Bye-bye Langkawi

It's been 6 months on the dot since I started blogging about my time in Langkawi and as fate would have it, this will be my last post from Langkawi. It's time to close this chapter and start fresh... in everything. Time to say goodbye to Langkawi. We can only dream and do our best... the rest is up to Him.

Today I start packing and moving things and by Monday I will be back in KL to start a new chapter of my life... hopefully this chapter will be the ascent of my roller coaster ride. I have been on the descent for the past 6 months and in the past month I believe I have hot rock bottom.

Stay tuned for Botak in the Village...

My Hari Raya...

It's been 10 days since my last post... and... things have NOT got better. In fact it has only gotten worse... to the point I think this is the ultimate low point in my life as of today. Two more 'incidents' came up but I shall only relate one today.

While everyone was enjoying their Hari Raya, I was 'enjoying' being wheeled in and out of the emergency ward. It all started on the eve of Raya...  at about 4:00pm... I was with Ayu and I was having a nap when I woke with a very strong cramp-like feeling at the bottom left of my abdomen. It felt like a really bad case of food poisoning... which would be odd as I had not eaten anything for the past 24 hours and it was also odd as the 'cramp' was one sided. I tried going to the toilet thinking it was food poisoning but nothing came out.

The pain started to get worse... not only did it feel like a cramp... if you ever had your balls kicked while playing football then you would have a rough idea how it feels like but again, it was only on the left side. The pain got worse and I started squirming in pain. Now... I can take a fair bit of pain... like how I walked around with a broken finger for over 12 hours... so when I started squirming around in pain Ayu started getting really worried as cold sweat had started to break out as well. I told her something was very wrong and I needed to get to the hospital. So she called a cab and i was quickly whisked away to the hospital. At this point I was squirming, groaning and moaning in pain. The pain is quite undescribable but I have never felt such excruciating pain before.

The registration was quick and I was quickly wheeled into the emergency room in a wheel chair. There I told the doctor what happened and after a bit of checking and tapping here and there I was given a jab. The pain began to subside within 10 minutes and in 15 minutes it was totally gone. The doctor then told me that she suspected it was Renal Colic and wrote me a referral to get an ultra sound for confirmation after the holidays. I was given some medication and pain killers.

Hari Raya Day... at about noon... I felt a slight pain again. I quickly popped the pain killers the doctor gave and it went away very quickly... within 90 minutes.

Hari Raya Day Two... at about 3:00pm I felt the pain again... I popped another two pills... after 90 minutes, the pain was still there and it was quite bad... I popped another pill... making it a total of 750mgs of Ponstan. After 2 hours... it still had not subsided and was no longer bearable. Again, we got a cab and I was whisked away to the hospital where I got another jab and in 10 minutes I was walking about like normal.

Hari Raya Day Three... the pain came back again and yet again after 2 Ponstans it was still there so off I went again to the hospital and got another jab. This time the doctor changed the pain killer to a 275gm /pill dosage and a different pain killer. This one worked quite well and I have not had the pain since.

Today as I was taking a pee at a public toilet I felt something gush out as I was peeing and when I looked down I saw a piece of stone. It measured about 5mm x 1mm. I hope that's the only piece and that my system is clear. We'll have to wait till tomorrow for my test after which I will post the results. In the meantime I hope I don't experience anymore pain... and I hope that none of you reading this will ever have to experience this pain.

03.09.10

Today is the worst day of my entire life. I have not slept since yesterday... nor have I eaten anything since last night's buka puasa. The first thing that comes to everyone's mind would be... what could make Botak feel this way? Well... sorry, no prizes for guessing. It's pretty obvious and I'll leave it as that. My mom is the person who drives me now... my only reason for existence. I hope God is with me now...

Rambling Again...

Lately... all you need to do is read the papers and you get disgusted. Here, I don't buy the papers coz I think it is rather silly of me to pay RM1.50 for a STAR paper just to cause grief to myself when the content is available online. Moreover, I can get alternative views as compared to the biased mainstream media. Let's talk about politics for just a bit. My ex-boss seems to think that I am PRO Opposition... that is not true. First of all, I don't see them as an opposition. To me they're an ALTERNATIVE. Do I think they are better than the Barisan Nasional? Come one... look at them tripping all over themselves... but like I say, they're an alternative... or should I say... the only alternative. What choice do we have? Allow our beloved country to continue with its corrupt ways or do something? Anything is better than nothing.  I guess some just prefer to hope. We give credit to whomever that is benevolent towards their rakyat... white cat or black cat don't  matter as long as catch mice. Stop bullshitting the rakyat about subsidies pushing the nation towards bankruptcy. You really think that we are all paddy farmers? Come on... yes, eventually we should do away with subsidies but the root cause of the nation heading towards bankruptcy is the unnecessary spending. The waste... THAT is the root cause. Own up to your mistakes as a poorly managed government and NOT tai-chi everything back to the rakyat. Tiu!

Anyway... today I read this article. I think it should have hit Facebook by now. This is really sad... and yes, it could happen to any of us. It reminds me of my trip to Kuching a couple of years back. Ayu and I were walking along the esplanade in the night. I think it was around 8:00pm. As we walked we saw 3 persons approaching from the opposite direction. One was an elderly man in a security guard uniform and the other two seemed like drunk delinquents. Of the two one was short, even shorter than Ayu and he could hardly walk straight and was mumbling away. As they got closer the short guy started hurling abuse at us...he mumbled something about wanting to kick my ass... I guess with all the Dutch courage he reckoned he could take on this 189cm tall botak. I wasn't amused... he actually attempted to approach me to pick a fight but the security guard who seemed to be following him just quickly ushered him along... laughing away at the drunk's actions.  Ayu was already worried as she was gripping my arm for dear life. I guess she was worried that I would retaliate... and frankly, most people would have and Ayu said that most of her friends would have retaliated.  A few days later we read about a body being found at the esplanade river. And then Donovan tells me that things like this are normal at the esplanade.... excuse me? Normal? And we advertise it as a place for tourists to visit in the night?

Back to the article... where do they want these two chaps to balik to? Where do they get this notion? Why where else? If our f-ugly fat toad of a Minister with specs can say this and it gets published in mainstream media and not get reprimanded... and headmasters in schools can utter such things in public and have the Education Minister then say 'it was just a misunderstanding'... are you surprised to get such acts from these people?

I remember 2011... my ex-parents-in-law's neighbour's kids were very fond of me and they would often get permission to have me take them out. One of the trips was to the zoo. It so happened when we were at the zoo there were two elephants about to mate. The male elephant had an erection as huge as its trunk. The girls asked me what it was... "Chair, chair... what is that?" They called me chair as they liked to sit on my lap. Here I am with a 9-year old and an 11-year old girl and they were asking me about the reproductive organs of an animal. I can do a very good job of explaining but I have no idea how their parents may take it ... so rather than make a mistake I just said I didn't know... if they were my own kids, I would have taught them right away, "What lah chair... why you so stupid one?"... "Yeah... I am..."

Then came 9/11... they were with me when I was reading about it and I said it was really sad that such a thing happened. The two of them exclaimed... "Padan muka they all die! Stupid Americans"... "Huh?!!! Hello!! Why did you say such things?"... "Yes, they deserve it... papa and mama say they deserve it coz they treat all the Muslims badly"... geesh... now how do you deal with that? I put on a very stern face and told the two girls... "NOBODY deserves to die, no matter what... and you cannot say things like this. It is wrong to kill people"... "but papa and mama say so"... "you can tell papa and mama that chair said they are wrong and nobody deserves to die and it is wrong to kill... and I don't want to hear you say things like this again". I am sure they repeated what I said to their parents.

