hasn't. She said that they have spent two weeks brainstorming but couldn't come up with something catchy that they both like.

I laughed and told them that they have just wasted a good two weeks when they could have spent the days coming up with even more designs for their crystal accessories. They could have easily left the task of coming up with a million dollar sounding name to a reputable Naming Company, couldn't they?

I believe that they already have the merchandise that people, especially ladies, would want to buy. Now they just need a matching name and they have a winner in their hands!

*** This post has been sponsored.

Changing Handphones

My father is changing handphones and the unenviable task of copying over his contacts has fallen onto my shoulders. I really hate the work that I have to do, you know. His current phone is an old model that has no memory card. The bad thing is that unlike me with only a handful of contacts in my address book, his list of contacts fills up both SIM card and phone memory.

This means that if he just switches his SIM card to the new phone, there would be half his contacts saved to the phone missing from his new phone. Urgh...I actually did this once for him before but after not even one day, he gave the phone, my phone, actually, to his sister!

Now, after this post, I am going to start going through his list of contacts and copy them down onto a piece of paper first. Will I be able to finish this task before I go to bed? I hope so, so that I could tackle some other stuff, like cleaning my room, tomorrow morning.

Good night!

Digital Nail Printing

I went to Tesco just now and there was a new store that does digital nail printing. They are running a promotion to celebrate their opening and shoppers are given a 10% discount voucher. According to the advertisement, their basic manicure is RM15 only. Regular manicure in Ipoh is about RM25 though I do not know what big difference there is between the "basic" and the "normal" ones. Besides, this one is "digital printing" while I guess the conventional nail art is done by hand, if I am not mistaken.

By the way, even though I would like to get my nails painted professionally, I never did anything to my finger nails at all because I have kept dogs all my life and keeping pets have to be hands-on and I have to wash my hands tens of times a day.

Now, with Snoopy and Dino no longer with me, I can finally paint my nails, but still not yet. I have so much Chinese New Year spring cleaning to take care of first and I tell you, my hands are going to get ultra dirty with all the washing, cleaning and wiping. SIGH!

Same Ol'

It's kind of strange that of all the time that I spent stuck at home nursing my incapacitated dog, Snoopy, I told my friends that even if Ipoh collapsed, I wouldn't know it. In fact, most of the news I got were from the internet. Anyway, now, eight months since Snoopy fell ill and I am out and about again now that he has left us, I find that the shopping malls are still selling the same merchandise and I still see the same faces behind the cashier counters.

Ipoh hasn't changed at all except for the new building called De Garden, next to Courts, opposite Kinta City. It wasn't there earlier last year but it's there now. I don't know when it was completed but it looks new. It could have been opened for business just this year or perhaps end of last year.

Besides this new development, nothing much has changed. And the sad thing is that no one missed me at all when I was missing for 7.5 months except for my old neighbour who asked my mom where I went. LOL I didn’t even go out to the compound.

1st Wedding Anniversary

My sister just celebrated her first wedding anniversary. Although the couple had wanted to go on a romantic vacation, it was unfortunately, just like any other day because they both had to work. My sister says that she doesn't mind missing out on a vacation but hopes that they will soon save enough money for a romantic cancun vacation. That is the ultimate romantic vacation, she says.

Going on a romantic vacation to the Riviera Maya will be a totally stress-free experience as my sister is planning for an all-inclusive vacation where she doesn't need to do any detailed planning much but just present themselves at the resort. Everything will be taken care of to ensure that guests enjoy the best vacation they could have. I bet it will be a totally unforgettable vacation!

My Laptop Adapter Died

I'm so sad that my laptop adapter has burnt. It was fine until I sent my laptop to the computer shop to troubleshoot and then reformat and when I brought it home, it was still fine for almost half a day and then there was no light at all and cold. It wasn't charging my battery.

I went to Fujitsu service centre in Ipoh this morning to check what was wrong and found that it's the adapter that was burnt. Boy, I PRAYED that it was just the fuse that fused. LOL

Anyway, I have just placed an order for an original Fujitsu adapter and it is going to cost RM300. Warranty is one year, though. There are universal adapters for sale. One is made in Taiwan and selling at RM130 but only comes with three months warranty. I think it's not worth buying because of the short warranty plus it may hurt my battery and/or laptop.

Sigh, wouldn’t it be better if it’s this easy to EARN instead of SPEND?

Cutting Back On Dramas & Games

Now that Snoopy is no longer here, I really should get back to work. Somehow, I can't seem to recoup my energy though, and I am still feeling lethargic and empty. I think that I have over strained myself from all the late nights, sometimes even almost no nights.

But I know that I really should cut back on the time spent chasing dramas and playing online games. I am in the midst of watching an older TVB drama called "The Ultimate Crime Fighter" where Kevin Cheng has a supporting role. There are 33 episodes in this drama and I still have five more episodes to go but once I am done with this, I really should stop and get real work done.

I am already spending less time playing online games on Facebook but still am not able to wean myself off the games completely yet. I can do it, I know, just like I have stopped playing Pet Society already. But I think that no matter how I want to stop, I would still run Restaurant City in the background. I would still collect my daily bonus ingredient and answer the daily food quiz.

The other game that I will continue playing would be Mafia Wars. I have actually already completed the game and waiting for the release of Mafia Wars Bangkok so there's really nothing much to play now.

Anyway, this is going to be my New Year's resolution. I hope that I will be able to spend my time more constructively.