What do we teach the new generation? It all starts from home... and you'll be surprised what parents teach at home... if they ever do.

Hari Raya is around the corner and as usual the fireworks and firecrackers start. In fact, it started on the first day of Ramadan. I think we can all agree that we all like fireworks... but I HATE firecrackers. What's the difference? Look it up... that's what Google is for. I have never understood people's fascination for firecrackers... I just don't get it. What joy do you get by lighting something up that just goes BOOM!... and that's it...all it does is create noise.... and it is extremely dangerous. But what do we care right? We just go on playing this stupid thing... then our kids want to try... but of course they can't... as usual... I can, you can't... then when the parent is not looking the child decides that if my dad can play so can I... BOOM! The child is not quick enough to discard it from his hands after lighting it... his hands are gone. Crying isn't going to bring the poor boy's hands back.

Do we think when we speak? Do we consider the consequences to our actions? And we wonder why the new generation is such... who do we blame? Ourselves lah...

Kena Nombor...

When I blogged this afternoon, I had actually bought the numbers... I matched the birthday and age and bought. Turned the number around, age first then birthday as well...

I had a good feeling when I bought the number this afternoon. I felt lucky!! And who would have guessed that I actually kena! Second prize... and here it is... click on the picture for a clearer view.

Alas... kena nombor but never kena $$$... wrong permutation. Not lucky enough I guess... RM3k gone... maybe next time... if there is a next time. And if you notice, I missed Special Prize too... Will I be lucky the third time around? Hahahahaha...

A Gift...

I had been noticing that every time we were shopping, Ayu would be looking to buy pens... ballpoint pens. I reckoned that it was because she kept losing her pen at work and the hotel didn't provide pens for staff or guests. In most cases as she related, her pen was 'hijacked' by guests. She also related how she would 'hijack' guests' pens back by asking if she could keep take their pen upon registration. I guess over the years, I have learnt to be a a rather good listener.... so I can remember most of what she relates to me.

Today she came home with a box in her hands and looking at it I knew it was something expensive. A regular guest from Penang gave her a pen...a Mont Blanc Limited Edition MEISTERSTÜCK PLATINUM LINE HOMMAGE Á W.A MOZART pen. It's a twist mechanism ballpoint pen and this is the smallest pen I have ever held in my hands at 4.25 inches in length. At first we thought it may be one of many pens he had extra but upon inspection of the box the warranty card was stamped the 22nd at Penang Airport. Hmmm... a very expensive gift from a guest... USD288.00 or about RM905.00. I'd love to meet him... then I can thank him. He just saved me RM905.00... LOL.

She gets a fair bit of attention at work from the guests and I am not the least surprised. She has a story everyday on how guests compliments her... she gets phone numbers, e-mail addresses, Facebook add requests and whatnot. I'm okay with it bit I am sure if the roles were  reversed, hell would break loose. LOL. Hmmm... if she got more gift that would mean I would save even more money. Cool! LOL

If only someone would be as kind to me.

Cravings...

Warning: If you're fasting you'd better skip this till tonight.

I've been having cravings for the past few days. I have a very diversified palate... cheap to expensive, poor to rich, halal and non-halal... but definitely 'no spare parts' (otherwise known as offal) for me. I had a rather tough childhood and I am quite accustomed to poor and cheap food. Back in the days... my late father would send me or my elder brother on a bicycle to the Indian shop to take-away fish curry.  RM1.00 for the fish curry which would have 1 piece of tenggiri (Mackerel) and we would ask to add RM0.20 more worth of gravy. Then at home we would fry some omelet with onions and that's what all 5 of us would eat. We grew up eating more rice than anything else... rice with gravy.

Among the things that I had cravings for were:-

1. Hot rice drenched in assam pedas gravy with salted ikan sepat, some spicy sambal belacan and kacang botol. I'm hungry already...

2. Beef rendang... specifically the one that the makcik behind Starhill sells in the evenings.

3. Steamed salted chicken... steamed chicken is a common item in any Chinese household.. especially when we have a festival or prayers. My mom used to always stow half a chicken away in the fridge but she would rub salt all over the chicken before doing so. Then the following day, she would cut the chicken to bite sizes and place the pieces in a deep dish. She would then place it in the rice cooker at the final stages of the rice being cooked. The steam, salt and jus from the chicken makes an excellent gravy and is just superb with rice. A dash of Shaoshing wine before steaming would make it even better.

4. Then there's the leftover dish.... my favourite. Translated from Cantonese we call it 'Sour and Spicy Vegetables'. All the leftovers are plonked into a large pot together with dried chili, asam keping, Chinese mustard greens and filled with water to the top  and braised for a few hours then seasoned to taste with salt. Absolutely heavenly and I could finish the whole pot.... and it was a large pot... probably a 10-liter pot.

5. Yong Tau Foo... oh my... how I miss this... especially the ones my mom makes. Ooohlala...

6. Porridge... I grew up on this too. There are many variants that we used to have. The common one would  be with spinach and ikan bilis (anchovies). If we were lucky then we would probably get chicken porridge or minced meat with preserved vegetables. Sometimes it would be just plain porridge with a can of fried dace. Yummy... I love porridge.

7. Sambal Hae Bee... I don't know if other households do this but my mom used to buy dried shrimps... soak them for a while then pound the hell out of it and she would then stir-fry this with lots of oil and sambal belacan. She would make a large batch and store it in an air tight 'tupperware' in the fridge. This was our multi-purpose condiment. It's nice as a spread on bread... goes well with steamed rice and also goes very well with plain porridge.

8. Taw Eu Bak... this is a non-halal dish. Literally it means Soy Sauce Meat in Hokkien... but in Hokkien when we say bak which by definition is meat, generally the Hokkiens understand it as pork... just like how daging means meat but daging is generally understood as beef to the Malays. The meat is braised with soy sauce and dark soy sauce together with whole hard-boiled eggs, lots of whole garlic bulbs, mushrooms and beancurd skin with a hint of spices like cinnamon and star anise. Very much like daging masak kicap but way better... in my opinion. Anyway... I usually just hantam the gravy and the egg white with steaming rice and you must have sambal belacan with a generous squeeze of lime juice. I tell you... cannot describe the syiok of this. One day I'll make a halal version and invite everyone to try... Perghhhhhhh...

There are many more things that I'm craving for but just these 8 are already making me absolutely hungry so I'd better stop here. I also miss my kitchen a lot... especially my oven. I miss roasting whole garlic bulbs for my garlic mashed potatoes... I miss roasting beef... I miss roasting chicken... I miss making pizza... I miss making my own sun-dried tomatoes... I miss baking cheese cakes... I miss baking muffins... meatloaf... sigh... so many things that I crave for and so many things that I miss... : (

Hypocrisy

It's Ramadan... and the brouhaha started again. The Halal certification brouhaha.

It is really amazing how humankind can turn something so beautiful into something that's the total opposite. Seeking knowledge is obligatory in Islam but no... we choose not to. Instead we prefer to listen to little ceramahs in mamak shops and whatnot, not knowing the validity of the source. Then with our lack of understanding we profess to be the champions. This is the sad Malaysian way which makes me ashamed to be Malaysian.

We take the simplest of things and turn it into rocket science. Halal certification... why is there even a need for such a thing to exist I don't know when the written laws of this matter is so clear and simple. When in doubt, abstain... if not in doubt, consume. And if mistakenly consumed without knowledge you are absolved. Now... what is it about this that we don't understand? But what if the person knows that it is not Halal and pretends not to know? Then my friend it is between him and God don't you think? Which brings us to one of the most basic things in Islam which is INTENT. What was the intent? But what if someone leads us into believing that it is Halal when it is not? Then my friend, it is he who has deceived you who will carry the sin. What's so complicated?

Now... Halal certification. What is it? To 90% of our 28 million populace who are not knowledgeable on this matter it is basically about pork, alcohol and slaughtering. So to the average Malaysian if you do not have certification then your 'products' are suspect of having one of the prohibited items stated earlier. This is bullshit, horseshit, whatever shit. This is so far from the truth. Those 3 items are just a fraction of the Halal certification process. The majority of it has to do with cleanliness, hygiene and cooking methods. The cleanliness of your kitchen, your garbage disposal facilities, refrigeration facilities and temperature, dry store, wet store, cooking temperatures and many more.

The brouhaha now is about hotels not having Halal certification... and with Ramadan buffets all around the country in hotels AND restaurants, certain parties felt it was their duty to enlighten the public that only  a fraction of the hotels in this country has been certified. And as usual, what is reported is NEVER the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. They fail to report that the same condition exists with freestanding restaurants. Let's face it... hotels generally have cleaner kitchens and better hygiene practices compared to other establishments... yet it is not easy to obtain the certification. So, you think it is easy for the Restoran Fatimahs and Restoran Pak this and Restoran Pak thats? Read here, the last two paragraph...

The hypocrisy and ignorance of us Malaysians is just unbelievable. There are people who call up hotels and ask if the have the certification and if they don't, cancel their reservations. Do they do the same for the Restoran Fatimahs and Restoran Pak this and Restoran Pak thats? Do they ask their local mamak stall to show their certification?

Lately there's this Friday night drama about a lost soul trying to get back onto the right path. She is wild... wears modern and revealing clothing and parties a lot. Sounds like the everyday KL girl right? Anyway, this lost soul is always ridiculed by a college mate. The college mate is supposedly pious, wears a head scarf and the whole nine yards BUT goes around spreading half truths about this girl... again, hypocrisy. So, who is worse? One is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) while the other appears to be someone that she is not. I'll take the WYSIWYG anytime. Just surf the internet and you'll see... how many video clips are there of girls in tudungs doing things that they shouldn't?

It's like a girl who wears tight jeans, body hugging long sleeved blouse... every curve of her body is accentuated and then dons a head scarf. Ummm... what's the point then? Frankly, I have no problems... but why the head scarf then? Isn't this hypocrisy? No... it is fashion... ummm... ok, if you say so... you know your INTENT.

Then we have the baby dumping disease. Now we have people demanding that these people who dump their babies be given capital punishment. Hmmm... we feel it is wrong for them to dump and/or kill their babies but we feel it is ok for us to kill them? Good... superb. Did we ever ask ourselves why they do that? Who are the ones who dump their babies? Statistics have it as mostly (if not all) Muslim youngsters. So... again I ask you this... why do they do it? What is the perception of bastards in the Muslim populace here? Oh... unimaginable... really? Ok, please show me where in the Holy Book does it say that bastards are not human beings who deserve a fair chance in life?  We created this problem... our judgmental and holier than thou ways.

Father tells daughter... sex out of wedlock is prohibited... alcohol is prohibited... make sure you only patronise Halal establishments... you must 'cover up' in public... 30 minutes later the father is at the Sports TOTO shop. 

The hypocrisy and I'm holier than thou attitude of Malaysians just makes me sick. God gave us brains. God instructed His Prophet to seek knowledge. Likewise, we should seek knowledge. What good is a brain without knowledge? And to end... let me just say this. Hypocrites are like IDIOTS... universal and comes in all races and religions.

The Future...

Back in late 2006, when I first learnt of the iPhone, I was amazed with its technology and I shared the info with a few people including my ex boss who is a gadget guy as well. I then forecasted that Apple would soon release a tablet form product. When the iPhone emerged in 2007, my ex-boss called me from Singapore asking me if I'd like to have one as he was in Singapore and it was just released there. I said, NO. He didn't understand. He said... wasn't it you who was raving on about how cool it was and all that? Yes I did... I still think it is cool as far as technology is concerned but compared to my N95 then it fell short in so many ways as far as utility was concerned and that was important to me. It's pointless for me to have a 'Wow!' gadget that could not address my needs. I'm not one of those 'wanna be seen with the latest gadgets' guys. Utility is very important to me.

Then there was the MacBook. My friend Rupert got a MacBook... I liked the Mac back then but again at that point in time it did not appeal to me for the same reason... utility... Windows based software dominated the market back then so it did not make sense to me then to adopt the Mac yet... yes, there was 'Parallels' back then but still price vs utility at that point in time still did not make sense to me.

Then improvements came to the iPhone but it still fell short... up until now... the iPhone 4, I find acceptable... I say acceptable coz I am still not 100% sold on it. If I got one free I'd use it but if you're asking me to part with my moolah... I'll need to think about it as it still falls short in a couple of ways.

Then the iPad... as I had predicted. When they first announced the iPad I was so disappointed with the specs but now... they've made improvements and it is heading where I expect them to... and eventually it will get there.

Take a good look at this... this will be the future. If you've noticed, the MacBook Pros have been very prominent in many areas. Movies... Sex and the City and Twilight. Ads... Maxis and DiGi.  Apple will soon dominate the market... especially now that their machines can boot Windows as well.

Steve Jobs was ousted from Apple in 1985... the same era that Microsoft Windows was starting to grow. Jobs came back into Apple in 1997... to do damage control and after 12 years away. Basically, Microsoft had a 12 year start. Although Microsoft was purely software, they dominated the market. Now, in 2010... when Macs can run OS X and Windows... the sales in MacBooks and Macs have increased substantially... in about the same amount of time that Jobs was away, he revived Apple... introduced new products... captured a new market in the phone business, tablet and also increased customer base on Macs... imagine what's going to happen in the next 10.

Apple is the future... that's my opinion... and that's where I am headed.

More Ramblings...

Another week has gone by and quite a few things have happened. I'll start off today's post with my exhibit of creepy crawlies.

I saw this spider in my mini kitchen. This is the second time I've seen this species. The first time I saw it was at Ayu's house but it was much smaller than this. This bugger was over an inch long (just the body)... gave me the creeps... doesn't it give you the creeps?

This is the same bugger after a heavy dose of Ridsect. I left it there in the kitchen and the next morning when I checked it was gone. I'm sure the lizards had a buffet.

This millipede was at the porch... one of few. So far I have seen two types. This and the usual red/maroon colour type. This one moves much, much faster compared to the red one although the red one has more legs.

This... I have no freaking idea what it is. All I know it has a huge proboscis in the front and it went around 'vacuuming' all over.  It has strange looking eyes too. This too was in the porch.

As I mentioned before... insects were my main concern. So when I finally had access to my pay on Wednesday, the first thing I did was go out and buy the netting and the half inch x half inch wood to do the netting for all my windows. Alas, Wednesday was the first day of Ramadan which is a public holiday here so all the shops were closed. So, I only bought it yesterday. I did all 4 windows. 2 windows of 6' x 3.5', 1 window of 4' x 3.5' and another of 2' x 3.5'. It was hot, stuffy and I was sweating away. Half way through it I almost passed out...  dehydration probably. But I managed to finish all of it... and also hammered my fingers a couple of times in the process. When Ayu heard that hammered my fingers she immediately started nagging... saying that I was careless... sigh... am I really? Try holding a 1 inch nail and hammering it onto a half inch wide wood while holding the net in place with 8.5 inch long hands.