My First Facial

I had my first facial a couple of days ago at a salon near my house. It was not that expensive and not that cheap either. I guess it was an OK experience. I thought that I have rather poor skin but the beautician told me that she has come across people who suffer from even poorer complexion. She even thought that I don't have an acne problem!

Actually, I did have an acne problem but am lucky to have been introduced to a best acne treatment by a doctor. Now, my skin is so much better. Of course, I still have acne scars but it's better than having to bare with painful red spots all over my face.

Anyway, my mother says she too would like to go for a facial but she says she needs a better package than what i had, due to her age. Well, I guess I will discuss with my sister and split the cost.

Waiting For Universal Studios Singapore

I am planning to visit the new Universal Studios theme park in Sentosa in Singapore when it opens later this year. I will be going along with my friend and his family. My friend is based in Johor Bahru so I will be putting up at a hotel there first and then cross over to Singapore one morning by car.

I saw on the website of Universal Studios that the weekend entrance ticket would cost something like S$72 for an adult, a bit pricey for me but according to this friend, it is considered cheap. Well, the price is all inclusive, luckily, meaning we don't have to pay for anything else INSIDE the theme park.

Anyway, there are so many things to do first before I could go on a holiday. I also haven't done my shopping yet. I wonder when this theme park will open for business.

Wedding Jitters

My friend, M, who will be getting married in May, told me that she is feeling the wedding jitters now. Actually, I feel pity for her because she has already postponed her wedding twice due to unexpected deaths in her family. I hope that this time, her wedding will go according to plan.

M told me that she needs to go on a crash diet to lose some weight. It's understandable that she wants to look her best on her wedding day, so I have been helping her search for quick weight loss diets on the web and hope that they will work for her.

Anyway, I told her that it's fine to go on a diet but she still must have proper meals. I have heard of brides fainting on their wedding day due to an empty stomach coupled with nervousness. Hope it doesn't happen to her.

Body Wrap

When it comes to beauty, I have a good friend that I could consult. Amy is a lady who takes care of herself so well from head to toe, she knows everything about beauty from the latest trends to what products to use for what beauty problems.

I told her that I am trying to get rid of my spare tire that no matter how I many sit ups I do, the spare tire is there still. Amy says to try slimming body wraps. She did it before and says she is happy with the results.

I was surprised that she has tried slimming body wraps before since she is so slim. Now that I think of it, maybe she is so slim because she uses slimming body wraps.

Spring Cleaning For CNY

There's only one more month to Chinese New Year. It will be the Year of the Tiger. Boy, will I be so busy with housework since I didn't do any spring cleaning for the past couple of years already busy taking care of sick dogs.

But every time I think of all the work before me, I get so lazy and tired. I haven't even recovered from the mental and physical lethargy from nursing Snoopy and now, there's plenty of house cleaning to do.

I know that I could hire a part time cleaner or even a team of cleaners. Actually, there's an Indian lady who stays nearby who cleans houses. I like the fact that paying someone to do the work would free up my time for more constructive work but when I think of the money, I feel like it's not worth paying. I mean, I could do it myself, why shouldn't I?

Featherweight

I have a friend who doesn't seem to be able to put on weight at all regardless how much she eats. I am so envious of her metabolism rate, you know. As for me, everything that I eat seems to be converted into fat in no time. I hate it.

I read on the website of bestfatburners.org that there are many people like me who take fat burning pills to rid themselves of excessive weight. But you know, not all products work well. I think the effectiveness of a product depends on how our individual body or system responds to it.

Anyway, I am trying to get rid of my spare tire. It's funny that no matter how much weight I lost nursing Snoopy intensively over the past 7.5 months, the spare tire remained. Urghh!

Looking Old

You know, having spent the past 15 years taking care of my epileptic dog, Dino, and then a bedridden Snoopy, I don't only feel tired, I totally look old. If I stand next to my classmates, people wouldn't know that we are of the same age. Sometimes, I feel so ashamed.

I read that taking human growth hormone supplements would help me look and feel younger. I haven't tried it yet but if everything that I am doing now still couldn't rid me of my haggard look, I think I would try it.

Since Snoopy left us, I have been trying to get more rest but I still can't. I think I would need more time to adjust my biological clock.

Cheap Fashion Watches

After almost 8 months not going anywhere, even the battery of my watch died. I thought that I would prefer a more "mature" watch now and I wouldn't mind spending a little bit more on a branded watch after wearing one Swatch or another for so many years now.

Well, my plans never work out well. Last evening, I went shopping and saw so many cheap fashion watches that I bought one. It's only RM10 each. Very cheap but looks so nice! I bought one with plenty of stars and in my favourite colors of white and pink!

You know, I was thinking that if I was to spend RM200 on a branded watch, I could buy 20 different fashion watches that I could wear a different watch for almost three weeks! It was a choice of either one boring, though expensive, watch daily, or something different every day. WOW!

A Very Special Valentine's Day

There is just one more month to Valentine's Day and do you know, it will be a very special Valentine's Day this year because it falls on the first day of Chinese New Year. Of course, it will be more meaningful if it had fallen on the 15th day of Chinese New Year since that day is known as "Chinese Valentine's Day" but still, it is very rare to have these two special days of Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year celebrated on the same day.