Anyway, I accomplished my mission and survived day 2 of Ramadan as well. I slept like a log last night... with my bedroom door wide open. No mosquitoes in the whole house. The presence of the lizards were less though their droppings are still around though not as much.

Yesterday, I also purchased something that I really needed...

My workstation... RM220.00 for the desk and RM100.00 for the chair. 12 days of on the floor was enough... my back was killing me. If you're wondering why the netbook is on the stool read on after the next picture.

This is Ayu's netbook which I have been using for the past 5 months. The Atom processor can really get on your nerves but this is all I have. A few months back, while I was using Ayu's netbook, it started shutting down just like that. Eventually, I realised that it was overheating. The internal fan had stopped working. I thought I had caused it but when I did some checking it seems that it was a common problem with this model and I was unlucky as the problem started a mere days after the warranty expired. The nearest service center was in Alor Setar which means I can't get it fixed immediately so I had to 'MacGyver'... first I bought the cooling pad with 3 fans which helped slightly but it still overheated when I used Photoshop. So I then placed a table fan next to it which solved the problem. When I moved here, I had but ONE table fan... so how? If the netbook gets the fan then how about me? That's how the USB fan came into picture. Now problem solved. Not even warm.

Next problem happened on Monday... my phone started lagging so I reset it. But after the reset, I could no longer do bluetooth tethering. Something to do with the drivers. The netbook has only 2 USB ports. So if I used USB for tethering then I would have to sacrifice the mouse or the keyboard... and either way it would make my set up messy. So I had to get a USB hub.

Why not use the netbook on the desk without the mouse and keyboard?

1. Have you tried full HD on a 22-inch screen before? Have you tried an 11-inch screen before? Try both and you'll see... there's no going back once you've experienced full HD.
2. My large hands are not meant for that mini keyboard...

Now... for some disheartening news. I related a story in my last post. The very next day, my mom called... of course she was not too happy with the news. I tried to cheer her up by saying that she could now go there to visit. She said... yeah, right... that's what he says... referring to my younger brother... let's see what happens first. Then she went on to grumble about my late father's friend who had borrowed RM20k from my late father and never repaid. Well... this is going to be tough. We can only chase but there's nothing much we can do apart from asking and asking and asking...  of course, I told my mom to remind me when I am back in KL so I could go over and show this guy my infamous cibai face/muka ketat. Maybe that would help. 

Then she goes on to grumble about my younger brother also taking money from my late father. He borrowed RM10k. This I have heard before and I had confronted my younger brother before... he didn't deny and he said he would return it to my mom... so I never did pry into that matter again... seems like he has not. Ok... fine... everyone has problems so it may take some time... but here's my problem with the situation... if this is the case and you can't give back all the money then why is it when my beloved mother needs some extra cash to use you start to lecture her about how she uses her money? Just shut the fuck up and give her what she needs! If you feel compelled to lecture her on how she uses money then return all RM10k and you can lecture her when she next asks for money. Sigh... I guess I have no choice but to remind him... but I can already predict the answer I am going to get... relocating to the USA so will need some cash... wanna bet?

Well, that's my life... all kinds of controversies and dramas. Forever and ever...

To end... something from Ayu... she was complaining about her Assistant Manager (equivalent to Duty Manager). Apparently, at her hotel, outstation staff are provided lodging. Non management at the staff quarters and management get a house or an apartment. They have guidelines on the rates and management have to pay half of the rent. Sounds fair to me. So... the GM's secretary is considered management... so she is entitled to the house and she pays half... the GM's secretary's husband is the Bellman in the same hotel. So he lives with her... obviously right? One of Ayu's AM was making a fuss about this... the AM was of the opinion that he shouldn't be allowed to stay there as that was not his entitlement. Ayu was bewildered... her AM is saying this... she tried to explain to her AM that they are legally married, so what's the problem? Husbands and wives stay together... that is natural... moreover, she pays half the rent. BUT... the AM still won't accept the  logic to it. LOL. Malaysia Boleh!

A Story...

Is it easier to be selfish or to be accommodating? Well... it really depends on how you're built, genetically. Some are built to be selfish while some are built to be accommodating.

Today, I'm going to relate a story.... which can be quite lengthy... so if you have the time read  on, otherwise come back when you have the time or skip it altogether, up to you...

I received a call from my younger brother today telling me that he will soon be posted to work in the USA for about two years or more. I was happy for him but I also immediately started to worry about my mom as she would be in KL alone now. This means that I'll have to visit her more often which is not very convenient as I do not possess transport there or bring her over to the island which may be a good idea only for one visit or two at the most as there really isn't much to keep her busy here. I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. But for now I'll have to tighten the budget even more in anticipation.

This got me thinking... my parents always told me that I was smarter and more intelligent than my two siblings. I can't say... I don't know. What I do know is that I think they both fared better than me in the GCE O Levels (SPM). When I was in primary and secondary school I was top in class for the first three years and after that I would somehow decline in my results. This was because I somehow lost interest. So, while they did better than me in the end result I have achieved things they never did. Top in class, number 2, number 3, last 10... been there, done that. I was very active in co-curricular activities. In secondary school I became the President of the Computer Club. None of my brothers were involved in computers then... just me.

One fine day, my late father sat us down. I was 19 then, I think... my elder brother is 3 years my senior and my younger brother 5 years my junior. My late father was about to get his EPF retirement fund. He didn't have a lot but it was enough for a down payment for a home to call our own. We had been renting all our lives. My uncle (mom's brother) was involved in a development and gave us the head's up that there were apartments available which we could afford. It was RM60,000.00 or thereabouts for a 860 square foot 'apartment'. The discussion my late father wanted to have with us was to get our agreement on this as he would not have been able to service the loan and the loan would have to be in our names as he had been jobless since I was 12.

Back then, my mom had imposed a ruling for us... it seemed cruel then but she explained that we would one day understand her rationale which we did... well at least I did... can't speak for the other two. She MADE us surrender half of our salary or RM500.00 (whichever was less)  when we started work. By the time this discussion took place I was at RM500.00 per month. My younger brother was still in school. SO my late father wanted our commitment. During the discussion it was learnt that the installment would be about RM550.00 per month. I did the 'smart' thing and pledged to take care of the installment although it was RM50.00 more but what the heck I thought. So it was settled... I took care of the installment, my elder brother contributed to my mom and my younger brother would follow suit when he started work. Settled... smart of me...  or I thought I was smart.

Some time later... before the apartment was ready, my elder brother met with an accident. In the accident his tibia and fibula were shattered and eventually got infected. They had to fix the 'antennae' thingy to hold his bones together. Eventually, when it had healed his leg was slightly shorter.  My parents went through a lot of hardship then. I never did pay attention to too many details then. Sometimes, it's better to know less. My late father and my mother claims till today that my brother lied to them when he said he never did get any compensation from the accident. We hired a lawyer to pursue the case but my brother claims nothing came from it. Anyway... I didn't get involved. During that period naturally my mom needed more cash every month so she would ask me for extra every now and then I would give whatever I could.

When my brother had recovered he decided that he wanted to pursue his studies. My mom said we couldn't afford it. He assured her that she wouldn't have to as the course he wanted to take was a sponsorship kind of thing. They would teach you  for a few months and when you finish they would find a company for you to work with on contract. The course was to study the Unix language. My mom then approached me with my brother's plans... when she started telling me his plans I already knew what the issue was... she then asked me if I could 'shoulder' his commitment... I asked her, Can I say No? She just kept silent. I told my mom I will help her with whatever extra that I can... I cannot pledge to undertake everything.

Off he goes to study and when he finished he worked for a company called Baan. He didn't contribute regularly as he told my mom that he just started work and he needed time to 'settle down'. So, I still had to give my mom extra every now and then. After a while he decides he wants to quit as he had a good offer to work in Brunei at a hotel as a Food & Beverage Manager. When I heard this I was fuming... I knew what was coming and true enough it did. Yet again, he didn't contribute regularly. Same excuse... settling down in  new place.... Yeah, right... his girlfriend had a perfectly stable job in the Shangri-La as a cashier and she quit to go over with him.

My younger brother had started work by then and was also contributing to the home. So it kinda eased things off me for a while. Then one day,  when I got back from work my mom told me that my younger brother wanted to study Unix as well. So... same story... she couldn't depend on my elder brother as he was inconsistent. As a brother, what can I say? deny my brother of an opportunity? Thankfully, my younger brother is responsible enough to do his part every month. He doesn't skip but he has given less on a few occasions which is absolutely fine by me.

 This was not the end... after some time, my elder brother quits there as well and came back to work in KL and this time I think he joined the IT giant and has been with them ever since. When he was in KL my mom could still squeeze some juice out of him due to the proximity but when he moved to Singapore, that was it... he would lapse for as long as 18 months... then give a lump sum of RM2000.00 and behave as though it was a big deed indeed. And then lapse again... and again...

When I had intention to leave the Shangri-La after working there for over 7 years as a permanent employee (11 with part time), my elder brother told my mom to tell me that i should consider furthering my studies. My mom conveyed the message to me... I told my mom... great idea... is he going to take over my responsibilities while I further my studies? That was the last I heard of that 'idea'.

All three siblings started their careers in the hospitality industry... I am the only one left in it. What I am is not by choice. I did what I could to help the family. Did the best that I could and just followed wherever my efforts took me. I would have really loved to learn more on computers. A lot of people assume that I am IT savvy due to my  two siblings teaching me... which they never did. Sometimes when I ask questions they don't seem to want to tell me. What I know of technology is all self taught and self acquired from the WWW.

I found out that my 'smart decision' back then wasn't smart after all. I can't tell the bank that I need time to adjust nor can I tell the bank that I have to give less. Now today, I pay for the installment which is no longer RM550 due to escalating interests, I pay for my mom's ASTRO subscription, her monthly RM500 allowance from me and also whenever she needs extra I would give. So, it has basically tripled... now... how can my parents claim that I am smarter and more intelligent than my two brothers?

A few years back... after being tired of hearing my elder brother's excuses my younger brother did some 'digging' and found out that my elder brother had a house... correction...  a bungalow in Johore which he wanted to sell and it was worth in excess of RM 1 million... we decided between us not to let the parents know.

So, when I learnt that my younger brother was going to be stationed overseas I was happy for him and I envied him as he had the opportunity to study.

So, what's the point of the story?

1. It's amazing how a person can change. My elder brother was never like this prior to the accident. My mom swears this is the work of my sister-in-law whom he met after the accident. Maybe so but I tell my mom that her favourite son made a choice. Some time back when I was in KL, I took my mom and my aunt our for some drinks and we were chatting. My elder brother was their favourite while my younger brother was my late father's favourite. Me? I'm dark, f-ugly, I don't smile and I don't chit-chat so how can I be anyone's favourite? The two Golden Girls admitted then that they bet on the wrong horse. I quickly changed the subject to avoid the tears.

2. Strange that the IT savvy one ends up stuck in the Hospitality Industry while the ones who are not end up in IT companies.

That's life I guess... the opposite of what you expect happens.

The positive thing about today's news is that my younger brother is doing well and my mom will soon have a chance to visit him there.... and the negative? I have an asshole of an elder brother. LOL.

One Week

It's Friday... it rained Dumbos and Natalies... oops, I mean Glorias (that's elephants and hippopotamuses) this morning and again in the late afternoon. Really heavy. It's a week now that I have been here in this new house and I still have just the bare necessities. Mattress, a fan and a kettle. It's good that I managed to do the net for my room window or I will be a buffet for the mosquitoes every night. There's a shitload of mosquitoes and I need to do the netting for the entire house. This is a priority next week when I get my pay. Naturally when you have a lot of insects you also have a lot of lizards and I hate them... their droppings are everywhere. Once I have the netting done that will minimize their food source and the next thing I'll do is identify which crevices that they're coming from and seal it off with silicone. After that if I still see them then no mercy, I'll kill them... with insecticide.

A few days back I 'installed' a clothes line up front. When I was at the apartment it was RM3.00 per kilo for laundry... here it is RM4.00 per kilo... a bit steep for me and with an average of 2 kilos of clothes a day I think I'm better off putting in some effort to hand wash my clothes and I find that it's cleaner this way too. The heavier stuff like towels and jeans, I'll still send to the laundry. Eventually I will get myself a roll-away clothes hanger as it will be more convenient and I can roll it out into direct sunlight and back into the house when I'm going out.

Next on my list is my workspace. I need to get a desk and a chair. It's strenuous on the floor with boxes to prop things up. Then I'll need a stove and cooking utensils so I can cook. I'd like to have a fridge as well but it's kinda expensive so I'll just put the request in and let the boss decide. A minibar fridge is approximately RM450.00 while a small fridge is approximately RM750.00. I think the boss will approve it. For the time being I'll just buy and cook as and when needed and cook just enough.

An air-conditioner would be nice too as it is pretty hot in the afternoons due to the low ceiling but if you keep the front door open and have a fan inside it's not too bad. Leaving the door open for long periods means insects and mosquitoes will come in though. An air-conditioner means more electricity so I'd prefer the fan option and install an additional door with netting so I can leave the main door open more often.

Tomorrow I'll put a simple worksheet together for the boss to see. I'm saving RM350.00 per month on rent compared to the previous place. Meaning over a year, the savings would be RM4200.00 so technically she should allow me to spend that amount to buy whatever equipment and furniture that I need.

It is important to keep the house clean here... not that it's not important elsewhere but more important here. That's because there are all kinds of insects, bugs and creatures here that will emerge out of no where and if the house is not clean and tidy then it will attract them more and it will also be harder for you to detect their presence. So far there's just the bugs and insects indoors... and also spiders... not the long legged ones but jumping spiders... and I have found a baby millipede in the hall as well. This is because I leave the front door open to air the house and make it cooler.

Outside... ants, red ants, bees, millipedes and centipedes.... creepy stuff. There are things that I hope I will never see which I shall not mention since I am mulut masin....

Ramblings...

A year ago today, I was embroiled in an Omanis vs Malaysians feud.... was busy to the point that I didn't have time to eat, etc. Today, I am just shaking balls wondering how to occupy my time and to stay sane. I guess if I had extra cash to spend then it wouldn't be so hard but I don't. I got a surprising sms from Kak Siti yesterday. Kak Siti is kinda like the big boss' PA. She only reports to the big boss and handles our pay and claims. The sms read... Gaji jumaat insyaalah (Pay on Friday, God Willing). Wow! This is a first... not a first being late but a first with notification. They finally realised that they should at least inform. It's enough to pacify me. However, based on past experiences it only means banking the cheque on Friday which means I'll be lucky if the cash is accessible on Monday or else Tuesday.

My mom has been calling me daily to update me on her activities. She's so bored. My younger brother is in Australia for work and my elder brother as usual does not answer her calls nor does he responds nor has he been giving her any allowance. Which brings me to one of my observations. Last week I had a chat with two Bangladeshi chaps who were taking care of the resort and our conversation somehow led to families. This was because I was asking questions on how much they earned, how much they saved, what their long term plans are, any family, etc. These two Bangladeshis observed the same thing as I did.