My friend, S, asked me if I could suggest some special valentine gifts for him. Having been in a relationship for years, he said that he has run out of gift ideas and it is getting increasingly difficult to buy a meaningful Valentine's Day gift. Well, this will be the last gift he will be buying for his girlfriend this Valentine's Day since he will be getting married in May and next year, he would have to upgrade to a more expensive gift for his wife.

Frankly, I do not have experience buying romantic gifts for ladies but I know that flowers are ever popular for Valentine's Day, especially red roses. The more stalks, the better! I think most ladies equate the size of the rose bouquet to the greatness of the guy's love but sometimes, giving just one stalk of rose could be just as romantic. I guess it is how the gift is given that makes the day most memorable.

A bottle of perfume would also make a great gift, especially if it is the lady's favorite fragrance. It shows her how well the giver knows her and how he pays attention to minor details like this about her and it could be very touching. Of course, a combined gift of flowers and perfume would be even more special.

For guys who are lazy to come up with gifts, they could always fall back on gift vouchers to the ladies’ favorite stores. That works all the time! Who doesn’t love shopping, especially when it’s free?

End Call

My friend, T, said that he is shocked to see that his mobile phone bill for last month is exceptionally high. Looking at the details, one call his mother made on the supplementary line was more than RM27, lasting more than 1.5 hours! T asked his mother if she made that call and she said she did but she remembers that she only talked on the phone for about five minutes only because they are not close.

Me thinks that the old lady forgot to press the end call button after making a call. This is my own nightmare. My parents aren't young as well and are getting rather forgetful. Occasionally, I would take a look at their phones to see if they have ended the calls that they made.

This isn't uncommon, you know. My aunt used to tell me that her prepaid mobile credit gets "eaten" up way too quickly. I didn't know why at first, and then one time, saw that her phone line was still connected so I had to teach her again how to end her call after making it. I remember teaching her when I gave her my phone to use but I guess she has forgotten.

Webhosting Packages

A friend told me that he would like to start a new website and blog. He used to be a blogger, actually, but after not updating his blog for a long time and thought that he had lost interest in blogging, he allowed his domain name and webhosting to expire. Now that he would like to pick up his hobby again, he found that he has lost touch with the latest news in webhosting.

I told my friend that it is not difficult to come up to speed again. After all, he's not entirely a green horn. He could easily check out the top 10 web hosting companies currently as rated by Web Hosting Geeks and the types of services available and features offered by each of these top ten hosting companies.

As a webmistress myself, I too rely on a hosting review website like Web Hosting Geeks to look out for new promotions and coupon codes when they are available. Although I do not have plans to subscribe to a new webhosting plan for the time being, I still keep tabs on webhosting news and trends.

Free Redo

I complained to my friend that my curls from the perm I did a few days ago are gone! I thought that digital perm could last two months??? My fiend told me that I shouldn't have washed my hair at home the first time after the perm and I should have done it at the same salon so that if all the curls are gone, I could "make noise" and they would do it for me again for free.

Yeah, I guess I should have done so since I went to a top salon in Ipoh and they do have a reputation to keep. But frankly, after sitting at the salon for four hours that day just to get my hair done, I don't want to go through the same thing a second time. Sure, I was still able to blog with my phone but too long a wait that I almost pissed in my seat since I didn't want to walk to the washroom alone which was quite a distance away. After all, it was almost 11pm already.

Aih, unfortunately, now my curls are almost gone and it looks like a DIY perm that I did myself at home and to think that I spent a small fortune on it!

Free Online Restaurant Reservation

My cousin, Jasmine, returned for Christmas and will only leave after Chinese New Year. I asked her how London is for her and she says that after more than ten years living and working there, there are still many places that she has yet to explore.

Jasmine is very adventurous especially when it comes to food. She said that she likes trying out new places to eat and there are so many london restaurants offering international cuisine that she has trouble deciding which restaurant to go to!

Jasmine told me that unlike in Ipoh where we could just walk into any restaurant for a meal whenever we like, one needs to make a reservation with fine dining restaurants in London. However, booking a restaurant is very easy and could be done online.

A website like Restalo.com allows one to make restaurant reservations online for free. It's so convenient, you know. Just search for any restaurant that you would like to try by using the two search options available on the homepage. You could search by name, by cuisine, by area or even by ambience!

I like the fact that search results could be refined to only restaurants that are running special offers currently. That sure saves lots of time!

*** This post has been sponsored.

Visit To The Dentist

I'm at the dentist's now waiting for my appointment. It's actually for 12.15pm but I'm here early, way too early, in case someone turns up late or doesn't turn up at all and there's a free slot for me. This dentist is a specialist in Ipoh and if I do not take this slot, the other one available will be on 20th and the next available one would be on the 25th. That's too far away and my appointment has long been overdue. Sigh.

There are so many things for me to update and I thought that I have many things to buy like clothes, shoes and also a watch but the funny thing is that at the mall last evening, I saw so many things for sale that would be good to have but I don't need them. I only bought a miserable t-shirt. I guess it would take some time and several trips to update my personal stuff.

Colorful Scrubs

After 7.5 months, I finally am able to take care of other things besides Snoopy. I accompanied my mother to her physiotherapy session yesterday and noticed that despite not visiting the hospital for so long, everything hasn't changed much at all. The doctors, nurses and other hospital staff are still in their plain lab coats, uniforms and scrubs.

Hospitals are very depressing places and frankly, I don't like to go if my mother didn't ask me to tag along. But I know that the hospital staff, especially those in children's wards, can make the environment more cheerful with colorful cherokee scrubs. Whoever said that hospital staff MUST wear plain white, blue or green uniforms only?