Generally, not just here in Malaysia  but I think it is quite universal... parents can take care of and provide for their children regardless of the situation or the number of children. They will persevere and give everything and all that they have for the sake of their children but sadly their adult children will not reciprocate. If you watch 'Bersamamu' on TV3 on Wednesdays you 'll know what I am talking about. Most of the old folks that they have helped who hardly have a roof for shelter have children... and from my observation, the average is probably 4 working and married adult children... yet they live in such poverty. Thus the saying which I think is Malay... a mother can care for 10 children unreservedly but can 10 children care for their mother? These two Bangladeshis noticed in their two years here that Malaysians don't take care of their parents. One of these Bangladeshis has a wife but he sends his money back to his father and not his wife. His reasoning was that his father brought him up and not his wife therefore it is only right. He also went on to say that they would only marry with their parents' blessings.

My high and mighty elder brother works in one of the biggest IT companies ever in the world and is based in Singapore. My mom constantly complains about him and his ways and I constantly tell her that if this is the way he is then just stop calling. But I guess she just wants him to do his part and not burden me and my younger brother too much and of course... bad son or good son he is still her son.  I think he has forgotten who made it possible for him to acquire the knowledge to pursue his dreams and he also forgets when his parents begged and borrowed to pay for his medical fees when he was bedridden with a broken and infected leg following his motorcycle accident. If my memory serves me well it was RM50 a day just for the antibiotics... and that was more than 20 years ago.

I watch Bersamamu whenever I have the chance... it serves as a reminder to me to do more for my remaining parent. And I hope that all those who read my blog will treasure their parents more... remember the sacrifices they made for us.

Bad Weekend

I had a terrible weekend....

I woke up early on Saturday and did the final packing and starting moving all my stuff to the car...alone... sadly, no offer was made... so I'm not going to ask. Sad... that's life... dunno what to say. Anyway, I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. Arrived at the new place and immediately started washing the place. Pail after pail of water I splashed all over the house and scattered detergent and started scrubbing away... Then just as I wanted to sweep all the water out I realized something Fuck!!!

The floor had a raised 'barrier' at the entrance. I go to the back and check the washroom. Same thing. Great. Fantastic. I raise my hat to the person who built this house. How do you wash the house? Doesn't seem like I have many choices left... I had to use the mop.... and my bare hands. After 3 pails full, my hands were aching and I could barely grip anything. Even if you stuck a pair of boobs in front of me I wouldn't be able to do anything with them... with my hands that is.... you get the gist.

Thankfully the house had a defect that worked to my advantage. The floor was uneven and it sloped towards the center so the water collected at the center and I'm lucky as I started with one room and not both.... so one room was still dry and I slowly moved the things from the car into that room first as I was running out of time. I had to go send Ayu to work and buy my mattress on the way... and pick some things up from her place as well. That's when it happened... Wham! I started seeing stars! I almost passed out! While moving the stuff in and out of the room I got up too fast and hit my head at the top of the door frame. This kind of accident has happened only 3 times in my life. Once in high school... I had just shot up in height and not accustomed to my new height and was walking by the road when I walked into the metal steps of the telephone pole. It bled quite bad. After that my 'radar' worked well and it never happened again until I went to Vistana Kuantan. I had just parked the car and I had parked it next to a low overhead beam. As I alighted from the car and stood up, Wham!

Anyway... Ayu had a mop pail in her house. The kind where you don't have to use your bare hands to wring the mop... just stick it into the side compartment and squeeze. But even then you need to exert pressure and have to grip the pole. I borrowed it. After 7 pails more.... the indoor swimming pool was gone and my hands were numb and sore.

Then I started on the next project. Unfortunately there was insufficient material leftover from Ayu's place and I didn't want to buy any yet as I have no idea when my salary will be banked in this month so I decided to make do with what I had first.


This is it... the netting for my room to keep the mosquitoes and insects out. These things are not cheap. RM4.00 per foot. I have 2 x 6 feet windows and 1 x 5 feet window in the hall and 3 x 2 feet windows in the rooms and kitchen. That's 23 feet... and at RM4.00 per foot, it would cost me RM112.00 just for the net. That's too much to spend when payday is uncertain. So... just my bedroom for now.

After completing that the floor had not dried. It had been raining all day yesterday and today so the humidity was high. I had bought a 12" Pensonic table fan earlier when I was on my way back from sending Ayu to work. I also decided to stop by and buy some numbers. Yes.... I do buy numbers once in a very, very blue moon. They don't have Magnum here... just Sports Toto. I bought Ayu's employee number (or at least I thought I did) and my new house number just for the fun of it.

So, I switched the fan on and sat in the porch to rest and have my two packets of nasi lemak . It took over two hours for the floor to dry with the fan on. Then I swept the floor and called it quits. I then proceeded to set my 'desk' up. Used a box filled with my magazines as the base and then hooked everything up. It was pretty late by then... so I went online (tethering) and checked my usual stuff. Then I went to check if the numbers I bought had any luck...

According to what I had bought... I missed... by 2 points. It came out as 1347 instead of what I had bought, 1349... on Special prize which would be RM200.00 for every RM1.00 bet. That's RM400.00 missed... as the Malay's would say... tak ada rezeki... As I looked at the numbers I felt something was not right. When I sent Ayu backed later that night I asked her... what's your employee number again? Her reply... 1439! Hahaha... I knew something was wrong... I bought the wrong number... If you click on the picture and look closely, the 3rd Special Prize number is 1439... meaning I missed twice. I just wasn't meant to be. Oh, well... no luck.

Sunday morning... it rained cats and dogs... so I slept till about 11:00am... yes... 11:00am... very unusual for me. I normally can't sleep past 9:00am as I start getting stomach cramps. Sleeping less is another indication of age catching up. Hahaha.... my body was aching all over... my hands numb so I didn't feel like doing anything yet so I freshened up and went to take Ayu for lunch then send her to work. Before I left I sprayed all the corners and ceilings of the house with insecticide (Ridsect) to kill those creepy long-legged spiders that I hate so much. When I got back I cleaned the windows and cleaned the ceilings from the cobwebs and those dead creepy long-legged spiders. Then I mopped the floor again. While waiting for the floor to dry I decided to take a slow 750m walk to the laundry to pick my laundry up. Two ways would be 1.5kms. When I got back, guess what? the floor wasn't dry! That's how humid this place is. So I switch the fan on again.

Now I think I know why Langkawi has so many laundries. It's probably because you couldn't dry anything in the rainy season due to the humidity. So, that's basically my weekend... a bump in the head... body aching like I got hit by a truck and my hands can't even squeeze a pair of boobs now and I missed RM400.00.

306

Time flies when you're busy. This is the exterior of my new kampung home. From the two plastic stools out there and the whiteboard you can now gauge how large or how small my new abode is. Yes, it is confirmed. I am moving in. I paid RM500.00 yesterday. 

I spoke to my boss on this and she was agreeable but with a condition... she could only get me the funds by mid month, August and asked me to sort it out by extending my current tenancy by half a month and also asking the new landlord to hold the house for half a month.  The current landlord will not extend by half a month... it's a full month or no go. Come on... would you? It's a no brainer but my boss asked to try so I try lah. Then hold the new house for half a month... again... would you? But I tried... as soon as I mentioned  it the new landlord starts with the... now is peak, I'm losing business, yada, yada, yada... I stopped him. So I said... I give you one month now... and the two month's deposit in the middle of next month... deal? He agreed.