Did you know that one of the best selling Cherokee pants is in fire engine red, one of my favorite colors? Trust me, that would totally cheer up the hospital ward! I think it would make a lot of difference to the mood of patients, especially the children!

Cherokee scrubs need not be expensive at all because there are plenty of discount scrubs for sale. I think that a change in scrubs is a worthy investment by the hospitals if it could brighten up the hospital. I wish I could make this suggestion to the Health Ministry.

Finally Got My Hair Done

Finally, after so many months being trapped at home nursing Snoopy where my hair got longer and longer until I had to cut my own hair, which is something that I sometimes do, I got my hair done by a stylist.

I went to a famous hair salon in Ipoh just now and the boss told me that it would need 1+ hour and told me to take a seat. So I told my ride to leave and I'll give him a call when it's done.

But when I took a seat, he asked me to put down my hair, asked me how short I wanted to cut my hair and then told me that he can't do it and told me to make an appointment for tomorrow! I was pissed as he could have told me that he can't do it in the first place so that I could go somewhere else.

Anyway, I told him that instead of discussing this, he should start work. That would save a lot of time, wouldn't it?? And he said that I'm wasting each other's time for not making an appointment. I told him that I have to do it today and I will be going to leaving tomorrow morning. I don't even know when I will be back.

So i asked if there is another salon nearby and he said that he doesn't know. Then he recalled that there is a branch salon nearby and I could walk there. He must be joking. He wants me to get mugged? In the end, he called up the nearby branch and told them there's a customer who wants to do this and that. I told him I need a ride over but he said he doesn't have a car!

In the end, he asked his stylist to send me over. Sigh... So much trouble and wasting of breath just for getting a hair cut and perm. Actually I've written this post still sitting at the salon with me hair half cut.

Need New Shoes

After 7.5 months at home, I need new shoes because dust has settled on them. I know I should have stored them well but one day passed on to another and without me really realizing how much time has gone by and how many things I have neglected all these months, my shoes are not fit to be worn anymore, except for a pair of clarks shoes that I have kept in a box. Thank god!

I don't need too many pairs of shoes, I'm not Imelda Marcos, but I am very particular about wearing shoes comfortably. I can't think of what shoes I will buy yet, in terms of color and design, since I need new clothes too and will buy the shoes later that will match my clothing style.

So, I guess, it's shopping time next week!

FAREWELL SNOOPY

My dear Snoopy passed away early this morning, and even though after 7.5 months nursing him while he lay paralyzed in my room, and knowing that this moment will eventually come, it is still not easy to digest the fact.

While Snoopy has suffered tremendously these past 7.5 months, I would say that generally he had a good life compared to Dino. I am sad that he has left us but at the same time, glad that he is finally released from the painful body that trapped his soul.

Pet owners will understand that there's no way that we could forget our pets and they are forever in our hearts but with Snoopy, as well as Dino, I will also always remember how painful, physically and psychologically, it could be to keep a pet.

Dear Snoopy, have a safe journey while you join Dino in Pet Heaven.

Cheap Family Vacation

It has been years since my family and I went on a vacation together; so long ago, in fact, that I can't even remember when! I am longing for a break and I know my parents are too.

At the moment, I am looking out for cheap travel deals to local destinations, perhaps just for a day or weekend. Of course, I would have preferred to go on a dream vacation to destin, Florida but I could hardly afford it for myself, let alone for the whole family.

I'm such a cheapo, you know. While I want to go on a holiday, I don't feel like spending money! Perhaps it is because I have set my mind to save enough money to buy my own house. I have to keep reminding myself not to pressure myself and try to enjoy life more.

Minor Protest In Ipoh

While friends in KL have reported that there were protests earlier today in the capital city against the use of the word "Allah" as reference to "God", where some churches received threatening phone calls while some were burnt, a neighbour told us that there was a minor protest in Ipoh this afternoon.

While I am not taking a stand on the use of the term, even though as far as I know, Allah has been used as a direct translation of God to Bahasa Malaysia since I-don't-even-know-when, it is definitely wrong to show one's displeasure by threatening churches, let alone burn them!

Don't get me wrong. They can protest, of course, but do it the intelligent way. What good will violence do? Sure, the point is brought across but there are many ways to do so, I believe. However, this just proves the point that racial tension has been brewing in the country for years. This isn’t a good sign. I’m not looking forward to the day it explodes.

Utter Stupidity

I am extremely angry today. My cousin brother told us that he is in debt to the tune of $500,000! And he doesn't have any more money to meet the interests of loan sharks. Interest is really high at 8% PER MONTH! Can you imagine that?

Now, my cousin brother is on the run and my family wants to help him and forking out his expenses and giving him pocket money and guess what. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY!!! So who is going to come up with the money in the end? You are right, it's yours truly!

Ironically, I came across this article called Steps To Stop Stupidity and it made me laugh for a minute. Can stupidity really be stopped? Is it something that's born in us? Like my cousin, I believe he has read too many similar cases in the newspapers where people even kill themselves because they were unable to pay off loan sharks. Why then borrow from loan sharks? His income is only slightly more than $2,000 per month but interest alone is $6,000 a month! How could he manage it?

While there are people whom I help unconditionally, there are also situations where I think unworthy of my help. But in this case, my family has cornered me and I have no choice but to help. And I hate it.

If you have been reading my blog, you would know that I have been saving to buy property. I have been thinking, “Anyone can invest in real estate but how does one make money from it?” I guess I don’t have to let this question bother me yet since my plan to buy property has to be delayed no thanks to my cousin’s stupidity!

Force Feeding Snoopy

To be honest, after 7.5 months nursing Snoopy, my invalid dog, I am ready to give up. I am dead tired, mentally and physically. I never seem to get to sleep more than a couple of hours in a stretch.

This past week has been exceptionally tiring. No, Snoopy hasn't made any noise since the initial first month which was so difficult to bear but he has been refusing food and water and it is so hard just to try to make him eat. It takes me more than an hour each meal just to get some food into him and to think that in the first few months, I was feeding Snoopy four meals a day. Now, I am lucky if he could finish ONE meal throughout the day. It just wears me down; I'm exhausted and ready to collapse.

My friends claim that I am taking it too hard on myself and that I am too personal. I don’t know how not to be personal when I reared Snoopy since he was only three weeks old and had to be bottle-fed! Those were awful times too but he grew up quickly. Now, I just see physical deterioration day by day.

God, please have mercy!

Taking Refresher Driving Lessons

I have been contemplating buying a car for the past two years already but every time I am on the verge of committing to a car installment plan, something comes up, like the increase in gas price, which makes me defer my plan. Can you imagine how relieved I felt each time there was an increase in gas price and I had yet to buy a car?

Anyway, while I would like to have my own car, I don't need one now. But this got me thinking that should I finally own a car, I would probably need to take refresher driving lessons. I know people say that once you know how to drive, it will come back to you naturally even if you haven't driven a car for years. I haven't been in the driver's seat for at least 15 years now and even if it will come back to me naturally, I would like to rebuild my confidence on the road with refresher driving lessons.

Additional lessons after all these years of not driving would help me handle the car, my new car, with more confidence. It may cost me some money but I think it's unavoidable. Wouldn't it be more expensive if I were to get into accidents and be forced to buy high risk auto insurance because of my poor track record on the road?

Of course, all these are just plans right now. I don’t even know when I could execute them!

Polygamy Club

I read an interesting article on The Malaysian Insider today, which was reproduced from New York Times. It looks like there is a Polygamy Club in Malaysia, though polygamy is not something new in Malaysia.

I am not Muslim but I understand that Muslim men here in Malaysia are allowed to marry four wives legally but only with the consent of the first wife but does anyone care? Also, as I understand it, the reason that Muslim men were encouraged to marry a second, third and fourth wife is to help these women who are supposed to be unfortunate. Perhaps they are widows with children whom they are unable to care for and support financially. Perhaps they are ill.

But in this society, are these taken into account? These are the reasons that men DON'T WANT! They in fact, do the opposite by looking for wives who are younger and younger, prettier and prettier!

While it is legal for Muslim men to marry four women at the same time, it is not for men of other religions. Yet, scores of men keep mistresses and breed illegitimate children and the worst thing is that many of these men are not even able to financially provide for the first family. What a disgrace!

Restaurant Partnership

My sister told me that her friend asked her if she wanted to be a partner in a restaurant business. The friend and her husband have plans to run a restaurant and although they do have the budget to take over a restaurant now, they would not be so financially tight if they have extra capital to roll.

My sister was not keen because she has no experience running a restaurant though she has a short stint working as a waitress. However, she still sought advice from a Las Vegas CPA to see if it would be worth the money to acquire the ailing restaurant.

Finally, even if they would like to be employers for a change, my sister and her husband decided that they are not able to afford the risks of running a business right now, especially one as competitive as this.

I'm glad that they decided not to venture into this. I told my sister that it would only be wroth it if she or her husband knows how to cook!

Google Nexus One Superphone Unveiled

Google officially unveiled its Nexus One superphone which was designed by HTC and it looks extremely sleek. At the moment, I haven't the time to compare its specifications yet with some other smart phones and the iPhone but I am rather disappointed to see that the camera is still at 5MP only.

I always say that North America has a little catching up to do when it comes to mobile devices. Nokia and LG, just to name two brands, already have 8MP camera phones and Google, is just coming out with a 5MP phone in 2010! But the 3.7-inch touchscreen looks awesome indeed and it certainly would be interesting to use a phone that is powered by Google.

Google has said that the phones will be sold with contract and without. Obviously, the one without a contract will be more expensive. I wonder which telecommunications company will be bringing it to our shores. It will be a tough fight like it was with Apple iPhone.

Consumers Told To Brace Themselves

I read in the papers that consumers are told to brace themselves for even more price hikes as the government continues to remove subsidies on some essential items, like how the subsidy for sugar has been adjusted.

Frankly, reading this, I am feeling a little jittery. I had wanted to purchase a car last year but because of all these uncertainties and the fact that I have stayed home for 7.5 months now and have no use for a car, I have put my plan on hold. I am glad. I would really like to know how the price of fuel will be determined before I proceed.

My mother has told me that she wants to purchase exercise equipment so that she could do her physiotherapy at home and not go to the hospital every week. While I agree that it is more convenient I have suggested that we buy refurbished fitness equipment to save some money. There are only four of us at home and I don't see the justification in spending so much money on exercise equipment.

I am already feeling the pinch even though GST is not implemented yet. I really hope that I could get out of this situation as soon as possible so that I could earn some REAL money!