Now... the other part... middle of the month is when I get money for the furniture as well. The house is EMPTY now.... that means sleep on the floor... or get a mattress first. I managed to find a 'Chinaman' to bully. There's this furniture shop that I've been to before and bought a small closet from. This chap is a young kiddo... running the family's business. So... I did a 7 Habits on this chap... Begin with the end in mind. He speaks to me in Malay... coz I am at least three tones darker now and with Ayu by my side. He reckons I'm Malay. I tell him that eventually I will need to buy furniture for my staff's accommodation some time end of this year or beginning next year. Middle next month, I need some furniture for my house first which will be paid by the company and I need some prices for the items but I will need a mattress urgently this Saturday and I am paying for it first. I scout out a writing desk, a closet, a bed and a kitchen table for the stove. He tells me the prices then offers... do you need a quotation? I can write whatever price you ask me to. I just gave him the raised brow look and said... I'm not that type. Just give me your best price. How much for the single mattress? RM180.00... originally RM280.00. Done deal... will come on Saturday to pay and pick up.

A simple sofa set costs about RM600.00 which you can get at Cavenzi in KL for RM199.00. When I first started negotiating with this kid he tried so hard to BS me. Then I gave him the... I know I look like an idiot but I am not an idiot look... and went on to 'lecture' him.... I know you get your stock from the mainland and you need to pay freight and barge charges and what not but... most of your furniture are shipped flat-packed and assembled here with the exception of your sofas and antique-type furniture so don't feed me BS.  Then the prices start dropping... I could have bullied the kid further but that's not me... When the price is reasonable and acceptable I will stop. They need to earn a living too. Everyone does... I am just against rip offs. : )

So... tomorrow I will be busy packing. Saturday morning, load everything onto my motorboat... drive over to the new place. Give it a good wash... unload my stuff then go buy the mattress. Hopefully, the TV won't take too long. We have a 'sample' LCD TV which was left to us by our TV supplier which is locked away in the electricity sub-station at the resort. I don't have the key so I didn't bother with the TV earlier as the current place that I am in has a TV so I didn't want to move things unnecessarily. Today, I called the chap who holds the key and told him to mail the key to me as I wanted to take the TV out. Hopefully I'll get it next week.

As you can see I have a garden... I think I should do some cucuk-tanam-ing now since I am deprived from the other type of 'cucuk'-ing and 'tanam'-ing... thanks to a community of goon squads. Next month puasa some more... aiyoh... itu puasa, ini puasa... karavale, karavale... overflowing soon. : )

The Good, The Bad And The Fucked Up.

The Good.

I received an e-mail from my Director of Sales in KL which contained a scanned copy of the official correspondence that they will be sending out to all our travel agents. It states that we will now only open our doors in the 1st Quarter of 2011. It also went on to state that we will open with the swimming pool ready which was originally scheduled for Phase 2. So... at least I now know more. That's the Good.

The Bad.

That's another 5 months of ding-donging around for me.

The Fucked Up.

I am of the same level of importance as the travel agents as my boss does not see it necessary for her to tell me on her own. Just copy me... hmmm... she really takes things for granted and maybe that's how they managed to build a property with no access road and the whole of Langkawi is laughing at us now. More on that later.

Last week, I forget which day. I got home late and found that there was no water in my unit. It being late I shrugged it off. The next morning, still no water. Hmmm... something wrong. I brushed my teeth with cold water from the refrigerator.... wow... you should try it. Then I decided to find out if it was just my unit or the whole block. I asked a couple of people that I met and they told me that they had water. So, I called my 'agent' and told her. She said she would call me back. An hour passes by and no call. I called her again and she 'sounds' surprised that the water had not been reconnected. She then tells me some tale of the owner wanting to evict me as he had other prospects. She claims that he can't do this and that she would call him again and if he still doesn't reconnect the water then she will make a report. I have seen the landlord before but never did exchange words. A short while later I hear some noises outside... the water meters are just in front of my unit. I open the door and there was the landlord reconnecting the water. I confronted him.

He said that he deliberately disconnected the water as he wanted me to call the agent. Apparently, she has not paid him the rent and she has not been answering his calls nor answering the messages. Then he say because of that he had to use his money to pay the landlord first. Huh? I thought you were the landlord? He says he is not the landlord but he lets on behalf of the landlord. Messy... now I know why I am paying RM850.00 for a 31feet x 14feet pigeon hole. Anyway, I told him that he should not have done what he did. He could have easily asked me to call the agent and I would have.

I then realised that when I signed up for this tenancy it was meant for a fixed period of two months for which I had paid in advance. I have since been extending month to month with no deposit. SO, they could kick me out anytime and I could disappear anytime... dangerous. I decided that it's time to move. I think I should find a place closer to where I work. 22kms away is ridiculous. So I have been hunting for a new place.

I found the ideal place HERE (click to see pics). It's about 350m away from the property. I e-mailed the guy and the rate was... RM1850.00 per month. I kid you not... Pantai Tengah and Pantai Cenang is prime area so rent is high. I asked around Pantai Tengah... there were a few units but none available at the moment and I was told the cheapest would be around RM1500.00. Then I moved on to Pantai Cenang to look for a place. I found THIS... and it's located HERE. I called the landlord. The going rate was between RM100-160.00 per day depending on season. She was willing to give me a rate of RM1000.00 per month but she could not slot me in for a 3-month stretch as she had taken some other dates as fillers. I checked all along Pantai Cenang... the range was RM1500.00 onwards. Rooms were between RM400-500.00 per month unfurnished. Just a bed. Utilities separate.

Finally, I got a break... on Ralph's recommendation (the tenant in the RM1000.00 unit) I decided to check out White Lodge. According to Ralph they might be able to give good rates for long term. When I got there I asked the chap behind the counter if he had rooms for long term. He said he did have units for long term but asked me why not house if long term? House? If you have houses why not? In fact I was actually looking for a house. He had two units... One occupied and one available but a bit run down. The rate was RM500.00 a month... unfurnished... two-bedroom.

This is the hall. It's pretty small but about the same size as my current hall though this is slightly narrower but longer. Note the door to the second bedroom. I CANNOT enter the rooms without ducking. The top of the door frame is the same level as my brow. They made these houses for people like Miss D and Lian. Hahaha...

This is the first bedroom located on the left of the hall as you enter. Enough space for a single bed, closet and maybe a small desk.

Second bedroom. Same size as the first. I dunno... my guess is probably about 8feet by 8feet in dimensions.

The mini kitchen.

The washroom.

Overall, I think it's about the same size as my current place. I'm sold on this place due to its proximity to the property and for the long term plan where I can use this as staff quarters and take the other unit as well. The logic is pretty simple... If I took a 3-bedroom apartment, which would cost me about RM1600.00 onwards I can only put 6 persons in an apartment, max... and it would be very far from the property. We're talking minimum 15 kms away. So, price per head vs proximity... this is the logical choice. I'll speak to the boss on Monday and hopefully I can move in next month (fingers crossed). Oh... for me... it's 5 minutes walk to the beach. For Lian... 30 minutes if she just woke up and 5 minutes if she has warmed up. Oh, yes... she walks pretty fast for a vertically challenged person. Hahahahaha... this is where the house is.

And before I go... the guy at the reception turned out to be the Director for this place. We got into some chit-chat and and he asked where I worked and so on. I was telling him that I needed a place due to some delays and he said... let me guess... no access road? Never mind... you can fly your guests in by helicopter or bring them in by sea... after all you are a 4-star boutique right? I just smiled but I would have smacked him for being so cheeky. I asked him... how would you know about the access road? He says... this is Langkawi... small place. Apparently, this is quite normal. Even his land does not have access. He is currently using the access at the graces of the owner of the land in front... a Chinese chap.

So... there you go. My thesis for this week. Hahaha...

Alone...