No Plastic Bag Day

I read in The Star newspaper that most of Selangor shopping malls and outlets have declared every Saturday as a "No Plastic Bag Day". I applaud this move actually though I could understand the frustration of shoppers being caught off-guard and if I were shopping, I surely would like to be prepared.

Jusco in Kinta City also observes a plastic bag-free day one day per month. It's somewhere around the 20th of the month. Well, at least that's how I remember it the last time I stepped into the supermarket.

I do have with me quite a few eco-friendly reusable shopping bags that were bought from the United States that until today, because of Snoopy's illness I have not found the chance to use them at all. The next time I go shopping, I plan to use my own bags or carton boxes instead of the plastic bags that supermarkets and shopping malls give out for free.

I feel that it is up to us to make the change. We don't really need to wait for a plastic bag-free day, do we? While shoppers may have complaints now, I think it's just a matter of education and getting used to bringing our own bags and boxes.

Managing Debt Successfully

I had the opportunity to meet up with an old friend over the New Year long weekend holidays and I am so glad when she told me that she is more stable now financially. You know, a year ago, she was in deep trouble with her credit card companies, not because she overspent but because she took cash advance to bail his brother out, who was caught misusing company funds.

A year ago, i told her that it is not worth helping her brother and she should let him face the consequences but she said that she can't let her brother go to jail for Criminal Breach of Trust. I guess, as an outsider, I wouldn't understand her situation. On one side, she received pressure from her parents to help him but on the other side, her husband was against her doing so, and in the end, causing strain to their marriage.

My friend took cash advance on her credit cards and even though she worked three jobs to try to pay off her debt, it was difficult because of the high interest rate and the speed the interest snowballed.

One year later, my friend was able to keep her debt under control because she sought help with consolidating her debts from a debt management specialist company. What the company did as to help her consolidate her debts into one account to enable her to make a single payment every month no matter how many creditors she has.

Although the one monthly payment isn’t a small amount either, at least she could better manage her income and expenses. Previously, it was as if she was settling various debt accounts every week!

Even though I am relieved to know that my friend’s debt is manageable now, I still do not agree with her action in helping her brother. An adult has to take responsibility of his own actions!

3X Treat Points

My father asked me to help him purchase a Nokia mobile phone through Maybank credit card’s EZ installment plan where not only do we get to pay for the phone in monthly installments, we get to buy the phone at a cheaper price and I would receive three times Treat Points.

For the model that he wants, it’s a savings of RM70 from retail price but still, we would still have to install it for 18 long months. I don’t know if I should do it. RM90 per month is not much but 18 months is a long time and I do not like it that I would have to fax in my order form and then wait for two to three weeks for the order to be process and then wait a few more days to have the phone couriered to me. That’s a total of 3 – 4 weeks just buying the phone!

Of course, I would prefer to buy a mobile phone at a local phone store but I may not be able to enjoy a cheaper price, I may not get to enjoy a 0% installment plan and most of all, I may not get three times Treat Points.

I have no experience in making a purchase by mail order using my Maybank credit card. Is it safe at all?

Auto Allowance Program

As I mentioned in a previous post, my sister told me that her company is moving to a smaller warehouse. While this move may not affect most of her colleagues, my sister said that she will have to drive further to the warehouse since she is in-charged of order fulfillment and shipping. My sister loves driving. It's the price of gas that has her worried.

With this change of plans, however, her employer has promised to provide her with a fixed monthly auto allowance since she will spend so much time on the road now running between the retail store, suppliers and warehouse.

At this point, though, the company does not have a proper mileage reimbursement program since there is only one "mobile employee", my sister but my sister is confident that she will not be shortchanged. Her boss is a very reasonable lady despite her stinginess.

Anyway, for companies which have a fleet of mobile employees, it is to their benefit to adopt a proper auto allowance program for the benefit of both parties; the employer and employee. The company will be able to reduce liability, lower risks and manage costs better while the employees will get to enjoy mileage reimbursement that is 100% tax free. My sister’s fixed monthly auto allowance is also tax-free!

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RM0 Monthly Access Fee For Mobile Postpaid Plan

This is something that I have dreamed of for years but right now, only Maxis and DiGi are offering such a plan. For RM30 minimum per month, we do not have to pay any access fee. Although the minimum payment, or commitment fee is still what we have to pay, the cheapest being RM30 per month, all the RM30 will go towards our usage, whether it is towards voice calls, text messages, video call, MMS, data or whatever mobile services that we subscribe to.

I love such a plan and have always wondered why no telecommunications company has offered any thus far, well until Maxis came up with a plan. DiGi followed but I am actually still waiting for Celcom to compete with both Maxis and DiGi by coming out with an even more competitive RM0 monthly access fee mobile postpaid plan.

I am a Celcom subscriber and am happy with the service thus far even though living in Ipoh, which is supposedly Celcom territory, I do experience some down time. However, my plan, C250, is way too expensive for me in the sense that I am paying for something that I am not using. i hope that Celcom will give us something better than Maxis and DiGi so that I could change my mobile subscription plan. if not, I am afraid I may have to switch companies. It wouldn't be difficult thanks to Mobile Number Portability (MNP).

Moving To A Smaller Warehouse

My sister told me that her boss has new plans for the New Year and the first thing she wants done right after the holidays is to move to a new warehouse. Although the warehouse is smaller and will be farther away, the rent is lower and that would save her a considerable amount of money in the long run.