Photo by Botakeu

From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were; I have not seen
As others saw; I could not bring
My passions from a common spring.
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow; I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone;
And all I loved, I loved alone.
Then- in my childhood, in the dawn
Of a most stormy life- was drawn
From every depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still:
From the torrent, or the fountain,
From the red cliff of the mountain,
From the sun that round me rolled
In its autumn tint of gold,
From the lightning in the sky
As it passed me flying by,
From the thunder and the storm,
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view.

Edgar Allan Poe

The Dim Light

The Dim Light, originally uploaded by botakeu (busy & very slow).

...
They say in time the dreams begin to fade
They say it seems that time is relatively late
And so I hold out even though the light is dim
I go my way, and I'm never giving in
...
Ode To The Future Past - Defer Christine Rains

Char Kway Teow, Spaghetti Bolognese & Len Chee Kang

Char Kway Teow is a fantastic dish... the Penang Char Kway Teow that is... no need for me to explain what it is all about, just click on the link and read what Wiki has to say as it has a pretty good interpretation.

Last night, after picking Ayu up from work we stopped by a stall for some food as she had not eaten the whole day. She ordered herself a 'Char Kway Teow'... the kind she likes... I didn't order anything but when her food arrived I change my mind and ordered myself one... the kind that I like. You must now be wondering... what's with the 'she likes' and 'I like' right? Well, hang on... we'll get there soon. This stall prepares a few variations... including the halal and close to original version. So I ordered from the guy... Char Kway Teow Udang (Shrimps)... he looks at me and points to Ayu's dish and said THAT is Char Kway Teow Udang... you want Kway Teow Goreng Udang... I just agreed and he walked off and I started laughing out loud.

We'll have to rewind now... forgive me but it is necessary. Back when I was in Kuantan, there was a day when Ayu said she wanted to have Char Kway Teow. Vistana Kuantan  does a pretty decent Char Kway Teow so I ordered one for her. When it arrived she just looked at it and said... this is not Char Kway Teow. And this led on to a heated debate. She claimed that Char Kway Teow is supposed to be wet and with gravy. So, me being the foodie I tried to explain to her that it is Cantonese Kway Teow that's with gravy and that it's white in color. She insists that I am wrong. She says that all Malay Char Kway Teow in KL has gravy. I wouldn't know because I always have the authentic non-halal topped with Chinese sausage version. I tried to use logic next... Char Kway Teow is Hokkien and it means Fried Flat Noodles... it is of Chinese origin so I know what I am talking about. She insists that I am wrong... and that Char Kway Teow is of Malay origin. She said that I was only saying that because I am Chinese... it matters not whether I am Chinese or not, I believe in facts and I am trying to teach you what is factual... she was adamant. It went on and on and I gave up to avoid things getting 'ugly'. I ended by saying... when we meet your dad we will ask your dad... ok?

That fine day came and we were driving when I asked her to ask her dad. So, she did... her dad started laughing and said... technically the Malays don't have anything to call their own... everything is 'borrowed'... I think 'plagiarized' is a better term... so he explains to his daughter that Char Kway Teow is indeed a Chinese cuisine but the Malays have their variation which is with gravy. Her dad went on to say even noodles are Chinese.

Fast forward to why I laughed... the close to original version... the dry version which I ordered is called Kway Teow Goreng Udang but the plagiarized version is called Char Kway Teow... Duh!! Shouldn't it be the other way round? Ayu is not the only Malay who lays claim to this dish being Malay... 

Len Chee Kang... is a Chinese dessert. It is primarily of lotus seeds (len chee) and dried longans. The commercialized variations have peanuts, jelly, white fungus, sea coconut, attap seeds, lychee and many others. This too has been plagiarized to be Malay-sian... and they call it 'Lai Chi Kang'... just because it has lychees in it. Okay... whatever makes you happy.

Malaysians are a misinformed bunch in general. We can't really blame them for being misinformed but with today's available technology, we certainly can blame them for remaining misinformed.

This comes down to education and MOST IMPORTANTLY the source of that education. If your source is contaminated then all is lost... same applies to religion. Let me give you some simple examples... 

I was having dinner with Ayu and her family at a Thai restaurant in Kajang... one of those Thai-Malay restaurants and one of the dishes that they had ordered was the Kerabu Mangga (Thai Mango Salad/Yam Ma-muang) and when it came Ayu's mom started complaining... because it did not have tomatoes... she exclaimed, what kind is this? It should have tomatoes, bla, bla, bla... I was thinking to myself... ummm the authentic kind? But... they all chorused in agreement. So I attempted to correct them and said that it doesn't have tomatoes... but no... mom knows best... so I shut my mouth up. Som Tam has tomatoes as far as I knew. But what do I know right? Would you believe that they even tried to teach me how Yong Tau Foo should be like? Hello? My mom's Hakka for crying out loud! Sigh...

 

Ayu likes Spaghetti Bolognese... so one day I took the trouble to cook her some... the authentic stuff... all fresh ingredients... she didn't like it and to top it off she insulted me by saying that this is not how it is supposed to be... Excuse me? I was visibly upset... she knew it... and she explained herself... you can't blame me coz I am used to eating the other version... her version is tomato paste and puree only... yeah, cheap fast food versions. I could relate to what she explained so I cooled off. The benchmark is important...

Now the benchmark story... I had an employee who was crazy over one of my other employees. They were lovers. One day she comes to me... and innocently tells me... Along (which means eldest brother, they all call me that)... I really love him. He is the best... I looked at her and said.... I thought you said he is your first boyfriend?... Yes he is and he is the best... Huh? Ok... My dear girl, how would you know that he is the best when you have not experienced anyone else? What is your basis of comparison? What's the benchmark? To cut a long story short, she eventually dumped him. No... I am not mean... he was already taken and two timing her.... with her eyes wide open or shut. 

Most parents here don't realize that their children by default idolize them and every word that comes out of their mouth is accepted as 'the holy grail'... parents here have a habit of lying to their children and feeding their children with nonsense for fear of admitting to their children that they do not know. And we then wonder why they become rascals. Like I said... there is nothing wrong with being misinformed or not knowing something but it is very, very wrong to stay that way. If your child asks you something that you don't know admit that you don't know but please do go and find out and then inform them... NOT lie to them! This is how religion gets distorted... if you ask questions and the 'teacher' does not know how to answer you they feed you with the 'You should not question God's will' bullshit. WTF?

Anyway... Ayu's food experience is all screwed up and from a contaminated source. Well... not just the food but... she's smart and intelligent so reason and logic is easier to modify as opposed to taste buds.  So I have been trying to re-educate her on how food should look and taste like... it's tough because EVERYONE has that 'my mom cooks the best' disease.... I think we should all just grow up and accept facts as facts. If Mahsuri is of Thai descendant then just accept it.... and if Hang Tuah and his consorts are of Chinese descendant, so what? So what? If it is true, it is true... what's the big deal? How does it change anything today? Why jump up and down and start to foam at the mouth? False pride? Of course some may say.... oh, you're just saying all this because you're Chinese... well, I'll have you know that my grandfather is a Burmese. So what? I am a bastard... that's a fact. So what? Many things I do are not my own ideas but I am mature enough to tell you it is not mine... and not just plagiarize it.

Facts are facts... it is just that.

So before I go... is Roti Canai Malay-sian? If we're thick skinned enough to claim it is Malay-sian then maybe we can explain why Roti Canai which literally means Rolled/kneaded Bread is not rolled  nor kneaded but actually hand -tossed... so, we should then call it Roti Tebar (toss/cast) right? So... instead of being misinformed... be informed here.

TGIF...