My sister and her colleagues do not relish the work that comes with the move. It's not that far away a move but it is still going to be hard labor shipping those boxes, she said, and hopes that her boss will engage one or two Boston Movers to do the hard work but she isn't sure if she will do it since she is a not only a slave driver but stingy to boot too, from the stories I have been told.

Cost aside, I think it would be a good decision to bring in professional movers as it would save a lot of time and resources. Her staff could take care of business as usual since she plans to continue to be open for business amidst the relocation. Like I said, professional, reliable movers are fast and efficient and they make sure that nothing will be damaged or go missing in the process.

*** This post has been sponsored.

New Year's Resolutions

When I was younger, at this time of the year, I would be busy making New Year's resolutions. The funny thing was that I may be enthusiastic but somewhere in the middle of the year, I would have forgotten all about my resolutions.

I guess it is because my resolutions are nothing serious, nothing life changing. It may be something silly like watching less dramas or spending fewer hours playing online games. As I grew older, I don't believe in making resolutions anymore. It must be because I finally realized that I never see them through. Not only that. I totally forget about them!

This year wouldn’t be any different. I don’t have any resolutions but I have goal, which is to work harder, make more money and hope that I am closer to owning my own place in the capital city. The problem is that the cost of everything is going up so rapidly, I find it difficult to catch up.

Anyway, while I have every intention to put in more hours in my work, I know that I wouldn’t be able to do so with Snoopy’s life hanging like this. Who would be able to concentrate on work? I definitely can’t!

Delivery Of A New Car

Wilson, a friend, booked a new car a month ago and is very excited that it will be delivered some time this coming week. What he doesn't like is that, coincidentally, he also just received a memo from the management of his company that beginning 2010, mobile employees like him will have to use their own vehicles. Wilson has been using a company car for a few years already and loves the arrangement. After all, the company bears everything from fuel to insurance to road tax to maintenance.

Wilson funny said that he wouldn't mind so much if his car wasn't spanking new but I joked that this is a chance for him to show off his new car! Well, he wouldn't lose anything since he will be given Car Allowance at the end of the month according to the mileage of the car used for work purposes.

As far as I am aware, Wilson’s company is not the only one that is adopting a mileage reimbursement program. It is a good option for companies with mobile employees to take to reduce their operational costs, lower liability and risks.

Whether Wilson and his colleagues like it or not, they will have to go with the program. They don’t have a choice!

*** This post has been sponsored.

True Love Exists

I used to wonder if there is anything called true love. I am very skeptical about relationships and marriage but I guess it's only because of all the awful experiences that people close to me go through.

However, after discovering the family secret that has been kept in the dark for the past 25 years, at least, I am beginning to realize that there really is something called true love, and my aunt is a living proof of it.

As I mentioned in that previous post, my uncle is someone with standing in society but if that dark secret was revealed back then, 20+ years ago, he would have lost everything. My aunt took the decision to stand by him even if he has hurt her so badly and betrayed her trust, and not only helped him to cover up the shit he left behind but also helped him in his career and then in his business after retirement.

My aunt and uncle overcame tremendous family objections to be together due to differences in race and religion but it looks like my uncle didn't appreciate the effort or remember the tough times before marriage. All along, my aunt has been looked upon in a poor light and it has been so for the past 30+ years.

Now, with the discovery of this dark secret, no, it was not the keeping of a mistress nor was it as serious as murder but still, it was not something anyone would be able to tolerate, let alone accept. I now understand why my aunt does what she does and it is called "true love". And yes, I now look at my aunt with a new eye. The same goes for my uncle.

Mileage Reimbursement Program

My friend, Terrence, told me that he plans to purchase a new car. Without a car, he wouldn’t be able to take up a new job. Actually, most jobs now require us to have our own transport, have you noticed?

At first, Terrence didn’t plan to buy his own car yet since he is using the family car and is comfortable with the arrangement but if his job requires him to have his own transport, he said he doesn’t feel good hogging the family car. A new car is in order then.

From what I understand, this company that Terrence plans to join has a good Mileage reimbursement program where Terrence, and other mobile employees like him, will be reimbursed at the end of the month for the use of their vehicle for work purposes.

Initially, Terrence was a little worried that he would be cheated but I guess once he starts work, he would know how mileage is calculated and how he will be reimbursed. A lot of companies with mobile employees have adopted such a program for the benefit of both the company and employees.

Oh yes, Terrence may not know yet but the reimbursement that he receives at the end of the month is 100% tax-free! Isn’t that great?

*** This post has been sponsored.

Ipoh Pikom PC Fair 2009 (III)

2009 may be over but Pikom PC Fair 2009 (III) for Ipoh which was supposed to be held in mid-December, 2009 has been postponed to this coming weekend from 8th to 10th January, 2010. Venue is as usual at the Stadium Indera Mulia. Time is also the same from 11am to 9pm daily.

Having to nurse Snoopy, I have to miss the past few PC Fairs and I anticipate missing the PC Fair this coming weekend too. I had wanted to buy a laser printer actually but that will have to wait. I do have the use of a printer right now, an EPSON colour printer, so it is not an urgent buy. In any case, laser printers of reputable brand names aren't as cheap yet as I would like them to be.

Oh, I also would like to buy some DVD-Rs. There are too many files in my hard disk that I need to burn. This will have to wait as well. Humph!

Moving Business To Home

Jay, a friend who runs a multi-level marketing business, told me that to cut operating costs, he has to consider moving his business back home. I have always thought that he did not have to rent an up market place to store his stocks but he said he needed a posh address. Now, with the weakened economy, he is thinking of moving his operations back home but I am not sure if he will see this through. After all, it is not going to be easy for a guy to let others know that he works from home.

In any case, if and when he makes that decision to move, he would have to think about getting a company as reliable as the Boston Moving company to help with moving his precious stocks. He told me once before that those stocks are worth a few hundred thousand dollars. I wouldn't know if he didn't mention the capital he has dumped into his business. Surely, they don't LOOK like a few hundred thousand dollars!

With all the problems that my friend Jay faces and everyone I know who is also going through something similar, it makes me feel relieved that I am not in the same boat. As you know, I hate stress and don’t handle it very well.

*** This post has been sponsored.

Drastic Price Increase For Rowarolan

A month ago, I wrote in my blog that Rowarolan, an antiseptic powder that I buy for Snoopy's pressure sores, at RM8 per 20g bottle even though the mark price is RM9, has increased in price drastically.

Can you imagine, from a bottle of 20g at RM8, the price I have been paying for the past 4.5 months, is now RM15.80 per 20g bottle! That is a discounted price. The mark price is RM19.75! This means that I am paying almost double the price for it!

Even though Rowarolan is imported from Ireland, I don't think there is justification to increase the price by almost 100%. Unfortunately, even though it is so expensive, I have no choice but to continue buying it because Snoopy needs it. As far as I know, there is only one kind of medication for pressure sores in powder form and there is no alternative medication. So bad.

Putting In Some Pilates Exercise

I had the chance to meet up with my cousin over Christmas holidays and I told her that I would like to put in some exercise. I know that I need to lead a healthier lifestyle. I have been sedentary for far too long. Well, I wasn't all that active even during my school days but age is catching up, there's no denying, and I have to take an initiative to exercise.

My cousin encourages me to take up Pilates like she did. Well, she picked it up from a Pilates Boston center during her college days and have since continued with it. She said that we could try it together but it's unfortunate that we don't live in the same city and only get to meet each other a few times a year.

I plan to introduce Pilates to my mother as well. She is going through physiotherapy at the local hospital once every couple of weeks to help with her joint pain. Improvement has been slow. Although I do not have experience with Pilates yet, I am thinking that if she learn Pilates and does it at home more frequently would be more helpful. Do you think it would help with the stiffness in her joints?

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Taking A Break From Dramas & Movies

After watching dramas and movies continuously for a month, I am ready to take a break. Since the night I started to watch dramas and movies again since the day Snoopy fell ill, I have watched a total of 19 dramas and movies, starting from Hard Fate, a 30 episode TVB drama 'til last evening's House of Fury, a 2005 Hong Kong martial arts movie.

Once I stopped, I even had time to read a book; a children's fairy tale book entitled Penelope. It's a book about a girl who was born with a "pig snout" for a nose because of a 150-year curse on the family. To break the spell, they have to look for a blue blooded aristocrat to fall in love with her and marry her but everyone runs away from her due to her "snout" except for a guy who accepts her as she was. Only problem was that he was no blue blood.

Penelope, like I said, is a fairy tale, so of course she was able to break her curse but in an unexpected way. If you would like to know more, you would have to read the book, or better yet, watch the movie.

New House, Everything New

My new neighbor, who just bought the house next to mine, told me that she is going to renovate the house. Renovation work is expected to take months because of the scale and frankly, I am not happy about that. Our houses share one wall and that would create a lot of noise and vibration for us. I am so not looking forward to the pollution after going through one year of the same during the renovation work on the house opposite of mine. This will be a lot worse!

Just like the new family opposite of my house, this one plans to furnish the house with all things new. She said that she will only bring a long some basic items like clothes and other personal effects. She would just need a small Moving Company to do the moving since the rest of the larger items for the house will be delivered directly from the stores.

When I have my own home, I too wish I have the budget to furnish it with everything new. On one hand, most of what I have in my room were bought by my parents and I still want to keep my room as is. Besides, having everything new at home somehow gives off a different, fresh, feeling!

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Happy New Year 2010, Happy New Decade

Wow, a New Year has dawned upon us, a new decade even. What I dislike about the New Year is, you know what? Starting a new calendar! LOL I just creeps me out, I don't know why. Perhaps it is the thought that a new year is here again and I don't seem like I have achieved much in the past year.

Will the coming year be better or will it be worse? Like in previous New Years, I am not making any resolutions. However, I do strive to work harder, get more things accomplished and hope to achieve some of my long term goals. Many of them could be achieved with $$!

Anyway, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers Happy New Year, Happy New Decade. May the New Year bring you even greater blessings!

Installing A Netbook

Although I already have a notebook, I am thinking of buying a notebook computer since I plan to be on the road more this year, once I am done with my duties with Snoopy. A netbook would be more practical, lighter in weight, smaller and hence, easier to carry around. I plan to travel light, anyway.

I don't plan to buy it in cash though. I remember a few months ago, I received a promotional leaflet from Maybank which offered netbooks in a 12-month installment plan. I didn't take it up back then since I was stuck with Snoopy, am still stuck, actually. But the next time I come across such a plan, I definitely will take it up.

Do you know, we can now pay for our annual credit card service fee with Maybank Treat Points? Installing a netbook with my credit card would be like killing two birds with one stone.